The Justice, February 1, 2022

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The Independent Student Newspaper Volume LXXIV, Number 15

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

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY

Waltham, Mass.

HOSTAGE SITUATION

Brandeis alum turned terrorist in the news ■ The release of Aafia

Siddiqui, also known as “Lady Al-Queda” by major media outlets, was used as a motive by the captor.

By LEAH BREAKSTONE

JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

In the mid-morning of Jan. 15, it was confirmed that four people had been taken hostage at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, during their Shabbat morning services. The captor sought the release of his “sister,” Aafia Siddiqui from a federal prison in Fort Worth, near the synagogue. It was quickly revealed that the captor was not related to Siddiqui, according to a CNN article.

Siddiqui is currently serving an 86-year sentence after being convicted in 2010 for the attempted murder of American

JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice

CAMPUS MEMORIAL: Nathan Rapaport's sculpture of "Job" at Brandeis' Holocaust memorial outside the Chapels.

Commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day ■ The University's Hillel

Rabbi sent an email about the importance of remembering and honoring victims of the Holocaust.

By JACKLYN GOLOBORODSKY JUSTICE EDITOR

Jan. 27 was International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the day that the United Nations designated for remembrance of the genocide of six million Jewish people and millions of other victims. This day was picked because it marks the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, “one of the most infamous camps of the Holocaust,” states the United States

Photo Courtesy of NICHOLAS ONG '23

Holocaust Memorial Museum’s website. The museum's website writes that over 1.1 million people were killed at Auschwitz, one million of which were Jews.

On Wed Jan. 26, Rabbi Seth Winberg — the University’s executive director of Brandeis Hillel and Director of Spiritual Life and Senior Chaplain — sent the Brandeis community an email about commemorating the day. “There is no standard observance for Holocaust remembrance, especially here in America,” Winberg explained, but a customary commemoration is to listen to survivors of the Holocaust. Winberg provided two links to resources where individuals can read biographies and essays by survivors.

This year, the University did not host any events or speakers to commemorate the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The University’s official Instagram account posted a photo of Nathan Rapaport’s bronze sculpture of “Job” which stands at Brandeis’ Holocaust memorial outside the Berlin Chapel on campus.

In previous years, the University and clubs have held commemoration events in various forms. In 2021, the Brandeis alumni website announced the efforts of the Brandeis National Committee with their "Honoring our History" campaign, a campaign that digitized documents at the University in

See HOLOCAUST, 7 ☛

soldiers and officials in Afghanistan. In 2008, she was arrested by Afghanistan officials, and during this time, as stated by NBC news; “Siddiqui was carrying notes detailing a ‘mass casualty attack’ on New York City sites, including the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street and the Brooklyn Bridge, according to prosecutors and court records.”

Siddiqui resided in America from about 1991 to 2002, moving back to Pakistan post 9/11. While in the U.S., she attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for her undergrad, and in 1995, enrolled at Brandeis, where she received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience in 2001.

Siddiqui, who, according to a Forward.com article, “has a long history of antisemitic statements,” attended Brandeis at a time when non-Jews only made up about 40% of the population, says a NYT article from 1998.

While on trial, she attempted

See HOSTAGE, 7 ☛

New faculty discuss experience in pandemic ■ The University welcomed

25 new faculty members to the teaching staff last semester.

By ALEXIS DEMIRCAN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The University was excited to welcome students back to inperson learning at the start of the fall 2021 semester. In addition to its students and returning faculty, Brandeis also opened its doors to 25 new faculty members, full time and visiting, according to a BrandeisNOW article. This addition of new members to the University’s community spans all of the School of Arts and Sciences and the Brandeis International Business School.

The majority of the new faculty members reside in the School of Arts and Sciences. Within the Division of the Humanities, there are 11 individuals. In Classical Studies, Brandeis welcomed Dr. Jeremy Swist of the University of Iowa.

“Swist’s research interests include Greek and Latin historiography and rhetoric in the later Roman em-

pire, and the reception of antiquity in heavy metal music” as stated in BrandeisNOW. Dr. Howie Tam of the University of Pennsylvania is a Florence Levy Kay Fellow and Lecturer in the disciplines of English, and German, Russian, and Asian Languages and Literature. When the Justice asked Tam about his experience at Brandeis thus far, he responded “I believe Brandeis very successfully harnesses both the ambition of a globally renowned research university and the caring community of a small institution. I've been deeply impressed by my students' dedication and fortitude in their work both in and outside of class as well as the stellar faculty's collegiality.”

Dr. Yuval Evri of Tel Aviv University joined as an assistant professor of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. “Evri’s research sits at the intersection of Jewish history, literary studies, cultural studies, and Middle Eastern studies, with a particular focus on Sephardi/Mizrahi history and culture in conjunction with questions of ethnicity, race,

See FACULTY, 7 ☛

Waltham Group recruitment night

Intersecting Identities

MFA’s Monet, Rodin

 The Justice spoke to queer students of color about their experiences and the need for community on campus.

 The MFA puts together

By NATALIE KAHN

By DUOMI AMY CHEN

Men's Basketball wins one game, loses one game

ARTS AND CULTURE 19

By AIDEN GUTHRO

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Impressionist Exhibition of Monet's paintings, which are juxtaposed by Rodin's statues.

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COVID-19 and students' return to campus

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NEWS SENATE LOG Student Union dicusses student leader payment program, charters five new clubs at its last meeting of the fall semster At its Dec. 5 meeting, the last of the fall semester, the Union Senate discussed the student leader payment program, which the previous year’s Senate approved, and chartered five new clubs.

The payment program, introduced at the end of the last academic year by then-president Kendal Chapman ’22, intends to give students with an economic disadvantage the opportunity to participate in leadership roles on campus by providing a small sum –– essentially a stipend –– for a given position, Chapman said.

Chapman said that this is not compensation for the work a student is doing in a particular role, but rather a way to financially acknowledge the amount of time and work students put into their positions.

To ensure that students are fulfilling their roles, they will be assigned a faculty advisor who will, at the end of each semester, determine whether that

student has done a satisfactory job in their position.

Funding for the $50,200 total per year payments will come from the Student Accessibility Fund, specifically from skimming the “off-the-top” funding category.

The program is currently in the pilot phase and will begin next semester with only the officers of four secured clubs being eligible.

These organizations are BEMCo, which will receive $17,550 per year divided among eight e-board positions; the Waltham Group, which will receive $6,750 per year divided among eight e-board positions; SSIS, which will receive $11,250 per year divided among 13 e-board positions; and the Student Union itself, which will receive $14,650 per year, divided among 19 e-board positions.

Chapman said that the plan is to see how the program works with these four organizations, and eventually expand the program to more student leadership

positions.

Sen. Joseph Coles ’22 expressed concerns with the proposal’s implementation and its beneficiaries. “[This program] always gets brought up at the last meeting of the semester, then gets forgotten about,” Coles said. “I think there are positions on here that are bloated and do not deserve to get paid, and there are some that are not paid that deserve to.”

Chapman responded that the proposal was already approved by the Department of Student Activities, the Union Senate, and the Union e-board last year.

Clubs chartered President Krupa Sourirajan ’23 came to present for The Mix, a club she and Vice President Courtney Thrun ’22 created to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion within student organizations.

Sourirajan explained that the club would host weekly discussion meetings, as well as workshops

to train student groups in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training.

The Senate chartered The Mix by acclamation.

Zoë Pringle ’22 presented on behalf of the Disabled Students Network, a club whose goal is to create “disability pride and culture at Brandeis.” The club is open to physically disabled, neurodivergent, and abled students, Pringle said.

The Senate chartered the club by acclamation.

Saul Goldstein ’23 and Esther Daube-Valois ’23 presented for their club, Queer Jews at Brandeis.

They explained that the organization would provide a space for Queer Jews and their allies to meet and discuss in a safe environment. Goldstein said that though many of their events are open to the general Brandeis community, some events would be open to Queer Jews only since some of their members are not publicly out.

Initially, some senators were unsure that the club

would have enough events open to all students.

“I’m definitely a little bit skeptical to the extent that they’re inclusive,” Sen. Sofia Lee ’24 said.

Ultimately, the Senate chartered QJaB by acclamation with the condition that they maintain at least a 50-50 ratio of open to closed events.

Isabel Giovannucci ’25 and Fitzgerald Wangaru ’25 gave an overview of their proposed culinary club.

Giovannucci said that the club will give students an opportunity to learn to cook and “sharpen their kitchen skills.”

The Senate chartered the culinary club by acclamation.

Members of the sports business club also presented to the Senate. David Monasebian ’25, the club’s president, explained that the club would give students interested in sports business and management an opportunity to learn and gain hands-on experience in the field through speaker

events and other activities.

Monasebian also said he wants to use the club to help promote Brandeis athletics in general to boost student attendance at games, which he said “isn’t what it should be.”

The Senate chartered the sports business club by acclamation.

Zach Macenas ’23 came to request that the Senate charter the new club squash team. He said that the club would give students an opportunity to play and learn more about squash.

The Senate chartered the club by acclamation.

Coles also informed the Senate of Meli Jackson’s ’25 resignation from the Union for “personal reasons.”

Jackson was the senator for North Quad and chair of the Facilities, Housing, and Transportation committee.

They have been replaced as chair temporarily by Sen. Sahil Muthuswami ’24 of East Quad.

—Max Feigelson

POLICE LOG MEDICAL EMERGENCY Jan. 24—There was a medical emergency in Skyline.

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

Jan. 24—There was a medical emergency in East Quad. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance.

Jan. 25—There was a medical emergency in Skyline.

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

Jan. 26—There was a medical emergency in the Feldberg Communication Center. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance.

Jan. 28—There was a medical emergency in Ridgewood Quad. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance.

Jan. 29—There was a medical emergency in Ridgewood Quad. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and refused further care.

Jan. 29—There was a medical emergency in Sherman Dining Hall. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance.

—Compiled by Noah Zeitlin

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2022

UNIVERSITY RANKED

Brandeis alum named University ranked 25th most a Hero of the Year

expensive in the country ■ A recent ranking reported

by CBS showed the 50 most expensive four-year undergraduate universities in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

By JACKLYN GOLOBORODSKY JUSTICE EDITOR

In a Jan. 14 article by CBSnews, the University was ranked number 25 out of the 50 most expensive universities in the country. CBS used data from the National Center for Education Statistics, which collects and reports universities’ undergraduate out-of-state tuition including fees and residential costs.

The University of Chicago took the spot for the most expensive, at $81,531 and Stanford was ranked number 50 with a tuition of $74,570.

Brandeis ranked exactly in the middle of the group, with a $76,141

tuition reported by CBS. The National Center for Education Statistics reported a tuition of $76,141 for the 2020-2021 academic year, but the University website states that the updated tuition for academic year 2021-2022 is $76,456, showing a slight increase in the cost.

“High college costs continue to make the news,” explained the article’s introduction, and this is not the first time the University itself has been in the news regarding high tuition costs.

When the COVID-19 pandemic escalated, many universities moved to remote learning to ensure the safety of students and faculty — including Brandeis. Some students and parents reacted to this through a lawsuit, seeking refunds for their spring 2020 semester tuition and requesting tuition changes for future remote learning semesters. A consumer rights law firm, Hagens Berman, represented these students and parents in a class action lawsuit against the University.

The CBS article mentioned that the “era of COVID” has changed students’ college experience but the one aspect that has remained consistent is tuition.

On this news, the office of student financial service commented to the Justice: “The recent ranking by the National Center for Education Statistics was based solely on ‘sticker’ price. As stated in the article, the study did not consider the amount of need- and merit-based scholarships offered by each University, which makes a significant impact on the true cost to students and families. Brandeis University is proud to meet 100% of calculated financial need for all of its students, which makes our net price (cost of attendance minus scholarship aid) very competitive.

In its 2022 rankings, Brandeis was ranked #40 in best value amongst national universities in U.S. News and World Report and was also named a best value by The Princeton Review.”

STUDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES

■ Drew Weissman ’81, was

given the honor of “Hero of the Year” by Time Magazine, a title he now shares with other vaccine scientists.

By ISABEL ROSETH

JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Brandeis alumnus Drew Weissman M.A. ’81, P’15 was named one of Time Magazine’s 2021 “Heroes of the Year” for his work that led to the development of vaccines for COVID-19. The list of honorees, which was published on Dec. 13, were all vaccine scientists, including Weissman and his research partner, Katalin Karikó. The other honorees were scientists Barney Graham and Kizzmekia Corbett.

Weissman is a physician-scientist at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He focuses on the study of RNA and innate immune system biology, and the “application of these findings to vaccine research and gene therapy,” according to his page on the University of Pennsylvania website. His and Karikó’s findings, which were the result of nearly a decade of research, were fundamental in the development of the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines.

Weissman and Karikó met at the University of Pennsylvania in 1997 during a “casual office conversation by the copy machine,” according to the article in Time magazine. Weissman, an immunologist and physician, had recently joined the university and started a lab that focused on developing a vaccine against HIV, as well as other diseases. Karikó had been making synthetic RNA and convinced Weissman to give it a shot as well. By combining efforts, they managed to work past the roadblocks that came up in their research, and during the 2000s, produced over 20 vaccines for diseases such as HIV, influenza, and Zika, that were nearly 100% effective.

During their research, Weissman and Karikó discovered that

they could trick the immune system into thinking the body has contracted a virus by engineering modified messenger RNA and creating a system to deliver it, as messenger RNA transports instructions on producing proteins to cells. These findings were essential to the development of their vaccines, and they believed it would change everything. They submitted their research paper to the journal “Immunity” in 2005, but it did not receive the attention they had expected.

In the 15 years between the publication of the paper and the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Weissman and Karikó continued to advocate for their findings on mRNA. Other scientists were beginning to see the promise of mRNA as well. Two of these scientists, Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci, were co-founders of BioNTech, a German company that Karikó joined in 2013. She led their mRNA program, setting the foundation for what would happen after the emergence of COVID-19.

In January 2020, the genetic sequence of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 was published

by Chinese scientists, and BioNTech used that information to begin to work on a vaccine for the virus. They eventually partnered with Pfizer to develop the vaccine.

In February 2021, Brandeis presented Weissman and Karikó the 2020 Lewis S. Rosenstiel award for their work on mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2.

The Pfizer vaccine was the first vaccine for COVID-19 to be issued an Emergency Use Authorization by the Food and Drug Administration, which happened on Dec. 18, 2020. It was later approved by the FDA on Aug. 23, 2021 for individuals ages 16 and older. The Moderna vaccine is an mRNA vaccine as well.

As of Saturday, Jan. 29, 62.5% of the global population has received at least one dose of any vaccine for COVID-19, according to the New York Times. While Weissman and Kariko’s work was not the only element that led to the vaccine — the other two honorees took part in the next step — the vaccine would not have been possible without their work.

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Waltham Group hosts volunteer recruitment night ■ Waltham Group held

a recruitment event to encourage students to participate in a wide range of community service programs offered by the organization.

By HANNAH TAYLOR JUSTICE EDITOR

Waltham Group hosted its recruitment night on Thursday, Jan. 27. The event was held both in-person in the Sherman Function Hall and virtually on Zoom, where coordinators from each of the Waltham Group programs explained their volunteer opportunities.

Waltham Group is an umbrella organization to 20 different student-led volunteer programs, which fall under the categories of “Health and Human Services,” “Mentoring and Tutoring,” “Housing, Environment, and Advocacy,” and “After School Programs.”

During the recruitment event on Zoom, students had the opportunity to join breakout rooms based on each category of community service where coordinators presented information on their programs and answered questions.

Health and Human Services In Health and Human Services, the first presentation was from Blood Drive, a program dedicated to coordinating and hosting American Red Cross blood drives on campus. Emily Weis ’22, one of the group’s coordinators, explained that Blood Drive volunteers also recruit donors and help on the day of the drive to make sure donors are feeling well. Weis added that the Red Cross is currently low on blood donations and encouraged students to participate in the next drive, which will be held on Feb. 7 and Feb. 9 in the Sherman Function Hall. The last University blood drive of the year will be held in April.

The second presentation was by Brandeis Buddies, a program where students volunteer to spend time with adults with developmental disabilities. Program coordinator Jigme Dolma Dorji ’22 and coordinator-in-training Rachel Bindman ’24 described the group. They explained that volunteers play games, sing karaoke, and create arts and crafts projects. “Brandeis Buddies work together to increase awareness of disabilities and to bridge the gap between different groups on campus,” Dolma Dorji said.

Companions to Elders is a similar style of program, but students instead volunteer to spend time with the elderly, visiting local nursing homes

and assisted living facilities.

Angela Lam ’23 and Charlotte Li ’24 are two of the program coordinators. “Companions to Elders works to reduce social isolation in the older adult population of Waltham,” Lam said. “We hope to reduce the stigma associated with aging and dementia and transition to advocacy work in intersectional ageism.”

The next presentation was from Advocates for Health, a program dedicated to doing health-related volunteer work in the Greater Boston area. Program coordinator Diego Robles ’24 said that the group partners with two other organizations: CareOne and Project Sunshine. CareOne is a nursing facility in Newton, where students volunteer to spend time with patients and plan activities, he explained.

Project Sunshine, a non-profit, supports hospitalized children through educational and social programs. Robles said that students connect virtually with the kids to spend time together and play games, as well as send them goodie bags.

The final program in this category is Advocates for Community Transformation. The newest organization within the Waltham Group, coordinator Abigail Zuber ’23 said that this program was founded recently because of a need for “indirect service” during the pandemic, such as additional support and organizing capabilities for advocacy events in the Brandeis and Waltham communities.

“Advocates for Community Transformation strives to elevate the voices of Brandeis students and Waltham residents, and work alongside them to ensure their needs are met,” Zuber said. The program often collaborates with other organizations both on campus and in Waltham. For instance, this past semester’s projects included organizing a little free library, campus sustainability petitions, and Kindness Day tabling.

Mentoring and Tutoring The first presentation in Mentoring and Tutoring was from Big Siblings, a one-onone mentoring program at Waltham Elementary School that is run through Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Dana Jaffe ’23, one of the coordinators, explained that volunteers are each personally matched with an elementary student. Volunteers then hang out with the children, play games, and do arts and crafts projects, while also serving as mentors and role models. Jaffe added that this program is a commitment of at least three semesters so that students become “a staple in your little’s life.” Big Siblings also partners with Sibling Connections,

working to reunite siblings separated through the foster care system, she said.

General Tutoring is a tutoring program for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade in the greater Boston area. Coordinator Ken Kirio ’24 explained that the program is very flexible because students can decide how they would like to volunteer, choosing the subjects and grade levels that they are interested in tutoring.

Volunteers meet with their students for an hour a week either on campus or on Zoom, Kirio added.

The Language Empowering Action Project, or LEAP, was the next presentation. Nurel Arriaran ’22, one of the program coordinators, described the group. “At LEAP, our mission is to create opportunities for members of the Waltham community through language,” she said. Arriaran explained that LEAP volunteers teach ESL courses to adult immigrants in the Waltham community, as well as host events –– like movie nights, conversation hours, and career-building programs –– allowing them to further practice English.

Classes are co-taught by two volunteers, who meet with their students for an hour to an hour and a half each week.

And because the ESL syllabus and curriculum are provided, no prior teaching experience is necessary, Arriaran added.

Next, SPECTRUM is a program dedicated to disability awareness and spending time with children who have disabilities of different types.

Program coordinator Gabby Wernick ’25 said that the program has three volunteering opportunities. The first is a playgroup where volunteers socialize with the kids, play games, and create art. Second is a tutoring service where volunteers are matched one-onone with a student to help them with their schoolwork. Third is a mentoring service where volunteers are also matched oneon-one with a child as a mentor that they can spend time with.

The final presentation in this category was from Teaching Assistants in Public Schools. “TAPS is dedicated to reducing educational inequalities through personalized support and building relationships between Brandeis college students and Waltham Public School students and teachers,” Jake Mitchell ’23, one of the program coordinators said.

Through the program, he explained, volunteers are trained to be teaching assistants and are then placed as needed in classrooms in the school. Another coordinator, Najla Khan ’25, added that volunteers are required to commit to a Teaching Assistant position for at least one semester, for two

WALTHAM GROUP PROGRAMS

hours each week. Lastly, the TAs volunteer in whatever way is most useful to the classroom teacher, such as helping the teacher lead demonstrations or helping students with reading, ESL, or homework assignments.

Housing, Environment, and Advocacy Community Connections was presented first in the Housing, Environment, and Advocacy series. This program offers one-time service opportunities, making it flexible for volunteers, coordinator Sampada Pokharel ’23 said. She explained that Community Connections partners with many different organizations in the greater Boston area throughout the semester, but the most popular events are trips to Drumlin Farm, where volunteers help work on the farm, and the senior prom event that the group organizes for 2Life Communities, a senior-housing organization.

Habitat for Humanity is another flexible volunteer opportunity. Kaleigh Yee ’23, one of the coordinators, said that this program seeks “to alleviate housing insecurity through volunteering, advocacy, and education.” Volunteers for Habitat for Humanity also do physical work to help develop housing. Yee explained that on weekends, students go to a site where help is needed and participate in tasks like building, painting, and demolishing––skills that are all taught on the site. She added that the program also hosts alternative spring break trips, during which volunteers spend the week helping with builds. This spring, the group will be traveling to North Carolina.

Hunger and Homelessness is a program dedicated to “addressing homelessness and poverty,” program coordinator Isaac Paddy ’22 said. He explained that the group organizes food drives throughout the semester and partners with organizations like the Greater Boston Food Bank and Healthy Waltham. Some of the food drives the program has organized include donations for non-perishable foods, personal care items, and student meal swipes and points, Paddy said.

In the fall, Hunger and Homelessness hosts the Halloween for the Hungry drive where volunteers “trick-or-treat” door-to-door for food donations. Similarly, in the spring, the program hosts the Wellness Drive where volunteers go door-to-door asking for personal care item donations.

Service Without Borders was the next presentation, which Yee presented as well, filling in for program coordinator Leeza Barstein ’23. This program offers alternative

spring break service opportunities for both February and April break. Service without Borders has traveled to many different locations and partners with a wide variety of organizations, Yee said. Due to the pandemic, she said, the group didn’t travel last year but still volunteered by helping in local soup kitchens.

The final program in this category was Symbiosis, which program coordinators Hannah Riseman ’24 and Leah Beltran ’22 presented.

“Symbiosis seeks to provide the Brandeis community with environmental volunteering opportunities that give all those involved a richer symbiosis connection to their natural surroundings,” Riseman said. The coordinators explained that the main program the group sponsors is Prospect Hill Environmental Education. This is an afterschool program for kids living in the Prospect Hill lowincome housing development, where volunteers engage the kids in learning about the environment. The program also hosts about five one-time environmental service events per semester.

After School Programs The first presentation of the After School Programs category was Afternoon Enrichment.

Program coordinator Marissa Torelli ’23 and coordinatorin-training Jon Standlee ’25 described the group. Standlee explained that Afternoon Enrichment is a mentoring program for middle schoolers, where volunteers spend the first hour of the program hanging out with the kids and the second half peer tutoring them.

The students bring their homework and other study materials they need help with, often with recommendations from their teachers or parents. Torelli said that she “loves seeing the students grow” as she volunteers every year. “We give them a positive role model that they might not have in their lives,” Torelli added.

The next presentation was from Junior Brandeis Achievers. JBA is an after-school program for Plympton Elementary School students in second through fifth grade, coordinator Irina Znamirowski ’24 said.

She explained that volunteers for JBA co-host different programs –– such as science, art, improv, and coding –– and design their own lesson plans.

“You have full creative control of the activities you want to run,” Znamirowski said. She added that the program lasts five weeks in the semester, with the final week being a “parent showcase” so that the kids can show their parents the projects they have been working on.

Kids Connection is a pro-

gram for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Esha Rakesh ’25, one of the coordinators, said that in Kids Connection volunteers “create safe, constructive, and inclusive environments” for the kids through a variety of fun activities. The group partners with the YMCA, the Boys & Girls Club, and Prospect Hill Community Teens. Prospect Hill Community Teens is mentor-based, so volunteers work with the students’ interests, Rakesh said. Max LeBlanc ’22, another coordinator, said that for the Boys & Girls Club, the kids are of mixed ages and are there to have fun with “safe and constructive play.”

Another after-school program presented was Language and Cultural Enrichment, which program coordinator Tony Consentino ’22 and coordinator-in-training Monica Alfaro ’24 described. LaCE matches volunteers with middle school age ESL learners in the Waltham community, Alfaro said. She explained that this seven week program consists of two hour sessions each week––the first hour is for tutoring and the second hour is for group activities. LaCE creates a “safe space for practicing language skills,” Alfaro said.

The final presentation in this category was from Prospect Hill Kids’ Club, an afterschool program for children in kindergarten through eighth grade living in the Prospect Hill low-income housing development. PHKC “promotes academics, leadership, and a sense of community,” coordinator Emma Charland ’24 said.

The program meets five days a week for two and a half hour sessions, but volunteers only need to commit to one, she said. During this time, volunteers hold a snack break, help with homework and lead fun activities. “We work with the kids and build a community with them,” Charland said.

Partner organizations Waltham Group partners with other service and advocacy organizations on campus as well, some of which were represented at the recruitment night.

At the in-person event, the presentations hosted were: Exploring Black Intimate Dwellings: Black Bookstore, Forever Smiles, Family Diversity and Identity Empowerment, the Autism Technology Initiative, and the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers.

At the virtual event, the presentations hosted were: Period Activists at Deis, Brandeis Black Maternal Health, Artistic Transformation Learning Advocacy, Pushout and Peace Building, and the Autism Technology Initiative.

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NEWS

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2022

HOLOCAUST: Univ. FACULTY: New professors join a

honors victims CONTINUED FROM 1 win honor of the University’s founding principles of social justice.

The campaign included “preserving the history of the anti-Nazi resistance,” stated the Brandeis Alumni article. The collections in commemoration of the Holocaust included personal papers of Helmut Hirsch, the Jewish Resistence Collection, and the Spitzer Family Papers.

In 2020, Brandeis’ Center for German and European Studies and the Goethe Institute showed a nine-anda-half hour documentary by Claude Lanzmann called “Shoah.” The University also hosted Holocaust survivor, Inge Auerbacher, to share her

experience of survival of the Theresienstadt concentration camp.

Winberg emphasized that commemoration of the historical genocide of European Jews during the Holocaust should also be accompanied by the acknowledgement that “Antisemitism is tragically still not a spent force in the world.” The prevelant, and rising, rates of antisemitism across the country and internationally calls for people to “stand up for the defenseless and for what is right,” Winberg wrote.

Winberg ended his email urging the Brandeis community to take a few moments on Jan. 27 to remember the tragedies of the Holocaust and “honor the memories of the millions lost.”

AAFIA SIDDIQUI

Photo Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

ALUMNA: Siddiqui after receiving her bachelor's in biology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1995. She later received a Ph.D. from Brandeis.

HOSTAGE: Texas Synagogue attacked CONTINUED FROM 1 to dismiss her lawyers because of their Jewish backgrounds, and also demanded that no Jews be jurors for her case, as stated in two articles from The Guardian.

In the book “Faith, Lies, and the War on Terror: The Lives of Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Aafia Siddiqui,” author Deborah Scroggins describes a letter written by Siddiqui to then President Barack Obama. Siddiqui wrote, “Study the history of the Jews. They have always backstabbed everyone who has taken pity on them and made the ‘fatal’ error of giving them shelter ... and it is this cruel, ungrateful back-stabbing of the Jews that has caused them to be mercilessly expelled

range of multiple departements CONTINUED FROM 1 nationality, linguistics, translation, and identity,” according to BrandeisNOW. Another addition to the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department is Dr. Madadh Richey of the University of Chicago.

For the Philosophy department, Dr. Larisa Svirsky, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, joined as a lecturer on her interests in ethics and moral psychology, as well as bioethics according to her website. Zoila Castro of the University of Rhode Island has over 20 years of experience teaching Spanish in the U.S., France, and Peru. She joined the Brandeis Romance Studies department as a senior lecturer and Spanish coordinator.

Dr. María Durán of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an assistant professor of Latinx Cultural Studies. According to BrandeisNOW, “Durán’s research interests encompass Latinx literatures and cultures, feminist theory, and Chicanx theatre and performance focusing in particular on political agency and the performance of resistance in 20th- and 21st-century U.S. Latinx cultural productions.”

There were four new additions to the University Writing Program. The first was Brandeis’ own Dr. Paige Eggebrecht, who has returned as an administrator and lecturer to the University Writing Program. Next, Dr. Allison Giannotti joined the University Writing Program as a lecturer. In terms of her personal experience at Brandeis, Dr. Giannotti told the Justice that, “Although I started at Brandeis during the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was continually impressed with my students' resilience and optimism, and my colleagues' spirit of collaboration and innovation. Despite the circumstances, I felt a sense of hope and community in overcoming the pandemic's challenges and continuing to pursue scholarly excellence and civic engagement. I'm similarly honored to be part of a university that has committed to social change and, although there's more work to be done, the current DEI initiatives and self-reflection are encouraging.”

The third addition to the University Writing Program was Dr. Patrick Kindig who “completed his Ph.D. in English (with a concentration in American literature) at Indiana University in 2019,” as stated

in BrandeisNOW. On his experience at Brandeis thus far, Dr. Kindig explained to the Justice that “My experience at Brandeis has thus far been wonderful. The students are exceptionally smart and engaged, and the University Writing Program — my home department — has been welcoming and supportive. I’ve been particularly impressed with Brandeis’ COVID-19 mitigation efforts, which strike me as thoughtful, thorough, and driven by science.”

According to BrandeisNOW, this year’s final new addition to the University Writing Program is Gregory Palermo, who “is currently finishing his Ph.D. in the English department at Northeastern University; the title of his dissertation is ‘Re-Landscaping Digital Scholarship: A Computational Analysis of Citations in Digital Humanities and Writing Studies.’”

The Division of Science has welcomed six new faculty members this year. Three new assistant professors of Biology included Dr. Steven DeLuca of the University of California, San Francisco; Dr. Christine Greinberger of Technical University (TU) Munich, Germany; and Dr. Nathalie Vladis of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Dr. Carolyn Abbott of the University of Wisconsin-Madison joined as an assistant professor of Mathematics. “Abbott’s primary research interest is geometric group theory, which sits at the intersection of group theory, geometry, and topology,” as outlined in BrandeisNOW. Dr. Tyler Mauna of the University of Minnesota is an assistant professor of Mathematics as well.

As described in BrandeisNOW, “Maunu studies recovery problems and optimization over Wasserstein space utilizing research interests that lie at the intersection of optimization, high-dimensional statistics, geometry, and machine-learning.”

The final new faculty member in the Division of Sciences is Dr. Aram Apyan of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Apyan is an Assistant Professor of Biology, and his “research area is experimental high-energy physics with a particular interest in the exploration of the Electroweak (EW) sector of the Standard Model (SM) of particles,” per BrandeisNOW. Brandeis has welcomed two new faculty members to the Division of Creative Arts, beginning with Dr. Bradford Garvey of the City Uni-

versity of New York, who is a visiting assistant professor of Music.

“His dissertation, ‘Poems to Open Palms: Praise Performance and the State in the Sultanate of Oman,’ was based on nearly two years of fieldwork with Arab men’s praise singing troupes in rural northern Oman and was supported by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research,” as detailed in BrandeisNOW. The second Visiting Assistant Professor of Music is Dr. Taylor Ackley of Stony Brook University.

The Division of Social Sciences has six new additions. According to the Department of African and African American Studies website, Dr. Rachel Cantave of American University is a Madeleine Haas Russell Visiting Professor of African and African American studies, and Dr. Anya Wallace is a visiting assistant professor joining both the African and African American Studies and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Departments.

Dr. Israel Ukawuba joined as a Florence Levy Kay Fellow in Environmental Studies, and Health, Science, Society, and Policy, and a lecturer in Environmental Studies. Brandeis alumnus Aaron Bray returned to the University as a lecturer in the Legal Studies department.

Dr. Renanah Miles Joyce of Columbia University joined as an assistant professor of Politics. “She specializes in military assistance to developing-country militaries, with a focus on U.S., Chinese, and Canadian military training in Sub-Saharan Africa,” according to BrandeisNOW. Dr. Evangelica Macias of the University of California, Riverside is an Allen-Berenson Fellow in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

The final new faculty member of the 2021-22 school year belongs to the Brandeis International Business School. Dr. Erin Vicente of Northeastern University joined the school as a senior lecturer. As described in BrandeisNOW,“She has taught at both the undergraduate and graduate level as a former associate professor of communication. Her research focuses on contingent faculty experiences and has appeared in Review of Social Sciences, as well as been presented at numerous conferences such as the National Communication Association, International Communication Association, and an International Roundtable Symposium for Women and Education at Oxford.”

NEW ADDITION TO BIOLOGY DEPT.

from wherever they gain strength.

This why ‘holocausts’ keep happening to them repeatedly! If they would only learn to be grateful and change their behavior!!”

On Jan. 16, President Rob Liebowitz sent an email to the University acknowledging and condemning the hostage situation, as well as expressing support for Jewish and Muslim students. He also acknowledged Siddiqui’s connection to the University, writing; “while Siddiqui received a Ph.D. here more than two decades ago, it goes without saying that Brandeis has no connection to the attack in Texas, and condemns it in the strongest possible terms. The crimes for which Siddiqui was convicted took place outside the U.S. years after she studied here.”

Photo Courtesy of BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY

BIO: Dr. Steven DeLuca joined the University as an assistant professor.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2022 ● FEATURES ● THE JUSTICE

just

VERBATIM | BELL HOOKS What we do is more important than what we say or what we say we believe.

ON THIS DAY…

FUN FACT

Congress passed the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery in America.

All puppies are born deaf and cannot hear until they are around three weeks old.

For queer students of color, community on campus is vital — and hard to find The Justice spoke to Nicholas Ong ’23, Kyla-Yen Giffin ’23, and Julie Le, former department coordinator of the ICC and the GSC, about how difficult it can be for queer students of color to find community at Brandeis.

By NATALIE KAHN JUSTICE EDITOR

When Nicholas Ong ’23 started his first year at Brandeis, it didn’t take long for him to find LGBTQIA+ communities on campus and meet other queer students. But something was always missing. “I always found myself in white queer spaces,” he told the Justice in November 2021. Ong is Cambodian and grew up in a culturally diverse area in Providence, Rhode Island. At Brandeis, however, he struggled to find other students who were both queer and people of color. Ong explained that while he always appreciates and feels validated by being around other LGBTQ+ people, the experience of being the only POC in a room of white people — even when those people are queer — is something that Ong says is profoundly alienating: “Even though we [can] relate to the queerness aspect of it, it just isn’t the same.”

Kyla-Yen Giffin ’23 is halfVietnamese and is bisexual and non-binary. They came out as queer not long before starting college. When Giffin arrived at Brandeis, they were excited to be around other queer people and be a part of LGBTQIA+ spaces. They joined Triskelion, the LGBTQIA+ club on campus, and quickly became friends with other queer students. However, Giffin soon came to the same realization as Ong that, in their experience, all of the LGBTQIA+ student groups and spaces they encountered

Design: Natalie Kahn/the Justice

at Brandeis were predominantly white. Like Ong, they found it difficult to find other queer students of color and experienced a similar sense of isolation in the white-dominated LGBTQIA+ spaces they were a part of at the University. “Something that I know me and my other friends who are people of color talk about a lot is that we feel a lot more safe going into spaces that are all people of color — even if they’re not all queer, or none of them are queer — than we do going into a space that’s all queer but also all white,” Giffin told the Justice in November, “There’s just a bit of an innate feeling of safety when you’re around other people of color versus other white people.”

Ong explained that being a queer person of color — QPOC — is not simply the sum of its parts. It is a unique and complex identity in itself that manifests in joys and struggles which can only be truly understood by those who experience life within these intersections. Because of this, queer students of color say that the sense of safety, belonging, and understanding that they feel among other QPOC is lacking in whitedominated queer spaces as well as in non-queer, POC spaces.

Giffin stressed the value of “intentional spaces” whose main purpose is to provide safety and community for those in specific minority groups. “When there aren’t intentional spaces for queer people of color, then that also means that there really aren’t

safe spaces for us,” they said.

Giffin spoke about the lack of these spaces on campus and how this affected their first few semesters at Brandeis. “I think it would have definitely been a lot easier to learn and realize things and build community if we had a space like this earlier on,” they said. “A lot of us look back on our underclassmen years, and we think about how we didn’t have that and how it took a very long and often difficult time to come to those under-

“

When there aren’t intentional spaces for queer people of color, then that also means that there really aren’t safe spaces for us.

KYLA-YEN GIFFIN

standings and find people and spaces we felt safe in.”

Having experienced firsthand the struggle of finding community as a QPOC at Brandeis and the isolation that this results in, as well as the eventual joy and important benefits of finally finding QPOC friends later on in their college experience, Ong, Giffin, and a handful of other students decided to take on the responsibility of creating the intentional space for

QPOC that they felt was lacking on campus. In late September of 2021, the Queer and Trans People of Color Coalition had its first event, which was attended by over a dozen enthusiastic queer students of color. “People were really happy to see it happen,” Ong said of the event, adding, “It was just so necessary and it finally happened.”

Having a safe community for QPOC students to support each other and talk about shared experiences is particularly important in the face of the unique struggles and forms of discrimination that these students face as a result of being a part of multiple marginalized communities.

Ong said that being POC can make it more difficult or dangerous to be “physically out” as LGBTQIA+, which he describes as presenting oneself in ways that are considered visibly queer. This is something that he feels his white queer peers don’t entirely understand or relate to in the same way.

Giffin said that people of color, especially those who are queer, are often not taken seriously in academic and social settings on campus.

“There’s definitely a lot of instances of microaggressions and racial gaslighting stuff that pretty much all of us have experienced,” they said, adding that some QPOC students have experienced increased policing and surveillance on campus. Giffin said that in their experience, the University generally ignores or fails to adequately address these problems.

THE JUSTICE ● FEATURES ● TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2022

Julie Le is the former department coordinator for both the Gender and Sexuality Center and the Intercultural Center, positions she held simultaneously before resigning from Brandeis at the end of the fall 2021 semester. In December, she spoke to the Justice by email about the difficulties that QPOC students experience when searching for community spaces on campus. “For students who have more than one identity that is considered a minority, I think it can be difficult to find spaces for activism that naturally allow them to feel supported,” Le said. Discussing the difficulty that students have with finding other QPOC on campus when they first arrive and how this issue should be addressed, she said “I think it is kind of a circular conversation — whether it be resources or a need of student clubs/leadership or etc. I do see it as [if] QPOC students make a club, it’s undeniable that we will see more positive changes and accessible social opportunities, too.”

The Queer and Trans People of Color Coalition has not been active since fall and hasn’t had any club meetings since its first event in September. Ong said that although he was thrilled by that event’s success, he found it challenging to balance running the club and being a fulltime student and quickly got burnt out.

“We’re all students trying to balance the general academic labor along with the labor of creating this safe space for QTPOC on campus,” Giffin said. Still, both Ong and Giffin remain optimistic about the Coalition’s future and are currently working with the other executive board members to find ways to make the club more active and sustainable in the new semester.

Although Giffin feels strongly that these types of spaces should be stu-

dent-led, they wish that the University did more to facilitate and support student groups and other forms of community-building for QPOC students so that the responsibility to create and maintain these spaces wouldn’t fall entirely on students.

“I think it would definitely be nice if there was more intentionality and support on behalf of the administration,” Giffin said. “And it would have been nice if there was even just kind of an introduction into spaces like this.”

Le described building intentional spaces for QPOC on campus as primarily the responsibility of students — reflecting what seems to be the administration’s general approach — but acknowledged the challenges that queer students of color face when attempting to create these spaces. “The advocacy of QPOC students can be a huge responsibility and it can be scary to think about how important it is to establish a community, to make sure a club flourishes, and to leave a successful legacy,” she said, adding, “With QPOC having a smaller population of students to take on the responsibility of managing a club, there is a point where even with having a lot of administrative support — things can plateau.”

She did suggest that if students want to see more intentionality from the school when it comes to community-building for QPOC at Brandeis, they may have more power to influence change at the institutional

level than they realize. “The power of students should never be underestimated,” she said. “QPOC students have a huge say in the future and acknowledging student needs is a priority.”

“

The power of students should never be underestimated.

QPOC students have a huge say in the future ...

JULIE LE

Although Le’s view of the relationship between queer students of color and the University is somewhat at odds with what the students themselves described, there’s no question that throughout Brandeis’ history, students in marginalized communities have made their voices heard by coming together to protest issues involving a lack of institutional support or resources and have made real change happen at the institutional level. However, this may be easier said than done for Brandeis’ queer students of color, whenw the lack of community is the issue.

Photo Courtesy of NICHOLAS ONG

QTPOCC: Students watch an episode of POSE at a Queer and Trans People of Color Coalition event on Sept. 25.

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10 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2022 ● FORUM ● THE JUSTICE

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Sofia Gonzalez Rodriguez, Editor in Chief Cameron Cushing, Managing Editor Gilda Geist, Senior Editor River Hayes, Deputy Editor Leeza Barstein, Jen Crystal, Jane Flautt, Gabriel Frank, Megan Geller, Hannah O’Koon, Noah Zeitlin, Associate Editors Jacklyn Golobordsky, Hannah Taylor, News Editors Natalie Khan, Features Editor Lauryn Williams, Forum Editor Taku Hagiwara, Sports Editor Jack Yuanwei Cheng, Photography Editor Thea Rose, Acting Photography Editor Ariella Weiss, Lynn Han, Copy Editors Aiko Schinasi, Ads Editor Samantha Goldman, Online Editor

EDITORIALS COVID-19 and students’ return to Campus As the Brandeis community heads into the first week of in-person classes, community members continue to voice concern and confusion surrounding the return of students to campus and the University’s policies to combat COVID-19 and its highly transmissible variant, Omicron.

When University administrators announced that the first two weeks of classes would be remote in a Jan. 7 email to students, faculty, and staff, students were given the option of delaying their return to campus if they preferred to attend remote classes from a different location.

While this decision has given students greater f lexibility in regards to travel and scheduling, it seems to contradict other efforts by the University to combat the spread of COVID-19, such as testing students who are on campus and quarantining them when needed in the first two weeks of the semester while classes were remote.

Especially since some students did not return to campus until the weekend before in-person classes began, this board is concerned that students’ option to delay their return to campus might cause a surge in COVID-19 rates just as we all return to in-person activities. To avoid the increased risk of COVID-19 spreading after many students travel back to campus for in-person classes, the University should have required students to return with enough time to isolate if need be. The rationale behind this system that allowed a delayed return is unclear, and this board requests better communication from

Brandeis administration about why certain COVID-19 policies such as this are adopted moving forward.

Another COVID-19 related policy that caused some confusion for students was the testing requirement for students prior to returning to campus. The University required all students that live on-campus to submit a COVID-19 test (either rapid or PCR) 24 hours before departing to return to campus for the spring semester. Although Brandeis provided a form for students to request a test kit if necessary, most students were expected to find a test on their own, despite at-home test shortages throughout the country. This board recommends that the University send test kits home with students before long breaks in order to simplify the testing process and to remove any financial or logistical barriers for students to get tested upon returning to campus.

Although the University is not requiring that students have a particular kind of mask for classes, administrators are strongly encouraging community members to wear high-quality masks like N95s, KN95s, or KF94s, per a Jan. 26 email to the community. This board would like to remind students that in the coming weeks, certain pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens will start to have free N95 masks in stock. You can check which Walgreens locations are currently offering free masks on their website, and their list will continue to be updated as more stores receive masks.

As students return back to campus, the University must be more proactive toward its operations A new year and a new semester have begun, and already we are facing questions about how the University will function under yet another COVID-19 surge. What seems like the inescapable grasp of COVID-19 has altered another semester, and students are forced to once again navigate changes to dining.

This board would first like to acknowledge the sacrifice dining workers are making to feed our campus.

Feeding a campus of this size under regular circumstances is not an easy task, but when you add COVID-19 into the mix, their work becomes that much harder. This board appreciates the dining services staff, and any and all criticisms offered about the current state of dining are not directed at dining services staff.

This board would like to call attention to the issues surrounding the shipping container that was installed outside Upper Usdan for mobile order pickups. The container’s primary purpose was to “serve students who are self-isolating,” Direc-

tor of University Services Jeffrey Hershberger wrote in a Jan. 24 email to the Justice. “These students are not permitted in buildings outside of their assigned on-campus residence.” The shipping container will no longer be in use after Jan. 31, Hershberger wrote. How will self-isolating students access food starting in February?

Furthermore, this short term shipping container solution generally seems to lack thoughtful consideration, and measures to replace the container are unclear. This is even more confusing given that the shipping container will no longer be used so soon after its installation.

Per a Jan. 13 email, Sherman and Lower Usdan dining halls will stop exclusively offering take-out dining on Feb. 1. Why is dining hall seating being reopened right as students return to the classroom? This increases opportunities for exposure and is bad for the overall health of the community, and it has been poorly communicated to students.

It is also important to question where students can eat their meals. From University communication, it is unclear what dining options are carry-out only.

Per a Jan. 26 email to the community, grab-and-go meals are still highly encouraged for on-campus students, while limited in-person seating will be offered in the dining halls starting this week.

Yet the “Winter Break and Spring 2022 Reopening Hours” on Sodexo’s website make no mention of whether Upper Usdan meals will be fully carry-out.

During the spring 2021 term, there were outdoor seating options available with heaters – this board wonders why students are not afforded the same outdoor dining options now, especially as

the Omicron variant continues to be a concern. These considerations reinforce our beliefs that the community could benefit from more sustainable solutions.

Dining is a significant part of the college social experience. Especially for midyears arriving to campus for the first time, the dining halls are a crucial social hub where students can acclimate themselves to college life. Without transparency on in-person dining options, students are left with more questions than answers in this respect.

This board requests more details from administrators in the coming days about the dining situation for students as we navigate the return to campus and activities.

on Views News the

Seven school districts in Virginia have sued Gov. Glenn Youngkin following his executive order banning mask mandates in the state. The school districts argue that this act endangers the lives of students and teachers alike. Over the past two years there has been strife amongst our education and governmental systems as both parties attempt to find a balance between high quality education and safety. How is the recent surge in COVID-19 cases impacting educators and students? What is at stake when teachers don’t feel safe in the workplace? What actions does our own University administration need to take in order to make sure that faculty feel heard and seen?

Prof. Rachel Kramer Theodorou (EDU) I think about this topic often given my many vantage points as a parent of school age kids, spouse of a 4th grade teacher, former K-12 teacher, and Brandeis professor sending student teachers daily into classrooms.

None of us love masks; they erase our human ability to read feelings from facial expressions, muffle voices hopeful of sharing ideas, and cause near claustrophobia from wearing them 6+ hours/day. But it’s not just the masks that tire teachers --it’s the perpetual lack of respect for the complexity of teaching that must be addressed. Lawmakers and the media need to live a day (weeks, really) in our shoes to experience the myriad of intellectually- and emotionally-charged dilemmas we address with every child, text, assignment, and activity. Just as public health officials pooled knowledge, resources and perspectives to deal with this pandemic stage by stage, we must do the same to address challenges facing in person teaching. Teachers have done ‘virtual backflips’ to sustain those ‘key to success relationships’ that are safeguarding student learning and well-being; we know what works online, in person, and even in masks. We must move beyond political threats, to partner with teachers as practical intellectuals, whose nimbleness and perseverance will transform schooling now, in this most challenging time, and in the future.

Rachel Kramer Theodorou is a senior lecturer in education.

Photo: Prof. Kramer Theodourou

Prof. Marya Levenson (EDU) Gov. Youngkin banned mask mandates to appeal to those in his base who are anti-vaccine and anti-mask. After all, he could have enabled individual districts to decide whether to have a mask mandate.

(Youngkin also instituted a tip line where parents can complain about educators teaching content they don’t like.) Why are 58 Virginia school districts challenging this anti-mask mandate in court? They are advocating for their teachers and students who are immunocompromised or vulnerable to catching the virus. (Education Week reports that as of Sept. 1, 2021, 1,045 US educators had died from COVID-19.) Does this mean that students should be forced to wear masks forever? We know that masks are part of an effective strategy combining vaccinations, masks, and testing which is working at Brandeis. But as this pandemic seems to stretch on forever, let’s research what occurs when there are thoughtful options such as Massachusetts enabling K-12 schools to make masks optional where 80% or more of their students are vaccinated.

Prof. Marya Levenson a professor of the practice emerita of education.

Photo: Prof. Levenson

Prof. Ziva Hassenfeld (EDU) Along with its dire public health impacts, COVID-19 has also caused an educational crisis. Never before in American history have schools been so disrupted for so long. The extent of the impacts on our children — both academic achievement and mental health — are only beginning to be understood. Unfortunately, COVID-19 became deeply politicized and schools turned into sites for partisan conflict. We know that widespread mask use reduces the spread of disease, and from that perspective, should have been quickly and widely adopted by all those who hoped to keep schools open. At the same time, we have learned that social distancing and indoor air quality also make an important difference in reducing transmission. But there are wide disparities in the resources available to schools to make sure that schools could be reopened safely.

Many teachers were asked to return to work in settings where their classrooms lacked windows that opened or running water to encourage hand hygiene. The pandemic should shine a bright light on the deep inequities that persist in our public education system and the need for major investment in the infrastructure of schools.

Prof. Ziva Hassenfeld is an assistant professor of Jewish education.

Photo: Prof. Hassenfeld

THE JUSTICE ● FORUM ● TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2022 11

Take caution before watching “Don’t Look Up”

By TIBRIA J. BROWN

JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“Don’t Look Up,” directed by Adam McKay, came out in December 2021. It’s a disaster film about an impending comet approaching Earth and the two scientists that discovered the danger.

The entirety of the film criticizes and satirizes the irresponsible decisions of the government, celebrities, and the mass public as they try to figure out how to save the planet.

Many people that have seen and reported on the film so far have the understanding that it is an allegory for climate change. That makes a point to satirize the actions and decisions of government organizations and influential figures like NASA, the president, and celebrities. This film does a wonderful job of using dark humor and satire to parallel the severity of our current reality.

However, there are some decisions that this film makes that are questionable at best, and patronizingly preachy at worst.

Starting with the strong points of “Don’t Look Up,” it’s very refreshing in its approach to a disaster movie.

Mckay is well known for portraying the horrifying realities caused by politicians (examples can be found in his other films in the same vein ‘The Big Short” and “Vice”). “Don’t Look Up” strikes

an interesting balance where nothing feels completely unhinged except for the decisions the politicians and celebrities make, which ultimately works to benefit the surrealism of their choices overall.

I thought it was interesting how the pursuit of money and power paralyzed the global leaders’ decisions on what to do about the comet. You even hear the line from Meryl Streep’s character, President Janie Orlean, when she hears how there’s a 100% chance that this comment would hit Earth; she lowers the number to 70% to allow herself to win an election. That pursuit of power paralyzed her ability to make a measured decision about something that would end all life on Earth. Something else comparable to this happened much later on in the movie when other world governments, after deciding to take the comet seriously, sabotage each other’s attempts to take care of the imminent threat. This was likely in an attempt to be the sole savior of the planet and reap the glory.

The film also does a great job acknowledging the flippant ways climate change is being handled by our world leaders, and the mass hysteria that floods the general public in times of disaster (as we’ve seen throughout the entire COVID-19 pandemic).

At several points throughout the movie, the character’s actions and decisions are terrifyingly realistic.

However, there are some glaring issues in the ways it chooses to critique society and the actors they choose to play the strawmen.

If the goal of this film is to raise awareness or be a call to action, the entire atmosphere is so dark that it leaves the viewer resigned to their fate and hopeless as opposed to empowered and ready to fight for change. The constant pleading that scientists Randall and Kate, played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, have to do with politicians and billionaires to get them to care about the planet is incredibly disheartening. It left me as a viewer thinking, “if these scientists can’t even convince them while looking them in the eye, how can I, a normal person, hope to make any real change?”

In addition to this, I, like many other people, am a bit frustrated by the comet analogy for climate change as a whole.

One of the main reasons climate change is not being taken as seriously as it should be is because it’s not a tangible thing that we can see the result of immediately.

I feel like it’s a bit strange that they chose that to be the analogy. I’d hope that in reality, people wouldn’t take the word of politicians when they can see their demise by simply looking up.

The final and biggest grievance that I have with this film is that it is so nihilistic. It left me with this horrible

sinking feeling in my stomach, knowing that no matter how hard I fought for any kind of change in the climate crisis, the 1% would keep benefiting themselves and leave the rest of us here to parish on a burning planet, sans atmosphere.

Some criticisms of this film have been that it’s very preachy, or that it is too unrealistic — that our world governments would never completely ignore such an obvious issue. But I think the film’s message being so obvious to a normal person is what makes it so much more horrifying. Hopefully, a “planet killer” comet would be an immediate issue, right?

I think the same thing could have been said 10 years ago about a global pandemic. Yet here we are in 2022, on year three of a global pandemic, with some people underestimating the severity or believing it’s a government hoax.

Overall this film was very necessary; for the past few years, many have been to hell and back fighting for equal justice and to save our climate.

However, as an activist, seeing this movie make those fears actualized is cathartic as it is completely demoralizing.

This film was draining, and I advise that fellow activists (and anyone that cares about the world at large) to take caution before watching this and take care of yourself afterward by not over-exerting your mental and emotional state.

Photo Courtesy of JACK YUANWEI CHANG

The classic college versus COVID-19 college experience

By TASHA EPSTEIN

JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Everyone has a similar picture of the “classic college experience.” We all tend to imagine getting into various shenanigans with friends, having late-night study groups in the campus library, and maybe engaging in a form of romantic endeavour.

Unfortunately, the one thing just about every aspect of the ideal classic college experience tends to share is being in close proximity to other people.

COVID-19 has impacted the entire world, and it has forced many to shift the way they meet or interact with others and the way they build community. In the Brandeis sphere, folks have just moved on to campus within the last couple of weeks, and thus they are likely eager to see or make friends as they return from winter break.

Sadly, you can’t particularly participate in the standard activities at the moment.

The dining halls are grab-and-go, and the outdoor temperatures are often below freezing, so sharing food or simply eating with others is far more difficult than it used to be. Additionally, masks make it hard to recognize people, yet being within 6 feet of one another without them in this level of pandemic seems to put you at risk

of catching COVID-19.

Nevertheless, everyone still wants to see and interact with everyone else. Most college students now find themselves weighing the risks and rewards of trying to socialize; it’s a tough call to make. If you eat alone in your dorm, it’s horribly isolating, but if you try to eat in a communal area like a dining room or outside, you either skyrocket your chances of catching COVID-19 or have your extremities go numb in five minutes.

If you take your mask off more often than needed or get too close, you endanger yourself and others again; however, if you don’t, you lose out on human connection.

All the classes are now grieving another year of schooling and socializing lost to COVID-19, but the problem is even worse for first-year students (especially midyears experiencing campus for the first time) and those in their senior year.

Seniors are missing out on their welldeserved last hurrah of their college years, while first-years have barely gotten a college experience in the first place.

While other students had the opportunity to form friendships before the brunt of the pandemic, and hopefully both have time for things to improve, but they’re still missing out on key college time. Every aspect of classic college life seems focused

around all things COVID-19, like crowded parties or massive school spirit events.

The outlook, at first glance, seems bleak.

Nevertheless, Brandeis students persevere, choosing either to accept what risk they can to themselves without endangering others further, or forming an entirely new college experience — the “classic” versus “COVID-19” styles, if you will.

In the “classic” style modified for our ever-present companion of COVID-19, students have taken to bonding with their roommates, or having small groups of people in their rooms without masks.

Others have found quiet indoor areas to share a meal with a friend or two without exposing others or exposing themselves to the cold. The number of in-person masked activity offerings is beginning to pick up, which will hopefully provide another set of opportunities for building community without necessarily building immunity.

Plus, Brandeis students and staff take COVID-19 tests at the Shapiro Science Center every 96 hours, which makes sure any positive cases are rooted out early and often. So long as you’ve got a green (or in some circumstances, yellow) passport, you’re good to go.

In the alternative “COVID-19” style modified to try and fit the classic

experiences in, Wi-Fi and data have come in clutch. The internet has proved crucial in keeping morale up; online meetups or gaming sessions arranged by the school or various friend groups have helped students see the light at the end of the virus-laden tunnel. Classes, club meetings, and just about everything else remotely feasible is now feasible remotely, due to the 2020 onset of the very, very virtual era of living.

These online offerings mean students in isolation or those who just can’t risk catching COVID can be included in almost everything in-person students could hope for. There are also upsides to doing things online; there is no need for folks to commute in the near-freezing temperatures, dressed in layers of jackets.

Or, as some have taken it, no need to commute out of one’s bed or out of one’s pajamas.

No matter the strategy chosen for classes and community, students continue. We’re taking our COVID-19 tests, washing our hands, and wearing our masks.

Together, we can keep each other safe and ensure our best chances at getting to build and have our community in the classic, quintessential, on-campus college fashion — finding whoever has access to a microwave.

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

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THE JUSTICE ● SPORTS ● TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1,2022 13

BASKETBALL: Brandeis men's splits weekend CONTINUED FROM 16 In their competition against the University of Rochester, the Judges did their best impression of Emory and took a quick lead to begin the game. Unlike the Eagles, they ended up losing that lead late in the first half and walked back to the locker room trailing 27-32 at half-time. Fouls were the Achilles’ heel for the Judges as they ended the first half with Sawyer, Lien, and Tommy Eastman ’22 registering two fouls a piece. This foul trouble meant that the Judges star shooter, Sawyer, was sidelined more than usual during the contest. Lien was also the leading scorer with 16 points for the Judges despite his infraction difficulties. The latter part of the game was where things became interesting for both teams. Much of the second half was a difference of only one or two points and totaled 8 lead changes.

The unsung player of the game was Eastman who tallied 10 rebounds and 14 points in the comeback victory. Eastman’s energy was felt on both sides of the ball and helped aid the team's confidence

and settle the game down. With four minutes remaining, Rochester took a timeout with a five point lead in hand. That lead was quickly lost, and the Judges went on to score 11 unanswered points. Six of those points were thanks to the sharp shooting abilities of Sawyer from behind the deep line. The 11 point run gave the Judges a two possession lead heading into the final 30 seconds of game play, and they held strong to take home a big away win.

Emory and Rochester will be heading to Waltham next week to play the second half of their UAA match-up with the Judges. In the 2019-20 UAA season, which was the last time the Brandeis men’s basketball team saw Emory on their home court, they won in thrilling style with a last second put-back by Eric D’Aguanno ’21. That electric finish landed on Sportscenter's top ten moments and gave Brandeis a win against the number 3 ranked team in the country at the time.

Brandeis will look to defend its home court once again and possibly pull out some of the same heroics seen last season.

THOMAS TIANCHENG ZHENG/Justice File Photo

TOUGH FINISH: Nolan Hagerty finishes with contact

EQUESTRIAN: Brandeis' club Equestrian team CONTINUED FROM 16 we get to hang out with horses, but there's also barn dogs and barn cats!” Unlike other sports that play games or compete in competitions, equestrian competitions are known as shows.

These shows are commonly held at the barn of the host team.

Brandeis competes in Zone 1, Region 4 of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association. Other schools in the zone and region are Tufts University, Wellesley College, Boston College, Boston University, Bridgewater State University, Wheaton College, University of Massachusetts Lowell, and Endicott College.

The big question everyone asks is

'where are the horses?' It seems to be a big secret where the horses are housed. When asked this question, Martin joked, “Well, let me tell you, they’re in the basement of Gosman, you know, you can hear their sounds at night” Eisendrath continued the riff, telling the Justice, “We will never tell you where we keep our horses.” In reality, the horses are housed on Cornerstone Farm in Haverhill, MA about 40 minutes north of the Brandeis campus.

Like many other Brandeis club sports, the Equestrian Team also faced a few setbacks as a result of COVID-19. Martin explained that for a significant time, Brandeis COVID-19 restrictions prevented the team from traveling off campus and thus,

prevented themfrom practicing.

This resulted in the loss of members and the need for major recruitment once travel restrictions off campus loosened.

The overall feel of the team is a fun and warm community brought together for various reasons. Whether it be for the love of animals or the desire to compete, the Brandeis Equestrian team is open to students of all experience levels. Martin spoke fondly about the team stating, “I love the team spirit that we have and I feel like you see that spirit and camaraderie, especially during the shows when everyone is cheering for their teammates.

The competitions are a nice way to be with and socialize with most of the members of the team.”

THOMAS TIANCHENG ZHENG/the Justice

CONTACT: IBS student Collin Sawyer dribbles.

Courtesy of the BRANDEIS EQUESTRIAN TEAM

DREAM WORK: Team photo of the Equestrian team

Courtesy of the BRANDEIS EQUESTRIAN TEAM

HORSING AROUND: Brandeis Equestrian team member trots around on a horse

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THE JUSTICE ● SPORTS ● TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 , 2022 15

PRO SPORTS

JUDGES BY THE NUMBERS MEN’S BASKETBALL UAA STANDINGS

Emory Case WashU JUDGES Carnegie Rochester Chicago NYU

TEAM STATS

Points Per Game

UAA Conf.

W L D 6 1 0 5 1 0 4 2 0 2 2 0 3 3 0 0 3 4 1 5 0 0 6 0

Overall W L D 13 4 0 15 2 0 14 3 0 9 4 0 10 6 0 11 6 0 6 11 0 9 7 0

UPCOMING GAMES: Feb. 04 vs Emory Feb 06 vs. Rochester

Collin Sawyer ’22 leads the team with 15.9 points per game.

Player PPG Collin Sawyer 15.9 Tommy Eastman 14.4 Nolan Hagerty 10.8 Chandler Jones 8.7

Pct. 0.765 0.882 0.824 0.692 0.625 0.647 Rebounds Per Game 0.353 Nolan Hagerty ’22 leads the team 0.563 with 7.4 rebounds per game.

Player REB/G Nolan Hagerty 7.4 Tommy Eastman 7.4 Chandler Jones 7.2 Collin Sawyer 3.2

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS

Points Per Game

UAA Conf.

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

Overall W L D Pct. 15 1 0 0.938 11 5 0 0.688 12 6 0 0.667 10 8 0 0.556 10 7 0 0.588 9 7 0 0.563 7 11 0 0.389 6 10 0 0.375

UPCOMING GAMES: Feb. 04 at. Emory Feb. 06 at Rochester

Camila Casaneuva ’22 leads the team with 13.2 points per game.

Player Camila Casaneuva Emma Reavis Kerry Tanke Caitlin Gresko

PPG 13.2 9.8 9.2 9.0

Rebounds Per Molllie Obar ’25 leads with 7.0 rebounds per game.

Player REB/G Camila Casanueva 5.8 Kerry Tanke 5.8 Emma Reavis 5.6 Casey Perry 4.9

SWIMMING AND DIVING Results from meet against Gordon College on Jan. 28

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s) 200-yard Freestyle

SWIMMER James Barno Tal Spector

TIME 1:52.33 1:52.64

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s) 200-yard Freestyle

SWIMMER Aubrey Cheng Becky Goodfellow

TIME 2:10.06 2:17.37

ZOOM: Aspiring drivers race around on go-karts

How Formula One failed Oscar Piastri and other future talents ■ Oscar Piastri, who won Formula Two in 2021, becomes the second champion in three years to miss out on a Formula One drive.

By TAKU HAGIWARA JUSTICE EDITOR

UPCOMING GAMES: Feb. 10 at Emory

TRACK AND FIELD Results from the Tufts Branwen Smith-King Invitational

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)

200-Meter Dash

Women High Jump

RUNNER Parker Jones Dean Carey Dean Campbell

TIME 23.87 23.95 23.80

RUNNER Kristen Man Erin Magill Natalie Hattan

HEIGHT 1.46 1.46 1.41

UPCOMING GAMES Data Courtesy of THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS ASSOCIATION and the BRANDEIS ATHLETICS WEBSITE; Images Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS.

Feb. 5 at Tufts

Photo Courtesy of UNSPLASHED LICENSE

Australian Oscar Piastri, the 2021 Formula Two champion, faced a familiar challenge with many young drivers as they competed for a seat in Formula One. From 2019 to 2022, Piastri won every championship he participated in and quickly rose through the lower categories of motorsport.

Having crafted an impressive resume’ similar to that of current F1 drivers, George Russell and Charles Leclerc, he is, on paper, one of the most qualified young drivers for a seat in F1.

When Russell and Leclerc moved to the big league, both signed for the sister team of their driver academies. Russell, who was in the Mercedes young driver program, initially signed to sister team Williams, and Leclerc signed for Sauber, which was the sister team of Ferrari. The first obstacle for Piastri’s journey to F1 was that his driver academy Alpine does not

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have a sister team. Even worse for Piastri is that the Alpine main team has both seats occupied by Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso. With Ocon having signed a three-year contract until the end of 2024, the only hope for Ocon is if Alpine got rid of proven race winner and former champion Alonso, which would certainly be a hard decision for the team to make.

While Piastri failed to make the 2022 grid, fellow Alpine young driver Guanyu Zhou was confirmed to enter Alfa Romeo alongside Valterri Bottas. Zhou, who finished third behind Piastri, is set to become the first full-time Chinese driver in the sport and brings immense exposure to the sport from the Chinese market.

Because the Chinese Grand Prix has been canceled for the past two years due to the pandemic, Alfa Romeo seized on an opportunity to bring in funds through Chinese sponsorship. Although Zhou being Chinese is not something that Piastri could do something about, the lack of significant backing for Piastri is an important factor to getting into F1 as shown by the past three years of rookies — Nicholas Latifi, Mick Schumacher, Nikita Mazepin, Yuki Tsunoda, and Guanyu Zhou — who all to some extent have significant backing from a corporate entity, their

country, or by being a seven-time World Champions’ son. While that isn’t to say that these drivers aren’t significantly talented, without a mass retirement of current drivers, the only feasible option is to remove an existing driver and insert a new one. Although teams have many reasons to replace drivers, the possibility of funds would be a compelling reason for financially struggling teams.

Another reason for Piastri’s misfortune is that he found himself in a period of stability in terms of the demand for young drivers.

Almost all top drivers have a “young driver” in place to carry the team forward into the new era of regulations. With Alpine seeming to be satisfied with Ocon, there is no saving grace for Piastri whose only selling point is being a young talented driver who can lead the team into the next era.

Piastri’s situation is not unique, with several other talented young drivers in the sport missing out on potential seats. While not all cases are the same, a common theme is that there are just not enough seats to fill all “deserving” drivers.

Moreover, with factors other than talent playing a role in the allocation of seats, it can be hard for drivers without significant backing to make it to the big leagues.

Image Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

just Sports Page 16

PIASTRI'S FORMULA ONE DILEMMA Formula Two champion misses out on Formula One drive p.15 Waltham, Mass.

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

BRANDEIS SPORTS

JUDGES HAVE MIXED WEEKEND

Brandeis splits second UAA weekend with Emory and Rochester ■ The Brandeis men’s basketball team lost a close contest with #24 ranked Emory University but battled back to win a comeback victory against University of Rochester.

By AIDEN GUTHRO JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Brandeis men’s basketball team split their University Athletic Association (UAA) weekend with a tough loss to the number 24 ranked Emory University Eagles and a late comeback victory against the University of Rochester Yellowjackets.

The Saturday, Jan. 28 game against Emory was a battle of the hot hands. Emory came out of the gates flying and took an early lead which they kept for the remainder of the game. The main focus of this offensive attack was Emory’s star guard Matthew Schner ’22, who contributed 31 points as well as five rebounds.

Schner was co-MVP of the UAA in the 2019-20 season and proved he was deserving of those accolades during Saturday’s game. However, Brandeis didn’t bow out of the fight. Later on in the first half, Brandeis was able to cut the lead to five thanks to some solid finishing

by Nolan Hagerty ’22 and a couple of deep shots by first-year standout Toby Harris ’25. Emory quickly responded to this run by controlling the rebounds and bringing the lead back to double digits. The first half was concluded in dramatic fashion as Brandeis’ Colin Sawyer M.A. ’22 hit a deep three to bring the halftime score to 37-44.

Emory began the second half the same way they started the game, hitting shots and playing high intensity defense. Brandeis’ Chandler Jones ’22 added a couple of triples to rival the Eagles offensive dominance, but with 14 minutes left in the game, Emory took its largest lead of the game so far at 18 points. After a much needed timeout by Brandeis, the Judges found their footing once again. Dylan Lein ’23, Sawyer, and Hagerty began chipping away at the deficit and were just 6 points behind at the 7:35 minute mark.

Despite the Judges' valiant efforts, the Eagles didn’t let off the gas and added a few key defensive stops to secure the win.

Sawyer was the star of the game for the Judges by scoring 26 points, including a late three-pointer which gave Sawyer a career total of 200 shots made behind the arc.

Sawyer became the fifth player in Brandeis history to reach that milestone.

By MEGAN GELLER JUSTICE EDITOR

The Brandeis Equestrian Team is one of the 21 club sports teams on campus according to the Brandeis Athletics website. This week, the Justice had the chance to reach out to some members of the Equestrian Team to hear about their club and their hopes for their upcoming semester.

The sport in general has a rich history which dates back to 680 BCE in Greece, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia. In these times, chariot races were newly introduced to the Ancient Olympic Games, the inspiration for our modern Olympic games which were first held in Athens, Greece in 1896, according to a 2010 History Article.

The Brandeis Equestrian Team is under the direction of

DECISIONS: Judges player handles the ball.

Womens basketball struggles at Emory 69-43, but upsets Rochester with their

See BASKETBALL, 13 ☛

Team rides into a new semester with unbridled enthusiasm ■ The Brandeis Equestrian team has rebuilt and hopes to grow their community this semester.

THOMAS TIANCHENG ZHENG/Justice File Photo

Coach Megan Miller and captains Alexander Martin ’22 and Izzy Eisendrath ’22. They have about 15 returning members this spring semester and hope to recruit more at the upcoming Spring Involvement Fair. Practices are structured so that each member can attend once or twice a week in one of the four to five person group practices. The captains said that no experience is necessary and the team's small size facilitates a tight knit community.

Members of the team continue to return to practice week after week for various reasons. In an interview with the Justice, when asked “what is the best part about being on the Brandeis Equestrian Team?” Martin answered, “I would definitely say the competitions.

I really like competing! Though we have our season mostly in the fall, which usually includes six competitions, we do have two to three scheduled for this [spring] semester.” Eisendrath said, “The animals! Not only do

See EQUESTRIAN, 13 ☛

■ The Brandeis womens basketball team lost at Emory University but bounced back at Rochester with a remarkable win.

By JACKSON WU JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On the first stop on their second road trip this year, the Brandeis women’s basketball team fell to Emory in another University Athletics Association (UAA) matchup. Before the road trip, the Judges had been eager for their first win in this season’s conference games. They took another loss at Emory. Meanwhile, the Eagles extended their winning streak to five with the win over the Judges, now with records of 5–1 UAA, 11–4 overall.

The Eagles established an early lead in the first half with a 13–5 run in the first quarter, and did not look back since. Outside of the 11 points from Kerry Tanke ’22 and a game-high, career-high 16-point performance from captain Emma Reavis ’23, the Judges’ offense struggled against the Eagles, reflected by a 30.0% field goal percentage and an unusual 4.3% from the three-point line. Reavis 23’ also led the team with two assists, as sophomore Casey Perry 24’ worked hard and tied her careerhigh seven rebounds.

The Judges adjusted at halftime and evened the third quarter 13–13, but the Eagles persisted in soaring in the fourth quarter outscoring the Judges 16–4. Turnovers troubled the Judges, helping the Eagles score 18 points off turnovers out of their 69 total. Final score Emory 69–43 Brandeis.

During their visit to the University of Rochester, the Brandeis women’s basketball team upset the University of Rochester Yellowjackets and secured their first UAA win. Before the contest, the Yellowjackets were ranked #2 in the conference and were aiming for first place as they came back and defeated UAA-leading NYU on Friday in front of the home crowd.

Yet, the Brandeis University Judges, visiting Rochester with a six-game losing streak, handed the Yellowjackets their third conference loss and now have a 1-6 UAA record, 6-10 overall.

The Judges started the game with an intense defense which forced some early turnovers from the Yellowjackets. At 4:44, captain Camila Casanueva ’22 went on a roll, featuring her signature stepback jump shot and a tough and-one layup. The Yellowjackets answered with their free throws, but Tanke 22’ responded at the line as well, closing out the quarter with a 13–12 lead.

The Yellowjackets attempted to stand their ground in the second quarter by implementing an aggressive denial defense.

The adjustment resulted in some turnovers from the Judges and some easy points off fastbreaks for the Yellowjackets. From 9:28, Rochester went on an 8–0 run until freshman Caitlin Gresko ’25 interfered with a layup off an inbound play at 4:07. Casanueva ’22 joined the party with her first three-point shot of the weekend to take back the lead, 21–20. Both teams traded buckets for the rest of the quarter and entered halftime.

Judges 28-30 Yellowjackets.

Moving onto the second half, the Judges stayed aggressive and moved the ball around with

caution. Captain Emma Reavis 23’ came alive and attacked the paint with ambition, cashing off some points off the free throw line for Brandeis. With around 5 minutes left in the quarter, both teams entered a scoring drought which was eventually ended by a Mollie Obar ’25 three after the Judges’ timeout.

Brandeis’ defensive effort forced awkward shots off the Yellowjackets, and junior Francesca Marchese ’23 put the Judges back on top at the end of the quarter with her three-point bomb, 46–44.

The Yellowjackets continued to struggle from downtown in the fourth quarter. They fired 20 from distance the whole game but only made one against the Judges. The Judges remained patient as high pick-and-roll actions between Casanueva ’22 and sophomore Casey Perry ’24 confused the Rochester defense and generated easy baskets. The Yellowjackets hustled and responded with an 8–0 run, but Casanueva ’22 eventually shut the door with a tough three of her own. The Judges survived the free-throw battle in the end and came away with a 66–59 win.

Casanueva ’22 bounced back strong and led the game with 21 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Tanke ’22 contributed 13 points and game-high two steals.

Meanwhile, Perry ’24 collected five rebounds off the bench. The Judges secured their first conference win of the season, now with records of 1–6 UAA, 6–10 overall.

After the big win, the Judges will be back in action this Friday and begin their UAA homestand, hosting the Emory Eagles. They look forward to building on the momentum and improving their record at the Auerbach Arena.

Vol. LXXIV #15

February 1, 2022

just

arts & culture

Waltham, Mass.

Images: Jack Yuanwei Cheng/the Justice. Design: Jack Yuanwei Cheng/the Justice.

18

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2022 I ARTS & CULTURE JUSTICE THE JUSTICE | ARTS | TUESDAY, JANUARYI THE 31, 2017

EXHIBITION REVIEW

Impressionism and juxtaposing mediums:

MFA’s Monet, Rodin, and Boston

DUOMI AMY CHEN/the Justice

Monet: “Morning on the Seine, near Giverny”(1897)

By DUOMI AMY CHEN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, put on a visual feast for the lovers of Impressionist art in the Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art. Impressionism is an artistic movement developed by a group of French artists during the 19th century in pursuit of spontaneity and immediacy.

The exhibition displays the artwork created by two of the most prominent French Impressionist masters, Claude Monet (18401926) and Auguste Rodin (18401917). The two artists were born two days apart and grew up to be friends and mutual supporters.

By juxtaposing Monet’s paintings with Rodin’s sculptures, the exhibition creates an engaging visual dialogue between the two creative minds, inviting the viewer to contrast and compare their distinctive styles despite their selection of different artistic mediums.

Monet’s painting series of the “Morning on the Seine, near Givenchy,” created in 1896, is what viewers first see when entering the gallery. Although the series showcases similar compositions and color schemes,

the three pictures presented in this series portray the glistening Seine river and the flourishing foliage at different times of the day and across seasons. To study the nuanced changes of atmosphere and shifting sunlight, Monet made himself a studio boat to paint en plein air (out of the doors). He would row along the river from dawn to dusk transcribing the evanescent moments of the natural world with painterly brushstrokes and brilliant colors.

In the series of Seine river, the images of the trees fuse with their reflection in the water. Monet’s intentional rendering of an indistinctive boundary between reality and illusion could be read as the artist’s contemplation on his contemporary discourse of the tension between objectivity and subjectivity. The invention of photography in the 19th century greatly challenged artists’ profession and the definition of art. What would be the point of artists taking painstaking efforts to create works if cameras can reproduce the reality in minute details at a much faster speed? In the painting series “Morning on the Seine, near Givenchy,” Monet has already given his answer. If

DUOMI AMY CHEN/the Justice

Monet: Another “Morning on the Seine, near Giverny”(1897)

Design: Megan Liao/the Justice

you try to imagine the paintings being hung upside-down, you may find that the reversal does not interfere with the legibility of the painting. This effect owes much to the high symmetricity of the trees and their reflection in the water. Monet’s connection and juxtaposition of the plants and their mirror images metaphorically articulate his reflection on the relationship between the objective reality and subjective arts: art is derived from nature and can constitute a parallel reality.

On the other side of the wall hangs Monet’s other painting series, including the “Valley of the Creuse” and the “Rouen Cathedrals.” The “Creuse” series depict the Creuse Valley in Central France bathed in shining sunshine, while the “Cathedral” series delineated the encrusted stone façade of Rouen Cathedral in Normandy under different light conditions. Again, light and shadow is the central subject of the paintings. Monet loads his paintbrush with heavy impasto, recreating the fleeting impressions of mutable sunlight. His unblended colors and quick brush strokes were then often criticized by his contemporary conservative critics, who worshipped a more traditional style of paintings that feature classical compositions and a smooth transition of color. In fact, the term “impressionist” was initially a derisive name coined by journalist Louis Leroy who intended to ridicule the sketchy quality of Monet and his impressionist colleagues’ artistic style after viewing the first Impressionist group show in 1874.

Rodin, often perceived as the founding figure of European modern sculptures, was also severely attacked to the “incompleteness” and roughness of his bronze and marble sculptures. Just like Monet, Rodin boldly broke away from the convention of rendering a refined sculptural surface with refined details and a static formulaic pose to figural representation. He intentionally left marks of his hands and chisel on the surface of his work and sometimes kept part of the rough marble block unpolished. Rodin focuses on the natural expression of figures’ motion, force, and tension.

In the Ceres (1896), Rodin depicts the ancient goddess Ceres. He manipulates the degree of execution creating a sharp contrast and tension between the goddess’ smooth skin and the chunky, rough-hewn marble as the figure’s body. It is at once a finished sculpture but also a sculpture that records the artist’s creating process. The abstract quality and manual marks on the sculptural surface imbues the bust with solidity, vivacity, and mysterious charm.

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Rodin: Ceres(1896)

The ingenious placement of Rodin’s and Monet’s artworks in the gallery space allows the viewer to make visual connections and comparisons between the two masters’ works and experience the spirit of impressionism. Seeing the paintings and sculptures side by side, I could sense the buoyant energy flowing back and forth from Monet’s tip of the brush to Rodin’s carving chisel.

The visible spontaneous brushwork in Monet’s canvases echoes the modeling gesture of Rodin’s figural sculptures. Both artists sacrificed visual details of their subjects to articulate the essence — for Monet, it is the transitory effects of light, while for Rodin it is the burst of emotion and physical movement. To maximize the luminosity of Monet’s paint and present the full beauty of Rodin’s marble sculpture, the curators consciously created a dimly

lit space and adopted dark blue wallpaper as the background for this exhibition. These curatorial strategies together with the brilliant artworks present the visitor a rich story of the two rebellious

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Monet: “Rouen Cathedral”(1894) artists’ avant-garde exploration and experimentation.

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The MFA: The “Monet, Rodin, and Boston exhibition ran from April to Oct. 2021.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2022 I ARTS & CULTURE I THE JUSTICE

THE JUSTICE | ARTS | TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2017

TV REVIEW

Meet Maddy Morphosis: straight queen on drag race

By JASON FRANK JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

A straight man has been cast on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” so, hooray for representation.

Maddy Morphosis, a drag queen from Fayetteville, Arkansas, is one of the 12 queens still left competing on the 14th season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Maddy has been controversial since the initial cast announcement when it was revealed in her promotional materials that she was “Drag Race”’s first-ever cisgender, heterosexual male contestant.

The announcement was immediately followed by a string of tweets, articles about those tweets, reaction videos, and think pieces. Maddy’s controversial casting was to be expected.

“Drag Race” is the only longrunning television program of its size to feature all queer contes-

tants, performing a specifically queer artform. The show has had its ups and downs in terms of representation, but it has always been a show by queer people and for queer people.

Now, meet Maddy Morphosis.

Much of the initial opining on Maddy was less about the queen herself, but the very idea of a straight drag queen existing, or, more specifically, being showcased on “Drag Race,” a program that typically makes of specifically showcasing queer artists.

Since the season premiered, the fervor has largely died down.

There are still jokes being made online, yes, but the controversy has dulled to a low-level hum for the first time since the cast announcement. However, this is less due to any change in opinion about the show’s decision to include her, and more because Maddy is a low-key personality.

Photo Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

Long-Running: “RuPaul’s Drag Race” has been a clear cult classic since its premiere in 2009.

Bluntly put, she is a nondescript presence who would be entirely boring if not for her sexuality, and she doesn’t make for particularly compelling television, straight or not.

Yet, despite the havoc dying down, Maddy’s dull personality is actually making things worse for her. As of Jan. 31, she’s been on three episodes and has managed to: give a competent but unexciting musical performance in a talent show challenge, consistently wear outfits that feel pedestria –– not due to lack of funds but due to lack of imagination –– and barely scrape through a bottom two lipsync only because her competitor completely fell apart. RuPaul has all but directly told her that she is just not fabulous enough for the competition, and, on this, RuPaul is right.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that Maddy was not cast alongside her identity as straight, but solely because of it.

Maddy Morphosis is not a bad person. It’s clear that she has a passion for performing, and she has been a respectful competitor throughout: friendly with the other contestants and never taking up too much space. She rarely inserts herself or her identity unless asked directly and is always willing to listen to another queen’s stories about queerness.

It’s not Maddy herself that’s the problem, it’s the show.

“Drag Race” has a history of excluding trans contestants. It’s gotten better in recent years, but for years there was a specific

resistance to cast transgender women on the show. There were multiple queens who came out either during or after their season aired (and some returned to AllStars seasons), but the general messaging was that the show was not for trans women.

This was compounded when, in 2018, RuPaul made a comment in a Guardian profile that the show would not have accepted Peppermint, a trans woman and a contestant on season nine of the show had she already begun gender-affirming surgery.

“You can identify as a woman and say you’re transitioning, but it changes once you start changing your body. It takes on a different thing; it changes the whole concept of what we’re doing,” said RuPaul.

These comments are egregious when taken in context with the history of drag, which has always included and been led by trans women, both before and after they’ve begun their transitions.

In fact, trans women specifically developed the form of drag that “Drag Race” draws upon most strongly: the Harlem ballroom culture, specifically the era portrayed in the 1990 documentary film, “Paris is Burning.” Each season, “Drag Race” runs a ball challenge and a reading challenge, both of which specifically draw on the language that “Paris is Burning” reified in popular culture. When RuPaul says that she doesn’t want post-transition trans women on her show, it’s a slap in the face to the very people

who developed the language she based “Drag Race” on.

Since those comments were made, there have been multiple trans women on the show. The last All-Stars Season was won

by Kylie Sonique Love, the first contestant to ever come out as a trans woman on “Drag Race,” back on the reunion episode of season two. Season 14 is the first non-All-Stars season to include multiple trans-women, such as Kerri Colby and Kornbread “The Snack” Jete. That progress is not enough to justify casting a straight man for the shock value, especially if that straight man can’t perform at the level the show requires.

Given “Drag Race”’s history of problematic casting, watching Maddy Morphosis stumble through season 14 feels especially difficult. After years of not casting the people who developed the scene the show is based on, they’ve cast someone solely to make a point of her identity — and it’s a straight man.

The majority of Maddy’s screen time has inevitably been devoted to her straightness. Each time the queens are portrayed as listening and learning something, and they inevitably reiterate the idea that drag is for everyone. That’s true.

However, the history of “Drag Race” is not based on the idea that “everybody can do drag.” It’s based on the idea that there are very specific people who can be on the show. Maybe everybody can do drag, but not everybody should do “Drag Race.”

HOROSCOPE

Weekly horoscope Pisces

You have a tendency to let your emotions overtake you in important decision making.

When it comes to money matters, try to not do that – especially this week. Today: Get grinding.

Photo Coutesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

January: Happy Birthday to Aquariuses!

By MIRANDA SULLIVAN Capricorn

You are a leader, but try taking the backseat this week.

Keep in mind, no one likes a backseat driver, so zip it! Let someone else take control. The mystery will be a vibe for you, and you’ll learn to appreciate a supporting role. Today: chillax.

Aquarius

Take the time to call a family member you haven’t spoken to in a while this week. Ask them a question you never have before.

Who knows, you may discover something you never even knew. Worth a shot, no? Today: no one likes a teacher’s pet.

Design: Megan Liao/the Justice

Taurus

Work may be a serious stressor for you. This week you could be tested to your limits, but don’t fret! When you’re done, you will be so proud, A+!

Today: relax before the storm.

Gemini

at it. Throw caution to the wind, but be sure to check the You’ve been feeling timid windchill, if you know what lately, which is not necessarily I mean. All that glitters isn’t in your nature. Don’t let one gold. Today: away from it all. aspect of your personality Sagittarius define the rest. Be reserved If you do something upsetting when you need to, but don’t lose this week, DO NOT blame it on sight of who you are. Today: being a Sagittarius. Own up to avoid construction sites. your actions, unless it was kind Virgo of funny — then in that case feel This week you’ll be free to ascribe your questionable approached by multiple animals choices to one small aspect of — a dog out for a walk, a bunny on the quad. Upon contact, give your furry friend a knowing nod and connect with it via your shared needs, such as food, shelter, friendship, etc. Today: stay in.

Today: Something spontaneous.

Leo

When someone asks you how you are doing this week, try telling them a detailed version of what you’re feeling. Maybe Libra ask a friend to have lunch or This will be an awesome time go out to eat. Make sure to pack your leftovers neatly. Today: to play the numbers — get that lotto ticket! You are going to don’t be afraid to be a bitch! have one lucky week. With a Cancer This week will bring new skip in your step, get to those sights and sounds. Listen chores you’ve been meaning to carefully as you walk to work or do. Today: something sweet.

Scorpio school because you might hear If someone approaches you something crucial. Gossip? A bird? Up to your interpretation. with a great opportunity, jump

your astrological chart. Today: wear your fav outfit :)

Aries

Get grounded this week. Do the things you love to do. Resume that quarantine activity you haven’t picked up in a while. Get reconnected with yourself, and good things will follow. Reach out to a friend, or do something nice for a stranger, too. Don’t just think about you! Today: read a book.

Photo Coutesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

Dates: Find out your astrology sign based on your birthday!

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2022 I ARTS & CULTURE I THE JUSTICE

STAFF’S Top Ten

Photo Courtesy of RIVER HAYES

Top Ten Zoom Student Personas

By RIVER HAYES

JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

To commemorate the transition to in-person classes, here are my favorite Zoom student personas that I’ll truly miss.

1. The one clearly only looking at their own Zoom square and taking artful selfies 2. The one that’s always mid-commute (walking, in a car, etc.)

3. The one who never turns on their camera all semester so you conjure a clear image in your head of what they look like based on their voice 4. The one whose pet always makes an appearance 5. The one who’s constantly unmuted and making a strange amount of jarring noises for someone who’s supposedly just sitting and watching class 6. The one sitting in bad lighting so they just look like a creepy silhouette 7. The one who keeps chatting with someone who’s sitting just out of frame 8. The one who uses a weird background image they imported themselves 9. The one who positions the camera to only show the top half of their face

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10. The one who uses reaction emojis every time someone speaks

CROSSWORD

MIRANDA SULLIVAN/the Justice

MIRANDA SULLIVAN/the Justice

Down

3. spaceman I know #2 6. basic planet 7. the milky ___ 8. famous people 9. bar 13. a hike 15. is a galaxy 19. the speed at which something can go 22. 5 W’s and an H

23. porous hole 26. what you have to do to get around 28. debatable planet 30. what is also out there 32. a mission 33. a mom chicken 34. immature punchline 37. send off in the mail 38. Harry’s uncle

Across

16. dog’s name

1. drops of

17. wave controller

2. moon controls them

18. spaceman I know #1

4. king trident?

20. cute belt!

5. everything is one of these, some say

21. or is it rolls?

10. bright shining star

24. and sometimes y

11. lion sign

25. shrinking

12. growing

27. shaving utensil

14. how to get to space

29. space craft

15. something so adorable

31. international space station, for short