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The IndependenT STudenT newSpaper Volume LXXIV, Number 19
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BrandeIS unIverSITy SInce 1949
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
CLIMATE CHANGE
Waltham, Mass. Waltham, Mass.
ANTI-WAR PROTEST
Gina McCarthy: the Bostonian putting humanity into climate change ■ McCarthy, "the White House Climate Czar," spoke to the Brandeis community during a March 8 webinar. By LEAH BREAKSTONE JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
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Photo Courtesy of NATA PETROVICH
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SUPPORTING UKRAINE: People gather in Antalya, Turkey on Feb. 24 to protest the violent Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Justice interviews President Marriage Pact launches Liebowitz about Russia-Ukraine War at Brandeis University See CLIMATE, 7 ☛
■ “My heart goes out to
■ The BETA club brought Marriage Pact to the University and over a third of Brandeis students have gotten involved.
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our Russian and Ukrainian students and our faculty members,” Liebowitz said.
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By JACKLYN GOLOBORODSKY JUSTICE EDITOR
By DALYA KOLLER -
JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
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See MARRIAGE PACT, 7 ☛
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Quarantine concerns
Cut and lickbait
Univ. hosts 'Unity Week Against the War'
Students share their quarantine experiences and frustrations.
Youtube content generators like Cut and Jubilee should consider new directions to advance from being empathycreating clickbaits.
By AMANDA CHEN
Board questions easing COVID-19 restrictions
By JASON FRANK
An inside look into Brandeis' own Krav Maga club
By ISABEL ROSETH
JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice
See UKRAINE, 7 ☛
FEATURES 8
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For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org
ARTS AND CULTURE 18
Make your voice heard! Submit letters to the editor to letters@thejustice.org
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
By MEGAN GELLER
COPYRIGHT 2022 FREE AT BRANDEIS.
NEWS 3 FORUM 10 SPORTS 13
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TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2022
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THE JUSTICE
NEWS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
SENATE LOG
Senate charters Chess Club, discusses elections The Student Union Senate chartered the Brandeis Chess Club at its March 13 meeting. Zared Cohen ’25 and Marcus Sutton ’25 presented the Chess Club to the Senate and explained that it is a place for students to learn and practice chess. “Brandeis doesn’t have a chess club at all. It needs Deis Chess,” Cohen said. Sutton said that the Chess Club would need funding in order to purchase chess supplies such as boards and timers, acquire membership to the United States Chess Federation, and provide transportation to tournaments. The Pokemon Club was supposed to present at the Senate meeting, but none of its members attended. Executive Sen. Ashna Kelkar ’24 said that the Union would be holding
elections in order to fill a number of positions that have opened up due to resignations this semester. Sen. Joseph Coles ’22 expressed concern that these elections are not happening within the 14-day window after the resignations as mandated by the constitution. Kelkar said that not enough students had previously expressed interest in running, so elections could not be held within the proper time frame. Sen. Nicholas Kanan ’23 told the Senate that the sustainability committee, in conjunction with the MakerLab, would be hosting an Upcycle Fest, in which students will be able to use plastic waste materials, mainly from the 3D printing process, to create works of art. JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice
— Max Feigelson
Three students celebrate Women’s History Month, which is in March. The blue booths on campus have been decorated in posters with protest slogans and informational resources for the occassion.
COMBATTING FEMICIDE
POLICE LOG MEDICAL EMERGENCY Mar. 6—There was a medical emergency in the Usdan Student Center. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and refused further care. Mar. 6—There was a medical emergency on the athletic fields. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and refused further care. Mar. 7—There was a medical emergency in Massell Quad. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance. Mar. 7—There was a medical emergency in the Slosberg Music Center. The party was interviewed by EMTs and transported to a local hospital via ambulance. Mar. 7—There was a medical emergency in East Quad. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and transport-
ed to a local hospital via ambulance. Mar. 10—There was a medical emergency in North Quad. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance. Mar. 10—There was a medical emergency in the Shapiro Campus Center. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance. Mar. 10—There was a medical emergency in Ridgewood Quad. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance. Mar. 12—There was a medical emergency in Rosenthal Quad. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance.
Mar. 12—There was a medical emergency in the Foster Mods. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance. LARCENY Mar. 7—A community member reported that they were victim to a gift card scam. A report of the incident was composed. MISCELLANEOUS Mar. 10—A community member reported a white sedan driving slowly by her place of work twice, near the Sachar Road Lot. University police checked the area and all was quiet and in order. — Compiled by Noah Zeitlin
JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice
Posters hung on the blue booths on campus protest femicide, the killing of women because of their gender, and pay tribute to the thousands who have been lost.
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Send an email to editor@ thejustice.org.
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STUDENTS SUPPORT UKRAINE
Students participate in ‘Unity Week Against the War’ ■ The events were hosted by the Russian Studies department and the Russian Club. By AMANDA CHEN
JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Russian Studies Department, their Undergraduate Departmental Representatives, and the Russian Club had originally planned a Russian culture week, which was then transformed into “Unity Week Against the War” in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to the Russian Studies website, from Tuesday, March 8 to Saturday, March 12, “Unity Week” consisted of events geared toward supporting Ukrainians and Russians, educating people on the war and the massive humanitarian crisis, and encouraging people to become involved. They also circulated a petition during these events, calling on the University to support students affected by the war in Ukraine by providing academic and mental health support, financial and housing assistance, and legal and immigration assistance. They also asked Brandeis to demonstrate their commitment to these actions by making a public statement. Aeryn Rowe ’25 and Berta Muza ’25 co-wrote the petition and largely based it on a Harvard University student’s petition. On Tuesday, “Unity Week Against the War” hosted a celebration of International Women’s Day and held a fundraiser for Ukrainian refugees in the Shapiro Campus Center atrium. Later that night in Ridgewood Commons, they taught the Russian alphabet for anti-war protests. A Ukrainian alumnus, Vladislav Shapiro M.A. ’93, attended the Russian alpha-
bet event. He assisted with teaching the attendees more about the Ukrainian alphabet and translating common Russian phrases into Ukrainian. The event also provided the opportunity for attendees to make paper sunflowers as a symbol of solidarity with Ukraine. On March 9, two events were held for “Unity Week Against the War.” The first was about the novel “War and Peace” by Russian author Leo Tolstoy. The second event, “Cheburashka Against the War,” was a crafts night. On March 10, there was a screening of the documentary “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom,” which explained the Ukrainian Maidan Revolution. After the documentary, there was a Q&A session with Profs. Steven Wilson (POL) and Irina Dubinina (GRALL). According to Wilson, it is essential to “understand the history and context to understand any conflict,” he said. “And in particular, seeing the events of 2013 [and] 2014 are just completely informative of what’s going on right now.” One of the main themes that people brought up in the Q&A was disinformation and how to combat it. Wilson suggested that people should systematically vet their sources, examine what sources news outlets use, and reverse Google image search photos to see if they were taken out of context. Wilson also discussed that finding accurate information is difficult since “there are no good answers because knowing takes time … I saw a military strategist who’s been writing about Ukraine say that ‘information is plentiful, quick and easy. There is always more information because it’s fast. Knowledge is slow and takes time.’” After the Q&A, the Justice
asked Dubinina about her reaction to the documentary. She talked about her belief “in the power of people. When people get together and there is something in the air that glues them, the idea that they are willing to fight for, they can overcome anything.” She believes that a key takeaway from these events is that people “should educate themselves and go to the events and read reliable sources to find out what’s happening in Ukraine and Russia. I have met some Americans who [ask] me, ‘Why can’t Russians overthrow Putin’s regime?’ and I want people to go and see what happens to those who dare go and protest. It takes a lot of courage.” Shapiro, who also came to watch the documentary, stated that knowledge, communication, and cultural exchange during this time are essential, and he recommends that Brandeis and other universities begin a Ukrainian cultural program. On March 11, “Unity Week Against the War” held a fundraiser where various homemade baked goods, pins, stickers, and sunflower hair clips were sold to raise money for three charities: OVD-Info, Razom, and World Central Kitchen. OVD-Info is an “independent media project on human rights and political persecutions in Russia” and provides legal assistance to Russians whose rights to assembly and free speech have been violated, according to their website. Razom creates projects dedicated to preserving democracy in Ukraine, and World Central Kitchen cooks meals for Ukrainian refugees, per their websites. The last event of the week-long programming was a Ukrainian/ Russian/Jewish cooking event where attendees learned to make Borsch.
FUNDRAISING FOR UKRAINE
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Brandeis hosts ‘Arboreal Humanities’ event ■ The event looked specifically at art and literature that focuses on environmental activism. By DALYA KOLLER
JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
A group of scholars and artists came together on Friday, March 4 to run an event titled “The Arboreal Humanities: Trees, Art, and Activism.” The event consisted of interviews, discussions, readings, and workshops from various professors and artists from multiple institutions around the world. The event focused on the intersectionality between environmental studies and the humanities. The event brought together artists and authors whose art focuses heavily on nature and the environment and who have a specific connection to trees. Additionally, the event gave participants the opportunity to hear about the thought process and intentions behind this form of environmental activism from the artists themselves. Three artists and scholars were invited as guests and headlined the event: Zheng Bo, a Hong-Kong based video and installation artist; Carl Philips, an award-winning poet and author, as well as a professor of English at Washington University in St. Louis; and Eleanor Kaufman, a professor of comparative literature and English at UCLA and vice-chair of the University of California’s Task Force on Agriculture and Natural Resources. The event came together by organizing six different professors from across the country, including Brandeis’ own Prof. Caren Irr (ENG). The six professors began to meet in July 2020 to discuss nature, trees, and forests as they intersect with literature, philosophy, art, and film. They formed a reading group revolving around these “arboreal humanities,” but recently, the group has begun to expand further than a reading group, leading to the organization of this event. The main motive of this group is to create a more interdisciplinary study of the environment with the humanities, and the group hopes to expand to the establishment of additional projects in the future, as was stated in an introduction to the event. In addition to Irr, the six professors include Glyn Davis, professor of film
studies at the University of St. Andrews; Chris Barrett, associate professor of English at Louisiana State University; Jonathan Flatley, professor of English at Wayne State University; and Laura Harris, assistant professor of cinema studies and art & public policy at New York University Tisch School of the Arts. The first session was a conversation and Q&A session between Bo and Davis. Bo currently teaches at the School of Creative Media at the City University of Hong Kong in addition to working on his art, which has been featured at a multitude of museums across the world. According to his website, Bo is “committed to more-than-human vibrancy… he investigates the past and imagines the future from the perspectives of marginalized communities and marginalized plants. He grows weedy gardens, living slogans, eco-queer films, and wanwu workshops to cultivate ecological wisdom beyond the Anthropocene extinction.” Bo explained how he found his specific art style and the goals he hopes to achieve through his artwork. He spoke about the field of eco-politics and discussed the current political climate in China, explaining that it makes things difficult for him to be involved in the type of environmental activist work typical in the U.S.. He clarified that doing that kind of work would be “suicidal,” and instead he decided to focus on learning and teaching about the philosophy and the art of the environment rather than demonstrating and protesting. The second session was an interview between Phillips and Barrett. Phillips has published 16 books of poetry, criticism, and translation, and his writing has appeared in about 70 anthologies as well as dozens of journals. He is also the recipient of multiple literary awards. During his session, Phillips read some of his poetry aloud and discussed his philosophies and personal relationship with trees. In the third session, Kaufman spoke with Flatley, discussing ancient poetry and the connections between poetry, literature, and nature. The final session was a “Manifesto Workshop” led by Irr and Harris. Although the event was organized by the six professors who are a part of the “Arboreal Humanities” reading group, the event used Brandeis equipment and software and was funded by the Department of English and Fine Arts and the Mandel Center for the Humanities.
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Rally and sit-in held on campus in support of dining workers: ‘We want Brandeis to listen to our voice, that’s it’ ■ On March 11, students organized a sit-in and a rally supporting University dining workers. By NATALIE KAHN JUSTICE EDITOR
On Friday, March 11, following a student sit-in, workers and students gathered for a student-organized rally to push Brandeis to agree to the demands of the Brandeis Leftist Union’s “Petition to Support Union Dining Workers” ahead of the upcoming dining vendor bid decision. This past Friday, many of the familiar faces normally seen working in the dining areas across campus could be found marching alongside students and other staff, shouting chants such as “Every minute, every hour, build student worker power!” “We want Brandeis to listen to our voice, that’s it,” Nick Abrahim said, a dining worker who has been working at Brandeis for five years, as he walked with the group of approximately 50 students and workers. The protest was held in support of Brandeis’ dining workers, and it was another in a series of efforts by students and workers to get the University to agree to the demands of the “Petition to Support Union Dining Workers,” created by the students of the Brandeis Leftist Union in November 2021. The petition was made in response to dining workers’ concerns about changes made in late 2020 that made it so that catering for on-campus events is no longer exclusive to the Sodexo catering staff, which is made up of members of the Brandeis dining workers union. It also aims to address workers’ fears that they would not be guaranteed their current jobs, hours, and benefits if Brandeis selected a new dining vendor in the upcoming bid decision. The petition has been signed by over 550 Brandeis students, as well as 15 student groups. The demands of the petition, which are directed to University President Ron Liebowitz, Director of University Services Jeffrey Hershberger, and the University, include guaranteeing job security for all dining service workers and honoring their current union contracts, even if the school selects a new vendor, as well as agreeing to utilize current unionized workers for all din-
ing, catering, and event services and changing the dining contract to guarantee exclusive catering to the current dining staff. The rally began at the north end of campus, above the Usdan Student Center, and it ended outside of the Bernstein-Marcus Administration Center and the Gryzmish Center, which house the University’s administrative offices. There, the group was joined by the students who had been participating in the sit-in at Gryzmish, which had ended only a few minutes earlier. Like the rally, this sit-in was organized by the BLU. The sit-in began at 11 a.m. and ended just before 3 p.m., during which time the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Stewart Uretsky and Vice President for Campus Operations Lois Stanley fielded questions from students. Approximately 30 students participated in the sit-in. Outside the administrative buildings, dining workers Lucia Hsiung and Kevintz Merisier spoke briefly to the crowd, as did Josh Benson ’23 of the BLU and members of the library and facilities workers unions at Brandeis. Hsiung thanked everyone who has supported the dining staff, while Merisier spoke about what he called the “partial victory” of all five potential dining vendors committing to hiring all current union workers and maintaining the benefits in the current dining workers union contract if selected as the new dining contractor at Brandeis. “Yeah, we did have the union stay on campus, full benefits. But catering jobs are still up in the air,” Merisier explained to the gathered protesters. “I call that a partial victory, not a full victory for us yet.” Caterers’ concerns Merisier is one of the catering supervisors at Brandeis and says that catering events used to be the main component of his work. He told the Justice that this is no longer the case, despite on-campus events happening consistently during the past two semesters. He attributes this change to the fall 2020 removal of the policy that guaranteed exclusive catering for medium and larger events on campus to current union workers at Brandeis. This issue was first brought to the attention of students at the end of the fall 2021 semester when BLU created the petition. Since then, Merisier says that
when it comes to the union catering staff being hired for events on campus, things have only gotten worse. “We don’t have any catering,” Merisier said, speaking to the Justice after the rally. He described seeing large events happening on campus in recent months that Brandeis’ dining staff was not hired to cater and said that other dining workers have started notifying him and the other catering staff when they see workers and vehicles from other catering companies on campus. Though the hours he lost from catering have been replaced with what he calls “filling holes” at various retail dining locations on campus, he believes that these positions are temporary, claiming that the position he is currently filling at Einstein Bros. Bagels is listed as a job opening online. Merisier explained that for him and the other catering staff, being replaced by outside catering companies is about more than hours and pay. “Number one, I’m a caterer,” he said. “How often does someone have a job they love doing?” Seda Ghazaryan, another catering supervisor at Brandeis, echoed Merisier’s sentiments in an interview with Justice after the rally. When it comes to catering, she says that for her and the rest of the catering staff, “that’s our passion.” Rebecca Ganley, who works at The Stein, attended the rally with Ghazaryan. Speaking to the Justice, she thinks that the University’s decision to change its catering policy is unfair. She explained that she went to the protest to support her friends on the catering staff. “We’re a family, we have to protect one another,” Ganley said. February rally A similar protest was held on Feb. 18 and was attended by upwards of 70 students and workers. Michaela McCormack ’23 spoke to the Justice on March 6 and said that both the BLU and dining workers have been pleased with the support and enthusiasm they have received from students. “[The] Students’ presence in this campaign has made everyone in this campaign feel more confident,” McCormack said. During the rally in February, BLU members attempted to deliver the “Petition to Support Union Dining Workers” directly to Director of University Services Jeffrey Hershberger and President Liebowitz. The students arrived
to find that neither administrator was present in his office at the time, something that BLU member Josh Benson called “frustrating and disrespectful” during a March 7 interview with the Justice. “We’re willing to go as far as it takes for [the administration] to not just be aware but to capitulate to our demands,” Benson said. They explained that by continuing to hold rallies and other forms of protests, students and workers “demonstrate to the University that these things don’t go unnoticed, and that we will continue to show up in force and escalate if these demands are not met.” Benson added that the demands being petitioned and rallied for by these actions are not extreme. “It’s asking [the University] to respect and to continue the existing relationship they have with workers,” they explained. Administration responds When asked to comment on the administration’s response to the February rally and the University’s position, Hershberger provided a statement by email on March 7: “Brandeis is aware of the concerns of our valued colleagues in dining as we undergo the RFP process for Dining Services. We are keeping their concerns in mind along with our students’ expectations of high-quality, reasonably-priced dining and catering options.” Benson called this statement a deflection, citing it as an example of what they see as continued attempts by the University to pit students and workers against each other. “It’s cynical and it’s harmful and is a clear ploy by the University to undermine solidarity between workers and students,” Benson said. During the March 11 sit-in, Uretsky and Stanley would not agree to commit to guarantee the return of exclusive catering to unionized Brandeis workers. However, they said they will look into the issue further in the coming weeks as the decision of which company Brandeis will select as the new dining vendor is finalized. Without making any concrete agreements or guarantees, Stanley suggested that requiring current Brandeis dining staff to be hired to work at all catered events on campus is something that she could see “for sure” being part of the new dining contract. This would mean that departments or clubs could get food from outside
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sources for small events as long as the cost would be below a specific dollar amount. Brandeis is currently considering $250 as the limit, which is in-line with the catering policies that existed prior to the 2020 change. Any event requiring catering staff present to set up or serve food would need to be staffed entirely by Brandeis’ current dining workers. “I could see staff [for catered events] for sure, needing to be exclusive. And then, under $250 and non-staffed, there’s some flexibility there. But maybe $250 isn’t the right number,” Stanley said. She offered to speak to Sodexo and the University Investment Management office to find more information to help determine what dollar amount would make the most sense to serve as this threshold. Speaking to the Justice after the sit-in, Uretsky and Stanley called the dialogue between themselves and the students “very constructive.” Stanley explained that retaining the current dining workers is part of the “Request for Proposals” that Brandeis provided to potential vendors and is something that all five bidding vendors have agreed to. Uretsky and Stanley said they learned more about the “subtleties” involved in the issue of exclusive catering, and Stanley “promised to investigate” this issue. Stanley and Uretsky expect to provide responses next week about the issues brought up by students during the sit-in, according to a March 14 statement sent to the Justice by Assistant Vice President for Communications Julie Jette. “We’ll be back” “Every victory emerges from our unified struggle for justice and against the capitalist University,” Benson told the crowd of protestors at Friday’s rally. As the protest came to an end, they delivered some final impassioned words to the workers and students gathered before them. “Hopefully there won’t be a next time and the University will capitulate to our every demand,” they said, “But if there is a next time, you will be damn sure to see us out here!” Their words were met with cheers from the group, which quickly turned into chants of “We’ll be back!”
RALLY FOR DINING WORKERS BRIEF Brandeis ranked as a top university for women in leadership by Women’s Power Gap Initiative A 2022 Women’s Power Gap Initiative study titled “The Women’s Power Gap At Elite Universities: Scaling the Ivory Tower,” ranked Brandeis number five out of all 130 R1 universities for gender diversity. The ranking was executed by awarding points based on three categories: first, “President: Do you now have, or have you ever had, a woman president? How many?” Second, “Provost: Is a woman holding this position?” Third, “Teams: What percentage do women represent among academic deans, president’s cabinet, and tenured full professors?” Since its founding, Brandeis has had one female president: Evelyn E. Handler, who served from 1983 to 1991. Handler sought to increase diversity during her time at Brandeis, according to the Robert D. Farber University Archives and Special Collections. Additionally, Lisa M. Lynch was the interim president of the University from 2015 to 2016; however, the study did not count interim positions. The study reported that 80% of the academic deans at Brandeis are women, the highest percentage of the study. All but one of the academic leaders are female, including Wendy Cadge, dean of the Graduate School of Arts
and Sciences; Kathryn Graddy (ECON), Dean of Brandeis International Business School; Dorothy L. Hodgson (ANTH), dean of the School of Arts and Sciences; and Lynn Rosansky, vice president of the Rabb School of Continuing Studies, as listed by the Office of the Provost. Another factor contributing to Brandeis’ high ranking is having a female provost. Carol A. Fierke Ph.D ’84 is the current provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. Additional categories in the study include whether a university currently has a female president, the percentage of people in the president’s cabinet who are female, and the percentage of tenured full professors who are women. For Brandeis, 14% of the president’s cabinet and 35% of tenured full professors are female. The possible categories for a university to be ranked in are “Leader,” “Almost There,” “Work to Do,” and “Needs Urgent Action.” Brandeis was one of 13 universities categorized as “Leader,” with 78.9 points out of the possible 100.
—Leah Breakstone
JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice
PROTEST: Dining workers and University students rallied outside of administrative buildings to support the dining staff.
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CLIMATE: Gina McCarthy speaks about climate change CONTINUED FROM 1
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CLIMATE TALK: Gina McCarthy discussed the governmental response to climate change with the Brandeis community.
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TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2022 ● FEATURES ● THE JUSTICE
just
VERBATIM | GILDA RADNER There is no real security except for whatever you build inside yourself.
ON THIS DAY…
FUN FACT
In 44 B.C. on the date known as the Ides of March in ancient Rome, Roman dictator Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of senators.
There are more than 3,000 varieties of tea, and all of them come from the Camellia sinensis plants.
Quarantined on campus Students speak about their quarantine experiences and share their frustrations surrounding access to necessities and inconsistent information from the Brandeis Health Center and Community Tracing By ISABEL ROSETH
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Five semesters ago, it likely would have been difficult for students at Brandeis to imagine quarantine ever being an integral part of college life. Since Brandeis reopened and welcomed students back to campus following the near-complete shutdown of campus in spring 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the University has had to devise plans and strategies for when students contract the virus. Over the past two years, terms like “contact tracing,” “quarantine,” and “isolation housing: have become a standard part of Brandeis students’ vocabulary. However, quarantine and isolation on campus due to exposures and positive tests have proved to be a struggle for many students who have faced difficulties concerning food, classes, and communication from the University. According to the University website, students who test positive or who have been exposed will be contacted by the Golding Health Center. The “Testing Positive” page states that isolation housing and protocols are decided on a case-by-case basis, “following clinical, CDC and Massachusetts Department of Public Health guidance.” It is up to the Brandeis Contact Tracing Program how and where students will isolate, depending on their situation. The location of a student’s isolation depends on clinical factors and available space. The Quarantine FAQ page states that on-campus students will quarantine in their residence halls. Many students have had differing experiences concerning quarantine. The Justice spoke to two students who had to quarantine in their room and one who was moved to isolation housing. For two first-year students, orientation at the beginning of the year was disappointing as they had to quarantine for about five days after their arrival on campus. The Justice spoke to them about their experience on Feb. 4. They were exposed to a positive case on their first night on campus and were quarantined in their residence hall, only leaving to get food and use the restroom. “I found out from a call from my roommate, in which she told me that the contact tracing [people] told her to tell me that I should quarantine. It was not until four days later that they contacted me,” said Caitlyn Pennie ’25. For Pennie and her roommate, their biggest problem with quarantine was the mixed, unclear information they were given by the Brandeis Community Tracing Program. One major instance of confusing instructions concerned their meals. “At a certain point they closed the Stein, where I was instructed to get my quarantine food, so I had to go down to the dining hall and ask [the dining workers] to help me pack a box of food,” Pennie’s roommate said. “I had to stand there and explain what had happened because they were also out of the loop.” The roommates were also confused about when they would be let out of quarantine. When they were first told they had to quarantine, they said that the
information they received about when they would be let out was confusing and inconsistent. Pennie was told that her isolation would end after 10 days or after she had tested negative twice, but her roommate was told that it would last 10 days and would require two negative tests. They ended up only needing to test negative twice to be released from quarantine and did not have to remain quarantined for a full 10 days. This information was initially shared with Pennie, but not her roommate. “Since Caitlyn’s contact tracer had faster communication with her, she was let out a day earlier than me because my contact tracer did not get back to me in a timely manner,” Pennie’s roommate said. While Pennie was let out before her classes started, her roommate wasn’t, which created some issues. Not all professors had set up a Zoom option, so she had to miss some of her classes on her first day of college. Overall, Pennie and her roommate consider their quarantine a frustrating experience and wish that they had been given clearer information. The Justice also spoke to another student who was quarantined last semester, Zoe Popovic ’23. In early October 2021, their boyfriend tested positive, so Popovic had to quarantine in their room as they were a close contact. Popovic tested positive for COVID-19 a few days later and was moved to isolation housing in 567 South Street for the length of their isolation. Popovic was given a fair amount of information about their isolation over the phone after having tested positive, and eventually they also received an email that included a PDF with details about isolating, they explained to the Justice in a Feb. 3 Zoom interview. When it came to their classes, Popovic had to email their professors and inform them that they would not be able to attend class. “With some classes, I was able to go over Zoom, [but] some didn’t have that set up as an option at this point,” they said. “So I did wind up missing, like, two weeks of some of my classes from the time I had to start isolating to when I actually got out of quarantine.” This was around midterms, which they called “a little frustrating” as they had to make up projects and tests after they got out of isolation. Fortunately, Popovic said, their professors were very understanding and accommodating, and they did not lose points for absence. While in isolation housing, Popovic’s meals had to be delivered. Food would be dropped off outside their room around noon, but they said the timing of these drop-offs were “a little unpredictable.” While Popovic said this was not a huge deal for them because they don’t usually wake up early or eat breakfast, they acknowledged that this would likely have been inconvenient for students who do. The food was also limited — students in isolation housing did not have a choice of what their food would be other than requesting a vegetarian option. Popovic, who is a pescatarian, said the vegetarian meals were very repetitive and relatively unappealing. “It was a lot of just rice
Photo Courtesy of ZOE POPOVIC
FOOD: Popovic took this photo of the food they received while in isolation to send to friends.
Design: Yuan Jiang/the Justice
JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice
ISOLATION: A sign posted inside the entrance of 567 South Street, which is currently being used as isolation housing. and beans with some kind of wet vegetables on the side, which gets pretty old pretty quick,” they said. While quarantining is key to limiting the spread of COVID-19, it can put a strain on those having to isolate. “The worst part was just not being able to go outside,” Popovic said. “Not even a little walk, which is understandable, but it was a little mentally draining to just be cooped up in the same two rooms for 10 days.” Popovic was grateful, though, that they were allowed to quarantine with their boyfriend, so they did not have to spend 10 days completely alone. They also talked with friends on Zoom, so they were not cut off completely from socializing for the entirety of their quarantine. Although Popovic does not view their experience in isolation housing as bad, they say that there were some flaws in the system. “They told us to bring our own medications, so I had my prescription and Advil, but they didn’t really supply us with any medicine if we got sick,” they explained. “And I didn’t really have that on me, so we wound up not having some things that would have been pretty helpful.” They said that in the future they hope the University could be more clear about these rules or have a way for students to get access to medications while sick with COVID-19, such as cough medicine. Popovic’s time in quarantine and isolation did come with some frustrations and they feel that communication from the school could have been clearer in some instances. Still, they consider their experience in isolation housing on campus to have been fine overall, despite these difficulties. Quarantining is necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but the process of being contact traced and placed in quarantine or isolation on campus can be frustrating. While testing positive differs from being identified as a close contact, there are similarities between the experiences, and many students share the same criticisms. Access to food and other necessities, keeping up with coursework, and unclear instructions from the school all present their own unique challenges during the isolation period, leading to less-than-ideal circumstances in an already less-than-ideal situation.
THE JUSTICE ● FEATURES ● TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2022
‘There’s no roadmap for this’: a conversation with Brandeis COVID-19 czar Morgen Bergman By MESHULAM UNGAR JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Bergman serves as the associate provost for academic and strategic initiatives, reporting directly to Provost Carol Fierke. She has worked at Brandeis since 2008, with a gap between 2016-19. This
interview
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The Justice (March 14): With the loosening of the restrictions a couple of weeks ago, has Brandeis moved from a pandemic to an endemic phase of COVID? Morgan Bergman: Brandeis is in a transitional phase of moving from an operational response of the pandemic to learning to live with COVID in our world. Thankfully, our campus has an incredibly high rate of vaccinations and boosters, which has been a key factor in decreasing the effect of COVID on our campus community. TJ (Feb. 15): Do you feel misunderstood by the Brandeis community because you could be looked at as the “bad cop” of COVID restrictions? MB: I felt really nothing but support from the Brandeis community. If I were to say I work at a university to most Americans, they would say, “Oh, all the college students partying it up.” At Brandeis, our students take this really seriously. They value their education. They value what we offer at Brandeis. They value one another. I think the social solidarity here has been unbelievably amazing and inspiring, and it’s been nothing short of a pleasure to get to be part of this effort to make this community a safe place to study, to live, to learn. I think this is hard no matter what you do. I get emails all the time from people who are screaming at me [saying] “How can you make us wear masks?” or “How can you not do this one thing that I think you should be doing?” So the pendulum has swung on both sides. But I think that for the vast majority of people, their experience has been quite remarkable. It’s not to say it’s not hard. The whole world is going through this. We’re all going through this. It is hard. It’s not easy. It changes day to day. And I think we’ve been able to pull through together quite successfully. And have there been hiccups? Yes. Have there been things that we’re learning and trying to make that work? Yes. But I think we’ve tried to be really responsive to the needs of the community and to work together to make it the best experience that we can. There’s no roadmap for this. TJ (Feb. 15): What would you say was a misstep by Brandeis administration in their COVID response? MB: I think that we had opportunities to perhaps communicate things a little bit more clearly to everybody in the campus community. I like to call them opportunities for excellence that we can work towards being better. We receive feedback on this constantly, and we work really hard to find that right balance for communicating information and not overwhelming people with details. It’s a really hard balance to strike. It comes from a place of care and it comes from a place of wanting to help people know what’s going on, but I think it can also come across as too much at once, so that has been a struggle for everyone. the
TJ (March 14): Brandeis’ close contact quarantine policy has been criticized for being stricter than the CDC’s, with Brandeis
requiring students to isolate after being exposed to COVID, something that the CDC does not recommend for vaccinated and boosted people. How did the administration think through this decision and end up at this conclusion? MB: As with all of our Photo Courtesy of BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY policies, the quarantine policy BERGMAN: Morgen Bergman has is firmly based in the analysis led Brandeis’ pandemic response of our data. We carefully watch over the past two years. the conversion rate of the close contacts identified, and we are continuing to see positive cases develop — even on day five of quarantine. Therefore, for the health and safety of our campus community, we have continued to quarantine community members who have been identified as close contacts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on our campus. TJ (March 14) : How would you like students to think about COVID on campus in the coming weeks and months? With some students feeling more cautious of COVID (i.e. wearing a KN95 mask at all times indoors) and others not at all worried, can you lay out a direction for where Brandeis is going in its COVID response? MB: This transitional period is going to mean something different for each individual. I would encourage everyone to conduct a risk analysis of each activity in which they engage. For example, “Will I be in a crowded indoor setting?”: WEAR A MASK. “Will I be in a setting with a few close friends, who I trust to test and be COVID-safe?”: safer to remove a mask. “Will I be outdoors?”: much safer to remove a mask. I’d like to encourage each individual to take their health seriously — if symptoms of any kind emerge, stay home and test! At the same time, I’d like to encourage each of us to weigh the risks and to do what’s necessary according to the level of risk. It’s especially important after two years of dealing with the stress of the pandemic and political and societal upheaval we’re experiencing that we re-center ourselves to think about tending to our whole person — our emotional health, our mental health, in addition to our physical health. For those who may feel uncomfortable with the easing restrictions, perhaps to start, it might help to make a small experiment to see how it feels to take off your mask in a safer place and see the faces of others — their smiles, their full expressions — and to share yourself in that way too. See how it goes, see how you feel, see what the results are, and continue to analyze the risk of a situation and make an informed decision. For those who are not worried at all and engaging in riskier behaviors without consideration to the potential risks, be prepared to have COVID and isolate or be in quarantine and to gracefully and respectfully comply with campus rules, understanding that these rules are in place to protect our community from the spread of COVID. One of the things that we’ve learned so much from this pandemic is the importance of how our individual choices, decisions, and behaviors affect others. Our dedication to the well-being of our community by being conscious and aware of our choices and deeds has been at the core of our success during the pandemic; and, just because “official” restrictions may be easing does not make this individual dedication to social solidarity any less important. As [Alexis de] Tocqueville pointed out, “even the best laws cannot maintain a constitution despite mores, whereas the latter turn even the most unfavorable position and the worst laws to good account.” The mores that our community has emulated throughout this pandemic, in addition to our policies, have allowed us to maintain our success. Let’s remind ourselves of our values — that we value and care for one as another — as we live, work, and learn together during this period of transition.
Photo Courtesy of BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY
VACCINE: A photo of a student recieving a COVID-19 vaccine at a Brandeis vaccine clinic in April 2021.
Design: Yuan Jiang/the Justice
9
10 TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2022 ● FORUM
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THE JUSTICE
Justice
the
Established 1949
Brandeis University
Sofia Gonzalez Rodriguez, Editor in Chief Cameron Cushing, Managing Editor Gilda Geist, Senior Editor River Hayes, Deputy Editor Leeza Barstein, Jen Crystal, Jane Flautt, Gabriel Frank, Megan Geller, Hannah O’Koon, Noah Zeitlin, Associate Editors Jacklyn Golobordsky, Hannah Taylor, News Editors Natalie Khan, Features Editor Lauryn Williams, Forum Editor Taku Hagiwara, Sports Editor Megan liao, Acting Arts & Culture Editor Jack Yuanwei Cheng, Photography Editor Thea Rose, Acting Photography Editor Ariella Weiss, Lynn Han, Copy Editors
EDITORIALS
University must be mindful as COVID-19 protocols ease On March 7, the University amended its COVID-19 health and safety regulations as cases and hospitalization waned in the state of Massachusetts. As a part of the new rules, Brandeis now requires students only to be tested once a week, given they are fully vaccinated, and faculty and staff are no longer required to be tested. The board questions the rationale behind the University’s decision to ease restrictions so quickly. Although both federal and state health officials have recommended the ease of the restrictions, many experts in the field oppose the decision. We question whether the decision to lift restrictions was made in consultation with the community members. The Brandeis community has mostly kept COVID-19 cases at a considerably lower rate than other universities in the area. However, we believe cases have been low because of tight restrictions and question whether these low positivity rates are possible with lifted mask mandates and reduced testing. This board criticizes the University for its decision to lift the masking requirement and reduce testing simultaneously — changing two variables at once makes it impossible to attribute subsequent trends to one factor or the other. We also strongly encourage students, faculty, and staff to adhere to a more frequent testing schedule and masking whenever possible. Additionally, this board wishes to address the contents of the March 10 email to the community from Shelby Harris, assistant vice president for student engagement and campus life, and Monique Pillow Gnanaratnam, dean of students. To our fellow students, we ask that you continue to take COVID-19 seriously and be honest with contact tracers. To the administration, we ask that you reflect on whether this increase in quarantine numbers is entirely because of irresponsible students and not
at least partly because of the loosening of masking and testing requirements. The administration also shut down the COVID-19 testing center in the Mandel Center for Humanities after operation on March 4 due to the reduced testing frequency. As a result, the number of student staff needed for maintaining the testing center was also reduced. The members of this board would like to raise the concern that many student workers can no longer work the same amount of hours as before, which leads to a loss of income. Many other students have been let go. This brings great loss to students who rely on their oncampus jobs to get by. Since community members would still benefit from frequent testing as masking requirements relax and many student workers rely on this testing center for wages, the board recommends that a secondary testing center be open. According to the new rules, masking in classrooms is at the discretion of the instructor. Many professors have voiced their confusion and anxiety about the rules regarding masking in classrooms because the responsibility of making the masking rule now lies in the hands of the instructors, and not all professors are comfortable with this disciplinary responsibility. It is also almost impossible to enforce masking in large lecture halls. This board would like to call for professors to create anonymous polls to ask the class what their preference is about masking. Both teaching and learning during the pandemic are hard, and this board encourages both students and instructors to approach the masking conversation with respect and patience. Students, faculty, and staff have thus far made great progress in our fight against COVID-19. We are simply asking the administration to act with mindfulness and caution while we transition to a new normal in the age of COVID-19.
The do’s and don’ts while attending Brandeis The transition back to in-person learning has hardly been an easy one. This board congratulates these students, and any others new to campus, on their ability to adapt quickly to the ever-changing conditions of a university running in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. That being said, this board wishes to raise a number of minor concerns that, when taken together, create an inconvenience greater than the sum of its parts. If you’re tired of getting inexplicably dirty looks from fellow Brandeisians while in the library, the dining hall, the residence halls, or behind the wheel, this editorial is for you. Library Though there are no signs that say this, many areas of the library are unofficial quiet areas. In general, if you’re not in Farber Library or the main lobby of Goldfarb Library, err on the side of whispering. The lower levels of Goldfarb Library tend to be quiet study areas. Dining halls
Believe it or not, you don’t need to stand in line at every station — feel free to skip past the ones that you have no interest in taking food from! Additionally, forming lines is great practice, but this should be done in a way that doesn’t interfere with the general flow of traffic: this is commonly a problem at Sherman’s entree and pasta stations — simply form them in opposite directions. Residence halls Being a good roommate is a skill that often comes with practice. But to save you the trouble of being hated by your dormmates until you figure it out on your own, we’ll tell you right now that leaving dirty dishes and overflowing trash in communal spaces is a big no-no. Be conscious of others whenever possible. Ask yourself how you might feel if someone else monopolized the dorm’s best shower or filled the communal kitchen trash with their own personal waste from their room. Self-awareness is a dormmate’s best friend!
Driving If you’ve ever driven on Brandeis’ campus, you’ll notice that the entrance features a four-way intersection. At this intersection, three of the four ways have stop signs, while the fourth does not. This board has noticed that this set up has caused much confusion for Brandesians behind the wheel. But not to worry — we’re here to explain. Cars coming from the direction with no stop sign always have the right of way over other cars, no matter what. If you are coming from this direction, do not stop (unless there is a pedestrian or emergency vehicle), as this causes confusion for drivers at the stop signs. If you are coming from one of the directions that has a stop sign, you must first let the non-stopping car go before then going in order of arrival at the intersection.
Walking This editorial board loves to see our fellow students making friends! That being said, this board also believes that keeping those friendships is contingent neither on walking side by side in a line nor in a manner that blocks the entire sidewalk, nor on stopping in the middle of the pathway to strike up a conversation. If you’re in a high foot traffic area during the passing period and want to spend time with your friends, consider keeping to the side of the pathway. No matter where you are on campus, if you’re not sure how to navigate a particular aspect of in-person college, listening to, observing, and communicating with your fellow Brandeisians are all great ways to help foster a more cohesive and conscientious community.
on
ViewstheNews United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Thursday that actions committed by Russia against Ukrainian civilians constitute war crimes, marking the first time a senior U.S. official has directly accused Moscow of war crimes since last month’s attack on Ukraine began. How does declaring the actions of Russia a war crime help Ukraine in its effort to squash the war? In what ways can Brandeis provide support for Ukraine during this time?
Gabriel Frank ’22
What many in the west West naively fail to understand is that tyrannical despots do not think the way we do. Putin could care less about civilian casualties, and the atrocities being witnessed, particularly the horrific bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol were likely intentional in nature. Whether we’d like to admit it or not, dictators like Putin only understand one language: strength. Putin knows better than anyone that if this invasion fails, his leadership will be finished, possibly alongside his life. In contrast, by continuing to supply Ukraine with weapons and aid, we can make this invasion as costly and difficult as possible for Russia, rallying behind the most unifying cause the West has seen in decades. In this aspect, the act of raising awareness towards the cause of Ukrainian freedom, and attempting to make change in a cruel, sordid world where innocent people suffer is something with which Brandeis and Brandeisians have no equal. Gabriel Frank ’22 is an associate editor for the Justice majoring in philosophy. Photo: JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice
LETTER TO THE EDITOR To the Editors of the Justice: We are writing to address concerns and clarify procedures that were reported in the Justice’s Feb. 8, 2022 story, Contamination without communication? University leaves students and staff out of the loop about high lead levels and water fountain closures. Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), along with Facilities takes the safety of Brandeis staff and students very seriously, and it is for this reason that we proactively tested water fountains throughout campus, starting in July, in accordance with best practices outlined by the U.S. EPA for restoring water quality in buildings with low or no water use for a period of time. This was important to do given the significantly reduced use of these buildings during COVID, but testing and inspecting our buildings and systems happens at various times throughout the year in a variety of forms. When results indicate the need for corrective or preventive actions, we take appropriate measures. In this case, when contaminant levels were high fountains were shut down/off. The Justice story suggests that the entire campus should have been notified about the isolated problems in water fountains. It’s important to understand that using shut-offs and signs to alert potential users, and communicating directly with users in a building, are considered best practices when an isolated water issue is found and is being addressed. When a problem is isolated - and our campus-wide inspection
showed that it was - the most effective way to inform users is to do so at the point of use. Subsequent to the discovery of the high levels of lead, water coolers were purchased for Brown Social Science Building once water was shut down and placed on each floor of the building as soon as they arrived. Although the lead time of fountains has been long, due to COVID, fountains have remained off since testing results were identified and will stay off until new fountains can be replaced. Thirteen new fountains did arrive this month and installation will be starting soon. Brown Social Science fountains will remain off until the large construction project is complete. The water fountains in the surrounding buildings have been tested and remain open. EHS and Facilities has and will continue to practice transparency on all safety concerns in accordance with code and standard practices. Facilities responds to emergencies immediately upon notification, and prioritizes nonemergency requests accordingly. We will look to the appropriate departments on campus (i.e. Communications, Student Affairs, Student Union) to address improved means of communication across campus. It has and never will be our intent to withhold information on safety issues as we all hold the health of our entire community dear to us and our mission on campus. —Facilities
THE JUSTICE ● FORUM ● TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2022 11
Reflections from quarantine: why Brandeis should reconsider the quarantine policy By REENA ZUCKERMAN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
On Thursday night, March 3, I found out that I had been placed in quarantine. I had not received any communication, but rather found out because I tried going to Sherman for dinner and saw that my passport was gray. This was the first of many issues and missteps with the University’s quarantine policies. I was glad that I could at least commiserate about quarantine with a bunch of friends who happened to be in quarantine at the same time. Here are my thoughts on quarantine and the University’s policies. The biggest issue with these policies is the idea of quarantine itself. According to the CDC, as of Jan. 27, as long as you are boosted and are asymptomatic, you are free to go about your daily life as long as you are wearing a mask. According to Brandeis procedures, besides getting food ordered from Upper Usdan, you can not leave your room at all unless you have to go to the health center. That is not quarantining; that is isolation. One of my friends asked if she could take her trash out to the dumpster, and they said no. Why can’t we go on a walk while wearing a mask? What is the difference between going to the shipping container outside of Usdan and taking a walk around Loop Road? If you time it correctly, you will probably run into fewer people walking on Loop Road than getting food. Besides the obvious question of why one has to quarantine at all at this point, there is no practical difference between quarantine and isolation. There is also an issue for those students who keep kosher while in quarantine because the only Upper Usdan option is Louis’ Deli. Due to the limited options at Louis’, many students are forced to eat sandwiches for all three meals of the day. It is also a problem that Louis’ does not open until 11 a.m., which is too late for breakfast. I thank God for my friends that rallied around those of us in quarantine, getting us stuff from the Hoot Market and off campus, because it is absurd that we are expected to eat deli for three meals a day for up to five days. The core of my critique is the University’s response to concerns about mental health. Being put in near isolation for five days just because we might get COVID-19 not only is it unreasonable, but it is also dangerous. While I was lucky that my mental health did not drastically suffer during my five days in quarantine, I can not say the same about some of my friends. One of them texted me:
“The damage to mental health is simply not worth the extra unnecessary caution.” Another friend who was in quarantine at the same time as me expressed a similar sentiment: “I think the University should take into account not just physical health but also mental health. Given the low likelihood of a close contact testing positive at this point, and [sic] even lower likelihood of a close contact becoming seriously ill, it seems to me there is less danger when it comes to physical health than there is with the mental health challenges that arise for the students in quarantine.” One of the most condescending emails I have ever received was sent out on March 10, by the University. The Assistant Vice President for Student Engagement and Campus Life and the Dean of Students had the audacity to say that despite numerous complaints about the policy, it is staying the same and threatened disciplinary action for certain behaviors. “We are writing today to remind you that at Brandeis, those identified as COVID-19 close contacts must quarantine, without exception…This kind of behavior [written about below] is unacceptable and subject to further action as outlined in Rights & Responsibilities, and more importantly, it only serves to harm our community…” The email did not differentiate between those students who tried to get out of quarantine because they were bored or for social reasons and those who tried to get in contact with the Contact Tracing team because they had proof they had not been in close contact with the person that put them in quarantine: “Our team is receiving complaints from students stating they do not meet the requirements of a close contact, fielding student demands to be released from quarantine early in order to accommodate their social schedules.” Those are two very different circumstances and should not have been grouped together by saying that students are trying to get out of quarantine. The email emphasized both the rise in cases in recent weeks and talks about how restrictions were just lifted. As of March 10, there were 118 people in quarantine. Considering the high positivity rate on campus, why did the University decide to enact more lenient policies? It is not a coincidence that these are happening at the same time, and that should be looked into. Also, the email at no point mentioned the reason for keeping this quarantine policy. Isolation for testing positive is one thing, and if a close contact starts being symptomatic
JACK YUANWEI CHENG/ the Justice
is another thing, but an asymptomatic close contact should be able to go about their business just while wearing a mask. Of course, people should be notified if they are close contacts, but the next step should be that they monitor their symptoms and wear a mask, not isolate themselves in their rooms besides picking up food for five days. Lastly, I want to talk about how the University’s COVID-19 policies make no sense in the larger scheme. According to the University guidelines, this is what the definition of close contact is: coming within six feet of an infected or probably infected person for at least 15 minutes within a 24hour period starting from two days before illness onset or, for asymptomatic patients, two days prior to positive specimen collection until the time the patient is isolated. There is no mention of whether it matters if the people involved were masked or not, which is a direct contradiction with health guidelines put out by the CDC and Massachusetts Department of Health. But by taking away the mask mandate, the University is exposing so many more people to possibly testing positive. If the mask mandate changes, so should the quarantine
policy. Otherwise, the school is letting many more people be designated as close contacts, putting their mental health at risk for no scientific reason. It is also the case that we should not have both taken away the masks policy while also reducing test frequency. It is theoretically possible for one to contract COVID-19 and recover from it all within the 168 hour window in which we now get tested. At this University, it is harder to be in quarantine than in isolation because at least people check in on you when you are isolated. If the policies won’t change, there should at least be a commitment to actually check in on those in quarantine, not just with an automated email. This might at least help with some of the mental health issues people are facing in quarantine. While my experience in quarantine was unremarkable, it is still unnatural to have been forced not to see anyone for five days. I urge the University, despite its recent email, to reconsider the quarantine policy, based both on scientific and mental health grounds.
‘Don’t Bite the Hands that Feed You’: a student POV from the rally for union workers By TIBRIA J. BROWN
JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
“Unfortunately, Brandeis has failed to respect union workers on all fronts” said the Brandeis Lefitst Union on their promotion post for the “Rally to Defend Dining Workers.” The “Rally to Defend Dining Workers” took place around the university’s campus and began in front of Usdan Student Center. Since I became a student at Brandeis in the fall of 2021, I’ve continuously heard upperclassmen and employees complain about the poor treatment of the dining workers. I along with many other students signed multiple petitions to ensure better pay and treatment of the workers. This rally was organized to secure better treatment for Brandeis University’s Union workers. Some of the demands include: Demand #1- Making catering exclusive to union workers. Demand #2- Upholding the union contracts. Demand #3- Transparency with union workers. Demand #4- Representation in decisionmaking processes. During the rally, we walked from Usdan to the lower campus, past Sherman Function
Hall, and ended at the Bernstein-Marcus Administration Center. The march took place on the windy afternoon of Feb 18, starting at 2:30 p.m.. The organizers of the protest took the weather into consideration and provided hot chocolate for everyone there. I, along with other eager participants, appreciated the gesture. It seemed that dining hall employees were the main highlight of the rally. Several of the handmade signs were demands from dining hall employees. It was interesting to see how much support the union workers got at the rally. The graduate student employee union also made an appearance along with other union workers from around Waltham. When we arrived at our final destination, outside the Berenstein-Marcus Administration Center, representatives from their unions began presenting their demands for Brandeis’ administration. Dozens showed their support for Brandeis’ union workers. Students, other faculty, and outside supporters came to assist workers in securing their demands. It was really incredible to see how students, stood up to show solidarity for the union workers. After the union workers presented their points, we then ventured into the Administration Center. One of the coordinating leaders of the rally directed protesters into the
administrative building to speak to University President Ron Liebowitz. The chants throughout the rally further amplified the workers’ demands. “Every minute, every hour: Build student worker power” and “Don’t bite the hands that feed you: Hey Ron, the workers don’t need you.” While talking to Cassandra Anderson, a student activist and member of the Brandeis Leftist Union, I learned that the chants were created by the students of the BLU in preparation for the rally. There was a lot of comradery and energy among the participants of the rally. Even with the gloomy weather of the day, we were vibrant and impassioned as we chanted throughout the administrative building. Once we got to one of the innermost administrative offices, we continued to chant and demand to see President Liebowitz. Onlookers were other staff members, who paused their work inside the office to observe the protest. The lack of concern from them, as dozens of students chanted loudly demanding support for the University’s union workers, was really off - putting. I’m not sure if the workers didn’t care about our rally, or if they were in the same position of mistreatment as workers and didn’t have the
energy to care. The leading person in the red shirt on the right, Josh Benson, told protesters that President Liebowitz was not in the building: “Ron isn’t here. Because Ron is scared of workers and us students uniting, to make a university that pays its workers well. That actually operates on systems of social justice.” They also added, “We at the Brandeis Leftist Union call for solidarity with labor, and joint student-worker control of the university.” This rally was completely needed as Brandeis continues to keep catering workers in the dark while changing the food service contractor. As someone that had been vaguely aware of the issues union workers have been having with Brandeis, this rally’s organizers did well informing all attendants of the protest. The event opened my eyes to the depth of these issues going on around campus and helped me further empathize with the needs of our faculty. Cassandra Anderson, acted as one of the coordinators of this rally. Student support was incredibly important for this rally. “If Brandeis only saw the workers advocating for themselves, they would do nothing. Student involvement was critical,” she said.
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor: University Services and Brandeis Dining would like to respond to the BiteU app malfunction points covered in the recent article by The Justice. This feedback is valued, and as a result, we have recently conducted four Bite customer tabling sessions, with little participation, outside the Upper Food Court. Most students who we spoke with had no complaints and stated it works for them and that they use the app frequently and they like having the ability to order ahead. There is nothing that indicates there is a widespread problem. Any bugs or glitches we do experience or receive comments on are fixed in real time. Currently we continue to receive and fulfill about 1,700 orders through Bite daily. Of all those orders, we average two or three comments per week through the bite feedback mechanism. Most of these are students not able to link a credit card or other technical issue that we are always able to walk them through. Less than once per week, we get a comment about something missing from an order which we fix or issue a refund. We encourage community members with concerns to speak to one of Dining’s onsite management team members, utilize the Bite Help and Support link on the app located on your profile tab, or by using BiteCustomerSupport.USA@Sodexo. com. We appreciate your feedback.
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THE JUSTICE ● SPORTS ● TUESDAY, MARCH 15 , 2022 13
F1: Nikita Mazepin loses seat CONTINUED FROM 16 According to the Formula One website, Magnussen had said, “I mean, the fact that we’ve got this new car that is totally different, everyone starting from a blank sheet of paper, was also very crucial for my decision to come back, and I think it’s exciting – it
had an element of the unknown, that [there] could be surprises, and I want to be there in case we can do something fun!” He had expressed his excitement multiple times and claimed he did not realize how much he would miss Formula One. Now, Magnussen will take his place along Mick Schumacher to race for the Haas team for the upcoming 2022 season.
the Volume LXXI,
Justice
The Indepen denT
Number 12
BOARD OF TRU
STEES
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ice.org
STudenT new Spaper
Trustees make long-awaited divestment choice
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Tuesday, Decemb
BrandeIS un IverSITy SInce 1949
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‘BABY STEPS’ TOWA
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Waltham, Mas
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■ The University will its investment stra change tegi decrease future inve es to fossil fuel business stment in es.
principal busi ness is the mini coal for use in energy gene ng of ratio Investments that presently n.” ist in “foss exil fuel priva te limited partnerships (i.e., private partnership limited By JEN GELLER fund ments, the focu s that make investJUSTICE EDITO s R ing profit from of which is derivthe exploratio After months production of n fossil fuels such and Board of Trus of deliberation, the and natural as oil tees adopted gas) a set of policies rega cordance with … will run off in acrding fossil the funds’ typic fuel investments at cycles,” Chie al life their Novembe f Investment ing, updating r meetNicholas War Officer the 1973 guid ren that previous wrote in an elines to the Just email ly informed ice. Thes investment their e funds have an average decisions. life cycle of Brandeis students have 10 years. “The overall been pressing administratio portfolio is the ture, with n to divest maman from fossil fuels for the later stage y funds reaching several year s and s of their life continued to Therefore we cycle. do so in resp have expect it to the recent onse to wind down over slowly policy anno unce the ment. In a Nov. 28 next 5-7 year Warren wrot email to the s,” e. This is spec Brandeis community, private limit ific to University ed President Ron Liebowit that invest with partnership funds z outlined the new pola focus on gain icies that will profit from ing guide future exploiting and ment. From ing oil, natu producnow on, the Univ investral gas and endowment ersity’s othe sil fuel. As funds will of Oct. 30, 2018, r fosnot be invested direc fuel private tly in “public “fossil limited partn or private companies erships[’] [market valu or partnersh e] [was] $63.3 ips whose million,
See DIVESTMEN
T, 7 ☛
STUDENT UNION
Special election call to fill open position ed s
The Brandeis Mountain Clu b hung a ban Monday to pro ner in the Sha test the Board ANDREW BAXTER /the Justice piro Campus of Trustees’ decision on Center Atrium fossil fuel div on estment.
ADMINISTRATION
Report details c am shortcomings on d pus iversity
■ The report pres comprehensive ented a picture of how community members view the Univers ity's diversit y, reportin g policies
problems such as Meehan’s beha and what steps are being taken vior, vent such prob lems from arisi to prefuture. ng in the
athletes may fear being force team or not d off the being cording to Lieb allowed to play, acowitz. However, the course of over their interview s, the investigators foun y was foun d no evidence principles of ded on By NATALIA WIAT ation and deter of retali“anti-discrimi ER mined there nation, inclusiveness, JUSTICE EDITO was ply a perception R acad that it was occu simpendence, and emic freedom, indeTo rring comb University Pres . the highest at this perce standards ident Ron Lieb of academic qual ption, Lieb itz explained released the ■ owitz ity” in an era in an interview owCampus Clim chief of staff gation, discr of segrethe Justice and ate Report with last Thursday ,” he said, imination and The Brandeis adding, “I , which detai quotas, the don’t bear any investigators Monday that Hoot on led the “exceedingly high wrote. ill will towa the administr rd them. standards” and They’re both How ation needs to build the ever, some er shortcomings very passiona broadcommunity’s community very smart. te and bers brought memtrust in the system, whic … I’m really well as the steps of the University, as up controver h will take excited to see where thing the administr sies surrounding the time. Previous policies taking to addr ation is s go.” University’s were unclear, ess them. This identity, whic “I understan Jewish and made it he said, and final repo second d [Chang] has h many agree difficult to repo rt, authored given a pain d is important to Brandeis. been By CHAIEL SCHA rt issues. Liebowitz said ted target on by independent inve One FFEL he facul belie stiga his ty member and I don’t think ves the Univ explained that back, tors the Univ JUSTICE STAFF sity must ensu hired last sprin WRITER ersity any student identity-based re that the comm erg, follows up feel that way, should face additiona schools is aware of unity on the initial findings especially as l pressure to resources that The Student regarding the man,” he said. a freshmain their tain are repu able Unio complaints availtations, whic to them — such lodged again n announce that Vice Pres h discourages st former men’ d as the Reporting individuals Reynolds said ident Benedikt at Brandeis s basketball coach Bria from raising olds ’19 and web page — n Meehan. issues with successor deve he would help his the institutio Treasurer Jerry Reynand alternate chan n. Others ment For the secon lop contacts ’18 will resig nels for reporting create Miller the administ d half of the ioned confusion about with n at the end with educating , along investigaration, as well tion, the Boar whether or not of the semester. Thei them d as catch on why reporting them up on of Trustees taske Brandeis markets itself r seats will be is important projects relev investigators as d the filled in a . special elect ant to the — Walter Prin vice presidenc and noted that a Jewish institution, ion to be held In addition, colm Graham ce, Maly. He will also conversations on Dec. 10. investigators Vice President and Daniel his successor rael have beco about Isshow that instead learned Tarlow — Bene with examining how to help me “charged of reporting ,” which in Reynolds anno dikt Reynolds ’19 groups. student the systems, turn put “fun issues, many in the Brandeis and culture climate draisers on the community choo of University’s to resign durin unced his intent defensive with Jewish Looking back speak about proc se to for g the Nov. 20 dono edur hand on rs,” his e them among ling complaint according to time in the Senate meet Union Union, Reyn report. themselves s related to bias the — an exam ing. olds said he or discrimin ple of thou ation interview with He said in a Dec. 3 what they call work with envi ght and to recom Many stude “small town corrective actio the Justice a ronmental grou his mend nts spoke well mentality.” that his personal heath n accordingly. the Universit University’s ps at Administrators admitted was the reaso y stood out academic rigor of the Throughout to investigat n for his resignation. the most. the He latio also and repo nshi expr rt, reors they An incident the investips they essed concern that are “too quiet gators stressed in abou ber in whic the Senate their role as and faculty prais formed with faculty, ress in improvin ” about their progh two senators Novemweighs its cons t how “lawyers and investigat g the campus publicly criticized Reyn ors,” not expe tituents’ opinions. ture” that exist ed the “niceness culwhich further cultu rts in the olds for his educational re, s within the adds to the field, writing, involvement in a resol Others raise “Senators, and school. climate of poor communic “We will ution that woul not substitute d conc ation. purchased pian d have our judgement tions, are expe any elected posimembers’ cultu erns about faculty administration os for the firstDiversity, equi for cted to be ral sensitivity residence quad ’s].” They poin [the and communic liaisons ty and inclusion year Diversity, Equi . One s affected his the steps the ators for the ted to Brandeis has ty and Inclu admi decision to step down body,” he said. student historically pert said profe sion exbut taking, and decli nistration is already sues of race and faced is“Right now, ssors and staff factor, Reynolds was not the driving it seems as if we’re decis segregation, ned to give their equipped to respe are “illthe speci said in the inter tigators noted invesion makers own fic recommend ct cultural diffe , citing both Reynolds acce student body view. for the es,” according ations, sayin rencthe original . These [cam doing so woul 1969 Ford Hall pted the apolo g that to the report. pus] newsClass of 2022 d be “presump gies of protest, its 2015 papers probably This issue of culturally Senator Alex tuous.” part and Meeh coun To understan talk to our cons insensitive Chang and International an’s firing. From terencies [more] d the campus “bullying” was prominen tituStudent Sena investigators than we do.” climate, interviews with t in Meehan’s their tor Linfei Yang ’20 and inter beha toward his playe Reynolds stres the community vior said of faculty, staff, viewed a number investigators , the sed that bein rs. that they apolo he was “thankful” foun member of the admi d g The that a nistr investigators while ators, students and alum was “deep and gized. “The Union is a stren also described been open to y have ni to examine undertaking wide acceptance there “widespread uous communication concerns about the way for full-time importance anxiety abou of the of diversity, me as well as the Universit students and suggested with t lodging complaints” equit with the presi y comp inclu hand amon that y, laint and sion” amon les the Union shou g the Brandeis s. They then dent and munity due ld complaced their findings in a trators and dean g students, administo concerns large abou See UNION, 6 ☛ s, there was ation, confu Brandeis cultu r context of how the less consensu “notably sion surroundi t retalis” among the re has contr ng procedures and a faculty. ibuted to lack of belie Administrator f that things s tended to will change. focus on the “business For example, case” for incre student asing di-
.
Brandeis’ clim ate The Universit and culture
The Union's vice and treasurer will president step down and be replaced at the end of this semester.
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THE JUSTICE ● SPORTS ● TUESDAY, MARCH 15 , 2022 15
JUDGES BY THE NUMBERS BASEBALL
BRITTNEY GRINER
TEAM STATS
UAA STANDINGS
Runs Batted In
UAA Conference W L NYU 0 0 Emory 0 0 Case 0 0 JUDGES 0 0 WashU 0 0
Overall L Pct. 0 1.000 7 .563 7 .364 2 .333 5 .167
W 3 9 4 1 1
Brian King ’23 leads the team with four runs batted in. Player RBI Brian King 4 Victor Oppenheimer 4 Nick Heafey 3 Mike Khoury 2
Innings Pitched Mason Newman M.S. leads all pitchers with 4.2 innings pitched. Player IP Mason Newman 4.2 Marc Maestri 4.1 Cam Roberts 4.0 Donnie Weisse 3.0
UPCOMING GAMES: March 16 at Trinity March 19 at Bates March 23 at Wentworth
SOFTBALL UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS Runs Batted In
UAA Conference W L W JUDGES 0 0 6 WashU 0 0 4 Carnegie 0 0 7 Emory 0 0 6 NYU 0 0 2 Case 0 0 2
Overall L Pct. 2 .750 2 .667 6 .538 6 .500 2 .500 5 .286
Melissa Rothenberg M.S. has a team-high 10 runs batted in. Player RBI Melissa Rothenberg 10 Amidori Anderson 7 Haley Nash 4 Alex Cohen 3
Innings Pitched Alex Cohen ’24 has a team-high nine innings pitched. Player Ks Alex Cohen 14.2 Sydney Goldman 13.1 Rebecca Guerci 10.1
UPCOMING GAMES: March 20 at Simmons College March 22 at WPI March 25 at WashU
TRACK AND FIELD Results from the Tufts Last Chance Meet on March 5
TOP FINISHERS (MEN’S) 200-meter dash
RUNNER Reese Farquhar
TIME 23.19
TOP FINISHERS (WOMEN’S)
HIGH FLYER: Brittney Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA.
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Brittney Griner detained on drug possession charges
200-meter dash
RUNNER Devin Hiltunen
TIME 26.17
■ Griner was detained in a Russian airport enroute to the United States for carrying vaporizer cartridges. By TAKU HAGIWARA
UPCOMING MEETS:
JUSTICE EDITOR
March 26 at Bridgewater State Invitational April 2 at Tufts Snowflake Classic
TENNIS Results from the meet on March 13.
TOP PERFORMERS (MEN’S)
TOP PERFORMERS (WOMEN’S)
MEN’S SINGLES Colt Tegtmeier
RECORD 6-2, 6-2
WOMEN’S SINGLES RECORD Bhakti Parwani 6-4, 6-3
MEN’S DOUBLES Chen / Tzeng
RECORD 8-3
WOMEN’S DOUBLES RECORDParwani / Sia 6-9
UPCOMING MEETS:
Men: March 18 at Denison Women: March 19 at Rochester
En route back stateside from her season with Russian women’s basketball team UMMC Ekaterinburg, seven-time WNBA all-star Brittney Griner was caught in an airport in Moscow in possession of a vaporizer cartridge of hashish oil, which contains marijuana. This marijuana substance is illegal in Russia. Since being detained in February, she has remained in the custody of Russian officials, with word of her detainment only being released in March. Griner is currently being investigated for “large-scale transportation of drugs,” which is an offense that carries a 10-year sentence in Russia. Griner is one of many WNBA
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players who play outside of the U.S. during the offseason. Because of the low salary of the domestic league, many players seek employment in foreign leagues that often pay higher salaries. Unfortunately for Griner, she finds herself in a very precarious situation given the current circumstances between Russia and the United States. She had been detained just after the invasion of Ukraine, which raises suspicions about the true intentions of her detainment given her relatively high-profile status. On top of drug charges, Russia also does not recognize same-sex relationships. Since Griner is openly gay, this may pose another challenge for her as she attempts to return to America. Griner’s situation has curiously been overlooked by American politicians, with only Joaquin Castro, a representative from Griner’s native Texas, taking to Twitter, commenting,“U.S. citizens are not political pawns. Brittney, Trevor, and other Americans must be safely returned.” Griner’s agent
and the WNBA have also released similarly vague statements that predominantly note that her situation is being monitored closely. The lack of any concrete plan of action from both the WNBA and the U.S. government may be an indication that there is a lack of control from anyone on Griner’s side. This, unfortunately, means that there is not much that can be done to help Griner, and how the situation is handled is almost completely up to the Russian government. Despite the unfortunate situation that she finds herself in, Griner has attracted various criticism online. Many highlight that she should have been aware of Russia’s strict laws restricting drugs as well as their stance on LGBTQ+ individuals, and given that Griner has been playing in Russia for almost eight years, these criticisms of her ignorance could have some truth behind them. Nonetheless, she finds herself in a bad situation that has been significantly magnified by current world politics.
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BRITTNEY GRINER DETAINED WNBA all-star is caught in the in the midst of political turmoil as she is detained in Russia for possesion of marijuana, p. 15.
Page 16
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
An inside look into Krav Maga
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich becomes the winningest coach in NBA history
■ The Justice had the chance to talk to the Brandeis Krav Maga president and learn about this non-competition sport. By MEGAN GELLER JUSTICE EDITOR
Krav Maga is one of the various club sports found on campus. This week, the Justice had the chance to talk to the club team’s president to learn about their organization and what makes it unique. Krav Maga, which means “contact combat” in Hebrew, is a selfdefense system developed for the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli security forces. This sport is not about competitions or showcases, but training to prepare for worstcase scenarios. According to a 2013 article from the Art of Manliness, the principles of Krav Maga include “neutralizing the threat, keeping it simple, simultaneously defending and attacking, and focusing on weapons and vulnerable soft tissue and pressure points.” In a March 8 interview with the Justice, club president Miriam Fisch ’25 explained,
“Krav Maga isn't about competition. We just work on ourselves.” The club meets at 11 a.m. on Sundays in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. With eight members on the roster, the club always welcomes newcomers who have any range of experiences. Fisch explained, “For those who feel insecure joining suddenly, who want to catch up, or can't make Sunday, I'm happy to find another time to do a mini session.” This club focuses on body positivity and gaining strength while building a community. Because of the close contact nature of the sport, members bond through practicing fighting positions on the mat or holding pads for each other. This year, Fisch restarted the club, citing the club’s existence as one of her reasons for choosing to attend Brandeis. Fisch expressed her appreciation for Brandeis Krav Maga’s intersections between body acceptance, kickboxing, and selfdefense. “We focus on getting in tune with our bodies and toning our bodies rather than changing them or forcing them to change,” Fisch continued. “The routines themselves are built to empower the members physically and psychologically rather than just to burn calories or get physical.”
As Uralkali and Nikita Mazepin get the chop, Kevin Magnussen is offered empty Haas seat ■ Haas replaces Russian driver Nikita Mazepin with Kevin Magnussen and his father’s company Uralkali is dropped. By LIZ PAL
JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Haas, an American Formula One team, has recently cut ties with Nikita Mazepin and Russian company Uralkali. Uralkali had signed a deal with Haas in 2021 to become a title sponsor for the team. Many speculate that the head of the company, Dmitry Mazepin, signed the deal to secure a seat for his son Nikita Mazepin. Hass is following suit with various organizations in cutting ties with Russia. According to ESPN sports, Uralkali has demanded full reimbursement of their sponsorship from Haas after being dropped as the team's title sponsor ahead of the coming Formula One season. It is well known that Dmitry Mazepin is a supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin and met with him after he began his attack on Ukraine. Although the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile released a statement claiming that Russian and Belarusian drivers can compete under a neutral flag, the Haas team still decided to drop its Russian driver.
A statement released by Uralkali claimed that “the Company views the Team's decision as unreasonable and believes that sports should always be free of politics and pressure from external factors." The company continues by saying that "the refund from Haas and the remaining part of Uralkali's sponsor financing for 2022 will be used to establish the 'We Compete As One' athlete support foundation.” The 'We Compete As One' athlete support foundation is the new creation of Nikita Mazepin to fight the political “injustice” forced upon Russian athletes in this time of war. According to him, it is unfair to persecute athletes because of the passport they carry. Haas continues looking for a replacement. On March 9, 2022, the Haas team picked Kevin Magnussen to fill the vacant seat. The Danish driver is not a foreigner to the Haas team, having previously competed on the team during the 2017 to 2020 Formula One seasons. The 29-year-old left Formula One to spend the 2021 season in sportscar racing and made an IndyCar cameo. Magnussen was originally replaced by Mazepin because the team was desperate for funding, but now he gets to reap the benefits of the money provided by Uralkali. The irony has not been lost on the Formula One fandom, and the memes have been electric.
See F1, 13 ☛
■ Spurs' Popovich surpasses Don Nelson for most regular season wins in NBA history. By JACKSON WU
JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Buzzers sounded in the AT&T Center as the hometown team San Antonio Spurs captured another regular-season win, 104-102, against the visiting Utah Jazz. This win is the 1,336th regular-season victory — 1,526 overall — of Spurs’ legendary coach Gregg Popovich, now the all-time leader of the NBA in both categories. Born in a Serbo-Croatian family in the city of Chicago, Popovich attended and graduated from the United States Air Force Academy, in which he played four seasons of basketball and became the leading scorer of the team. He did Soviet studies, underwent intelligence training, and once considered working for the Central Intelligence Agency before dedicating his life to basketball. After years of coaching college basketball, Popovich joined the San Antonio Spurs coaching staff along with his mentor Larry Brown. He was briefly the assistant coach to the Golden State Warriors between 1992 and 1994 before returning to the Spurs as the general manager and vice president of basketball operations. After an awful 3–15 run early in the 1996-97 NBA season, Popovich fired
Waltham, Mass.
the head coach at that time and took over the position. Despite Popovich taking over, the Spurs were haunted by injuries and finished the season with an embarrassing 20–62 record. This failing season turned out to be a huge blessing in disguise as the Spurs subsequently drafted future hall of famer Tim Duncan in 1997. Tim Duncan — joined by David “the Admiral” Robinson, Avery “Little” Johnson and Steve Kerr — led the team to their first championship in 1999. The Spurs, since then, has gone on for the longest postseason streak in NBA history until the 2019-2020 season and is known for their selfless game of team basketball and the iconic big three, Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobilli. Modern basketball philosophies like “Hack-a-Shaq,” "players’ load management,” and “team basketball'' are all originated or reinforced by coach Popovich’s legacy. Popovich has become a fivetime NBA champion and, without a doubt, enjoys great success as a coach. Coach Popovich is also famous for his sense of humor, generosity, and mentorship. He often poked fun at reporter Craig Sager’s outfits during sideline interviews on national television. When asked about the Spurs’ struggle in field goal percentage, he simply responded “It didn’t go in the hole.” Popovich helps great players develop but is never shy about letting them pursue brighter futures. He persuaded big man Boban Marjanovic to leave the Spurs when the Detroit Pistons
offered Marjanovic a better deal that San Antonio could not match. For his coaching legacy, Popovich has a huge influence in the modern NBA as current coaches including Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors), Mike Budenholzer (Milwaukee Bucks), and Boston’s very own Ime Udoka have all worked for and learned from coach Popovich. He also mentored Becky Hammon (Las Vegas Aces), the first WNBA coach to receive an one-million dollar annual salary. Coach Popovich was named the head coach of Team USA Men’s Basketball in 2015 and won the 2020 Tokyo Olympics during his tenure. Off of the court, Popovich has been vocal on politics and inequality. He speaks out about racism, supports the Black Lives Matter movement during interviews, criticizes former president Donald Trump for his failures to unite the country, and participates in charity on a regular basis. “Because we’re all rich as hell, and we don’t need it all, and other people need it. Then, you’re an ass if you don’t give it. Pretty simple,” Popovich responded when ESPN asked about the importance of giving back to the community. The San Antonio Spurs now have a record of 26 wins and 42 losses. They are two games behind the 10th seed, the threshold to make the play-in tournament. As rumors are that this might be coach Popovich’s last season before retirement, the Spurs will continue to fight for a spot in the postseason to celebrate Popovich’s legacy.
Photo Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
COACH POP: Gregg Popovich celebrates his fifth championship in San Antonio.
March 15, 2022
Vol. LXXIV #19 Vol. LXX #2
September 12, 2017
>> Pg. 18
just
Waltham, Mass.
Photos: Noah Zeitlin/the Justice. Design: Noah Zeitlin/the Justice.
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TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2022| TUESDAY, I ARTS & CULTURE I THE THE JUSTICE | ARTS JANUARY 31,JUSTICE 2017
THEATER
‘Orlando’ By NOAH ZEITLIN JUSTICE EDITOR
The Brandeis University Department of Theater Arts put on Sarah Ruhl’s adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s novel, “Orlando,” from Friday March 11 to Sunday March 13. The play tells the story of Orlando, a character who undergoes a gender transition, who in the meantime is thrown into love affairs with real historical figures.
Costume Designs Courtesy of KAT LAWRENCE
The costumes for Orlando were designed by Kat Lawrence ’22 for her senior thesis. Shown are “Orlando”’s Act 2 costumes, portrayed by Ellie Forster ’24, as originally drawn by Kat Lawrence. Lawrence mentioned that she was “so grateful for everyone who helped get to this point” of being able to design the costumes for a mainstage production. Lawrence noted that “it takes a village between the designing and the creation, and it was a great team.” In the interview, which occurred after the final performance on March 13, she mentioned that this is the proudest that she has ever been of a final project.
Photos by NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
Orlando tricks the Archduke, played by Peirce Robinson ’22, out of his money by guessing which cube of sugar a fly would land on.
Orlando, played by Ellie Forster ’24, holds hands with his love interest, Sasha, played by Laya Fridman ’25.
Orlando had a moment of self-discovery in the middle of the second act.
Orlando, played by Ellie Forster ’24, sits under the Queen’s 10-foot long dress, which was worn for her grand entrance towards the beginning of the play. The Queen was played by Lucie Blau ’24. Design: Noah Zeitlin/the Justice
TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2022 I ARTS & CULTURE I THE JUSTICE
THE JUSTICE | ARTS | TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2017
TV REVIEW
The failure of ‘Euphoria’ and ‘Assasination Nation’ By CAYENN LANDAU JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
To understand “Euphoria”’s season 2 character failings, you have to see “Assasaination Nation,” and how Sam Levinson keeps screwing over his heroines. Recently, the New York Times published a piece about how Sam Levinson, the director of HBO’s smash-hit show “Euphoria,” had been disavowed by the show’s own fanbase. Reports had come out that a few actresses on “Euphoria”’’s set were put in positions where they had to advocate not to be nude. This, coupled with a series of messier, unsatisfying plotlines for a few beloved characters, led to a change of pace in the conversation around Levinson’s creative direction. It’s a twist not unlike author
J.K. Rowling’s fall from grace after the Harry Potter fandom abandoned her following transphobic comments that she made in 2020. Indeed, “Euphoria” and its ensemble of traumatized characters appears to remain beloved by fans, just as The Boy Who Lived lives on. But regardless of the separation fans have made between Levinson and “Euphoria,” it’s impossible to completely sever the two from each other, mainly because the show’s deadpan narrator, Rue – Zendaya – is based on a younger version of himself. This is part of what makes her character so multidimensional and well done: it’s driven by autobiography. But it’s also here that things get tricky for Levinson, especially when it comes to the ways in which the women around Rue are portrayed. How might we
Photo Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
FALL FROM GRACE: Sam Levinson’s failure in “Euphoria” can be traced from his earlier work, “Assasination Nation.”
address the triumphs of season two while also acknowledging the ways in which it fails its other protagonists? For example, Rue’s friend Kat – played by Barbie Ferreria – seemed to be almost written out of the show entirely, aside from a few half-hearted one-liners and some random sexy dancing. Other characters – Rue’s sister Gia who was played by Storm Reid – and protagonist Jules – portrayed by Hunter Schafer – showed no character development at all. Worst of all, Cassie – Sydney Sweeny – morphed into a onedimensional mess of a villain who destroys her relationship with her best friend, her sister, and her own autonomy all for the love of the show’s biggest antagonist, Nate Jacobs – played by Jacob Elordi. Unlike Cassie’s portrayal in season 1, which left her with a newfound independence and sense of empowerment, her endless nude scenes seem to be written to purposely leave her without a backbone. But there’s a blueprint to these character failings. From allegations of voyeurism to empty monologues, “Assasaination Nation” did it first. Written and directed by Levinson and released in 2018, “Assasaination Nation” follows a group of teenage girls in Trump’s America as their town, Salem, descends into chaos following a data leak. Like “Euphoria,” “Assasaination Nation” tackles
topics like transphobia, toxic masculinity, relationship abuse, and sexual assult through having its four female protagonists survive a stylized gauntlet – or, per the town’s name, a witch hunt – of violence from the men around them over the course of a single night. It’s full of vehement monologues about the patriarchy, delivered by cynical narrator Lily – played by Odessa Young. It’s supposed to be femminist, but the film delights in showing its heroines cornered: a knife pushed into Lily’s mouth, held by her assaulter, or a noose being tightened around Lily’s friend Bex – portrayed by Hari Nef – in an attempted hate crime. For all of Lily’s devastating monologues on girlhood and autonomy, the movie seems incredibly contingent on voyeurism. This wasn’t something missed by critics. “The filmmakers have the gall to spend nearly two hours assaulting the audience with sexualized violence, only to turn around and offer up a patronizing lecture on the contradictory social conditioning of women as some kind of grrrl power rallying cry,” wrote Katie Walsh on “Nation” for the Los Angeles Times. For the same reasons, audiences rated “Assasaination Nation” a 55/100 on Rotten Tomatoes. For Levinson, the takeaways from “Assasaination Nation”’s critical reviews should have instigated a push to do better
by his female protagonists. And it did, for the most part, in the first season of “Euphoria.” But in season two, his heroines become boxed in by their own storylines, just as “Assassination Nation”’s were. Fight they can, but catch a break they cannot. Between “Assasination Nation” and the second season of “Euphoria,” we’re supposed to accept when Levinson’s female protagonists implode into one-dimensional shells of their former selves, simply because we’re shown how they were traumatized into it. “You can control what I eat, what I wear,” says Cassie to Nate in a stomach-churning, pastellit monologue. Levinson wants us to accept the monologue as reasonable, because we saw everything that brought Cassie to the point of delivering it. And boom, that’s where the season leaves her. If Levinson wants to keep developing his characters, he’s going to have to move past aestheticizing the hell his female protagonists go through and start focusing on how to let them keep their autonomy and multidimensionality in the face of it. There’s a line between realistic depictions of trauma and trauma porn that Levinson has failed to acknowledge, and it’s biting him in the butt. It’s not clear if Levinson can uncancel himself before the third season of “Euphoria,” but getting a writers’ room couldn’t hurt.
MEDIA REVIEW
Careful of anthropological clickbaits By JASON FRANK JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
In recent years, a genre of YouTube videos purporting to document implicit human opinions has quietly dominated one corner of the platform. Channels like WatchCut and Jubilee are regularly releasing videos that attempt to put people in situations where their implicit biases will be revealed through a series of heightened questions. Cut is known for a few different games, including Truth or Drink, where people with varying types of relationships are forced to answer uncomfortable questions or take a shot; 1000 to 1, in which groups of people determine who amongst themselves should receive $1000; and, in particular, Line Up, which forces individuals to categorize people they’ve just met. Some examples of their videos include “Gay Man Guesses People’s Sexual Orientation,” “We Had an Abortion | Truth or Drink,” or “Kids Meet Guys with Felonies.” Channels like Cut and Jubilee bill themselves under the idea that watching their videos will make you a better person and the
Design: Megan Liao/the Justice
internet a better place. Jubilee, whose videos include “Strangers Rank Themselves by Attractiveness” and “Blind Dating Six Guys Based on Their Outfits,” opens many of their videos with the phrase “Hey good humans!” Cut, meanwhile, says of themselves on their website that “Small questions have powerful effects when they go viral. Cut spreads stories for fun, for serious, and for real – bringing the internet together one awkward moment at a time.” There is an implicit belief in these companies, or at least a marketing push, that they are inherently creating empathy and probing at stereotypes by portraying awkwardness on screen for many eyes. One of Cut’s former producers, Christopher Chan, is a trained “visual anthropologist” and has said that Cut is creating a version of anthropology that is consumable for mass audiences. By portraying awkward situations, situations that wouldn’t exist in typical life, or situations that wouldn’t typically be on camera, they are creating something eminently watchable yet informative. Yet, what’s difficult about this version of what Cut or Jubilee
are doing is that it’s not really a version of anthropology. At their most interesting, these videos represent the raw data collection that would make up anthropological analysis. These videos include “Black Parents Explain How to Deal with the Police.” Simply the process of putting this act on camera can be helpful and interesting in terms of analysis., but there isn’t any analysis in that video. Anthropology, or any social science, is not simply a process of collecting raw emotion and information; it’s also about contextualizing it. Cut doesn’t typically include contextualization in their content. Instead, they simply allow that data to be consumed by mass audiences, with it regularly going viral due to their enticing titles. “Black Parents Explain How to Deal with the Police” is a harrowing watch. Many of the children cry, many of the parents are at a loss for words, and the need to explain police brutality is shown for the horror that it is. “Black Parents Explain How to Deal with the Police” has also been acknowledged by Cut as one of their most hated videos. I bring up the hate, not in an
attempt to persecute Cut because racists watched their videos; they cannot prevent that. What I do think is worth noting is that those same people are going to be the actual anthropologists in this situation. Cut has a particularly active comment section, and many of their posts go viral on Facebook as well as on YouTube, prompting even more discussion there. Given the “raw data” nature of their videos, it’s unsurprising that so many people turn to the comment section in hopes that other viewers can provide the context that the video lacks. Sometimes that can be helpful, but it can also be extremely hurtful, as commenters are not guaranteed any level of expertise. For “Black Parents Explain How to Deal with the Police” to be one of their most hated videos means that those commenters are doing the work for their readers that Cut isn’t. They are explaining the data. Presenting trauma in this way is guaranteed to stir up emotion, and emotion translates to virality, which is great for Cut. What emotion is not synonymous with is insight. Many of the comments on “Black Parents Explain How
to Deal with the Police” are recent, though the video came out in 2017, and include sentiments like “the fact that this was made 2 YEARS ago really says something.” A well-meaning comment, yes, but one that does not acknowledge the systemic violence that the video is the result of. Two years is minor in the scheme of police brutality because it’s part of a system that has existed for centuries. Cut does not educate in videos like this one. They stir emotion. I don’t mean to demonize these videos or disregard any potential for good that they might do. But, I do contest the mission statement that they intend to “bring the internet together” or that they have the ability to create inherent understanding through this content. What they’re showing is that they have the ability to stir emotion, which is valuable, but it necessitates a dual process of education to be truly effective. Previously, Cut has produced videos such as “Chansplaining” that contextualized some of their choices in the past, but that series was canceled due to low views. If they want to be more than clickbait, they should probably Chansplain some more.
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TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2022 I ARTS & CULTURE I THE JUSTICE
STAFF’S Top Ten
JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice
Top 10 Taylor Swift songs … again By CAMERON CUSHING JUSTICE MANAGING EDITOR
Since I first joined the Justice in 2019, we’ve been blessed with “folklore,” “evermore,” and Taylor’s Version of both “Fearless” and “Red.” Here’s my ranking of the new and vault tracks.
1. All Too Well (10 Minute Version) 2. august 3. ivy 4. the lakes (original version) 5. I Bet You Think About Me (feat. Chris Stapleton) 6. marjorie 7. my tears ricochet 8. coney island (feat. The National) 9. The Very First Night 10. Mr. Perfectly Fine
HOROSCOPES
MEGAN LIAO/the Justice
By MADDY DULONG JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Aries
Cancer
Virgo
Capricorn
An eventful week for you this week, Aries! With the full moon in Virgo approaching this Friday (as well as the warmer weather) you could feel motivated to be more physical this week! Take a walk, go for a bike ride, or even join a club sport (as Aries is ruled by the competitive Mars). Get some of this extra energy out now because the Sun enters Aries at the end of this week on March 19, and you will be at the center of attention for the next month after that! This full moon also falls into your sixth house, ruling health and wellness. Take extra time to be good to yourself mentally and physically this week.
This week may carry severe throwback energy for you, Cancer! The full moon in Virgo on Friday lands in your third house of childhood and early life. Maybe make plans to go visit your hometown this weekend, or even reach out to a childhood friend. Keep an eye out for local events in the area as well, the nicer weather is likely to bring out new opportunities for local fun! Be prepared for this upcoming Aries season, though. The Sun enters Aries and your tenth house of success on Sunday, this is your time to be ambitious and really go for what you want! You may find opportunities in the next month that lead you to new horizons!
You are the center of attention this week, Virgo! This year’s only full moon in Virgo falls into your first house of self this Friday — take full advantage of it! Move yourself forward toward a life you have been planning to live. Don’t let yourself be held back by fear or anxiety, this full moon energy paired with the upcoming Aries season will give you the confidence you need to do what you want! If you have had a long-term project or journey you have been working on, now is the time to show it off! This Aries season sees the Sun entering your eighth house of intimacy and finances. You may see some changes in who you feel drawn to or in who is drawn to you. Take time to reflect, and don’t worry about being selective about who you surround yourself with, you deserve the best, Virgo!
Friday’s full moon in Virgo illuminating your ninth house of wisdom will open mental doors for you this week, Capricorn! Whether or not you may want it to, this full moon will illuminate your values and ethics this week, and it is up to you what you want to do with this newfound information. Think of it as calibrating your emotions and attention. Follow your wants and desires this week and perhaps you will find yourself a new hobby or discover a new journey for yourself! You may find yourself hibernating during this upcoming Aries season which lands in your fourth house of domesticity. Take this time to make your home a place you want it to be. Add some extra decor, maybe figure out your living situation for next year, or find a new roommate or apartment.
Taurus
Leo
Get the spring cleaning underway, Taurus! This week’s upcoming full moon in the micromanaging Virgo falls into your fifth house of self expression and creativity. Perhaps take this energy and rearrange your room, hang some new posters, or finally buy that decor you’ve been saving in your Amazon cart for weeks! Take the last week of Pisces season to use up the last of your eleventh house social energy before the Sun settles in Aries on Sunday in your twelfth house. Don’t worry, Taurus, your time is coming. Use the Aries season to rest and recharge before your birthday season next month!
Be on the lookout this week, Leo! The full moon in Virgo this Friday lands in your second house of values and habits, and this may illuminate several things in your life. Keep an eye out for people who may not support your values. Also look out for red flags in your own behavior, as the second house also rules self-worth. Make sure you are loving yourself the way you deserve, because you know better than anyone what you deserve, Leo! This Sunday’s move into Aries season in your ninth house of adventure, travel, and wisdom may lead you to plan several trips and journeys for the year ahead. Whether this is a physical journey or an emotional one, take this upcoming Aries season to embrace it, and allow it to energize you.
Gemini
Scorpio
Dust off your spring cleaning supplies, Gemini, this week’s full moon in Virgo lands in your fourth house of domesticity, so prepare for some serious clutter-clearing this week! Keep in mind, a clutter-free house does not equal a clutter-free mind. Take some time to also clear up your mind, get your priorities where you want them, and take care of yourself. This would also be the time to begin a search for a roommate or new apartment if you need to. Don’t worry, the Sun enters Aries this Sunday in your eleventh house of teamwork, so you may see your friend group growing, or perhaps join a friend group yourself! Take advantage of this!
If your social energy has been drained recently, it is coming back with a bang this Friday under the full moon in Virgo in your eleventh house of community, Scorpio! Use this time and energy to hang out with friends you haven’t seen in a while, or make plans with acquaintances who may not be in your circle yet but soon may be! If you have been working on a group project recently, this may be the time it will come to fruition. Use this as an excuse to celebrate! Group projects consume a lot of energy, you deserve a celebration! This Sunday sees the start of Aries season as the Sun falls in your sixth house of health and organization! Use this as an excuse for some spring cleaning, and maybe even start a new workout or skincare routine!
Libra This Friday’s upcoming full moon in Virgo falls in your twelfth house of healing and closure, Libra! Use this transitional time to allow yourself to heal and leave things behind. A situation may be at a crossroads, and you may need to use this time to discover what exactly you want. This may also illuminate endings or conclusions, giving you deeper insight into why things happened and allowing you to move forward. Don’t worry though, this Sunday brings the Sun into your sister sign of Aries and your seventh house of relationships! Take this extra energy to remember your values before you blindly accept the first opportunity that comes to you. You are worthy of someone who will support you and your values, Libra!
Aquarius This upcoming full moon in Virgo lands in your eighth house of intimacy and relationships on Friday! Use this to further relationships in your life you want to keep around, and perhaps end relationships you don’t want around. This is also the house of finances, so some financial opportunities may be illuminated around this time as well — keep an eye out for those! The Sun enters Aries in your third house of communication this Sunday. Remind yourself to communicate with others clearly, as an air sign you may forget that not everyone can read your mind, and communication may become messy as a result. It may be worth using this young, Aries, energy to try new things this upcoming season. Don’t feel the need to jump into new things, but dipping your toe in to test the waters is never a bad idea!
Sagittarius
Pisces
This Friday’s full moon in Virgo shows the fruit of your labors the past few months Sagittarius! If you have been working hard on something, this illuminating full moon in your 10th house of success is the time to show it off! This could open doors for you in the future, use it to your advantage! Set up some meetings with connections in your industry, or attend a connecting event in the next few weeks, it may give you opportunities you wouldn’t have found otherwise. The Sun enters Aries in your fifth house of romance this Sunday. If you are currently in a relationship, this may provide you with some extra energy romantically. Go out on a nice date, or spend some quality time together this Aries season! If you are not in a relationship, this may be the time to put yourself out there. You are a magnet during this upcoming Aries season. Sagittarius, don’t let that go to waste!
Pisces season is leaving us at the end of this week! All the energy you may have felt this Pisces season is here to stay! Aries season this Sunday is always full of youthful energy, so you won’t be left in the cold this week, Pisces. This upcoming full moon in Virgo on Friday lands in your seventh house of relationships. This can illuminate several things in your current relationships, whether positive or negative. If you are feeling stuck in a relationship, this may show you some insight on what to do. This Sunday’s shift into Aries season may leave you feeling more motivated than you have felt recently. Take this opportunity to do something you have been putting off, or try something you have never done before!
