The Justice, Jan. 15, 2013

ARTS Page 18

FORUM Keystone XL aids lobbyists, not citizens 11

ETHAN AND DAVE

SPORTS Women lose conference opener 16 The Independent Student Newspaper

the

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 LXVII, Number 15

www.thejustice.org

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Waltham, Mass.

MIDYEAR MADNESS

student life

Tweets spark heated debate

■ Daniel Mael ’15

published Khadijah Lynch's ’16 controversial tweets in an online article.

By rachel hughes JUSTICE editor

During the winter break, junior Khadijah Lynch, who was the Undergraduate Departmental Representative for the African and AfroAmerican Studies department at the time, was put under the social media microscope as comments she made on Twitter began circulating.

Lynch’s Twitter activity generated widespread reaction online after an article written by Daniel Mael ’15 was published on the conservative news website Truth Revolt on Dec. 20, holding Lynch responsible as a “student leader.”

In the article, Mael embedded several tweets posted from Lynch’s personal Twitter account that same day, commenting on the shootings of New York Police Department Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu. One of the tweets embedded in the article read: “i have no sympathy for the nypd officers who were murdered today.”

Later that week, Lynch resigned from her UDR position, according to a statement from the AAAS department on their website. The department’s chair, Prof. Chad Williams (AAAS), wrote in the statement that Lynch’s tweets do not represent the views of the department. “AAAS, unequivocally, does not promote nor condones a disregard for the loss of human life,” he wrote. “We express our most sincere condolences to their family and loved ones.”

Since both Lynch’s Twitter posts and Mael’s article began circulating online, Brandeis students and alumni, along with readers unaffiliated with the University, have

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

Midyear students came together to participate in a Spirit Rally last weekend in Levin Ballroom. The event was held to celebrate the start of the new semester for the 93 new midyears and 12 transfer students who arrived last week.

student life

Online campaign spreads positivity ■ Brandeis students,

alumni and staff posted positive messages and experiences on Facebook.

By rachel sharer JUSTICE editorial assistant

Over winter break, Brandeis students responded to the recent controversy involving students Khadijah Lynch ’16 and Daniel Mael ’15 by engaging in a positivity campaign on social media titled “#BrandeisIsOurHouse." Well over a hundred students, alumni, parents, faculty and staff posted positive messages and stories about

police officers and Mael publicized her tweets in an online article. The article generated publicity, resulting in threats towards Lynch and calls for her expulsion. The controversy also sparked widespread social media discussion about race and free speech. This event, along with Brandeis’ decision to disinvite

See FACEBOOK, 7 ☛

student union

Student Union Vice President resigns from post ■ Sofia Mühlmann ’16

cited personal reasons for resigning after one semester of service.

By marissa ditkowsky JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

See TWEETS, 7 ☛

Student Union Vice President Sofía Mühlmann ’16 has resigned from her position after one semester of service.

Mühlmann announced her resignation on Sunday in a short and tothe-point email to the student body, writing that “it has been a pleasure representing you.”

The Student Union will hold a vice-presidential election at the

same time that it holds winter elections for midyear senator and other open positions, according to Student Union President Sneha Walia ’15 in an email to the Justice.

In an interview with the Justice, Mühlmann described her resignation as “very much a personal decision.

“The decision to step down was because I realized that, you know, I

needed to take a different direction in my life and that I am so invested in my community and I so much love and support my community members that being vice president wasn’t necessarily the only way for me to represent my peers,” she said.

Mühlmann added that she just “want[ed] to be Sofía,” despite so many of her peers recognizing

See UNION, 7 ☛

Language of Discovery

In traffic

Cuenin to leave

 A postdoc in a biology lab publishes unique 3D images of cilia and flagella.

 The men's basketball team won its first University Athletic Association conference game of the season.

 University Chaplain Walter Cuenin is leaving the University permanently for unspecified health reasons.

FEATURES 8 For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org

their Brandeis experiences on their Facebook and Twitter pages using the hashtag #BrandeisIsOurHouse as an identifier.

The campaign was initiated mainly in response to negative social media backlash resulting from the Lynch-Mael controversy, in which Lynch posted tweets in response to the killings of two New York City

Let your voice be heard!

Submit letters to the editor online at www.thejustice.org

INDEX

SPORTS 16

ARTS SPORTS

17 16

EDITORIAL FEATURES

10 8

OPINION POLICE LOG

10 2

News 3

COPYRIGHT 2015 FREE AT BRANDEIS.

2

TUESDAY, January 13, 2015

●

THE JUSTICE

NEWS BRIEF

Jury selection begins in high-profile trial of alleged marathon bomber More than 1,200 potential jurors filed into federal court in downtown Boston over three days last week as jury selection began for the trial of alleged marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. said that he plans to have 12 jurors and six alternates in place

by Jan. 26, according to a Jan. 6 Boston Globe article.

The 21-year-old Tsarnaev is facing 30 charges after his alleged involvement in the April 2013 bombing that took three lives and injured more than 260 bystanders.

The trial has attracted national attention, and protesters, media and curious spectators have flocked to the court to take part in the beginning of a trial that is expected to last months.

Judge O’Toole called upon potential jurors to take their responsibility seriously, according to the Globe article.

“It is the responsibility of every citizen to appear and serve if called,” Judge O’Toole told the jurors last week.

The case carries the added drama of the potential death penalty; 17 of Tsarnaev’s charges could be eligible for capital punishment. Judge O’Toole also warned jurors that they must be prepared to make that decision.

Boston police and federal security organizations have ramped up security around the courthouse for the beginning of the trial.

CBSNews described the scene around the courthouse on Friday: “White vehicles from Homeland Security line up bumper-to-bumper in front of Boston’s federal courthouse while others periodically circle the block.

Boston police officers patrol the perimeter on foot, and a darks special operations van is stationed near the entrance.

“In the harbor nearby, armed U.S. Coast Guard boats ply the waters, and inside the court building officers with dogs roam the hallways.”

The beginning of the trial has been met by some protesters carrying signs like “Free Jahar” and “F.B.I. Entrapment = False Conviction.” Some of the protesters think that Tsarnaev is wrongly suspected, while others believe that he will be unable to get a fair trial in Boston.

Tsarnaev’s lawyers, however, have asked that the protesters, or “self-appointed supporters,” be removed from outside the courthouse because their presence could have a “deleterious and prejudicial impact” on his case, according to a Boston Globe article.

They had previously asked for the trial to be moved out of Boston to avoid pretrial publicity playing into the verdict, but that motion was denied by the judge.

Tsarnaev, who was born in Kyrgystan, has strong ties to Massachusetts and the Boston area. He has been a permanent resident of the United States since 2007 according to official records, and he has lived in nearby Cambridge since the age of 8. He attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, the public high school of the city, where he wrestled on the varsity team and took part in summer employment programs.

He later attended the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He attended until his sophomore year, when he was arrested in connection with the bombing.

The trial, tentatively set to start with opening statements Jan. 26, looks set to capture significant air-time over the next few months as victims of the bombing, and the city itself, continue to recover. It will also be a major focus of attention for legal experts, as 12 of the potential jurors who appeared at the Boston courthouse last week will decide whether or not to put Tsarnaev to death.

POLICE LOG Medical Emergency

Dec. 12—Golding Health Center staff requested an ambulance for a student suffering an allergic reaction in the Health Center.

The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

Dec. 15—Police received a call of a worker having a diabetic reaction in Ridgewood Quad.

University Police and BEMCo staff responded and treated the party on the scene with a signed refusal for further care.

Dec. 17—University Police and BEMCo responded to a call in Renfield Hall of a student who cut the back of his head, producing a three-inch laceration.

The party was treated on scene by BEMCo staff and transported to Newton-Wellsley Hospital for further care.

Dec. 19—State police notified University Police dispatch that a female party cut her finger and was bleeding.

Waltham Police was also advised by the state police and

sent Cataldo ambulance and Waltham Fire Department.

The party was treated on scene

by Cataldo ambulance with a signed refusal for further care.

Dec. 19—Police received a call of an intoxicated female student in Ridgewood Quad.

University Police responded and requested Cataldo ambulance for a transport to NewtonWellesley Hospital for further care. The party was transported without incident.

Jan. 5—University Police received a report of a female who fell off a treadmill in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. The party was checked

by Cataldo and refused medical transportation.

Traffic

Jan. 9—Police compiled a report after a minor motor vehicle accident at the main gate.

Jan. 9—A party reported that her car was leaking fluids after sliding into a guardrail on Loop Road near East Quad. Police sent an officer to check on the party.

Drugs

Dec. 19—A community development coordinator requested that University Police take possession of a marijuana smoking pipe discovered by CDC while performing apartment safety inspection in Ziv Quad.

A University Police officer on scene requested an electrician for a covered smoke head.

University Police compiled a report on the incident.

Miscellaneous

Dec. 7—Police received a report via email that a staff member had found another staff member’s office area and adjacent conference room open with post-it notes left on the door about the area being reserved.

Police received no reported thefts at the time and planned an investigation to follow.

Dec. 9—University Police received a report of three intoxicated students causing a problem in the Goldfarb Library.

One student left through the Usdan exit. The other two stu-

Boston wins Olympics bid

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

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 in chief office hours are held Mondays from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Justice office.

Editor News Forum Features Sports Arts Ads Photos Managing Copy Layout

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The Justice Brandeis University Mailstop 214 P.O. Box 549110 Waltham, MA 02454-9110 Phone: (781) 736-3750

—compiled by Avi Gold

BRIEF

HELPING HANDS

—Sam Mintz

n A News article incorrectly stated that Marci McPhee’s service-based practicum course was new, but she has been teaching the course since fall 2011.

(Dec. 9, pg. 4)

dents were last seen in Farber Library.

University Police Officers searched the building and adjoining areas but were unable to locate suspects.

Police compiled a report on the incident with an investigation to follow.

Dec. 17—University Police on patrol reported smoke coming from an apartment in Rosenthal Quad.

University Police entered the room due to exigent circumstances and discovered a resident was smoking a Class-D substance.

University Police compiled a report on the incident.

Dec. 28—Maintenance department reported that a window screen appeared to have been broken.

University Police performed a walkthrough of the building, finding all in order with no signs of burglary.

Police compiled a report on the incident.

GRACE KWON/the Justice

Students participated in Volunteer Fest last Sunday in Levin Ballroom as part of Orientation to welcome the new Midyears. A variety of activities were available for students, including building with legos at one table.

The Olympics could be coming to Boston in 2024 after the United States Olympic Committee chose the city to host its bid for those games, beating out sunnier Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Boston will face competition from Rome, a German city yet to be decided and other countries still weighing a bid including France and Hungary.

“Today’s selection by the USOC is the beginning of an incredible opportunity for Boston,” said bid chairman John Fish, who is also the Chairman and CEO of one of Boston’s biggest construction companies, Suffolk Construction.

As part of its succesful bid, the city emphasized the many college campuses in its borders and in surrounding communities.

The proposal “relies heavily on using the existing facilities at many of the region’s dozens of colleges and universities,” according to a New York Times article.

Fish said that an estimated threefourths of the sporting venues would be on college campuses, including, potentially, field hockey at Harvard Stadium, archery at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and badminton at Agganis Arena at Boston University.

While Brandeis has yet to be mentioned in media coverage of the Boston bid, its Waltham neighbor Bentley University is expected to play a role, according to Bentley president Gloria Larson, who is also a co-chair of the Boston bid’s institutional engagement committee.

“Every college and university we’ve spoken to so far has been all-in in every way they could,” Larson said, according to a Boston Globe article from Saturday.

In addition to providing competition venues and training facilities, colleges might be called upon to provide their dormitories as residences for the news media—the Globe article listed the example of Northeastern’s West Village dormitory.

—Sam Mintz

ANNOUNCEMENTS Beyond the Wall Poster Sale

Come find the perfect poster to decorate a dorm room to make it feel like home.

From music to movies to art, Beyond the Wall is sure to have a poster to add extra personality to a student’s home away from home at Brandeis.

Today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium.

Alumni Webinar: Career Change—Make the Leap to a Career You Love

Anna Graham Hunter, career happiness coach, will speak to the Brandeis community about career changes and offer strategies that will help individuals make the leap to a career they love without starting over at the bottom.

This event is open to all members of the Brandeis community.

Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. Tickets available online via the Brandeis website.

Democratization and Women’s Political Leadership after the Arab Spring: Explaining Divergent Outcomes

Valentine Moghadam, a professor of sociology and director of the International Affairs Program at Northeastern University, will speak on the gendered nature of the Arab Spring and its aftermath. Her talk focuses on North Africa—Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia—to also make the argument that prospects for further democratization are greatest where female participation is greatest.

Thursday from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the Epstein Lecture Hall.

Snowed In

Watch an ice sculptor turn a block of ice into Frozen’s Olaf, ride a mechanical snowboard, take ice-themed pictures and enjoy a delicious hot chocolate bar.

At 8 p.m., head into the Shapiro Campus Center Theater for a viewing of Disney’s

recent hit movie Frozen, starring Idina Menzel.

Friday from 4 to 10 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center.

Skating on Frog Pond

Experience one of Boston’s signature winter activities by skating on the Boston Common Frog Pond, a rustic ice rink nestled in the heart of America’s oldest public park.

Saturday from 12:15 to 3:45 p.m. Tickets available for purchase in the Shapiro Campus Center.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Interfaith Service

Reflect on the life and work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., pack meals for food pantries and enjoy a social justice and education-themed fair.

Monday, Jan. 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. in Levin Ballroom.

THE JUSTICE

FACULTY

department’s shift to more conservative values and concerns about free speech as reasons for leaving after 52 years of teaching.

By MARISSA DITKOWSKY JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

After 52 years at Brandeis, Prof.

Donald Hindley (POL) is on a one-year terminal sabbatical and will stop teaching at the University. Hindley said that he was not forced to leave, but, rather, he left because he thought that his own department had become “far more conservative,” and “far fewer … let me call them, activist, liberalminded people” are at Brandeis. “I just could not tolerate anymore. It just wasn’t worth tolerating anymore what the place was becoming under [University President Frederick] Lawrence,” said Hindley in an interview with the Justice.

As a separate reason for his departure, he noted age playing a role in his health.

Following the leak of faculty emails from the restricted “Concerned Listserv” this past summer,and Lawrence’s response to the comments in a July 28, 2014 statement, some faculty members have expressed concerns regarding freedom of speech on campus.

While the faculty who were involved with the Listserv, along with the English department, advocated at the September faculty meeting for a discussion with administrators on the state of free speech, such a discussion has not yet occurred.

A number of professors—including Hindley—received a barrage of threats in response to their nowpublic comments on issues such as the political situation in Israel and Palestine or Brandeis’ initial offer of an honorary degree to Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Lawrence responded in an official statement soon after, affirming the faculty’s right to engage “in a full, open, civil and decent manner” but condemning “some remarks by an extremely small cohort of Brandeis faculty members.”

“Concerned” is a restricted email list that was created in 2003 as a forum for interested professors to express their concerns surrounding the Iraq War and has since evolved to bring attention to other issues.

Daniel Mael ’15 initially published excerpts from “Concerned” emails on the online Breitbart News Network.

A number of faculty members, including Prof. Mary Baine Campbell (ENG), received threats and hate mail in response to leaked comments from the Listserv.

One day in September, while receiving what she said was the highest volume of and “most violent” hate mail, Campbell found a sliced and skinned dead rat on her car, she told the Justice.

In another instance, an individual emailed Campbell stating that

“a vast number of people know that assholes like you exist at Brandeis and I just wish that all of you could be transported to ... any of the Muslim countries where you could have your Hindley genitals mutilated, be raped and then be hung (sic) for having been raped.”

Hindley said that the “Concerned” leaks “came out of the blue.”

Hindley also stated that prior to releasing the July 2014 statement on the matter, Lawrence had not personally addressed Hindley regarding his remarks on the Listserv.

He added that Lawrence had not reached out to him personally to discuss his departure from the University, either.

Campbell said that Lawrence told her in September or October that a member of his staff would reach out to her to make an appointment to discuss her concerns about the threats she was receiving.

As of press time, Campbell said no one from the president’s staff has contacted her.

In response to some of the “Concerned” Listserv comments that drew national media attention, Prof. Gordon Fellman (SOC), an administrator of the Listserv, said in an interview with the Justice that “[t]he guy who posted some offensive comments, he has a right to say those comments. I don’t like them. I asked him more than once if he would kind of tone them down … but he has a right to do that, and he has to take responsibility for that. That’s what free speech is about.”

Hindley was also at the center of a controversy over freedom of speech in the classroom in 2007.

During the fall semester of that year, students in Hindley’s class approached the Politics department chair about his use of the word “wetbacks” in class. The context of his use of the word was disputed. In response to the situation, a member of the administration was sent to monitor the classroom, and Hindley was required to take sensitivity training.

The administration’s decision in this case led the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education to place Brandeis University on its Red Alert list in 2008, and FIRE named Brandeis one of the worst schools for free speech from 2010 to 2012.

FIRE is an organization that aims to protect “freedom of speech, legal equality, due process, religious liberty, and sanctity of conscience” on college and university campuses.

Lawrence did not respond to requests for comment through the University’s Executive Director for Integrated Media William Schaller by press time.

TUESDAY, January 13, 2015

3

WINTERY TREAT

Prof Hindley to leave University ■ Professor cites his

●

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

Midyear students made sundaes at an ice cream social with the Roosevelt Fellows last Sunday in the Village. The Fellows provided Lizzy’s ice cream for the new arrivals.

STUDENT LIFE

Father Cuenin departs due to health reasons ■ Unspecified health reasons

have led Rev. Walter Cuenin to leave the University after nine years of leadership and advocacy of controversial issues in the Catholic Church.

By tate herbert JUSTICE editor

After almost nine years as the Catholic chaplain and coordinator of the Multifaith Chaplaincy at Brandeis, the Rev. Walter Cuenin has left the University for unspecified health reasons, according to a campuswide email from Dean of Students Jamele Adams.

Cuenin previously left Brandeis temporarily in 2012 to undergo treatment for cancer at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. It is unclear whether this year’s permanent departure is related.

According to Adams’ announcement, the University is working with the Archdiocese of Boston to identify a new Catholic chaplain to serve on campus. In the interim, the University will provide transportation to and from Our Lady, Help of Christians church in Newton, Mass. for the 6 p.m. Sunday services in place of the regular Sunday evening services at Bethlehem Chapel.

Sister Marie also coordinated a prayer service with Communion

on Sunday for the Brandeis community.

“The Brandeis Multifaith Chaplaincy wishes Fr. Cuenin a return to full health,” wrote Rabbi Elyse Winick, the University’s Jewish Cuenin Chaplain, in an email to the Justice. In her statement on behalf of the Interfaith Chaplaincy, she added that “[t]he Division of Student Life is actively engaged in efforts to ensure that the needs of the Catholic Community on campus are met.

All of the chaplains are available to the student community for spiritual and pastoral support, through this difficult time and always.”

Cuenin joined Brandeis as the Catholic chaplain in 2006, according to a Justice article from February of that year. He came to the University from Our Lady, Help of Christians, where the archdiocese accused him of mishandling funds and forced his resignation, according to the article.

However, many viewed it as punishment for his outspoken criticism of the Boston Archdiocese’s and Cardinal Bernard Law’s handling of the clergy sexual abuse scandals in the early 2000s. In 2002, Cuenin successfully led a cohort of local

priests in calling for Law’s resignation.

By that time, he had also established a reputation as an advocate for controversial issues within the Church, such as gay and lesbian rights and the role of women in Catholic leadership.

At Brandeis, he continued the tone that he had established in Newton and established new traditions, including the popular trip to Rome, offered at a reduced cost for Catholic and non-Catholic students alike each spring semester.

During his time at Brandeis, Cuenin also helped to organize the weekly peace vigils that have been held outside Usdan Student Center since 2007, and coordinated interfaith dialogue groups such as the Brandeis University Interfaith Leadership Development Fellows Program.

According to the Multifaith Chaplaincy’s website, Cuenin holds a bachelor of arts degree from Saint John’s Seminary in Boston as well as a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology from the Gregorian University in Rome. In 1970, he was ordained a priest at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City and was licensed in sacred theology. He received a doctorate in the subject from Gregorian University seven years later.

The Interfaith Chaplains did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

CAMPUS SAFETY

University conducts Ebola protocol drill at Health Center ■ Multiple Waltham

organizations and campus groups participated in a precautionary drill last week to practice protocol for an Ebola outbreak.

By RACHEL SHARER JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

The Ebola epidemic has been a worrisome and widely discussed topic over the past several months.

Although there have been no confirmed cases in Boston, hospitals around the area are taking preventative steps to avoid an outbreak.

On Tuesday, Jan. 6, the University also took precautionary steps by conducting an Ebola-related drill on campus.

The drill took place at the Golding Health Center at 3 p.m. and simulated the transportation and medical procedure required for a person on campus who is suspected to have Ebola or Ebola-related symptoms.

The Health Center staff, Brandeis Emergency Medical Corp, Brandeis Police, Waltham Fire Department, Waltham Police and Waltham Emergency Medical Services all participated. All parties wore gloves, face shields and other protective equipment, as would be done when responding to an actual case of Ebola.

In an email to the Justice, Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan wrote that the idea of the drill was raised at a meeting hosted by the Waltham Fire Department and 911 Center.

Health Department and Public Safety members from both Brandeis and Bentley University were pres-

ent at the meeting, as well as EMS personnel from Cataldo ambulance.

Callahan wrote that the City of Waltham “suggested that both universities host a drill that would involve fire, police, and EMS services.”

The multi-organizational drill was to confirm that the community would be prepared to handle such an emergency if it occurred. The drill “involved all the proactive EMS measures that would exist during an actual response to an infectious disease call by first responders,” Callahan wrote.

Director of BEMCo Jeffrey Katz ’15 wrote in an email to the Justice that although BEMCo was supposed to be present at the Ebola drill, they were not involved because all members were away for the break.

However, BEMCo members were present at meetings before winter

break to help develop the University’s Ebola protocol. Katz wrote that if such a situation were to occur, BEMCo’s role would be “to manage the scene and to calm the patient from a distance” but not touch or come near the patient because BEMCo is not equipped with proper isolation gear.

The drill was not mandatory, according to Callahan, but considered important to conduct in order to test the University’s “readiness” and to further strengthen the University’s “relationship with the Waltham fire, police and EMS responders.”

Katz also wrote that the drills are a necessary precaution “due to the diversity of our student population who come from many countries from around the world including those in West Africa,” which is the primary site of the outbreak.

According to the Massachusetts

General Hospital website, there have been several similar Ebola drills conducted in the Boston area since October, though the website also noted that said drills were mostly at hospitals and health centers.

The hospitals and health centers have all gone through similar procedures and conducted full-scale training exercises to deal with the transportation of potentially infected patients.

On their website, Mass General issued a memo stating that the increased traveling around the holiday season, along with the confusion of a malaria patient thought to have Ebola-like symptoms, should constitute increased caution.

The Brandeis Health Center did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

Join the Justice!

Open House

Monday, Jan. 19 from 7-9 p.m.

Scan here to join the Facebook event

in the Justice Office Second Floor of the SCC

Join the Justice Photography Staff!

Contact Morgan Brill and Grace Kwon at photos@thejustice.org

THE JUSTICE

DISPELLING MYTHS

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

academics

College Factual puts University’s Econ and Sociology majors in top 10 Brandeis was ranked sixth in the country, while an Economics degree was ninth.

By Sam mintz JUSTICE editor

A higher education ranking website called College Factual has listed Brandeis as one of the top 10 schools in the country for undergraduate students seeking an Economics degree or a Sociology degree. The University was ranked sixth for its Sociology major and ninth for Economics.

“Along with analyzing theories and methods in the classroom, students at Brandeis are able to gain hands-on experience through en-

gagement with community organizations and local social movements,” reads the blurb describing Brandeis in the Sociology list. It also emphasizes the fact that the University offers students the opportunity to become involved with research and cites the statistic that Sociology majors at Brandeis enter the work force with an average starting salary of $45,000.

College Factual claims that Economics is one of the most popular majors at Brandeis. “By providing a broad range of courses—including international economics and finance, macroeconomics, monetary economics and labor economics—Brandeis prepares students to pursue a variety of careers following graduation,” the list reads. The average starting salary is higher for Economics majors than for their Sociology counterparts, clocking in at $54,000.

Economics department head Prof.

George Hall was quick to share the honor of the ranking with his students.

“As they say in sports, it’s a team award,” he wrote in an email to the Justice. “While this ranking recognizes the quality of the teaching within economics and throughout the university, it also reflects the intellectual passion of our students and alumni.”

Hall wrote that his department is a “fun” one to work in. “The enthusiasm the faculty and students feel about economics is contagious.”

Prof. David Cunningham, the Sociology department chair, said that he has long been pleased with the accomplishments of the department’s graduates.

He wrote in an email to the Justice, “Our top-ten showing in a ranking

that emphasizes former majors’ career salaries, the percentage of current students majoring in Sociology, and the department’s connections to other programs university-wide demonstrates Brandeis Sociology’s vibrancy on campus as well as its viability in terms of strong career prospects after graduation.”

In light of the success of the two departments, Hall called for some friendly competition, writing “I see that Sociology was ranked 6th in the nation, while Economics was ranked 9th. They have set the bar higher than us, so we still have some work to do!”

College Factual is a website started by self-titled “data geeks” and presents data-driven lists and rankings of colleges in order to “challenge the status quo in education to help people make better decisions about college.”

student activism

Groups update electronics proposal ■ STAND and CFCI met with

the Faculty Senate to update and discuss their conflictfree electronics proposal.

By Abby Patkin JUSTICE editorial assistant

On Dec. 3, members from Students Taking Action Now in Darfur and Conflict-Free Campus Initiative met with the Faculty Senate to discuss and make edits to the groups’ conflict-free electronics proposal.

The groups’ proposal suggests that the University look into its electronics suppliers’ conflict minerals policy and actively look for companies that do not use such minerals.

Conflict minerals are harvested in areas where the local population is in conflict. One such area is the Congo, where the harvesting of conflict minerals exploits the poor working class and funds violent rebel groups who

terrorize the population.

CFCI’s most recent Northeast Campus Coordinator Gina Gkoulgkountina ’14 said in an interview with the Justice that the groups’ goals are to educate both the electronics suppliers and the Brandeis community so that practices harmful to the Congolese people might be phased out in the next few years.

“We’re not saying ‘throw out all the old electronics and focus on conflict-free,’ because that would be really hard and devastating for the economy here and in the Congo.” said Gkoulgkountina. “It’s mostly about educating people … and to start phasing out … products from irresponsible practices.” According to Gkoulgkountina, the Dec. 3 meeting was one of several small meetings that the groups had with the Faculty Senate.

Gkoulgkountina said that in the weeks leading up to the winter break both groups met with Faculty Senate members, in addition to representa-

tives from the Office of the Provost and Library and Technology Services, among others. The purpose of these meetings, she said, was to determine the outlines of the conflict-free proposal and to discuss the questionnaire that the University would send to potential electronics suppliers.

“When we talk about electronics it’s a huge, broad field,” Gkoulgkountina said in an interview with the Justice. “What we determined is that we’re going to focus on a few things: computers, laptops, copiers, servers and scanners—the bulk of the hardware that we buy.”

Gkoulgkountina also said that the Faculty Senate members have been overwhelmingly supportive of CFCI and STAND’s efforts to pass the conflict-free proposal.

“We’re connected to all these people and they’re ready to pounce on the next draft of our proposal and have it come out as an official policy for Brandeis.”

TUESDAY, january 13, 2015

5

BRIEF Man kills wife four miles from Brandeis

Past midyear students spoke to the incoming midyear class at an event titled “Debunking Midyear Myths,” which took place on Saturday in the Shapiro Campus Center Theater. Sophomore Mitchell Beers holds the microphone.

■ A Sociology degree from

●

Additionally, Gkoulgkountina said procurement services will also play a large role in the proposal’s implementation, noting that Director of Strategic Procurement John Storti would most likely be the one to contact potential suppliers to see what the companies’ policies are on conflict minerals. Storti did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

Ultimately, Gkoulgkountina said, the groups’ biggest focus now and in the future is on educating both the community and electronics suppliers.

Gkoulgkountina said she also hopes that by educating others, CFCI and STAND might change the public perspective of the Congo.

“People don’t really know a lot about the Congo, and they imagine this Heart of Darkness scenario, and it’s really not like that,” she said.

“We’re trying to focus on the positives of the situation and what the positives of our involvement can be.”

A domestic argument turned deadly on New Year’s Eve in Waltham as 51-year-old Julio Resto allegedly stabbed his wife to death, according to local media reports.

The incident occurred on Clocktower Drive in Waltham, about four miles away from Brandeis. New England Cable News reported that Resto and his wife, 42-year-old Gloria Resto, had been arguing because he did not buy her a Christmas gift, and she reportedly told him to move out of their home.

Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan declined to comment on the incident, directing requests for comment to the Waltham Police Department because “this tragic crime did not happen at, or have any connection to, Brandeis,” he wrote in an email to the Justice.

Resto, who is charged with first-degree murder and seven counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, has pleaded not guilty, according to the Boston Globe.

An article in Waltham Wicked Local said that Resto is being held without bail at Bridgewater State Hospital, and his next court appearance will be a bail review hearing on Jan. 28.

There have been at least two high-profile murders in the last three years in Waltham.

In 2013, Jared Remy, son of famed Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy, murdered his girlfriend Jennifer Martel in a domestic dispute and was later given a sentence of life in prison without parole.

In 2011, three men were found dead at an apartment on Harding Avenue in Waltham. Brendan Mess, Erik Weissman and Raphael Teken ’98 were killed in an apparent drug robbery. Later, deceased Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev was connected to the crime and is still considered a key suspect, according to media reports.

—Sam Mintz

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THE JUSTICE

TWEETS: BBSO defends Lynch in statement CONTINUED FROM 1 voiced their opinions on Facebook and Twitter. The social media platforms have been used to express both threats to and support for Lynch. A public Facebook group— titled “Expel Khadijah Lynch from Brandeis”—was created on Dec. 21.

The hashtag #IStandWithKhadijah has also gained traction on Facebook, as many Brandeis students have used it to post responses to the online threats that Lynch has received.

In the AAAS department’s statement, Williams acknowledges the social media response, stating that it can be both “productive and dangerous.”

For the past several weeks, both the Brandeis community and readers outside the Brandeis community have continued to respond to the situation across social media.

On Dec. 22, Student Union President Sneha Walia '15 sent an email to the student body, signed by herself, Chief of Staff Flora Wang ’15 and Senior and Junior Student Representatives to the Board of Trustees Mohamed Sidique ’15 and Grady Ward ’16, respectively, on behalf of the Student Union. Walia wrote that: “This commentary, particularly from individuals outside of Brandeis, has grown increasingly malicious over time, and needs to be addressed by our community. After assessing the situation, we as the Brandeis Undergraduate Student Union would like to express our support for the right of Khadijah and of any student to express their opinion, regardless of how we personally feel about the content of their message.”

Walia urged the student body to have open discussions about the issue.

Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel published a statement to his website, calling Lynch’s tweets “hurtful and disrespectful, inconsistent with our institutional values.” Flagel wrote that the University is “equally dismayed that individuals responding to the initial comments have posted reprehensible racist and threatening comments.” He wrote that the University encourages a fair and thoughtful discussion on the situation, free from threats.

The Brandeis Black Student Organization released a statement on Dec. 22, sent out to community members in an email from BBSO President Witney Christie ’17, reading in part: “Miss Lynch’s freedom of speech has been greatly compromised and extremely violated at the hands of these accusers who believe she should be expelled and/or removed from her financial aid. Her character as a free citizen, student leader, and an African American woman has been called in question simply by a miswritten and blinding article that did not properly convey her said “tweets” and personal opinions.”

The current Racial Minority Senator, Marlharissa Lagardere ’16, released a statement addressed to the Brandeis community in an email on Dec. 22. Lagardere wrote that, while she does not support the Lynch's comments, she does support her constitutional right to free speech. “I ask for Brandeis University to continue showing Khadijah Lynch support in this trying time and vote against her expulsion and stand in solidarity of her freedom of speech as an American Citizen and human being,” she wrote.

The Brandeis African Student Organization, the Brandeis Asian American Student Association and the Women of Color Alliance were among other student groups to post statements to social media supporting Lynch that week.

On Dec. 22, Michael Piccione ’15 sent an email to several members of the University administration—University President Frederick Lawrence, Dean of Students Jamele Adams, Provost Lisa Lynch, Assistant Dean and Director of Student Events Stephanie Grimes, Assistant Dean

of Student Life and Director of the Intercultural Center Monique Pillow Gnanaratnam and Flagel—expressing his concern for the situation.

Piccione also included Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan, Title IX Coordinator Linda Shinimoto, Orientation and Community Standards Specialist Tiffany Chan and Profs.

Gordon Fellman (SOC) and Harry Mairson (COSI), as well as over 200 students as recipients on the email.

Piccione, who is listed as a member of the 2015 Student Conduct Board on the University’s website, itemized a list of sections of the Rights and Responsibilities handbook that he claimed Mael violated by publishing the Dec. 20 Truth Revolt article.

Piccione wrote, “he has potentially violated multiple parts of Section 2.10, particularly 2.10.f of Rights and Responsibilities… It is essential that this be taken into consideration.

Other sections potentially violated are 3.2a (stalking), and attention may also be warranted about Section 17, 20, and 21.4.” Piccione also wrote that the students whose email addresses were copied on his message “stand in solidarity with Khadijah in this difficult time and who wish to see action taken to hold the student in question responsible and to protect her safety.”

Last week, a Jan. 8 article published by the Washington Free Beacon, an online newspaper, stated that a No Contact Order had been issued by the University between Piccione and Mael. The 2014-2015 Rights and Responsibilities handbook describes a NCO as a measure that is issued by the Dean of Students Office “to ascribe clear, structured guidelines and boundaries between students who are involved in a conflict.” The Dean of Students Office can terminate these orders, the handbook states, in consultation with the requesting party. The next day, the Washington Free Beacon published a follow-up article, stating that the NCO had been lifted, according to emails they obtained.

In interviews with the Justice, both Mael and Piccione confirmed the NCO, which was implemented on Dec. 23. Piccione told the Justice that he doesn’t known Mael personally, but has interacted with him through his job as a cashier in Usdan Dining Hall in the past. Piccione said that he requested the NCO because he wanted to minimize any contact with Mael that could be troublesome or confrontational.

On Jan. 8, Piccione had the NCO removed, because he found out that there will be times when he will be the only cashier in Usdan, and since he cannot refuse anyone service, having the NCO in place would make his work situation difficult.

“I got involved because people from outside Brandeis were threatening the safety of Brandeis students,” Piccione said. Additionally, Piccione clarified a suggestion he made in his email—a claim that Mael had violated section 3.2a of the handbook, which prohibits stalking—saying that he thought that, by returning to Lynch’s Twitter page in order to update his Truth Revolt article, Mael exhibited problematic behavior.

Mael told the Justice that he was first informed of the NCO during a phone call with Jamele Adams and said that he’d never interacted with Piccione before. “I was not angry; I was certainly not indignant; I was acting as a student journalist in the Brandeis community,” Mael said of his article.

To date, no student organizations have reached out to Mael to discuss his article, and no other NCOs have been placed against him, he said.

Regarding the backlash and threats that he has received since the publishing of his Dec. 20 article, Mael said, “I hope that other students who are faced with similar predicaments have the courage to speak out.”

Lynch did not respond to request for comment for this article.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015

7

FIRST DAY

JEREMY PERLMAN/the Justice

A midyear student checks into campus for the first time during midyear orientation week. The new arrivals bring the total number of midyear students on campus to 364.

FACEBOOK: Event counters recent online negativity CONTINUED FROM 1 Ayaan Hirsi Ali from receiving an honorary degree at commencement last year, has put Brandeis in the spotlight and generated a lot of negative media attention.

Kelsey Segaloff ’15 created the Facebook event, which took place online from Dec. 29 to Jan. 1. In an email to the Justice, Segaloff wrote that she was “frustrated” and “enraged” by all the hate and anger being posted on social media in response to the Lynch-Mael controversy. Rather than respond online with anger, however, Segaloff wanted to respond with positivity—specifically by encouraging students and alumni to share positive and memorable experiences at Brandeis.

The Facebook event description stated, “We are stronger than those

who steal our emails from listservs for their agenda. We are better than those who use their words to hurt.

We are an amazing community above this negativity. Let’s show what the Brandeis Community is through our own voices because #BrandeisIsOurHouse.”

While the event was her idea alone, Segaloff wrote that she did reach out to her friends and other student leaders on campus to gain support and to help promote the event.

Segaloff said the hashtag #BrandeisIsOurHouse was inspired by the popular “This Is Our House” speech given annually by Dean of Students Jamele Adams.

743 people attended the Facebook event and hundreds posted their stories using the hashtag, both on the event page itself and on many personal Facebook and Twitter

pages. Students, alumni and staff posted messages ranging from anecdotes about friends or professors, the inspiring diversity on campus, experiences with extracurricular activities and even coming-out stories.

Segaloff wrote that she was “beyond honored by reading people’s stories, what they overcame, and how the Brandeis community helped them” and thrilled by the outcome of the event. “I am so happy and thankful to be part of a community so willing to spread positivity,” Segaloff wrote.

Segaloff also metioned that Assistant Dean of Students Stephanie Grimes has reached out to her regarding a way to make these messages of positivity visible on campus, and she is excited to hopefully continue the spread of positivity on and beyond the Brandeis campus.

UNION: Mühlmann leaves behind lasting efficiency and new website CONTINUED FROM 1 her as the Student Union vice president. “I don’t need a title to represent my peers,” she said. “I didn’t feel like I was more powerful with the title.”

“It’s important that she made a decision which she felt was best for her, because self-care and recognizing your own needs is critical in college,” Student Union President Walia ’15 wrote.

As vice president, Mühlmann said that she helped to improve the atmosphere and dialogue that occurred during Senate meetings. “I know that the dynamic of the Senate meetings was very different last year than it was this year, and I know that leaving, I have left an environment that I have created, and it’s one that is kind and it’s respectful and empowering and efficient and fun,” she said.

Mühlmann said that she has also contributed to increasing Senate committee efficiency. She and Ex-

ecutive Senator Naomi DePina ’16 worked to create a Google Drive system for committees to track their progress. She also drafted written guidelines for committees to clarify their responsibilities, she said. She noted that Senator-at-Large Brian Hough ’17 had expressed interest in making these written guidelines a by-law in the Student Union Constitution.

In an interview with the Justice, DePina said that she and Mühlmann worked well together. “She’s hardworking; she is a great leader,” she said. “She really cares. That’s her thing, and she invests a lot emotionally. I think that’s probably why she probably resigned, because she invested a lot emotionally.”

DePina also said that Mühlmann was effective in her own initiatives and in speaking to administration.

“She always took it upon herself and acted right away,” she said, but added that resigning “was something that she needed to do for herself."

Hough did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

Mühlmann has also been helping to create a new Student Union website with Prakhar Sahay ’17, director of communications on the Executive Board, but noted that the updated website is still in the works. “[W]orking with Sofia was really positive. She’s connected to a lot of areas on campus, and definitely brought those insights to the job,” wrote Studen Union President Sneha Walia ‘15 in an email to the Justice. Walia noted that Mühlmann’s previous position as a community adviser, for example, was helpful in the Student Union’s work and relationship with Tim Touchette, who was appointed as the new director of the Department of Community Living in September.

Mühlmann said that she will miss attending and helping to run Senate meetings. “It was so beautiful to watch as the senators came up with their own ideas and were motivated to support their peers,” she said.

8

features

TUESDAY, january 13, 2015 ● THE JUSTICE

just

VERBATIM | HERMAN HESSE If they are illusion, then I also am illusion, and so they are always of the same nature as myself. It is that which makes them so lovable and venerable.

ON THIS DAY…

FUN FACT

In 1960, the Gulag system of forced labor camps was officially abolished in the Soviet Union.

On June 30, 2015, the world’s atomic clocks will add an extra second to the year.

A Mind of One’s Own

The Independent Interdisciplinary Major program allows students to design their own course of study across diciplines, and teaches them to defend their academic choices

By ROSE GITTELL JUSTICE EDITOR

Schools such as Brown University or Bennington College champion the right of the student to design an individualized course of study within a strong advising network of faculty and student advisors. The Independent Interdisciplinary Major program at Brandeis aims to create an academic space for a similar type of individual creativity; however, this is a space which also must exist within the structure of a more academically traditional university.

The name—Independent Interdisciplinary Major—combines the two major components of the program.

“Independent, being that the major is something you are initiating on your own. And interdisciplinary, as it needs to involve at least two degree departments, and most students combine many more than that,” says Julia Moffitt, the program coordinator for IIM. Prior to Brandeis, Moffitt worked at Bennington College, a school at which majors do not exist and all students develop their own plan of study. The academic theory behind the IIM, according to Moffitt, is similar to a school like Bennington College.

However, the “interdisciplinary” aspect of the IIM implies that the creativity of the student must occur within structures of fields that already exist and are widely recognized.

“Students need to be creative with asking themselves—can I do this with a traditional major, or a combination of traditional majors? It really needs to be something that has an added value to the combination,” Moffitt said.

In fact, the process of declaring an IIM involves both justifying the interdisciplinary nature of the major, as well as referencing pre-existing programs at other institutions. The application requires the student to

answer questions about why it is neccesary for them to create their own major, and what could not be achieved by simply majoring in multiple subjects. The applicant is required to research other colleges and find comparable graduate or undergraduate programs. Then, the applicant presents in front of a panel of professors and the Senior Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences for Undergraduate Education, Susan Birren.

An example of a common IIM is communications. “Students have found a way to draw from a lot of different departments, including business, sociology and computer science,” Moffitt said.

By nature of the IIM, each communications major is unique and the student forges their own path within the widely recognized field. Moffit cites both a media communications IIM student as well as an international communications IIM student as examples of the range of options.

Michelle Wexler ’15, an IIM undergraduate department representative, created her own major of Social Justice Social Change. “My passion has always really been helping to create a more just world, and to create a more just community,” Wexler said.

Wexler finished the pre-existing minor of Social Justice Social Policy, and continued taking classes following her interest in creating a more just world. “I realized I wanted something to show the work I had done, because that was the education I was going to leave Brandeis with. That was the work I was proud of,” Wexler explained.

Wexler did not call her major Social Justice Social Policy because she wanted to recognize that there are other means of achieving social justice besides policy change. She explores both philanthropy and theater as modes of change.

Due to the highly varied nature of the IIM major, there is limited opportunity for IIM students to network

with each other or feel the academic camaraderie that exists within other majors.

“Since we are all doing our own thing, there isn’t a space within academic life for us to come together,” Wexler said. “We are all so driven by our own academic passion.”

The classmate and alumni networking that are integral to the success of other departments does not exist for IIM majors.

However, Wexler—along with the other UDRs—is working toward increased networking opportunities for the IIM majors.

“We are all doing incredibly different things but incredibly interesting things, and if there was any space for collaboration, that would be tremendous,” Wexler said. “As the program grows, and more people become aware of it, there’s more room for us to come together as a group.”

Moffitt is also working toward increased networking opportunities for IIMs. “One thing I am aiming to do more of is tracking alums. I am hoping to work with the UDRs to create an alumni survey,” Moffitt said.

The nature of the major makes the job of UDR unique for Wexler and her colleagues. Working within an advising capacity becomes difficult when your area of advising is not focused within a specific field of academic study.

“It’s very, very, very different from being a UDR for any other major. Rather than answering questions about classes, we are helping people create their own majors,” Wexler said.

“I’m answering questions about science classes and I’ve never taken any science classes,” Wexler said.

The job of the UDR becomes, according to Wexler, more about the process of forging your own academic path.

“I answer questions about the best way to approach a professor or an interesting way to find a class that’s

ADVISER TO THE INDEPENDENT: Julia Moffitt is the program coordinator for the Independent Interdisciplinary Majors.

GRACE KWON/the Justice

I’m out o f a stud e n t ’ s comfort zone but still fits within their topic,” Wexler said.

“Even if UDRs don’t have expertise in certain areas, or even if I don’t have expertise in certain areas, the UDRs can look at the initial draft of a proposal… the faculty advisors can advise more heavily about courses,” Moffit said.

While the “independent” aspect of being an “Independent Interdisciplinary Major” may imply academic isolation, it also implies the development of a unique academic perspective.

“It gave me my own voice in the process of my education. I really forged my own path at Brandeis,” Wexler said.

Students within the IIM major, Wexler argues, benefit not only from a high degree of specialization as an undergraduate but also from the ability to defend and explain the academic choices that come along with the process of creating an independent major.

“I feel fiercely independent when

GRACE KWON/the Justice

MAJORING IN JUSTICE: Michelle Wexler ’16 (left) designed the Social Justice Social Change major, and she plans to pursue further study in social work after graduation.

studying, or explaining my studies to other people,” Wexler said.

“I am studying what I want to be studying, I have not taken one class that I did not want to take. Every class that I have taken has applied to where I want to be when I graduate Brandeis, and every class had taught me something that I wanted to learn.”

Moffitt agrees with Wexler’s assertion about the benefit of being an IIM: “They can’t be afraid to reach and communicate with a ton of faculty during this process. They have to forge relationships, and that’s a lot to ask. They have to learn to say, ‘here are my ideas, what do you think of them?’”

“There are a number of faculty members who will advise a student in an IIM because they themselves feel very strongly about an area of study,” Moffit said. Moffit cites the example of Prof. Don Katz (NEUR), who created his own major of Cognitive Science as an undergraduate at Brown University, and now serves as the advisor to a student who created the IIM of Cognitive Science.

Wexler, who is currently working on applications to graduate programs in social work, feels that having to defend her academic choices throughout her undergraduate career is very helpful for presenting herself as a candidate for graduate study.

“All of these questions they’re asking me, I feel like yes—this is what I’ve been studying as an undergraduate,” Wexler said.

“Because IIMs are targeting exactly what they want to be doing, that really helps them in the job search.

One of the seniors, who created the major of Cognitive Science, has said that being an IIM has really helped her in talking about her major,” Moffit said.

When asked to describe the typical IIM student, Wexler said, “Fiercely passionate. These are people who are seriously passionate about subjects that aren’t offered… They are passionate, and they are unique.”

Moffit agrees, saying, “there is a strong element of creativity… they are driven by their ideas. It’s exciting that they are willing to do what it takes to make it happen.”

“Brandeis is a liberal arts school that sees the value of an interdisciplinary education,” Moffit said. “[the IIM program] enables students to explore an area that they are very interested in, and that adds to the Brandeis experience.”

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015

Universal language of discovery Jianfeng Lin’s journey from southeast Asia to a biology lab in northeast America sparks innovation

By ALEC SIEGEL justice Staff writer

From where Jianfeng Lin was born and raised, he could gaze across the sixmile wide Taiwan Strait and make out the skyline of Taipei, the capital of the sovereign Chinese territory and island Taiwan.

His hometown, Xiamen, is a coastal metropolis of three-and-a-half million people in southeastern China. A historic seaport for foreign trade dating back to the Song Dynasty, Xiamen is where Lin developed a curiosity for the natural world. It’s where he studied microbiology as a Ph.D. student at Xiamen University.

Lin also saw what lay beyond the shore of Taipei.

He wanted to further his research and begin his career as a biologist across the Pacific in America.

Lin is now the 33-yearold postdoctoral research assistant of Prof. Daniela Nicastro (BIOL). He was the lead scientist for two breakthrough studies last year. The most recent was published in the Dec. 4 issue of Nature Communications, a widely circulated journal that encompasses all scientific fields.

In an email to the Justice, Nicastro described Lin as “calm, respectful, at the beginning he was more reserved and I had to encourage him initially to step into a leadership role.” After nearly seven years as her postdoctoral research assistant, Nicastro recently promoted Lin to permanent senior scientist.

Lin’s journey to America is a new kind of American dream. Lin didn’t come to America to escape a war or to broaden horizons for his family. Instead, Lin came as a scientist hopeful to further his studies and career in the labs of a place that is in his own words the “most advanced and competitive country in the world.”

Lin is comfortable in his new workplace. “The U.S. is an immigrant country. I don’t have a strong feeling that I am a foreigner, and I can enjoy the diverse cul-

ROSE GITTELL/the Justice

FOCUS AND VISION: Jianfeng Lin creates 3-D images of diverse cell bodies using this three million dollar microscope.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIELA NICASTRO

3-D IMAGING: Lin used cryo-electron tomography to image the structure of human cilia with high resolution and uncover the elusive ciliary defects in primary ciliary dyskinesia patients.

tures,” he wrote in an email to the Justice.

In the summer of 2008, Lin was alerted by a friend of the opportunity in Nicastro’s lab. He would be working as a postdoctoral research assistant with a focus on cilia and flagella, a subject that he knew little about at the time.

Among the applications for the position, many from China, “Jianfeng’s application caught my eye, because he included a gorgeous image of a complex 2D electrophoresis gel,” Nicastro wrote.

Nicastro is especially fond of beautiful images, as her lab specializes in highresolution imaging of a variety of cell bodies, including cilia and flagella.

The team’s most recent breakthrough study involves the development of a technique that allows scientists to study the building blocks of cilia and flagella at a higher resolution volume than ever before. Lin led the study, which was developed in conjunction with researchers Lawrence Ostrowski and Michael Knowles of the University of North Carolina’s School of Medicine.

Cilia and flagella are hair-like organelles found in the body’s eukaryotic cells, or cells with a nucleus enclosed by a membrane.

Cilium, Latin for “eyelash”—perhaps the most apt visual description of the microscopic organelle—is the name for a single strand, while flagella is the name of a group of the organelles.

Cilia are found in the body’s lining of the windpipe, filtering out mucus and other bacteria. This type of cilium is known as motile, that is, its function is a mobile one, sweeping away liquids like a bunch of finely-toothed mops.

Non-motile cilia participate in the body’s sensory functions, and are found behind the eyeball and inside the nasal passageway.

Previously, the inner workings of cilia and flagella could only be studied using 2-D images. As a result, little is understood about the minute components of

the organelles, and potentially fatal mutations to an individual’s cilia DNA have gone undiagnosed or mistreated.

Using a technique called cryo-electron tomography, Nicastro’s team, headed

by Lin, developed a way to render cilia and flagella in high-resolution 3D images.

The new technique uses a collection of 2D images of the cilia at a variety of angles and composites them into one extremely highresolution 3D image. “Using this approach, we obtained the first 3D native structures of both normal and defective human cilia from human patients,” wrote Lin. Nicastro is the principal investigator of the lab, which includes Lin, five other postdocs and two graduate students. Lin’s journey from the labs of Xiamen University to the labs of Brandeis is hardly unique, even among his own team of scientists. Three of the six postdocs earned their doctoral degrees in China, and two others also studied at institutions abroad.

Daniel Stoddard, one of the two doctoral students in Nicastro’s lab, has worked with Lin for the past twoand-a-half years. “[Lin] is an extremely intelligent, hard working and friendly individual, always there to answer a question or discuss a project,” he wrote in an email to the Justice.

Lin came to Boston from Xiamen for three reasons: his hope of receiving the best available training in one of the world’s most advanced countries, America’s emphasis on scientific advancement and research and the attraction of living in a country with as diverse an ethnic fabric as America’s.

Lin’s ultimate goal is to be a principle investigator of his own biology lab. Back in Xiamen, Lin’s parents work as farmers, happily living a simple life among relatives.

And how do Lin’s parents feel about their child’s career choice? “They are very happy and feel proud that their kid can have a better job and life, especially in America,” he wrote.

ROSE GITTELL/the Justice

RESEARCH MENTORSHIP: Prof. Daniela Nicastro (BIOL), pincipal investigator, has encouraged Lin to step into more of a leadership role.

9

10 TUESDAY, january 13, 2015 ● THE JUSTICE

the

Justice

Brandeis University

Established 1949

Rachel Hughes, Editor in Chief Tate Herbert, Senior Editor Glen Chagi Chesir, Managing Editor Jessie Miller, Deputy Editor Sam Mintz, Senior News Editor Rose Gittell, Features Editor Max Moran, Forum Editor Avi Gold, Sports Editor Emily Wishingrad, Arts Editor Morgan Brill and Grace Kwon, Photography Editors Sydney Miller, Acting Layout Editor Brittany Joyce, Online Editor Carmi Rothberg, Acting Copy Editor Aliza Kahn and Talia Zapinsky, Advertising Editors

EDITORIALS

Defend all students’ free speech rights Following the assassinations of two New York City Police Department officers on Dec. 20, Khadijah Lynch ’16 tweeted “i have no sympathy for the nypd officers who were murdered today.” Daniel Mael ’15, a writer for the news website Truth Revolt, reposted Lynch’s tweets in an article.

A Facebook group soon emerged called “Expel Khadijah Lynch from Brandeis University.” Group members posted rape, lynching and death threats against Lynch.

A student movement called “Stand With Khadijah” soon emerged, as University students acted to defend Lynch from her attackers. In addition, Michael Piccione ’15 sent an email to senior administration and students who claimed to “stand in solidarity with [Lynch]” on Dec. 23. The email urged administrators to penalize Mael for potential violations of the Rights and Responsibilities handbook. It stated “[i]t is unfathomable to many within the Brandeis community that such an action could have been carried out with anything but malicious intent … it is important that [Mael] be held accountable for his actions.”

This board commends the efforts of students to ensure Lynch’s safety and end the harassment directed toward her, and vigorously condemns Lynch’s attackers. Vile as her statements may have been, they in no way merit any punitive action from the University. Controversial speech should never result in the malicious and illegal attacks threatened by Lynch’s detractors.

Universities are bedrocks of free speech, and the Brandeis community’s passionate defense of Lynch speaks to how highly our University values this right, despite national criticism of the state of free speech in Universities. While the African and Afro-American Studies department is justified in asking their undergraduate departmental representative to step down after making public statements contrary to their values, her right to make these statements must be defended, as it has been in this case.

However, we criticize an apparent double standard in how the free speech rights of the two students at the heart of this scandal have been treated. The “Stand With Khadjiah” movement draws a clear distinction between Lynch’s words and her right to be free from harassment. A change.org

Refrain from punitive action petition titled “Stand in Support of Khadijah Lynch” writes “we are all entitled to share our opinions no matter how provocative they may be.” However, this same separation between person and speech has not been afforded to Mael, who, in the same petition, is accused of “misguided, diluted and unscrupulous representation of [Lynch]’s character.” In Piccione’s email and other social media responses to the issue, students have sought to penalize Mael for using the same freedoms of speech and press which they defend in the case of Lynch’s twitter profile.

We do criticize Mael’s choice to use Truth Revolt to publish Lynch’s tweets. As a national news organization, Truth Revolt readers lack key context about Brandeis.

While a UDR’s inflammatory statements could be worthy of discussion within the Brandeis community, the issue should not have premiered to national scrutiny.

The decision to publish this story in a national forum is what many students criticize, yet doing so is neither illegal nor illicit. The potential Rights and Responsibilities violations pointed to in Piccione’s email deal with intimidation and harassment, but Mael’s article itself did neither; it only reposted Lynch’s previous tweets and quoted her other public statements.

The attacks against her were by Mael’s readers outside of the University, and they have been universally condemned— including by Mael himself on his professional Facebook page. He cannot be held responsible for the actions of his readers.

Mael himself also received violent threats, a completely unacceptable response.

While the choice to publish Lynch’s tweets in such a public forum is questionable at best, it does not constitute grounds for punitive action against Mael.

Inflammatory use of the First Amendment must be tolerated on both sides of debate for these freedoms to have meaning.

This board deeply condemns the threats and harassment Lynch has suffered but holds that Mael’s provocative article is not grounds for punitive action, just as her provocative use of Twitter is not grounds for punitive action.

Laud economics, sociology rankings

College Factual has recently placed Brandeis University in the top-10 list of colleges for both Economics and Sociology degrees. This editorial board applauds the Economics and Sociology departments for these achievements. As a school with a background in liberal arts, the University must remain competitve in these areas of study, including Sociology. To additionally be recognized in the more technical social science of Economics speaks to the wellrounded education available at Brandeis.

The University places ninth in Economics, beating out Williams University (13th), Rice University (23rd) and Tufts University (19th). In the Sociology ranking, the University holds sixth place, notably landing only one spot below Princeton University.

These rankings attract more students to the University and make students who graduate with Economics and Sociology degrees more competitive in the job market. The University should investigate

Investigate successful tactics what practices within the Economics and Sociology departments have led to their success and consider how to apply similar tactics to similar areas of study.

Although the University has more heavily publicized its science departments in recent years, liberal arts and the social sciences are core subjects to the University and should not be ignored. College Factual’s rankings indicate the importance of majors like Economics and Sociology to the University’s reputation.

In an interview with the Justice, Prof.

George Hall (ECON) accredited the program’s success not only to the teachers, but to the “intellectual passion” of students as well. Hall points out that, as students, what we invest in our education determines what we leave with after our four years here.

GABRIELA YESHUA/The Justice

Views the News on

On Jan. 5, jury selection began for the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the men accused of planting a bomb near the end of the Boston Marathon in April 2013. This resulted in the deaths of three people and injured some 260 people. Tzarnaev and his brother Tamerlan also allegedly shot and killed Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer Sean Collier. After Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. denied the defense’s request to move the trial out of Boston, the impartiality of the jury has become a concern. Jury selection is a rigorous process that may take weeks, selecting out of a jury pool of 1,200 to make a panel of 12 jurors. Some, like Michael Coyne, dean of the Massachusetts School of Law in Andover, Mass., “have real concerns that no matter who sits on the jury, they have been impacted in some way by the Marathon bombings.” Do you feel that an impartial jury is possible?

Prof. Daniel Breen (LGLS) O’Toole’s ruling was based partly on the fact that there are over five million people in this federal judicial district. In the case of Enron’s Jeffrey Skilling, the Supreme Court had ruled that given the large population of Houston, there could be no presumption that 12 suitably impartial jurors could not be found. If that was true about Houston, Judge O’Toole reasoned, it is also true about eastern Massachusetts. I think, though, that the judge failed to recognize the differences between a bombing, with its searingly emotional effects on an entire region, and a case of securities fraud. This case seems more similar to the Timothy McVeigh case, where the judge rejected the prosecution’s attempt to keep the trial in Oklahoma. Due process would have been better served by moving the trial.

Prof. Daniel Breen is a lecturer in the Legal Studies program.

Prof. Jytte Klausen (POL) Actually, I think the Boston area population has been remarkably openminded about this case. Culpability is not in question. The trial is about the degree of responsibility attributable to the young Tsarnaev brother, and the defense attorney is now trying to avoid the death penalty. There can hardly be a better place in the United States to try this question. The Boston-area jury pool is known to be one of the least supportive of the death penalty anywhere in the country. In my view, the request to have the trial moved is part of a pre-trial effort to sow doubts about procedure and impartiality that can be exploited at a later stage in the case.

Prof. Jyette Klausen (POL) is the Lawrence A. Wien Professor of International Cooperation. She studies domestic terrorism.

Michael Abrams ’15 I fully agree with Michael Coyne’s assessment of the situation. I doubt Tsarnaev’s ability to receive a fair trial in not only Boston, but Massachusetts; or, given the deep cultural sensitivity of the United States to acts of terror, anywhere in the nation. In the international criminal legal system there are no jury trials. Panels of experienced judges preside over trials for acts such as crimes against humanity, war crimes and, in the case of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, terrorism. A similar procedure should be utilized in Tsarnaev’s case. Ideally, a mixture of American and international judges would ensure that only the most qualified, impartial individuals would conduct and decide such a significant case. It is easy to condemn Tsarnaev before his trial, to not care about the fairness of his proceedings given the horror of his alleged crimes. But the only way for America to demonstrate its commitment to the principles of justice is to respect the human rights of Tsarnaev and provide him with a truly fair trial.

Michael Abrams’ 15 is an undergraduate department representative for the Legal Studies program.

David Alpert ’16 I do think an impartial jury is possible but unlikely. It was such an emotional event that those affected would likely be influenced by their experiences during the bombing. There are over 600,000 people in Boston, and a large majority of them were in some way affected by the marathon bombing. Even people who sympathize with Tsarnaev have a strong bias that could affect their decision. I have heard people say that an impartial jury is really just a jury that can put aside these feelings to give an objective opinion. However, in a case where people have personal connections to the events, it will be significantly harder to achieve this objectivity.

David Alpert ’16 is a Neuroscience major. He is originally from the Greater Boston area.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, january 13, 2015

Keystone XL pipeline represents victory for lobbyists

By Aaron Dvorkin JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Last Friday, congressional Republicans doubled down on their criticism of the Obama administration’s unwillingness to support the Keystone XL Pipeline project following the Nebraska Supreme Court’s clearance.

Republican leaders have stated that gaining approval for the pipeline—which would stretch from Alberta, Canada to Nebraska (en route to Texas and the Gulf of Mexico)—is one of their main goals for the final two years of Obama’s term.

However, the expected impact of the pipeline on our country is underwhelming considering the extent to which the proposal has been hyped by Republicans. According to a review of the plan by the State Department, the pipeline will only create 3,900 construction jobs.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 680,000 construction workers were unemployed in 2014. Unemployment among construction workers was 8.9 percent in 2014 and has been dropping every year since 2010.

The project was never intended to significantly affect the United States’ energy sector, as most of the oil coming from Canada will be sent to the Gulf of Mexico to be exported to other countries.

In essence, the purpose of the pipeline is to allow Canadian oil companies to export their oil to countries outside of the U.S. In fact, several studies, including one conducted by Cornell University’s Global Labor Institute, have shown that the pipeline could lead to higher gas prices since the exported gas would normally be going to midwest refineries.

Taking these undisputed facts into consideration, it would seem that the only logical reason why the Keystone XL Pipeline has become such a big issue for Republican leaders is that they believe it would create more jobs than any other project on the table. This could not be further from the truth. Once the pipeline is completed, only 35 employees will be needed to oversee the operations. In other words, the vast majority of the jobs created by the project will be temporary.

As Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) astutely noted during a hearing held by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last Thursday, a bill to fix our nation’s highways could result in the creation of up to 8 million new jobs. In addition, it would serve a real purpose for our country by fixing a highway

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system which almost all Americans depend on. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials has characterized our highway system “aging…[and] in dire need of a long-term, sustainable source of funding.” All the Keystone Pipeline will contribute to our country is the increased potential for pipeline-related disasters, which have become all too common in the United States in recent years.

American pipelines have hundreds of leaks and ruptures every year, and 500 people have been killed in pipeline accidents since 1986, according to ProPublica.

Although energy companies will contend that new technology and regulations mean that today’s pipelines are much safer, they inevitably become more susceptible to spills and other disasters as time goes on. “They’re ticking time bombs,” said former Senior Communications Manager for the National Wildlife Foundation Tony Iallonardo.

“

The purpose of the pipeline is to allow Canadian oil companies to export their oil to countries outside the U.S. This project would have little impact on our nation’s employment or energy independence but could have a significant negative effect on our environment. So why is it one of the most important issues in Washington D.C. today?

The Republican Party’s reliance on campaign donations from the libertarian oil moguls best known as the Koch Brothers has been welldocumented. According to the Huffington Post, the billionaire oil magnates have spent a total of $700 million between this year’s midterms and the 2012 presidential campaign. It is no coincidence that they also happen to be major players in the Canadian oil industry.

Not only do the Kochs own the crude oil terminal in Hardisty, Alberta where the Keystone XL pipeline would be located, they own more acreage of oil sands leases in Alberta than any other foreign oil company. They are therefore positioned to profit from the pipeline more

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

than any other foreign lease-holder.

In addition to the Kochs, the company behind the project—TransCanada—has spent $7 million on lobbying for the project since 2009 according to Politico.

A disturbing trend regarding the issues which are discussed during elections has been exacerbated in recent years. During the midterms in November, issues such as Ebola and ISIS which have had a relatively small impact on American voters, were consistently brought up during debates. These talking points became so popular during the election cycle because the exorbitant influence of outside money has meant that candidates have to listen to their donors more than their constituents. As a result of this mitigation of voters’ influence, candidates focus on issues which they themselves, or their donors, feel will be the best scare tactics against the opposition.

The fact that a policy as bad as the Keystone pipeline has made it to the top of the legislative agenda in Congress is a sign that the influence of big donors is not limited to our elections. If Republicans truly cared about creating jobs

and helping fix our nation’s infrastructure, a highway bill would be at the top of their agenda. Unfortunately, recent Supreme Court rulings—namely Citizens United—have severely mitigated the influence that constituents are supposed to have over their elected representation in Congress.

Congressmen are now forced to do what is best for those who helped them outbid their competition rather than answering to the needs of those that cast the votes. Our country desperately needs new policies which will stem the tide of outside money which is forcing elected officials to answer to big donors in different states, or, in the case of the Keystone Pipeline, a different country.

Our best hope is that American voters will become educated about the extent to which big donors are damaging the democratic fabric of this country. Unfortunately, the next election is now only a year away and the issue only seems to be getting worse as time goes on. We desperately need change. What remains painfully unclear is how we will be able to accomplish that anytime soon.

Reconsider rhetoric and focuses of Black Lives Matter movement Mark

gimelstein give me liberty

Ferguson, Missouri and Staten Island, New York were, for a time, just two locations in America without much significance. However, that fundamentally changed after the recent policing incidents in those two areas.

Protests took place across the United States, and an international community attentively watched how race and police-citizen relations would evolve. The attention slowly started to wither. Then, everything quickly changed.

In late December, the assassinations of two police officers in Brooklyn, New York, shook the United States to its core again. Emotional rhetoric started to flow again from those— including prominent Brandeis student leaders—who recklessly bashed whole judicial and law enforcement institutions in our country. It revitalized an environment deeply odious and divisive, warranting something being said in defense of those who risk their lives every day to defend us.

Let me start with a clarification: I don’t believe that our nation’s policing and legal systems are perfect. Institutions created by man are fallible by nature and proposals to reform laws and make policing more effective deserve their day in the court of public opinion.

Likewise, I also believe that the lack of an indictment in the chokehold case of Mr. Garner is a travesty and, indeed, a miscarriage of justice. The case justifies shining a light on biased district attorneys who do a major disservice to the transparency of legal proceedings.

But these reasonable points of contention

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between genuinely well-intentioned people are eclipsed by the left-wing mob that is led by demagogues like Al Sharpton, surrogate of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

This mob has initiated a campaign to denigrate all police forces around the country.

They are portrayed as entirely racist vigilantes who callously murder people of color without a sliver of evidence to corroborate that notion, outside the color of people’s skin.

Civil discussion quickly becomes unattainable. This is especially shameful because debate on policing and crime is vital in order to move past racially divisive rhetoric towards real progress for Americans, who all wish to see law enforcement work for, rather than against them.

The unfortunate truth, however, is that facts surrounding crime and policing are often compartmentalized into two categories by the loudest, most provocative voices in the policing debate.

There are facts that are acceptable because they are politically and emotionally palatable and there are facts that are automatically dismissed as racist because they’re not politically correct.

Yet facts that may be uncomfortable are still facts, making them crucial to understanding the current state of crime in our country and to dispelling myths promulgated by those with political agendas.

A common myth is a report by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement which says that every 28 hours an unarmed black person is killed by police in the United States. A simple search on Politifact (hardly the bulwark of conservatives and the facts they use) rates the claim as unambiguously false, explaining: “the report [is] not an academic work [and] it included in its count deaths that were not the result of police killings. Further, the report only classified 136 of 313 deaths as unarmed, which does not support [the] claim that an unarmed black

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person is shot by police every 28 hours.”

Aside from this myth, the overall rhetoric of the anti-cop movement paints police officers as racists who wantonly target blacks disproportionately. Just look at the signs or hear the chants from some of the “peaceful” protests across the country that criticize “racist killer cops” who don’t believe that black lives matter.

Look at Sharpton, who, when referring to the NYPD, said: “the only way you make roaches run, you got to cut the light on.” All the loaded language culminated in the foreboding chant heard throughout the streets of New York City: “What do we want? Dead cops!

When do we want them? Now!”

“

If these protesters stand for the belief that all black lives matter, they have only addressed one issue.

But if these protesters stand for the belief that all black lives matter, they have only addressed one issue. Another important problem has been ignored. When looking at a 2013 FBI Uniform Crime Report, black victims of murder were, 90 percent of the time, found to be killed by other blacks.

Leftists must start discussing the crisis of black-on-black crime for the “black lives matter” meme to not seem disingenuous, hypocritical and opportunistic for those who just have a visceral hatred of the police.

Additionally, consider what Jason Riley, a member of the Wall Street Journal’s Edito-

The Staff

For information on joining the Justice, write to editor@ thejustice.org.

rial Board, who is also black, wrote in a November editorial, citing FBI crime statistics: “Blacks commit violent crimes at 7 to 10 times the rate that whites do… Racial profiling and tensions between the police and poor black communities are real problems, but these are effects rather than causes, and they can’t be addressed without also addressing the extraordinarily high rates of black criminal behavior—yet such discussion remains taboo.

Blacks who bring it up are sell-outs. Whites who mention it are racists.”

Indeed, 2013 FBI homicide statistics conclude that black people make up 13 percent of the population but commit 50 percent of all murders in the United States.

Combined with the aforementioned prominence of black-on-black crime, it becomes apparent that if activists believe black lives matter, they should focus their efforts on fighting straightforward crime in the black community.

Biases in policing must be meaningfully addressed, but we must not prioritize that ahead of the very crimes, overwhelmingly more frequent, which the police strive to protect us from.

When the dust settles, it appears that Mayor de Blasio, Al Sharpton and others should direct their frustration to the crisis of black-onblack violence, not the cops. But liberal leaders instead scapegoat the police rather than address more complex issues devoid of easy answers or a catchy narrative.

Facts, as our second President John Adams once proclaimed, are stubborn things. Many variables surrounding policing and crime point to a situation in America that is nebulous at best, and, at worst, suggests that priorities by politicians and their confidants need to be realigned.

But one thing is crystal clear: the invectives hurled at law enforcement need to stop. Stand with the men and women in blue.

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TUESDAY, january 13, 2015

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THE JUSTICE

FORUM POINT/COUNTER-POINT

Adjust Cuba policy to improve US-Cuba relations Jassen

Lu

A Judge’s View

On Dec. 17, President Barack Obama announced that after 53 years, the United States will resume diplomatic relations with Cuba and reopen its embassy in Havana. His announcement marked the first diplomatic arrangement between the countries since the Cuban Revolution in 1959. This arrangement severed all relations between the U.S. and the Soviet-supported Cuba. The president noted that this decision aims to end the bitter past that had ensnared the two North American neighbors for more than half a century. He also stated it would utilize a new approach for political and economic change in the island nation.

Expectedly, a number of observers have criticized the president’s decision. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) remarked that the reestablishment of relations will do nothing to improve Cuba’s human rights record. Instead, opening relations will allow the Cuban government “the opportunity to manipulate these changes to perpetuate itself in power.” Despite such criticisms, the normalization of Cuba-U.S. relations is right for the U.S. and is in the interest of both countries.

By normalizing diplomatic relations, the U.S. and Cuba will once again have a formal channel they can use to communicate and negotiate with each other. The U.S. can help an economically stagnant country and its people revitalize their economy and begin talks for easing the current U.S. embargo on Cuba. For 53 years, Cuba and the U.S. had virtually no policy dialogue.

The embargo restricted the Cuban economy from accessing many U.S. resources and goods, such as infrastructure components, food and medicines. Ultimately, the embargo has failed in punishing and removing the Castro regime. Instead, it punished ordinary Cubans, who suffered the most as infrastructure and standard of living deteriorated.

Of course, the Cuban government must make its own economic reforms too, such as further liberalizing its state-run economy and introducing more free-market reforms to spur investment. But the U.S. should not make the task more difficult for the Cuban people. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla cited that since the start of the embargo,

76 percent of Cubans have suffered economically. The country has lost one trillion dollars from the half-century embargo, which has denied Cuba of the opportunity to raise its living standards. Loosening the embargo could introduce benefits of increased investment and trade to Cuba and even persuade the government that more advantages than disadvantages will come from greater economic reform.

In the ongoing negotiations, the U.S. has agreed to lift or relax a number of its restrictions on American activities. Rules, like restricting family visits between the two nations, have dissipated. Also, the president will relax restrictions on American banking and commerce in Cuba, allowing Americans to use credit and debit cards for purchases in Cuba and to bring certain goods back to the U.S., including Cuban tobacco and alcohol.

Although tourist travel to Cuba was not included among these new policies, they provide hope that relations will improve with time. By allowing greater American commerce and investment in Cuba, the country will receive much needed revenues and resources to reinvest in its own economy, allowing ordinary Cubans to raise their standard of living. Additionally, by relaxing restrictions on family visits, the U.S. will not only allow long-separated families to reunite more easily but also better facilitate the people-to-people contact required to repair the severed relations between Cuba and the U.S. that have bred misunderstandings and hostilities between the two peoples. On a person-to-person basis, Cubans may better see that ordinary Americans are not the devils the government has portrayed for more than 50 years.

Moreover, the U.S. has normalized relations with former enemies such as China and Vietnam, communist countries known for their Cold War anti-American views. Normalizing relations had created new economic partnerships between the U.S. and these countries and helped to diminish the legacy of constant hostility and security threats for America and its new partners. If the U.S. could establish relations with China and Vietnam, there is no reason it cannot do the same with a country that is only 110 miles away.

Additionally, normalizing relations with Cuba will improve America’s image as a nation willing to cooperate and make amends with other countries. A bitter, unchanging stance towards Cuba may only exacerbate America’s image as an uncompromising power that cares little about its relationship with the rest of the world. This image will not help the U.S. when it needs to negotiate and cooperate with other countries. Fostering a better

JASON LIPOW/The Justice

relationship with Cuba instead can persuade America’s allies and partners that the U.S. is willing to work with other countries to find solutions to common problems.

Critics of the normalization, such as Senator Rubio, have claimed that this decision will do nothing to improve human rights and promote freedom and democracy in Cuba.

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush even criticized the decision as a setback in advancing freedom and democracy on the island.

Despite such criticism, there are more long-term advantages than disadvantages that come with normalizing relations. The embargo is not consistent with past American foreign policy decisions either. The U.S. normalized relations with other former enemies, such as China and Vietnam. By normalizing relations, the chance for democracy may actually improve.

With China and Vietnam, normalized relations have allowed freer exchange of people, goods and ideas between countries at the grassroots level and helped to build a popu-

lace that is better informed about the world.

In turn, this change has incentivized the authoritarian governments of these countries to become more attentive to the demands of their people.

Increased intergovernmental dialogue and cooperation can allow the U.S. to better insist upon incremental political reforms too; the U.S. can offer economic assistance in exchange for policy changes. It is an alternative to incentivizing reforms through sanctions, which not only have been ineffective but also have increased tensions. Political change ultimately must come from within Cuba itself, but better relations with Cuba can plant the seeds for that change.

Half a century of embargo towards Cuba has not yielded positive results for either country.

Therefore, the U.S. needs a new approach in its relations with the island if it still wishes to see change in the country. Change will come only when both sides are willing to cooperate, and the U.S. should do its part to compromise and help foster that change.

Ending US embargo will not lead to Cuban policy reform

By Connor Wahrman Special to the Justice

Yes, it’s true after 50 years, the U.S. embargo has not done much to reform Cuba.

And after over 20 years, it’s about time we free ourselves from the Cold War mentality that put it in place. But on the path to meaningful change in Cuba, a step away from the past is not necessarily one toward a future we want.

Of course, hidden in President Barack Obama’s recent policy shift could be a secret plan to fight authoritarianism in Cuba. But until we read that, there is no good reason to believe Raúl Castro is interested in reform.

In response to Obama’s announcement, Castro said that he would accept President Obama’s gesture of good will “without renouncing a single one of [Cuba’s] principles,” which currently include arbitrary imprisonment, pervasive censorship and other restrictions on dissent.

Although the embargo became a powerful symbol of anti-Western sentiment for the Cuban government, its removal alone will not reverse over half a century of MarxistLeninist authoritarianism.

With the current state of democratization efforts, long-term change in Cuba does not stand much of a chance. The United States has a poor track record of democracy-building in Cuba. Radio and TV Martí, the Spanish-language U.S. propaganda broadcasts based in Miami, have done more to make Cuban expats in Florida happy than spark real change.

United States Agency for International Development has not made much of an impact either. From ZunZuneo, a failed social media platform intended to encourage political dissent, to anti-regime operations posing as HIV-prevention workshops, USAID has not only failed to achieve its political objectives but has also tarnished the reputa-

tion of global development efforts.

One of the key problems with these policies is that they are tailored to what we want from Cuba tomorrow, not what we can get from Cuba today. And, frankly, we could have gotten more a couple weeks ago. With oil below $60 a barrel, Venezuela’s ability to prop up the Castro regime is at an historic low. Relaxing the embargo offers serious economic benefits for Cuba and guarantees the stability and revenues of its government.

But instead of negotiating from a position of strength, Obama’s lack of preconditions has made it seem like the U.S. is more desperate for a deal than Cuba is.

“

A step away from the past is not neccessarily one toward the future we want.

There is a history of similar shifts in relations between the U.S. and its adversaries.

But these normalizations have always been in response to changes abroad. When Nixon visited Maoist China in 1972, it was in response to over a decade of growing hostility between China and the Soviet Union.

In Egypt, President Anwar Sadat’s 1972 expulsion of all Soviet military planners from his country laid the framework for U.S. rapprochement. And when the Clinton administration lifted the embargo on Vietnam in 1994, it was the result of guarantees for cooperation in accounting for MIAs from the Vietnam War. These were tangible shifts

in policy that resulted in practical gains for the U.S. before official reconciliation even began.

One could argue that the prisoner exchange of three Cuban intelligence officers detained in Miami for pro-U.S. operative Rolando Trujillo and the release of USAID worker Alan Gross, are a reasonable basis to begin talks of normalization. But the U.S. has already signaled that prisoner swaps are appropriate tools for engaging with its enemies, as evidenced by the swap with AlQaeda for U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

And even though Gross’ release was a concession, it was not a move with any lasting policy effects. This holiday exchange could have been negotiated, especially since the talks were encouraged by Pope Francis, without linking it to diplomatic relations or the embargo.

The prisoner agreement could have been the precursor to a more comprehensive release of political prisoners in Cuba. Although Castro has released 53 Cuban dissidents, there are still nearly 8,000 more prisoners of conscience in Cuba.

As President Obama even said in a speech in Miami during his 2008 campaign, the release of all political prisoners should be a necessary precondition for the normalization of diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Holding this stance is not only good foreign policy but also important for securing the allegiance of the U.S.’s Cuban-American population, many of whom are political exiles and maintain close ties with those still imprisoned.

Indeed, Obama has already been criticized by members of the Senate with Cuban ancestry. According to Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NY), it is naïve to believe “that Cuba will reform just because the American president believes that if he extends his hand in peace, that the Castro brothers suddenly will un-

clench their fists.”

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) goes even further, saying the economic benefits in Cuba of lifting the embargo will be a “lifeline for the Castro regime that will allow them to become more profitable . . . [and] a more permanent fixture,” thwarting any effort to reform. This bipartisan dissent could be a serious roadblock for the new Cuban agenda, especially when Obama needs all the support he can get from the Republicancontrolled Congress.

There is still time for Obama to get tough on Cuba, even though talks have already started. There are various demands that should be tied to diplomatic rapprochement and the lifting of the embargo. First, over seventy U.S. fugitives, including suspects of murder and domestic terrorism, have been given sanctuary in Cuba. Washington should demand the extradition of these individuals as part of the normalization process.

Additionally, Cuba is host to Russian and Chinese intelligence agents and listening posts conducting espionage against the U.S. Much like Egypt in 1972, these operations should be expelled in coordination with progress on the embargo.

Further economic concessions, such as reforming Cuba’s inequitable dual-currency system and expanding Cuban property rights, which are the least developed in the Caribbean, could be linked to future trade deals and aid packages.

At the end of the day, the new direction of U.S.-Cuban relations does create room for progress. If Washington properly leverages its political and economic power, it can deliver some long-awaited, practical changes in Cuban policy. Otherwise, this new effort at diplomacy may be close, but no cigar.

—Connor Wahrman ’17 is an editor for the International Journal.

THE JUSTICE

MBBALL: Men win three out of four to begin 2015 CONTINUED FROM 16 loss. Cooper netted a season-high 28 points on 9-16 from the field and 4-9 from beyond the arc, but was one of just two Brandeis players to score more than 10 points.

Brandeis outshot Bates 38.8-38.3 in field goal percentage, though the hosts netted 40.9 percent of their three-pointers while the Judges were able to sink just 37.5 percent.

Bates also controlled the glass for most of the contest, pulling down 35 rebounds—10 of which were offensive rebounds—to Brandeis’ 29, of which only six were on the offensive side of the ball.

The Judges began the game on a 5-3 run over the game’s first 90

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JANUARY 13, 2015

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IN THE LANE

seconds but fell behind at the 16:29 mark of the first half, Brandeis battled back from a 30-28 deficit at the half with a 9-7 run over the first five minutes of the second half to tie the contest at 37. Powell netted six points and grabbed a pair of rebounds during the run while Cooper cashed in a pair of free throws.

Brandeis held a 52-50 lead with just over four minutes remaining in the contest, but the hosts turned four Judges’ fouls into seven points to seal the victory.

The squad will continue UAA play on the road at Carnegie Mellon University and Case Western Reserve University this weekend, taking on Carnegie Friday at 8 p.m and Case Sunday at noon.

TRACK: Judges hold their own against Division I opponents CONTINUED FROM 16 race, stopping the clock with a time of 2:26.25 Grady Ward ’16 turned a strong performance in the one-mile run. Ward was one of 12 members of the squad to take place in the race and ran to an 18th-place finish by stopping the timer at 4:26.91, less than one second out of a top-15 finish.

Ryan Stender ’18 next crossed the line for the squad finishing in 4:30.72 and was followed in quick succession

by Jarrett Harrigan ’15 and Mitchell Hutton ’18.

Harrigan ran a 4:33.90 while Hutton ended the race at 4:35.04.

Wilson and Beckwith both ran in the 400-meter dash, posting times of 55.99 and 58.55, respectively.

Brandeis sent four competitors to the 60-meter dash, where Tai ended the race first for the Judges squad at the 7.58 mark.

Berger was next to stop the clock, crossing the finish line at at 7.67.

Ben Pomerantz ’17 clocked in at the 7.90 mark.

Mack was the final runner to cross the line for the squad, ending his race at 8.03.

Beckwith said he is optimstic about the rest of the season, which will last through March.

“I am excited and can't wait to see what the rest of the season has to offer,” he said.

Both squads will travel to Medford, Mass. this Saturday for the Tufts Invitational starting at 9 a.m.

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REACHING UP: Center Olivia Shaw ’18 hits the layup during the squad’s home victory against Mount Ida College on Nov. 15.

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nonconference road tilt CONTINUED FROM 16

game. Guard Niki Laskaris ’16 commented that the team “planned to play UMass Boston's post players tightly and force their guards to score.”

The beginning of the game went the Judges’ way as they started on a 10-5 run thanks to back-to-back three- pointers by Laskaris. Laskaris did not score again but contributed with five rebounds and two assists.

UMass Boston used a 15-5 run late in the first half, including, at one point, three straight threes, to tie the game at 30 a piece going into the halftime break.

Much like in the first half, the Judges went on a run thanks to a string of three-pointers. This time it was guard Frankie Pinto ’17 who hit consecutive threes amid a 10-0 run.

The momentum shift gave the squad a 44-37 lead with under 15 minutes left to play.

UMass Boston used their own run, this one a 21-9 stretch with just over

seven minutes remaining, to help take back the lead and the game.

The contest was close until the end as the Judges held a one-point advantage with under a minute to play.

UMass Boston was able hit a three to take back the lead with 39 seconds left on the clock.

After Brandeis guard Sydney Sodine ’17 was only able to hit one out of two free throws on the next possession, UMass Boston was able to convert on its free throw opportunities at the other end of the court.

A Judges’ turnover, their 22nd of the game, ended the tight game.

The three-point line was instrumental in the Judges’ ability to stay in the game as they shot 44.4 percent from behind the arc. Laskaris was proud of the team even after a difficult result. She said that “[her] favorite characteristics of this year's squad are the level of commitment and grit. We give 110% every day."

The women dominated in their first game back after the winter

break against Endicott. It was led by center Olivia Shaw ’18 who scored a career-high 20 points in only her second collegiate start.

Shaw also controlled the glass with eight rebounds, including four on the offensive end.

Laskaris and Cain also helped on the offensive side of the ball with Laskaris scoring 13 points and Cain adding seven points and five assists.

Sodine was a big presence on the defensive end with four steals.

The game was all but over in the first half as the Judges outshot Endicott 56-29 percent from the field in the half.

Laskaris and the rest of the team are confident going into the rest of the season. “[If] we continue working hard I expect the next few months to be very successful” Laskaris said.

The women continue their UAA conference play on the road at Carnegie Mellon University on Friday night at 6 p.m.

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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

15

SWIMMING AND DIVING

jUDGES BY THE NUMBERS Men’s BASKETBALL UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS

Points Per Game

Not including Monday’s games UAA Conference

W L Emory 1 0 Case 1 0 Chicago 1 0 JUDGES 1 0 WashU 0 1 Carnegie 0 1 NYU 0 1 Rochester 0 1

W 11 10 9 6 11 9 8 4

UPCOMING GAMES: Friday at Carnegie Sunday at Case Jan. 23 at Chicago

John Powell ’17 leads scorers Overall with 11.8 points per game.

L Pct. Player PPG 1 .917 John Powell 11.8 2 .833 Jordan Cooper 10.3 3 .750 Robinson Vilmont 8.2 6 .500 Carlin Haymon 7.5 1 .917 3 .750 Rebounds Per Game 3 .727 John Powell ’17 leads the team 8 .333 with 5.8 rebounds per game.

Player RPG John Powell 5.8 Robinson Vilmont 5.0 Colby Smith 4.7 Tim Reale 3.7

WOMen’s basketball UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS

Not including Monday’s games

Points Per Game

UAA Conference

W L W WashU 1 0 12 NYU 1 0 11 Carnegie 1 0 9 Rochester 1 0 9 JUDGES 0 1 8 Emory 0 1 8 Case 0 1 6 Chicago 0 1 6

Maria Jackson ’17 leads the team with 10.8 points per game.

Player PPG Maria Jackson 10.8 Niki Laskaris 10.5 Hannah Cain 8.9 Frankie Pinto 8.0

Overall L Pct. 0 .1000 0 .1000 2 .819 3 .750 4 .667 4 .667 6 .500 6 .500

UPCOMING GAMES: Friday at Carnegie Sunday at Case Jan. 23 at Chicago

Rebounds Per Game Sydney Sodine ’17 leads with 7.3 rebounds per game.

Player RPG Sydney Sodine 7.3 Maria Jackson 6.0 Olivia Shaw 4.9 Hannah Cain 4.6

SWIMMING Results from a home meet versus Colby College this past Saturday.

TOP PERFORMERS (Men’s) 100-yard freestyle

SWIMMER Max Fabian Joey Barr

200-yard backstroke

SWIMMER Edan Zitelny Taku Harada

TOP PERFORMERS (Women’s) 100-yard backstroke

TIME 10:14.82 10:37.92

SWIMMER Sherry Tu Abby Damsky

1000-yard freestyle

TIME 2:05.87 2:07.93

SWIMMER Joanna Murphy Yi Sul Richter

TIME 1:05.05 1:11.29 TIME 11:09.49 11:37.59

UPCOMING SCHEDULE: Saturday at Trinity College (Conn.)

Jan 23. vs. Bridgewater State University Jan. 31 at Clark University

Track and field Results from the UMass Boston Invitational on December 6.

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)

5000-Meter Run RUNNER TIME Jarret Harrigan 15:27.17 Quinton Hoey 15:38.29 Liam Garvey 15:46.40

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)

1 mile Run RUNNER TIME Kelsey Whitaker 5:12.27 Kristi Pisarik 5:16.43 Kyra Shreeve 5:22.30

UPCOMING MEETS:

Saturday at the Tufts Invitational at Tufts University Jan. 24 at the Smith Invitational at Smith College Jan. 30 at the Terrier Classic at Boston University

GUILLERMO NARVAEZ/Justice File Photo

BACK IN THE POOL: Freestyle swimmer Joey Barr ’18 competes in the home meet against Bentley University on Nov. 21.

Teams fall to Colby College in home meet ■ Edan Zitelny ’17 won both the 100-yard and 200-yard men’s backstroke competitions for the Judges.

By AVI GOLD Justice editor

The men and women’s swimming and diving team picked up 12 wins over the visiting Colby College on Saturday, but fell in the overall competition.

The squad lost 155-141 on the men’s side, while the women were defeated 162-103.

Edan Zitelny ’17 said that the meet was decided by a couple of close races that the Judges were unable to win.

“I’m happy with how the meet went overall,” he said. “At the end, it came to some close touches that did not go our way.”

The men’s team won eight of the 16 meets and got three wins each from Zitelny and captain Max Fabian ’15.

Fabian continued his strong performances in distance events, taking the 1,000-yard freestyle race in 10 minutes, 14.82 seconds, the meet’s only distance event.

His time was 23.1 seconds faster

than the second-place finisher, teammate Joey Barr ’18.

Fabian also won the 200-yard butterfly in 2:03.23 and the 200yard breaststroke in 2:18.03. Zach Diamond ’18 was the runner-up in the 200-yard butterfly, stopping the clock at 2:06.34.

Zitelny won both of the meet’s backstroke events, cruising to victory in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 56.38 seconds, winning the race by 1.18 seconds.

He won the 200-yard backstroke in 2:05.87, besting Taku Harada ’18 by just over two seconds.

Zitelny also grabbed the 200yard individual medley in 2:04.56 and swam the third leg of the 200yard medley relay.

The relay team finished in the runner-up position in the relay with a total time of 1:44.46, less than two seconds off the pace set by the winning quartet.

“I think the key was coming off a training trip in Puerto Rico [on Jan. 4], where we do not have to worry about the academic enviroment,” remarked Zitelny.

“As a team, we had some really great training, and I had an opportunity to refine some speed [aspects of racing].”

Diamond and Barr finished first and second in the 500-yard

freestyle, respectively.

Diamond took the race in 5:01.72, while Barr touched the wall at the 5:08.97 mark.

The Judges’ eighth win came in the 100-yard butterfly, which Brian Luk ’16 won in 54.18 seconds.

Eb Weber ’17 and Danny Smyda ’18 took fourth and fifth places in the race, timing in at 57.62 and 59.65 seconds, respectively.

Joanna Murphy ’17 picked up a pair of wins in the 1,000-yard and 500-yard freestyle races for the women’s squad.

Murphy won the former in 11:09.49 and the latter in 5:28.25.

She also took third in the 200-yard freestyle in 2:03.57, just one onehundredth of a second behind the second-place finisher.

Brandeis swept the 200yard individual medley, which Samantha Greenberg ’18 won in 2:33.12. Greenberg also picked up a win in the 200-yard freestyle relay with 1:49.05.

Fallon Bushee ’16 earned a third-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle race in 58.58, swimming the race almost a second faster than Amy Sheinhait ’18.

The teams will return to the pool this Saturday when they travel to Hartford, Conn. to take on Trinity College, beginning at 1 p.m.

pro sports BRIEF Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez among four elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame The Baseball Writers’ Association of America elected four players to the National Baseball Hall of Fame last Tuesday, enshrining pitchers Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz and second baseman Craig Biggio in Cooperstown.

Each of the three pitchers selected easily surpassed the necessary 75 percent of votes needed in their first appearance on the ballot.

Johnson, known as the “Big Unit” for his six foot, 10 inch frame, got 97.3 percent of the vote. The left-hander, a 10-time All-Star and co-MVP of the 2001 World Series, was one of only three players in Major League Baseball history to win the Cy Young Award in both the National and American Leagues.

Johnson is best known as a member of Seattle Mariners, which he

was a part of from 1989-1998, and the Arizona Diamondbacks, the team he was traded to in 1998 and remained with until 2004.

Johnson finished his career with 303 wins, the fifth-most of all lefthanders in MLB history, and 4,875 strikeouts, the second-most of all time behind Nolan Ryan.

Martinez, commonly referred to by his first name, spent seven years of his 18-year career as a member of the Boston Red Sox and helped bring the city its first title since 1918 by winning the 2004 World Series.

Martinez threw seven innings of shutout baseball in Game 3 of the 2004 World Series and retired the first 14 batters he faced in the game, en route to a victory.

Martinez received 91.1 percent of the votes from the writers, bolstered

by his three Cy Young Awards and 117-37 record with the Red Sox. In a press conference following the announcement, Martinez attributed his success to his pitching style.

“I was very aggressive,” Martinez said. “I consider myself a power pitcher with some finesse added to it.

I’m very happy that I’m going in with this group.

“I was very precise with my mechanics. My legs were the ultimate dictator to my success and power. I didn’t have the height and strength.

I had to do a lot of exercises to maintain my shoulder and remain in the big leagues.”

Smoltz will join former teammates Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine in the Hall of Fame after garnering 82.9 percent of votes.

The 21-year veteran was best

known for his time with the Atlanta Braves, during which he shuffled between the starting rotation and closer role out of the bullpen.

Smoltz is the first pitcher in MLB history to accumulate at least 200 wins and 150 saves, ending his career after the 2009 season with 213 victories and 154 saves.

Though he was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 1985, Smoltz was traded to the Braves as a minor leaguer and spent all but one year of his career with Atlanta.

Biggio got 82.7 percent of the votes in his third year on the ballot, getting in after missing the requisite 75 percent by two votes last year.

The second baseman spent his entire 20-year career with the Houston Astros and joined the prestigious 3,000 hit club in his final season, end-

ing his career in 2007 with 3,060 hits.

The seven-time All Star also won the Gold Glove Award for best defender four times.

Catcher Mike Piazza, considered one of the best hitting catchers of all time, got 69.9 percent of the vote in his third year on the ballot and should be a lock to get the call next year after getting 62.2 percent last year and 57.8 percent in his first year in 2013.

Legendary Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciparra tallied only 5.5 percent, 30 votes, in his first year on the ballot and is in danger of falling off the ballot next year.

Players need a requisite of five percent of the votes to remain on the ballot from year to year.

— Avi Gold

just

Sports

Page 16

HITTING THE POOL The men and women’s swimming and diving teams hosted Colby College on Saturday afternoon, p. 15.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Waltham, Mass.

women’s basketball

Women drop UAA game versus NYU ■ Center Olivia Shaw ’18

had a career-high 18 points in the team’s victory against Endicott College on Jan. 3.

By nOAH HESSDORF JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

The women’s basketball team dropped two out of three games to start 2015, falling to University of Massachusetts Boston and No. 9 New York University after beginning the year with a 79-65 win over Endicott College. The squad lost the two matchups at the UMass Boston 69-65 and 68-49 versus No. 9 NYU. The team’s record falls to 8-4 overall and 0-1 in conference play.

On Saturday the Judges matched up against NYU for their University Athletic Association conference opener. NYU continued its undefeated campaign with a 19-point victory against the women.

NYU went on a 10-2 run to start the game and to gain momentum

that continued throughout four quarters. The Judges were able to keep the deficit to only 10 at the intermission on the back of a strong offensive performance from forward Tori Dobson ’16.

Dobson matched her career-high in points with 10 and added three rebounds and two blocks.

Also contributing off the bench was guard Paris Hodges ’17, scoring eight points along with three rebounds and a team-high three assists. Fellow guard Hannah Cain ’15 added seven points, six rebounds and two steals.

The women’s greatest weakness in the game was their inability to pull in rebounds against their UAA rivals. The Judges were outrebounded 47-36 overall and 21-14 for offensive rebounds.

Last Tuesday the squad lost a nailbiter on the road at UMass Boston in their final non-conference contest of the season. The close result was expected as the Judges were aware of UMass Boston’s tough interior

See WBBALL, 13 ☛

TRACK AND FIELD

Teams turn in solid performances at meet ■ Lydia McCaleb ’17

paced the women’s team with a 10th place finish in the 3,000-meter run.

By AVI GOLD JUSTICE EDITOR

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

UP TEMPO: Guard Robinson Vilmont ’17 goes up for a layup in the Judges’ win against New York University on Saturday afternoon.

Squad opens up UAA play with home victory ■ Forward Jordan Cooper

’18 scored a season-high 28 points in the squad’s 6055 loss to Bates College.

By AVI GOLD JUSTICE EDITOR

The men’s basketball team opened play against University Athletic Association opponents with a 57-54 victory over New York University on Saturday, boosted by a season-high 23 points from center John Powell ’17. The Judges closed their non-conference schedule last Tuesday with a 60-55 loss to Bates College and hold a 6-6 overall record on the season.

Brandeis welcomed NYU to the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center and immediately saw NYU junior guard Evan Kupferberg score

eight of his 12 first-half points in the game’s opening six minutes. The Judges played from behind for most of the half, only once taking the lead on a three-pointer from guard Robinson Vilmont ’17 with just over 12 minutes remaining in the half. Powell led the way with 10 points on 4-of-6 field goals in the half.

The Judges began the second half on a 7-0 run, turning a 30-25 deficit into a 32-30 lead in fewer than four minutes, grabbing the lead on a pair of free throws from forward Jordan Cooper ’18.

By the 10 minute mark of the half, the two teams were locked in a backand-forth affair, trading the lead three times before a Vilmont layup tied the game at 42 with 9:48 left in the contest.

NYU went on a 7-2 run after Vilmont’s layup, taking a 49-44 lead with 4:41 remaining in the contest. From

that point, the Judges closed the game on an 11-5 run to seal the victory. Trailing 51-50 with 2:40 remaining, the Judges’ defense held the visitors without a point until 13 seconds left, when an NYU three-pointer made the game 55-54 in favor of the hosts. Powell ended the game with a pair of free throws to ice it for the Judges, giving Brandeis its first conference win of the season.

Guard Carlin Haymon ’18 added seven points and a rebound off the bench, seeing 18 minutes of game action. Haymon is averaging 7.5 points and 20.3 minutes per game.

Cooper grabbed four of the team’s 30 rebounds and added nine points for the Judges.

Last Tuesday, the Judges traveled to Maine to take on an 8-1 Bates team but could not overcome 14 bench points for the hosts in a 60-55

See MBBALL, 13 ☛

The men and women’s track and field squads continued their earlyseason meets at the Dartmouth Relays on Saturday, hosted by Dartmouth College.

The Judges scored points in just one race—Kelsey Whitaker ’16 finished fourth in the women’s 800-meter run—but turned in solid times against strong competition from Division I schools.

The team knew that it was facing tough competitors. Adam Beckwith ’18 said “We knew that there would be many very good teams at this meet, teams in Division I or II, like Dartmouth and Harvard."

Whitaker finished the 800-meter run in two minutes, 23.97 seconds, just over two seconds behind the third-place finisher and less than five seconds out of the top spot.

Hannah Kilcoyne ’18 also ran in the 800-meter run for the Judges, stopping the timer at 2:40.33, good for a 25th-place finish out of a total of 34 competitors.

Lydia McCaleb ’17 picked up a top10 spot in the 3,000-meter run, taking 10th place in 10:47.58.

Kate Farrell ’17 was close behind, turning in a 12th-place finish of 10:50.52. “[McCaleb] definitely pushed me while helping me pace the beginning of the race,” she said. “In past meets, I've either been blocked in at the start … or gone out too fast to avoid being blocked in. She is such a strong runner and I was really excited that we were able to work together.”

In the 1-mile run the Judges placed all three competitors in the top-25 out of 44 runners and got a top-10 finish from Ashley Piccirillo-Horan ’17.

Piccirillo-Horan's time of 5:23.71,

which earned her ninth place, was just four tenths of a second behind the eighth-place runner and finished only three seconds out of a scoring finish.

Kyra Shreeve ’18 ran to 20th place in 5:32.94 while teammate Maggie Hensel ’16 was a step behind her in 25th, ending the race at the 5:36.48 mark.

Brandeis sent two competitors to the 400-meter dash where Tove Freeman ’16 and Haliana Burhans ’18 turned in times of 64.18 and 64.30, respectively.

The Judges’ four points were good for a ninth-place finish, just one point behind Middlebury College and two behind Division II Franklin Pierce University.

The men’s squad got a good finish of the day from the group of Adam Berger ’16, Beckwith , Jeremy Wilson ’17 and Mohamed Sidique ’15 in the 4x200 meter relay.

The four ran a combined time of 1:37.37, good for an 11th-place finish, and were less than a second out of a top-10 spot.

Beckwith said that the team was satisfied about its performace.

"We felt in general that this was a pretty good performance considering that it was our second meet of the season and the track was not as we are used to," he said.

"Lots of relays had solid performances and our men's milers especially had great races.

The Judges got another 11th-place finish in the 4x400 meter relay from Sidique, Wilson, Trevor Tuplin ’16 and Omar Scruggs ’17.

The four ran a combined time of 3:39.73, one one-hundredth of a second behind the 10th-place squad.

Sidique turned in the Judges’ best individual finish, running to seventh place in the 800-meter run in 2:03.15.

Joshua Romanowicz ’17 also ran in the race, stopping the clock at 2:18.65.

His time was a step ahead of Trevor Tuplin's ’18 2:20.15.

Brandon Odze ’16 rounded out the Judges' competitors to finish the

See TRACK, 13 ☛

JustArts Volume LXVII, Number 15

Your weekly guide to arts, movies, music and everything cultural at Brandeis and beyond

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Waltham, Mass.

Sondra Celli

Waltham dressmaker draws national television following » 21

INSIDE

Course Preview— Check out new offerings for Spring arts classes, with courses from Fine Arts to Theater

Interview Column Comedian duo to teach campus singles how to date and share their funniest dating stories from their YouTube channel » 18

» 23

Staff Pick Editors share their most-watched shows from 2014, highlighting their favorite moments of the seasons » 19 ‘Into the Woods’ Sondheim tale comes to life on the silver screen with help from Anna Kendrick and Meryl Streep » 19

18

justARTS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 | THE JUSTICE

CALENDAR

INTERVIEW

$

What’s happening in Arts on and off campus this week

ON-CAMPUS EVENTS ‘Leaps and Maneuvers’

Seeking to combat the stigma against women in the video game community, members of Toronto’s Dames Making Games collective will present an exhibiton of interactive video games. The exhibit, Leaps & Maneuvers, aims to positively influence the gaming community by promoting inclusion and providing a community for women to play, critique and create games. The exhibit opens with a reception, where refreshments will be served.

Today through March 12 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The opening reception is today from 5 to 9 p.m. This event is presented by the Women’s Studies Research Center’s Kniznick gallery, and is free and open to the public.

Ethan Fixell and Dave Ahdoot

Undergraduate Welcome Party

Dating comedians perform stand-up set

Photo Courtesy of Eric Michael Pearson

justArts: In 2008 when you guys posted an ad on YouTube asking girls to double date you, what were you planning to do with it?

Dave Ahdoot: It was kind of done 75 percent as a joke and 25 percent trying to get these dates. And we were kind of overwhelmed with the responses. We thought of not doing them, but we were like, “Hey we might as well go on these dates. That sounds pretty awesome.”

Dave and Ethan comedy show

Best friends Dave Ahdoot and Ethan Fixell went viral when they challenged women to date them and uploaded the hilarious results to YouTube. These self-proclaimed dating experts, most recently voted 2012’s Best Comedy Performers in Campus Activities Magazine, will perform as part of Student Activities’

So we ended up going out on a lot of dates with people who responded to our ad and video.

So we made a video on YouTube and we linked it to a Craigslist ad—where everybody finds love. You, know, the classiest of love seeking. Our friend saw our first video which was just us joking around and was like, “Hey this is funny, you should keep doing videos like this.” And that’s how our whole career started.

Ethan Fixell: The comedy kind of came by itself.

Because some of the dates that we went on were so crazy and ridiculous that we started talking about them on YouTube and video taping some of them for YouTube, [and] the comedy sort of came from it.

Dave and I were thinking about creating a comedy show together for years because we had known each other since middle school, but we never knew what it would be about. So when this happened we were like, “Boom!

There’s a comedy show.”

JA: Do you have a favorite skit or act that you do in your show?

DA: We do a dating game in our show which is where we bring up people from the audience and that’s always fun just to see what the students can come up with on the top of their heads… and these are people who are not used to being in front of an audience, and here they are, in front of an audience, trying to come up with good answers to our questions.

[It’s] always fun to watch because it’s different every show.

EF: My favorite part of the show is actually when we get to do improv. Every show we talk about people’s worst dates, and we usually act out a story of people’s worst dates. So that’s always fun for us.

JA: What is your favorite video?

EF: My favorite video right now is a brand new one.

It’s a music video we did with a guy named Daniel Koran, and it was directed by David Gregory from the Gregory Brothers … and it’s a video that blends real-life bystanders with a choreographed song.

DA: I think my favorite video was one of our first videos with our grandmas. We were asking our grandmas for dating advice. But they’re both very fun in the video, and it was one of our first videos.

And both of our grandmas have passed on, but we’ll always have that video which is cool.

EF: I suspect that Dave had a crush on my grandma.

JA: What’s next for Dave and Ethan?

EF: We’re [going to] run for president.

DA: We’re working on a web series. We have something with Above Average, which is our YouTube series which is under Lorne Michaels.

We just started a dating show on there. And we have a pilot, which we will be finding out about in the next week if it gets picked up or not.

—Emily Wishingrad

Collective

The Undergraduate Theater Collective will host a party where students interested in theater and performance can come and learn more about the campus theater scene. Representatives from each of the UTC’s five member clubs will be available for questions and will introduce their projects for the semester. Refreshments will be available.

Tomorrow from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Shampiro Campus Center theater. to 7 p.m. in Spingold Theater’s Dreitzer Gallery. This event is free and open to the Brandeis community.

This week, justArts spoke with Dave Ahdoot and Ethan Fixell who started out their careers making comedic dating videos on YouTube and now perform at colleges all around the country. The two will be performing at Brandeis this upcoming Saturday.

JA: What prompted you to make a comedy show out of your videos and out of your experiences?

Theater

Winter Week. Boris’ Kitchen will open for the pair.

Saturday from 8 to 10 p.m in the Shapiro Campus Center Theater.

Tickets are free and can be picked up at the Brandeis Box Office.

Annual Winter Week Involvement Fair

Students are invited to wander through the Shapiro Campus Center and interact with club and organization leaders. Come and get involved.

Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center.

OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS

Institute of Contemporary Art: ‘The Long Count/The Long Game’

The Institute of Contemporary Art’s artist-in-residence, Matthew Ritchie, will combine his multimedia projections with rock music in an immersive art and music experience.

The show will feature Kelley Deal (The Breeders), Aaron and Bryce Dessner (The National), Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) and Evan Ziporyn. Ritchie’s projections will center on the theme of time.

The exhibit concludes at the Family Foundation Theater.

Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the ICA. Tickets are $15 for members and $30 for nonmembers. Tickets can be purchased online at www.buy. icaboston.org/public/.

SpeakEasy Stage Company’s ‘A Future Perfect’

In this play, Claire, a careeroriented advertising employee, and Max, a puppeteer for PBS, put their values to the tests when their friends tell them some surprising news.

Claire and Max’s friends Alex and Elana announce that they are having a baby. This news causes the couples to question what happened to their teenage selves—teenagers who were against everything their parents

stood for.

Showing through Feb. 9 at the Roberts Studio Theatre. Show times vary. Tickets are available at www. bostontheatrescene.com.

Boston Symphony Orchestra: Mozart and Bruckner concert

German pianist Lars Vogt, known for his classical repertoire, will return to Symphony Hall with Andris Nelsons to perform alongside the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The concert will feature Mozart’s protoRomantic C minor piano concerto, which is known for its theme-andvariations finale. The concert will also feature Bruckner’s magisterial Symphony No. 7, which has remained the most popular of that composer’s works.

Performing until Saturday at various times at the Boston Symphony Hall. Tickets are $18 to $30, and can be purchased at www.bso.org.

The Huntington Theatre Company’s ‘The Second Girl’

This Irish drama follows the lives of two Irish immigrant servant girls and a chauffeur. The group searches for a sense of belonging and attempt to become successful. The play, written

by Huntington Playwriting Fellow Ronan Noone (Brendan, The Atheist) and directed by Campbell Scott (The Atheist), is a world premiere.

Showing Friday through Feb. 21 at various times in the Wimberly Theatre. Tickets prices range from $25 to $61 and are available at www. huntingtontheatre.org.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s ‘Third Thursdays: Midwinter Tropics’

The museum brings summer to Boston with a DJ playing summer songs as attendees walk through the sculpture garden.

Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the museum. Student tickets are five dollars and are available for purchase at www. tickets.gardnermuseum.org.

Pop Culture n !

ww The 72nd Golden Globe Awards made their annual television appearance this past Sunday night and it was a competitive race to the famous golden globe statuette.

With a slew of successful films and television series this year, the nominations all had a strong chance of winning. Amy Poehler and Tina Fey once again co-hosted the award show, resulting in plenty of laughter and mockery throughout the night. Their comedic targets ranged from Bill Cosby to The Interview to Jennifer Aniston.

However, viewers did take note of the Golden Globes’s more serious tone, and Poehler and Fey had less of a presence after their opening monologue.

Now back to the action. Boyhood won for Best Motion Picture, Drama, beating out other strong contenders such as newly released Selma. However, Selma did earn Best Original Song, Motion Picture for the song “Glory” featured in the film. Director Richard Linklater also won Best Director, Motion Picture for his work on Boyhood.

Not surprisingly, The Grand Budapest Hotel won Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, which further seals the film as one of Wes Anderson’s best yet.

In a much different category, Best Animated Feature went to How To Train Your Dragon 2 against steep competition, including The Lego Movie and Big Hero 6.

Not to be ignored, The Theory of Everything star Eddie Redmayne won Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama, which he indisputably deserved.

Julianne Moore won Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama, for her role in Still Alice, which was already a strong prediction. Birdman’s Michael Keaton won for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical while Amy Adams won Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical for Big Eyes.

Boyhood added to its trophy shelf with Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture going to Patricia Arquette, and Whiplash received Best Supporting

By Jessie Miller

Los Angeles Times/TNS

GROWN UP: The Boyhood cast pose backstage after winning Best Motion Picture, Drama.

Actor in a Motion Picture for J.K. Simmons’ performance, the film’s only win of the night.

As for the small screen, Best TV Series, Drama went to The Affair, despite going up against longtime favorites Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, The Good Wife and House of Cards. Additionally, The Affair won Best Actress in a TV Series, Drama for Ruth Wilson, while House of Cards still emerged victorious with Kevin Spacey winning Best Actor in a TV Series, Drama.

Transparent, another new series to premiere this past year, won Best TV Series, Musical or Comedy and Jeffrey Tambor took home Best Actor in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy for his role in the show.

Yet another new series earned the spotlight with Jane the Virgin’s Gina Rodriguez winning Best Actress in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy.

Fargo won for Best Mini-Series; the show was originally released as a limited series of 10 episodes, but it has been renewed for a second season. Billy Bob Thornton won Best Actor in a Mini Series for his role in the television show.

However, regardless of the winners of the night, the true star was the support shown for the “Je Suis Charlie” movement. Celebrities walked the red carpet wearing pins and holding signs featuring the now famous phrase, showing their support for free speech and freedom of expression after the Charlie Hebdo shooting.

ARTS COVER IMAGES: Mark L. Johnson, Tisi Farrar, Eric Michael Pearson, Disney/TNS, Los Angeles Times/MCT DESIGN: Morgan Brill and Grace Kwon /the Justice.

ON CAMPUS

THE JUSTICE | TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015

19

course PREVIEW

Check out spring arts course offerings By brooke granovsky justice editorial ASSISTANT

Profs. from different arts areas describe and discuss their exciting spring courses

FA 79A: “Modernism Elsewhere,” taught by Prof. Talinn Grigor (FA) “Modernism Elsewhere” centers around modern and contemporary architecture outside the West. In her syllabus, Grigor wrote that the survey course “introduces to students major architectural movements, discourse, and edifices from the late-19th to the 21st century outside the traditional centers of the West. Ultimately, what is the relationship between modern architecture and the making and image of a colonial/postcolonial

world? How does modernist architecture today continue to reinforce or resist a benign image of imperial intention?” Using case studies from Morocco, Egypt, Iraq and Israel, the course highlights “the question of modernity, modernism, and modernization [as] examined through the lens of (post)colonial politics of domination and resistance,” Grigor mentioned in the syllabus. The lectures will look at modernism through a political

Photo courtesy of TALINN GRIGOR

WORLD TRAVELER: Prof. Grigor took this photo when she visited Persepolis, Iran in 2007. This spring, she will teach “Modernism Elsewhere.”

THA 110A: “Moving Women/ Women Moving,” taught by Prof.

Susan Dibble (THA) Dibble’s class on influential women leaders in America highlights Modern dance choreographers in the mid20th century. The course’s title expresses how choreographers—“moving women”— influenced, or moved, women to explore different facets of life and art. In an email to the Justice, Dibble wrote that “students will learn about the dance and movement vocabulary and techniques developed by these women, and investigate these extraordinary artists while reflecting on women who have influenced and inspired us in our own lives.” Students will

lens and seek to identify the movement’s role artistically, ideologically and symbolically in its different localities. It will also question how identity and power affect architecture in major cities outside the West.

The course concludes with a self-led field trip through architecturally relevant buildings on Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s campuses.

MUS 160B: “Electro-Acoustic Music Composition (Laptopping),” taught by Prof. Michele Zaccagnini (MUS)

examine how modern dance choreographers and other artists incorporated time, space, weight, design, storytelling and drama into their works.

Dibble notes that, “the course is an opportunity for students to create original dance pieces that tell the stories of inspirational women in their own lives today.” For inspiration, Dibble included the following quotation in her email: “Modern Dance began and remains a place where people on the edges of society congregate and express themselves.”

-Doris Humphrey

Photo courtesy of KEVIN SPRAGUE

IN MOTION: Prof. Dibble’s course combines dance and history.

Photo courtesy of MICHELE ZACCAGNINI

TECH WORLD: Prof. Zaccagnini (MUS) aims to push students to be both technical and creative in his course.

ENG 53B: “Poetics of Plague Writing,” taught by Prof. Jodi Austin (ENG) Austin’s course, “Poetics of Plague Writing,” aims to shed light on how the 17th century plague infected the English literature of that era. In an email to the Justice, Austin wrote, “as a disease that was responsible for killing off a significant portion of the European population starting in the 14th century, and then periodically returned with its dreaded ‘visitations,’ it’s safe to say that the plague was very much on the minds of European writers and artists during these years.”

The course will center on how the plague narrative

emerged in literature and how writers in and after the 17th century related to this narrative. Austin mentions that “not many people think of the plague when they read Shakespeare, for example, but [she is] hoping that this course will shed some light on the disease’s influence on and presence in his work.”

The end of the course will focus on works like Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion and the video game The Last of Us, which depict plague-like diseases that reveal how the plague narrative has evolved.

Photo courtesy of JODI AUSTIN

IN SICKNESS AND HEALTH: Prof. Austin’s course focuses on the plague.

“Electro-Acoustic Music Composition” examines how students can use their computers to manipulate and synthesize sounds. “This is a very exciting moment to be a musician interested in electronic music since the possibilities to express one’s creativity with a laptop are virtually limitless,” Zaccagnini wrote in an email to the Justice.

In his syllabus, he explains that the world of music and speficially digital sound has changed rapidly over the past two decades. This gives students the unique opportunity to benefit from the growing number of tools and methods involved in making electronic music.

The course works with the Max/MSP program that allows students to create computer al-

gorithms and generate sounds without having to write computer code.

Zaccagnini mentioned that “I like to think that the class lives at crossroads between arts, music and computer science.

Students signing in for the class are coming from different fields such as computer science and music. Naturally, they will approach the course differently.”

He wrote that his goal in the course is to push more technical students to embrace their creativity and to encourage more inventive students to take an interest in the fundamental side of audio programming.

As he wrote in the syllabus, “ultimately, the material learned in class is supposed to serve as a means to achieve the student’s creative goals.”

20

TUESDAY, january 13, 2015 | THE JUSTICE

editor’s pick

Editors choose best of 2014 TV releases New television series quickly gained the attention of viewers

CREATIVE COMMONS

FAMILY TIES: Jeffrey Tambor (right) plays Mort, who changes his name to Maura after coming out as transgendered.

CREATIVE COMMONS

RED HAIR, DON’T CARE: Despite being canceled after its first season, Bad Judge starring Kate Walsh (above) was entertaining.

Due to a lack of cable and spare time, my budget for new television shows is relatively slim. However, I did find time to check out NBC’s newest comedy Bad Judge starring Kate Walsh as Rebecca Wright, a discombobulated and questionable criminal court judge.

I am drawn to the show because Wright doesn’t care about the system or expectations—she does whatever she wants while still serving as an excellent judge. Her antics are amusing and liberating—the show proves that just because she does not behave like your stereotypical judge, does not mean she is bad at her job.

Walsh may not be known for her comedic chops (her previous work has been in TV dramas Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice), but her dry wit and unfiltered performance are the perfect combination for the half hour show. Watching Bad Judge, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be Wright, hang out with her or run the opposite direction, but I was fully entertained. I enjoy the fastpaced nature of the show and the interesting court cases that Wright deals with—as well as

her rulings. In one episode, she orders a man convicted of bigamy to wear a t-shirt that says, “I’m a convicted bigamist” and attend a class on feminism.

Clearly, this is a non-conventional ruling we probably would not see in real life.

An excellent supporting cast also accompanies Walsh.

Most notably, her court bailiff Tedward Mulray (Tone Bell), a hilarious counterpart to Wright’s antics, who deals with her life in and out of the court. Wright’s boss Judge Hernandez (Miguel Sandoval) offers a disapproving counter to most of Wright’s shenanigans and is a good foil to her carefree and crazy nature.

However, the rest of the viewers and the network didn’t share my opinion, and Bad Judge was canceled in October, although all 13 episodes will still air.

Hopefully, we’ll see more of Walsh, my favorite redhead, and there are still plenty of other sitcoms to watch. Blackish, starring Anthony Anderson, is already another one of my favorites.

Amazon Prime’s original series Transparent was a breath of fresh air this past year. The series, which premiered in February, took on a very innovative topic—a father (Jeffery Tambor) who, in her 60s, decides to come out as transgender to her three grown children.

The premise of the show—that Mort has decided to come out as Maura—seems unrealistic at first. But the show does an excellent job of using flashbacks, dating back to the time her children were in elementary school, to reveal Maura’s constant struggle with gender identity her whole life. Her struggles to tell her children are only half the battle as she starts to go out in public,

—Jessie Miller

CREATIVE COMMONS

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION: Jane, played by Gina Rodriguez, gets much more than expected.

Los Angeles Times/MCT

LEADING LADY: Viola Davis stars as innovative criminal lawyer Annelise Keating who both practices and teaches law on the show.

How to Get Away With Murder centers on law professor Annelise Keating, deftly played by the Oscarnominee Viola Davis. In the first episode, Keating chose several of her students to assist her in defending clients accused of murder.

The goal of the show seems to be keeping the audience on edge. About half of each episode is devoted to flash-forwards of the characters dealing with a murder they will commit, while the rest of the show focuses on Keating’s current murder cases and the relationships be-

themselves. Their father’s coming out puts another hurtle in these young people’s paths, but it also ties them closer as they try to deal with it together.

The show is a refreshing break from the cop or CIA drama shows that were all over television last year. Transparent gives a—dare I say it—transparent look into a family, parsing out the struggles of the individuals and creating an all-enthralling, edge-of-yourseat drama.

Transparent won a Golden Globe for best television series in the comedy or musical category, and Tambor won for best actor in a television series.

exposed to the world and, worse, to old friends.

But the drama of a transgender father who has been hiding the secret from her children most of her life is definitely not the most dramatic plotline and certainly not the only one worth watching.

The three children have plenty of their own shenanigans, adding to the complexity of the show.

The youngest, Allie (Gaby Hoffman), who is also the closest to Maura, struggles with her newfound adulthood, mostly learning things the hard way. Her two older siblings, despite having had more time in the real world, are still not that far ahead of her, continuing to struggle with their life decisions as they try to remake

I’ll be honest: I’m a sucker for a good comedy—bonus points if the plot is something wildly outrageous. That said, no recent comedy has had me on the edge of my seat or commanded my attention the way that the CW’s Jane the Virgin has. The show follows the titular Jane, a religious and morally convicted 23-year-old, through the aftermath of a mistaken artificial insemination that occurs during a routine OB/GYN appointment. Many would call the plot ridiculous—and it is—but the show treats the events with a certain delicacy that makes for excellent television. By adapting the new TV series from the Venezuelan telenovela Juana la Virgen, the comedy acknowledges its own cheesiness, and, in doing so, allows itself to be something more than just another soap opera.

As Jane (Gina Rodriguez) shows her comedic chops, she simultaneously demonstrates that she can be a strong female lead as well. Rodriguez expertly walks the fine line between relatable youth

tween the characters. This level of suspense and tension can be hard to maintain for an entire episode, but Keating and student Asher’s (Matt McGorry) one-liners help add comedy to the high-stakes drama.

How to Get Away with Murder gained notoriety for the way it broke TV’s racial and sexual taboos. For instance, in featuring Keating, it became one of the two shows on air last year to revolve around a female African-American protagonist. Whereas most shows gloss over the sex lives of characters who are not young

—Emily Wishingrad

and responsible adult, never coming across as too whiny—or, worse, too bland—despite the show’s often absurd plot.

Rodriguez has gotten a lot of well-deserved publicity in the past few months, with many noting both her role and her recent Golden Globe win as significant for the Latino community.

Ultimately, I completely agree with what critics are saying; Rodriguez, without a doubt, shows that playing a Latina character in a telenovela doesn’t mean having to play the stereotypical role, similar to those found even in good shows like ABC’s Ugly Betty (another personal favorite).

The last episode left off with a cliffhanger, and waiting for the show to come back this past month has been torture for my boredom-addled self. Fortunately, the CW renewed the series for a second season, so I highly recommend heading over to the network’s website and checking out some episodes.

—Abby Patkin

and straight, How to Get Away with Murder gives equal focus to all of its characters’ relationships—regardless of sexual orientation or age. Season one’s closing episode brought the show’s two competing narratives together as the characters arrived at the day of the murder mentioned in the flash-forwards and revealed key details. Overall, How to Get Away with Murder is compelling, groundbreaking and absolutely worth the extra hour in front of the TV.

—Brooke Granovsky

THE JUSTICE | TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015

21

FASHION FEATURE

Local dress designer discusses career

By EMILY WISHINGRAD justice EDITOR

Photos courtesy of TISI FARRAR/Sondra Celli Designs

CRYSTAL BRIDE: Celli’s collection of crystal figurines highlights her trademark bedazzled wedding gowns.

We, as Brandeis students, may think of Waltham as the boring suburb of Boston where we are all forced to reside for four years. There are Pini’s Pizzeria and Baan Thai to keep us satisfied, but to most students, Waltham probably isn’t the University’s most enticing feature. But hidden on 144 Moody Street, there is a studio that looks like it has been transplanted out of Hollywood. The studio is where Sondra Celli, dress designer and star on TLC reality shows My Big F a t Americ a n Gypsy Wedding, Gypsy Sisters and Bling It On, creates her masterpieces.

On My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding (premiered in 2010) and Gypsy Sisters (premiered in 2013), Celli is featured as the dress designer for the American gypsies highlighted on the show. Families on the show make the trip to her studio to try on and pick up everything from wedding dresses

IN THE STUDIO: True to her designs, Celli’s studio is dominated by bright colors and shimmering fabrics.

to birthday outfits to attire for communions. In Bling It On, which premiered in 2012 for a one-season run, the camera goes behind the scenes and shows glimpses of Celli and her team creating pieces for non-gypsy customers.

Celli’s glamorous career came somewhat by accident.

She started off her fashion career designing men’s clothing—which she majored in at the Fashion Institute of Technology. But she ended up independently making and selling high-end children’s clothing to department stores. Celli, in an interview with the Justice, said that the gypsies, who “love anything high end,” pulled her number out of a Rolodex at a store. “I was only twenty-something years old, so I did not know that I was selling to gypsies.

So when they called to order things … they told me they were stores.” Celli says, at the time, she didn’t know gypsies even existed. But she was confused—the orders seemed to be coming from the same street in Illinois. “I was a kid, I didn’t know. I was very green,” says Celli.

Celli moved from New York to Boston when her daughter was young in order to be close to her family, she said. And her mother has her own claim to fame in Waltham. “My mother owns the biggest bridal store in Waltham—she’s pretty much a legend here,” Celli said. Her

mother, Yolanda Cellucci, has owned her bridal shop in Waltham, Yolanda’s Bridal Salon, since 1967. The store recently closed in 2009 but since then has been featured in an exhibit at the Charlies River Museum of Industry— Yolanda: Innovative Fashion Icon—which ran through Nov. 30 of last year. She has also been featured in the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald. “Her store was full of dresses from all over the world, so I was used to being around really lavish, lush gowns,” said Celli. “You get a lot of ideas and inspiration from that.”

For all the fame that her starring roles in reality shows have brought her, Celli doesn’t seem extremely changed by her stardom.

“The experience is something that I never thought I would have. I really am so not the type of person that would put myself out there and look for that.” Celli says she doesn’t act on the show and that nothing in her studio is scripted. All the catfights happen spontaneously and the camera crew just tapes, she told the Justice.

Celli is also very fond of her reality television clients and connects with them on a personal level. “I stay in their homes and I go to dinner with them and they’re extremely hospitable to me.

They treat me like gold,” she said. And she is certainly

well acquainted with the whole gypsy community— “My phone has 4,500 contacts and they’re pretty much all gypsies. I know every single one of them when they call.”

When asked about her biggest challenges in her career, Celli mentioned that creating anything for her daughter is “tough.” Her daughter is in the fashion business herself—on the corporate side—so she is very critical of her mother, Celli said. But she also said her favorite designs are the ones she creates for her daughter.

Celli’s work doesn’t stop with her gowns though. Recently, she undertook the project of designing uniforms for New England Patriots’ cheerleaders. “It was a challenge, because there are 26 of them and I’m so used to doing one-of-a-kind… but it was so cool to see all 26 of them in one shot,” Celli said. And more recently, Celli released her Crystal Bride, a china figurine of a woman wearing a blue dress embellished with 31 handmade flowers and 34 Swarovski crystals.

When asked if she had ever experienced anything too crazy for her designing skills, Celli responded with a definitive “nothing.” So next time you’re looking around Waltham and thinking that there is nothing here, take a second look and you might find something extraordinary in this small town.

BRIDE IN BLUE: Celli (right) poses with a bride dressed in one of her colorful wedding gowns.

TAKE A SEAT: Even the furniture in Celli’s store, from shoe-shaped chairs to animal print rugs, is extravagant, complementing the colorful and sparkly dresses lining the walls.

Everyone has a story.

Help us find it.

Write for the features section of

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Justice

Contact Rose Gittell at features@thejustice.org for more information.

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Write for Arts Contact Emily Wishingrad at arts@thejustice.org IMAGE COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

23

TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 | THE JUSTICE

film REVIEW

Sondheim fairy tale enchants viewers By anna stern justice Staff writer

Disney/TNS

MARKET ECONOMY: Jack and his mother, who want to escape their impoverished lifestyle, are selling their prized cow when they encounter the baker and his wife on their quest.

“I Wish.” Those two words begin the film that tells a story of happiness, despair, teamwork and hope, all through the eyes of beloved fairy tale characters. Into the Woods, a dazzling Stephen Sondheim musical, tells the story of Cinderella, Jack and his beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood and a baker and his wife. Through these characters’ individual journeys, worlds collide as each person ventures into the woods to have his or her wish come true.

Cinderella, played by Anna Kendrick, wishes to go to a festival and interact with royalty. Kendrick humanizes the classic rags to riches working girl and shows the hidden emotion behind the character.

Jack (Daniel Huttlestone) and his mother (Tracey Ullman) hope to become rich. Huttlestone plays Jack with a vibrant tenacity that draws the audience to him. Ullman plays the role of Jack’s mother showing how pathetic her life is through humor. Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford) hopes to deliver a basket of goods to her sick Grandmother. Crawford plays Little Red with an innocence that transforms into courage after she experiences danger before the audience’s very eyes.

The baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt) dream of having a child. Corden plays the part of the baker with heart and humor, causing the audience to empathize with

him. Blunt’s beautiful voice and impeccable acting emote her strength, courage and desire for motherhood, paired with a sweetness that causes the audience to hang on to every word she says.

All of these characters embark on their journey with high hopes. However, a witch— played by the goddess Meryl Streep—who lives next door to the baker and his wife, has other plans, cursing the baker and his wife so they will never be fertile. In order to lift the spell, the baker and his wife, must bring the witch a “cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, a hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold.”

Streep is absolutely chilling as the witch, using her signature brilliance and flair to capture in the audience.

Other notable performances include Chris Pine as Cinderella’s Prince, whose dashing rendition of the song “Agony” proves that he is just as musical as he is charming and sexy, and Johnny Depp’s Tim Burton-like depiction of The Wolf.

Depp plays the character with both fear and sly, dry wit.

This film is absolutely breathtaking, both through its talent and its scenery. The setting is absolutely beautiful filled with vibrant trees and streams. It mixes a fantastical world that is both exciting, beautiful and even haunting at the same time. The costumes and makeup also depict this fairy-tale world and even place some hints of realism into the costumes.

What makes this film so unique is the fact that it brings the magic of Broadway to the screen. Produced by Wicked’s Marc Platt and directed by Chicago’s Rob Marshall, the audience does not even notice the seamless transition between song and speech in the film and feels a part of the story every step of the way.

Through Sondheim’s brilliantly clever lyrics and James Lapine’s beautiful story, Into the Woods shows that even fairy-tale characters have their flaws. The second half of the film shows the loss of innocence and the transition of a world into chaos. At the inevitable end when all seems well at Cinderella’s wedding, the giant who Jack found from the beanstalk begins to destroy the village and its inhabitants.

Each character must return to the woods to save themselves as well as those around them.

It is there that the characters must work through various challenges in order to come together and see the other side.

Into the Woods teaches that “no one is alone.” Director Marshall said that this story is more important now than ever before as it has hints of a post 9/11 society filled with both fear and then hope. In the tragedies that go on in this world daily, people can learn from Into the Woods that no matter what danger lies ahead, as long as people work together and support each other, the world can come back stronger and more powerful than before. It all begins with one wish.

‘Selma’ reenacts civil rights history with emotion By jessie miller justice Editor

With four Golden Globe nominations already under its belt, Selma is shaping up to be one of the most influential and memorable films of 2015. Released on Jan. 9, Selma takes an up-close and emotional look at civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s work with challenging voting rights in Selma, Alabama in 1965. The film, which was directed by Ava DuVernay, culminates in Montgomery voting rights marches led by King and other civil rights leaders.

King, played by David Oyelowo, commands the screen and gives a stellar performance to a man whose memory dominates history. Oyelow’s King is powerful, emotional and, most importantly, real. In Selma, King becomes a relatable figure

and not just someone we read about in history books. Oyelowo’s performance has garnered a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor, and he fully deserves this honor.

The other main activists of the film are James Bevel (Common), Hosea Williams (Wendell Pierce) and John Lewis (Stephan James).

Both hip-hop artist Common and Pierce gave surprising performances that I did not expect from a rapper and television actor. As well, female activist Diane Nash (Tessa Thomspon) was a welcome addition to the mostly male-driven cast. The character was portrayed as an equal to her male counterparts, and her contributions to the movement were equally recognized. Although not on the front lines with her husband, Coretta Scott King (Carmen Ejogo) plays an important role in the film as the woman behind one of the most important men in history. The audi-

Paramount Pictures/TNS

CHANGING HISTORY: King and his peers led activists in the fight against unfair voting laws in Selma, Alabama.

ence feels her heartbreak, anguish and support throughout the movie, which allows a greater understanding of King as a husband and father.

Although appearing in only one scene, Ledisi Young as gospel singer and civil rights activist Mahalia Jackson highly added to the film.

Young’s outstanding and powerful voice does justice to the singer’s legacy, both as a performer and strong supporter of King.

Following her performance in The Butler, Oprah Winfrey also appears in Selma as Annie Lee Cooper, a civil rights activist who is portrayed as a victim of the unfair voting laws and Alabama’s oppressive racial dynamics. In one of the most powerful scenes, Winfrey is attacked and slammed to the ground at a peaceful protest outside the Selma courthouse. The close-up shots on her face depict the true struggle of the movement as the police brutally attack

a defenseless woman. It is in these moments—of struggle and violence and unfair treatment—that Selma truly hits the hardest. With the use of talented actors, Selma gives life to a dim part of history that still echoes in society today.

Another minor yet notable role is Jimmy Lee Jackson, played by Keith Stanfield, who pays the ultimate price in the civil rights movement.

Stanfield’s performance conveys the commitment and sacrifices protestors made in Selma. Viola Liuzzo (Tara Ochs) is another minor character whose contribution adds to the power of the film. Ochs plays a white civil rights activist who is shot by Ku Klux Klan members after participating in the voting rights marches.

Her death, as well as the arrival of white supporters from across the country, were expertly portrayed in the film.

Aside from the cast, Selma also

excels in its historical acuity and attention to detail. The viewer feels transported back to a time of great tension and change in the country, and every supporting character adds to this feeling. As for details, aspects like the set added to existing themes within the film. For example, as King speaks to President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) in the Oval Office, they stand under a portrait of George Washington, which further adds to this sentiment of American values and freedom.

Selma does not have to try very hard to be an emotionally compelling and hard hitting film due to the nature of its subject matter, but its cast selection and the overall directorial choices made by director Ava DuVernay amplify the historical events. Racial tension and equality are still major issues in American society, and Selma is a reminder of the past and a guide for the future.

Paramount Pictures/TNS

POWERFUL ORATOR: David Oyelowo portrays Martin Luther King Jr. as both vulnerable and powerful.

24

TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 | THE JUSTICE

TOPof the

PHOTOS CORNER

Brandeis TALKS

CHARTS

Quote of the week

for the week ending Jan. 11

“We as the Brandeis Undergraduate Student Union would like to express our support for the right of Khadijah and of any student to express their opinion, regardless of how we personally feel about the content of their message.”

BOX OFFICE

1. Taken 3 2. Selma 3. Into the Woods 4. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies 5. Unbroken 6. The Imitation Game 7. Night At The Museum: The Secret of the Tomb 8. Annie (2014) 9. The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death 10. The Hunger Games: MockingjayPart 1

—Student Union President Sneha Walia ’15, speaking about recent events involving Khadijah Lynch ’16. (News, p. 7)

What do you wish you had done over winter break?

NYT BESTSELLERS

GUILLERMO NARVAEZ/Justice File Photo

ON BEAT: Justice photographer Guillermo Narvaez snapped this photo at the “Fafali: Music and Dance from Ghana” performance on Dec. 7 that featured music performed by Prof. Conant’s class and guests.

Christine Kim ’17 “I wish I had done something productive.”

Featuring creative photos from our staff This new feature will showcase our photographers’ work on campus, but off the beaten path

CROSSWORD

Max Randhahn ’15 “Work more.”

Kyrolos Ibrahim ’18 “Over break I worked and volunteered at a hospital, and if I could, probably work more.”

Sigal Sax ’18 “I wish I had been more productive; I would have taken classes for my major.”

1. Mark Ronson—“Uptown Funk (feat. Bruno Mars)” 2. Ed Sheeran—“Thinking Out Loud” 3. Taylor Swift—“Blank Space” 4. Hozier—“Take Me to Church” 5. Meghan Trainor—“Lips Are Movin”

BILLBOARD

1. Taylor Swift—1989 2. Nicki Minaj—The Pinkprint 3. Ed Sheeran—X 4. Sam Smith—In The Lonely Hour 5. Various Artists—Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesme Mix Vol. 1 6. Hozier—Hozier 7. J. Cole— 2014 Forest Hills Drive 8. Various Artists—Into the Woods Soundtrack 9. One Direction—FOUR 10. Ariana Grande— My Everything Top of the Charts information provided by Fandango, the New York Times, Billboard. com and Apple.com.

STAFF’S Top Ten

SONGS TO SURVIVE WINTER By jessica goldstein

justice EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Solution to last issue’s crossword Crossword Copyright 2014 Tribune News Service, Inc.

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.

Ewa Ahmad ’16 “Shut off my phone, internet, television, anything that would ring or is plugged in and just go live in the mountains.”

—Compiled and photographed

by Grace Kwon and Guillermo Narvaez/the Justice.

Nonfiction

1. Yes Please—Amy Poehler 2. Killing Patton—Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard 3. What If?—Randall Munroe 4. Being Mortal—Atul Gawande 5. 41—George W. Bush

iTUNES

ACROSS 1 1961 Jerry Lewis film, with “The” 10 In its entirety 15 Peach variety 16 Indiana state flower 17 Availability indicators 18 Certain candle 19 Activist gp. with a clenched fist in its logo 20 Super Bowl highlight, for many 21 Heavy-duty soap brand 22 Open court hearing, in law 23 Monk music 24 Certain NCO 25 Pacer and Medallion 28 1963 Top 10 hit for Paul Petersen 30 Function opening?

31 Speculator of a sort 33 Early business language 35 “Define your world” online reference 37 ’50s-’60s civil rights activist 38 Saturn, for one 39 Sched. maker 40 Eyelashes 41 ID’ed 42 Org. chaired by Reince Priebus 43 Scribble 44 Year Columbus began his fourth voyage 46 Corresponds 48 Bandy words 49 Mint 52 Tanks, so to speak 53 Distinct 55 “So Much in Love” pop group, with “The” 56 Non-profit whose corporate sponsors include Purina 26 Posthumous 1987 Rock and Roll 57 Words often evoking 58- Across Hall of Fame inductee 58 Common reaction to 57- Across 27 Phishing, e.g.

29 Modeling accessory DOWN 30 French address 1 Boundaries 32 Shot providers, briefly 2 Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy 33 S.A. country 3 Colortrak TVs, e.g.

34 Suffix with electro4 SSTs flew over it 36 Tweetbot and GoodReader 5 Smart 40 Nasdaq listings 6 Annoyed big time 42 They may be rubber 7 Bit 43 Aaron’s “Breaking Bad” role 8 Linear, briefly 45 Steamed 9 “Roundabout” band 47 B or C, but not A or D 10 In the brain, to a Brit 48 Faction 11 In proximity 49 View from behind?

12 Competitor of NYC’s Latin Quarter 50 Nice summers 13 Like much of the Mariana Trench 51 Moistens 14 Innsbruck’s state 53 Brooklynese pronoun 21 Hunk’s asset 54 Appeared in print 22 Very hot celestial orbs 23 Male cartoon character voiced

by Nancy Cartwright 25 Together, musically

Fiction 1. All The Light We Cannot See— Anthony Doerr 2. Gray Mountain—John Grisham 3. Hope To Die—James Patterson 4. The Escape—David Baldacci 5. Die Again—Tess Gerritsen

Solution to last issue’s sudoku

Sudoku Copyright 2014 Tribune News Service, Inc.

As a Southerner, I’ve never been adept at adjusting to the cold weather. In my second year, I discovered that winter can be seen in two phases, one of despair and one of acceptance.

1. “The Sound of Silence”—Simon & Garfunkel 2. “California Dreamin”—The Mamas & The Papas 3. “White Winter Hymnal”— Fleet Foxes 4. “Knee Socks”—Arctic Monkeys 5. “Horchata”—Vampire Weekend 6. “Sweater Weather”—The Neighborhood 7. “White Bird”—It’s a Beautiful Day 8. “Brand New Colony”—The Postal Service 9. “Sun Arise”—Alice Cooper 10. “Here Comes the Sun”—The Beatles