ARTS Page 19
FORUM Question online presences 12 SPORTS Men’s soccer beats Babson 2-1 16 The Independent Student Newspaper
the
24 HOUR MUSICAL of
B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9
Justice
Volume LXX, Number 2
www.thejustice.org
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
SILENT REFLECTION
Campus Life
Mailroom backs up with packages ■ An influx of packages and
a data error on Xerox’s part contributed to a backlog of packages last week. By NATALIA WIATER JUSTICE EDITOR
The University’s mail center remained open this weekend, with staff members working multiple shifts to address processing issues that have resulted in a backup of packages and long waits for students. While the beginning of the semester is one of the busiest times of the year for the mail center the increased demand for textbooks and school supplies in the past two weeks has resulted in more delays than usual. New students were not added to the Xerox mailing system until recently and did not receive email notifications when their packages arrived,
Waltham, Mass.
according to an email to the Justice from Vice President of Campus Operations Jim Gray. Instead they were told to present their tracking numbers, with mail center staff then searching manually through the packages. In the email, Gray explained that the increased volume of inbound packages, coupled with the mail sorting machine breaking down for two days, resulted in the slow processing of packages and delayed email notifications. A lack of experienced staff members amplified the congestion, though the mail center now has “more than full staffing,”with some staff members working double shifts and through the night to get back on track, Gray wrote. The weekend hours also encourage students to pick up packages and decrease the backlog, he wrote. “What’s needed most is to get packages out more quickly than they’re
See MAIL, 7 ☛ YVETTE SEI/the Justice
BRIEF Admins respond to DACA change Top University administrators and figures released a joint statement condemning the Trump administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program last Tuesday. The repeal of DACA, an immigration program for individuals who entered the United States as undocumented minors, would put student recipients at risk of deportation beginning March 5, 2018. “This news is very upsetting, undermines the academic endeavors of our own students, and is contrary to our basic values,” read the email, which noted the presence of DACA students on campus. Addressed to the entire University community, the message read, “We remain committed to the safety, well-being, and educational success of all our undocumented students. This commitment will not change.” With nearly 8,000 individuals under DACA protection in Massachusetts alone, the email notes that the University administration is in consultation with local universities and immigration attorneys to obtain the best protection for the University’s undocumented students. Liebowitz also shared a Sept. 5 letter addressed to President
Trump, in which he wrote to the President, “I implore you to exercise political courage and moral leadership in maintaining DACA and upholding the highest traditions of American values.” Liebowitz highlighted that recipients of DACA are at no fault and that Brandeis’ DACA students are valued members of the community. “DACA inflicts harsh punishment on the innocent, and the repeal of DACA lends to no positive outcomes,” he concluded. The email was signed by Liebowitz, Provost Lisa Lynch, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Stew Uretsky, Senior Vice President for Communications and External Relations Ira Jackson, Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mark Brimhall-Vargas, Vice President for Student Affairs Sheryl Sousa, Dean of Students Jamele Adams, Intercultural Center Director Madeleine Lopez, Interim Director for Religious and Spiritual Life Rabbi Liza Stern and Student Union President Jacob Edelman ’18. —Michelle Dang
MEMORIAL: Attendees at the University's annual Sept. 11 memorial spent a moment silently reflecting on the attacks.
Community gathers in 9/11 remembrance ■ The University marked the
16th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with a small ceremony on Monday. By Abby Patkin JUSTICE Editor
On Monday afternoon, 16 years to the day after the deadliest terrorist attack in world history, members of the Brandeis community stood on the Great Lawn in remembrance of the 2,996 lives lost by 9/11. “A wise friend once reminded me that sometimes we remember with our heads, and sometimes we remember with our hearts. And sometimes we remember with both,” Director of Spiritual and Religious Life and Jewish Chaplain Rabbi Liza Stern told the crowd of approximately 40. “Today is both. Today we stop just for a moment.” The date represents a “code word” for Americans, Stern said,
adding that 9/11 is a Yahrtzeit — the Jewish anniversary of a loved one’s passing — that is shared by all. “If you’re old enough, you remember exactly where you were and exactly what you were doing. And if you were too young to remember, you grew up knowing that 9/11 has a deep, grief-filled resonance. After all, everyone knew someone who knew someone. Those were our people in those towers and on those planes,” she told the crowd, which included Dean of Students Jamele Adams and University President Ronald Liebowitz. Remembrance was a central theme of the event, with Student Union President Jacob Edelman ’18 pointing out that “the students at Brandeis right now are just about on the cusp of either remembering the details very clearly or only remembering what came afterward.” However, Edelman added, “Nobody who’s alive is going to be removed from that day and that year,
See 9/11, 7 ☛
Ratings King
Cruise Control
Chief Fundraiser
Prof. Michael Coiner (ECON) spoke about his reputation on Rate My Professor.
The women’s soccer team dominated this past week with a pair of wins.
Combined Jewish Philanthropies’ Zamira Korff will join Institutional Advancement on Oct. 23.
FEATURES 9 For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org
because we all have reasons to remember.” It is also crucial to remember the marginalized narratives of those affected on 9/11, Coordinator for the Gender and Sexuality Center Alex Montgomery asserted. Montgomery said that the Muslims and Black firefighters who perished in 9/11 are often omitted from collective memory, as are the LGBTQ individuals who did not live to see the Defense of Marriage Act struck down. “These are the narratives of 9/11 that we don’t talk about, that aren’t uplifted often, at least not where I live,” Montgomery said. “And so as we think about everything that this coded term means to us and this nation, we need to reflect what the ‘us’ in it means, because it’s something different for everyone.” Reflecting on the legacy of Sept. 11, individuals must also learn from the attacks and bring peace and kindness wherever possible,
Let your voice be heard! Submit letters to the editor online at www.thejustice.org
INDEX
SPORTS 16 ARTS SPORTS
17 13
EDITORIAL FEATURES
10 OPINION 8 POLICE LOG
10 2
News 3
COPYRIGHT 2017 FREE AT BRANDEIS.
2
TUESDAY, September 12, 2017
●
news
●
the justice
NEWS SENATE LOG
POLICE LOG
Senate votes for executive senator and announces new bylaw amendments
Medical Emergency
The Senate held elections for executive senator for this academic year. In the running were Senator-atLarge Aaron Finkel ’20, Class of 2020 Senator Tal Richtman and Class of 2018 Senator Matthew Kowalyk. In a secret ballot by the remaining six senators in attendance, Finkel was elected as the new executive senator. In his campaign speech, Finkel said that based on his past year of Senate experience, he felt that senators were independent from the Executive Board and sometimes unheard in their initiatives. Finkle pledged to make Senate communications and resources more efficient by “work[ing] independently with each senator” and “empowering [senators] to be successful.” Subsequently, Racial Minority Senator Hangil Ryu ’20 was appointed as Senate clerk. In the next agenda item, Vice President Hannah Brown ’19 announced that there are 29 candidates running in this semester’s Student Union elections, the first round is occurring this Thursday. However, Brown added, there is an overload of first-year candidates running for Allocations Board, Union Judiciary and Class of 2021 Senate seats, with an absence of candidates for the five quad seats for Ridgewood, Ziv, 567, Charles River Apartments and the Foster Mods — notably, upperclassman quads. Addressing this concern, Student Union President Jacob Edelman ’18 and Brown announced a working bylaw amendment that proposes a new “community senator” position to not only make up for this lack of representation but also support a full body senate. Edelman reminded the Senate that Mods constituents have previously elected a cat to fill their Senate seat. As Class of 2021 representation seats are limited, this proposal would give the excess of eager first-year applicants a second chance at involvement with the Senate. Elected by and representing an umbrella of unrepresented constituents, community senators would be able to participate as full Senate members. Richtman asserted that this bylaw is a “bandaid solution,” masking an underlying issue of recruiting upperclassmen to participate in the Senate, and many senators agreed. However, Brown noted the advantage of getting incoming students involved in Senate earlier, as senators who start early often campaign for upperclassmen and leadership positions later in their Brandeis careers. The bylaw amendment will be further discussed and voted on at a future time. Next, a bylaw amendment was passed to not vote or hold election meetings on Shabbat. Lastly, Richtman and Class of 2018 Senator Abhishek Kulkarni presented an array of working bylaw amendments on behalf of the Club Support Committee. Overall, they addressed the oversaturation of student clubs on campus, which have not only spread thin allocations but also student involvement — ultimately leading to many unsuccessful clubs. This overarching issue stems from duality of purpose and lack of proper leadership support, said Richtman and Kulkarni. They proposed a new system of recognizing and chartering clubs, in which all new clubs must be accredited as “probationary,” and they must set clear and measured goals with the club support committee and prove their commitment and resourcefulness in sustaining the club before recognition. Additionally, the pair is considering modeling the faculty advisor requirement that other universities utilize, as well as methods to better connect clubs and University departments with overlapping agendas. Allocations Board Chair Alex Feldman ’18 came to the Senate to give his support to the proposed amendments, stating that A-board has been frustrated for some time with club management, especially in a lack of a proper system to stay updated on the success of new clubs. The Senate will vote on the club proposals at the next meeting. —Michelle Dang
Sept. 5—A party in Usdan Student Center requested BEMCo assistance for a diabetic emergency. The party refused transport by Cataldo Ambulance medics. Sept. 8—Brandeis Counseling Center staff requested University Police assistance in a psychological transport. The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital without incident. Sept. 8—University Police received a report of a party who was having a seizure in Shapiro Lounge. BEMCo staff treated the party with a signed refusal for further care. Sept. 8—University Police
received a report of a party with pre-existing heart problems who collapsed in Usdan Student Center and had a seizure. Cataldo Ambulance staff transported the party to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Sept. 9—BEMCo staff treated an intoxicated party in Gordon Hall. Cataldo Ambulance staff transported the party to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Sept. 9—BEMCo staff treated two parties involved in a fall down the stairs in Shapiro Hall. Both parties signed refusals for further care. Sept. 9—University Police received a report of an intoxi-
n The Justice has reviewed and clarified its reporting practices to better align itself with industry standards and best reporting practices. The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Email editor@ thejustice.org.
Justice
the
www.thejustice.org
The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods. Editor News Forum Features Sports Arts Ads Photos Managing Copy Layout
editor@thejustice.org news@thejustice.org forum@thejustice.org features@thejustice.org sports@thejustice.org arts@thejustice.org ads@thejustice.org photos@thejustice.org managing@thejustice.org copy@thejustice.org layout@thejustice.org
The Justice Brandeis University Mailstop 214 P.O. Box 549110 Waltham, MA 02454-9110 Phone: (781) 736-3750 The Managing Editor holds office hours on Mondays from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Sept. 9—An area coordinator on call assisted a party in filing an incident report regarding a sex offense that occurred in the party’s presence. University Police compiled a report on the incident and will review closed-circuit television footage from the area to possibly identify the suspect.
Harassment
Sept. 8—University Police received a report of a briefcase left on a loading dock. Upon further investigation, the briefcase was found to contain a projector. The briefcase was taken to Public Safety for safekeeping.
Sept. 7—A faculty member in the Mandel Center for the Humanities reported an incident of harassment by email from an unknown source. University Police compiled a report on the incident.
Other
—Abby Patkin
Assault
ROLLING INTO SUSHI NIGHT
BRIEF Mass. officials respond to White House DACA repeal
CHELSEA MADERA/the Justice
The Japanese Student Association taught community members how to roll their own sushi on Friday evening at the Intercultural Center.
Following the White House’s announcement that it will phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in six months, Massachusetts officials released a cascade of criticisms against the decision, a Sept. 5 Article from the Boston Globe reported. Since DACA’s initiation by the Obama Administration in 2012, the program has aided 7,934 individuals who entered the United States as undocumented minors in Massachusetts alone. Meanwhile, 800,000 individuals are affected nationally under the program’s two-year renewable work permits, said the report. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker released a statement saying that the decision “could negatively impact our economy and many of the Commonwealth’s families.” He called for a bipartisan solution to permanently protect DACA recipients, whom he described as individuals who serve in the military, attend Massachusetts schools and contribute to the working economy, according to the article. Additionally, the article reported the gathering of officials in Boston. U.S. Senator Edward Markey, Attorney General Maura Healey, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh and Boston School Superintendent Tommy Chang met together in a press conference Sept. 5, each calling for the reversal of the decision and protection of the program. Across the Bay area, leaders from colleges and universities have released statements in support of DACA students who fear loss of financial scholarships and fear of deportation, which could occur at the earliest on March 5 of next year. These universities in the Boston area include Harvard University, Tufts University, Northeastern University and the schools of the University of Massachusetts system, reported the Boston Globe. Waltham City officials have released no statements regarding the policy decision as of press time. —Michelle Dang
ANNOUNCEMENTS Faculty/Staff Yoga
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS
cated party in East Quad. BEMCo staff treated the party with a signed refusal for further care. Sept. 9—A party in Shapiro Hall reported that they had suffered a head injury. Waltham and state police responded, and the party was treated with a signed refusal for medical transport.
A Hatha yoga class tailored to the group’s needs and requests each week. Postures are given with ample variations to suit each individual. Great for all levels, beginners welcome. For Faculty and Staff only. It costs $60 for whole semester or $10 to drop in. Today from 12 to 12:45 p.m. in Alumni Lounge, Usdan
The genetic basis of behavioral evolution
Visiting scholar Hopi Hoekstra will present. The Hoekstra lab asks the following questions: How many and which genes contribute to behavioral adaptation? Do adaptive behaviors and morphologies have similar genetic architectures? Do adaptive behaviors have a large genetic component? Is behavioral variation controlled by changes in gene regulation? Today from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Gerstenzeng Room 121.
Muslim Student Association’s Chai Night
The Brandeis Muslim Student Association welcomes everyone to our very first Chai Night. Come to the Brandeis MSA suite to enjoy some complementary chai and get to know BMSA and our plans for the semester. The MSA suite is located in Usdan, in the hallway between the hoot
market and the mailroom Today from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Muslim Student Association Suite, Usdan.
#HiattLive Episode 32: Your Perfect Pitch
With so many networking events on the horizon, it’s important that you know what to say and how to say it to employers. Our student advisors will walk you through how to get started and share tips on how to make a great first impression. Wednesday from noon to 12:30 p.m. on Hiatt Center’s Facebook page.
Selections from Sonetti Spirituali
The Brandeis Department of Music and the Mandel Center for the Humanities present six to seven free noontime concerts throughout the year. These concerts include a light lunch following the 45 to 60 minute performance, and are free and open to the public. Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. in the Atrium of Mandel Center for the Humanities.
Alumni Panel: Professional Paths of Politics
Hear from three Brandeis alumni who are putting their politics degrees to use in completely different jobs and industries — from entertainment and media to government and law. The panel will help students in all ma-
jors consider possible career paths after Brandeis by hearing about the experiences of successful alumni. Come prepared with your curiosity and questions. All majors are welcome. Wednesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Atrium of the Mandel Center for the Humanities.
#BrandeisAbroad Study Abroad Fair
The #BrandeisAbroad Study Abroad Fair is where you can come and learn about all of your study abroad options. Meet with more than 40 program representatives available to answer all of your questions and tell you more about your options for learning off-campus. Contact abroad@brandeis.edu with any questions. Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Levin Ballroom, Usdan.
Waltham: The More You Know Experience
Do you volunteer in the local community? We are offering all-volunteer training to better prepare you to engage in the greater Waltham area. Learn more about Waltham’s demographics, history, and people by attending one of these sessions. Sponsored by the Department of Community Service. Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge, Usdan.
the justice
●
news
●
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2017
3
VOLUNTEER FEST
BRIEF
University appoints Korff as new senior vice president of institutional advancement Brandeis has named the former Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston senior vice president of strategic development as its new lead fundraiser, according to a Sept. 7 email announcement from University President Ronald Liebowitz. CJP’s Zamira Korff will begin as the University’s new senior vice president of institutional advancement on Oct. 23, according to the announcement. “Brandeis has a deeply inspiring mission, and I am both thrilled and honored to have been chosen to lead philanthropic strategy and activity in support of that mission,” Korff said in the announcement. “Fundraising is about realizing our best hopes and dreams, and I believe Brandeis, under the bold and passionate leadership of President Ron Liebowitz, has a truly extraordinary vision for the future,” she added. Korff spent nearly two decades with CJP, raising $55 million annually alongside 2017 University honorary degree recipient Barry Shrage, the organization’s president. Korff’s predecessor, Nancy Winship, stepped down in June, having raised approximately $1.5
billion over her 23 years at the University. Liebowitz wrote in the announcement that Korff brings to Brandeis a “proven track record in establishing a philanthropic strategy and leading creative and highly successful campaigns that deeply resonate with donors.” A graduate of the School of International Service at American University, Korff joined CJP as the director of the women’s division in 1997, advancing to senior vice president of strategic philanthropy in 2015. In that role, she worked with CJP’s top donors, leading a capital campaign of over $12 million and raising $55 million annually to support CJP’s operations and community programs, according to the announcement. She served as legislative aide to the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs prior to coming to Boston, helping to create initiatives and market development in Eastern Europe on behalf of then-Senator Joe Biden, per the announcement. Korff did not return requests for interview as of press time. —Abby Patkin
NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
Students from the Waltham Group’s 18 volunteer organizations recruited new members on Wednesday evening in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium.
ADMINISTRATION
President Liebowitz releases University’s yearly agenda and task force updates ■ The President shared updates on the free expression and general education task forces. By AMBER MILES JUSTICE EDITOR
The University’s agenda this year includes further discussion of free expression principles, decisions on new general education requirements and the hiring of new staff, University President Ronald Liebowitz told the Brandeis community in a Sept. 8 email. “This will be a year when we move from analysis to action,” Liebowitz wrote. The email, almost 2,500 words long, enumerated plans for the academic year, which include a continuation of the work of two task forces from last year. The Task Force on Free Expression has proposed a set of five principles intended to “guide how we engage one another as we present, debate, and share ideas and knowledge as an academic community,” Liebowitz wrote.
“Genuine higher learning is possible only where free, reasoned, and civil speech and discussion are respected,” reads the draft of proposals, which is available for view on the task force’s website. Overall, the principles encourage Brandeis community members to engage with all ideas and accept responsibility for their actions and impact on others. The fourth principle reaffirms peaceful protest but condemns using physical violence or otherwise preventing speech: “Once violence is normalized as an ingredient of free expression, it sets the pattern, ending rather than supporting free expression.” In the past year, other campuses have had instances of violent responses to expressions of speech. On March 2, a demonstration at Middlebury College protesting an event featuring conservative social scientist Charles Murray ended with violence and injured a Middlebury professor, according to a March 5 Boston Globe article. The task force’s final principle clarifies the difference between an invitation to speak on campus and
the bestowal of an honorary degree. According to the draft of principles, the former does not entail University endorsement of the speaker’s work, while the latter does imply a level of endorsement of aspects of an honoree’s work. To that end, the draft explains, “A protest against the university for making a disfavored choice for a prestigious honor is not, in itself, an attack on free speech.” In 2014, the University rescinded its honorary degree to activist and scholar Ayaan Hirsi Ali after Brandeis community members spoke out against Hirsi Ali’s views on Islam and protested the University’s decision to honor her. The situation attracted national news coverage and widespread debate over free expression. In his Sept. 8 email, Liebowitz acknowledged that free expression has become a “contentious issue on many college and university campuses” and invited community members to attend upcoming open forums, which will take place this fall before the principles are reviewed by the Board of Trustees. Liebowitz also provided a brief
update on the revisions to general education requirements, led by Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren and the Task Force on General Education. Opportunities to discuss the proposed changes, which were released last week, will be announced soon, according to Liebowitz. Over the summer, approximately 30 faculty and administrative colleagues completed 15-page documents designed to have them address issues in their programs and their visions moving forward, according to Liebowitz’s email. Liebowitz noted that senior administrators are synthesizing these reports, the results of which will then be discussed at upcoming open meetings. The goal of these proceedings is to guide the University’s development over the next five to 10 years, Liebowitz wrote. Other upcoming changes include appointments of a new dean of arts and sciences, a new dean of Brandeis International Business School and a new University librarian, Liebowitz wrote, noting that three search committees are expected to make recommendations this year.
Liebowitz compared the University to a successful startup: It has many merits, but it still faces challenges, among which are a lack of consistent policies and a lack of “an ephemeral identity,” Liebowitz wrote. He also acknowledged a lack of resources and funding, adding that the University draws from its endowment “well beyond what is accepted as prudent long-term management.” To address this, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Stew Uretsky and Chief Financial Officer Sam Solomon will hold open presentations this year, starting in November. These presentations will explain the University’s revenue sources and expenditures, as well as Uretsky and Solomon’s vision for long-term financial sustainability, Liebowitz wrote. Liebowitz praised Brandeis students for their accomplishments in academics and service. “We need to harness their spirit, talent, and perspective to help mend a divided country and a troubled world,” he wrote.
Do you have a nose for news?
Want the scoop? Contact Michelle Dang at news@thejustice.org
Major: Minor: Education Philosophy No-brainer:
STUDENT VALUE CHECKING No Monthly Fee. Get a $25 BONUS when you open and use a Student Value Checking account. 1
2
START HERE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN
SANTANDERBANK.COM/STUDENT
Other fees may apply, including a Paper Statement fee if you elect to receive paper statements. Refer to your fee schedule for details. WHO QUALIFIES: Student Value Checking is available to students 16 through 25 years of age. Once you reach 26, we will convert your Student Value Checking to another checking product. Students who currently have a personal checking account or who have had a personal checking account with Santander Bank in the last year are not eligible for this offer. Offer is only available to residents of NH, MA, RI, CT, DE, NY, NJ, or PA. Offer subject to change at any time. Santander team members are not eligible. HOW TO RECEIVE THE BONUS: Get $25 when you open a new Student Value Checking account between July 1, 2017 and September 30, 2017, with minimum opening deposit of $10. Make 8 debit card transactions that post to your account within 60 days of account opening. TIMING AND OTHER CONDITIONS OF THE BONUS: Your Student Value Checking account must be open and in good standing to be bonus eligible. Bonus payments will be made to your account within 120 days of account opening. Cannot be combined with other offers. One bonus per customer. The bonus is considered interest and will be reported to the IRS on Form 1099-INT. If multiple accounts are opened with the same signer, only one account will be eligible for the bonus. Santander Bank, N.A. is a Member FDIC. Š2017 Santander Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Santander, Santander Bank, the Flame Logo, Santander Select, Bravo and Simply Right are trademarks of Banco Santander, S.A. or its subsidiaries in the United States or other countries. Mastercard is a registered trademark of Mastercard International, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 24508 7/3/17 1
2
24508_17 Q3 Checking Student Newspaper_Brandeis_10x8_r3_FINAL.indd 1
6/27/17 3:02 PM
SPORTS PHOTOS COPY FEATURES
JOIN THE JUSTICE! FORUM NEWS ARTS ADS LAYOUT For more information, contact Abby Patkin at editor@thejustice.org.
THE JUSTICE
■ Rabbi Elisabeth “Liza”
Weiss Stern said she seeks to broaden student awareness about the chaplaincy. By MICHELLE DANG JUSTICE EDITOR
The University appointed Rabbi Elisabeth “Liza” Weiss Stern as acting director of religious and spiritual life late this summer on Aug. 4. Stern’s affiliation with the University began 18 years ago, when she served as an adjunct professor of the Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership program. In the past year, she began serving the University as a Jewish Chaplain. In an interview with the Justice, Stern defined her position as getting to help Brandeis, “a fantastic place with phenomenal students and faculty,” get better at what it is already doing. Stern’s goal, and that of the Department of Religious and Spiritual Life as a whole, is to broaden the services of the chaplaincy, so that even students who do not identify with one religion or another can understand that chaplains can help or support them, she said. Rather than creating more programs, the department is interested in supporting the ones that already exist on campus. More so, Stern and her fellow chaplains are hoping to build personal recognition within the community. “I think everyone has spiritual needs, whether or not they identify as a religious person in one way or another … Providing spiritual support is not the same thing as being a counselor, but it is helping individuals when they encounter bumps in the road,” Stern said. “Right now in our world there are issues that are intruding on college life, in which our own community’s members are affected,” said Stern, who referenced to recent hardships, such as the hurricane in Florida and the announcement of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals repeal. In these times of need or of the normal stresses that come with a college career, Stern encourages students to approach any of the chaplains if they need a consoling presence that can help them access their prayers or spiritual stability. “You don’t have to be a card-carrying Catholic or a card-carrying Jew to say, ‘Actually a chaplain might help me just think through or feel through whatever it is that’s weighing me down.’” Stern said that college is not only about what you’re learning academically but also about how one is evolving as a human being. The chaplains are here to support people in the fullness of their lives. “Not just one piece or another, not just academically, not just religious identification — but really, the whole person,” she said.
Furthermore, it is Stern’s objective to build an umbrella community and space for individuals of all spiritualities to come together, she said. “The chaplaincies at Brandeis, for very legitimate reasons, have been very isolated from one another and not as visible as a chaplaincy should be,” said Stern. The chaplains themselves are not isolated from each other, but what they are doing on campus has often been isolated to already self-defined religious communities, she clarified. “The campus built three chapels, and it was a beautiful egalitarian gesture of respect and recognition for the three major American religions of the time. They’re beautiful, they’re equal, they don’t cast shadows on each other — we all know this.” These spaces were built to be a place for everyone to come together, yet with the growth of the University, there was eventually a lack of space on campus for growing religious populations. In recent years, there has been a formation of Muslim and Dharmic prayer spaces, yet these spaces are spread and divided from the three original chapels. “It has become a metaphor of what has happened at Brandeis — there are beautiful opportunities for groups to do their own thing, but the larger experience, it hasn’t yet been accommodated. … So I think that that’s what I’m trying to do metaphorically, is create a space, even if it’s a psychic space, where all the different religions are included,” said Stern Stern seeks to establish a resourceful connection, even for “nones,” those who don’t identify as religious or perhaps identify culturally with a religion without practice. Traditionally, the chaplain is understood as functionary for religious individuals, and typically those “nones” are never going to connect with a chaplain, said Stern. However, “My goal is that every student graduating will at least know who a chaplain at Brandeis is — maybe they talked to them, or maybe they just talked to them on a path,” said Stern, who is passionate about all students on campus feeling supported spiritually by the presence of chaplains who care about them as people. “It’s an amazing place; there’s all these bright and incredible students who really want to learn and are really curious, and I have this attitude that I can actually be helpful to them. I have my own five children … and helping Brandeis students are what I hope people are doing for my own children wherever it is they are — helping them believe in themselves, discover their strengths and begin to understand that passion and kindness win the day,” Stern said. “I get to do it here on this campus. … I have the best job in the world,” Stern said.
News
●
TUESDAY, September 12, 2017
5
100 YEARS OF CONFLICT
ADMINISTRATION
University chooses Stern to serve as acting director of religious and spiritual life
●
YDALIA COLON/the Justice
ZIONISM: Abdel Monem Said Aly and Jehuda Reinharz spoke on the first panel hosted by the Crown Center.
Conference discusses the Arab-Israeli conflict ■ President Emeritus Jehuda
was appointed head of the British Zionist Organization in 1917 and sought to use his position to support Jewish rights in Palestine. Reinharz explained that, while Weizmann’s contributions as the head of the Zionist Commision for Palestine led to the implementation of the Balfour Declaration — a written agreement stating that England would support Israel in the formation of a state within Palestine — it can be seen as “the original sin that engendered the Jewish-Arab Conflict.” Reinharz continued to explain that Weizmann’s instincts, upbringing and “sharp awareness of the fine points of class distinction” resulted in a mentality of “the Ultimate Britain,” a term he used to exemplify the idea that Weizmann was the individual best suited for making negotiations with British rulers. Weizmann understood both the “importance of the British war effort” and that the initial “neutralist polity” of the World Zionist Organization was a dangerous one, he said. Furthermore, Reinharz asserted that Jewish immigration to Palestine would “not have been possible” without British rule, and therefore, it was the Balfour Declaration that allowed Yishuv, an early Jewish community in Palestine, to grow. However, due to Weizmann’s work, Zionism was “no longer a trans-national movement” but rather “a new reality,” Reinharz said. Offering a separate perspective which focused on 1949 to the present,
Reinharz and Abdel Monem Said Aly discussed Zionism in the Arab-Israeli conflict. By MAURICE WINDLEY JUSTICE STAFF WRITEr
With the effects of Zionism an ongoing discussion topic in Middle Eastern Politics, distinguished scholar Abdel Monem Said Aly and the University’s president emeritus, Jehuda Reinharz, came together on Sunday at the Keynote Symposium of “Looking Back, Looking Forward: 100 years of the Arab-Israeli conflict” to share their perspective on the effects of the Balfour Declaration of 1917. Co-sponsored by the University of Arizona and Tufts University, the panel focused on the effect of the first hundred years of the Zionist enterprise and the evolution of the Arab world’s response over the past century. A prominent historian of the Zionist Movement and Richard Koret professor of Jewish History, Reinharz offered his perspective on the foundations of Zionism, a term coined by Nathan Birnbaum in 1890 expressing the natural movement for the return of Jewish people to their homeland. Reinharz focused on the contributions that Chaim Weizmann made for the establishment for the State of Israel. Weizmann, originally a chemist from the University of Manchester,
Said Aly, the former director of the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo and lead author of “Arabs and Israelis: Conflict and Peacemaking in the Middle East,” continued Reinharz’s exposition by offering his narrative of the conflict. He explained that the original sin “was not only for us but for everyone,” as he recounted that the British at the time “made many promises to everyone.” He referenced the Husayn-McMahon correspondence, a series of letters exchanged between Husayn ibn Ali, the Emeritus of Mecca, and Sir Henry McMahon, the British High Commissioner in Egypt. This correspondence discussed the formation of a complete Arab kingdom in the fertile crescent as contradictory to the Balfour Declaration. With this in mind, Said Aly explained that the main issue lies in the British division of the fertile crescent through “conflicting” British promises. “The conflict and creation of the establishment of the state of Israel,” Said Aly explained, “have been instrumental in affecting the political evolution of countries surrounding Israel.” Therefore, he asserted, the reality is that both Palestinians and Israelis “though divided, live within ‘one realm,’” and are both affected by the other’s decisions. Said Aly concluded that “one realm” and a partition state “might open the gate for a new approach to conflict resolution, and new prospects for the Middle East.”
Follow
Justice!
the
@theJustice
let’s eat grandma Let’s eat, Grandma!
Join Copy. Save lives. Contact Jen Geller and Avraham Penso at copy@thejustice.org
Want some extra cash? $$$$
Distribute for the Justice!
ADS
$$$$
Contact Amber Miles at managing@thejustice.org.
Make a statement without saying a word.
Take photos for the Justice
Email Natalia Wiater at photos@thejustice.org
THE JUSTICE
MAIL: Students volunteer to help sort packages CONTINUED FROM 1 coming in, because they’re starting to run out of space in the mailroom,” Student Union President Jacob Edelman ’18 said in an interview with the Justice. He suggested that students go to the mail center during off hours or during hours when many students have class in order to expedite the process. Edelman added that the University has received offers from students and parents to volunteer in sorting packages. “It’s really appreciated that people want to help, but that’s not what’s really needed right now,” he said. Regarding the University’s contin-
Edelman concluded. “We can just choose how we want to act as a result, and we can choose to help, we can choose to love each other, and we can choose to remember and, in the words of the ever-timely Robert Kennedy, choose to ‘make gentle the life of this world,’” he said. Nia Duncan ’20 reiterated this
NEWS
●
TUESDAY, September 12, 2017
7
COUNTDOWN TO SHOWTIME
ued relationship with Xerox, Gray wrote that the University holds all of its contracted service providers to the “highest standard” and always evaluates its relationship with the providers if the standard is not met to ensure that the “community is better served in the future.” “I and our whole team involved in the mail operation are very sorry for this service breakdown, and we are doing everything we can to restore normal service and assure this doesn't happen again,” Gray concluded. —Abby Patkin contributed reporting.
9/11: Speakers highlight omitted Sept. 11 narratives CONTINUED FROM 1
●
sentiment, performing Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” for the crowd. “I think that it’s just very important to offer light into a place where there is a lot of darkness,” Duncan told attendees about the choice of song.
TALYA GUENZBURGER/the Justice
Students prepared and rehearsed all day in the Shapiro Campus Center in preparation for their Sunday evening performance of the annual 24-hour musical.
Have an opinion to share? Email our Forum Editor! Contact Nia Lyn at forum@thejustice.org
—Kirby Kochanowski contributed reporting.
Do you enjoy museums, music or movies?
Celebrities and authors and celebrities — oh my!
Join
Features!
Contact Hannah Kressel at arts@thejustice.org
Contact Kirby Kochanowski at features@thejustice.org
8
features
TUESDAY, september 12, 2017 ● Features ● The Justice
just
For Us by Us: The Untold Stories of People of Color on Campus
VERBATIM | ROBIN WILLIAMS You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.
ON THIS DAY…
FUN FACT
Jews in New York petitioned Governor Dongan for religious liberties.
The bird used in the Twitter logo has a name: Larry.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
This is the first installment of “For Us by Us: The Untold Stories of People of Color on Campus.” I wanted to write this piece to highlight people of color on campus. To create a space for our accomplishments, hardships and experiences. To be recognized and acknowledged. To expose ourselves to other cultures, religions and to each other. To realize that we are not alone in our experiences or on this campus. To continue these forms of communication and to hopefully develop new ones. —Arlett Marquez ’20
From the South Side to the East Side By aRLETT MARQUEZ JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Jasmine Purnell ’20 spoke about her transition to Brandeis in an interview with the Justice. As a child, Purnell lived in Chicago’s East Side with her mother. However, when her mother was diagnosed with cancer, they uprooted their lives to the city’s South Side in the Bronzeville area to live with Purnell’s grandmother. Purnell described her mother — who passed away when Purnell was 7 years old — as someone who was determined to provide her child with the best life and education possible. It was this drive that made her place Purnell in a private school early on. Arlett Marquez: What was your experience in this private school environment? Jasmine Purnell: I was so young, I didn’t know what racism was. When I went to my grandmother’s house, my grandmother and cousins would make comments like, “Oh, she’s going to that white school, that’s why she’s acting like this and that.” So I definitely learned from their comments and criticisms. Then, when I had to transfer from the private school to a public school in South Side, I saw that environment and how those kids acted and what they wore, and then I saw where I was coming from [and] was like, “Oh, hell no! This is not what I signed up for.” AM: What were the new economic and cultural differences that you were exposed to? JP: I went from having cooked
meals every night, not necessarily believing that I was even in a struggle, to living in a house where I had to share a room — a smaller-than-our-dorms type room — with my sister. That happened when I was 9. It was after my mom passed that we actually got the room. Before that I was actually sleeping on a couch. I saw myself change from me having this humongous room to sleeping on a couch; that was my reality. After my mom passed, I never experienced that type of whitewashing again until I came to Brandeis. I went from an all-Black middle school to another all-Black high school. Selective enrollment schools were extremely competitive public schools. For the last month and a half, I was going on the weekends to school to prepare for the enrollment test. I woke up really early in the morning and told my grandmother some lie of where I had to go. My cousin drove me to the testing center to test for the school, and I didn’t tell anyone in my family. By the time it was over, I was so proud of myself for getting this far, and I remember coming home and every single day I would pray saying, “Please God, let me get into one of these schools, I just want to make my mom proud, I can’t just stay here and live this life.” I got into Lindblom Math and Science Academy; it’s on the South Side of Chicago in Englewood. I’m 13 years old, and I had to travel from 47th to 63rd Street. As the numbers increase, the worse the neighborhoods get, essentially. Going 20 blocks away from my house to go to school arguably in the most dangerous part of
Chicago. There had been days there where it’s 9 o’clock and I’m waiting at the bus stop, just so afraid. When I go back to the question of “who am I?” I think I’m very fearless, but it’s kind of scary because it’s fearless to an extent of, “I can actually get hurt.” I’m just so determined, even if something wasn’t in the cards for me, I still made it happen.
“
And that’s what I’m told and this is who I am, but that’s not my identity... JASMINE PURNELL
Shifting from her childhood to today and where her journey at Brandeis has taken her so far, I asked her three questions. AM: Who are you? How do you want to be perceived? Who do you hope to become? JP: It’s crazy because I feel like I just entered womanhood. It scares me because I don’t know what that means. I lack so much guidance; everything I’ve learned for the most part, I’ve learned on my own. It’s very scary to think that who I want to be is a place I’ll never reach. I always wanted people to describe me as fun, bubbly, intelligent, happy, just this amazing being. I always want people to perceive
me that way. When I’m around people I’m overly excited and overly happy and not that that’s not me, but I’ve learned that that’s how I should act, so that’s what I tend to do. If people could really see the brokenness, if they could see the torment that was inside of me, I would be a completely different Jasmine, and I don’t think anyone would want to be my friend. The person I want people to perceive me as — I want to feel it on the inside. I just really wish I could actually feel that way because that would be so nice to be at peace with myself. AM: What is your opinion on the pressure and expectations for Black people to choose a major or minor in African and Afro-American Studies or at least take a class? JP: Whenever you have an oppressed group, and you have people within that oppressed group that are trying to speak out and make things better, there will always be people for whom the trauma is so severe that they are not able to see through the darkness. So I don’t think it should be expected for Black people. I think you should respect AAAS if you are a Black person and do your best to support it academic-wise, but no one should be pressured into it. AM: What can you tell me about your family history, and how has being African-American shaped your identity? JP: I can tell you where my people come from in America. In terms of where in Africa? I have
no clue, and it eats me up inside probably every other day. It is extremely difficult because it somewhat invalidates who you are. Where your family is from and where you are from gives you balance, something to stand back on, something to be proud of. I am proud of what Black people have done in America, but everything that I know has been diluted to a certain extent by white people. It’s very hard, frustrating and tiring that the essence of who you are is being the opposite of white. I am nothing but the opposite of white, everything that I do is nothing but backlash from being white or trying to be as far away as possible from white. And this is what I’m told and this is who I am, but that’s not an identity — it’s a reflex. Being AfricanAmerican specifically is like a walking contradiction. How is it that my ancestors built this entire country but I can walk around in any type of space and still feel excluded and still feel like my voice doesn’t matter and that everything I do will not matter? I sit down and think for some time about how white people just screwed an entire world; how have they gotten this power? What if we didn’t have to go through this? What if it was equal? What does that look like? It’s crazy because I just think being African-American comes with pain and suffering but, at the same time, it makes you be so effortless in your everything. Your creative genius and anything that you find pleasure in is amplified by 100 because you just know how rare that is. Being African-American has taught me that I am dynamite.
the justice ● Features ● TUESDAY, september 12, 2017
High Demand for Prof. Mike Coiner Economics professor Mike Coiner talks candidly about his reputation and time at Brandeis By emily rae foreman JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Inside the Brandeis International Business School building, hidden by Massachusetts wilderness, through a maze of winding corridors and study rooms bustling with students, is the office of one of the most beloved professors at Brandeis, Prof. Michael Coiner (ECON). As a professor of economics, Coiner has gained popularity on the website Rate My Professor, an online database used by university students to write reviews of their teachers. While he has never personally viewed his own profile on Rate My Professor, admitting in an interview with The Justice, “Oh no, that’s too scary,” Coiner is now the second most frequently rated professor at Brandeis, with a glowing score of 4.6 out of 5. Coiner commented on his profile by saying, “I know that classes are large so that lots of student know who I am or have had
my course. I know that the scuttlebutt is generally positive, but I stay away from Rate my Professor.” Working in a small office overflowing with papers waiting to be graded, Coiner has been at Brandeis University for 17 years. However, this wasn’t his first teaching stint. He originally began at the University in 1980, but left after he was denied tenure in 1986. Today, he is a contract faculty member, meaning he does not possess tenure but a long-term contract with Brandeis to teach. He teaches five classes in each academic year; two in one semester and three in the other. “I’ve generally taught [ECON] 2a and 10a in recent years, and I teach a course in the economics of education as an elective about every other year. And in recent years, I have taught another elective called Economics of the Public Sector. I guess I’ve taught that four times in the past ten years,” he mused. What is it that makes students so eager to
return to Coiner’s classroom each semester? One student on Rate My Professor anonymously wrote, “I have yet to find a professor who is as enthusiastic, passionate, and clear as Coiner is! I was never a math person or an econ person, but Coiner completely changed me, and now I’m majoring in econ!” Coiner’s classes tend to be in large lecture halls. Students have observed him pacing up and down the aisle as he teaches, raising his voice to emphasize an important point or command the attention of students in the back rows. He commented on his teaching style, saying, “I think that my teaching is different at Brandeis than at other places. The other thing is that I didn’t used to have gigantic classes… You have to have more energy in a large class, because otherwise people will fall asleep, and they fall asleep anyways.” In an interview, another student, Goldie Davoudgoleh ’20, spoke about a class of his
that she attended during her first semester at Brandeis: “His passion for teaching and his energy during class really allowed me to do well while enjoying my time in lecture.” A common statement made around campus regarding Coiner is that attending his class prompted multiple students to further pursue economics. Several students on Rate My Professor single-handedly credited Coiner with their choice to major or minor in economics. However, Coiner believes this praise has less to do with his teaching and more to do with the study of economics itself. He explained, “Before 2000, there was a professor here for many, many years, Prof. Barney Schwalberg, (ECON) and he taught ECON 2a and the same thing happened. There’s something about economics that is more interesting and more important than people think it’s going to be.” Brandeis is not the only institution that has been fortunate enough
to host Coiner as a professor. He originally taught at Wesleyan University, and then went on to teach at Franklin and Marshall College. During the brief interim between being at Brandeis, from 1986 to 2000, he also taught at The University of Massachusetts, UMass-Lowell, and Regis College, which is only a 15-minute drive from Brandeis. Coiner admitted that Brandeis students stand out from the rest of his classes in their own unique way. “The students here, on average, are brighter than the students at other places, except perhaps Wesleyan [College], and the students here are much more focused on issues of justice and more aware of what’s going on in the political world and current policy issues.” A wry smile creeping across his face, Coiner added,“I’ve had good experiences with students at all these places [that I’ve taught], but the Brandeis students are, they are somewhat different, but I really enjoy them.”
NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
RATINGS KING: Prof. Mike Coiner (ECON) knows he has a good reputation, but he stays away from the website Rate My Professor.
9
10 TUESDAY, setember 12, 2017 ● forum ● THE JUSTICE
the
Justice Established 1949
Brandeis University
Abby Patkin, Editor in Chief Amber Miles, Managing Editor Carmi Rothberg, Senior Editor Michelle Banayan, Abby Grinberg, Lizzie Grossman, Noah Hessdorf, Mihir Khanna, Jerry Miller and Sabrina Sung, Associate Editors Michelle Dang, News Editor, Kirby Kochanowski, Features Editor Nia Lyn, Forum Editor, Ben Katcher, Sports Editor Hannah Kressel, Arts Editor, Natalia Wiater, Photography Editor Mira Mellman, Layout Editor, Pamela Klahr and Robbie Lurie, Ads Editors Jen Geller and Avraham Penso, Copy Editors SABRINA SUNG/the Justice
EDITORIALS
Acknowledge President Liebowitz’s DACA address President Donald Trump announced last Tuesday his decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The 2012 program, which protects individuals brought to the United States as children, affects approximately 800,000 immigrants across the country, some of whom are Brandeis students. Trump’s announcement gives Congress six months to pass immigration legislation on the issue. If they are unable to do so, Trump warned in a tweet last Tuesday, he will “revisit this issue.” In a Sept. 5 letter to President Trump, University President Ronald Liebowitz urged the White House to reverse its decision. In his letter, a positive development in the University’s stance on immigration, Liebowitz cited the unlikelihood that Congress will pass meaningful legislation within the six month window. “Here at Brandeis University, we value our DACA students, who enrich our campus in many ways and are integral to our community,” Liebowitz wrote. “Reversing DACA inflicts harsh punishment on the innocent. As a nation founded by immigrants, we can, should, and must do better.” This board commends President Liebowitz for his letter; as he rightly states, DACA recipients enhance the community as typical Brandeis students with a unique perspective. However, it is crucial to keep in mind that actions often speak louder than words. With this in mind, the University must ensure that it does all it can to consult and help DACA students. According to a Nov. 22, 2016 Justice article, Chief Diversity Officer Mark Brimhall-Vargas asked the audience at
Support students in need a discussion on sanctuary campuses to consider whether visibility or lack of visibility would work best in protecting undocumented students. Ultimately, the only individuals who can determine the right course of action — visibility or lack thereof — are the affected students themselves. In this regard, the University must consult with DACA students in order to gauge which actions will be most helpful to them. While the Department of Homeland Security will no longer accept DACA applications, renewal applications for those whose two-year work permits expire before March 5, 2018 will still be accepted if submitted by Oct. 5. With this deadline looming overhead for some, the University could offer affected students legal resources and help with renewal paperwork. The Brandeis Counseling Center might also offer special mental health services tailored for students facing the threat of deportation or familial separation, as 993 community members suggested in an open letter to administrators in November. Additionally, faculty members could offer extensions and extra support to students whose immigration status might take a toll on their academics. In a Sept. 7 tweet, Trump wrote that DACA recipients concerned about their immigration status during this six month period “have nothing to worry about.” Brandeis is already on the right track in making undocumented students feel safe on campus. However, with much at stake and immigration status left uncertain for many, it is time for the University to put meaningful changes into action.
Address the lack of printer availability in the library
Although the screens in Goldfarb Library report that the printing system is now up and running, this board urges the University to examine what went wrong, particularly poor planning and a lack of communication. Due to issues with the printing payment system, library printing was offered for free at the start of the fall semester. Ideally, any issues with the payment system should have been resolved prior to the start of classes. This board acknowledges that this matter may have been out of the library’s hands, but it also finds the library’s lack of communication on the matter irresponsible. Except for posting signs, the library did little to make the student body aware of the initial free status of printing, leaving news of it to spread as a rumor. As students discovered the free printing, egregious overuse began, leading to the breakdown of not only one but — at one point — five of the six printers available to students in Goldfarb. If the library had made an announcement explaining the situation, as well as giving guidelines about courteous usage or limitations, the situation could have been controlled. Further, the library should have notified students when printers started to be put out of order. Not all students have the resources to access other means of printing, and the library was clearly aware of this, given their decision to allow free printing rather than temporarily removing the services at the beginning of the school year. As such, the library should also have known to alert the student body by the time there was only one available printer left. Had the library
Acknowledge student concerns sent out an announcement, students would have known to take their printing needs elsewhere. The reality of college is that many students print assignments shortly before class. With over a 20-minute backlog to the sole functional printer on Thursday, students were forced to choose between arriving to class late or arriving without their assignments. Additionally, the library’s silence meant that instructors were also unaware of the printing circumstances, leaving students to explain the situation themselves. Further, while the library’s initial decision to enable free printing — rather than rescind printing altogether — was commendable, this board believes that it was shortsighted. There were several students who viewed the free printing as an opportunity to print unlimited pages, some documents well over 40 pages long. Such inconsiderate behavior, in the end, directly caused both the printer breakdowns and backlogs. Paper and ink were wasted on PDF files of whole textbooks, and other students attempting to print more immediate documents were left waiting. Moreover, when impatient students abandoned their place to collect their printouts later, their documents joined an oversized collection of similarly abandoned papers on the table near the printer to be lost and, later, reprinted. This board urges students to take this situation as a reminder to be considerate of their peers.
Views the News on
According to a recent study from Pew Research Center, 67 percent of Americans revealed that they get at least some of their news from social media. Of this 67 percent, 74 percent of individuals receive their news from Twitter — a value that has significantly increased since the election of President Donald Trump. In the era of “fake news,” does there need to be more scrutiny on what news sources are trusted, or is social media just a convenient way to receive updates?
Prof. Jordan Pollack (COSI) In the history of civilization, there has rarely been a free-to-publish system. Soapboxes had limited audiences, lost-dog flyers needed labor to draw and staple, pamphleteers had to pay for printing. Then came spam: Anyone can send you email without your permission. Suddenly free broadcast could be achieved for advertising (“Viagra with no prescription!”), chainmail (“forward this to everyone you know!”), pyramid schemes (“send $1 to the top name, add yours to the bottom, and get rich!”) and conspiracy theories (“Building 7…”). Computer Science was just coming to grips with how to inhibit global chaining phenomena when Twitter was invented. It has evolved into permission-based spam where celebrity and outrage are more powerful than truth. Even if circuit-breaker technology can inhibit the spread of fake news, deranged individuals who can freely broadcast to millions are dangerous. Still, I’m supporting Katy Perry for President in 2020: She has 100m followers. Jordan Pollack (COSI) is a professor of Computer Science.
R Matthews ’19 I spend a lot of time on the internet, especially social media, and I understand completely why people are concerned about “fake news”, but we should be doing this already. Most news is biased in some way, and I feel as though people don’t do enough research on the news they are receiving or the sources they are getting it from. I feel as though not enough people do their due diligence when it comes to reading the news, regardless of what platform they get it from (online, social media, television, etc.). I do my best to remind people that the media is inherently biased. All these companies are ultimately run by a person or group of people who share a certain belief system. These biases most definitely flow into their companies and make their way into the minds of the public without most of us realizing. So ultimately, I don’t think censoring or trying to control what news sources people see on the internet is going to be very helpful. What is more helpful is the public doing their research, doing their due diligence and filling in the pieces that news sources or the media may leave behind. R Matthews’ 19 is a Computer Science and African and Afro-American Studies double major.
Farzana Parveen ’19 I feel like it’s fine receiving news on social media platforms. Everyone is on social media nowadays so news being provided on those keeps people updated on what’s going on in the world. I personally enjoy the news updates on Facebook, for example. It’s a nice way of being aware. News on social media is another way of advertisement. They are reaching a wider and younger audience. In our generation we don’t really watch the news on TV or read the papers. Technology has taken over and one way to reach out toward an audience is through social media platforms. People that would like to read more into news out of their own interest can look up relevant articles on other news sources. However, for most Americans, technology and social media are a part of our everyday life so receiving news on it is most convenient. Farzana Parveen ’19 is a member of Brandeis Robotics.
Alice Wu ’20 It is undeniable of the impact that social media has had on this generation. Content is constantly being uploaded in all social platforms. In fact, according to Fortunelords, 300 hours of video are being uploaded to YouTube every minute! The power of social media is a double edged sword. It may be beneficial to constantly be updated on current events, but it is not uncommon for information to be uncovered as “fake news.” As much as I would like to say there should be a measure to confirm that an article is from a credible source or trusted news, I know that it is not practical. People have grown accustomed to accessing information as soon as possible and adding an additional process would decrease revenue. Social media serves as a platform to update people. Although the information presented may not be the entire truth, the post encourages a discussion for people to talk about and debate. Alice Wu ’20 is a Computer Science major.
THE JUSTICE ● fORUM ● TUESDAY, September 12, 2017
11
Criticize President Trump’s decision regarding DACA By Elias rosenfeld JUSTICE staff writer
In President Donald Trump’s more than 230 days in the White House, he has enacted policies with which I have aggressively disagreed; from its stance on the American Health Care Act to climate change, this administration has rolled back Obama-era policies that would have positively affected this nation in the long-term. However, there has been no policy as inhumane, unjust and unfair as Trump’s decision on Sept. 5 to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that has shielded 800,000 undocumented immigrants who came here as children, from deportation, according to a Sept. 5 New York Times article. The program also enabled them, after strict background checks, to receive a two-year work authorization card that provided for thousands not only the ability to work but also the ability to apply for driver’s licenses and mortgages and, for many, the ability to purchase a car for the first time. DACA was not established by simple merit, it was the long-term effort of advocates and Dreamers against a hostile Obama administration that had been deporting more undocumented immigrants than any other U.S. administration in history, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Dreamers is a term given to undocumented immigrants who came here at a young age. The DREAM Act — for which they’re named — has failed to pass in Congress throughout multiple efforts in the last 16 years. In 2012, a group of Dreamers conducted a sit down in an Obama campaign office in Denver and demanded protection for an immigrant group that has the overwhelming support of a supermajority of Americans, according to a June 13, 2012 Huffington Post article. In this, DACA was born, because most Americans understand that it is morally unfair to punish a child for the actions of their parents, but most importantly, it is not in the interest of our nation to deport thousands of young individuals that are American in all aspects of life, except on paper. Dreamers are hardworking individuals ingrained in all fabrics of American life. DACA was never meant to be permanent; it served as a temporary protection at a time when Congress was playing political football with the lives of over 800,000 young people. In 2012, the Senate Gang of Eight— a bipartisan group of eight U.S. Senators, including Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) — passed the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act that would
BEN JARRETT/the Justice
increase border security while providing a pathway for undocumented individuals. It passed the Senate with bipartisan support, but it was never even given the chance of a vote in the House, according to a June 24, 2015 article from the Center for American Progress. As a result, President Barack Obama issued DACA, because Congress failed to do its job and serve the viewpoints of the American constituency. Over these last five years that DACA has existed, Dreamers have proven their contributions as beneficial members of American society. The deportation of DACA recipients would see billions in waste to our nation’s GDP, an extreme educational brain drain to students we have educated as a country for years and a reduction in our ability to be a global competitor. According to a Sept. 7 article in Fortune, DACA recipients are employed in all of the top 25 Fortune 500 companies, which is why we have seen entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook speak out on such an issue. However, the more significant drawback is the moral injustice that such deportations would bring. We would literally be sending children back to nations they barely know and expelling them from the only country they know as home. Though the average age of a DACA recipient is 25,
according to the Bipartisan Policy Center, children of undocumented immigrants are still affected. Ask yourself, would you hold a six-year-old child accountable for an immigration status? I myself understand this paralyzing fear because I am one of the 800,000 DACA recipients in this nation. I came to the U.S. from Caracas, Venezuela at the age of six with my mother and sister to flee the violence and political turmoil in my home country. My mother came here legally, under an L1 Managerial Visa that would have eventually enabled us to achieve a permanent resident status. Unfortunately, I never got this chance. When I was 11, my mother died of kidney cancer. In losing my mother, I lost my status without even knowing it. I discovered I was undocumented when, while applying for a learner’s permit in eighth grade, I was rejected for lacking a social security number. Being that I had considered myself American, this was an embarrassing moment. Yet, luckily for me, Obama issued DACA several months after, finally allowing me to to apply to get a driver’s license as well as specific scholarships and internships. It also enabled me to purchase my first car and finally legally work and contribute to my community. These upcoming six months are arguably
the most important and significant months for Dreamers. We have a golden opportunity to use this dark period to accomplish a permanent legislative solution that Congress has failed to pass in 16 years of trying. Legislators on both sides of the aisle have introduced a wide array of bills set to protect Dreamers. The Bridge, DREAM, Recognizing America’s Children and the American Hope Act are all current legislation in both the House and Senate to protect Dreamers. Even more important, this legislation has strong bipartisan support with key Republican leaders such as Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis,) and Senators Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), John Mccain (R-Ariz.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) expressing support for legislation aimed at protecting Dreamers. The most paralyzing of fears have begun to actualize for immigrant youth communities, but now is not the time to despair, rather to fight back in an effective political manner that will finally yield us permanent solutions. Dreamers should not fear deportation based on who is sitting in the White House. Jus as DACA was achieved, we will continue to be unafraid, fighting back by sharing our stories to show what we already know: We only seek to contribute to the only nation we call home, the United States.
Condemn the often unethical practices of medical personnel Nia
lyn purpose
From a young age, we are taught to trust people in positions of authority. However, there have been countless occasions in which the people that need help the most were only further hurt by those meant to help them. With the recent hurricanes plaguing the southern United States, I was reminded of those with more deadly outcomes. With the recent Hurricane Harvey, some hospitals had to be evacuated, yet the patients were well accounted for, according to an Aug. 30 Washington Post article. The same, however, cannot be said of the 2005 Hurricane Katrina. According to FEMA, over 1,300 lives were lost to Hurricane Katrina. Among those were 35 from St. Rita’s nursing home and 45 from Memorial Medical Center, according to a Sept. 7, 2005 New York Times article and an Aug. 25, 2009 New York Times article, respectively. In these situations, not only did the center come under question for their policies, but blame also fell on the doctors for their proposed preparedness. According to the Sept. 7, 2005 New York Times article, St. Rita’s was one of five major nursing homes in the region
of St. Bernard’s Parish and their evacuation plan depended upon that of another nursing home. Oddly, no calls were made to emergency services, and the only signs that precautionary measures were taken were dressers propped against windows and wheelchairs parked near the door. A similar story unfolded at Memorial Medical Center; here, doctors had to determine which patients were worth evacuating.
“
Issues of doctors neglecting patient well-being is nothing new. Over 48 hours after Katrina initially made landfall, doctors decided to divide patients into groups. Group one was the first to be evacuated, group two was the second and group three was the last. Individuals in group one were immediately taken to meet rescue boats, while group two was placed in a corridor waiting for helicopters and group three was moved to the corner of the second floor lobby. Group three primarily consisted of individuals with “Do Not Resuscitate” orders or those that were terminally ill. One patient was even euthanized using morphine, according to the same Aug. 9 article. Though the doctors involved may justify their
decisions on the basis that they need to prioritize those who have the greatest chance of living, who are they to choose who receives help? Doctors are supposed to ensure the health and wellbeing of patients in their care, and deciding who gets to live and who does not is beyond that description. Issues of doctors neglecting patient well-being is nothing new. A historic example of medical neglect and outright malpractice is the “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male.” According to the Center for Disease Control, the “study” began in 1932 when the Public Health Service began working with the Tuskegee Institute to study the natural progression of untreated syphilis. The individuals involved were told that they would be receiving treatments for “bad blood.” Of the 600 men studied, 399 had syphilis — none of whom received treatment for their ailment — and 201 did not. In exchange for their participation in the study, the men received free meals and medical exams. Even with the invention of penicillin, the men in the study still did not receive any actual medical treatment. When the Associated Press covered this revelation in 1972, when the study had finally ended, seven men had died of syphilis, and 150 had died of heart complications. Additionally, all of the doctors involved had already retired, according to July 25 Time article. Subsequently, a panel appointed by the Assistant Secretary for Health and Science Affairs found that none of the men had received adequate information to give consent nor were the details of the study revealed to them in totality. The experiment lasted for 40 years, and according to a June 17, 2016 article in
the Atlantic, it even contributed to the disparity in life expectancy between Black and white men in the 1980s. This is due to the lack of trust that members of the Black community developed after the AP article was published. This experiment led to the establishment of the Belmont report, which serves to protect the liberties of individuals involved in research. It summarizes the basic ethical principles used when conducting research involving human participants. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, it: establishes boundaries between research and medical practice, assesses the role of riskbenefit criteria, sets appropriate guidelines for the selection of human subjects and establishes a definition of informed consent. Though the report was put in place to protect people from the possible misuse of power by individuals in the field of medicine, this continues to be a problem. According to a March 22 ABC News article, this is a continuing problem within the medical field. More than 100 students at the University of Toronto’s medical school were interviewed for their opinions on ethical dilemmas. Of these students, half said that they were placed in a situation where an instructor encouraged them to act unethically and 61 percent even admitted to seeing doctors act unethically. It almost seems that prospective doctors are being groomed to go against the very oath they take to protect their patients. There needs to be a serious adjustment made to the medical field and how doctors are trained to react to difficult situations. The mistakes of the past have not been a deterrent or a motivation for those in the field to adjust their practices.
The opinions expressed on this page are those of each article’s respective author and do not reflect the viewpoint of the Justice.
Write to us
The Justice welcomes letters to the editor responding to published material. Please submit letters through our Web site at www.thejustice.org. Anonymous submissions cannot be accepted. Letters should not exceed 300 words, and may be edited for space, style, grammar, spelling, libel and clarity, and must relate to material published in the Justice. Letters from offcampus sources should include location. The Justice does not print letters to the editor and op-ed submissions that have been submitted to other publications. Op-ed submissions of general interest to the University community— that do not respond explicitly to articles printed in the Justice — are also welcome and should be limited to 800 words. All submissions are due Friday at 12 p.m.
Fine Print
The opinions stated in the editorial(s) under the masthead on the opposing page represent the opinion of a majority of the voting members of the editorial board; all other articles, columns, comics and advertisements do not necessarily. For the Brandeis Talks Back feature on the last page of the newspaper, staff interview four randomly selected students each week and print only those four answers. The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. Operated, written, produced and published entirely by students, the Justice includes news, features, arts, opinion and sports articles of interest to approximately 3,500 undergraduates, 900 graduate students, 500 faculty and 1,000 administrative staff. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods. Advertising deadlines: All insertion orders and advertising copy must be received by the Justice no later than 5 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the date of publication. All advertising copy is subject to approval of the editor in chief and the managing and advertising editors.
The Staff
For information on joining the Justice, write to editor@ thejustice.org.
Editorial Assistants
Arts: Emily Blumenthal, Kent Dinlenc, Brooke Granovsky,
Photography: Yvette Sei
Emily See, Anna Stern, Isabelle Truong
Features: Victor Feldman
Photography: Ydalia Colon, Talya Guenzburger,
Layout: Morgan Mayback
Adam Pann, Heather Schiller*, Anna Sherman, Joyce Yu Copy: Erica Breyman, Sara Fulton, Nicole Kim,
Staff
Monica Krishna, Angela Li, Siobhan McKenna,
News: Junsheng He, Liat Shapiro, Spencer Taft,
Rachel Moore, Billy Wilson*
Arianna Unger*, Maurice Windley
Layout: Jenna Nimaroff, Mayaan Rose
Features: Christine Kim, Leah Leybzon, Leigh Salomon
Illustrations: Ben Jarrett, Roman Loper, Aaron Marks,
Forum: Ben Feshbach*, Tafara Gava, Somar Hadid,
Julianna Scionti, Peri Meyers
Andrew Jacobson*, Maddox Kay*, Shubhan Nagendra, Elias Rosenfeld*, Ravi Simon, Judah Weinerman Sports: Gabriel Goldstein*, Samantha Proctor, Evan Robins
* denotes a senior staff member.
12
TUESDAY, September 12, 2017 ● forum ● THE JUSTICE
FORUM
Recognize the negative consequences of online anonymity Maddox
Kay
Global Warning
In 2017, who is a person? Our online persona, rather than public records, define our identities, and the internet is an unregulated space where people falsify their identities for their own nefarious purposes. A Sept. 7 New York Times article exposed new details of the Russian influence on the 2016 presidential election — specifically, how Russians created several hundred inauthentic Facebook and Twitter accounts which “spread antiClinton messages and promoted the hacked material leaked.” These accounts posed as individuals and “friended” real people in hopes of influencing them with these shared posts. According to a Sept. 6 New York Times article, these fake accounts also purchased over $100,000 in ads targeting divisive social issues such as immigration and gay rights. They did all this under aliases such as “Melvin Redick,” which did not exist in the public records of their states. In a bizarre twist, Russian influencers acted out a sinister episode of “Catfish.” If your appetite for reality television is not as ravenous as the average American’s, “Catfish” is a show where online couples who have never met in person are brought together for the first time. Premiering in 2012, the show developed a cult following — not because of any discoveries of true love, but rather because it exposed widespread deception and captivated audiences. It was only a matter of time before the ease and anonymity of social media was manipulated for political gain rather than for dating. Of course, lying on the internet is nothing new. For a time, every American with an email account was related to a Nigerian prince who was just dying to give them one million dollars — a scam that has existed since the mid 1990s, according to a May 19, 2013 Boston Globe article. The more naïve among us may have hesitated before clicking “delete.” Today, “don’t believe everything you hear on the internet” is common knowledge — passed on to children as the modern equivalent of “don’t talk to strangers.” A poorly worded email, without any evidence or photographs that asked the recipient to believe a practical fairy tale and hand over routing numbers. Come on. There is no identity test on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Users need only an email address — free and simple to create itself — to open an
JULIANNA SCIONTI/the Justice
account. This lends the sites a democratic nature, with relatively low barriers to entry. The flip side of this is that there is no test of legitimacy. In a step toward ensuring authenticity, the three platforms have begun offering “verified user” programs, in which users can request to submit identifying information to the network and meet with a representative to confirm their identity. However, the service is limited to accounts “determined to be of public interest,” according to Twitter’s Verification FAQ. This determination is made by Twitter. As of Sept. 9 of this year, Twitter verified 278,000 accounts, out of 328 million monthly active users, according to their most recent quarterly results. But the line between real and fake has blurred so fast that fake Instagram stars can amass thousands of followers without the hassle of a pulse. Case in point: Instagram “model” “Lil Miquela” generated controversy as fans tried to work out whether she was a real person or a computer-generated image; the general consensus is that she’s a hybrid of photographs and 3D imaging, according to a September 2016 report from Independent.
However, her actual identity does not matter to her 277,000 Instagram followers who propelled her music to two million plays on Spotify. Of course, this example seems rather silly, as a CGI model is hardly seen as a serious political figure. Yet Lil Miquela has expressed various — mostly socially liberal — political stances, according to an Aug. 17 Vogue article, and this establishes a dangerous precedent. As the 2016 election demonstrated, we live in a post-factual era of American politics. We value conviction over reality. It seems that America might make room in the political landscape for influencers who strike an emotional chord — their actual identities immaterial. According to the same New York Times article, fictional Melvin Redick, complete with “photos borrowed from an unsuspecting Brazilian,” made history as “among the first public signs of an unprecedented foreign intervention in American democracy.” The Russian imitators of the 2016 election have exposed a weakness in our reality. According to the Office for the Victims of Crime, identity theft is classified as “fraud and related activity in connection with identification documents.”
However, written in 1998, the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act failed to account for online identities, and the creation of a false persona which purports to be real but does not imitate a specific individual falls into a legal gray area. Increased regulation and policing towards online identity assumption would protect people from imposters but would not necessarily deter efforts like those of the Russians. Perhaps legislators should focus on the process of opening social accounts. After all, they are used for organizing, commerce and much of modern communication. For those envisioning a ‘Facebook DMV’ or thinking of onerous voter I.D. laws, rest assured, a simple video call with a representative to ensure that the account owner is a real person who roughly matches the uploaded photos would suffice. Social networks, in conjunction with municipalities, could launch ‘activation stations’ where anyone could come and use a webcam for free to make this call, in case one was not available at home. The openness of the internet is its greatest attribute, and everyone is better off when we are not getting Catfished.
Acknowledge importance of community on college campuses By RAVI SIMON JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
A brooding and overcast national atmosphere hangs over Brandeis. In the past couple of weeks, Brandeis students have confronted the prospect that their friends and family may face deportation, in addition to the threat of nuclear war with North Korea. The events in Charlottesville, Virginia, in particular, have charged the environment. The sight of Confederate flags, white, pointed hoods and swastikas openly and proudly displayed was terrifying. So, too, were the videos of ordinary-looking men, dressed in polos and khakis, chanting, “blood and soil” and, “Jews will not replace us” at the University of Virginia — as well as a president who fails to adequately condemn them. As the semester gets underway, we must all rise to the challenge of supporting one another, furthering meaningful conversation and seeking to expel ignorance and hate from our University. The Brandeis campus is often a refuge from the dramatic headlines and images that grace the front page of the New York Times and cycle through CNN. Yet spillover from Charlottesville has gone from local, to regional, to national. With the aftermath of these events, many of us were shocked when white supremacists attended a free speech rally 30 minutes from campus at the Boston Common. Then, only a couple days before the start of orientation, the University was shaken by a bomb threat. Why Brandeis was targeted is not clear, according to an email sent by University President Ronald Liebowitz. It follows, however, in a line of academic institutions to receive these sorts of threats in the past few years. Though other, non-Jewish, institutions have been targeted, there is still a lingering notion of anti-Semitism. Sadly, this is all part of the new normal in America — one in
which people are scared of the future and fear penetrates the safe haven created on campus. Part of me knows that it is irrational to feel that America is descending into a time of darkness, or that the moral arc of the universe has somehow been bent toward injustice by President Donald Trump. America has suffered through hundreds of years of injustice far worse than Trump and overcome it. Yet there is an inescapable feeling of uncertainty and insecurity which has been ever-present since November. The rules have been thrown out and the board flipped. The usually steady hand of leadership is spinning back and forth like a confused compass needle. It is necessary to recognize that this feeling of terror is valid and legitimate. The images from Charlottesville rightfully evoke deeply entrenched societal memories, such as Nazi Germany and the Confederacy. Students ought to feel discomfort from time to time; growth depends on the capacity of students to push their boundaries and propel themselves into terra incognita. Yet it is fundamental to that capacity for bravery that students feel safe pressing against the previous limits of their comfort zones. When the president contributes to this fear, rather than reassuring those most at risk, the onus falls on the University and the Brandeis community to support one another. To its credit, the University has done a remarkable job at this in many respects. As an Orientation Leader, I spent seven hours waiting in Gosman as the police searched campus, building by building, for a bomb. The Department of Community Living staff was incredibly kind and attentive; they constantly checked in with us and kept us in high spirits while the Sodexo staff managed to transport food for hundreds of people to Gosman on extremely short notice. While there were errors with the efficacy of the alert system for students off-campus, by and large, those who I talked to in Gosman felt secure. The next day, Senior
Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel distributed hundreds of flyers, which are now peppered across campus, to the Orientation Leaders and Community Advisors. They carry slogans such as, “Hate has no home here” and, “Love - Inclusion - Trust.” These posters are a powerful way to respond to an enemy we can neither directly see nor defeat. They are a message to the world that we will not be intimidated by threats of violence, but also a reassuring note to both the students returning to campus and those stepping onto it for the first time that Brandeis is a safe space for them. I also had the opportunity to attend the counter-protest in Boston a couple of weeks ago, aiming to demonstrate against the white supremacists who had assembled on the Common. According to an Aug. 18 New York Times article, 40,000 people attended the counterprotest and among those were several faces I recognized from Brandeis. We marched for two hours across Boston to the Statehouse, where we vastly outnumbered the approximately 30 people attending a “free-speech” rally. To paraphrase a friend of mine: You know that obviously most people find Nazism, racism and hate to be repugnant, but to actually have tens of thousands of them surround you is remarkably cathartic, referencing the few white supremacists. This feeling of community and validation is critical if Brandeis is to expel hate in all its forms. The truth is that anti-Blackness and white supremacy are rarely overt like at Charlottesville. They manifest themselves on this campus in far more insidious ways; I learned firsthand what these experiences can look like this semester. Social Justice PreOrientation, or SOJO, is a program in which incoming students come to campus two days early for activities which challenge and inform their sense of identity and obligation. As an Orientation Leader for the program, I facilitated
The opinions expressed on this page are those of each article’s respective author and do not reflect the viewpoint of the Justice.
conversations and exercises such as “Break Down the Wall,” in which participants each write a word or phrase on the board which they never want to hear again. Then, as the students feel compelled to speak, one by one they explain their choice. Students outed themselves, talked about experiences with mental health and racism and sobbed as they talked about stereotypes. It was a space in which people felt comfortable being vulnerable with one another and educated each other — a space in which people felt safe being brave. SOJO sets the bar each year for what campus conversation and discourse can, and ought to, look like. This year’s required reading for incoming students was “Citizen,” by Claudia Rankine, a book of poems and vignettes about microaggressions and daily examples of racism. It could not have been a better choice. The incoming students have not experienced Ford Hall 2015 and some may be coming from communities that are not diverse and that are often exclusionary — much like I did at the start of my first year. “Citizen” was powerful, moving and extremely educational. It pushed students to have meaningful conversations in their orientation groups and encouraged Orientation Leaders like myself to broach difficult topics with them. In this climate, we must make sure that students have platforms and events to talk among themselves and learn from each other. When the United States fails to live up to its promise, we must ensure that Brandeis does. Much like our country, this University was founded on radical ideals and notions of equality. As long as the national atmosphere remains poisonous and inhospitable to real discourse, real conversations and real change, Brandeis, both in the sense of the administration and the community of students, cannot settle for simply making our new and returning students feel accepted — we must make them feel loved and welcomed.
2017
10 THE JUSTICE ● Sports ● Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 12, 2017
MSOCCER: Team hopes to build on wellfought win CONTINUED FROM 16 fall to 2-2. After an impressive season last year, Brandeis looked a little shaky out of the gate with a loss. However, the team has regrouped with back-to-back victories. Most noticeably, the veterans of this squad have been leading the way for the powerhouse Judges, Senior Ocel has been especially huge for the team so far this season. He has made his presence on the turf well-known through three games this far, and with a team-high two assists, he has clearly been making his teammates better as
CONTINUED FROM 16
WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE
well. With a National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament birth as motivation, and a strong leadership core, this team now looks poised for yet another championship run. Looking ahead, the Judges continue their four-game homestand Wednesday evening against Worcester Polytechnic Institute at 7:00 p.m. The squad then hosts Elms College on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The team will be looking for its third and fourth consecutive victories, as it strives to live up to its preaseason hype. With expectations set high, it remains to be seen how the Judges will fare.
XC: Athletes strive to keep up recent success with tough meet on Saturday campaign. The additions of top runners Ryan Stender ’18 and Mitchell Hutton ’18, who both took home All-New England honors last season, back into the mix along with these talented newcomers bodes well for the Judges’ chances this season. As the team received a preseason ranking for the first time since 2011, coaches around the National Collegiate Athletic Association recognize that this team has a chance to be different.
13
Both Brandeis teams return to action next Saturday, Sept. 16, at the University of MassachusettsDartmouth Invitational. This Invitational marks the first big challenge of the season, as a large number of teams flock to the UMass-Dartmouth campus to compete. Despite these daunting figures, both Brandeis teams have had a tremendous amount of success at this particular event These impressive runners will now look to repeat their success this season.
NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
JUKING JUDGE: Forward Sasha Sunday ’19 pushes past her Bridgewater State University defender in a match on Sept.5.
WSOCCER: Club will aim to
extend its winning streak CONTINUED FROM 16 Again throughout the game, the Judges showed spectacular defense across the turf. Specifically, Dana showed much resilience as she did not let Bridgewater State put points on the scoreboard. Her endurance throughout the almost two-hour long game started her week off strong and showed her immense potential for future games this season. Turning to the offense, forward Katie Romanovich ’21, in her debut performance with Brandeis, showed off her skills with a goal for the Judges. Similarly, forward Julia Matson ’19 was a leader on offense,
netting a goal of her own for the dominant squad. After reaching the National Collegiate Athletic Associate Final Four last season, the Judges had high hopes coming into this season. With a subsequently high preseason ranking as well, the squad was well known around Division III athletics as a force to be reckoned with. With players having graduated though, it remained to be seen if new and returning players alike were going to step it up in the most competitive of stages. After a season-opening loss, the team has completely turned it around with three consecutive victories. The veterans on this team
have come up clutch for Brandeis and appear to be hungry for another NCAA tournament birth. Players who are new to the action this season, like Dana, have looked anything but out of place. Dana has held her own in superior fashion, as seen by her two shutout wins this past week. The squad appears to be on a roll, and it does not look like they are planning to stop anytime soon. The Judges are off to an excellent start this year and will look to continue their recent success this Wednesday on the road against Eastern Connecticut State University. The team will attempt to earn its fourth consecutive win.
SOCCER VOLLEYBALL TENNIS TRACK
Write for Sports! Contact Ben Katcher at sports@thejustice.org
SOCCER VOLLEYBALL TENNIS TRACK
Everyone has a story. Help us find it.
Write for the features section of
the
Justice
Contact Kirby Kochanowski at features@thejustice.org for more information.
Want to become red carpet famous?
Write for Arts Contact Hannah Kressel at arts@thejustice.org IMAGE COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
THE JUSTICE
jUDGES BY THE NUMBERS
● Sports ●
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
15
VOLLEYBALL
Men’s Soccer UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS Goals
Andrew Allen ’19 is tied for the team lead with one goal. UAA Conf. Overall W L D W L D Pct. Player Goals Chicago 0 0 0 4 0 0 1.000 Andrew Allen 1 NYU 0 0 0 2 0 1 1.000 Devan Casey 1 WashU 0 0 0 2 0 1 1.000 Noah Gans 1 Carnegie 0 0 0 3 1 0 .750 Joshua Handler 1 Rochester 0 0 0 2 0 2 1.000 JUDGES 0 0 0 2 1 0 .667 Assists Case 0 0 0 2 1 1 .667 Josh Ocel ’18 leads the team Emory 0 0 0 2 2 0 .500 with two assists. Player Assists EDITOR’S NOTE: Josh Ocel 2 Colin Panarra 1 Wednesday vs. WPI Jake Warren 1 Saturday vs. Elms College Sept. 19 vs. Mass. Maritime
WOMen’s Soccer UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS Goals
Chicago WashU Rochester Carnegie JUDGES Case Emory NYU
UAA Conf. W L D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Overall W L D 4 0 0 4 0 0 4 0 1 3 0 1 3 1 0 3 1 0 3 1 0 2 2 0
Pct. 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 .750 .750 .750 .500
EDITOR’S NOTE: Wednesday at Eastern Conn. St. Saturday at Johnson & Wales Sept. 19 vs. Babson College
Haliana Burhans ’18 is tied for the team lead with two goals. Player Goals Haliana Burhans 2 Samantha Schwartz 2 Sasha Sunday 2 Hannah Maatallah 1
Assists Sasha Sunday ’19 leads the team with two assists. Player Assists Sasha Sunday 2 Katie Hayes 1 Hannah Maatallah 1 Maddie Marx 1
VOLLEYBALL UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS Kills
Carnegie Rochester Emory Chicago Case JUDGES WashU NYU
UAA Conf. W L 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Overall W L Pct. 8 0 1.000 7 1 .875 6 1 .857 5 1 .833 5 2 .714 4 2 .667 5 3 .625 3 6 .333
EDITOR’S NOTE: Wednesday vs. UMass-Boston Saturday vs. Southern Vermont Sept. 19 vs. Regis College (Mass.)
Emma Bartlett ’20 leads the team with 48 kills. Player Kills Emma Bartlett 48 Shea Decker-Jacoby 44 Marissa Borgert 34 Belle Scott 32
Digs Yvette Cho ’19 leads the team with 105 digs. Player Digs Yvette Cho 105 Shea Decker-Jacoby 49 Clare Meyers 45 Marissa Borgert 38
cross cOuntry Results from the Wellesley College Inivitational on Sept. 1.
TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)
TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)
5-Kilometer Run RUNNER TIME Luke Ostrander 16:30.1 Mark Murdy 16:32.3 Josh Lombardo 16:36.0
5-Kilometer Run RUNNER TIME Emily Bryson 18:31.8 Julia Bryson 18:58.8 Meaghan Barry 19:32.7
EDITOR’S NOTE: Sept. 16 at UMass-Dartmouth Invitational Sept. 30 at Keene State College Invitational
GWENDOLYN HARRIS/the Justice
FIRST-YEAR PHENOM: Right side hitter Marissa Borgert ’21 prepares her attack against Bowdoin College on Friday.
Club improves to 4-2 after pair of victories ■ Middle hitter Emma Bartlett ’20 posted a .727 hit ratio in a win against the University of Rochester. By JERRY MILLER JUSTICE EDITOR
The women’s volleyball team went 2-1 over the weekend at the New England Invitational, sweeping the Rochester Institute of Technology and Anna Maria College. Judges 3, Rochester 0 The Judges steamrolled through Rochester in three clean sets, keeping their perfect record for Saturday intact. The Judges got off to a hot start, knocking down Rochester 9-2 in the first 11 points of the match. Rochester got back on its feet, battling the Judges in what was the only close set of the match. The Judges narrowly escaped, winning 25-20, but noticeably revved up their performance in the final two sets, grinding out 25-11 and 25-14 wins, respectively. Outside hitter Shea Decker-Jacoby ’19 led the squad with nine kills on the day and 12 digs, while middle hitter Emma Bartlett ’20 contributed eight kills on an unbelievable .727 hit ratio.
Setter Leah Pearlman ’19 contributed a game-high 22 assists in addition to libero Yvette Cho’s ’19 10 digs. Judges 3, Anna Maria 0 Anna Maria came into the game with an even 3-3 record on the season, having lost 3-0 to Rochester the day before. Meanwhile, the Judges were reeling from their 3-0 loss to Bowdoin College a day before. However, the Judges managed to forget about their past woes, cruising to a 3-0 sweep of their own on Saturday morning. The squad handled Anna Maria easily in the first set, coming away with a 25-17 win. That set them up for a close second set, in which the Judges pulled away with a 25-20 nailbiter. The squad handily finished their opponent with a 25-13 third-set victory, taking home a 3-0 sweep. Cho poured in an enormous 15 digs, while Decker-Jacoby added her first 10 kills of the day. Overall the team hit well, managing a stellar .255 hit ratio for the match. Senior outside hitter Rebecca Foti dominated the Amcats’ side of the net, posting a team-leading statistic in nearly every category. Foti pounded in two service aces, slammed six kills and powered in 12 digs in what was a futile effort for the team. Despite the loss, Foti has
emerged as a tough opponent. Judges 0, Bowdoin 3 The Judges have had trouble with Bowdoin in the past, getting swept by the team last year in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Invitational during the 2016 to 2017 season. This time around things were no different, with the Judges falling in three successive sets to the superior Polar Bears. However, the Judges didn’t back down without a fight, battling the Polar Bears in a tough 25-20 first-set loss. The Judges managed a mere eight kills in the first set versus Bowdoin’s 16. The Judges increased their efforts in the second set, but to no avail, losing narrowly 25-22. The squad slammed 14 kills on a respectable .242 hitting but were outmatched by Bowdoin’s 15 kills and .289 hitting. The Judges had no gas left in the tank, collapsing in a disappointing third set, 25-17. The team hit just .091, while contributing only nine kills in a losing effort. Bartlett led the team in kills, dropping seven on the day, while Cho poured in a team-high 15 digs of her own. Overall, the match came down to the teams’ hitting percentages. While Bowdoin hit a fantastic .303, the Judges could not do the same, putting up a mediocre .144 percentage.
PRO SPORTS BRIEF The defending champion Patriots will need to bounce back after season-opener upset to Chiefs The National Football League began Thursday night with the defending champion New England Patriots falling to the Kansas City Chiefs. In a well-played game between two strong teams, the Chiefs were able to prevail thanks mostly to an excellent debut from rookie running back Kareem Hunt. Hunt ran wild against the New England defense, accumulating more than 250 total yards from scrimmage. The first year player out of Kent State University showed no fear as he promptly embarrassed what is believed to be the best team in football. The Patriots, coming off a string of two Super Bowl victories out of the last three, were thought by most analysts to be the presumptive favorites heading into the 2017 to
2018 season. Led by their larger than life quarterback Tom Brady and stars such as tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receiver Julian Edelman, the club seemed invincible. This sentiment was only strengthened by a strong offseason with acquisitions such as cornerback Stephon Gilmore and wide receiver Brandin Cooks. However, things have been less than picture perfect as New England has had a poor start to the season. Even before the game against the Chiefs, the team faced a setback when Edelman went down with a season-ending injury. Replacing Edelman will be a difficult hurdle for the Pats, but one that will be necessary in order to once again raise the Lombardi trophy. So far, Edelman’s injury has
become a burden, as the team struggled occasionally on the offensive end during the loss to Kansas City. While on paper New England seemed to be the favorites, it looked overmatched for much of the game as the Chiefs put together a complete game. Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith significantly outplayed Brady with an impressive stat line of 368 passing yards to go along with four touchdowns, as opposed to 267 yards with no TDs. In addition to Hunt, receiver Tyreek Hill showed up in a big way to the tune of 133 receiving yards and a touchdown. Even though Kansas City lost starting running back Spencer Ware before the season even began, Hunt and Hill have already demonstrated that they are capable of picking up
the workload. The defeat for the Pats was a momentous one, as it marked the first time since 2006 that the team had fallen to another team in its own conference while playing at home. This remarkable streak showcases New England’s dominant run over the last decade and a half. The team hopes to continue on this run of domination, even though the first game did not go as planned. However, fans’ anxieties can be quelled by recalling that the Pats are lucky to play in one of the NFL’s worst divisions. While there might be tough games facing the squad on the schedule, including a Super Bowl rematch against the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 22, the team will also play a combined six games against their division rivals.
The rest of the American Football Conference East Division, the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets, are expected to be among the worst teams in the league this season. With Brady at the helm and Head Coach Bill Belichick steering the ship, the Pats will have a difficult time not being in title contention. However, as the loss to Kansas City demonstrated, the team has real holes that might not simply mend by themselves. However, as last year’s Super Bowl very clearly showed, football fans should not count out the New England Patriots too early. While every season brings new and interesting storylines to follow, this year remains one of high interest. —Noah Hessdorf
just
Sports
Page 16
KILLING IT The women’s volleyball team looked strong in competition as it picked up two shutout wins at home on Saturday, p. 15.
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
WOMen’S SOCCER
POWER KICK
Judges earn two wins this week ■ Forward Sasha Sunday ’19
put in the thrilling gamewinner against Wentworth Institute of Technology. By SAMANTHA PROCTOR JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
The women’s soccer team has made stellar improvements right from the start as it came away with two wins this past week. Judges 1, Wentworth 0 Brandeis women’s soccer finished an undefeated week with a score of 1-0 against Wentworth Institute of Technology. This advanced the team’s record to 3-1 two weeks into the season. The Judges put their endurance on display through two scoreless halves, leading them to overtime. The match remained scoreless through the first overtime, leading to a second extra frame. The Judges stepped it up in this final period and ultimately came away with the game-winning goal to send the Judges home happy. Despite the extended length of the match, the Judges never backed down against their opponents. On
Waltham, Mass.
defense, many of the players on the turf made great efforts to preserve the shutout; especially impressive was goalkeeper Sierra Dana ’20, who took her first career win from earlier this week and used it to drive her on Saturday. She did not allow any goals from the other team, making it another perfect week. On offense, the Judges were unable to find much success in regulation, as they attempted 24 shots on net without a score. Forward Sasha Sunday ’19 put the team on her back in the second overtime, though, as she finally put one past the Wentworth goalkeeper for the hardfought victory. Judges 2, Bridgewater State 0 Brandeis started the week strong with a 2-0 win against Bridgewater State University in the first home match of the season. With a scoreless first half, both teams’ defensive play was noticeably tough. However, in the second half, the Judges showed off their strength with two goals close to the end of the half within nine minutes of each other. The Judges’ defense held strong until the end as they notched their first shutout win of the week.
See WSOCCER, 13 ☛
CROSS COUNTRY
Teams secure top spots to open season ■ Both Brandeis cross
country teams came away with first place overall wins in their season openers. By EVAN ROBINS JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Both Brandeis cross country teams took the top spots in the season-opening Wellesley College Invitational on Friday Sept. 1. The women’s team, ranked 33rd in Division III, overwhelmed the competition on its way to victory over the Wellesley College and Regis College teams. The Judges nearly put together a perfect performance, as Brandeis runners individually took six of the top eight spots, including one through four. Emily Bryson ’19 led the way for all teams in the five-kilometer race with a time of 18 minutes and 31.8 seconds. This strong performance to begin the year augurs another exceptional season for Bryson, who put together backto-back All-American campaigns in her first two years. This earned her a spot as one of the team’s three captains this year. Finishing right on her heels was her sister, and fellow captain, Julia Bryson ’19, who also completed the race ahead of the 19-minute mark with a time of 18:58.8. Classmate Meaghan Barry ’19 placed third, going the distance in 19.32.7 and capping off an impressive run for the Brandeis Class of 2019. In addition to the team’s established runners, Niamh Kenney ’21 and Natalie Iwaszkiewicz ’21 opened their Brandeis careers with top-ten finishes, with Kenney taking fourth place and Iwaszkiewicz coming in eighth. The team’s infusion of new talent will likely be an important narrative as the
Judges go forward this season. The team features seven firstyears, good for nearly half of the roster, in contrast to only two firstyears a year ago. With Kenney and Iwaszkiewicz already making big contributions, along with Andrea Bolduc ’21, who finished 11th, this team’s mix of youth and experience may be what is needed to improve on last year’s unranked finish. With their third preseason ranking in four years and their second consecutive preseason rank of No. 33, the Judges return this season in a position to make serious noise. The men’s cross country team also impressed over their competition at the Wellesley Invitational. The 32nd ranked Judges won the five-kilometer race over the Wentworth Institute of Technology and Regis College teams. The team accrued the most points despite holding out its top two runners and losing the top two spots of the race to the Wentworth Leopards. In large part this was due to the massive success of the team’s first-years. The Judges took the next nine places, led by firstyears finishing third, fourth, fifth and ninth in the race. First-year Luke Ostrander ’21 paced the team in his collegiate debut with a time of 16:30.1 — good for third — while fellow first-year Mark Murdy ’21 (16:32.3), Josh Lombardo ’21 (16:36.0) and Harper Pollio-Barbee ’21 (17:06.2) finished fourth, fifth and ninth, respectively. Seniors Max Whitmore ’18 and Brian Shepard ’18 took sixth and seventh with times of 16:43.7 and 16:55.7, respectively. Dan Curley ‘20 rolled into the finish line at the 17:03.2 mark, placing eighth in the race for the Judges. This team looks to build on last year’s unranked close to the
See XC, 13 ☛
YDALIA COLON/the Justice
SOCCER STRENGTH: Forward Patrick Flahive ’18 sets up to rocket the ball across the turf against Babson College on Saturday.
Squad comes out on top in rivalry matchup ■ The Judges continued to
meet their high expectations with a close victory over rival Babson College Beavers. By GABRIEL GOLDSTEIN JUSTICE SENIOR writer
The men’s soccer team’s sole action of the week came Saturday in a cross-town rivalry showdown with Babson College. As usual, the rivalry match did not disappoint, as the Judges and Beavers went back and forth in what proved to be Brandeis’ most significant win of the young 2017 season. After dropping their season opener, the Judges seem to have regained their footing and are living up to their No. 4 ranking. Judges 2, Babson 1 Saturday’s showdown at Gordon Field gave a packed house plenty of reason to watch from the edge of their seats, as Brandeis and Babson dueled in what has become a characteristically exciting rivalry. The Judges started off the game’s scoring in the 42nd minute, when
transfer defenseman Colin Panarra ’20 chipped a perfect pass to open forward Devin Casey ’19, who proceeded to net his first career goal in only his third appearance for the squad. On the defensive end, the Judges’ typically suffocating effort held Babson at bay until the 83rd minute, when junior midfielder Noah Parker’s corner kick led to an offensive frenzy that ultimately resulted in a headedhome goal from sophomore forward Chris Czarnecki. The stalemate did not last long, however, as the Judges proved themselves unshaken by the Beavers’ late surge. After a Babson defender’s second yellow card of the match, the Judges capitalized on a free kick that set up forward Josh Ocel ’18 to blast home what proved to be the game’s decisive goal. The Beavers countered with an admirable offensive attack, nearly notching the score once more, but fell short when junior forward Youssef Silwanis’s late attempt narrowly struck the crossbar. While the final score reflects a close match, the Judges were in the driver’s seat for the better part of 90 minutes. The Judges had
five more shots on goal than the Beavers, owning the advantage 1611. What’s more, the Judges held a 7-3 advantage on corner kicks on the night. Most alarming for the Beavers, Brandeis committed a comparatively low nine fouls to Babson’s 18, the last of which resulted in Ocel’s golden goal. Perhaps most indicative of the Judges’ control throughout the match, goalkeeper Ben Woodhouse ’18, who typically finishes games with a handful of saves, completed the win with just one stop. On the other side of the box, Babson senior keeper James Takami finished the match with five saves. With the win, the all-time rivalry record now moves to 26-29-10 in favor of the Beavers. Though Babson currently holds the edge in match history, the Judges have won five of the last six meetings between the two squads. The game’s close score is typical of the rivalry’s increasingly thrilling nature, as eight of the last nine matches between the teams have been decided by one goal. The victory brings the Judges to 2-1 on the season, while the Beavers
See MSOCCER, 13 ☛
Vol. LXX #2
September 12, 2017
-
just
Waltham, Mass.
Images: Yvette Sei/the Justice and Creative Commons. Design: Yvette Sei/the Justice.
18
TUESDAY, THE JUSTICE sEPTEMBER | Arts | 12, TUESDAY, 2017 iJanuary Arts i THE 31,JUSTICE 2017
Film Review
Reflecting on the reign of ‘Wonder Woman’ By Emily SEE justice Staff writer
There never seems to be a lack of intriguing superhero movies. So it was no surprise that when “Wonder Woman” came out on June 2, 2017, it was an instant hit. With a 92 percent rating in Rotten Tomatoes and a box office of $813.2 million, “Wonder Woman” has been in over 4,165 theatres for 100 days. Being such a big hit, Warner Bros. has already announced the return of Gal Gadot in the sequel being released in 2019. In “Wonder Woman,” Israeli actress Gal Gadot plays the main role of Diana. We first saw the development of her strong female character in an appearance in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” In preparation for this role, she had to train in sword fighting, kickboxing and jiu-jitsu to fully represent her character. Her training gave her a realistic and more defined
appearance in her role as Diana. In the film, she acts with passion and desire and reflects both confusion from being sheltered from the world but also straightforward courage as she heads towards conflicts. The main character of “Wonder Woman,” Princess Diana, along with the rest of the Amazons, is tasked with preventing Ares from turning the world of humans evil. The scenes from her home and the music background in the movie created a sense of urgency, but also melancholy. There is one particular part of the movie where Diana comes to a realization with music playing in the background, and the audience feels more intrigued and amazed. In one such realization, male lead Chris Pine teaches Diana about the good that is still in humanity. Other main characters include Diana’s teacher, Robin Wright, who helps Diana to be the best she can be; Diana’s mother Connie Nielsen, who
spends her entire life protecting Diana; a major German general Danny Huston and major American general David Thewlis, who both help and prevent Diana from helping humanity. Directed by Patty Jenkins, this movie sculpted a story of a naïve warrior turned into an inspiring hero. Very similar to a Disney princess, Diana is a free spirited and rebellious character. Struggling with her opinions of the world, she chooses to try to save it. While in the movie it is made clear that Diana has some sort of superpowers, her strength focuses elsewhere. Jenkins did a fantastic job in making Diana a symbol of strength even without the superpowers. Not only appealing to women in the stance of embracing female power, the movie also tries to include men not only taking Wonder Woman’s side but also accepting a woman saving a man. The acting was effective in delivering these ideas.
Every part of the movie, from the music to the scenery, appears remarkable because it adds perspective to the viewer. The sequences of special effects were also very enriching, especially in the fighting scenes, putting the audience on the edges of their seats. When her whip glowed and her shield reflected bullets, it showed the hard work put into making the special effects look amazing. From the special effects to the writing styles to the various emotions the movie made the audience feel, “Wonder Woman” continues to be a movie that people talk about. If you have not already seen “Wonder Woman,” it is a powerful film that engages you the entire 141 minutes. While some critics believe it to be too long, most audiences are pulled to it because of its unpredictability and glamour. Overall, with very few drawbacks, the movie effectively not only empowers women but also encourages men to let women feel empowered.
Exhibition review
New Rose exhibition is introspective and inviting By ISabelle Truong
Photos by NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
justice Staff writer
The Rose Art Museum hosted a partial opening this past Thursday to kick off the fall semester’s exhibitions. The opening, which boasted free popcorn, cotton candy and lemonade, offered the public the opportunity to see new works, some of which, unfortunately, are not part of the Rose’s permanent collection. One of the exhibitions, titled “Body Talk” welcomes interesting conversation about abstract yet relevant ideas — a great example of how art can mesh aesthetic and message. Of the four shows downstairs, including a collection of Joe Bradley’s work as well as an exhibition curated by Bradley himself, only three were open, including a new film by John Akomfrah and Kevork Mourad’s “Immortal City.” My favorite exhibition is curated by Luis A. Croquer, the Rose’s new Henry and Lois Foster Director and Caitlin Julia Rubin, the Rose’s Assistant Curator, titled “Body Talk.” It’s not easy to talk about the human body through a perspective that isn’t biological or anatomical; the conditioning of social stigma toward an unclothed body proves to be quite strong even today. “Body Talk,” however, challenges that idea. All works are laid out in the open, depicting different interpretations of the body, some more abstract and possibly difficult to notice initially, others less obscure. Some of the works are beautiful while others are more jarring, belonging to a more campy style of art. For example, “Horizon with Hands” by Joan Semmel is a realistic painting of a naked body with a practically flawless complexion. Conversely, Robert Melee’s “I Witness Unit” consists of a base cluttered with various memorabilia and pictures of older naked women sporting garish makeup and posed wildly. But there’s more. “Le Cyclope Amoureux,” by André Masson, is entirely different, a surreal fantasy of shapes and lines that congregate subtly to depict a face. There are more pieces that warrant further analysis — works of different styles and art movements; I wholly recommend a full exploration of the entire exhibition. I talked to Ashley Loch ’20, who works at the Rose, about the collection and why it seems to have such wide appeal. We both agreed that, through the pieces, the collection conjoins the ugly and the beautiful. She explained, “What I love about the ‘Body Talk’ exhibit is that when you enter, it’s this journey that gets more and more disturbing as you go along, because it
VISUAL THINKING: Two visitors discuss one of the pieces from the Rose’s collection being exhibited.
LIGHT OF REASON: Two students have a snack by the Light of Reason during the Rose Art Museum open house.
starts more vague and a lot more abstract, but then you are confronted with these cells that honestly look like a picture from a microscope. They are just so perfectly created, and it’s just insane to see these blown up to that extent, ... being able to see the beautiful aspects and the ones that are idealized but also the parts that are just so disturbing that we try to avoid. I think it just makes it an inclusive, all-encompassing exhibit.” By “cells,” Loch is referring to a painting by Carrie Moyer, which is a large, vivid piece of dark, pinkish-red circles of different shapes across a white canvas. This can be interpreted as a microscopic image of the cells — a more literal iteration of the “Body Talk” theme. Also, through a very similar anatomical perspective, “Needed-Erase-Her” by Hannah Wilke is a smaller piece which consists of multiple little structures constructed out of chewing gum resembling the vagina.
Something I took away from “Body Talk,” is that art doesn’t have to make you feel comfortable. Rather, it aims to express an individual message — one that can be off-putting in the traditional sense but still important. Depicting bodies that don’t match those in Vogue spreads doesn’t make the work any less beautiful or any less potent in its intention. If anything, it adds on to the conversation that the human body is so powerful by its invoking of different reactions. It embraces what is “ugly” in normative standards and puts it all out there. These “out of the ordinary” pieces are still strangely beautiful, and the act of displaying them is also strangely beautiful in itself, in addition to it being bold. These pieces makes you feel the same sort of feeling as, say, looking at a work which displays a conventionally pretty body. All are so incredibly diverse, though they all contribute to this same discourse
about “body.” In my opinion, “Body Talk” is one of the most innovative and satisfying collections the Rose has offered within the last few semesters, not only because discussion of the body is usually avoided, but also because of the special statement each piece makes. This exhibit truly left me in awe. The other collections on display at the Rose, available at the moment, stunned me, as well; however, I felt there was something extraordinary about “Body Talk” — definitely my favorite exhibition I’ve seen thus far. If you’re interested in participating in an artistically moving experience, I would highly recommend checking out “Body Talk” as soon as possible. —Editor’s note: Hannah Kressel ’20, who is the Arts Editor of the Justice, is a Guide at the Rose and involved in the Student Committee for the Rose Art Museum.
PERUSING PIECES: A visitor studies one of the smaller works exhibited at the Rose Art Museum.
19
THEi arts JUSTICE i arts i TUESDAY, January 31, 2017 THE JUSTICE i Tuesday, sEPTEMBER 12, 2017
Theater review
Photos by HEATHER SCHILLER/the Justice
THING 1 AND THING 2: Thing 1 and Thing 2 (Riely Allen ’18, left, and Ryan Sands ’19, right) blow wind on Horton (Noah Schultz ’21), acting as weather.
Oh, the things you can do in 24 hours! By Emily Blumenthal justice Staff writer
A spotlight shone on a whiteand red-striped hat in the middle of the stage, and as the lights came on in the Carl J. Shapiro Theater, the actors erupted onto the stage with a burst of raw energy. In a regular musical, that would be what you’d expect when the curtain rises for the beginning of the first act. However, this was no ordinary musical. Each year, Brandeis holds the 24-Hour Musical. Over the course of 24 hours, a group of actors and stage crew put together an entire musical, including learning lines and choreography, building sets and creating costumes. On Sunday night, Brandeis students saw the culmination of their efforts. This year, the musical of choice was “Seussical,” a mishmash of Dr. Seuss’ stories. The world of “Seussical” is created by the small boy Jojo (Ryan Del Vasto ’20), who invents the show’s narrator, The Cat in the Hat (Ben Greene ’21). The plot follows the elephant Horton (Noah Schultz ’21), who discovers a speck of dust on a clover which turns out to be a planet filled with tiny Who people. The other creatures in the Jungle of Nool, however, do not believe that the Whos exist and, led by the Sour Kangaroo (Leah Chanen ’20) and the hilariously mischievous Wickersham Brothers, try to excommunicate Horton. As Horton tries to communicate with the Whos, his shy bird neighbor Gertrude McFuzz (Lauren Komer ’21) seeks to gain Horton’s attention but is ashamed of her one-feather tail. Komer’s strong yet tentative voice and solid acting made her a very convincing Gertrude. She meets Mayzie La Bird (Sarah Lavin
’21), an ostentatious, narcissistic bird with a many-feathered tail who suggests that Gertrude take pills in order to get a larger tail and Horton’s attention. Lavin’s acting was very good, but her singing frequently was flat. Meanwhile, on the planet Who, Jojo is now in the story as the son of the Mayor of Whoville (Nyomi White ’20) and has gotten in trouble at school for thinking too many abnormal “thinks.” As a result of his strange thinks, Jojo is sent to the military, which is led by the evil General Genghis Khan Schmitz (Nate Rtishchev ’21). Rtishchev was imposing as the General, setting the Who cadets in line with his militaristic strut. The Wickersham Brothers and the eagle Vlad Vladikoff (Mendel Weintraub ’21) steal the clover, dropping it in a giant field. Horton searches in vain for the Whos but is unsuccessful. He then meets Mayzie La Bird, who has laid an egg she does not want. After complaining that she has been sitting on the egg for days and needs a vacation, she asks Horton to sit on it for her for an afternoon, and he obliges. Horton is captured by hunters, who auction him off to the Circus McGurkus. As he sits on the egg penned in a cage, he is visited by Mayzie La Bird. She tells him to keep the egg, and although he is worried that he cannot properly parent the future creature he vows to try his best, saying “An elephant’s word is 100 percent.” Gertrude McFuzz rescues him and, having finally gotten his attention, professes her love and gives him the clover. Gertrude’s song “For You” captured her infatuation with Horton but also encompassed a key theme in the show — being grateful for what you have. Gertrude was ashamed of her one-feather tail, but when
she got a more voluptuous one, she realized that it hindered her actions and she became grateful for her natural self. The Sour Kangaroo and the Wickersham Brothers capture Horton and bring him and the clover to trial. The citizens of the Jungle of Nool try to convince the Judge (Ben Steinberg ’18) of Horton’s insanity, chanting “boil it” (referring to the clover). The Whos rally together and try to be heard but are unsuccessful. Then, Jojo comes up with a new “think” which allows the Whos to be heard and saved from an untimely demise. The Whos’ rallying cry and the trial covered two other important themes — accepting those who are different, and “a person’s a person no matter how small.” Jojo was previously shunned for having abnormal “thinks,” but the Whos realized that his imagination was important for their planet and not a nuisance. The other animals in the Jungle of Nool did not believe in the Whos and thought that Horton was insane, but after hearing the Whos’ cry they realized that even though they could not see the Whos, they were still people. The actors were extremely energetic, and at points they didn’t even seem like they were running on little to no sleep. The cast showed signs of strain at times, with many notes falling flat and some outof-sync choreography, but that’s expected since they’d barely slept. The stage crew made a beautifully painted and wellconstructed set, and the costumes were very creative. Both complemented the plot and created a psychedelic and eclectic ambience to further make the play an enjoyable experience for the audience.
AMAZING GERTRUDE: Gertrude McFuzz (Lauren Komer ’21) sings about her new and improved feather tail, which she got to impress Horton.
THE CAT COMES BACK: The Cat in the Hat (Ben Greene ’21) and Jojo (Ryan Del Vasto ’20) introduce Seussical to the audience, inviting us into the silly world.
film review
Independent film not such a ‘Good Time’ By Kent Dinlenc justice Staff writer
“Good Time,” an independent film made by Benny and Josh Safdie, revolves around a bank robber stuck between a rock and a hard place. His mentally disabled brother was arrested and blamed for their robbery gone awry, his romantic relationship with an older woman is poisonous for both parties and his financial woes are already overwhelming when his brother’s bail payment is added to the list. The film follows a bank robber named Connie, played by Robert Pattinson, into the neon-drenched, seedy underbelly of New York City. His run-ins with colorful characters with questionable life choices propel the story into a dark direction that proves there is nothing Connie won’t do and no bar lower to sink to. Captivating as this may seem, the tumultuous experience in the theater will
leave a bad taste in your mouth. The opening scene of the movie reveals the dynamic between the two characters, Connie and his brother Nick, played by codirector Benny Safdie. We watch Nick talking to a therapist about his life struggles in and outside his family when, all of a sudden, Connie barges in to belittle the therapist’s opinion and accuses the therapist of turning his own brother against him. The calm and stable camera during the interview is jarred by Connie’s entrance and shaky between sporadic cuts during his accusations. In a sense, the entire movie was like this stylistically. Only upon Connie’s reflection on his sins at the end of the film does the camera focus on a singular subject and remain motionless. This artistic choice was an understandable technique to convey stress and Connie’s hyperactive and improvisational thought process. Yet the entire movie is cut, tiring
the audience and blurring the neon vistas of 3 a.m. Queens. The shakycam technique is overused, everpresent even in moments of rest and tranquility. It discomforted me — not as intended through sympathy for the character’s horrible situation, but in an overall film experience. One can’t help but compare it to another thriller that came out this summer: “Dunkirk.” While there were scenes amid the bombings of Dunkirk beach and the dogfights in the air that allowed the audience to breathe, “Good Time” gave me no such time to digest Connie’s actions and his predicaments. Rather than attempting to maintain the nonstop thrill ride, it accidentally undercut the tension entirely and made the film quite boring, even dizzying in the middle. In terms of its plot, the film relies solely on how deep into the filth and scum of society Connie was willing to go. His night begins with pestering his girlfriend to pay for
his brother’s bail and ends with assaulting an innocent bodyguard to steal hidden drugs to sell on the black market. While the subject matter might be disturbing for the light-hearted, the plot itself should not be the focus of your attention. Just watch Robert Pattinson give the best performance of his career so far, almost making up for the “Twilight” series entirely. This will give him the attention he so deserves from the independent-movie-goer. Alongside Pattinson on his journey are the criminally underused and extremely talented actors, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Barkhad Abdi. Their presences should have raised the film’s profile but were, sadly, used for a maximum screen time of 10 minutes each in this 1 hour and 40 minute film. These missed opportunities came atop the egregious overuse of Buddy Duress, whose character was infuriatingly confrontational
and downright annoying –– one of the main reasons the middle of the film dragged for me. While his acting may have been serviceable, his presence on screen was too long and his character written poorly. This film overall has shiny gems within its pitch-black subject matter. Pattinson’s first great performance and sympathetic writing for his onscreen brother aside, “Good Time” was stressful and unsettling. The cinematography techniques were unique but overused. Your opinion of this film will heavily rely on your post-viewing consideration. It may seem much better in the moment than it actually does upon reflection. My grade is interchangeable between C+ and B- depending on my mood and my appreciation of the Safdie brothers’ techniques; but for now, I will be sticking to the former. It’s a love-it-orhate-it film, so I guess it’s up to the moviegoer to decide.
20
TUESDAY, sEPTEMBER 12, 2017 | Arts | THE JUSTIce
Brandeis TALKS
INTERVIEW
wf
What summer song are you most sick of hearing?
Gabi Nail ’18, Raphael Stigliano ’18 and Rafi Diamond ’18 Photo Courtesy of Rafi Diamond
Rose Freudberg ’20
This week, justArts spoke with Rafi Diamond ’18, Gabi Nail ’18 and Raphael Stigliano ’18 who directed the 24-Hour Musical.
“‘Despacito’ is the only one I can think of; so I guess I am sick of it, because its the only song I know.”
justArts: Why did you want to direct 24-Hour? Rafi Diamond: I’ve loved all my experiences with 24-Hour in the past and I’ve loved all my experiences directing, and I guess I figured it would be a good time. And it was. MARA KHAYTER/the Justice
Elana Israel ’18
“Its hard for me to answer, because I was out of the country most of the summer so didn’t listen to the radio and hear songs. I was traveling and studying in Israel.”
Pallavi Goel ’21
“There’s so many; I am so sick of hearing ‘Shape of You,’ by Ed Sheeran.”
Deepali Sastry ’21
“‘Despacito’ — it is good, but a little overplayed.” Compiled by Jen Geller/the Justice and photographed by Yvette Sei/ the Justice.
STAFF’S Top Ten
Top 10 Places to go Hiking Near Boston By ABBY GRINBERG justice EDITOR
Getting off campus and connecting with nature on the weekends is something I love to do, especially when school gets stressful. These are my top 10 favorite places to go hiking around Boston: 1. Nickerson State Park, Cape Cod 2. Crane Beach 3. Halibut Point State Park 4. Stony Brook Reservation 5. Blue Hills Reservation 6. World’s End 7. Middlesex Fells Reservation 8. Mount Wachusett 9. Breakheart Reservation 10. Acadia National Park
CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Voting group 5 Shut (up) 9 Turkish title 14 Be taken aback 15 Turner of film 16 Edmonton player 17 Other (Sp.) 18 *Admonishment for a misbehaving teen 20 Gaming console 22 Ben-_____ 23 King’s value in cribbage 24 *Affordable auto 29 “The Clan of the Cave Bear” protagonist 30 Drinks in “Brave New World” 31 Type of tank 33 Fly like an eagle 34 Yasser Arafat grp. 35 Home for a Senator 39 Germane 41 Was in anticipation of, as a trial 42 Newspaper copies 43 Prince Valiant’s son 44 Mouthward, in geography 45 Type of acid 47 Old-timey insult 48 Stave (off) 51 *Olympic track-and-field athelete 53 _____ loss 54 Feathery garment 55 Brightly-colored card game 56 Get educated, say ... or what the first word in each of the starred clues can do 60 Bit of wedding attire 64 Grove contents 65 Moron 66 “Casablanca” role 67 Move slowly 68 First word in a fairytale 69 Squeezed (out), as a victory DOWN 1 Frat member 2 Allow 3 Anthem contraction 4 *Goof off 5 Aver 6 Fond du _____, WI 7 Small worker 8 Perchance, in an old-timey way 9 Use a ewer, say 10 Demeanor 11 Blue-gray, like an overcast sky 12 German philosopher 13 Fight site 19 Play that features a stage manager 21 iPad platform 24 Test, in Toulouse 25 Farm structures 26 Epps and Sharif, for two 27 Certain handbags, for short 28 Company VIP 29 *Rambo, for one 32 “Aint _____ shame?”
Gabi Nail: I actually didn’t want to direct at first. I did 24-Hour my first year here and was so exhausted and stressed the whole time, I didn’t exactly run to be involved again. But after talking to the people involved, I realized I could get a lot out of having the experience again from a different perspective. I ultimately had a great time. Raphael Stigliano: I’ve worked backstage on it a couple of times, but never actually been in it, so it was very exciting when they asked me if I was interested. I said yes, because I wanted to work with this great group of people, and because it just seemed like such a fun thing to get to be a part of. JA: Why did you want to do “Seussical” for 24-Hour? RD: I knew it was a fun show with a lot of good parts and good places to do fun stuff with the ensembles. Also, I just really like it. GN: I didn’t want to. I wanted to do “Mamma Mia” because I think the world needs more ABBA. But we couldn’t get the rights so here we are.
34 It’s also called the false cause fallacy 36 “It’s ______!” (Admiral Ackbar line) 37 Bob and _______ 38 Type of snake 40 I.M. _____ 41 St. Louis landmark 43 Benefiter from the 2008 bailout 46 Heart of Venice 47 ____-Lun (area in Marvel’s “Defenders”) 48 Joules per second 49 Gaming console 50 Cleaned up, as leaves 52 Le mot _____ 54 Military HQ 57 Slimy swimmer 58 Plant part 59 [Error not mine] 61 Antlered animal 62 Advert end, in Britain? 63 Young boy
CROSSWORD COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN
RS: I wanted to do “Seussical” because it’s such a weird play. It has so many weird characters and there was so much freedom to just be silly, and put together these really great visuals, and because there was a chance to put four of my friends in skintight black morphsuits — I think in many ways it turned out to be a perfect choice for 24-Hour. JA: What is the best part of directing a show in 24 hours?
SOLUTION COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN
GN: It’s pretty liberating, because ultimately, there’s not much that can be solidified in 24 hours. Most of what’s done onstage is the actors’ choices, since they forget almost everything we tell them during rehearsals. We honestly don’t know most of what’s going to happen during the show before we actually see it. JA: What was the funniest thing that happened during the 24 hours? RD: The funniest thing to happen during the process was all the improvisations from the actors. They honestly brought such an amazing energy and enthusiasm to the show.
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.
GN: I honestly don’t remember most of what happened. At some point I was just rolling around on the floor for a little bit because I was so tired and not my best self mentally... I guess that was funny. JA: How much sleep did you get? RD: Not enough. GN: Around three hours. RS: About two hours. JA: Anything else to add?
Solution to last issue’s sudoku
Puzzle courtesy of www.sudokuoftheday.com
RS: You’ve never really seen method acting until you’ve seen our Thing 1 and Thing 2 parading around the SCC in character at 2 a.m. because they’re bored.
—Hannah Kressel