The Justice, November 5, 2024

Parents file wrongful death lawsuit with claims of negligence from campus police

■ Recent lawsuit names the University and three members of the Brandeis Police Department, stating that they had parts to play in the death of a student last December.

By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF

Content Warning: This article contains mentions of suicide and death.

On Dec. 5, 2023, members of the Brandeis community received an email from Andrea Dine, vice president of Student Affairs, at 11:49 p.m. with the subject line “Sad News.” This email announced the death of Brandeis student Eli Stuart, stating, “This is devastating news for all of us, and I know I speak for our entire community when I say that we share our condolences with Eli’s family and close friends.” Stuart used they/ them pronouns, and The Justice will respect these pronouns moving forwards.

In the following weeks, the University administration suggested that students access resources such as the Brandeis Counseling Center, Brandeis Hillel and the Trevor Project hotline. At the request of Stuart’s family, memorial services were live-streamed from their synagogue, Congregation Beth Israel of Austin, Texas. The livestream took place in the Shapiro Campus Center, with a gathering and support for students to follow.

On Oct. 31, 2024, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The plaintiffs in this case are Eli’s parents — Alice Stuart and Jason Foley — “individually and together as the Administrators of the Estate of Eli T. Stuart and together as next friends for” Gareth Stuart-Foley. Also Alice Stuart as next friend for Victoria Clark. The defendants are Brandeis University, former Officer Kimberly Carter, Lieutenant Detective Dana Kelley and Officer Thomas Espada.

The lawsuit details the events taking place from the evening of Dec. 4 to the night of Dec. 5. According to the lawsuit, that evening and the next morning, Stuart was actively suicidal. Early in the morning of Dec. 5, they took pills and lay “down near a campus building and path where they were visible to bypassers.” At this time Stuart began recording on their phone. A professor who was exiting a nearby campus building caught a glimpse of a person lying

in the woods and called the Brandeis Police Department at approximately 9:08 a.m. to alert them of the situation.

Brandeis Police Officer Kimberly Carter answered the phone, responding that “the person [the professor] was observing was likely a homeless person.” The lawsuit states “as though the life of a homeless person somehow did not matter” when referring to this response. Carter was not supposed to be answering the phone in the security office, as she was not trained to do so, but was covering for Brandeis Police Officer Thomas Espada, who had stepped away from the phone to help move a desk in another room. According to the suit, “in direct contravention of proper training, if she had received proper training, Carter did not react quickly or in a timely or effective manner in response to the report she had received from the professor. She delayed responding at all.” An hour after the call had been received, Carter got into her patrol car and drove around the University campus, but “she failed to go to the location where the professor told her he had seen Eli, failed to stop her car, failed to get out of her car, and failed even to look for the person lying on the ground,” court documents say. According to the suit, “At that time, Eli was still alive and would have lived had Officer Carter responded appropriately to the Professor's report.” In addition to failing to promptly respond to the call, Carter did not enter the call into the platform utilized by the department in order to allow all reports to be available to all officers when needed.

At 11:59 a.m. on Dec. 5, Alice Stuart called the Brandeis Police Department to report a missing and possibly suicidal child and talked with Espada. She expressed concern due to Stuart’s previous suicide attempts, one resulting in a stay at an intensive care unit and a string of “messages that were very sweet but potentially concerning” that she had received early that morning. Stuart had also turned off their location tracker. The lawsuit cites Espada’s response as “sounding bored and bothered to be receiving the phone call.” According to the lawsuit, Espada did not connect this call to the professor’s report which was never entered into the system, and when Carter was told about the second call, she also failed to link the two. The suit said that Espada responded in a routine manner, calling the Department of Community Living to pull Stuart’s swipe card history, showing that they entered their dorm at 12:15 a.m. This information was labeled as unhelpful, and accord-

Read about four portraits housed in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

Brandeis administrative staff seek to form union, present petition

■ Following an announced delay in merit increases, University administrative staff work together to form a union.

By LIN LIN HUTCHINSON AND ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE EDITOR AND JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF

Cheers erupted as 11 Brandeis administrative staff exited the Bernstein-Marcus Administration Center on Oct. 31. What was the reason for the excitement? The delivery of a photo petition to the Provost’s office reflecting the staff's wish to unionize. The office oversees the academic and administrative governance for Brandeis’ four schools, libraries, Rose Art Museum, research centers and academic support offices.

That same day, administrative staff took a stand, formally submitting a petition with the National Labor Relation Board for a formal union election. The decision to file was in response to a string of financial decisions that impacted Brandeis employees.

In March of 2024, the University announced that it would delay the merit increase for all staff members. This decision sparked

By IYLA LICHTENFELD

outrage from many members of the community who had been relying on the increases and were shocked. Such a sudden decision initiated a quick response by frustrated employees. Working in collaboration with Service Employees International Union 888, staff members united and developed a petition “calling on the Brandeis administration to reverse its decision.” The petition received over 300 signatures from undergraduate students, graduate students, staff, facilities employees, alumni and community members.

Merit increases were reinstated following demonstration and delivery of the petition to the Board of Trustees at the Wien Faculty Center on April 9. Frustration and outrage continued through the end of the 2023-2024 academic year as administrative members learned of the layoffs of approximately 60 of their colleagues in May of 2024.

This “further galvanized our efforts” to form a union, said Lena Webb, an administrator in the Division of Sciences, in an email correspondence with The Justice on Oct. 30. She adds, “After a month of having lots and lots of conversations and having 60% of eligible employees sign authorization cards, we are ready to deliver the petition to the Provost's

office.” According to Webb, 60% totals to approximately 135 University staff members.

The delivery of the Oct. 31 petition was accompanied by a rally taking place over the course of fifteen minutes in front of the Bernstein-Marcus Administration Center. Speakers shared the floor, further explaining their mission and uniting the crowd.

Academic Administrator of Social Science programs Eileen Kell was the first to share her story, stating “I had attended my first union meeting where I heard stories from staff who don’t enjoy the luxury of delaying paying their monthly rent for childcare, for this year’s 5.5% health insurance increase.”

The increase in health insurance came as a surprise to others.

“I think a lot of people actually probably don't know that if I'm going to be honest, which is not great,” said Webb during a post rally interview with The Justice, “That's something that should be clear so that people want to choose something different.” Continuing on in response to the summer layoffs Kell stated, “The administrator showed an utter disregard for the contributions of this talented staff,” referring to individuals who have

JONAS KAPLIN/The Justice

RALLY: Brandeis employees and community memebers gather in support of unionizing efforts.

 Brandeis' musicians present Bandapalooza, a concert featuring well-loved bands present on campus.

SENATE LOG

Brandeis Student Union held their most recent weekly meeting on Nov. 3. Most of the meeting was dedicated to club presentations, with a brief discussion of questions to ask Interim President Arthur Levine 77 during a future meeting.

The Brandeis Society of International Affairs was the first club to make their case for being granted probationary status. According to Neema Kitonga ’27 and Rami Chalom ’26, the club’s co-presidents and Kemi Williams ’27, the club’s vice president, the University previously had a society for international affairs, but it disbanded when most of its members graduated. The club seeks to build a platform for students from diverse backgrounds and academic disciples, and also hopes to collaborate with other cultural organizations on campus. The

POLICE LOG

MEDICAL EMERGENCY

Oct. 27—Medical call for a party who had bruised their ribs. The patient was treated by BEMCo and signed a refusal for further care.

Oct. 27—Medical call for a student who hit their head. Patient was treated by BEMCo and signed a refusal for further care.

Oct. 27—The Waltham Fire Department responded to a fire in the woods near the Charles River Apartments.

Oct. 27—Medical emergency for a party having pain when they used the bathroom. Patient was treated and signed a refusal for further medical treatment.

Oct. 27—Medical emergency for a party who got shocked by a piece of machinery. Patient was treated and signed a refusal for further medical treatment.

Oct. 28—A reporting party requested that a wellness check be made on a student who had made suicidal statements to their parent. Patient was transported for further care.

Oct. 29—Medical emergency for a party having a seizure. Patient was treated by BEMCo and transported to a nearby hospital for further care.

Oct. 30—Medical call for an injured finger. The patient was

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

■ The Arts & Culture article on “Spookapella” misspelled “Sundy.” It was corrected to “Sunday.” (Oct. 29, Page 19).

■ An Arts & Culture article headline was misspelled as “A deathly good a capella show in preperation for Halloween.” It was corrected to “A deathly good a capella show in preparation for Halloween.” (Oct. 29, Page 19).

■ The photo of the Arts & Culture teaser was incorrectly credited as “Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS.” It was corrected to MARINA ROSENTHAL/The Justice (Oct. 29, Page 1).

■ A caption in the News section incorrectly spelled “preforming”. It was corrected to “performing”. (Oct. 29, Page 1).

■ The caption of the Arts & Culture teaser was incorrectly written as “This review is a beautiful ode to the feminists works from the Italian Renaissance.” It was corrected to “Get an inside look into the soon to be gone “CLUE: A Walking Mystery” experience in Boston!” (Oct. 29, Page 1).

■ A news article incorrectly spelled a name as “Ted Gillman”. It was corrected to “Ted Gilman.” (Oct. 29, Page 1).

The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Send an email to editor@thejustice.org

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Student Union voted to grant them probationary status as a club. Next was Brandeis Effective Altruism, looking to change their name to Brandeis Impact. The name change would be for several reasons: the group is looking to become more actionforward, with more community engagement along with discussion-based activities. They are also not an official chapter of the national group Effective Altruism, and feel that they are becoming more disconnected from the group, so they felt that a name change would be appropriate. The Student Union approved the name change, and the club will now be known as Brandeis Impact.

Finally, the Student Union reviewed the case of the Brandeis

treated by BEMCo and signed a refusal for further care.

Oct. 30—Medical call for a party with neck pain. Patient was treated and signed a refusal for further care.

Oct. 30—Medical emergency for a party feeling faint. The party was treated and signed a refusal for further medical treatment.

Oct. 30—Medical call for a party with a racing heart rate and feeling faint. Patient signed a refusal for medical treatment.

Oct. 31—Medical emergency for a student not feeling well. Patient signed a refusal for medical treatment.

Oct. 31—Caller reported an intoxicated party who had been in the bathroom for over an hour. Patient was treated and signed a refusal for further care.

MISCELLANEOUS

Oct. 26—A caller reported a lot of broken glass on the ground between the Shapiro Campus Center and the Shapiro Admission Center.

Oct. 26—A party called to report a loud party in Ziv Quad. The Community Advisor on call was contacted.

Oct. 28—The Brandeis Police Department assisted the Wal -

Portrait Film Club, which was seeking probationary status. Portrait film is a subtype of documentary film, which snapshots a person’s life or story. The Union voted against granting this club probationary status, citing “duality of purpose,” as it was too similar to the pre-existing Brandeis Photography Club. Student Union Bylaws prevent clubs from having the same operations, impact, and student appeal as an existing club.

Student Union is scheduled to convene Nov. 10.

tham Police Department with a skateboard accident.

Oct. 28—A party reported hearing a possible physical altercation in the apartment next to theirs.

Oct. 30—A harassing letter was received by the Office of the President. Investigation to follow.

Oct. 30—A caller reported a heavy odor of natural gas in the area between the Squire Bridge and Linsey Pool crosswalk.

Oct. 31—A card reader in Ridgewood Quad was struck by a van.

Oct. 31—Waltham Police Department requested assistance from Brandeis Police Department.

INTOXICATION

Oct. 27—Medical call for an intoxicated student. Patient was treated by BEMCo and transported to a local hospital for further care.

Oct. 27—An intoxicated party wearing a yellow shirt was reported to be stumbling around. Patient signed a refusal for medical treatment.

— Compiled by Zoe Zachary

Graphics courtesy of CANVA and ELIZABETH LIU/The Justice

Zoe Zachary and Lin Lin Hutchinson

Relaxation : A group of students take advantage of a beautiful day and spend time on Chapels Field.

BRYAN WOLFE/The Justice

Students respond to elimination of sustainability office, circulating petition

■ Organizers from Students for Environmental Action have collected 238 signatures, with the goal of 500.

By LIN LIN HUTCHINSON JUSTICE EDITOR

Brandeis University’s commitment to campus sustainability began 15 years ago with the hiring of its first sustainability manager, Janna Cohen-Rosenthal BA ’03, MBA ’13. However, Brandeis’ commitment to campus sustainability has come into question with the recent decision to eliminate the Sustainability Office and the departure of former Director of Sustainability Mary Fischer without a replacement, prompting students to seek change.

In 2008, Brandeis became a charter signatory of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. That same year, Cohen-Rosenthal was hired as the sustainability coordinator for the university. She spearheaded initiatives that included reducing plastic bottled water consumption on campus, enhancing recycling programs, promoting energy and water conservation, worked with students through the Eco Reps program and authored the university’s first Climate Action Plan in 2009.

Cohen-Rosenthal left her position in 2012 to pursue a MBA, in Social Policy and Management at The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, According to a Nov. 21 Justice article, the role of sustainability coordinator remained vacant for the following three years. In response to growing student demands for a renewed commitment to sustainability, Mary Fischer was hired as the Director of Sustainability in Sept. 2015. However, after the quiet dissolution of the office dedicated to campus sustainability in the Summer of 2024 and the departure of its director during the Spring semester of 2023, several students are now echoing the efforts of those in 2015 by advocating for change once again.

“I … worry what precedent this sets if other universities see that Brandeis, say, gets away with this and scrubs the office sustainability and what they’ve done,” said Justin Koizumi ’27, the Vice President

BRIEF

Brandeis Emergency Services now

of Student for Environmental Action, in a Nov. 1 interview with The Justice. “I still consider this a top university and I think that we do set the standards for other universities and by having this dishonesty and [if] we were to let this go as the students, then other universities might follow suit.”

SEA is a student-led club that was founded in 2009 and played a key role in authoring the university’s first Climate Action Plan. Although the club became inactive during the COVID-19 Pandemic, a group of students in 2022 revived the club and havesince hosted trash cleanups and attended protests.

This year the club is aiming to focus on helping other students accomplish personal projects related to sustainability and environment — through the $55,000 Campus Sustainability Fund — and push for the sustainability office to be reinstated, according to Lukas Gordon ’26, one of SEA’s co-presidents.

To initiate this change, SEA launched a petition calling for the university to “reestablish the office of sustainability and hire a new sustainability coordinator.” The petition states “Without [the Office of Sustainability], we are directionless, lacking sustainability policies, and lagging behind other universities in an issue where Brandeis, as a social justice institution, should be a leader.”

The cut to the office was a step made by the administration in response to recent budget cuts that have impacted other parts of the university including most recently the reduction to the music department, the elimination of Brandeis Arts Engagement, layoffs of about 60 staff positions, annual staff performance review and merit increases freeze — which has been lifted — and a pause to the Science 2A construction.

“We just want to let the administration know that yes, we care about the budget crisis. This is something that we absolutely need to focus on if we want the University to keep thriving as it has for the past 75 years,” Gordon said, “but, closing the office of Sustainability is not a step that we should take even with a budget crunch like this.”

He goes on to share that “environmentalism is a good financial plan” explaining the financial savings the university would benefit from if environmental investments like efficient windows and solar and wind energy were made.

“Sure there is a front cost you need to hire somebody. You need to give them resources to research and enter into these kinds of deals

available by

On Thursday, Oct. 31 the Brandeis University InBrief Newsletter announced a change in how to reach Brandeis Public Safety. Previously, to contact public safety, members of the Brandeis community had to call 781-736-3333 or the “6x3333” extension number. Now, individuals are able to call 911 to reach public safety. This change comes as a collaboration with Brandeis

and make change,” Gordon said in advocating for more contracts with sustainability energy companies. He adds “It seems pretty short that they’re not looking down the road to what money we could be saving and just looking for short term cost savings.”

Gordon and Koizumi say that they understand the budget is a concern for the University and in the case that the office is not reinstated, they urge the university to take “practical steps” that aid the University’s commitment to sustainability, which, according to the two SEA club leaders, would include reducing energy use by making buildings more efficient, purchasing more renewable energy sources and have more accountability and transparency.

“I would just like to see more oversight in what the school does going forward,” Gordon said, suggesting the need for student oversight. He adds, claiming that the University has “promise[d]” that students would be involved in future projects related to sustainability like the new residence hall, which is said to be designed to achieve “Passive House” certification and set to break ground in the summer of 2025 and open in the fall of 2027. This certification recognizes construction efforts focused on energy efficiency and carbon reduction. However, he noted that “it’s hard to trust” when “[the university is] not providing [students] with any information,” particularly since websites that previously contained resources from the Sustainability Office, including metrics and dashboards now “don’t exist.”

Similar sentiment was expressed by Prof. Sally Warner (ENVS), in a Sept. 17 article from The Justice. Warner notes, while the university says it aims to achieve certain sustainability standards, “‘without someone in a dedicated role who understands sustainability … to push for that, it will be so easy for the administration to make decisions around the bottom line of construction, instead of life cycle operating costs.’”

Koizumi reminds the University of its commitment to social justice and highlights that students will take action in line with the University’s foundational principles. “We’re an environmental justice school; we are a justice school in general,” he says. “We organize these kids and bring these kids in for the idea that they’re for justice, of course, we’re going to react and I think this is the time the students are going to react.”

As of press time, the petition received 238 signatures. The group is 167 signatures short of its goal of collecting 500 for the petition.

dialing 911, but only on landline

Information Technology Services, with an aim to “eliminate any confusion and allow for improved response time to emergencies.” According to the newsletter, the change is part of Brandeis’ “ongoing commitment to [enhance] campus safety.” The newsletter encourages the Brandeis community to “Remember, in case of an emergency, keep it simple — dial 911 for fast, reliable assistance.”

However, this “upgrade” to the campus emergency response system “only applies to landlines,” according to the Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps’ Instagram page. BEMCo urges individuals seeking assistance to continue calling 781-736-3333.

ELIZA BIER/The Justice

Dog : The Oasis Lounge’s resident canine is cleverly disguised as a bright red crustacean.

Eliza Bier

ELIZA BIER/The Justice

Pumpkins : Bright orange pumpkins lie on a bed of fallen leaves.

LAWSUIT: Hidden police investigation caused additional harm to impacted family

ing to the lawsuit, “based on the police reports, it does not appear that Officer Espada took any further steps to investigate Eli's disappearance.”

Meanwhile, Stuart’s phone continued recording for almost 12 hours, stopping at 4:53 p.m. on Dec. 5. This recording suggests that they changed their mind regarding the suicide, calling out into the woods for help and for Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps many times.

At approximately 1:40 p.m., the Brandeis Police Department began utilizing phone tracking to attempt to locate Stuart. According to the suit, “at 4:53 pm, Brandeis Police located EIi’s bag and slippers in the vicinity of where the Professor had reported seeing someone lying on the ground.” Following this discovery, “At 5:00 pm, Brandeis Police called the Waltham Police requesting K-9 assistance, who then reached out to the Massachusetts State Police. The State Police also sent a police helicopter to assist in the search.”

The search lasted for three hours, with a state trooper finding Stuart at 8:00 p.m., in the exact same place where the professor reported seeing a body at 9:08 a.m. on Dec. 5. Medical professionals arrived at the scene at 8:26 p.m. and immediately initiated life-saving measures, transporting Stuart to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Once there, emergency room staff continued working to save Stuart's life until the official time of death at 10:13 p.m. According to the lawsuit, “following autopsy, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Eli had died as a result of drowning and acute intoxication due to the combined effects of various medications.”

According to the lawsuit, Espada ultimately made the connection between the calls after viewing the email from Dine, and informed Carter on Dec. 6. Immediately after finding out, Carter called Lieutenant Detective Dana

Kelley at 5:42 a.m. to ask if she was in trouble. He was confused, and she clarified that she had “taken a call from a guy that shared the location of a person on the ground in the woods.”

Their conversation concluded, and Kelley proceeded to listen to the recording of the call upon his arrival at work at 7:30 a.m.

Carter then arrived at Kelley’s office, “anxious and unannounced.” She expressed feeling “awful” and told him that she “knew she fucked up.” Following this conversation, Carter composed a voluntary statement, which the lawsuit points out has some errors, such as impossible sight lines. At 8:02 a.m., Kelley texted Chief of Police Matthew Rushton and asked to speak on the phone. He played the recording and stated in the Internal Affairs Investigation Report that they were both shocked. According to the suit, “Officer Carter was placed on administrative leave several hours later.”

Kelley met with Alice Stuart and her sister that morning and concealed all potential involvement that the department had in the death of their family member. He did not mention the investigation that was ongoing at that point, nor the call from the professor. Stuart’s family did not learn of any information regarding the failures of the officers until a month later through the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. The suit states, “It took many months after that to learn that Lt. Det. Kelley had already known of the botched reaction to the Professor's report and had already started an internal investigation into Officer Carter's and Officer Espada’s actions when he met with Alice at Brandeis the morning after EIi’s death.”

While the investigation was taking place, Espada was interviewed by Kelley. When asked about what he thought would happen to Carter, he responded by “[pointing] the finger at the Professor — the very person that called the Brandeis Police seeking help for the person lying on the ground — and stated that the Professor ‘should have been more involved.’”

Interview witness Dispatcher Lima agreed,

telling Kelley “that you can’t leave somebody injured if you have reason to believe someone is hurt.” In an interview with the professor, they stated that they did not feel comfortable approaching the person on the ground, hence the decision to call the police department.

The conclusion of the investigation was that the Brandeis Police Department determined that there had been “a serious dereliction of duty and a failure to act with the prudence that a reasonable person would exercise under the same conditions.” The lawsuit states “Officer Carter's and Officer Espada’s failure to take the seconds necessary to create a log entry tragically and significantly delayed the time it took to find Eli and to begin providing life saving measures but for which Eli would have been saved.”

Ultimately, the lawsuit has charges of wrongful death, conscious pain and suffering to pursuant, loss of consortium, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

In an email correspondence with The Justice on Nov. 4, Maria Davis, a lawyer from Todd & Weld working on the case stated, “As alleged in the Complaint, Eli died alone and in agony because Brandeis University and its Police Officers failed to act despite have been told exactly where Eli was suffering on the Brandeis campus. As the lawsuit alleges, if the defendants had timely responded to the reports of a person on the ground near a walking path on campus, Eli would still be with their family. The plaintiffs are seeking in their lawsuit to hold all those who they allege are responsible for Eli's death accountable.”

Stuart was a beloved member of the Brandeis community, having enrolled as a midyear student in the spring of 2023. Despite a history of struggles with mental health challenges, Stuart’s family felt comfortable with them moving across the country for college, “Thinking Eli would be safe at Brandeis, which touts itself not only as a bastion of education but also as

an institution whose ‘mission is to ensure that the Brandeis campus is safe and enjoyable for all who choose to live, study and work here,’” according to the lawsuit.

Stuart spoke out and advocated for the rights of many, forming a nonprofit disability education group called Actively Tired. According to the suit, “Eli was also actively involved in advocating for equal rights and battling against discrimination. Eli was passionate about issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community,” and this advocacy extended beyond just Brandeis, as “Eli spoke at the Texas State Capitol, voicing their opposition to the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council's rule change that allowed social workers to turn down clients on the basis of their disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity” in 2020, ultimately leading the council to restore protections.

In a statement to The Justice on Nov. 3, fellow Brandeis student and activist from Texas, Cameron Samuels ’26, shared, “My short-lived conversations with Eli made me feel less alone. I greatly admired Eli as an advocate who led with compassion and meaningfully shaped the world with the power of their voice. As LGBTQ+ and disabled Texans at Brandeis, we shared similar lived experiences and visions for the world. Our shared values, grounded in trust and community, were undermined by failed mental health wellness and emergency care. Eli wanted to live, and now that responsibility is upon us. We can all do better in our lives to embody Eli’s legacy. We may start with expressing kindness to one another in our words, actions, and pursuit of justice as Eli did with all of us."

The phone number for the national suicide hotline is (800)-273-8255. This hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

— The Justice Managing Editor Eliza Bier ’26 contributed to the reporting of this article.

RALLY: University employees gather, expressing optimisim for what's to come

CONTINUED FROM 1

worked at Brandeis for “a decade or two or three or longer.” She explained that the elimination of more than 60 positions led her to meet with faculty who had “survived” the layoffs, and who she had never had the opportunity to connect with before. Kell stated, “They no longer believe that Brandeis is living up to the mission through them, through faculty, through staff and students to come here in the first place.”

In retrospect, the combination of layoffs and reinstatement of merit raises posed concerns for Webb. “It was cold comfort,” she said after the rally, adding “some of us were even like, ‘Oh my God, did we have to like lay people off to get that money back?’”

Kell concluded her remarks on an optimistic note, stating, “I and my coworkers have learned, while we may have lost confidence in Brandeis administration, we have more

reason than ever to place our confidence in each other.”

In attendance, showing support was Maric Kramer, a Social Sciences Librarian and a member of the Brandeis library union. She expressed her support for the new union, welcoming them to the SEIU 88 community. Kramer shared that the library worker union has organized for many years and participated in many contract negotiations. “We’re happy to talk to you and share what we’ve learned,” Kramer said, reaching out to the union hopefuls. “Together we’ll fight to ensure the University lives up to its own ideals of fairness and social justice as an employer, a momentous step and workers are stronger together.”

Continuing to show support, Lenny Donohoe, who has worked as a plumber at the University for over two decades, took the stand, representing SEIU 32BJ. He explained that “we finished negotiating our contract here

at the end of September with the University. This was the seventh contract that I was involved in since being here at the University. I just want to say … we’re looking at a fair deal.” Donohoe went on to explain “we’re looking to be competitively paid the same as you guys, facilities, custodians, the grounds and the trades.” He then detailed that this has not always been the case, with trade workers at the University formerly being paid 70-80% of what other staff was making. Donohoe stated “I mean 70% doesn’t sound like a fair deal to me. 80% doesn’t sound like a fair deal. We want a fair deal and we deserve 100% of what we deserve.”

Organizers wanted the atmosphere of the rally to be positive and supportive and the last speaker followed suit. Abby Walters, a research associate at The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, expressed excitement for what's to come.

“We have accomplished something historic

today. We came together in collective public action to tell Brandeis that this is gonna be a union campus” Walters said. “We're going to keep showing our public support for each other. We're choosing each other because we know that we got each other's back.”

Webb hopes that as administrative workers consider their vote, they ask themselves why they stay at Brandeis. “A lot of that is because of your coworkers and putting that trust in your coworkers and getting that power from your coworkers and with your coworkers,” she said. “This is a rare opportunity. We're exercising a right we currently have and I would get involved. We are stronger together.”

Now that organizers have gathered a super majority for a unionization effort, a vote by all eligible employees will be conducted. The hope is for a vote to take place in December, but organizers say there is no guarantee on that timeline.

Practise what you know, and it will help to make clear what now you do not know.

ON THIS DAY…

Susan B. Anthony cast a ballot in the presidential election and was later arrested for voting illegally.

FUN FACT

People with the name Isabella can get free admission at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum through the “Forever Isabella” program.

17th century portraiture in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

A breakdown of four portraits by Dutch painters Pourbus, Rubens, Van Dyck and Rembrandt.

By LILIANA ASPROMONTE JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum houses four paintings by Dutch masters that represent a variety of portraiture styles of the era. These four portraits by Frans Pourbus the Younger, Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony Van Dyck and Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn chart the evolution and development of portraiture from about 1615-1635, with several elements shifting during this time, including the choice of background, the amount of detail in the costumes worn and the painting style itself.

Each of these paintings presents a high status individual from the time, and three of the works demonstrate the evolution of portraiture for wealthy patrons during this time frame. In these works, it is apparent that there is a move from emphasizing the exterior trappings of wealth and power towards a greater concern with the artistry itself. While these portraits represent a conventional development of the portrait, the self-portrait at the museum by Rembrandt from 1629 is a turn even further from the styles of the other three, abandoning the symbol-laden backgrounds for a more concentrated focus on the subject.

The earliest painting in this group, “Portrait of Archduchess Isabella Clara Eugenia,” by Frans Pourbus the Younger, presents the archduchess, a powerful ruler and art patron, and makes no exceptions in showing this off. In this painting from approximately 1615, the archduchess is represented regally with her fine clothing. Although there is a grandiose background of red velvet curtains, the archduchess takes up the majority of the composition.

Unlike more endearing works that may have been done of Isabella when she was the infanta — or a daughter of a Spanish or Portuguese monarch — of Spain, this painting is from later in her life, when she is not a young princess but instead an established sovereign. The only symbol of personal proximity shown in this portrait is the direct eye contact being made with the viewer. However, the gaze at the viewer does not appear to be particularly muted as it is an intense and direct stare. Her eye contact does not make the viewer think that she was caught off guard, but instead it appears that she is choosing to look at us.

The costume depicted is extremely grand yet at the same time quite modest to show off her calculated public image as a dedicated Catholic ruler. Although Isabella came to show tolerance and appreciation for the Netherlands, she was still a Spanish Catholic

leader. In the middle of her dress is a cross, an important symbol of the archduchess’ Catholicism, especially considering the split and tensions between the Protestants and Catholics at the time.

Similar to Rubens’ representation of Marie de Medici, Pourbus considers the relationship between femininity

ous covering ensures that we only see her hands and face, to present the archduchess as a virtuous woman. Her costume is extremely well constructed and the greatest detail is placed in the delicate pattern work on her dress.

The very minimal background gives away little; however, the fine material of the curtains behind her place

ARCHDUCHESS: Depicted is the Portrait of Archduchess Isabella Clara Eugenia.

and power. Isabella is represented as a powerful woman on her own, without the direct presence of her husband, although he may be implied to be present as a viewer, which could soften the intimidating prospect of a woman with sole power. Her modest and pi -

an emphasis on the wealth and exuberance of her court without taking away attention from her. There is contrast between the costume’s material that seems to be rigid and unmoving with the soft appearance of the curtains. The frills around her neck and the

similar ends of her sleeves are stiff and appear unmovable, in contrast to the curtains that appear to have been loosely tied back. This choice of different fabrics might have been an intentional choice for Pourbus to show off his competent abilities for painting textures. Pourbus employs chiaroscuro — a technique which employs clear tonal contrasts — through the choice of making the background of Isabella fairly dark and nondescript ensures the focus is placed on her. The tonality of the archduchess’ pale complexion along with her light colored dress make her pop out as the focus of this portrait. In some respects, the intricate details of the costume may take away from the vitality of the archduchess by drawing the viewer’s eye to her dress instead of her.

In comparison, Rubens’ portrait of the earl of Arundel completed about 15 years later departs somewhat from the early portraiture style of the Spanish Netherlands like Pourbus’ painting of the archduchess. In the “Portrait of Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel,” although Rubens paints an exquisite costume for the earl, we also see a more three dimensional facial expression, capturing the sitter’s mannerisms more accurately than Pourbus’ earlier piece, a progression that Van Dyck comes to master.

This painting was done following Rubens’ trip to Spain where he spent a great deal of time copying Titian’s portraits of the Hapsburg court. Rubens sheds the grandeur of his early portraits done in Italy, and this painting is done in a more conservative manner, as was more popular in the Spanish court.

While a portrait of the earl done a decade or two earlier would have likely been done in a style closer to Pourbus, with more extravagance, Rubens’ patronage portraits became more muted later in his career. This detailed portrait strays away from the early portrait style Rubens had focused on in Italy and presents one specific side of the earl, focusing on his military strength. After the Duke of Buckingham was killed, the earl of Ardunal Thomas Howard was able to gain control as the principal counselor to King Charles and Rubens makes it clear for the viewer that Howard is a person of high status. This portrait’s message is moderated by the artist, and in this case, Rubens focused on showing the nobility of the earl. His status is clear, as he is dressed in armor with a helmet and a baton, and this reveals him as the “Earl Marshal,” the title that gave him military power.

This portrait was likely done for Howard because Rubens probably wanted to flatter him, as he was an accomplished art collector, Howard would have likely wanted to have it proclaim his power to other nobles as well as the king. It is unlikely that this would have been produced for familial reasons, because at around the same time Rubens was working on a painting of Howard’s wife, Alathea Talbot the Duchess, along with Sir Dudley Carleton and dwarfs that holds a very different and more domestic quality.

Although Howard was not known for his prowess as the earl Marshal and was better known as an excessive art collector, Rubens chooses to exclude the latter completely. Everything in this painting is meant to complement his power, from the baton, a symbol of his title, as well as the chain of office, another symbol of his title. When looking at the background there appears to be a triumphal arch, something that is often associated with the ancient Romans building in newly conquered provinces to commemorate victories. The earl of Ardunel was also involved in supporting early British colonization of foreign lands, so perhaps the arch alludes to this.

Although Howard was not known for his prowess as the earl Marshal and was better known as an excessive art collector, Ruben chooses to exclude the latter completely. Everything in this painting is meant to complement his power, from the baton, a symbol of his title, as well as the chain of office, another symbol of his title. When looking at the background there appears to be a triumphal arch, something that is often associated with the ancient Romans building in newly conquered provinces to commemorate victories. The earl of Ardunel was also involved in supporting early British colonization of foreign lands, so perhaps the arch alludes to this.

This portrait of Thomas Howard provides a public image of the earl, largely based on the costume choice. Because he did not wear armor regularly, this is meant to show off his political power and proximity to the king. Rubens constructs a portrait that tells us everything that the earl wants the audience to know about him.

When looking at the brushwork in this portrait the metal armor is par -

ticularly crafted to make the other elements appear to be reflecting off of it. The texture of the background appears relatively soft in comparison to the rigidity of the armor’s metal that is crafted to seem heavy and clunky. Howard’s facial expression is framed by the fact that there seems to be a light on his face and this is the most well lit part of the painting. Rubens’ use of illumination of the face and around the head draws attention to the sitter’s stern expression. The earl is gazing directly at the viewer with a confident and unwavering stare to assure the viewer that he is decided in his decisions, and the light focusing in on this helps accentuate it.

Van Dyck’s “Woman with a Rose,” done during his sojourn in London, was crafted in the later years of his stay after arriving in 1632. Van Dyck, who was much younger than the previous two painters and mentored by Rubens had the ability to base his portraiture on their work. However, Van Dyck’s work demonstrates a unique and evolved version of the previous two styles. He spent time in Italy like the other two painters, so his work has an Italian touch, but his style is also inspired by Rubens’, creating a unique and flattering lifelike quality that made him such a popular painter.

Unlike the previous two, the woman portrayed is not a prominent historical figure, but her aristocratic status is still conveyed by Van Dyck, something that differentiates the sitter; however she still represents a modest and well off Englishwoman. Her dark silk dress, with delicate sheer gauze draped over and the strand of pearls are intentional and obvious luxury shown off in the portrait. The most striking display of her societal standing is perhaps her blasé crossed hands, and the pink rose that hangs down.

We don’t see power embodied like the other two portraits, in a political sense, instead there is a more casual and lackadaisical quality of nobility. Less is known about the woman’s precise identity, making it more difficult to know the exact reason for the commission, but this was likely commissioned by her family. She does not look particularly youthful, so it’s fair to assume this was not for the purpose of sending to a potential suitor. She appears to be more of a matriarch so it is likely that perhaps she and her husband were patrons

of the arts, and that is what led to the creation of this painting.

The posing of her hands lazily crossed and holding the flower are notable details of this painting. Long slender fingers and flowers as a symbol are both signatures of many of Van Dyck’s paintings and this portrait is an exemplary sample of this. Although the woman appears to be a distinguished noblewoman she also appears less calculated than the other two. This portrait seems to be meant to be viewed in a more domestic setting in comparison to the other two.

However, Van Dyck was likely still painting an extremely idealized version of the woman, presenting her as a very fashionable Englishwoman with the satin dress and pearls, both popular for people in her position. There is a sense of mystery conveyed in the portrait, although it is likely unintentional due to poor documentation of her identity. It is likely that she was simply one of the many noblewomen Van Dyck painted in his career with no intention of trying to make her an enigmatic figure.

This portrait does not inflect the gender standards for portraiture of this time period in comparison to the archduchess. We see conventional beauty and gender standards interacting very similarly to many of Van Dyck’s other aristocratic women. The costume and woman are the main focus of the painting and there is much less detail in the outdoor background.

When looking at painting technique utilized, the outside scene was painted but it covers only a small portion of the background and seems to have been done with much larger brushstrokes.

Van Dyck also does utilize chiaroscuro a bit, especially with the contrast of the black satin against the white skin and pearls.

Finally, the only self-portrait of the four paintings — done in 1629 — is Rembrandt’s self-portrait, which captures a dissimilar image in many respects. Although Rembrandt is actually well dressed in this image with a feather in his cap and gold draped over this top, he does not fashion himself as a nobility in the same way that Rubens or Van Dyck might. In contrast to many of Rembrandt’s self-portraits of himself as a

beggar, this does show a more idealized version of his features. We see a use of chiaroscuro to cast a shadow on most of his body, leaving the left side of his face and left shoulder in light.

Rembrandt also captures a facial expression that seems to be more expressive than any of the previous three. His lips are slightly parted and the eyes look directly at the viewer, creating an off-guard and almost surprised expression, something Rembrandt had practiced in many of his self-portraits. This portrait also has nothing displayed in the background while the other portraits by Pourbus, Rubens and Van Dyck all present a setting, Rembrandt instead focuses the viewer’s attention solely on the figure.

Rembrandt’s work stands out from the previous three as the least formal and the least dependent on the costume and setting. This is especially noticeable in comparison to the painting of the archduchess where her features are not as naturalistic and we see more of the figure to show off the costume’s details.

This portrait is the only one of the four that excludes the hands and most of the torso, as well as most of the lower half of the body. Rembrandt’s style shows the progression to less detailed costume work and more focus on realistic facial expressions with vitality. The lucidity of the portrait only focusing on presenting Rembrandt himself demonstrates his own virtuosity as an artist. During the early seventeenth century in the Netherlands, portraiture was very popular for wealthy patrons to capture their likeness and each of these paintings demonstrate extensive amounts of skill in creating a flattering picture of the sitter. However, each of these works expresses slightly different intentions and requires a different context. The earliest by Pourbus showcases the archduchess and her power, and the Rubens likewise focuses on the military might of its subject. The Van Dyck conveys a more subtle nobility with the attention to detail of the appendages. Finally, the Rembrandt presents a flattering self-image that leaves little else to contemplate but the mastery of the artist.

Design:

THE EARL: Depicted is the Portrait of Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel.

REMBRANDT: Depicted is Rembrandt’s self-portrait at 23 years old.

Photo courtesy of Gandalf’s Gallery/Flickr

Photo courtesy of Ann Longmore-Etheridge/Flickr

Justicethe

Anna Martin, Editor in Chief

Eliza Bier, Managing Editor

Isabel Roseth, Senior Editor

Leah Breakstone, Tibria Brown, Lauryn Williams, Deputy Editors

Owen Chan, Sophia De Lisi, Julia Hardy, Dalya Koller, Mina Rowland, Madison Sirois, Associate Editors

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Ariana Rich, Forum Editor

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EDITORIAL

Fall’s well that ends well: Taking time

for

ourselves as the temperature drops

As what was possibly the longest Halloween of all time comes to a close, energy levels are low and many students may feel stretched thin. As we know, the holiday coincided with not only the beginning of the nebulous block of the semester over which midterms are scheduled but also the 2024 presidential election. This editorial board encourages those of us in the community who may be feeling drained or burnt out to set a few extra measures to relax, self-preserve and enjoy the season’s peak foliage.

Halloween is usually a weekend-long affair, but because it fell on a Thursday this year, there was much debate about whether or not the festivities should happen the weekend before or the weekend after. It seems the solution was to celebrate the holiday all week long. Students roamed the streets of Waltham in full-gear — from classic vampire ensembles to inflatable chicken suits. Few were caught slacking despite having to simultaneously think about coursework and midterms. Now it’s time to get some rest, eat some leftover Halloween candy and rejuvenate as we fall back into our regular routines.

This time of year means colder weather and more nights of sitting in the library for hours on end trying to chip away at the mountain of work on your plate. Exams, essays and projects have been scattered throughout our schedules for the last few weeks and, for some, there are still more to come. We recommend that during this busy period, students remember to squeeze in some time to unwind, spend quality time with friends and prioritize their overall health and wellbeing.

As midterm season wraps up and swiftly transitions into finals territory, be sure not to lose perspective of where in the semester we currently are. The whiplash of thinking you’re done with all of your midterm exams and essays to having to start studying for finals can often be brutal. This board encourages students to be extra mindful of when midterm work will start tapering off and to take a moment to reset before having to start thinking about finals. Now would be a good time to get reorganized and caught up on any areas that may have been neglected. By taking a moment to ground yourself, you’ll avoid feeling overwhelmed or unprepared for the next wave of assignments coming your way.

Along with the changing weather comes the switch out of daylight savings time, which began on March 10 and ended on Nov. 3 at 2 a.m. It is now time to change all of your clocks and the time on the stove. This Sunday we gained an extra hour, giving us all an additional hour of sleep. However, the end of daylight savings means the sun will start setting earlier across the U.S. This season of cold and dark weather can prove challenging for many, especially in terms of mental wellbeing. We suggest keeping in mind the decreased amount of sunlight that we will have in the fall and winter months and dedicating time to being outdoors on a regular basis. Getting a solid amount of vitamin D is essential, especially for people in the young adult age brackets who are at greater risk of insufficiency in the winter months.

Perhaps one of the most monumental events on the horizon for us is the 2024 presidential election. For most undergraduate students, this will be the first presidential election in which they are eligible to vote. Not only will this be many students’ first time voting, but they will also be voting in an election that has been particularly rocky. With the assassination attempts on Former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden dropping out of the race at the last minute and various other concerns on both national and global fronts, there have been a handful of major unexpected twists adding pressure to this momentous election. The polls indicate that the race is very close, as the national polling average reported on the New York Times website is at 49% for Kamala Harris and 48% for Donald Trump as of press time. It is difficult to tell what exactly will unfold in this Tuesday’s election. With all of this in mind, this editorial board suggests that our community members take time for themselves, as we collectively process these stressful national events. For instance, there are campus get-togethers organized specifically to help students deal with election stress, such as Student Union’s therapy dogs provided by the “Dog B.O.N.E.S.” organization at the Shapiro Campus Center Library on Nov. 5 from 2-3 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. The Brandeis Counseling Center, the Center for Spiritual Life, the Gender and Sexuality Center and the Intercultural Center are also offering election week support, consisting of drop-in quiet spaces with reflection and mindfulness activities. We encourage students to take advantage of these resources.

Furthermore, as we welcome the crisp air and vibrant colors of fall, there are countless seasonal activities that can help students unwind and celebrate this picturesque time of year. Consider organizing a group outing to a nearby orchard for apple picking, where you can savor the fresh cider while enjoying the company of friends. For those who prefer staying home, hosting a cozy movie night with seasonal favorite films can create a warm, inviting atmosphere perfect for relaxation. Additionally, students shouldn’t forget to appreciate the stunning fall foliage; although Boston and surrounding areas reached peak foliage early last week, many trees around campus have still retained their striking colors, highlighting students’ daily walks to class with brilliant leaves of yellows, oranges and reds. Whether you’re carving pumpkins, trying your hand at baking seasonal pies or simply sipping a warm drink in the comfort of your dorm, these activities can offer a refreshing break from the demands of academic life and foster connections between ourselves and our community.

There are a number of ways to destress, from enjoying the autumnal scenery to watching a movie on a cozy night-in, but ultimately, each person’s needs are different. We recommend staying attuned to your individual needs — both mental and physical — and doing what you think is best to regenerate and push through this phase of the semester.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Today anti Zionist Jews and other liberal Jews wrap themselves in “ tikkun olam” (“ repair the world”) credulously believing that they have wrapped themselves in historic Judaism. Nothing could be further from the truth. Dismissing Jewish law and replacing it with a universalist “ social justice” agenda, many of these “repair the world” Jews are even able to contort themselves into supporting Hamas whose unrevoked charter in Article 7 requires every supporter of Hamas to murder every Jew on earth.

As Iranian refugee Dr. Sheila Nazarian writes:

“ This modern usage is a bastardization of a term with spiritual roots that calls for acts of prayer, religious ritual and meditation. It also misunderstands the original intended scope of the term which was meant to refer to highly specific individual instances and adjustments to how existing rules were applied to Jewish society, not to a broad expansion of what Jews must do to “ repair the world”.

“But much more importantly, the prevalence of this silly contemporary usage has advanced an equally silly mainstream Jewish perspective, according to which the needs and self- interest of our community are overlooked in favor of an unquestioned commitment to politics that do not serve and in many instances actively reject us”. (“ American Jews Get ‘ Tikkun Olum’ All Wrong. How Can You Repair The World If Your Own House is Falling Apart?”, Dr. Sheila Nazarian, Jewish News Syndicate, 8/5/24).

Similarly Brian Sherwin, Distinguished Service Professor and Vice President Emeritus at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Studies at Chicago, Illinois supports Dr. Nazarian’s position with exhaustive historic details:

“Reform Leader and social activist Eugene J. Lipman concluded that ‘ none of the material adduced here could serve to bring me to the conclusion that the Talmudic sages were speaking of all humanity...( The referent here relates only to ) The Jewish community”.

“In her 1984 PhD dissertation “ Tikkun Olam in early Rabbinic Literature” submitted at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Sagit Mor examines the earliest appearance of the term in Hebrew Literature, i.e. in” ‘ Mishnah Gittin 4:1-5:3’.

“According to Mor, the earliest appearance of the term ‘olam’ refers to ‘Jewish culture and civilization ‘ rather than to either universal humankind or the natural world. It is linked here to the commandment ‘ be fruitful and multiply( Gen 1:28 )’ within the context of established Jewish norms....

“Like Mor, Lipman notes that the ear -

liest use of the term is related to Jewish family matters because ‘ marriage and family were the matrix of Jewish communal life’.

That current usage of tikkun olam is not only a departure from, but an outright rejection, distortion and even a repudiation of its original meaning is eminently clear in contemporary attempts to identify the term within universalistic secular “progressive” causes zero population growth, abortion on demand and gay marriage. As we have seen the term was initially promulgated to advocate Jewish propagation within the context of Jewish legal norms and the nuclear family as well as for the purpose of maintaining and promulgating Jewish civilization.

Further those who try to force the round peg of kabbalistic Judaism into the square hole of today’s tikkun olam ignore the fact that ...” conspicuously absent from many discussions of tikkun olam are precisely those activities that are critical to kabbalists: observance of Jewish law; observance of the Commandments; cultivation of moral virtues such as humility, ascetic practices, earnest repentance and observance of Jewish holy days. It also may be surprising that contemporary advocates of tikkun olam offer it incorrectly as a religious commandment, as a part of Jewish law, as an expression of “ prophetic” or biblical Judaism, although none of these is the case.”

Finally some have tried to bootstrap their social justice distortion of tikkun olam to the ALEINU prayer. This effort fails for two reasons. The first paragraph of the ALEINU prayer is particularistic distinguishing the Jewish people from all other people and touting Jewish exceptionalism -- something totally politically incorrect for the Left.

While the second paragraph is universalistic , it is also theological and eschalogical -- emphasizing the primacy of G-D over man -- again a view anathama to the Left.

In light of the endless distortions of Judaism inherent in the current usage of tikkun olam, one should remember the wisdom of Abraham Joshua Heschel as cited by Professor Sherwin:

“We may accept it or reject it ( i.e. Judaism) but we should not distort it”.

See” Tikkun Olam: A Case of Semantic Displacement”, Byron Sherwin, 11/4/14, “ Jewish Political Studies Review, Volume 25, Numbers 3-4, Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs(JCFA).

ARIANA RICH/The Justice

PUMPKINS: A pleasing autumnal display at Pakeen farm, a local fixture.

Richard Sherman, POB 934853, Margate, Florida 33093( 646)267-7904.

Embracing the weird and all our eccentricities: The path to true style

By ARIANA RICH JUSTICE EDITOR

What’s stopping us from achieving our highest fashion potential? I’ll cut straight to the chase: it’s because we’re not willing to be weird or look weird.

Anyone interested in, or who has followed the personal style evolution of famous individuals — particularly those known for their stylishness — will likely share one common observation: to be seen as truly glamorous, stylish and groundbreaking, one has to endure a period of being perceived as unconventional, awkward or even out-of-place. This, unfortunately, is oftentimes a necessary phase in the cultivation of one’s unique self expression, yet ultimately tends to yield impressive and, most importantly, personally-distinctive results.

I’m not suggesting that anyone go about fabricating some kind of quirky persona that feels forced or alien to their authentic selves; rather, it’s about taking risks that may momentarily make you look out of step with mainstream trends — in the name of personal expression, of course. If you spend the fashion evolution spanning the entirety of your life simply trailing the zeitgeist — waiting for someone else to “give you permission” to wear that outfit or try that makeup style, simply by doing it first — you’ll always be one step behind. You might dress objectively well, you may even receive compliments. However, commanding that inescapable presence of uniqueness and self is something that cannot exist so long as you allow yourself to exist within this bubble of safe conventionality. You’ll always be the person who followed the trendsetter, and never the one to set the “trend” for yourself.

Let’s consider, for instance, a case study of one of fashion’s most timeless icons, Marilyn Monroe. Monroe faced significant criticism in the 1950s, at the height of her fame, for sporting outfits that were perceived as provocative, daring or just plain “weird.” The styles she wore — silhouettes that, by today’s standards, might seem classic — were, at the time, met with raised eyebrows and

snide remarks. She was certainly not dressing with the intent to fit in; instead, Monroe chose to dress with the intent to express herself and push boundaries. In doing so, she changed the evolution of fashion in her time.

The harsh truth is that most original looks do not become effortlessly iconic the moment they debut; initially, there are usually only a handful of people who recognize and appreciate them. Through the eyes of everyone else, however, they’ll just look strange. If we want to cultivate a truly unique, admired style, we need to begin to embrace the possibility — even the likelihood — of being perceived as odd! To no one’s surprise, this is nowhere near an overnight process, nor is it something people can shortcut with money.

No, we cannot buy our way out of this. There isn’t a chic bag or a pair of shoes trendy enough to suddenly bestow upon us the badge of personal style authenticity. What I’ve learned from decades of fashion faux-pas and “fashionablyquestionable” trial-and-error, and what I continue to learn as I explore and evolve my own style, is that we all need to experiment — and sometimes fail spectacularly! Would I call myself the best-dressed person on this entire campus? Absolutely not, but I’m pleased with the way my personal style is evolving, and it was the two years in middle school that I religiously wore nothing except for combat boots, plaid jackets and knit beanies that helped get me to this point. And, you know what? I had a great time wearing those combat boots. Maybe I look back on the pictures of myself in them now and cringe a little, but that’s not the point. I wasn’t dressing for the approval of my future self then, nor am I now; what’s most important is that we wear what makes us happy, what makes us feel authentically like ourselves in the moment. This includes dressing for the approval of others as well, which brings me smoothly back to the focus of this piece.

One of the most difficult parts of developing

our personal tastes in fashion is learning to be stylish, but not simply just trendy — they’re two completely different things. For example, you can easily buy your way into being trendy. Honestly, we all have — whether this applies with specificity, such as in the case of the notorious Nike Air Force 1’s, which dominated the closets of most adolescents and young adults from 2017 to 2021, or simply by choosing to buy a red sweater because “it’s fall, so red is trending this season!” Style, however, is the core of who you are and what you naturally gravitate towards. It implies that you’re original and have the courage to wear something completely different than what you’re being “told” to.

This principle applies beyond clothing, to the realm of home aesthetics as well. Just as with fashion, achieving a stylish, cohesive space isn’t about the simple acquisition of trendy items designed to catch anyone’s eye, likely for a palatable price; it’s about cultivating a look that reflects your personal tastes. Let’s take my friend Katie, for example: notoriously stylish, which her room reflects. Her space in her university apartment is filled with trinkets and pieces that were thoughtfully chosen and arranged to reflect her personality and unique tastes. However, she would tell me jokes about a roommate of hers who, in admiration of her style, began purchasing identical decor for her room, piece for piece! When I visited her for a weekend and met the roommate in question, I realized she was telling the truth. Yet, despite having the same elements, it was my opinion that her roommate’s space lacked the same cohesion and personal touch. Why? Because style — whether in fashion or elsewhere — isn’t just about the pieces, it’s about how you use them and the personal consideration that goes into selecting them.

A well-styled space, just like an outfit, shouldn’t be simply a collection of trending items, ones that someone else has “picked” for you, it should be a reflection of the person incorporating them. This requires a deeper understanding of what we individually gravitate toward, the courage to incorporate unexpected elements and the willingness to make choices that may initially seem unusual or “weird” to others. Just as with fashion, home decor requires the confidence to experiment and the patience to refine your approach until it better embodies your essence. The entire point of trends is that they are intentionally fleeting, fueling a constant cycle of consumerism. Fashion and home decor industries often capitalize on the rapid turnover of styles to keep consumers feeling like they need to keep up … or risk being left behind! For many of us interested in fashion and looking our best, this leaves us in a perpetual state of purchasing, as today’s “must-have” item becomes tomorrow’s

passé relic — let’s not remind ourselves of the antiquated “VSCO girls” and the nationwide Hydroflask craze of 2019 (although I must concede, I do miss it a little). The result of brand-induced encouragement for individuals to refresh their wardrobes regularly, however, is that we become distracted from developing a true sense of personal style, which resists the urgency of trends and focuses on lasting, genuine selfexpression; embracing elements or items that resonate with us on a personal level can break this loop.

However, the case of the “VSCO girl” wasn’t simply a one-time occurrence. In recent years, we’ve witnessed mass incorporation of fashion for those striving to be “e-girls,” “clean-girls,” “downtown-girls,” “it-girls” and more, as each aesthetic enters — and inevitably leaves — the trending cycle.

Lately, there’s also been an upsurge in fashion influencers who’ve taken to social media, subtly following and promoting trends through images of polished flawlessness on their profiles to attract popularity. It’s only natural to look at someone’s seemingly put-together life and wish you could be just like them; with sponsorships and brand deals, however, influencers offer you a pathway to do just that! At the expense of your individuality, of course. To develop true style, it’s essential to step away from the noise and learn to dress for ourselves and our tastes, not based on apparent perfection found online. In fact, style isn’t about flawlessness. It’s my opinion that the true charm of one’s style often lies within its imperfections; an outfit or living space that’s a little offbeat or slightly mismatched can add an element of character and uniqueness that perfection simply can’t beat or achieve. Embracing flaws — whether through an unexpected color combination (the infamous red and pink combo, perhaps?), a vintage piece with visible wear, a mix of masculine and feminine elements or an asymmetrical accessory — creates a sense of story and authenticity. It’s details like these that showcase individuality and confidence, reminding us that style is not about conforming to a set standard, but rather about expressing who we are, complete with quirks and idiosyncrasies. Style, and what it means to us, should never just be about “following rules” — instead, we should celebrate it as an art of selfexpression.

What would I like readers to take away from this? Not the idea that following trends or choosing not to prioritize intentional selfexpression are things to be discouraged, but simply that if there’s a pair of combat boots in your closet, waiting for you to find the courage to wear them, it’s my wholehearted opinion that you should, and at the first possible opportunity.

Graphics courtesy of CANVA and ELIZABETH LIU/The Justice

Photo courtesy of SHIRLEY CHEN SWAN: Local wildlife spotted nearby the Charles River Apartments.

Brandeis Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams Compete at UAA Championships

The Judges took home eighth place in both the men’s and women’s competitions on Saturday Nov. 2. The race was hosted by Brandeis University in Attleboro, Massachusetts at Highland Park. Recording the fastest time for the Judges, T.J. Carleo ’26 finished in 43rd with an 8k time of 25:51.2. Henry Nquyen ’25 also broke 26 minutes as the men’s second fastest finisher with a time of 25:59.2. On the women’s side in the 6k race, Zada Forde ’25 and Ella Warkentine ’26 finished in 49th and 50th with times of 23:21.7 and 23;23.5 respectively.

By DIANE MEYER JUSTICE EDITOR

Brandeis athlete highlight: Chloe Gonzalez

By DIANE MEYER JUSTICE EDITOR

Chloe Gonzalez ’25 has been swimming for 15 years — an impressive feat for the senior captain of the Brandeis women’s swim and dive team. She grew up in Miami, Florida and graduated from Miami Beach Senior High School before continuing her swimming career at Brandeis, primarily competing in the butterfly and freestyle events.

This past week on Friday Nov. 1 competing at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Gonzalez triumphed in two events, taking the 100-yard freestyle in 54.33 seconds and the 200 free in 1:58.64. Last weekend at Vassar College, she won the 200 freestyle by more than three seconds with a nearly identical time of 1:58.62. Gonzalez also won by nearly two seconds in the 200 butterfly at Vassar with a time of 2:23.21. Gonzalez’s go-getter attitude has kept her grounded in a growth mindset. She believes that “there is always something to work towards,” and is certainly wasting no time this season chasing down her goals. Her ultimate “personal goal is getting the 100 freestyle record,” which she “missed by 0.1 seconds last year.” The current record, set by Ema Rennie ’22, sits at

52.80. Last season at the University Athletic Association Swimming and Diving Championships, Gonzalez set a personal record of 52.91 in the 100 free — missing out on making finals by only a third of a second. As of now, she has her sights set on shaving off time throughout the season to peak at the UAA conference championship in the spring.

Gonzalez stands by the fact that “after any goal is achieved, there is always another higher goal … to reach for.” Motivated first and foremost by her family, and secondly by her own competitiveness, she stays disciplined in order to “push … past [her] limits.”

But even Gonzalez admits sometimes she needs a little extra push — she thanks her coaches, Nicole and Nick, “for always believing in [her] and pushing [her], especially at times where [she] had a hard time believing in [herself].”

As she has learned how to harness her own competitiveness and turn it into confidence, Gonzalez has a fitting mantra: “You are capable of more than you think.”

She already has many wins behind her, including being a part of four record-setting Brandeis relay teams.

Gonzalez and her teammates have the current all-time school records in the 200 meter free relay, the 400 meter free relay, the 800 meter free relay and the 400 meter medley relay. She cites these accomplishments with her teammates as her proudest accomplishment at Brandeis so far.

In swimming competitions, relays showcase the best of a team as four

swimmers combine individual talent and prowess to work together toward collective victory. It is a balance of trust in one’s fellow team members and confidence in personal ability. In Gonzalez’s words, a “team is a group of people that support and push each other even in the toughest times.” Both in relays and individual events, the Brandeis swimming and diving team “celebrates each other’s accomplishments and work[s] together to achieve success.”

Building on success and staying hungry for more, Gonzalez and the Brandeis swim team head to Bentley University this Friday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m., where Gonzalez will probably be listening to her favorite hype-up song: “SAY MY GRACE” by Offset and Travis Scott.

NFL: Teams settle in halfway through the season

CONTINUED FROM 1 terback, especially at the young age of 22. Unfortunately, his inability to lead his team successfully on the field was only part of the reason for his benching. In an inexplicable moment during a Week 8 matchup against the Houston Texans, Richardson tapped on his helmet to sub himself off for a play during the game. When asked in the postgame press conference about his reasoning, he remarked that he left the game momentarily because he was tired from scrambling on the two previous plays.

Richardson’s decision has drawn the ire of many in the NFL world, including former star quarterback Cam Newton. It was essentially an unprecedented moment for a quarterback to leave live play citing anything other than a serious injury. As a result of the buildup of these factors, Richardson was benched in favor of veteran Joe Flacco during week nine. The Colts still lost 21-13 to the Minnesota Vikings in a game where both Flacco and the Colts offense sputtered and failed to gain any substantial traction. Despite his less than stellar performance, Colts head coach Shane Steichen stressed

that Flacco remains the Colts starting quarterback for the immediate future. It will be fascinating to watch this situation develop, especially because it could easily be argued that a faltering thirty-nine-year-old Flacco should make way for an unpolished, but promising twenty-two-year-old Richardson. Regardless, the Colts hope that either option will give them a proper chance to contend in the non-competitive American Football Conference South standings.

The Colts have not been the only team making major changes to their team’s current composition. Notably, on Nov. 4, the New Orleans Saints fired head coach Dennis Allen after two and a half seasons at the helm. Allen’s firing came at the heels of a demoralizing 23-22 loss in Week 9 to the Carolina Panthers, giving them only their second victory of the season. Meanwhile, the Saints dropped to a 2-7 record after the defeat, and their seven-game losing streak is their longest in 25 years.

The Saints have acutely felt the injury bug, with multiple key players missing time with various ailments. How-

ever, the Saints organization deemed that Allen was not moving their squad in the correct direction. Only time will tell if the Saints can replicate their prior success under legendary quarterback Drew Brees, who won them the Super Bowl in 2010. Current quarterback Derek Carr has major shoes to fill and he must start improving his performance, or else he will suffer the same fate as his head coach.

This past week, the NFL has offered a great deal of drama off the field, with organizational turnover and play personnel switches dominating the news stream. But the season is only halfway through, and there is much more on-the-field action that needs to occur before we start priming for the main event: the NFL playoffs!

Games to watch: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens, 8:15 p.m. E.T. on

Nico Beninda ’26 leads

Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

Senior: Gonzalez competes in the freestyle and butterfly events.

Photo courtesy of BRANDEIS ATHLETICS

Sports just

A look back on Week 9 of the National Football League season

■ A brief overview of Week 9’s action, as well as commentary on coaching changes and quarterback benching.

By EZEKIEL BLOOM JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

A couple of high profile teams have really begun to hit their stride and impressive Week 9 play illustrated some improving prospects for the postseason. First, the Philadelphia Eagles edged out a 28-23 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars to better their record to 6-2 on the season. The Eagles started out the year with an underwhelming 2-2 record, but they have since rattled off four straight victories to sit second in the National Football Conference East standings. Superstar running back Saquon Barkley has been crucial in their turnaround, gaining 159 yards on the ground against the Jaguars, as well as successfully hurdling a defender backward in a major highlight play. The Baltimore Ravens are another squad that has revitalized their season. Their Week 9 domination over the Denver Broncos in a 41-10 victory was emblematic of their complete pivot from a frustrating

early portion of the season. In fact, the Ravens started their season in an agonizing fashion with a 0-2 record. But they have rebounded fantastically, winning six of their last seven games to catapult themselves to 6-3. Much of this can be attributed to the play of their star quarterback Lamar Jackson who is currently a leading candidate to win the National Football League’s Most Valuable Player award. If Jackson continues his otherworldly tear then the Ravens will be a major threat in the postseason.

In other news, the Indianapolis Colts made a high profile switch at quarterback this past week due to controversy involving Anthony Richardson, the player that they started at the position to begin this season. From a statistical perspective, Richardson’s benching makes a fair deal of sense. In six games he has thrown for just four touchdowns and a paltry seven interceptions. These statistics combined with his pedestrian 44.4% completion rate showcase his failure to live up to expectations in his second year. However, Richardson still has many redeeming qualities. His athleticism, strength and uncanny ability to throw accurate passes from great distances still make him an intriguing developing quar-

The Los Angeles Dodgers win the 120th World Series

■ In a battle of cross continental rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers triumphed over the New York Yankees to win their eighth World

By GRACE LIEBOWITZ

The 120th Major League Baseball World Series concluded on Wednesday Oct. 30 with an impressive win for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Facing off against the New York Yankees, the Dodgers secured a commanding victory as the series concluded 4-1. The Dodgers dominated the first three games, winning the first 6-3 and the second and third 4-2. The Yankees bounced back in game four with a decisive 11-4 win, however, the Dodgers denied any real attempt for a comeback during an extremely tight game five, clinching the series with a score of 7-6. In a true team effort, the Dodgers won their title with scrappy determination as they became the first team in a World Series clinching game to come back from a deficit of five or more runs. The Dodgers bullpen also broke records – eight pitchers led from the mound in game five, which was the most that have ever appeared for one team in a series win. Los Angeles proved themselves a deeper team, winning in the margins thanks in part to critical errors made by the humbled Yankees. The game ironically ended with "New

BRANDEIS ATHLETE SUCCESS

The Justice Editor Diane Meyer '26 highlights the success of Brandeis swim and dive's Chloe Gonzalez '25, p. 11.

Men and Women’s Soccer

face off against Case Western

■ The Judges put up convincing fights against another University Athletics Association rival in the build up to the postseason.

By MILES GOLDSTEIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

York, New York,” by Frank Sinatra playing on the speakers in Yankee stadium as the Dodgers descended on the mound celebrating.

Freddie Freeman was named the World Series Most Valuable Player in his second season for the Dodgers. Freeman, a Canadian American first baseman, first made his Major League Baseball debut in 2010 with the Atlanta Braves. After playing with the Braves for twelve seasons, he recently signed with the LA Dodgers in 2022. Freeman truly earned this award in game one with his record breaking walk off grand slam. In the bottom of the 10th inning with two outs, Freeman became the first player to ever record a walk off grand slam in a World Series. He went on to hit home runs in games two, three and four, while also delivering a two-out, two-runsbatted-in single during a critical moment in the fifth inning of game five.

This was the first time the Yankees have made it to the World Series in fifteen years, having last appeared in 2009 when they claimed their last championship. The Yankees have historically dominated in the World Series; they have won 27 titles in a total of 41 appearances, the most out of any Major League Baseball team. The LA Dodgers last appeared in the World Series in 2020 when they beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 in six games. This is the Dodgers’ eighth World Series title and they celebrated appropriately at home in Los Angeles on Nov. 1 during the traditional city-wide World Series parade.

Both the Brandeis men’s and women’s soccer teams played conference games against the Case Western Reserve University Spartans last Sunday, Nov 3. The men’s team won 2-1 — their second-straight conference win after defeating Rochester University 3-2 the week before. The women’s team tied the Spartans 1-1. Their equalizing goal came from Dominique Paglia ’25 in the 25th minute off a shot just outside the goalie box. It was her first goal of the year and the third of her career. Case Western should have had more momentum

in the second half, as they were playing the end of the game with an additional player after an 86thminute red card against the Judges, but they were ultimately unable to capitalize. Keeper Rachel Ross M’25 kept the Judges tied with six saves, her third highest mark of the season. With the tie, the women’s team moves to 9-6-1 and 0-5-1 in conference play. Heading into their final game, Rachel Walter ’25 leads the team with 20 points based on total assists recorded and goals scored with eight and six, respectively.

Tanvi Raju ’27 holds the high mark for goals scored with seven.

Case Western took an early lead in their game against the men’s team as well with a 26th-minute goal to make it 1-0, but Nico Beninda ’26 tied the game in the 33rd minute. This was his fifth goal of the season. The teams traded shots for the rest of the half, but neither had an advantage. In the second half, the Judges pressured the Spartans and tightened up on defense, recording

five shots on goal to Case Western’s two. In the 82nd minute, a shot by Kaden Collins ’28 off a corner kick was denied, but the Judges kept possession. An 84th minute chance from Elan Romo ’26 was barely saved, but Maddox Yu ’27 scored off the rebound to push the Judges ahead 2-1, a lead they’d keep until the whistle sounded. Yu now has three goals this season, all of which have come in the team’s last four games. The men’s team improved to 8-5-2, their best record since 2019, and are still in the running for the University Atheletics Association title. Beninda ends the game as the team’s leading goal scorer of the season. Yu and Eli Mones ’25 are tied for second with three. Both teams will conclude their seasons with home games versus New York University this Saturday, Nov 9. The men’s team is 21-13-2 against NYU all-time, but they split their meeting last season 3-3. The women’s team is 18-7-4 all-time versus NYU.

CLOSE GAMES: Eli Mones '25 commands the ball during last weekend's loss against Emory University.

ELLE YUNG/The Justice

ELLE YUNG/The Justice

READY: The final game of the regular season for the Brandeis men's and women's soccer teams will be Saturday Nov. 9 versus New York University.

just Arts and Culture

Photos courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS and RACHEL YU. Design: JONAS KAPLIN/The Justice. Waltham, Mass.

‘W hat , like it ’ s hard ?’ a psychoanalytical examination of e lle W oods

By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF

Elle Woods, the lead of the well loved films “Legally Blonde,” “Legally Blonde: 2 Red, White & Blonde” and the musical adaption, “Legally Blonde the Musical,” initially presents as the epitome of a stereotypical blonde sorority girl, embodying an image focused on fashion and social status. However, her bubbly demeanor is complimented by her highly determined and independent attitude, demonstrating how the films and musical develop a complex character that subverts social expectations and challenges audiences to rethink their assumptions about intelligence and capability. The various iterations of “Legally Blonde” develop a dynamic character with a robust backstory, allowing the viewer to gain a strong understanding of what makes up Woods, what she stands for and where she came from. Without these aspects of her personality, Woods would not be as nuanced nor be able to push back against female stereotypes within society and the male-dominated, conservative field of law.

To honor the writing of the films and the complexity of Woods’ character, we can take a psychoanalytical approach to her life, demonstrating how she grew into her iconic personality.

Birth Order Analysis

A key aspect of Woods’ upbringing is the fact that she is an only child. In the 20th century, Australian psychotherapist Alfred Alder posited the theory of birth order. This idea is in contrast to Freudian ideas, as Alder believed that individuals were seeking companionship and harmony in contrast to them being in constant conflict as Freud believed. Alder also believed that the mind worked to the attainment of future goals rather than ignoring them and Freud suggested.

Alder’s theory relates to Woods’ parents, as he suggested that parental behaviors such as pampering — which describes Woods’ childhood to a tee — cause problems in the child’s life. She was never dethroned by the birth of a younger sibling. Throughout her whole childhood and young adult life, Woods was spoiled by her parents, causing her to become used to getting her way. This is demonstrated in “Legally Blonde” as she has a complete meltdown after her dreams of marrying her college boyfriend Warner Huntington III were crushed. This outburst demonstrates her expectations of receiving what she wishes for and what she believes she deserves.

However, this pampering from her parents does not simply manifest in subtle entitlement to certain experiences. Yes, Woods’ upbringing made her used to getting what she wants, but it also helped her develop a degree of surety and confidence in herself. She trusts her knowledge and abilities throughout many moments — from believing she had a shot at Harvard, through fighting to do right by Brooke Windym — demonstrating a self-confidence that was integral to her ultimate success in law school and in rejecting everyone’s shallow expectations.

In addition, Alder’s theory suggests that only children are socialized mainly around parents and adults. Woods’ promptness to settle down directly after finishing her undergraduate degree demonstrates her maturing more quickly than her peers, ready to enter married life at the age of twenty one. As an only child, she spent much of

her prime developmental time surrounded by adults, forcing her to become advanced quickly and influencing her worldview, causing it to come from a much more adult perspective. This is further demonstrated by her advanced vocabulary. When seen hanging out with her sorority sisters, she plays down her intelligence and maturity in terms of dialogue, but in the Harvard classroom and the courtroom, she is shown to have very developed speech and ideas.

The actions of Elle Woods as she arrives at Harvard and connections she is able to build with her peers further demonstrate her falling into the “only child” birth order category. As Woods arrives at the new school, she tries her best to fit in including attending parties and other social mixer events. However, she is extremely unsuccessful in these endeavors as she struggles to form meaningful connections due to lack of cohesivity in personal backgrounds and physical appearances. Instead, Woods is able to bond with Paulette Bonafonté, her nail technician at the local salon. Bonafonté is much older than Woods, having gone through an entire marriage and divorce and settled into an established career. Despite their contrasting approaches to life, Bonafonté and Woods quickly develop a close relationship, each confiding in each other constantly.

The bond between Bonafonté and Woods demonstrates a direct correlation between Woods being an only child and her approach to life, as her thought processes reflect a greater maturity than her peers. She is shown struggling to have simple conversations with her classmates about things such as class; however, talking to Bonafanté about things such as marital status and dating after a divorce comes more naturally despite never having experienced either. The significant amount of time that Woods spent with adults while growing up because of her lack of siblings allowed her to easily empathize with adult problems, providing helpful solutions based on what she has seen in the past. Having only adult role models and peers has shifted the way that Woods views the world and her ability to interact with it.

Woods’ need for companionship due to a childhood spent alone is further demonstrated by her relationship with and reliance on her dog. The dog, Bruiser Woods, is demonstrated to be a central character in her life through the films “Legally Blonde” and “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde.” He is also prevalent in “Legally Blonde the Musical.” As she is seen without companions in school, she often talks to Bruiser for emotional support. Her dog is very involved in her life, attending classes and court trials with her and being there when she begins her first corporate job. Elle Woods treats her dog as an important figure in her life, relying on him very similarly to how one could rely on a human for emotional support. She is seen telling him her dreams and hopes for the future, complaining about the challenges she faces and even asking him for advice. The ability that she has to find companionship in a creature that can not relate or respond to her demonstrates the years of isolation she felt without peers to consult in and share thoughts with.

The only child background is also demonstrated by Elle Woods in the amount of pressure she places on herself to succeed. As she is responsible for the legacy of her family, she is used to having their full at -

tention. This is a benefit as far as funding and other support because she receives all available resources, however it places a very large amount of pressure on her shoulders. The high expectations that she has for herself are reflected in her work ethic and determination to achieve all goals that she sets for herself. When Woods decided that Harvard Law School was the path that she wanted to pursue, she put so much effort into maintaining her grade point average and studying for the Law School Admittance Test. All sisters of her sorority were cheering on her efforts and helping in any way they could, as they could see how determined she was and how hard she was striving for success. Most characters in the film — namely Warner and Vivian Kensington — misjudge Woods early on given her vibrant outfits and bubbly personality. However, her upbringing and resultantly her self-standards ultimately defy such assumptions. Following Alder’s theory of birth order, the maturity and determination of Woods stems directly from her early childhood experiences. Her surety in herself, as well as her go-getter attitude sets Woods apart from her peers, seeking success and justice, rather than mere approval from adults.

The Big Five Taxonomy Approach

Woods’ status as an only child is not the only aspect of her personality worth analyzing. The Big Five taxonomy approach to personality analysis suggests that every personality is made up of five factors: Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability vs. Neuroticism and Intellect or Openness. Throughout Elle Woods’ character arc she demonstrates all facets of a “complete” personality — a testament to both the writing of the films and her complexities in spite of society’s initial expectations of the vapid “stereotypical blonde.”

Throughout both of the films and the musical, Elle Woods is seen to be an extrovert. She has no hesitation when it comes to approaching new people, joining her orientation group easily and introducing herself to attendees at the Halloween party that she goes to. She becomes upset when left alone for long periods of time, deriving energy from being around other people and thriving in social environments. Woods’ main problem faced when transitioning to Harvard Law School was the lack of support system. She thrived in the sorority house, surrounded by all of her best friends and able to spend time with them whenever she wanted. Elle Woods is very sociable, placing herself in the category of an extroverted person under the trait of extraversion.

Elle Woods would also score high in the agreeableness category. She is shown always going out of her way to do her best to help others around her, demonstrated by her willingness to help Brooke Windym, her sorority sister, win a case in the courtroom. She spends many hours preparing a case and completing much research in order to be able to help out someone that she barely knew. She is also shown to be trusting and sympathetic in her relationship with Bonafanté, empathizing with the struggles she is facing when dealing with her ex-husband and going extremely out of her way to help Bufante get her lovable dog back. The extra mile that Woods is always

willing to go for others demonstrates the high score that she would receive in the agreeableness category.

People who score highly in the conscientiousness section of the Big Five taxonomy approach are determined to succeed, organized and plan oriented, all of which are traits consistently demonstrated by Woods. When she puts her mind to something, she archives it including challenges such as admittance to law school. The amount of planning and preparation that she took demonstrates why she would have a high conscientiousness score, as she met with her academic advisor long in advance. She put much effort into the filming of her personal statement video, hiring a film crew, organizing multiple shooting locations, writing an extensive script and orchestrating multiple costume changes. She also allocated her time responsibly when studying for the admittance exam, demonstrating that she was able to plan in advance and stay organized in order to achieve the goal that she was working towards.

Elle Woods also has high scores of neuroticism, as demonstrated by her anxious and depressive tendencies. While she presents herself to her peers as always bubbly and fearless she is shown to be much more unsure when being vulnerable. The conversations that Woods has with both Paulette Bonafonté and Bruiser demonstrate the true anxiety that she feels over the possibility of failure and the deep sadness that she feels over not accomplishing her goals. As seen at the nail salon, Woods is unsure of what path to take in life if things do not work out the way that she was expecting to. Her tendency to spiral and always expect the worst out of every situation are very inline with neuroticism, as this natural instinct causes her to feel anxious and unsure of what choices to make next.

Openness as an aspect of the Big Five taxonomy approach is defined as someone who has strong intellectual curiosity, divergent thinking and an active imagination, all of which are traits exhibited by Elle Woods. Her approach to law is often seen as unconventional especially when compared to other characters such as her nemesis, Kensington. She approaches clients as people, rather than just a case or a folder of papers and actively thinks outside of the box when defending them. When defining her client, Windham, Woods is able to prove her innocence by reciting the rules of receiving a perm hair treatment. This idea is not something that would usually be relevant in a courtroom, but Woods is able to think creatively and pull from personal experience in order to save the person that she had grown to care about. This unconventional approach coupled with her overwhelming instinct to continue to learn more demonstrate the high scores that Woods would receive in the openness category.

The complexities of Woods’ character, as developed through her distinct childhood and the robust personality crafting by the creators of the film, makes her a powerful, subversive icon that rejects the stereotypes so often presented in media about women, the legal field and, of course, blondes. “Legally Blonde” had, and still has, a significant impact on audiences thanks to Woods herself, who demonstrates perseverance, integrity, passion and success, alongside kindness and impeccable style.

By NEMMA KALRA JUSTICE EDITOR

HALLOWEEN RUNWAY

Photos courtesy of RACHEL YU. Design: MARINA ROSENTHAL/The Justice.

RAZZLE-DAZZLE RUNWAY

Photos: VAUGHN ALNOT/The Justice. Design: MARINA ROSENTHAL/The Justice.

On Sunday Nov. 3, Brandeis’ Namaskar presented a celebration of the Hindu holiday, Diwali. Diwali, also considered the festival of lights and the start of the Hindu new year, is a holiday that celebrates the triumph of Prince Rama over the demon king Ravana.

The day of Diwali marks Rama’s return to his home, Ayodhya and ultimately symbolizes the enduring victory of good over evil.

To honor this holiday, Namaskar hosting a grandiose celebration filled with laughter, dancing, henna and good eats. This event embodied the light spirit of the original holiday, bringing joy and hope for everyone in attendance.

Top Ten STAFF’S

Top 10 Emo Kid Television Shows (mostly animations)

By TIBRIA BROWN JUSTICE DEPUTY EDITOR

This is a list of my top ten nostalgic childhood shows that may have made me emo. This is not to say that these shows were explicitly designed to appeal to an alternative audience. But I have a hunch that the chances of you being emo, goth, alternative or just into creepy stuff goes up exponentially if you grew up loving two or more of the shows on this list.

1. “Courage the Cowardly Dog”

2. “Teen Titans”

3. “Danny Phantom”

4. “The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy”

5. “Gravity Falls”

6. “What’s New, Scooby-Doo?”

7. “Invader Zim”

8. “Tutenstein”

9. “The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack”

10. “Fraggle Rock”

Honorable mentions to “The Powerpuff Girls” and “Adventure Time.”

MARVELOUS MUSIC

By DAHLIA RAMIREZ JUSTICE STAFF ARTIST

Bandapalooza’s deBut appearance: an afternoon of song and dance

By IYLA LICHTENFELD JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

To start off the new month, Brandeis’ most musically talented joined forces to present Bandapalooza on Nov. 3. Top Score, Music and Dance Band, Klezmer and the Guitar and Bass Club launched the event this year for the purpose of bringing recognition to student clubs, bands and musicians. The passion of the performers and organizers to connect with new audiences spanned Levin Ballroom. On one side, the Student Music Committee and WBRS shared a table, giving a glimpse into the everyday capacity of musicians on campus, and on the other, performers lined the walls awaiting their chance to present.

Already on stage, Top Score, a club dedicated to playing the soundtracks to your favorite movies, television shows, video games and musicals began the show. Their first song, while not exactly from visual media, was a Beatles medley of “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “And I Love Her” and “The Twist.” The group was masterfully cohesive, breathing modern life into the well-known songs. Even still, the intimacy of the original music remained culminating with the excitement of “The Twist,” inspiring the audience to dance in their seats. This was followed by the “Pokémon” television series theme tune where, with the scope of instruments showcased in Top Score, a complexity was awakened in this childhood classic.

Next up, the imaginatively named Unprotected Sax hopped on stage. This tongue-in-cheek quartet of saxophonists told us to “prepare our brass” as their smooth melodies began. The variety of saxophones produced symphonic qualities with a distinctly 1970s jazz energy. They embodied the joy of seeing live performances while showcasing the specialty of each type of musician represented. The lowest tenor saxophonist, in particular, carried a strong beat for the effortless refrains of the higher tenor artists. Overall, the musical stylings of Unprotected Sax perfectly aligned with what one expects of a great saxophone performance.

With a myriad of instruments behind them, Klezmer introduced their goal of returning to the roots of Jewish folk music. To accomplish this, they performed with no sheet music, welcoming improvisation and community among band members. Additionally, they encouraged dancing, leading to a line of people bobbing up and down with the start of the “Table Song.” This was the first of three pieces which followed the narrative journey of a wedding. This first song was the perfect build-up to the widely recognizable “Chair Song” or “Hava Nagila,” which prompted the dancers to form a circle for the traditional Hora dance. Finally, Klezmer closed with the “Golden Wedding Song,” a triumph of musicality as instruments from the trombone, violin, saxophone, clarinet and percussion handed off solo moments displaying performers’ talent.

Mckinley Grips commanded the stage next with their rock and metal inspirations taking full aim at the audience. The five member student band proved themselves rock stars with impressive guitar riffs and the call for a mosh pit. Further, the group showed appreciation for the rock genre executing classic songs with the utmost respect while delivering a hair-raising metal finish.

The playful Brain Cells for Rent kicked off their time with an absurdist introduction of banter

between band members before entering into their first piece. The comedy continued with the next song needing no introduction for the audience, but guitarist Matan Schwartz ’27 found himself surprised to hear the tune. Nonetheless, he came in perfectly on time for a wonderful rendition of “Hotel California.” In total, the general style of Brain Cells for Rent seemed to be aligned with indie revival by channeling the 1970s and 1980s for a stunningly groovy time.

Solo artist Rae Nico ’25, who specializes in ukulele folk, came to perform two original pieces off their new album “The Testimony.” The songs “Dollhouse” and “Paperback” captured a sorrowful teenage spirit bringing relatable commonalities of growing up to the forefront. The professional qualities of Nico were apparent in their fully fleshed vocals and instrumental abilities which gave depth to the songs.

The last group to perform was the Brandeis MAD Band, a collective of students energized to make music. They lined the stage in matching sparkly blue hats and club merchandise to produce a raucous finale to the afternoon. Their music was pure and guttural, not unlike big jazz bands of the 1940s. They expertly transferred this historic feeling into modern music with their version of Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things.” Overall, MAD Band’s style of hit-you-in-the-face fun lit up the audience, ending the afternoon on a high note.

Next year, we should certainly expect a return of Bandapalooza to Brandeis, possibly with new performers and bands. Until then, it is tremendous to recognize spaces where students come together, uplifting the campus’ arts community.

— The Justice Editor Bryan Wolfe ’27 is a member of Top Score and did not contribute to or edit this article.

ELIZA BIER/The Justice