The Justice, March 26, 2024

discussed in the fourth installment of the Dialogue & Action series, titled War, Law, and Civilians. The talk was hosted by Northeastern University and took place virtually on March 13. Dialogue & Action is a series made to model constructive dialogue and is a collaboration between nine universities includ-

The talk opened with a short note by David Quigley, provost and dean of faculties of Northeastern University. Quigley explained briefly the purpose of Dialogue & Action and thanked viewers and

Students call for the charges of “Brandeis seven” to be dropped

■ The Revolutionary Student Organization and Students for Justice in Palestine urge Brandeis to recognize student voices on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

By ZOE ZACHARY, ANNA MARTIN and SOPHIA DE LISI

On March 22 at 4:00 p.m., the dechartered Brandeis chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine and the Revolutionary Student Organization rallied on campus. According to a collaborative post on the SJP and RSO Instagram profiles, the rally’s main goals were to call on Brandeis to: “1. Request that the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office drop all charges against the seven people arrested while dispersing from the Nov. 10 rally,” “2. Provide financial transparency on all its expenditures and investments” and “3. Stop supporting the genocide of the Palestinian people by engaging with the Zionist occupation’s economy and institutions, and representing dissent on campus.” Additionally,

during the rally, members of the organizations presented a “Petition to End Brandeis University’s Attacks on Free Speech.”

The rally started on the green outside of the Usdan Student Center directly across from the Rabb Steps. Members of these organizations started gathering shortly before 4:00 p.m., most wearing masks or other face-concealing clothing items and carrying posters. There were also several protest marshals stationed around the group’s perimeter, wearing blue identification vests and handing out masks. Organization members informed the group that these marshals were there for their safety, and if any member of the police were to approach, a marshal should be called over to handle the situation. A legal observer from the National Lawyers Guild was present and visibly identifiable with a piece of neon headwear. This observer remained for the duration of the event and took copious notes. An individual from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management was also present and informed The Justice that they thought it best for at least one member of faculty to overlook the event.

Shortly after the rally began, select members of SJP and RSO gave their opening remarks. They reiterated the purposes of the rally,

Face reveal

RIVER SIMARD

expanding on Brandeis’ reputation as a “social-justice organization.” A speaker argued that the University uses recognizable names like Angela Davis ’65 — political activist of color — to cover up injustices such as this one. Speakers expressed that they felt that while this is a “social justice university,” the school administration “[hates] students doing social justice.”

“Where is the safe space, where is the constructive dialogue [the University likes] to brag about?” a speaker questioned. “We have cops surrounding us, people around us attempting to dox us. Brandeis isn’t trying to protect us, it’s endangering you!”

Various attendees advocated for the support of student voices regarding their perspectives on the Israel-Hamas conflict, with one member stating, “They told us it was to protect our Jewish students. But those Jewish students are right here.” One of the protest marshals reviewed safety protocols for the rally that had been posted on their Instagram accounts prior to the event, specifically the importance of not engaging with police, press or counter protestors. “It is not our intention to get you arrested … If we are told to disperse, we will be dispersing.” They also encouraged demonstrators to use the buddy sys-

Action’:

panelists alike for their seriousness in engaging with the material. The talk was moderated by Dr. Devin Pendas, a professor of history at Boston College specializing in modern Europe. The two panelists were University of Massachusetts Amherst Professor of Political Science Dr. Charli Carpenter and Dr. Zinaida Miller, a professor of law and international affairs at Northeastern University.

Pendas then went on to explain the framework of the dialogue. Each panelist gave an introductory remark, followed by questions and dialogue back and forth.

Carpenter opened her remarks by asking an essential question: does international law even matter? According to Carpenter, the answer is “yes.” She said that data shows that international laws matter a lot, and furthermore, it is essential for citizens to understand national law. According to Carpenter, if citizens understand international law, they are empowered to identify when the laws are being violated and to add pressure on their own side to abide by international law when necessary. She explained that international law

See DIALOGUE, 7 ☛

Religious tradition and sexual assault survivors ’ narratives

■ Dr. Keren R. McGinity discusses her book and how religion influences a communities’ conversation around sexual assault.

By KELSEY STEVENS JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Content warning: This article includes mentions of sexual assault and harassment.

"What if one woman told the truth about her life? The world would split open." This quote by poet Muriel Rukeyser is what Lisa Fishbayn Joffe, the director of the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute at the University, opened their lecture "UsToo: How Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Women changed our Communities." As part of the lecture, Dr. Fish-

Concert conversations

 Read about the life story of Murial Gellert Chaslow as told through a series of musical compositions.

By ESTHER BALABAN

bayn Joffe highlighted the importance of women sharing their stories. The #MeToo movement gave women and survivors of sexual harassment and sexual abuse in the workplace the opportunity to speak out. The campaign inspired many to engage in public and personal conversations. This movement had a large impact on several fields, including religious communities.

Dr. Fishbayn Joffe introduced Dr. Keren R. McGinity, a Mandell L. Berman Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Contemporary American Jewish Life at the University of Michigan Frankel Center for Judaic Studies. Dr. McGinity is an author of many books, including #UsToo: How Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Women changed our Communities, the topic of the event.

Dr. McGinity opened by dedicating her talk to her mother, who "raised me to be the woman I am today." She noted that October 2023 marked the sixth anniversary of the #MeToo movement, a phrase

See RELIGION, 7 ☛

ELIZA BIER/The Justice

CALL

: Rally goers demonstrating, calling for changes from the Brandeis Administration to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

RIVER SIMARD/The Justice

SENATE LOG

Senate passes four clubs to probationary status and discusses new Senate structure

On March 24, the Senate heard four club proposals for probationary status during its Sunday meeting, a continuation of last week’s meeting. All four were passed and now have probationary status.

The first club to present was Brandeis Hui’o Laulima. The club currently has a fluid e-board, and three e-board members presented: Tori Yamda ’27, Vaea Lohe ’27 and Huck Henderschedt ’26. The presenting members created this club to spread the spirit of Hawaii and support students with connections to the state. They want to educate people about Hawaiian culture and discuss the history and environmental issues specific to the state. In the future, they hope to hold cultural lessons that teach Hawaiian, an endangered language, and host a Lu’au in the spring of 2025. The club was accredited with probationary status.

The next club to present was the Brandeis Prosthetic Club. The presentation was done by President Robert Cooper ’26 and Vice President Avery Bishop ’27. The club’s goal is to explore the world of prosthetics and engineering by building prosthetics for children. No experience is required. They want to use the website ENABLE, which connects people who

POLICE LOG

SUSPICIOUS

want to build prosthetics with one another.

This club was previously de-chartered due to the inaction due to COVID-19. This club would give opportunities for all members to get training for the Maker Lab. The club is now probationary.

The Brandeis Physics club was presented by President Joy Ren ’26, Treasurer David Merges ’25 and Secretary Daniel House ’26. They want to create a club to conduct research promptly in the physical science community at Brandeis and provide resources and opportunities for members eager to engage with experimental and theoretical research. They have planned some events, including social events, study halls, research involvement workshops, journal club and collaborations with other clubs. The club gained probationary status this Sunday.

The Italian club was presented by Emily Moreno ’27, Amanda Shiu ’27 and Ava Pole ’27. They want to create this club to bring a community for Italian students at Brandeis. They also want to create a space to learn about the culture and language. Some events they want to host include discussing different cities, watching movies and cooking events.

Approximately 20 people showed up to their first meeting. The Senate accredited the club with probationary status.

Following the conclusion of the club presentations, Sherry Tao ’25, director of club support, took a brief survey to find if the Student Union preferred this style of club presentations versus the last style, which spread out club presentations over many meetings. Most preferred this style with multiple club presentations for one meeting.

There were no Senate committee reports.

Senator Eamonn Golden ’24 and Senate Leader Erica Hwang ’25 briefly discussed the new arrangement and structure for the Senate. The information about the constitution’s adaptations was released on Monday, March 25, and the ballots for these new changes will be made available to the student body on Wednesday, March 27. The Senate’s new structure will have an executive board and four committees. There will be four executive senators, each overseeing three committees and each committee with their senator. The four executive committees will be clubs, campus life, advocacy and events and publicity.

Yoni Kahn ’24, the co-chair of the social

justice committee, shared a proposal to bring more hair products to campus that cater to students of color. They are collaborating with the Multicultural Hair Product Club. The proposal is for the Student Union to buy products and sell them to students at a discounted price. The proceeds will be donated to the Black Women and Girls Fund. The Social Justice Committee plans to use this proposal to show a demand for a broader range of hair products on campus.

— Kelsey Stevens

Editor’s Note: Justice staff writer Ria Escamilla-Gil ’27 and Justice Editor Rani Balakrishna ’25 are Student Union senators and did not contribute to this article. Justice editorial assistant Zoe Zachary ’ 27 is a member of Brandeis Hui’o Laulima.

a

Mar. 15 — A community member injured their foot while walking and sought medical attention. The patient refused medical treatment.

Mar. 15 — A community member reported being sick and requested BEMCo. The patient was transported to a local hospital for further care via ambulance.

Mar. 15 — A medical call was made for a community member not feeling well. They were treated by BEMCo and refused further treatment.

Mar. 16 — A medical call was made for an injured ankle. They were treated by BEMCo and refused further treatment.

Mar. 16 — A party reported not feeling well. The patient was transported to a local hospital for further care via ambulance.

Mar. 20 — There was a medical emergency for a party lying down by the Sherman dumpster. The patient was transported to a local hospital for further care via ambulance.

ACCIDENT/NO PERSONAL INJURY

Mar. 20 — A community member reported a hit and run. An investigation is to follow.

Mar. 21 — There were reports of a minor motor vehicle accident between Department of Facilities Management vehicles. The incident was cleared.

■

■

■

The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that

or clarification. Send an email to editor@thejustice.org

MISCELLANEOUS

Mar. 15 — A suspicious letter was delivered to the mailroom. An investigation is to follow.

Mar. 17 — A student claimed their food delivery was taken. The Incident was cleared.

Mar. 17 — Multiple calls were made reporting noise disturbance. No police action was required.

Mar. 17 — The Department of Facilities Management was notified of maintenance to respond.

Mar. 20 — There was a report of vandalism to mirrors in the bathrooms. An investigation is to follow.

Mar. 20 — There was a report of vandalism to mirrors in basement bathrooms. All appeared to be in order.

Mar. 21 — A party reported someone using their social security number. An investigation is to follow.

Mar. 21 — Department of Facilities Management was notified to remove tagging. An investigation is to follow.

Mar. 21 — A party reported damage to their door. The incident was cleared.

— Compiled by Lin Lin Hutchinson

A heron stands amongst fallen leaves, gazing majestically to the right. Pressure and pollution once drove herons out of the northeast United States, but they have made a drastic comeback in the past few decades.

Tiziana Dearing and Harleen Singh explore the power of conversation and community

■ Tiziana Dearing, host of WBUR’s Radio Boston, discusses her career with Prof. Harleen Singh.

By DIANE MEYER JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Tiziana Dearing lent her unique perspective as a former professor, non-profit executive and current radio host to the Brandeis community on Wednesday, March 20 in an event sponsored by the Women’s Studies Research Center. She was joined in discussion by Prof. Harleen Singh (WGS), a Brandeis professor of Literature and Women’s, Gender, and Sexality Studies as well as the Director of the Women Studies Research Center. Singh introduced Dearing as a “public voice for good” and a “lifelong student” of the world, while Dearing jokingly described her own career path as “Forrest Gumping” her way through life. Their discussion, while structured as a profile on Dearing’s professional career, found substance in evaluating the role of religious faith in her work and assessing the current climate of the American education system.

The trajectory of Dearing’s career started with “going door to door with her resume” in Chicago, fresh out of college at the University of Michigan, until she landed an internship and eventually a job with the Women’s Self Self Employment Project. Her passion for nonprofit work led her to earn a graduate degree in Public Policy, International Security, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, from the Kennedy School at Harvard University where she was also the Executive Director of the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations. This established the start of her work in the Boston community as Dearing later became the first woman to serve as the President of Catholic Charities in Boston, which she said made her the “highest ranked woman in the arch-diases in Boston” between 2007 and 2010. She was also the Chief Executive Officer of Boston Rising, a nonprofit startup, before eventually working as a professor of Social Work at Boston College. At this moment in her capacious career journey, Dearing is a host of WBUR’s Radio Boston and drives productive discussions on shows such as “Phenomenal Women,” which highlights female leaders working in fields historically dominated by men. According to Dearing, her career goal is “building trust and community.”

Pulling on the thread of Dearing’s identity as a “public voice for good,” Singh elaborated, saying that she stands for “uplifting people and moving toward a common goal,” as her voice is heard “not only amidst the topics and important conversations of the day [on the radio] but… [most importantly] when looking for spaces where people are not often heard.” Dearing believes that her role is first and foremost in service to others, which is driven in part by her religious faith. She described her faith as “her calling … to serve others and build trust and community,” which is fundamental to her work in the nonprofit sector and in the media.

Examining “the role that faith can play, and does play in society” is incredibly nuanced, said Singh. Discussing religious faith as a motivator for Dearing’s career inspired a jump into this complex religious discourse. On the topic of faith, which Singh described as a “fraught question,” Dearing was vulnerable about her challenges with the Catholic Church while affirming the importance of values that inform her work and worldview. Dearing said that she struggled with religion most notably when she felt like “[her] Church had failed her kids … [which] made [her] look back at [herself], [her] childhood, and [herself] as a parent.” Growing up, Dearing’s family, of which she was the youngest of nine children, was extremely active not only in the Church but in Catholic charity work, which engrained in her the values of community and uplifting others.

Amidst controversy in the Catholic Church relating to sexual abuse scandals and women’s positions in ministry, and while being the highest ranking woman in the Boston archdiocese, Dearing kept those values “as her true north, even as [she] is battered about by the storm.” She made it clear that she believes that institutions themselves should never be mistaken “for the values that we think they stand for.” She finds separation between religious dogma and the values that she personally upholds in “honesty, human connection, [and] learning.”

Dearing expressed that she was grateful to talk publicly about her relationship to religion because it touched on a relevant challenge not only in her life, but in today’s world. Singh remarked that she was “struck by the role of faith” in Dearing’s work as this idea marks a significant reflection point in the world. Faith has now become “a thing that people have a political stance on … or [something that people] don’t want to talk about.” Dearing confronts this aversion to having difficult conversations; her goal as a radio host is to “set a table where different voices can come … [and encounter] different lives, perspectives, thoughts, and beliefs.”

Singh and Dearing’s discussion used the event itself as a lesson in how to create necessary spaces for powerful conversation, using religious faith as an example, and Dearing believes this is critical to maintaining open discourse.

Education was another integral part to Dearing’s story that exposed a relevant avenue for exploring the power of conversation.

Singh noted that the United States “is at a crucial juncture” when it comes to education and accessibility. She asked Dearing if “especially as the humanities and the arts are being so vilified … [if she could] talk about how education … and [her personal] bedrock of educational values” have resonated in her career. Dearing cited the importance of the “formation” she experienced during her undergraduate experience studying literature and emphasized the gravity of protecting this opportunity.

Dearing explained that with the challenges people are facing when it comes to being able to afford an education, young people are “forced into a valued propositional calculus … [and] forced into a return on investment discussion.” For Dearing, this means that the measurement of education is based on “future earning and speed to employment.”

In defining education as formation, she said that “formation has to be affordable” and if this accessibility is not achieved “we will be stuck in a constant ROI [return on investment] cycle.”

The American education system “does not deliver the same opportunities … [and] does not equalize” when it comes to students coming from low income backgrounds, elaborated Dearing. In the current social climate, education does not level the playing field as it should. The exorbitant cost of attaining a college education only serves to further the wealth gap and Dearing explained students of a lower socioeconomic status going into college do not get the same “bump” from their degrees as students of a higher socioeconomic status. Dearing’s own work in the nonprofit sector — especially at the helm of the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Boston, as well as the former anti-poverty grant fund Boston Rising — has been relevant to these ongoing systemic issues relating to “income inequality, race and public school systems.”

In a concluding metaphor about the world’s ever growing capacity for communication and interconnectedness, Dearing compared the media with a chainsaw — “you can either cut a tree down or start the Texas chainsaw massacre … we often have competing incentives and our disinhibited incentives tend to win.” In her work, especially in her current position at WBUR Radio Boston, Dearing uses this tool for good. She cuts through the “mish mash” of current events and issues to stay true to her calling in serving others through generating productive conversation and building community.

Singh and Dearing confirmed the power of conversation and community as they illustrated, in Dearing’s words, how “valu[ing] honesty, human connection, [and] learning” can lead people out of “the echo chamber.” Throughout the event, their conversations on religion and education opened up thought-provoking and productive dialogue. Dearing described “[going] to the career center at the University of Michigan [where] they literally did not know what [she] was talking about” when she decided she wanted to work with nonprofits, but now her passion for being a “public voice for good” is more relevant than ever.

Giving a final testimony to her calling in serving others not just oneself, Dearing said that “we have to be better people — if you don’t make better choices based on us being better people, we will not be better people.” She avowed that in working towards a better future in any aspect of society, the goal should not just be about being a better person — it has to be about building a better community.

Student Union proposes significant changes following recent constitutional review

■ The undergraduate student body will have the opportunity to vote on proposed changes.

By ANIKA JAIN JUSTICE EDITOR

On March 25, Student Union Secretary

Carol S. Kornworcel ’26 sent an email to the Brandeis undergraduate student body to announce the upcoming Student Union constitutional review, a process that only occurs once every three years. The Student Union evaluated their current constitution and bylaws to “make changes to reflect the current needs of Brandeis students,” Kornworcel wrote. Last week, the Student Union voted to approve proposed updates to the Constitution. On Wednesday, March 27, all Brandeis undergraduate students will receive a ballot in their email to vote on the proposed changes.

Kornworcel’s email included a summary and explanation of the proposed constitutional changes, namely: fewer Student Union elections, a more modern model for Senate and Allocations Boards and reimagined positions on the Judiciary and Executive Board.

“For at least the past decade, this process has not produced major changes and left the Student Union in dire need of updates. The changes we have proposed will make us more efficient, more effective, and more responsive to student concerns,” the document said.

In a March 25 joint statement to The Justice, President Noah Risley ’24 and Vice President Erica Hwang ’25 wrote, “In both of our time in Student Union, we have realized that our organization’s size and structure has many inefficiencies.” Their intent with the changes is to create a more streamlined structure that will improve the Student Union’s ability to meet the needs of the students and hold their officers accountable. “Part of how we’re accomplishing that is with fewer members, one less branch, and more clearly defined roles.”

The current Senate composition consists of 24 voting members — two senators per class, two senators-at-large, a Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program senator, an international senator, a midyear senator, two racial minority senators, one senator per quad and one off-campus senator. The proposed change would reduce the number of senators to 17 voting members — three senators per class and five senators-at-large. The given reasoning stated that the new structure would elevate responsiveness and responsibility of each senator, making them more accountable to both the Student Union and the larger Brandeis community.

“In reviewing our Constitution with advisors and institutional leadership it is our understanding that per Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. (SFFA) v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard) and SFFA v. University of North Carolina (UNC) ruling, a university cannot restrict participation in a program based on race. This includes creating student representative positions restricted by race. Because the Student Union must adhere to all applicable state/federal laws, we are removing the Racial Minority Senator and Allocations Board positions. More broadly, this breakdown is in line with how student governments across the country apportion their Senate/legislative seats. The Student Union will broaden

awareness of upcoming elections and seats through more intentional outreach in order to recruit a diverse, talented pool of candidates,” the document said. The Student Union added that Executive Board Directors will reach out to Myra Kraft Achievers Program and international students as well.

Next, the current Allocations Board composition consists of 11 voting members — five two-semester seats, three three-semester seats, two racial minority seats, one senate representative, a Department of Student Engagement staff representative and co-head treasurers. The proposed change would reduce the board to 9 voting members — eight elected representatives serving two-semester terms, one senate representative, a DSE staff representative and co-head treasurers.

“We are removing the two and three-semester seat distinction because it often creates confusion about the length of a term and negatively impacts group cohesion,” the document said. Like the Senate changes, these proposed updates would improve productivity, transparency and accountability.

The Student Union also proposed to update judiciary composition from six members to one member on the executive board. Currently, there are five associate justices — one of which is an internally elected chief justice — and a clerk of the court. If the proposed change is passed, there will no longer be a judiciary branch; there will only be one chief judicial officer on the executive board elected by the student body. The chief justice officer must have served on the Student Union for at least two semesters. The provided reasoning states that the judiciary is not used much outside of impeachments but is still a necessary role to settle disputes. “We want to retain the advisory and mediator role of the Chief Justice and move the Judiciary’s functions into the Senate,” the document said.

The Student Union also voted to consolidate the executive board and miscellaneous positions. Rather than have separate representatives for the Board of Trustees, Alumni Association and Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, the executive board would have two representatives to work closely with these organizations and represent student voices. Additionally, the proposed change would eliminate the campus sustainability fund and campus enhancement and emergency fund representatives. CSF and CEEF would instead be managed by the allocations board since “they already manage the allocation of most of the Student Activities Fee.”

Lastly, the Student Union suggested changes to the elections process to reflect the proposed composition of the Senate, the Allocations Board, the judiciary and the executive board. “This schedule will result in fewer overall elections, something students and Student Union alike have wanted for a long time,” the document said. They also proposed a new policy that the president, vice president, secretary and head treasurers may not study abroad during their term. The president and vice president would also be required to run together, which has been a long-standing custom but not a requirement.

If students have questions about the changes, they can email studentunion@brandeis. edu. This is a developing story.

— Editor’s Note: Justice staff writer Ria Escamilla-Gil ’27 and Justice Editor Rani Balakrisha ’25 are Student Union senators and did not contribute to this article.

Professor Chris Suh explains how American geopolitics inform Asian race-relations

■ Chris Suh highlighted how geopolitical interests shape race relations in the U.S. and influenced the country’s complex relations with Pacific countries

By SOPHIA DE LISI JUSTICE EDITOR

On March 22, the University welcomed Chris Suh, an assistant professor of history at Emory University, to give a talk about his research and findings for his 2023 book: “The Allure of Empire: American Encounters with Asians in the Age of Transpacific Expansion and Exclusion.” The lecture was called “Between the ‘American Century’ and the ‘Asian Century’: Toward a New Paradigm for Understanding Racial Inequality,” with Jenny Factor and Sungkyung Cho co-hosting the meeting on Zoom. Factor and Cho are both candidates for doctorates in philosophy at Brandeis.

Suh’s book covers the first 40 years of the 20th century, combining three subfields in U.S. history. These subfields include U.S. imperial history, specifically the United States’ relationship between Japan and its colonies; immigration policy history expanding on how the U.S. became a “gate-keeping empire” and lastly, Asian American history. Suh specified that his research in Asian American history covers those of Asian ancestry in the United States and globally.

“Like all books, my book is a product of its time,” Professor Suh said. “I was writing it in the late 2010s, and the early 2020s, where there was a lot of anxiety about whether U.S. international dominance was finally coming to an end.” He explained that the second half of the 20th Century was characterized by the United States’ Cold War victory against the Soviet Union, and that this victory gave the U.S. the foundation necessary to lead an “unipolar world order.” Suh referenced Henry Luce’s essay, “The American Century” to expand on this period of global dominance that the U.S. had built over the 20th century.

Suh explained that despite the U.S.’ past successes, the 21st Century has seen potential for Asian countries — given their rising economic, military and political power — to overtake the lead that the United States has held for the last century. He expanded on the Biden administration’s current foreign policy strategy in Asia, stating that it is “very much a resumption” of former President Barack Obama’s administration policy, known as “Pivot to Asia” and “Rebalance to Asia and the Pacific.” Suh said that the intent of these policies was to both reduce tensions in the Middle East after the Iraq and Afghanistan War and give the U.S. a way to enter “strategic alliances” with Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Thailand “in response to the rise of the [People’s Republic of China.]”

Professor Suh expanded on the history of tensions between the United States and the Pacific, specifying that they started long before former President Donald Trump’s administration in 2016. Many people lost focus of these pre-existing tensions in 2020 due to COVID-19: “We had not just the rise of anti-Asian hate, but more specifically, East Asian racism tied very closely with the idea that Chinese people were the carriers of the disease,” Suh recalled.

Suh connected these racial tensions in the

United States with the accumulating worries about it losing global prevalence. He said that despite these threats to America’s unipolar order, no one is addressing the color line — or the racial divide — between predominantly white countries like the U.S. and its allied countries that also have a white majority, like Britain and Australia. Instead, the U.S. drew the color line between countries in the Pacific that are not predominantly white, such as Japan and South Korea.

Additionally, Suh stressed that this distinction between the United States’ allies by race is a reminder that policymakers in history never thought of Asia as a “uniform monolith” and treated different Asian nations differently within their laws. He outlined the U.S.’ political relations with Japan and China to illustrate this dichotomy, starting with the Russo-Japanese War to clarify that hints of Japanese exclusion did not begin until the 20th century, whereas Chinese exclusion started in the 1880s.

“When Japan started beating Russia, it was a problem for the whole world order,” Suh said. He specified that The Russo-Japanese War took place before Russia’s political revolution, meaning that the Russian imperial family was still tied to the rest of Europe’s leadership through shared bloodlines. Thus, other dominantly white European countries felt threatened by the Japanese.

However, Japan’s military success against Russia caused many U.S. intellectuals and politicians, like W.E.B Du Bois and former President Theodore Roosevelt.

Roosevelt hoped that Japan’s success would continue and that it would take a stronger position among other countries around the Yellow Sea in tandem with the United States asserting itself in the Caribbean Sea: its pursuits in Latin America.

“Roosevelt is very specific about what he hopes Japan will do,” Suh said. “He hopes that the Japanese will show ‘no more desire for conquest of the weak than the United States has in the case of Cuba,’” Suh reiterated Roosevelt’s words. He explained that Cuba was a “protectorate” territory instead of a “colony” because the U.S. gave Cubans a degree of self-rule to an extent. Instead of directly ruling Cuba, Suh said the U.S. acted as a “big brother, paternalistic, imperial power.” According to him, Roosevelt wanted Japan to emulate the same type of leadership and uplift China.

Suh illustrated American society’s conflicting perspectives of Japanese and Chinese people through two political cartoons by Udo J. Keppler, “The Yellow Peril” and “A picture for employers. Why they can live on 40 cents a day, and they can’t.” The first cartoon depicts Russia as “a problem” because “it is unable to restrain its desire for the weak,” according to Suh. He said that Keppler used this cartoon to question whether Japan should have been labeled the “Yellow Peril” when Russia was persecuting minority groups like its Jewish and Polish populations.

On the other hand, Suh showed Keppler’s “A picture for employers. Why they can live on 40 cents a day, and they can’t” to express the U.S.’ prejudice against Chinese immigrants. This illustration depicts a group of impoverished Chinese immigrants in an opium den and eating rats next to an American family in “normal household conditions,” according to the Library of Congress’ description.

“Keppler definitely saw the Chinese and Japanese [as a] different people even though they are

both Asian.” Suh explained the early stages of American society forming different opinions of Asian countries, rather than drawing a racial line between itself and all countries in the Pacific. “Keppler, like most of his generation, began to rethink Asian people in more sophisticated ways,” he said.

Suh expressed that the U.S.’ geopolitical aims in the early 1900s reflected the nuances that American society was finding within these groups, which is why Japanese immigration was handled “much differently” than Chinese immigration was. He began to explain U.S. policy towards Chinese and Japanese people through the San Francisco School Segregation Crisis and the Gentleman’s Agreement in 1907. The San Francisco Board of Education’s segregation policy had Chinese students already attending a school separate from white students, and it wanted these provisions to include 93 Japanese students as well. According to Suh, this incident caused an “international crisis,” during which the Japanese government protested for the school board to rescind the order, which it did.

Suh explained that while the U.S.’ Gentleman’s Agreement is often taught as an instance of Japanese exclusion, that claim is “factually incorrect.” Suh explained that the first reason is the government under President Roosevelt refused to exclude Japanese immigrants in the same way it did Chinese immigrants, echoing the same sentiments shown through Keppler’s political cartoons. In addition, the U.S.’ agreement with Japan outlined that Japan would only allow people who are considered to be its “pride and joy,” to immigrate. This group included diplomats, students and merchants.

After World War I, relations between Japan and the United States were relatively more favorable than the U.S.’ relationships in the west. Suh emphasized that while the U.S. was trading peacefully with Japan and China, Germans were attacking American ships during their voyages in the Atlantic. President Roosevelt was still a strong supporter of Japan’s colonization efforts in Korea. He regarded Japanese people separately from other Asian populations because they were “colonizing Asians” who were “just as good as Americans” at colonization.

Suh asked when American society’s perspective shifted from offering “relative JapaneseAmericans privilege” to them being treated no differently from other Asians. He shifted the lecture’s focus from describing the background of the government’s inconsistent immigration policy to outlining where a decreasing lack of distinction between populations came from.

“We see — starting in 1919, all the way through 1924 — a very serious collaborative relationship between white supremacists who hate Japanese immigrants and current immigrants who hate the Japanese empire,” he answered.

To demonstrate this connection between white supremacists and current immigrants, Suh pointed to Valentine S. McClatchy. McClatchy was a newspaper publisher and an anti-Japanese activist who specifically feared that Japanese Americans would become “more powerful” than white settlers in the American west. According to Suh, McClatchy formulated an argument that makes him “look less racist than he actually is” because he was the first person to bring the Korean Declaration of Independence back to the U.S., and he gifted it to the nationalists trying to end Japanese colonialism.

Since numerous Korean-Americans intended to return to Korea and resettle, they had “no

qualms” in collaborating with anti-Asian immigration activists like McClatchy. McClatchy argued that Japan had a restrictive immigration policy just like the United States, and attempted to justify discrimination of Japanese immigrants because of it. In doing so, McClatchy “[embellished] the truth” because Japan’s immigration policy differed from the United States in terms of both “method and scale.” These ordinances differed because they were enacted to allow the Japanese local government to decide if Chinese immigrants can land at their respective ports, and they gave the government the right to issue passports in Korea because its people were colonized by Japan. Despite McClatchy’s inaccurate inflations, his arguments gained traction through other prominent figures like journalist Lothrop Stoddard.

This perspective then informed the United States’ decision to authorize the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act in 1924, where “west coast senators” attached Japanese immigration exclusion to its pre-existing policies.

However, Suh argued that the “Japanese allure” did not fade until the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 where “images of Japanese racial and sexual violence against the Chinese really reshaped the way that Americans think about the Japanese empire.” Suh added that it wasn’t until the late 1930s and early 1940s that the full U.S. government matched the discriminatory policies that the “west coast racists” had been waiting for.

“It’s really important to understand that just as the United States is enacting all of these racist laws and policies against people with Japanese ancestry, they’re completely shifting their position against those of Chinese ancestry,” Suh stressed. “This has everything to do with the fact that the United States is constantly searching and trying to secure allies who are not white — specifically in the Pacific world.”

Suh said that the U.S.’ continuous efforts to create allies in the Pacific caused a repeal of anti-Asian immigration laws in the 1940s and the 1950s. He said that many Asian people who were not Japanese — but victims of Japanese imperialism — did believe that the U.S. was a “more inclusive” empire than Britain, France and Russia. This belief, Suh claimed, is why U.S. educated Asians and Asian Americans “play a really important role in securing U.S. relations with Asian allies.” Suh thinks that many Asian Americans are more likely to “tolerate the U.S. empire” because they have differing thoughts regarding the PRC’s role in Asia.

“This version of interracial collaboration is not about dismantling racial inequality,” said Suh. “It’s about modifying racial inequality so there would be Asian partners of the United States empire in both geopolitics as well as in Asian life.”

This lecture was the second to last installment of the University’s Mandel Center for the Humanities and the English Department discussion series Challenging Racial Knowledge. This speaker series, according to its website, “seeks to foster expansive cross-disciplinary conversations around race, with a particular focus on original and unique scholarly methodologies.”

The final event in the series is about “Translating Dancing” and will be hosted on April 19 with Rachana Vajjhala, an assistant professor of musicology at Boston University.

Class of 2024 student commencement speakers announced BRIEF

On March 25, Meredith Morgan and Matthew Sheehy, the chairs of the undergraduate and graduate student speaker selection committee, announced the selection of the class of 2024 student commencement speakers. The undergraduate student chosen is Ianna Gilbert ’24, and the graduate student chosen is Peter Thabet ’24.

According to the email, Gilbert is a Computer Science and Environmental Studies major from Jamaica, New York. She is a Posse New York Scholar and has cultivated a passion for marine biology. Gilbert also holds many on-campus roles as a Roosevelt Fellow, a Study Abroad Ambassador and an Undergraduate Departmental Representative for the Environmental Studies department.

Thabet is an MBA candidate at the Brandeis International Business school. His work focuses on finance and strategy. Like Gilbert, Thabet has been very active in the student population, and received the Orientation Leader of the Year award in 2023. He has also won first place in the annual Consulting Case Competition, and the Stock Pitch competition. Before coming to Brandeis, Thabet led a tech startup at the Egyptian Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.

Each speaker will receive the Richard Kaufman ’58 Memorial Prize for Leadership and Academic Excellence.

—

RALLY: Student groups for free speech

tem, both at the beginning of the gathering and as they were dispersing after the event.

At 4:19 p.m., protesters began their march to the Bernstein-Marcus Administration Center. An event participant led the crowd in chants as they walked through campus, which included “One, two, three, four, let the Brandeis seven go, five, six, seven, eight, our right to free speech is at stake!” and “Ronald Ronald you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide,” in reference to University President Ronald Liebowitz. The group continued at a slow but steady pace, chanting loudly. At 4:29, they reached the outside of the Bernstein-Marcus building, where the rest of the rally took place. An event speaker reminded the crowd “This is still public property, don’t worry — I dare them to arrest anybody.” According to the Brandeis Public Safety page, all Brandeis buildings, grounds and parking areas are posted as private property.

The rally continued with another round of speakers from both organizations. The format was such that the speaker would give a statement or statistic, and the protestors would respond loudly with chants of “SHAME.” The first of these speakers argued that violence against Palestinians is a “bigger picture” than self-defense against the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, firmly identified the conflict as an “ethnic cleansing” and identified the need to hold the University accountable to advocate for the Palestinian people.

“We’re on a campus where students are afraid to show up to a vigil,” the speaker said. They explained that the term “ethnic cleansing” was in reference to both “physical resistance and cultural expression.”

At 4:41 p.m., the organizers opened the floor to anybody who wanted to speak. One speaker in particular mentioned the recent Posse Plus Retreat in which President Liebowitz allegedly stated “I believe there should be limits to free speech on campus” and was witnessed “fleeing” the building instead of engaging with student voices. “Within 15 minutes, [Liebowitz] ran out the door,” a speaker said.

Several other SJP members and demonstrators reminded the students in attendance of

the influence they hold at Brandeis. “You may not feel like you have power, but as students at this university, you have so much power,” they reminded the group. “The University is nothing without your tuition dollars. You are so powerful here. We the people at the University are the ones who have the power to speak up to create lasting change.”

“The students at Brandeis are angry … you can’t put that toothpaste back in the tube,” a speaker commented.

Many speakers chose to elaborate on the ways Palestinians are suffering, specifically referring to the fact that Palestine has “zero functioning hospitals.” In addition, one mentioned that some Palestinians “are feeding themselves with grass and animal feed” in reference to Ramadan, the Muslim holiday where observers fast from dawn to sunset every day between March 10 and April 9. The speaker conveyed that the hunger in Palestine is extreme enough for practicing Muslims to break this tradition. Another protestor mentioned that this gathering is the first instance where they had to update their speech because “the death toll rose by 100 since yesterday.”

A speaker asked the gathering, “Where is the humanity, where is the dignity, where is the law, and let me ask you: where is the limit?”

At 4:52 p.m., a member of the organizations presented the petition to the crowd. According to the speaker, the petition has over 800 signatures. Demonstrators taped the petition to the front windows of Bernstein-Marcus and the Ethel and Reuben Gryzmish Academic Center. Messages on stickers and signs were taped to the doors alongside the Palestinian flag.

Those at the gathering also used chalk to write messages on the pavement in front of the building such as “HANDS OFF GAZA STOP FUNDING GENOCIDE” “32,000+ Have been MURdered!”,“RON, Your have blood on your hands!”,“F your ‘Birthright’ F your ‘Israel Studies’” and “SILENCING STUDENTS helps NO ONE!”

The protest officially dispersed at 5:09 p.m., ending with a community scream expressing anger of the protestors.

RELIGION: Comparing faith and customs

CONTINUED FROM 1

coined by Tarana Burke, an activist from New York. Dr. McGinity said she was accustomed to bearing witness to change over time and never suspected she would serve as a catalyst for systematic and structural changes in the Jewish community.

In her book, Dr. McGinity chose to focus on Muslim, Jewish and Christian women's experiences for several reasons; Jewish and Muslim are both minority groups and experience prejudices — a factor that discourages those from speaking out because they fear they would disparage their communities — and minority religious communities are insulated and often depend on one another. She also included Christian women because of how activism influences faith.

The phrase #UsToo was coined by Sophia Nelson, who created the phrase to include minorities. The phrase suggests that “social Justice requires all hands on deck — everyone’s hands.” Dr. McGinity examined how Jewish and Muslim women face triple discrimination through sexism, racism and Islamophobia or antisemitism. This triple discrimination brings unique perspectives to these groups. Based on this realization, Dr. McGinity said she used a “gender-ethno-religious approach” when conducting her research.

In the lecture, Dr. McGinity spoke about Debbie Findling and her experience when she spoke up before the #MeToo movement. Findling was harassed by her supervisor at a Jewish Community Center in Southern California. Findling reported her supervisor’s actions to the community center's top official, and she eventually moved to another center. He was promoted to other executive leadership positions.

After the #MeToo movement, when Rhonda Abrams, a 27-year-old Hillel executive director, met with a donor for breakfast as per the donor’s request, she was sexually harassed. Unsure about speaking, she eventually went to her local board, who cut all communication with the donor, offering to make up for lost funds and lead discussion around sexual harassment.

Dr. McGinity reflected on her own experience of sexual harassment and the difficulty of speaking up. When she spoke out, other survivors came foward as well, and eventually he was forced to resign from his position.

Additionally, Dr. McGinty spoke on the founding of the Safety, Respect and Equity Network — a Jewish organization of over 150 groups committed to creating safe, respectful and equitable workplaces and communication spaces in North America. The organization intends to build healthy Jewish communities by partnering with Jewish institutions to prevent and respond to sexual abuse and other abuses of power.

Dr. McGinity’s book highlights Muslim women's experiences. She talks about a young woman named Nadya Ali who heard about her cousin's experience of abuse and created

DIALOGUE: Politics, law and conflicts

CONTINUED FROM 1

on war is divided into two categories: laws on starting war and laws on conducting war. Protecting citizens falls under the category of conducting war rather than starting it, which introduces a specific set of nuances.

As a part of her opening, Carpenter cited Common Article 3 of the Geneva Convention. Common Article 3 describes which violations count as war crimes. In Carpenter’s words, “It’s about seeing the humanity in your enemy, even when it’s hard.” Carpenter points out that the rules outlined have no exceptions and apply to each side unilaterally. In her words, “Context is irrelevant when it comes to atrocity … Everybody who commits an atrocity believes they are justified.” Ending her opening statement, she asked: “What can civilians do in discussion?”

Following Carpenter, Miller gave her opening statement explaining that her own work focuses on what happens after atrocities rather than during them. Miller’s role as a Professor of Law prompts her to think about conflict in terms of the law. Thinking about what happens after atrocities led Miller to ask a different question: what about civilians before war? “Technically, we are all civilians before war,” she explained.

According to Miller, all of us carry human rights for which the state is responsible. Conflict is a “special moment” in which combatants exercise a “privilege” to kill, leading us to make distinctions between those who are and are not combatants. Miller brought forth four distinct ideas regarding the role of law in war. First, that humanitarian international law has become very interwoven in decision-making in war, including how and whom to target. Second, the practice of attempting to influence war via legal metrics by non-government organizations has become prevalent. Third, legality in general has become more well-known and widespread as a form of knowledge, leading to the popularity of “advocacy life.” Fourth, legal vocabulary is often used to analyze what happened during a war and is a large part of the process of how we “pick up the pieces” after an atrocity.

her: “What does law do during a war, and what is the point of accountability after the war?”

Miller answered by explaining that the law, by nature, is a reflection of a series of previous political determinations. “What is lawful but incredibly problematic, what is unlawful, and what is criminal are three different categories,” asserted Miller. Responding to Pendas’s question on accountability, Miller acknowledged some popular methods of post-war accountability such as trials, reparations, etc. She also questioned whether it is possible to surmount the fundamental problem of criminal law in taking this accountability, which she cites as criminal law’s narrow lens. According to Miller, while criminal law is able to account for specific scenarios, it ignores a more big-picture issue of justice that would actually help to avoid fostering more violence over time.

Before asking another question to Carpenter, Pendas took a moment to dive into two theories on why trials are popular in postwar accountability. He debunked the theory that trials deter unjust behavior during wars, reasoning, “If you don’t win, you don’t go to prison.” He was also skeptical about a second popular theory that trials are a way to teach history lessons. Pendas’s next question to Carpenter was put somewhat colloquially: “A cynic would say ‘Who cares? States are gonna state.’ How do you respond to that?”

Carpenter responded to the question by reiterating that data supports the effectiveness of international law and argued that specific perpetrators need to be punished rather than whole societies. She continued to argue in favor of international law, stating that the laws of war disrupt “black and white thinking” and “allows moderates on both sides to insist that certain kinds of violence not be carried in their name.” Miller supported this response, adding that law is both “a philology for power and a vocabulary for the subordinate.”

a film called “Breaking Silence” to discuss sex and sexual misconduct in the Muslim community. The lack of communication around sex in her community did not prevent abuse.

Dr McGinity and the United Nation Women estimated that one in three women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.

Dr. McGinity discussed how bilateral fear is unique to Muslim women and hijabs play a distinctive role. Some women wear hijabs for a variety of reasons and have experienced a unique form of sexual harassment because of it. To explain this, Dr. McGinity showed a video of Mona Haydar, a young activist who talked about how the internet interjects its opinion on her because she wears a hijab.

Dr. McGinity's research found that when a woman experienced unwanted sexual advances from faith leaders, Muslim women were 54% likely to report the incident to the police, a higher percentage than other groups. Other groups are more likely to report the incident internally. Dr. McGinity said this shows that Muslim women are more comfortable telling strangers about abuse than families and their community.

Christian women also face powerful church hierarchies, cover-ups and systems that support abusers. Dr. McGinity told the story of Ruth Everhart, who was sexually harassed by a pastor twice her age and described the power imbalance between them. She was not supported by her community when she tried to speak out.

Another woman, Ashley Easter, described her childhood as very cult-like, in which she was required to submit to her father and then to her husband. After her family condoned a courtship with an abusive and controlling man, Easter escaped from her very religious community. She still remains strong in her faith.

Dr. McGinity reflects on the progress that has been made, but remarks that until we live in a society that tells us not to rape and not "don't get raped," there is much to do. She encouraged people to become upstanders, stating that action is not optional.

Prevention, Advocacy and Resource Center employees from the University wrapped up the presentation by reminding students that PARC is a confidential student resource for those experiencing violence. PARC offers peer advocates and staff advocates for students to reach out to for support.

— Editor’s Note: Justice editor Julia Hardy ’26 is a member of PARC and did not contribute to the writing or editing of this article.

Responding to the two panelist’s opening remarks, Pendas made a couple of comments about the nature of war. According to Pendas, “The point of war is to kill people … War represents the inversion of the moral universe we like to think we inhabit.” He pointed out that while international law is meant to limit civilian casualties, the very act of identifying groups who cannot not be harmed is also the act of identifying those who can be harmed. “Every prohibition is simultaneously an authorization,” as he put it. He also explained that legal vocabulary is used differently in legal, moral, and political situations. For example, genocide is defined as being specific to a particular nation or ethnic group, but that is rarely how the word is used in everyday conversation. According to Pendas, in promoting civil dialogue, it is essential for each speaker to define their terms and to be clear on which “register” they are using.

Pendas then asked Carpenter: “What is the relationship between politics and law?”

Carpenter answered, explaining that in her view, politics is not only about efficacy but morality and justice as well. Law, the text behind these politics, can be used both to promote morality and justice as well as prevent it. If civilians are not informed about international law, it is easy for conflicting actors to “bend” the law in their favor. In other words, they can make it seem like their state’s violations of the law are permissible. Carpenter articulated that our challenge as observers is to understand the law well enough to see through these actions, just as a judge would at an international tribunal. Pendas then turned to Miller. He asked

The talk concluded with a couple of questions from the audience. The first question asked, "what role does Hamas play in these killings (referring to civilian bombings in the Gaza Strip) when they have strategically placed themselves close to civilians?" Pendas began to answer by explaining that while the geography of Gaza makes it difficult to attack without large amounts of civilian casualties, Israel is not doing all it can to implement more precision into their targeting.

Miller focused on bombings of hospitals because the act of bombing a hospital turns a civilian target into a military target. According to Miller, for a hospital to lose legal protection is enormously difficult. Carpenter answered the question by encouraging everyone to read Article 51 of the 1977 Geneva Convention, which makes it clear that using human shields is a war crime.

Carpenter added that Hamas’ illegal use of human shielding does not excuse Israel’s actions. According to her, any aerial weapon can be considered indiscriminate. She put forth that Israel ignores the option of evacuating citizens into its own protection, a solution that would be in accordance with international law.

The talk ended with two more audience questions. The first, “How do international human rights become customary laws rather than only applying to their signatories,” prompted Miller to explain that some international laws come out of the treaty, and some simply become customary. The second asked, “Why aren’t war crimes crimes anymore? What kind of radar have they been flying under?” Pendas and Carpenter explained that response to war crimes is influenced by cultural norms as well and that response to war crimes can be more symbolic than pragmatic.

features

In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.

ON THIS DAY…

Sixteen years after it was cancelled, “Doctor Who” returned with a new episode in 2005.

FUN FACT

The word “meme” was coined by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in 1976.

Brandeis Chungles reveals the creators behind the memes

The Justice sat down with the creators of Brandeis Chungles to discuss the lead up and impact of their face reveal.

For the last two years, the student-run Instagram meme page @brandeis.chungles, commonly referred to as just “Chungles,” has graced the Brandeis community with memes relating to campus life behind a veil of anonymity. Displayed in the account’s bio was the message “Face reveal at 1,000 followers.” The masterminds behind the memes would be revealed when that threshold was met.

On Friday, March 15, the account shared a screenshot of its profile with 1,000 followers on its Instagram story. Beside it, the page wrote “Face reveal on Monday” with a purple devil emoji.

On March 18, the page began teasing their announcement. There was a countdown to their face reveal which would be released at 5 p.m. Under it, they posted a question: “Who do you think Chungles is?” People responded in a myriad of ways while playing along with the humorous nature of the page. They guessed everything from “Ron Liebowitz,” to “Sherm sea salt grinder” to “Brandeis chungles isn’t real. It’s a leftist hoax. Wake up sheeple.”

At 5 p.m., the page released a post with two slides. On the first slide, there was a letter explaining the origins of the page, its role in the Brandeis community and a message of thanks to all the followers for their support. Signed at the bottom was “Peace and Love, Asa, Preston, and Penny.” The next slide showed photos, names and years of the page’s creators, Asa Colby Weinstein ’25, Preston Lincoln Merrill ’25 and Penelope Cuba Llibre ’26. The post included incorrect graduation years of the page members.

should have shown it to six.”

Publicly, Chungles was anonymous, but many friends of the three were already in on the secret. “I felt like it was going to happen eventually — so many people knew. This was just more of a formality more than

By RIVER SIMARD JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

no clue that it was Weinstein, Merrill and Llibre. Upon their reveal, they received texts from friends, classmates and alumni who were surprised by the revelation.

Brandeis Chungles was created during Merrill and Wein-

while joining the March 20 interview on Zoom. Part of Chungles’ success is their frequency of posting. According to their March 18 letter, they had posted for 279 straight school days. In order to maintain this streak, they try to post

anything,” Llibre said during the same March 20 interview.

Some friends would guess that it was the three behind the page. In other cases, the three would have conversations with a friend. The next morning a joke the friend made would be that day’s Chungles meme,

During a March 20 interview with The Justice, Weinstein recalled a conversation he had with a friend about the post where he told them, “I showed it to five people,” and the friend responded with the quip, “you

though they didn’t always catch on that this meant they were friends with those responsible for the page. Alongside those who already knew of the mystery creators of the page were many who had

stein’s freshman year. Throughout their time at Brandeis, the two have been interested in creating projects together. A year ago they built a chessboard together in the wood shop. Last semester they made a documentary about the third smallest town in Massachusetts. They’ve also created an album.

During their sophomore year, Merrill decided he was going to study abroad in St. Andrews, Scotland. The pair knew they would require another person to help with the page upon Merrill’s departure. They decided that Llibre would be best to join their team. “When we first became friends with her, she very quickly got into me and Preston’s comedic vibe,” Weinstein said.

Before ever officially becoming a part of the team, Llibre would influence posts on the account. “It was kind of like an inside joke prior, that we were always stealing Penny’s jokes for memes. Like sometimes she would say stuff, not even very related to Chungles, and somehow we would just turn it into a Chungles meme,” Merrill said

by 10 a.m. every day. To achieve this, they often will create the memes the day before or the morning they’re supposed to post. “I wake up at like 8 am. And then call Penny. And I say,

‘What do you have? What do you have? There must be something.’ And Penny’s like, ‘Oh, I’m not sure.’ And then I’m like, ‘Okay, I think I saw this yesterday,’” Weinstein explained.

Sometimes, the memes address issues on campus, such as housing concerns. Other times, the memes highlight interesting parts of campus that most students look past, such as a hole in the wall in Sherman Dining Hall. They then created a meme about how this hole in the wall is now a drive-thru. Some memes are just seemingly random, such as President Ron Liebowitz edited to be in hype beast attire.

Most of the memes that Chungles posts are not controversial, and most students won’t be upset with the creators for posting them. However, what was once simply a post by Chungles is now a post by Weinstein, Merrill and Llibre. “I think ideally, we posted [the face reveal,] and now we never have to talk about it again,” Weinstein said with a laugh.

Going forward, people will be able to scroll down and see who is behind the account. That’s probably all it will be in the coming future. The account will continue to focus on the community Chungles has built, not the three people behind it. As the days go on, and as Weinstein, Merrill and Llibre continue to post every day of instruction, Brandeis Chungles will continue to serve as a way for students and alumni to laugh about the community we all share.

UNVEILED: Chungles’ creators Colby Weinstein (left) and Penelope Llibre (right) posed with a remote Preston Merrill.

VALENTINE: Chungles posted a Valentine’s Day meme on Feb. 14.

Photo courtesy of @BRANDEIS.CHUNGLES/Instagram

Photo courtesy of @BRANDEIS.CHUNGLES/Instagram

CANVAS: Chungles comments on mysterious canvas on campus. Photo courtesy of @BRANDEIS.CHUNGLES/Instagram

Sandstone and schist sculpture: Buddhist art at the Museum of Fine Arts

Student photographer Faythe Daly ’26 captures Buddhist scultpure pieces at the Museum of Fine Arts.

By

TORSO:

BUST: This Indian red sandstone yakshi originates from Bharhut Stupa, 120 B.C.

YAKSHI: A sandstone yakshi (possibly goddess Ganga) from Madhya Pradesh stands atop makara; from the Gupta period, 6th century A.D. BUDDHA:

FIGURE: Bodhisattva Maitreya stands upright.

SHADOWS: This Gandharan rendering of Bodhisattva Maitreya originates from Pakistan in the Kushan period, 3rd century A.D.

Isabel Roseth,

Eliza

Owen

Sophia

Rani

Sports Editor

Nemma Kalra, Arts & Culture Editor

Jonas Kaplin, Bryan Wolfe, Photography Editors

Sara Samuel, Madison Sirois, Copy Editors

Marina Rosenthal, Layout Editor Elizabeth Liu, Ads Editor

Amanda Chen, Eden Osiason, Online Editors

Navigating your next move: The ultimate Brandeis housing guide

Now that housing selection for the 2024-25 school year has passed, Brandeis students may be wondering what the next year will look like depending on where they’re living. This week, the board would like to provide the student body with an honest take on what the available housing options are like, as well as some advice for rising sophomores. A lot of housing options on campus are not always as bad as people say. East Quad

Sophomores are typically extremely upset when they end up in East Quad. They lament their inability to live in Skyline, but this editorial board wants to assure these sophomores that East is not as scary as people say. One member of this editorial board lived in East for two years and loved it. The singles and doubles are a good size, with a large desk, a set of drawers and a wardrobe where you can hang up lots of clothes.

Additionally, the beds raise up a lot, so there is a lot of storage space. This board recommends not raising the bed all the way up, but rather to the rung right below from the top.

This makes it easier to get onto the bed, while still being able to fit a set of those plastic drawers from Target or Walmart underneath.

Those are so important to bring for extra storage! This editorial board also wants to alleviate some tensions about the bathrooms. Some floors have better showers than others, but those are easy to find by either going up or down a floor. The water pressure is good, and members of this editorial board have never experienced flooding.

One floor is underground, but that is the same as the freshman quads, so East is not unique in that sense. The layout is also slightly confusing, but like any other dorm, you get used to it.

As a warning, one side of the dorm room is brick, so be sure to bring sticky tack in order to hang up any posters or decor you may want. Another thing to think about is that if you are on a higher floor, it can get really hot when you first move in. This only lasts for a couple weeks, but it’s important to bring a good fan. However, if you are on one of the high floors, you may get a good view of the Boston skyline. This editorial board also wants to acknowledge that the stairs and inclined ramps leading to East are a hassle, but there is very little to be done about it.

Be sure to bring shoes with traction, as Massachusetts weather can result in a slippery path.

Additionally, there is only one water fountain in the East, which is a challenge. It is best to invest in a Brita water pitcher to refill every once in a while. The windows are also fairly large, so it’s helpful to keep the shades down the majority of the time if you are on one of the lower levels. This editorial board believes that East is not nearly as bad as people say, so if you end up in East, don’t fret too much. There is plenty of room to decorate and store things, especially if you are transitioning from a forced triple to a double or a single. East can be a great place to live — you just have to take advantage of the space.

Rosenthal Quad

Rosenthal Quad, more fondly referred to as “Rosie,” is made up of three buildings — Rosenthal North, East and South. Rosie only houses sophomores, and rising sophomores who currently live in Massell will find it a comfortable transition, as the quads sit adjacent to one another. Because

of this, not much about your daily routine will have to change — Sherman Dining Hall will still be right next to your dorm and most of your classes will still be within a reasonable walking distance — likely 10 minutes or less.

Though, the relocation won’t be too drastic, suite-style living is very different to the individual double or single rooms that most first-years are used to. Each Rosie suite houses eight students, with two double rooms, four singles, a common area, and two bathrooms. As a result, Rosies are usually very social spaces and can be a great place to live with a group of friends. However, for this same reason, these buildings can be rather noisy, so communication with your suitemates is key to keep disturbances to a minimum.

While Rosie is a coveted housing option for rising sophomores, there are still some limits to the buildings’ facilities. There is only one laundry room in the quad, located in Rosie North, so East and South residents have to walk across the quad to do laundry. The buildings also do not have elevators and for those who live on higher floors, going up the stairs after a long day of classes can feel like a never-ending Sisyphean feat (but it’s great exercise!). Additionally, the kitchens on the first floor of each Rosie building are rather old and have electric coil stoves that often don’t heat up enough to cook. It is also important to note that the janitorial staff do not come into individual suites, so each group is responsible for cleaning and restocking bathroom necessities as well as common spaces. This may be new to many, but these responsibilities can be a great introduction to more independent living, while still having the support of your suitemates.

Skyline Residence Hall

As the newest dorm on campus, Skyline Residence Hall has few problems to complain about. While there may be the occasional ceiling leak or flood from a gender neutral bathroom with a broken shower stopper, many traditional dorm problems are avoided due to the newness of the facilities.

Skyline has the same traditional corridor style set up as first-year dorms, so there are few adjustments to prepare for. Although the building has central air conditioning, we still recommend bringing a fan.

Due to the huge windows in the building, heat gets trapped in fast. While you technically have a thermostat to control the heating and cooling in your room, those of us who have lived in Skyline have found that it doesn’t necessarily give you much control. However, a huge plus are the trash rooms that are present on every floor, which makes it very easy to dispose of trash and recycling without having to go outside the building.

One other thing to prepare for is the sense of isolation that often comes with living in Skyline.

This can be a culture shock if you are coming from a first-year dorm. While halls in the North and Massell Quads are full of students who are eager to make connections with their neighbors, Skyline is packed with sophomores and upperclassmen who have already found their communities elsewhere.

Unfortunately, if you are still looking for your niche at Brandeis, you likely will not find it in Skyline, so be prepared to step out of your comfort zone and venture outside of your dorm.

midyear students.

If you live in Village you can look forward to central air conditioning, several common spaces and an elevator that works the majority of the time. Even though Village has air conditioning, think about bringing a fan as the rooms can get hot during the summer months. The common spaces provide several places to study, spend time with friends and create. One popular space in Village is the common area with a piano. Additionally, Village has both a gym and a dance studio that are commonly used. The gym has gained more popularity since its recent refurbishment. There is a community in Village if you are looking for one.

However, there are a few things to be aware of before living in Village. The walls in Village are fairly thin, so if you do not feel like listening to your neighbor or noise from South Street, invest in a noise machine or good quality headphones with a noise canceling feature. Additionally, if you plan to use the communal kitchen, be aware that they get quite dirty, especially the fridges, which people steal things out of from time to time. Finally, in the winter months be careful walking up the stairs to Village A as they are not thoroughly salted. Despite these problems, Village can be a nice place to live.

The Charles River Apartments

The Charles River Apartments, or “Grad,” may appear undesirable due to the fifteen minute walk from the quad to campus, but there’s much more to then. The campus shuttle is pretty consistent — there have only been a handful of problems in the past two semesters — and comes every 20 minutes to take residents to campus. The walk, if taken, is not bad either.

If you take a look at Grad and think, “Huh, everything about its design looks wrong,” you would be correct. The quad has four buildings in total, each of which technically have two numbers assigned to them: their address and their building number. There are no hallways — each apartment is accessible through “towers,” and a good number of the bedrooms have their own entrance. Its design is confusing to say the least, but it does not take long to get used to.

The majority of the apartments are two person apartments with a kitchen and a bathroom. Those apartments do not have a living room, but the bedrooms are some of the largest singles you can find on campus.

There are a small number of two person apartments that include a common space where the bedrooms are a bit smaller. There are also five person apartments, three person apartments and a few “efficiency singles” in each building.

Having your own bedroom, especially after sharing one during your first year, is refreshing. Not having to share a bathroom with ten other people can make your year. Being able to cook your own meals and not have to rely on campus dining can ensure adequate nutrition. Even without a common space, Grad provides students a way to get away from campus and relax in their very own apartment, either alone or with friends.

While there are many benefits to Grad, it is important to remember its drawbacks. The walls are insanely thin and in some apartments you can hear nearly everything happening in your neighbor’s room — and yes, that means everything.

Apartments are laid out so there is another apartment on the other side of your wall that is essentially a mirror-image and privacy is limited.

You cannot always expect your neighbors to be respectful, and sometimes no amount of banging on their wall at 2 a.m. will get them to be quiet. If your wall neighbors or the apartments in your stairwell are making too much noise past quiet hours, try to talk to them first. If that does not work, you can talk to your community advisor about next steps.

You can also buy noise machines or earplugs if needed. The windows are drafty, so be prepared for the cold weather. Some residents put towels or blankets along their window sill to try to block the draft. Bring lots of blankets and turn up your thermostat! It also gets very hot in the summer months, so bring a fan.

While the buildings are not flawless and no apartment is exactly the same, Grad can be great to live in. A member of this editorial board has willingly lived there nearly three years consecutively. If you have friends nearby, Grad life gets that much better as well. Enjoy your time in Grad and make the most of it!

Ziv Quad

You might have heard some horror stories about living in Ziv Quad. In the past year, we’ve had a sewage overflow, mold in the showers and rats scurrying around the dorm. But in reality, living in Ziv isn’t that bad. All older buildings have problems like these — and there are ways to avoid some of them. For example, keeping the shower room windows open can help with air circulation, which can prevent mold and limit stinky smells.

There are also benefits to living in Ziv. For one thing, everyone gets their own room. While you can hear the voices of your room -

mates through the vents sometimes, the walls are actually pretty thick. Living in a suite is truly the best of both worlds: You can interact with suitemates when you want to, but you can also retreat to your room when you’re in need of solitude.

If you’ve been placed in Ziv with people you don’t know, you don’t have to be too worried, as it’s possible that you will barely see them. The setup of Ziv — including single rooms, multiple entrances and a hallway dividing some rooms from the common room — makes it possible to avoid your suitemates if you want or need to. The only things you’ll need to talk to your roommates about is heating and cooling, keeping the common room clean and managing trash and recycling. Although you do technically have control over the temperature of your room, the system is shared with your next-door neighbor, and you may not be in the bedroom with the controls.

If you haven’t lived in a suite before, be warned: You will go through copious amounts of toilet paper! Also, be sure to purchase cleaning supplies, because you will be responsible for cleaning your own bathrooms and common room. For the best results, set up a “chore chart” or cleaning schedule with your suitemates. If cleanliness is important to you, it’s important to discuss expectations with your roommates beforehand!

If you’re looking to make use of your common room — or if dim lighting is a problem for you — be sure to purchase additional lighting for your suite. The overhead lighting in Ziv still leaves rooms quite dark, so fairy lights, LEDs, desk lights and floor lights will leave your suite feeling more like home!

567 South Street Apartments

Compared to other on campus housing, 567 South Street Apartments are probably the least known dorms on campus. The dorm was used as quarantine housing two years ago and has turned into sophomore housing. It is located near the Brandeis/Roberts train station.

Although it is not directly on campus, it is relatively close to the campus compared to the Charles River Apartments. 567 shares a similar walking distance to other parts of the campus. The shuttle stops across from 567, giving you another choice if you don’t want to walk.

567 South Street Apartments have either two single bedrooms or double efficiency rooms that have two beds in a large bedroom. Both have a common area with a kitchen and a bathroom, which makes it one of the only two campus housing options for sophomores that provides a private kitchen. The bedrooms are sizable and for two bedrooms dorms there’s a closet for each person: one in one of the bedrooms and the other in the common area. The common area is not big, but it has a dining table and is a good place to share a meal with your roommate. If you’re too tired to cook, AK’s is right next door and they serve great food!

Ridgewood

Known as one of the best dorms on campus, Ridgewood has many pros! You can live with three of your friends in a four person suite or there are a few six person suites. This building has reliable heating and air conditioning, and it is also an accessible campus dorm as it has automatic doors as well as an elevator.

As one of the more recently built dorms on campus, it has many amenities. Living in Ridge, each person gets a single room, a common room, a bathroom and a kitchen.

The common space comes with three sofas. The kitchen has four stools, a full sized sink with a garbage disposal, a full sized fridge, a microwave, an electric coil stove and cabinet space for dry goods. The bathroom has a sink with cabinet space underneath, a toilet and a shower with good water pressure.

There are also trash and recycling rooms on each floor. The bedrooms themselves are adequately sound-proofed and all have the typical amenities of Brandeis housing: a bed, a desk and a wardrobe.

The location is ideal as it’s on lower campus, which means it’s a short walk to most food options on campus. It’s in the same area as both Village and Ziv, and you are close to Village’s gym and dance studio.

Some of the few cons of living in Ridge are the lack of control of the heating and cooling system that you get in Ziv despite having a control panel. The windows also barely open, which makes the sensitivity of the fire alarm worse.

Foster Mods

So, you’ve made it through your first two years at Brandeis, and you now have access to upperclassman housing! Foster Mods are Brandeis’ townhouse-style housing available to juniors and seniors.

They are located next to the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, which is closer to campus than Grad, but still requires a trek uphill to access any of the academic buildings. The shuttle does not currently stop at Foster Mods.

For many students, this is the first opportunity to experience campus living outside of a standard dorm room. This editorial board understands that it can be a bit of a change, so we want to give you an inside look at the quad and how to take full advantage of your new space.

If you end up in Foster Mods, you can look forward to a pre-furnished home with a spacious kitchen and common room — perfect for hanging out with friends or just burning the midnight oil.

We recommend decorating to make the space more homey. As for the individual rooms, the bedrooms in Foster Mods are smaller than most corridor-style singles on campus. That being said, there are plenty of windows and natural light to open up the space. While living in Foster Mods is an exciting time, filled with newfound independence in a “wet quad,” there are some things to keep in mind before moving in. First off, the buildings were originally designed as temporary living spaces, which were only renovated later on to serve as a permanent structure. Given the age of the buildings and the questionable construction, you’ll likely encounter many parts of the building that are falling apart or being held together by tape. In addition, there are community-wide issues with the plumbing and ant infestations, so be careful about what you flush down the drain, and bring ant traps.

All in all, living in Foster Mods can be a lot of fun as long as you take care of the space. With an entire home to clean, we recommend scheduling chores with your roommates, taking out the trash often and stocking up on communal cleaning supplies and toilet paper. Bringing some decor and perhaps a projector for the living room can make the place a lovely temporary home for your upcoming academic year!

Off-campus housing

Off-campus housing can be a great (and sometimes only) option for students. As a board with some members familiar with the process, we would like to give some advice regarding how to get started and what to look for.

First, while you may not have gotten housing on campus, this can be a blessing in disguise. Brandeis housing prices are often much higher than those of surrounding Waltham houses and apartments with similar, and sometimes better amenities.

As you begin the process of searching for housing, we recommend that you connect with a friend, colleague or club member that has gone through this process before. Often, a lease for a place that you know and love comes with good reviews that can be passed on to you. Additionally, it is important to meet your landlord in advance.

Members of this board have had negative experiences with off-campus housing due to landlords, which can be avoided by a short conversation or phone call — though meeting in person is preferred.

We also advise you to look into the location of Branvan stops as you are searching for a place. Utilizing free Brandeis transportation can extend the range available for you to live and sometimes lead to lower rent prices. While the Branvans aren’t always the most reliable, they are a resource that should be considered during this process.

This board will also provide you with some advice in terms of the requirements that you can expect when signing your first lease, as they can often take some time to obtain. It is important to keep a cosigner in mind, as this will often be required for you as a college student, and they will have to provide much of the same documentation as you.

You will also need a credit report, bank account information, some form of legal identification, personal references, tax returns, a W9 form and often a social security number. We understand that not all college students have these things readily accessible, so it is important to start collecting them early. You will also have to provide a down payment of some kind which often consists of multiple

months of rent, a security deposit that can be returned if the house is left in good condition and a broker’s fee. Be sure that you are able to pay this larger amount of money before signing the lease.

Check in with your landlord regarding pets! If you already have one, you may have to fill out a renters profile for them too (even sometimes for fish!).

Additionally, it is helpful to locate your nearest grocery and big box stores such as Hannaford, Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Costco etc. When living off campus, planning meals and errand runs to fit within your busy class and extracurricular schedule is crucial.

While it might seem daunting at first to curate pots, laundry baskets and to fill your fridge, after the first couple of months it becomes second nature. Also, knowing your neighborhood trash pick-up day will be beneficial for you each week as you can anticipate when it’s time to take your bin out to the curb.

You can visit The City of Waltham website to know exactly what days it occurs. Living off campus is a great way to break out of the campus bubble and explore the Waltham community. There are various events, farmers markets and walking trails all at your fingertips, so don’t be afraid to venture out and explore.

Commuter

While commuting doesn’t have the same appeal as living near campus, all of the worries that come with living at Brandeis don’t apply since you’ll be at home! In the comfort of your own living situation, there’s no need to stress about any of the external factors that living in on-campus housing poses. However, commuting still has some important aspects to consider.

The most important thing about being a commuter is securing your parking pass in the designated commuter lots so that you won’t rack up $20 fees for parking where you are not allowed to.

Brandeis typically emails instructions for purchasing a parking pass before the beginning of the academic year, but if they don’t, instructions are easily accessible online. The fee is $120 and lasts for the full year. Currently, the lots available to commuters are the Theater lot and the parking lot outside of the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center.

Once you purchase the pass all you have to do is swing by the public safety office before the fall semester starts and put the sticker on the back of your car.

It’s also important to understand the typical traffic patterns on your way to campus. Depending on your class schedule and your proximity to campus, you may need to leave at a certain time to ensure you’ll be able to park and make it to class on time. When in doubt, leave early! Both commuter lots tend to fill up pretty quickly throughout the day, but if you drive around, there’s usually a spot open.

Good luck to everyone and we hope you make the most of your housing next year!

Editor’s Note: Lin Lin Hutchinson ’25 is a Community Advisor and is employed by the Department of Community Living, and did not contribute to nor edit any parts of this editorial pertaining to DCL

While for many on this campus it remains constantly in our minds, the recent vigil held by Students Justice in Palestine has brought the war in Gaza back into the center of discussion on campus.

Supporters of the Palestinian people have every right to state their views on the matter and to share their anguish at the suffering of civilians in Gaza. My goal in this piece is not to dismiss their views or Palestinian voices, but to provide another perspective and a path forward.

I would like to begin with two caveats. The first, is that I am only a student at this university, not an expert on Israeli history. A more knowledgeable and eloquent voice I recommend is Letters to my Palestinian Neighbor, written by Yossi Klien Halevi in 2018.

The second is a statement of personal bias. I consider myself a Zionist, though I am critical of many Israeli policies, especially West Bank settlements, and I am a believer in a two state solution.

Zionism is the desire for the existence of a Jewish state, specifically in Israel, our historic homeland. Everything on top of this is politics and is not inherent to belief in Zionism. Theodore Hertzel, the founding thinker of Zionism, knew that in the face of the eternal specter of antisemitism,

Jews needed a place where they would be protected without relying on the fragile goodwill of gentile leaders. In this belief he was joined by many great thinkers, including Justice Brandeis, one of the most famous American Zionists. Brandeis viewed Zionism as, “On the whole, the most worthwhile of all I have attempted.” It was never the intent of pre-1948 Zionism to expel the Palistinians, only to have a state for Jews.

Of course, none of this delegitimizes Palestinian nationhood and historical connection to the region. Efforts by both sides to deny the truth of the other’s national identity is a roadblock that must be overcome for any possible peace.

Moving beyond Hertzel’s hopeful ideal Israel to the reality on the ground, any discussion of Israel’s treatment of Palistinians in practice will inevitably come to the issue of settlement and occupation in the West Bank.

To oversimplify a highly complex issue, the status quo that settlers exploit and that is the basis for accusations of apartheid in the West Bank stems from the failure of peace talks in the middle of an intended multi-step process.

Settlements were meant to be eventually incorporated into Israel, so the Jews living there are Israeli citizens.

The surrounding Palestinian lands were supposed to form a new state under Palestinian leadership, and so they are not. The Palestinian-Israelis living within Israel’s post1967 borders have full legal rights, though like American minorities they face systemic racism that must not be ignored.

Gaza is a different story. It was ceded by Israel in 2005, with Jewish settlers being forcibly removed by the Israel Defense Forces. Hamas took control in 2007 and since then has used the strip as a staging ground for their terrorist activities.

In response, Israel and Egypt have blockaded Gaza for years — which is legal under international law. Hamas is an organization of religious zealots whose sole goal is the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews.

This is the fifth conflict with Israel they have started, the results of which has only been civilian suffering. They have used the money given to Gaza to enrich their leaders instead of aiding the people, and to build 300 miles of tunnels instead of schools and hospitals.

These tunnels connect to hospitals and their leaders live next to schools. Weapon stores are intentionally placed in crowded civilian areas. This is in large part why so many civilians have died in the recent conflict, but does not justify it.

The attack on Oct. 7 was an unjustified act of violence and hate. It is indefensible. Israel responding with military action was justified.

The civilian casualties, however, are nothing short of horrific and are indefensible as well. A ceasefire is needed, and needed now. But a ceasefire is a mutual agreement.

Hamas is equally responsible for the prolonging of the conflict by refusing to release the hostages and surrender, showing once again that they do not care for the lives of the innocent people they govern.

Blame for the suffering also lies with Egypt, which has refused to accept refugees from Gaza.

Israel says that their aim is to destroy Hamas, but even if they succeed, it will not bring peace to the region.

The only solution, both in Gaza and the West Bank, is a free Palestine alongside a Jewish state, and the only way that will be achieved is through dialogue and mutual concessions.Violence is easy, peace is hard. But I do believe that it is possible.

What happened at the Australian Grand Prix?

■ All of the drama and upsets on and off the race track in Melbourne, and an overview of an exciting race.

By ELIZABETH LIU JUSTICE EDITOR

The Australian Grand Prix took place on March 24, and this Formula 1 race is the most exciting one of the season. The course, which is 58 laps, is located in Melbourne, Australia. Usually, the most action and drama during race weekend takes place during the actual event. While this held true in Melbourne, there was no shortage of drama before race day.

On March 9, it was announced on the morning of the Saudi Arabia Qualifier that Oliver “Ollie” Bearman would replace Carlos Sainz and race for Scuderia Ferrari in the Saudi Arabia GP. Sainz was diagnosed with appendicitis and required surgery that would take him out of the GP. Bearman made a spectacular F1 debut, qualifying P11 after very little practice time in the car and finishing P7, earning six points. Sainz, however, was very eager to show his dedication to the team — especially since it was announced that Lewis Hamilton would be taking his spot in 2025. He was seen walking gingerly into the paddock right before the race just one day after getting major abdominal surgery. Alex Albon, a fellow F1 driver, was in a similar situation in 2022 and was able to return three weeks after surgery, which makes Sainz’s return to racing this past weekend all the more impressive.

While Ferrari was celebrating Sainz’s return, Williams Racing was busy celebrating Alex Albon’s upcoming birthday, which was put on hold after his unfortunate crash in Free Practice 1. Logan Sargeant, Albon’s teammate, was able to finish all FP1 and 2 before it was decided that he would not be able to race on Sunday March 24. Albon damaged his car’s chassis in the crash, and Williams did not have a spare third chassis to replace his. With only one functioning car left, Williams made the decision to let Albon, the driver who scored 27 out of the 28 points for the team last year, drive instead of Sargeant. This meant replacing Albon’s damaged chassis with Sargeant’s working one, taking him out of everything following FP2 but allowing Albon to drive in FP3 before qualifying. Sargeant took to Instagram to express his feelings, posting “This one hurts but I’m here for the team and will work with them to maximise what we can do this weekend.” Albon also praised his teammate, saying, “I would never want anything like this to happen. Logan has always been a consummate professional and a team player from day one.” James Vowles, the Williams team principal, justified the team’s decision and shared that, “While Logan should not have to suffer from a mistake that he did not make, every race counts when the midfield is tighter than ever, so we have made the call based on our best potential to score points this weekend.”

With all of the pre-race drama unfolding, there was also an abundance of action and surprises during the race as well. The starting grid had Max Verstappen, the three-time Drivers World Champion, in P1 with Carlos Sainz starting in P2 after qualifying. After the lights went out to signal the start of the race, all 19 cars headed towards turn one. Thankfully everybody passed turn one clean-

ly as the drivers competed for better positioning. Verstappen led the first lap but was unable to maintain the lead as the Ferrari overtook the Red Bull in lap two.

That was just the beginning of Verstappen’s troubles as smoke started billowing from his rear right wheel in lap four. He relayed over the radio to his team, “I have smoke, fire fire, brake, my brake” as the Red Bull fell to the back of the field. On the way to the pit lane, an explosion erupted, spitting black smoke and starting a fire in the rear right wheel. Verstappen unfortunately was forced to retire from the Australian GP, the same course where he suffered his most recent race retirement in 2022. In a post-race interview, Verstappen revealed that the explosion was because “the rightrear brake stuck on … it didn’t cool.”

While Verstappen and Red Bull were busy putting out the fire, the race continued, now with only 18 drivers. On lap nine during Valtteri Bottas’ pit stop, the pit team had some trouble with the front left wheel nut, causing a prolonged pitstop. This problem is not a new one for Kick Sauber as both drivers had issues during their pit stops in all two of the previous races this season. In the Bahrain Grand Prix, Bottas had a 52.4-second pitstop due to an issue with the cross-threaded wheel nut. Then in Saudi Arabia, Zhou Guanyu suffered the same problem. Bottas revealed ahead of the Australian GP that “we haven’t fixed the issue 100 percent because there’s a lead time for certain components and materials that we need, but I think we should be in a better place and I’ll have more confidence coming into the pits this weekend.” Zhou agreed with his teammate and said, “Of course, unfortunately, we can’t really redesign right now but we are already making a few adjustments on the wheel nut and the wheel guns and making sure the issue is solved. Fingers crossed we can get it all going.” Their optimism seemed to be short-lived as Kick Sauber had another slow pitstop in lap 37, causing Zhou to exit the pitlane in last place and having been lapped by the race leader. However, there seemed to be some quick adjustments made as Bottas pitted in lap 38 with no difficulties. This was a rare sight, as even F1 reporter Ted Kravitz commented, “Ring the church bells! Put out the bunting! Sauber just did a pitstop that wasn’t a complete disaster!” during the live stream.

Continuing on with the theme of technological difficulties, Lewis Hamilton found himself in a sticky situation when in lap 17 his car suddenly slowed down. Lewis repeated “Engine failure”

over his radio as he tried to maneuver the Mercedes to the grass on the side of the track and a virtual safety car was deployed. The purpose of a safety car is to slow down the cars in the race so Hamilton’s car could be retrieved safely. Under virtual safety car rules, drivers have to drive under a reduced speed and are not allowed to overtake during it. Teams sometimes take advantage of the safety car regulations and have their drivers pit during them, allowing for time to be saved compared to a regular pit stop.

One driver who did pit during Hamilton’s VSC was Oscar Piastri. This decision proved beneficial when Piastri found himself in P3 and his McLaren teammate Lando Norris in P4, with Norris pitting a few laps after Piastri. However, because Norris was driving on tires five laps younger than Piastri, McLaren gave the order for a driver swap during lap 29. In previous races, there has been a lot of controversy over driver swaps, with drivers choosing to express their anger at letting their teammate pass them over the radio. But Piastri followed the team’s orders and let Norris overtake him, understandably playing the team game and trusting the McLaren strategists.

Unlike the McLarens, Alex Albon wasn’t able to rely on any help from the second Williams when he was battling for positioning against the two Haas drivers. In lap 37 Albon tried to overtake Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg in P11 during a turn, but swung wide and ended up losing time and competitive positioning behind Hulkenberg. Then, in lap 44, the second Haas driver Kevin Magnussen — who was behind Albon — was granted the use of the drag reduction system, allowing him to gain some much-needed speed. Magnussen was unable to overtake Albon the first time, but was able to use DRS successfully to overtake Albon later in lap 45. There was not much drama on the racetrack for a while, but tensions were at an all-time high as Sainz reported over the radio that his tires didn’t feel normal in lap 57. With one lap to go, there was no time for a pitstop and Ferrari could only hope that the old tires could hold up.

As everybody watched the last lap in anticipation, it was shocking to see George Russell crash into a wall and the Mercedes end up on its side in the middle of the track. Russell was initially driving right behind Fernando Alonso when they headed into a series of turns on the last lap. Russell caught some dirty air off Alonso's Aston Martin which left him unable to turn successfully into turns six and seven. Russell braked, causing him

to oversteer and turn wide, driving into the wall of the chicane. The wheels stayed attached to the Mercedes by the tethers, causing the car to tip over onto its side when the front left wheel got stuck under the car. Russell radioed “I’m OK,” and his crash caused another VSC that the race would finish under.

Due to the regulations of the VSC, Sainz was able to breathe a sigh of relief as he would be able to maintain the lead with overtakes prohibited during a safety car. Russell’s crash also left Mercedes with no cars left to finish the race, therefore scoring no points as Hamilton had to retire earlier due to engine failure.

Sainz ultimately won the 2024 Australian GP, and his teammate Charles Leclerc won the fastest lap and P2, with Lando Norris in P3 to round out the podium. But there was drama even after the race, as Alonso was given a 20-second time penalty after the stewards reviewed the footage of Russell’s crash and deemed that “Alonso affirmatively choosing to perform an unusual manoeuvre at this point to be an aggravating circumstance, as opposed to a simple mistake,” which dropped him from P6 to P8.

To recap the results of the GP, Carlos Sainz finished P1 just two weeks after majpr surgery, and Charles Leclerc earned P2 and fastest lap. Lando Norris won his 14th podium finish, and his teammate Oscar Piastri finished P4 for the second time in a row. Sergio Perez struggled a bit in the Red Bull, finishing P5 after his two previous P2 podiums. Lance Stroll finished P6, and Yuki Tsunoda in P7, with both benefiting from Alonso’s time penalty, which dropped him to P8. The two Haas drivers Hulkenberg and Magnussen finished P9 and P10 respectively and were both able to score points. Alex Albon finished P11 — an unfortunate race on his birthday after taking his teammate Sargeant’s chassis. Daniel Ricciardo finished P12 — another unfortunate result for the Australian racing in his home country. Pierre Gasly finished P13 after some impressive racing in the middle, finding himself P9 at lap 38. The two Saubers, Bottas and Zhou, finished P14 and P15 respectively after struggling with their pit stops. Lastly, Esteban Ocon finished P16 after Verstappen, Hamilton and Russell suffered DNFs and Sargeant’s exit before the race.

This Grand Prix has proven to be more entertaining than expected, as it seems that Red Bull won’t be dominating like the previous seasons. All eyes will be on the Japan Grand Prix up next.

Lawsuit questions transgender student-athletes

■ Current and former student-athletes are sueing the National Collegiate Athletic Association on the grounds of gender discrimination.

By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE DEPUTY EDITOR

In January 2022, the National Collegiate Athletic Association Board of Governors updated the “transgender student-athlete participation policy” that governs the rules and regulations in the world of college sports. This updated policy puts NCAA student-athlete participants in line with the Olympic Movement, which outlines an approach that is different from sport to sport. This approach “preserves opportunity for transgender student-athletes while balancing fairness, inclusion and safety for all who compete,” according to the NCAA website.

In line with both the policies of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the NCAA policy gives the power of decision in regards to transgender student-athlete participation to the policy of the national governing body for each individual sport. The decision will go to the international federation of the sport if there is no national governing body policy in place already. If there is no international federation policy, then the decision would be made based on the policy criteria created by the International Olympic Committee.

The updated policy was deemed effective immediately but was set up to be implemented in three

separate phases between the years 2022 and 2025.

Phase one required transgender student-athletes to provide documentation to the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports four weeks before their winter and spring championships. This phase took place in 2022.

Phase two required transgender student-athletes to provide documentation that meets the 2010 NCAA policy and the “sport standard for documented testosterone levels at three points in time: 1. Prior to any competition during the regular season; 2. Prior to the first competition in an NCAA championship event; and 3. Prior to any competition in the non-championship segment.”

Phase three was titled "full implementation" and will take place beginning on Aug. 1, 2024. This phase requires transgender student-athletes to provide documentation twice a year that meets sports standards “as reviewed and approved by CSMAS.” These sports standards include things such as mitigation timelines and testosterone levels.

Over the course of the month of March, sixteen female athletes have come forward and filed a lawsuit. This lawsuit states that they “bring this case to secure for future generations of women the promise of Title IX that is being denied from them and other college women.” Title IX as published by the U.S. Department of Education states “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

In an interview with ABC News, William Bock, the lead attorney in the lawsuit, stated “What the plaintiffs are really after is an equal and fair opportunity to succeed. For everybody to be equal at the

starting line.” The NCAA stated that while it "does not comment on pending litigation, the Association and its members will continue to promote Title IX, make unprecedented investments in women's sports and ensure fair competition in all NCAA championships."

According to the Associated Press, this lawsuit is taking place due to transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who competed in the national championships in 2022. Thomas is a swimmer for the University of Pennsylvania, who had previously competed on the men’s team before her gender transition. Thomas was the first transgender athlete to win “a Division 1 title in any sport, finishing in front of three Olympic medalists for the championship.” The lawsuit details that swimmers were shocked to share a locker room with Thomas, and expresses their disappointment that only she was handed a trophy when she tied with another athlete. When this athlete complained, compliant agents told her that Thomas holding the trophy was crucial for photo purposes. It also outlines opportunities that other athletes were “denied” following defeat from Thomas.

Following her Division 1 win, Thomas spoke with ABC News. She stated “I knew there would be scrutiny against me if I competed as a woman. I was prepared for that, but I also don’t need anybody’s permission to be – myself and to – to do the sport that I love.”

The plaintiffs in this case include track and volleyball athletes as well as swimmers. This debate on whether or not transgender athletes should be allowed to compete expands beyond just Thomas’ struggles The policy surrounding transgender athletes is intricate at the collegiate and international levels. Should collegiate athletic spaces be single-

sex or should they be open to transgender athletes?

What should that policy look like? The questions are never-ending as we look to the future for answers on how to proceed.

Photo courtesy of

Photos courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

SPEED DEMON: Carlos Sainz, a driver for Ferrari, comes around a turn on the track.

POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE

JUDGES: This week’s honorees

CONTINUED FROM 16

Total RBIs

UPCOMING GAMES:

Wednesday vs. Lasell

Friday vs. Suffolk University

Marc Maestri M’24 lead the team with 25.2 innings pitched.

Saturday vs. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tuesday, April 2 vs. Nichols College

SOFTBALL

Total RBIs Total Innings Pitched

TENNIS

MEN'S UAA STANDINGS

MEN'S TOP FINISHERS

STANDOUTS

Singles

Dylan Walters '24 leads the team with a record of 11-6.

Doubles

WOMEN'S UAA STANDINGS

Jacob Freed M'24, baseball

Freed’s fierce playing emerged this week in a series of five games, for which he was one of the Judges’ key offensive players. Freed amassed seven hits in 19 at-bats with five runs scored, four RBIs, three doubles and two home runs. Notably, Freed’s back-to-back home runs against Eastern Nazarene College and Massachusetts Institute of Technology showcased his ability to deliver under pressure.

In this series of games, Freed raised his batting average by nearly 50 points and now leads the squad in a slugging percentage of .524, nine runs scored. He also ranks second on the team with an on-base percentage of .383 and seven RBIs.

Like Nash, Freed emphasized that baseball “is mostly a mental game” and reflected “I didn’t have the best start to the season and was second-guessing myself.”

Despite this, Freed was able to amass a newfound confidence this week.

ATHLETICS

“I reminded myself that baseball is a game where you’re expected to fail the majority of the time, which helped me feel really confident at the plate regardless of the outcome and helped me stay focused,” said Freed.

His remarkable achievements this past week not only marked a personal milestone but also underscored his enthusiasm for the sport. “I tied my number of collegiate home runs in these first 10 games that I’ve had over the course of my two full seasons. But overall, I’m just really excited to be at Brandeis playing with a great group of guys,” Freed expressed.

Elaborating on the camaraderie and friendship of the baseball team, Freed emphasized that baseball is not just about individual success. “Baseball is very much a team sport. This makes it so baseball teams have to have lots of team chemistry to find success. It runs bigger than the game, as this has created some lifelong friends for me throughout the many teams I’ve been on in my life.”

— Editor's Note: Sports editor Rani Balakrishna ’25 is a member of the Brandeis softball team and did not contribute to any part of this article.

NCAA: The Madness continues

CONTINUED FROM 16

Northwestern University in the second round.

Despite two of their starters being injured, the Northwestern Wildcats won against No. 8 Florida Atlantic University in a 77-65 overtime thriller. Ryan Langborg, who just transferred from Princeton University, led the Wildcats in scoring with 27 points. Boo Bui added 22 points while Brooks Barnhizer recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Another blow to people’s brackets occurred as No. 13 Yale University defeated No. 4 Auburn University.

MEN'S UPCOMING MATCHES:

Thursday vs. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

FENCING

Dylan Walters '24 and Tommy Harrison '26 lead the team with a record of 7-3.

WOMEN'S TOP FINISHERS

STANDOUTS

Singles

Lika Bolkvadze '27 and Bhakti Parwani '25 lead the team with a record of 4-3.

Doubles

Bhakti Parwani '25 and Rebecca Suarez '26 lead the team with a record of 10-2.

WOMEN'S UPCOMING MATCHES:

Thursday vs. Springfield College

Results from the NCAA Championships at Ohio State on March 21 - 24

MEN'S TOP FINISHERS

Tony Escueta '25 placed eighth in the NCAA Championship after two days of battling other saber opponents. He went 9-6 on Day 1 and in total had 13 wins on the two days. He earned All-America honors for the second year in a row, and became the highest placing men's fencer since Will Friedman '09 placed seventh.

UPCOMING MEETS:

WOMEN'S TOP FINISHERS

The fencing season has concluded.

TRACK AND FIELD

Maggie Shealy M'25 won 12 of her 15 bouts on Day 1 of competition, going 12-3 overall and went to the championship round for the second year in a row. On Day 2 Shealy won the national competition, dominating her Division 1 competition and became the 27th individual national champion in Brandeis history and taking home the victory in saber.

Results from the NCAA Indoor Championship at Virginia Beach, VA on Mar. 8.

MEN'S TOP FINISHERS

800 Meters

TJ Carleo '26 came in 18th place, last in his heat, with a time of 1:54.33.

UPCOMING MEETS:

The indoor season has concluded. The outdoor season will commence on March 30 at the Tufts Snowflake Classic.

“Princeton made the Sweet 16 last year and we were at home, they beat us in the championship, and each and every one of the guys in the locker room were just itching to get our opportunity. Our opportunity presented itself. We know how good we are, so we believed,” said August Mahoney, a senior and team captain for Yale.

Yale certainly performed big when it counted. John Poulakida simply could not miss, going 10 for 15 from the field, including a stepback three that gave Yale the lead at 73-72 with 2:10 left in the fourth quarter. Yale never trailed after that point. Mahoney also poured 14 points in the win.

West

Other than No. 12 Grand Canyon University’s win over No. 5 Saint Mary’s College, the West did not feature many upsets. Although the No. 9 Michigan State University Spartans’ victory over the No. 8 Mississippi State

University Bulldogs showed why no one should underestimate Tom Izzo, the head coach for Michigan State. Izzo, who has coached numerous National Basketball Association players such as Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green, racked up his 20th first-round win. Despite a large number of turnovers, the Spartans made up with their confident three-point shooting, ball movement, and most importantly, out-rebounding the opponent. For a school that made their second March Madness, No. 16 Wagner College showed their tenacity on the court. They clung on to a 71-68 victory over Howard University in the First Four (the tier prior to the First Round) before falling to the No. 1 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in a 28-point loss.

Midwest

After a disappointing first-round exit from No. 1 Purdue University last year at the hands of No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson University, Purdue (No. 1 once more) survived against No. 16 Grambling State University in a convincing 78-50 win. Zach Edey leads the NCAA in scoring at 24.6 points per game, and his 7 foot 4 inch stature enables him to dominate in the paint, scoring and rebounding at will. In the game versus Grambling State, Edey tallied 30 points and 21 rebounds. If Edey can maintain this type of phenomenal production, then Purdue has a chance to make a deep run to the Final Four, a feat they have not achieved in 44 years. No. 8 Utah State University, No. 7 University of Texas at Austin, No. 5

Gonzaga University, No. 4 University of Kansas , No. 3 Creighton University and No. 2 University of Tennessee also advanced to the second round. No. 11 University of Oregon’s upset over No. 6 South Carolina may have messed up some brackets. However, the biggest surprise came in the First Four, round in which No. 16 Colorado State University defeated No. 10 University of Virginia 67-42. It called into question whether the metrics used by the NCAA committee to rank teams were justifiable. Prior to entering the tournament, Virginia had multiple 20-point losses and performed subpar in the Athletic Coast Conference. Yet, Virginia still found itself in the NCAA tournament.

In the game versus Colorado State, Virginia only hit five shots in the first half. The Cavalier’s 42-point performance was the second-fewest-points by an ACC team in the NCAA tournament. The internet had much to say about this disappointing loss.

Looking Ahead

It is nearly impossible to create a perfect bracket. But maybe that is the same reason why March Madness is so exhilarating for millions of sports fans. With the upsets, underdog stories, dominating wins and never-ending rivalries between teams, March Madness is an unpredictable time of year. There is no shortage of noise that each team brings throughout the tournament.

The NCAA’s official website sums it up well — “March is here and no one is safe. Maybe not even Connecticut.”

Hana Bean ’27 is a first-year on the Brandeis softball team and has recently had an exceptional set of games. She hit her first collegiate home run during the third inning in the team’s first game during a doubleheader against Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Additionally, she scored during the second inning, bringing the score between the Judges and WPI to 7-2. Her home run helped keep WPI at bay after they scored three times during the third inning, making the score 9-5. She hit her second home run during the team’s second game against WPI that day to even out the score. Though the game was halted due to darkness, Bean’s offense proved to be critical as the Judges tied it at 7-7 in the final inning. In her budding collegiate career, Bean has shown herself to be a great shortstop, making assists and consistently playing tough defense. In just seven games she’s put out eight plays, assisted in five more and made only two errors — giv-

ing her a fielding percentage of .867. Prior to her time at Brandeis, she played at St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire, setting five overall solo and team records. While not on the field, Bean likes to hang out at the International Business School and enjoys listening to artists such as Sleepy Hollow, Polo G, 21 Savage and Travis Scott. Despite the weather staying cold and rainy, she enjoys eating strawberry ice cream and loves “exploring different cultures through food.” When she’s not on the softball field or being an academic weapon — both in and out of the classroom — she’s likely sleeping. With an impressive weekend under her belt, her career looks promising. Head down to Marcus Field to cheer on Bean and the rest of the Brandeis softball team in their upcoming games!

Editor's Note: Sports editor Rani Balakrishna ’25 is a member of the Brandeis softball team and did not contribute to any part of this article.

Photo courtesy of BRANDEIS

Sports just

March Madness men’s tournament overview thus far

■

By JEFFREY WANG JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association's official website, 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 is the probability that one creates a perfect bracket for March Madness. The NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament features 68 teams in a single-game elimination style. These teams are ranked accordingly by a committee on “Selection Sunday,” which took place on March 17, 2024 this year. The teams are then split off into four regionals: South, East, West and Midwest. Here, we take a look at how teams have fared thus far in the first round of the men’s tournament.

South Powerhouse schools like No. 4 Duke University, No. 2 Marquette University, and No. 1 University of Houston marched their way into the second round, outscoring opposing teams by double digits. But more prominently,

the South also features many underdog teams, who despite their record, defeated their higher-seeded opponent. These teams that came up on top included KJ Simpson’s nail-biting game-winner for No. 10 University of Colorado and victories from No. 9 seed Texas A&M University and No. 12 seed James Madison University.

However, the biggest surprise came with No. 14 seed Oakland University’s upset over No. 3 University of Kentucky, the latter whose roster contains multiple five-star recruits. Sixth-year, Jack Gohlke, who just transferred to Oakland, was the star of the show. He knocked down ten three-pointers to lead the Golden Grizzlies to victory. Gholke became 1 of 5 players to make 10 or more three-pointers in the NCAA tournament.

East

Reigning champions and No. 1 University of Connecticut strolled through No. 16 Stetson University in a blowout 91-52 win. Based on multiple news outlets, UConn has the best odds of winning the tournament once again. Since 1980, only seven reigning champions have made it to the Final Four round, with University of Florida as the most recent back-to-back winner in 2007. UConn’s resilience will be tested in their upcoming matchup against No. 9

Brandeis Athletes of the Week for March 20

■ Haley Nash ’24 of the softball team and Jake Freed M’24 of the baseball team are this week’s Brandeis athletes of the week.

By BENIE COHEN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

In a week packed with stellar performances, senior softball player Haley Nash ’24 from Delmar, New York and graduate student Jacob Freed M’24 from Vernon Hills, Illinois have been crowned Brandeis University’s athletes of the week.

Haley Nash ’24, softball Nash’s remarkable impact on the softball field this week began when she played an essential role in securing the win against the Wentworth Institute of Technology in Brandeis’ regular season opener on March 17. Throughout the doubleheader, Brandeis led 4-0 and 11-3. Nash’s bat held the lead steady, going 3-for-5 with five runs batted in, two runs scored and an impressive duo of home runs. Her consistency at the plate saw her reaching base in five out of eight plate appearances, boasting a batting average of .545, an on-base percentage of .621 and a slugging percentage of 1.182 for the season. Nash’s two home runs last week gave her 23 for her career, tying her for fourth on the Judges’ all-time list.

Yet again Nash was imperative to the team’s 14-6 win on March 22 against the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the first game of a doubleheader, mak-

ing one of two big hits during the inning and boosting Brandeis from a 3-2 lead to an 8-2 lead with a two-run single.

“In practice, we really focused on hitting and mental preparation at the plate, which I try to implement as much as possible in games to avoid fluctuations,” said Nash when reflecting on her performance this week.

In addition to preparation, passion is an essential ingredient to Nash’s consistency on the field.

“My drive and passion come from my team and teammates. I am so lucky to have an amazing group of women by my side, which makes playing and competing mean so much more,” she added.

BRANDEIS SOFTBALL PHOTO STORY

Softball hosted Worcester Polytechnic Institute in a doubleheader, winning the first game and leaving the second game halted, p. 14.

SHEALY IS A NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPION

Shealy, Dienstag and Escueta see success at NCAAs

■ Maggie Shealy M’25 of the women’s fencing team, Sam Dienstag ’24 of the men’s swim and dive team and Tony Escueta ’25 of the men’s fencing team represented Brandeis at their respective National Collegiate Athletic Association championships.

By SMILEY HUYNH AND RANI BALAKRISHNA JUSTICE MANAGING EDITOR AND JUSTICE EDITOR

Maggie Shealy M’25

This past weekend, Shealy made history by becoming the 27th person in Brandeis history to be a National Collegiate Athletic Association champion. She faced opponents from all three collegiate divisions at the 2024 NCAA National Collegiate Championships in Columbus, Ohio, at Ohio State University on March 21-24, 2024. On her first day of competition, Shealy went 12-3, giving her a bid for the championship round for the second year in a row.

According to Brandeis Athletics, head fencing Coach Elif Soyer Sachs noted, “This is a tribute to the dynamic duo of Maggie and our saber coach, Matt Zich. They are an inspiration, taking the championship as the only woman in the competition from a Division III school across all three weapons.”

In the semifinal, Shealy faced the third seed from Columbia University, Vera Kong, and defeated her 15-9. In the final round, she faced fourth seed Julia Cieslar of St. John's University. Cieslar got a 3-1 lead, but Shealy won the next three points to get ahead 4-3 and then never looked back. She kept the lead for the rest of the match and won the national championship with a 15-10 score.

Shealy becomes only the second Division III fencer to win the all-around collegiate national championship.

This championship caps off an incredibly successful career — a strong performance for the women’s saber team at Brandeis. She returned home to the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center in Waltham on Sunday, March 24 to a rousing crowd of her teammates cheering her on. A huge congratulations to Shealy for making school history!

Tony Escueta ’25 Escueta was the representative for the Brandeis men’s saber fencing team at the NCAA championships and came away with his second AllAmerican honor. The junior not only finished eighth individually but with Escueta and Shealy’s performance Brandeis placed 15th overall in the standings.

On the first day, Escueta went 9-6, and he was the highest men’s fencer finish in Brandeis history since Will Friedman ’09 who placed seventh. Escueta chased Friedman’s 14 wins with 13 of his own, and according to Brandeis Athletics, he is “Brandeis' first male two-time All-American in fencing since Tim Morehouse ’00 finished sixth and fourth in 1999 and 2000.”

Escueta, like Shealy, was warmly welcomed back to Gosman by a large crowd of his teammates cheering for him. Congratulations to Escueta on an impressive career! We look forward to seeing more of all that he has yet to accomplish.

Lev BenAvram ’26 also qualified for the NCAA championships for men’s saber but has chosen to instead compete at “an international World Cup event in Budapest, Hungary, with the hopes of qualifying for the U.S. Men's National Team and competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics,” per Brandeis Athletics.

Sam Dienstag ’24

Last Wednesday morning, Dienstag kicked off his final meet representing Brandeis at the swimming NCAA Division III Championships swimming

in the 500-yard freestyle preliminaries. He won his heat with a time of 4:25.88 and earned his spot in the finals later that day. During the final, he earned a second-place finish in the 500yard freestyle with a time of 4:21.32, which broke his previous school record by 3.97 seconds earning him his fourth All-American honor. His time was only 0.54 seconds off the winner of the event and earned Brandeis 17 points. This was also the best finish by a Brandeis men’s swimmer at a NCAA Championship. The very next day he raced in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:40.60 — slower than his seeded time and his personal record set earlier this season at a time of 1:39.43 — this placed him 42 overall, missing the qualifying time for finals.

Last Saturday, March 23 Dienstag competed for the final time for Brandeis in the 1650-yard freestyle. In his heat, he placed second with a time of 15:28.56. He placed fifth, earning his overall fifth All-American honor and second in the 1650-yard freestyle. This performance also earned the Judges 14 points. Dienstag single-handedly scored 31 points for Brandeis which placed the Judges 24th in overall team standing — a program record. His performance at nationals also makes him the most decorated men’s swimmer in Brandeis history. He finishes his career at Brandeis holding four individual school records in the 200, 500, 1000 and 1650-yard freestyle as well as four relay records in the 200 and 800yard freestyle relay, and in the 200 and 400 medley relays.

As he bids farewell to his collegiate career, Dienstag leaves behind a legacy of hard work and his achievements are a testament to his dedication and skill. His presence on the team was an inspiration and he will be missed. Dienstag was welcomed back to the Gosman by a cheering crowd of his teammates, a mark of his legacy at Brandeis. We congratulate him on an exemplary collegiate career and wish him luck in his future endeavors!

Photos courtesy of BRANDEIS FENCING

ROLL DEIS: Maggie Shealy M'25 returns home to a cheering crowd at the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center.

justArts & Culture

Photos:

Muriel’s songs: The 20th century Jewish woman’s experience.

By ESTHER BALABAN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Every year, the Women’s Studies Research Center and the Department of Music hold the “Alfredo & Demitra DiLuzio Annual Concert.” Rosalie Repaldi Shane ’66, started the concert series in honor of her aunt and uncle who raised her and her brother after they were orphaned. Her aunt, Demitra was a dramatic soprano, and her uncle, Alfredo was a music teacher. When they passed away, Rosalie and her brother started an endowment for concerts in their honor.

This year’s concert was composed by Prof. Eric Chasalow (MUS), and performed by the Boston ensemble Sound Icon and the mezzosoprano singer Sharon Harms. Chasalow wrote the song cycle “Muriel’s Songs” in honor of his grandmother, Muriel Gellert Chasalow. Muriel had always wanted to be a writer, but the difficulties of life made it so she was only able to explore writing later in life. In her eighties, she took a writing course at the YMCA and wrote a book that her daughter Renee later published. The book contained a collection of stories from her life, spanning 1903 to 2000. Muriel was a Jewish woman who attended a “mixed” school in Brooklyn, New York before moving to Newark, New Jersey and encountering the Jewish mob. She lived through numerous wars while facing the troubles of growing up, parenthood, grandparenthood, a changing culture and the loss of her husband.

The first song takes place when Muriel was ten years old and living with her religiously Jewish grandmother for the summer – a stark contrast from the secular life she led at home. The song starts with a tutti, an energetic mix of all of the instruments playing together, before evolving into something more folk-like. The mezzo-soprano, Harms, had a youthful excitement present in her voice as she dramatically told the story of Muriel keeping her Yiddishspeaking grandmother company after her grandfather died. The contrast between Harms’ operatic voice and the lines “My father was a Tammany Hall Democrat/ And above all, worshiped/ The Brooklyn Dodgers” was highly comedic and evoked a child-like naivety.

The second song, “1916,” centers on an anecdote recalling Muriel wishing to have piano

lessons like other girls around her. The pianocentric song references Irving Berlin’s 1916 hit “I Love a Piano,” starting the pattern of song references that continues throughout the program. In the pre-concert talk, Chasalow explained that he took references from Bach, Purcell, Gershwin, the Beatles and disco. He formed these pieces into a coherent whole that refracted the pieces through his own lens. The next section, “1919,” embodied the feeling of being Jewish in a mixed neighborhood where she “cringed so when they sang ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’” in her grammar school but would “always join in on ‘America the Beautiful.’”

A time skip of 15 years occurs, and Muriel marries Sam Chasalow and moves to Newark, New Jersey in “1934.” There’s a sense of wonder present in the bouncy composition as Muriel details elements of their new life. The song opens anecdotally with “The mother across the hall in Newark earned her living as a prostitute, but we felt it didn’t really affect us in any way.” Chasalow writes that the composition starts “angular and strange” as they adjust to adult life but becomes “more settled and conjunct” near the end. This song marks the transition to the darker parts of Muriel’s life as war approaches.

“1938” has Sam Chasalow confront Nazi sympathizers with the backing of a group of local Jewish men, some of whom may have been in the mob. The song evokes Muriel’s loneliness and sense of betrayal from Sam’s actions as she is left to care for their children alone, not knowing whether or not he is safe. “1942” is the darkest song in the series. Both the words and the instrumentals elicit a sense of loss as Harms sings, “We suffered the shortages/ We learned first aid/ We suffered the fear of air raids/ We lowered the shades.” During the war, Muriel took on the role of neighborhood air raid warden, and Sam quit his job to support the war effort. They “suffered the fear” and “suffered the loss of loved ones.” The song ends with a metaphor of sweeping “sand off of the summer carpet,” indicating the end of the war but having remaining memories of it stuck in your mind. “1942” ends with “But we would never/ Ever be the same again.”

Muriel and Sam moved to West Orange, New Jersey, in “1959” and founded Greater General Motors Company truck sales in New-

ark. Afte the company was bankrolled by the mob, Sam was forced out of the job. This song recounts when a notorious mob boss and associate of the Chasalows, Longie Zwillman, was found hanged. Despite the somber theme, the performance was purposefully overdramatic and ended with a funny note when the couple “were invited to [their] daughter’s wedding to a millionaire…We declined.” This made for a good transition to the next performance, “1960,” which provided a break from the darker themes in the form of Muriel’s vacation on a Caribbean cruise. There’s a clear Latin jazz groove supported by the addition of bongos as she describes “The islands/ The cocktail parties/ The cigars/ The casinos.” The story takes somewhat of a twist as they become stranded at sea, and Harms sings “on and on and on” again and again, while supported by the standing bass, adding a darker sound to the otherwise lighthearted tune. The music swells as all of the instruments come together and build in response to Muriel’s panic.

“1967” is when Muriel first starts to feel the effects of aging. The lyrics recount Muriel entering Chasalow’s room when he was playing “When I’m Sixty-Four” by The Beatles. She asks, “What is that they are singing about? Who’s getting older? I’m sixty-four, and I don’t feel older.” The accompaniment supports her joking tone at first, but in the transition to the next song, the electric guitar, and percussion lead intensely, hinting that while she may have been joking around, she did feel intense underlying feelings about aging.

The Vietnam War was the background for “1970’’ as the TV would play morbid statistics during meal times. They were “always finishing [their meals] with an ever more difficult to swallow body count.” Harms has Muriel sounding jaded and bitter at the return of another war after having lived through WWI, WWII, the Korean War and the Cold War. By the end of it, Harms sounds out of breath, emulating Muriel’s exhaustion from the violence. “1980” starts energetically with a drum kit and a disco vibe as “Lois,” the attractive suburban wife of a dentist, is described. The sound is dramatically reduced to just the bass and drums as Harms sings, “But cocaine/ Changes everything.”

There is then an explosion of sound and a fadeout, making me unable to hear the last line in

the song: “Life is just like that.”

The final song, “1985,” is a reflection of Muriel’s life after her husband Sam passes away and her children move out: “Suddenly I am alone.” This is the slowest song in the program, primarily featuring the cello, viola and violin. Muriel finds satisfaction in being able to reset clocks and mending sweaters for others. The concert ends with a feeling of accomplishment with a sense of underlying sadness.

Overall, the operatic narrative tone which lent itself to the comedic aspects very well, was something to get used to in the more serious moments. The orchestral composition was gorgeous and the selected years of Muriel’s life were well-chosen and a good reflection of the Jewish woman’s life through the 20th century. Be sure to check out the other events held this semester by the Women’s Studies Research Center and the Brandeis Concert Series.

Unearthing hozier’s ‘Unheard’ gems

By ESTHER BALABAN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The Irish musician and singer-songwriter Hozier recently released a new extended play entitled “Unheard” as an extension to his August album “Unreal Unearth.” The poem Dante’s Inferno inspired “Unreal Unearth” and takes the listener through the circles of hell: limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, wrath, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery. Hozier revealed that over the pandemic he was hard at work making songs for this next album. Ultimately, he decided on 16 songs for the album, with one additional song, “Through Me (The Flood),” featured only on the “Eat Your Young” EP. This new EP, “Unheard,” features songs that were originally going to be on “Unreal Unearth” but were unable to make the original release.

The first song, “Too Sweet,” was teased before the EP’s release and quickly became a fan favorite, climbing to #2 on Spotify’s Top 50 U.S. playlist and #10 on the Top 50 Global playlist. In this song, Hozier embodies a man who considers himself to be too serious for the sweet woman pursuing him. “Too Sweet” represents the third circle of hell: gluttony. While he takes his “whisky neat,” his “coffee black,” and he goes to “bed at three,” his lover is seen to be the opposite. She is “bright as the morning, as soft as the rain, pretty as a vine, as sweet as a grape.” Hozier attempts to sway her over to his reckless, undisciplined way of life, asking, “Don’t you just wanna wake up dark as a lake smellin’ like a bonfire lost in a haze?” but her convictions are too strong, something the narrator sees as farcical. Throughout the chorus, bells ring that have been theorized to be either wedding bells or death knells. This ambiguity symbolizes either the love the couple still has for each other or the inevitable death of the relationship, with the listener tasked with deciding which version they prefer. The most promi-

nent sound throughout the song is the funky bass line that adds to the narrator’s “cool guy” persona. Overall, “Too Sweet” is the catchiest song on the EP, and I would even venture to say it’s catchier than the “Unreal Unearth” album.

The EP’s next song, “Wildflower and Barley,” features Allison Russell and represents the first circle of hell, limbo. In Dante’s Inferno, Limbo is for virtuous people who lived before the birth of Christ as well as unbaptized souls, such as infants who died before their baptisms. The song refers to the stillness of the pandemic. In an interview with El Camino, Hozier described the song as “the stillness and the sort of eerie unhappy quiet of living in the countryside or living in the city, seeing empty streets, seeing empty roads.” The wildflowers in the title refer to plants that grow when a field is left untended, as we saw the Earth start to heal during the pandemic. Barley symbolizes resistance, resilience, and rebirth in Irish culture, as it was used as a food source during the 1798 rebellion and barley would grow over the unmarked graves that the dead were buried in.

A mellow folk song, “Wildflower and Barley,” tells a story of a world being born anew. From the stillness of the pandemic came the conditions for people to heal and to resist oppression. The chorus begins with Hozier singing, “This year, I swear it will be buried in actions,” reflecting the “barley.” Meanwhile, Allison Russell sings, “The healers are healin’. The diggers are digging the Earth.” The song perfectly combines the hope that springtime brings and the necessity for us to use this newfound energy to “put [our] bod[ies] to work.” As we start to see spring approaching, I’d highly recommend the soulful “Wildflower and Barley” as the soundtrack to rebirth from the harsh New England winter.

The third song, “Empire Now,” is a stark musical departure from “Wildflower and Barley,” representing the seventh circle: violence. “Empire Now” is an anthem against colonialism and imperialist powers. The chorus starts the song with “Sun comin’ up on a dream come around/ One hundred years from the empire now.” This lyric is believed to be about the British Empire, commonly referred to as “the empire on which the sun never sets,” and the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty, which later caused the Irish Civil War and ultimately set the stage for Ireland’s independence.

The dark instrumental backing is reminiscent of a western shoot-off before delving into much heavier beats in the pre-chorus. Hozier’s tone alternates between his usual deep voice and a very impressive falsetto, with this song being the most technically challenging on the EP. “Empire Now” has a similar theme to “Wildflower and Barley” in terms of its hope for a future revolution coming. The pre-chorus explains: “After all, darlin’, I wouldn’t sell the world the way that things are turnin’. If it falls, I would hold on for all it’s worth, the future’s so bright it’s burnin’.” Hozier shows his belief in turning tides and claims that he would hold on to the world because he is certain that the future will herald brighter times. He references the “martyrs of our revolution” as a nod to the violence that predated this hope. Ultimately, “Empire Now” is an anthem about the belief in a brighter future and the ability to put violence in the hands of colonialism and imperialism behind us.

The final song of the EP, “Fare Well,” is not defined by the circles of hell but rather by “the outward ‘ascent.’” The song plays on the phrase “fare well,” and the word “farewell” as Hozier compares himself to animals who seek tempo-

rary satisfaction that will ultimately kill them like a “kitten-cosy-in-the-engine” or a “dog-deepinto-the-chocolate.” In these situations, he knows he will not fare well, but he will also be unable to leave, hence “farewell.” The chorus elaborates that he will “take any high/ Any glazin’ of the eyes/ Any solitary pleasure that was sorrow in disguise.” He’ll take short-term happiness over self-preservation, refusing to deny himself while living and taking the “joy” and “disaster” that “come unbound here.” The “ascent” is not one of spiritual means but rather a momentary “outward” ascent that will ultimately lead to unhappiness.

Despite the self-destructive lyrics, the music itself is cheerful folk-pop, primarily featuring an acoustic guitar, giving it a stripped-down feeling as opposed to the production of “Empire Now,” being most similar to “Anything But” from “Unreal Unearth.” Hozier once again proves his prowess in secretly delivering heart-wrenching lyrics covered by the feeling of the song, as previously seen with “Cherry Wine,” which was thought to be a love song, or “Take Me To Church,” being considered a pro-Christian song.

This EP is an excellent advancement of Hozier’s discography. “Too Sweet” is a catchy single that allows the listener to adopt the “cool guy” persona and dance to the groovy bass. “Wildflower and Barley” is an optimistic and soulful introduction to the coming spring. “Empire Now” shows us that revolutions will always prevail over colonialist powers, a message that is important in these times of war. “Fare Well” is a classic Hozier song with deceptively sad lyrics, comparisons to dead animals and some fun acoustic guitar. “Unheard” is increasingly relevant in the post-pandemic world and an incredible EP with a song for everyone.

MUSIC MADNESS

ESTHER BALABAN/The Justice

The Korean Student Association presents

KNITE .

Top Ten

JONAS KAPLIN/The Justice

Top 10 ‘Criminal Minds’ episodes

By AMANDA CHEN JUSTICE EDITOR

Anyone who’s friends with me knows that I am obsessed with “Criminal Minds.” Ranked in no particular order, here are just some of my favorite episodes. Also, I hope the show brings back Matthew Gray Gubler, even for a short cameo, I miss his character.

1. Season 12, Episode 22, “Red Light” (the Cat Adams arc had no reason being that good)

2. Season 9, Episode 24, “Demons” (one of my favorite season finales)

3. Season 1, Episode 2, “Compulsion”

4. Season 12, Episode 13, “Spencer”

5. Season 11, Episode 14 “Hostage” (shoutout to Amelia Rose Blaire Dechart’s acting)

6. Season 7, Episode 23 “Hit”

7. Season 6, Episode 12 “Corazon”

8. Season 4, Episode 3 “Minimal Loss”

9. Season 4, Episode 24 “Amplification”

10. Season 3, Episode 5 “Seven Seconds”

By DAHLIA RAMIREZ JUSTICE STAFF ARTIST

STUDENT ART SPOTLIGHT

By GRACE DOH JUSTICE EDITOR

FOLK FESTIVITIES

Reclaiming Folk

By NEMMA KALRA JUSTICE EDITOR

“Reclaiming Folk: Celebrating People of Color in Folk Music” is a free music festival taking place from Feb. 29 to April 21. The festival is organized by Naomi Westwater, a “queer, Black-multiracial singersongwriter from Massachusetts.”

The goal of the festival is to acknowledge and honor the roots of traditional folk music. This particular style of music is often romanticized as a reflection of the American experience and has too often cast aside the stories of the communities that played a vital role in shaping the genre. As such, this festival creates the space for musicians of color to tell the stories of their past and craft our collective future.

“Reclaiming Folk” is composed of numerous concerts all over the greater Boston area, making the message and community of the festival accessible to folks all over Massachusetts. Each concert includes performances by various artists identifying as Black, Indigenous and people of color, as well as a discussion portion. Through this program, the festival is more than just a space to enjoy music — it is also an opportunity for artists and audiences alike to engage in dialogues, reflect on the meanings of the music and foster connections with each other.

The festival will be coming to our very own community, with a 90 minute concert at the Waltham Public Library. This performance will feature musicians Stephanie McKay and the festival’s creator, Naomi Westwater. We hope you will mark your calendar for an evening of music, culture and community on March 28 at 6 p.m.!

Grace Doh ’26 is

Design: NEMMA KALRA/The Justice.

Sports: Spring sports just

Men’s and Women’s Fencing

FENCING SEASON RECAP

By MILES GOLDSTEIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The Brandeis fencing teams started their season splitting time between two meets, the Western Invitational at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado and the Big One (or the NEIFC Fall Invitational) at Smith College. At the Western Invitational, the men’s team posted a 3-5 record, with wins against Stanford University, the University of North Carolina and the University of the Incarnate Word. They lost to the Air Force Academy, defending champions University of Notre Dame, No. 4 Ohio State University, No. 10 University of California at San Diego and No. 2 Columbia University. The women’s team went 1-8, with a win against Incarnate Word and losses to Air Force, Notre Dame, Stanford, Ohio State, North Carolina, UC San Diego, Columbia University and Northwestern University. According to Brandeis Athletics, six of the women’s nine opponents ranked in the top 15 of the United States Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA) preseason poll. Maggie Shealy M’25 had the best performance of the day, going 16-3 in seven matches. The Big One is an elimination tournament where fencers compete as individuals. In saber fencing, Seth Edelman ’26 and Joy Qiu ’25 each reached the quarterfinals. Jake Anderson ’27 made the round of 16 in the foil bracket, and Ryan Weinsier ’27 of the women’s team placed 24th in the epee competition. The next meet was the Beanpot tournament, pitting local Boston-area schools. The Judges weren’t able to come away with any wins, with both teams losing to Boston College, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but the men’s team nearly upset a heavily favored Harvard squad in overtime. The women’s saber team saw wins against Boston College and Harvard. Shealy led the Judges in victories, going 7-2. At the Northeast Fencing Conference, the women’s team went 4-4, with wins against Wellesley College, Sacred Heart University, Vassar College and Tufts University. They lost to MIT, Wagner College, Brown University and Boston College. Saber fencer Olga Sadova ’27 had 14 wins for the women’s team, picking up a win against all eight teams faced. Epee fencer Vera Merrill Witte ’27 had a notable 13 wins. The men’s team went 2-4, with losses to Boston College, Brown University, Sacred Heart University and MIT. They beat Vassar and Wagner. Mark Shamis ’25 and Matthew Chaves ’27 each had 9 wins, with Shamis picking up wins against all six schools he faced. Both teams were successful at the Brandeis Invitational. The men’s team defeated Drew University, Lawrence University, Yeshiva University and Division I Long Island University, losing

to Cornell University, Yale University, and No. 8 St. John’s University. The men’s foil squad had five wins, including two undefeated showings against Yeshiva and Long Island. The women’s foil team beat Long Island, Yeshiva, Lawrence, and Drew, losing to St. John’s and Cornell. Their saber side went 5-1, their lone defeat being to a No. 10 ranked Cornell side. The Judges continued their momentum at the Eric Sollee Invitational. The men’s team beat the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hunter College, Division I Duke University and Haverford College, with their lone loss being to New York University. The women’s team beat NJIT, Stevens, Hunter and Haverford, losing to Duke and NYU. Shealy and Luke Ritchie ’24 shined in their final home meets, going 11-1 and 16-2 respectively. At the Duke Invitational, the men’s team lost to Air Force before beating Duke and Johns Hopkins University, while the women’s team beat Air Force and lost to Duke, Johns Hopkins and Temple University. The foil side went 3-0 for the men’s team, with Richie going 6-2 individually. Shealy had the top women’s performance at 9-3. At the NEIFC championships, the women’s team placed sixth overall while the men’s team placed fourth, bolstered by saber’s first-place finish. The women’s team additionally competed in the Northeastern Intercollegiate Women’s Fencing Association Championships, placing sixth. Hannah Du ’26 had the best individual performance, reaching the quarterfinals of the elimination bracket. At the National Collegiate Athletic Association Regional Championships, Shealy clinched their fourth NCAA championship berth with a bronze placement. She was the only woman from a Division III school to qualify. Tony Escueta ’25 also qualified, placing third in the saber field. For the men’s championship, Escueta went 9-6 in the first round of pool play, starting his day 3-4 before going on a tear to finish just outside the top 10. After rounds four and five on Sunday, March 24 were finished, Escueta found himself sitting in eighth place, the best mark for the men’s fencing squad since 2008. On the first day of the women’s championships, Shealy went 12-3 in pool play, finishing first in saber. During day two, Shealy continued her run, going 6-2 on the day and finishing an overall 18-5, tied for first, giving her a spot in the semifinals. She won her semifinal match 15-9 before heading to the finals. Trailing 1-3, she battled back to make it 4-3 and never looked back, pacing her opponent from St. John’s University en route to a 15-10 victory and a NCAA Women’s Fencing National Championship. With this win, Shealy becomes the first woman in school history to win a national title in a Division I field per Brandeis Athletics, and the school’s first champion since 2019.

By MILES GOLDSTEIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The Brandeis men’s baseball team welcomed several new faces in Head Coach Derek Carlson’s ninth season, including 14 first-years and two graduate student transfers. The Judges kicked off their season with a 4-7 loss at Springfield College. They managed to tie the game at four apiece with a balk that caused a run batted in in the seventh inning, but a three-run seventh inning put the Spirit ahead for good. Their next game was a 2-7 loss to Mitchell College. Graduate student Brian King M’24 drove in both of Brandeis’ runs while playing at third base. The men got their first win of the season at Trinity College in Connecticut, 13-8. Second baseman Dylan Walsh ’27 had two runs and three RBIs while grad transfer 1B Eddie Zanor M’24 drove in another four. Pitcher Marc Maestri M’25 recorded the win, striking out five and walking two. The next game was a rough 5-26 loss at Tufts University. The Judges opened up a doubleheader against Massachusetts Maritime Academy with a win, 7-4. A solo home run from King put the Judges up 5-4 in the sixth, and a two-run seventh inning put them ahead for good. Pitcher Sean Jacoby-Decker ’24 was credited with the win as he threw four shutout innings and struck out five. The second game against Mass Maritime was a 7-6 win for the Judges. Down 1-4 in the fourth, shortstop Matt Chafin ’27 started the comeback with a two RBI single to center. A go-ahead RBI double from King made it 6-5. Grad transfer Pitcher Eddie Zanor M’24 got the win. Maestri notched a save for coming in to face the final batter of the game. The Judges pushed their winning streak to three with an 11-6 victory over Eastern Nazarene College. The men scored five runs in the first two innings before a fourth-

inning rally tied the game at six, but a pair of homers from Zanor and Grad transfer Jake Freed M’24 put the game out of reach. Maestri got the win, striking out six and Pitcher Andrew Tringe ’27 got the save, throwing three blank innings and striking out five. The winning streak was snapped with a 1-9 loss to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Scoreless through three innings, the Beavers broke open the scoring in the fourth and didn’t look back. Freed had the only points with a solo shot in the seventh. The Judges opened up a double-header against Colby College losing 0-9, going hitless in the seven-inning contest. The next game was a 3-13 loss. The Judges led 3-1 after the second inning, but Colby responded with a sevenrun third inning. Versus Anna Maria College, the Judges lost 4-11. The game was close through six, but a six-run eighth inning from Anna Maria put the game out of reach. Zanor homered again in the eighth, and Freed had two hits and two runs. The Judges then lost a close extra-inning contest versus Wentworth Institute of Technology, 4-5. Trailing by two in the bottom of the ninth, the Judges tied the game when Chafin and OF Tobei Nakijama ’27 scored on a fielding error. The Judges were unable to respond after Wentworth went up by one in the top of the eleventh. The Judges pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts in the game. The Saturday double-header against the United States Coast Guard Academy was postponed. Pending a reschedule of that game, the Judges will resume their season on March 27 versus Lasell College. Zanor has led the team so far with an OPS of .994, and him and Freed lead the team with 13 hits apiece. Walsh has been a key contributor as a first-year, with 12 hits and six RBIs while drawing nine walks.

BATTING AVERAGE

Zanor, Eddie .298

Freed, Jake .292

Walsh, Dylan .255

Aronwald, Henry .211

Chafin, Matt .205

SLUGGING PERCENTAGE

Zanor, Eddie .553

Freed, Jake .479

King, Brian .342

Walsh, Dylan .298

Chafin, Matt .231

RUNS SCORED

Maestri,

Decker-Jacoby,

Maestri,

Decker-Jacoby,

Decker-Jacoby,

Decker-Jacoby,

BASEBALL AND BASEBALL SEASON RECAP (thus far)

AND SOFTBALL

BATTING AVERAGE

Nash, Haley .538

Manes, Maddie .357

Burdenski, Bells .355 Fletcher, Hannah .300 Kolb, Anna .300

SLUGGING PERCENTAGE

Nash, Haley 1.077

Burdenski, Bells .742

.550

SOFTBALL SEASON RECAP (thus far)

The Brandeis women’s softball team started their season in February 2024 with a trip to La Verne, California. Against Chapman University, the Judges lost 1-9, going scoreless through six innings until DP Hannah Fletcher ’27 had a single with a run batted in. The game was called in the bottom of the sixth after Chapman went up by eight runs. The next game of the day was a 3-4 loss to Whittier College. The game was tied going into the bottom of the seventh inning, but a walk-off double ended the game. The next day, the women’s team had a doubleheader against the University of La Verne. They won the first game 6-5. A close contest throughout, the game was tied 5-5 going into the top of the seventh, when third baseman Haley Nash ’24 hit a solo home run to put the Judges up by one, her second of the day. Pitcher Ragini Kannan ’26 induced a ground out, fly ball, and struck out the last batter to pick up her first win of the season. The next game was a close 3-4 loss. The Judges trailed 1-2 until the top of the seventh when they went up 3-2, but La Verne rallied in the bottom of the seventh and walked the game off with an RBI single. The next contest for the softball team was a double-header at the Wentworth Institute of Technology. The first game was a 4-0 win. Pitcher Alex Cohen ’24 had a complete game, giving up one hit and striking out seven. Nash had a home run and a double, while RF Maddie Manes ’26 had 3 hits on the day. The second game was an 11-3 victory. The Judges went up 5-0 through five innings before Wentworth finally put points on the board. An emphatic six-run inning from the Judges in the bottom of the sixth capped off any hopes of a comeback from the Leopards.

Nash had another home run, a two-run shot, to put the Judges up eight and end the game in six innings. Kannan pitched a complete game, striking out three. The next slate was a doubleheader at No. 17 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The first game was a 2-5 loss. The Judges were scoreless through six before breaking through for two runs in the top of the seventh. The game after was a 2-4 loss. Four Judges had two hits, and the team out-hit their opponents 11-5, but too many runners were left stranded on base to give MIT the win. Their next game was a doubleheader against Worcester Polytechnic Institute, opening with a resounding 14-6 victory. Trailing 0-2 after the first inning, the Judges had an eight-run second inning to put them ahead for good. Third baseman Anna Kolb ’25 got the scoring started with a three-run home run and drove in another run with a sacrifice fly ball in the same inning. Cohen recorded the win while Kannan racked up four strikeouts in their relief effort. The second game was paused at a score of 7-7. The Judges trailed 3-7 but battled back behind a home run from Hana Bean ’27. The game was called due to darkness and will resume at an undetermined date in the future. The Judges will continue their season March 27 at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Nash hopes to build on their blazing start, a triple slash line of .545/.621/1.182. Manes and outfielder/shortstop Bells Burdenski ’26 are also slugging above .500 in head coach Dani Bishop’s fourth season.

Editor’s Note: Sports editor Rani Balakrishna ’25 is a member of the Brandeis softball team and did not contribute to any part of this photostory.

By MILES GOLDSTEIN

JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS

MEN’S TENNIS SEASON RECAP (thus far)

By MILES GOLDSTEIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The Brandeis men’s tennis season is well underway, having started in September 2023 at the Middlebury College Invitational. Dylan Walters ’24 and Tommy Harrison ’26 were top performers, winning the top doubles group by knocking off a duo from Tufts University, 8-6. Huasen Dong ’27 began his first career tournament with a singles win in the B flight. At the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regionals, Walters reached the semifinals, eventually losing to the tournament’s top seed. Alex Merson ’26 also performed well, reaching the quarterfinals after defeating opponents from Amherst College, the United States Coast Guard Academy and Middlebury College. The men’s team opened the 2024 portion of their season ranked No. 20 in Division III against Bryant University, where they lost 2-5. Merson and Walters both won their singles matches, with Bryant sweeping the doubles portion. The team’s next match was at home versus Bentley University. The game was called a 2-2 tie due to time constraints. In their spring training trip to the West Coast at No. 5 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, the men’s team fell 1-6, their lone point coming off a doubles win. The duo of Merson and Aaron Bayse ’24 opened the match 6-4 while the first-year tandem of Dong and Pierce Garbett ’27 clinched the point with a 7-6 win. The Judges fell just short against No. 30 University of Redlands, 4-5, splitting the singles portion but losing 1-2 in doubles. Walters and Harri-

son had the lone doubles win. On the singles side, Harrison, Dong and Garbett won their matches. Against No. 17 California Institute of Technology, the men lost 2-7. Harrison had the lone singles win and the Walters/Harrison duo was the team’s only doubles win as well. Against No. 2 Middlebury College, the Judges fell 2-7. The doubles matches were tense, including a comeback down 0-6 in a tiebreaker match, but Middlebury ultimately broke through and proceeded to cruise through the singles matches. Now ranked No. 32, the Judges picked up their first win against Franklin Pierce University, 7-2. The men won the first seven points of the match, including a sweep of the doubles matches. The tandem of Walters and Garbett won their respective match 8-0. Their next game was versus No. 20 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a 2-7 loss. The doubles matches were a battle, featuring a come-frombehind victory from Bayse and Harrison Huai ’27 and a narrow loss by Walters and Garbett. Ultimately, the Judges ran out of steam, losing five of six singles matches. At Skidmore College, the men’s team fell 3-6. They split the doubles matches but ultimately fell short in singles. Walters and Garbett each had singles wins and made up the tandem that notched the team’s doubles win as well. The Judges will resume their season on April 4 versus the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Their four-game homestand will take them midway through April, as they look to pick up a couple of wins to close the season.

WOMEN’S TENNIS SEASON RECAP (thus far)

By MILES GOLDSTEIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The Brandeis women’s tennis season started back in September at the Wellesley College Invitational. The Judges were successful, going 8-4 cumulatively in singles matches and 17-7 in doubles. The next competition was the Intercollegiate Tennis Association championships. Bhakti Parwani ’25 and Rebecca Suarez ’26 were the top-performing duo for the Judges in doubles, reaching the quarterfinals and day two of the competition before being forced to withdraw after Suarez suffered an injury. Suarez had also made the quarterfinals in the singles tournament. The team’s Oct 1 bout against Assumption University was postponed, so the Judges resumed their season in 2024 against No. 10 ranked Massachusetts Institute of Technology, falling 4-5. Ranked No. 31 going into the match, the teams were tied 4-4 before Anastasia Sia ’25 faced off against MIT’s own Anastasia Samets. The Judges narrowly lost the battle of the Anastasias, handing them their first loss. The team rebounded against Whittier College, winning 8-1. The duo of Jiayi Zhang ’24 and Mandy Reyes ’27 set the tone early, winning the first doubles match 8-0. The Judges then fell to No. 22 University of Redlands, 2-7. Parwani contributed to both points scored by the Judges, picking up a hard-fought win in singles and securing the lone doubles win alongside Suarez, 8-4. They rebounded well against No. 21 California Institute of Technology, winning 5-4. The Judges swept the doubles portion but trailed after the first four singles matches, buoyed slightly by a 6-4 and 6-1 win by rookie Chahana Budhbhatti ’27. They clinched the victory with a singles win from another first-year contributor, Lika Bolkvadze ’27. The Judges finished their California trip with a 2-5

loss against top-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Starting off strong in doubles, the Judges ultimately dropped five of six singles matches to lose to the number one team in Division III tennis. Bolkvadze had the lone singles win. Their home game against Franklin Pierce University was canceled, so the Judges continued on the road at Wheaton College, sweeping the game 9-0. Ella Chase ’26 and Ella Subramanian ’24 set the tone early in doubles, winning 8-2. The 8-5 win from Sia and Cecilia Denis ’25 would be the smallest margin of victory for the Judges of the day as they cruised through the singles matches. Zhang won her bout without giving up a point, going 6-0 and 6-0. At No. 6 Amherst College, the women fell 3-6. Missing two of their starters, the day played out like many of the Judges’ losses this season, taking an early lead in doubles but ultimately just falling short in the singles portion of the day. Trailing 3-4, Amherst put together two come-from-behind victories to stymie any attempts at a comeback. The next game was an upset loss to Colby College, 4-5. In a near repeat of the last game, the Judges took an early lead in doubles off of wins from the duos of Reyes and Nancy Zhang ’27 and Suarez and Sabrina Loui ’25. The Judges stumbled in the singles portion but were ultimately able to lead 4-3 heading into the final two matches. Still missing two starters, the Judges ultimately fell after Colby battled back to win. Against No. 5 Wesleyan University, the women’s team lost 1-9. Wesleyan, unbeaten up to that point, swept the singles portion of the day. The duo of Parwani and Suarez had the lone doubles victory for the Judges. The team will resume their season Thursday, March 28 versus Springfield College. The Judges will look to build momentum on a five-game homestand.