The Justice, September 17, 2019

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Justice www.thejustice.org

The Independent Student Newspaper Volume LXXII, Number 3

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B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Waltham, Mass.

COMMUNITY

STUDENT UNION FALL ELECTION RESULTS

Campus activists prepare for upcoming climate strike ■ Several Brandeis

students, faculty and organizations are planning to participate in Friday's climate strike.

By ARI ALBERTSON JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Brandeis students will join millions of other activists in walking out of classrooms and workplaces on Friday as part of the Global Climate Strike, an international call for climate justice. Attendees will include members of Brandeis Climate Justice, a coalition dedicated to pressuring the University administration to divest from fossil fuel stocks, as well as promoting climate education and activism, including direct action like the strike.

The strike is part of a growing movement for “a rapid energy revolution,” according to Global Climate Strike’s website, and will take place on Sept. 20, three days before the United Nations emergency climate summit in New York, followed by a second strike on Sept. 27.

In a Sept. 13 interview with the Justice, BCJ member Jessica Kin-

Photo Illustration by NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice

sley ’20 defined climate justice as “tackling the systemic causes of climate change in a just and sustainable way” that is mindful of the indigenous and marginalized communities who “bear the largest burden in the climate crisis despite contributing the least to climate change.”

According to a report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a scientific body of the United Nations, disadvantaged groups are disproportionately affected by climate change, and that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius “could reduce the number of people both exposed to climate-related risks and susceptible to poverty by up to several hundred million by 2050.” In more than three thousand counties, however, temperatures have already increased by 2 degrees Celsius, including seventy-one counties in the United States, according to an analysis by the Washington Post.

As with most direct action, getting attention and disrupting business as usual are some of the most immediate goals. The expected media attention surrounding the strike could help raise awareness for divestment “as a method of in-

See CLIMATE MARCH, 7 ☛

SKEWED VOTER TURNOUT: The Class of 2023 had the highest participation in the election, while the Class of 2022 had the lowest.

Student Union election results bring in 17 new members ■ Of this election's 30

candidates, 17 prevailed.

Their plans for their tenures in office follow.

By EMILY BLUMENTHAL and JACKIE TOKAYER JUSTICE EDITOR AND JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Seventeen Student Union positions were filled on the Senate and Allocations Board in the first round of Union elections this academic year, which took place this Wednesday.

Five hundred seven people voted in the election, with 290 votes, or 57.2 percent, coming from the firstyear class. The class of 2022 had the lowest turnout, with just 12.03% of the class participating.

Janice Huang and Skye Liu were elected as senators of the class of 2023. As newcomers to both the Union and the University, the newly-elected senators emphasized their abilities to convey the concerns of the first-year class to the Senate and to fight for their constituents, according to their candidate biographies.

Most of the newly elected senators declared that their top priorities would include improvements in facilities and strengthening community among their constituents.

The senator for North Quad, Krupa Sourirajan ’23, said she would address water pressure and shelving space in showers, and will add more social spaces in the quad with the addition of hammocks, according to her candidate biography.

East Quad Senator Priyata Bhatta ’22 said she will focus on the frequent bug infestations in the residence halls, and Ziv and Ridgewood Quad Senator Sagar Punjabi ’21 will look into the lighting in Ziv common rooms and the number of laundry machines in the quads, per their candidate biographies.

Like Sourirajan and the Class of 2023 Senators, Senator for OffCampus Students Alison Leibowitz ’20 said she will address the issue of community — specifically the loneliness often faced by off-campus students. "I want to help people like me who wish that there was more connection," she told the Justice in a Sept. 9 interview.

Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program Senator Erik Lambrecht ’23 said he plans to bridge the gap

BRIEF University announces new curriculum requirements for future students Students entering the University starting in Fall 2019 will be required to take courses in line with the Brandeis Core, the University’s newly designed educational curriculum. The Brandeis Core was designed to showcase the University’s “academic rigor, robust debate, diversity and justice,” according to the Brandeis Core Website.

Under the new curriculum, students will engage in dialogues surrounding social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion in the United States as well as Difference and Justice in the World, which replaces the non-Western requirement, allowing them to explore themes of social consciousness, inclusivity and cultural competence in an academic setting, according to the Brandeis Core website. In addition, the new Core requirements are aimed to equip students with a critical yet receptive mindset through both coursework and Critical Conversations surrounding the topics, encouraging students to approach truth

between Transitional Year Program students and the greater student body. He will strive to make sure TYP students’ “voices are heard amongst the rest of the Brandeis community,” he said in his candidate biography.

Joyce Huang ’22 ran uncontested for the Racial Minority senator seat. She said she plans to initiate an online anonymous confession box in which students are able to submit their concerns about campus race dynamics, create events catered towards students from cultures outside of the predominant ones that already have clubs and representation on campus, and make Asian clubs more inclusive toward students of south and southeastern Asian descent, per her candidate biography.

Emma Fiesinger ’23 and Jordy Pineiro ’23 were elected as the twosemester representatives to the A-Board. Both stressed the centrality of integrity and transparency on the part of the board in dealing with club funding. Pineiro’s first plan of action, he wrote in an email to the Justice, is the establishment of a grant encouraging clubs to do crossover events.

—Nancy Zhai

See STUDENT UNION, 7 ☛

Sachar Woods

'IT Chapter Two'

'Pollinator Bioblitz' connects students to nature

 The Justice explores the Sachar Woods, an idyllic greenspace on the Brandeis campus.

 The spooky clown returns in a successful sequel film.

By SAMANTHA GOLDMAN

By ALEX BENDER

By TALIA ZITNER NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice

critically through the lens of identity inquiries, cultural perceptions and differences between facts and evidence.

In addition to training individuals to engage in Critical Conversations and to solidify their understanding of diversity, inclusion and cultural awareness, the new curriculum also outlined essential skills for students to look after their own mental health.

Courses such as “Navigating Health and Safety” teach students strategies to prevent hazardous situations and offer them training with the Brandeis Counseling Center and the Prevention, Advocacy & Resource Center, according to its description from the curriculum website.

Similarly, the “Mind and Body Balance and Life Skills” modules will teach students to stay healthy and utilize opportunities and challenges to “develop long-term goals, and practical, professional and life skills,” according to the website.

NEWS 5

Will Universal Basic Income end poverty?

By ANGELA SELF

FORUM 12

NFL season heats up

FEATURES 9

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ARTS 19

By JONATHAN SOCHACZEVSKI

COPYRIGHT 2019 FREE AT BRANDEIS.

SPORTS 16

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2019

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NEWS CREATE @ BRANDEIS

POLICE LOG MEDICAL EMERGENCY Sept. 8—A party in Ziv Quad reported feeling hip pain. BEMCo arrived on-scene. BEMCo staff treated the patient and signed a waiver to refuse further care.

Sept. 9—A party in Sherman Dining Hall reported feeling heartburn. BEMCo arrived on the scene. BEMCo staff treated the patient and signed a waiver to refuse further care.

Sept. 9—A party in Skyline Residence Hall reported a sprained ankle. BEMCo arrived on scene and the party signed a waiver to refuse further care.

Sept. 9—A party in Rosenthal Quad who had fallen several hours earlier wanted to be checked out by BEMCo. BEMCo found scrapes and bruises on the patient and treated the party with a signed refusal for further care.

Sept. 10—A party in Usen Hall reported feeling weak. BEMCo treated the party. University Police transported the patient to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

Sept. 11—A party in the Administration Complex reported feeling weak. BEMCo treated the party and Cataldo Ambulance was notified. The party signed a waiver to refuse further care.

Sept. 13—A party in the Shapiro Campus Center reported that their fingernail had been ripped off. BEMCo was called on the scene. The patient refused further care.

Sept. 13—University Police and BEMCo responded to assist a party who was feeling unwell and having an allergic reaction on 60 Turner Street. The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. The Area Coordinator on call was notified.

Sept. 13—There was a report of an intoxicated party at 110 Angleside Road. BEMCo arrived on-scene. The party was transported to NewtonWellesley Hospital by Cataldo Ambulance.

Sept. 13—There was a report of an intoxicated party in Hassenfeld Hall. BEMCo arrived on scene. Party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital by Cataldo Ambulance. The Area Coordinator on call was notified and a Community Standards Report was filed by University Police.

Sept. 14—There was a report of an intoxicated party in Cable Hall. BEMCo arrived on scene.

The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital by Cataldo Ambulance. The Area Coordinator on call was notified and a Community Standards Report was filed by University Police.

Sept. 14—A party was reported to be vomiting on the second floor of Renfield Hall. BEMCo arrived on scene. The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital by Cataldo Ambulance. The Area Coordinator on call was notified and a Community Standards Report was filed by University Police.

Sept. 14—A party was reported to be intoxicated in Pomerantz Hall. BEMCo arrived on scene and the party was transported to NewtonWellesley Hospital by Cataldo Ambulance. The Area Coordinator on call was notified and a Community Standards Report was filed by University Police.

Sept. 14—University Police and BEMCo responded to assist a party who was having an allergic reaction in Ziv Residence Hall. BEMCo staff treated the patient with a signed refusal for further care.

Sept. 14—A party in Sherman Dining Hall reported having a hurt ankle. The party was treated and transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital

by University Police.

Sept. 14—There was a report of a party feeling unwell after taking pills. BEMCo came on scene.

The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital by Cataldo Ambulance.

Sept. 15—A party was reported intoxicated on the second floor of Renfield Hall. BEMCo arrived on scene. The party was transported to NewtonWellesley Hospital by Cataldo Ambulance. The Area Coordinator on call was notified and a Community Standards Report was filed by University Police.

DRUGS Sept. 11—The Area Coordinator on call in Rosenthal South confiscated drug paraphernalia. The University Police compiled a report and Department of Community Living staff will file a CSR. Sept. 13—The Area Coordinator on call reported the odor of marijuana from the area from 110 Angleside Road. The University Police confiscated the contraband and compiled a report. Department of Community Living staff will file a CSR. LARCENY Sept. 9—University Police compiled a report on an incident of email bank fraud in Village A. Sept. 12—University Police compiled a report of theft from the mens’ locker room in Gosman Sports and Convocation Center.

Sept. 13—University Police compiled a report on an incident of persons posing as officers of the Social Security Administration.

Sept. 14—A party stated that her phone had been taken from her after an argument with someone she knew by Renfield Hall. The thief took off on foot to a waiting Uber vehicle and fled.

The University Police compiled a report on the incident and contacted Boston Police for any active arrest warrants in the Warrant Management System about the party.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS n A News article misquoted Assistant Director of Social Media Strategy Allie Morse. The quote should say “island of lost toys.” (Sept. 3, Page 3). n The Middle East forum photo was incorrectly credited to Haven Dai. The correct photographer is Vera Shang (Sept. 10, Page 5). n An Arts and Culture article misspelled Lauren Berk’s name. (Sept. 10, Page 19). n The Arts and Culture interview photo was incorrectly credited to Noah Zeitlin. The correct photographer is Sarah Katz (Sept. 10, Page 20).

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

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THEA ROSE/the Justice

Students enjoyed arts and crafts, pizza and time outdoors on Friday at Brandeis’ art-themed welcome party in Fellows Garden. Sponsored by the Division of Creative Arts, this annual event allows creative Brandeisians to meet and bond over their mutual love of art.

SENATE LOG New Senators sworn in, Executive Board positions confirmed at meeting The Senate convened on Sunday for its first meeting of the 2019-20 school year, during which they discussed Union logistics, swore in newly elected senators and confirmed Senate and Executive Board positions.

Student Union Vice President Guillermo Caballero ’20 explained that after the roll call, the Senate would normally debate whether to charter new clubs or grant other club requests. However, he acknowledged that many senators were tired after going through hours of training at the Union retreat earlier that day. Caballero decided to push club-related business to next week’s meeting.

He announced that next week, IfNotNow would present to the Senate for probationary status.

New senators were sworn in under the Union Oath of Office, promising to “work tirelessly to hear the unheard, be a voice for [their] constituents and be a changemaker for good and for justice.”

Caballero reminded senators that a Google Drive folder

shared with all Union members that contains reports, daily agendas and a form to fill out when they host office hours.

Caballero announced his appointments for committee chairs. The chairships for the Rules, Services and Outreach and Social Justice and Diversity Committees were still open, and so he encouraged senators to speak to him after the meeting if they were interested in these positions. As president of the Senate, Caballero has full discretion over the appointments; he explained that seniority has minimal bearing on his decision, and that “everyone is qualified to have any position in the Student Union.”

Caballero reminded the senators that if they represented residential quads, they were required to serve on two committees, one being the housing committee, while the rest of the senators were required to serve on three committees.

Before beginning the confirmation process for the EBoard, Caballero acknowl-

edged the informality of this meeting’s proceedings. He said that by the next meeting, the Senate proceedings would be governed by a set of rules formally known as Robert’s Rules of Order, a set of rules widely used for parliamentary procedure.

For the new position of Media and Technology Director, the Senate confirmed Ari Hahalis ’22. The other E-Board positions were duly confirmed, except the candidate for Officer for Diversity and Inclusion, Nakul Srinivas ’21. Class of 2022 Senator Joseph Coles objected, saying that he first wanted to learn more about Srinivas’ goals as Diversity Officer before he was confirmed.

Caballero asked each senator to articulate a short summary of their main goals for the semester. The senators mainly provided variations on their campaign platforms, with goals ranging from keeping fellow quad members safe to improving dining facilities.

Senator for Massell Quad Dari-

el Jimenez ’23 and Senator for North Quad Krupa Sourirajan ’23 announced their plans to work together to promote firstyear unity.

For the final action of the meeting, Executive Senator Jake Rong ’21 and Class of 2020 Senator Scott Halper both applied to be senate representative to the Allocations Board.

The press waited outside while Rong and Halper made their cases before the Senate. After some deliberation, Rong was elected.

Senate meetings are held Sundays at 7 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center room 313. They are open to the public.

—Ella Russell —Editor’s Note: Editor Gilda Geist and Editorial Assistant Sarah Katz are members of IfNotNow. —Editor’s Note: Senator-atLarge Nancy Zhai ’22 is a News Staff Writer.

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STUDY ABROAD FAIR

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NEWS

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2019

justBRIEFS Several campus elevator certificates have expired

SARAH KATZ/the Justice

Students gathered in Levin Ballroom on Thursday to learn more about their study abroad options at Brandeis. The Office of Study Abroad and representatives from third-party study abroad programs answered students’ questions about academics, costs and more during the event.

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inspection

A majority of elevators on campus currently have expired Certificates for Use of Elevators displayed, but Brandeis is in compliance with Massachusetts law. The state is grappling with a shortage of inspectors and a chronic backlog of elevators in need of inspection, according to a May 10 CBS Boston report.

The Justice found 38 unique records for University elevators listed in Mass. gov records of elevator certificate expiration dates, listing expiration dates between March 1 and Dec. 31 this year.

Of the 38 records, all but two have expiration dates that have already passed.

The vast majority of the certificates expired on Aug. 31, although the one for the elevator in Skyline expired as early as April 30. These state records match what the Justice found when surveying the notices posted inside various elevators on campus.

The Massachusetts Board of Elevator Regulations, part of the Office of Public Safety and Inspection, “regulates the construction, installation, alteration and operation” of all elevators in the state, according to its website. The board defines elevators to include a range of transportation methods within buildings, including moving stairways and wheelchair lifts. All elevators outside of single family owner-occupied homes must pass “both an inspection and a practical test either annual or biennially,” and elevators that pass must have posted certificates, per the same site.

Owners have to apply for inspections and pay a fee.

In an email to the Justice, Associate Vice President for Facilities Robert Avalle explained that elevator owners simply “have to request the annual state inspection before each certificate expires.” Because state inspections “are always behind,” he wrote, “there is a grace period as long as we have requested the inspection.”

Brandeis employs an external firm that “inspects [and] maintains elevators and manages state inspections,” Avalle added.

Brandeis is not alone in its rash of expired elevator certificates: this is a state-wide issue that has been going on for decades. The May 10 CBS Boston report found that Massachusetts has “a backlog of 4,500 [elevators] operating without a valid inspection certificate.” The backlog is a product of a state that has fewer than 70 inspectors to oversee more than 40,000 elevators, CBS Boston reported.

A 2014 Boston.com article chronicled the elevator inspection backlog, tracing it back decades. State auditor reports in 2004, 2010 and 2014 all highlighted similar issues with elevators going uninspected, exacerbated by outdated technology and inaccurate records. Boston Globe articles in the 1980s and 1990s also report elevator inspection backlogs, Boston.com reported.

—Jocelyn Gould

University chooses disability rights activist as 2020 Richman Distinguished Fellow

The International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life has chosen disability rights activist Rebecca Cokley as the Richman Distinguished Fellow in Public Life for the year 2020. Funded by the Richman and Saivetz families, this fellowship — including a $25,000 award — is presented annually to an individual whose work in public service has significantly impacted society through advocating for social justice.

Cokley advocates for the implementation and expansion of policies and opportunities for those with disabilities. This dedication to the disability community is what drove Monika Mitra, the Nancy Lurie Marks associate professor of Disability Policy and director of the Heller School’s Lurie Institute for Disability, to nominate her as the 2020 Richman Fellow. Cokley is scheduled to visit campus from March 30 to April 1 of next year. Her award ceremony and presentation will take place on March 31 and will be open to the public.

Cokley began her advocacy career through the Institute for Educational Leadership, creating educational resources with the goal of teaching and empowering youth with disabilities and their guardians. Cokley spent several years serving in former President Barack Obama’s administration in both the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services before serving as executive

director of the National Council on Disability. In this role, she worked to advise both Congress and the White House on policy issues surrounding disability rights in America.

Currently, Cokley is the director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress, where she continues to focus on expanding opportunity for the disability community and establishing inclusive policies. She is also on the board of directors for three other organizations — Common Cause, the Community Justice Reform Coalition and the American Civil Liberties Union of the National Capital Region. Cokley has been featured in multiple news series, including Vox and Netflix’s “Explained,” John Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight” and CNN’s “#ToBeMe.” She has also won several awards for her public service in the past, including induction into the inaugural class of the Susan M. Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame, the Frank Harkin Memorial Award by the National Council on Independent Living, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Equity Fellowship and a Rockwood Leadership Institute National Leading from the Inside Out Fellowship, according to the BrandeisNOW article.

—Hannah Taylor

Massachusetts warns residents about spread of mosquito-borne illnesses

Massachusetts residents face an increased risk of contracting mosquitoborne diseases such as West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis through the end of this month, the Division of Student Affairs warned in a Sept. 11 email. The University encourages people to take precautions to lessen the chance of being bitten during peak mosquito season, which occurs in August and September.

The risk of being bitten by mosquitoes is highest between dusk and dawn, when the “types of mosquitoes most likely to transmit EEE infection are likely to be out searching for food,” according to the Mass.gov EEE webpage. For the week of Sept. 15, dusk begins at 7 p.m. and dawn at 6 a.m., per the same website.

Those who will be outside during these times should reduce skin exposure by wearing long-sleeved clothing and using insect repellent, the University email advised. Specifically, people should use repellents with either “DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), oil of lemon eucalyptus (p-menthane 3, 8-diol (PMD)) or IR3535.” Various locations on campus, including the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center front desk and the Shapiro Campus Center information desk, will have repellent available for students. Community members should also ensure that window and door screens are intact and should look out for basins of standing water, within which mosquitoes can breed. They should report any issues to Facilities.

According to the Mass.gov’s Arbovirus Daily Update, Waltham is at a low risk for both EEE and WNV, as of Sept.

16. Areas southwest of Waltham are at moderate to critical risk for EEE, and areas southwest of campus have a moderate risk of WNV. EEE, often called Triple E, is a rare disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes that can cause “inflammation of the brain,” per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s EEE webpage. Symptoms develop three to 10 days after being bitten and begin with “high fever (103-106 Fahrenheit), stiff neck, and headache,” according to the University’s email, which also urged anyone infected to seek emergency care. About a third of those infected die, although only five to 10 cases are reported annually in the United States, according to the CDC webpage.

Only about 20 percent of people infected with WNV develop symptoms, which include fevers, body aches and vomiting, although in rare cases, serious symptoms can affect the central nervous system, per the CDC WNV webpage.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported the eighth case of EEE this season on Friday, a Sept.

13 CBS Boston article reported. Of the eight cases, one woman has died from EEE. The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources is aerial spraying insecticides in specific areas of affected counties, most recently spraying Hampden and Worcester counties on Monday, per the Mass.gov EEE webpage.

—Jocelyn Gould

3

Lessons from Jimmy Carter’s White House: Israel, the Middle East Peace Plan, and the Iranian Revolution THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 5:00-6:30 PM

Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat Stuart Eizenstat was the chief White House domestic policy adviser to President Jimmy Carter and served as the United States Ambassador to the European Union from 1993 to 1996 and as the United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury from 1999 to 2001.

Chair and Moderator: Gary Samore, Crown Family Director and Professor of the Practice of Politics, Crown Center for Middle East Studies

Rapaporte Treasure Hall Goldfarb Library Brandeis University Free and open to the public Wheelchair accessible

Copies of Ambassador Eizenstat's book will be available for purchase and signing.

Cosponsored by: Crown Center for Middle East Studies Schusterman Center for Israel Studies International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life Department of History Department of Politics

Meeting: Tuesdays at 6 p.m.

2 – 3:30 P.M. Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019 Spingold Theater, Brandeis University

A CONVERSATION WITH

JANET L. YELLEN Join us as Brandeis International Business School celebrates its 25th anniversary.

F E AT U R I N G :

Janet L. Yellen Distinguished Fellow in Residence, The Brookings Institution, Former Federal Reserve chair (2014-2018)

Stephen G. Cecchetti Rosen Family Chair in International Finance Brandeis International Business School.

Want to write crosswords for the Justice?

This event is open to all members of the Brandeis University community, including students, faculty, staff and alumni.

brandeis.edu/unify25

#Unify25

#Unify25 © Brandeis International Business School

Contact Contact Hannah Luke LiuKressel at arts@thejustice.org at arts@thejustice.org

THE JUSTICE

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NEWS

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2019

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WALTHAM BRIEF

Mayor, city council candidates answer questions about land management policies ahead of upcoming fall election Candidates for Waltham Mayor and the City Council answered questions about city land management issues, coinciding with the approach of preliminary elections for city government, on Sept. 15. The preliminary elections, which will be held Tuesday, are for mayor, School Committee and City Council.

The Waltham Land Trust, the city’s non-profit environmental group, spoke to candidates for mayor and City Council and asked them how they feel about space maintenance and development in Waltham, Patch reported. The candidates had a Sept. 3 deadline to answer the questions.

The first question asked how the candidates assess the way Waltham handles its open spaces and also asked to elaborate on how to improve work on these areas. Mayoral candidate Diane LeBlanc spoke about how “wonderful” such open space is, but said that there needs to be greater protection over the property, such as by hiring a park ranger and sustainability manager. Current Mayor Jeanette McCarthy, who is running for reelection,

reiterated LeBlanc’s point about a park ranger, saying that the position has been approved by the City Council. Another mayoral candidate, Melissa Downes, said that development can impact traffic and that she thought voters want development to slow down.

The second question regards how the WLT’s position on land development impacts how the city’s property is managed. The mayoral and city council candidates all support the WLT. City council candidate David Gately said, for example, “I commend the research work of the Waltham Land Trust and their advocacy on behalf of protecting our environment and open spaces. As a parent, homeowner and resident of our community, I am grateful for WLT’s existence.” Elizabeth Gelles, another candidate for city council, however, said that she did not want to make a definitive conclusion on the subject.

Question three asked about the city’s negotiations with the University of Massachusetts to control the Waltham Field Station and Lawrence Meadows on

Beaver Street. The candidates were asked how they visualize that land space in terms of its use. Downes said she wants to make sure work environments are safe in existing buildings, but also said she wants to emphasize “connecting residents to the land and nature” by incorporating education and research on invasive species. LeBlanc said that the land acquisition is fine for farming and open space.

The final question was only for the City Council candidates of Ward One about Prospect Hill Park and how they plan to bring more residents and visitors there. Prospect Hill Park is the city’s oldest and largest park.

Candidate David Gately suggested increasing publicity of the park. Gelles mentioned having a trolley up to the park to make it more accessible.

All of the candidates were given the opportunity to respond to the questions as the elections approach this fall. A full list of candidates and their responses was published by the WLT. —Jen Geller

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CAMPUS EVENTS

Community uses app to identify campus wildlife ■ The event, Pollinator

Bioblitz, was hosted by biology and environmental studies Prof. Colleen Hitchcock.

By SAMANTHA GOLDMAN JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Students and professors gathered behind the Bassine Science Building this past Friday to search for and document various plants and animals living on campus, using the iNaturalist app to put a new twist on cataloguing their finds.

Prof. Colleen Hitchcock (BIOL), who led the event, has been using the iNaturalist app as part of the Conservation Biology Class for the past four years. Using iNaturalist is ingrained in the course as part of the core skills, where students are required to “engage in 21st[-]century learning” through the use of digital technology.

During the event, students added

to the more than 20,000 observations made on campus in the app. There have been a confirmed 827 species identified across the Brandeis campus ranging from the Eastern Gray Squirrel to the Northern Mockingbird. Many of the attendees have been students of Professor Hitchcock. iNaturalist, however, is not limited to students, with many faculty and staff contributing to the documentation of species at Brandeis.

Over the course of an hour, 144 observations were made by students and faculty, and while many people stayed far away from bees and wasps, the attendees got as close as they could, fascinated by the different species. The event took place on the hill behind the Bassine Science Building, which is home to several species, including the Common Eastern Bumble Bee and the Butterfly Milkweed.

The area was established “in 2015 as a result of a Conservation Biology course project and [the] Brandeis Sustainability Fund grant,” according to a page Hitchcock set up in

iNaturalist for the event.

Of the 144 observations made, 45 species were identified. Seventy-seven percent of those identified were insects (35 species) while 15 percent were plant species (seven species).

The most common species observed was the Locust Longhorn Borer. The Western Honey Bee, the Common Eastern Bumble Bee and the Great Black Digger Wasp were also among the most commonly documented organisms during the event.

While the majority of the observations recorded were of the species in their natural environments, Hitchcock brought Petri dishes and nets to catch the species that were hard to photograph. Species that students caught to document ranged from butterflies to grasshoppers. iNaturalist was started by Nate Agrin, Ueda Ken-ichi and Jessica Kline at the University of California Berkeley’s School of Information in 2008. It later became an initiative of the California Academy of Sciences in 2014 and then a joint initiative

MAKING OBSERVATIONS

with the National Geographic Society in 2017. According to the iNaturalist website, the app’s purpose is to “connect people to nature” while also generating “scientifically valuable biodiversity data from these personal encounters.”

The iNaturalist app allows users to quickly upload photos of what they see in nature. Users can either upload their photos or take a photo through the app. If the user recognizes the species they see, they can add its name to the photo’s information.

If the user does not know what the species is, iNaturalist will suggest species that are visually similar. The user also has the option to leave the species identification blank, allowing the community to identify the organism.

Even Dankowicz ’19 is the top user for the Brandeis iNaturalist page, having identified 757 species. He has made 113,714 identifications for others all over the world.

Isaiah Freedman ’20 is another one of Brandeis’ top users and has iden-

tified 82 species at Brandeis. Freedman told the Justice he “first heard about iNaturalist while taking Conservation Biology” in the spring of 2018. Many of the assignments for the course involved using the iNaturalist app. Freedman said that although he initially used the app solely for assignments, he “quickly became really interested in learning about … biodiversity [he] could find all around [him].” He “often [goes] out of [his] way to take pictures of species [he does] not know in order to learn more about them.’’

In an email to the Justice, Hitchcock said that events such as the Pollinator Bioblitz are being used to help the Environmental Studies Department find “additional ways to connect what [students] do in [their] courses with the greater Brandeis community.” In addition, Hitchcock said that the aim was “to get more people outside of the [Environmental Studies] program engaged in observing and documenting the natural world.”

IDENTIFYING SPECIES

HAVEN DAI/the Justice

ON THE LOOKOUT: Participants identified 144 species on Brandeis’ campus. Using the iNaturalist app, students could easily catalog their findings digitally. Forty-five of these 144 species were identified in the app.

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A TWIST ON ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: Participants combined digital technology with nature to identify the species they observed through the iNaturalist app.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2019

STUDENT UNION: 17 new officers elected for fall semester

DRESSING THE PART

CONTINUED FROM 1 Rebecca Shaar ’21 ran unopposed for the three-semester representative to the A-Board seat. In an email to the Justice, she shared that at ABoard’s first meeting, which took place on Sept. 15, the emergency funding and international travel

policies were amended to be more equitable and lenient. Shaar wrote in the email that A-Board “will be re-evaluating [its] funding policies throughout the semester to make sure they line up with our values of transparency, equitability, and consistency.”

Marshall Smith ’21 was elected

to the two-semester minority seat of A-Board unopposed. Having served in this position last year, Smith said in his candidate biography that he is excited to begin his second term and “get back to work with the Allocations Board in creating a positive campus life environment.”

BRIEF

University professor testifies in Johnson & Johnson opioid lawsuit

Photo Courtesy of SABINE VON MERING

FACULTY ORGANIZERS: Prof. Sabine von Mering (ENVS) has been encouraging students to participate in Friday's climate strike. One way she did this was by dressing up as a polar bear and handing out slips of paper with information about the upcoming action.

CLIMATE MARCH: Student and faculty organizers plan for strike CONTINUED FROM 1 stitutional change that people are often unaware of,” Kinsley said.

“The only time radical change has become possible is when a significant number of people went to the streets,” Prof. Sabine von Mering (GRALL, WGS, ENVS) said in a Sept. 13 interview with the Justice, emphasizing the importance of widespread awareness and participation in climate activism. Von Mering is the co-founder of Brandeis Faculty Against the Climate Threat and the Mandel Working Group on climate change.

She also teaches a course on the European perspective on climate change and works as a coordinator with statewide movements such as 350 Massachusetts, a statewide climate justice movement.

According to von Mering, climate change should be everyone’s top priority, and solutions to the crisis will require skills from across disciplines, such as creativity, innovation and knowledge of history and international relations.

Prof. von Mering entreated everyone to take part in the Global Climate Strike, citing a goal of 10,000 student participants. “I hope my colleagues cancel their classes next Friday and encourage their students to go downtown,” she said.

7

16-year-old Swedish student Greta Thunberg launched the studentled climate strike movement in August 2018 when she spent every school day for three weeks sitting outside the Swedish parliament to demand governmental policy on climate change. Thunberg’s actions led to the creation of #FridaysForFuture, an online platform that has connected young climate strikers around the globe, which was in turn the inspiration for the strike. The Global Climate Strike was organized by “a broad coalition of groups, NGOs, unions and social movements” in response to a call to action from Thunberg and fellow activists that waspublished in The Guardian in May. Climate strikers are calling for governmental policy to create a pathway to keep global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius of preindustrial levels. According to the IPCC report, limiting global warming to within 1.5 degrees Celsius would significantly mitigate the effects of climate change, which include extreme heat, heavy precipitation, droughts and rising sea levels, as well as detriments to biodiversity and human livelihood. “Future climate-related risks would be reduced by ... far-reaching, multilevel and cross-sectoral climate mitigation,” such as reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the IPCC reported.

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In a ruling that found Johnson & Johnson guilty of fueling the opioid crisis in the state of Oklahoma, a state judge cited University Prof. Andrew Kolodny (Heller). Kolodny's work at the University on addiction made him the prosecution’s star witness, The Courthouse News Service reports. As a result of this seven-week civil trial, Johnson & Johnson is now forced to pay the state of Oklahoma $572 million, per an Aug. 26 article in STAT News.

Kolodny testified in the court trial as an expert witness. He is the co-founder of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing and co-director of Opioid Policy Research at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

According to the North Carolina Health News, he “estimates that $6 billion a year for at least a decade would be needed to set up enough evidence-based treatment to serve everyone who needs it on a walk-in basis in every county in the United States.”

According to the Courthouse News Service, this was the first opioid crisis lawsuit against drugmakers to reach a verdict.

The state proved that Johnson & Johnson was misleading the market and promoting the drugs that resulted in a public health crisis — a crisis that has claimed the lives of 6,000 people in Oklahoma, according to an article from NPR. According to a New York Times article about the trial,

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Kolodney said, “There would have been no OxyContin without J&J ramping up in Tasmania.”

What he did emphasize, though, was that no singular company caused the opioid epidemic — other companies also contributed to the crisis, according to the same article.

The state sought out $17.5 billion from Johnson and Johnson, but did not receive that full sum.

Initially, the lawsuit also included Purdue Pharma and Teva Pharmaceuticals, but according to two NPR articles, the two companies settled for $270 million and $85 million, respectively.

Both denied any wrongdoing in the settlement.

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8

features

TUESDAY, SETEPMBER 17, 2019 ● FEATURES ● THE JUSTICE

just

VERBATIM | TONI MORRISON

At some point in life the world’s beauty becomes enough. You don’t need to photograph, paint or even remember it. It is enough.

ON THIS DAY…

FUN FACT

In 2011, the Occupy Wall Street movement began with a protest in New York City’s Zuccotti Park.

The TED in TEDx stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design.

Brandeis Swings a Visit From Smith Zadie Smith’s “Swing Time” was chosen for this year’s New Student Forum.

STUDENT QUESTIONS: After Smith and Prof. John Plotz (ENG) chatted, students were invited to ask questions and share their thoughts with Smith and the crowd.

Photos by ZACH KATZ/The Justice

OPENING REMARKS: University President Ron Liebowitz began the evening by addressing the crowd and introducing the guest of honor.

By HAVEN DAI JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Before kicking off her book tour, author Zadie Smith joined the Brandeis community on Sept. 12 to discuss her novel “Swing Time” with students and faculty. The event, part of the Helen and Philip Brecher New Student Forum, aims to provide an opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of the book and get inspired by exploring the book’s themes. Smith’s visit involved a dinner with select faculty and a gathering in the International Lounge before a question-and-answer session in

Spingold Theater Center.

At Spingold, Smith discussed the book with Prof. John Plotz (ENG) before answering questions from the audience.

During the discussion, Smith answered questions about her early experiences as a reader and her family’s immigrant background. She differentiated her perception about writing from an alleged common view among young people, that “writing is about your own voice,” stating that writing is more about ventriloquism for her, and the coexistence of many different voices.

Smith then explained her

motive to deploy double path storytelling in her novel, where two characters who began with similar backgrounds gradually diverge during their course of life. Her interest in that way of organizing the story was stirred by “the extremity of the versions of lives,” which she further specified using her experience: “It’s possible to me, quite often, when I walk on the street where I grew up and see homeless people whom I was in school with, who were in my class, who I knew.” Smith also pointed out the structural inequality she saw behind the individual tales, and reasoned that is why she

has been working on a project to fictionalize and humanize the social mechanism underlying the difference people see on a daily basis.

Born into an immigrant family, Smith put this theme within the context of immigration, saying, “There’s another life that could have been lived” and emphasizing how contingency has become “a creative place to be” for her where she added “existentially, you are an accident.”

Comparing her writing to a typical English novel, Smith criticized the mildness and rationalism of a traditional English novel “even in the face

of the world’s biggest horror.”

She recognizes the existence of internal fury and asserted that the model of English literature is never able to express such anger explicitly, which for her, actually makes those novels “less human.”

When Plotz asked Smith to elaborate on an earlier point about social media and the internet, Smith explained that she believes it is important for the young audience to think about the world. Zadie invited students to think critically about “the internet behind the internet you see” and the unprecedented power of businesses which process data and gather information.

She compared the internet to novels, saying that both attempt to influence and modify an audience. The difference, however, is that readers are still free in front of a book despite the efforts made by the author.

However, with the internet being a captured market, its users could actually be controlled given a certain behavioral pattern.

Envisioning that there must be some kind of literature out there to “wake people from their living dreams,” Smith called for the awakening of people to strive for full freedom and humanity despite recognizing the significant constraints imposed by internet.

— Jiashu Xu contributed reporting.

THE MAIN EVENT: With a talk show-like setup, Smith and Plotz casually discussed the novel, delving into Smith’s thought process and literary goals.

Design: Yael Hanadari-Levy/the Justice

THE JUSTICE ● FEATURES ● TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2019

9

International Business ... Forest?

A hidden campus gem lies beyond the International Business School.

FLORA: Sachar Woods displays the best of New England’s deciduous forests through its range of flora and flauna.

Photos by NOAH ZEITLIN/TheJustice

IBS ROAD: One way to enter the woods is to follow the road from the Theater Lot past IBS. It soon turns into a clearing with a trail.

By TALIA ZITNER JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

At first glance, Brandeis may seem like a concrete jungle. However, just beyond the main confines of campus is a green space accessible to the community. It doesn’t matter if you’re not an Environmental Studies major or active member of the Mountain Club — the Sachar Woods provide an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors regardless of experience level.

When trying to find Sachar Woods, you may end up more lost than you were before. A fail-safe way to locate the woods is to face the Spingold Theatre Center, then veer right past the funky, blue man statue. After walking past some low-lying, nondescript buildings, you’ll come to a slight fork in the road. It’s essential to take a left here, which will lead through the edge of the theater parking lot. You’ll see a large sign with the words “International Business School,” which is an important landmark to heed. Walk up the slope next to the sign, and you’ll eventually reach a roundabout. The main trailhead is tucked in a small corner marked by a street lamp and some pine trees. Use the corner of the lot like an arrow pointing to the path.

The main Sachar trail is one large loop that begins and ends at the International

Business School. It’s the perfect length for someone looking for a gentle hike or meditative stroll through nature. The trail can be completed easily with just sneakers on, or even sandals if that’s the mood; no hiking boots or packs are required. There are a couple of other trails that branch off the main one, but most are shorter loops or go to various landmarks along the trail.

To find maps of the area, simply search “Sachar Woods map” or look under the Environmental Studies program section of the Brandeis website.

One of the major highlights of the Sachar woods are the fire pits that are available for student use. There are three total — an upper, middle and lower pit. Some are used more than others, and White Claws — not a native species to the area — can be found scattered among the ashes of fond fire pit memories and newspaper fire starters.

When using the fire pits, practicing fire safety is imperative in order to prevent a campus-sized blaze. Always ensure that someone has water with them when building a fire (just in case).

Sachar Woods provide a sanctuary for those who seek solace or social experience in the outdoors. As the season begins to change, take an hour or so out of your day to explore Sachar, photosynthesize, stroll and enjoy the woods.

CREEKS AND STREAMS: Sachar Woods contains a few small bodies of water, though some blend in with their surroundings!

KINDLING: The woods’ three fire pits can be found filled with the remnants of bonfires — and reveal what Brandeis students use for kindling.

WINTER IS COMING: The first signs of fall are appearing in the forest — though most leaves are still green!

HIDDEN TRAILS: The woods are filled with numerous trails that past fire pits, underbrush and rock formations.

ROOTS AND BEERS: Some University students frequent the woods, and often leave much more than footprints.

Design: Grace Sun/the Justice

10 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2019 ● FORUM ● THE JUSTICE

Justice

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Established 1949

Brandeis University

Jocelyn Gould, Editor in Chief Jen Geller, Managing Editor Avraham Penso and Natalia Wiater, Senior Editors Andrew Baxter, Hannah Kressel, Yvette Sei, Judah Weinerman and Maya Zanger-Nadis, Associate Editors Emily Blumenthal and Gilda Geist, Acting News Editors Eliana Padwa, Interim Features Editor Gabriel Frank, Forum Editor, Megan Geller, Sports Editor Luke Liu, Arts & Culture Editor, Noah Zeitlin, Photography Editor Yael Hanadari-Levy, Layout Editor River Hayes, Copy Editor, Lily Schmidt-Swartz, Interim Copy Editor

EDITORIALS

University should reconsider who pays for damages In the previous weeks, three illuminated exit signs on the third and fourth floors of Hassenfeld Residence Hall were damaged or stolen. On Sept.

9, the Department of Community Living sent an email to the residents of the first floor of Hassenfeld announcing that the cost of repairing the signs will be equally distributed among the residents of the building, as per section 9.6 of Rights and Responsibilities. This board condemns any kind of action that may endanger the safety of the residents on campus — however, this board also encourages DCL to reconsider its decision to charge all residents of the building, as it doesn’t necessarily punish those who caused the damage and won’t prevent it from happening again. Moreover, such an action will burden students who may not have the financial resources to pay an unexpected fee and who were likely not at fault.

Safety is crucial to students who live on campus, and any action that presents a possible danger needs to be taken seriously. When a safety concern happens, the exit signs act as guides for an effective exit from the building. Removal of the signs can pose a great danger for those who are not familiar with the building. Additionally, illuminated exit signs are rather expensive, and damaging them puts unnecessary financial strain on both the school and its students. This board appreciates that the University is starting the repair and investigation processes promptly.

That being said, billing every resident of the building for the replacement of the exit signs is not a reasonable solution to the problem. There has been no evidence

Unfair to charge community presented proving that the exit signs were damaged or removed by a resident of Hassenfeld. Any student who lives on campus has card access to every residence hall and can enter and exit the buildings freely.

Furthermore, while residents should take action when they witness actions that could impact public safety, it is not fair to expect students to keep track of exit signs.

In addition, charging all Hassenfed residents could cause financial difficulties for individual students. The Justice contacted DCL for more information about the cost of the repairs, but DCL could not comment on the matter as it is an ongoing investigation. This board encourages the University to rethink how it is going to fund this repair, as well as how it will handle similar situations in the future.

In areas with a high population density, like student resident halls, safety infrastructure is extremely important for the wellbeing of the residents. Anything that causes a direct threat to it needs to be taken seriously — and the students responsible should come forward to prevent their innocent peers from bearing the burden of their irresponsible actions. And for exactly that reason, the University should consider more carefully who should pay for the new signs and create a plan for preventing future incidents. The solution should not pose any financial burden to the residents and, more importantly, it should not punish anyone who is not responsible for it.

Book forums can attract a larger audience Every summer, the University selects a book for incoming students to read and then participate in a discussion with the author(s) of that book. In past years, this conversation was only open to the firstyear students arriving on campus in the fall, because the event was held before upperclassmen arrived on campus for the fall semester. As a result, the author would only come during what is now known as ’Deis Week.

However, this year, the University delayed the forum and opened the conversation to the entire Brandeis community by pushing the event two weeks into the semester.

This board commends the University on moving the discussion with the author this semester to allow all students rather than solely first years to attend this event, as it provides a unique educational opportunity to the entire campus. Over the past week, the University sent out a series of emails inviting students to the event, which featured author Zadie Smith.

However, while the entire Brandeis community was invited to the discussion on Thursday, there had been no advertisement over the summer that the discusson would be at the start of the semester. Because of this, students who are not first years did not have the opportunity to read the book. In the future, the University should not only include the entire Brandeis community in these discussions, but should also

Include the entire community give them information about the book via an email during the summer so that upperclassmen will also have time to read the book.

In order to fix this problem, this board suggests that the book for the forum still be sent out to incoming students, however, upperclassmen should be given notice so that they are able to buy a copy as well.

The book should be sold in the campus bookstore and a good number of copies should be available at the library for those interested.

In addition, this board encourages the University to move the talks about the assigned reading to a later date so that all new students have the chance to participate. Although midyear students are unable to be involved in the discussion with the author, the University still sends them the book. Since there is no incentive for midyears to read it, there is a good chance that they will not.

Furthermore, if this discussion was held in January, or if two discussions, one in the fall and another in January, were held, this would allow everyone to have an equal opportunity to fully participate.

Midyears have a shorter orientation since classes start much sooner after they arrive, and having the opportunity to have a dialogue with the author would help them feel even more welcomed into the Brandeis community.

HARRISON PAEK/ the Justice

Views the News on

On Tuesday, President Trump announced that he fired National Security Advisor John Bolton. Bolton, who is known for his hawkish and militaristic foreign policy stances, stated that he had offered to resign the previous evening, citing harsh and irreconcilable differences between him and the president over numerous foreign policy issues. With Bolton no longer serving in his previous role, how do you think the foreign policy and national security strategies of the United States will be impacted?

What do you think are the ethical implications of Trump vacating a highly influential and powerful national security position over an ideological disagreement?

Prof. Gary Samore (POL) The resignation of National Security Advisor Bolton removes an impediment to President Trump’s desire to deliver diplomatic deals with North Korea, Iran, and the Taliban before the U.S. Presidential elections in 2020. President Trump is completely within his rights to replace a senior national security official who opposed his foreign policy objectives. However, Bolton’s departure in no way ensures that such deals can be achieved. First, the resistance within the U.S. government and Congress to concessions that President Trump might offer in pursuit of expedient deals is broader than Bolton himself.

Second, the departure of Bolton may lead the Iranians or North Koreans to harden their bargaining positions, in the expectation that Trump is desperate for diplomatic achievements to bolster his reelection campaign. Finally, the implications of Bolton’s removal on the substance and process of foreign policy will depend on who replaces him, which, as of now, is uncertain.

Gary Samore is a professor of the Practice of Politics and the senior executive director of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies, and served as President Obama’s White House Coordinator for Arms Control and Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Prof. Kerry Chase (POL) John Bolton’s out — plus ça change… It makes not a bit of difference for U.S. foreign policy. Bolton shared Trump’s disdain for international organizations, the Iran nuclear deal and all things Obama. But once Bolton left Fox News for the White House, Trump slighted him repeatedly and rarely listened to his counsel. There was no signature Bolton achievement in his short tenure, and the reasons behind his hiring remain baffling.

For all of Trump’s complaints — Bolton’s Iraq war-mongering, his insensitivity toward the North Koreans, and of course the mustache — it is extraordinary that his opposition to inviting the Taliban to Camp David on the anniversary month of 9/11 may have been the last straw. Did Bolton jump or was he pushed? It doesn’t matter. Mike Pompeo, Kim Jong-un, and Tucker Carlson all wanted him booted. His days were numbered.

Kerry Chase is an associate professor of Politics specializing in International Relations and U.S. Foreign Economic Policy.

Trevor Filseth ’20

It’s easy to be torn by John Bolton’s departure. On the one hand, his militaristic approach to American foreign policy was alarming; I have many friends, some Iranian, who were very concerned with the prospect of a war with Iran on Bolton’s account. On the other hand, Bolton was an experienced (if hawkish) statesman with abundant experience in international diplomacy. His departure from the White House leaves one fewer adult near the Oval Office, at a time when mature leadership is more important than ever. If nothing else, the whole episode further reflects the vindictiveness of the president, who refused Bolton’s initial resignation only to fire him the next morning. One can only hope that our next National Security Adviser can keep Trump out of trouble for the remainder of his term.

Trevor Filseth ’20 is a History major and an opinion columnist for the Justice.

Prof. Michael Strand (SOC) The problem is that we keep calling Trump a political “person” as conceived, if anywhere, by modern liberalism. He is not a person. He is not even a simulacra as the postmoderns thought. He is an amoeba that shape-shifts. His goals, decisions, ideas (etc) are not ascribable to a person. His actions flow to him without tactical intervention or even effort on his part. They are the product of a complicated stream of media signs that he spends his time absorbing, and which creates Trump’s position at that point — like an amoeba. At the next point, the position will be different, unpredictable, contradictory, erratic—amoeba-like.

Modern liberalism wanted persons (and persons alone) to be capable of politics because persons have thoughts, interests and reasons. Political persons can have ideologies. Bolton (a political person) has an ideology.

A political amoeba, by contrast, will usually brain-eat its host.

Michael Strand is an assistant professor of Sociology specializing in social theory, the philosophy of social science and economic sociology.

Photos: Brandeis University/ Michael Strand/the Justice; Justice File Photo

THE JUSTICE ● FORUM ● TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2019

11

Third Democratic primary debate recap and rankings

By MEHMET ZORLUOGLU JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The third Democratic debate was scheduled for after Labor Day, a time many consider to be an inflection point in attention paid to the race. It was the first single-night debate, with all the candidates congregating on stage to dance to the tune of the moderators’ questions and crowd reactions.

The debate was relatively uneventful and did not have clear “winners,” although some did better than others. The emerging consensus of a consolidated field, where only Biden, Warren or Sanders seem viable, is unlikely to be changed by this debate.

Nonetheless, I will be grading the candidates based on how much they helped their chances.

Cory Booker: B Senator Booker continued his jolly, dogooder approach to the debates, which, despite good reviews, has not moved the needle for him. From his answers suggesting many Americans are in a crisis with regards to health care, as well as g saying that guns should require licenses to operate, Booker had an array of responses framed as bold and progressive yet practical. His answer to the question about the ethics of veganism in the wake of the Amazon fires in Brazil was interesting, in that he did not take it in the direction of his own vegan diet, but instead made a compelling point about the destructive impact of factory farming in particular, and corporate consolidation of food production in general.

Bernie Sanders: B Senator Sanders has an unflinchingly relentless, focused demeanor whether he is on the debate stage, campaign trail, or doing media interviews. Often this dynamic raises questions as to whether focusing on a central set of policies and big ideas limits his appeal.

All his greatest hits received a full-throated defense, and the contrasts drawn on health care and the Iraq War with Biden were good moments for him. Sanders’ performance was solid and firm but unspectacular and unlikely to change the minds of many voters, most of whom are familiar with him by now.

Andrew Yang: B Businessman Yang has enjoyed a surprising rise, going from complete obscurity to sixth place in the Real Clear Politics average of polls. His answer on immigration, tying his own story to that of the American Dream, was an impactful line. This, coupled with his unique yet laughed-at idea of “Democracy Dollars”⁠— $100 given to each citizen solely for the purpose of donating to any candidate — were solid moments for him. It would not be a Yang appearance without the mention of Universal Basic Income, which came up throughout the debate. Yang is proving to be a candidate with more staying power than

at least half of the remaining field, who only seem to be further marginalized as time passes.

Elizabeth Warren: BSenator Warren came into the night surging, both in polls, where she has caught Sanders, and in media attention. The debate was almost set up to be a battle between the two frontrunners, with much talk of Warren and Biden being on stage together for the first time. Warren, having set the bar quite high at her first two performances, was relatively subdued in comparison. Her best moment was the distinction on health care with Biden, although he fought back well.

This, coupled with the fact that she seemed to all but disappear⁠— along with Sanders and Biden⁠— for a long stretch in the middle of the night, made this debate performance ineffectual compared to the first two. The high expectations, if in fact the case, may limit potential for growth from this debate.

Joe Biden: BFormer Vice President Biden came out determined not to be pushed around by the candidates by his side, looking to draw from his support as the frontrunner. He was effective in the early stages, providing a resolute alternative to Warren and Sanders on either side of him. As the night wore on, Biden was less energetic and combative, which inhibited his performance. Far from disappointing, though with the customary gaffe or two, such as his answer on race and reparations, Biden had a decent showing, perhaps even his best yet. Hitherto, his campaign strategy of supporter retention and damage limitation continues largely unscathed.

Beto O’Rourke: BFormer Congressman O’Rourke, who relaunched his campaign for in August, has seen the excitement and energy that was generated from his unsuccessful run against Ted Cruz in the Senate and carried over to the presidential race fizzle out. However, he ended the night with perhaps the most controversial line, saying, “Hell yes, we are going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.” The line could play well enough to draw interest and even some support in the Democratic primary, but it has already prompted many harsh “gun-rights” responses. O’Rourke did well to come away with one of the most quoted lines of the debate, but how well this will play for him in the long term is hard to discern.

Julian Castro: BSecretary Castro had the most polarizing performance, but if there is anything to be gleaned from the last presidential election cycle, perhaps there is some truth to the mantra “any publicity is good publicity.”

Some perceived his questioning of whether

EMILY RIORDAN/the Justice

Biden had forgotten what he had said about health care buy-ins to be harsh, demeaning or ageist. I did not see it that way, either initially or afterwards. How Castro’s performance will be perceived depends on voters’ reactions to this moment, which is difficult to gauge.

Additionally, the line directed at Buttigieg, mentioned in the following section, was a strong soundbite for Castro.

Pete Buttigieg: C+ Mayor Buttigieg had a lot of momentum following the release of fundraising information that he paced the field for the second quarter of 2019. However, improving poll numbers or debate performances have not followed. Far from being lackluster or inept in any debate, Buttigieg has mostly been overshadowed by more attention-grabbing performances. Also, he has suffered at least one losing moment at each debate, with the moment this time being Castro’s point at his expense.

When Castro and Biden were arguing over health care, Buttigieg interjected, appealing for civility, calling the debates “unwatchable” due to candidates “scoring points” on each other, Castro replied, “Yeah, that’s called the Democratic primary election, Pete.

That’s called an election,” to much applause.

Buttigieg is grappling with the same problem that all but the top three of Warren, Biden and Sanders are struggling with, which is that they have not found a specific lane or niche to help propel their candidacy to top-tier status.

Color me skeptical as to whether this debate will help him do so.

Senator Klobuchar continued her appeal to the moderates disillusioned by “extremes,” but has not been successful in doing so, with little reason to think this performance will be different. The rhetorically and dispositionally moderate lane is occupied by Biden at the moment, and he has shown little sign of fading to this point.

Her best moment was her answer to the last question posed to all the candidates about resilience and her biggest setback. She told a compelling story about her father struggling with alcoholism, faith and how everyone should have a chance to be “pursued by grace,” as a story about well as the birth of her daughter who was seriously ill and was in and out of the hospital for a year and a half. She will have another chance in October to make a lasting impression, but is on the outside looking in as things stand.

Kamala Harris: C Senator Harris started off the night strong, explicitly mentioning Trump, as if to elicit a direct response on social media to generate attention. This did not go as planned, and neither did many of the canned lines later in the debate.

These included her saying “yes we can” instead of “no we can’t” to Biden, followed by an awkward laugh, to an almost palpable silent groan from the crowd, as well as her equating Donald Trump to the “little guy” in the Wizard of Oz, who is, in fact, the Wizard of Oz. Her breakout performance, with dominant stage presence, well-timed interjections and strong assertive rhetoric of the first debate was nowhere to be seen this time.

Amy Klobuchar: C+

A personal perspective on Jordan B. Peterson’s psychology

By ZHONGZHI CHEN JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In late 2017, I developed a very serious mental health problem: after encountering crushing catastrophes in multiple facets of life, I became an angry, bitter, resentful, purposeless and vengeful person. As a selfproclaimed radical liberal who believed in moral relativism and subjectivity, my intellectual composition only helped exacerbate my worsening situation. In short, I had fallen into a chaotic abyss that was myself, and my long-standing personal philosophies only rendered prospects of recovery even dimmer.

What saved me then, in early 2018, was a YouTube video of a Canadian clinical psychologist who had a funny voice and was talking about lobsters.

In case you have not heard yet, Jordan B. Peterson is a Canadian professor at the University of Toronto who skyrocketed to internet fame after being involved in a gender pronoun debate in 2016 (regarding which I shall not go into detail). I myself did not know this then, when I was watching video after video of him talking about topics ranging from the nervous system of crustaceans to the fundamental structure of reality and,

strangely enough, slowly regaining my sanity and getting my shit together (or as the Petersonian saying goes, cleaning up my room). Despite the apparent look of poppsychology and pseudoscience that many titles of video clips concerning him may suggest, once you really start to watch the original videos attentively and thoroughly, things start to get serious and deep very fast.

His penetrating analysis of the human condition and detailed diagnosis of our modern ills is so intellectually illuminating and breathtakingly eloquent that the only similar experience I can recall is reading Tolstoy.

Upon discovering Peterson’s videos and, subsequently, his only two books, I experienced an amazing recovery from my previous troubled state. I realized that much of my suffering was due to my own inability to cope with the more disturbing aspects of reality. I viewed happiness and comfort as foundational goals in life, and I found those virtues during the protracted period of luxurious fortune I had before 2017.

Understandably, when I was suddenly plunged, as anyone who lived in this world of ours would eventually be, into the infinite array of meaningless suffering that constitutes

the daily reality of being, I simply lost it. The pursuit of happiness as the supreme goal in life is an illusion that instantly shatters upon first contact with worldly suffering, and therefore it is simply unhealthy to maintain happiness as a goal. One needs a transcendent goal in order to confront the reality of pain. This is not to dismiss happiness and comfort in an ascetic fashion, but to view the occasional occurrences of happiness as gifts to be treasured, not ends to be pursued.

As I mentioned, I had a speedy recovery after discovering Peterson. However, and unfortunately, that was not the end of my story. For I, like anyone excited by the discovery of a new inspiration, quickly informed friends of Peterson, as I had when first stumbling upon Tolstoy. The reaction I received was, to say the least, mixed; one friend straightforwardly told me, “I hope you’ll grow out of this extremist crap when you’re older.” Another responded with a nebulous “you should remain critical,” and a third directly rebutted some strawmen and then proceeded to refuse further discussion.

Only one friend, who was also experiencing particular confusion and generally negative emotions at the time, reacted positively. It was then, when I researched the political side

of Peterson, that far from gaining clarity, I became more confused. Mainstream media in the West seems to be transfixed on labeling Peterson as some kind of a dangerous farright extremist, and determined to remain willfully deaf to his many defenses against these slanders. When I started confronting my friends about their disparaging views of Peterson, few of them had either watched even the shortest piece of one of his original videos or expressed real interest in reading either of his books.

I abruptly end my narrative here, as I consider myself currently unprepared to represent any of the more radical views concerning Peterson’s politics; this is a personal perspective, after all.

Coming from a country once ravaged by extremist politics, and being considered a minority in the country I am now studying in, I am surely not insensitive to the causes that many here at Brandeis so vehemently espouse.

However, I do also believe that there is far more to the Canadian professor, whose books and videos helped lift me from a most disastrous period of life, than simply the derogatory tags assigned by our otherwise trustworthy media.

The opinions expressed on this page are those of each article’s respective author and do not reflect the viewpoint of the Justice.

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12

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2019● FORUM ● THE JUSTICE

FORUM

Is Universal Basic Income poverty’s silver bullet?

By ANGELA SELF JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I was trying my best to work off the box of cookies I had eaten earlier in the day when a surprising video popped up on my newsfeed — a clip about universal basic income. As someone who was trying to bike their way out of caloric purgatory, I of course was interested in anything that could keep my mind off of the pain I was feeling. What ensued was a barrage of information explaining how a universal basic income would be the solution to the country’s poverty problem. So, if the claims about it are to be believed, why is there so little buzz around this idea?

Well to start off, what exactly is universal basic income? Universal basic income, or UBI, can be broadly defined as a variety of government programs that provide monetary aid to citizens without any strings attached.

You may have heard of Andrew Yang, a Democratic presidential candidate who built his campaign off of this very idea. Yang wants to introduce the “freedom dividend,” which would guarantee every adult over the age of 18, a monthly income of 1,000 dollars.

I use this example solely because it has been garnering the most media attention, but I want to stress that this is just one way UBI could be implemented.

Many researchers are now looking into UBI as a solution to the growing fear of rapid job loss that comes with the advent of smarter and more advanced artificial intelligence. The BBC reports that by 2030, 800 million jobs worldwide will have been taken by autonomous robots. This report also mentioned that it is predicted that one-third of the United States’s workforce will need to be retrained for another job. Another reason people are hopping on the UBI bandwagon is because of the rise of income inequality in America. Take Boston for example: the average net worth of a white household in the Boston area was estimated to be $247,000, while nonimmigrant African-American households only had an average net worth of $8, according to the Boston Globe.

After combing through all of these statistics and research articles, I found myself becoming more and more disheartened. It seemed to me like the U.S. is the character in a movie who is desperately trying to row against a super strong current to escape the waterfall looming in front of them. Why were so many prominent people, such as Elon Musk, Martin Luther King Jr. and nobel laureate Milton Friedman, convinced that universal basic income could fix such a mess?

Let’s say the United States did choose to give each legal adult 1,000 dollars a month.

This number is chosen specifically because 1,000 dollars a month, or 12,000 dollars a year, is the amount needed to be above the poverty

AMANDA PYUN/ the Justice

line in the U.S. This “cushion” could give disadvantaged adults the chance to go back to school, work full time and maybe even start their own business. What I mean by “work full time” is that many adults who receive welfare actually have to cut back the hours they work because if they receive even a dollar over the cutoff, they lose all of their welfare benefits.

This leaves these people actually worse off because working full time leads to less money to support themselves than if they were under the welfare cutoff line. Even with welfare, the amount of money they get is barely enough to keep their head above water. These adults are trying their best to live and contribute to society, but the burden of poverty is just too great for any one person, no matter their work ethic.Now add 1,000 dollars to the equation.

This stable source of income allows one to work as hard as they can to better themselves without fear of monetary retribution. Any other work that person puts into improving their situation financially is always rewarded and leaves more money in their pocket.

But just like with welfare, universal basic income is scrutinized as being yet another handout and that people would use this money frivolously or stop working all together. A study conducted by the World Bank in 2013 wanted to challenge this assumption. The researchers gave individuals experiencing poverty cash and studied if those individuals spent the money on booze and tobacco. The answer was a resounding no. Instead, the reverse was found to be true when further studies were conducted. As for the idea that people would stop working all together, this is also just another false claim that stems from the stereotype of a lazy welfare recipient. Alaska already has a UBI-like program in place, and after many years it has seen no discernible effect in its the rate of employment.

How in the world would the United States pay for what can only be described as the most ambitious social policy program ever taken on by any modern government? There are a lot of answers out there to this question,

and I will be the first to admit that I am no economist. Some theories have been proposed such as cutting all welfare programs and putting that money towards UBI, or taxing the rich extensively to close the wage gap that I mentioned before.

What I do know, however, is that the money is there — there are proposals for UBI that address this issue already, and there is no single answer. The problem is if we are willing to make the changes necessary. This is not a question of creating new money for this policy program, because that would just lead to inflation. Rather, this involves redistribution of existing wealth on a scale that has never been attempted before. Chicago, cities in California and even the country of Finland are attempting to implement some form of universal basic income as I write this. Time is ticking. The income inequality gap is just growing wider, and more and more people are losing their jobs to robots with each passing day. Universal basic income may be our only shot at keeping the United States afloat.

Thinking for oneself counters campus indoctrination

By GABRIEL FRANK JUSTICE EDITOR

Last week, I received an email from a source that I will not name with a very interesting op-ed attached. As the Forum editor for the Justice, this happens quite often, as many individuals from both within and outside the Brandeis community want their voices and opinions heard.

This particular submitter sent me a rather lengthy article on — what they perceived to be — the worthlessness of a liberal arts degree from most universities due to subjects in the humanities being “bathed in political leftism.” The individual claimed that anyone who majors in these subjects is a fool and not worth hiring. The article went on at length regarding how young college students have been brainwashed into hating America and “American values,” and that this mass persuasion is begetting a generation of college graduates wholly unaware of the many facets of American civil and intellectual life.

Writing from a concerned and vengeful perspective, the submitter said that the higher education system in the United States, on a large scale, has essentially been hijacked by thousands of professors and administrators who seek to do nothing but indoctrinate young undergraduates into hating America and perceiving it to be a racist, homophobic, sexist wasteland built on the backs of slaves.

The writer took the role of a job interviewer looking to hire a freshly minted college graduate.

Upon seeing a liberal arts degree on their resume, he immediately rejects their application, citing a woeful unawareness of anything regarding classical liberal American values. I happen to disagree strongly with this position; nonetheless, I see numerous points

made by the author that are worth addressing.

Absorbing this information the author describes could cause a student to fail to appreciate everything beyond the above that makes America great, and to gravitate towards those who the submitter perceives to be ideological extremist politicians who want to do nothing but take the hard-earned money and freedom of millions of unsuspecting citizens. Instead, he argues, students should be taught to appreciate everything great about this country.

In order to achieve this result, the submitter suggests that the ideal liberal arts education in the United States is one that teaches a young whippersnapper what makes America so unique, and to become an expert on the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Federalist Papers, the Bible, the “moral and economic greatness” of capitalism and the utter miracle that is fossil fuels and how they have raised the standard of living worldwide.

As an antidote to the poison of the left, writes the submitter, a college student can major in an unbiased STEM field and watch Prager University videos to stimulate their more abstract intellectual and political curiosities.

This, the submitter writes, would allow a student to foster a love for the United States, and motivate one to get married, care for a spouse and kids, and build a home and successful family dynasty; in his own words, become a person worth hiring. Never mind the fact that taking someone’s political views into account in the hiring process is a textbook case of workplace discrimination and is uniquely un-American, but I digress.

Despite its biases and claims that are outright false, the piece got me thinking. Is my generation really being brainwashed into believing one particular ideology, one that

makes us hate our country, its history and its values? Is this the norm for universities elsewhere, where more and more conservative students, or even those that may disagree with the predominant political views — which, to the submitter’s credit, are often skewed towards the left or even the far left — of their community say they are being discriminated against?

I know from experience that some viewpoints, especially those of social and economic conservatives, are often shunned or silenced outright. I know what it’s like to sit in a crowded lecture hall, in front of an intimidating professor in a politics class, and challenge their assertion regarding racism or gender identity and simply state your own.

“

I know from experience that some viewpoints, especially those of social and economic conservatives, are often shunned or silenced outright.

You might feel discouraged from simply speaking your mind, or even fearful that you might face some repercussions or be shunned by your peers if you do. It’s easy to be discouraged from holding your current views by an environment so heavily skewed in one direction, fearful of alienating or even offending some of your peers who may view American politics, history and philosophy

The opinions expressed on this page are those of each article’s respective author and do not reflect the viewpoint of the Justice.

from an entirely different lens. Does this learning environment amount to one that is breeding a population of liberal arts graduates that is (at least, according to the author) wholly unappreciative of the many luxuries and freedoms afforded to American citizens?

Even if this is the case, it most certainly does not make a liberal arts education worthless, nor does it disqualify one from being hired (as the author of the piece claims).

College should be a place where one is not simply absorbing and nodding at everything he or she hears, but a place where the assertions of literally everyone can and should be challenged at every opportunity.

If a professor or classmate is saying something you believe is wrong or contradictory to your own beliefs, it’s up to you to have conversations about those differing beliefs, and find the truths for yourself.

This does not necessarily have to take the form of shouting in anger during a presentation or class about how your views are being attacked or about how everyone around you is being brainwashed, but it should drive some form of introspection or a desire for a higher knowledge of whatever it is you think is being presented unfairly.

After all, if our founding fathers had simply nodded their heads in the face of British imperialism despite internally disagreeing with it, I likely wouldn’t be here writing this article.

The point is that even if us college students are being manipulated into hating America and are “poisoned” with radical leftist ideologies, we should still do our best to figure out things for ourselves and challenge the status quo. For now, I don’t see anyone trying to start a communist revolution in my Intro to Symbolic Logic philosophy class.

THE JUSTICE ● SPORTS ● TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2019

PRO: Pressure builds as NBA off season concludes CONTINUED FROM 16 very interesting roster, but the fit of everyone is very questionable, the bill of health for everyone is questionable and the coaches they have hired are questionable. But it’s LA with two, superstars so you'd better believe the pressure is high, the effects that a disappointing season would have on both LeBron and Davis’ legacy would be huge.

PRESSURE RATING: submarine.

The Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Durant is out for the season, so the Nets have no pressure except to be a high seed and win one playoff series.

PRESSURE RATING: atmospheric pressure.

The Philadelphia 76ers: The process has been incredibly disappointing, With many missed draft picks and wasted or mismanaged assets, the peak that has been reached by the 76ers has been a rule-change because of them and second round exits. If the Ben Simmons Joel Embiid experiment doesn’t start winning playoff

13

RUN, FORREST, RUN

series, we could easily see one of them shipped off for someone who fits better and can actually shoot the ball. PRESSURE RATING: that Queen song.

The Houston Rockets: Four first round picks from 2021 to 2026 were traded for Russell Westbrook. The core outside of Harden, Westbrook and Capela is old as dirt. If the Rockets can’t win it now even the owners says “we won’t win in next 10 years”.

PRESSURE RATING: Marianas Trench.

The Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks added Robin Lopez, overpaid Middleton and lost Malcolm Brogden this offseason, and that’s pretty much all they did.

Ian Giannis, has two years left on his contract going into this year, his “pre-agency” has begun, and if the Bucks can’t get to the finals this year, the Bucks star might seek the greener pastures of Toronto, LA, or anywhere that shows him they’re committed to winning titles.

PRESSURE RATING: Florida in 2050.

Meeting: Wednesdays at 6 p.m.

NATALIA WIATER/the Justice

RAPID RUNNING: Adam Kulick ’23 flies past the opposing defense in a game against Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Wednesday.

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Contact Megan Geller at sports@thejustice.org

MSOCCER: Men’s soccer team battles WPI, Tufts CONTINUED FROM 16 on Saturday night as the top ranked Jumbos outshot their 25th ranked opponents 22–4. After the Judges own goal in the 24th minute, an ensuing Melee led to a straight red card for Max Breiter ‘20 and

an already difficult task was made even harder with the Judges down a goal and a man. The hosts added a second in the 58th minute and went on to win comfortably.

The men’s team — now 3–2–1 on the season — plays next away against Western New England University on Saturday at 2 p.m.

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Meeting: Mondays at 7 p.m.

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In an interview with the Justice, Noah Gans ’21 explained, “This offseason has felt like an eternity.

So what I’m most excited for is just to get back on the field with the guys and compete against somebody other than ourselves. It's an opportunity to right the ship, and I’m pumped for it.”

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Contact River Hayes and Lily Swartz at copy@thejustice.org

Meeting: Sundays at 3:30 p.m.

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Illustration by MORGAN MAYBACK/the JUSTICE; Photos by ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice, ADAM PANN/the Justice, CLEMENTS PARK/the Justice, MORGAN BRILL/the Justice; NADIA ALAWA, IRA BORNSTEIN, CREATIVE COMMONS.

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Illustration by MORGAN MAYBACK/the Justice; Photos by YVETTE SEI/the Justice, CHELSEA MADERA/the Justice, NATALIA WIATER/the Justice, ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice, HEATHER SCHILLER/the Justice, SARAH KATZ/the Justice.

THE JUSTICE

JUDGES BY THE NUMBERS

● SPORTS ●

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 , 2019

15

VOLLEYBALL

MEN’S SOCCER UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Goals

Will DeNight ’23 leads the team with two goals.

UAA Conf. Overall Player Goals

W L D W L D Pct. 2 Chicago 0 0 0 2 0 3 .700 Will DeNight 1 WashU 0 0 0 3 1 1 .700 Max Breiter 1 Case 0 0 0 3 1 2 .667 Noah Gans 1 Carnegie 0 0 0 3 2 0 .600 Jared Panson Rochester 0 0 0 3 2 1 .600 Assists JUDGES 0 0 0 3 2 1 .583 Dylan Hennesy ’20 is tied for Emory 0 0 0 1 3 1 .300 the team lead with32 assist.

NYU 0 0 0 0 4 1 .100 Player Assists Dylan Hennesy 3 UPCOMING GAMES: Noah Gans 1 1 Saturday at Western New England University Adam Kulick Sept. 24 vs Wheaton College

WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM STATS

UAA STANDINGS

Goals UAA Conf. Overall

W L D W L D Case 0 0 0 6 0 0 NYU 0 0 0 4 1 0 Rochester 0 0 0 4 1 0 WashU 0 0 0 4 1 0 JUDGES 0 0 0 5 1 1 Chicago 0 0 0 3 1 0 Carnegie 0 0 0 3 1 1 Emory 0 0 0 3 2 1

Pct. 1.000 .750 .750 .700 .667 .667 .625 .500

UPCOMING GAMES: Tuesday vs Tufts University Saturday at Lasell University

VOLLEYBALL UAA STANDINGS

Juliette Carreiro ’22 leads the team with 4 goals.

Player Goals Juliette Carreiro 4 Makenna Hunt 4 Jessica Herman 2 Daria Bakhtiari 1

Assists Jessica Herman ’23 leads the team with two assists.

Player Assists Jessica Herman 2 Daria Bakhtiarti 2 Juliette Carreiro 1 Katie Hayes 1

TEAM STATS Kills

Chicago Rochester NYU JUDGES Emory Case Carnegie JUDGES

UAA Conf. Overall W L W L 0 0 2 7 0 0 8 1 0 0 10 0 0 0 9 1 0 0 9 4 0 0 6 6 0 0 4 7 0 0 11 1

Pct. .222 .889 .909 .900 .692 .500 .364 .917

UPCOMING GAMES: Saturday vs Emory University Sept. 21 vs Carnegie Mellon University

Belle Scott ’21 leads the team with 92 kills.

Player Kills Belle Scott 92 Emma Bartlet 86 Amelia Oppenheimer 51 Kaisa Newberg 48

Digs Emma Bartlet ’21 leads the team with 84 digs.

Player Digs Emma Bartlet 84 Melissa Borgert 82 Belle Scott 82

CROSS COUNTRY Results from the Wellesley College Inivitational on Aug. 30.

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)

5-Kilometer Run RUNNER TIME Mark Murdy 16:42.6 Casey Brackett 16:56.9 Alec Rodgers 17:00.9

5-Kilometer Run RUNNER TIME Andrea Bolduc 18:59.2 Erin Magill 19:26.2 Danielle Bertaux 19:41.4

UPCOMING MEETS:

Sept. 21 at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Invitational

THU LE/Justice File Photo

PUT YOUR HANDS UP: Kaisa Newberg ’22 provides a towering defense against University of Maine at Presque Isle on Sept. 7, 2018.

Judges lose first home game of the season ■ Women’s Volleyball team participates in tri-match at Amherst College on Saturday.

By MEGAN GELLER JUSTICE EDITOR

The Brandeis women’s volleyball team lost its season home opener on Sept. 13 against the Bates College Bobcats. Though the teams alternated who was in the lead many times during each set, the Judges were unable to win. The Bobcats took the match with a score of 3–1. The set, scores were 25–17, 24–26, 27–25 and 25–19.

The Bobcats jumped to a quick lead in the first set pulling ahead to a score of 7–1, and though the Judges fought back, they were never able to overcome the initial Bobcat surge.

In the second set, it was the Judges who started off strong, taking a giant 9–1 lead. Though the Bobcats battled back and eventually took over the lead, the Judges would not accept defeat and took the lead again on a kill by Emma Bartlett ’20 and a block by Amelia Oppenheimer ’23. Finally, an Oppenheimer kill and two errors on the part of the

Bobcats allowed the Judges to win the second set. During the third set, the Judges came close to having an amazing comeback from a 7–0 deficit due to all around hard play.

The Judges clawed their way back to a score of 16–13 on the service of Belle Scott ’21. The Bobcats fought back, but the Judges held on to tie the set at 20-all. However, after the two teams battled back and forth, with the Judges surviving two to set points, the Bobcats were able to win on two Judges’ attacking errors by a score of 27–25. In the fourth set, the two teams battled back fourth fairly evenly even though the Bobcats held a three point lead most of the time. However, when the score was 21–19, the Bobcats finished the set with four points in a row to win with a score of 25–19.

On Sept. 14, Brandeis participated in a tri-match at Amherst against the Amherst College Mammoths and the Worcester State Lancers.

The Judges broke their six-match losing streak by beating the Lancers 25–19, 25–6, 25–6. However, in the second match they lost to the Mammoths 25–13, 25–10, 25–15.

In the first match the Judges came out hot with 31 kills, 81 total attacks and a hitting percentage of .296. Belle Scott ’21 was on fire and

led the Judges with a .579 hitting percentage, 12 kills and one error.

Emma Bartlett ’20 also contributed to the team with nine kills and two blocks Marissa Borgert ’21 had eight kills and eight assists, and Talia Freud ’23 had 17 assists and eight digs, a career high. After the first match, the team looked unstoppable.

Unfortunately, in the next match against the Mammoths, the Judges couldn’t hold onto their offensive domination. From the start of the match, the Mammoths never let up, answering the Judges’ every attempt to put together a successful point run. Bartlett led this match with eight kills, Scott followed with seven kills, Kaitlyn Oh ’22 had 12 digs, Freud had 13 assists and Avery Donovan ’22 added three blocks with one of them a solo.

The Judges are now 2–7 for the season. Their next opponents are the top-ranked Emory University Eagles — a University Athletic Association competitor — the #10 Carnegie Mellon Scotties and the University of Rochester Yellowjackets in the first of three University Athletic Association Round Robin held on Sept. 22 at home in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

After losing to the MIT Engineers, the Judges have defeated all of their recent opponents After the Judges lost to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineers, the team has risen and conquered all of the teams that they have faced since. This week, the team played against two more teams that now leave the Judges in a four-game winning streak heading into their Tuesday matchup with the Tufts University Jumbos — Clark University and Babson College. Following their victories against the Cougars and Beavers, the team has an overall season record of 4–1. As the Judges continue to build momentum, they look ahead at the chance at the NCAA tournament later in the season.

Clark 0, Judges 2 The Judges’ conquest

against

the Cougars was a chance for Jessica Herman ’23 to prove she is a force to be reckoned with. Herman scored both goals of the day which ultimately decided the game for Brandeis when the team’s defense prevented Clark from scoring a single point.

The game began relatively slow as the Judges attempted three shots and Clark only two, but neither was able to muster the power to actually scorE any points. In the first 45 minutes of play, the Judges were prevented from scoring by the Cougar’s Morgan Small. However, once the second half began, the Judges were set up to prevail. While Clark was only able to shoot six times, the Brandeis offense built up the power to have ten attempts at the goal. In

the 62nd minute of play, Herman was able to make her first collegiate goal, followed by a second shortly after in the 78th minute of play.

Again, this victory would not have been possible without the defense that was able to keep Clark from scoring any of their attempted goals. Victoria Richardson ’20 made two impressive second-half saves that made this the third game in a row, where the Judges did not allow any goals to be scored against them.

For Richardson, this game marked her first career solo shutout. Overall, this game marked the third game of the team’s winning streak and demonstrated how, without an equally strong defense, no offense could carry the team. Here, all parts of a team worked together for

this victorious outcome.

Babson 1, Judges 3 The Beavers were no match for the Judges on Saturday at Gordon Field. Although the team could not continue their streak of shutting out the other team, they were still able to lead and maintain their overall winning streak.

In this game, the first goal was scored only 20 minutes into the game by the Judges’ Makenna Hunt ’22. This was her third goal of the season. However, this was not the last we would see from Hunt this game. Only two-and-a-half minutes later, Hunt scored again. Assisted

by Daria Bakhatiari ’21, the score of the game became 2–0 favoring the Judges, and the team certainly

made the most of the early victory as they would lead for the rest of the game.

The Beaver’s Olivia West scored her third goal of the season 26 minutes into the game, but the Judges did not falter and continued to press forward. No points were scored again until the 68th minute of play when Bakharia scored — her first goal of the season.

As the Judges enter their game against the Jumbos on Tuesday, continued momentum, confidence and unity will be what the team needs to bring home their fifth consecutive win.

— Jen Geller

just Sports Page 16

WOMEN'S SOCCER CONQUERS After losing to the MIT Engineers, the Judges have defeated all of their recent opponents, p. 15.

MEN'S SOCCCER

BRILLIANT BALANCE

Men’s team faces a loss and a tie ■ The Judges tied

Worcester Polytechnic Institute in a double overtime on Wednesday and fell to Tufts this Saturday.

By JONAH WHITE JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Brandeis men’s soccer team battled to a 1–1 draw with Worcester Polytechnic Institute Wednesday evening after a relatively cautious 90 minutes gave way to two dramatic extra time periods which left the home side relieved at the final whistle.

Despite lots of possession throughout the night, Brandeis was outshot 23–12, according to the Brandeis Athletics website, including 8–0 in extra time, and trailed eight to four overall in shots on goal. The Judges held a slight edge in corners but their lone goal came from open play. Goalkeeper Greg Irwin ’20 had an impressive night, denying seven efforts on goal and coming off his line on numerous occasions.

Two of the Judges’ most reliable forwards, Will DeNight ’23, who came off injured against Babson over the weekend, and Colin Panarra ’20 were notably absent from the pitch all night, and it was clear early on that Brandeis missed its standout strikers as they were unable to create clear scoring chances despite early possession.

The visiting Engineers took an abrupt lead when Jackson Conroy ’20 played a long ball over the home defense and Matt Mulligan ’20 lobbed his shot from the right corner of the 18-yard box over Irwin in the sixth minute.

Waltham, Mass.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

WPI nearly doubled their advantage in the 20th minute when substitute Paul Beatty ’21 nearly found himself through on goal, only for Irwin to rush to the edge of his box for the first several times in the match. The Judges were rewarded for their patient possession in the 25th minute when a Dylan Hennessy ’20 cross was dropped by Noah Gans ’20 toward Jared Panson ’22, who swept the ball into the bottom corner of the net to level the match with his first varsity goal.

The next noteworthy moment came in the 66th minute when WPI forward Francesco Valagussa ’23 appeared to be clattered into by a Judge defender on the edge of the penalty area, but referee Robert Minichiello declined to blow for a foul.

Brandeis appeared to tire out toward the end of regulation and extra time as WPI had several chances to find a golden goal, most notably in the 94th minute when Irwin came off his line to deny Mark Calnan ’20 and again when Calnan scuffed his shot from a great run early in the second period of extra time. Sebastian Royo ’21 nearly finished the game in the 109th minute but was denied thanks to another fine save

by Irwin. The Judges did go for the win themselves, selling out offensively on a couple of set pieces in extra time, but were clearly the more exhausted side as they collectively fell to the turf at the final whistle. Forrest Shimazu ’23 and Isaac Mukala ’22 also turned in impressive defensive performances, tasked with defending several late counterattacks by WPI as the Judges pushed for a late winner.

Brandeis fell away to Tufts 2–0

See MSOCCER, 13

☛

NATALIA WIATER/the Justice

KICKIN' IT: Max Breiter ’20 faces off the opposing defense in a game against Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Wednesday.

PRO SPORTS

National Basketball Association’s pressure cooker follows hectic off season ■ After National Basketball

Association off season which saw nine of the top 20 players and approximately 15 of the top 40 players in the league change teams, there is no more absolute favorite in the league.

By JONATHAN SOCHACZEVSKI JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The National Football League season is heating up, but still boring, so let's talk basketball! After an absolutely bananas National Basketball Association offseason which saw nine of the top 20 players and approximately 15 of the top 40 players in the league change teams, there is no more absolute favorite in the league.

The Golden State Warriors lost Kevin Durant to the New York Nets and Klay Thompson to an ACL tear, but they added young stud D’Angelo Russell. The Houston Rockets traded Chris Paul for former MVP

Russell Westbrook to give James Harden someone else to relegate ball handling duties to. The Los Angeles Clippers turned their core players of Shai Gilgous-Alexander and every future pick they own for 10 years into Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. The Los Angeles Lakers traded their young core away for Anthony Davis, then added Boogie Cousins who promptly tore his ACL, and the team is drowning in off court drama.

The Milwakee Bucks did absolutely nothing.

The Philadelphia 76ers brought back Tobias Harris and signed Al Horford — Joel Embiid’s kryptonite. The Miami Heat somehow signed Jimmy Butler. The Boston Celtics lost everyone and signed Kemba Walker and Enes Kanter. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets retooled and traded D’Angelo Russell, Allen Crabbe and some picks to create the space to sign Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan and Taureen Prince. This is an unprecedented level of parity in the NBA right now.

So the biggest question for me isn’t who’s the best, but who has the most

pressure not to lose?

The Golden State Warriors: After five straight years of making the finals, and winning three times, this might be the first time in about four years that the Warriors are not predicted to go to the finals, which makes me think they’re even more likely to go to the finals. But if they aren’t able to, it’s not a big deal.

Their core is locked up all together for years and Draymond, Curry and Klay will probably all retire as Warriors D’Angelo Russell can either take the torch from them or be traded for someone on their timeline, and this team will have opportunities to contend for many more years to come. PRESSURE RATING: light pressure.

The Utah Jazz: The Jazz might have the best core in NBA history of players who have never made an all-star game with Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. They traded a few average assets to get Mike Conley, and are located in Utah so they don’t really have any expectations except maybe to make the second round

with the bloodbath that is the West.

PRESSURE RATING - Meh.

blown up. mounting.

The Celtics: The Celtics lost their two best players, added a worse player and a center whose defense is suspect at best. But they are located in Boston, so therefore Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown are “All-stars” and anything less than the finals is a bust. PRESSURE RATING: complicated.

The Los Angeles Clippers: They traded every real trade asset they have for Paul George and in turn signing Kawhi Leonard.

By doing this series of trades and signings they have committed to Paul George and Kawhi Leonard for eight seasons each, meaning they will have both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard on max contracts until they are 37 and 36, respectively. They have no money to add a third star within the next few years and they still have a massive hole at their starting center position. The expectations for the Clippers are sky high with both Kawhi and George abandoning their old title contending team for a new one. PRESSURE RATING: high mountains.

The Portland Trailblazers and Denver Nuggets: I’m putting these two together because they’re in the same boat.

Both have one super star player (Jokic, Dame), a costar whose true value is hard to quantify and fit isn’t perfect (Murray, McCollum) and a third star whose value changes astronomically from season to season (Harris, Nurkic). Both teams are looked at in the lower tier of Western playoff teams despite having great regular seasons last year, and both have a lot of pressure to prove their team is good enough to compete or their team might get

PRESSURE

RATING:

The Los Angeles Lakers: Much like the Clippers, the Lakers traded their young core and a good slew of picks for a superstar, Anthony Davis. The Lakers have a

See PRO, 13

☛

September 17, 2019

Vol. LXXII #3 Vol. LXX #2

September 12, 2017

New Work from just and

Abroad

Home

>> pg. 18

just Arts & Culture Waltham, Mass.

Artwork: Carolyn Brazil, Xingyu Mao; Images: Lauren Berk/the Justice; Design: Thu Le/the Justice

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TUESDAY, THE JUSTICE SEPTEMBER | ARTS17,| TUESDAY, 2019 I ARTS JANUARY & CULTURE 31, 2017 I THE JUSTICE

ART SHOW

Internationally inspired art comes to ’Deis

By JACQUELINE WANG JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Selected student artworks were exhibited in the “New Arts from Home & Abroad” Awarded Student Art Show in Goldman-Schwartz Art Studio last week, including artworks created in 2019 Brandeis in Siena Program, a two-course studio art summer program in Siena, Italy, and more.

Students pursued their art istic journeys at home and abroad and sparked creativity all over the world. Rita Scheer ’20 is the creator of several exhibited paintings, including “there’s a house at the end of it (I & II),” created this past summer at the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia. In an interview with the Justice, Scheer explained that while she was away from home this summer, a question emerged in her mind — “what makes a house feel like home?”

In her paintings, the wooden staircase and the warm reddish wall compose a cozy atmosphere that reminds us of our homes. But what makes the paintings stand out is the big white blank arch space in Painting I, which is portrayed in detail at the corresponding spot in Painting II. She used to look out from the big arch-shaped window while she was working in an old art library. Rita explained that she was making a contrast, with some level of abstraction, between home and something outside of home. In my own view, I also see the window as a bridge, connecting the creator from the exciting adventurous world to the safe shelter she can always return to, no matter how far she travels.

For some other students, studying at Brandeis is more than simply leaving home. Students from abroad contribute to the Brandeis art community with their unique understandings and tastes from other cultures. It is this openness and diversity that makes

artists thrive at Brandeis.

If we shift our attention to the individual paintings, we can find this diversity reflected in formats, brushstrokes and the use of contrast. The exhibition contains artistic formats from acrylic paintings to photography. Some art pieces were created to fit into the environment, while others were deliberately separated from the surroundings.

Brushstrokes also reflect the great diversity in styles among students. Carrie Sheng ’20, author of four exhibited pieces, has bold and rapid brushstrokes that blend the objects into the environment.

Liv Molho ’20, on the other hand, depicts objects with firm touches and clear edges that separate the depicted object from the background. Sheng and Molho also have very distinctive illustrations of shadow — Sheng blends various colors to create depth, whereas Molho builds the dimensions using strong, contrasting color blocks.

Techniques reflect each artist’s understanding of expressions.

The accumulation of experiences to gain this unique technique or understanding can take place at school or abroad. The Siena section of the exhibition displays an array of paintings that has a common artistic style of the Sienese School – thin, elegant and highly pigmented.

Art is universal. In our lives, we travel to different places. Maybe we settle down and start our new lives, or maybe we leave and return to the place we are familiar with. Humans communicate and exchange their ideas through art and language.

All the exotic elements, techniques and themes will eventually become parts of our art styles. As we are exploring the unknown, we embrace diversity that brings a larger world to us. Right now, our souls are all comfortably resting in our home in Waltham, at Brandeis, knowing that one day we’ll fly away to explore the diversity and come back at any point for a solid shelter.

LAUREN BERK/the Justice

SUMMER ABROAD: Away from home, students bring that inspiration into the process of creating art.

LAUREN BERK/the Justice

CUT AND PASTE: Instead of following the traditional way of using the material, the creator breaks boundary to add layers to the paintings.

MUSICAL REVIEW

Six women, six songs, one musical

By CAYLIE JERUCHIMOWITZ JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

As the lights in the theater dims, an excited hush falls over the audience. Six figures enter and stand in a straight line across the stage.

Lights flash on each girl as they introduce their characters in one word: “divorced,” “beheaded,” “died,” “divorced,” “beheaded,” “survived.” Then, all the lights blaze across the stage as the queens unite in song and the audience erupts in an enthusiastic chorus of cheers.

This is the beginning of the opening song, “Ex-wives,” of the musical “Six.” This musical is about Henry VIII’s six wives. Each queen gets a song to tell her story as they battle to see which of their lives was the saddest. With its concert vibe, incredible lighting, technical elements and fun and powerful female characters, “Six” has something for everyone and encompasses

what I expect when I attend a musical.

I saw “Six” twice over the summer, once in Chicago in May and again in London in July, and loved it both times. I am a huge theater nerd and have seen a lot of shows, but I can honestly say that seeing “Six” is the most fun that I have ever had when attending a performance.

This production is different from any other that I have seen because it is a mix between a musical and a concert. The structure of “Six” followed that of a typical musical, meaning it illustrates a story developed through musical performances. At the same time, there is a live band on stage and the characters perform songs directly to the audience, using handheld microphones rather than randomly breaking into song. The show is interactive: the cast periodically breaks the fourth wall to further engage with the audience.

Another interesting element of this show is the music itself. Along with a few group

Graphic Courtesy of Creative Commons. Design: Sara Fulton/the Justice

numbers, each queen performs her own song, which is based off of a real life pop singer. While all the songs fall in the range of pop music, each song is stylistically different. For example, Jane Seymour’s song “Heart of Stone” is based off of Adele and is more of a ballad, while Catherine of Aragon’s song “No Way” is based on Beyoncé and is upbeat. This allows the music throughout the show to be diverse.

I was also impressed by the story of the musical. Most people only know that these women were married to King Henry VIII and how they died. Through the performances, I was able to learn so much about each of these ladies as each performance explored each queen’s backstory. The queens detail their experiences with the king (their “herstory,” as they call it in the musical), such as where each of the queens came from and what led up to meeting King Henry VIII. I enjoy learning about history, and learning about a history that is not very well

known in such a unique way made seeing “Six” that much more fascinating.

It was also amazing to see these powerful and talented women take the spotlight and lead the show. When seeing a performance, especially when I was younger, I was always blown away by and looked up to the actresses I saw.

It is important that young girls today see these inspiring and talented role models on stage.

Along with the six actresses leading the show, the four band members are also a sensational group of women representing the ladies in waiting. A stage full of women is not often done, so it was really wonderful to experience.

“Six” is incredible and I would highly recommend it to everyone, whether they are passionate about theater or if they are just looking to have a fun and entertaining time.

From the story, to the music, to the technical elements, I could not have asked for a better experience.

THE JUSTICE I ARTS & CULTURE I TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2019

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FILM REVIEW

SPOOKY CLOWN WINS PRAISE FROM FANS

By ALEX BENDER

JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Twenty-seven years ago, seven children nearly murdered a poor, delightful clown by the name of Pennywise in Derry, Maine. Two years ago, an incorrect and harmful documentary, IT Chapter One, was released into cinemas to wide critical acclaim and commercial success.

While these homicidal toddlers claimed that Pennywise terrorized them and perpetrated many crimes linked to Derry’s missing children, the real Derrians understood that Pennywise’s only crime was giving out wonderful red balloons to rude ignorant children and seeking refuge in Derry’s sewer system.

Today, the brutal gang known as the Loser’s Club returns to Derry to finish their crime once and for all. Hopefully, “[they]’ll float too!”

For us non-evil clown mindcontrolled folks, “IT Chapter Two” is directed by Andrés Muschietti, who once again proves that you should not mess with evil, shapeshifting clowns.

Along with an expanded budget and a more expensive cast, Muschietti maximizes each resource at his disposal to create some of the most effective and disturbing imagery in recent memory.

An ability to handle budgets of any size is essential in the film industry, and the fantastic makeup, visual effects and production design make Muschietti’s directorial skills excel.

The grotesque body horror and psychological assault on the subconscious reign supreme in that the sheer unsettling imagery plants the viewer into their most vulnerable and submissive state of mind. Muschietti recognizes the challenge of conveying fully-grown, scared adults as opposed to kids. The predatory nature of clowns is more sinister when projected towards innocent, naive children rather than independent citizens who have better things to do with their time. Pennywise is terrifying regardless of your age, and Muscietti masterfully crafts his horror around the insecurities of his characters.

Toggling back and forth between the past and present, the members of the Loser’s Club recall the best and worst of their childhoods by reevaluating their current identities in relation to the goals and ambitions that they had as children and how much they truly changed since then or, in fact, stayed the same.

The adult cast provides worthy performances that elevate the work of the original crew. The characters’ evolved, yet still-recognizable personalities expertly mesh with one another as they

recreate the nostalgic chemistry of their younger years. James Ransone stands out as one of my favorite casting choices; his Eddie Kaspbrak matches Bill Hader’s Richie Tozier perfectly through their back-and-forth and genuine compassion for one another. Muschietti veteran Jessica Chastain electrifies the screen as she immerses herself in the tragic, corrupt world of Beverly Marsh.

Isaiah Mustafa hauntingly portrays Mike Hanlon’s evolution over the past 27 years. From obsession to insanity and desperation, Mike seeks to end IT by any means necessary. James McAvoy’s Bill Denbrough gives a subdued, subtle performance as he plays a man still haunted by grief and evil, desperately searching for clarity and normalcy.

Andy Bean’s Stanley Uris is a welcome addition as his character fuels the integrity of the group

character arc is the most compelling of all the returning ‘Losers’ as he struggles with his life-long compartmentalization of his sexuality. Despite not being referenced in the previous film or the novel itself (but has existed in numerous fan theories for years), Richie Tozeir’s secret adds another level of terror to the story, as the town he grew up in and the 80s culture that encompassed his way of life surpressed nonheterosexual identities.

The film begins with a hate

through his honesty and sense of purpose. Lastly, Jay Ryan fills in sweet, old Ben Hanscom’s shoes as the guy who is going to respectfully ‘Rick Roll’ Beverly no matter what.

However, Bill Hader’s performance and character journey of Richie Tozier hits the hardest and rings the loudest.

To no one’s surprise, Bill Hader is exceptionally funny and a brilliant impressionist and improv artist. But to fans of “Barry” and “The Skeleton Twins,” Bill Hader’s ability to convey complicated and repressed characters is a testament to his skillset and another example of how he adores and dedicates himself to his craft. Despite cracking hilarious jokes to add levity to this dark, grim tale, Richie Tozier’s

crime in present day not only to reignite the curse IT befalls upon the town of Derry every twenty seven years, but to highlight the dangerous world that Richie traverses throughout his struggle to recognize his inner thoughts and feelings.

Bill Skarsgård of course is the true star of “IT Chapter Two,” as his recent portrayal of Pennywise is iconic and a new marker for horror performances, makeup and

special effects. Everything about Skarsgård’s Pennywise is unsettling: his tone of voice, the red lines on his face, his ‘I’m gonna eat you’ face. Pennywise is nothing short of magnetic and impossible to resist as every facial expression and illusion he conjures imprints itself on your brain, forever.

Unfortunately, while “IT Chapter Two” achieves great success through its emotional characterization and horror sequences, the film contains some extraneous storylines.

Small-town bully Henry Bowers returns in the sequel but his presence is confusing and immediately forgettable.

In Chapter One, Henry Bowers plays a crucial role, driving the protagonists to form the Losers Club.

His murderous antics highlight the influence IT maintains over the citizens of Derry: over time the community grew to be immoral, oblivious and violent. And at a runtime of nearly three hours, the inclusion of Henry Bowers in IT Chapter Two fails to catch the viewer’s attention or maintain a sense of real-world tension. In addition to his sequences with the Loser’s Club, Pennywise continues to stalk Derry children and these scenes also feel somewhat unnecessary and disconnected from the story.

Even within the primary storyline, the pacing struggles as the countless onslaughts of Pennywise versus Loser’s Club sequences get repetitive and predictable, as there are many independent characters that must face IT individually.

Overall, “IT Chapter Two” is an excellently crafted horror sequel that boasts strong performances and nightmare-inducing horror scenes. Despite some story and pacing issues, the film is a must-watch for hardcore fans and a positive recommendation for general audiences that are not afraid to dabble in horror.

Photo Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

SPOOKY TRIVIA: When Pennywise the Clown has its eyes split to the opposite direction, the effect is done by its potrayer Bill Skarsgård, not generated by a computer.

Photo Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

LOVE FROM FANS: Due to his excellent potraying of the clown, Bill Skarsgård received many Pennywise teddy bears from the fans, and he gave all of them to his eleven-months-old daughter.

Design: Yael Hanadari-Levy/the Justice Background Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

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THE JUSTICE I ARTS & CULTURE I TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2019

INTERVIEW

JUSTARTS SPOTLIGHT ON THE ROSE

By HUILIN LI JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITTER

Once I stepped into The Undisciplined Collector, 2015, a 20th century style living room in the Rose Art Museum, the first work that caught my eye was the “Le Marche.”

The pleasantly light color of the flowers in the work and the strong contrast of the little girl’s pink dress against the crowd’s deep color forced me to slow down. One step closer, I stared at this painting, feeling that all my emotions were drifting for the mysteriously melancholy expression of the little girl in the center of this painting, and all my thoughts were flying to the small town of Italy.

“Le Marche” was a gift the Rose Art Museum received from Helene S. Feingold in 1994. Marche is one of the twenty regions of Italy. The painter of this masterpiece, Emilio Grau Sala, was one of the most famous colorists and illustrators in Spain during the period of the Spanish Civil War. As a member of the group of Maurice Boitel, his art style was strongly influenced by the French “La Jeune Peinture (Young Picture)” movement.

Grau Sala presents this oil painting to us with strong color contrast. The colors of the crowd are deep black and dark blue.

However, the girl with dirty blonde hair is wearing a light pink dress with some white spots on top. By the prominent condensation function, this painting became surprisingly eyecatching.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly moved my eyes from the little girl’s face back to the whole painting.

“La Marche” is certainly not a fine brushwork, it is closer to an impressionist’s free sketch. With only a few swift strokes, Grau Sala vividly depicted the excitement that flowers give to people.

This painting is more than just “colorful” or simply “eye-catching”; it is the perfect unification of color balance.

“Le Marche” also has a companion volume, “Paris, le marche,” created by the same artist in 1964.

Rita Scheer ’20 Photo Courtesy of RITA SCHEER

This week, justArts&Culture spoke with Rita Scheer ’20, who was one of the showcased artists at the “New Arts from Home & Abroad” Awarded Student Art Show.

Mark Dion, “The Undisciplined Collector ” 2015. Rose Art Museum Special Fund. Photo by Charles Mayer.

“The Undisciplined Collector” is funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice

Rita Scheer: I’m a senior studying Fine Arts and Business, I currently work in collections at the Rose Art Museum and want to get my Master of Fine Arts after undergrad! This summer, I received a Remis grant and departmental support to be part of the Tyler School of Art and Architecture’s painting intensive program, which was a pivotal experience and really allowed me to build my studio practice and experiment with new materials I hadn’t considered before.

JAC: How did you get involved with this showcase?

RS: The showcase takes place every year, and the department asks that thesis and grant recipients participate — but aside from falling into these categories, it’s a chance for me and others to show work we’ve made over the years to the professors, and our peers. It’s always exciting to come back to school and to see what new works everyone has created!

JAC: Tell us a bit about your creative process?

VICENTE CAYUELA/the Justice

SUDOKU

RS: I started using a new material this summer called Yupo paper — it feels like a very thin plastic sheet — and I use acrylic paint on it, sometimes cutting out areas.

This allows me to paint more intuitively than I can with oils, and paper is less rigid than the wooden structure of canvas.

JAC: Do you think you get enough support from the Fine Art department?

RS: The Fine Arts department has always supported me and many of my fellow Studio friends!

Professors are always there to help with various proposals, talk about plans for the future, and work through any insecurities about making art. Additionally, the department definitely supports students who want to keep creating over the summer, whether they are enrolling in a program or just need access to the Brandeis studios. Rebecca (studio tech) and Christine (FA admin) are so supportive and are willing to teach new skills, help students start campus-wide arts activities or work with students on getting departmental or school funding.

Photo Courtesy of FRANCES HOFFEN

STAFF’S Top Ten

Top Ten Crayon Colors

JAC: Anything else you want to let the students know?

By Frances Hoffen

JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

I’m currently still harboring a grudge against that girl who stole my macaroni and cheese crayon in fifth grade.

JustArts&Culture: Tell me a bit about yourself and your role in the “New Work from Home and Abroad event”.

Courtesy of OPENSKY SUDOKU GENERATOR

1. Macaroni and Cheese 2. Purple Pizzazz 3. Timberwolf 4. Inch Worm 5. Burnt Sienna

RS: The department is so welcoming; students and professors just want others to get excited about trying new mediums and materials — I’m in senior studio now, doing my thesis, and I’m finding that the space that Brandeis offers is really unique and important, because it’s open to whatever a person can think of creating, and I find that very integral to a program.

6. Neon Carrot 7. Razzmatazz 8. Outer Space

— Luke Liu

9. Eggplant 10. Razzle Dazzle Rose

Courtesy of OPENSKY SUDOKU GENERATOR