ARTS Page 14
FORUM Resist environmental deregulation 8
NEW YEAR
SPORTS Swimming and diving teams set records 12 The Independent Student Newspaper
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Justice
Volume LXIX, Number 18
www.thejustice.org
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
faculty
ACTIVIST ALUM
Physics Dept. narrows down search for prof. ■ The Physics Department
has narrowed down its search for a new tenuretrack assistant professor. By MICHELLE DANG JUSTICE EDITORial ASSISTANT
MICHELLE BANAYAN/the Justice
PROTEST: Roy DeBerry ’70 M.A. ’78 Ph.D ’79 spoke on his activism in the keynote of Deisversity's second annual conference.
DeBerry urges students to fight for freedom ■ At the Deisversity
Conference keynote, Roy DeBerry ’70 M.A. ’78 Ph.D ’79 spoke about activism. By ABBY PATKIN JUSTICE EDITOR
Step up, protest and work with your neighbors — this is the advice Civil Rights activist Roy DeBerry gave students at the second annual diversity conference on Saturday. Stepping up to the podium, DeBerry donned a red cap modeled after the “Make America Great Again” hats utilized by the Trump campaign in the 2016 Presidential election. DeBerry’s hat, however, said “Make America White Again.” He recounted a recent story about traveling through the South after the election and overhearing a man say, “‘It is so great to have America controlled by whites again.’” “I confess, it is not so much about the politician as it is about us, the people who elect the politician,” he said. “This is our collective fault,”
he later added. Trump peddled “snake oil” in the election, and "Americans decided to drink it with the hope of relieving their pain,” he said. “[Trump supporters] are scared, and some of them will hurt you because they’re scared,” he added. “This is a call for your generation to step up,” he said, recalling his own involvement in the 1960s Civil Rights movement. “Young people, you can affirm and reaffirm the best in America,” he added. Though he is somewhat optimistic that movements like Black Lives Matter and the Women’s March can effect change, they will only do so if they keep their efforts up, he said. “We have seen this evolution, but the evolution has only been made possible … because of struggle,” he said, later adding, “Freedom is not free.” DeBerry spoke about being arrested for picketing in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s, saying, “My mother and father had always told me that ‘if you go to jail for something, it better be something great, good.’ And I think it was.”
The University’s Physics Department has nearly concluded its search for a new tenure-track assistant professor of astrophysics. The search committee, consisting of seven faculty members, five from the physics department, one from the math department, and a diversity representative, started the search in late fall. “There were lots of things that we were looking for — not just their science but also their teaching,
mentoring of undergraduate research, graduate student research and classroom teaching,” said Prof. John F.C. Wardle (PHYS), the chairperson of the search committee and the head of the division of science at the University in an interview with The Justice. Prior to opening the application, the search committee constructed a grading rubric to fairly assess applicants. The rubric's grading criteria included past and current research, potential as a leader and educator, potential for funding and supervision of research and also their contribution to diversity. Of an initial pool of 149 applicants, 31 dossiers were selected for deep reading by every member of the committee. In the end, “We picked out six people we thought were re-
See PHYSICS, 5 ☛
Student Union
He also reflected on his own student protest involvement. As one of the leaders of the original Ford Hall takeover in 1969, DeBerry credited the University with not bringing in Waltham or state police. “If they had,” he said, “I might not be standing here today.” DeBerry concluded his remarks by encouraging students to stand up for their beliefs and work together to effect change. “When you intentionally see the other, and the other is not a stranger but a neighbor and an empowered citizen, you will make America a diverse place,” he said, adding, “[America] is a work in progress guided by a flexible constitution.” “The extreme and the reactionary [in this election] … have given many progressives a gift,” he said. “The question is, ‘How will you organize, and where?’” Dean of Students Jamele Adams also spoke at the opening event, touching on the conference’s theme of “come as you are, leave as you become.” He presented slam poetry about activism and inclusion.
See DC, 5 ☛
Recently-elected Student Union members take office
■ Seven Student Union
seats were filled in the first round of spring elections, which took place on Feb. 2. By peri meyers JUSTICE senior writer
Students voted to fill up remaining seats in the Undergraduate Student Union Winter 2017 Election on Feb. 2. Alex Feldman ’19 and Winnie Zhao ’20 won the available two-semester positions on the Allocations Board. Feldman received 245 votes of the 560 that were cast, while Zhao won 159 votes. An additional threesemester seat went to Yaoyao Gao ’20, who received 159 votes out of a total of 481. Feldman was previously chair of
the Allocations Board, having been replaced by Emma Russell ’19. In an interview with the Justice, he spoke about ongoing Allocations Board projects like the Brandeis Experimental Event Programming grant, which would promote large-scale club events on campus. Feldman also talked about working with Chief Diversity Officer Mark Brimhall-Vargas to analyze trends in club funding and allocations. Alex Xu ’19 won the two-semester racial minority seat on the Allocations Board with 84 votes out of the 249 total. Xu narrowly defeated La’Dericka Hall ’19 by a margin of two votes. As members of the Allocations Board, they will meet on a weekly basis to determine the use of the Student Activities Fund for secured
See SU, 5 ☛
Married Magic
Searching for Wins
Website Redesign
This week justFeatures interviewed couples working on campus.
The men’s basketball team dropped both games this week to fall into another skid.
The University has unrolled the first phase of its website redesign project, according to an email alert yesterday.
FEATURES 6 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 12 ARTS SPORTS
13 12
EDITORIAL FEATURES
7 OPINION 6 POLICE LOG
8 2
News 3
COPYRIGHT 2017 FREE AT BRANDEIS.
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NEWS SENATE LOG
Senators vote to place 69 clubs on probation in weekly meeting The Senate convened on Sunday to recognize two clubs and vote to put 69 clubs on probation for violation of a bystander training mandate. The Brandeis Asian American Task Force approached the Senate for recognition. Hin Hon (Jamie) Wong ’17, the president of BAATF, told the senators that the group is structured to hold discussions and plan for initiatives regarding Asian American students on campus. BAATF has pushed through several changes since its founding in 2015, creating the course “The Asian American Experience” — offered through the American Studies Department — last semester and advocating for an Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies Department. Class of 2020 Senator Tal Richtman asked Wong if the task force had considered joining forces with Brandeis Asian American Student Association to use the latter’s name recognition as a platform for advocacy. Wong responded that combining the two groups would put too much of a strain on BAASA’s leadership and resources. However, as a former executive board member of BAASA, she has set up a solid working relationship between the two, she said. The Senate voted to recognize BAATF. North Quad Senator Jack Rubinstein ’20 then addressed his fellow senators, asking for recognition on behalf of Vocal, a club dedicated to facilitating open mic nights and poetry slams. Rubinstein noted that the club used to be recognized and chartered but lost both when its former president graduated. The club has since been revived and has hosted several slam poetry events in the last few months, he said. Student Union Vice President Paul Sindberg ’18 told the senators that he wanted to make sure the Senate would hold Rubinstein to the same standard to which other club leaders are held, citing loose structure in portions of the club’s proposal. The Senate voted to recognize Vocal on the condition that club leaders devise a more formal meeting schedule and have a check in with representatives from the Senate. The Senate then discussed a resolution regarding mandatory bystander training for leaders of clubs recognized by the Student Union. With Sunday marking the deadline for such training, the Senate voted to put 69 clubs on probation for failing to complete this training. Probationary status prevents clubs from utilizing funds allocated by the Student Union or reserving spaces on campus. Conference and Events Services will receive a list of clubs on probation and will check the list before approving reservations for clubs, Sindberg said. East Quad Senator Elijah Sinclair ’19 asked whether clubs that had signed up for a future session could ask to suspend their probation. Sindberg responded that many clubs had signed up for sessions but then skipped them and that club leaders have known about this requirement for months. “It reaches a point where we have to start enforcing things,” he said. Moving on to a discussion about diversity in the Union, Executive Senator Hannah Brown ’19 told the Senate that the Union is seeking to make itself more diverse and will soon establish benchmark data to track improvements in diversity. Brown added in executive officer reports that the Senate will soon hear an amendment to abolish the Castle Quad Senate seat and establish a seat for international students. In individual senator reports, Senator-at-Large Matt Smetana ’17 announced that he has begun efforts to petition the University to hire a professor of climate science to lecture at the University. Hiring an individual for three years would cost upwards of $500,000. As such, Smetana is looking for grants to cover the cost of the proposed new faculty member.
POLICE LOG
Medical Emergency
Feb. 6—A party in Usen Hall reported that they were having a medical emergency. The party was transported to NewtonWellesley Hospital. Feb. 6—University Police received a report of a party in Shapiro Hall who was having a medical emergency. BEMCo treated the party. Feb. 6—A party in the Charles River Apartments reported that they were having a medical emergency. The party was treated by BEMCo and transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Feb. 7—University Police received a report of a party in Renfield Hall who was not feeling well. BEMCo treated the party. Feb. 7—A party in Renfield Hall reported that they had slipped and fallen on the ice. BEMCo staff treated the party. Feb. 7—A party in Rosenthal Quad reported that they had slipped and fallen on the ice. BEMCo staff treated the party. Feb. 8—A party in Usdan Student Center reported that they had slipped and fallen on the ice. BEMCo staff treated the party,
who was then transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Feb. 8—A party in Shapiro Hall reported that they had a high temperature. BEMCo staff treated the party, who was then transported to an urgent care center. Feb. 8—A staff member in Usdan Student Center reported that they had a laceration on their finger. BEMCo treated the party. Feb. 8—A party in Rosenthal Quad reported that they were having an allergic reaction. The party was treated by BEMCo. Feb. 9—A party at the Charles River Apartments reported that they were feeling faint. The party was treated by BEMCo and was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care via University Police cruiser. Feb. 9—A party in Reitman Hall reported that they were having a medical emergency. The party was treated by BEMCo and transported to newton-Wellesley Hospital via Cataldo Ambulance. Feb. 10—A party in Gordon Hall reported that they had slipped and fallen on the ice. The party was treated by BEMCo and
transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital via Cataldo Ambulance. Feb. 11—University Police received a report of an intoxicated party in Usen Hall. The party was treated by BEMCo and was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital via Cataldo Ambulance. Feb. 11—A party in East Quad reported that they had injured their head. The party was treated by BEMCo and was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Feb. 11—A party in the Charles River Apartments reported that they had injured their hand. BEMCo staff treated the party. Feb. 11—A party in Rosenthal Quad reported that they had injured their face. The party was treated by BEMCo staff. Feb. 12—A party in Ziv Quad reported that they were feeling ill. BEMCo staff treated the party.
Disturbance
Feb. 7—University Police received a report of loud music playing in Ziv Quad. University Police spoke to the students playing the music, and the music was turned down. Feb. 9—University Police
HIT THE SLOPES
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS n The Justice has no corrections or clarifications to report this week. The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Email editor@ thejustice.org.
Justice
the
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Other
Feb. 7—A staff member in Goldfarb library reported that there was graffiti on a wall. University Police compiled a report on the incident. Feb. 8—A party reported that they had been in a minor motor vehicle accident in Tower Lot. University Police assisted the parties involved with paperwork. Feb. 9—University Police received a report of a minor motor vehicle accident in the Castle Lot. No injuries were reported, and University Police compiled a report on the incident. Feb. 10—A party in Village Quad reported that they were involved in an email fraud incident. University Police compiled a report on the incident. Feb. 12—A party reported past hit-and-run damage to a vehicle. University Police compiled a report on the incident. — Compiled by Abby Patkin.
BRIEF Waltham Mayor pledges support for Latinos during Trump administration
—Abby Patkin
The next issue of the Justice will print on March 7.
received a report of students yelling at the Foster Mods. The students were spoken to without further issue.
NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
Students celebrated Thursday’s snow day with snowball fights, snow angels and skiing. The snowfall on Thursday marked the first of two storms last weekend, with the University opting for a late start yesterday.
Waltham officials issued statements of support and protection to Waltham parents on Feb. 9 at a monthly workshop for Waltham schools’ Latino parents, according to a Feb. 10 Waltham Patch article. The Waltham city leaders, including Mayor Jeannette McCarthy, Police Captain Kevin O’Connell and City Council President Diane LeBlanc, spoke in solidarity to put community members at ease in the aftermath of federal executive orders on immigration and travel bans, reported the Waltham Patch. McCarthy released a statement of support the previous week, saying that local law enforcement does not govern federal immigration laws. However, the officials met with the community in response to a circulating petition by advocacy group Progressive Waltham, which requested that Waltham officials “issue a joint declaration supporting the refugees and immigrants,” reported the Waltham Patch. Some advocates have also suggested that Waltham become a sanctuary city, according to the Patch. According to a Jan. 25 Boston Magazine article, the sanctuary cities in Massachusetts are Boston, Somerville, Cambridge, Springfield, Holyoke, Lawrence, Northampton, Amherst and Hampden County. “We never want our children in Waltham to be afraid. This is a secure community, this is a welcoming community,” said LeBlanc at the meeting, reported Waltham Newswatch. O’Connell added, “I want all of you to feel very comfortable when you’re dealing with the Waltham police. We’re here to help you, all citizens. We don’t enforce federal law, we enforce local state law and city ordinances.” State representative Tom Stanley, Immigration Attorney Victor Maldonado and city councillors also spoke and gave their support at the meeting. —Michelle Dang
ANNOUNCEMENTS Understanding Syria: A Teach-In
The civil war in Syria has raged for the past six years, growing in complexity and devastation. Join a panel of distinguished experts who will analyze the current geopolitical trends, implications of the new American administration, and evolving dynamics on the ground in Syria. This Teach-In is notably designed by students for students. Wednesday from 4 to 5:45 p.m. in Rapaporte Treasure Hall.
Panel: Bouncing Back
Stress, setbacks and failure are a part of life. Resilience is how we choose to deal we these challenges. A panel of students will share stories of overcoming challenges before and since coming to Brandeis. The powerful stories shared will reflect on topics including academic struggles, challenges in the transition to Brandeis from another country or culture, and when
complications arise with health, family, etc. There will be an opportunity for selfreflection and discussion of resilience in your own life. Wednesday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Multipurpose Room.
Spring Exhibitions Open
Join the Rose Art Museum to celebrate the opening of Spring 2017 exhbitions, featuring Fred Eversley, Tommy Hartung, Louise Nevelson, Ana Mendieta, and Collections at Work. Thursday 5 to 8p.m. at the Rose Art Museum.
School of Night Presents: Carl Phillips
School of the Night, WGS, AAAS and International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life are proud to welcome Carl Phillips, an award-winning poet and a professor of English at Washington University in St. Louis, for a reading and conversation.
Thursday, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in Rapaporte Treasure Hall.
Formosa: Save the Date
The Taiwanese Student Association presents its annual culture show, Formosa. Save the date and come celebrate with TSA to find out who the happy couple is, featuring folk and traditional dances. Free bento box dinner and boba drinks will be served. Tickets for admission may be picked up for free at the Shapiro Campus Center Box Office. Thursday 7 to 9 p.m. in Usdan Levin Ballroom.
BINGO
Student Activities presents a bingo night with the chance to win an Amazon Fire tablet, a Magic Bullet, a Brandeis sweartshirt, a Brandeis blanket, a 5 Second Rule board game and a phone power bank. Thursday 9:30 to 11 p.m. in Sherman Function Hall, The Stein.
the justice
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BRIEF
Pagios takes over Student Activities as new director Stephanie Grimes, who has served as assistant dean and director of Student Activities, will now serve solely as assistant dean. The Department of Student Activities will now be headed by Steve Pagios, who has been promoted to director of Student Activities, Grimes wrote in an email to the Justice. Grimes wrote that she made the transition “in offering further support to the Dean of Students Office,” adding that the Department of Student Activities will continue to report to her. “I will continue to advocate for students, oversee the Department of Student Activities and remain assisting students in moments of challenge and crisis,” she said, adding that she will also adjudicate “difficult” student conduct cases as needed. “I am excited and happy for
Steve and myself, while looking forward to continuing to push the values and pillars of the Division for Student Life & Success,” Grimes wrote of the change. “‘Students are the reason’ is our slogan and describes why we do what we do everyday. I am confident that this philosophy will stay as a priority in all of my/our work.” Though there are no additional personnel changes in the Student Activities office, Grimes wrote that the department is considering the possibility of adding graduate assistant roles to its office to “enhance the services that we provide to students, clubs and organizations, and other community members.” She added that the department anticipates that these positions will be filled by the next academic year. —Abby Patkin
Celebrities and authors and celebrities — oh my!
Join
Features! Contact Kirby Kochanowski
DAISY CHEN/the Justice
Students gathered in the Shapiro Campus Center Multipurpose Room on Friday night for an open mic night. During the event, participants could perform five minute comedy sets.
BRIEF
University launches new website templates Almost twenty years after the first Brandeis University website launched in 1997, the University has unrolled a new, mobilefriendly, redesigned version of its website’s homepage and most frequented pages, Interim Senior Vice President for Communications Judy Glasser announced in an email to the community yesterday. “This launch is the first phase of a larger Brandeis website redesign project that includes redesigning the standard university templates,” Glasser wrote in the email, which was co-signed by Director of Digital Communications Audrey Griffin-Goode and Asso-
ciate Director of Digital Communications Carrie Simmons. In addition to being mobile friendly, the redesign is also more accessible to visitors with disabilities, according to the email. The new templates feature larger fonts, wider integration of social and multimedia and a greater emphasis on enhanced search engine optimization, the email said. The University has long used Hannon Hill’s Cascade Server, a content management system used by over 200 other colleges and universities, according to a website for the redesign project. According to the website, the project
has been in the works since June 2015, with the first phase of redesigned templates — the top-level pages — going live yesterday. However, the website notes, the University has approximately 22,000 live pages in the current standard templates, all of which will be phased over to the redesigned templates throughout 2017 and 2018. By building new templates in the server, the website notes, the University will “significantly improve our website without burdening hundreds of web editors with learning a new CMS.” —Abby Patkin
LUNAR NEW YEAR
at features@thejustice.org
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ADAM PANN/the Justice
Students and community members performed dances and kung fu during the Brandeis Chinese Cultural Connection’s Chinese Lunar New Year Gala on Friday.
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the justice
DC: Keynote speaker talks about activist experiences CONTINUED FROM 1 Adams asked the attendees to raise their hands if they had ever felt left out, to which the majority affirmed that they had. Next, he asked them to raise their hands
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SNOW FIGHT
if they had enjoyed being left out, receiving no responses. “Now that we know how it feels to be left out, how dare we leave anyone out,” he said. “I believe that we need to be committed to ‘we.’”
OPEN MIC NIGHT NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
Students enjoyed Thursday's snow day outside with snowball fights on Chapel’s Hill.
SU: Seats filled in first round CONTINUED FROM 1
and chartered clubs. Those clubs are, in turn, to be recognized by the Senate. As quoted in a Jan. 30 Justice article, Feldman aims to address the funding of secured clubs, pointing out that there is “a lot of money that goes away with not much scrutiny.” The Senator-at-Large seat went to Matt Smetana ’17, who received 382 out of the 488 total votes cast. As reported in a Jan. 30 Justice article, he has emphasized the need for greener energy on campus. “Brandeis has been consistently more energy-intensive (and wasteful) than all comparable universities with similar infrastructure, size and climate,” Smetana wrote in an email to the Justice. “There is a lot that Brandeis has
started doing to reduce its carbon footprint, but there is a lot that still needs to be done.” Meanwhile, Dana Brown ’20 won the position of Midyear Senator with 27 votes out of 54, and Brandon Stanaway ’19 won that of Ziv Quad Senator with 38 out of the 51 votes cast. In an interview with the Justice, Stanaway also pointed to the need for a more sustainable campus. Additionally, he said that as the representative of Ziv, he wants to “[make] sure people know about what resources are available through the [Community Advisors], through Student Union.” Among these resources, he said, students can borrow sleeping bags and vacuum cleaners. “Being part of Student Union will help me promote the things that are already there and help create change based upon what people want,” Stan-
away said. “I want people to come and say hello, come and tell me what they want, tell me their problems, tell me things they like, so I can enact as much change as I can in this semester when I’m representing them.” Abstaining voters came out in great numbers for the seats of Ridgewood Quad Senator, Charles River/567 Apartments Senator and Mods Quad Senator. In the vote for Ridgewood Quad Senator, 11 out of 22 abstained, as well as 9 out of 23 for Charles River/567 Apartments Senator and 6 out of 20 for Mods Quad Senator. In line with the Undergraduate Student Union constitution, those three seats will remain vacant until the next election because more people abstained than voted for any of the given candidates.
HEATHER SCHILLER/the Justice
Izzy Yeoh ’20 performed at the Stein’s open mic on Friday.
Do you have a nose for news?
Contact Abby Patkin at news@thejustice.org
PHYSICS: Six finalists interview at University for assistant professor CONTINUED FROM 1 ally outstanding,” said Wardle. Over the past month, the six candidates have visited the University and conducted public colloquiums on their research tailored for undergraduates with a background in physics, afterward engaging in a more technical “chalk talk” with the search committee about their research proposals and interests. Candidates also intermittently met with other departmental faculty and graduate students. It was as much an interview for the candidate as it was an interview for the faculty and students to see if the candidate would like to work at the University, said Wardle. The search committee has put a large amount of effort into an outreach for minorities, women and people of color to apply for the position, said Wardle. The position was not only publicly posted, but potential candidates of interest, both of high academic accomplishment and diversity, were personally reached out to and invited to apply. “These are extremely prestigious, first-rate people,” said Wardle, who first asked colleagues at other universities for recommendations and
then went through the lists of the National Science Foundation, Hubble and Einstein postdoctoral fellowship programs looking for women and minorities were in the particular areas they were advertising. “The importance is simply that the more diverse the faculty is, the more included the students feel … in terms of encouraging [women and people of color] to go ahead and major in the hard sciences and for recruitment of students coming here. … When they see faculty here that looks like they do — you can’t underestimate that.” The six finalists include four women and two men, of whom two are Hispanic and one is Black. “I’m kind of proud of that — in a field like astrophysics, that’s good,” said Wardle. While astronomy has a tradition of having more women than other hard sciences, there are very few people of color, said Wardle. “There are various efforts in the division of science to try and improve that, but when you’re actually looking for a faculty member … the pool of minority candidates is very small, and you really have to go and seek them out,” he said. The situation for recruiting women faculty is a bit better. However,
“We’re not bad in physics, actually; we have a higher number of women than most physics departments do in the country,” said Wardle, noting the department of physics’ three women faculty. The Brandeis Physics department has 40 to 45 graduate students, with approximately 20 undergraduates graduating with a degree in physics every year. Wardle hopes that a minority candidate will not only help encourage more individuals to go into the hard sciences but also increase diversity among students enrolled in physics. Wardle said it is also important that they find someone who can work in the University’s small research environment, with the potential to collaborate with established research groups on campus. Additionally the committee looked at a candidate’s investment in undergraduate research and education, “That’s one of our signatures,” said Wardle, “encouraging undergraduate research — everybody does that here.” The search committee has ranked the list of six candidates in order of preference, and the department expects an offer accepted soon with an appointment of the position to begin in Fall 2017.
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2017 ● Features ● The Justice
just
VERBATIM | LIZ WINSTON I think, therefore I’m single.
ON THIS DAY…
FUN FACT
In 1943, Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, married Helen Robson.
It was thought to be bad luck to sign a Valentine’s Day card in Victorian times.
Campus Power Couples As Brandeis University students well know, Louis D. Brandeis’ career achievements were groundbreaking and revolutionary — but many may be unaware of the achievements of Alice Goldmark Brandeis, Louis Brandeis’ wife. According to the Jewish Women’s Archive, Alice Brandeis was an outspoken advocate for progressive movements and dedicated her time to causes she was passionate about. Alice Brandeis supported third-party presidential candidate Robert La Follette, whose progressive politics advocated against war and in favor of small business and civil rights. Alice Brandeis also garnered controversy for her outspoken criticism of what she perceived as the U.S.’s lack of effort in helping the Jewish cause during World War II. Louis and Alice Brandeis were intellectual equals. Alice Brandeis was a key adviser to her husband — many believe she had a large influence on his promotion of progressive causes — and the two pushed each other in their beliefs and politics. Today, the Brandeis campus is filled with working couples, each outstanding in their own right. Though Louis and Alice may have been the first, they certainly weren’t the last Brandeis “Power Couple.” —Kirby Kochanowski
PHOTO COURTESY OF YEN YU
ON A ROLL: While they were dating, Charlie Yu would ride his bike for over an hour to see Yen Yu.
Yu and Yu By LEIGH SALOMON JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
“We didn’t have Valentine’s Day in Taiwan!” Yen Yu remarked humorously when asked to share about her life with her husband, Charlie Yu, in an interview with the Justice. If you frequent Sherman dining hall between the hours of seven and two, chances are you know the Yus. Yen Yu always greets students with a warm smile and wants to know how they are doing, while Charlie Yu hangs behind-the-scenes cooking food. They have dedicated the last 24 years to making Brandeis Dining Services a happy experience for everyone, but the story of their love starts much earlier. Yen Yu and Charlie Yu grew up in Taiwan. “It was a long time ago. I was in junior high school,” Yen recalled of meeting Charlie for the first time. “I had to ride a bicycle to go to school every day with my two friends. So, every time when we, you know, passed their house — the boys’ house — they’re all sitting there watching us.” Eventually, the boys worked up the courage to introduce themselves to Yen Yu and her friends. After that, Yen Yu’s group would drop by the boys’ house every day after school, all of them becoming friends. Six years passed by — Yen still rode her bicycle, but this time it was an hour to her job instead of to school. As each work day drew to a close, Charlie was there, waiting to take her home. “Every single day, he’d ride his bicycle an hour to wait for me and take me home — for so many years. … He’s the kind of man that’s not sweet talking — [he] just [uses his] actions.” Not too long after, they were married and had a son and daughter. Their son moved
to Hong Kong six years ago to be the director of a management company, and their daughter is an artist living in Tennessee. Yen Yu and Charlie Yu assured that their kids call quite often — every week, in fact. Job opportunity brought Charlie Yu to America first, followed soon after by his wife and children. “My brotherin-law had a restaurant in America, [and] my husband had been working there for so long before I came, because he wanted to help his brother.” After Yen Yu’s brother-in-law retired, Yen Yu found work at Brandeis, where Charlie later joined her. When not at work, Yen Yu enjoys crafting, origami, sewing and cooking. She also likes to create flower arrangements. Charlie Yu grows a variety of flowers for Yen Yu in their backyard as well as numerous fruits and vegetables that reduce their grocery spending during the summer. “[In the] summertime, we go fishing all the time, almost every week. We went to Cape Cod [many times].” They plan to take the whole family fishing when they visit this summer. Reflecting on what love means to them, Yen Yu has realized that “you love someone even if you don’t agree with them, you know? Nobody is perfect, right? So, even if [you] make a mistake or something, [you] let [it] go. If you want to fight, it never ends. So, sometimes, if [you] get angry, you just keep your mouth shut.” Charlie Yu has thought about returning to Taiwan in the future, but they admit it will depend on where their son lives. As Yen Yu put it, “If my son is [coming] back here, maybe we’ll stay here. Too soon to say.” Yen and Charlie Yu have been happily married for nearly 48 years.
Katz and Mitchell By LEAH LEYBZON JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
“We did a lot of drinking together.” Prof. Donald Katz (NBIO) and Prof. Teresa Mitchell (PSYC) could not remember exactly where their first date was, but Katz was able to recall the drinking the two did together. The two met on the first day of graduate school at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. They found themselves in a group of graduate students who were all meeting each other for the first time. From that day forward, they were, according to Mitchell, “together all day every day” because they shared the same office. While neither is exactly sure when they became romantically involved, the two were initially very good friends. Later, when Mitchell “told Don that he was probably it, he looked like a deer in the headlights.” After an eight-year dating period, the two wed and became the dynamic couple that Brandeis students and faculty know them as now. With some laughter, Katz asserted that Mitchell was “interested in [him] because of [his] statistics skills” since both of them took the same graduate-level statistics course. Mitchell, on the other hand, recalled how Katz annoyed her during the class even though she needed to pay attention and learn the course material. Despite that, there are many things Mitchell admires about her husband. Mitchell claimed that Katz is a fairly skilled golf player, though he would never admit to being one. Katz, in
turn, complimented Mitchell’s baking skills. Both professors agreed that one of their most memorable moments as a couple was flying to get their adopted son. They also fondly recalled scuba diving and taking other trips together. When it came to discussing the Brandeis community, the two gushed about what they love most about the campus and its students. Katz said that Brandeis is both a tiny teaching college as well as a top-notch research university where the “students are super serious about what they’re learning.” Before he arrived at Brandeis, Katz worked at Duke University, and when he “got the job at Brandeis, all of these big, famous professors at Duke expressed how jealous they were” that he would get to spend what has now become over fifteen years here. Mitchell, on the other hand, noted that, on a personal level, “everybody seems to be interested in taking care of each other.” That, to her, is what makes Brandeis a special community. In terms of working on the same campus, both agree that it has its perks. “Don brings me coffee sometimes,” Mitchell said. Both are admittedly very busy throughout the day and do not have too much time to spend with one another, but Katz said that it is still nice to be so close. Mitchell used to work in Worcester, MA, so the two had far less time to see one another. They both agree that the proximity definitely does not hurt. But what is the best part about working on the same campus? Katz believes it is just “nice to eat dinner in her office and say hi” when both of them have the chance.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TERESA MITCHELL
THE WHOLE FAMILY: One of Prof. Donald Katz (NBIO) and Prof. Teresa Mitchell’s (PSYC) favorite memories is flying to meet their son for the first time.
THE JUSTICE ● forum ● TUESDAY, February 14, 2017
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the
Justice Established 1949
Brandeis University
Carmi Rothberg, Editor in Chief Mihir Khanna, Managing Editor Morgan Brill, Deputy Editor Michelle Banayan, Jessica Goldstein, Noah Hessdorf and Sabrina Sung, Associate Editors Abby Patkin, News Editor, Kirby Kochanowski, Features Editor Amber Miles, Forum Editor, Jerry Miller, Sports Editor Hannah Kressel, Acting Arts Editor Natalia Wiater, Photography Editor Mira Mellman, Layout Editor, Pamela Klahr and Robbie Lurie, Ads Editors Rachel Sharer, Online Editor, Jen Geller and Avraham Penso, Acting Copy Editors
EDITORIALS Fill Village vacancy with student-run store On Aug. 2, 2016, the University announced that Dunkin Donuts would move from its location in the Village to Upper Usdan, a change that has been put into effect this academic semester. In a Feb. 6 email to the Justice, Vice President of Campus Operations Jim Gray wrote that there is currently no plan for occupying the empty Village location. While this board recognizes the University’s commitment to reopening Dunkin Donuts, we are concerned about the vacancy in the previous location. We encourage the University to swiftly restructure this space as a convenience store focused on serving students in the area, as well as aiding the development of student business skills. At this point in time, the closest source of food for on-campus students in Ridgewood, the Village and Ziv Quad is Einstein Bros. Bagels, located in the Shapiro Campus Center. Unfortunately, this campus dining location offers limited options for students with dietary restrictions. For example, individuals with gluten intolerance — or worse yet, students with a gluten allergy — will have trouble finding anything on the menu that caters to their needs. The same can be said for students with other dietary restrictions. Additionally, not all of these student housing locations have kitchens. Prior to remodelling, Einstein’s housed a small convenience store where students could pick up various food options. This board believes that the University should quickly work to expand food options near Ridgewood, the Village and Ziv, and filling the former Dunkin location with a convenience store could help achieve this in a cost-effective manner. Necessary changes can be implemented quickly — a
Promote experiential learning few shelves can be built and filled with a variety of snacks and microwaveable meals. It could be staffed as a lowemployment convenience store. Furthermore, this board encourages the University to explore the possibility of allowing such a convenience store to be student-run. It is important that the University continue to support initiatives that provide students with the experiential learning opportunity of running a small business. The University currently supports studentrun enterprises including Cholmondeley’s Coffee House, Student Production Services and Student Services Bureau. Similar to these businesses, a student-run convenience store could provide students with the opportunity to practice managing their own business — for all intents and purposes — for a period of time. Despite the challenges it may present, this board urges the University to take initial steps to create the student-led convenience store. The University must first work with Sodexo to identify the feasibility of developing this store in accordance with current University meal plans. To gauge student interest, the University can work in coordination with the International Business School. The former Dunkin Donuts has been empty for far too long without University expression of any plans to fill it. This board urges the University to act quickly to fill this space in accordance with student interests. It is essential to provide students of the University with diverse food options and business opportunities that extend beyond the classroom.
Criticize the confirmation of Betsy DeVos Last Tuesday, the Senate confirmed Betsy DeVos for education secretary by a 51-to-50 vote. Vice President Mike Pence cast the tiebreaking vote, marking the first time in history that the vice president acted as a tiebreaker for a cabinet nomination. This board urges the University and the Education Studies department to take note of DeVos’ confirmation and begin to devise ways to counteract the damage her tenure will have on elementary, middle, and high school students — inevitably members of future incoming classes at Brandeis. To an unprecedented extent, DeVos is woefully underqualified to represent the nation’s educational system as a whole. Her predecessor, John King, Jr., had considerable qualifications and experience in the field of education, including earning a master’s degree and doctorate in education administrative practice, teaching and holding the offices of U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education and New York Education Commissioner, according to an Oct. 2, 2015 NPR article. By contrast, DeVos lacks conventional experience in education; she has served on the board of the Foundation for Excellence in Education and as chairman of the American Federation for Children, which advocates for school choice, according to her website. DeVos does not have firsthand experience of public education either, as she comes from a family of considerable wealth and did not attend public school. Consequently, DeVos has little, if any, working knowledge of the realities of public education.
Resist damaging policies Beyond that, DeVos has expressed concerning views. According to a Feb. 7 BBC article, she supports increasing federal funding for charter schools at the expense of traditional public schools. Worse, despite the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act — a federal law that requires states and school districts to offer education to students with disabilities — DeVos has said that special education support for children with disabilities should be decided on the state level, according to a Feb. 7 New York Times article. On Jan. 23, this board published an editorial commending the University’s commitment to economic diversity and urging the University to continue admitting students of lower-income backgrounds. Under DeVos’ tenure as education secretary, these are the students who will be hurt the most, as traditional public schools that are already struggling financially may lose significant portions of their funding. This board implores the University to attempt to offset DeVos’ damage by supporting outreach programs for affected groups in order to ensure that all students still have an opportunity to attend Brandeis. Furthermore, the students of the Brandeis Education department should view DeVos’ nomination as a call to action to advocate for and implement better policies once they begin their careers in education.
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Views the News on
In his speech at the National Prayer address earlier this week, President Donald Trump claimed, “I will get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson Amendment,” according to a Feb 2. Washington Post article. The Johnson Amendment is a section of the tax code that prevents houses of worship from using their social influence to campaign for elected officials. With Trump’s current popularity among Christian conservatives, this decision comes as no surprise. What do you think of the Johnson Amendment and should religious institutions be allowed to influence elections?
Alex Mitchell ’17 While I dislike many of President Trump’s legal efforts, I support his efforts to protect the free speech of religious leaders. The Johnson Amendment has been a troubling and unconstitutional curtailing of free speech, given the historical role of religion in American society. From Abolition to Prohibition to Civil Rights, many transformative American social movements were born at the pulpit. Houses of worship have also historically mobilized and registered voters, particularly immigrants. Many religious groups remain politically active, but repealing the Johnson Amendment will encourage more to take a stand. In a time when religious and ethnic minority communities feel increasing pressure from our government, we need to affirm the freedom of the pulpit as a weapon of political resistance and social change. Repealing this law will empower religious communities of all faiths to take a more active role in political organization and resistance. Alex Mitchell ’17 is a member of the Catholic Student Organization and the interfaith group. He also writes for the Brandeis Hoot.
Gabi Hersch ’17 Are President Trump’s efforts to ‘destroy’ the Johnson Amendment a fight for free speech or a means to support candidates with tax-deductible contributions? In other words, should 501(c)(3) organizations (churches, charities, universities, etc.) be able to endorse a political candidate? Thinking about sermons I have heard from rabbis, and nonprofit efforts toward petitions and protests, initially, I wondered: What would this repeal change aside from NGOs now directly voicing support for a candidate? After closer investigation, I realized this repeal would effectively allow for the tax-deductible funding of candidates. This would corrupt the missions of our houses of worship and charities; it would enable politicians and political agendas to influence the flow of funds to public charities and religious organizations. Today, religious leaders are free to preach on social and political issues, and “Nonpartisan voter education activities and church-organized voter registration drives are legal.” Why should we change the nonprofit sector from our space that unites us to a divisive and corrupt one, where politicians may use money as vehicles for power? The answer is simple: we shouldn’t. Gabi Hersch ’17 is a Religious Studies Undergraduate Departmental Representative. She is also a Brandeis Bridges fellow and a member of the Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program.
Annie Lieber ’18
The Johnson Amendment is a reflection of an important idea of American democracy — that religions should not have influence on or mix with the state or government. However, it is foolish to think that the influence of churches (and indeed other religious organizations) on how people think and vote does not exist. While I believe that organizations with tax exempt status should not be able to endorse or oppose political candidates, and indeed should legally be prevented from doing so, it is not a question of them influencing elections; it is a question of officially allowing it in a legal capacity. The Johnson Amendment should remain in effect, but we cannot ignore the effects churches and other 501c(3)s can have on how people affiliated with them view social and political issues, whether or not they are allowed to legally endorse political candidates. Annie Lieber ’18 is a Tzedek/Social Justice Coordinator for Hillel and a writer for the Odyssey.
Lilly Hecht ’18 Though he hasn’t the Constitutional power to do so, Trump wants to further break down the boundaries between church and state by “destroying” the Johnson Amendment. However, he conveniently neglects the “free speech” loophole that such a repeal would establish, allowing anonymous, dark money — for religious purposes or not — to funnel through tax-exempt religious institutions into political campaigns. We see the same issue when Congresspeople get funding from private corporations: their subsequent initiatives mysteriously benefit the sources of their bulging wallets. We can’t let religious institutions influence our political landscape similarly — not if we value democratic, equitable and truly unimpeded free speech. The more we allow political campaigns to receive anonymous donations, the more the elite minority special interest groups will benefit at the expense of the majority and the marginalized. Ultimately, this initiative is further proof that Trump seeks to empower the rich and powerful at the expense of average American citizens. Lilly Hecht ’18 is a Legal Studies UDR and an associate justice on the Student Union Judiciary.
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THE JUSTICE ● fORUM ● TUESDAY, february 7, 2017
TUESDAY, february 14, 2017 ● forum ● THE JUSTICE
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Acknowledge bipartisan agreement on Trump policies By elias rosenfeld JUSTICE staff writer
It has been over three weeks since Donald Trump was inaugurated as our nation’s 45th president, and he has largely kept up with some of his most radical campaign promises. In these three weeks, we have also seen bitter and divisive partisan attacks, such as silencing Senator Elizabeth Warren on the Senate Floor or early-morning cabinet confirmation hearings; D.C. continues to give the appearance of sharp division along partisan lines. However, there are several issues that many Democrats and Republicans can agree on in the age of the Trump administration. Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump made it very clear that he wished to transform relations with Russia and President Putin despite disagreement from not only the Democratic Party but also the Republican Party, both of which have traditionally viewed Russia as dangerous and not beneficial to the interests of the United States. Unfortunately, the president’s rhetoric has transformed into concrete policy in action these last three weeks. In the past, the president has tweeted his praise for Putin, but on Feb. 6, he reaffirmed this praise when he was on the Bill O’Reilly show on Fox News and degraded the perception of the U.S. by creating a false moral equivalence to the government of Putin, stating, “We’ve got a lot of killers. What, do you think our country’s so innocent?” The president of the U.S is equating our government to that of an autocratic killer. This false equivalence is especially glaring, as last week, longtime Putin dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza was poisoned, according to a Feb. 9 CNN article. Kara-Murza had experienced attempts of poisoning in the past, and there is suspicion that it was under the direction of Putin. While Trump was on a phone call with Putin last week, he had to pause the call to receive information he did not know regarding the Obama-era nuclear New START Treaty, a pact that has deterred the proliferation of automatic nuclear weapons from the world’s two largest nuclear weapons holders: the U.S. and Russia. Leaked information showed the president telling Putin this deal was “one of several bad deals” from the Obama Administration, according to a Feb. 9 Reuters article. However, there is no controversy regarding this deal; it has bipartisan support because it reduces the proliferation of these weapons — a beneficial change in the views of both parties. This is one policy field that members of both the Democratic and the Republican Party can unite on. This is evident through Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), who publicly blasted the president for his false
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equivalency regarding the U.S. and Russia, according to a Feb. 7 CBS News article, as well as through Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY.) who broke with the president in stating, “I don’t think there’s any equivalency to the way the Russians conduct themselves and the way the United States does,” according to a Feb. 5 USA Today article. For decades, the U.S. had a foreign policy position with Russia that has been mostly supported by both parties. We must continue to unite on this issue, as Russia will continue to pose a grave danger to U.S. military and diplomatic interests. Even after a shocking win in November, Trump has insisted that mass voting fraud occurred, using that as a way to delegitimize his shortcomings in losing the popular vote to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. While the president has presented no factual evidence to support this claim, he has consistently tweeted and stated that mass voting fraud has cost him around “3 to 5 million votes” and explains why he lost the general election. If Trump had presented factual and verifiable evidence of this fraud, it would have been fully investigated. The president cannot make such drastic assertions without a single ounce of evidence. This is another area where Democrats and Republicans can agree. This was evident
when McConnell, a Republican, rejected the idea of voter fraud actually hindering the elections results. McConnell stated, “I don’t think we ought to spend any federal money investigating that. I think the states can take a look at this issue,” according to a Feb. 5 article in the Hill. Breaking with the president on a crucial issue also serves as an indication to his peers that they are able to denounce such false voting claims. These false claims can lead to voter restriction which, in turn, has a disproportionately negative effect on minorities, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. This harm extends as it indicates to the president that he is able to spread lies without repercussions or checks. The presidency is an office that must be associated with the truth, and the president is harming the perception of this office. Trump has also established a precedent for attacking federal judges who disagree with him — like Judge Curiel, who held opposing views regarding Trump University during the presidential campaign. According to a June 7, 2016 NPR article, Trump degraded the judge and claimed he was incapable of carrying out the duties of his office due to the bias of his race and Mexican descent — even though he was born in Indiana. Trump received harsh backlash for this attack in 2016, but he did not
learn this crucial lesson. Last week, Trump attacked the federal courts and judges who lawfully did their duty and voiced dissent to the president’s immigration and refugee ban. The president demeaned these judges by stating that even a “high school student” could understand the importance of his ban, according to a Feb. 8 Los Angeles Times article. This is especially dangerous as the president has also implied that any threats to national security are the sole responsibility of these judges and not himself, regardless of whether his ban would have prevented these attacks. The most important criticism of Trump’s comments came from his Supreme Court Nominee, Neil Gorsuch, who called the censures “demoralizing” and “disheartening,” according to a Feb. 8 article in The Hill. For decades, presidents have seen their policy ambitions overruled by the courts and the checks and balances enshrined in the Constitution. Trump breaks precedent in publicly attacking judges for doing their constitutional duty. This is dangerous; we must protect the courts from such control, as they safeguard constituents from abuses of power. While we are living in bitter partisan times, there are several issues we can use to unite both parties to protect the constituents of the United States.
Recognize importance of regulations in environmental protection By Maddox kay JUSTICE staff WRITER
As the court battle over President Trump’s travel ban raged last week, Congress quietly began rolling back environmental regulations. These regulations, which intend to limit environmental damage from the production of coal and natural gas, were listed on a document called “A Roadmap to Repeal” by a Koch Brothers-backed group. One measure intended to stop methane venting on federal land has already been reversed, according to a Feb. 4 New York Times article. According to Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, “What used to be a wish list of the oil and coal and gas industry has become the to-do list for Congress and the White House,” yet nobody is talking about it. While deregulation and the corporate takeover of Washington do not grab headlines like an immigration ban rightfully does, they nonetheless threaten the welfare of our country and cannot be ignored. Since Trump took office, the Republicancontrolled Congress has successfully used the Congressional Review Act, a law that allows regulations to be overturned within 60 days by a simple majority. President Obama vetoed similar attempts by Congress in the past, according to the same Feb. 4 New York Times article. Further encouraging deregulation, Trump signed an executive order stating that two old regulations must be eliminated for each new one introduced. Trump is expected to target the Waters of the United States Rule and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan, according to a Jan. 30
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article in the Atlantic. The Waters of the United States Rule aimed to decrease water pollution by clarifying which waterways fall under federal jurisdiction, according the a May 27, 2015 Politico article, and the Clean Power Plan created comprehensive carbon emissions standards for American power plants, according to the EPA. Fossil fuel-based energy companies oppose these regulations because they make the approval of projects like the Dakota Access Pipeline more difficult and cut into profits. With Congress and the president working in lockstep, the stage is set for more deregulation than we have seen since the Reagan administration.
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It is impossible to pay attention to everything, but we cannot ignore the water we drink and the air we breathe. Speaking in Louisiana in December, Trump pledged to end “job-killing restrictions” in the energy sector, begging the question: Do regulations kill jobs? According to a Dec. 8, 2016 New York Times article, America’s shift away from coal is spurred not by excessive regulation but rather by economics. “On its own, the U.S. economy has become less
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.
carbon intensive,” said Robert Stavins, director of the Harvard environmental economics program, according to the same Dec. 8, 2016 New York Times article. In a Jan. 19 article, the Atlantic evaluated American environmental regulations created between 1990 and 2010. The article concluded that while regulations could combine with economic momentum to shift jobs from one sector to another, job loss and creation are natural functions of a market economy and are “not the fault of regulations but rather a result of business conditions.” According to an April 1, 2015 Washington Post article, in the past five years, the coal industry had lost 50,000 jobs, but the natural gas industry, as well as the wind and solar industries, added 94,000 and 79,000 jobs, respectively. While one industry declined due to market pressures, others flourished, and there was a net gain in jobs. This data supports the assertion that the renewable energy industry is picking up the mantle from the fossil fuel industry. According to a Jan. 25 Forbes article, the solar power industry has grown 5,000 percent in the past decade and currently employs just under 374,000 Americans. By contrast, coal mining currently employs 69,400 Americans, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and power generation from coal, oil, and gas combined employs 187,000, according to the same Jan. 25 Forbes article. Granted, some growth in solar can be attributed to construction and installation, jobs that are not as prevalent in the fossil fuel sector. However, as the market continues to push toward renewable energy, these jobs will be needed to create infrastructure. In Louisiana,
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Trump complained that “we haven’t had refineries built in decades,” and asserted that “we’re going to have refineries built again,” according to a Dec. 9, 2016 New York Times article. However, favoring an industry with an uncertain future is not a sound plan, and pushing fossil fuels in the face of environmental danger prioritizes the immediate benefit of corporations over the long-term good of Americans. In late January, Trump issued an executive order which forced the EPA to freeze external communications. Mentions of climate change were wiped from the White House website, according to a Jan. 25 New York Times article. Since then, unofficial, underground Twitter accounts claiming to represent employees of the National Park Service and EPA have appeared in an effort to keep the public informed. However, these accounts lack the credibility and authority of the government, and the White House policy has been to silence and ignore. Environmental regulations are not threatening our economy. They are encouraging it to grow in a sustainable direction and expediting market trends already in motion. By steamrolling years of these regulations, the Trump administration is doing a disservice to the future of every American in return for the gratitude of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and other fossil fuel executives. The new administration is blinding us with executive orders and new policies, alongside gossip pieces such as Nordstrom dropping Ivanka’s fashion line. It is impossible to pay attention to everything, but we cannot ignore the water we drink and the air we breathe.
Editorial Assistants
Arts: Kent Dinlenc, Brooke Granovsky, Jaime Gropper,
News: Michelle Dang
Elana Israel, Isabelle Truong
Forum: Nia Lyn
Photography: Aaron Birnbaum, Ydalia Colon,
Sports: Ben Katcher
Talya Guenzburger, Amanda Nguyen, Adam Pann, Heather Schiller*, Yvette Sei, Anna Sherman, Joyce Yu
Staff
Copy: Emily Blumenthal, Erica Breyman, Sara Fulton,
News: Tzlil Levy, Peri Meyers*, Spencer Taft,
Nicole Kim, Monica Krishna, Angela Li, Siobhan McKenna,
Arianna Unger*
Rachel Moore, Emily See, Billy Wilson*
Features: Daisy Chen
Layout: Morgan Mayback, Jenna Nimaroff
Forum: Aaron Dvorkin, Ben Feshbach, Mark Gimelstein,
Illustrations: Ben Jarrett, Roman Loper, Aaron Marks,
Andrew Jacobson, Maddox Kay, Nicole Mazurova,
Julianna Scionti
Elias Rosenfeld, Kat Semerau, Ravi Simon Sports: Lev Brown, Gabriel Goldstein, Evan Robins
* denotes a senior staff member.
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THE JUSTICE ● fORUM ● TUESDAY, february 14, 2017
TUESDAY, february 14, 2017 ● forum ● THE JUSTICE
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FORUM
Assess impact of Iran-Syria alliance on US-Russia relations By ivan zembrusky JUSTICE contributing writer
Out of all the foreign actors involved in the Syrian civil war, Iran has the most at stake in assuring President Bashar alAssad’s regime is not toppled by hostile rebel groups; consequently, it has remained the Syrian government's closest ally throughout the conflict. The reasons for this are manifold; Assad represents a minority Alawite Shia religious sect in a country that is predominantly Sunni, according to the Department of State, and though Syria is ostensibly a secular government, Iran has interest in preserving Shia dominance in the region. Syria is often considered Iran’s greatest ally, and Assad’s regime has shown its willingness to support Iran in numerous ways throughout history. The countries have been close allies since the overthrow of the Shah and formation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979 due to the “alignment of strategic interests as well as ideological beliefs between the two countries,” according to a 2010 article in the Stanford Journal of International Relations. A focal point of their shared interests is the role of the U.S. and Israel in the Middle East. Additionally, Iran and Syria are allies of Hezbollah, as Hezbollah shares a similar ideology regarding the Western world, according to the Institute for the Study of War. Hezbollah is a well-established Shia Islamic militant group situated in Lebanon that rose to power in the 1980s in response to Israeli transgressions in Lebanon. Since its conception, it has received substantial support from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which operates as a proxy for the Iranian government, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. The alliance led to the formation of the Axis of Resistance; consequently, the U.S. Department of State labeled Syria and Iran state sponsors of terrorism in 1979 and 1984, respectively. The defense of Syria, due to its strategic location in the Middle East and close relationship with both Iran and Hezbollah, is considered paramount to the success of the Axis of Resistance against Western intervention. On Sept. 6, 2012, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili, proposed that the Syrian conflict was a “conflict between the axis of resistance and its enemies in the region and the world. Iran will not tolerate, in any form, the breaking of the axis of resistance,” according to an August 2013 report from the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars. Thus, it is no wonder that Iran has remained so committed to the Assad regime, providing critical support throughout the duration of
the conflict. Through his retention of power, Assad and his allies can consider the conflict a victory for the Axis of Resistance against Western intervention. In response, the Trump administration has taken an aggressive stance regarding Iran, but by doing so, the U.S. risks further worsening relations and pushing Iran to align itself more closely with Russia. The relationship between these countries has reached a high point during the conflict, according to a Sept. 13, 2016 European Council on Foreign Relations article. These relations culminated in the trilateral peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan late last month wherein the Russian, Turkish and Iranian governments facilitated and discussed the implementation of a cease-fire, concluding that peace could only be achieved following the defeat of rebels deemed hostile, according to a Feb. 6 Al Jazeera article. While peace remains a distant goal, these talks improved the political and military cohesion among the three powers, which are united in their opposition of groups like the Islamic State. Since long before the conflict began, Iran has had members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operating in Syria, providing advising and training services to the Syrian military, according to the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies. By 2016, the number of Iranian troops in Syria was estimated to be nearly 10,000. In addition, Iran has sponsored both the Syrian forces and sympathetic Shia rebel groups, providing weaponry and other funding. Iranian ground forces were observed functioning in a military capacity, according to an Oct. 6, 2016 New York Times article. These contributions serve as evidence of Iranian commitment to the Assad regime which far surpasses that of other allies. While the region seems to be moving in the direction of stability, President Donald Trump’s antagonism toward Iran could serve to threaten the potential peace. On the campaign trail, Trump continuously reiterated his staunch opposition to Iran and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly referred to as the Iranian Nuclear Deal. Many high-ranking White House officials, such as Security Advisor Michael Flynn and Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, are outspoken opponents of Iran: Flynn claimed in a Feb. 3 press statement that “Iran … engages in and supports violent activities that destabilize the Middle East.” After Iran tested a ballistic missile last week, Trump imposed economic sanctions on 25 individuals and firms deemed to have connections to Iranian military activity in the Middle East, according to the U.S. Department of Treasury. In addition, while the Trump
AARON MARKS/the Justice
administration claims these tests violated United Nations resolutions, in reality, the tests violate neither JCPOA resolutions nor U.N. strictures regarding the Iranian missile program, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Compounding these increased tensions is Trump’s immigration executive order, which would prevent immigrants and refugees from seven majority-Muslim countries, including Iran, from entering the United States. In response, Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a speech in which he thanked Trump for “revealing the true nature of America.” Trump’s antics have the potential to backfire, as it is an election year in Iran, and while polling suggests the likely victory of incumbent Hassan Rouhani, Trump’s aggressive rhetoric risks fostering anti-U.S. sentiments that could influence Iranian policy henceforth. In response to threats made by Trump, Iranian foreign affairs advisor Ali Akbar Velayati told Al Jazeera on Feb. 9 that, in the event of U.S. military intervention in Iran, “Iran and its allies in the region would retaliate very hard. That will make America face dark days to come.” Due to the aggressive rhetoric pursued by the Trump administration, U.S.-Iranian
relations have reached new lows after an apparent thaw following the JCPOA, and it is increasingly unclear what the future has in store for the region. Trump has repeatedly extolled the dangers of “radical Islamic terrorism,” vowing in his inauguration speech to “eradicate [it] from the face of the Earth.” Trump sees the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations as existential threats to the U.S. and would like to enlist Putin as an ally against these dangers. While Trump may see in Putin an ally against ISIS, his hawkish views on Iran have the potential to worsen conflict in the region. It is unclear to what extent Russia is committed to Iran and whether lifting the economic sanctions that the U.S. has placed on Russia could persuade them to abandon its ally. Russia received economic sanctions due to the violation of Ukrainian sovereignty; Russia still maintains its righteousness in the affair. If Russia is not willing to cooperate with the U.S. and its Western allies, the easing of sanctions seems premature. Due to conflicting interests, Russia is not a compatible ally for the U.S., and although Trump may dream of driving a wedge between Iran and Russia, his antagonistic behavior may serve to do just the opposite.
Evaluate potential plans to improve Brandeis social environment By ben margolin JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On Jan. 25, Mark Neustadt’s report to the Brandeis community on perceptions of the University showcased that Brandeis is underperforming in the social scene — something that is not news to many. As such, I would like to offer the administration the following structural reforms in an attempt to make Brandeis a more socially active place. At Neustadt’s last presentation, the administration incorrectly blamed the lack of weekend nightlife on the large number of clubs Brandeis has, but clubs are nothing more than a scapegoat for certain structural failures. First, to increase the on-campus social scene, I propose that the University consider getting a liquor license for Cholmondeley’s Coffee House. Neustadt referenced several universities, such as the University of Chicago, which have a strong on-campus social scene, despite a lack of surrounding social outlets near campus. This is frequently done with on-campus bars and parties. As such, turning Chum’s into one such place has the potential to increase the on-campus social scene. Student workers at Chum’s would be in charge of selling and monitoring the sale of alcohol to students 21 and older while creating an environment where safe drinking is acceptable on campus. This way, students can have a good time on a weekend while remaining close to their dorm room in a safe environment. It is worth noting that while Chum’s has historically been located in a dry quad, the administration could easily change this policy for the new dorm by either allowing Chum’s to have alcohol as an exception or making the entire new quad a wet quad. Second, in the same vein, the University ought to take concrete steps vis-à-vis the Mods. As the central on-campus party scene for the University, strengthening the Mods can
have direct impact on the social perception at Brandeis. First, the University should consider making quiet hours one hour later on the weekends, even if only for wet quads. The expectation will be that if a student chooses to live in the Mods, they are accepting all of the positive and negative implications of that decision — including the noise. If a student has a housing number good enough for a suite in the Mods but does not want the noise that comes with it, then they ought to move to Grad or another quad, instead of imposing their self-interested want for quiet on the whole community. Second, President Ronald Liebowitz should give a directive to Brandeis police to be more cautious before breaking up a party or gathering on weekends.
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The above proposals ... all serve as beginning steps needed to reform the social culture at Brandeis. It goes without saying that if there is a legitimate safety issue, public safety has the right to be involved. However, if a party is registered with the University, the police should not shut down a loud party on a Saturday night just because there are a lot of people present. Shutting down the party leaves students both frustrated and bored on the weekend — which impacts that aforementioned “social perception” figure. A presidential directive to allow parties to happen without over-reaching BranPo involvement ironically has the potential to increase student safety along with social
perceptions of Brandeis. Instead of going off campus to the fraternities, away from one’s dorm and BEMCo jurisdiction, students could participate in more social activities on campus. Therefore, instructing BranPo to not shut down registered parties unnecessarily — barring emergency circumstances — would be a positive step in this direction. This would resolve in students partying in a safer way, while fostering a stronger connection to the campus itself. Third — and I recognize that this needs to be a larger discussion — it is time that the University finally change its sports mascot. I can accept the fact that we will never be like the University of Michigan, with a stadium full of students for every home game cheering on our sports teams. That said, both our mascot and new fight song are an embarrassment. I challenge you to say out-loud “Get those gavels goin’!” without laughing — I’m a senior and I still can’t. Reforms to our sports culture — or lack thereof — would inevitably be a slow process, but the process should be started. Changing our mascot to something a bit more normal — even just Ollie the Owl — is the first step. With that, a chant can be created that isn’t quite so ridiculous as “Get those gavels goin’.” The recent effort to incentivize students to go to sports games by offering free food and sending out emails is certainly a positive first step, but more can be done. Finally, we come to the elephant in the room: fraternities and sororities. It is without a doubt that the administration needs to progress toward eventual recognition of Greek life on campus, whether or not the fraternities want it. Fraternity concern regarding BranPo is a valid one; off campus, Greek life is free from University oversight and can more easily throw the parties they want without bureaucratic hoops to jump through, and with less worry that their party will be shut down. However, if the Mods reforms are put into place, and BranPo is
willing to allow parties to happen, then this concern goes away. While I myself am not in a fraternity, I recognize that, on campuses across the country, Greek life helps foster a sense of community, encourages giving to charity and brings a more formalized social structure to campus. I know that this last point is easier said than done, but it is something that must be worked toward. If the University is able to have a capella groups and improv groups that are selective, there is no reason fraternities cannot be, as well. That said, the University need not grant fraternities their own houses on campus; Northeastern set this precedent long ago. I do not even contend that the University needs to allow them to receive chartering-status or funding from the Allocations Board. If the University decides to recognize even one fraternity, the rest have no choice but to follow suit. If no fraternity is recognized by the University, all Greek chapters are allowed to exist “unofficially” in the eyes of the University but can receive recognition from their national organization. However, if some Greek organizations are Universityrecognized, then other unofficial fraternities cannot exist. All in all, the University should let Greek life host parties, events and recruiting events on campus — same as any other recognized club. The above proposals are far from being an exhaustive list, but all serve as beginning steps needed to reform the social culture at Brandeis. None of the above come at a high monetary cost for the University but are instead merely structural or policy reforms that could be changed without great investment. All of the above notwithstanding, I am firmly grateful to Brandeis for what have been the best four years of my life. While I may critique this place, it is completely out of love. I only want it to be the best university it can be, but this place is nothing short of a great place to spend your four years.
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MBBALL: Judges hope to get back on track with win CONTINUED FROM 12 en route to 17 points on the day, as Carnegie Mellon could not find a way to stifle his hot hand. Vilmont once again proved that he can do it all for the Judges. The senior shot three-of-five from behind the arc and knocked down nine free throws to lead the game with 24 points. The guard also led his team with seven rebounds and four assists. He even grabbed a steal on the defensive end as he carried the team on his back. He has been a true spark plug for the squad all season with his hard work. The Judges have had extremely
DASHING FOR ’DEIS
impressive play from all members of their squad lately but will need to come together as a unit to ascend the conference ranks. Brandeis has a terrific leadership core but will need more contributions off the bench to keep up with their strong conference opponents. With only three games left in the season, the Judges will have to play at their highest level to attain double-digits in the overall win column for the year. Brandeis will look to get out of its slump and pick up its eighth win of the season — and fourth in the conference — at home against the University of Chicago on Friday.
SWIM: Both squads look to TRACK: Teams showing continue recent immense depth in rosters stretch of success
NATALIA WIATER/Justice File Photo
SPEED DEMON: Lydia Harris ’20 flies down the track with a determined look during the Reggie Poyau Invitational on Jan. 14.
CONTINUED FROM 12
CONTINUED FROM 12 yard butterfly, which marked a 1.3 percent improvement on his previous best time for the event, per CollegeSwimming.com. Zitelny continued his strong swimming this season, and as a first-year, he will be an athlete to watch over the course of his already promising Brandeis career. In a conference dominated by the Emory University swim teams, which won the conference championship title for the
19th consecutive year, this has historically been a difficult meet for Brandeis. Both the men’s and women’s teams are currently in runs of 8th place conference finishes, and they were unable to break those streaks this season. With only the New England Swimming and Diving Association Championship remaining this season, the team will look to build on the strength of their recent performances, from rookies and veterans alike, as they make their way to Rhode Island next weekend.
place overall for the event which included more than 200 competitors. Furthermore, fellow senior sprinter Jeremy Wilson ’17 came in first in his section of the event with a time of 51.80 seconds. In the 200-meter dash, Gourde once again dazzled as he blew by his competitors and came in first in his section with a time of 21.95 seconds. The time put him at 15th place overall in yet another event of more than 200 competitors. Gourde has proven himself as a true leader on this squad, and the Judges have been able to depend on him to excel in
any setting against any competition. Furthermore, Charie displayed his remarkable versatility, as well, with a second-place finish in his section of the event with a time of 22.50 seconds. Maddox also dominated his opposition with a first-place section finish in 23.36 seconds. This was an incredibly competitive meet filled with a massive number some of the best athletes in the region. While both the men’s and women’s squads struggled to appear in the top overall places for this meet’s events, they had numerous standout performances that displayed their growing potential and talent. Seniors like Gourde have
shown again and again that they are dependable leaders who will earn the crowd’s attention at any meet. First-years like Kurland-Davis are already dominating out on the track with so much left to learn and grow from. From the youngest to the oldest members, both squads boast an enormous amount of ability and have a lot to look forward to in the coming years as they only continue to grow and develop. Both of the Judges’ teams will look to show what they are truly made of against top competition from all around the northeast region at the Division III New England Championship this Saturday.
BASKETBALL SWIMMING TRACK FENCING
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BASKETBALL SWIMMING TRACK FENCING
THE JUSTICE
● Sports ●
Tuesday, FEBRUARY 14, 2017
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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
jUDGES BY THE NUMBERS Men’s BASKETBALL TEAM STATS
UAA STANDINGS
Points Per Game
UAA Conference W L WashU 10 1 Rochester 9 2 Carnegie 7 4 Emory 6 5 Chicago 5 6 JUDGES 3 8 Case 2 9 NYU 2 9
W 18 20 13 15 13 7 7 7
Overall L Pct. 4 .818 2 .909 9 .591 7 .682 9 .591 14 .333 15 .318 15 .318
UPCOMING GAMES: Friday vs. University of Chicago Sunday vs. Washington University Feb. 25 at New York University
Jordan Cooper ’18 leads the squad with 15.3 points per game. Player PPG Jordan Cooper 15.3 Tim Reale 10.9 Robinson Vilmont 10.5 Nate Meehan 8.0
Rebounds Per Game Robinson Vilmont ’17 leads the team with 6.0 rebounds per game. Player RPG Robinson Vilmont 6.0 Jordan Cooper 5.4 Tim Reale 4.0 Latye Workman 3.3
WOMen’s basketball UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS Points Per Game
UAA Conference W L W WashU 9 2 20 Chicago 9 2 16 Rochester 6 5 15 Carnegie 5 6 16 Case 5 6 13 Emory 4 7 13 NYU 3 8 13 JUDGES 3 8 11
Overall L Pct. 2 .909 6 .727 7 .682 6 .727 9 .590 9 .590 9 .590 11 .500
UPCOMING GAMES: Friday vs. University of Chicago Sunday vs. Washington University Feb. 25 at New York University
Maria Jackson ’17 leads the team with 13.6 points per game. Player PPG Maria Jackson 13.6 Paris Hodges 11.0 Sydney Sodine 8.1 Frankie Pinto 7.5
Rebounds Per Game Maria Jackson ’17 leads with 7.9 rebounds per game. Player RPG Maria Jackson 7.9 Paris Hodges 6.4 Sydney Sodine 5.7 Hannah Nicholson 4.2
SWIMMING AND DIVING Results from the UAA Championships on Feb. 8.
TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)
TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)
100-yard butterfly
SWIMMER Tamir Zitelny Matt Arcemont Eb Weber
TIME 51.00 53.34 53.46
100-yard breaststroke
SWIMMER TIME Natalya Wozab 1:10.43 Hwanhee Park 1:13.21 Sabrina Greer 1:15.09
JOYCE YU/Justice File Photo
MID-RANGE MENACE: Forward Maria Jackson ’17 rises up for the jumper in a game against Emmanuel College on Nov. 22.
Women drop both games over weekend ■ Forward Maria Jackson ’17 led the Judges with 17 points against Case Western Reserve University on Sunday. By JERRY MILLER JUSTICE EDITOR
The women’s basketball squad had a tough weekend, dropping both of its two games and extending their losing streak to three games in a row. The women fell 74-56 against Carnegie Mellon University on Friday and 71-68 versus Case Western Reserve University on Sunday.
UPCOMING MEETS: Friday at NEISDA Championship Saturday at NEISDA Championship Sunday at NEISDA Championship
TRACK AND FIELD Results from the Valentine’s Invitational on Feb. 10.
TOP FINISHERS (Men’s) 60 meter dash RUNNER TIME Regan Charie 7.25 Lorenzo Maddox 7.38
TOP FINISHERS (Women’s) 400 meter dash RUNNER TIME Maya Sands-Bliss 1:02.94 Lydia Harris 1:03.52
UPCOMING MEETS: Saturday at Division III New England Championship Sunday at USAT&F Championships at Harvard University
Judges 68, Case 71 The Judges fought well against their conference foes but were unable to come away with a win. The team kept the score near even through the first half, going down 30-29 at the half. With a total of 39 points in the second half, the Judges teetered on the edge of victory after a nail-biting fourth quarter. Case was able to stave off the the Judges, winning by three points in regulation. The Judges were neck-and-neck with Case going into the fourth, with their largest deficit of the quarter at seven points. After Case split a pair of free
throws, forward Maria Jackson ’17 swooped in for a clean layup to cut the Case lead to one. With 12 seconds on the clock, guard Frankie Pinto ’17 swiped Case for a desperation foul and a chance for two. Case hit both to widen their lead to three with 12 seconds to go after a Judges timeout. With time winding down, guard Paris Hodges ’17 heaved a 3-point from downtown but missed the potential game-winning shot, giving Case the victory. Jackson, once again, led the squad with 17 points and five rebounds, delivering a powerful performance in yet another loss. Hodges also contributed with a double-double of her own, posting 11 points and a matching 11 rebounds in the game. The two combined for 12-of27 shooting, nearly matching the Judges’ overall shooting percentage. The squad’s offensives struggles were wiped away this game, shooting for over 40 percent from the field, though only 23.1 percent from beyond the arc. Four of the five starters for the Judges had double-digits in the points column, with forward Sydney Sodine ’17 and guard Noel Hodges ’18 pouring in 12 and 10, respectively. The team crashed the boards 48 times to own the paint, out rebounding Case by 12 down low. The Judges fell to .500 on the
season with an 11-11 record and a 3-8 University Athletic Association conference record. Judges 56, Carnegie 74 The Judges came into the game with solid momentum, defeating the University of Rochester in their previous matchup and snapping a four-game losing skid. However, the momentum did not hold with the Judges surrendering 74 points off 50 percent shooting. The squad was outscored in the first three quarters by six, seven and seven points, respectively, only to make a small comeback in the final quarter that was not enough. Jackson came into the game fresh off a UAA Athlete of the Week award. During the stretch, she powered the team to a 1-1 record, posting a doubledouble in each of the two matchups. Jackson continued her dominance, leading the squad with 19 points and six rebounds. Her 8-of-13 shooting, however, was not enough to bolster the Judges’ meager 30.3 percent shooting from the floor. Statistically speaking, the Judges outmatched Rochester in nearly every category but shooting. With the loss, the Judges fell to 1110 overall and 3-7 in UAA play and will now look to get out of this slump.
PRO SPORTS BRIEF Kevin Durant’s highly contested return to Oklahoma City lives up to the immense hype in win The storyline that captured the National Basketball Association’s attention the entire offseason has continued into the halfway point of the season: the surprising departure of Kevin Durant from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Golden State Warriors. The saga continued Saturday night as Durant made his much-anticipated return to Oklahoma City, as the Warriors battled the Thunder. The much-hyped matchup did not disappoint, as Durant put up big numbers against his former teammate, and now rival, Russell Westbrook. The last nine years of the Durant-Westbrook chronicle have been entertaining and constant. As teammates for the first eight of those, the young duo took over the league together. For much
of that run, the two were undisputed top-10 players in the league as they decimated opponents with their unprecedented 1-2 scoring punch. The Thunder became a powerhouse in the NBA, going to four Western Conference Finals, as well as making one NBA finals appearance. However, the team was never able to make it over the hump and bring home a title to the fans in Oklahoma City. Last year, the Thunder fell just short, as they led the Warriors in the conference finals 3-2. In Game 6 of the series, they seemed to be on their way to facing off with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, until Warriors’ guard Klay Thompson went off for a truly astounding NBA playoff record 11 3-pointers. Many believe that if the Thunder
had won that contest, Durant would never have left the franchise, and the entire trajectory of the NBA would have changed. Instead, the Warriors went on to the Finals, where they fell to the Cavaliers in one of the all-time greatest series. The Warriors’ defeat prompted the team to look for ways to improve the roster, ultimately leading them to Durant. Durant’s departure from the only franchise he had ever been a part of tore the Oklahoma City community apart, as fans felt betrayed and distraught. Many had been speculating that the fans would not be receptive to his return, and this belief was confirmed. Durant was booed at every turn, every time his name was introduced, every time he even touched the ball and every time he guarded Westbrook.
It is not often that a forward, Durant, and a guard, Westbrook, are able to go one-on-one, but this matchup was featured many times during the game. Warriors coach Steve Kerr even prompted Durant to guard his old teammate for eight possessions in the third quarter. The two had not spoken to one another since Durant announced his decision in early July; Durant, in fact, did not ever directly tell Westbrook about his decision. However, the two finally had a conversation of sorts. As the two were going at it, Durant walked back to the bench and finished off the exchange by saying “you’re losing.” Westbrook was not the only one upset with Durant — other players came off the Thunder bench to exchange words, including Enes
Kanter, who seemed visibly upset. Andre Roberson also had a skirmish with Durant when he committed a hard foul on Durant during a layup attempt. Durant, unhappy with the aggressive foul, started walking towards Roberson as the two began arguing. The disagreement led to the two literally butting heads. Durant, however, came out on top as his game-high 34 points led the Warriors to a 130-114 victory. The Warriors and Thunder have one more exhilirating contest against one another this season, as the Thunder faithful will have one more opportunity to rain down a booming chorus of boos upon their former star player. —Noah Hessdorf
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BRANDEIS BALLERS The women’s basketball team struggled this past weekend as they dropped both of their games against conference opponents, p. 11.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
TRACK AND FIELD
RISING UP
Squads impress in elite competition ■ Irie Gourde ’17 recorded
a stellar 15th-place finish in the 200-meter dash at the Valentine’s Invitational. By Ben katcher JUSTICE editorial assistant
The Brandeis men’s and women’s track and field teams spent their weekend at Boston University as they competed in the Valentine’s Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The majority of the women’s events were scheduled for Friday, while nearly all of the men’s events came on Saturday. This meet was very intense, including an enormous number of competing athletes, yet the Judges were still able to make their presence known. For the women, sprinter Kayla Kurland-Davis ’20 impressed spectators in the 60-meter dash by topping out in her section with a time of 8.41 seconds. In the 400-meter dash, sprinters Maya Sands-Bliss ’19 and Lydia Harris ’20 stood out with second- and third-place finishes in their sections, sporting times of 1:02.94 and 1:03.52, respectively. The Judges showed what they were made
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of in the 200-meter dash as well. Kurland-Davis and Jessie Moore ’18 each came in second in their sections with times of 27.38 seconds and 27.05 seconds, respectively, while sprinter Kanya Brown ’19 notched a thirdplace finish in her section with a time of 27.09 seconds. For distance, Kyra Sheeve ’18 picked up an impressive third-place finish in her section with a time of 5:16.85. While the women faced fierce competition at this meet from a number of powerhouse colleges, including multiple Division I programs, they still left their mark with some outstanding performances coming from all areas of the team. For the men, sprinter Regan Charie ’19 flew through the 60-meter dash with a second-place time of 7.25 seconds, finishing just a few milliseconds behind the first-place finisher. Lorenzo Maddox ’20 also stood out with a fifth-place finish in his section with a time of 7.38 seconds. The men also shined in the 400-meter dash thanks to sprinter Irie Gourde ’17. The senior came in third place in his highly seeded section with a time of 48.68 seconds. The performance put him in 22nd
See TRACK, 10 ☛
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Swimmers establish brand new records ■ Both swimming teams
were able to set new relay records at the UAA Championships in Chicago. By EVAN ROBINS JUSTICE staff writer
The Brandeis swimming and diving teams were in action this week, competing in the University Athletic Association Championships at the University of Chicago. While both the men’s and women’s teams finished eighth in the conference, there were a number of impressive performances on each squad leading to new school records for the Judges. The women’s team started the first day of competition by establishing a new University record in the 200-yard freestyle relay. With a time of 1:40.33 in the preliminaries, the group of Amy Sheinhait ’18, Natalya Wozab ’20, Abby Damsky ’18 and Yvette Smith ’20 took 22 seconds off the former record, which had been set at the prior UAA Championships. Sheinhait’s 50-yard time of 24.90 seconds broke the longstanding record of 24.93 seconds held since 1990 by Brandeis swimming Hall of Famer Wendy Lowengrub ’90. The Judges began the second day of competition with another relay school record, this time in the 200-yard medley relay. Again in the preliminary round, the team of Sheinhait, Wozab, Smith, and Hwanee Park ’20 put in a time of 1:52.00, taking off a quarter of a second from the previous record set in 2009. For the Brandeis women’s team, Kylie Herman ’19 had a standout run at the conference event. Herman was one of Brandeis’
most consistent swimmers, reaching the finals in an event in three consecutive days. On the Championship’s first day, she finished 19th in the women’s 500yard freestyle with a personal-best time of 5:09.37. This came after she had set a then-personal-best time of 5:11.65 in the preliminary rounds to qualify for the finals. Later in the meet, she notched a 23rd-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle and a 15th-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly. This has been a very impressive season for the sophomore, as she has often finished in first or second in her events during team competition while consistently placing in invitational meets. A number of Brandeis records were also set on the men’s team this week. Matching the achievement of the women’s team on the first day, the men similarly set a University relay record. In the 400-yard medley relay, the team of Tamir Zitelny ’20, Richard Avrutsky ’18, Edan Zitelny ’17 and Cameron Braz ’17 clocked in with a time of 3:28.86, finishing in sixth place and taking almost three seconds off the previous record set in 2010. Tamir Zitelny set two individual records, first with a time of 23.97 seconds in his leg of the men’s 200-yard medley relay on day two. The next day, Zitelny’s 1:51.88 in the finals of the 200-yard backstroke took 0.29 seconds off the former record, leading to an 11th-place finish. These two records for Zitelny highlighted a number of big performances in Chicago. Zitelny’s 10th-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 50.88 seconds was the team’s highestplacing finish of the meet and matched his own school-record time set in December. He also finished 16th overall in the 100-
See SWIM, 10 ☛
MIHIR KHANNA/Justice File Photo
FLYING HIGH: Guard Tim Reale ’17 leaps and extends for the fastbreak dunk against the University of Rochester on Feb. 5.
Men enter tough losing streak over weekend ■ Guard Robinson Vilmont
’17 stood out with a gamehigh 24 points against Carnegie Mellon University. By BEN KATCHER JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
The men’s basketball team was unable to stave off another losing streak after dropping their second and third consecutive games. In their two matchups this week, Brandeis came out strong but could not pick up the victory over Carnegie Mellon University and was blown out by Case Western Reserve University. The squad’s overall record fell to 7-14, as these losses were their seventh and eighth in 11 conference games on the season. While the Judges left it all out on the court, the powerhouse Carnegie Mellon team moved up to third in the conference standings, and Case Western managed to pick up just their second conference win of the season. Judges 66, Case 88 Brandeis suffered a tough defeat
at the hands of Case on Sunday by a score of 88-66. While the upset was not set in stone after a first half score of 37-30, Case pulled away in the second half with 51 points to Brandeis’ 36. Case scored a ridiculous 63 points off their bench, compared to the Judges’ six bench points, and played at a level that the Judges could not keep up with. Guards Nate Meehan ’18 and Robinson Vilmont ’17 led the way for the Judges and impressed on the court despite the loss. The hard-working Vilmont notched a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. He also added four assists and led the game with three steals. Meehan picked up 13 points, three rebounds and an assist. He also made his presence known on defense with a pair of steals. Judges 78, Carnegie 64 Brandeis fell to Carnegie Mellon on Friday in a hard-fought battle 78-64. Carnegie Mellon outscored Brandeis by eight and six points in each half, respectively, showing that the Judges could keep the game close and competitive throughout. The squad was down by 24 at one point before bringing the deficit to
14. However, they were unable to fully rise up over their opponents as they came away with the defeat. The game came down to execution off turnovers and play down low. The Judges were outrebounded 42-31. The team had five fewer offensive rebounds, leading to a significant deficit in points scored in the paint and second-chance points. Carnegie Mellon outscored Brandeis down low 26-12 and had eight more second chance points. Carnegie Mellon was able to make the most of the Judges’ mistakes, despite the Judges only committing two more turnovers than their opponents. They had 23 points scored off the 16 turnovers, compared to Brandeis’ 12 points scored off 14 turnovers. While the Judges played well overall, they will have to work on correcting their mistakes while looking to capitalize on those of their opponents. While the squad was unable to come away with the victory, Meehan and Vilmont once again had stellar performances for the talented Judges. Meehan shot an astounding five-of-eight from three,
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LUNAR NEW YEAR
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CULTURE
DANCE TROUPE: A dance group performs at the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration that took place last Friday evening. Photos by Adam Pann/the Justice
BC3 highlights Chinese culture in Lunar New Year celebration By ISABELLE TRUONG justice Staff writer
At each seat at each of the round tables inside Levin Ballroom was a little red envelope filled with goodies like chocolate coins and candy, typical of Lunar New Year tradition. The Brandeis Chinese Cultural Connection (BC3) club, host of the 2017 Chinese Lantern Festival, also provided refreshments for each table and a complimentary dinner at the end of the event with delicious plates of rice, sauteed string beans, Kung Pao chicken and more Chinese dishes. The packed ballroom consisted mostly of the international student population. The evening started with three videos played on a projector, the most enjoyable one being compiled snippets of Brandeis professors wishing everyone a happy year in Mandarin. The audience applauded vigorously for Prof. Coiner and the Economics department. One video clip humorously showed the excitement in Chinese New Year festivities with dramatic clips from action movies; the last one seemed to be an informational video spoken entirely in Chinese. The festival, which ran from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., featured multiple types of acts — the event had four MCs, who all spoke mostly Chinese, introducing each act. The festivities opened with the Brandeis Traditional Music club performing “Hua Hao Yue Yuan,” a mandolincentered piece. The mini orchestra played the song against an ornate, handmade backdrop, which accompanied all of the acts for the rest of the night; the yellow tapestry featured red accents, including a drawing of the rooster — this year’s Lunar New Year animal — and also Chinese characters. Most of the acts were singing or dancing-based, and almost all the music danced to was in Chinese, in addition to the songs performed. Some of the pieces included “On the Horseback,” “Shouldn’t Be” and the only English song,
BABY BLUE BEAUTY: A fashion show depicting the evolution of Chinese fashion gave insight into Chinese culture and history.
Adele’s “Make You Feel My Love.” However, perhaps the most popular acts were the choreographed dances, judging by the crowd’s vocal reactions and applause. The first dancing group to perform was an allgirl troupe, all wearing very hip ensembles such as hoodies, denim jackets and baseball caps; they danced to Tinashe’s “2 On” under vibrant neon lights. The next choreographed set included Korean pop songs “Only You,” “Bad Girl Good Girl” and “Call me Baby,” featuring a bigger group with more dancers. BC3 also put together a fashion show called “Traveling Through History”; models included members and friends of the e-board. The show featured traditional Chinese outfits through the decades, including ones from ancient dynasties all the way to modern-day school uniforms. The hair, makeup and dresses were all extremely beautiful and elaborate. Also impressive was the Chinese kung fu performance by the Boston Kung Fu Alliance — three kung fu masters dressed in traditional Chinese kung fu apparel showed off their skills in an intricate routine filled with cartwheels, baton swinging and intense language. These tricks wowed the audience and definitely impressed many. Toward the end of the culture show, two comedians participated in what was called “Comic Dialogue” by Funyun Club, a Boston-based comedic duo, in which the two went back and forth humorously — the audience laughed hysterically, the subject matter unknown to me as all of it was spoken in Chinese. Although all dialogue was spoken in Chinese and made it slightly difficult for an audience member who could not speak Chinese to understand what was going on, BC3’s 2017 Lunar New Year was a success and showed all the time and hard work it takes to put together a large-scale culture show. From the food to the dancing, the event proved itself to be an enjoyable time, especially for Chinese students who could comprehend all that was spoken.
KUNG FU: A member of the Boston Kung Fu Alliance showcases various kung fu movements in uniform.
POP CULTURE
Our modern day Venus, Beyoncé
Courtesy of Creative Commons
By ANNA STERN justice Staff writer
When one thinks of the word “art,” one typically associates it with famous paintings and their creators, such as Van Gogh, Picasso, and Da Vinci. As time has gone by and artists have evolved, so too has the technology used to create spectacular works of art. In the early twentieth century, photography grew into an art form in its own right. No longer could art only be defined as a visual form using a type of drawing instrument or clay. Since photography has evolved in development from darkrooms to iPhones, it is no question that photography is now a popular and successful visual art form. A location where this is clearly evident is Instagram. Because of this newfound fascination with Instagram as a visual medium — and of course the world’s fascination with celebrities — it is no question that the most liked photo in Instagram history was the majestic art piece that was Beyoncé’s pregnancy announcement. With over 10,239,082 likes, the picture shows Beyoncé clasping her stomach, with the caption announcing that her family is adding two more members. The interesting aspect of this picture is the nod Beyoncé and her photographer Awol Erizku gave to Renaissance art, namely Sandro Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus.” “The Birth of Venus” features Venus in the center of the painting, modestly showing off her idyllic body standing in a conch shell. The landscape that surrounds her highlights not only the flora and water but the faces of her admirers. On her right, Zephyrus, the God of Winds, along with the breeze itself, Aura, blow the Goddess of Love to the shore. The key aspect of the painting is Venus’ hair. Her luscious locks highlight her face and body in an act of seduction as well as glamour. Beyoncé’s picture features her in the center of the photo, also surrounded by flora and fauna. Beyonce’s hair is similar to Venus, although covered by a modest veil, another Renaissance motif. The veil is used as a device to not only capture her beauty but also to add to the mystery of the woman that she is. The original purpose of veils worn by brides during weddings was to symbolize the virginity of the bride. Because the veil covers the bride’s face, the groom is the sole person who can see the true beauty and power of his beloved. Beyoncé also keeps a part of herself hidden from the general public. Though Venus shows more skin, Beyoncé shows enough to give off a sensual vibe. Her gaze also resembles Venus’ with a luscious “side-eye” of sorts. Similar to Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” Beyoncé’s eyes have the ability to sneak into the viewer’s soul. In viewing the other photos in Beyoncé’s pregnancy photoshoot, we see how Erizku references more works of art, including one where her hair is down covering her nude body as she is surrounded by plants. There is another picture that resembles Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam” in which Beyoncé undoubtedly plays the role of God and her daughter Blue Ivy portrays Adam. The mother and daughter gaze longingly at each other holding a flower. The third photo takes place on top of a car filled with flowers with a blue sky backdrop, a nod to more modern art. Beyoncé has changed the idea of what it means to be a musician and a woman in the twenty-first century. With these maternity shots, she now presents a new idea that combines the past and present of what it truly means to create a work of art.
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THE JUSTICE i arts i TUESDAY, January 31, 2017 THE JUSTICE i arts i TUESDAY, February 14, 2017
THEATER
Quintessentially Quirky ‘Quickies’
By Emily Rae foreman justice contributing writer
This Sunday night, students found shelter from the snowstorm by gathering in the Shapiro Campus Center theater to watch “Quickies,” a series of single-act ten-minute plays, a deeply beloved Brandeis tradition. At the start of the show, the theater was virtually full, aside from a few vacant seats speckled in between groups of friends in the audience. The performance was more informal and relaxed in nature than other plays, and the acts varied from silly to serious. The casual environment was aided by the element of audience participation introduced through one of the acts, “Gabe’s Games,” a spoof of a game show in which
participants were called upon to guess a number between one and one billion. Despite the lack of success on the participants’ part, there was no shortage of audience members willing to go onstage and take part in the games. The participants were richly rewarded with mini Snickers bars. Another crowd favorite comedy act was “Poison Dick,” in which a character finds himself in what one can only hope is a rather unrelatable situation of momentarily believing his penis is lethally poisonous. Fun and games aside, four of the acts stood out in their serious nature and heartbreaking content: “When It Rains,” “Wordless,” “You Can’t Blame the Giant” and “Voices.” The act “Wordless”
TALYA GUENZBURGER/the Justice
GABE’S GAMES: Zephry Wright ’17 acts as gameshow host in Gabe’s Games.
stood out as the only dystopian scene, revolving around the idea of a post-apocalyptic world in which the government, called the “Administration,” held the power to censor which words people were allowed to say and how often they could say them; the government banned certain words it deemed dangerous, such as “oppression,” “freedom” and “poem.” Not only was it well-performed but the concept was imaginative to the point that one can see it being turned into a successful novel franchise. “Wordless” was immediately followed by “You Can’t Blame the Giant,” one of the most somber acts, regarding a car crash, loss of a loved one and the question of responsibility that haunts many touched by tragedy.
Several audience members grabbed their coats and did not return after intermission. Whether this was due to a misunderstanding or perhaps the choice to try and avoid even heavier snowfall on the return home, those who left missed out on one of the most popular — and confusing — sketches of the night: “Hygiene, Self-Worth and Personal Care in General Starring Harry Furer.” The only act to include all of the cast members, the performance flooded the audience with chaos. Cast members called for two orders of tater tots and asked when the wedding was happening as one cast member shaved on stage not only his face but his entire torso with first a razor and then a large knife in the most comedic and impractical way.
The same cast member recited a well-written and funny but with deeper, serious undertones, poem that was about hygiene, self-worth and personal care in general. Music that was irrelevant to the acts but also perfectly fitting the entire show in its unpredictability, chosen by the producers shortly before the show started, played in between the acts. Each act stood out as unique: from the relatability of sitting through a theater class in “161 THA-21b: Acting” to the mock interpretive dancing in “Shoes On, Shoes Off.” Overall, the fact that the play was completely student-run, each act written by a Brandeis student, shows the incredible abundance of creativity and skill present on this campus.
TALYA GUENZBURGER/the Justice
DIXIE DUDES: Raphael Stigliano ’18 and Lauren Hill ’20 act in a “Quickie” called “Poison Dick,” playing two southern characters.
DANCE
‘Hooked on Tap’ lives up to expectations By Brooke Granovsky justice Staff writer
The Hooked on Tap show marks a semester and a half’s worth of rehearsals, planning and effort. While most dance groups on campus hold their recitals
ended Sunday, Feb. 12 at 4 p.m. The HOT recital showcased a wide array of tap styles, featuring classical jazz numbers, jump ropes and outside groups from Boston College, Harvard University and Boston University. The show helped demonstrate how varied
YVETTE SEI/the Justice
JUMPING JIVERS: Sara Horn ’19 and Julie Josephs ’18 tap dance while jumping rope, an act they sustained for their entire dance. sometime in April, Hooked on Tap is the exception. The nature of HOT’s mid-semester spring recital means that after Sunday’s hour-long show in the Shapiro Campus Center, Brandeis’ most avid tappers will put away their shoes for the year. Although some students will perform with HOT in the Adagio Dance Company’s April spring show, for many students, and seniors especially — who might not continue dancing after graduation — their dance season
and vibrant the world of tap can be — in other words, that tap can be as inventive as any other genre, despite the additional challenge of rhythmic, slippery tap shoes. The show opened with a busy, energetic, almost-full-cast number in which everyone wore company clothing — red tank-tops with “Hooked on Tap” slogans written in yellow, plus last names for members of HOT’s executive board. The opener was a prime example of what can happen with
a group of focused dancers and a long rehearsal period; the dancers were in sync, had clearly thought about their facial expressions and hit every tap beat in unison, as the microphoned stage dutifully picked up. Julie Joseph ’18 and Sara Horn ’19 walked onstage with jump ropes around their necks to begin the show’s third number. As Shawn Mendes’ “Stitches” played, the pair took turns doing tap solos until they swung the ropes off of their shoulders and started dancing while skipping rope. The crowd cheered when the pair started skipping, and continued to cheer as the collective realization — that yes, Joseph and Horn would keep this up for the whole dance — fell over the Shapiro Campus Centre Theater. Jumping for three minutes, or dancing for three minutes, would be hard enough. That Joseph — who choreographed the dance — and Horn were able to pull off the gimmick for so long and to execute complicated tap steps seemingly without any extra difficulty on their part was impressive. To be fair, the duo took a break to pique (a one foot turn) in a circle while swinging the jump ropes in circles over their heads. But as most dancers can tell you, a break that involves turns is hardly a break at all. Another standout was the HOT alumni dance to “Sorry” by Justin Bieber. Four alumni cleverly combined Parris Goebel’s original music video choreography with classic tap moves to create a kind of tap-hip hop hybrid. One moment, the four dancers were rhythmically shuffling to change spots. The next, they were swinging their arms
up and down, hopping in place and imitating the music video’s choreography. MCs Andrew Agress ’17 and Raphael Stigliano ’18 made their mark on the show, as well. The pair’s natural comedic timing, improv comedy backgrounds (both are involved in Boris’ Kitchen) and Brandeis-specific jokes made the show’s transitions fly by. To introduce a dance called “Hollaback Girl,” Stigliano asked Agress if he had taken Stigliano’s “Jewish bread,” leading into a pun about Stigliano wanting his “challah back.” To introduce a song called “Runaway Baby,” the pair joked about the backstory of a small baby that Agress and Stigliano claimed lives by itself within the theater. The show’s closing number was
just as energetic as its opening one. The full HOT cast formed a circle onstage, and members took turns showing off in the middle of the circle. Representing the underclassmen well, the freshman ran to centre stage to do the Macarena and dab, while the sophomores did the Charleston. Lori Shapiro ’17, Emily Cohen ’17 and Haley Director ’20 did the worm across the stage, and the dancers performed a short choreographed section and free-styled until the show came to a close. Overall, the HOT show demonstrated the vibrancy and creativity that tap can possess. For a dance form that dates its popularity back to the 1920s, the HOT show felt fresh, modern and inventive.
YVETTE SEI/the Justice
TAPPING TEAM: In the opening dance of the show, almost the whole cast tapped, an exciting synchronized beginning.
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TUESDAY, February 14, 2017 | Arts | THE JUSTIce
Brandeis TALKS
INTERVIEW
wf
What is your favorite snow day activity?
Leah Sherin ’19, Gabe Walker ’19 & Emily Galloway ’18
Ethan Sternberg ’20 “Playing outside in the snow with my friends, just throwing snowballs and having a good time with each other.”
NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
This week, justArts spoke with Emily Galloway ’18, Gabe Walker ’19 and Leah Sherin ’19, the producers of the annual Quckies, a series of 10-minute plays written by students. justArts: What are the “Quickies”?
ELYSE HAHN/the Justice
Jinyi Zhao ’20 “Usually I just stay in my room doing nothing, but if I do go out I could have a snowball fight, or a snowman building activity or sliding down a hill.”
Olivia Pavao ’20 “I just like to drink hot chocolate.”
Ravi Cohen ’20
“I like doing work inside. You know what, it’s nice, it’s snowing outside and it’s chill.” —Compiled by Jen Geller/the Justice and photographed by Natalia Wiater/the Justice.
STAFF’S Top Ten
Top 10 Super Bowl catches By Jerry Miller justice editor
With the New England Patriots securing their fifth Super Bowl victory the credit has to go to Tom Brady. Or maybe not? Julian Edelman’s miraculous catch in the fourth quarter saved the game, so maybe Brady isn’t the MVP after all. Here are my top ten Super Bowl catches of all time: 1. David Tyree, Giants 2. Julian Edelman, Patriots 3. Santonio Holmes, Steelers 4. Mario Manningham, Giants 5. Butch Johnson, Cowboys 6. Lynn Swan, Steelers 7. Jermaine Kearse, Seahawks 8. Julio Jones, Falcons 9. Max McGee, Packers 10. John Taylor, 49ers
CROSSWORD
Emily Galloway: So, “Quickies” is a festival of ten-minute student-written plays. It’s been going on with Brandeis Ensemble Theater for a really long time, definitely back through the 2000s. People write these plays and they get submitted — they are student-directed, student-acted, student-produced. JA: Are they connected in any way?
ACROSS 1 “Kiss Me, _____” 5 Certain inert gas 10 Enthusiastic 14 “Victory is mine!” 15 Jeweler’s tool 16 Taboo 17 Mo. for Virgos and Libras 18 Jefferson Airplane song 20 Cambridge sch. 21 Like some farewells 22 The “fat” in “Fat Tuesday” 23 Prefix with -phobia meaning a fear of crowded spaces 25 “The end of an ______” 27 Part of a race 28 Stephen Stills song 33 K2, e.g. 34 One who’s paid 35 PBS funder 36 Certain “gift” 39 He broke up with Paul 41 Reddit question session 43 _____ order 44 Everything 45 No longer fashionable 47 Né Clay 49 The Supremes song 56 Ones who protect the QB 13 _____-wop (musical 57 Coffee container genre) 58 Desirable quality in early 19 Leer at screen actresses 21 Orange soda 59 “East of ______” 24 Letters after CD 60 Breakfast item with a 26 Air rhyming slogan 29 2009 play based on a corporate 62 Poor, as judgment scandal 63 John Paul Young song that’s a 30 ______ Legion hint to all 4 songs in this puzzle 31 It’s imbibed at 4pm, across the 66 Defunct train corp. pond 67 Proofreader’s imperative 32 Halloween costume that may 68 Healthcare insurance require green makeup provider 36 36-Across, ungiftedly 69 Certain legume 37 ______-right 70 Proud one in a Creedence 38 The Civil War, vis-à-vis the Clearwater Revival song Vietnam War 71 Washed, with “down” 40 Wear for a ballerina 72 ID thieves steal them 42 Something to remember 46 Ultimata, for example 48 Insistent letters, in a text DOWN 50 Horn of _______ 1 “Fate”, in Hindi 51 Ain’t right? 2 “Anchors ______” (Navy 52 One may be started by pulling song) a string 3 Try not to wake anyone 53 Political refugees, perhaps up, say 54 ______ Henry’s 4 Tolkien tree 55 Cons 5 Too 59 “Como _____?” 6 Hardy actor 61 Former senior 7 Gingerbread house part 63 Philosophy 8 “To his good friends thus 64 “Pshaw!” wide I’ll ____ my arms” 65 Fair-hiring inits. -Hamlet 66 They may resemble a washboard 9 Omaha’s state, for short 10 Abe’s successor 11 Going on a cruise, perhaps 12 #s
EG: Nope, they’re just a fun collection of student work. JA: What are the typical themes you have in the “Quickies”?
CROSSWORD COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN
Gabe Walker: There is no overall theme. The beauty of “Quickies” is the variety of different shows we get because our guidelines are so general. We try to keep them to ten minutes or under. I know this year, we have one that is based off a game show, and we have another that is about people going in and stealing a penguin from a [zoo] exhibit. We have another one about a couple who gets into a driving accident. So it is a very wide variety ranging from funnier ones to more serious ones. It’s really cool to see how the Brandeis theater community is able to come together and work on these different shows, which creates such a cool festival. JA: Do you need any background to direct? EG: Really anyone can direct — we try to make Quickies a really inclusive event. It’s similar to The 24-Hour [Musical]. In terms of directing, we really like to take people who have never directed before and give them an opportunity to try it out and showcase their work. This year we have a firstyear who wrote a “Quickie” and now is directing it. In terms of actors, we pretty much accept everyone who auditions. JA: How does casting work? GW: We have a big audition date, and then all the directors sit in a room and we decide who gets whom. JA: What are some of the challenges in putting this together?
SOLUTION COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN
SUDOKU INSTRUCTIONS: Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.
Solution to last issue’s sudoku
Puzzle courtesy of www.sudokuoftheday.com
Leah Sherin: I would say the biggest challenge is all the moving pieces. There are so many things going on. It’s not one cohesive show. There are a million different things they tell us. There are lots of different shows and different actors involved, so there is a lot happening at once, but that is also what makes it so exciting. GW: Making sure all the directors are scheduling rehearsals and getting ready for the show. It’s pretty quick. JA: What are you guys most excited about in the show? LS: I feel like since we got submissions for plays in the fall, we’ve been getting to know the plays and getting really excited about them, so at this point I’m just excited for everyone else to see them. I haven’t especially worked on one, but the group of them I feel like I’ve known for a while, and now everyone else gets to see them, which is really exciting. —Hannah Kressel