The Justice, November 1, 2016

ARTS Page 19

FORUM Destigmatize drug addiction 11

VARIETY SHOW

SPORTS Cross country cruises to victory 16 The Independent Student Newspaper

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Justice

Volume LXIX, Number 9

www.thejustice.org

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

CRIME

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

Reported rapes on the uptick since 2013 ■ The University's annual

crime and safety report showed an increase in the number of reported rapes on campus.

By ABBY PATKIN JUSTICE editor

HEATHER SCHILLER/the Justice

On Friday evening, students in Ridgewood A commons dined on Indian delicacies during a celebration of Diwali, the annual autumn Hindu festival of lights.

FACULTY

Librarian becomes notary to register students to vote

■ Aimee Slater has been

providing notary services free of charge to help students get out and vote.

By MAX MORAN JUSTICE editor

The latest national polls show the 2016 presidential election narrowing significantly, to the point where every last vote might count. But for college students voting by absentee ballot, a complex web of laws and regulations that vary from state to state can often keep their votes from having an impact on Election Day. Luckily for Brandeisians, the library has hosted a slew of events and is offering services to help students voting by absentee ballot navigate the bureaucracy. Librarian Aimee Slater even became a certified public notary, because some states require absentee ballots to be notarized, and is offering her services for free to students.

“We started talking about this project back in February and had

hopefully planned to do it for the primary in Massachusetts, as a little bit of a pilot to get people interested in registering and voting,” Slater said in an interview with the Justice. “I came here from New York, and the primary in Massachusetts is much earlier. So I had the idea the day before voting closed.”

For the general election, though, Slater has been on the front lines at events like the Sept. 15 registration celebration, an all-day affair where students could register in Goldfarb library. Oct. 21 also saw the Absentee Jamboree, and between those two events and walk-ins interested in registering, Slater estimates that about 150 students had registered for the general election through Brandeis services by last Friday.

“It was really just about untangling the process, because each state has a different process, and within some states, different counties have different processes. So we’re talking hundreds of processes,” Slater explained. After the election, the library plans to display a graphic indicating which states Brandei-

sians voted in. More students come in to register every day, according to Slater.

Her own role as a notary has helped voters in states like Arkansas, Missouri, Delaware and North Carolina, which all require either a notary or two witnesses to authenticate a ballot before it’s mailed in. The notary doesn’t see how the voter actually voted but is present when the voter signs the outside of the ballot to authenticate it. They then provide a notary stamp.

Most notaries charge for their services, but Slater is providing notarization to students for free, even after the election is over. “As it turns out, documentation to study abroad and visas and that sort of thing also require a notary. There are other things students are working with — passport applications, et cetera — that also require a notary.”

She said her work is part of a larger push from the library to provide students with more services. “And also, voting is such an act of civic engagement, and we really want to

See VOTE, 7 ☛

Campus police have received slightly more reports of rape in on-campus housing since 2013, according to an annual fire and safety report put out by the University’s Department of Public Safety. While it is possible that instances of sexual assault are higher, they could also simply be indicative of an uptick in the number of cases reported to authorities.

The University is required to report crime statistics to students on a regular basis, per the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Poli-

cy and Campus Crime Statistics Act of 1990.

The Clery Act Named for Jeanne Clery, a Lehigh University student who was raped and murdered in her dorm in 1986, the federal statute requires colleges and universities that receive federal funding to share information about crime on campus. These colleges and universities must also report on their efforts to improve campus safety and inform the public about crime in and around campus, according to the Clery Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving campus security.

Under the Act and Title IX, colleges and universities must also provide specific information about options and resources to sexual assault survivors. Additionally, “institutions must have a prompt and equitable process

See CRIME, 7 ☛

CAMPUS SPEAKER

Schroeder reflects on role of women in politics ■ On Thursday, former

congresswoman Pat Schroeder looked at the rise of women in American politics.

By Michelle DAng JUSTICE Staff Writer

The number of women involved in American politics is nowhere near where it should be, especially as the 2016 presidential election approaches, former Colorado congresswoman Patricia Scott Schroeder told students in an online webinar on Thursday.

While Schroeder, one of the most tenured congresswomen in history, helped pave the path for women in American government, her uptake of the role was not an easy

transition: “Someone said to me, ‘How can you be a congresswomen and a mother?’ As a smartass 31-year-old, I said, ‘I have a brain; I have a uterus; they both work,’” she recalled.

At the time of her 1972 election, there were only 14 women in congress, and Schroeder was sworn into congress with a diaper bag over her shoulder and her children in her arms. “Your opponent is sitting there with four kids, and no one ever asked him how he can be a father and a congressman. So ... for a lot of people that was it, but also lot of people thought, ‘Maybe, you know, she’s right. Why it is only one way?’” said Schroeder.

Even now, over 40 years later, the trajectory of women in politics is not where it should be, Schroed-

See WOMEN, 7 ☛

Lenny Bruce

Heads Up!

The Glass Ceiling

 Brandeis University held a conference and celebration for the acquisition of Bruce's archives.

 The men's soccer team clawed their way back into conference competition with a five-game win streak.

Faculty and alumni told students how they broke the glass ceiling as women in business on Wednesday.

FEATURES 8-9 For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org

Waltham, Mass.

Let your voice be heard!

Submit letters to the editor online at www.thejustice.org

INDEX

SPORTS 16

ARTS SPORTS

17 13

EDITORIAL FEATURES

10 OPINION 8 POLICE LOG

10 2

News 3

COPYRIGHT 2016 FREE AT BRANDEIS.

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the justice

NEWS SENATE LOG

POLICE LOG

Student Union digs into issue of free expression on campus

Medical Emergency

The University is “taking an approach that is not the UChicago approach” to examining free speech on campus, Student Union President David Herbstritt ’17 told the Student Union Senate at Sunday’s Senate meeting. In an executive officer report, Herbstritt said the Presidential Task Force on Free Expression currently has one undergraduate and one graduate student member and is looking for more participants.

Herbstritt said he’s received emails where “people have expressed concern that ‘free expression’ is a buzzword for saying whatever you want, no matter the consequences. I want to assure everyone that that’s not the case.” He said that the task force is exploring “what does freedom of academic expression mean and how can we engage in discourse that is meaningful, productive and considerate, and not just hands-off, everyone can say whatever they want.

It’s been proven time and time again that that’s not just socially not great, it’s also not productive.”

Herbstritt appeared at the Senate meeting for the Senators to approve two new appointments to the Union’s Executive Board. The Senators voted unanimously to permit Allocations Board Chair Alex Feldman ’19 to join the Executive Board, due to his knowledge of the allocations process. Herbstritt said the E-Board is working more on club funding than he anticipated when he became president, so having an expert join those discussions would be helpful. The group also made Student Union Director of Academic Involvement Jacob Edelman ’18 their new permanent director of both academic involvement and communications. He had filled in when the communications director resigned earlier in the year, and Herbstritt praised his work managing the Union’s website.

The Senate also voted to recognize the Brandeis Climbing Club at the start of the meeting. Club members explained that Brandeis Climbing Club focuses on indoor rock-wall climbing and provides competitive training to those interested. Their eventual goal is to form a club sports team for rock climbing. Senators asked how the Brandeis Climbing Club is different from the Mountain Club, which also provides rock-climbing events. Club members responded that the Mountain Club focuses on mountaineering, while their club focuses on rock climbing and has competitive interests.

The club members hope to eventually receive University funding as a subsidy for gym costs. Currently, Brandeis Climbing Club members need to pay for their own gym membership, which can be around $60 per month.

In committee reports, Senator at Large Shaquan McDowell ’18 said he met with Vice President for Campus Operations Jim Gray about providing menstrual products around campus. According to McDowell, Gray said he thought the issue was not a serious concern to students because of low response to the Justice’s and the Brandeis Hoot’s coverage of the issue, according to McDowell. McDowell said he told Gray that students discuss the issue frequently among each other and on social media.

Class of 2017 Senator Ryan Tracy presented a draft version of a report which club leaders may need to provide to the Student Union soon about current problems that clubs are facing. The report is separate from an anonymous survey, currently in development, that club members will be able to fill out at any time about their club’s activities.

The draft version provided to the Justice calls on club leaders to state three goals and reflect on their progress along those goals, as well as provide details on meeting times and officer’s duties. Senators debated whether to ask club leaders to provide attendance records to the Student Union and whether to organize training sessions for club leaders with professionals in their given fields.

Oct. 24—A party in Usen Hall reported that they had injured their toe.

BEMCo staff treated the party with a signed refusal for further care.

Oct. 24—University Police received a report of an intoxicated party in Usen Hall.

BEMCo staff treated the party, who was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital via Cataldo Ambulance.

Oct. 28—University Police received a report of a staff member in Usdan Student Center who fell down.

BEMCo staff treated the party, and University Police transported them to NewtonWellesley Hospital for further care.

Oct. 29—University Police received a report of an intoxicated party in the men’s bathroom in the Sherman Function

Hall.

BEMCo staff and University Police responded, and the party signed a refusal for further care with Cataldo Ambulance staff.

Oct. 30—A party in Ziv Quad was treated for intoxication and vomiting.

University Police and BEMCo staff responded, and the party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

Oct. 30—A party at the Rabb Graduate School reported that they had suffered from an ankle injury.

BEMCo staff treated the party, and University Police transported them to NewtonWellesley Hospital for further care.

Drugs

Oct. 26—An area coordinator requested that Univer-

sity Police take possession of marijuana and smoking paraphernalia confiscated from the Charles River Apartments during a health and safety inspection.

University Police confiscated the contraband and compiled a report.

The Department of Community Living will compile a community standards report on the incident.

Oct. 26—A DCL staff member requested that University Police confiscate drugs discovered in a Charles River apartment during health and safety inspections.

University Police confiscated the contraband and compiled a report. DCL staff will submit a community standards report on the incident.

Harassment

Oct. 25—A staff member in

CONTENT WARNINGS

n A News article inverted first-year yield statistics from the Admissions Department. (Oct. 10, pg. 1).

The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Email editor@ thejustice.org.

Justice

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Other

Oct. 28—University Police obtained a 209A abuse prevention protective order from the Waltham District Court on behalf of two community members who live off campus. Under Massachusetts state law, 209A orders — often called “restraining orders” — typically prevent one party from contacting another.

Oct. 29—University Police were flagged over by a cab driver involved in a dispute over fare at the Main Entrance. The University Police settled the situation and the driver left.

— Compiled by Abby Patkin.

BRIEF Boston Latin officials amend allegedly sexist dress code

—Max Moran

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

the Lown Center for Judaica Studies reported that they had received harassing mail.

University Police compiled a report on the incident.

MIHIR KHANNA/the Justice

Students and community members gathered on Friday in the Intercultural Center to look at the use of safe spaces and trigger warnings and to consider how to bring this discussion to campus.

Boston Latin School students have won the freedom of leggings; on Wednesday, high school officials reported that they would be amending their dress code, after students complained that the code unfairly targeted women.

In a daily bulletin to students on Oct. 24, the school announced that it would be enforcing its “longstanding” dress code with renewed fervor starting Nov. 1.

“Students should dress appropriately for the business of education. … Violations are subject to progressive discipline,” the bulletin read, according to a screenshot posted on an online Change.org petition.

The bulletin noted that students would be allowed to wear leggings to school, but only if they wore shorts or a skirt to cover them.

“By allowing the school to dress code us, we are telling the school several things: Yes, we still live in a patriarchal society where men can decide whether a female’s clothing is appropriate or inappropriate, [and] yes, a body should be covered in order to be attractive. Establishing a sense of shame towards girls [sic] bodies is okay and perfectly acceptable,” read the Change.org petition, which was posted by Charles Cao, a Boston Latin student.

Boston Latin officials “met with several students who had expressed concern about the existing dress code” and “reached an agreement to amend the dress code” such that leggings may be worn as long as they are not sheer, according to a statement from Boston Public Schools on Wednesday, as reported in an Oct. 26 Boston Globe article.

In an update on his petition, Cao wrote that he and a fellow student met with Boston Latin Interim Headmaster Michael Contompasis, who agreed to allow students to wear leggings.

“However, we are still not done with our job,” Cao added. “This is where we might need your help. Now we seek your input. … Remember this is not solely for the sake of the student body at present but also for the sake of future generations.”

—Abby Patkin

ANNOUNCEMENTS Baklava, Turkish Coffee & NEJS

Join the NEJS Faculty and UDRs for an afternoon of baklava, Turkish coffee and stories, as well as learning about the courses being offered in the spring 2017 semester. The event is open to any and all students interested in taking classes in the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department.

All food provided at the event will be kosher.

Today from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in the Mandel Reading Room.

Black is Power

“Black is Power” kicks off “Black Is” Week. The Brandeis Black Students Organization will be discussing how students define their blackness and what it means to have Black Power. Stop by and be part of the conversation.

Today from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Intercultural Center Swig Lounge.

Is the Crisis of Democracy an Invention?

The rise of right-wing extremist political parties over the past few years and this year’s Brexit decision, as well as the tea party and Trump phenomenon in the U.S., have given rise to the question of whether Western democracies are in crisis. However, as significant these developments may be they fall short of a fundamental crisis-of-democracy if the question is asked systematically.

In analyzing the three fundamental democratic levels of participation, representation and governance Humboldt University’s Wolfgang Merkel will aim to provide a more comprehensive answer to the state of our democracies at the beginning of the 21st century.

Tomorrow from 12 to 2 p.m. in the Mandel Reading Room.

The Inauguration of Ronald Liebowitz

Join the University community for the inauguration of Ronald D. Liebowitz as

the ninth president of Brandeis University. A reception will immediately follow.

Tickets can be picked up in the Shapiro Campus Center Box Office.

Thursday from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center.

SEAC Dessert Night

The South East Asia Club is kicking off its South East Asia Club Month with a sweet start. Please join club members for a fun night where they will be serving an assortment of Asian inspired desserts.

Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Intercultural Center Swig Lounge.

Meet the Majors: Fine Arts

Interested in the Art History or Studio Art major? Want to enter a raffle for art supplies or art posters? Come to the Fine Arts d epartment Meet the Majors event.

Monday from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Mandel Center for the Humanities Atrium.

the justice

Panel

professionals examined the root of microaggressions against minorities.

By SPENCER TAFT JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The difficulties that women and people of color face on a daily basis often go unnoticed because they are frequently unintentional and damage individuals on a relatively small scale, a panel of scholars told students on Wednesday.

The panel began with a video explaining what microaggressions actually are, defining them as small, unintentionally marginalizing comments that can build up to greater problems over time. “To me, microaggressions are oppression, make no mistake about it,” said Jesse Beal, the director of Amherst College’s Women’s and Gender Center. “Everyone has the opportunity to be a jerk, so that’s why it’s important to make a distinction between conscious offense and unintentional offense.”

Despite the fact that they hold positions of power within their respective fields, the panelists shared personal stories of the microaggressions they have been subjected to at work. “I often have to validate my existence in certain spaces, especially if those spaces are shared with people in institutional power,” said Mauricia Donald, the manager of the Education and Diversity Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The panelists also considered whether microaggressions affect those who are not aware that they are happening. “I believe that there are folks who do not understand the structures of oppression at work in

their lives,” Beal pointed out. “On the flipside, it’s not a matter of lack of education; it’s a lack of insecurity in [aggressors],” added Nurys Camargo, regional director of external affairs at AT&T, referring to the tendency of people to say whatever comes to mind without regard for the effect of their words.

This transitioned into another video comparing microaggressions to mosquito bites; alone they are a nuisance, but over the course of days, months or years, they can be much more damaging. This, the panel posited, is why people who do not experience microaggressions on a daily basis are hesitant to accept the phenomenon as a true mental threat to marginalized communities.

The panel also looked at a series of statistics showing inequality in the workplace along race and gender lines. Most strikingly, a study from the Harvard Business Review showed that women’s confidence and ambition to reach a top position in their company dropped by over 60 percent after two years of work, while men saw no such reduction. “I certainly experience what I feel to be different expectations,” Prof. Sava Berhane (WGS) added. “No credit for doing twice the work. I’m lucky I’m a workaholic, otherwise that would be a real problem,” she joked.

Ultimately, forming relationships with other professionals is the best way to combat microaggressions, the panelists agreed. “If you don’t have a mentor in your field,” Beal told the audience, “go get one.”

“Relationships with your frontline manager make all the difference,” Berhane said, to which Donald added, “We have a lot of dismantling to do, but until you’re in charge of the wrecking ball, you have to build alliances.”

ANNA SHERMAN/the Justice

MOSQUITO BITES: The panel discussed the effect of microaggressions over time.

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DECREASING HARM

Panel looks at microaggressions in the workplace ■ A panel of scholars and

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CANDICE JIANG/the Justice

ENGAGING: Profs. Greg Childs (HIST) and Anita Hannig (ANTH) discussed how to interact with the locals while on service trips.

Student and panel try to redefine ethical service ■Shikha Chandarana ’17

organized a panel of scholars to address the issue of the ethics involved in volunteerbased service trips.

By ABby patkin JUSTICE editor

While great on paper, short-term service trips can cause more harm than good without proper training and preparation, according to Shikha Chandarana ’17. Now, Chandarana is trying to get the word out and change that.

“In a lot of cases, if not done ethically and not done well, service trips and all of this stuff — it’s not always helpful,” said Chandarana, whose own service work includes a gap year spent working in Indian orphanages. “Fortunately, there’s a lot of things organizations can do to actually create change, … and almost all of it can be done with better education and better understanding,” she added in an interview with the Justice.

In order to better educate the community and spark dialogue on the issue, Chandarana organized a panel of speakers, which addressed students on Wednesday. During the event, student and faculty panelists touched on their own service work, explaining how volunteer trips still fall short.

Students can best prepare themselves for service trips by reading

up on the local culture, Chandarana said, adding that students must also know their own limits — she cited an example of a pre-med student playing doctor in volunteer clinics.

“Handling that kind of privilege with extreme caution is very important,” Prof. Anita Hannig (ANTH) told students at the panel, urging those considering volunteering to consider their motivations for going and set realistic goals about what they wish to accomplish.

Prof. Greg Childs (AAAS) added that learning about and interacting with the local community is almost as crucial as the work itself. He cited one example of a conference he went to in Ghana, during which the attendees hardly acknowledged the locals and acted as though they were doing the community a favor by simply being there. “Your labor, your work can be a gift. You yourself are not a gift,” Childs emphasized. “Think about how you want to engage people every day. Think about everyday life.”

This training and education is so crucial because, without it, volunteers might misunderstand the needs of the community, Prof. Gowri Vijayakumar (SOC) asserted. She gave an example of foreign service workers trying to “liberate” Indian sex workers, despite the fact that many workers don’t want or need it. “Sometimes you might be wrong about what you think they need,” Vijayakumar said.

In her interview with the Justice, Chandarana added that these trips

might also cause harm to the local communities. She cited a July 31, 2012 CNN article, which describes the adverse effect well-intentioned orphanage tours have on places like Siem Reap, Cambodia, where the constant slew of wealthy visitors has created a market for orphans in the town.

Ultimately, for students looking to go on service trips, the best way to avoid causing harm to local communities is to research what the organization offering the trip is asking of participants, Chandarana explained.

But, in a larger sense, an ethical service trip involves a lengthy process of interacting with the community and understanding the local culture, she said.

And at the end of the day, Chandarana emphasizes, “Think of this as not a pro- or anti-volunteering thing. We all have different opinions about it, and this is not a debate; it’s not a battle of that. I think this is all about trying to make ourselves more aware.”

The panel and the resulting dialogue is just a starting point for creating a larger campus-wide discussion, which will culminate in a student working group on ethical service, which will generate a syllabus on ethical service trips, she said. This syllabus will ideally go to the University’s Department of Community Service, where it will serve as a guideline for students looking to help out around the world.

PANEL

Business professionals discuss shattering the glass ceiling ■ Alumni and Brandeis

faculty came together to discuss their experiences as women in the workplace.

By TZLIL LEVY JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

In an event on Thursday, a panel of business professionals and scholars took the opportunity to recognize the contributions Brandeis alumni and faculty members have made toward breaking the glass ceiling in the fields of business and economics.

Panel moderator Cathy Minehan, the former president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, began the event by sharing her personal career experience serving for 39 years with the Fed in Boston and New York. Minehan mentioned how job interviews have changed

significantly since she entered the field, especially in terms of how candidates are interviewed. In several interviews with big Wall Street banks, Minehan said, she was told that “women were not allowed” in the management training programs.

The Fed interviewed Minehan for a computer programming position while she was still a student, she explained. After she passed the test, she asked for a management training program and was told that they had “never had a woman in it.” After another interview for the position, she was hired.

She described the progress of the Fed as an “interesting evolution.”

“The Fed tends to view itself as a meritocracy,” Minehan said.

In 2004, Minehan recruited Provost Lisa Lynch to the Federal Reserve Advisory Board in Boston.

Lynch described the Boston Fed as “always at the top of the league

tables in terms of the percentage of economists who were women [and] economists who had headed the research department at the Fed reserve bank.”

In her remarks, Prof. Anne Carter (ECON) shared, “Everything in my career has been a surprise.” Before coming to Brandeis, Carter taught at Harvard — “Being a woman [at Harvard] was something that was tolerated but not appreciated,” she noted.

Lan Xue ’90 M.A. ’91, a founding partner and head of research at Trivest Advisors in Hong Kong, also shared her progress as a woman in the stock market industry. “I was actually the first female head of research for any major international bank in China — probably in the Asian region, as well,” she explained.When she moved back to Hong Kong after graduating from Brandeis, there were only seven publicly listed mainland Chinese

companies. “Today, as we speak, China is now in the second biggest stock market in the whole world, only after the U.S. That’s how far we’ve come,” she said.

Amy Kessler ’89 M.A. ’90, the senior vice president and head of longevity risk transfer at Prudential Financial, leads a 240-person team in her division. “The most important thing for me to do … is I check it at the door,” she said. “The idea that I might be the only woman in the room, the idea that I might be the only woman with a PNL, … the idea that I might be the only woman negotiating a deal or I might be the only woman with 240 people on my team. I forget all about that,” she said.

She praised women’s abilities to collaborate, bring people together around new ideas, and teach and cultivate teams and team ethics. Kessler also mentioned the challenge

pension funds face of managing assets and longevity risks. “Diversity is not just about women,” she said.

“Diversity is about everybody. It’s about diversity of thought; it’s about having people of all different ages on your team, people from all parts of the world, people from different educational backgrounds and professional experiences.”

Kessler argued that women are less likely to apply for jobs if they doubt their qualifications, even if they are actually overqualified for the position. “I call that the confidence gap,” she said.

Minehan added that she believes that a woman also needs to be resourceful and “take the bull by the horns.” For example, when the Fed’s Boston chief coordinating officer retired and the position was open, Minehan called Richard Syron, president of the bank, and asked to be considered.

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PANEL

Scholars consider lessons to be learned from the 2016 presidential election ■ A panel of scholars agreed

on Thursday that race and immigration are the two hotbutton topics of this election.

By PERI MEYERS JUSTICE staff writer

Race relations and immigration have become increasingly salient and divisive topics in this presidential election, asserted a panel of professors at an event on Thursday.

“What is this election season teaching us about America?” asked Acting Director of the Ethics Center Cynthia Cohen, opening the event.

She went on to ask two familiar questions about the election: Are we seeing what was always there?

What does this election tell us about ourselves?

“Unfortunately for me, nothing new,” answered Prof. Jeffrey Lenowitz (POL). Though the ideas behind this election have long existed — Lenowitz commented that 18thcentury politics “was as dirty as it is now” — it is distinct in giving the people who hold them a platform.

He argued that “the existence of Trump” shows a failure in Republican strategy but also a failure in both political parties, the governmental structure and in the media.

Prof. Douglas Smith (LGLS) also questioned to what extent this campaign has revealed anything new.

He noted that the populist movement underlying Trump’s popularity has rippled across Europe as well, as shown in Hungary, France and the United Kingdom.

Intercultural Center Director Madeleine Lopez and Smith discussed the media’s effect on Trump’s prominence. The corporate media, argued Lopez, had seized the conversation to maintain high ratings. Smith added that Trump “has found a way to leverage the media,” with day-to-day coverage “of each and every thing he does.”

From there, the conversation shifted to American democracy and its intensifying polarization.

Trump, as an “excellent manipulator of the media,” serves as more than just an indicator of a flawed media coverage; he also reflects “a strategy from the Republican party that has backfired,” Lenowitz argued.

Smith said that this election cycle is “laying bare this insecurity, this lack of faith in our political institutions” — in part because, as he had said earlier, those institutions are failing.

Cohen delved further into that insecurity, citing a Vox interview with sociologist Arlie Hochschild, in which Hochschild discusses what motivates Trump supporters. In that article, Hochschild describes people waiting in a long line, at the end of which lies the American

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

THE ELECTION MIRROR: Prof. Jeffrey Lenowitz (POL) and Intercultural Center Director Madeleine Lopez discussed the 2016 election.

Dream.

The people have been waiting for a while, working hard and sacrificing plenty to get something they deserve. This line is slow, almost still — and then they see others cutting in front them. Immigrants, women and refugees keep cutting ahead, encouraged by the very man meant to supervise the line: Barack Obama.

This image is not entirely accurate, Cohen argued, but it was an

“emotional truth” for many people who feel cheated. She described a “tension” between “wanting to oppose racist strands” of this ideology and “wanting to reach across this polarization.”

“There has to be an end to the family detention programs,” said Lopez, who favors a path to citizenship. She emphasized America’s history as a nation of immigrants.

Though Hillary Clinton has vowed to address immigration re-

form and prevent the breakup of families, Lopez was skeptical as to whether the Democratic presidential nominee would actually achieve that.

Similarly, citing various immigrant advocacy groups, Smith noted that, though many expect a Clinton presidency, their hopes are not high for comprehensive reform under it.

“I can’t imagine how many people must be disengaged after this election,” agreed Lopez.

Panel

Do you have a nose for news?

Panel looks at women’s suffrage ■ On Sunday, a group of

scholars drew comparisons between women’s suffrage in Israel and America.

By PERI MEYERS JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Contact Abby Patkin at news@thejustice.org

The year was 1920. With World War I past, Jewish women in Mandatory Palestine were fighting for suffrage. That same year, American women won the right to vote.

This was the focus of a panel on Sunday, which was sponsored by the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute and moderated by its associate director, Lisa Fishbayn Joffe.

“Paradoxically, women had more opportunities in this backwards country,” Margalit Shilo, a professor of women’s studies at Israel’s Bar Ilan University said. She talked about numerous female Jewish pioneers who came to Jerusalem, including educators like Sarah Azaryahu, writers like Nehama Puhachevsky, and doctors like Rosa Welt-Straus and Helena Kagan. Shilo continued, “The newly established national entity in Mandatory Palestine opened up opportunities for women.”

Many of these women fought for women’s suffrage in the New Yishuv, or the Jewish community of Mandatory Palestine, by creating the Union of Hebrew Women for Equal Rights in Eretz Israel. At the 1920 election for the Assembly of Representatives — the “mother of the Israeli Knesset,” in Shilo’s words — they argued that the Jew’s right to self-determination could not be divorced from the woman’s right to vote. The Assembly deferred the final decision to a future Assembly, though, in the face of ultra-Orthodox opposition.

Riki Shapira-Rosenberg, a scholar in residence at HBI, went deeper into the conflict between the suffrage movement and ultra-Orthodox society. An advocate for ultra-Orthodox women in Israel, she argued that the state has long been lukewarm on women’s rights. Women knew that “if they did not fight for themselves, no one would do it for them,” she said.

Moreover, if they wanted to put up a good fight, they needed to take part in the legal process. Many women sought to reform Jewish law, working to raise the age of marriage and give Jewish women the right to inherit. As Shapira-Rosenberg put it: “They had come not to break the law but to make it.”

Israel is still lukewarm on women’s rights, she said, pointing to the slow response to gender-based censorship in ultra-Orthodox news media. She also noted that until recently, the government had dragged its feet regarding gender segregation on the public buses that run through ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods; in 2011, the Israeli government outlawed these bus lines.

Despite the opposition and backlash, the future bodes well for women’s rights, Shapira-Rosenberg said, adding, “There can be no doubt that the borders of discourse … have expanded due to the legal struggles of the women of the world.”

Those struggles were also apparent for Jewish women in the United States during the suffrage movement, which Rowan University professor of women’s history Melissa Klapper discussed. Jewish suffragists felt at odds with the movement, she said, particularly in light of figures like Harriot Stanton Blatch who blamed “foreigners on the Lower East Side” for a failed referendum in New York.

However, Klapper argued, Jewish opposition to suffrage was at most “mild,” and heavily Jewish districts leaned more in favor of suffrage on the referendum.

Closing the event, the Institute’s Founding Director Shulamit Reinharz spoke on women’s rights today and the significance of feminist values.

“We think that suffrage is so taken for granted as a good,” she said. The movement for women’s rights, she argued, is not as smooth as it may seem in retrospect. If anything, she said, feminism is made up of “fits and starts all over the place.” Movements like that come in waves, all building on each other, even if contemporaries underestimate their strength and significance.

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CRIME: Alcohol violations rise over the last three years CONTINUED FROM 1 for resolving complaints,” the Clery Center notes on its website.

“We publish this report because it contains valuable information for our campus Community. We also publish the report to comply with the important provisions of the Clery Act. Campus safety, security, and compliance with the Clery Act should be everyone’s responsibility at Brandeis,” Callahan wrote in a foreword to the report.

Emailed to students on Sept. 30, the report includes crime statistics for the last three years.

Crime Statistics According to a crime statistics table on Page 62 of the report, campus police received reports of 15 rape incidents in on-campus student housing and one incident in a “noncampus building or property” in 2015, as compared to nine rapes in student housing in 2014 and 12 “forcible sex acts” on campus in 2013.

The University adopted four new reporting categories as of Oct. 20, 2014: rape, fondling, incest and statutory rape. Per Massachusetts state law, rape in this context is defined as, “Penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim,” according to the report.

There was one reported incident of fondling in on-campus student housing in 2014 and two incidents on campus in 2015. One 2014 reported rape was considered unfounded after a University investigation determined the report to be false. The report also noted one instance of dating violence on campus in 2015.

In addition to to sexual assault data, the report also included figures for various other crimes in the community, including burglaries and thefts.

Notably, the figures for liquor law violations have steadily increased, with reported violations rising from 135 reports to 169 from 2013 to 2015.

Drug abuse violations also rose from 92 reports in 2013 to 94 reports in 2015.

“Campus Safety and Security at Brandeis University is a shared responsibility,” the Department of Public Safety’s website reads. “Clearly the best protection against campus crime is an aware, informed and alert campus community. … Despite our best efforts, crimes sometimes occur.

This information is provided because of our commitment to campus safety and security and in compliance with federal law.”

Options Available Per the Clery Act, the report provides information about reporting resources for sexual assault survivors, including phone numbers and contact information for on-campus resources like the Rape Crisis Center and the Of-

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NEWS

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TUESDAY, November 1, 2016

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FALL FEST

fice of Prevention Services.

Sexual harassment and assault cases are adjudicated through the Special Examiner’s Process when the University has received a report from a willing complainant who is a current or former member of the Brandeis community.

According to the report, the special examiner overseeing each process is an attorney, law enforcement professional or other professional with extensive legal training in sexual misconduct. The special examiner will have “direct experience investigating sexual misconduct cases on a college campus or comparable experience,” the report notes.

In the 2016 to 2017 Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook, the University added the process of Restorative Justice to its Special Examiner’s process. An alternative to the formal sanctioning panel typically used in disciplining a student found guilty of sexual misconduct, Restorative Justice can only be used in cases that do not involve physical contact like forced penetration or nonconsensual physical contact, according to an Aug. 30 Justice article.

The student activist coalition Brandeis Students Against Sexual Violence has graded the University on its progress in addressing rape culture and sexual assault throughout the University for the past two academic years. Their most recent report card, released in March, gave the University a “B/B-” on providing “clear and accessible information” on the University’s reporting structure and options. B.SASV also gave the University a “C-” on providing “proper training” to University employees on their roles as Title IX reporters.

Timely Notification Under the Clery Act, colleges and universities also have the obligation to report crime data to students and community members in a timely manner. The requirement necessitates specific policies for timely warnings and emergency alerts, according to the Clery Center.

The University employs various notification methods for crimes in and around campus, including email, posters, media and text messages.

The Brandeis Emergency Notification System sends emergency alerts to community members over text and voice messages. “We are committed to fostering a secure and supportive environment at Brandeis,” Callahan’s foreword in the report reads. “We are proud to be an integral part of Brandeis’ tradition of excellence. Campus safety and security is a collaborative effort at Brandeis. …

The men and women of the Brandeis University Department of Public Safety are committed to making the Brandeis campus a safe place in which to live, work, and study.”

Callahan did not return requests for comment as of press time.

AARON BIRNBAUM/the Justice

Members of “No Singer Clef Behind” gave a performance at Fall Fest this weekend.

VOTE: Over 150 student voters register through library CONTINUED FROM 1 promote that,” she added.

Slater says the library is also being careful to remain nonpartisan throughout their get-out-the-vote efforts. “We’re not telling people how to fill out their ballots, we’re just helping people to fill out their ballots. Mostly what we’re working with is making sure they’ve done what they needed to do. We’re not checking how anyone bubbled in

anything,” she said.

She says that her work as a librarian makes it easier to keep her personal desires for the election results out of her professional work registering students and notarizing documents. “My job as an information professional is that I’m giving people information. Whatever they are doing with that information, that is up to them. So I think when it’s become an issue of a personal conflict — when I’ve been like, ‘Ooh,

I want to say this thing’ — I always have to just fall back on, ‘My job in this particular instance is to just give information. I’m not assigning it a value, I’m not trying to sway anybody; I just want everyone to have the information they need to make the best decision they can for themselves.’”

Other notaries across campus work in the Office of Human Resources and registrar’s office. The presidential election is on Nov. 8.

WOMEN: Graves moderates first ‘Extraordinary Women’ webinar CONTINUED FROM 1 er said, citing the World Economic Forum’s global gender gap report, which was released last week.

The report ranks the U.S. 49th in the world in terms of progress for women, estimating that it will take another 170 years until equal pay arrives in America. “I was disappointed, let me say, but not shocked,” she said of the report’s findings.

The disparity between men and women in politics comes down to the lack of confidence and encouragement for young women to get involved in government, said Schroeder. “They’ve found it’s that men apply for jobs that they’re not nearly qualified for, while women will rarely apply for any job unless they’re a hundred and ten percent qualified for it,” she explained.

“I remember when I first got to Congress, I asked the Library of Congress research group over there, how long did they think it would be before half the con-

gress was female? They said, ‘430 years,’ and I thought, ‘Wow, they got some male chauvinist pig over there; what’s going on?’ But maybe they’re right; we’ve made incremental progress, [but] we still don’t have anywhere near critical mass.”

In response to a question about the Hillary Clinton’s navigation as the first presidential woman nominee, Schroeder said it’s overdue for America to have a woman in leadership compared to the rest of the world.

Schroeder herself briefly entered the presidential race in 1987 but withdrew due to lack of funding.

In her own run, she recalled being told she didn’t look “presidential.”

“I’d say, ‘You’re right; no one who’s been president looks like me,’” she joked.

But in 2016, the discrimination against Clinton takes on a different form, she asserted. “It’s a lot more subtle, but it’s very real. She is very qualified, and they’ll stipulate she’s very qualified, but the same person will turn around and

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say, ‘But I don't like her.’ It seems almost impossible for a woman to be qualified and ambitious enough to go out there and take all of the bricks and everything else thrown at them and be ‘likable,’” Schroeder said.

“What I think is good about [Clinton] is that the world knows her, they know she’s knowledgeable and that she’s no-nonsense. They’re going to treat her with great respect,” she said.

In this first installment of a new monthly livecast series, “Conversations with Extraordinary Women,” Schroeder spoke alongside moderator Florence Graves, the founder and director of the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism and a resident scholar at the Brandeis Women's Studies Research Center. The panel was hosted by Prof. Jill Greenlee (POL) on behalf of the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program and the Rabb School of Continuing Studies.

The livecast series is set to broadcast monthly.

8

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016 | THE JUSTICE

just

features Lenny’s Legacy

A two-day conference celebrated the acquisition of Lenny Bruce’s a

By Kirby KOCHANOWSKI JUSTICE EDITOR

“I’ve decided that I’m completely corrupt,” reads the start of a letter tucked inside the Farber University Archives. It continues, “My whole set, my economic success, is wholly dependent upon the existence of segregation, violence, crime and other odious counterparts.” The letter, addressed to music critic Ralph Gleason, was written by comedian Lenny Bruce.

It identifies an interesting paradox in Bruce’s life, one of many harsh realities that contrasted a life filled with humor.

Lenny Bruce’s archives, which include other personal letters, photos, magazine clippings and audio recordings, were acquired by Brandeis University in 2014.

According to the Boston Globe, prior to Brandeis, the archives themselves were in Bruce’s daughter’s possession. While she recognized Brandeis would be a good fit for the archives, it wasn’t until Hugh Hefner, a longtime friend of Lenny Bruce, made a generous donation to secure the acquisition that she was willing to give them up. Hefner’s daughter, Christie Hefner, the former chairman and CEO of Playboy Enterprises and the Trustee of the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation, graduated from Brandeis in 1974.

To celebrate the official opening of the archives to the public, a two-day conference, Comedy and the Constitution: the Legacy of Lenny Bruce, took place from Oct. 27 to the 28. The conference included a Keynote Address from Christie Hefner, seven panels featuring comedic, Jewish and legal scholars, and a dinner featuring comedian Lewis Black. But the true headliners were the archives themselves.

Divided into several sections including “Early Years,” “Family,” “Per-

forming” and “Private Life,” one can’t help but be drawn to the section labeled “Obscenity and the Law,” where an enlarged image of Bruce, restrained by the police, raises his hands.

Lenny Bruce’s particular brand of humor was extremely controversial. He constantly pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in mid-century American culture. In 1961 Bruce was arrested for obscenity at the Jazz Workshop in San Francisco. Though he was acquitted, this marked only the beginning of a series of arrests. One photo of Bruce, taken by friend Don Carroll, who donated his collection of images to Brandeis, is captioned with a quote from Bruce, “I’m a Soldier fighting for the Constitution.” Bruce was an ardent advocate for the First Amendment. His multiple arrests didn’t dissuade him from continuing with his controversial stand-up routines. By the time of death in 1966 at age 40, Bruce had been blacklisted from most comedy clubs.

His untimely death came as a result of his drug addiction, something that began when Bruce entered the jazz scene. The last known photo of him, also taken by Carroll, is captioned by a quote in which Bruce refers to his drug addiction: “I’ll die young, but it’s like kissing God.” Despite Bruce’s early death, his legacy continues to pervade the comedy scene, and Bruce is often used as an example when discussing the first amendment.

Had Bruce made the same jokes today, many believe that rather than being prosecuted for obscenity he would have been celebrated for his observations. One of Bruce’s prosecutors, Assistant District Attorney Vincent Cuccia, reflected, “We drove him into poverty and bankruptcy and then murdered him. We all knew what we were doing. We used the law to kill him.”

By KIRBY KOCHANOWSKI JUSTICE EDITOR

Under the display labeled “Family” in the Brandeis University Archives, an abundance of black and white family photos gaze up at the viewer. In some of the photos, Kitty Bruce, daughter of Lenny Bruce, is only a toddler. “I am extremely relieved and very proud that the archives have found a home at Brandeis,” Kitty Bruce wrote in an email interview with the Justice.

She hopes that scholars, fans, students, lawmakers and educators from all over the world will utilize the archives to learn from the extensive achievements Lenny Bruce accomplished in his lifetime. One of the most important legacies Lenny Bruce leaves behind is, of course, his fight for First Amendment rights.

“With regard to the subject of political correctness, all I can say is that people are so politically correct that they have become incorrect.

Words are not the problem. It’s the deeds behind the words, that’s the real issue. My father always said, ‘It’s the suppression of the word that gives it the power.’” Kitty

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

Bruce said when asked to reflect on the current political climate of free speech. Lenny Bruce’s work advocating for free speech also makes Brandeis a well suited home for his archives. “To my understanding Louis Brandeis came up against some very heavy opposition in his day and continued to accomplish many ‘firsts,’” Kitty Bruce said.

Her father unquestionably was able to do the same, despite legal struggles and his own battles with drug addiction. In 2008, 42 years after the death of her father, Kitty Bruce founded the Lenny Bruce Memorial Foundation. “[I] will continue to work for The Lenny Bruce Memorial Foundation in my father’s honor,” Kitty Bruce said.

The Foundation provides scholarships to those who are in need of treatment for drug addiction and alcoholism. Kitty Bruce works closely with treatment programs and is working to ensure the long term success of the Foundation’s beneficiaries. “Reflecting on my father’s career his accomplishments and achievements I would have to say I am very proud to be his daughter,” Kitty Bruce concluded.

THE JUSTICE | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

By JESSICA GOLDSTEIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

archives

Humor and the Holocaust are two things many would never expect to see go hand in hand. The genocide committed by the Nazi regime resulted in the deaths of an estimated 11 million people. To most, this wouldn’t elicit comedy. Last Friday, the lecture “Jewish Humor and the Holocaust” challenged this.

The event took place in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall and was part of the University series, “Comedy and the Constitution: The Legacy of Lenny Bruce.” Joseph Dorinson, a professor of history at Long Island University, moderated the discussion. The panelists included Avinoam Patt — the Phillip D. Feltman professor of modern Jewish history at the Maurice Greenburg Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Hartford — Gabriel Finder ’78 — the Ida and Nathan Kolodiz director of Jewish Studies at the University of Virginia — and David Slucki — the assistant professor of Jewish Studies at the College of Charleston.

The central question considered by the panel became, “How was humor used before, during and after the Holocaust, and what purpose does it attempt to achieve?” Patt mentioned how Lenny Bruce was the first to use comedy in reaction to the Holocaust. Patt attempted to tackle this question with the idea that humor serves as a coping mechanism for dealing with the trauma inflicted by the Nazi perpetrators and their cronies. In fact, during the post-war period, Jews in the Displaced Persons camps set the stage for this type of comedy. Comparisons were drawn up between Hitler and the Hebrew Biblical villain Haman. A fake letter drafted by Moshe Nudelman read: “‘My re-

pressive methods were so primitive, so naive, so clumsy. I had no ghettos, no Gestapo ... no concentration camps, not even a crematorium.’” Survivors in the Langsberg DP camp were elated with their first Purim — burning copies of Mein Kampf in celebration in the city where the ideas that brought them there had first been written on paper.

Another holiday, the celebration of Passover, was met with a unique set of ironies in the postwar period. The Jews were no longer enslaved, but they were nowhere near free. Patt read “Dayenu,” a song traditionally sung during Passover, which means “it would have been enough,” from “A Survivor’s Haggadah” (1945-46). It was modified as follows: “Had he given us the slaughter of Ukraine, but not Hitler, dayenu. Had he given us Hitler but no ghettos, dayenu. Had he given us ghettos but no gas chambers and crematoriums, dayenu.

Had he given us gas chambers and crematoriums but our wives and children had not been tortured, dayenu.” Humor arose in what Patt described as “the absurdity of life” when the Jews were living in post-war Germany, humor didn’t die, but rather it was used as a way to understand their new lives.

Finder approached the topic from a different perspective and examined the success of post-war Jewish comedians who left the Holocaust out of their work. Ephraim Kishon was a Holocaust survivor and a world-renowned satirist. When his fame died in Israel, he became well-known in West Germany.

Today, 34 million of Kishon’s books have been sold in Germany. He received many German awards in his lifetime and perhaps was more renowned in Germany than in Israel. Even to the most sensitive of German readers, Kishon’s history as a survivor of the Holocaust was barely present. He rarely mentioned his status as a surivior in his books and plays, though when asked he did openly discuss

it. Kishon’s success may have been found in just that a German could read Kishon’s work and not be confronted with the weight of collective guilt.

In fact, Finder said, “Kishon relished his success in Germany. In the first place, it was sweet revenge for German crimes committed during the Holocaust. It gave him great satisfaction … that the children and grandchildren of his hangmen stand in line to buy his books and get his autograph.” Kishon and the German public weren’t a likely audience. However, this is what Finder explained as another great “irony in history.”

Slucki also discussed how U.S. popular culture is striking back with a number of television broadcasts using Holocaust humor. Slucki gathers from Adi Ophir’s 1987 article, “On Sanctifying the Holocaust” that “instead of preserving the memory of the victims … sanctification only blurs the humanness of the Holocaust and encourages us to be preoccupied with a past, but not understand its future implications.” Slucki showed the audience several clips from popular TV shows.

Among the clips is one from the third season of “The Sarah Silverman Program.” It features “dueling” Holocaust memorials. When Silverman enters the frame, she tells viewers of the Valley Village community to come to her memorial instead as she offers up a “real person from Auschwitz:” a dunk tank and a lion. She says, “Don’t be fooled by imitation Holocaust memorials, come to mine: Sarah Silverman’s Holocaust Memorial. Auschwitz? You’ll be saying ‘Wowschwitz.’” Her sister Laura says, “You know Sarah, it’s not a competition.” “That’s what losers say,” Sarah responds.

She continues, “I’m gonna bury you Silverman.

You’re gonna wish the Holocaust never happened.”

How the world perceives humor and the Holocaust has done a 180, and Lenny Bruce started it all.

JESSICA GOLDSTEIN/the Justice

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

By KIRBY KOCHANOWSKI JUSTICE EDITOR

“How the hell did we get here? I’m sure Lenny Bruce would have something to say. The only problem is that if he said it back at the time he was alive, it would have landed him in court or in jail,” Arnie Reisman said after considering the current state of American politics. Reisman spoke at the dinner which concluded day one of “Comedy and the Constitution: the Legacy of Lenny Bruce.” He graduated from Brandeis in 1964 and has worked as a playwright, screenwriter, documentarian and activist. On Thursday night, he introduced Lewis Black (pictured left), renowned comedian, to the crowded Faculty Club.

“His comedic brilliance lies in his ability to make people laugh at the absurdities of life, jabbing away at current events, political issues, social media and just about any-

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

9

thing that exposes the dark hypocrisy and madness he sees around him,” Reisman said of Black.

For Reisman, it wasn’t just Black’s style of comedy that warranted praise.

Rather, much of Reisman’s experience with Black came from both men’s work with the American Civil Liberties Union. This was extremely fitting, considering the ACLU defended Lenny Bruce’s First Amendment rights when he faced obscenity charges.

“Lewis Black has become a spokesman for the ACLU and at present, through ads and videos, is lending his name, his personality and his anger to a campaign pushing congress to pass the voting rights advancement act,” Reisman said. He explained the importance of the cause and its relevance not only today but in Lenny Bruce’s time, as well.

“It is because Lewis Black truly appreciates the value of open and vigorous expression under the auspices of a

First Amendment, which Lenny Bruce himself extended and enhanced, that I am now honored as both an alum of Brandeis and the ACLU to introduce him here,” Reisman concluded, before welcoming Black himself to the stage.

Lewis Black’s particular brand of humor credits him a true descendant of Lenny Bruce. Black’s resume includes appearances on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, HBO and Broadway. Most recently Black has gone on tour, called “The Emperor’s New Clothes: The Naked Truth Tour,” and voiced the character of Anger in Disney’s “Inside Out.” Addressing the audience, he said, ”I take no greater joy than appearing in a room like this. The lights up really bright, sit[ting] under fluorescents … It always amazes me, and I go, ‘Why did I say yes?’ But I did say yes because I think it’s terrific that Brandeis University has given a home to the words of Lenny Bruce.

He had a profound effect on me.”

10 TUESDAY, November 1, 2016 ● forum ● THE JUSTICE

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Justice Established 1949

Brandeis University

Carmi Rothberg, Editor in Chief Mihir Khanna, Managing Editor Max Moran, Senior Editor Morgan Brill, Deputy Editor Jessica Goldstein and Noah Hessdorf, Associate Editors Abby Patkin, News Editor, Kirby Kochanowski, Features Editor Amber Miles, Forum Editor, Jerry Miller, Sports Editor Lizzie Grossman, Arts Editor Morgan Brill, Acting Photography Editor Mira Mellman, Layout Editor Pamela Klahr and Robbie Lurie, Ads Editors Rachel Sharer, Online Editor, Sabrina Sung, Copy Editor

EDITORIALS

Engage different opinions in productive discourse On Wednesday, an email from Student Union president David Herbstritt announced the impending creation of a task force to examine free speech at the University.

The new task force’s primary focus will be freedom of speech in an academic context. This board applauds the efforts to rigorously study the University’s current culture around free speech, especially how aggressive responses to unpopular views can discourage students from expressing those views at all.

A University task force actively researching this problem will hopefully lead to clearer data on the extent and manner of free speech suppression at Brandeis. Without this data, it is difficult to comment thoroughly on the issue, but that does not mean the topic does not warrant discussion.

Outside institutions have noted a freedom of speech problem at Brandeis. The Heterodox Academy Guide to Colleges, a group of professors from a wide range of higher education institutions, examined the top 150 universities as determined by U.S. News and World Report and, using information from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, rated them based on their viewpoint diversity. The report seeks to examine whether university atmospheres are conducive to free speech or whether dissenting opinions are repressed in favor of a more homogeneous culture.

Brandeis is ranked 142 on this list with a score of 12.5 out of 100. This is a large difference from the school ranked first, the University of Chicago, which has a score of 93.75.

The Heterodox Academy has ample evidence on the public record for their rating. From the disinvitation of Ayaan Hirsi Ali to Daniel Mael’s TruthRevolt article, a string of highprofile incidents have called Brandeis’ commitment to freedom of speech into question over the past few years.

More significant to current students, debate over freedom of speech often cites trigger warnings and safe spaces as threats to such freedom. This board flatly rejects the notion that these two concepts are threats whatsoever in the University environment.

Trigger warnings pose absolutely no threat to freedom of speech on campuses — rather, they simply provide an announcement for students about content that will appear in upcoming academic lectures. To most students, this warning is a non-event and doesn’t hurt them or their ability to question the content in any way.

To students who have endured severe trauma, these warnings allow them crucial time to mentally prepare themselves. This preparation allows them to engage with the material without psychological harm, and in rare cases where a student decides to actually leave the room, nothing

Promote open dialogue prevents them from debating or listening to debate over the content after the fact.

Professors are not mandated to provide trigger warnings, but those who choose to do so in no way betray their duty to facilitate a free expression of ideas nor permit students to avoid talking about something they dislike.

Although safe spaces represent a trickier territory, in this board’s opinion, much of the debate on safe spaces comes down to differing definitions of what precisely a safe space is. Rarely do leaders who declare a given conversation to be in a “safe space” clearly explain precisely what their “safe space” means. Are students prohibited from expressing dissent or merely prohibited from attacking one another personally?

Miscommunications occur because the two definitions are often conflated.

We hope that the new task force will gather clear data about what most students mean by the term and, more importantly, what versions of a “safe space” prove most effective to facilitating a free debate without causing psychological distress.

Yet both of these buzzwords evade the realities of how your average Brandeis student experiences free speech suppression day-to-day. The biggest threat, in this board’s view, is an inability to separate a person from their opinions — and the resulting personal attacks.

Speech at Brandeis is not as free as it could — or should — be. Social pressure, particularly from fellow students, restricts others’ speech — especially by discouraging them from voicing unpopular opinions.

Speaking out in support of one’s opinions is healthy for discourse on a topic, but often, people become so adamant about their own views that they pressure others to remain silent.

At Brandeis especially, discussions about most issues can become heated in a matter of seconds. When taken to social media, these heated discussions become so impassioned that they can make students feel unwelcome or even unsafe. This board encourages University students to not only speak but also listen.

It can be difficult to listen to opinions that offend or discomfort you, but a levelheaded back-and-forth dialogue on issues is essential to resolving disagreements.

Brandeis’ small size can make students with unpopular opinions feel alienated, which completely contradicts the University’s goal to foster an open, welcome community.

This board urges the student body to avoid contributing to that alienation and to recognize that disagreeing with someone does not justify forgetting that they are a person and therefore worthy of respect.

JULIANNA SCIONTI/the Justice

Views the News on

U.S. air strikes targeting the Islamic State group have killed as many as 300 civilians in Syria over the past two years, according to an Oct. 26 Amnesty International report.

Amnesty now calls for the investigation and disclosure of findings regarding civilian casualties in Syria, but the U.S. has not yet responded to the Sept. 28 memorandum that the group sent to the U.S. Department of Defense. Do you think the Department of Defense should prioritize the investigation of these claims, and what measures should the U.S. take to avoid civilian casualties in its mission against ISIS?

Amina Fahmy ’17 Even in the fight against ISIS, it is absolutely unacceptable that U.S. airstrikes have killed Syrian civilians, and the U.S. should conduct an investigation in order to take measures to avoid civilian casualties.

First, it is tragic that innocent lives have been lost, and the U.S. has a responsibility to protect them. Second, when Americans kill civilians, even when they are not the intended targets, anti-American sentiment grows more rampant and support for ISIS strengthens — and understandably so. It is only natural to want to support the organization promising to destroy the entity that has killed your innocent loved ones. For this reason, I do not think it is the best idea to release findings from any potential investigation, lest ISIL use the information as a promotional tool.

Amina Fahmy ’17 is majoring in International and Global Studies, as well as Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies. She is the Middle East section editor of the Brandeis International Journal and an IMES Undergraduate Departmental Representative.

Remy Pontes ’17

Since 2015, the United States has spent an estimated $10 billion on thousands of coalition airstrikes against Islamic State targets throughout the Middle-East and northern Africa, resulting in hundreds of civilian casualties. Though I do believe that the Department of Defense should be held accountable and that such an inquiry would be both righteous and beneficial, the Department of Defense should not prioritize an investigation into these matters because the report would most likely affirm U.S. attempts to combat the terrorist organization. Unfortunately, there is no military solution to the crisis, and the only realistic way to avoid civilian casualties is to stop the bombing campaign altogether.

Alternatively, the U.S. must implement political solutions such as cutting off ISIS’ financial assets, continuing to construct cessation of hostilities agreements, promoting an arms embargo in the region and supporting proposals to resettle refugees.

Remy Pontes ’17 is majoring in Anthropology, as well as Sociology. He is the president of Brandeis Peace Action.

Ziyang Chen ’18 This reminds me of a movie that I saw last summer, “Eye In The Sky,” a story of how the moral, ethical and legal implications of drone warfare are tested when a simple capture could have deadly results. “Never tell a soldier that he does not know the cost of war,” the movie quotes. In the same way, the Department of Defense must be fully aware of the civilian casualties, yet it chooses not to disclose its investigations. The Department of Defense should prioritize the investigation. Admittedly, the intention for air strikes against ISIS is good. Nevertheless, it cannot justify the lost lives of 300 civilians in Syria. International law may be one way to regulate the U.S. in avoiding civilian casualties in its mission. According to the Rome Statute, intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population or against individual civilians not directly taking part in hostilities should be considered a war crime. Still, international law cannot protect civilians who are killed either incidentally or accidentally on its own. Overall, the U.S. should always use its moral intuition to avoid civilian casualties.

Ziyang Chen ’18 is majoring in International and Global Studies, as well as Politics. She is an IGS Undergraduate Departmental Representative.

Ravi Simon ’19 Signature strikes are drone attacks whose targets are unknown but are deemed to be enemy combatants by virtue of their behavior. The CIA will take into account criteria such as the age, gender, activities and other sorts of characteristics of people, and then decide whether to kill them.

For example, these drone strikes can target convoys of vehicles that bear the characteristics of Al Qaeda or ISIS leaders on the run. Policies such as signature strikes are largely responsible for unnecessary civilian casualties in Syria. The purpose of intervention has been largely to spare the suffering of civilians under the terroristic rule of the Islamic State. It is hypocritical to engage in policies such as signature strikes, therefore, and instrumentalize the lives of innocents. Nevertheless, this reality must not obscure the fact that American intervention is a necessary facet of our foreign policy and a justified war on terror. The Islamic State is responsible for genocide, ethnic cleansing and a large percentage of the approximately 400,000 people who have died since 2011 in Syria. Civilians will necessarily be hurt in the process of destroying the Islamic State, but that does not justify needless collateral damage.

Ravi Simon ’19 is the Europe section editor for the Brandeis International Journal and a member of the Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society.

He is also a staff writer for the Justice.

THE JUSTICE ● fORUM ● TUESDAY, november 1, 2016

11

Reduce shame and stigma associated with drug addiction By joe deferrari JUSTICE contributing WRITER

Drug addiction is a crisis that — despite its enormous reach across all 50 states, all socioeconomic classes and all age groups ―— is not getting the attention needed for a solution.

That needs to change.

Last month, a video of an apparent overdose went viral, according to a Sept. 23 CNN article.

In it, a two-year-old in pink “Frozen” pajamas implored her unconscious mother to wake up.

Imagine that scene happening every single day, multiple times a day. Imagine it was your loved one on the floor.

America is fighting a disease, and nobody is immune. On average, four people die of an opioidrelated overdose per day in Massachusetts alone, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Nationwide, 47,055 lost their lives in 2014 — an all-time high. According to a Dec. 18, 2015 CNN article, that is 1.5 times the number of people who died in car accidents that year. 2014, as much as we’d hope it to be, was not an aberration.

The numbers steadily climb year after year while the country keeps searching for an answer.

“What we’ve done in the past is not working,” said State Senator Ken Donnelly in a phone interview. “What we need is to treat these addictions for what they are ☺— an illness — and get these people the help they need.”

Donnelly echoes the sentiment finally growing from the ashes of this epidemic’s destruction.

Addiction is a disease: let there be no mistake about that. It is indisputable scientific fact at this point. Most drugs affect the brain’s “reward circuit” — which controls the body’s ability to feel pleasure and motivates people to repeat behaviors needed to thrive―— by flooding it with dopamine. The dopamine overstimulates the reward circuit and leads to the person taking the drug over and over again. Many addictive drugs, especially heroin and prescription opioids, alter the very structure of the brains of those in their clutches, compelling them to do anything to satiate their cravings. Some studies demonstrate an actual increase or decrease in the volume of certain brain structures in addicts. Addiction is incredibly difficult to control.

Some people think addiction cannot be a disease because it is initially caused by personal choice. The first instance of taking the drug may be a choice, but experts in the field agree that once the drugs have impacted the brain, the individual does not truly have a choice anymore.

Most individuals need intensive treatment, and even then they struggle. Statistics vary, but the rate of relapse after rehab varies between 40 and 60 percent, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Also worth noting are the factors that increase a person’s likelihood of addiction.

MARA KHAYTER/the Justice

Genes alone account for about half of a person’s risk for addiction, and the presence of mental disorders also have a great impact, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Over the course of the last year, I have spoken with many people connected to the addiction epidemic ―— some at coalition meetings, some in formal interviews, some at the State House. These were addicts who have been sober for ten years and addicts who have been sober for ten days; parents who raced home to save their children but came too late; policemen who are sick and tired of arresting the same people over and over again, only to eventually find their bodies. Police, in particular, have been working very hard to fight this crisis. According to a Jan. 18 CNN article, Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello created the Angel Initiative to encourage addicts to seek help, based around a simple phrase: “Your life is more meaningful than your death. Don’t be ashamed of your illness.”

That may be the most important idea of all.

At this point, programs like Campanello’s are no longer rare — perhaps underfunded at times,

and less common than they should be, but far from rare. The prevalence of resources is not the only issue. Rather, the more important concern is the stigma of addiction.

In an April 2016 interview, one woman, who has asked to remain anonymous, described her son, who lost his fight with addiction in 2013, in glowing terms. “My son’s name was Patrick. He had a very outgoing personality, he was very funny — from day one,” she told me through laughter. She showed me his beloved guitar, which he taught himself to play in middle school, and a card saying “I love you Daddy” from his young daughter. She told me how crazy about him she was, and is.

Patrick was a drug addict, but his mother, and everyone else in his life, did not see a junkie, druggie or stoner. They saw a caring and talented young man who loved music, loved his girlfriend, loved his daughter and had a bright future ahead of him that was cut far too short by an incredibly challenging disease.

Of nearly 100 people with whom I have spoken since January, everyone — from the bold state

senators trying to find new solutions to the doctors working with addiction every day to the addicts desperately trying to win their lives back — agreed on one thing: If America is going to climb out of the hole of the addiction crisis, we need to begin seeing these people for who they are. They are not criminals; they are not junkies.

They are people like Patrick. They often believe they can fix everything themselves or that the problem will just go away on its own — if they even recognize that they have a problem. They often struggle to admit to being addicted, because it implies a terrifying loss of control.

In any case, what they really need is help.

Every day we do not act, another four people — in our state alone — will die from a drug overdose. Take action. Educate yourself. Love the person in your life struggling with this disease.

Change people’s minds. True progress will come when we decide we are ready to break the cycle.

— Editor’s Note: Joe DeFerrari originally completed the research for this piece as part of his “Advocacy for Policy Change” class.

Support Massachusetts ballot measure for animal rights and food safety

By TAMAR LIEBERMAN JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

It is easy to feel powerless in this election cycle, but one way in which Massachusetts voters can have a real voice is through their answers on the four ballot questions. One of the most important ballot questions this November is Question 3, which, if passed, would require that farm animals — egg-laying chickens, veal calves and pregnant pigs — are given enough space to fully extend their limbs, turn around and lie down.

The conversation about Question 3 must begin with the heart of the bill: preventing animal cruelty. The mere fact that we eat animals in no way means we cannot afford them basic decency.

Factory farms in America have adopted the cruel ―— and somewhat strange — practice of keeping pigs in small crates for the entire length of their pregnancies, according to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. These crates do not afford pregnant pigs the space to even turn around.

This is devastating to consider, as we should be taking extra care of any pregnant creature.

And it is devastating too because a 2015 study in the International Journal of Comparative Psychology shows pigs to be playful, socially and behaviorally complex creatures, comparable to dogs and chimpanzees.

Not only cruel, the practice is also “strange” because a study from Iowa State University found that it would actually cost 11 percent less to not use “gestation crates,” as they are called, according to an April 19, 2007 Iowa State press release.

Consequently, the practice is unnecessarily cruel and economically wasteful. Veal calves are kept in similarly cramped, isolated conditions, often chained at the neck before being killed at a ripe

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young age, according to Mercy for Animals.

Chickens do not receive better treatment.

Nearly 270 million egg-laying chickens that are raised in cages every year are given the amount of space equivalent to an iPad, according to an Aug. 27, 2015 piece in Time magazine. For fattened chickens, that means that they will be cramped to the point where they cannot extend their wings, they get caught in the wire of the cages and they experience dire signs of physiological stress.

Compare this to taking a subway during rush hour: riding without any fresh air or sunlight, cramped in with so many strangers and bringing on markedly high levels of stress. Imagine never being allowed off the subway. This is comparable to the reality that millions and millions of factory farm animals face all the time.

A buildup of stress leads to lower immune systems for these animals, aiding the spread of diseases that contaminate the animal food products we eat. The Center for Food Safety has said that “the fact remains that in terms of potential Salmonella contamination, eggs from caged hens are simply more dangerous than their cage-free counterparts.” The Centers for Disease Control estimates that Salmonella causes one million foodborne illnesses and 380 deaths in the U.S. every year. That is why the Center for Food Safety has endorsed Question 3; this bill is beneficial not only for animals but also for humans. Question 3 would help ensure better safety standards for foods that we eat all the time.

Admittedly, in Massachusetts, cramped conditions for animals is not a large issue because there are not that many factory farms; only one farm in the entire state raises caged chickens. What makes this bill historic is that all food imports from other states will be held to the same standards. This could be far-reaching,

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as it adds pressure to corporations and farmers throughout the country to rid themselves of inhumane confinement — or else they cannot sell to our state.

Fortunately, this bill can be both humane and economically viable. One study conducted within the egg industry itself has concluded that, with the adoption of a policy like that in Question 3, each egg would cost just one to two cents more, according to a March 24 Bloomberg brief. In fact, California enacted a similar bill in 2015, and its egg prices are now lower than the national average, according to the Kirkpatrick Foundation.

We also have in-state evidence of what it could do to food prices. Over 200 grocery store chains and countless restaurants in Massachusetts — including McDonald’s ―— have adopted these changes of their own accord, demanding that animals in their supply chain not be cruelly confined. McDonald’s, for example, does not expect to raise its prices at all in adopting these standards, even as it pushes to go entirely cagefree in the next decade, according to a Sept. 22, 2015 Reuters article.

More pertinent to Brandeis, Sodexo has already stopped buying pork and eggs from producers who keep these animals in excessive confinement, and it has announced that it will stop buying cruelly confined veal by 2017 and liquid eggs by the end of 2020, according to a Feb. 19, 2015 Sodexo press release. Sodexo is voluntarily complying with the standards laid out in Question 3 well in advance of the 2022 deadline that this ballot measure would mandate. Clearly, the food industry is prepared to address these changes without a measurable impact in costs or food accessibility.

According to an Oct. 25 Boston.com article, much of the money funding the campaign against

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Question 3 — led by Citizens Against Food Tax Injustice — comes from big agricultural interests and ultra-conservative activists, like oil tycoon Forrest Lucas, who oppose any governmental intervention to protect animals.

However, there are sincere opponents who are concerned about lower- and lower-middle-class people who cannot afford higher egg prices. This concern is legitimate and should be considered when passing a new bill. But in reality, the anticipated impact is estimated to be modest: a $10 increase per resident or less per year, according to an Oct. 17 Boston Globe editorial.

For a family of four, that would be a total of a little over three dollars a month. This may be a hurdle for some Americans, but if we assign any value to the suffering we impose on animals, this seems like a reasonable first step.

Endorsements for “Yes On 3” have been many and diverse, including the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; the Boston Globe and hundreds of farmers, veterinarians and community businesses. Most notably, though, members of our own Brandeis community have already endorsed the bill — from Rabbi David Pardo of the Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus to Brandeis’s Rooftop Garden. I am proud to be a part of a community that fights for justice and welfare for all creatures, not just humans.

Humans have used animals for our benefit for as long as we have been a species, and, yes, killing is a part of that. But, in our age, drawing benefit from these animals does not mean that they should suffer a lifetime of cruel confinement and unnecessary suffering.

Question 3 is a historic bill for animals and for food safety. In one week, Massachusetts voters should vote yes on Question 3.

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12

TUESDAY, november 1, 2016 ● forum ● THE JUSTICE

FORUM

Condemn recent bake-sale protest of affirmative action Nia

lyn purpose

Bake sales are usually a way for clubs to raise funds for upcoming projects or trips, or even to raise awareness of club’s presence on campus. Recently, however, the University of Texas Austin division of the Young Conservatives of Texas used a bake sale as a form of political discourse when they held an “affirmative action bake sale,” where prices for goods varied based on an individual’s racial identity. For a cookie, an Asian male was charged $1.50 and an Asian female, $1.25; prices gradually decreased, with Native American students paying nothing.

Per the club’s chairman, Vidal Castañeda, the purpose was to “highlight the insanity of assigning our lives based on our race and ethnicity, rather than our talents, work ethic, and intelligence.” According to an Oct. 26 Huffington Post article, the chapter “priced the baked goods … attempting to mirror what they believe is preferential treatment in the application process.” This attitude represents a widespread misconception of unfairness that has plagued controversy around affirmative action. Affirmative action attempts to create a level playing field for all individuals; it does not put minorities at an unfair advantage.

This protest not only perpetuates misinformation regarding affirmative action but also devalues all the work that students of color at the university have done. This act is essentially saying that the main reason these students can attend the university is because of their race. The point of affirmative action is to surmount the societal barriers that students of color face so everyone can finally have access to the same resources and opportunities. According to the U.S. Census, in 2015, the mean income for black households was approximately $54,000, while white households earned around $80,000 on average.

With lower incomes, students of color are at a disadvantage when it comes to getting outside resources like SAT preparation or outside instruction that some schools cannot afford to offer for free. Affirmative action programs seek out intelligent students who already

fit a university’s academic criteria and give students the help that they need to ensure that their talents are appropriately recognized.

Surprisingly enough, UT Austin is not the only school to hold a protest of this sort. Similar protests were held at Bucknell University in 2009 and at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2011. Bucknell students held a “bake sale” with prices similar to those used at UT Austin, and the administration promptly shut it down, according to a June 23, 2009 Wall Street Journal post. The UCLA protest also had bake-sale prices that varied based upon race and was met with opposition and protest from other students.

Although other schools have had similar protests against affirmative action, the recent bake sale at UT Austin is particularly interesting given its history of controversy regarding affirmative action. In 2008, Abigail Fisher was denied admission to UT Austin and took her case to court, arguing that the university’s decision to use race as a part of the admissions process was unfair to her and other Caucasian students. This June, however, the Supreme Court ruled against Fisher’s claim that she was discriminated against by the university.

At one point, UT Austin actually did give priority to minority applicants, but that was ruled unconstitutional as a result of the 1996 Hopwood v. Texas case. By 2003, the university had a new system in place where 75 percent of the applicants accepted were those who were within the top 10 percent of their graduating classes, while the other 25 percent were accepted because of their Personal Achievement Index. A student’s PAI is generated based on their grades, extracurricular activities, essays, leadership roles, community service and race, among other characteristics that contribute to the person’s holistic character.

In Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, Fisher argued that a university cannot determine what diversity is based on a set quota of minority students. According to a July 29, 2016 BBC article, Fisher claims, “I would prefer to be in a classroom with people who have had different life experiences than me, and to learn about what they’ve encountered in their life thus far, and learn from that. And I don’t think that’s necessarily something that racial diversity will help.”

The university, however, argued that through the top-10-percent admissions method, they had already reached the “critical mass” of diversity, or the number of diverse students

SABRINA SUNG/the Justice

needed to create an environment suitable for interaction and discussion between students and educators. Since Fisher was not within the top 10 percent, her application was judged based on her PAI, the likely basis of her rejection. In a Dec. 16, 2015 Huffington Post article, of the admitted students with lower grades than Fisher, only 5 were black and 42 were white, thus rendering her claims unsound.

The conservative group behind the UT Austin protest has not only displayed its ignorance of affirmative action and the struggles of others but also failed to recognize its own privilege. The members of this group have the privilege of not having to benefit from affirmative action or even being at a disadvantage due to their race, and as a result, they find fault in any programs that

give minorities what they feel is an “unfair advantage.”

To quote Lyndon B. Johnson, “You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say you are free to compete with all the others, and still just believe that you have been completely fair.” Minority youth face obstacles, such as income inequality and housing inequality, that their parents face, which have a direct impact on their educational opportunities.

The very least that can be done is to support programs that aim to give everyone equal opportunities. The goal of affirmative action is to create the equity needed for everyone to succeed, and those opposed to it fail to understand the flaws in society that render it necessary.

Criticize the hypocrisy of staunchly pro-Israel supporters Aaron

Dvorkin The Plight of Reason Much of Jewish history is defined by how the community has dealt with threats.

The residual effects of oppression pervade every aspect of Jewish life, from ancient traditions to modern political ambitions.

In many ways, the manner in which the establishment Jewish community defends Israel is evidence of how Jewish perspectives are shaped by persecution. Center-right and far-right groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the Zionist Organization of America believe that the only legitimate way to be pro-Israel is to relentlessly tout its successes and never mention its wrongdoings. They see their role in the discourse surrounding the issue as a defense mechanism countering those who wish to focus on Israel’s faults.

Steven Rosen, the former director of foreign policy issues at AIPAC, bluntly articulated the establishment’s ground rules for being pro-Israel during a debate on NPR in June 2010: “You’re either going to try to help protect [Israel] or you’re going to jump on the bandwagon of those who are trying to harm it.

There’s only two camps here.”

The visceral, unintelligent nature of this line of thinking has resulted in establishment groups refusing to respond to serious issues that Israel’s friends and enemies should acknowledge.

One of the main justifications for this strategy is that there is no reason to criticize Israel when there are more heinous transgressions to focus on, especially in Palestinian-governed territories and other countries in the Middle East. An Oct. 23 opinion piece in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz exemplified this line of thinking.

The author argued that President Obama’s policy in the Middle East is flawed because

of his incommensurate focus on Israeli policy in the West Bank. This precludes him from taking greater action to stymie the atrocities committed by Bashar Al-Assad in Syria.

Obama is perfectly capable of being proactive on both issues. There is no reason to think that his interest in pursuing a twostate solution prevents him from being more involved in Syria. The article is evidence of the illogical nature of defense-based thinking.

A recent incident provided a test to the proponents of the relativity argument. On Oct. 14, Hagai El-Ad, the CEO of Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, addressed the United Nations Security Council regarding the unethical policies of the Israeli government in the occupied territories. He spoke about the malleable nature of Israeli laws and how they allow the Jewish state to enforce immoral and occasionally discriminatory laws such as the audacious seizure of Palestinian land and the continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank.

The speech was intensely controversial in El-Ad’s home country. Criticisms of the content and setting of the speech were to be expected, but the head of the Coalition government, David Bitan, shocked people on both sides of the Israeli political spectrum when he publicly called for El-Ad’s citizenship to be stripped. He followed up this demand with a proposal to preclude Israeli citizens from supporting sanctions against Israel in international forums.

Bitan’s insistence, based on an incorrect interpretation of an Israeli law allowing the government to strip the citizenship of anyone who commits a “breach of trust” with the state, abandons basic democratic ideals which are supposed to separate Israel from more notorious human rights violators. The law is generally applied to perpetrators of more egregious crimes, such as terrorist attacks and treason, according to an Oct. 23 Ynet opinion piece. Even though Bitan’s proposal has been widely condemned by Israeli politicians across the political spectrum, the fact that a major political figure made these remarks still represents a serious threat to the Jewish state’s democratic fabric.

Bitan’s propositions come in the wake of Freedom House, an American democracy

advocacy organization, changing Israel’s freedom of the press ranking from “free” to “partly free,” according to a July 30 New York Times opinion piece. The article outlines concerns that publications and news agencies whose owners are close with the prime minister and whose coverage is decidedly pro-Netanyahu are gaining more influence in recent years. One of these agencies, Walla News, is partially-owned by a friend of the prime minister. Its coverage of Netanyahu got more favorable once Netanyahu elected another confidant as communications minister who proceeded to make rulings beneficial to the agency. Sheldon Adelsonowned Israel Hayom, for example, was found to have edited articles to remove criticisms of the prime minister. As a result, journalists at these networks and publications are intimidated into covering Netanyahu in a favorable way rather than however they would normally report on him. This has had the effect of compromising freedom of the press, according to the organization.

Pious defenders of Israel in the United States have little ground to stand on if they wish to keep up their silence on the wrongdoings of the Israeli government. They cannot justify their reticence by using the relativity argument, as the actions of Bitan and Netanyahu are approaching the level of transgression that establishment groups have claimed is solely committed by Palestinians and other Arab countries. Despite this reality, right-wing pro-Israel groups have remained silent on the incident.

The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America, a relentless surveyor of western media bias against Israel, often employs the relativity argument — specifically in regard to freedom of expression. For example, CAMERA criticized the Huffington Post’s coverage of Israeli law enforcement arresting a 15-year-old girl for a seemingly innocuous Facebook post on the suspicion that she was preparing to commit a terrorist attack. CAMERA argued that “if HuffPo readers are concerned with freedom of speech on social media, the site should publish articles about the fact that the Palestinian Authority has jailed journalists and others for insulting PA President Mahmoud Abbas.”

CAMERA has not commented publicly on Bitan’s remarks or articles reporting on them.

Famed attorney and legal scholar Alan Dershowitz, one of AIPAC’s most fervent supporters and a frequent speaker at their conferences, has relentlessly attacked leftwing campus groups in the United States for taking other measures which seem to restrict freedom of expression in attempts to promote cultures of political correctness at their schools. He went so far as warning that “the fog of fascism is descending quickly over many American universities,” during a Nov. 12, 2015 interview with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly. Dershowitz has yet to comment on Bitan’s deliberately anti-free speech proposals.

The right’s clear hypocrisy on issues of Israeli transgressions makes it clear why an ideological gap on Israel is increasingly falling on generational lines among American Jewry.

While the older generation — born closer to the atrocities of the Holocaust — has opinions based on visceral, defensive reactions to perceived attacks on the Jewish community, the younger generation has a more utilitarian perspective and is willing to criticize Israel if they believe applying pressure will eventually lead to better outcomes for the Jewish state. A 2013 Pew Research Center poll showed that 25 percent of Jews between the ages of 18 and 29 felt that the U.S. government is too supportive of Israel, while only five percent of those 65 or older felt the same way. Jewish youth are able to realize that a failure to apply pressure to the Israeli government to stop wrongdoings will only lead to worse decisions by the Israeli government down the line and would thus prefer the U.S. government take harder stances against Israeli transgressions.

For thousands of years, the Jewish experience has been defined by the community’s reaction to outside threats.

Those threats still exist, but the leniency toward — and outright violation of essential democratic ideals by — the government of the Jewish state presents a new danger to Jewish values, this one endogenous in nature. For the sake of its future and the survival of the Jewish people and its values, the community must once again adapt and learn how to deal with these new threats in an effective way.

THE JUSTICE

WSOCCER: Team braces for final game of 2016 season CONTINUED FROM 16 second overtime period went in the opposite direction, as the Judges only had one shot attempt while the Eagles attempted four. Grossman recorded four saves on the evening, while her counterpart, sophomore goalkeeper Dani Staffin, had three saves of her own.

The Judges’ final game of the regular season will take place next Saturday morning on the road at New York University. However, the team is hoping that it will not be its last. The Judges ended their season in heartbreak fashion last year as they fell in overtime in the Sweet 16 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament.

They will look to get back to the postseason and improve upon last year’s result.

The Judges have fell to fifth place in conference play, despite a spectacular overall record of 13-3-2.

Their record of 2-3-1 does not bode well for the team as they vie for a playoff berth.

Their previous conference record of 3-3-2 allowed them a spot in the first round of the playoffs while also posting a respectable 153-4 overall record.

The women have struggled as of late and are trying to regain their midseason form. The Judges started out the year on a nine-win tear and fizzled out in the past few games. The team has amassed only one win in the past five games, with one of those coming as a tie.

The Judges sorely need a win against NYU, a team which stands in seventh place in the conference with only one win. NYU should not be underestimated, though, as they accrued 10 wins in their overall regular season campaign. The Judges will need to bring their top game against the Violets as they look to close out the season on a high note.

●

Sports ● November 1, 2016

13

BREAKING FREE

NATALIA WIATER/the Justice

STUNNED IN SILENCE: Forward Zach Vieira ’17 chases the ball down the line in a beautiful win against the University of Rochester.

MSOCCER: Men set aim XC: Squads look to

for national playoff berth carry momentum to New England meet CONTINUED FROM 16 into the race, the whole team knew it was our year to shine…

The whole team has really come together and made major jumps, and we knew that this would be a year that no one saw coming.”

Though the season is not yet

complete, this was a very exciting and satisfying milestone in both the men’s and women’s seasons.

Coming off Stender and Bryson’s UAA Player of the Week awards from Oct. 12 and 19, both stars continued to compete hard and will look to carry their momentum in their upcoming New England regional meet on Nov. 12.

CONTINUED FROM 16

score. Ocel continued his impressive season, tacking on two assists for the day and propelling the Judges to another victory.

The first goal of the match came in the 26th minute, when midfielder Christian Hernandez ’18 knocked the ball in with his head. The goal proved to be the decisive factor in the game, but the Judges did not stop there.

Defender Thales Brito ’17 streaked down the field for another clean header off Ocel’s boot.

Woodhouse notched his third-

straight shutout in what has been a huge turnaround for the Judges.

The conference win allowed the Judges some breathing room with a 9-4-3 record on the season.

Judges 2, Lasell 0 The Judges’ first game of the week came at Lasell College on Tuesday afternoon. The squad was able to continue their win-streak and boost their record to a solid 8-4-3.

The first goal of the game came when Allen rocked a header for the first goal of the game off a clean look from Vieira.

In the 85th minute, Ocel booted a ball from the corner to give Vieira a

goal of his own and a reassuring 2-0 lead for the Judges.

In the stat box, the Judges dominated Lasell, with 38 shots overall versus zero for the Lasers.

The win proved huge for the Judges as they beat their opponent by two goals for the first time since Sept. 7 and won three in a row for the first time since the same date this season.

The Judges will continue their incredible turnaround in their final game of the season against New York University. The game will take place on Nov. 5, as the Judges try for another National Collegiate Athletic Association bracket berth to be determined after the game.

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THE JUSTICE

jUDGES BY THE NUMBERS

● Sports ●

Tuesday, november 1, 2016

15

VOLLEYBALL

Men’s Soccer UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Goals

Overall W L D 16 0 1 9 4 3 11 3 2 9 4 1 8 6 2 8 3 3 9 4 1 5 7 4

Josh Ocel ’17 led the team with five goals.

Pct. Player Goals 1.000 Josh Ocel 5 .692 Andrew Allen 4 .786 Evan Jastremski 4 .692 Patrick Flahive 4 .571 .727 Assists .692 Josh Ocel ’17 led the team with .417 11 assists.

The men’s soccer team will conclude their season against NYU on Saturday.

Player Assists Josh Ocel 11 Zach Vieira 5 Andrew Allen

3 Dylan Hennessy 1

Chicago JUDGES Carnegie Emory NYU Rochester WashU Case

UAA Conf.

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

EDITOR’S NOTE:

WOMen’s Soccer UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Goals

WashU Chicago Carnegie Emory JUDGES Rochester NYU Case

UAA Conf.

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

Overall W L D Pct. 13 2 2 .867 15 2 0 .882 10 5 1 .667 9 5 2 .643 13 3 2 .813 5 7 5 .417 10 3 4 .769 6 7 4 .462

EDITOR’S NOTE: The women’s soccer team will conclude their season against NYU on Saturday.

Lea McDaniel ’17 led the team with 11 goals.

Player Goals Lea McDaniel 11 Samantha Schwartz 7 Cidney Moscovitch 6 Haliana Burhans 3

Assists Haliana Burhans ’18 led the team with five assists.

Player Assists Haliana Burhans 5 Cidney Moscovitch 4 Sam Volpe 4

VOLLEYBALL UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS

UAA Conf. Overall

W L W L Case 7 0 17 9 Carnegie 6 1 27 5 Rochester 5 2 20 9 NYU 4 3 23 6 Emory 3 4 22 10 Chicago 2 5 20 8 WashU 1 6 15 14 JUDGES 0 7 7 18

Shea Decker-Jacoby ’19 led the team with 179 kills.

Player Kills Shea Decker-Jacoby 179 Emma Bartlett 168 Jessie Moore 120 Grace Krumpack 115

Kills Pct. .654 .844 .690 .793 .688 .714 .517 .280

EDITOR’S NOTE: Fri. at Chicago at UAA Championship Sat. at TBA at UAA Championship

Digs Yvette Cho ’19 led the team with 395 digs.

Player Digs Yvette Cho 395 Grace Krumpack 220 Marlee Nork 149 Doyeon Kim 108

cross cOuntry

Results from the UAA Cross Country Championship hosted by Emory University.

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)

8-Kilometer Run

6-Kilometer Run

RUNNER TIME Ryan Stender 24:46.58 Mitchell Hutton 24:54.34 Quinton Hoey 25:24.70

RUNNER TIME Emily Bryson 21:55.81 Maddie Dolins 22:22.42 Kate Farrell 22:35.33

EDITOR’S NOTE: Nov. 12 NCAA New England Regionals at Westfield State Nov. 19 NCAA Division III Championships at Louisville

NATALIA WIATER/the Justice

HIGH HOPS: Middle hitter Jessica Kaufman ’17 elevates over the net for the hard spike against Roger Williams University.

Squad crumbles in three straight games ■ Outside hitter Shea Decker-Jacoby ’19 notched seven digs, two service aces and 13 kills in a close loss.

By Ben Katcher JUSTICE EDITORTIAL ASSISTANT

The women’s volleyball team was unable to break out of its ongoing slump after losing all three of its matches this week.

Brandeis was shut out 3-0 by Rivier University on Tuesday and then narrowly lost both their matches on Saturday against Roger Williams University and Babson College 3-1 and 3-2, respectively.

Judges 2, Babson 3 The Judges ended their week with a close contest against Babson but lost 3-2 by scores of 25-22, 25-18, 14-25, 24-26 and 11-15. The match looked promising after the squad took the first two sets with much higher kill rates than Babson. However, they were unable to build off that momentum, dropping the next three sets and the match.

Outside hitter Shea Decker-Jacoby ’19 had an impressive performance for the Judges with seven digs, two service aces and a team-high 13 kills.

Middle hitter Emma Bartlett ’20 and outside hitter Jessie Moore ’18 each had four digs and combined for 18 kills. Furthermore, Moore had a solo block and Bartlett registered two block assists for the match. Setter Marlee Nork ’19 was a clear leader on the floor once again, recording 36 assists, six digs and three service aces. Defensively, libero Yvette Cho ’19 led the match with 22 digs and had a team-high four service aces to continue her remarkably successful season of serving. In addition, middle hitter Kirsten Frauens ’19 was a force at the net with two solo blocks and two block assists. Frauens also had seven kills for the match.

Judges 1, Roger Williams 3 Earlier that day, Brandeis struggled against Roger Williams and lost the match 3-1 by scores of 29-27, 17-25, 17-25 and 16-25. Once again, the Judges started the match strong by taking the first set but were unable to capitalize on their early momentum. They have all the assets and ability to win but need to figure out how to carry that strategy with them throughout the entirety of their regular-season matches.

Decker-Jacoby once again led the team offensively with 14 kills, while Nork added a team-high 33 assists.

Cho and fellow libero Doyeon Kim

’20 combined for 27 digs. Defensive specialist Lia Goldberg ’18 stepped it up with 11 digs and registered two service aces for the match. Middle hitter Jessica Kaufman ’17 made her presence known on defense as well with two solo blocks and a block assist. Bartlett and Moore combined for 15 kills as they continued to prove themselves as legitimate offensive weapons for the squad.

Judges 0, Rivier 3 Brandeis started its week with a tough shutout loss to Rivier 3-0 by scores of 14-25, 16-25 and 22-25. The Judges played their best in the final set but were simply outplayed by the dominant Rivier squad, who picked up their 26th victory of the season.

While Brandeis struggled to put much together on offense, Frauens, Kaufman and Bartlett combined for five block assists for the Judges. Cho and Kim combined for 18 digs for the match.

It has been a tough season for the Brandeis women’s volleyball team, as they have now lost nine straight games.

However, they have an immense amount of young talent and can look to grow and improve from their losses. The Judges can only go up from here moving forward, and it will be exciting to see what lies ahead for the squad.

PRO SPORTS BRIEF Offseason trades and acquisitions bring new level of hype as the basketball season commences The 2016 to 2017 National Basketball Association season began last week, and with it come several exciting storylines that fans are eager to see play out between now and June. Can the Cleveland Cavaliers defend their title? Can Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors continue to perform at a historically impressive level of eliteness? However, there are three notable storylines that every NBA fan should keep their eyes on as the season kicks in.

Indisputably, the biggest story of the offseason was the Golden State Warriors’ acquisition of former league MVP Kevin Durant. Durant’s decision to join the Warriors comes after Golden State had the most successful regular season in league history, finishing the year

at 73-9. Despite that regular season success, however, the team was unable to hold a 3-1 series lead in last year’s Finals, losing in Game 7 to LeBron James and the Cavaliers.

Some analysts believe that adding Durant will put the Warriors over the hump and will keep James and company from defending their championship crown. Others posit that the roster shakeup undertaken by the Warriors to clear cap space for Durant’s acquisition has significantly weakened the team’s bench and will thus result in a disappointing season. Only time will tell if the Warriors’ decision to pursue Durant, one of the league’s most electrifying scorers, was worth unloading much of their elite second-unit.

One of the other intriguing

narratives that developed throughout the offseason centers around the New York Knicks and their newly formed, self-proclaimed “super team.” In a move that caught many by surprise, the Knicks maneuvered their way into acquiring former league MVP Derrick Rose and former Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah from the Chicago Bulls. While Rose and the rest of the Knicks believe themselves to be among the league’s elite teams, most find it hard to believe greatness is ahead for New York. With the head-scratching signing of new head coach Kurt Rambis and a history of mediocrity for Carmelo Anthony-led teams, the Knicks may prove once more to be relatively irrelevant in a league replete with superstar teams.

The third and perhaps most interesting storyline revolves around whether the Cavaliers will be significantly challenged by an Eastern Conference foe this season.

Though many believe the Cavs will once again run away with the Eastern Conference and steamroll their way into the Finals, offseason acquisitions have made the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers more formidable opponents. After years of searching for a superstar, the Celtics finally got one in the form of four-time all-star Al Horford.

Though Horford undoubtedly makes the Celtics better, it remains to be seen whether they are still missing a few key pieces to get them over the hump. The Pacers had a similarly successful offseason, adding all-star point guard Jeff

Teague and one of the league’s more athletic forwards in Thaddeus Young. Those acquisitions, coupled with the imminent development of Myles Turner, will make the Pacers a scary team to face come time for postseason play. Though the Celtics and Pacers have taken the right steps to improving their rosters, there is nevertheless little reason to believe King James’ reign is about to see its end.

The beginning of each season brings a sense of pervasive excitement in the basketball world, but few seasons have started with such intriguing storylines. Fans everywhere should relish the high level of entertainment this season will bring.

—Gabriel Goldstein

just

Sports

Page 16

SLIP AND SLIDE The volleyball team fell in three consecutive matches to end their regular season campaign, p. 15.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Men’S SOCCER

WAVING THE FLAG

Club reverses course with wins ■ Forward Evan Jastremski

’17 tacked on two goals for the Judges in a key win against Rochester.

By JERRY MILLER JUSTICE Editor

The Judges started out the week coming off a tough first-half of October. The team won just four games in seven matches and went into four double-overtime periods.

The squad started off the season well but tapered off as the middle of the season hit. However, the Judges have been able to reverse their luck and have gone on a five-win tear as the season comes to a close.

Judges 3, Rochester 1 The Judges capped off a miracle month of October with a fifthstraight win and a three-goal game.

The Judges came out of the gate roaring, high off their past wins and ready for a battle.

Forward Evan Jastremski ’17 knocked in the first goal for the Judges early in the first half.

Midfielder Josh Ocel ’17 swooped in for the assist to boost his assist total

Waltham, Mass.

to four on the week.

Goalkeeper Ben Woodhouse ’18 allowed his first goal in four games, letting the ball sneak past him in the end of the first half.

The squad was undeterred, scoring two goals in the second half to give them the lead and the win.

Jastremski notched another goal off an assist from forward Zach Vieira ’17. The goal came a mere eight minutes into the second half and proved to be the ultimate game winner for the Judges.

Forward Andrew Allen ’19 tacked on one last goal to secure the lead, and the rest was history.

The Judges ended their month on a high note and a 10-4-3 record, a good enough line for a possible national playoff berth.

This also marks the third straight game in which the Judges won by at least two goals, a major accomplishment for a team which struggled offensively in the beginning of its season.

Judges 2, Emory 0 In the second game of the week for the men, the team continued its win streak and dominated the box

See MSOCCER, 13 ☛

CRoss country

Runners blow past tough competition ■ Emily Bryson ’19 came in

third place for the Judges to bring home a solid fourthplace finish.

By LEv brown JUSTICE staff Writer

The Judges concluded their competition for the month of October and ran in the University Athletic Association Championship at Emory University this Saturday. Both the men’s and women’s squads had spectacular performances.

The women finished very strong, coming in fourth out of eight teams, identical to their 2015 championship performance, and the men finished third of eight, their best University Athletic Association championship rally since 2006. Both squads had astounding runs from their top runners, and now the Judges look to continue the momentum as they look ahead to two National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III meets for the month.

On the women’s side, the Judges finished fourth of eight in the eight-kilometer run with 96 points. Leading the way, Emily Bryson ’19 came in third with a time of 21:55.81, giving her two straight first-team All-Association honors. Her time was a six-second improvement from her outing in the previous season.

For her final UAA Championship race, Brandeis’ Maddie Dollins ’17 capped off a tremendously successful UAA career.

She finished 11th to win her third All-UAA second-team award, and despite missing out on the entire season up until the championship, she was only 14 seconds shy of a first-team award (22:22.42).

Finishing third for the Judges and 16th place overall was Kate Farrell ’17 capturing a UAA personal record of 22:35.33. Emily Bryson’s sister Julia Bryson ’19 finished fourth for Brandeis and 28th overall with a time of 23:07.22, an improvement from her 32ndplace finish last year. The final two scorers for Brandeis were Kyra Shreeve ’18 and Meghan Barry ’19.

On the men’s side, the Judges also finished with 96 points, beating five other teams and coming in third overall. The Washington University in St. Louis Bears and the Carnegie Mellon University Tartans tied to win, both finishing with a score of 58. Brandeis men also defeated nationally ranked teams such as No. 18 New York University and No. 22 Emory University. This was a historic performance for the men, as they hadn’t finished third in the UAA final since fall of 2006.

Ryan Stender ’18 showed no mercy as he finished second overall in the eight-kilometer race with a time of 24:46.48, just two seconds after the first place finisher. Mitchell Hutton ’18, who ran his personal record, finished second for the Judges with a time of 24:54.34, coming in 16th overall.

Stender’s race was Brandeis’ best individual UAA Championship finish since Paul Norton’s ’11 stellar performance in 2009.

In third, Brandeis’ Quinton Hoey ’17 finished 22nd overall with a time of 25:24.70, his third consecutive third-place finish for the group. Liam Garvey ’18 came in fourth for the team and 24th overall with a time of 25:27.61.

Brian Sheppard ’18 was the fifth scorer for Brandeis at 49th overall .

After the race, Stender commented on the Judges’ fantastic finish, saying, “Going

See XC, 13 ☛

TALYA GUENZBURGER/the Justice

BULLING FORWARD: Defender Michaela Friedman ’17 boots the ball from the corner flag in a loss to the University of Rochester.

Squad falters during tough weekend loss ■ Forward Cidney

Moscovitch ’17 punched in her sixth goal of the season in a tie to Emory.

By NOAH HESSDORF JUSTICE EDITOR

The women’s soccer team was unable to rise to lofty expectations this week at home, falling to the University of Rochester on Sunday morning 1-0 during Senior Day and drawing against Emory University 1-1 on Friday evening. The squad fell to a conference record of 2-3-1 and overall record of 13-3-2.

Rochester 1, Judges 0 University Athletic Association contests are always competitive, as seen by the No. 14 Judges’ loss against a below .500 Rochester team. The squad has struggled since the conference portion of the schedule began after beginning the season with the best start in University history.

The team was unable to put a point on the board in the contest,

although it was not due to a lack of shots. The squad attempted 19 total shots on the day — 10 more than their opposition. The large number of opportunities came in part from an impressive 12 corner kicks that the Judges were given, contrasted

by Rochester, who only had three.

The squad struggled to turn all those opportunities into points, an issue that has plagued them the last few games, illustrated by its ability to record only three total goals in the last five contests.

There were, however, a few bright spots for the Judges on a mostly bleak day. Forward Lea McDaniel ’17 led the team with four total shots as she continued to propel the Brandeis attack, as she has all season long. Midfielder Sasha Sunday ’19 also kept the game competitive by attempting three shots.

Goalkeeper Alexis Grossman ’17 prevented Rochester from extending their lead on the day after they scored the game’s only goal in the 29th minute on a header off of a corner kick. Grossman recorded a solid six saves on seven total shots on goal.

Judges 1, Emory 1 The first half of Friday evening’s game was rather uneventful. Each team was only able to record five shots, none of which were converted for goals. The scoring would come early in the second half.

The Judges jumped on the board first, adding a score in the 49th minute. Forward Cidney Moscovitch ’17 took a shot from the top of the box and placed it in the front post for her sixth goal of the campaign. Moscovitch was assisted on the score by midfielder Sam Volpe ’19.

The visitors responded 11 minutes later in the 60th minute.

Freshman forward Caroline Kolski crossed the ball off the right corner to sophomore forward Grace Edgarton who slotted it in the far post to knot the game at 1-1.

The Judges would outperform Emory the rest of the way, outshooting the Eagles 10-5. They would also attempt nine corner kicks while their opposition only had one.

In the first overtime period, the team had three shots, while Emory was unable to record one. The

See WSOCCER, 13 ☛

Vol. LXIX #9

November 1, 2016

t s ju

S T R

Fall Fest Variety Show >> p. 19

Waltham, MA.

Images: Aaron Birnbaum. Design: Natalia Wiater and Morgan Brill/the Justice.

18

THE JUSTICE | Arts i TUESDAY, november 1, 2016

comedy

Comedians struggle with Fall Fest crowd

NATALIA WIATER/the Justice

NATALIA WIATER/the Justice

SMOOTH DELIVERY: Myq Kaplan ’00 excites the crowd with a string of a snappy jokes poking fun at his Jewish background.

By MAx Moran justice Editor

Here’s a challenge: how do you make a crowd of parents out with their college-aged kids laugh at a stand-up show?

Who’s going to crack up at a raunchy sex joke when their parents are sitting next to them? What about political humor among disagreeing families or social satire when the generation being satirized is just a few feet away?

This was the challenge three stand-up comedians faced at Friday’s Comedy Showcase in Spingold Theater Center, a Fall Fest event.

A comedy show whose audience feels too uncomfortable to laugh isn’t much of a comedy show at all, but the way each stand-up tackled the problem seemed instructive of how to bridge this comedic cultural gap.

First up was Luke Thayer. An Illinois native, his act took aim at targets so ingrained in American comedy that anyone could chuckle but not burst into a belly-laugh. His jokes arced around tropes like “men and women act differently” and “old people don’t get social

HAIR’S THE PUNCHLINE: Kiran Deol jokes about her luscious hair in her opening act for Kaplan during a show at Fall Fest.

media.” Thayer never made himself the butt of the joke, carefully positioning himself in the “straight man” persona for each story and observation. While he earned some kudos from the younger half of the crowd for a set on others’ racist responses to his interracial marriage, the crowd’s biggest laughs came from an improvised moment: Thayer was a third of the way into his set before realizing the microphone was off the entire time. “So that’s why you guys weren’t laughing!” he chided. “Why didn’t someone tell me?”

Next to the stage was Kiran Deol, who captured the crowd with her natural stage presence and charm. Deol’s act would have killed with an audience of just students, but if Thayer’s hewed too clean, hers leaned too dirty.

Deol employed her Indian-American heritage in several great bits. These included a postcolonial takedown of the UPS slogan (“What can brown do for you?”) and recounting an awkward birthday celebration at an Indian Pizza Hut. But jokes about the bizarre analogies we use to describe women’s pubic hair fell flat

on a crowd that did not want to think about sex with their families right nearby.

It was the last act of the night which finally cracked the nut of getting kids and their parents to laugh together. The headliner Myq Kaplan earned huge laughs and applause through a winning three-part formula: keep it smart, keep it dry, keep it fast.

Kaplan carried a home-field advantage. He is a Brandeis alumnus and opened his set with a slew of jokes about — what else? — high tuition costs. This lowered the audience’s guard and let them feel a kinship with Kaplan. The main reason he succeeded was his constant barrage of witty and intelligent jokes, the kind that force the audience into thinking and unpacking the last punch-line just in time for another to land.

Kaplan’s comedy is like a Russian doll-set unstacking then re-stacking itself. He started on a story about an intimidating man in Arkansas, until he mentioned the man told him “L’chaim.” This line directed him onto a set about his Judaism — a big hit with the Brandeis crowd — which pushed him into

wordplay about being “straight-ish, white-ish and Jewish.” Then he wound his way back to Jews, then back to the man in Arkansas, all the while peppering his jokes with callback humor to earlier topics so we didn’t get lost in his maze of comedy.

Kaplan acknowledged his deliberately scatterbrained style with the line “one time I was heckled by a lady who just said ‘focus!’”

He also spoke at a mile-a-minute rate, forcing the audience to pay that much more attention, which complimented his slightly smug stage persona.

Many of Kaplan’s jokes showed his interest in jokes themselves. He pointed out that more people seem to hate Nickelback than have actually heard a Nickelback song, describing the whole thing as “a reverse ‘Pagliacci the clown.’” Kaplan swung effortlessly between dozens of comedic topics and styles — everything from satirizing gun fanatics to calling an Italian wedding a “marinarriage.”

His clever writing, dry persona and rapidfire delivery ultimately won over the nearlyimpossible-to-please crowd at Fall Fest.

Curator talk

Bedford previews show at Venice Biennale

By LIZZIE GROSSMAN justice EDITOR

MAX MORAN/the Justice

CURIOUS CURATOR: Chris Bedford educates the audience on Mark Bradford’s social activism in Venice, Italy in preparation for the upcoming Venice Biennale.

An old friend arrived on the Brandeis campus on Friday: Chris Bedford, the former director of the Rose Art Museum, and current Wagner Wallace Director of the Baltimore Art Museum. Bedford came back to Brandeis to talk about the upcoming Venice Biennale, an international art show at which Bedford will be cocurating an exhibit by contemporary painter Mark Bradford with the Rose’s curator at large, Katy Siegel.

Bedford spent most of the talk discussing Bradford and his work.

Bradford was born and raised in Los Angeles.

He grew up working as a hairdresser in his mother’s salon, which was, according to Bedford, a matriarchal job. This inspired him to enter the painting world, which, at the time was more patriarchal.

Most of his paintings draw inspiration from working in the hair salon and growing up in Los Angeles in the 1960s. He refers to his work as “social abstraction” because it focuses on a mix of social issues, especially those related to the Civil Rights Movement.

His work also emphasizes the history of abstract art. Bradford is also the founder of a Los Angelesbased program called Art and Practice, which provides care to help children become young adults through contemporary art.

According to Bedford, Bradford

always wants to have “one foot in the studio [and] one foot in the social world as an activist.”

Bradford participated in Prospect 1 in New Orleans in 2008. Prospect 1 is a contemporary art event that began as an outlet to bring art into New Orleans after the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina.

According to Bedford, Prospect 1 was a way “of bringing the art world [...] to a largely black community that had been devastated, neglected, variously televised and photographed broadly across the country but not helped adequately by the state or federal government.”

Bradford arrived intending not to present his artwork, but to get involved in helping the community. He ended up auctioning a painting and donating the proceeds from the auction to found a non-profit organization called L9.

L9 is run by Keith Calhoun and Sandra McCormick, two Katrina survivors who have used their photography to document incarcerated men and prisoners in Louisiana.

Bedford explained that in the late 1990s to early 2000s, a tradition emerged of performing social actions within institutional gallery spaces, such as serving soup in a gallery, in order to “[try and] model social propositions on a much smaller scale.”

Bedford said that he initially was skeptical of how this practice could apply to social change, but he believes that we have now moved

beyond that tradition and now sees several artists participating in social action that is unrelated to the world of art. “It’s quite literally ... social service enabled by the power of the art world,” Bedford said.

When Bradford is in Venice this Spring, he will work with two prisons on the island of Venice that are hidden from the public eye. According to Bedford, around 60 percent of the residents of the prisons are undocumented migrants, particularly Syrian refugees.

Bradford has started working with Rio Terra, an organization that serves to remedy the system of incarcerating these migrants.

Rio Terra provides services to the prisons.

In the men’s prison, they assist inmates in making bags and purses out of recycled posters and banners from the Biennale.

They will sell the products they have made — the inmates will receive some of the profit while the rest will go back to the program “to train subsequent generations.”

In the women’s prison, the inmates will sell produce to restaurants and hotels around Venice, using the profit to invest in infrastructure for the program.

“The one major commitment of Mark’s ... is that this is not supposed to be a burst of sensational activity,” said Bedford. “This is supposed to be a sustainable form of action that will exist way, way beyond Mark’s presence in Venice.”

THE JUSTICE i arts i TUESDAY, November 1, 2016

19

Performance groups dazzle at fall showcase PHOTOS BY AARON BIRNBAUM/the Justice

By Lizzie Grossman

justice editor

... Brandeis is known for its array of performing groups, from dance to music to comedy. However, while many students probably have a friend or two within some of these groups, there are many amazing performing troupes on campus that do not get enough recognition.

This is why the annual Fall Fest Variety Show — which took place this past Saturday — is such a popular event; students and families have the opportunity to experience the talents of many different students from different artistic disciplines all in one sitting.

The show, which took place in Levin Ballroom, was jam-packed with students and families who were eager to see the performers showcase their talents.

Although the show started a bit later than anticipated, the audience’s energy quickly increased after an introduction from none other than our upbeat dean of students, the beloved Jamele Adams.

The show opened with a unique performance from the Platinum Step Team, whom I had never seen perform before. Their performance consisted of mostly sound-making moves, such as stomps and slaps. This seems like it would be simple, but they did not fail to show how much talent and hard work it must have taken to deliver such a fantastic routine. This was a wonderful act to open the show with.

The second performance was by the all-inclusive a cappella group No Singer Clef Behind, who delivered two beautiful arrangements: “Hey There Delilah” by the Plain White T’s (soloed by Anastasia Christilles ’18) and “I Really Want It” by A Great Big World (soloed by Zoe Hertz ’20).

A cappella in general was a defining theme of the variety show, with a total of four a cappella groups performing.

In addition to No Singer Clef Behind, Voices of Soul, Company B and Rather Be Giraffes also showed off their talent.

Voices of Soul delivered some very wellknown songs, such as “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5 and “Ignition” by R. Kelly. Company B brought back some old tunes from the later 20th century, such as “The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of

SNAZZY SOUL: Voices of Soul sings “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5, soloed by Sarah Dublin ’18 (center).

Company B” (very fitting with the name of the a cappella group) by the Andrews Sisters and “I Believe in You and Me” by the Four Tops.

Saadiah McIntosh ’17 put his entire heart and soul into the Four Tops number, making it especially memorable and a sure crowd-pleaser.

Rather Be Giraffes stood out with their medleys of songs, especially with their medley of music from the 1980s, which included signature songs from the decade such as “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar and “Take on Me” by a-ha.

All of these groups stood out with their varied sounds and song choices, which showed just how much variety there is in the arts scene on campus.

The improv group To Be Announced was also very popular with the crowd, and was probably the most different from any of the other performances. They played a game with the crowd in which the crowd suggested a situation (in this case, having a baby) for Monica Chen ’19 and Conor Amrien ’19 to present a slideshow about, while three other performers (Matt Hoisch ’19, Evan Moloney ’20 and Abby LeRoy ’20) acted out the slides.

Dance was also prevalent throughout the show, from groups such as K-Pop, Hooked on Tap and Stop Motion. All of these groups showed unique talent and there was never a repetitive moment in the show. The different dance groups also succeeded in highlighting many of the different cultures on campus, such as K-Pop, a Korean dance group, and Brandeis Chak De!, the Bollywood fusion dance group.

The night ended with a lively performance from the extremely talented Adagio Dance Ensemble, who performed an upbeat number to “Bang Bang” by will.i.am, a hip hop song that incorporates elements from 1920s jazz music such as the “Charleston.”

This created a unique dance routine that consisted of both hard-hitting hip hop moves as well as old-fashioned jazz moves, different from any routine I have ever seen from the ensemble.

The 2016 Fall Fest Variety Show was nothing short of a success, with nearly every performance receiving wild applause from the audience. There was no better way to showcase the talent of many different arts and cultures on campus.

STANDOUT SAADIAH: Company B sings “I Believe in You and Me” by the Four Tops, soloed by Saadiah McIntosh ’17 (center).

DISTINGUISHED DANCERS: Adagio Dance Ensemble performs an upbeat number to a modern take on an old favorite.

Film review

‘Inferno’ goes down in flames

By Kent DinLenc justice Staff writer

... “Inferno,” the third installment of the “Robert Langdon” trilogy, succeeding “The Da Vinci Code” and “Angels & Demons,” was released last Friday. Though the first two were subjected to mediocre reviews, Ron Howard returned to helm the third film as director.

Based on Dan Brown’s fourth Robert Langdon book, “Inferno” revolves around a conspiracy involving a billionaire’s endeavor to fix the Earth’s overpopulation problem. He plans to release a plague to infect billions of people but is forced to commit suicide to avoid being captured by the World Health Organization.

This film is fun but terribly flawed. In the thick of it all, Tom

Hanks delivers another good performance. At times, it just seems his character is an extension of his personality sprinkled with an encyclopedic knowledge of symbols and religious history. His dedication to stunt performance during chase scenes and explosions is very impressive given his age of 59 at the time of shooting.

His co-star, Felicity Jones, played Hanks’ third disposable female sidekick in the trilogy. While her performance was serviceable, I personally find her expressionless.

Ben Foster, who blew me away in my recent favorite “Hell or High Water,” plays the billionaire behind the apocalyptic scheme. His role in “Inferno” leaves him underused and trapped in flashbacks.

Howard, known for “Apollo 13,” “Rush” and “A Beautiful Mind,” once again provided suspense and

drama that fit well within the plot.

As with “Da Vinci” and “Angels,” Howard is trapped within the bounds of a weak script. Within the body of this movie, its poor skeleton leads the film to collapse on itself.

David Koepp’s script is flawed and laced with plot holes, unnecessary scenes and character motivation not fleshed out to its full potential. While you may blame Dan Brown for this, it was Koepp’s responsibility to at least improve upon and fix the source material.

The studio was brave enough to change certain plot points found in the book but not enough to take liberties with the poor writing.

Though the film seems plagued with narrative problems, I won’t deny that it was a fun film to watch in the moment. Some scenes within the mediocre film stand out in quality; however once I think about

the rest of the plot, it frustrates and disappoints me to a point where I no longer enjoyed it as much as I did in the theater.

Films like these are more serviceable as a last resort or while flipping through channels but should not be sought after — similar to the other films in the

“

“Films like these are more serviceable as a last resort or while flipping through channels.”

trilogy. Hans Zimmer’s consistently

beautiful score does not save “Inferno” from a C-, borderline D+, grade. Among the other two films, it ranks as second, above “The Da Vinci Code” and below “Angels & Demons.”

In the coming week, I recommend seeing the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest addition, “Doctor Strange,” starring Benedict Cumberbatch alongside a group of pedigreed actors in a world revolving around magic, parallel realities and heroics. If you are one who has grown tired of superhero movies, I also recommend “Hacksaw Ridge,” a film taking place in Okinawa during World War II. Surrounded by those calling him a coward, a conscientious objector sticks to his belief of a nonviolent contribution in war and saves 75 mortally wounded soldiers from both the allied and enemy lines.

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TUESDAY, october 11, 2016 | Arts | THE JUSTIce

Brandeis TALKS

INTERVIEW

What’s the best Halloween costume you’ve seen so far?

Rachel Josselsohn ’17

Jeremy Koob ’17 “My biochemistry professor had a knife through his head.”

MORGAN BRILL/the Jusitce

This week, justArts spoke with Rachel Josselsohn ’17, who is directing Brandeis Ensemble Theater’s “She Kills Monsters,” to be performed at Brandeis this weekend. justArts: Without giving away any spoilers, can you tell me a little bit about the plot and premise of the play?

Natsuko Yamagata ’17 “I saw a small dinosaur walking around campus. I didn’t know who it was, but it was cute.”

Myra Shreeve ’18 “I saw someone on Facebook dress up as a calculator, like the scientific calculator, or the fancy one, and he drew it all out and made all the buttons. It was very intense, and he drew Happy Halloween on the screen, so that was pretty cool.”

Rita Scheer ’20 “So one of my friends did the Roy Lichtenstein face-painting thing, a pop art costume with the wig and everything. It’s really cool makeup.”

—Compiled and photographed by Natalia Wiater/the Justice.

STAFF’S Top Ten

Artists to Follow on Instagram

By HANNAH KRESSEL

justice EDITORial assistant

While social media is most commonly used to post pictures of friends and fancy meals, social media has become an extremely powerful tool for artists to promote their work and create a loyal fan base. These artists post many images of their work in its transitive stages as well as extremely satisfying videos of brushstrokes.

1. @hodayalouis 2. @reidf 3. @theportraitart 4. @sophiafayart 5. @katelouisepowell 6. @amandawachob 7. @mjlindo 8. @talilennox 9. @henrikaau 10. @seblester

RACHEL KLINGENSTEIN/the Justice

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Judge of comic books?

6 Birthstones for 68-Down 11 Type of address 14 Prefix meaning “man” 15 Response to “Who ate all the cookies?”

16 Extinct flightless bird 17 One trying to woo a female doctor?

19 Word that might appear onscreen in Adam West’s “Batman” 20 Gift from Krampus, in folklore 21 Turn to bone 23 Capable 26 Word before “mortal” 29 Giving off a spooky vibe 30 A prior engagement 32 “Who is John _____?”

34 Fellow classmate 35 Name of “a warrior from the Land of the Midnight Sun”, in a Warren Zevon song 37 It may be impassioned 39 One trying to woo a female astronomer?

44 Wilder of “Stir Crazy” 45 Have (over) 47 British bum “The Hangover” 51 Arable material 13 Solicitor 53 Welcome sight for a nomad 18 Sam ______ 54 Bigger than tall?

22 Mo. before 68-Down 56 Nicholas II was the last one 23 Letters after “0%” 58 Response or lead-in to an 24 Group of countries idea of what to do 25 ______ land (one’s own world) 59 Online financial services 27 Gets down a rock-climbing wall, 61 Lovable cartoon imp perhaps 63 Pinch, as a nose 28 King of country music 64 One trying to woo a female 31 Something 30-Across might hit attorney?

33 Actress Hatcher 70 Functionality 36 Nintendo prods.

71 Drug that sponsors 38 ______ Domini “Jeopardy!”

40 Meters, e.g.

72 Put into law 41 Subject of a Seinfeld bit 73 Sounds of disaffection 42 Woodshop tool 74 Taken into account 43 “_____ again!”

75 Things accrued with credit 46 Windy curve cards 47 Means of approach 48 Heinz product DOWN 49 Website with the tagline “Rumor 1 Hoover, for one has it” 2 Letters before “polymerase” 50 Airport info (abbr.)

3 Anti-Islam grp.

52 Ended, as a discussion 4 Spiky houseplants 55 Ancient empire located in 5 Extinct flightless bird modern-day Peru 6 What Captain Ahab had 57 _____ al Ghul (Batman villain) 7 Opposite of neg.

60 Missile or grain locale 8 Texting alternative to RN 62 Deeply regretted 9 Texting alternative to 65 Thoroughly examine, as a job ROFL applicant 10 Word after “common” or 66 “____ never been so happy” “sixth” 67 One might be picked up at a bar 11 Baseball arbitrator 68 See 6-Across and 22-Down 12 Drug taken accidentally in 69 GPS suggestions

Rachel Josselsohn: [It’s] a really interesting show. It’s very unique.

There’s a girl whose name is Agnes, and she lives a very average life, nothing too spectacular. Her entire family dies in a car crash, including her younger sister Tilly. So the story is about her younger sister, who was really into Dungeons & Dragons and created a game with a couple of friends. Agnes finds this module and decides she wants to play it.

The whole premise of the show is Agnes getting to know her sister through the lens of the game. So there’s a lot of really funny moments, but it can also get pretty intense, because she’s learning about her sister in a way that she really didn’t know, because there’s such a huge age gap between the two girls. And it’s kind of a story of just appreciating people in your life and getting to know people.

JA: How did you come across the opportunity to direct this play?

CROSSWORD COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN

RJ: I am a stage manager by training, so I’m not really used to the whole directing thing; it’s something brand new to me. But, my high school [put on the play,] and I saw all these pictures of Facebook — I didn’t get to see the show — and I was like, What is happening?

So I read the play, and I fell in love with it. I went to the proposals meeting for Brandeis Ensemble Theater (BET) and I said [that I was] interested in directing this show, and through a process of proposing it, finding people to work on it and voting, people decided they had faith in me, and the show is here!

JA: What’s been the most rewarding part of directing?

SOLUTION COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN

RJ: I think the most rewarding part of directing has been seeing how excited everybody is about the show, because it’s a very unique show, and it’s just so different. I think it’s probably the biggest tech-heavy show [...] that we’ve had, so seeing all the tech people get so into it and creating these awesome lights and sounds was really exciting.

And the actors, also, they just jumped in and embraced a really interesting show. I think just that everyone’s been so enthusiastic about it, and that’s just making my time even better because I get to work with all those different energies.

JA: What’s been the most challenging part of directing?

SUDOKU INSTRUCTIONS: Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

RJ: The most challenging part would have to be the show itself — because of its uniqueness, it walks a fine line a lot of the time between being funny versus being cheesy or being really sad, but really overdramatic. So finding the nice balance between all of those different emotions that are in the show has been very difficult. I’m really lucky because all of my tech people, my amazing assistant director, Elana Kellner ’19 and all of the actors have been so involved in giving feedback and proposing new ideas that I think together we have [been able] to really circumvent those things and make the show really a great piece of theater.

JA: Anything else you want to add?

Solution to last issue’s sudoku

Sudoku Copyright 2014 Tribune News Service, Inc.

RJ: The show is going to be a lot of fun!

We had a lot of fun doing it, and I hope the audience enjoys it!

—Lizzie Grossman