The Justice, November 16, 2021

NEW CITY COUNCILOR

Students celebrate 12th Kindness Day

■ The week was full of activities, including kindness card making and food-related events.

By GEMMA SAMPAS JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Brandeis hosted the 12th annual Kindness Day on Thursday, Nov. 11 with events and activities on campus and online. Leading up to that Thursday, the University had a week packed with different kindness related events. The theme for this year’s celebration was “Back

Together Again,” which, according to the Brandeis Kindness Day website, encapsulates the excitement for the reunification of the University community in-person after two semesters of virtual learning. The day’s festivities included kindness cards, which could be completed virtually or in-person at tent stations at the Fellows Garden, COVID-19 testing centers and in Upper Usdan. Brandeis invited students and staff to write or take

The Justice interviews City Councilor for Ward 7

By JACKLYN GOLOBORODSKY JUSTICE EDITOR

On Nov. 2 2021, Paul Katz won the seat for Ward 7 City Council against David Russo with 566 votes total, according to the City of Waltham website. Katz is originally from Milton, Massachusetts and graduated from the University with a bachelor's degree in Economics.

In a Nov. 9 interview with the Justice, Katz described his journey into local politics and his new role as city councilor for Ward 7. When he moved to Waltham, Katz was “fascinated by the local cable access channel.” He watched the school committee, city council and licensing and franchise committee. This sparked his passion in local politics; he began to see things that did not look right and question why local politicians were making certain decisions.

Katz told a story about the moment

that inspired him to take an active role in the community. Around four years ago, the community was dealing with the issue of where to place the new high school. According to Katz, eight elementary schools and two middle schools had recently been rebuilt but the high school was lagging behind.

After some time, the school committee decided on a very contested location for the new high school and the Waltham Citizens for Education, a group he became involved with, decided to fght to place the school in a more appropriate location.

With this experience, his passion continued to grow. During summer 2021, Katz’s interest and involvement in local politics allowed him to see the many challenges that the community faced and he came to the decision to run for City Council. His motivation was that the Waltham community “can do better and be more transparent,” and that the local policies have to be right for the general community rather than a small minority of people.

Katz then described the challenges facing Ward 7 and his plans for the future. He identifed the frst responsibility as the Ward’s residents. This includes dealing with any challenges

By ISABEL ROSETH

that people have like public safety issues, fxing sidewalks and making streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Katz emphasized that residents are not just homeowners, but also include renters, tenants and students. The second responsibility is to keep, and improve, the relationship between the University’s campus and community. Katz explained that the University gives, and can continue to give, a lot to the community, and he wants to explore ways that the community can also support the University.

His third responsibility targets the fact that while he is in charge of Ward 7, the surrounding wards are essential to implementing local policies. “Everything that other wards and the city does impacts us … Everything is interrelated and interconnected,” Katz said. He plans to create and uphold relationships with other ward councilors, some of whom he has good and engaging relationships with.

During the interview, Katz also gave some insight into his personal and academic background. Katz retold the story of his decision to come to Brandeis. He had attended a precollege program at the New England

Taylor

By JASON FRANK

physical cards with affirming sentiments. For students who wished to give a card to someone studying abroad or beyond the Brandeis community, they could fill out an online card and send it via email to any address of their choice.

Students were also welcome to create kindness cards and socialize at Cholmondeley's Coffee House in Usen Castle from Monday, Nov. 8 to Wednesday, Nov. 10. The events included free coffee, tea and hot chocolate, as well as craft supplies for cardmaking.

To prepare for the Nov. 11 festivities, the Usdan game room offered post-it notes in the days leading up to the main event, on which students could write heartfelt messages to friends while picking up free sweets and snacks.

Kindness Day at Brandeis takes inspiration from World Kindness Day, a celebration traditionally observed on Nov. 13. The holiday began in 1998, through the World Kindness Movement, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is “to inspire individuals towards greater See KINDNESS, 5 ☛

University exhibits

‘REDress Project’

■ Indigenous artist Jaime Black and students in the CAST program curate a “REDress” installation for the Brandeis campus.

By HANNAH TAYLOR JUSTICE EDITOR

Red dresses hang from the trees on campus. Empty, they move with the wind like fags that draw attention to the missing and murdered Indigenous women and children who have been lost to violence. The “REDress Project” is an art installation created by artist Jaime Black. Black, who is of mixed Anishinaabe and Finnish descent, creates art that is representative of Indigenous experiences. She describes her art as being “engaged with memory, identity, place and resistance, and grounded in an understanding of the body and the land as sources of cultural and spiritual knowledge,” according to her bio on the Women’s Studies Research Center webpage.

Black spoke about her project at an artist lecture on Tuesday, Nov. 9 hosted by WSRC and the Creativity, the Arts and Social Transformation program. The project is currently on exhibit at the University, curated by students in the CAST program in collaboration with Black herself.

Before the lecture, CAST director Prof. Toni Shapiro-Phim introduced Black, describing her creative work as “immediate, urgent, stunning and heart rending, while also contemplative.” She continued, “It’s a call for attention to the horrifc and unconscionable violence committed against Indigenous women and girls in North America, and a call to action. It has a profound impact on many students.”

Across North America, over a thousand Indigenous women have gone missing over the years and nothing is being done to stop the violence. “Families are crying out and no one is listening,” she said. This social issue is what gave Black the idea for the “REDress Project,” named for the red dresses at the center of the art piece, as well as for the word “redress,” which means to remedy or set right. Not only do the empty red dresses serve as a reminder of the lost women, acknowledging both their “absence and presence,” but they also serve to raise awareness of violence against Indigenous women and allow for a “reclaiming of presence and power,” Black explained. The “REDress Project” works to combat the violence and erasure against Indigenous peoples that dates back to colonialism and continues to persist today, she explained, adding, “We are also speaking out against the violence. We are not

See ART, 5 ☛

Anita Hill speaks about new book

By ISABEL ROSETH

Infrastructure and bipartisan polarization

By GABRIEL FRANK

Women's soccer passed first round

By AKI YAMUGUCHI

Photo Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

Photo Courtesy of BRANDEIS DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC

WALTHAM: Ward 7 spans from the south of Brandeis' campus to the Market Basket grocery store, including the City Council.

WALTHAM BRIEF

University professor speaks at Waltham Public Library event

The Waltham Public Library hosted Prof. Chad Williams (HIS, AAAS) on Wednesday, Nov. 10 as the speaker for the last event in their “Year of Black History” series. Williams gave a virtual talk on Zoom about Black veterans in the context of the Nov. 11 Veterans Day holiday.

According to the library’s website, Dr. Kellie Carter Jackson, associate professor of Africana studies at Wellesley College, served as the advisor for the fnal speaker lineup for the year-long series. Deborah Hoffman, director of programs and events at the Waltham Public Library, served as the moderator for the engagement.

The talk explored the symbolic meanings of Black military service from the American Revolution to modern day and how Black veterans have shaped African American history.

On the featured website page for the series, the library acknowledges the inspiration behind the events, writing, “Our country today is at a moment of racial reckoning. It is [the library’s] belief that local institutions, like the Waltham Public Library, must do [its] part to educate the public about racial inequity, help further the conversation on race, and in doing so, help dismantle systemic racism. Black History is American History.”

The Wicked Local published an interview with Williams prior to the event. In the article, Williams spoke on how people are uneducated on the extent to which Black people have served in the military, and that many Black veterans struggle uniquely in the fact that, although they serve their country through a major act of civic duty, they are in no ways immune from racism and oppression.

A recording of the event is available to watch on YouTube. The talk streamed live with the option for viewers to ask questions in real-time.

Talks through the library series center on eight main topics: historically Black colleges, racial terror lynchings, the history of Black music, mass incarceration, Black activism, slavery and its legacy in health, the history of segregation and Juneteenth.

In 2010, the UNC Press published Williams’ book, “Torchbearers of Democracy: African American Soldiers in the World War I Era,” which highlights “the central role of African American soldiers in the global confict and how they, along with race activists and ordinary citizens, committed to fghting for democracy at home and beyond.”

Next up in the library series is “A Year of Black History: The History of Black Music” on Dec. 1. Charrise Barron, a professor of Africana studies and music at Brown University, will speak on the history of Black music with regard to geographical relocations and political and artistic uprisings and outcries in America. The event will stream live on the Waltham Public Library’s YouTube channel.

—Gemma Sampas

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

■ A photographer was incorrectly named. The correct name for the photographer is Smiley Huynh. (Nov. 9, page 1)

■ A forum op-ed incorrectly stated the start of Marathon. Marathon officially begins Nov. 8. Additionally, this op-ed incorrectly stated the number of members of the Allocations Board. There are six members, not four. (Nov. 9, 7)

■ A forum op-ed incorrectly stated the date of the election on Oct. 25. The correct start date is Nov 4. (Nov. 9, 7)

■ A forum op-ed incorrectly stated the removal procedure in the Student Union. The Union has clarified that the Judiciary opinion does not constitute formal documentation. A person would be immediately notified that they are removed from their Union position by the formal ruling. (Nov. 9, 7)

The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Send an email to editor@ thejustice.org.

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SENATE LOG

Student Union charters two new clubs, approves new by-law amendment at Nov. 15 meeting

The Union Senate chartered two new clubs and approved a new by-law amendment related to voting at its Nov. 15 meeting.

The by-law amendment, which was proposed by Sen. Joseph Coles ’22, would require that a link to candidate bios be sent out with the ballot, so that students have easy access to it while voting. The Senate will vote on the measure next week.

The Brandeis Quantitative Finance and Modeling Club, or “Quant,” gave a presentation on their club and asked the Senate to charter them.

Ephraim Zimmerman ’25, the President and co-founder of Quant, said that the club is in-

POLICE LOG

MEDICAL EMERGENCY

Nov. 7—There was a medical emergency in the Epstein Building. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and signed a refusal for further care.

Nov. 9—There was a medical emergency in the Charles River Apartments. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance.

Nov. 10—There was a medical emergency in North Quad.

The party was treated by BEMCo staff and signed a refusal for further care.

Nov. 12—There was a medical emergency in East Quad.

The party was treated by BEMCo staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance.

Nov. 13—There was a medical emergency in Massell Quad.

The party was treated by BEMCo staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance.

Nov. 14—There was a medi-

tended to be an “introduction to fnancial markets,” though it is not an investing club.

Zimmerman said that Quant is an applied math club with real world examples and projects, the application in this case being to the fnancial sector.

After the presentation, multiple senators expressed confusion over Quant’s purpose.

“If they can’t explain [the club] to us, they can’t explain it to the student body,” Coles said.

Sen. Skye Liu ’23 explained her interpretation of Quant.

“The idea is that if you know enough math, you can make predictions on the stock market for companies like JP

cal emergency in Massell Quad. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and signed a refusal for further care.

LARCENY Nov. 7—A community member reported that they were a victim to a credit card scheme. A report of the incident was composed.

TRAFFIC INCIDENT Nov. 9—A community member reported a minor motor vehicle accident by Skyline. A report of the incident was composed.

MISCELLANEOUS

Nov. 12—There was a noise complaint at the Charles River Apartments. University Police spoke to the responsible parties and the music was turned down without incident.

—Compiled by Noah Zeitlin

Morgan Chase,” she said.

“We’re supposed to have inclusive clubs and this is too high level,” Liu continued. “I don’t think undergraduate students have the knowledge, the skill and the ability to participate” in Quant.

The Senate decided that Quant should refne its presentation for clarity and return to present next week.

Herbicide Free Brandeis returned to request that the Senate charter them, since two weeks ago the Senate had asked the club to return with a clearer presentation.

Gabriel Torres Houser ’23, one of HFB’s fellows, presented on the club’s purpose, which he said is to “push

Brandeis not to use synthetic herbicides, and commit to a transition” to organic land care. The Senate voted to charter HFB by acclamation.

Brandeis Volleyball Club

President Hannah Summers ’23 requested that the Senate charter her club. She said that the club is for people interested in playing volleyball for fun rather than as part of a varsity team. The Senate voted to charter the Volleyball Club by acclamation.

The Brandeis Undergraduate Consulting Club was listed on the week’s agenda, but did not attend.

—Max Feigelson

“REDRESS PROJECT”

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JACK

Hill speaks on gender violence

■ The Heller School hosted a discussion with Anita Hill about her most recent book, “Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence.”

By ISABEL ROSETH JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Thirty years after her landmark testimony against Supreme Court justice nominee Clarence Thomas at his senate confrmation hearing, Prof. Anita Hill (Heller) released her book “Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence.” On Wednesday, Nov. 10, the Heller School for Social Policy and Management hosted a virtual event with Hill to discuss “Believing” and Hill’s experience grappling with the repercussions of speaking out about sexual harassment. The event was hosted by Prof. ChaeRan Freeze (NEJS).

Hill was the frst woman to testify against a Supreme Court justice nominee on the basis of sexual harassment. Her legacy enabled other women to step forward. In 2018, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testifed against nominee Brett Kavanaugh. While both Thomas and Kavanaugh were confrmed, Hill’s work is not over and she continues it through her new book.

Hill began by explaining that writing the book caused her to realize that in order to achieve what she set out to achieve, — which is the end of gender violence, — “you really have to believe… It’s not just about believing women who come forward, or anyone who comes forward, to report gender based violence. It’s about believing that you have a right to be heard,” Hill said.

After Hill testifed in 1991, she received what she described as a “food of stories” from others who were victims and survivors of sexual harassment and assault. She had to simultaneously process the deluge of stories and still make sense of her own experience. “I was still beginning to bear the weight of the trauma that they were carrying,” Hill said. She described one prominent phone call she received from a man who once tried to tell his parents he had been sexually abused by a family member and had received only dismissal, and had been reminded of that by Hill’s hearing. What she learned from that call, Hill said, was that “we are hearing these things in order to make sense of them and get beyond that pain.”

Hill told the audience that her mindset was “poor” in the wake of her testimony because she hung onto the idea that “you just work through everything,” a lesson she said she learned from growing up on a farm. “You have to work, no matter whether it’s snowing or raining, or a drought. You’ve got to work through it.”

Hill’s testimony and subsequent work provided a language and framework for understanding what there wasn’t a language for. She made it clear that gender based violence was a collective experience and a collective problem, which was refected in many of the responses she received. Hill recounted a letter she received from a woman that around the time of the hearing had been sexually assaulted while attending college. In the letter, she wrote that her college put into place “a system that allowed her to be heard.”

Hill said about the woman’s letter, “I don’t think she talked much about the outcome so much as that she felt heard and affrmed in the process, and that was because of [ Thomas’] hearings in 1991.”

Hill’s book also focuses on how deeply intertwined sexism is with racism. “When it comes down to it, there’s still the cultural barriers that say that [certain] individuals aren’t valued as much,” Hill explained. “Or the cultural myths that say, well, these people don’t deserve the kinds of protections [of] the perfect victim.”

The “perfect victim,” as Hill put it, is a young, white, straight woman. She explained that there are issues of cul -

tural bias that work against people of color as well as low income workers that makes it even harder for them to have their voices heard. “We are just beginning to understand how to deal with the structures and processes that keep all of us, really, from being guaranteed the protections that we need,” Hill said.

Hill explained that it is particularly diffcult for young women of color to speak out about sexual harassment and assault, especially at historically Black colleges and universities. What makes it diffcult, she said, is that the person they are accusing is sometimes another Black person, “and they realize how diffcult it is, the pressure [that] comes from the community to remain silent.”

Because there is such a long history of wrongful accusations against Black men that often resulted in death and lynching, Hill explained that it can complicate matters. “One of the things I think we need to do is to focus the conversation on the reality that what both groups [Black men and women] are reacting to is racism, and the dread of the white male gaze on the community,” Hill said, adding that it is important to acknowledge the issue of racism as well as the fact that 50% of the community is endangered because of their gender. She emphasized the fact that “culturally, these women are not to be valued.”

For Hill, of the more damaging outcomes of her 1991 testimony was an op-ed written by sociologist Orlando Patterson. The piece, she said, argued that her claim of sexual harassment was invalid “because, as a Black woman, [she] knew or should have known how to respond in a way that would not have been accusatory.” This thinking, she said, has been instilled in how we respond to Black women who come forward about gender-based violence.

An example she employed was that of R. Kelly, who was recently been found guilty of racketeering, sex traffcking and sexual exploitation of a child. Hill argued that it took 30 years for that to happen because his victims were Black women and because “the system they went into did not value those women.”

She explained, “What it does is allow predators to take advantage of the racism that says we don’t have to pay attention to these people.”

Hill emphasized both in her book and at the event that gender based violence is a structural problem, rather than the results of only a “few bad seeds.” In our society, however, there is a deeply rooted “culture of denial,” Hill explained, evident through dismissals of accusations and victim blaming. “That culture then gets built into our systems,” Hill said.

This information and experience allowed Hill to establish her thesis: to fx the systemic issues of bias and denial, we have to start from the top. “This is not behavior that we’re going to be able to respond to by picking off a few people or sending a few people to jail,” Hill said. This is how she began to understand what happened in 1991 — it was the system that was responsible. “It was the systems and processes that enabled [Thomas], who was protected by a powerful man, to go without being held accountable for his behavior,” Hill stated. “It happened in 1991, and then it repeated in 2018,” with Blasey Ford.

Hill ended the event on a hopeful note. She noted that as a professor of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality studies, she had observed that students were engaged in learning about gender based violence, and that she is optimistic that they will continue to be. The research and work being done to fght this violence, she said, shows progress.

“I’m hopeful about the growth that the nation has experienced in terms of recognizing the behaviors that are keeping people at risk and unsafe and in danger,” Hill said. She concluded by saying that she believes the nation is ready to begin addressing the structures and systems that enforce behaviors of gender based violence.

ISABEL ROSETH/the Justice

PROF: Hill spoke about her experience with gender based violence and her optimistic outlook for the future.

POLITICS: Katz gives advice

(like Upromise and Vista Print), according to Katz.

Conservatory and in a piano concerto competition, one of the judges, late Robert Koff, former director of performance activities at the University, encouraged Katz to come to Brandeis. Entering his frst year, Katz was on the pre dental track but soon realized that the feld was not for him and transferred to study economics.

Continuing his passion and love for music, he attended some lessons and chamber playing while he was an undergraduate. “If I knew what I know today, I would have majored in music,” Katz said.

After graduating, Katz entered consulting, specifcally consulting for the computer industry. He explained that while working for computer consulting frms, he aspired to be a part of the creative side — marketing. Using his analytical skills from economics and his self-taught skills for marketing, he was able to succeed in the feld. He worked in many different roles in marketing, from consumer products to beauty supplies to launching companies

When asked about the role of music in his career, Katz responded that for a while after graduating, he had a “dual life of marketing person by day and theater person by nights and weekend.” A few years into his career in consulting and marketing, he contemplated the Broadway music theater scene and while he did not end up there, he made a lot of connections and mentors which eventually led him back to Boston.

When he came back to Boston, “the regional theater scene was just starting to bloom,” therefore he was able to keep himself involved. Katz also said that once he got married and started a family, he found a balance which did not include as much music as before. That being said, he is still involved in the Reagle Music Theater of Greater Boston in Waltham as well as the Speakeasy Stage Company in Boston.

When asked if Katz plans to keep working in marketing, he responded that this position in City Council is part-time in addition to his jobs. His belief is that local politics were always meant

as an addition to a job, but at the state level it has become a career “where it was not supposed to be.” Regarding his future career in politics, Katz said that he “has no aspirations to do more beyond [City Council] at this point in time.” He explained that he is very happy with his career in marketing, involvement in music and theater and being a homeowner and father — politics is just his method of doing better for the community.

The fnal portion of the interview focused on advice for current Brandeis students. For individuals who may want to go into local politics, Katz said that you have to become passionate about something that you want to change or affect rather than just have an interest in it. He recalled an anecdote: two years ago, Katz asked a candidate running for city council why he was running and his response was, “it sounds like something interesting to do.”

Katz believes that interest as motivation is not good enough: “until you have passion, I don’t think politics is the place to be.” Katz applies this advice to any career; passion is the key to being happy and successful.

ART: Black explains inspiration

passive victims. We are standiing here today, we are doing this work together and we are not forgetting about what is going on.”

The public displays of the “REDress” installations help to create a community of support for the families and communities who have lost loved ones. “I wanted to be able to really bring through the voices of these families and put the issue of violence against Indigenous women on a more public stage,” Black said. Over the past 10 years that Black has been working on this project, her installations have been featured at a number of locations across Canada, and more recently, throughout the U.S. as well.

Black said that the “REDress Project” has helped to raise awareness and start both discussions and even a government inquiry about violence against Indigenous women in Canada. “It became much, much more public knowledge that Indigenous women and girls were just at such high risk in our country,” she said. Black added that she hopes that as the project spreads through the United States, that similar conversations will be started here as well. “I think that work [of starting these conversations] is so important and I think it’s always the frst step of truth telling; of bringing those stories out from under the carpet; of speaking out about what’s happening.”

Now, Brandeis has an exhibit of its own. Students in the CAST program worked with Black and Shapiro-Phim to design and implement the campus “REDress” installation, which includes both red dresses hanging outside and an indoor photography exhibit of Black’s artwork.

Alanna Shea ’22, one of the CAST students, explained the importance of bringing the project to campus in an interview with the Justice. “We don’t have much of an Indigenous identity here. We don’t have much space that’s left for Indigenous people to come together … We talk a lot about different identities and those are as important, but we also need to talk about Indigenous identities specifcally at Brandeis,” she said, adding that particularly with a school situated on Massachusetts, Nipmuc and Pawtuckett land, incorporating education about Indigenous history at the University is important. Shea said that education and awareness are large parts of the “REDress Project” and were also key in her and her classmates’ understanding when curating the campus installation. For instance, Shea’s CAST class

KINDNESS: Festivities take place during the week

did a 21 day equity challenge to learn more about Indigenous peoples’ lives through different lenses and met with Black and other Indigenous speakers. She said that they learned about environmental issues, where Indigenous knowledge of the land continues to be ignored. They also learned about racial issues –– like the sexual assault and murder of Indigenous women, how Indigenous cultures were “wiped away” in boarding schools and thousands of children have been murdered and gone missing and how Indigenous people are more likely to be incarcerated based on race. “I think that’s more than a shame. I think it’s devastating and almost evil because it’s really repressing them and we’re hurting ourselves,” Shea said.

“I think [the “REDress Project”] displays the intersection of environmentalism, political ideologies, women’s rights and queer issues,” Shea said. “These intersections make this exhibit more worthwhile. So the more you can understand, the more you can understand the exhibit … [It’s] a lot more complex than how it appears on the surface.”

In order to implement the campus project, the students divided into groups. Shea was part of a group that decided on the locations that the dresses would be hung on campus. She explained that her group wanted the dresses to be placed in spaces where people, including students, professors and administration, gather. Starting at the top of campus at the Rabb steps, the dresses are hung from trees descending all the way down the hill.

Shea noted that the locations they picked also have a subtle political focus; they mimic the noticeable locations of the emergency blue lights on campus, hinting at the sexual violence that Indigenous women continue to face.

“We just tried to analyze which locations would be most powerful,” Shea said. “Part of the beauty of the art is that these dresses get damaged, that these dresses blow in the wind; they almost dance in the wind like they’re alive, and it’s like they’re their own extension of a human identity.”

Another CAST student, Sarah Kim '25, was part of a group that planned rituals connected to the “REDress Project.” The frst ritual the class performed was a transition between exhibits in the Kniznick Gallery where Black’s new photography exhibition “between us” is displayed, Kim wrote in an email to the Justice.

The previous exhibition in the gallery was “We the People (Our

Love Will See Us Through),” featuring paintings and handmade clothing by Marla McLeod. According to the gallery webpage, McLeod’s “exhibition [explored] the false and pervasive narratives surrounding Black bodies, while re-presenting the historical fgures and characterizations of James Baldwin, W.E.B. Du Bois and the harmful stereotype of the ‘mammy.’”

To respectfully transition, Kim wrote that the class discussed “the motif of dresses that is seen in both exhibits” and “drew dresses with colored pencils based on their own identities, as if they were designing their own transformative art pieces.”

The other ritual the class performed took place before they hung the frst of the red dresses. “We burned some rosemary incense and made bracelets with red beads and strings, sort of connecting ourselves to the installation and each other. In the background, we played some music by an Indigenous artist,” Kim wrote.

“Between us” continues to explore the themes of the “REDress Project,” as well as draw on the Indigenous connection to nature and the land, Black said in her lecture. For instance, in one of her photo series called “They Tried to Bury Us,” Black interacts physically with the land. The land and water “hold memory,” she said, “and both of those things remember before the onset of colonization and before patriarchal violence was a reality. The land remembers when humans lived in balance with it.”

Another one of her photo series explores nature as well, but with a focus on water. Black showed a series of photos of red ribbons entwined in running water. The “powerful” color red in the ribbons symbolizes similar themes to the red dresses. “The water is like our blood, the rivers are our veins. The ribbon is kind of illustrating that and then also showing that interconnection between my body and the body of water,” she said, also adding that red is a traditionally ceremonial color in many different cultures.

Recently, Black has also begun to explore re-embodying the red dresses in her artwork, taking portraits of herself wearing the garments. In doing so, she explained that she created a “spiritual interconnection” and “shifted from seeing the dress as disempowerment to reclaiming space.”

“Jaime Black’s ‘REDress Project’ is a visually stunning way of drawing attention to the glaring but often overlooked crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women,” Kim wrote to the Justice.

CONTINUED FROM 1

kindness by connecting nations to create a kinder world.”

Social media acted as the main avenue for Kindness Day announcements. The Deis Kindness Day Instagram posted vibrant infographics on all smaller events and opportunities to celebrate with several Brandeis organizations. Their virtual flyers promoted Brandeis Dems and Students Demand Action’s “Donuts and Voter Registration'' morning event outside Usdan, the Student Union giving away Insomnia Cookies via a golf cart and the Box of Sunshine given by the Department of Community Living. Students could post their own Kindness Day experiences and adventures through #KindatDeis on social media.

Leading up to Nov. 11, the Kindness Day Instagram account showcased many of the student committee members who made the event possible. Students involved in coordinating the celebration each shared what kindness means to them through the Instagram page.

A post by Caroline McLaughlin ’23 said, “To me, being kind means being aware of how your actions impact others and acting in a way that makes others feel happy, cared about or appreciated.”

Kindness Day on campus also included opportunities for community members to give back. Students could donate to the Food and Resources for Equitable and Sustainable Health organization on campus by buying food items on campus and donating in the Usdan Game Room. Students also had the ability to donate a meal swipe to a dining services worker to show their appreciation for their work.

Larger events on campus aimed at promoting goodwill and friendliness included the "Be Kind to Yourself Fair," the Kindness Day Coffee House, the Usdan Neighborhood Social and a service fair where students could participate in small-scale service projects in the Fellows Garden.

Graduate Student Affairs also sent students from different organizations within the Graduate School to classes in session on Nov. 11 to give flowers to students and professors.

Sponsors of Kindness Day included Academic Services, Admissions, Brandeis Community Service, Department of Community Living, Dean of Students Office, Graduate Student Affairs, Office for Human Resources, the International Students and Scholars Office, Sodexo, Spiritual Life, Student Activities and the Division of Student Affairs.

CARE PACKAGES

JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice

PHOTO OP: Students came to the "Be Kind to Yourself Fair" at Fellows Garden on Nov. 8.

JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice

CLUB: Bridge to Wellness gave out care packages at the "Be Kind to Yourself Fair."

JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. and the complete shutdown that followed, universities and their students have been forced to continuously adapt to a non-stop string of changes. Clubs and extracurriculars were hit especially hard and many were forced to find new ways to participate in their old activities. For choirs, it has been particularly difficult, as Alyssa Knudsen ’24 explained to the Justice over Zoom on Nov. 13.

Knudsen is a member of the Brandeis Chamber Singers, one of the University’s two official choirs. This is her second year as a member, and it’s an especially exciting one — this year, they’re fully in-person. Last year, however, the situation was very different: some students were on campus, including Knudsen, but rehearsals were hybrid. While being able to meet in-person was better than not doing so at all, there were still drawbacks. “We would meet twice a week. One day we would meet in person and we were not allowed to sing,” Knudsen explained. In person, they would study music theory, hear from guest speakers and learn about the composers of the pieces they were looking at.

In order to see each other’s faces, the virtual rehearsals took place simultaneously over Zoom and a software called Jamulus. “In theory, [Jamulus] was supposed to allow us to sing together and hear each other without much lag,” Knudsen said. The software, however, never really worked, making an already difficult situation increasingly frustrating. “All of us had a really horrible experience with it,” Knudsen added.

Performances also had to be modified to adhere to COVID-19 restrictions. Prior to the pandemic, the choir would hold concerts in-person, but like everything else, that had to change. Last year, each student would record their part individually and then all the parts would be edited together to create one recording. “It wasn’t really a concert,” Knudsen said, “But there’s a video floating around out there somewhere of a bunch of floating heads singing in their own rooms.” In the spring 2021 semester, the choir did have an in-person performance, but it was, as Knudsen described it, “bizarre.” Each student recorded a video of themselves singing the University’s alma mater. Then, near the end of the semester, the choir gathered in the gym wearing masks and socially distanced while lip-syncing to their recording of the alma mater.

From ZOOM to the choir room

By ISABEL ROSETH JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Design: Emily Braun/the Justice

In 1832, Felix Mendelssohn’s “Symphony No. 5 (Reformation)” premiered.

Mozartkugeln is the most popular chocolate brand in Austria.

The Justice spoke to Chamber Singers member Alyssa Knudsen ’24 about how the pandemic has impacted the choir.

Photo Courtesy of SIENA KEISO MOONEY

Although the choir is slowly returning to normal, the difficulties of the previous year are not easily forgotten. “It was the feeling that I got when I sang with people [that was lost], and that’s kind of indescribable,” said Knudsen. She explained that you cannot connect to people or make music when you’re “by yourself in a nine-by-nine [foot] concrete-walled dorm.” The frustrations with faulty technology and the feeling of isolation both contributed to a rough year for the choir, and it was not an experience that she would like to repeat. “It was a complete shift in my mindset, which was, ‘I’m not actually enjoying anything; I’m just trying to get through it,’” she said.

One moment from last year that stood out to Knudsen was when she accidentally dropped her computer during her first semester. “Everything was fine, except it fell on the corner where the audio jack was, so I couldn’t plug in my headphones,” she explained. Because this happened when the choir was still rehearsing over Jamulus, it made things increasingly difficult as headphones are required for the program to work. Her computer had to be fixed and none of the rental computers had Jamulus installed, so Knudsen missed out on

a couple weeks of the virtual rehearsals. “[The rehearsals] were objectively horrible — kind of painful and not really fun — but [missing them]

just made me so sad,” she said. “I couldn’t even do the bare minimum that I was allowed to do.”

Choirs depend on being able to sing together as a group and when the pandemic got in the way of that, they struggled like many other disciplines did. “All art is a form of communication, a form of connection and a bond that you experience with something beyond yourself,” Knudsen explained. Not being able to take part in that communication was frustrating and disheartening. Now that the University is mostly in-person, things have begun to turn around and the arts are beginning to recover.

The Brandeis Chamber Singers no longer have to put up with faulty software and technological issues. The University’s policies say that if the members are fully vaccinated and within testing compliance, they can meet in-person, maskless, to sing. They are also performing: their first concert of the year — a joint performance with the University Chorus, the University’s other main ensemble — took place on Sunday, Nov. 14. They are also planning a holiday concert before winter break, and at the end of June the Chamber Singers will be touring in France, including locations in Paris and Normandy.

Knudsen explained that it was jarring when music, which in the past “has been the thing that brings [people] together,” became something dangerous. “The arts are supposed to be that one thing that nobody can take away from you and that’s supposed to comfort you when you’re suffering,” Knudsen said. The pandemic changed all of that and now that the choir is singing together once more, they aren’t about to take it for granted. Knudsen in particular is thrilled about being able to resume singing in-person. “Now that we’re allowed to sing together again, there’s a renewed appreciation for just how precious music is,” she said. The Chamber Singers are currently focusing on compositions that were written during the shut down, as well as memorial pieces in honor of those who lost their lives and “metacognitions about the importance of music.”

Knudsen is optimistic that the arts will be able to recover from the many struggles brought on by COVID-19. She acknowledges that others may see it differently, but among her and her fellow Chamber Singers, there is a consensus: nothing has been permanently lost.

Editor’s note: Editor Jack Yuanwei Cheng is a member of the University Chamber Singers and did not contribute to the writing or editing of this article.

All art is a form of communication, a form of connection and a bond that you experience with something beyond yourself

ALYSSA KNUDSEN

“

Photos Courtesy of BRANDEIS DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC

us” exhibit before and after the event. This board recommends students to mark these events in their calendars. Lastly, we would like to thank the Univer-

sity for holding space for such important art. Displaying the “REDress Project” takes a big step forward in amplifying the voices that need to be heard.

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

Juliana Giacone, Features Editor

Abigail Cumberbatch, Forum Editor

Jack Yuanwei Cheng, Thea Rose, Acting Photography Editors

Ariella Weiss, Acting Copy Editor Lynn Han, Copy Editor

Aiko Schinasi, Ads Editor

Samantha Goldman, Online Editor

Situated in the middle of campus, the Goldfarb-Farber Library is an essential study and resource space. It was also one of the places on campus that got hit the hardest during the pandemic during the 2020-21 academic year. To allow for social distancing, the capacity and hours of the buildings were reduced to half of what they were before COVID-19. Enforcing COVID-19 rules presented another burden atop the responsibilities Brandeis librarians already have.

According to a board member who spoke to a current Brandeis librarian who worked there through the pandemic, the staff had to come onto campus almost every day, despite the library’s reduced hours and the fact that many other departments transitioned online. What’s more, the in-person format for the small number of students that were on campus during the height of the pandemic made it so that librarians had the additional responsibility of adapting to and enforcing COVID-19 precautions. Though books could only be checked out remotely, library staff had to make sure no one was eating or drinking, sitting at non-distanced tables or without a mask.

Yet, according to the same board member who spoke to the librarian, despite having been asked to work in-person and as quasiCOVID-19 compliance monitors, Brandeis librarians’ request for equitable pay was dismissed by the University.

Before the fall 2021 semester, library staff joined Service Employees International Union, which works across North America to represent educators, janitorial staff, healthcare workers and those in the government sector. Brandeis Librarians are part of the SEIU Local 888, which represents the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and created an account

called Brandeis Library Workers Union on Twitter in August.

We at the Justice stand with the staff at the campus libraries and commend them for their hard work and resilience throughout the pandemic. We also acknowledge that this was an undue burden on staff, and though commendable, the University should not have put library workers who were uncomfortable coming in-person in that position, when students, professors and other administrators were given the option to remain entirely on Zoom.

We also believe that it is unacceptable that at a school that prides itself on being a beacon for social justice, our library staff has been ignored when asking for equitable pay, benefts and for the University to be transparent about wage ranges.

The library at Brandeis provides students with countless resources, from loaning out computers and computer accessories, to giving access to publications and journals, to aiding with research projects and writing. This editorial board asks the University to reconsider how they are treating library staff. Fighting for social justice is more than posting a photo of Louis D. Brandeis on his birthday. It’s the University standing with their employees and giving them the pay they deserve.

To support the Brandeis Library Workers Union, you can submit testimonials about your experiences with Brandeis librarians to be used in contract campaigning, and you can sign up for their mailing list.

—Editor’s note: Justice editor Jane Flautt is a student worker at the Goldfarb-Farber Library and did not contribute to the writing or editing of this editorial.

ViewsonNews the

Throughout the past decade the growing teacher shortage has become a persistent problem across the country. Now, as we continue to grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, this issue has only worsened. Many educators are leaving the academic workforce in hopes of better mental and fnancial stability. What does this shortage say about America’s demanding work culture? Should there be institutional or governmental changes to further accommodate teachers during this time?

With red dresses hanging all throughout campus, it’s hard to bypass the ongoing “REDress Project.” Students in “Introduction to the Creativity, Arts, and Social Transformation,” led by Prof. Toni Shapiro-Phim (CAST), have partnered up with artist Jaime Black in order to set up this art exhibit. Commenting on the “more than 1000 missing and murdered aboriginal women” in North America, CAST has worked to recreate Black’s project to help illustrate this ongoing tragedy.

On the Women’s Studies Research Center website, it states that “The photographs, video and poems on display tell stories alongside empty red dresses … their absence of bodies, allude to the thousands of Indigenous women and girls who have been missing or murdered across North America.” Statistics illustrate the elevated numbers of targeted Indigenous women, like how murder rates are 10 times higher than all other ethnicities and how more than 80% of Indigenous women have experienced some form of violence. This board recognizes the importance of spotlighting the cases of these missing and murdered women and urges readers to further edu-

cate themselves and help amplify these voices.

Besides the actual exhibit, which will run until Feb. 25, WSRC and CAST sponsored Black’s virtual artist lecture on Nov. 9 where she discussed her exhibition “between us,” showcased in the Kniznick Gallery, and her “REDress Project.” As this was an effective space to learn about the dire situation in North America, we would like to thank everyone involved in hosting this talk. In order for these departments to continue hosting these types of events, we would also like to encourage students to attend these departments’ future lectures in order to show support and help garner attention.

The next upcoming WSRC event co-sponsored by CAST and the Program in Peacebuilding and the Arts will be held on Jan. 24, where Dr. Polly O. Walker will navigate a book talk about Louis Erdrich’s “The Round House.” As the story follows a family on an Ojibwa reservation and chronicles the assault of Indigenous women, this talk would be the perfect opportunity for those who missed Black’s artist lecture. There will also be time to visit Black’s “between

Prof. Kuttner (Heller)

The teacher shortage is one aspect of a general shortage of workers in the aftermath of COVID-19. The pandemic forced many people either out of the workforce or compelled them to work from home; many have now decided that there is more to life than underpaid and often risky drudgery. There are now about 10 million job vacancies.

Teaching is a special case of this general trend. Because of the perverse way that schools are fnanced, teachers with the hardestto-teach kids often have the most arduous working conditions. Teachers in well-funded suburban schools, with motivated kids and AP courses, get to enjoy good salaries, small classes and appreciative kids. They are not the ones who are quitting. In high poverty areas, the salaries tend to be lower, the classes larger and the students more challenging to teach. That drives teachers out of the classrooms where they are most urgently needed. The system is backwards. The teachers with the most challenging students should have smaller classes, extra resources, better pay — and society’s thanks.

JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice

Robert Kuttner is a Meyer and Ida Kirstein professor of Social Planning and Administration at the Heller School.

The Justice editorial board stands in solidarity with Brandeis librarians

Photo: Prof. Robert Kuttner

Amplifying marginalized voices: Jamie Black’s REDress Project comes to campus

Gabriel FRANK IN RETROSPECT

After months of unnecessarily painfulto-watch negotiation and infighting, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, commonly referred to as the Infrastructure Bill, passed the House and will be presented to President Joe Biden. On the surface, it seems as though most Americans, Republican and Democratic, should celebrate that $550 billion of much needed improvements to the country’s bridges, roads, public transportation, water and energy infrastructure are on the way. More surprisingly, 13 Republicans in the house joined the overwhelming Democratic majority in supporting it, an incredibly rare show of bipartisanship. Indeed, infrastructure investment has long been thought of as the final policy issue that Democrats and Republicans can find common ground on, with elected officials from the last several administrations trying, and failing, to pass their own versions of similar bills. The bill is popular too, with more than half of registered voters supporting it, according to some polls. While it is significantly smaller than the one proposed by President Biden in March,

any bill being passed at all, especially since the American Society of Civil Engineers graded the country’s infrastructure systems a C-minus, is cause for celebration.

However, unsurprisingly, many do not see it that way. In fact, the 13 Republican representatives who voted in favor of the bill are now facing visceral criticism along party lines from both their own fellow elected officials and voters who do not live in their districts. Some have, more tamely, been called traitors, while others have outright faced death threats. Curiously, most of the calls these representatives have received are not from members of their districts, and few, if any, of the criticisms of the bill have been on the basis of actual policy. Evidently, such passion over a bill that is over simple, uncaring bridges and roads is not so much in favor of improving the country’s aging, fumbling skeletal system, as it is nothing more than a political betrayal along party lines that renders the context of any given vote as irrelevant.

Instead, they are reduced to abstract notions of political allegiance, with contrarianism and sabotage, where something as innocuous as improving the structural integrity of hundreds of aging bridges bifurcates entire swaths of the country. One such representative, Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) of Staten Island, a staunch acolyte of President Trump, supported the bill on the basis of her community suffering a great deal of damage from Hurricane Sandy and the

fact that it would have actively funded her community’s disaster resilience practices, yet faced criticism based solely on the fact that she was a Republican supporting a Democratic policy proposal. Others did so for similar reasons, with Rep. Fred Upton lamenting how the bill became “political football,” saying that the country “can’t afford this kind of dysfunction any longer.”

He is right. Voting for or against virtually any bill has not become the end goal of a cause of helping one’s constituents, community and country as a whole, but a contest of sabotage and one-upmanship. One cannot possibly read and internalize the details of the bill and then proceed to criticize it on the basis of it simply being a Democratic policy proposal. Terrifyingly, even this bipartisan vote, a close one to be sure, is a rarity.

Politics, particularly in legislative practice, is no longer a contest and debate to see who has the best ideas with the end goal of benefiting the American people. It has become a game almost resembling geopolitics between rival military powers. When the handful of Republican representatives dared to break with their party by favoring a piece of legislation that would benefit the people who elected them, they faced not ideological criticism but accusations of treasonous disloyalty. Does anyone believe that it should be called politics anymore? It is as if we’re watching our country become more factioned, fractured and divided by forces that we Americans simply have no

power to influence.

The only emotions present at the outcome of an essential piece of legislation’s passage are either happiness or rage, both of which are nearly entirely devoid of meaningful political or intellectual inquiry. Why else would some feel the need to issue death threats to representatives who do not even serve their congressional districts? Why would they see anything that is negotiated between two parties who are rarely able to compromise as a failure? Where does that leave us? How can we continue as a democracy if the very functioning of government falls prey to the raw, unrefined emotions of tribalism and conquest?

My impression is that even something as simple and as free of controversy as infrastructure investment will succumb to the same veneer of confrontation and controversy that other, more pressing issues have so needlessly been. The unity this country so desperately needs at a time of unprecedented turmoil is not only impossible but fruitless to even attempt to pursue. Even the simple act of trying to find compromise becomes one of conflict, for attempting to “agree” with someone on the opposite side of the political spectrum yields nothing but accusations from one end to the other.

I want nothing more than for this not to be the case, but even wanting is an act of foolishness. In the end, the people who will suffer the most from this are those who are fighting this very fight: Americans.

Beyond Liberty University: how Brandeis students can further anti-violence initiatives

By ALISON HAGANI JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A recent report details countless instances of institutional retaliation and victim blaming by Liberty University against students impacted by sexual violence. This amalgamation of accounts exposes a clear pattern and a “chilling effect” that discourages students from reporting, let alone validating, their experiences with violence. It also provides insights that extend far beyond Liberty University.

ProPublica conducted interviews with more than 50 students and faculty members at Liberty University, an evangelical university located in Virginia. Per the interviews, students who experienced sexual violence were forced to pay fines for consuming alcohol, something they had disclosed when reporting. Other students signed forms upon reporting recognizing that they might be penalized for violating school conduct. Many students never reported their violence in the first place; one saying, “I knew I would face the blame for putting myself in that situation.”

In the face of all too familiar accounts, ProPublica brings in a new angle: scripture. They begin their report by labeling Liberty University as “the evangelical school,” observing that the university cites Proverbs 31:8 in their information sheet about harassment and discrimination. They mention the school’s moral code of conduct, called the “Liberty Way,” that includes infractions against underage drinking and premarital sex. Written between the lines of this report

is the subtext that Liberty University’s position as an evangelical university in the South perhaps explains its cascade of mistreatment.

Undoubtedly, biblical morals about truth and justice are painfully ironic in the face of the institution’s adverse actions. Strict ideologies around sex, ones that Liberty University uphold in their moral code of conduct, also contribute to violence and victim blaming. Nonetheless, institutional inaction and retaliation do not revolve around religious and moral values; they transcend and permeate the vast majority of our communities.

Reading ProPublica’s report eerily reminded me of my experience writing and passing a related law in Connecticut, Public Act 21-81. The law, which passed in June 2021, now prevents colleges and universities in Connecticut from penalizing students for alcohol and drug violations that occurred during sexual violence. Throughout a two-year effort to pass this bill, I advocated in favor of this “amnesty policy.” After all, drugs and alcohol are often used as a tool to victimize (at least 50% of sexual assaults involve alcohol), and no individual is at fault for the violence they experience. However, even in a “Democratic” state like Connecticut, the commonsense policy was controversial — or more accurately, it was controversial-ized by institutional actors with interests that wobbled between protecting students and protecting themselves.

Legislators and lobbyists alike commonly voiced concerns around amnesty. Some, like Connecticut Rep. Kimberly Fiorello, testified that sexual

violence can be addressed through less drug and alcohol use. I heard others voice concern that amnesty against drugs and alcohol gave individuals an excuse to evade responsibility and may lead to false reporting — as if an individual would invoke violence as a means to escape penalty. Many also could not separate drug/alcohol amnesty from other agendas to curb addictive substance behaviors. While these concerns are all flawed on the surface, they share ulterior motives that dangerously lay at-wait under the surface.

Code misconducts have little, if anything, to do with violence. Yet, they are evoked as a means to undermine the true structural roots of sexual violence, many of which universities are complicit in upholding. Sexual violence does not occur because an individual chooses to use alcohol or drugs, to engage in sexual activity or to violate a conduct policy in any other way. It occurs because someone chooses to perpetrate violence, a prevalent behavior that is only reinforced by institutional inaction and a lack of accountability.

There is no doubt in my mind that universities have some vested interest in diluting the severity of sexual violence, which is intertwined with crafting a utopian image of safety and quality of life on their campus. This often translates into a “sexual violence does not occur here” narrative. As a result, universities may deploy fines or threats as a way to discourage and actively prevent students from reporting. These retaliation policies lower the visibility of sexual violence on campus, suppress conversations

and often absolve institutions of their responsibility to intervene. This happens at Liberty University. And it is happening at myriad secular universities as well.

To bring it closer to home, Massachusetts’ legislature did not codify an anti-retaliation policy until January 2021 — less than a year ago — when “an act relative to sexual violence on higher educational campuses” passed. Before then, universities in Massachusetts, such as Brandeis, could penalize students whose experiences with violence involved drug and alcohol violations. While Brandeis’s Office of Equal Opportunity had an amnesty policy before the passage of this state law, the language of the policy was not absolute. As a result, students were not fully certain on whether or not they would be protected by the amnesty policy. Even now, this state-codified antiviolence amnesty only involves alcohol and drug violations, leaving the door open for campuses to penalize students who report violence on other misconduct grounds.

I urge you to play your part. Help impart awareness about the new amnesty policy to your peers and reaffirm their new civil right; under state law, those who experience sexual violence cannot be penalized for any alcohol or drug use that occurred alongside their violence. Beyond reporting, affirm their right to access the resources they feel are right for them. Challenge behaviors that undermine the severity of sexual violence and perpetuate victim-blaming. This cycle of violence and inaction extends far beyond Liberty University. We all have a role in disrupting it.

F1: Hamilton charges back

CONTINUED FROM 16

paddock that Lewis Hamilton’s drag reduction system had failed the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile mandated test that determined whether the rear wing fap opening was under 85 millimeters. Mercedes was inquired about this failure to which they indicated that it had been a result of Verstappen briefy touching the rear wing of the Mercedes following the qualifying session on Friday. After long deliberation by the FIA, it was decided on Saturday morning that Hamilton and Mercedes had violated the rules and his qualifying results were determined to be null and void. Moreover, it was also determined that Verstappen had also violated the rules of Parc fermé and was handed a €50,000 euro fne. As a result of this violation, Hamilton had to start from last on the grid on the sprint race and incur a further fve-place grid drop as a result of his engine change for Sunday's Grand Prix.

As a result of these penalties, Verstappen inherited pole position for the sprint race with all drivers moving up a spot as Hamilton started last on the grid right behind Nikita Mazepin. As the lights went out to indicate the start of a 24 lap sprint race, Valtteri Bottas got the jump on Verstappen who dropped behind him in second. Following Verstappen was Carlos Sainz who made up a place at the expense of Sergio Perez at the start of the race like Bottas had. With just around half way through the frst lap of the race, Hamilton made up four places to bring him up to 16th. By lap four, he had made up a further two places making himself up to 13th place. On lap 17, Hamilton passed Pierre Gasly to bring himself up to seventh place and shortly after, he dispatched of Leclerc to put himself on sixth. On the last lap of the sprint race, Hamilton passed Lando Norris around the frst section of the chicane powered by the slipstream and drag reduction system by dipping to the inside of the McLaren and putting himself in front of the 22-year-old Norris. Miraculously, Hamilton was able to make up 15 places in just 24 laps of the sprint race, valdifying Red Bull's worries of the Mercedes straight line speed. While Verstappen was able to pick up two points for fnishing second in the sprint race, the sprint reminded the world what the seven-time world champion was still capable of, despite not having won a race since the Russian Grand Prix four races earlier.

Bottas lined up in pole position for Sunday’s race followed by Verstappen, Sainz, Perez, Norris, Leclerc, Gasly, Ocon, Vettel and Hamilton. At the start of the

race, Verstappen overtook Bottas followed by Perez who overtook the Mercedes a few corners later. Meanwhile, Hamilton made up three places at the start in part due to Norris’ puncture which he suffered as a result of contact with Sainz. By lap fve, Hamilton had put himself at third after getting past his teammate. Hamilton eventually caught up to Perez and by lap 18, the two battled for second and following a manuveure by Hamilton around the outside of S do Senna, Perez struck back at Decida do Lago (turns four and fve) where Perez reclaimed second. However, on the following lap, Hamilton was able to pass without resistance from Perez. A virtual safety car caused by debris from Lance on lap 31 allowed Bottas to get a cheap pitstop effectively eliminating Perez from podium contention. Hamilton was now on the hunt for Verstappen and on lap 48, Hamilton almost caught Verstappen but the two ran off the track together at the Decida do Lago and allowed Verstappen to keep the lead. Both the Red Bull and Mercedes teams chimed into the stewards to present their side of the argument as to whether Verstappen pushed Hamilton off the track which ultimately led to the stewards deciding that there was no action necessary. 11 laps later, Hamilton had a much better run on Verstappen and was able to overtake him for the lead. Hamilton then sailed to win the 2021 São Paulo Grand Prix followed by Verstappen and Bottas for the remaining podium places.

Overall, Hamilton's performance over the entire weekend will undoubtedly go down as one of his best performances of his illustrious career. Despite the numerous twists and turns of the weekend, he was able to come out on top and remind the world, who had started to get carried away with the thought of Verstappen winning his frst title, why he was the defending seventime champion. The fght for the Drivers Championship narrows as Hamilton narrows the gap from 21 points to 14 points and Mercedes extends their one point lead for the constructors championship to an 11-point lead as the championship enters the last three races. If Hamilton and Mercedes end up winning the championship this season, this weekend's São Paulo Grand Prix has the potential to go down as the turning point for their championship campaign. Despite their outstanding performance, Verstappen still maintains the lead for the Drivers Championship and has the potential to wipe the defcit to Mercedes. Fans should only expect the season to heat up from this point forward.

SOCCER: women fall

CONTINUED FROM 16

Engineers earlier in the season which ended in a brutal 2-2 tie while in a downpour. However, they were unable to come back after two early goals in the frst half and edge out MIT. With the loss, the Judges ended their season 12–5–2 and the Engineers to 21–1–1.

Barely into the game and only 16 seconds in, MIT was awarded a penalty kick when Engineer Meagan Rowlett was brought down. Putting the ball away, it marked an early lead for the Engineers and a tough battle for the Judges. Less than 10 minutes later, the Engineer forward Natalie Barnouw was able to shoot from the top of the 18yard box and slip one past Bassan. Despite Bassan getting a hand on it, the ball made it into the goal to put the Engineers two ahead.

Unable to contest, the Engineers held tough and fought off the Judges’ offensive pushes. During the second half, the Judges shot even with the Engineers 8-8 but were unable to fnd the back of the net. MIT advances to face Carnegie Mellon in the sweet 16 of the tournament. Next season, the Judges will have a strong foundation with no loss of starting backline players or goalkeepers and keep 3 of their 5 top scorers.

Honors The UAA announced their 2021 All-Association Women’s and Men’s team with Judges’ representation on both sides. On the women’s frst team, Senior Juliette Carreiro and junior Caroline Swan were honored. senior Daria Bakhtiaril was honored on the second AllAssociation team. For the men’s,

BASKETBALL SEASON BEGINS

JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice

CHEERING: Judges swimming team cheers on teammates on Nov. 13 meet against Bentley University.

At THE POINT: Lulu Ohm '25 dribbles the ball up the court against Wheaton College on Nov. 13

DIVE: Swimmers dive into the pool on Nov. 13 meet against Bentley University

JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice

THOMAS TIANCHENG ZHENG/the Justice

MEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SWIMMING

Aaron Rodgers contracts COVID-19

■

Rodgers, quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, tested positive for COVID-19 despite claiming to be immunized.

By EMMA GHALILI JUSTICE SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Aaron Rodgers, quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, tested positive for COVID-19 after he declared that he was immunized prior to the start of the season.

Rodgers’s vaccination status has not only taken the sports world by storm but has even been on the mind of country music legend Luke Bryant, who kicked off the Country Music Awards in Nashville this past weekend with a joke referencing Rodgers immunization status, according to a November 2021 Cosmopolitan article.

Rodgers, who is currently unvaccinated, tested positive for COVID-19 this past Wednesday

according to a November 2021 ESPN article. The controversy surrounding this issue is not about Rodgers testing positive for COVID-19 but about him stating at a press conference in August, “Yeah, I’ve been immunized,” and now telling the public that he was not immunized with any of the three approved vaccines.

Rodgers has stated that he is allergic to an ingredient that is present in two out of the three approved vaccines, and because of this he was undergoing treatment to raise his immunity. He appealed to the NFL to be considered vaccinated due to this immunity treatment but was denied.

Rodgers admitted this past Tuesday that he stands by his comments that he made in the press conference in August, but acknowledges that he misled some people about his vaccination status, according to a November 2021 article by the Guardian.

Because of this controversy, Wisconsin-based Preva Health ended a nine-year partnership

deal with Rodgers, and State Farm Insurance — who sponsors Rodgers — issued a statement this past Monday disagreeing with Rodgers’ statements but indicated that they respect his right to have his own opinion.

Throughout this ordeal, teammate Davante Adams has tried not to pass judgement on to Rodgers, stating in a press conference that “It’s people’s lives they’ve got to fgure out what they’re comfortable with,” according to ESPN. Green Bay Packers Coach Matt Lafuer said this past Friday that he was not planning on listening to Rodgers’ past interview, and that he believes his and others’ comments are a distraction.

At the end of the day, Rodgers is focusing on getting better and back to the game that he loves. He said in a press conference this past Friday, “I’m an athlete. I’m not an activist. I’m going to get back to doing what I do best, and that’s playing ball. I shared my opinion. It wasn’t one that was come to frivolously.”

Photo Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

QB1: Aaron Rodgers, plays quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.

Sports just

Mercedes strikes back in thrilling São Paulo Grand Prix

■ Despite the odds, Lewis Hamilton takes his 101st Grand Prix Victory at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace to close the title gap to just 14 points.

By TAKU HAGIWARA JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

The 2021 São Paulo Grand Prix saw Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes strike back against Red Bull as they aimed to regain lost ground in the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship. Mercedes and Hamilton entered Brazil with a one-point lead in the Constructors Championship and a 19 point defcit in the Drivers' Championship and entered a track that many thought to be a venue where Red Bull were expected to thrive. Interlagos is also known as a circuit where overtaking is easy and the effect of the Drag Reduction System is powerful. Drivers can use the sequence of corners known as Junção out of turn 12 down the main straight into the S do Senna (turns one and two) to overtake. Because of these characteristics, Mercedes decided to replace Hamilton’s engine and incurred a fve-place penalty for the race on Sunday. This meant that while he can participate in qualifying on Friday and the sprint race on Saturday, he will have to

start fve places behind wherever he fnishes in the sprint race for the race on Sunday.

This Grand Prix weekend was one of three sprint race weekend formats that Formula 1 is experimenting with this season. The sprint race, which had been tried at the British and Italian Grand Prix earlier this season, adds another event to the weekend by having the standard qualifying format on Friday and having a sprint race where the drivers will race around the circuit for onethird of the normal race distance before having the actual race on Sunday. The starting grid for the sprint race is determined by qualifying on Friday and the starting grid for Sunday is determined by the fnishing order of the sprint race on Saturday.

Qualifying on Friday fnished with Hamilton on pole, Verstappen at second, Bottas on third and Perez at fourth. Following the top four was Pierre Gasly, the two Ferrari’s, the McLaren’s and Fernando Alonso to round out the Top 10.

The Mercedes showed incredible straight line speed, trouncing the Red Bull in the run from Junção to the frst corner. Heading out of qualifying on Friday, there was a general sentiment that Mercedes’ straight line speed would be too much for the Red Bulls to handle. However, later in the day on Friday, reports surfaced from the

See F1, 14 ☛

WINNING DROUGHT SNAPPED

AARON RODGERS CONTRACTS COVID-19

Rodgers claims to be immunized to COVID-19, p. 15.

JUDGES SWEEP WEEKEND

Judges soccer fall in

NCAA's second round

Women’s Soccer

First Round: Judges 2, Rams 1

By AKI YAMAGUCHI JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The Brandeis Judges women’s team qualifed for the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Tournament after concluding their regular season 11–4–2, 4–3 University Athletic Association. The Judges faced the Farmingdale State Rams, ranked #20, for the frst round and the #8 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineers for the second.

The Judges traveled to MIT’s campus who hosted the frst and second rounds of the tournament. Thanks to a comeback in the second half, the Judges were able to defeat the Rams. With the win, the Judges improved to 12–4–2 and the Rams ended their season with a 15–8 record.

The Rams took the reins in the frst half with a goal in the 12th minute. The Rams' forward Julissa Martinez off a through-ball beat frst-year goalie Hannah Bassan for the one-on-one goal. Despite Brandeis outshooting the Rams for the rest of the half, they were unable to get a shot on target.

In the second half, the Judges

scored an equalizer in the 72nd minute after offensive pressure ramped up. Sophomore Yasla Ngoma was able to fght off the Rams’ defenders and shoot through the defense into the goal for her 6th goal of the season. In the 83rd minute, Brandeis found their opportunity for the game-winning goal off a free-kick. Junior Caroline Swan curved the ball into the box and found her senior teammate Juliette Carreiro’s head. This marked Carreiro’s seventh goal and her ffth game-winner of the season. The Judges were able to hold off the Rams for the rest of the game and advance to play the Engineers the next day.

Second Round: Engineers 2, Judges 0

The Judges had played the

■ After a first-round win, the Judges are unable to overcome MIT at the NCAA Tournament.

PASS: Sophomore Lexi Krobath kicks the ball during the Judges Sept. 8 match against Clark University.

just arts & culture

>> Pg. 19

Images: Noah Zeitlin/the Justice. Design: Jack Yuanwei Cheng/the Justice. Waltham, Mass.

By JASON FRANK JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Taylor Swift is turning a series of re-releases of old career highlights into new career highlights and showing off both the strengths and weaknesses of that idea in the process. This week she released “Red (Taylor’s Version),” a re-recording of her 2012 album “Red.” It’s her second re-recording, after “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” came out earlier this year.

The reasons for the process are political in origin—she got the idea after being burned by her old manager who didn’t allow her the chance to buy her own masters— but in practice it operates differently. Taylor is one of the defining artists of the past decade, but has dealt with highs and lows in the court of public opinion seemingly album by album. These re-releases offer the opportunity to reclaim not only the rights to her music, but also the public discourse around each album.

Though it’s a re-release, the release of “Red (Taylor’s Version)” has come with all the publicity and fanfare of a typical album cycle. She’s been on talk shows, released a short film, performed on “Saturday Night Live.” She’s everywhere. The re-release has also been accompanied by a sizable portion of new songs that Taylor wrote at the time “Red” (original

TV REVIEW

Taylor Swift: new old hits

version) was released but never made it to the album.

The defining track in that group has been “All Too Well (10 minute version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault).” She accompanied the song with a 14 minute-long short film that she also wrote and directed and then performed it on “Saturday Night Live.” With the amount of press surrounding this song, it seems that Taylor is retrofitting it from a fan-favorite album track into a signature song.

“All Too Well (10 minute version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” is, to be clear, a rare work of legitimate genius. “All Too Well” has always been one of her best songs—tender and vulnerable yet powerful and biting.

It uses all of the best parts in the Taylor Swift artistic repertoire, her lyrical precision and facility with genre-bending, to create a swirling, nostalgic, heart-wrenching portrayal of a relationship that she was never in control of and couldn’t get over. It was good on the original “Red,” but better here. Her more mature voice lends the perspective of exactly what the song describes, a person looking back over a painful experience and allowing herself—despite her trepidation—to get caught up in a moment of remembrance. It’s exactly what the re-record can do, when used best.

Perhaps Taylor’s best moment as an artist is when, on the origi-

nal “Red,” “All Too Well” gives way to “22.” The album goes directly from a devastating portrayal of a short but passionate relationship’s end to a song about the joys of being 22 years old and having fun with your friends. It’s a jarring choice to have them one right after the other, but it’s a choice that works. The duo perfectly encapsulates how it feels to be 22, from sobbing while processing a life-defining devastation to giggling through the night with your friends.

Yet, despite the success of the new “All Too Well,” the other half of that original duo, “22 (Taylor’s Version),” can’t measure up. The original was defined by a natural joy at the prospect of young adult hedonism. It’s about being entirely in the moment. There is no processing of emotion, there is only the having of emotion. Taylor’s vocals on the original “22” are like a recorded smile. But, because of that, “22 (Taylor’s Version)” can’t work.

The same things that benefit a re-recording of “All Too Well” ruin “22.” The maturity in her voice is too arch, too all-knowing. It sounds like a mom reminiscing as she watches her daughter make gloriously silly decisions. The new song can’t capture the unbridled joy of the original.

Unfortunately, that goes for a lot of the upbeat songs on “Red (Taylor’s Version).” It’s an album

about being 22 years old, but that’s no longer how Taylor sings it. Whereas the yelp on the word “we” during “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” used to have a sense of youthful sarcasm, it now just feels uncomfortable. 31 year-old Taylor Swift can’t yelp, yelping should be left for 22 yearolds. Big artistic swings only work when there’s a sense of belief and excitement behind them, and Taylor is burdened here with the big swings of her youth. That’s part of why the 10 minute “All Too Well” works so well. Yes, she’d already written it, but there’s an excitement in her voice at the very idea of recording a 10 minute song in the first place that doesn’t exist in the re-recordings of the weird, youthful songs that make up a large portion of “Red.” It’s not just “All Too Well” that works. Some of the other new additions more than justify the existence of the album. “Nothing New (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) [feat. Phoebe Bridgers]” in particular, deserves to be let out of the vault. A song that details her fears about the public getting bored of her and replacing her with someone else, she can currently provide “Nothing New” a vocal performance imbued with a world weariness that serves it well.

“Red (Taylor’s Version)” has some moments that rank among the best of her career, but the

album as a whole doesn’t really work. It feels like what it is: an adult looking back on her youth. That, however, contrasts with a lyricism that doesn’t always suggest retrospection. While the original “Red” is defined by its liveliness, “Red (Taylor’s Version)” can’t bring that. The great highwire act of “Red” was balancing the way being 22 means you finally have enough life to be retrospective and that you are still primarily emotional. “Red (Taylor’s Version)” tips the scales too far in favor of retrospection. The project of re-release is nostalgic by design, but “Red” can’t just be nostalgic, it should feel alive.

“Squid Game” is a game-changer for cultural globalization

By JULIANA GIACONE JUSTICE EDITOR

The popularity of Netfix’s “Squid Game” is unprecedented for a TV series in a foreign language that has reached a global audience of 111 million — “making it [their] biggest series launch ever!” The show was also ranked “No. 1 [of the most viewed content] in 90 countries” just two weeks after its release on Sept. 17, and almost two months later, the series remains on Netfix’s Top 10 list in the U.S.

As an Asian American, I was amazed that a show like “Squid Game” had permeated American pop culture the way it did — every major American media organization was talking about its success, it was all over Tik-Tok, social media meme accounts were making references to it and the show had even crossed into America’s beloved Halloween-costume territory. I frankly didn’t understand its success in the U.S. at frst: it wasn’t even Asian American — it was a K-drama shot in Korea, with a majority Korean cast and flmed in Korean instead of English … it was so non-American.

Asian representation in flms and TV shows in America have historically been limited to stereotypes, so the fact that “Squid Game” was trending so profusely was an unexpected but pleasant surprise for me, as I’m sure it was for many Asian Americans. I grew up consuming media where Asian actors were limited to playing the extras, the weird nerds, the quiet ones, the martial arts masters, the “dragon ladies” or mens’ sexual fantasies. And let’s not neglect Hollywood whitewashing the roles of Asian characters, where Asian actors never made the casting calls — like in 2017 when Scarlett Johansson

Design: Megan Liao/the Justice

was controversially cast as the main character of “Ghost in the Shell” which was based on a flm adaptation of a popular Japanese manga.

“Squid Game” was an exception to these stereotypes and literally a game-changer. The show is set in today’s bustling Seoul and transports viewers to a mysterious island where broke contestants fght for survival (and for $45.6 billion) through a series of traditional Korean child games, with a gory twist.

South Korea’s entrance into a sense of globalized popular culture actually did not start with “Squid Game,” but with the rise of BTS and K-pop. BTS’ feat with their song “Dynamite” reaching number one in the Billboard Hot

ued into the mainstream, with the help of K-dramas and the critical acclaim of the flm “Parasite”, the frst foreign-language flm to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2019. In an article from the New York Times, which qualifes South Korean entertainment as a “cultural juggernaut,” Jang Young-woo (either a co-producer or co-director on three popular Korean shows on Netfix), explains that it was only after the recognition of “Parasite,” that “international audiences truly began to pay attention, even though South Korea had been producing similar work for years.”

“It’s the world that has started understanding and identifying with the emotional experiences we have been creating all along,” he said.

But according to USA Today, it’s not just South Korean music, flms and TV shows that have been on the rise in the past few years: a “Hallyu, or Korean wave” of virtually anything K-fllin-the-blank has weaved its way into Western culture through “K-dramas, K-fashion, K-beauty, [and] KBBQ”.

Jenna Ryu of USA Today explained that “what’s popular has been intertwined for decades”

show is its commentary on social injustice — class divisions and fnancial inequality, or even gender-related issues. These social injustice issues aren’t only Korean — the whole world is struggling with them. These elements made the show resonate strongly outside of Korea as well.”

But that doesn’t explain why the flm “Parasite” — which had similar themes of social and fnancial inequality — only grossed around $254 million worldwide, and although the movie and TV show markets vary, Season 1 alone of Squid Game is predicted to “create almost $900 million in value” for Netfix.

where “the appetite for shows made outside of Hollywood in languages other than English is high.” Netfix’s survey concluded that if U.S. viewers were shown high-quality content in a foreign language, they were more inclined to watch it — and they were “much more likely to fnish a show if it had been dubbed, rather than subtitled.”

100 in 2020, indicated a shift from “[the West] dominating the world popular music.” And according to a CNN article, “BTS became the only the third group in 50 years to have three number one albums on the Billboard 200 charts in less than 12 months, joining the ranks of The Beatles and The Monkees.”

South Korean culture contin-

largely due to the historic signifcance of U.S.-South Korean foreign relations. The cultural diffusion began with the Korean War and the U.S.’s alliance with South Korea. Starting in 1950, the U.S. sent a total of 1,789,000 troops to the peninsula to support South Korea’s war against North Korea. Because of this, a strong KoreanAmerican culture developed.

As for the reasons rooted in the widespread accomplishments of “Squid Game,” creative executive Kim Un-yang explained, in an interview with Hollywood Reporter that, “the essence of the

The reasons for the show’s impact might also point toward Netfix’s strategic business model approach which pays attention to accommodating global audiences. Part of that model includes providing dubs in addition to subtitles in multiple languages. While dubs have been the subject of much social media debate about language-translation authenticity, they remain advantageous because they eliminate language barriers. If many non-Koreans were forced to read subtitles on their screens as the only medium of understanding a story, it could be argued that the show’s popularity would’ve been substantially subdued. After all, listening to a show in the dubs of the language you’re most familiar with is just simply more convenient.

Dubs are especially essential in the leading streaming services’ marketing goals to make international content viable for American consumers. In a survey conducted by Netfix, cited in an article from 2018, “a high percentage of U.S. viewers don’t want to watch content in languages other than English,” compared to all other regions around the world

Refecting upon the company’s goals of reaching global audiences through this specifc marketing strategy devised in 2018, Netfix’s Chief Product Offcer, Greg Peters said, “When we do [storytelling] well, all of that complexity fades into the background.” He continued, “All you’re left with is an incredible story told well and presented beautifully ... and there are so many untold stories that the world is just waiting to see.”

Peters’ dreams seem to have come to fruition with the release and response of “Squid Game” into the world, which encapsulates beautiful storytelling. The captivating, yet violent dystopian thriller, with its obscure Candyland-colored visuals, in addition to its resounding social message, mixes marvelously with Netfix’s platform and strategic business model and has created a perfect recipe for international success.

Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons

Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons

Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons “Squid Games” received immense popularity internationally. “Squid Games” drew inspiration from traditional Korean games.

Taylor Swift won the Female Artist of the Year at American Country Awards in 2010.

Saktiya:

Strength in unity, a cultural spectacular

taining and insightful. It showcased garments on numerous individuals from a wide variety of South Asian cultures. There was a combination of traditional and modern garments, as well as a variety of silhouettes. It was truly a magnificent experience, and everyone participating seemed to have as much fun as the audience. In addition, there was then an act that was a combination of magic and stand-up, a creative combination that left the audience quite amused.

By ADITI BHATTACHARYA JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Brandeis University’s South Asian Student Association (SASA) hosted a phenomenal cultural show that highlighted the diversity of South Asian culture through dance, song, presentations and food. Set against a colorfully painted set, the show was presented for the first time in two years. The hilarious MCs played well off each other, amusing the crowd throughout the night. As a guest said about Siddhant Moily, one of the emcees, “Sid is enigmatic and hilarious, his charisma and chemistry with the other emcees is off the charts.”

The night opened with a poignant video about different interpretations of the theme Saktiya, or strength. Strength across the Indian diaspora can be reflected in the struggles of first generation immigrants and their children’s struggles to find acceptance in lands that do not always welcome them. Harleen Singh (WGS), professor and founder of the South Asian studies department at Brandeis, gave a thought-provoking speech on the history of the department as well as the fluid meanings of the Hindi words Saktiya and MELA. She explained that a MELA is a fair, a showcase of sorts, and this year, SASA was showing off Saktiya, or the strength of South Asian identity.

Additionally, during MELA, there was a presentation on the charity the show was fundraising for, Women for Women Afghanistan, a

non-profit with a mission to empower female survivors of war. The Afghanistan branch provides women with emergency aid, and is currently working on securing visas, phones, cash and other resources for the refugees. Additionally, the charity is very reputable, with a 96% fund transparency rating. Readers can find more information and donate at: Act Now for Afghan Women and Girls.

There were many musical performances throughout the night, highlighting the diversity of cultures in South Asia. Three singers performed a mashup of songs in Bangla (the main language of Bangladesh), Urdu (the main language of Pakistan) and Hindi (the national language of India) in a call for unity among the politically divided subcontinent resulting from when partition, the division of British India into the states of India and Pakistan was imposed.

Additionally, there was a beautiful song performed by graduate students of the Heller School of Social Policy and Management from Myanmar. The performers were clothed in mesmerizing cultural garments and sang of hopes of a better future for Myanmar.

Additionally, a guitarist and a vocalist performed two songs that featured warm, whole vocals with pleasant guitar melodies. The last vocal performance was from Boston University’s premier South Asian a capella group, Suno, which first featured a slow jam with building vocals and then a strong song with beautiful

singing and creative sound effects.

Throughout the night there were also numerous dance performances: one from each class year as well as a few from Brandeis’ different Indian dance teams. The first-year class dance was exciting, using popular Bollywood songs and fun choreography to make an exciting dance routine. The sophomore dance was equally

culture by performing intricate choreography to songs in multiple languages. Additionally, Chak De presented a beautiful piece featuring solos from their dance captains on navigating mental health and social anxiety during the pandemic.

Then came the fashion show, which was incredibly enter-

entertaining, and highlighted the diversity of South Asian

After a brief intermission, a wildly delightful junior class dance was performed to a variety of entertaining music. The senior class dance was an epic closeout and finale for those graduating, performed to fusions of Western and South Asian songs. The presidents of SASA gave a speech paying homage to previous classes that did not get to celebrate MELA, and another speech about this year’s theme. The night concluded with a buffet dinner where attendees could try a variety of delicious South Asian foods.

Design: Megan Liao/the Justice

The three emcees of “MELA” introduced the acts before every performance.

NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice

A soloist danced on top of a brass plate as part of the Classical Dance that opened up the show.

The sophomore class performed a dance in the middle of the frst act of “MELA.”

Neh Me, Neh Meh, Sung Chin Par, Phyu Phyu and Rose Min sang a traditional Burmese song.

Chak De performed a theatrical dance performance about friendships during COVID-19.

STAFF’S Top

Ten

Top 10 Horror Movies

By DEVON SANDLER JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

In honor of spooky season ending a little while ago, here are my favorite horror movies!

1.Get Out (2017)

2. The Sixth Sense (1999)

3. Midsommar (2019)

4. The Orphan (2009)

5. Cabin in the Woods (2011)

6. Case 39 (2009)

8. Session 9 (2001)

9. Dream House (2011)

10. Sinister (2012)

CROSSWORD

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

Down

1. farm animal and bad word

2. compound word insult

3. Abby Lee Miller’s longtime favorite student

4. nail polish brand

5. he’s been seen out with Kim K as of late

6. shorthand for a social media site

7. perpetual travelers

8. secular alternative to A.D.

10. single-stranded molecule that afects genetic coding and expression

13. what you say when you see something

cute

16. text acronym for uncertainty

17. father of Chinese communism

18. instrument popular in 80s music

20. movie with Pennywise

22. playing music together, slang

23. broadcast TV

24. “Catcher in the Rye” author (frst initials)

25. how we used to listen to music

29. early instant messaging site

30. Eminem’s mentor

31. afectionate nickname for a young person

32. a pronoun

34. Boston’s mayor-elect

35. handheld Nintendo product

38. mining fnd

40. sci-f Netfix original with 2 seasons

42. big size

Across

1. like

3. “Mighty ________ Power Rangers”

9. extra piece

11. Gillian Flynn’s “______ Girl”

12. Medieval African oral history that inspired the “Lion King”

14. satire magazine

15. Obama: “Yes _____ can”

16. pet food company

19. two

21. WWII battle on the beaches of Normandy

22. “Escapade” performer from famous family

26. one factor in a person’s eligibility to run

for president

27. often sold with Blu-ray

28. bit

32. outerwear brand popular in the D.C. area, for short

33. one of Pitbull’s many nicknames

36. not young

37. what soap makes

39. goes with neither

41. youngest animal in “Winnie the Pooh”

42. iPhone model

43. Dr. Seuss creature

44. he dictates whether it’s a bones or no bones day

JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice

GILDA GEIST/the Justice

GILDA GEIST/the Justice

JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice