ARTS Page 19
FORUM Trump faces criticism in UK 11
COURSE PREVIEW
SPORTS Track opens with individual wins 16 The Independent Student Newspaper
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Justice
Volume LXVIII, Number 13
www.thejustice.org
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
BRANDEIS BEGINNINGS
Faculty
Adjunct and parttime faculty win vote for union ■ In an overwhelming
majority, adjunct and parttime faculty elected to form a bargaining unit for a union. By Max Moran JUSTICE Editor
Adjunct and part-time contract faculty joined the Faculty Forward division of the Service Employees International Union Local 509 on Dec. 18, creating the first-ever collective bargaining unit on campus for non-tenure track faculty. The members of the new bargaining unit voted through mailed-in ballots that were tallied that morning. They will now begin to formally organize a list of demands for future contract negotiations with the University, in which they will be represented by SEIU Local 509. In total, 81.2 percent of the ad-
MAX MORAN/the Justice
Interim University President Lisa Lynch addressed the class of 2019 midyear students on Friday during last week's convocation ceremony, which was titled Brandeis Beginnings.
Administration
Ronald Liebowitz to become ninth president ■ After serving as
Middlebury's president for 11 years, Liebowitz will be coming to Brandeis. By Max Moran JUSTICE Editor
Ronald D. Liebowitz, the former president of Middlebury College, will serve as the University’s ninth president starting July 1, 2016, according to a Dec. 17 email to the University community from Chair of the Board of Trustees Perry Traquina ’78. The Board of Trustees voted Liebowitz into the position on Dec. 18. His appointment concludes an eightmonth-long search process that began in April after the eighth University president, Frederick Lawrence, announced his resignation in January. Interim University President Lisa Lynch will return to her role as Provost once Liebowitz takes office. Liebowitz wrote in a statement accompanying Traquina’s email that he was “deeply honored” to have the chance to lead Brandeis and that “the university’s founding, based on the premise of offering an education to those who had been excluded from
the finest universities, is inspiring. Its commitment to social justice, as espoused by its namesake, represents a precious compass for an institution of higher education in the 21st century. And its Jewish heritage and roots reflect a learning environment committed not only to critical thinking but to self-criticism as well.”
Time at Middlebury Liebowitz served as Middlebury’s president for 11 years, from 2004 to 2015. He stepped down on June 30. Throughout his presidency, Liebowitz worked to increase the college’s sustainability and commitment to green energy. Under Liebowitz’s tenure, the college committed in 2007 to becoming carbon-neutral by 2016, and in 2009, the college opened a biomass-gasification plant valued at $12 million. He was named one of Time magazine’s Top 10 College Presidents that year, in large part due to his environmental work on campus. On Aug. 28, 2013, he responded to a growing movement toward divesting Middlebury’s endowment from the top 200 fossil fuel companies by holding two community meetings and modeling the endowment’s projection without fossil fuel investments, but
junct and contract faculty who will be represented by the union participated in the vote, SEIU spokesman Jason Stephany said in a phone interview with the Justice. The prounion votes won by a margin of four to one, with 120 votes in favor of joining Faculty Forward and 28 opposed. The union will represent all part-time contract and adjunct faculty, but not full-time, nontenure-track faculty. According to Stephany, however, some fulltime, non-tenure-track faculty are now beginning discussions about unionizing as well. These conversations are in the early stages, so it is unknown whether the full-time faculty would be represented by SEIU Local 509 as well. Approximately 200 faculty members will be a part of the bargaining unit for adjuncts and part-time
See UNION, 7 ☛
aCADEMICS
University committee to form new program after BAATF activism
the college ultimately did not divest. “Given its fiduciary responsibilities,” he wrote, “the board [of trustees at Middlebury] cannot look past the lack of proven alternative investment models, the difficulty and material cost of withdrawing from a complex portfolio of investments, and the uncertainties and risks that divestment would create.” He did announce the college’s commitment to building stronger environmental, social and governance principles to apply to the portfolio and maintain on campus, and said that significantly more of the endowment would be directed toward companies that followed those guidelines. In August 2015, Middlebury successfully completed a $500 million fundraising initiative that was initiated under Liebowitz in 2007. The campaign ended with a final total of $535 million in gifts. This was the largest fundraising campaign in the school’s 215-year history, according to the Middlebury website. According to data compiled by the Chronicle of Higher Education, Liebowitz was paid $440,283 in 2013 at Middlebury, which had an endowment of $970 million in July of that year, according to its statement on di-
■ In response to student
demands, Brandeis began the process of creating an Asian American Pacific Islander Studies minor. By abby patkin JUSTICE editor
The University administration established a Faculty-Student Committee on Asian American Pacific Islander Studies, according to a Dec. 22 email Interim University President Lisa Lynch sent to the community. The decision was made in response to a student protest and several meetings with the student leaders of the Brandeis Asian American Task force. On Dec. 1, BAATF sent an email to administrators requesting that the University establish an Asian American studies program by Fall 2016. Students from BAATF then rallied outside the Bernstein-Marcus Ad-
See NEW PRES, 7 ☛
ministration Center on Dec. 8 to share personal narratives and address administrators. BAATF President Hin Hon (Jamie) Wong ’17 was quoted in a Dec. 8 Justice article as saying, “We [BAATF] believe all departments can viably have cross-curricular courses with Asian American Studies. We must first achieve an agreement with the administration to create the program and department before beginning the hard work of creating and molding it.” Wong declined to comment for this article. On Dec. 22, BAATF reposted Lynch’s email on its medium.com page, also writing, “Thank you to all of of [sic] the students, faculty, staff, and alumni who have stood with us and supported us. Our voices were heard. This is change — #AsianAme ricanStudiesNow.” In her email, Lynch noted that the committee, which was formed shortly after the end of the fall semester, was
See MINOR, 7 ☛
New student app
In the huddle
No drones
A group of Brandeis students launched a website focused on academic and social organization.
The women's basketball team could not stop New York University in a 57-46 road loss.
The University announced a ban on the use of drones and hoverboards on campus.
FEATURES 8 For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org
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INDEX
SPORTS 16 ARTS SPORTS
17 13
EDITORIAL FEATURES
10 9
OPINION POLICE LOG
10 2
News 3 COPYRIGHT 2015 FREE AT BRANDEIS.
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TUESDAY, January 12, 2016
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THE JUSTICE
NEWS BRIEF
POLICE LOG
Macklin addresses participation in and support for the Ford Hall 2015 movement in emailed statement to community
Medical Emergency
On Dec. 28, 27 days after the end of the 12-day Ford Hall 2015 sit-in, Student Union President Nyah Macklin ’16 sent an email to the community explaining the significance of her participation in the movement. Macklin served as a member of the Ford Hall 2015 movement’s negotiations team. In this capacity, she worked as an advocate on behalf of the protesters in meetings with University administrators. Additionally, she served as both a leader and an organizer for students participating in the sit-in. In the email, titled, “On Racial Justice and Ford Hall 2015,” Macklin wrote that she felt it necessary to participate in the protest due to her responsibilities as the president of the Student Union and due to her identity as a Black woman. She wrote, “It is not unknown that as a member of the Black community and one that presents as such everywhere I go, I must live with the understanding that I am not protected by my rights in this nation.” “I must live every day knowing that because of my Blackness I am inherently assumed to be: lazy, undeserving, unfit, and dangerous, among other stereotypes, and can even be murdered because it,” she continued. She continued, arguing that the University community has been indifferent to the injustices that Black students face on campus. “Brandeis, if you value us just as you value every other student on this campus, then show us,” she wrote. Macklin also acknowledged in her email that some community members might not have agreed with the 13 demands issued by the Ford Hall 2015 movement, which ranged from calls for increased funding for Black student organizations and programs to more diversity in the staff and counselors for the University’s Psychological Counseling Center. To those who may not have agreed with the demands, Macklin wrote: “I understand that. Some of you thought the timetable was too short. Some of you felt excluded, or that the changes detailed in the demands did not apply to you or your experience at this campus.” Yet, she emphasized that “uplifting the most marginalized community both on campus and in our nation uplifts our entire community.” In her email, Macklin also supplied links to articles and readings on racism in America and included a link to a video showing Ford Hall 2015 demonstrators reacting to the arrival of faculty and staff members supporting the group on the fifth day of the protest. Macklin stated in an email to the Justice that she had been drafting the email to the community since the middle of the sit in, and the late timing of her email is “meaningless. ... The content has applied, and will apply to our community and our nation for generations to come.” She also explained that she wanted to be precise and do some outside research “so that I could present the community a statement that was thorough, informed, and a statement that started to address the larger issues in our community.” She also wrote in her email to the Justice, “Even though the sit in is over, the injustice still continues. The sit in itself was focused on issues on our campus, but the meaning behind our work reverberates throughout our nation. … Ford Hall 2015 was just a vessel to fight for racial justice, it was not the end. And we all, as members of the Brandeis community must continue fighting.”
Dec. 12—A party in Reitman Hall called to report that he hit his head on a ladder. He was conscious and alert, and was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care after being treated by BEMCo. Dec. 13—University Police received a medical call in the Goldfarb Library. The party was treated on the scene by BEMCo staff and transported by Cataldo ambulance to NewtonWellesley Hospital. Dec. 13—A party on the lawn of the Rose Art Museum reported not feeling well. The party was transported by Cataldo ambulance to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Dec. 16—A party in the Foster Mods suffered a back injury while dancing. The party was treated on the scene by BEMCo staff and transported by Cataldo ambulance to NewtonWellesley Hospital. Dec. 16—Police received a call of a party in the Charles
River Apartments who was not feeling well. The party was treated on the scene by BEMCo staff and transported by University Police to Urgent Care. Jan. 9—A University staff member slipped and fell outside Stoneman, resulting in a possible broken leg. University Police requested Waltham Fire Department and Cataldo Ambulance for assistance. The party was treated on the scene and transported via ambulance to the Lahey Hospital in Burlington, MA for further care.
Disturbance
Dec. 18—Police received a report of loud noises coming from the Ziv Quad. University Police officers checked the area but could not find any problems to report.
Vandalism
Dec. 10—The Area Coordinator on call reported written graffiti within the women’s
bathroom in the Shapiro Campus Center. University Police compiled a report on the incident and asked the facilities staff to remove the graffiti. Dec. 24—A facilities staff member reported vandalism to some of the items stored in the staff office area in the Epstein Building with no signs of forced entry. University Police compiled a report with photographs.
Assault
Dec. 7—A white male suspect with red hair threw a cup of cold water on an employee at Einstein Bros. Bagels in the Shapiro Campus Center and ran out of the building. University police checked the area but were unable to locate the suspect. Dec. 9—An individual reported that an unknown party kicked him in the leg and he felt intimidated. University Police compiled a report on the incident.
WARM WELCOME
n The Justice has no corrections or clarifications to report this week.
The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Email editor@ thejustice.org.
Justice
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Dec. 16—University Police received a report of a party masturbating on the road near the Charles River Apartments. University Police officers checked the area along with the Waltham Police Department but were unable to locate the party. Police compiled a report on the incident. Dec. 17—A party reported that their car was struck by an unknown vehicle while parked on Loop Road. Jan. 8—Police received a report of an unknown individual cutting off a lock that was attached to a locker in the men’s locker area in the basement of the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. University Police compiled a report on the incident. The party did not gain access to the locker and no items were reported missing. —compiled by Avi Gold.
BRIEF
Online sexual assault training open to students
—Abby Patkin
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS
Other
MAX MORAN/the Justice
A Midyear Orientation Leader walks across the Gosman crossover bridge with a group of incoming midyear students. The Class of 2019 midyears moved into their residence halls on Friday, Jan. 8.
The University opened a second round of online training for students on sexual misconduct prevention last week in a Jan. 6 email from Sexual Assault Services and Prevention Specialist Sheila McMahon. The first round took place from Aug. 18 to Aug. 27. McMahon wrote in the email that the training, provided via the online service GetInclusive, will be open for all students who did not undergo training earlier in the semester. Returning students received an email with a link to the program on Aug. 18. The University instituted the training program to comply with the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination (SaVE) Act. In her Jan. 6 email, McMahon wrote, “Brandeis is committed to preventing and addressing issues of sexual misconduct on our campus. We know this is an issue that can be understandably difficult for many people and that is to be expected.” She also touched on the results of April’s campus climate survey on sexual assault, which were released in October. “Among the findings, we learned that many of our students don’t know where to go for help or to report experiences of sexual misconduct,” she wrote. “Given the prevalence of sexual misconduct on our campus, we’re very concerned about this issue and want to make sure that all of our students have some basic information about sexual misconduct prevention.” According to an Oct. 13 Justice article, the survey results released in the report showed that 54.5 percent of undergraduates who experienced some form of sexual harassment or assault told someone about it, 3.7 percent formally reported it to the University, and only 38.2 percent of respondents said they knew where to go to report sexual assault. Upon the release of the report, Interim University President Lisa Lynch wrote in an Oct. 8 email to the community, “The results of the survey are deeply troubling. … While this is an issue facing our society as a whole, as institutions of higher education we have a special responsibility to set the standard for responding to and supporting those who have experienced sexual misconduct.” McMahon could not be reached for comment by press time. —Abby Patkin
ANNOUNCEMENTS Faculty Welcome Reception for Liebowitz
Students and faculty members are invited to a welcome reception for the university’s president-elect, Ron Liebowitz, and his wife, Jessica. Ron will offer some brief remarks at the reception and will then greet attendees. Light refreshments will be served. Today from 1 to 2 p.m. in Levin Ballroom.
Brandeis Insight and Out
This panel discussion will give you all of the information you need to navigate the ins and outs of Brandeis University. Hear from current students about how to catch the BranVan to hitch a ride into Waltham, which meals to try out in Sherman Dining Hall, and so much more. Today from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Theater.
Poster Sale Begin the spring semester with a few
new posters for your room. Global Prints has everything from art to music to movie posters and more. Tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium.
piece. Bring your friends and begin your semester with a stress-free night. Tickets are $45 and can be pur chased online. Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Hassenfeld Conference Center.
Community Advisor Information Session
Midnight showing of ‘The Breakfast Club’
Interested in becoming a Community Advisor for the 2016 to 2017 Academic Year? Come hear from DCL professional staff and current CAs about the position, the application process and more. Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Massell Quad Shapiro Lounge.
Paint Night
Join us for Relay For Life’s Paint Nite, an evening of painting with your friends, where a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Brandeis University’s Relay For Life event. We will be painting a winter scene as a group with a professional painting instructor to walk us through the
Grab some food at the Stein while watching the classic film — “The Breakfast Club.” See what happens when a brain, a beauty, a jock, a rebel and a recluse are forced to spend a Saturday together in high school detention. Friday from 11:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. in the Stein.
Skating on Frog Pond
Experience one of Boston’s signature winter activities by skating on the Boston Common Frog Pond. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the SCC ticket booth. Buses leave from T-Lot. Saturday from 12:15 to 3:45 p.m. off campus.
THE JUSTICE
privacy concerns, the administration has banned hoverboards and drones, pending further research. By ABBY PATKIN JUSTICE EDITOR
MAX MORAN/the Justice
Incoming midyear students enjoy a catered buffet at the welcome fair for new students and families on Friday. Numerous tables and vendors at the event also offered information and tips about campus resources available to all students.
Heller school
Heller-Harvard partnership gets $3.6 million grant for substance abuse studies the NIDA Center extend research, train investigators and share its findings. By Max Moran JUSTICE Editor
The American health care system has continued to change dramatically in the wake of 2010’s Affordable Care Act, but according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, just 11 percent of the nearly 23 million Americans who suffer from substance use disorders currently receive treatment. Now, a longstanding partnership between the Heller School and Harvard University Medical School has been reestablished to research the best ways to provide effective and inexpensive care to those suffering from SUDs. The Brandeis/Harvard Center to Improve System Performance of Substance Use Disorder Treatment launched its third “iteration” in December, according to the center’s website. Called the NIDA Center in reference to its financial backers — the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which provided a $3.6 million grant — it is made up of 12 researchers from Brandeis and Harvard and is based out of Heller’s Institute for Behavioral Health. The two previous “iterations” of the NIDA Center researched how well “managed care” structures were providing and financing drug abuse treatment from 1995 to 2003, and researched what organizational and financial elements make effective drug abuse service delivery
3
Hoverboard and drone use banned at University ■ Due to safety and
from 2005 to 2013, according to the NIDA Center’s website. “Managed care” techniques are ways of organizing healthcare delivery that aim to reduce unnecessary costs by having patients only visit certain doctors and hospitals and having a managing company monitor the cost of treatment. The Center’s current research will examine whether new health care payment methods, created by health care reform in the US, impact care quality for those suffering substance use disorders. “Substance use disorder” is a blanket term for any physiological, behavioral or social problem stemming from drug use. The NIDA Center builds its research on a framework that examines the relationships between not just patient, payer and clinician, but also includes the healthcare provider organization. The NIDA Center’s website states that the Center uses this model because “in an era of new health care system delivery and financing approaches, including risk-based [Accountable Care Organizations, groups of physicians who volunteer to coordinate closely] and value-based purchasing strategies, provider organizations are increasingly the locus of accountability.” The Center’s research is mostly focused on the delivery system, specifically the relationships between payer, provider organization and clinician. “We want to make sure that treatment for people with substance use disorders has a place at the table and is part of the innovation that’s happening during this transforma-
TUESDAY, January 12, 2016
Administration
DINING AT DEIS
■ The grant will help
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tive time,” Prof. Constance Morgan (HS) said in a Dec. 21 Heller News article. “We need to build the research portfolio that supports these new delivery system approaches to improve quality of care, and we want to help clinical findings get into the real world where they’re paid for and implemented so that they’re making a difference.” Additionally, the NIDA Center hopes to serve as a national resource for information on payment and delivery systems and has a three-part plan for doing so. First, according to the center’s website, the Center leaders plan on extending research in the field by both creating their own questions to answer and working closely with states on specific issues that need to be resolved in the field. Next, the NIDA Center will work to train junior investigators and students and help them pursue their own concept papers and studies. Finally, the Center plans to share its research with the world by disseminating its findings and also working closely with individual states. Currently, the NIDA Center is investigating three core questions through the model: “What are the key elements that drive payment and delivery system performance (e.g. characteristics of interventions and settings)?” “Which are the best targets for specific elements of reform to be implemented (e.g. payer, provider organization, clinician) and are multiple targets better?” and “Which contextual factors (e.g. market share) influence the outcome of reforms?” Morgan could not be reached for comment by press time.
The use of drones and hoverboards is now prohibited on campus, Vice President for Operations Jim Gray announced in two separate emails to the community on Jan. 4 and 5, respectively. In his Jan. 4 email on unmanned aerial vehicles — also known as drones — Gray stated that the University had convened a drones committee in September. Gray wrote in an email to the Justice that the committee, which was chaired by Vice Provost and Chief Information Officer John Unsworth, was comprised of 11 faculty and staff members, including Gray, Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan, Vice Provost for Research Ed Hackett and Prof. Tim Hickey (COSI). The ban, he noted in his original email, was based on the committee’s findings and extends to all recreational use on campus, both indoors and outside. He added that this ban will continue “while the committee gathers more information on evolving federal regulations and the constructive and educational uses of drones.” While Gray wrote that “the indoor use of drones in teaching and research is permitted with appropriate training, supervision and notification of building administrators,” he added that “outdoor teaching or research uses of drones require the permission of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Brandeis Police Department.”
In his email to the Justice, Gray elaborated on the University’s concerns about drone use on campus, writing, “Although there wasn’t a specific incident on campus that drove our decision, there have been reports across the country of drones flying into and injuring people. There is also the issue of one’s right to not be photographed or videotaped without permission, and many drones are equipped to capture photos and videos.” One day after his drones email, Gray wrote to the community again to inform students that the University prohibits the storage and use of hoverboards on all university-owned property, effective immediately. In an email to the Justice, Gray stated that the University’s decision to ban hoverboards and related devices is “based on some serious safety concerns, including the well-documented risk of spontaneous combustion.” In the past two months, there have been several cases of house fires apparently sparked by the lithium battery-powered toys. On Nov. 21, a Louisiana family’s house burned down when a newly-purchased hoverboard began shooting flames from both ends, according to ABC. He continued, “this is a national concern, and a growing number of colleges and universities in the Boston-area and across the country have implemented similar bans.” According to the Huffington Post, approximately 20 universities have limited or banned hoverboards in the last month for similar reasons. However, Gray ended his email by noting that the University administration “will continue to monitor product-safety information and will revise this decision as merited.”
A TASTE OF BRANDEIS
MAX MORAN/the Justice
The incoming midyear students and their family members interacted with administrators at the welcome fair and Taste of Brandeis luncheon last Friday.
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BRIEF MorphoTrust CSO appointed to Graduate Professional Studies program advisory board The Advisory Board for the University’s Graduate Professional Studies program selected Dennis Kallelis, the Chief Security Officer at MorphoTrust USA — an electronic security company that provides identity verification services such as fingerprinting — to join its group on Jan 6th. Kallelis joined a committee that assesses GPS’s Masters in Information Security program. Other committee members include representatives from Intel, Harvard University and Sonatype. The GPS program is a parttime, all-online graduate degree program that offers degrees aimed at workers already employed in specific fields, such as Masters degrees in software engineering, health and medical informatics, and information technology management. The program currently offers 10 different masters degrees and one graduate certification in learning analytics. The online classes are capped at 20 students each and taught by adjunct faculty, according to the website for the Rabb School of Continuing Studies, which manages the GPS program. According to a BusinessWire press release, Kallelis will assist with the information security and insider threats components of the GPS Information Security program and will evaluate the curriculum to determine whether it is providing
GPS students with the skills they need to be leaders in the field. He will also assist with the board’s “Ask the Expert” program, where industry experts speak with students firsthand about their industry and offer advice. Like all advisory board members, Kallelis will serve for four years, with an option for two additional years. “Brandeis University is renowned as one of the country’s leading universities for producing industry ready graduates that have the skills to make corporations competitive, and it is an honor to serve as an advisor to its Graduate Professional Studies board,” Kallelis said in a statement to BusinessWire. “It is great to be part of the Brandeis team that is ensuring GPS graduates are transformed into exceptional information security professionals prepared for relevant industry demands.” MorphoTrust is considered a national leader in the field of technological security, notably managing information security for the United States Department of Defense in a licensing deal valued at $3.5 million. The company uses a system called the Automated Biometric Identification System, which includes finger, palm, iris and face recognition software. Kallelis could not be reached by press time. —Max Moran
FORUM
Prof patents process for making coffee flour ■ Prof. Daniel Perlman
’68 (PHYS) patented a method that could lead to antioxidant-rich baking. JUSTICE editor
Brandeis Law Journal founder Judah Marans ’11 passes away unexpectedly at age 27
SPORTS
Faculty
By Abby patkin
OBITUARY
Alumnus Judah Marans ’11 passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 22. He would have turned 28 on Dec. 29. Marans, who had been a third year law student at the University of California, Berkeley at the time of his death, is survived by parents Nina Kampler and Dr. Zvi Marans, brothers Gabe and Benjamin and sister Dara. In 2009, Marans founded the Brandeis University Law Journal and served as its Editor in Chief. He also served on the Student Judiciary as both an associate justice and the Chief Justice, notably mediating both an impeachment case and a libel case during his time as the judiciary’s Chief Justice. In the impeachment case, he
MAX MORAN/the Justice
During orientation week, midyear students attend a group informational session about the University’s Psychological Counseling Center and the services that it offers.
wrote the decision upholding the Student Union’s move to impeach its secretary, after she failed to introduce a piece of legislation to the Senate within the allotted Marans time period. From 2013 to 2014, Marans was the Productions Editor for the Berkeley Journal of AfricanAmerican Law & Policy. Funeral services took place on Thursday, Dec. 24 at Gutterman and Musicantin Funeral Directors in Hackensack, New Jersey. —Abby Patkin
PHOTOS
While the standard companion to a cup of coffee is usually a donut or a bagel, the baked goods sidekicks could now carry caffeine and antioxidants on their own, thanks to a new process for making coffee bean powder, the patent for which Prof. Daniel Perlman ’68 (PHYS) got approved in December. Perlman, who also helped create the butter substitute Smart Balance, began experimenting with green coffee beans two and a half to three years ago. “I’ve been intrigued for a long time with the antioxidants that are provided in coffee, and have long wondered whether something could be done to increase the amount, or yield of antioxidant in the coffee bean to make it a healthier product. I’ve also been intrigued by whether roasting coffee beans the traditional way resulted in loss of something really beneficial from the coffee bean,” he said in an interview with the Justice. The coffee bean powder — which has the trademarked name NutraViva Coffee Beans — can be used in foods, beverages and dietary supplements, according to a nutritional data sheet compiled by Perlman and the New England Coffee Company. While green coffee bean extract has been commercialized and touted as an antioxidant-rich supplement, Perlman believes the coffee bean powder allows those antioxidants — namely chlorogenic acid (CGA) — to be used in
food ingredients, making it generally more palatable and more useful than in bean or pill form. He added that his process of baking the beans at a lower temperature — or “parbaking” them — is necessary to avoid having the flour be too dark and the taste of coffee too overwhelming. Perlman explained that of the two varietals of coffee beans — arabica and robusta — he chose to use the latter, because even though it is less popular in the United States, it contains higher levels of CGA and caffeine. The next step in his process is roasting the beans at approximately 300 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas the typical coffee bean is roasted at between 400 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Throughout the research process, Perlman received support from the New England Coffee Company, which is located in Malden, Mass. Yet while they provided Perlman with coffee beans and roasted some batches under controlled conditions, most of the roasting was done in his own kitchen. Perlman also conducted some research at the University, measuring residual antioxidant and moisture content in the roasted beans. In order to produce the flour-like texture, the beans are then milled using a hammer mill and liquid nitrogen. “Nitrogen is used to protect all kinds of food materials from being degraded with air or oxygen,” he explained. “Your potato chip bags are usually flushed and packaged with nitrogen, so if you buy Frito chips, they’re usually filled with nitrogen, rather than air, so the oil in the chip doesn’t go rancid by air exposure. Similarly, we use liquid nitrogen to do two things: it chills the beans during the milling to make them more brittle, but it also protects the nutrients in the bean from
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being degraded by oxygen in the air.” The result, he said, is a finely ground, golden-colored powder with a slightly nutty taste. Each particle, he added, is roughly one tenth of a millimeter, or 100 microns in size. “We do that so you’re not getting a gritty mouth feel when you eat it, you’re not chomping on little pebbles. If you bake bread or muffins with our flour as an ingredient, you don’t notice any adverse texture because the particles are small.” Perlman emphasized that the coffee powder is preferable to extract pills because it allows the nutrients to remain in a natural state. He also said that consuming the green coffee beans in their natural state is not feasible because “as a raw agricultural product, it tends to carry with it mold spores and bacteria, and you can’t just randomly eat a raw agricultural product. So our baking accomplishes multiple things: it drives off at least about half the moisture … and then baking sterilizes the bean, so now it’s a safe food ingredient. Baking also gets rid of some of the raw flavor that’s undesirable.” He added that a snack bar baked with coffee powder could have as much caffeine as a cup of coffee, but with more CGA. He also noted that he has tried using the powder in bread, muffins, brownies, hummus and nut butters, and that samples have been sent to bakeries. Moving forward, the University’s Office of Technology Licensing is looking into licensing the patent for the parbaking process, which, according to Perlman, would allow it to be produced and sold as a regular food ingredient. “This is really designed to be a regular food ingredient, not so much to replace the conventional flour, but to supplement recipes,” he said.
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NEW PRES: Committee speaks on search criteria CONTINUED FROM 1 vestment. The Brandeis endowment was valued at $766 million in 2013, according to a Sept. 22 Justice article, and Lawrence received $938,759, according to the Chronicle’s same calculations, which made him the third highest-paid president in higher education in Massachusetts in 2013. The Search Committee In an email to the Justice, Larry Kanarek ’76, the chairman of the search committee that selected Liebowitz, said, “We are lucky to have someone with such proven leadership experience at a prestigious school like Middlebury who also quickly grasped and identified with the values and mission of Brandeis. He is authentic, warm and a straight-shooter. Ron lived on campus at middlebury [sic] and was clearly deeply engaged in student life.” Prof. Sacha Nelson (BIO), one of the four faculty members on the committee, told the Justice in an email that the search committee “wanted someone with proven leadership skills, someone with proven fundraising skills, and most importantly someone who really understood and embraced the multiple ‘tensions’ that characterize our institution.” The search committee’s website defines these tensions as the University being “a small liberal arts college and also a national research university,” “Jewish-sponsored yet prizing diversity” and “ambitious within the confines of limited resources.” “We very much had the sense that Ron matched or exceeded the threshold on all of our criteria,” Nelson wrote. “He is a proven leader who has made a great institution even greater. He is clearly both a man of action and a deep thinker. He is comfortable and engaged with the Jewish community but is deeply committed to diversity and inclusion and has had to deal with this issue at Middlebury.” Sneha Walia ’15, the student representative on the search committee, wrote in an email to the Justice that “during the interview process, [Liebowitz] expressed great excitement about working with students and a strong desire to forge relationships here on campus. His research work seems to deal largely with discussions about the future of higher education and ways of making the university experience more student-centered. I’m hopeful that he can integrate that research into real university policy that will elevate the institution and bring the community closer together.” Many students and some faculty
expressed deep interest in having a woman or a person of color become the next University president at town hall forums throughout the search process. When asked about this, Walia wrote, “From what I saw, to start, there is an unfortunate lack of candidates of color and women in the pool of candidates for top positions in higher education. This likely relates to the institutionalized racism and misogyny that penetrates so many fields of employment and ardently keeps people of color and women out of elite positions in organizations. I’m hopeful that higher ed, sooner rather than later, can shake these prejudices and support female leaders and leaders of color on their paths to elite positions.” Walia added in a follow-up email that this comment was “not intended to be a cover up or excuse, but rather part of the story that I did see was very real in this process. As someone hoping to make a career in education, I had to experience seeing people who didn’t look like me but did look like others in the room because that is largely the demographic of the field.” Walia also noted in her original email that “many of our candidates were funneled to us through our search firm, so there were many perspectives and interests that led us towards some candidates and away from others. This is part of the process when you have a group working to reach a common goal but coming from different backgrounds.” The final decision was made through a group consensus, according to Walia. She also noted that throughout the process, the search committee spoke to candidates about their perspectives on “the promotion of diversity and meaningful multicultural engagement in the university setting.” According to Walia, Liebowitz communicated that he was passionate about advancing diversity for all members of the community and “that he was self-aware about the fact that he did not know everything about the backgrounds and experiences of community members of diverse backgrounds from his position, and is open to learning.” Liebowitz served as provost and dean of faculty at Middlebury before becoming president there. He holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University in geography and is a political geographer; political geography studies how the physical boundaries of countries influence the political communities within them. He specializes in Russian economic and political geography and lives in Newton, Mass. with his wife Jessica and their three children.
Have an opinion to share? Write a letter to the editor!
Send an email to Jessica Goldstein at forum@thejustice.org
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TUESDAY, January 12, 2016
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BRANDEIS 101
MAX MORAN/the Justice
Panel members speak at Brandeis University 101, an event designed to answer any questions incoming midyears and their parents might have about campus life at Brandeis.
UNION: Faculty Forward will build union contract CONTINUED FROM 1 contract faculty, though this number may vary from semester to semester based on visiting faculty, Stephany said. SEIU Local 509 will negotiate with the University on behalf of these employees to form collective agreements on issues that the part-time faculty and adjuncts decide on. The vote was conducted through the mail, and the final tally was tabulated at the National Labor Relations Board Boston office the morning of Dec. 18. Two members of the University administration and two members of the new bargaining unit observed as NLRB representatives opened letters mailed in by potential union members and read off whether the mailer had checked “yes” or “no” when asked whether they supported the union. Prof. Amy Todd (RABB), one of the faculty witnesses, told the Justice in a phone interview that “the standards are very high in this process in the sense that it is a secret ballot. … We don’t touch the ballots, the organizers, at all. It’s
all National Labor Relations Board [representatives] that count. And that’s what they did today, they opened the ballots and counted very publicly, very carefully. I was very impressed with the process.” The key organizers of the Brandeis bargaining unit, who have called themselves Brandeis Faculty Forward throughout the process, must now determine what their priorities will be in future negotiations with the administration. Todd told the Justice that the group already sent out a preliminary survey to all potential members of the bargaining unit, and a more detailed survey will follow in January. Part of the January survey will ask bargaining unit members to fill in an open-ended list of their top priorities in future contracts and rank these priorities from most to least important. The organizers will also hold open meetings with faculty to gather feedback, according to Todd. “Typically, of course, job security is very high on the list [of priorities],” she said. Todd is a full-time faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where fac-
ulty are represented by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the same union that represents public K-12 teachers and public universities in Boston. She has also served on a bargaining team for UMass Boston. “Cost of living raises and compensation are [usually] very high on the list,” she said. “And health insurance and other benefits.” The University addressed the vote results in a campuswide email from Interim Provost Irving Epstein which said only that the vote was in favor of the union by a margin of 120-28, and that “We [the University] look forward to working with the SEIU to reach a collective bargaining agreement for these employees.” “I think we’re all very excited that we won our union, and by such a wide margin, and are feeling very optimistic going forward as we move into contract negotiations,” Todd said. “Now the real work really begins to build a very participatory union with as much engagement as possible from members, from the rank and file members. And I look forward to that.”
MINOR: Committee members form a range of academic backgrounds CONTINUED FROM 1 established “to examine and make recommendations on the development of courses, programming and a minor in Asian American Pacific Islander studies. It will also consider how such a curriculum would be structured, named, located and resourced within Arts and Sciences.” Though the committee and the development of a minor address the students’ demands in part, BAATF had also asked the University to establish a major. Members of the committee come from a diverse range of scholarly backgrounds. According to Prof. Sarah Lamb (ANTH), who will serve on the committee, the members have not yet had a chance to meet in person, though they corresponded over the break and plan to meet in early January. Lamb said in an email to the Justice that she was approached by Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren to serve on the committee in part because she has “participated as a core faculty member working to establish several other important interdisciplinary programs at Brandeis,” including South Asian Studies, Health: Science, Society and Policy and International and Global Studies. “I recognize the dearth of Asian American faculty and Asian American studies at Brandeis and am eager to do what I can to incorporate Asian American studies more fully into our course offerings, and to recruit and
retain Asian American faculty. Some of my own research also focuses on Asian Americans, specifically on immigrants from South Asia in the United States,” she wrote. She said that the committee’s first aim will be to work toward hiring a professor to teach a core Asian American Studies course, which will begin in Fall 2016, in accordance with the BAATF’s demands. The committee will also work to develop an interdepartmental program to support and provide interdisciplinary reinforcement for Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies at the University, she noted. “Such a program may perhaps be conceptualized to include some attention to Asians in the diaspora beyond the Americas only. The program will also seek productive connections with other related programs, such as East Asian Studies, South Asian Studies, and US race and ethnic studies as pursued in AAAS and Latin American and Latino Studies.” Lamb speculated about how the committee might go about its objectives, drawing upon the precedence set by peer institutions. “At most universities, Asian American Studies is not housed in a stand-alone department but works as an interdepartmental, interdisciplinary program,” she wrote, citing similar University programs like HSSP; Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; and American Studies. “A vibrant Asian American and Pa-
cific Islander Studies program could begin by offering a minor. To make a minor possible, we would both need to hire one or two faculty members who specialize in Asian American studies … while also recruiting existing faculty with relevant teaching and research interests to contribute to the program,” she stated. Lamb concluded her email by writing, “Supporting Asian American Studies, faculty and students will enhance the Brandeis curriculum and university community in valuable ways, and is in keeping with Brandeis's mission focus on diversity, inclusion, and social justice. … I personally admire the BAATF students who have dedicated themselves to this important cause and to making Brandeis a better place.” Lynch also noted in her email that the committee is integral to the preservation of the University’s social justice legacy, alluding to the Ford Hall 2015 protest, which ended on Dec. 1. “The past month has served to raise the awareness of many on our campus that while our Mission and Diversity Statement speaks to a commitment to fostering a just and inclusive campus culture, we are not always as successful as we aspire to be,” she wrote. “As we all reflect back on the events of the past year, both at Brandeis and offcampus, I urge us all to remember that the kind of community we are will be determined by how we treat and interact with each other.”
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features
TUESDAY, January 12, 2016 ● THE JUSTICE
just
VERBATIM | EPICTETUS It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.
ON THIS DAY…
FUN FACT
In 1932, Ophelia Wyatt Caraway became the first female U.S. senator.
The Boston Red Sox have a patent on the color “Fenway green.”
TALENTED TRIO: Josh Berg ’17 (left), Patrick Flahive ’18 (center) and Brandon Miskin ’18 (right) are three of the five masterminds behind the new app Student Grounds. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BRIANNA MAJSIAK
Breaking New ‘Student Ground’ Brandeis students collaborate to create academic website By Kirby Kochanowski JUSTICE Editorial assistant
PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDON MISKIN
IT TAKES TEAMWORK: The creators of Student Grounds first met playing on the Brandeis men’s soccer team.
IMAGE COURTESY OF BRANDON MISKIN
It’s midnight. You’re about to go to sleep when a sudden panic strikes. In the back of your mind, you have the strangest nagging feeling that something is due tomorrow. You decide to log in to LATTE, but it isn’t loading correctly and you can’t find the page you’re looking for. More panic ensues. Sound familiar? Brandon Miskin ’18, Josh Berg ’17, Patrick Flahive ’18 and Jesse Caron ’17 are hoping to help with the creation of their new app, Student Grounds. It all started during Miskin’s freshman year, when he began to notice the inefficiencies and shortcomings of LATTE. He felt he could do a better job and decided then to create his own app that would allow for more student interaction and organization. “I was trying to create a better platform that would first fix the academic problem of not knowing your syllabus and not knowing your academics, but then also expanding it to make it a fun and creative website where you could expand all of your interests as a student,” Miskin said in an interview with the Justice. He spoke about it to Flahive, his freshman year roommate. “I’m not the most organized kid, so when he [Miskin] came up with a site to help organize academics and help with your syllabus, I thought it made a lot of sense,” Flahive told the Justice. Flahive, Miskin, Berg and Caron are all members of Brandeis’ men’s soccer team. “We got together and made all of our ideas stronger.” Berg said about the collaboration. Here’s how it works: the app combines aspects of LATTE, like the ability to access your syllabus, with the social aspects of other media sites. A Brandeis email address is required to cre-
ate a login, and from there students can select their classes each semester. They can then download their syllabus, and, by highlighting assignments and important dates, automatically create a calendar. “You can always keep track of what assignments you have for each class, and you can personally input and type in different activities, like if you have a soccer practice. So it’s pretty much creating a calendar, but it’s a much more simple way of creating your master schedule for all of your classes and all of your activities at school,” Miskin said. The app also has a marketplace feature, where students can advertise different items they’re selling. By letting students sell their belongings by simply taking a picture and setting a price, Student Grounds is helping to eliminate the middleman. “At the beginning of the semester people are always looking to buy and sell textbooks or other things college students need … and people can upload different textbooks or whatever they need for class and then obviously get them there. Instead of buying [something] from Amazon and then waiting a couple of days, you can just walk over to North Quad and buy the book. There’s no fees, no shipping; it’s an easy process,” Flahive said. To create the app, Miskin enlisted the help of his brother Ricky, who graduated from Suffolk University in 2014 with a degree in finance. Ricky was a first-time programmer, but he was able to successfully create a design that matched Miskin’s vision. “I try to think too big sometimes.” Miskin explained, “I personally want to get things going and get things done immediately… and this is why Pat [Flahive] and Josh [Berg] were a big help; narrowing down the product and
the scope of the platform.” “Obviously, we’re a very small team right now so we have minimal resources,” Berg elaborated. “We are really trying to push this out so it is available for the second semester.” Though the team has spoken to the University about their app, they want to be clear that the app is not affiliated with Brandeis. Other universities offer similar apps, but they are usually purchased through a third party like Blackboard or Moodle. “We do really want to stay completely separate and unaffiliated with [Brandeis] because that will make a better environment for student interaction, whereas other sites have the faculty interaction,” Berg said. For now, the app is only available to Brandeis students, but Miskin has big plans for the future. “I personally think this could be a real success, especially at Brandeis, and in the future we hope to expand to other liberal arts schools and research bigger schools to cater to their needs. The whole idea is to cater to the school’s specific needs and the students’ wants,” Miskin said. “It’s academic, it’s extracurricular [and] it’s social.” “Obviously, it’s going to be tough to infiltrate this market right away, and we understand that, so we’re going to work on different types of promotions and other ways to really get users on the site,” Berg said. “We think once they get on the site they’ll understand how user-friendly and modern it is, and we think the site will essentially sell itself once they get on.” Student Grounds was released on Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, two days before the start of Brandeis’ spring semester. Though the website is mobile friendly, it’s primarily meant to be accessed through computer use. It’s available at studentgrounds.org.
THE JUSTICE A PROUD PATRIOT: Leroy Ashwood ’71 was influenced by his father’s military service to create BRAVE, a nonprofit organization for veterans.
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TUESDAY, January 12, 2016
A Voice for Veterans
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BRIANNA MAJSIAK
Through his nonprofit work, Leroy Ashwood ’71 advocates for veterans By BRianna Majsiak JUSTICE editor
Leroy Ashwood ’71 has always been social by nature. During his first year at Stevens Business College, he spent his weekends visiting friends at Brandeis until they convinced him to transfer in 1968 as a sophomore. Today, Ashwood runs a nonprofit organization to assist military veterans and has coupled his social tendencies with social entrepreneurship in order to seek wide-scale change for the services available to veterans. “It became evident to me that folks who were returning from the initial war in Afghanistan and Iraq were coming back to an economy that was not going to greet them with jobs that would enable them to sustain themselves — that was the flat basis for beginning to think about a problem and a solution,” Ashwood said in an interview with the Justice. This realization inspired Ashwood, the son of a World War II veteran, to found BRAVE for Veterans in 2009. BRAVE is a nonprofit organization, based in Massachusetts but with an office in Washington D.C., that works to assist military veterans in making the transition back into civilian life. Initially, Ashwood, the president and chief executive officer of BRAVE, saw an opportunity to use a federal government initiative to create jobs for veterans in digitizing medical records, in order to fill the need for digital records and provide technological skills and experience to veterans. However, when that initiative was unexpectedly cancelled in 2013, Ashwood revised BRAVE’s approach to work as an integrated network of resources, ranging from job opportunities to veteran advocacy. Two fellow Brandeis alumni work closely with Ashwood in achieving BRAVE’s mission. Gerald R. Lucas ’71 serves BRAVE as a Senior Leadership Team Member and as an officer clerk of the organization. Additionally, Dean G. Yuzek ’71 and his law firm, Ingram
Yuzek Gainen Carroll & Bertolotti, LLP, are one of two legal counsels of BRAVE. Yuzek has been a part of BRAVE since it’s inception. “We repurposed the organization BRAVE for Veterans to help veterans get the jobs that already exist and to do everything we can to prepare them along with the work force system in place to get self-sustainable work,” Ashwood said. However, BRAVE does not just seek available jobs for veterans; the organization also focuses on sustainable employment. “If there’s no county [in] the United States of America where a person can rent a two bedroom apartment on a minimum wage salary, then BRAVE would not try to help a veteran get a job paying a minimum wage,” Ashwood said. “What we are identifying are jobs that allow them [veterans] to form a household for themselves and their families.” Additionally, BRAVE has been successful in advocating for veterans’ rights. BRAVE proposed a section of the Valor Act I which was successfully passed in 2012 and requires each public institution in Massachusetts to develop procedures and policies to evaluate a student’s military occupation, coursework and experience in order to receive credit toward a professional degree or certification. “We have a track record for having effective legislative improvement to assist veterans getting their feet on the ground and getting their feet on the ground back home in a firm way,” Ashwood explained. BRAVE separates itself from other veteran organizations by not focusing on how many veterans they serve each week. “The analytics that evaluate other veteran programs don’t really relate to how we approach the veteran community — what we’re doing right now is we’re looking at the ways in which we can identify the gap fillings, and by doing so and doing so effectively, we can effect the whole class, and so our measurement will come after we’ve done that work and put that in place,” Ashwood said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LEROY ASHWOOD
AN INSPIRATION: Leroy Ashwood ’71 (left) stands with Paul Rieckhoff (right), the founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).
Ashwood and the BRAVE leadership team, mostly made up of military veterans — of both men and women — are currently working on a legislative proposal due this Friday that seeks to improve oral health for veterans. “70 percent of 380,000 veterans who live in Massachusetts are over the age of 55, so we don’t have a lot of combat veterans. We have national guard and reserve people who are older, who have occupations and so forth, or a lot of folks in that demographic who are Vietnam era and in some cases didn’t get the treatment they should have received when they came back and have kind of fallen out of the specter of things,” Ashwood said. Ashwood’s leadership skills in founding and operating BRAVE have been apparent since his time as a student at Brandeis. In 1969, he participated in the 11-day occupation of Ford Hall 1969 and succeeded Roy DeBerry ’70 MA’78 PhD ’79 as a co-chair of the Brandeis Afro-American Society — a role that Ashwood said was possible after witnessing the national student strike and seeing how the sociology department managed it. According to Ashwood, that experience gave him a vision that was bigger than himself. Upon graduation, Ashwood was awarded the Bruce R. Mayper Memorial Award for his activity as a student promoting interracial amity. “I was recognized for being a student on campus that worked to keep everybody connected rather than apart. It’s probably the thing I appreciate most about having spent my time there [at Brandeis]. I dedicated myself to that role because I had that role in my high school — it’s a continuation of things. Even though there had to be and were pockets of racial discord, it never really manifested itself to me personally. And if it did, I would have diffused it in a way that was acceptable by everybody. We did have issues, and that’s why Ford Hall was Ford Hall,” Ashwood said. Ashwood credits his success as a student and social entrepreneur
IMAGE COURTESY OF LEROY ASHWOOD
PHOTO COURTESY OF LEROY ASHWOOD
IMPROMPTU PHOTOSHOOT: Leroy Ashwood ’71 (middle row, far left) took this photo for the yearbook with friends including Gerald R. Lucas ’71 (far right) and Dean Yuzek (middle row, far right) while in their senior year at Brandeis. to growing up in the midst of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and having several mentor-like figures who provided wisdom and guidance throughout his academic career. One example of a mentor to Ashwood was the Rabbi at Brandeis at the time, Rabbi Axelrod, who also happened to be the rabbi from Ashwood’s high school. “Wisdom … that I was exposed to in my particular journey gave me confidence that I could weather and persevere against adversity that I would encounter later in my life. It all came to fruition at Brandeis. I didn’t interview for a job until I was 32 years old. All I had to do was say I was a graduate of Brandeis University and that was the end of the conversation. I could never look at the system I came through and say [that] I was not encouraged, inspired and supported.” Ultimately, Ashwood hopes to
largely incorporate Brandeis in addition to other universities in the area, with BRAVE. He is pursuing help within the Heller School of Social Work and Management to generate the interest and support of students in BRAVE’s mission. Ashwood has configured three categories in which BRAVE can seek assistance from Brandeis; a sustainability plan, research needs and an evaluation component. He predicts that the MBA program at Brandeis may be helpful in creating a sustainability plan as well. BRAVE currently seeks student interns to assist in any of these categories. “So we are building our organizational capability from a volunteer point of view to be sure that at the end of the story we have all of the functionality that we need to be a 21st-century, mission-driven, margin-generating, nonprofit entity on behalf of veterans,” Ashwood said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LEROY ASHWOOD
MARCH SOUTH: Two years ago, BRAVE helped plan an event that featured reinactors of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry who marched south to join the Civil War.
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10 TUESDAY, January 12, 2016 ● THE JUSTICE
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Brandeis University
Max Moran, Editor in Chief Avi Gold, Managing Editor Hannah Wulkan, Deputy Editor Rebecca Lantner, Catherine Rosch, Jaime Kaiser and Grace Kwon, Associate Editors Abby Patkin, News Editor, Brianna Majsiak, Features Editor Jessica Goldstein, Forum Editor, Noah Hessdorf, Sports Editor Jaime Gropper, Arts Editor Michelle Banayan and Mihir Khanna, Photography Editors Emily Wishingrad, Online Editor Carmi Rothberg, Copy Editor
EDITORIALS
Consider University politics during presidency Following an eight-month search for the ninth University president, the Board of Trustees announced Ronald D. Liebowitz’s appointment in a Dec. 18 email to the University community from Chair of the Board of Trustees Perry Traquina ’78. Liebowitz served as the president of Middlebury College for 11 years, and he will begin his tenure on Jul. 1. Interim President Lisa Lynch reserved several key campus issues for the next University president to address during her time as interim president. Specifically, Lynch declined to act on the University’s suspended partnership with Al-Quds University and community demands for fossil fuel divestment. This board urges Liebowitz to take immediate action on these issues integral to the University community that have been delayed during Lynch’s term. The University suspended its partnership with Al-Quds, a Palestinian university in East Jerusalem, following campus protests featuring fascist imagery. In a Jul. 1 interview with the Justice, Lynch echoed the need to discuss these issues: “The next president gets to make that call. It’s a very important decision, and one that shouldn’t be made for nine months and then reversed. It’s too important.” Similarly, at a town hall meeting on Nov. 4, Lynch said of fossil fuel divestment, “we want to be able to have that president, with the Board of Trustees, jointly make a decision about [divestment]. It is a great way, I think, for the incoming president to engage with the campus community on issues that are near and dear to our hearts.” In the meantime, student groups like Brandeis Climate Justice have campaigned for fossil fuel divestment, including organizing a two-day protest during the Board of Trustees visit on Nov. 2 to 3, according to a Nov. 3 Justice article. While Liebowitz did not divest Middlebury’s endowment from fossil fuels after significant research and pressure, he was named number 6 on TIME’s “10 Best College Presidents” in 2009 for his admirable work with student activists to reduce Middlebury’s carbon footprint. The TIME article specifically states that when student activists confronted him “Liebowitz could have easily ignored them. … Instead Liebowitz took their proposal and shoved
Engage with students it forward, helping them convince a skeptical board of trustees that going green was the right decision for Middlebury.” This high praise stemmed from his direct involvement with student activists on issues dear to them, rather than distancing himself from politically charged topics for the sake of populism. This is the approach Liebowitz must pursue regarding Al-Quds and fossil fuel divestment. No matter where he falls, significant portions of the student population will be disappointed, yet refusing to take a stance at all would only serve to alienate everyone. Action has been delayed long enough on these topics, and now that we have a permanent president, this board recommends that he takes a stance, one way or the other, on these issues within his first year of office. Finally, we’d be remiss not to mention the recent student movements that have challenged the status quo on diversity campuswide. Ford Hall 2015 saw a 12-day student sit-in of the Bernstein-Marcus Administration Center, ending in an agreement with the University addressing all but one of the group’s demands. Similarly, the Brandeis Asian American Task Force’s letter to administrators caused the University to create a Faculty-Student Committee on Asian American Pacific Islander Studies. With this vital progress intitated between students and University administrators, this board urges Liebowitz to continue to build upon the progress that has already begun, maintaining close relationships with the students whose activism led to these administrative actions in the first place. We applaud the University’s appointment of such an esteemed president. However, in addition to introducing his own agenda to the University, this board would like to remind the new president that vital campus issues that already wait for him. If Liebowitz fails to take a stance on these issues, he runs the risk of alienating a large portion of the campus community. At this University, student movements have laid the groundwork for progress and change on critical issues, and this board encourages Liebowitz to actively engage with them.
Commend Brandeis Asian American Task Force’s work In a letter addressed to senior administrators, a group known as the Brandeis Asian American Task Force outlined a list of demands related to the creation of an Asian American studies department. The list follows a similar list of demands issued by the Ford Hall 2015 student protesters who occupied the Bernstein-Marcus Administration building for 12 days. In a Dec. 22 email sent to the community, Interim University President Lisa Lynch announced the formation of a a FacultyStudent Committee on Asian American Pacific Islander Studies, the first goal of which will be to hire a faculty member to teach an Asian American studies core course. This Editorial Board applauds BAATF’s initiative and the University’s cooperation in meeting the critical need for a department of this nature. The formation of the committee will put top administrators and students invested in this issue in conversation with each other and offers a critical first step to reaching their eventual goal of extensive course offerings in this burgeoning academic field. There’s reason to be optimistic that the new committee will result in tangible outcomes. In a poll conducted by Hin Hon
Maintain energy (Jamie) Wong ’17, well over half of those polled expressed either resounding or tentative interest in an Asian-American studies minor. The survey comes from a sample pool that is not representative of the larger Brandeis community, but it does indicate that there is a sizable portion of the student populaion interested in seeing BAATF proposals come to fruition. The formation of the committee is a productive first step, and this board encourages BAATF to continue to strive for its initial goals. If BAATF’s core members maintain the energy and initiative that formed the committee in the first place, actively publicize the committee’s progress and keep the student body informed, they will be on track to achieve their ambitious but very possible longterm goals. The committee will prove meaningless if it does not introduce additional classes and eventually an organized program or department, but this board is confident that BAATF will rise to the occasion given the concerted efforts it has made already.
GRACE KWON/the Justice
Views the News on
Last Tuesday, President Barack Obama enacted new executive actions aimed at mitigating mass shootings, suicides and killings across the country. The executive actions would require sellers at gun shows to conduct background checks on buyers and hire more FBI agents to conduct research. The president also encouraged greater accountability in domestic violence cases to and help monitor and track lost guns. Chris D. Cox, the executive director of the National Rifle Association, similarly claimed the president’s actions would do little to protect the public and accused him of “engaging in political rhetoric instead of offering meaningful solutions.” Do you believe Obama’s efforts will effectively lessen gun violence in the United States, and are there any other steps or policies that the administration should pursue?
Alex Montgomery HS M.P.P. ’17
The responsibility of reducing gun violence should have never fallen on the shoulders of one single individual or system of government in the first place. While the measures proposed by President Barack Obama appear to be a well-intended effort toward lessening gun violence, I hope to see more efforts from various systems of government addressing intersectional structures enabling gun violence. Considering historically how the burden of U.S. laws and policies has been systematically and disproportionately levied upon the shoulders of marginalized communities victimized by white imperialist, capitalist and patriarchal systems, the eradication of gun violence must be addressed through radical racial, gender, religious and economic justice — all of these informing various levels of political justice and fairness. Additionally, the immediate association between mental health and gun violence stigmatizes and criminalizes individuals suffering from behavioral health concerns while simultaneously removing the accountability of gun sellers, buyers and beneficiaries (e.g. NRA) from their roles in enabling gun violence. What ultimately has to change are not just the guns themselves, an excellent recommendation that President Obama makes, but also the systems that perpetuate gun violence in the first place. Alex Montgomery is studying Public Policy of Behavioral Health at the Heller School.
Noah Coolidge ’16
The ease of purchasing a gun in many parts of the United States, even with a criminal record, is an international embarrassment and a major public safety hazard. According to the fact-checking website PolitiFact.com, the president’s actions will tighten the requirements concerning who is required to conduct background checks on would-be buyers. Gun stores are already required to get a federal license and are required to conduct such background checks, but the law allows private sellers to sell guns without such a license. However, the law does not define what a private seller is. The president’s executive action simply provides this definition and, in doing so, prevents irresponsible sellers from selling to those who would do harm to others. The argument, as put by the NRA and Republican presidential hopefuls, is that people should be able to sell guns without a license and that the federal government should not be involved. The ease of transport of guns between states with differing requirements, however, means that a uniform standard is necessary. Noah Coolidge ’16 is a student leader for Brandeis for Bernie.
Shaquan McDowell ’18 The orders as emphasized by the president are to produce more effective means for the regulation of gun sales. This will produce sufficient paper trails for those in the market of selling guns. It creates legal parameters that make it more difficult for guns to end up in the wrong hands. This, however, is contingent on the following of legal avenues by the individuals who purchase guns. This is what the GOP focuses on. Ultimately, both parties are correct. Harsher requirements for possesion of firearms does equate to less utilization of firearms — it is inarguable. This is not a call for “taking all our guns.” This is also not sufficient enough in preventing gun violence at large. Harsher acquisition of firearms by legislative measures does not mean they disappear. Rather than aiming to eliminate guns, we must address their pervasiveness in our society and aim to educate the citizenry on their appropriate utilization. Shaquan McDowell is the co-president and co-founder of the Purple Party.
Prof. Andreas Teuber (PHIL)
Even if President Barack Obama could push gun control politically his biggest hurdle is constitutional. In 1976, the District of Columbia passed a tough gun control law banning the possession of a handgun in one’s home. In a 5-4 decision the US Supreme Court decided for the first time in its history that the Second Amendment “guarantee[s] the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation” and it struck down the law. The case, District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) was a serious blow to gun-control advocates and to what Obama can do by Executive Action. The decision was thought to be a victory for the gunrights lobby. But it gave proponents of gun-control something to cheer about. Although th e Court makes plain that states and the federal government may pass no law that prohibits citizens from the possession and carrying of guns in self-defense, it did not include laws regulating gun ownership, among them, “bans on carrying concealed weapons, barring guns from schools and government buildings, and putting conditions on gun sales.” So whatever else we may think, one thing’s clear: Obama’s executive order passes constitutional muster. Prof. Andreas Teuber (PHIL) is a professor of Philosophy and is teaching Philosophy of Law this Spring semester.
THE JUSTICE
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TUESDAY, January 12, 2016
Question US politics amid UK proposed Trump ban
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By AMBER MILES
JUSTICE editorial Assistant
“United States President Banned from the United Kingdom” — if the presidential race continues as it has and British citizens have their way, Americans could see this headline within a year. After nearly 570,000 British citizens signed a petition calling to ban Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump from entering the U.K., Parliament scheduled to debate the issue on Jan. 18, according to a Jan. 5 Blaze article. The petition arose in response to Trump’s inflammatory comments, specifically his proposal in December 2015 to ban all Muslims from the U.S. While the debate may not result in any real legislative action, precedents for banning public figures for hate speech already exist in the U.K., according to a Jan. 6 Newsweek article. Regardless, with or without a formal ban, the petition and debate send a clear and disturbing message: Britons deem one of America’s leading presidential candidates unworthy of even setting foot in their country. At this point, the Trump debacle has gone from amusing to distressing. Why, out of two relatively similar countries, does one country seek to ban Trump while the other has spent the past seven months considering giving him the keys to the castle? First, consider the charges against Trump: hate speech. While the UK and the U.S. share many similarities, the two countries have different approaches to freedom of speech: The former treats it as any other right with qualifiers and exceptions; the latter treats it as the right to rule all others. Where the UK has the Racial and Religious Hatred Act of 2006 — legislation which forbids using speech to incite hatred based on race or religion — the U.S. has precedents like Snyder v. Phelps — a U.S. Supreme Court case in 2011 which supported public discourse to the extent of ruling that the Westboro Baptist Church has the right to picket military funerals. These differences provide significant insight into each country’s respective responses to Donald Trump — but is that the only reason? Does the U.S. merely allow Trump’s rhetoric, or does Trump’s rhetoric find a more receptive audience in the U.S. than in the UK? At first, the shock and entertainment value explained Trump’s popularity, but as time progressed, it became clear that other factors affected his surge in the polls, which reached a high of 41 percent on Dec. 14, 2015, according to Politico — although he has since dropped slightly in the polls. An August 2015 compilation of 30 letters to the Atlantic reveals that, if asked why they support Trump, voters will likely give an answer that falls into one of two categories: a belief that Trump’s strong leadership and “incorruptibility” will “Make America Great Again” or a desire to watch the world burn. Even so, these explanations don’t indicate why a man loathed so much by the British public surges in the polls here in America. In reality, Trump’s popularity reveals sys-
temic flaws in American society, specifically disturbing levels of ignorance, bigotry and desperation among American voters. Although Trump quickly hides behind the First Amendment if criticized, he has a shocking disregard for the rest of the U.S. Constitution. If he would peruse Article 2 of the Constitution, which outlines the powers and restrictions of the Executive Branch, Trump would see that the president has neither the authority to require Muslims to register in a database nor the power to build a wall to secure the border — but Mr. Trump and his supporters either don’t know or don’t care. If Trump fails to even respect the Constitution now, how can Americans expect him to “preserve, protect and defend” it after he takes the oath? The answer is simple: They don’t — or, at least, Trump’s supporters don’t. Their very support of Trump, despite his unconstitutional schemes, suggests that they either don’t care if the president preserves, protects and defends the Constitution or don’t know enough to notice any difference. The latter is especially likely, as the majority of them are less educated than other voters, according to a December 2015 New York Times article. Beyond that, Trump’s popularity further shows that American voters harbor distressingly prejudiced beliefs, especially toward minorities and women. Up until now, “political correctness”— or more accurately, societal progression and basic human decency — have attempted to silence these views, but now they once again crawl out of the woodwork because an orangefaced man with a ferret on his head rails against
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the oppression of bigotry. His bombastic speeches shock and horrify some but strike a chord with the rest. As many of his supporters have commented, Trump manages to say the things they think but are too afraid to say — and therein lies the problem. Trump’s claims that Mexicans are rapists or that thousands of Muslims in America celebrated Sept. 11 fuel nativist and Islamophobic sentiment, and at a time when Americans struggle to find work and fear the violence of the Islamic State, Trump has supplied them with not only apt scapegoats but also the reassurance that their prejudiced views are okay. According to a Dec. 2015 article in Slate, former Louisiana politician David Duke commented, “I think a lot of what he says resonates with me.” Duke moonlights as a “Grand Wizard” in the Ku Klux Klan. When he’s not appealing to Klansmen, Trump appeals to misogynists. From strangers to political opponents to family members, Trump absolutely refuses to show any woman respect. He insults all women who question or criticize him, from Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly to Rosie O’Donnell, according to an Aug. 2015 USA Today article. Even worse, his marriage to Ivana Trump reveals that Trump not only treats women with disrespect but also has a history of cruelty and violence toward them. According to a July 2015 article in the Daily Beast, Ivana Trump accused Donald Trump of violently raping her in 1989. Accounts of this attack appear both in Ivana and Donald Trump’s divorce deposition as well as in the 1993 book “Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump,” but Ivana never pressed
formal charges. The couple divorced in 1990 on the grounds of “cruel and inhuman treatment” of Ivana, and after “Lost Tycoon” in 1993, no one mentioned the rape again until Trump announced his bid for the presidency. In July 2015, Donald Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, attempted to downplay accounts of the attack and told the Daily Beast, “[Ivana] felt raped emotionally…” before adding that legally “you cannot rape your spouse.” Clearly Cohen is as habitually wrong and misogynistic as Trump. Unfortunately, out of all of the criticisms of Trump, his rape of Ivana receives the least attention — likely because a gag order was a condition of the couple’s divorce. If Americans support Trump because he says what they think but won’t say, then they are racist, sexist, xenophobic cowards with little to no knowledge of their own government. Agreeing with Donald Trump is not a point of pride. That said, even if you’re okay with what that “Trump 2016” bumper sticker says about you, consider this: If Parliament ends up banning Trump, his very existence in the office of President of the United States could create unnecessary tensions in America’s relations with one of its greatest allies. Although it was the first, the UK will not be the only country to publicly reject Trump’s diatribes. Just Friday, Dieter Janecek, a member of Germany’s Green Party, urged Germany to ban Trump on the grounds of “incitement of hatred,” according to a Jan. 8 CNBC article. Britons and Germans alike have begun to spurn Trump’s invective; Americans must follow suit.
Encourage competition in politics to appeal to young voters By BEN FESCHBACH JUSTICE Staff Writer
This election cycle, a combination of procedure and unpredictable events pose a serious threat to voter turnout, particularly among young voters, or voters ages 18 to 35. The first of these problems is the scheduling of elections in the U.S., which disincentivizes voter turnout, particularly among young people pretty much every election cycle. There exists little coherent reason why so many different elections for different levels of government occur at so many different stages of an election cycle — primary and general elections for federal, state and municipal offices. We see from the 2014 elections that presidential off-years almost always result in lower voter turnout among young people; TIME Magazine reported in a November 2014 article that midterm elections saw the lowest voter turnout in 72 years. Although Republicans, who primarily rely on older voters (indeed, POLITICO once published an article on May 17, 2015 titled, ‘The GOP is Dying Off...Literally,’ where the author found that “of the 61 million who voted for Mitt Romney in 2012, about 2.75 million will be dead by the 2016 election”), rely on this, the party still ought consider how only relying on older voters will hamper its long-term growth, because the types of voters they rely and have historically relied on are older and whiter than the fastest growing seg-
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ments of this country. But there’s even more to the story than that: municipal elections, and elections for governor in some states, often do not even occur on even years, and in some cases, the ‘final’ general election isn’t even on the first Tuesday of November. To name a few examples of this: Louisiana just held its general election runoff last December, Virginia’s gubernatorial elections are in 2017, and municipal elections are often held during odd years. It is patently absurd to think that young people, who often move around, will be able to consistently keep track of these elections, particularly state and municipal elections. Indeed, according to a 2014 article in Governing, less than 21 percent of registered voters cast their ballots in local elections in 2011. These problems are also rampant in the presidential election system, which we are about to enter. Rarely does a Democratic or Republican candidate go on to win the presidential nomination without at the very least a strong performance in either Iowa or New Hampshire (Bill Clinton was considered the ‘comeback kid’ in 1992 following his strong second-place finish in New Hampshire), the first two states to hold their caucuses and elections, respectively. Both states are predominantly white and rural, and in both states there are very few young eligible voters relative to later, larger states like California and New York; a 2011 Brookings article notes, as many other researchers find, that young Ameri-
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cans tend to live in urban areas. This means that although nominations aren’t usually wrapped up by Iowa and New Hampshire, ultimately, younger voters, who mostly populate later-voting states, are given fewer choices, as many presidential candidates tend to drop out following poor performances in Iowa or New Hampshire. Despite these persistent procedural problems, the chaos of this election cycle might actually lead to unusually high voter turnout among young people. The massive popularity of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders may lead to increased youth voter turnout (the lesson of the 2008 Obama campaign suggests this is certainly possible) — especially if Sanders performs well enough in Iowa and New Hampshire to stay in the race. A poll published just yesterday by RockTheVote, found that Bernie Sanders is polling far ahead of Hillary Clinton — 46 percent to 35 percent — among voters under age 35. However, if Hillary Clinton pulls off decisive wins in most of the early states (Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada), it is possible that Sanders will drop out of the race before Super Tuesday, which likely would depress youth voter turnout for the rest of the Democratic primary. Nonetheless, it is reasonably likely that any reasonably strong showing on the part of the Sanders campaign will keep young voters engaged and committed throughout the primary system. On the Republican side, Democratic, Republican and nonpartisan analysts all predict that the
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fight between Donald Trump and everyone else will last long into the spring, possibly leading to a brokered convention — a convention where it isn’t immediately clear going in who the nominee will be. Some of the most reliable information on this subject comes from journalists who study trends in data, like statistician Nate Silver, of Fivethirtyeight. Silver wrote on his blog that “we’ve come way closer in the recent past to having a brokered convention than having someone like Trump win a major party nomination.” Republicans tend to be older than Democrats, but the GOP is slowly making progress in appealing to young voters, as Mark Bauerlein expresses in a Nov. 2014 op-ed in the New York Times: because many culture wars, including same-sex marriage, have largely been resolved, many young voters are opting to Republican candidates, with whom they sympathize on economic issues. Thus the infighting within the GOP, and the likelihood that Iowa and New Hampshire actually won’t clarify the top candidates, will likely lead to increased youth voter turnout in Republican primaries. Youth voter turnout isn’t just about policies— Democrats and Republicans both constantly attempt to score points by saying that the other party’s ideas are relics of the past. Despite my own sympathies to Democrats and other progressives on this (and other matters), it’s clear that democracy is harmed when only one political party is actually competitive with young voters.
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TUESDAY, JANUARy 12, 2016 ● THE JUSTICE
FORUM
Criticisms of Fisher’s appearance prove misguided Jessica
goldstein ubuntu
One day, a creature by the name of Jabba the Hutt captured Alderon’s Princess Leia, and he put her in a gold bikini, the Gold Bikini. In the eyes of many viewers, on that day, in “Star Wars: Episode VI-Return of the Jedi,” Princess Leia became a vivid sex symbol. (Okay, perhaps in the fandom and nerd circle alone.) She was considered a beautiful and yet unattainable woman (well, unless you’re Han Solo). However, today, this presentation couldn’t be any further from the truth, as fandom and misogynists alike are treating Princess Leia as anything but beautiful. Following the release of “Star Wars: Episode VIIThe Force Awakens, the seventh episode in the series, actress Carrie Fisher returned as General Leia. With brilliant and impenetrable wit and a commanding personality, Leia led many successful battles, in the original trilogy, against the Empire, putting the Force in a position to bring light to galaxy. Despite this mastery, trolls on the internet are attacking the actress’s physical appearance. SurferJoe, with the Twitter handle @surfJoeMalibu, tweeted at Fisher, “YOU DIDNT AGE WELL AND U SUCKED IN STAR WARS. IT WAS A REST HOME FLICK. WANT MY MONEY BACK @Variety @carrieffisher #StarWars @ bad_robot.” A barrage of similar, abhorrent comments were aimed at Fisher, to which she responded: “Youth and beauty are not accomplishments, they’re the temporary happy byproducts of time and/or DNA. Don’t hold your breath for either.” In this, Fisher clearly established that youth and beauty exist only in a time capsule. Looking back, though, critics, as well as Lucasfilm and Marvel, have established that the popular image of Princess Leia as the “slave girl” won’t find itself in the shelves of stores anymore due to its sexist nature, a low point for the series, according to a Nov. 4 MSNBC article. J. Scott Campell, a comic artist for Marvel, confirmed the rumor, expressing, “I’ve heard it from two sources. We can’t even draw Leia in a sexy pose at Marvel, let alone in that outfit!” While feminists and fans alike rejoice at this apparent win, it only makes me further question why we are so obsessed with beauty and all the pain that comes along with sustaining it. According to the American Society for Plastic Surgery, in 2014, Americans in the United States spent upwards of 12 billion dollars on surgical and non-surgical procedures, with ten million cosmetic procedures performed that same year. To establish some perspective, that is just how much money in public funds was allocated to build 51 stadiums around the country between 2001 and 2010, according to a July 28 John Oliver “Last Week Tonight” segment. Ridiculous expenditures aside, this epidemic of beauty extends far beyond our
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borders. In South Korea, the obsession with the ideal face and body has become a way of life. According to a March 23 article in the New Yorker, estimates put South Korea as having the highest rate of plastic surgery in the world. In fact, plastic surgery has become so commonplace that job applications require images, and negative comments about physical appearance can come across with little insult, as if someone was critiquing the wallpaper in your apartment. Additionally, 10 million women in the United States suffer from an eating disorder, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. Anorexia nervosa results in the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness for its victims. In fact, 5-10 percent of those who are diagnosed with the disease will die in the first ten years, and 18-20 percent will be deceased in the first twenty years. Disorders such as these come with not only lethal physical consequences but emotional and psychological ones, as well. In a study of 1,885 individuals struggling with eating disorders, S.J. Crow and his colleagues at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota Medical School found that individuals with anorexia nervosa and “less severe” eating disorders had a statistically greater chance of committing suicide than those without the disorder. Yes, beauty and thinness are important to Western society, but we are literally killing ourselves over it. We need to divert our attention from an obsession with physical beauty and instead measure worth based off of lasting qualities such as merit or lack thereof. Unsurprisingly, GOP presidential candidate
Donald Trump doesn’t aspire to such “lofty” ideals. On numerous occasions, the presidential hopeful has slung arrows at Huffington Post’s co-founder and editor-in-chief, Arianna Huffington. In an April 6 tweet, Trump stated, “@laurasgoldman: .@realDonaldTrump why is it necessary to comment on .@ariannahuff looks? Because she is a dog who wrongfully comments on me.” In defense, a July 17 Huffington Post blog post promised that it “will cover his [Trump’s] campaign as part of our [the Huffington Post’s] Entertainment Section.” This baseless attack on Arianna Huffington goes to show that some influential individuals our society choose to focus on appearance before merit. A graduate of the University of Cambridge, Huffington has received numerous public accolades, including ranking in at number 12 on Forbes’ 2009 list of the “Most Influential Women in Media” and being recognized as the sixty-first most powerful woman in the world in 2015 by Forbes. Similarly, Trump slammed GOP presidential rival Carly Fiorina in a Sept. 9 interview with Rolling Stone magazine. He shrieked, “Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?!” Although Trump later backpedaled on his virulent statement — Trump expressed during a Sept. 16 GOP debate, “I think she’s got a beautiful face and she’s a beautiful woman” — these unwarranted personal attacks and latter compliments about physical appearance delve little into the concrete political issues at hand, and they further establish the idea that Trump’s campaign is a joke. His time and influence could have been
better spent attacking Fiorina’s controversial tenure as Hewlett-Packard CEO from 1999 to 2005 or her views on political issues. While Trump is only one individual, he represents a growing tide of individuals in the States who base worth on beauty rather than merit. You only have to look as far as the polling data to realize this unsettling reality — Trump holds 24 percent of the votes in the Iowa caucus, a close second to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), according to a Jan. 10 NBC News, Wall Street Journal and Marist poll. In “Return of the Jedi,” Darth Vader makes a novel ethical choice — he saves his son, Jedi Luke Skywalker, from an untimely death at the hands of his master, Emperor Palpatine. This decision reveals the internal struggle Vader faces between the light and the dark side. Attributed to his intelligence and intuitive spirit, Luke recognized the good in Vader. He expresses to his sister Leia his need to confront Vader: “Because there is good in him. I’ve felt it. He won’t turn me over to the Emperor. I can save him. I can turn him back to the good side. I have to try.” Followers of the series continue to surprise me though. The reason we all have come to know and love “Star Wars” isn’t merely for the on-point special effects and lightsaber fight scenes. “Star Wars” tells the story of a unassuming group’s rise against a brutal and atrocious empire, and that involves some serious ethos. These characters in this story stand for something, and when we base our judgements of the series merely on how Princess Leia looks in a gold bikini, we have forgotten the message. We have certainly let the characters, with their high ideals, down.
Reevaluate ethics of sensationalized true crime media Catherine
Rosch Cynical idealist
I have beyond an abiding interest in an amalgamation of true crime, conspiracy theory, and unexplained mysteries — I hesitate to describe it truly as “true crime,” because my interests go beyond the genre, but for the purpose of this article, I will describe this broad passion as true crime, to make things easier. Far too often, I stay up until the early hours of the morning, reading the odd Wikipedia page about an unexplained disappearance or watching documentaries about famous murders. Roughly half the podcasts I listen to fall into this category, and this number increases if you include series like “Serial” or “Radiolab” that are more difficult to classify. Over winter break, I ate up Jon Krakauer’s new quasi-true crime book, “Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town”. So, like any good true crime junkie, I’ve been absolutely fascinated by Netflix’s new documentary series, “Making A Murderer.” For those who have not seen “Making A Murderer,” the series follows a Wisconsin man named Steve Avery who was wrongly convicted for assault, rape and attempted murder in the 1980s, served nearly two decades in prison before being exonerated of all charges based on DNA evidence and then was
arrested for murder shortly before he was supposed to receive monetary damages from the state and county. According to the directors, Avery was first arrested because local law enforcement had beef with him, as Avery was in a fight with a distant cousin who was married to a local police officer, and the murder charges were orchestrated to keep him from holding local agencies responsible, with key evidence both planted and destroyed in both cases. According to local officials, Avery still might be guilty for his original arrest. Evidence points to him as the murderer, and the filmmakers purposely ignored evidence that painted Avery in a bad light — he had been arrested for animal abuse in the past, and his DNA was found all over the victim’s car. As a viewer, I honestly fluctuated between believing that Avery was innocent and a victim of a conspiracy and questioning if his family, defense attorneys and supporters were actually the crazy ones and were trying to help a murderer get off. After all, as a small spoiler, his lawyers claimed the county removed his blood from a sample vial with a hypodermic needle and then planted it over acres of his property, which, in my book, is up there with lizard people as a reliable theory. Regardless of Avery’s guilt or innocence, one thing bothers me about “Making A Murderer,” and it is something that bothers me about most of the true crime media I’ve absorbed, be it a show like “Forensic Files” or a silly podcast about what really happened to the Princes in the Tower. Often, these sto-
ries are sensationalized, painted in broad strokes of black and white. The murderer is evil, the victim good, the forensics never lie, and justice is always served. And in these broad claims, everybody gets dehumanized. Of course, the perpetrator is the most obvious person to face this treatment, and often, it is deserved. But the victim and their family, the bystanders who arguably are most hurt by these crimes, are also dehumanized. We never get to hear from them, beyond a few “we are so grateful our child/spouse/sibling/friend’s killer faced justice and is behind bars” lines thrown in at the end. Both perpetrator and victim are shown in the abstract only, as ideas rather than real people.
“
Both the perpetrator and victim are shown in the abstract only, as ideals rather than people. I love true crime, as I’ve defined it, and I doubt I’m going to stop watching “The Hunt with John Walsh” or stop listening to “Generation Why.” However, every time I do, I feel a twinge of discomfort, as if I am looking into the most private and painful moments in strangers’ lives, for that is exactly what I
am doing. It makes me wonder: how ethical are these shows, these documentaries, these podcasts? How unbiased are they, and does it matter if they heavily lean in support of the legal system or against it? Is it more ethical to enjoy true crime that is hosted or created by someone like John Walsh, who lost his son Adam to a serial killer, than a podcast hosted by some friends in Portland or Kansas City? Is it wrong to find fascination and gain amusement from death, often in its most brutal form? Is true crime, as a broad concept, even ethical? These are questions I am forced to reckon with each time I open up Wikipedia and type in “unexplained disappearances” in my search bar, each time I log onto Netflix and go to the crime section of the documentary category, every time I update my podcasts. I wonder if the effects of true crime spill over onto real world decisions; since most true crime shows are overwhelmingly pro-prosecutor and pro-criminal justice system, does Nancy Grace screeching on HLN make it more likely that someone who does not meet the reasonable burden of guilt get sent to prison? Or, with “Making A Murderer,” will the trend swing the opposite way, with juries questioning local officials more and holding them to higher standards? Or will we have more OJ Simpsons, where someone who is so clearly guilty is able to get off, in part because of press perceptions? And does it even matter? Maybe, the best solution is just to be a skeptical viewer, always cynical. At least, that is what I’ve started doing.
THE JUSTICE
CONTINUED FROM 16 Cooper, who racked up 18 total points, was the key factor in the game. With time winding down, Cooper set up on the left wing and nailed a threepointer to give Brandeis its first win in almost one month. Defensively, the team still has room for improvement, allowing a shooting percentage of 45.8 and surrendering 33 rebounds. As Cooper explained, “I feel we've been giving up too many buckets in order to compete for anything meaningful this year. Offense is just one puzzle piece; defense will win us a lot more games than offense ever will.” Judges 59 Bates 62 Unfortunately, the Judges were unable to replicate their game against Springfield and lost on a crushing three-pointer with just ten seconds remaining on the clock.
HEATHER SCHILLER/Justice File Photo
SMOOTH PASSING: Guard Paris Hodges '17 sends a pass up court in the team’s contest against Tufts University last November.
WBBALL: Three-game win streak snapped by NYU team topped the University of Massachusetts Boston in a close contest on Jan. 5. The Judges put two players in double figures as guard Niki Laskaris ’16 netted 10 points and Jackson contributed a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds in the win. UMass Boston jumped out to an 11-8 lead in the first quarter but the Judges responded with a 13-point second half to tie the game going into the break. The Judges dominated the fourth quarter, scoring 13 points and limiting UMass Boston to just seven to seal the victory. Cain added five points, five rebounds and three assists in the victory, while guard Paris Hodges ’17
netted seven points in 31 minutes for the Judges. Judges 71 Endicott 59 All 10 players who saw game time netted at least three points for the hosts as they rolled over visiting Endicott College on Jan. 2. Jackson contributed eight points and 15 rebounds in a game-high 39 minutes, while Hodges netted 11 points and pulled down six rebounds in the comfortable victory. Forward Kyla Gabriel ’17 notched seven points, four steals, a pair of assists and three rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench while Cain chipped in with nine points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
13
MBBALL: Team drops opening UAA contest
COURT VISION
CONTINUED FROM 16
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Judges 60 Husson 52 Brandeis opened the break with an eight-point win over Husson College, paced by 12 points from Sodine and 11 from both Pinto and Cain. Laskaris netted seven points for the Judges and pulled down three rebounds while Hodges added eight points and four assists for the hosts. The Judges converted 12-of-16 free throws in the victory as well, using a 20-9 advantage in the first quarter to pull away from Husson. The Judges return to action this weekend when they look to get back on track versus a pair of UAA opponents. Brandeis hosts the University of Rochester on Friday at 6 p.m. and welcomes Emory University on Sunday, beginning at 1 p.m.
The Judges came out strong, leading the Bobcats by three at the half, but the team lost momentum as the Bobcats went on an 11-0 tear at the start of the second half. Center John Powell ’17, who had a team-high 14 points, brought the Judges back within three with two and-one plays along with two intimidating blocks. Vilmont sunk a three to take back the lead at about halfway through the second half. With five minutes remaining, Vilmont hit a jumper to increase the lead to four, while Cooper cashed in on a three at the two-minute mark. With the clock ticking, Vilmont heaved up a desperation shot, but he was unable to connect. The Judges look to break above .500 as they continue their conference play against the University of Rochester this Friday. The Judges also welcome Emory University on Sunday at 11 a.m.
TRACK: Squads pick up victories at meet against regional foe CONTINUED FROM 16 strong times in the distance races with seven competitors in the 800-meter runs. Tove Freeman ’16 grabbed the runner-up spot in the women’s 800-meter run in 2:41.58, a step ahead of Aubrey Clemens’s ’19 time of 2:45.23. Clemens earned a fourth-place finish with her effort. On the men’s side, Payne and Tuplin took the top two spots, while Josh Romanowicz ’17 stopped the timer at the 2:19.40 mark. Maddox Kay ’19 earned a 2:21.29 finish, while Brandon Odze ’16 finished the race at 2:30.61. Grady Ward ’16 earned third in the men’s 1000-meter run in 2:39.03, while Kanya Brown ’19 took fourth in the women’s 200-meter dash in
27.88 seconds. Abby Daniels ’19 took home a top-five finish in the women’s pole vault, topping out at 2.45 meters. Mark Franklin ’17 rounded out the day with a third-place finish in the men’s high jump at 1.78 meters. The Judges return to action this Saturday when they host the Reggie Poyau Memorial in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, beginning at 11 a.m. The race was named in memory of Reggie Poyau ’04. The squads will also run in regional meets at Harvard University, Boston University and Tufts University this month, with the University Athletic Association Championships scheduled for late February.
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Tuesday, JANUARY 12, 2016
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SWIMMING AND DIVING
Men’s BASKETBALL UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS
Points Per Game
Not including Monday’s games UAA Conference W L W NYU 1 0 10 Chicago 1 0 10 Case 1 0 8 Emory 1 0 8 WashU 0 1 8 Carnegie 0 1 7 Rochester 0 1 7 JUDGES 0 1 6
UPCOMING GAMES: Friday vs. Rochester Sunday vs. Emory Jan. 22 at WashU
Robinson Vilmont ’17 leads the Overall squad with 16.2 points per game. L Pct. Player PPG 0 1.000 Robinson Vilmont 16.2 2 .833 Jordan Cooper 12.8 4 .667 John Powell 10.4 4 .667 Tim Reale 7.3 4 .667 Rebounds Per Game 5 .583 5 .583 John Powell ’17 leads the team with 7.8 rebounds per game. 6 .500 Player RPG John Powell 7.8 Robinson Vilmont 4.7 Jordan Cooper 4.3 Colby Smith 3.3
WOMen’s basketball UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS
Not including Monday’s games
Points Per Game
UAA Conference Overall W L W L Pct.
Carnegie NYU Rochester WashU Emory Chicago JUDGES Case
1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0
0 12 0 11 0 11 0 10 1 9 1 8 1 7 1 5
0 0 1 2 3 4 5 7
1.000 1.000 .917 .833 .750 .667 .583 .417
UPCOMING GAMES: Friday vs. Rochester Sunday vs. Emory Jan. 22 at WashU
Paris Hodges ’16 leads the team with 10.1 points per game. Player PPG Paris Hodges 10.1 Heather Cain 9.5 Sydney Sodine 9.3 Maria Jackson 8.5
Rebounds Per Game Maria Jackson ’17 leads with 9.6 rebounds per game. Player RPG Maria Jackson 9.6 Sydney Sodline 6.4 Paris Hodges 5.2 Neffie Lockley 4.0
track and field Results from the University of Southern Maine Invitational last Saturday.
TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)
TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)
One-Mile Run
400-Meter Dash
RUNNER TIME Mitchell Hutton 4:24.12 Brian Sheppard 4:30.98 Quinton Hoey 4:36.60 Liam Garvey 4:38.43
RUNNER TIME Haliana Burhans 1:04.53 Ramani Dayon 1:08.64 One-Mile Run
RUNNER TIME Maddie Dolins 5:21.13 UPCOMING MEETS: Saturday, hosting the Reggie Poyau Memorial Jan. 24 at the GBTC Invitational at Harvard University Jan. 29 at the Terrier Classic at Boston University
SWIMMING AND DIVING Results from a meet at Colby College on Saturday.
TOP FINISHERS (Men’s) 200-yard freestyle
SWIMMER Cam Braz Taku Harada Sam Scudere-Weiss
TOP FINISHERS (Women’s) TIME 1:49.17 1:49.69 2:12.58
200-yard freestyle
SWIMMER TIME Kylie Herman 2:01.44 Maya Saar 2:14.71 Morgan Kolb 2:23.89
UPCOMING MEETS:
Today at Merrimack Saturday vs. Trinity Jan. 22 at Bridgewater State
HEATHER SCHILLER/Justice File Photo
ABOVE THE WATER: David Lazarovich ’16 cuts through the lane in a home meeting with Bridgewater State University last January.
Teams swim well at Colby College in defeat ■ Kylie Herman ’19 earned second in the women’s 200yard freestyle race with a time of 2:01.44. By noah hessdorf Justice editor
The men and women’s swimming and diving team was defeated in their first contest of 2016 on the road against Colby College this past Sunday. The men lost 200-94, while the women fell by a final score of 201-68. While the men were beaten in almost every event of the day, Zach Diamond ’18 was one of the few bright spots for the squad. In the 1000-yard freestyle, Diamond swam the race in 10 minutes and 23.39 seconds, which was good for second place behind freshman Joe Paluso. Colby was able to capture the other top-4 positions in the event. Diamond was able to come up victorious with a first-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:07.16. The best finish of the day came from Cameron Braz ’17, who secured a first place finish in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:49.17. His time was just .23
seconds faster than the runner up finisher, freshman Carter Garfield of Colby. Taku Harada ’18 also competed well in the event with a third-place finish with a time of 1:49.69. Harada’s best place was in the 200-yard backstroke where he captured first place with a finish of 2.07.64. Continuing with their limited success in short distance races, Edan Zitelny ’17 placed in second place in the 100-yard backstroke with an impressive time of 57.84 seconds, less than half a second off of first place. Eb Weber ’17 also swam the meet in 1:00.19, which was good for fourth place in the event. The men continually tried to grab top finishes in the short distance events but settled for third place in the 100-yard breaststroke where Adib Milani ’18 swam in a time of 1:06.75. For the diving portion of the meet, Sam Zucker ’18 finished behind the two divers from Colby with a score of 171.60. The women went through a difficult afternoon as well but battled to place well in a few events. Joanna Murphy ’17 once again led the squad, this time placing first with a time of 11:16.58 in the 1000yard freestyle event. Murphy’s
time was a good four seconds ahead of the second place finisher, junior Kitty Elwyn of Colby. Murphy was able to win another event with a time of 5:29.86 in the 500-yard freestyle. Elwyn was once again the second place finisher in the event, this time falling short by just over two seconds. In her first collegiate season, Kylie Herman ’19 has stepped up time and again. This time, in the 200-yard freestyle, Herman swam in an impressive time of 2:01.44, which was good enough for second place. Herman also finished in second place in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:20.37. Her third runner-up finish came in the 200-yard individual medley event. In the 100 yard breaststroke Fallon Bushee ’16 secured a second place finish in a time of 1:17.20. Bushee took another second place when she competed in the 50-yard freestyle where she swam in 26.23 seconds. Genna Karp ’18 scored 65.92 points while diving against victorious Colby sophomore Alicia Elliot. The women will swim again today against Merrimack College. The men will be in action once again on Saturday, when they face off against Trinity College at home.
Pro Sports Brief Golden State Warriors in the running for historically-great season behind reigning MVP Stephen Curry During the 1995 to 1996 NBA season, Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to the greatest regular-season record in the history of professional basketball. During that season, which ultimately resulted in Jordan’s fourth championship in six years, the Bulls breezed their way to a 72-10 mark, resulting in the justified assertion that Jordan’s Bulls team was the greatest of all time. However, the Bulls’ place as the greatest ever is being aggressively challenged by the 2015 to 2016 Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are on pace to break the Bulls single-season win record and are dominating the NBA in a similarly dazzling fashion. Led by reigning MVP Stephen Curry, the Warriors quickly laid to rest concerns over the infamous “championship hangover,” which has histori-
cally led defending champions into slumps of apathy and underperformance in the early stages of a postchampionship season. The Warriors raced out to a 24-0 start, squashing subpar opponents and holding their own against the N.B.A.’s elites. Since that historic winning streak, the Warriors have dropped only two games — the team’s first loss of the season came on the second night of a back-to-back, and its second loss was largely the result of Curry’s absence due to injury. As of Sunday, the Warriors sit atop the league standings with a 35-2 record, including a 17-0 mark at home in Oracle Arena. It is reasonable to wonder how the Warriors have sustained the historic success they have enjoyed since the season began in late October. Upon analysis of the Warrior’s individual
and team statistics, it becomes clear that everything begins and ends with Curry. Curry leads the league in scoring, averaging 29.5 points per game. Even more impressive, Curry is doing so while shooting 51.0 percent from the field and 44.8 percent from the three-point line. If he sustains this efficient scoring barrage, Curry will easily eclipse the previous record for three-point field goals attempted and made in a single season, which he himself set during the 2014 to 2015 season. While Curry’s importance cannot be overstated, the Warriors achievements can by no means be attributed solely to the reigning MVP. One of the most critical factors in Golden State’s historically impressive start has been the emergence of third-year forward Draymond Green. While
Green made strides in his on-court play during the Warrior’s championship run last season, he has emerged this year as a legitimate nightly triple-double threat. With averages of 15.0 points-per-game, 9.6 reboundsper-game and 7.4 assists-per-game, Green has spectators believing that he has the potential to one day average a triple-double — something only Oscar Robertson has achieved in NBA history. Finally, while fourth-year guard Klay Thompson got off to a slow start to begin the season, his play in January has all indications pointing to a strong finish. In the month of January, Thompson has averaged 28.6 points-per-game while shooting 48.6% from the field. Additionally, Thompson has regained his deadly touch from the 3-point line, shoot-
ing 44.0% from deep since the new year began. Though Thompson’s slow start led some to believe that he would take a step back this season, his improved play of late has laid to rest whatever doubts his detractors may have had in the months leading up to January. Curry’s improvement, as well as Green’s meteoric rise and Thompson’s gradually increasing efficiency, has resulted in a Warriors squad that seems to be just as, if not more, dominant than Jordan’s 1996 Bulls. With the league’s best offense, one of the NBA’s deepest benches and a trio of stars in Curry, Green and Thompson, the Warriors appear to possess what could be the makings of the next great NBA dynasty. —Gabriel Goldstein
just
Sports
Page 16
OFF THE BLOCK The men and women’s swimming and diving team could not overcome Colby College, p. 15.
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Waltham, Mass.
Women’s basketball
BASELINE JUMPER
Squad drops UAA opener against NYU on the road ■ Guard Frankie Pinto ’17
netted 11 points for the Judges but the team could not topple the Violets. By Avi gold JUSTICE editor
The women’s basketball team could not hand conference-rival New York University their first loss of the season despite hanging with the Violets for a large stretch of the game, falling 57-46 on Saturday. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Judges, after the team took victories in all three contests that were played over the break. The squad moves to 7-5 on the season overall and opens the year 0-1 in University Athletic Association play. Judges 46 NYU 57 The Judges dropped a conference game to the host Violets on Saturday despite double-digit efforts from guard Frankie Pinto ’17 and guard Heather Cain ’16. Pinto netted 11 points in 16 minutes for the visitors, going 4-for-7 from the field and 3-for4 from beyond the arc. Cain chipped in with 10 points in 23 minutes played and added a pair of rebounds, an assist and two steals in the losing effort. NYU controlled the game from the opening tipoff and used a 12-0 run to
dominate play in the first quarter of the game, punctuated by six points from NYU sophomore guard Kaitlyn Read. Pinto controlled the second quarter for the Judges, adding eight of her 11 points in the quarter and helping the Judges match the Violets stride for stride as the two sides both finished the quarter with 13 points, two assists and a block. The Judges used a balanced attack to net 15 third-quarter points as six different Judges registered a basket. Forward Sydney Sodine ’17 paced the Judges with four points, a steal and an offensive rebound in the quarter, while center Maria Jackson ’16 added three points and a pair of rebounds. However, the Judges were unable to contain the Violets’ offense, as the hosts matched Brandeis step for step and added 17 points of their own in the quarter to maintain the early advantage. NYU put the game away with a decisive run early in the fourth quarter as they opened the quarter on a 7-0 run to push their lead to 49-34 and never let the Judges get close from there. The Judges finished the day shooting 35.4 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from three-point range. Judges 48 UMass Boston 44 Earlier in the break, the Judges
See WBBALL, 13 ☛
TRACK AND FIELD
MIHIR KHANNA/Justice File Photo
CONTESTED SHOT: Forward Jordan Cooper ’18 (left) puts up a shot in the Judges’ win over Rhode Island College on Nov. 21.
Judges unable to top Violets in UAA contest ■ The men saw five players,
including two starters, score in double figures in the conference loss to NYU. By Jerry miller JUSTICE editorial assistant
The men’s basketball team had a rough break, losing its last two of three games and its first in-conference game against New York University. The Judges sit at 6-6 overall, 0-1 in University Athletic Association action. Brandeis 67 No.14 NYU 69 This past Saturday, the Judges looked to dethrone NYU from its spot atop the conference board and from its undefeated season. As guard Nate Meehan ’18 put it, “NYU is a tough team, but we just have to execute the game plan and hopefully that will pay off." The team came up a hair short against their rival in a nail-biting game that featured six lead changes. The Judges trailed for the majority of the first half but went on an 11-0 run, led by forward Jordan Cooper ’18, to
close out the half and regain the lead. The elation was short-lived as the Violets shot out of the gates with an 11-6 lead to steal back the lead. Brandeis seemed to make a run to close out the game with a convincing nine point run late in the half. Yet, with five minutes left to play the Judges turned the ball over five times allowing the Violets to come within a mere two points. NYU then went on to score eight straight points and extend their lead to four points over the Judges. Guard Carlin Haymon ’18 hit a clutch three to bring the Judges within one and give them hope for a gamewinning shot. With time expiring, the Judges gave the ball back to Haymon, hoping he could replicate his previous shot, but their efforts were to no avail. Haymon took a solid, but rushed jumper and could not knock down the potential game-winner. Although the Judges fell in their first conference game of the season, there was much of which to be proud. While NYU sat at the head of the conference, boasting a 9-0 record, the Judges proved their presence and abil-
ity. The bench poured in an outstanding 41 points, while the Judges had a season-high five players score in double digits. Along with a shooting percentage of fifty, the Judges showcase a truly prolific offense. Judges 72 Springfield College 69 The Judges beat Springfield College by a narrow margin, due to a clutch pair of late three-pointers, in the Naismith Classic consolation game. The first half of the game proved to be a strong test for the Judges, as Springfield took an early nine-point lead in the first half. With the help of guard Robinson Vilmont ’17 the Judges were able to cut that lead to just four points, giving them a solid opportunity for a comeback. Yet the Springfield Pride persisted, pushing the lead back to eight points on multiple occasions throughout the second half. Ultimately, the game came down to the final five minutes, which saw five lead changes. The Judges were able to generate a 12-4 run due in part to a crucial threepointer by Haymon and a set of freethrows by Cooper.
See MBBALL, 13 ☛
Teams run to top times in three individual wins ■ Brad Payne '17 won the
men's 800-meter race with a time of 2:11.95 in the first race in more than a month. By AVI GOLD JUSTICE Editor
The men and women’s track and field teams returned with a bang at the University of Southern Maine Open, enjoying a slew of strong finishes at the non-scoring meet. The Judges picked up six wins across the meet in their first action since the University of Massachusetts Boston Invitational in early December. The squads began the day with matching victories in the 4x200 meter relay, with the women recording a time of one minute, 51.71 seconds and the men stopping the clock at the 1:36.28 mark. The women also ran to a 4:25.24 finish with the A squad in the 4x400 meter relay, while the men’s A squad was three seconds behind the Southern Maine side with a 3:36.09 time. The Judges picked up a number of individual victories as well on the day. Doyin Ogundiran ’19 notched a victory in the women’s 600-meter race with a time of 1:47.60. Brad Payne ’17 took the top spot in the men’s 800-meter run in 2:11.95. His time was a step ahead of Trevor Tuplin’s ’16 finish of 2:12.00. Ryan Stender ’18 picked up a three-second win in the men’s
3000-meter run in 9:01.20. Adam Berger ’16 produced a pair of strong finishes on the day, earning third in the men’s long jump and second in the triple jump. He registered 6.17 meters in the long jump, just one tenth of a meter out of second place, and totaled 12.71 meters in the triple jump. Maddie Dolins ’17 earned second place in the women’s one-mile run with a time of 5:21.13. The men sent five competitors to the one-mile run, where Mitchell Hutton ’18 paced the group in 4:24.12, good for a fourth-place finish. Brian Sheppard ’18 crossed the line at 4:30.98, while Quinton Hoey ’17 followed with a 4:36.65 placement. Liam Garvey ’18 ran to a 4:38.43 finish in eighth place while Christian Castro ’18 matched his personal-best with 4:51.41 finish in 12th place. Haliana Burhans ’18 managed a 1:04.53 race in the women’s 400-meter dash, earning third place in the race. Her time was just over two seconds out of second place and four seconds off the pace of the race’s top finish. Ramani Daymon ’19 closed the race at the 1:08.64 mark, earning an eighth-place finish at the meet. The Judges got high marks in the men’s 600-meter race as Matt Becker ’16 took third in 1:26.09 and Jeremy Wilson ’17 followed in fourth place with a 1:30.28 time. The Judges continued to turn in
See TRACK, 13 ☛
Vol. LXVIII #13
January 12, 2016
justARTS
Rose Spring 2016 Exhibits Âť 18
Waltham, MA.
Images: Tommy Gao/the Justice, Creative Commons. Design: Michelle Banayan/the Justice.
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THE JUSTICE | TUESDAY, January 12, 2016
Rose art museum
Rose Art Museum Spring 2016 New Exhibits By jAIME gROPPER justice EDITOR
“Sharon Lockhart/Noa Eshkol” Lois Foster Gallery, February 12 “Sharon Lockhart/Noa Eshkol” is a multi-channel film installation by Sharon Lockhart that showcases the work of Israeli dance composer, textile artist, and theorist Noa Eshkol. According to a press release from the Rose, Eshkol is particularly noteworthy for her innovative creation of a dance notation system that uses numbers and symbols to categorize movements. In the exhibit in the Lois Foster Gallery, which first appeared in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Lockhart showcases Eshkol’s choreography through filmed staged dance performances. Some of the dancers in the performances filmed by
Lockhart were Eshkol’s students. The setting for these dances is minimal and is adorned with just a few of Eshkol’s notable wall carpets that change from dance to dance. In the exhibit, the videos are projected onto walls, which allows for an up-close, intimate and reflective viewer experience. Lockhart, a Los Angeles-based artist, first came across Eshkol’s work in a 2008 trip to Israel. The exhibit, which is organized by Rose Curator Kim Conaty, is a collaborative union of the two artists. Lockhart’s own artistry brings Eshkol’s work to life in a new light, despite the contemporary artist and the modernist composer never actually having met.
“Rose Video 08” Ben Hagari Rose Video Gallery February 12
WORK BY SHARON LOCKHART, COURTESY OF GLADSTONE
TWO ARTISTS IN ONE: In short films, Sharon Lockhart showcases Noa Eshkol’s innovative choreography through staged dances.
“CLIMBING OUT OF A PAINTING AIN’T EASY”: Drexler’s multidisciplinary works, including paintings, collages, novels and plays, will be on display. COURTESY OF ROSALYN DREXLER AND THE GARTH GREENAN GALLERY
ROSE VIDEO 08: The multimedia installation includes a showing of Ben Hagiri’s “Potter’s Will” (2015) and a physical potter’s wheel. COURTESY OF BEN HAGIRI
“Rosalyn Drexler: Who Does She Think She Is?” Upper Fineberg and Lower Rose Galleries February 12
Organized by Faculty Prof. Curator Gannit Ankori (FA) “Rose Video 08” is a multimedia installation in the Rose Video Gallery displaying Ben Hagari’s “Potter’s Will” (2015) and the rotating studio of a potter. “Potter’s Will” (2015) opens on Paul Chaleff masterfully molding a piece of clay into a pot. The mesmerizing sight of the relatively still potter’s wheel highlights the potter’s process. According to a press release from the Rose, as Chaleff molds, the pot begins to morph into a clay-covered human that is faced with the fire of the kiln. Hagari
alludes to primordial myths that concern life, death, creation and destruction. These include Adam and the serpent of Genesis, ancient Egypt’s divine potter Khnum, the tail-biting snake and the Uroboros. Chaleff’s moldings also transform into references to geometric symbols — squares turning to circles — and the four elements — earth, water, fire, air. As the Rose says, the contemporary video art along with the physical representation of a potter’s studio truly immerses the audience into the world of the prehistoric art of pottery.
Curated by Rose Curator-atLarge Katy Siegel and Curatorial Assistant Caitlin Julia, “Rosalyn Drexler: Who Does She Think She Is?” is a retrospective of Drexler’s works. The exhibit in the Upper Fineberg and Lower Rose Galleries will showcase several of Drexler’s multidisciplinary works, including sculptures from early in her career, her foremost paintings and
collages, and her award-winning novels and plays. The exhibit also features video and photographic documentation of Drexler’s varied theatrical career. According to a press release from the Rose, Drexler is considered to have served as a prominent contributor to the New York City art scene, particularly with her Pop Art works. Her large-format paintings and
collages that used imagery from 1960s newspapers, movies, and advertisements particularly stand out and resound with the works of her contemporaries. As the release says, “Yet Drexler’s work unfolds personal and social conflict with a political consciousness rare in the cool art of that moment and an explicitness that fearlessly courts vulgarity.”
ROSE COLLECTION #FORDHALL2015 Lee Gallery February 2016 - June 2017 In response to #FordHall2015 and the demands from Concerned Students 2015 to promote racial awareness and inclusion, the Rose has designated the Lee Gallery to hold a series of inequality and injustice related teach-ins, workshops and in-depth sessions. A press release from the Rose explains its decision to create this space; “As mediators of culture, museums have a role to play in
responding to critical social issues. The Rose Art Museum seeks to create spaces and programs that can be relied on in times of both peace and conflict.” During this time, the Lee Gallery will display works from the Rose’s permanent collection. The museum hopes the artworks will help spark dialogues related to issues of cultural bias and race, as well as the intersection of art and activism.
COURTESY OF rOSALYN DREXLER AND THE GARTH GREENAN
“UNTITLED (I AM THE BEUATIFUL STRANGER)”: Drexler is particular known for her Pop Art and her influence on the New York City Pop Art Scene.
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TUESDAY, January 12, 2016 | THE JUSTICE
Theater
Department of Theater Arts Preview March 3-6
Intimate Apparel By Lynn Nottage Directed by Jacqui Parker Laurie Theater The play, set in 1905 New York, focuses on Esther, an African-American seamstress. Esther produces intricate lingerie for prostitutes and wealthy white patrons alike. A focal point of the play are the racial and socioeconomic obstacles Esther faces while searching for love and success.
March 15-16
Senior Festival Laurie Theater Theater Arts students showcase the culmination of their pieces in a festival of works.
April 15-17
Shoes On, Shoes Off Created and Directed by Susan Dibble Mainstage Theater Prof. Susan Dibble (THA) presents an original dance piece.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE LOVETT
JUSTICE FILE PHOTO
HIGH EMOTIONS: Jason Theoharis ’16 and Gabi Nail ’18 contemplate love in the Fall 2015 production of “Songs For a New World.”
TO BE A KING: Macbeth (Raphael Stiglaino ’18) ponders murder in the Department of Theater Arts’ Fall 2015 production of “Macbeth.”
Arts
Spring 2016 Arts Course Preview THA 125A: “Acting for the Camera” Prof. Maura Tighe (THA) “Acting for the Camera” looks in-depth at the technique behind acting for film and television instead of acting for the stage. According to the syllabus, the course will look closely at the critical acting skills of listening, impulse/ instinct, character objective, relationship and environment and focus on how to manipulate them specifically for the camera instead of the stage. The class emphasizes learning how to be comfortable and believable in front of a camera. Every class will be recorded, and students
will need to look back on their and their classmates› work and reflect. The class will touch on audition technique, particularly on how to take risks in acting choices while auditioning. The critical understanding of the business of acting and what tools are needed will also be discussed. Students will also learn the intricacies of critiquing others› work, including how to be specific rather than vague. Tighe warns that previous experience in acting or in film is critical to have before taking the course.
FA 18A: “Digital Documentary Photography” Prof. Pablo Delano (LALS) “Digital Documentary Photography” is an introduction to digital photography with a special emphasis placed on documentation and personal expression. Work in the class will be of documentary nature, and Delano advises that students research documentary photography before joining the class. Although some photographic experience may be helpful, there are no prerequisites for the course. Some of the earlier assignments will be geared toward helping students become familiar with the technique behind docu-
mentary photography as well as with the photography equipment, which students are required to purchase for the course. Throughout the course, students are expected to shoot several images per week. During class time, students will present their images to their peers. Delano encourages his students to seek out interesting subject matter and to experiment. Delano says in the syllabus that the class is based on the premise that photography is a tool to examine the world and investigate that which we find interesting.
By Jaime gropper justice editor
FA 5B: “Sculpture: Blurring the Boundaries” Prof. Tory Fair (FA) “Sculpture: Blurring the Boundaries” is a Fine Arts Course focused on the art of sculpture. The course examines the processes behind creating images and objects from a variety of materials and mediums. According to the syllabus, students will have the unique opportunity to work with several different mediums, including relief, collage, mold-making, shaped canvases, monotype and mixed media installations. The class focuses on the intricate connection between two-dimensional art and three-dimensional art. Artists such as Alberto Giacometti, Xu Bing, Martin Puryear, James
Turrell, Tony Cragg, Felix Gonzalaz-Torres, Yinka Shonibare, Zhang Huan and Cai GuoQiang will be explored. Students are encouraged to work outside of class in the studio whenever it is available. However, using the table saw, advanced tools or welding needs special permission. A requirement for the course is to attend one artist lecture on campus; either one that is sponsored by the Fine Arts Department or one that is hosted by the Rose Art Museum. The course has five major projects, each one exploring a different challenge of sculpture.
CLAS 133A: “The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Greece”
Dr. Andrew Koh (CLAS) This course explores the art and archaeology of Ancient Greece, looking closely into the Bronze Age through the Hellenistic period (ca. 3000-31 BCE). “The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Greece” looks into the beginnings of civilization in the European continent and the importance of the contact made with the Near East. According to the syllabus, the class will examine the rise and fall of Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations, the Renaissance and classical Greece — the period during which Greek colonies spread over the Mediterranean. The class will also “cover the hazy period that produced the legends of the Trojan War
and a reimagining of old cultural traditions that manifested itself cogently in the material landscape. After we cover the wonders of classical Greece, which are so emblematic of Greece to this day, we will conclude with an underappreciated period of multiculturalism and internationalism inaugurated by the exploits of Alexander the Great in the East, a period which ends with the defeat of Cleopatra at the hands of the Romans.” Koh writes that a goal of the class is for students to not only learn about the material monuments and objects but to understand the circumstances under which they were all produced.
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TUESDAY, January 12, 2016 | THE JUSTIce
Brandeis TALKS
INTERVIEW
What’s a college first that you’re looking forward to?
Sarai Warsoff ’16
Sarai discusses “Uncorseted” COURTESY OF SARAI WARSOFF
Koonhow Goh ’17
This week, justArts spoke with Sarai Warsoff ’16 whose senior thesis is “Uncorseted: an original dance piece.” Sarai’s thesis in the Senior Thesis Festival will explore the history and evolution of modern dance through the vocabulary of five female choreographers.
“First class, I guess? I’m an exchange student here.”
justArts: What inspired you to pursue a senior thesis? What is the process behind being able to participate in the Senior Festival? ALI SANTANA/the Justice
Ahmed Khalil Khan ’17
“Trying research positions here.”
CROSSWORD Across:
Ning Gong ’17
“Maybe being the leader of a club.”
Hanchen Zhao ’16
“Going to college parties.”
—Compiled and photographed by Max Moran and Grace Kwon/the Justice.
STAFF’S Top Ten
“Hamilton” lyrics By Max moran justice EDITOR
If you haven’t heard “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop adaptation of the life of Alexander Hamilton, you’re seriously missing out. Here are a few favorite lyrics: 1. “The ten-dollar Founding Father without a father...” 2. “I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory.” 3. “Burr, you disgust me.” “Ahh, you’ve discussed me!” 4. “I will kill your friends and family to remind you of my love.” 5. “...writing letter to their relatives embellishing my elegance and eloquence...” 6. “We all know who’s really doing the planting.” 7. “Un, deux, trois, QUATRE, CINQ!” 8. “Southern motherfuckin’ Democratic-Republicans!” 9. “I’m erasing myself from the narrative.” 10.“Everything is legal in New Jersey.”
1 Company with “know-how” 5 Nervous action 8 Like some wounds or maws 14 Superfood berry 15 Outside of texting, to people texting 16 One-Punch Man and Fullmetal Alchemist 17 Buy new furniture for, say 18 Matt Damon vis-a-vis “The Martian” 20 Former colony of Fra. 22 Company that is “crazy generous” 23 Response to being hoisted by one’s own petard, perhaps 27 Wrinkled, as a face 30 Like some politicians’ answers 31 Lamborghini _____ Elemento 32 “Oh, _____” 33 Dungeons and Dragons player, perhaps 35 Cult 36 Boring professors may do this 40 David Axelrod’s firm 44 Land unit 45 Mr. Ed’s chow 48 “The Mysteries of _____” (NBC series) 50 Carbon-12 or Carbon-14, for example 52 Board 53 Searchers for the Golden Fleece 55 Last name of a Bond girl 57 Bro’s counterpart 58 How some solvers may have found 18-, 23-, 36- and 53-Across? 62 “Non, je ne regrette rien” singer 65 Go back on one’s word 66 Fatcat, often 67 Opposite of exo68 Popes’ hats 69 Male pronoun 70 Frankenstein’s assistant
Down: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Declination at sea? Perfect service Anakin in Episode II, say Garlic sauces Up to, slangily Anger Corns, medically “No pain, no _____” Recorded history Toes? Enormous PBS Funder Where you might find The
CROSSWORD COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN
Newlywed Game or Whammy (abbr.) 19 One of the Seven Dwarfs 21 Daily routine 23 ____ and haw 24 Eggs 25 Has moved past, as a former lover 26 Famous fiddler? 28 And so on 29 1/3 of S 34 We share half of it with a banana 37 Vaping necessity 38 Guesstimate qualifier 39 Las Vegas lights 40 Swiss mountain 41 Kipling snake 42 Smelly 43 “You may say I’m a ______, but I’m not the only one” 45 Projects 46 Right for the occasion 47 Assent 49 Make a claim 51 Taiwan’s capital 53 A honed skill 54 Achieve, as a goal 56 Small bills 58 “Uhhhh...” 59 Hawaiian accessory 60 NW sporting goods store 61 _____ Kippur 63 Commotion 64 Intended to reach
Sarai Warsoff: I was really inspired by seeing a senior thesis in the festival my sophomore year. It was so personal, and the more I talked with the student who did it, the more I realized how much work went into it. I have always wanted to focus in on the subject of modern dance through the lens of theater, so that’s really where the inspiration came from. The process started last spring, where I had to write up a proposal to be able to participate in the Senior Thesis Festival, abiding by the guidelines that are required for the festival itself. Once I was accepted, I started speaking to faculty to be my advisors, and to help focus in my actual subject and what the thesis itself would be. I spent last semester doing a large portion of my research, working with my sound designer, and preparing for auditions and casting. This semester is all rehearsals, paper writing, the actual performance, and my defense.
JA: Why did you choose your specific thesis? SW: I’m classically trained in modern dance, and have been practicing modern dance since I was kicked out of my ballet class when I was three years old. I have always had such a passion and strong attachment to female modern choreographers, and as I did more and more choreography on the Brandeis campus, I felt that it was a wonderful opportunity to explore so many things I love so dearly. JA: What challenges have you faced and what more do you expect to face in production?
SOLUTION COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN
SUDOKU INSTRUCTIONS: Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.
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SW: Most of what I have done so far is all preproduction, as rehearsals have not begun yet. One thing I have realized through the process is the importance of asking for exactly what you want/need, and being flexible if that isn’t possible. I haven’t faced too many issues, as the theater department has offered me so many resources. I’m really quite lucky in that respect! JA: What has your theater experience at Brandeis been like? SW: My theater experience has really shaped me academically, socially, and even changed what I hope to do in my future. I started off as a performer, but once I realized my passion and desire to do more choreography, every show I’ve worked on has been more and more rewarding. Especially getting to serve as Tympanium Euphorium’s president over this past year has really allowed for me to be involved not just in the rehearsal room, but also behind the scenes. Almost all of my closest friends have been made through theater at Brandeis, and I really couldn’t ask for more!
—Jaime Gropper