The Justice, September 13, 2016 by The Justice

ARTS Page 19

FORUM Support NASA funding 12

ROSE OPENING

SPORTS Women demolish opponents in three games 16 The Independent Student Newspaper

the

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 LXIX, Number 3

www.thejustice.org

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

WALK AND TALK

Administration

First two CDO candidates visit campus ■ Two of the four CDO

finalists visited campus this week to meet with students and discuss diversity goals. By Max Moran and Candice JI JUSTICE editor and Contributing writer

Last week, the University’s first two candidates for the newly-formed chief diversity officer position took questions from students about how they view the position and what qualifies them to serve the University community. The first candidate addressed a small group of students on Tuesday afternoon, discussing her work history and education. A second candidate spoke on Wednesday, while two more candidates will speak on Thursday and next Wednesday. To protect the candidates’ current employment and

the integrity of the search process, the Justice is not including names or identifying information about the candidates. Candidate One The first candidate has served in CDO roles and other administrative positions at other universities. She is a member of the National Association of Chief Diversity Officers in Higher Education. After a brief introduction from Prof. Steve Goldstein (BIOC), who chairs the CDO search committee, the candidate addressed the crowd. She defined “diversity” as including multiple factors and aspects of identity and explained that her approach is to be “inclusive and yet differentiated,” meaning that while “diversity” encompasses many parts of identity, “there are times that we need to be

See CDO, 7 ☛

Student Union

17 elected in fall Union elections cycle ■ The first round of fall

elections filled 17 of the 18 open Allocations Board and Senate positions. By ABBY PATKIN JUSTICE EDITOR

In the first round of Student Union elections on Thursday, 17 were elected to various positions on the Allocations Board and Senate. As in elections past, voter turnout was highest among the firstyears and lowest among the senior class. The Class of 2020 cast 397 votes in total. Massell Quad had the highest quad turnout, with 212 votes cast out of the 993 total votes from this election cycle. There were two two-semester

seats available on the A-Board in this round of elections. Returning A-Board member Alex Mitchell ’17 claimed one of the seats with 334 of the 736 votes cast, with Abigail Zeamer ’19 taking the other with 295 votes. Andrews Figueroa ’19, who ran unopposed, won the three-semester A-Board seat with 543 of the 773 votes cast. Amy-Claire Dauphin ’19 cinched the racial minority ABoard seat with 156 of the 278 votes cast in her race. In a hotly contested race for the two Class of 2020 Senate seats, Tal Richtman and Samantha Barrett won out over eight other candidates with 37.47 and 13.22 percent of the vote, respectively. Geraldine Bogard ’20 garnered eight of the 11 votes cast in the race

See SU, 7 ☛

NATALIA WIATER/the Justice

A student tour guide leads a group of prospective students and their families during “Fall for Brandeis Day” on Saturday. The event allowed visitors to get a taste of Brandeis life.

Faculty

Faculty Forward to enter fourth bargaining session

■ The University has

frozen bargaining unit wages and benefits until a contract is negotiated. By Max Moran JUSTICE editor

As the newly formed adjunct and contract-faculty union prepares for its fourth bargaining round with the University this month, officials on both sides say the negotiations thus far have been a positive experience. But the University has frozen wages and benefits for bargaining unit professors until a contract is reached, and the faculty union is publicizing part of their agenda online. Currently, there are plans for five total negotiation meetings throughout the semester, following up on the three that have already taken place. Adjunct and contract faculty — who as a unit are called “contingent faculty” — organized a bargaining unit and joined the Service Employees International Union Local 509 last December. In a Google Slides presentation shown at the first round of negotiations in May, Brandeis Faculty For-

ward — one of the organizing wings of the contingent faculty union — called for greater job security, intellectual property rights over their contributions to curriculum development, respect for their Union and a transparent evaluation system for gaining job security and promotions, among other topics. Prof. Nina Kammerer (Heller), a union member, told the Justice in a phone interview that the negotiations thus far have been “cordial and open” and that she is optimistic about the course of future negotiations. “I’m speaking personally, but they have been productive, and we’ve been very pleased with the open dialogue,” Kammerer said. The fourth bargaining session is set for Sept. 28, according to the Faculty Forward website. Two more will take place in October, in addition to one in November and one in December. All of the negotiating sessions are open to any contract faculty member and are all-day affairs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. More will be scheduled if needed. Interim Senior Vice President for Communications Judy Glasser wrote to the Justice, “The meetings, which began in the spring, have been produc-

tive. Now that the academic year has begun we look forward to continued good-faith negotiations." According to Prof. Christopher Abrams (FA), a spokesperson for the contingent faculty, some Faculty Forward members have reported that pay raises and benefits changes have been frozen for contingent faculty in their departments as the department heads wait to hear how the contract will affect working conditions. In an email to the Justice, Abrams called these choices a “mischaracterization” of the bargaining process, since bargaining doesn’t preclude individual agreements between professors and their departments. “If faculty have been told that they cannot have a pay or benefits increase because departments have to wait for the outcome of the bargaining, that is simply not true,” Abrams wrote. Even after the bargaining concludes, contingent faculty will be free to negotiate individually for better terms, he wrote. “Our union is negotiating a floor, NOT a fixed set of conditions, for the terms of faculty employment,” Abrams explained. However, the University charac-

See FF, 7 ☛

Collaborative Art

Out of Room

Impossible Burger

 Prof. Todd Pavlisko's art gallery opened to the public with provocative new pieces.

 The men's team ceded a disappointing overtime loss against Babson College over the weekend.

Impossible Food CEO Pat Brown spoke about the destructive effects of traditional animal agriculture.

FEATURES 9 For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org

Waltham, Mass.

Let your voice be heard! Submit letters to the editor online at www.thejustice.org

INDEX

SPORTS 16

ARTS SPORTS

17 13

EDITORIAL FEATURES

10 OPINION 8 POLICE LOG

10 2

News 3

TUESDAY, September 13, 2016

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news

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the justice

NEWS SENATE LOG

POLICE LOG

Senators debate adding new committee in weekly meeting

Medical Emergency

The Student Union senators convened on Sunday to charter a club and discuss forming a new Senate committee. Club Cantonese approached the Senate seeking Student Union chartering to fund cultural events and Cantonese lessons. Club members showed the senators a PowerPoint presentation that touched on their culture, purpose and yearlong plan, which involves coordinating events with East and South Asian cultural clubs. In the discussion that followed, many senators argued that chartering the club would help diversify the community. Newly-elected Ridgewood Quad Senator José Castellanos ’18 noted that the fact that the Senate did not know much about Cantonese culture was good reason to charter the club. The Senate voted to charter the club. Next, the Senate was slated to vote on the updated Global Brigades constitution. In last week’s meeting, the Senators postponed the vote until a club member could be present for discussion. No representative was present on Sunday, and the Senate voted to postpone the vote again indefinitely. Student Union Vice President Paul Sindberg ’18 then gave the senators an update on fall elections, during which 18 were elected to Senate and Allocations Board seats. He explained that the “Abstain” option won for the Charles River/567 Senate seat, and, in accordance with the Student Union constitution, a runoff election will be held in the coming weeks. Sindberg then announced his nominations for the Senate committee chairmanships. He nominated Class of 2019 Senator Kate Kesselman to the Dining Committee chairmanship; Executive Senator Hannah Brown ’19 to the Services and Outreach Committee chairmanship; Class of 2017 Senator Ryan Tracy to the Club Support Committee chairmanship; Class of 2018 Senator Shaquan McDowell to the Campus Operations Work Group chairmanship; Ziv Quad Senator Michelle Jimenez ’18 to the Social Justice and Diversity Committee chairmanship; and East Quad Senator Elijah Sinclair ’19 to the Sustainability Committee chairmanship. Later in the meeting, after the new senators were sworn in, the Senate confirmed Sindberg’s nominations. Sindberg also reminded senators that they are required to join at least two committees, with quad senators required to also join COWG. He asked senators to take a couple of minutes during the meeting and go online to sign up for committees. Next, Sindberg gave the Senate a brief breakdown of the Student Union budget, again reminding senators that the Union has been allocated $22,000 in funding for the academic year. The Senate, he added, is funded out of the Senate discretionary fund, which can be accessed using Senate Money Requests, itemized lists of expenses proposed by senators. The senators then discussed individual and overall goals for the academic year. Many senators noted that they wished the Student Union could be more transparent, with a few senators calling for more communication via social media and emails to the student body. In executive officer reports, Sindberg noted that the Executive Board has met with Dean of Students Jamele Adams and other administrators to discuss how best to serve the student body. Brown added that the Senate is working to follow Student Union bylaws more stringently this year. Both expressed a desire to stay on top of the Senate budget and fully utilize all the Senate’s funding. Additionally, the Senate confirmed Niranjana Warrier ’17 as a representative to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and Brown as Executive Senator. The senators then discussed the possibility of forming a new Senate Health and Safety Committee. The senators also discussed the possibility of polling the student body on what makes them feel unsafe. The majority of the senators were open to the idea of the new committee, and Sindberg and Brown agreed to draft a bylaw for its formation.

Sept. 6—A party in Spingold Theater reported that they were not feeling well. The party was transported to NewtonWellesley Hospital via Cataldo Ambulance for further care. Sept. 6—A party in Usen Castle reported that they had injured their ankle. BEMCo staff transported the party to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Sept. 7—A party in Pomerantz-Rubenstein Hall requested BEMCo assistance for an ill party. BEMCo staff treated the party with a signed refusal for further care. Sept. 8—A party in Kutz Hall reported a finger laceration. BEMCo staff treated the party and University Police transported the party to NewtonWellesley Hospital for further care. Sept. 8—A party at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management reported that they were suffering from abdominal pain. BEMCo staff

treated the party, who was then transported to NewtonWellesley Hospital for further care. Sept. 8—A party in the Foster Mods reported a wrist injury. BEMCo staff treated the party and University Police transported the party to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Sept. 9—A party in Golding Health Center reported that they were experiencing chest pains. The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care with University Police assistance. Sept. 10—BEMCo staff received a report of an intoxicated party in Usdan Student Center. The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care, and the area coordinator on call was notified. Sept. 10—BEMCo staff received a report of an intoxicated party in Shapiro Hall. Cataldo Ambulance transported the party to Newton-Wellesley

Hospital for further care, and the ACOC was notified. Sept. 10—University Police received a report of a party complaining of a past illness on Loop Road near Usdan Student Center. BEMCo staff treated the party, who was then transported to Massachusetts General Hospital via Cataldo Ambulance. The ACOC was notified. Sept. 10—A party outside Reitman Hall reported that they were experiencing throat and ear pain. BEMCo staff treated the party, who was then transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital via Cataldo Ambulance. Sept. 10—A party entered Stoneman Building and told University Police that they felt ill. BEMCo staff treated the party with a signed refusal for further care. Sept. 10—A party in Ziv Quad requested BEMCo assistance for a possible allergic reaction to insect bites. The party refused further care from

BOBA BUDDIES

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Sept. 9—University Police received a report of stolen laundry from an unattended washing machine in Usen Hall. University Police compiled a report on the missing clothing.

Other

Sept. 10—University Police received a report of an unidentified male party taking pictures outside of East Quad. University Police checked the area, but there was no one near the area upon arrival. — Compiled by Abby Patkin.

BRIEF

CANDICE JI/the Justice

n There were no corrections to report this week.

Larceny

IndyCars go up for auction

—Abby Patkin

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

BEMCo and was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital by University Police. Sept. 11—University Police received a report of an intoxicated party in Pomerantz-Rubenstein Hall. The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care, and the ACOC was notified.

Returning students from the Taiwanese Students Association served boba tea and played games with first-years during a TSA event on Wednesday at the Intercultural Center Swig Lounge.

On Wednesday, Sept. 7, two IndyCars from the Boston Grand Prix were sold at an auction in an effort to pay back creditors after the company filed for bankruptcy. Boston Grand Prix LLC originally bought two IndyCars, worth $85,000, to promote the failed Labor Day Weekend IndyCar race in Boston’s Seaport District. Race promoters cancelled the event in April 2016 and Boston Grand Prix filed for bankruptcy soon after, according to a Sept. 7 WCVB article. According to bankruptcy filings, the company owes creditors millions of dollars. The two cars were previously estimated to be worth $50,000 at liquidation but eventually sold for a combined $17,500, according to the WCVB article. The cars, which have neither pedals nor engines, were presented at a live auction in Holbrook, Massachusetts. There were about a dozen people in attendance, and other bids were taken online or by phone, the article notes. The first car was sold to an online bidder for $10,500, while the second car was bought by Mark Blotner of Newton, Massachusetts for $7,000. Two IndyCar trailers were also auctioned at $4,750 each. There was also bidding for 1,109 concrete street barriers — currently housed at Massport Property. According to the WCVB article, only 324 barriers — one third of the batch — was sold, for a total of $8,100, or $25 each. Massport has said that the remaining 783 barriers will be used at its facilities. Gary Cruickshank, a bankruptcy trustee, reassured Boston Grand Prix creditors that he is in the process of looking over books and records to see what money can be recouped for ticket holders, vendors and creditors. “We are doing our very best to turn over every stone to get as much money as possible, to pay everybody back as quickly as possible,” Cruickshank told WCVB. Additionally, the article notes, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healy is working toward distributing an estimated $1 million obtained in a settlement with the national IndyCar Organization. —Yashaspriya Rathi

ANNOUNCEMENTS How computers changed the Indian newsroom

The fall 2016 Soli Sorabjee Lecture will feature Naresh Fernandes, the editor of Scroll.in, a digital news and culture publication. He is the author of “Taj Mahal Foxtrot: The Story of Bombay’s Jazz Age” and “City Adrift: A Short Biography of Bombay.” The Soli Sorabjee Lecture series exposes students at Brandeis and the larger public to the scholarship being conducted in the multidisciplinary fields of South Asian Studies, both in the United States and in South Asia itself, as well as to the vast range of South Asian intellectual and artistic traditions. Today from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the Mandel Center for the Humanities Reading Room.

BAASA Welcoming Night

In this talk, Dr. Ruha Benjamin will discuss ongoing research on the way genomic science reflects, reinforces and sometimes

challenges racial and caste hierarchies. Drawing upon developments in the U.S., Mexico, South Africa and India, Benjamin will find the question of what the state owes particular groups increasingly connected to scientific definitions of what constitutes a group in the first place. She will argue that the epistemic and normative dexterity of the field — not a strict enforcement of social hierarchy — makes it powerful, problematic and, for some, profitable. Today from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Usdan International Lounge.

Tomorrow from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall.

Beyond ISIS

Music at the Stein

This panel discussion of Crown Center for Middle East Studies researchers will examine current and developing key issues in the Middle East that do not always make the news headlines. The event offers attendees expert insight into the challenges facing our next president in this region.

Desi-Fest

Do you like free food, meeting new people, being on stage or helping to put together performance events? Then come to DesiFest, South Asian Students’ Association’s kickoff event of the year. Get acquainted with other SASA members, eat and sign up for MELA, the biggest on campus cultural show of the year. Tomorrow from 9 to 10:30 p.m. in the Intercultural Center Swig Lounge. Live music and food is the best combination for the second installment of Stein Nights. The event, hosted by Brandeis’ very own talented students, supports Brandeis artists and upcoming talents. Friday from 9:30 to 11:30 p.m. in The Stein.

the justice

CAMPUS SPEAKER

Impossible Foods, lectured on the destructive nature of animal agriculture. By Michelle dang JUSTICE Contributing writer

What society considers “meat” may be revolutionized by the longawaited debut of the “Impossible Burger,” a meat patty made entirely from plants that tastes, smells, looks and cooks like real beef. This “Impossible Burger” might one day replace animal agriculture, Dr. Pat O. Brown, CEO and founder of Impossible Foods, said in a lecture on campus last Tuesday. Brown’s lecture was titled “Replacing the World’s Most Destructive Technology” and centered around finding a substitute for the beef production industry. The destructive technology, Brown said, is the animal agriculture industry. In response to growing environmental concerns regarding the animal agriculture industry, the scientists and engineers behind Impossible Foods, Inc. began research and reverse engineering in 2011 for an alternative substitute to meat. “I realized that the problem is ... not that people like meat, but it’s the way we’re producing the meat, and we just need to figure out a better way to produce it,” said Brown. “Our food system today is heading towards disaster. ... It’s inefficient, unsustainable, and we’ve used it for millennium, but it’s a sitting duck for replacement because it’s so underperforming the bar is low.” Now, five years later, Impossible Foods has solved the mystery and launched its Impossible Burger this past summer in select restaurants in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Impossible Burger is a successful imitation beef made completely from plant products, including wheat, coconut oil and potato protein. Crucially, the patties contain one percent of a very important ingredient — heme protein. According to Brown, the first question Impossible Foods’ scientists asked themselves was, “Why does meat taste like meat?” They sought to understand the deep flavor and texture characteristics of meat from a molecular level. In an unprecedented discovery, their scientists found that an organic molecule called “heme” accounts for 95 percent of meat’s fla-

vor and aroma. Brown, pointing to his forehead, told the audience that their research shows that “meat flavor happens ‘up here.’” Heme is an iron-containing protein found in mammals’ blood and the myoglobin of muscle tissue. It’s the “magic” macromolecule that catalyzes the taste that taste bud receptors and brains identify as meat. As the heme protein unfolds in saliva, the tongue experiences the explosion of meat flavor chemistry. Most importantly, it’s a common organic protein that can also be found in plants. The heme in Impossible Foods’ burger is carried by a protein called leghemoglobin, which is extracted from the root nodules of soybean plants. So why did Impossible Foods seek a meat alternative in the first place? “A big [reason] is climate change,” Brown said. In 2011, the United Nations Environmental Program reported the animal agriculture industry to be the most environmentally destructive economic sector. If the global population is to reach the international climate goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement, “there’s no way we’re going to do it without a major reduction in the consumption of animal products,” Brown said. “Take every car, bus, truck, train, ship, airplane, rocket ship — all together, they produce less greenhouse emissions than the animal agriculture industry. ... In more familiar terms, the greenhouse gas emissions released in producing one pound of beef is equal to the greenhouse gas emissions of driving 74 miles in the average American car.” However, alongside climate change, Brown says the most dramatic impact of the animal agriculture industry is its detriment to the biosphere and the biodiversity of the planet’s wildlife. According to Brown, 45 percent of the planet’s land is used for raising animals for food, and animals raised for food have a total biomass two and half times the biomass of the human population. In 40 years, it is expected that earth’s population of wild animals will decrease by a factor of two due to habitat loss and degradation as a result of animal agriculture, he said. The recently debuted beef is only the first of Impossible Foods’ planned products. “We’re still in early stages, but the whole point is to have a lower environmental impact,” Brown said. The event was held as part of a joint public colloquium hosted by the University’s Biology and Neuroscience departments.

news

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TUESDAY, September 13, 2016

MAX MORAN/the Justice

JUST KEEP SWIMMING: Baskaran used an analogy of a school of fish to illustrate her theories on active materials.

Professor explains her findings on active materials ■ Prof. Aparna Baskaran

(PHYS) discussed her lab’s findings on active materials, which affect everyday life. By Spencer taft JUSTICE STaff writer

Swimming en masse, schools of fish seem to defy the laws of nature — each fish appears to know its place, never becoming disoriented or breaking formation. According to Prof. Aparna Baskaran (PHYS), the science behind this boils down to one thing: active materials. Active materials, Baskaran explained in a lecture last Tuesday, are “made out of engines, which consume fuel to do work.” In other words, every individual fish applies its own force to its surrounding environment to propel itself, with the school being merely a result of them all moving in the same place at the same time. In her introduction, Baskaran explained what an active material is and revealed some of its potential applications, including in the understanding of the “physical scaffold” of biological systems. She also

noted that active materials may allow scientists to design adaptive, self-healing materials in the future by utilizing active particles’ natural tendency to stay closely together. Baskaran’s first example supporting her theory explained a system she referred to as an “active colloid,” or a system of simulated particles which move in one direction at all times. In this simulated system, she noted, the particles had a tendency to run into each other and form a clump because, instead of bouncing off each other like normal objects, the particles block each other from moving forward. This, Baskaran said, is a potential reason why fish stay in a school: not because they collide, but because the force of the fish propelling themselves has a tendency to keep them close to one another. The second example Baskaran gave concerned a different system, which she called a “nematic fluid.” These are particles which, instead of exerting force in one direction at all times, exert force in two opposite directions. The simulation her lab conducted consisted of tiny rods with attractive force between them, and while the results were fairly consistent

with expectations in a theoretical vacuum with no external forces, the results became less predictable once the limitations of the real world were added in. “There are more things to understand than there are understood, so this is very much a work in progress,” Baskaran admitted. Baskaran has overseen the entire process of active material research at the University, but as she stressed, “My students and post-docs did the work, and I like to think we did it together.” “The most exciting part of my research is the development of synthetic active materials. Biology is messy and hard to predict, so being able to create our own materials makes them easier to study,” Baskaran said in a follow up interview with the Justice. “This is the cutting edge of materials research, and Brandeis is one of the leading centers in that field. This is something we as a community can be proud of.” Baskaran’s talk on her findings was the first of the 2016 Physics Colloquium season, a series of lectures during which the Physics department comes together to discuss new findings.

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ACTIVE MATERIALS

Impossible Burger CEO lectures on destructive tech ■ Pat Brown, CEO of

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Bathroom signs torn down in Village Quad Several braille bathroom signs have been torn down around Village Quad, according to a Sept. 1 email to Village residents from Village and 567 Area Coordinator Craig Lutz. The Department of Community Living will be purchasing replacement signs. In an email to the Justice, Lutz wrote that the current signage was installed last year after a similar incident in early fall 2015. He added that the feedback that DCL has received in the aftermath of the incident suggests that the vandalism is “a matter of convenience and a desire to not walk to the designated bathroom.” “From the limited feedback

we have received, apart from petty vandalism, there may be some sense of frustration with bathroom location/assignments behind these acts,” Lutz wrote in his email to Village residents. “We invite our community to address such issues with us positively and proactively. You are welcome to suggest alternative placement of our bathroom options, but damaging our building cannot be tolerated.” According to Lutz, the cost of replacing the signs varies from case to case, depending on the significance of the damage to the underlying walls and paint. While the signs can cost between $10 to $35, he wrote, wall repairs

run between $50 for slight damage and $150 for significant damage. “While we are always reluctant to have all residents incur fees for cost created by a few individuals, any future damage after these repairs will require community charges,” Lutz wrote in his email to Village residents. The replacement signs, he added, will remain compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. “We work with Facilities Services and only order signage that is fully compliant with all ADA regulations and building codes,” he wrote. —Abby Patkin. Max Moran contributed reporting

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FALL FOR BRANDEIS

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News

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TUESDAY, September 13, 2016

BRIEF

University to sponsor diversity trainings for students

TALYA GUENZBURGER/the Justice

A group of prospective students talked near Sherman Dining Hall during “Fall for Brandeis Day” on Saturday, which allowed potential students and their families to tour campus.

CODE BREAKER

The University is sponsoring a series of new diversity training programs for students, the first of which will take place this Friday, Sept. 16. According to a Monday community-wide email from Kim Godsoe, associate provost for academic affairs, the first diversity workshop on Friday is sponsored by the Office of the Provost and will be led by the Posse Foundation, which has conducted similar diversity training programs at other colleges and universities. The Posse Foundation is a nationally recognized group and is connected to the University through the Brandeis Posse Program, a competitive scholarship program that chooses a select group of high school students as Brandeis Posse Scholars each year. The Brandeis Posse Program was founded by alumna Debbie Bial ’87. Representatives from the Posse Foundation will serve as “session facilitators” at the training sessions, according to Godsoe’s email. The training program is described as “interactive and engaging” in the email and will explore questions of diversity and inclusion on campus — for both student leaders and community members — through dialogue and discussion. Only 100 students are able to participate in the Friday workshop, as spots are limited, and students must register by 5 p.m. on Wednesday in order to receive a spot. According to the

email, if more students register than there are spots available, participants for the session will be chosen at random in order to make sure that “all class years are represented and that both undergraduate and graduate students are represented. “ Other diversity trainings are scheduled throughout the fall, including three training sessions for faculty, which will focus on implicit bias and creating inclusive classrooms. There will also be several diversity trainings for all staff members, which will focus on similar issues, including access and inclusion on campus and intersectionality, as noted in the email. These diversity training sessions are part of the many recent steps the University has taken to improve diversity and discussions about diversity on campus. University President Ronald Liebowitz sent an email to students on Aug. 29 outlining upcoming diversity and inclusion efforts on campus and the progress that has been made so far in such efforts. These include the near-complete search for a chief diversity officer, the University’s attempt to increase the applicant pool of students of color, the hiring of new staff of color at the Brandeis Counseling Center and a new website that highlights diversity and inclusion initiatives on campus, as well as other efforts. —Rachel Sharer

SEAC AND GREET

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MIHIR KHANNA/the Justice

Dr. Efrat Shema from Massachusetts General Hospital gave a lecture on cracking the “Histone Code” on Monday.

Students gathered to watch videos and meet the members of the South East Asia Club at a meet-and-greet on Tuesday night. The event also included spring rolls and bubble tea.

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CDO: Two more candidates to visit campus CONTINUED FROM 1

able to address a particular segment of the diversity community in a way that is authentic.” She pointed to women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields and “minority male success” as examples where her work requires her to “zero in” on a particular segment of the population. She said her perspective is informed by civil rights and Equal Employment Opportunity law, as well as American histories of exclusion and current-day marginalization. She told the group that she also considers herself “a student of this work” and said that studying microaggressions, implicit bias and imposter syndrome are all important aspects of her current work. “The vision for me would be having members of this campus community, across constituencies, all really believe the reality and have that reality of social justice and inclusion resonate,” she said. At her previous university, her work involved recruiting and retaining racial minority students from area high schools. She emphasized building institutional metrics for diversity progress, such as climate surveys and institutional goals. When asked how she would adjust from a larger university to a smaller university, the candidate replied that getting a good understanding of campus culture would be critical. While she said it would be “awfully presumptuous” not to see what students think the campus’ needs are, she said the draft Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Steering Committee document provides a good starting point, particularly on building a diverse student body and faculty. She proposed that some of the programs she worked on have “general applicability.” Other students asked how she would address the needs of the rising international student population, the underrepresentation of Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander students and the lack of pathways for immigrants to attend the University. On all topics, she asked students to continue informing the University about the issues so the administration could begin to address them.

for the Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program Senate Seat. In the East Quad Senate seat race, Elijah Sinclair ’19 edged out opponent Geoffrey Kao ’19 by three votes, receiving 49 of the 122 votes cast in his race. In the race for the Rosenthal Quad Senate seat, Julien Tremblay ’19 secured the position with 26 of the 58 votes cast, narrowly beating Vincent Lauffer ’19, who had received 24 votes. Running in an uncontested race, Saint Cyr Dimanche ’19 won the Castle Quad Senate seat with 19 of the 22 votes cast in his race. Charlotte Lang ’19 cinched the Village Quad Senate seat with exactly half of the 46 votes cast in her race, knocking out contenders Morris Nadjar ’19 and Marko Stipanovic ’18. Meanwhile, José Castellanos ’18 claimed the Ridgewood Quad Senate seat with 28 of the 40 votes cast. In an interesting turn of events, Ari Matz ’17 was elected Senator to the Foster Mods. Matz was written in five times, technically losing the race to the late Mod Cat — a pet cat that was the subject of an online petition for Student Union in 2015 — who received seven write-ins.

NEWS

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TUESDAY, September 13, 2016

CONNECT FOUR

When asked how she could create institutional change within the Brandeis administration, she pointed to her membership in the NADOHE and her experience in other administrative roles. She says having “some sense of political savvy” is crucial to being an effective CDO. “The beauty about Brandeis is that the bone structure is sound in terms of what the words say,” she said. “I’d like to say that I have had a role over time at institutions of being able to acknowledge who we are and who we say we are, and help people close that gap,” she said. Candidate Two The second candidate for the position of CDO visited campus on Wednesday. She has worked as a counselor and multicultural dean at other universities and has a rich experience in public service. She told the group on Wednesday that she believes that social change comes both from institutional policy change and grassroots, bottom-up efforts, which she said is relevant both on college campuses and in today’s politics. When asked how she would approach working with faculty and staff, the candidate explained that she believes “[the] institution has the responsibility to equip their faculty and staff as educators to do the work well before changing the population.” “I am not going to say that every faculty member must take this [diversity] training, because I know that I can be less effective on a certain level if I force it down people’s throat,” the candidate acknowledged. “What I can say is, if you are a department chair, you have the responsibility, and you need to have cultural competency. Let me give you some tools for that so you can mentor the other faculty in your department.” The candidate also touched on the need to understand and be aware of bias. “You [have] to get your people to understand how to read through that lens and understand implicit bias,” she told the group. “Treating them all the same is not what you need. You need to understand the needs of different groups.”

SU: Abstain vote results in runoff election CONTINUED FROM 1

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Jacob (Jack) Rubinstein ’20 secured the North Quad Senate seat with 69 of the 135 votes cast in his race, edging out opponent Maxwell Snider ’20, who received 45 votes. In the Massell Quad Senate race, Aaron Finkel ’20 won with 65 of the 198 votes cast, beating five other candidates. Michelle Jimenez ’18 cinched the Ziv Quad Senate seat with 42 of the 80 votes cast. Though Jimenez ran unopposed, the “Abstain” option — which counts against candidates — received 12 votes, while the “Other” option received 26 write-ins. Newly-elected Off-Campus Community Senator Nicholas Love ’17 received seven write-ins in his race, with “Abstain” taking 41.43 percent of the vote. In the race for Charles River/567 Senator, Gabrielle Schwartz received five writeins, and Student Union Secretary Gaby Gonzalez Anavisca ’19 named her the winner in a Sept. 9 email announcing the election results. However, according to the Student Union constitution, any race in which “Abstain” wins the majority of the vote — “Abstain” received 51.11 percent of the vote in this race — will result in a runoff election. The new senators were sworn in during the weekly Senate meeting on Sunday.

JOYCE YU/the Justice

Community members played lawn games and ate carnival food after the official fall opening of the Rose Art Museum during an event aptly titled “Rose After Dark.”

FF: Admins and fac. clash over frozen wages and benefits

CONTINUED FROM 1

terizes these freezes as status quo for negotiations. Glasser wrote to the Justice, "Once the SEIU was elected to serve as the exclusive bargaining agent of the University's part-time contract faculty union, the NLRB rules prohibited the University from changing union members' wages, hours or working conditions without bargaining with the SEIU. This is known as the ‘status quo’ period and is the reason why the University has not changed the pay of bargaining unit members since the election. Union members' wages will be negotiated as part of the collective bargaining process." In a newsletter distributed to union members — entitled the “Faculty Justice” — Brandeis Faculty Forward informs readers that “the union will not object or demand bargaining” if the University wants to improve contract terms for any of its members who are up for reappointment this spring, “provided the candidate for reappointment is otherwise held harmless and accepts the improved term(s).” The newsletter states it is “neither fair nor accurate” to blame the union for the University withholding improvements to individuals’ contracts. In the Google Slides presentation Brandeis Faculty Forward showed at their first round of negotiations, the group outlined hopes for the union to garner respect as a body at Brandeis, including having a role at new employee orientation and creating “an effective grievance and arbitration structure and procedure.” They hope for greater participation in faculty governance and participation in departmental conversations on pedagogy and curricula, according to the presentation. Adjunct and contract faculty are allowed to participate in the Faculty Senate, including holding office, but repeatedly expressed frustration about intra-departmental relations throughout unionization last semester. Some contract faculty don’t receive any health care coverage from the University or adequate coverage for their families. According to a Jan. 16 Justice article, the University grants health insurance benefits to professors working half-time or more for at least one semester, but the standards for fulfilling this requirement vary across departments. For example, some departments offer health insurance to professors teaching two courses or more, but other departments require more courses. Faculty Forward calls for “expanded access to health and dental insurance” in their presentation.

Graduate Professional Studies faculty, who teach online master's degree programs through the Rabb School for Continuing Studies, are called “the most vulnerable contingent faculty at Brandeis” in the Google Slides. “Rabb instructors are expected to cede the right to teach courses they develop after the initial offering,” the slide presentation says. GPS Executive Director Anne Marando denied in an email to the Justice that Rabb instructors are expected to cede the right to teach courses after the initial offering. Rabb instructors continue teaching courses they developed until departing, or until they are unable to teach the course due to health or personal reasons. If there is high demand for a course, the University may offer multiple sections of it with different professors. Marando wrote that faculty contributions to courses “remain the intellectual property of the faculty member. Faculty may use their contributions in ways not affiliated with the University, including but not limited to using the contribution to teach a course elsewhere and publishing an article or book based on the contribution. This has always been the policy regarding intellectual property rights of the faculty's contributions.” Prof. Amy Todd (Rabb) wrote to the Justice that in agreements she’s seen, the professor retains the right to publish materials like class notes and assignments but must also give the University “non-exclusive” rights to use the course content or create “derivative works” for the next five years. She says that through unionization, professors may now be able to work with the University to reach mutually agreed-upon language in these contracts. “What is really at stake here is giving the faculty who are actually creating and teaching these classes a voice in the contract,” Todd wrote. She added that there isn’t any one standard in higher education for what rights are given to whom in these contracts and that the negotiators may look at other models throughout the negotiation. She called the process thus far “rewarding for both sides.” Greater job security is a broader issue on which the Brandeis Faculty Forward movement hopes to take action. Adjunct and contract faculty are not entitled to tenure. For most adjuncts and contract faculty, student evaluations are the only evaluatory documents they receive, according to Faculty Forward. These documents can emphasize a professor’s personality over their teaching style and “often downgrade rigorous instructors for being rigorous,” according to the slide presenta-

tion. About 37 percent of adjunct and contract faculty have received formal evaluations, according to a Faculty Forward survey cited in the slide presentation. Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Dr. Kim Godsoe affirmed in an email to the Justice that “[p]revious research from other institutions have shown that societal biases do show up in course evaluations. Much of this research focuses on the role of gender in course evaluations. At Brandeis, we have not examined the data to see if the same patterns of bias are occurring in our course evaluations.” “The difficulty of a class may or may not impact course ratings. Several faculty members who have received teaching awards regularly teach classes that are considered very challenging,” Godsoe wrote. Also significant last year was professorial compensation. The slide presentation alleges that contract faculty face low pay that is declining in real dollars and that some professors don’t receive raises for years on end. Citing statistics attributed to “Brandeis University, 2015-2016,” the slide indicates that part-time Arts and Sciences adjuncts teaching six courses receive an average of $60,200 annually, which is 60 percent of what full-time lecturers receive. Both lecturers and adjuncts are contingent faculty, who are represented by the University. Another slide indicates that compensation in real dollars for Rabb GPS faculty has declined by 30 percent over the last ten academic years, even as tuition for a three-credit course in the program rose by 43 percent. Many contract faculty hold multiple teaching jobs at universities and colleges across the greater Boston area. In their presentation, Faculty Forward calls on the University to “define equity” and offer “equal value of teaching for all faculty.” This includes a guarantee of annual increases for all faculty and creating clear pay structures for non-teaching work. Other major issues include space for office hours, as well as greater support for scholarship, grants and professional academic opportunities. In a separate email, Abrams also affirmed that he’s optimistic about the course of future negotiations. Abrams is a member of the Contract Action Team, an open-to-all committee that has participated in the actual negotiations. He said that participating in the earlier negotiations made him feel “greatly empowered, and that our concerns have been legitimized. It feels like we’re finally taken seriously as we sit down with the Brandeis Administration!”

features

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016 ● Features ● The Justice

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VERBATIM | ROBERT REICH You can’t inspire people if you are going to be uninspiring.

ON THIS DAY…

FUN FACT

In 1949, the LPGA was created with thirteen founding members.

According to somes studies, people prefer blue toothbrushes to red ones.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JONATHAN SARNA

DECORATED HISTORIAN: Prof. Jonathan

Sarna was recognized as a University Professor after numerous awards.

Bringing history to life for decades

Prof. Jonathan Sarna was named a University Professor By alyssa Kann

“American Jewish history for me was not a job, it was a career. It defined me,” said Professor Jonathan Sarna (NEJS) who, after decades of writing, publishing and teaching, has been named a University Professor. Joining a “very select group” of faculty, including Prof. Anita Hill (Heller), Sarna is currently spending the year researching future projects and pondering new courses while abroad in Israel and South Africa. “One of the nice things of being a University Professor is the opportunity to introduce some new courses without going through a lot of bureaucracy, and now I might take advantage of [that]. I’ve certainly been thinking about the possibility over the next few years of teaching some new things,” said Professor Sarna in an interview with the Justice. One new course might explore the little-known Soviet Jewry movement of the 21st century, an especially appropriate topic in light of Brandeis’ focus on social justice. “I consider it really the most successful human rights movement of the post-World War II era. And I think it would be interesting to really look at how this happened. How did people around the world mobilize to save the persecuted community and eventually succeed in bringing out such a large number of Jews, and really anyone who wanted to leave, and looking at the fabulous JUSTICE contributing WRITER

impact,” said Sarna. Sarna explained, “More than two million jews [emigrated] from the Soviet Union to Israel, to the United States, to other countries and there’s nearly no literature to teach that subject.” Such a course, which Sarna would teach as a seminar, would likely be the first ever given on the topic and have relevance beyond the classroom: Sarna himself actually participated in the movement, as did many at Brandeis. Sarna described Brandeis as the “center” of the movement. “We served as the administrative center of the Soviet Jewry movement. It was very much a student movement and Brandeis made space aside, I think it was actually the basement of the chapel, where recent graduates worked really full time to try and free Soviet Jews.” Sarna is publishing an article within the next month on his experiences many years ago visiting the Soviet Jews, dubbed Refuseniks, who were not allowed out of the USSR. He was “able to bring out of the Soviet Union the tape of a secret trial which was the trial of a Jew who had been secretly taped who’d wanted to come to the West,” and continued afterwards to participate in “demonstrations and also wrote letters to several Refuseniks,” as well as bringing a specific Refusenik out of the USSR. The impacts of the movement have had far-reaching effects for many, on campus and off. “We’ve had quite a number of

Russian speaking Jews on our campus, and I’ve been struck by the fact that though those students are unique here, they are the beneficiaries of the Soviet Jewry movement,” said Sarna, “Russianspeaking Jews could live where they wanted and be free to go into any field they wanted and get any education they wanted. They did everything ... It’s really a fabulous story.” More than a story, the Soviet Jewry movement has far-reaching implications for future social justice movements. “The Soviet Jewry movement, to me, serves as a reminder of what mass action can accomplish, how a small minority can nevertheless put pressure on a great empire — the Soviet Union — and make life sufficiently uncomfortable for that empire so that they decide to change their policy,” said Sarna. A seminar would also allow students to divulge their own personal stories, and Sarna hopes that students or others in the community will come forth with their experiences so that they can be written down for posterity. Another future course might explore the relationship American Jews have with capitalism. “I think it would be a fabulous way of connecting Jewish studies and an interest in business,” said Sarna, adding that some of his own students have made relevant contributions to the field. Currently on his year-long sabbatical, Sarna has already discovered fodder that he will use for the current courses he teaches. He gave talks in Cape

Town and Johannesburg, South Africa and met members of the Jewish community there as he learned about recent South African history. “Inevitably, [that will] be part of my teaching. I teach a course on world Jewry since World War II, and now I will be able to add in more about South Africa,” he said. The role of Jews in the Apartheid was “complicated,” he added, and he said that it is important for Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program students in particular to understand the nuances of the situation. After his visit in South Africa, Sarna is at the Israel Institute for Advanced Studies for the remainder of his sabbatical, where he is studying a 19th century Jewish woman poet and writer, Cora Wilburn. Many scholars are interested in “one or another aspect of women and gender in Jewish history,” and Sarna has already collected thousands of pages on Wilburn, “much more than anyone knew existed.” That’s been possible, said Sarna, through new technology that has allowed many old sources to be digitized. Technology has had a democratizing and equalizing effect on historical research, and Sarna doesn’t think his current book would have been possible without it. Whereas uncovering information on a little-known figure “would have been impossible just a few years ago,” Sarna said that “second and third-tier

19th century magazines and newspapers have begun to be digitized and put online, and therefore, it’s possible to discover things that would have been extremely difficult to discover in an earlier day. ... We were able to search digitally for material and find it much more quickly. So I think the point is that new technology is allowing historians to pursue projects that would have been much more difficult, maybe impossible, in an earlier day. [It’s] very exciting, happened in my own lifetime.” On the subject of his historical research, Sarna said that Cora Wilburn “was deeply aware of her minority status.” His work will commemorate a figure whose output within her own lifetime was soon forgotten. Sarna said that “Men who wrote as much as Cora Wilburn did are often remembered; their books are known, their names have been found,” whereas “most women are not remembered.” Ultimately, Sarna said that he has “been very blessed to be able to spend a career doing things that I’m excited about and I love.” He added, “students today should find out what they are passionate about, what they’d love to spend their career doing. That, to me, is infinitely more important than just asking yourself if I will be able to make a great living in this, or, will I make my parents or grandparents happy. Speak with a passion, and that’ll be better.” Indeed, Sarna’s own life and work are testament to this advice.

the justice ● Features ● TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

Kirby Kochanowski/the Justice

POUNDS OF PLAY-DOH: Prof. Todd Pavlisko stands in front of one his pieces in the art installation “Now’s the Time.”

The chemical makeup of art Prof. Todd Pavlisko opened up an art gallery at UMass

By KIRBY KOCHANOWSKI

Tucked inside the University of Massachusetts Boston’s newly constructed University Hall, Brandeis Prof. Todd Pavlisko (FA) proudly welcomed guests to the opening of his art installation “Now’s the Time.” Pavlisko has worked with UMass for a while now; more specifically he has collaborated with Prof. Robert Carter, the director of the chemistry department. In an email interview with the Justice, Pavlisko explained, “[Carter] and I have been using chemistry and science to make art for about a year and a half. The opportunity for the exhibition came out of this collaboration.” The show, which officially opened on Sept. 8, will run through Oct. 20. It is located in the gallery inside JUSTICE EDITOR

University Hall, which was officially opened by the school in January 2016. “I [began] to make the art for the exhibition in tandem with the University [while] the building was under construction … I knew then that I would make a site-specific installation.” Upon entering the glass walled space, visitors are greeted by an array of bright and eye-catching works. One of these pieces is Pavlisko’s self-portrait birdcage, which he created in Carter’s chemistry lab. The sculpture hangs from the ceiling of the space and is comprised of wooden bars shaped to look like Pavlisko’s face. Pavlisko soaked the wooden bars in chemicals to loosen in the lignins in the wood. “This allowed the hardwood to become malleable and gave me the ability to form the wood over

molds that I made to fit the profile for my portrait,” he explained. Also surrounding this giant head are several neon light sculptures which incorporate shoes into their design. Of the neon light creations, Pavlisko explained, “This is a very old technology but yet I believe still very beautiful, and I wanted to use it. These three neon pieces are suspended around the self-portrait birdcage and act as thought bubbles around my head.” The bird cage was not the only head in the exhibit. On the right wall of the gallery, Pavlisko created a portrait of Albert Hofmann, the Swiss scientist credited as the first man to ingest and learn about the effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). The portrait was created by puncturing over 150,000 multicolored retail tag fasteners into a canvas.

Pavlisko also drew a pencil portrait of Charlie Parker, the saxophonist, hanging rubies on silver chains on the drawing. The rubies “are free to swing like a pendulum and scratch and blur the image of the pencil drawing,” Pavlisko clarified. Perhaps the most striking part of the exhibit, this portrait is surrounded by thousands of cans of Play-Doh balanced on shelves lining the back wall of the gallery. “I called the corporation Hasbro and began a conversation with them about my desire to obtain 5000 cans of Play-Doh to use as creative material and conceptual material in the installation,” Pavlisko said . Pavlisko, who is in his third year of teaching at Brandeis, encouraged his students to attend the gallery opening.

Four students from his Senior Studio class made the trip to Boston. “As for having students at my exhibition, it is very special. Additionally it is very important that they see how their professors make art, given I teach it to them. [The gallery opening is] a very unique space for the student to see and experience the person who is teaching them the intricacies of art in the classroom,” Pavlisko elaborated. Though the exhibit is partially inspired by Charlie Parker and his song “Now’s the Time,” Pavlisko insists, “It is difficult to put your finger on what exactly inspired the art,” but he emphasizes that “installation art can take on many modes of understanding ... and I appreciate that my audience can take away various meanings of the work within the installation.”

Kirby Kochanowski/the Justice

BRIGHT LIGHTS: The gallery was a unique collaboration between Prof. Todd Pavlisko and Prof. Robert Carter.

Kirby Kochanowski/the Justice

CAGING IN THE BIRD: One of the most impressive pieces in the collection is that of a self-portrait birdcage.

10 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016 ● forum ● THE JUSTICE

the

Justice Established 1949

Brandeis University

Carmi Rothberg, Editor in Chief Mihir Khanna, Managing Editor Max Moran, Senior Editor Morgan Brill, Production Editor Jessica Goldstein and Noah Hessdorf, Associate Editors Abby Patkin, News Editor, Kirby Kochanowski, Features Editor Amber Miles, Forum Editor, Jerry Miller, Sports Editor Lizzie Grossman, Arts Editor Morgan Brill, Acting Photography Editor Mira Mellman, Layout Editor, Pamela Klahr and Robbie Lurie, Ads Editors Rachel Sharer, Online Editor, Sabrina Sung, Copy Editor

EDITORIALS Reform evaluation process for adjunct faculty In a May 19 Google Slides presentation, Brandeis Faculty Forward outlined their talking points for their negotiations with the University over the first union contract. Among other issues, the presentation lists a “fair, transparent system of evaluation” as one of adjunct faculty’s primary goals. According to responses from a survey conducted by Brandeis Faculty Forward, only 37 percent of survey respondents noted that they had received formal evaluation. Instead, the majority have only the student evaluations of teaching (SETs) at the end of each semester; indeed, one unnamed respondent stated, “I know of no evaluation tools besides what students complete.” As negotiations continue, this board urges the University to reconsider its primary methods of evaluation for these faculty members. Adjunct faculty members are a growing portion of professors who work closely with the students. Consequently, it is crucial that the University conduct thorough and appropriate evaluations.

Encourage consistency SETs alone are insufficient. As Brandeis Faculty Forward points out, SETs provide an “always incomplete picture of teaching.” Indeed, SETs can be an unfair metric of evaluation because students may review instructors poorly based on petty reasons, personality differences or other biases that may not have any bearing on the instructor’s competence. This can wrongfully place excellent instructors’ job security in jeopardy. Consequently, this board proposes that the administration conduct formal evaluations of adjunct faculty in addition to reviewing SETs. Used together, both methods can present a more reliable measurement of a instructor’s success and help ensure a fairer system of evaluation. In the end, more consistency with formal evaluations is well worth any costs it may incur if it means retaining qualified instructors who may have otherwise been penalized due to SETs.

Applaud efforts to improve campus diversity Throughout these first few weeks of classes, the University community has watched its administration run a gamut of highly public efforts toward starting conversations about diversity and inclusion in society, while the administration continues a gradual process of addressing the issue within the University itself. There was the Brandeis Counseling Center’s announcement of its new staff-of-color hires. There was the emailed announcement of #Brandeis #TheDialogues, a semesterlong series of panels and workshops about race and gender. Then, just yesterday, there was the proud announcement of almost $24,000 in grant money awarded to University departments pursuing diversity-focused projects. And next week, students will meet the last two finalists for the newly-formed chief diversity officer position. While this board celebrates the University’s newfound efforts to publicly discuss race and gender, we ask the administration to remember that these programs are not substitutes for institution-wide change toward a more diverse community. That work will require a years-long commitment to rethinking hiring practices, retooling administrative procedure and constantly re-emphasizing the issue through accountability efforts from the student and faculty bodies. While diversity, inclusion, prejudice and marginalization have always been keynote topics for speakers at this social justice-centric University, this increased administrative effort likely results from the Ford Hall 2015 movement of last year. Departments and classes have always fostered public discourse on these topics through their own invited speakers, but when students took over the administrative buildings on campus, the administration began sanctioning and organizing its own diversity discussions. This is not a bad thing, far from it; any administrative efforts to generate greater discourse on key issues should be celebrated, particularly those on such vital topics. We look forward to attending #Brandeis #TheDialogues and hearing community members’ thoughts on race and gender in

Participate in dialogues the workplace, political campaigns and music industry — among other topics. But the key argument of the Ford Hall 2015 movement was a need to diversify the University itself through hiring more faculty of color and admitting more students of color. Public discourse about diversity’s place in wider society is an irreplaceable portion of achieving this goal — indeed, greater public discourse on race was another goal of Ford Hall — but by no means does public discussion substitute for the administration following through on its own sanctioned ideals. It would be impossible for the administration to achieve the more diverse faculty and student body demanded of it in a matter of months; admitted students do not always choose to attend, and faculty job hirings preclude faculty search committees. Moreover, the University needs a CDO to study the issue at Brandeis in detail. But as the passionate student occupiers from Ford Hall 2015 graduate over the next few years, we fear the University may see these goals slowly fade to the background of other priorities. To this end, the most notable events of the last few weeks are the new BCC hires and student consultancy in the CDO hire. These are just a few moves toward the full work of institutional change, and they set a positive precedent. But myriad other portions of the University require scrutiny on this front, and that scrutiny must come from involved students and faculty refusing to allow the issue to fade. This board urges the full University community to participate in the forthcoming dialogues and celebrate the new research grants. But also remember to support the new CDO and help centralize their role in administrative bureaucracy, demand and study annual updates on hirings and admittance rates, and keep consistent pressure on the University to address its own institutional issues. Administrators are starting a conversation, which is wonderful, but over the coming years, they have their own role to play in that conversation.

BEN JARRETT/the Justice

Views the News on

This month, Britain and France will work together to build a proposed 13-foot wall in France on the road approaching Calais, a crucial French port. According to a Sept. 7 New York Times article, officials seek to address security concerns with this by preventing migrants — particularly those crowded in a camp just outside Calais — from reaching Britain, but critics like François Guennoc of L’Auberge des Migrants, an organization that helps migrants in the region, have called it a “bad way of wasting money.” What do you think of the proposed wall, and do you think physical barriers are suitable ways to address national security concerns?

Prof. Sam Diener (PCAX) Reading about the British plan to spend over $22 million on parallel onekilometer walls in Calais in a futile attempt to keep migrants out evokes sorrow and pity. On the merely practical level, the obvious question is, “What’s to stop refugees from walking one kilometer down the road?” But I teach in the “Peace, Conflict, and Coexistence” program, and from the perspective of peace studies, the goal is not just to critique foolish policies but to engage in struggles to transform conflict. It’s encouraging that even many of the truck drivers demonstrating against the situation in Calais are quoted as saying they aren’t anti-migrant, they’re quite reasonably opposed to getting attacked by desperate migrants. Clearly, these truck drivers have much more insight than the current French and British governments, who are failing to build bridges to the refugees. Yet even these governments, I’m sad to say, have so far built far more bridges, and admitted many more refugees from the war in Syria, for example, than the U.S. government has. Prof. Sam Diener (PCAX) is a lecturer in the Peace, Conflict and Coexistence Studies Program.

Prof. Lucy Goodhart (IGS) Whether it’s in the U.S. or Europe, walls are in the news. So, are they a stupid waste of money as the French commentator implies? The opposition to walls can seem so easy. Physical barriers to entry create fortresses when we should be open to the world. But maybe we should remember that voters care about walls now because we used to be protected by distance. When states like Syria function, and where travel is costly, then the “problem” of migrants is a smaller problem because the flow of people is a trickle. The emphasis on walls has grown because the role of geographic distance has shrunk. In 2015, Germany’s statistics office has recorded the highest number of immigrants in post war history. So, in Europe, more “guests” are arriving and some of the “hosts” are getting agitated. Walls will remain on the agenda. Prof. Lucy Goodhart (IGS) is a lecturer in International and Global Studies and Politics.

Bryan McNamara ’19 Britain and France’s joint plan to construct a wall in Calais to prevent migrant access to trucks moving across the English Channel creates a façade of efficacy. The £2.3 million project wastes funds and attempts to deflect from the issue at hand, that being the continued flow of migrants caused by the Syrian civil war. The wall will serve no purpose, as migrants may still gain access to trucks moving across the English Channel further inland and down the shore, the increased distance not being a meaningful obstacle to those who have already traveled so far and lost so much. The wall, much like that proposed by the vulgarian Cheeto running on the Republican ticket, serves only as an ode to false nationalism, proving that Britain continues to follow the same ignorant rhetoric that led to Brexit. If Britain’s goal is to solve the migrant crisis, they ought to look to Syria, not France. Bryan McNamara ’19 is an intended politics and history major. He is also a member of Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society.

Ravi Simon ’19 Walls are traditionally built to keep invaders and barbarians from ravaging lands. The proposal for a wall in Calais suggests how the United Kingdom views the refugees living in the squalid shanty town, called the “Calais Jungle,” outside the port. The politics of the United Kingdom often mirror those across the pond. Brexit and the wall in Calais are the latest examples of nationalist, anti-globalization sentiment seizing western Europe and the United States. It’s a reversal of the politics of open borders and tolerance that swept Europe in 1989 and brought down the Berlin Wall. The United Kingdom should be wary of terrorism, but trapping desperate migrants in refugee camps could be counterproductive. Homegrown terrorism is caused by the sort of mentality which says Muslims and non-whites cannot be citizens of Europe. This is the narrative that the Calais wall furthers. Ravi Simon ’19 is the Europe section editor for the Brandeis International Journal and a member of the Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society. He is also a staff writer for the Justice.

THE JUSTICE ● fORUM ● TUESDAY, September 13, 2016

Criticize GOP hypocrisy in light of voter identification laws Ben

feshbach Extended deadlines

Hillary Clinton calls out Donald Trump for being a bigot; Trump goes meta and suggests that Hillary Clinton’s accusation of bigotry is itself bigoted. Beyond looking at what each candidate actually said — as it is somewhat exhausting to spend one’s entire day finding and following credible press coverage of each presidential candidate — there’s a pretty easy litmus test to help cut through the noise. Assuming that bigotry involves taking advantage of minority communities in America, ask yourself, “Which side makes it harder for those same people to vote?” Following his dip in the polls after the Democratic National Convention, Donald Trump has recently taken to preemptively delegitimizing his likely loss come November by insisting that the election will be rigged. An Aug. 21 New York Times article summarized this effort as follows: “As he seeks to revive his embattled candidacy, Donald J. Trump has seized on a new argument to rally his supporters and to explain away a possible defeat in November: that Democrats are preparing to exploit weak voter identification laws to win a ‘stolen election’ through fraudulent voting.” According to information found on the website of the National Conference of State Legislatures, voter identification laws can be found in a total of 34 states — and they certainly will not go away any time soon if Trump and others in his party continue to suggest that, absent such restrictions, our elections would be illegitimate. Let’s begin with the fact that voter ID laws are accounting for a problem that basically does not exist. According to an Aug. 6 2014 Washington Post article, only 31 credible incidents of voter impersonation exist in an investigation of over one billion votes cast; my own back-of-the-napkin conversion would put the incidence of voter fraud at approximately 0.000000031 percent.

Moreover, “The Politics of Voter Fraud,” a report published by Project Vote, notes that of actual voter fraud allegations, as laughably rare as they might be, when they do happen, even allegedly fraudulent votes often just turn out to be administrative errors and the like: “most … turn out to be something other than fraud.” So what happens when voter ID laws are passed? A May 23 Washington Post article featured people who have tried, failed and, in many cases, given up on trying to obtain voter identification. The first subject of this article is Anthony Settles, a Texas resident who in his wallet “[carried] an expired Texas identification card, his Social Security card and [a decadesold] student ID from the University of Houston, where he studied math and physics decades ago,” only to find out that Texas law requires a current ID. So, in order to be able to vote, he would have had to pay hundreds of dollars in legal fees in order to first find his birth certificate and then amend a technicality in it. Later on, the article discusses the struggles of an 85-yearold impoverished, disabled woman who had attempted to register to vote for two years and ultimately had to shell out $300 in order to get the help she needed.

“

Let’s begin with the fact that voter ID laws are accounting for a problem that basically does not exist. Let’s put these struggles into context: a study published February of this year by scholars at University of California, San Diego notes that “almost 20 percent of Blacks, by [a 2014 Government Accountability Office] estimate, do not have the proper identification.” These scholars ultimately conclude the following of states with voter ID laws: In general elections, voter ID regulations result in turnouts 10.3 and 12.8 points lower for Latino

JULIANNA SCIONTI/the Justice

and multiracial Americans, respectively; in primary elections, voter ID regulations result in turnouts 6.3 and 1.6 points lower for Latino and Black voters, respectively. Moreover, for “multi-racial Americans, strict photo ID laws served to create a racial disadvantage where there typically was none … [and] multi-racial Americans voted at almost the exact same predicted rate as whites (a 0.2 point gap) in non-photo ID states but were 9.2 percent less likely than whites to participate in general elections in photo ID states.” If you’re feeling saddled by the weight of this evidence, that’s good — you should be. But if that weren’t enough, remember that the UC San Diego study is part of a long body of scholarship debunking the myth of voter fraud and documenting the insidious effects of attempts to “prevent it.” But Republicans have continued to defend such laws, with the support from their nominee for president. To be clear, though, the lesson here is not that all Republicans are racist — indeed, prominent Republicans including Rand Paul have taken to criticizing

the passage of such laws — or even that the Republicans who do support voter ID laws are racist. The lesson is one of credibility and hypocrisy. According to an Aug. 16 POLITICO report, in a speech last month in Detroit, Donald Trump accused Democrats of having “taken African-Americans for granted … just assum[ing] they’ll get their support … [that] it’s time to give the Democrats some competition for these votes.” The best form of Trump’s argument — not that his was even remotely coherent — is that rather than playing identity politics, Democrats and Republicans should both compete in the marketplace of ideas in order to earn consumer support or the political backing of minority communities. The problem with this is that in order to truly compete for consumer support, you need to make sure that you empower as many consumers as as possible. Voter ID laws do the opposite: They tell historically disenfranchised members of American society that they don’t deserve to be consumers in the marketplace of ideas.

Raise awareness of activists’ impact on Congo conflict minerals Jessica

Goldstein ubuntu

Adam Hochschild’s “King Leopold’s Ghost” expresses the somber quote by 14th-century philosopher Ibn Khaldun: “Those who are conquered always want to imitate the conqueror in his main characteristics―in his clothing, his crafts, and in all his distinctive traits and customs.” This statement is reflective in the present day in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where, to some extent, militias profit from the suffering of the Congolese people. Between 1884 and 1885, European states carved up the African continent in the Berlin Conference, and King Leopold II of Belgium gained his own personal state. It didn’t take long before the exploitation of the Congo began. From 1885 to 1908, he ruled over the Congo, taking an estimated 10 million lives and benefiting economically from the exploitation of ivory and rubber. Belgium ceded to international pressure and took the Congo away from Leopold II. The country’s history of exploitation didn’t end there, though; later, Belgium and the CIA funded the assassination of Congo’s first democratically elected leader, Patrice Lumumba, according to a Jan. 17, 2011 Guardian article, and put in his place violent kleptocrat Mobutu Sese Seko. Today, the country is characterized by the limited and corrupt rule of a leader who may very well extend his presidency beyond the two-term limit, and it is controlled by a myriad of armed groups who exploit local populations for tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold — minerals that

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can be found in all of our electronics. It’s no surprise that the Congolese people and some of their neighbors are taking a lesson in history from their conquerors — their oppressors. In fact, much of the country’s history is characterized by exploitation. Today, militias in Congo are known to commit grievous crimes. In fact, a former militia in Congo known as the March 23rd Movement, M23, were known for severe massacres in eastern Congo and widespread, forced conscription of child soldiers, according to a Sept. 11, 2012 Human Rights Watch report. According to the International Rescue Committee, between August 1998 and April 2007, an estimated 5.4 million people in Congo perished in conflict. In his book “Dancing in Glory of Monsters,” Jason Stearns, a writer with experience in Congo for a decade, cited that only two percent of the reported deaths during the Second Congo War were directly linked the war’s violence. There are four conflict minerals that come from the Congo: tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold. Militias take control over mines in order to intimidate local populations, and they use rape as a weapon of war. In fact, eastern Congo has been called “the rape capital of the world” by former U.N. Representative Margot Wallstrom. According to a Nov. 25, 2011 CNN article, “reports record that 48 women are raped every hour” in eastern Congo. Despite what many reports seem to indicate about the Congo and conflict minerals, things are getting better for the country due to the work of dedicated groups like the Enough Project and even Brandeis’ own STAND, the Student-Led Movement to End Mass Atrocities. An August 2012 Enough Project report found that armed groups made $185 million off of conflict minerals in 2008. Between 2010 and 2012, that number decreased by 65 percent, according to the same August 2012 Enough Project report. In May 2015, Brandeis became the 19th

Fine Print

The opinions stated in the editorial(s) under the masthead on the opposing page represent the opinion of a majority of the voting members of the editorial board; all other articles, columns, comics and advertisements do not necessarily. For the Brandeis Talks Back feature on the last page of the newspaper, staff interview four randomly selected students each week and print only those four answers. The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. Operated, written, produced and published entirely by students, the Justice includes news, features, arts, opinion and sports articles of interest to approximately 3,500 undergraduates, 900 graduate students, 500 faculty and 1,000 administrative staff. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods. Advertising deadlines: All insertion orders and advertising copy must be received by the Justice no later than 5 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the date of publication. All advertising copy is subject to approval of the editor in chief and the managing and advertising editors.

school in the world to pass a Conflict-Free Campus resolution that ensures that the University re-evaluate its procurement policies regarding electronics. The University was with student activists all the way. The move supports conflict-free minerals from the Congo and assists electronics companies in abiding with reporting regulations outlined in Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. The legislation requires electronics companies to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission on the sourcing of their minerals and on their due diligence practices. It matters that the student voice is heard. Universities procure large amounts of electronics to stock the library and administrative buildings. In fact, according to the Economic Research Institute, Brandeis spends $4 million a year on procurement of electronics.

“

However, the work of activists and legislators alike can bring notable change to the electronics industry. Also, industry leaders like Intel, Apple and HP want to create lifetime consumers. Millennials buy many electronics, and “they also exert a great deal of influence on CE [Consumer Electronics] purchases of others in their circles. While some consumers within the millennial generation, specifically the youth millennials, do not have the disposable income of their older cohorts, we expect they will continue to invest in CE products and services as they age and their levels of income [increase],” said Rhonda

The Staff

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

Daniel, manager of market research for the Consumer Electronics Association in a Feb. 1, 2013 Business News Daily article. In other words, Tim Cook wants you to buy the iPhone and only ever buy the iPhone for the rest of your life. When students work to pass these resolutions on their campuses, corporate decision makers take notice. In fact, companies such as Intel will affix conflictfree symbols on their products this year, according to a Jan. 12 Material, Handling & Logistics article. According to a survey by the corporation, the majority of millennials believe companies should utilize practices that help society. Eight out of 10 surveyed see the necessity in consumer accountability — consumers should only buy products that benefit society. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has a history marred with exploitation. However, the work of activists and legislators alike can bring notable change to the electronics industry. Indeed, it already has. According to the Enough Project, the International Peace Information Service found that “as of May 2014, nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of 3T [tin, tantalum and tungsten] miners were working in mines where no armed group involvement has been reported.” Exploitation is only one part of the puzzle for Congo. However, it is one of the elements that has appeared throughout the country’s troubled past. Cleaning up the supply chain in Congo will not end the conflict, but it is a start. Steps like a peaceful transition of power must occur in order to reach that goal. Today, Brandeis is part of the answer for achieving that. — Editor’s Note: Jessica Goldstein ’17 is the President of Brandeis STAND, the Northeast Regional Organizer for STAND and a Campus Organizer for the Enough Project’s Campaign, Conflict-Free Campus Initiative (also a STAND campaign).

Staff

Copy: Jen Geller, Hannah Kressel, Angela Li,

News: Daisy Chen, Matthew Schattner, Spencer Taft, Ari-

Avraham Penso, Billy Wilson

anna Unger

Illustrations: Ben Jarrett

Features: Rachel Lederer, Mira McMahon, Pichya Nimit Forum: Ben Feshbach, Mark Gimelstein, Andrew Jacobson, Nia Lyn, Kat Semerau, Ravi Simon Sports: Gabriel Goldstein Arts: Audrey Fein, Brooke Granovsky Photography: Aaron Birnbaum, Ydalia Colon, Talya Guenzburger, Morgan Mayback, Yashaspriya Rathi, Heather Schiller, Yue Shen, Natalia Wiater, Joyce Yu

TUESDAY, September 13, 2016 ● forum ● THE JUSTICE

FORUM

Recognize the importance of funding NASA research Kat

semerau kattitude

NASA launched space vehicle OSIRIS-REx Thursday evening, Sept. 8, 2016, in what is to become an epic instellar mission. Seven years from now, OSIRIS-REx is set to land in an undisclosed desert with an asteroid sample that is 4.5 billion years old. This asteroid, Bennu, not only holds clues to how the universe began but also is classified as a near-Earth orbiting object. Now, while this sounds cool to rocket scientists, it is neither appealing to the public nor reflected in our tax dollars — and this is a problem. Bennu, and other asteroids like it, may threaten the very existence of life on Earth. Bennu was creatively named after the ancient Egyptian God of creation and rebirth. Egyptians worshiped this deity through art, imprinting the symbol of a heron meant to represent Bennu in their amulets. Today, the interpretation adopted by scientists is much more perilous. According to a Sept. 11 Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale calculation, there is about a one in 2,600 chance Bennu will collide with Earth and cause mass death and destruction — a rebirth of sorts. Some scientists have downplayed the threat. According to an Aug. 1 Space article, OSIRISREx primary investigator Dante Lauretta proclaimed, “We’re not talking about an asteroid that could destroy the Earth.” The implications of such a statement reflect shallowness on part of the astronomy community. Is it okay for millions of people to die so long as the human race survives? No. Any risk to human life should be acknowledged. There is a one in 13,000 chance you will be struck by lightning according to the National Weather Service, yet we still teach our children to head for cover during a storm. Lauretta’s statement also does not acknowledge the overall threat asteroids pose. At any given time, there are thousands of asteroids classified as “Near Earth Objects,” designated by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Ignoring the threat of all potential asteroids is like playing many games of Russian Roulette, but with a 2000-chamber revolver instead of a six-chamber revolver. While the odds of the former may not seem concerning, the issue should not be ignored. There is increased risk of one asteroid hitting Earth as more asteroids fly by us. In fact, according to a Jan. 7 NASA report, “More than 13,500 near-Earth objects of all sizes have been discovered to date — more than 95

PERI MEYERS/the Justice

percent of them since NASA-funded surveys began in 1998. About 1,500 NEOs are now detected each year.” Another way to examine an asteroid’s threat is in the lens of Pascal’s Wager. This argument implies it is in your best interest to choose to believe in something you do not if the consequences of being wrong are severe. The example Pascal formulated can be summarized as follows: God either exists or he does not exist. Nonetheless, we should all strive to believe in God because it is more logical to suffer lost pleasure from being wrong than to be eternally damned. Applied to the threat of asteroid collision, it is better to prepare for the event no matter how unlikely because of its unfathomably dreadful consequence: the end of all life on Earth. Furthermore, there are many asteroids scientists are still unable to detect. This ignorance has already come at a cost. According to a Feb. 15, 2013 CNN article, an undetected asteroid hit the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia on Feb. 12, 2013, injuring over 1,500 people and damaging 3,000 buildings. A Feb. 15, 2013 CBS news report shared a retelling of the event

by Chelyabinsk resident Sergey Hametov: “There was panic. People had no idea what was happening. We saw a big burst of light, then went outside to see what it was and we heard a really loud, thundering sound.” If the whole wide world ends because of an asteroid collision, I want to at least know about it beforehand. The main reason why NASA scientists have been unable to detect many asteroids has to do with budget cuts. Referring to lackluster asteroid detection attempts, Lindley Johnson, NASA executive of the Near-Earth Object Program, admitted, “We’ve done the best we could with the money that’s appropriated for us,” according to a Mar. 26, 2013 Nova Next article. In fact, NASA faces a record-low $19 billion budget in 2017, as laid out by the Obama administration. To put this into perspective, NASA spending constitutes 1/20,000 of what we spend on Homeland Security, according to a March 13 PBS article. Furthermore, NASA’s budget has also been steadily decreasing ever since the end of the Cold War. The lack of funding has not gone under

the radar of everyone. World-renowned astronomist Neil Degrasse Tyson is a vocal NASA activist. He has made countless speeches about the importance of space exploration. Notably, he said in a 2011 Bill Maher interview that “after we stopped going to the moon, it all ended. We stopped dreaming. And so I worry that the decision that Congress makes doesn’t factor in the consequences of those decisions on tomorrow. Tomorrow’s gone.” The space of tomorrow should be higher up in world priorities. Asteroids specifically pose an avoidable threat but only if scientists are given the funding to study them. The classic movie “Armageddon” depicts this exact scenario — the world being saved by a crew of oil drillers funded by the American government to blow up a potentially catastrophic asteroid. As things are today, we could not actually pull this off. We should take every step necessary to preserve the planet and thrive while living on it. This means paying attention to space organizations like NASA and their funding, especially when their projects involve saving Earth from total, imminent disaster. Let’s keep on dreaming.

Reject increasing political polarization in American society Amber

MILES ANONYMOUS KRAKEN

Within days of President Barack Obama’s statement calling climate change “terrifying,” a Sept. 12 Public News Service article reported that America’s two main political parties have “never been farther apart” in their stances on climate change, according to an Aug. 25 study out of Oklahoma State University. Despite both being equally pro-environment in 1970 and believing in the existence of global warming, Democrats and Republicans have since drastically polarized; in 2016, 90 percent of Democrats believe in climate change while only 30 percent of Republicans do, the study found. This sort of political polarization is not limited only to the issue of climate change. In fact, a June 12, 2014 Pew Research Center survey of more than 10,000 adults found that Democrats and Republicans have become more polarized on issues across the board. Ideological overlap has plummeted so much that the study reports, “Today, 92% of Republicans are to the right of the median Democrat, and 94% of Democrats are to the left of the median Republican.” This shift has made political compromise even more difficult. Take a look at Congress’s track record, for example. In the last few years, Congress has been the least productive in recent history, according to a Sept. 23, 2014 Pew Research Center piece. One particular graphic in the article shows that, when one looks at the laws enacted by each Congress through Sept. 22 of the final year of its twoyear term, the 113th Congress from 2012 to

2014 enacted the fewest substantive laws in a decade. The nine previous Congresses featured in the graphic fluctuated slightly from term to term, but overall, the data showed a negative trend. It’s important to note that, as the 114th Congress had not begun, the piece included no data for it. Even without data from the most recent Congress, however, the work of Congresses over the past 10 years shows a clear decline in productivity — not to mention the infamous government shutdown of 2013. At least in part, increasing political polarization can explain this trend: As liberal voters slide more left and conservative voters slide more right, politicians seeking the electorate’s support must become more extreme in order to win elections. As politicians become more extreme, compromise between the opposing sides becomes harder to achieve — so Congress accomplishes less.

“

Disagreement is healthy; automatic demonization of differing opinions is not. A recent example of such congressional dysfunction involves an issue on which everyone should be able to unite: the Zika virus. At surface level, one would not expect Congress to politicize a problem as universal as a disease that can affect a person of any creed or political leaning — but they did. According to a Sept. 6 New York Times article, while working on a bill proposing an additional $1.1 billion in funding to fight the mosquito-borne virus, Republicans added

restrictions on the list of providers that could receive funding, excluding Planned Parenthood in particular. The risk of contracting Zika, a virus that can also be sexually transmitted, can be reduced by using condoms, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, so funding for such preventative measures is crucial to slowing the spread of the disease. Republicans have largely refused to extend this funding to Planned Parenthood, and Democrats, in turn, have largely refused to move forward without the inclusion of Planned Parenthood. Funding is now depleting without any guarantee of relief. According to Dr. Thomas R. Frieden of the CDC and the same Sept. 6 New York Times article, the CDC has already spent approximately 87 percent of the $222 million allocated to combat the Zika virus. After a monthslong gridlock, legislators have begun to consider compromise, but in the meantime, people in the U.S. and its territories have reported almost 19,000 cases of Zika, and public health officials are growing desperate for more funding, according to a Sept. 9 Wall Street Journal article. The inability of American politicians to compromise thus far on an issue as clearcut as a spreading disease is alarming but not unusual. As political polarization increases, legislative productivity crashes. Another way to see this in action is through the frequency of filibusters in the Senate, a clear indicator of congressional division. Then-columnist Ezra Klein remarked in his May 15, 2012 Washington Post opinion piece that “the filibuster is [now] a constant where it used to be a rarity,” even though filibusters became easier to stop in 1975. In her own Washington Post opinion piece exactly two years later, George Washington University professor of political science Sarah Binder supported Klein’s statement, asserting that the Senate is “increasingly bound up in parliamentary knots.”

While heightened political polarization alone may not be the sole cause of these increases in filibusters and congressional discord, it is, at the very least, a contributing factor. After all, according to the same June 12, 2014 Pew Research Center piece, 27 percent of Democrats and 36 percent of Republicans, respectively, viewed the other political party as a threat to the nation in 2014. In today’s political climate, with such a volatile election cycle, those numbers would likely surge, but in any case, such animosity does not breed a conducive working relationship in America’s electorate or in its governing bodies. Disagreement is healthy; automatic demonization of differing opinions is not. All people — especially those with diverse populations of constituents to represent — inevitably disagree, but Americans have now taken disagreement too far. Failure to compromise on issues like climate change and the Zika virus — issues that indiscriminately affect everyone — and vilification of the other side reflect a level of political polarization that does not bode well for America. The longer Self-government must involve discourse — and even disagreement — in order to best serve a population of conflicting interests, but discourse and disagreement must eventually end through compromise. If they do not, nothing will ever be accomplished. With reasonable conversation, rational parties can transcend differences for the welfare of the larger population. This practice has likely existed in some form for all of human history, but it has played a particularly important role in United States history, starting with the compromises of the Constitutional Convention in the 18th century. Without such compromises of the past, the U.S. may never have existed, and without such compromises in the future, the U.S. certainly will not remain an effective government.

THE JUSTICE

WSOCCER: Team looks to extend short win streak CONTINUED FROM 16 scoring!” she said. Judges 1, Bridgewater 0 The week began for the team with a 1-0 win at Bridgewater State University on Sept. 6. Despite the low score, the team controlled the game offensively, taking 21 shots compared to Bridgewater St.’s five, with 11 of those being shots on the goal relative to two for Bridgewater St. The lone goal was scored in the 13th minute of the game by McDaniel, continuing her already strong season. Not only was this her third goal in three games but, just as the other two, this, too, was a game-winner. This, however, was just the beginning for McDaniel and her incredible weekend. The Judges look to continue this exceptional start to the season as they play twice at home against

undefeated teams in the coming week, first meeting Eastern Connecticut State University on Tuesday, Sept. 13 and then matching up with Wentworth Institute of Technology on Thursday, Sept. 15. The two teams will be fresh faces for the Judges, who have not faced either team in a handful of years. The Judges need to come prepared for anything that comes their way. The Judges are looking to surpass their previous streak of nine wins in a row, accomplished last year at the beginning of their season. If the Judges, and McDaniel, can pull through this week and keep their ferocious pace, their chances to exceed their win streak from last year will surely rise. Led by McDaniel’s unstoppable offensive production, Grossman’s refusal to give up a goal and contributions coming from all, the team is well on their way to a big season campaign.

●

Sports ● SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

DIGGING IN

YDALIA COLON/Justice File Photo

FULL SPEED AHEAD: Forward Andrew Allen ’19 crosses the ball toward the goal against John Caroll University on Sept. 3.

MSOCCER: Men look ahead

PRO SPORTS: to difficult home schedule Guard transforms game of basketball CONTINUED FROM 16

CONTINUED FROM 16 Iverson averaged an eye-popping 33.0 points per game during the 2005-06 season, one of five times he averaged more than 30.0 points per-game in a season. What may be even more impressive is that Iverson held career playoff

averages of 29.7 points, 6.0 assists and 2.1 steals per-game. Unfortunately, his induction does not guarantee that the legacy he leaves behind is one that highlights his career accomplishments. Despite his mistakes, the guard deserves to be remembered for the way he dominated professional basketball.

the season. Ocel would also record an assist in the second half, his second of the season, when the Judges were presented with a corner kick in the 74th minute. Allen took the cross from Ocel and put it away with a nicely timed header and also got involved in the game with an assist in the 44th minute. Allen slotted the ball over to forward Michael Chaput ’17 who converted on the volley from about 15 yards out. The Judges were not done, however,

and extended their lead to three in the 83rd minute of the contest. Allen, again, was involved in the action when he took a shot that was saved by Nichols freshman goalkeeper Carlos De La Cruz. Forward Max Breiter ’20 took the rebound and placed it into the open goal. Nichols would not be denied on the offensive end either, scoring two goals of their own late in the second half. The home team scored on a free kick in the 74th minute and a penalty shot during the 84th. The Judges were able to clinch a victory on the strength of goalkeeper Ben Woodhouse’s ’18 six saves. They were able to secure a 4-2 victory even

though they were outshot by the home team 14-11. The team will continue their season on the road tomorrow night with a tough regional competitor in the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The contest will be a tune up for Saturday night when the Judges will go up against their long time rivals, the Tufts University Jumbos. Last season, the club snuck away with a difficult 1-0 victory on the road against Tufts. The Judges also had a tough time against WPI, forcing double overtime in close win. Midfielder Jake Picard ’16 came through with the late goal to lift the Judges to a win.

SOCCER VOLLEYBALL TENNIS TRACK Write for Sports! Contact Jerry Miller at sports@thejustice.org

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jUDGES BY THE NUMBERS

● Sports ●

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

VOLLEYBALL

Men’s Soccer UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Goals

Josh Ocel ’17 led the team with three goals. UAA Conf. Overall W L D W L D Pct. Player Goals Chicago 0 0 0 4 0 0 1.000 Josh Ocel 3 Carnegie 0 0 0 3 0 0 1.000 Patrick Flahive 1 Rochester 0 0 0 3 0 0 1.000 Brandon Miskin 1 Washington 0 0 0 2 0 0 1.000 Andrew Allen 1 JUDGES 0 0 0 3 1 0 .750 Case 0 0 0 2 1 0 .667 Assists Emory 0 0 0 2 2 0 .500 Josh Ocel ’17 led the team with NYU 0 0 0 2 2 0 .500 two assists. Player Assists EDITOR’S NOTE: Josh Ocel 2 Andrew Allen 2 Tomorrow at WPI Zach Vieira 1 Sat. at Tufts Patrick Flahive 0 Sept. 27 at Wheaton

WOMen’s Soccer UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Goals

JUDGES Chicago WashU NYU Case Carnegie Emory Rochester

UAA Conf. W L D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Overall W L D 5 0 0 4 0 0 4 0 0 3 0 0 3 0 1 2 2 0 2 2 0 0 2 2

Pct. 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 .500 .500 .000

EDITOR’S NOTE: Today at Eastern Conn. St. Thu. at Wentworth Sat. at Tufts

Lea McDaniel ’17 led the team with seven goals. Player Goals Lea McDaniel 7 Jessica Morana 2 Hannah Maatallah 2 Cidney Moscovitch 1

Assists Sam Volpe ’19 led the team with three assists. Player Assists Sam Volpe 3 Haliana Burhans 1 Michaela Friedman 1

VOLLEYBALL UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS

UAA Conf. Overall W L W L Pct. Case 0 0 8 0 1.000 Carnegie 0 0 7 1 .875 Rochester 0 0 6 2 .750 NYU 0 0 5 3 .625 Emory 0 0 4 3 .571 Chicago 0 0 3 3 .500 WashU 0 0 5 5 .500 JUDGES 0 0 3 4 .429

Emma Bartlett ’20 led the team with 43 kills. Player Kills Emma Bartlett 43 Shea Decker-Jacoby 36 Zara Platt 31 Grace Krumpack 26

Kills

EDITOR’S NOTE: Tomorrow at Mass. Boston Fri. vs. Bates Sept. 22 vs. Emerson

Digs Yvette Cho ’19 led the team with 76 digs. Player Digs Yvette Cho 76 Grace Krumpack 62 Leah Pearlman 38 Marlee Nork 30

cross cOuntry Results from the Fens Classic hosted by Emmanuel University.

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)

5-Kilometer Run RUNNER TIME Mitchell Hutton 15:53 Liam Garvey 16:10 Brian Sheppard 16:17

2-Mile Run RUNNER TIME Emily Bryson 11:09 Kate Farrell 11:31 Julia Bryson 12:01

EDITOR’S NOTE: Sat. at UMass Dartmouth Oct. 8 at James Early Invitational

HEATHER SCHILLER/the Justice

SMACK AND VOLLEY: Right setter Zara Platt ’19 goes for the spike over a net against Bowdoin College this past Saturday.

Squad splits in long weekend tournament ■ Outside hitter Shea Decker-Jacoby ’19 led the way with seven kills for the Judges in a tough loss. By Ben Katcher Contributing writer

The women’s volleyball team struggled this weekend as they dropped three of the four tough games they played. Brandeis showed their massive potential early on with a dominating 3-0 victory over Regis College (Mass.) on Friday. However, they lost their momentum, and the match against Bowdoin College later that day, in straight sets. The Judges then dropped both games Saturday, losing 3-1 against both Tufts University and Endicott College. Judges 1, Endicott 3 Brandeis looked strong out of the gate against Endicott after winning the first set 25-17 but lost the next three, and the match, by scores of 1925, 17-25 and 20-25. Despite the loss, outside hitter Shea Decker-Jacoby ’19 led the way with seven kills and had an astounding .462 kill percentage. Outside hitter Grace Krumpack ’19 and libero

Yvette Cho ’19 were dependably clutch on defense, registering 17 and 16 digs, respectively. Setter Leah Pearlman ’19 took charge with two service aces and added 10 digs of her own in the match. The individual talent on the squad is unquestioned and on display every match, but the Judges are still working to collectively harness their abilities. In taking the first set, Brandeis showed that they have the potential to be a dominant force. It is still early in the season, though, and only time will tell whether the team will be able to pull it together. Judges 1, Tufts 3 Brandeis struggled earlier that day against Tufts, losing the match by narrow scores of 25-18, 18-25, 14-25 and 12-25. Again, the Judges’ potential was on full display early in the match. Going in as underdogs, they fought fiercely and were able to take the first set with ease against the Jumbos. However, there is still work to be done in this early part of the season, as the squad dropped the next three sets once again by wide margins. Judges 0, Bowdoin 3 The day before, the Judges were unable to get it going against Bowdoin and narrowly lost the

match in straight sets by scores of 2225, 21-25, and 17-25. Bowdoin maintained a higher kill percentage throughout the entire match. Despite the Judges’ .333 percentage in the third and final set, Bowdoin impressively closed it out at .476. Middle hitter Emma Bartlett ’20 was tied for the lead on either team with nine kills, and Pearlman led the Judges with 16 assists to go along with her five digs. Although the Judges are now on a three-game losing streak, they showed just how good they could truly be with a shutout victory against Regis on Friday morning. The team has many gifted athletes with remarkable instinct and talent. They have extremely strong leadership in the form of their two captains, middle hitter Jessica Kaufman ’17 and sophomore standout Cho. They have all the pieces they need to come together as a force to be reckoned with. Although the season is still young, the potential for greatness is there. The Judges will soon need to figure out what steps have to be taken for them to find success on the court. The Judges will look to bounce back this coming Wednesday at 7 p.m. in a tough matchup against University of Massachusetts Boston.

PRO SPORTS BRIEF Era of tennis dominance comes to a deflating close as Federer and Nadal exit Open scene early Tennis fans are spoiled. Or rather, tennis fans were spoiled for the past decade. Fans saw the rise of the most prolific tennis player the world has ever seen, only to watch in awe and fear as he battled the second-most prolific tennis player the world has ever seen. And as it all seemed to come crashing down in a disheartening pile of back pains and wrist fractures, the unthinkable happened — the third-most prolific tennis player the world has ever seen arose from the heap of ashes that lay in the same disheveled pile. Now that decade is seemingly coming to a close and rather fast, in fact. Roger Federer, the all-time leader in Grand Slams with 17, has, for all intents and purposes, called it

quits. Rafael Nadal, who pulled out of the most recent French Open, has all but put his best days behind him. And lastly, Novak Djokovic, despite winning three Grand Slams last year, is entering a different type of decade this coming May — the big three-oh, an omen of failure and injury. From 2006 to 2013, only two players other than the three mentioned above won a Grand Slam. The two were Andy Murray, in 2012 and 2013, and Juan Martin Del Potro in 2009. For seven incredible years, it was a guarantee that one of the topthree would make it to the finals, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Federer won 10 Grand Slams in a mere four years, a feat unheard of until then. Nadal was the king of clay, scooping up nine French

Opens in 10 years like he owned them. As Nadal and Federer slowed, Djokovic saw his hole and took it, stealing three of the four Grand Slams in two separate years. Though without any reference it is impossible to compare, growing up in the presence of greatness numbs the mind to the greatness itself. The beloved Stefan Edberg won a paltry six titles, while rival Boris Becker, if one can call such a relatively underwhelming performance a rivalry, won a meager six as well. It took the Superbrat, John McEnroe, seven years to accumulate just six pieces of hardware. True, Bjorn Borg dominated the scene for a solid eight years, but that scene consisted of only grass and clay, with no asphalt or hard

surface to be found. While the sixties saw Roy Emerson and Rod Laver duel it out, there was never the same consistency of winning as there was in the 2000s. Smatterings of low-profile players made their way into the finals during Emerson’s and Laver’s tenure, diluting their share and their esteem. Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka seem likely to split the wins with Djokovic, but neither will last long. It is up to the new faces of tennis, Kei Nishikori, Nick Kyrgios and Dominic Thiem, to take the torch and attempt to ignite the now simmering flames. None of the three have been able to win a Grand Slam so far in their career. Nishikori came the closest with a runner-up finish in the

2014 U.S. Open against the legend himself, Federer. He has supplanted himself as a top-threat in this year’s pool, ranked solidly at No. six in the tennis world. Thiem is next in line with a ranking of No. seven in the world, while Kyrgios trails significantly at No. 16 in the world. The two have made incredible strides in short time, despite their ripe young ages of 23 and 21, respectively. As the last Grand Slam of the season comes to a close, fans and critics alike should keep in mind the pure majesty they were so humbly afforded to observe. The records that were broken are likely to stand for decades into the future, with no apparent usurper in sight. —Jerry Miller

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Sports

Page 16

SPIKE AND DIG The women’s volleyball squad falls into last place as they split games over weekend, p. 15.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

MEN’s soccer

TWIST AND KICK

Club smacked with rocky performance ■ Midfielder Josh Ocel ’17 connected on an early penalty kick to boost the Judges over Nichols. By Noah Hessdorf JUSTICE editor

The men’s soccer team went 1-1 on the road last week, falling to Babson College 1-0 on Saturday in double overtime and defeating Nichols College 4-2 on Wednesday. Judges 0, Babson 1 On Saturday, the No.-9 ranked Judges found themselves in an intense scoreless battle with Babson. The team had 15 shots on the game and five on goal, none of which were able to find the back of the net. The opportunities were there for the squad as they also attempted eight corner kicks. The best chance came for the visitors in the 62nd minute when forward Andrew Allen ’19 was blocked on a breakaway. Both teams were unable to score in regulation in a contest that was determined by stringent defense and a cautious offensive attack. The

Waltham, Mass.

game remained in deadlock until about two minutes left in the second overtime. Babson freshman forward Chris Czarnecki sent a cross to sophomore midfielder Noah Parker, who took a shot that ricocheted off the arm of a Judges’ defender. Babson was awarded a penalty kick, which Parker sent past the keeper to give Babson the win. The defeat for Brandeis was rare in their long history with their regional rivals. The contest marked the 64th time the two sides have squared off since 1955. The games have always been close; five of the past seven games have incredibly extended to double overtime. It was also the first time the Judges have fallen to a team from New England in the regular season in three years. Judges 4, Nichols 2 On Wednesday, the squad exploded for four goals to dismantle the opposition from Nichols. Midfielder Josh Ocel ’17 continued his strong start to the season by adding another goal and assist to his impressive statistics. Ocel got his goal in the 33rd minute when he took the penalty kick for his third score of

See MSOCCER, 13 ☛

PRO SPORTS COLUMN

Judge Allen Iverson by on-court skills ■ Point guard Allen Iverson

averaged 26.7 points per game during his Hall of Fame career. By Gabriel goldstien JUSTICE Staff writer

Allen Iverson, legendary NBA point guard best known for his 10-year career with the Philadelphia 76ers, was enshrined into basketball immortality on Saturday, joining centers Shaquille O’Neal and Yao Ming, and coach Tom Izzo in the 2016 class of Hall of Fame inductees. Iverson’s career was characterized by electrifying crossovers, jawdropping slam dunks and daily exhibitions of what it means to be competitive to one’s core. By the time he threw in the towel, Iverson had made eleven AllStar Game appearances, winning two All-Star Most Valuable Player awards, won Rookie of the Year and secured the 2001 NBA MVP award. Though he retired without capturing the elusive Larry O’Brien championship trophy, Iverson left an indelible mark on the city of Philadelphia, professional basketball and pop culture. While Iverson may be remembered by the off-court antics that sometimes overshadowed his generational talent, his Hall of Fame induction should make clear that his unprecedented skill should serve as his legacy. Iverson’s career was nearly derailed by an infamous incident that took place in his hometown of Hampton, Virginia. Following a bowling alley altercation and subsequent investigation, Iverson was arrested, charged with assault and sentenced to a 15-year prison sentence just before the beginning

of his senior year in high school. Fortunately for Iverson, he was granted clemency by the governor of Virginia, and his conviction was overturned on account of insufficient evidence. Though Iverson was blessed with a shot at redemption with the Georgetown Hoyas, his arrest and conviction created a “thuggish” persona that would follow the young star until his retirement from the NBA. Iverson may also be remembered by one of the most memorable press conferences in sports history, in which the then-76ers star responded to questions about his being absent from practice during the playoffs with an epic rant that included the use of the word “practice” fourteen times. The press conference made national headlines, further marring Iverson’s reputation and creating doubts about his devotion to the team. These are just two of many instances that made Iverson one of the most polarizing figures in professional sports. Although criticism is warranted, it would be a disservice to Iverson’s career if he were remembered only for his mistakes. The Virginia native did more to change professional basketball than almost anyone who came before him, injecting unprecedented swagger into the league. What’s more, Iverson’s oncourt dominance made him one of the most mesmerizing players in the NBA, as he led the 76ers with a grit normally uncharacteristic of a point guard standing a mere six feet tall. To gain insight into just how dominant a force Iverson was, one need not look further than his career statistics. Iverson retired with career averages of 26.7 points per game, 6.2 assists and 2.2 steals.

See PRO SPORTS, 13 ☛

MORGAN BRILL/Justice File Photo

LOFT KICK: Midfielder Sam Volpe ’19 whips a nasty kick from the corner into the box against Lasell College last Sunday.

Squad continues to dominate league play ■ Lea McDaniel ’17 ripped

open the game with an incredible performance of four goals against Regis. By EVAN ROBINS Contributing writer

Following a strong 2-0 start to the season in their first week, the women’s soccer team truly took flight with an undefeated 3-0 week, highlighted by a 9-0 victory over Regis College on Sept. 8. This marks the program’s fourth 5-0 start to a season in the last five seasons. Within this run of success, this year’s team stands out as perhaps the best of the past four regular season teams. Through five games, the 2016 team has equaled the 2013 team for most goals scored (16) and is matched only by the 2014 team with five straight shutouts to start the season. With this team success has come immediate individual recognition, as goalkeeper Alexis Grossman ’17 was named University Athletic Association

Women’s Soccer Co-Player of the Week and forward Lea McDaniel ’17 was named UAA Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week. Judges 3, Mass. (Boston) 0 The Judges wrapped up the week with a 3-0 victory over University of Massachusetts Boston at home on Saturday afternoon. Brandeis controlled most possessions and the pace of the game, getting off 28 shots with 14 on the goal. The Judges also continued to perform impressively on defense, keeping UMass Boston shotless, as they did to Regis earlier in the week. The game’s three goals came from forward Cidney Moscovitch ’17, defender Hannah Maatallah ’19 for her second goal in as many games and forward Samantha Schwartz ’18. Judges 9, Regis 0 Playing at Regis, the Judges exploded for a 9-0 victory with four goals coming from McDaniel, including three goals in a three minute period at the start of the second half, the eighth quickest hat trick in NCAA Division III women’s soccer history. With this

performance, McDaniel etched her name into Brandeis record books, as her four goals in the game matched a school record set by Kellie Vaughan ’89 in 1988, and her eight points tied both Vaughan and Sofia Vallone ’11. “I was able to see some open space and was just running into it while my teammates were doing a fantastic job taking on the defenders and putting the ball in dangerous areas, and I was able to finish those chances,” noted McDaniel, reflecting on the game a few days later via email. This win was very much a full-team effort, as Maatallah, midfielder Alexa Steele-Weintraub ’19, defender Katie Hayes ’20 and midfielder Haliana Burhans ’18 all scored goals. These counted as the first career goals for Weintraub and Hayes, who will hopefully see many more to come as the regular season progresses. McDaniel sees this element of the victory as particularly important. “Its [sic] always a good confidence builder to beat a team convincingly and to have so many different girls getting good opportunities and

See WSOCCER, 13 ☛

September 13, 2016

Vol. LXIX #4

Opening Night ÂťP.18

at the Rose

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Waltham, MA.

ARTS

Art: David Reed and David Shrigley. Images: Heather Schiller/the Justice . Design: Talya Guenzburger & Natalia Wiater/the Justice.

THE JUSTICE | Arts i TUESDAY, September 13, 2016

rose art museum

PHOTOS BY HEATHER SCHILLER/the Justice

CAPTIVATING ARTWORK: Two students look on with interest at museum-goers’ depictions of David Shrigley’s sculpture of a nude woman in the center of the Rose.

Rose opens to enthusiastic art fans By audrey fein justice Staff writer

Art fans young and old sauntered into the Rose Art Museum,alongside students clad in Urban Outfitters tank tops on Friday night for the opening of this year’s Fall Exhibitions. The show was new Rose curator Kim Conaty’s first fall opening, and it was a resounding success. The Rose showcased five different contemporary artists this fall with a common theme in mind. “Every single exhibit relates in some sense to an aspect of making, of putting the artist’s materials on display,” said Caitlin Rubin, the assistant curator of the Rose. Just beyond the Light of Reason, the museum opens into the welllit Fineberg Gallery, where David Reed’s “Painting Paintings” is on display. The exhibit features a small group of Reed’s paintings that have not been seen all together since 1975. Reed’s work is “more about the materiality of the paint itself and showing what paint can do on a canvas,” Gallery Attendant Olivia Joy ’18 explains. “It’s less about hiding the material in order for it to look like something we can identify.” His paintings use solid-colored paints over wax. Reed called the reunion of his 1975 exhibition “moving.” Below the Fineberg Gallery lies the Lower Rose Gallery, where David Shrigley’s “Life Model II”

STUDENT OF THE CRAFT: Museumgoers could practice their own art skills drawing a sculpture in the center of the Rose at various angles.

is on view. Chairs surround a nine-foot-tall sculpture of a nude woman who blinks every ten seconds. Some sit and sketch their interpretation of the sculpture as others float in and out of the space, admiring both the sculpture and what other visitors create in response. Shrigley’s own drawings hang on the north wall of the gallery, while at the same time visitor’s drawings are displayed on the south side. For five weeks, Sarah Sze has been at the Rose working on-site on her sculpture “Timekeeper.” “The only light that illuminates the darkened Foster Gallery comes from within the sculpture. The sculpture contains palm leaves and digital clocks, soil and newspapers, tree bark and bar stools. The contrast between the natural world and the world man creates is a cornerstone of Sze’s art. Sze’s related work, “Blue Wall Mounting,” takes a deeper look at the wall of the Foster Stair. It was created using a chalk snap-line technique, which architects use to detect the structural elements behind a wall. In both of Sze’s works, she deconstructs what is seen and builds on what is already there. “Adventure: Capital,” a video by Irish artist Sean Lynch, played in the Rose’s video room. The video leads viewers on a journey through historic Britain and Ireland. Viewers see ancient stone quarries as well as art in modern airports. Sculptural elements such as

fruits and metal structures are seen in the videoline on one side of the room. Museum visitors stood captivated by the film. Each component of the exhibit added to the overarching theme of ancient objects that give value to our present-day lives. JJ PEET’s Still Life was featured in the Mildred S. Lee Gallery. The exhibit was designed to make viewers question the role of images in the public eye. PEET displayed images alongside the objects they represented, challenging the idea that static images in the media reflect reality. Reed’s “Painting Paintings” focuses on the relationship between the material and the artist. David Shrigley’s “Life Model II” focuses on the relationship between art and observer. Both Sarah Sze’s “Timekeeper” and “Blue Wall Mounting” focus on the relationship between art and the space art takes up. The connection between paint and painter, art and artist, and material and space are what made the this round of exhibits at the Rose stand out. Each exhibit emphasizes the artist’s process and highlights their materials and methods. Donors, professors, parents, students and art professionals alike buzzed around the museum on Friday night, exploring what makes art and what art can make in a new space. According to the museum’s website, the exhibitions will be on display until Dec. 11.

STYLIZED SKETCHES: Multiple pencil drawings of nude women, all by featured artist David Shrigley, filled the Rose on the opening night.

INCREDIBLE IMAGERY: Sarah Sze’s “Timekeeper” mixed-media sculpture explores how we decide what moments in time we consider important.

THE JUSTICE i arts i TUESDAY, September 13, 2016

aRTIST tALK

Shrigley delights in sarcastic art talk By brooke granovsky justice Staff writer

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

COLORFUL LANGUAGE: David Shrigley’s subversive and sardonic humor shone through in the art he presented to a crowd in Pollack.

A crowd of students, faculty and members of the public sat in Pollack pointing at a screen up front and laughing on a Sunday afternoon. This was not a stand-up routine or a movie showing. Rather, the audience was cracking up in the Pollack Fine Arts Teaching Center with David Shrigley. Shrigley’s artist talk was full of sardonic punchlines. Many art talks delve into artistic theory and interpretation. Shrigley mentioned these themes — mostly to make ironic, humorous jabs — but in his own words, “much of this talk is about nothing in particular.” In between anecdotes about a small robot he had programmed to draw circles to make abstract paintings, a holiday card he made with the greeting “Santa eats babies” and a rejected Gmail advert that followed an anthropomorphic square being violently shaved into a circle by other circles, Shrigley elaborated on his work for the Rose Art Museum. Shrigley’s exhibit, “David Shrigley: Life Model II,” features what the Rose Art Museum’s website describes as a “caricatured sculpture of a ninefoot-tall woman.” Shrigley explained that the idea for the exhibit grew from a Manchester show about art therapy. The exhibit’s previous iteration was shown in Ireland. It featured a male-looking sculpture that was rigged to stream water into a bucket at its feet so that the model looked like it was urinating. Shrigley noted that he wanted to include similar animatronic aspects

in the Rose’s model, but since the Rose’s model is female-looking, he found that making the sculpture “pee” was less convenient. Instead, the new model blinks. The audience seemed to realize that it was okay to laugh at this particular art talk when Shrigley started talking about his commercial work. Shrigley showed an animated TV ad he made for Pringle of Scotland, a posh U.K. brand focusing on cashmere sweaters and cardigans. Shrigley’s video was well-animated and interesting. It used bright colors, accented its subjects with thick black outlines and included soothing voiceover. It was also intensely self-deprecating. The Pringles of Scotland ad used graphic descriptions and simply but beautifully illustrated animations to imply that Pringles of Scotland’s business practices were ethically suspect at best. A voiceover walked viewers through the process of making sweaters, explaining that the company cleaned wool by putting goats into washing machines and manually picked bugs off of the clean wool. In addressing its competition, the ad illustrated how Pringles knocks out its competitors by bombing their production factories. The ad also implied that the company used to rely on grandma-powered slave labor to knit its sweaters and only recently switched to a machinebased method of production. The ad’s humorous nature made it unlikely that viewers would take the ad’s content as fact. But nonetheless, making and receiving payment for

an ad so blatantly (if humorously) jeering seems like a task few besides Shrigley could pull off. Shrigley’s art’s characteristic blend of simple images and text, neither of which illustrates the other, are reminiscent of meme culture and Tumblr-like sardonic imagery. Shrigley’s “Not Exact” ad for the Fiat 500 portrayed a crudely drawn car with two wheels beside it, each of them labeled “wheel.” The rest of the ad consisted of text describing the car. One might expect the text to frame the car as reliable, a good buy, safe or a number of other distinctly positive qualities. Instead, Shrigley’s text noted that the car had “2 eyes at the front, 2 eyes at the back, 5 wheels, 2 doors, and 1 thingy.” Shrigley described the car with a series of distantly-relevant phrases, such as “runs on pop,” “bean on toast,” “grown from a tiny seed” and “stolen by a spaceship and only recently returned.” In this way, the ad mimics a popular meme (or maybe the meme mimics the popular ad) where users add distantly-relevant descriptive text to pictures of their favorite celebrities, often describing them in nonsensical terms the way Shrigley describes the Fiat. This unusual humor exhibits another way that Shrigley’s art exists outside of traditional notions of what art should address, just as his talk balked at the traditional notions of how an artist’s discussions should be structured and which tones they should strike. Shrigley’s exhibit is on view at the Rose Art Museum until Dec. 11.

Film review

Summer 2016 a disappointment for film lovers PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY: The opening credits of the summer science fiction installment of the Star Trek franchise.

By Kent dinlec

justice contributing writer

In a summer full of box office draws and flops, successes and failures, over- and under-rated movies, never would I have imagined that the best films of the season would be shown solely at the local indie theaters like our very own Embassy Cinema. My favorites were the polished and wellrealized independent films rather than the financially successful but critically lacking big-budget “experiences.” When I look back, I would overall label this summer movie season — when the fun, CGI-filled movies ruled — as a disappointment. The only exception that comes to mind is “Captain America: Civil War.” A solid B+ in my book, the film introduced new characters and reflected on old familiars with finesse and swift conflict between the two. While infused with entertaining humor, breathtaking

action and an above-average Marvel villain (which isn’t saying much), the plot seems to prioritize moments in film rather than cohering the scenes as a whole to form a fully fleshed-out story. In my opinion, this film was the definitive winner among the other big-budget additions that devalued their respective franchises. The most surprising film of the summer that exceeded my low expectations was “Sausage Party.” With a final grade of a B-, it reigned over the underwhelming and predictable comedies of the summer. While at times making too much use of its R rating with its crude and immature humor, it was surprisingly satirical with its commentary on the Middle East and the merits of belief in our society. Though the pace seems to slow down in the second act with excessive exposition, it still delivered an absurd look at a Pixar-esque universe that is undoubtedly fun.

To my unfortunate surprise, this summer’s biggest disappointment was “Star Trek Beyond” with a C-. As a loyal fan of the original 60s series, I appreciated the similarities to the structure and character dynamics of the old episodes. That being said, it also recalled one of the many “ok” episodes, of which the original series had quite a number of. The villain had no character development and inexcusably illogical motivation. The clunky, disorienting CGI didn’t help the film, either. Maybe it’s my distaste in “Fast 7” director Justin Lin’s signature of unrealistic physics or the focus on visuals rather than storytelling that has made me sour. While I will commend the film’s score by Michael Giacchino, makeup and their handling of the passing of Leonard Nimoy and Anton Yelchin, the most praise-worthy aspect of the film is the accurate and spot-on relationship among the main seven crewmembers of the

Enterprise that struck sentimental gold. The definitive closer to the summer, “Suicide Squad,” was horrible. Plain and simple. I would have put it as the most disappointing, but then again, I had no hope for it to begin with. Failing to be a “dark Guardians of the Galaxy,” it hosts probably the worst comic book movie villain ever with a complete lack of development or general insight into her plan to destroy the world for whatever reason, rushed or no character development and horrendous CGI. It is almost F-worthy, but it will receive a D- for Will Smith’s charisma and Margot Robbie’s accurate portrayal of Harley Quinn. As for the indies, three stood out. The first was “The Nice Guys,” the Shane Black film that surpasses conventional buddy-cop actioncomedies. Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe worked well off each other and had a believable chemistry

between them. Throw that in with an enticing mystery and many chuckleworthy moments, and you will get an A-. “The Lobster,” a beautiful satire of the modern relationship and the social conventions of marriage, is a quirky, surprisingly funny film that peaks in the first act and somewhat dwindles in the second. Though there were some pacing drawbacks in the second half of the film, they can not outweigh the numerous highs throughout that result in an A-. Finally, the best film of the summer is left to “Hell or High Water,” a drama set in west Texas about two bank-robbing brothers being investigated by an old marshal played by Jeff Bridges. Subtle, yet blunt; poignant, yet comedic, this film was a highly satisfying sitting that was well acted, written, directed and shot. With no immediate identifiable faults in the movie at the moment and a predicted supporting Oscar nod for Ben Foster, I award it an A.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016 | Arts | THE JUSTIce

Brandeis TALKS

INTERVIEW

Who would you want to see perform at the fall concert?

Kim Conaty Shikha Chandarana ’17

PHOTO COURTESY OF KIM CONATY

“Vampire Weekend.”

This week, justArts spoke with Kim Conaty, the curator of the Rose Art Museum, about the opening of the Museum this past weekend. justArts: What’s your favorite part of your job?

TZIPORAH THOMPSON/Justice File Cartoon

Christa Caggiano ’17 “I think Bombay Bicycle Club would be a really fun concert.”

Arya Boudaie ’17 “Taylor Swift.”

Bidushi Adhikari ’17 “Drake and Rihanna (power couple).”

—Compiled and photographed by Mihir Khanna/the Justice.

STAFF’S Top Ten

Things to do in Boston

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Marquis de _____ 5 Home of Peru’s Museo de la Nación 9 Wil. E. Coyote’s Acme purchases, often 14 Chicken _____ 15 A Baldwin brother 16 Relating to birth 17 Un pistolet, par exemple 18 “You need to stop using protein powder, Mr. Canseco!” 20 Making a sheepshank, e.g. 22 Grassland 23 Type of company (abbr.) 24 ______ Frutti (frozen yogurt chain) 27 Iustitia’s handful 30 Sass 33 Like certain Mints and people who don’t eat too many of them 34 Cartoonish cry 35 See 31-Down 36 _____-Sothoth (Lovecraft creature) 5 Hookup abbr. 37 “Boys Town” star 6 Workers’ rights grp. 41 Shut down a health hazard 7 Calling for mother, say 44 Website promoted by Michelle 8 Tylenol target Obama 9 Magazine well-known for its car45 What 44-Across tries to help toons, for short limit 10 Friend on “The Big Bang Theory” 46 High school diploma req. 11 Reef ring 47 Cardinals’ locale, on score12 CTRL + V, on a PC boards 13 Wintertime toys 48 Rent out a room 19 “Calm down, Winona!” 49 Be taken aback 21 Make useless, as a bill 51 It comes before “two, three, 25 “Spice, for the businessman in a four” hurry!” 52 4th-largest city in Ohio 26 Noun-making suffix 55 Month with a diamond 28 Mode in some video games birthstone 29 Gone missing, to the military 57 Programming abbr. 30 Latin places? 58 What Janie’s Got, in an Aero- 31 With 35-Across, possible meteorite smith hit material 60 Defective car 32 Stored (up), as anger 64 “I’m either changing my 38 Retired basketballer Steve hairstyle or my hair color!” 39 Words to a traitor 69 First word in decision-making 40 Crowdsourced review site 70 Opened fire upon, in military 42 Chip’s partner slang 43 Ground (out) 71 Topic of a much-quoted 44 When repeated, Roadrunner sound Monty Python routine 46 Many a 74-Across member 72 Cost 50 _____ Wayne 73 Tracking tool for bloodhounds 52 Follows, as a detective might 74 See 46-Down 53 Type of nerve 75 What I said to myself when 54 Schedule (Fr.) writing 18-Across, 19-Down, 25- 56 Wary Down and 64-Across 59 Major bear? 61 Average DOWN 62 “I’m ______ you!” 1 German game that resembles 63 Russian refusal Bridge 65 Black, to the Bard 2 Like a mousse 66 Decide (to) 3 “Ghost” star Moore 67 Pirate’s assent 4 Word after main and before 68 Energy-bomb letters, in sci-fi horizon

JA: What were you most excited about for the Rose opening this week?

CROSSWORD COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN

KC: I think that this particular group of exhibitions — all of which are, in fact, quite distinct — have a number of larger themes in common, and I find they’re an extremely [inviting] group of exhibitions. I think you can come in with no preconceived notions of what you’re going to see — of art or of art history — and you can still gather so much out of the shows on view. [It seems] almost like you’re seeing behind the scenes of the engine or the brain that is in fact making the rest of the show. SOLUTION COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN

SUDOKU

Neither of us is a native Bostonian. When we first started college, we would get a bit homesick. So we went around and found the fun things to do around Boston (even if you’re under 21) so that we could make this place our home!

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.

1.Top of the Prudential building 2.Aquarium 3.Boston Harbor 4.Glow-in-the-dark minigolf 5.Glow-in-the-dark swings 6.Drive in movie theater 7.J.P. licks 8.Go-karting 9.Newbury Street 10.Harvard Square

KC: I thought the opening on Saturday was electrifying. It was so exciting to see so many different people coming into the museum. This is only my second opening — I just started started here last winter — so I was at the February opening, but this is my first fall opening, [which is] obviously a much bigger event. We had so many students, people from the Boston area, curators, York area art people, people who just kind of heard about the show [or] knew one of the artists who was on view. It was just an incredible mix of people, and it was very active the entire time. I think having certain exhibitions, like the David Shrigley Life Model project — where certain visitors were literally in the space, making drawings — made it feel even that much more vibrant. JA: What do you hope that the community — both Brandeis and greater — takes away from these new exhibits?

By PAMELA KLAHR AND ROBBIE LURIE justice EDITORs

Kim Conaty: I work in museums because I love collections, and there’s nothing more exciting to me than finding surprises in collections that you think you know or learning something incredible and new about a work that you thought you knew well. That is one thing I truly enjoy about being at a museum with a great collection; the Rose is absolutely an example of that. My other favorite part of my job is working with artists. Because of my love for collections and [the fact that] I love working with artists, being in a contemporary institution has always been the best place for me.

Solution to last issue’s sudoku

JA: Is there anything else you would like to mention about the exhibitions? KC: I think what I would like to say is that the exhibitions themselves feel quite inviting to me. I hope that the University community feels extraordinarily invited, all the time, to the Museum. It’s so energizing for us to see these shows at an opening that have hundreds of people in the museum milling around; looking and thinking and talking — that’s what drives us as a museum; that’s what drives us as professionals to do what we do. We just encourage people to come as much as possible. We already have a number of classes that will be visiting this fall. I encourage more professors to reach out to us and bring classes in. —Max Moran