the
Justice www.thejustice.org
The Independent Student Newspaper Volume LXXI, Number 25
of
B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9
Monday, May 20, 2019
Waltham, Mass.
CAMPUS ACTIVISM
Students protest ‘racist’ policies
68TH COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES
■ A group of students rallied
to demand changes to DCL and Public Safety policing practices. By GILDA GEIST JUSTICE EDITOR
Brandeis students gathered on the Rabb Steps on May 1 to protest racialized policing practices on campus, marching from Rabb to the Department of Community Living office, the Department of Public Safety office, the Bernstein-Marcus Administration Center and the Shapiro Campus Center, reading their demands of the University at each location. The rally was coordinated by students who were part of Concerned Students 2015, the group that led the Ford Hall 2015 sit-in. Signs at the protest read, “DCL operates as a policing organization,” “The concerned students are still concerned,” “It’s our duty 2 fight for freedom” and more. Many of the participants wore all black to the demonstration, as the organizers had encouraged via Instagram and Facebook. Toward the end of the protest, students crowded into University President Ron Liebowitz’s office to read the demands again, before moving on to
THU LE/the Justice
CHALLENGING ANTI-SEMITISM: Holocaust scholar and author Deborah Lipstadt MA '72, PhD '76 addressed the Class of 2019 at Commencement. "No genocide of any kind, in any place, ever began with action. It begins with words," she said.
Deborah Lipstadt advises grads to combat prejudice ■ Lipstadt talked about the
importance of standing up to anti-Semitism and other forms of prejudice. By EMILY BLUMENTHAL and GILDA GEIST JUSTICE EDITORS
Deborah E. Lipstadt MA ’72, PhD ’76 took the stage at Brandeis’ 68th Commencement Exercises on May 19 to both congratulate the graduating Class of 2019 and warn them about the changing world around them. “I should send you on your way in a positive and upbeat passion. I should challenge you with the prophetic words, ‘may you dream dreams and see visions.’ And yet, I shall not do that … because the moment and the situation we are current facing demands much more than that,” she said. “Today I stand before you concerned, worried, and dare I say it, … truly frightened about the future.” As a Holocaust scholar and author, Lipstadt said, “I approach this topic from the perspective of a lifelong study of anti-Semitism and its terrific impact.” She explained that while certain hateful sentiments are not new, “the haters feel emboldened, free to express and celebrate their contempt for others.”
Lipstadt said that, like racism and homophobia, anti-Semitism is born out of prejudice. She discussed how prejudice affects racism and anti-Semitism, explaining that racism against Black and Brown people takes the form of white people seeing these groups as inferior and dangerous. “The racist punches down to prevent this assault from below,” Lipstadt said. She continued, “The anti-Semite punches up to prevent that assault from above,” Lipstadt continued. She explained that anti-Semitic people see Jews as the manipulative group behind the “white genocide,” describing anti-Semitism as a “conspiracy theory.” As an example, she highlighted the 2017 Charlottesville rally, where white supremacists chanted, “Jews will not replace us.” Lipstadt elaborated that the political left and right unite over anti-Semitism. She pointed out that David Irving, a Holocaust denier who sued her in 1996 for libel and who helped Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke write his memoir, said he was “impressed” with Jeremy Corbyn’s leftist Labour Party. According to Lipstadt, Irving and Corbyn have “nothing in common except for overt and unrelenting anti-Semitism.” Lipstadt said that while political leaders should be the ones standing against hate, those actually willing
Israel cube spray painting prompts backlash, investigation ■ IfNotNow Brandeis taped
a sign to a pro-Israel graffiti cube, leading to a debate about free speech on campus. By EMILY BLUMENTHAL JUSTICE EDITOR
In honor of Israel’s independence day, Brandeis Hillel hired Artists4Israel to create a graffiti cube expressing Israeli pride and highlighting the strong ties between Israel and many members of the Brandeis community. Artists4Israel, a coalition of artists who, according to their website, “prevent the spread of anti-Israel bigotry through art and help communities and people affected by terrorism and hate,” decorated three sides of the cube with commissioned murals. The final side was designated for student expression. Between the night of April 30 and the early hours of May 1, less than 24 hours after the cube was constructed, an unknown party spray-painted “Free Palestine” over one of the commissioned murals, which depicted the word “Israel” with letters in the shape of religious symbols. Soon after, Hillel
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members turned the face of the affected side of the cube around to create a “blank canvas,” later painting “Coexist” on the panel, per a statement from the group. The last stage of the cube’s transformation came when members of the Jewish student group IfNotNow Brandeis affixed a sign reading “Stop Lying to Young Jews #FreePalestine” to the same panel with duct tape, which was promptly removed by University officials. The incident triggered a contentious debate over the rights of students and organizations to express pro-Palestine sentiments and prompted an exploration of the fine line between free expression and vandalism on campus.
The Statements
As news of the incident spread around campus, several student groups made statements on social media. While some condemned the spray painting, others saw covering it up as censoring pro-Palestinian voices. The first statement came from IfNotNow on the day of the incident and explained the reasoning behind adding the sign to the cube. IfNotNow
For the inbetweeners
Adagio
18 new Student Union members elected
Two students explore what it’s like being in between generations in their podcast.
The Adagio Dance Company presents its spring showcase.
By CHAIEL SCHAFFEL
By SHOSHANA FINKEL
By SAMMY PARK Photo Courtesy of ...AND SOMETIMES Y
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CAMPUS ACTIVISM
to do so are “few and far between.” As a result, she said, “We must fight from the bottom up.” Lipstadt emphasized the importance of standing against other prejudices in addition to anti-Semitism. “We cannot be against just one ‘-ism’ to the exclusion of all others. If we are going to fight prejudice, we must fight it across the board. We cannot be a fighter against anti-Semitism but be blind to racism, or even worse, engage with it ourselves.” She continued, “The Jew in the kippa, the Muslim in the hijab, the African American student walking across campus, the Latino kids gathered … in a park must feel as safe as anyone else.” Lipstadt encouraged the graduating class to use their Brandeis education to “repair the world.” She concluded, “We hope you will do well, but we pray you will do good.” Similarly, University President Ron Liebowitz’s remarks addressed themes of anti-Semitism and social justice. He recalled Brandeis’ founding by the American Jewish community in 1948 for the purpose of creating a place for marginalized communities in higher education. In addition to describing Brandeis’ history of social justice, Liebowitz emphasized the class of 2019’s commitment to addressing the world’s
See COMMENCEMENT, 8
their final destination in the SCC atrium. An organizer told the march participants, “This is the end of our long and grueling protest — but it’s not.” The leaders of the rally listed thefive demands at each stop of the march. The first called for “transparency and direct action on community living.” With this demand, protesters asked DCL to reveal whether there is a quota system for student conduct and punishment, to mandate informed consent for room inspections, to provide independent advocates to inform students of color of their rights if they are accused of violating the code of conduct and to compile a public, third-party report investigating racial bias in DCL code violation reports. The second demand urged the University to “fulfill mental health priorities established and approved” by the University during the 2015 Ford Hall protests. According to a Brandeis Magazine article, in response to the 2015 demands, the University released an implementation plan that said they would work on increasing the number of counselors of color at the Brandeis Counseling Center “to provide culturally relevant support to students.” In light of this demand, a group of BCC staff members marched on May
See CUBE, 5 ☛
NEWS 2
A graduating senior looks back By ANDREW JACOBSON
FORUM 12
Banshee’s strong season concludes
FEATURES 7 For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org
NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
Make your voice heard! Submit letters to the editor to letters@thejustice.org
ARTS 18
By MEGAN GELLER
COPYRIGHT 2019 FREE AT BRANDEIS.
SPORTS 16
2
MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019
NEWS
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THE JUSTICE
BRIEF Theater professor does dramaturgy for musical A new musical entitled “We Live in Cairo” will open at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge on May 22, according to the theater’s website. Per the National Alliance for Musical Theater, the show features dramaturgy by Brandeis Assistant Professor Ryan McKittrick (THA). The production began preview performances on May 14 and will run through June 23. According to the theater’s website, “We Live in Cairo” was “inspired by the young Egyptians who took to the streets in 2011 to overthrow President Hosni Mubarak” and “follows six revolutionary students armed with laptops and cameras, guitars and spray cans as they come of age in contemporary Cairo.” McKittrick has worked as the director of Artistic Programs/Dramaturg for ART for seven years, according to his LinkedIn page. For the past six years, he has also been an assistant professor of Theater Arts for Brandeis. “We Live in Cairo” was written by brothers Patrick and Daniel Lazour, according to NAMT. “We’re most excited to remind people of one of the greatest revolutions in modern history — one sparked by young people who had a deep love for their country and quite literally put their lives on the line for dignity, respect and freedom,” they said in an article on the NAMT website. The Lazours have said that the team at ART, consisting of Diane Paulus, Diane Borger, Mark Lunsford and Ryan McKittrick “have respected our hopes and desires and then some. They have been by our side in finding the voice for the show and have connected us with some of the great Egyptian thinkers and artists of our time.” Tickets for “We Live in Cairo” are on sale now online at americanrepertorytheater.org or by phone. Student rush tickets are available for $15. —Jason Frank
This issue’s Police Log was published online only.
The Justice is on hiatus for the summer. Our next issue will be published in the fall semester.
STUDENT UNION
18 positions filled in Student Union elections ■ Winners of the second
round of elections shared their plans for the Union next year. By CHAIEL SCHAFFEL JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
The second round of Student Union elections took place on April 18, with 18 positions filled by a number of Union veterans and fresh faces. The Justice reached out to the newly-elected representatives to get their first takes on their new jobs and how they plan to serve the student body.
SENATORS
Ten senators were elected to the Union. The winners tended to foreground two issues on their platforms: accessibility and accountability. Multiple candidates mentioned the controversies surrounding the Union this year, including the proposal to decharter The Brandeis Hoot and the Cclub Consultant amendment. Other candidates mentioned the need for greater accessibility on campus.
CLASS OF 2020 SENATORS Scott Halper
Halper is a newcomer to the Union. He decided to run after seeing “continued issues in the Union,” per a May 6 email to the Justice. He pointed to the piano Senate Money Resolution, the recall of former International Student Senator Linfei Yang ’20, the Club Consultant amendment and the attempted de-chartering of The Hoot as specific examples. Speaking about the Union, Halper said its problems were “pervasive. There is no reason why any deliberative body should have so much conflict. … Too often in political situations, ego overpowers good policy work.” He said the repeated controversies, particularly over media organizations, showed “that many students do not feel heard.” Halper wants to see increased cooperation in the Union. He also wants to make his office hours as public as possible, and expressed an interest in working with the Concerned Students 2015 movement on campus. Halper received 30.77 percent of the vote (80 votes) and came in first in the four-way race with a wide margin over the other candidates.
Dane Leoniak
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS n The Arts teaser photo was incorrectly credited to Noah Zeitlin ’22. It should have been credited to Zach Katz ’22 (April 16, Page 1). The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Email editor@thejustice.org.
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Leoniak ran for 2020 Senator because he believes the Union “has not been listening to many people and groups on campus,” according to his candidate biography. In the bio, Leoniak said that he wants “to be a voice for students and clubs who are otherwise ignored or cut for time by the Student Union.” Leoniak also expressed that he wanted to pull the Union into greater lockstep with the student body. “I want the Union to do something worthwhile and not push pet projects that no one on campus actually wants to happen,” he said. Leoniak did not respond to requests for comment. Leoniak won the second 2020 seat by a razor-thin margin — just one vote. His total vote share was 21.9 percent (57 votes), defeating the next-closest candidate, incumbent Jacob Diaz (21.5 percent, 56 votes), for the spot. Trevor Filseth, another Union veteran, came in last with 13 percent of the vote (34 votes). 260 votes were cast in total.
CLASS OF 2021 SENATORS Sissel Tan
In her candidate biography,
Tan said she was looking to “make our community more active and energetic” and that she wants to participate in “campus regulating, problem solving and improving.” Tan won 30.8 percent of the vote (74 votes), finishing second in the two-way race. She did not respond to requests for comment. Many students chose to vote ‘abstain’ in the race, as that option gathered 23.3 percent of the votes (56 votes).
Jake Rong ’21
Rong wrote in a May 10 email to the Justice that he wishes to continue holding the Senate and Union Executive Board accountable. “I’ll work closely with the president and vice president to ensure all Executive Board members are holding office hours and regularly sending written updates to the Senate and student body,” he wrote in the email. In his candidate bio, Rong said that he wants to make the University as “accountable, effective, and inclusive as it can be.” Rong is a longtime Union veteran, having served since his first year. He served as Village Quad and 567 senator, and Rules Committee chair this past semester. Rong received 34.6 percent of the vote (83 votes) in the two-way race, coming in first place. 240 total votes were cast.
CLASS OF 2022 SENATORS Topaz Fragoso
Fragoso wants to “continue representing [her] peers’ needs, concerns, and wants” in the coming year, according to her candidate biography. She did not respond to requests for comment. This is the second time Fragoso will serve as senator for the Class of 2022. Fragoso won 44.3 percent (143 votes) of the vote in the two-way race and came in first.
Joseph Coles IV
Coles said in a May 6 email to the Justice he ran for the Senate to “play a part in improving the student experience and [to do his] part to improve the perception of the Union.” In the email, Coles wrote that he wants the Union to play a more positive role in student life. He listed getting air conditioning for the dorm common areas and having more offcampus food options available for students on campus as two of his priorities. Coles won 38.27 percent (124 votes) of the votes in his election and placed second overall.
SENATORS-AT-LARGE Nancy Zhai ’22
In a May 6 email to the Justice, Zhai said she would “like to continue instituting improvements in our community’s best interests by shifting [her] focus to what affects our community as a whole.” She had previously served as Class of 2022 Senator. Zhai wants to make strides in three areas. As Dining Committee chair, she wants to make the meal plan process more accommodating and look after the quality of the food on campus. Zhai also said she wants to be “more open to suggestions, feedback and constructive criticism by gathering constituents’ feedback/thoughts” before moving forward with any new enterprises. Finally, Zhai wants to improve campus diversity and inclusion by ensuring that “everyone’s concerns are seriously considered, properly addressed and genuinely validated.” She cited the termination of basketball coach Brian Meehan as one example of the kind of conduct she wants to improve.
Zhai stressed outreach and communication both within the Union and with the student body as priorities. “As the legislative branch [of the] Union and representative of [the] Brandeis Community, it’s crucial for us to have effective communication and maintain professional selfconduct,” she wrote. Zhai won 42.8 percent of the vote share in the two-way election. Her 374 votes were the most for any candidate in this election cycle.
Josh Hoffman ’21
Hoffman won the second senator-at-large seat. In his candidate biography, he touted his experience in the Facilities and Housing and Health and Safety committees as his qualification for running. Hoffman noted two projects on his record that he wanted to continue: one to stock the bathrooms with menstrual products and another to stock the first-year dorms with condoms. “Vote for me and let me keep stocking the bathrooms with random crap,” he wrote in his biography. Hoffman did not respond to requests for comment. Hoffman won 31.7 percent of the vote (277 votes). He came in second in the two-seat race. The race had 873 votes total.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SENATOR Shuorui Wang ’22
Wang said in his candidate biography that he wants to focus on improving food for international students. Wang also said he wishes to “improve the international students’ accessibility to activity information and news on campus.” He did not respond to requests for comment. Wang won the one-seat election with 42.5 percent of the election (40 votes). Leah Fernandez ’22 was the runner-up with 37.2 percent of the votes (35 votes). There were 94 votes total.
SENATOR FOR RACIAL MINORITY STUDENTS Rajan Vohra ’21
In his candidate biography, Vohra credited his Hindu beliefs and his Indian roots as part of his qualifications to serve as Racial Minority senator. In addition, he wrote that wants to bring his “fellow peers together through more inclusive social events and show them how to celebrate a wide variety of cultures.” Vohra did not respond to requests for comment. Vohra garnered 54 percent of the votes (154 votes) in the uncontested election. The race had 247 votes total.
ASSOCIATE JUSTICES
The nine-way race for associate justice on the Union Judiciary was the largest race in this election cycle. The nine candidates competed for five open seats, and 1,684 votes were cast — each eligible voter could choose up to five options.
Maya Walborsky ’22
Walborsky said that she wants to have a “voice” in the smooth operation of the Union by overseeing meetings. She did not reply to requests for comment. Walborsky received the most votes from the race at 216, or 12.8 percent vote share.
Rachel Sterling ’21
Sterling came in second place with 12.3 percent of the vote share, or 208 votes. In her candidate biography, she described a desire to “foster an environment that is built upon a foundation of trust and honesty within our community.” Sterling did not reply to requests for comment.
Ruth Itzkowitz ’22
Itzkowitz said in a May 6 email to the Justice that she wants to “make sure the Student Union runs efficiently and fairly” this year. She also said that she “hopes to make sure the Judiciary Board really acts to make sure all is fair and just” within the Union. Itzkowitz pulled 12.1 percent of the vote, with 204 votes.
Shania Thomas ’21
Thomas wants to uphold current legal precedents and set new ones that comply with the Union Constitution, per her candidate biography. “I would service this campus as an advisor and adjudicator in bringing forth legislation that expands the fruitfulness of our time at Brandeis,” she wrote in her bio. Thomas received 11.76 percent of the vote, or 198 votes. She did not respond to requests for comment.
Jack Ranucci ’22
Ranucci said in his candidate biography that his knowledge of the University’s “governing documents” are what will make him an effective member of the Judiciary. He did not respond to requests for comment. He received 10.57 percent of the vote, or 178 votes. The closest runner up was Junhan Lee ’20 with 138 votes.
REPRESENTATIVE TO CEEF BOARD
This two-seat race garnered 856 votes in total. Mike Bender ’22 came in first with 27.22 percent of the vote, or 233 votes. Notably, the option to abstain was the second-ranked choice, with 204 votes cast, and Jiale Hao ’22 came in third with 23.8 percent of the vote. Because there are two seats and abstentions do not count as a vote against the candidates, Hao will fill the second seat.
Mike Bender
Bender comes to the position after a year as a representative to the Community Emergency and Enhancement Fund Board. In his candidate biography, he touted his accomplishments in helping to renovate the Berlin Chapel, as well as helping to produce the Branda App. He did not respond to requests for comment.
Jiale Hao
Hao wants to be part of CEEF to “make sure more projects are implemented that benefit our student [body’s] experiences on campus,” according to his candidate biography. “I believe my skills and experiences and devotion to our community would help me a lot in working as your representative in the CEEF board,” he wrote in the bio. Hao did not respond to requests for comment.
REPRESENTATIVE TO UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE Lyle James ’21
Lyle James ’21 won this oneseat race with 39.7 percent of the vote, or 241 votes. The runner up was Steven Luo ’21 with 26 percent of the vote. There were 606 votes cast in total. James said that he was “excited to convey feedback from students regarding topics such as requirements for majors and minors, the creation of new programs of study and various academic rules and regulations,” per his candidate biography. James added in his bio that he would “love” to help fit the curriculum to the needs of the student body. He did not respond to requests for comment. —Editor’s Note: Jake Rong, Trevor Filseth and Nancy Zhai are staff members of the Justice.
THE JUSTICE
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MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019
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STATE OF THE STUDENT UNION
BRIEF Jocelyn Gould unanimously elected Justice editor in chief for 2019-20 school year The Justice unanimously elected Jocelyn Gould ’21 editor in chief for the 2019–20 academic year on April 16. Justice editors and staff members held a meeting during which Gould discussed her goals for her upcoming term as editor in chief and answered questions from attendees. A Creative Writing and Politics double-major, Gould served as arts editor and coeditor in chief of her high school newspaper before joining the Justice’s News section as a first-year. She quickly progressed to serving as coNews editor her second semester and held the position until February 2019. For the next two months, she worked under then-Editor in Chief Avraham Penso ’20 as a Deputy editor. “I want to make sure our reporting is staying really high-quality and improving,” Gould said in an interview with the Justice. She emphasized the importance of pursuing investigative stories and publishing articles that are “helpful for the community and that clarify misconceptions people might have about things that are happening in the community.” In her election speech, Gould also expressed her intention to recruit staff from a
wide variety of backgrounds and improve the sensitivity of cultural event coverage. Jen Geller ’20 was elected Managing editor, the newspaper’s second-in-command, on April 9. A Chemistry and Biology double-major, Geller served as co-Copy editor before becoming a Deputy editor in September 2018. Geller explained that her experiences photographing for the Justice and writing for each section have given her a thorough understanding of the paper’s reporting and production processes. As Managing editor, Geller said she intends to work with Gould to enhance the quality of reporting. In addition, she hopes to “improve the Justice’s relationship with various clubs on campus.” Gould and Geller spoke highly of their partnership. “For the last semester we’ve been training together, and I think we’ve built up a really good working relationship,” Gould said. Gould is also looking forward to the opportunities the upcoming term will bring. “I know it’s going to be really challenging, but I’m really excited to see how the paper can grow in a year,” she said. —Avraham Penso
NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
NEW LEADERS: At the Student Union’s annual State of the Union, outgoing Student Union Vice President Aaron Finkel ’19 inducted his successor, Guillermo Caballero ’20, and outgoing Student Union President Hannah Brown ’19 inducted Simran Tatuskar ’21.
Union members reflect on past year, look to future ■ Union leaders celebrated
the year’s accomplishments and acknowledged shortcomings. By EMILY BLUMENTHAL JUSTICE EDITOR
BRIEF Brandeis alumna named Pulitzer Prize finalist for feature writing Opinion columnist for The Washington Post and Brandeis alumna Elizabeth Bruenig ’13 was a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing, according to an April 16 announcement by the Pulitzer Prize committee. Bruenig’s piece, “What do we owe her now?,” was nominated for “eloquent reflections on the exile of a teen sexual assault victim in the author’s West Texas hometown, delving with moral authority into why the crime remained unpunished,” per the statement from the Pulitzer committee. The article, originally published on Sept. 19, 2018, chronicles her three-year investigation of the 2006 rape of one of her classmates, Amber Wyatt, and its aftermath. In the immediate period after Wyatt was raped, her peers were skeptical that it happened, which drove Wyatt to a different school and into obscurity, until all memory of her consisted of “sordid rumors and a nascent urban legend,” Bruenig wrote. Bruenig wrote in an email to the Justice that at the beginning of her investigation that she “went in only knowing about the case what had been rumored when [she] was in high school.” As she conducted interviews and sifted through police evidence, however, she “became more convinced that there was strong evidence to support Amber’s version of events.” Though the police found substantial evidence implicating Wyatt’s rapists, like many cases in Tarrant County, Texas at the time, her case was “no-billed,” or labelled as having insufficient evidence to prosecute. According to Bruenig’s article, 51 percent of Tarrant County rape cases were no-billed. After Bruenig published Wyatt’s story, it gained significant national attention, inspiring hashtags
like #IBelieveAmberWyatt, a striking contrast to the treatment by her peers in 2006. In the email, Bruenig wrote that she “hope[d] that [the story] at least raised concern about the dozens of Tarrant County cases that were no-billed during that time period, and have never received resolution.” Over a decade after the incident, many of Wyatt’s high school classmates have apologized for their past behavior. Though they may have bullied Wyatt in the past, Bruenig wrote in the email that she thinks “people can absolutely change, especially when you factor in 12 years and a large amount of information that wasn’t publicly available at the time.” She added, “I know it meant something to Amber to hear from people who had changed their minds about the entire situation having read her story.” Additionally, attitudes in Bruenig’s town have shown other signs of shifting. The legal system that once denied Amber justice “has since posted much higher prosecution rates for acquaintance rape,” Wyatt wrote in the email. “I hope that someone in Amber’s circumstance could expect a different response from the legal system [in Tarrant County] at this point.” Bruenig has also heard that many current students at their high school have read the story and have found it to be “important and relevant.” However, Bruenig feels that a similar case to Amber’s “could still happen today, almost anywhere in the US, easily,” she wrote to the Justice. Bruenig also wrote that she was “a little disappointed that [the piece] didn’t win,” but was “glad the Post would still receive some recognition nonetheless.” Bruenig, née Stoker, was a Forum staff writer at the Justice from 2010-2011. —Emily Blumenthal
Members of the Student Union gathered for the spring semester State of the Union in the Shapiro Campus Center Multipurpose Room on May 2. In their speeches, Union members spoke about the year’s accomplishments and their visions for the future. “It has been an eventful year, to say the least,” outgoing Union President Hannah Brown ’19 said during a brief introduction. Treasurer Adrian Ashley ’20 spoke first. “It’s been really nice getting to work with all the club leaders and making sure that people are spending responsibly. The process is ultimately getting easier for them,” he said. Coming into this role, Ashley said, his goals were “making sure … [club] treasurers had a better idea of what was required of them, and … that [he] and the other treasurers were as available as possible.” Ashley also announced that the Slate system will replace the Student Union Management System next year. “It’s looking extremely promising,” he said about Slate. “The system is a lot more straightforward than SUMS and I know students have been asking for a replacement for a while.” SUMS allows clubs “to make check requests and view their club’s budget/financial data,” according to the Department of Student Activities’ Funding Resources website, while Slate encompasses all the resources necessary for managing an application process, per Information Technology Services. In addition, he said, the Union will be allocated $50,000 next year, which will pay for projects such as a commuter rail subsidy for students working in Boston. Chief Justice Morris Nadjar ’19 bemoaned the lack of communication between branches of the Union. “Although we all work really hard at what we do, we really need to take the time to appreciate one another, and to look at each other as fellow students, as opposed to letting our egos get in the way,” he said. Nadjar also advised the Judiciary to listen carefully and respect people during and outside of hearings, stressing that “with power comes responsibility.” He concluded, “to listen is the best way to speak.” Allocations Board co-Chair Aseem Kumar ’20, who will be leaving the board after two years, spoke next. Though A-Board has done “routine” activities like completing Marathon requests, “what we feel the Allocations Board is responsible for on this campus is influencing campus life. It’s not just about looking at requests and giving out money,” Kumar asserted. He also emphasized the need for the Board to be approachable, saying, “It should be easy to come talk to us. …
We are not above anyone else.” In his closing remarks, Kumar looked back at the progress the Board has made, noting that, “Two years ago, when I joined the A-Board, all I heard was complaints from club leaders [and] treasurers … about how the system was difficult, how it was inefficient.” Many of these issues have been fixed, and with the Slate system which Ashley mentioned, club leaders will have fewer troubles, Kumar said. The Board’s future projects include treating club sports and sport clubs equally, mainly through allocating equal equipment storage space. Club sports include ultimate frisbee and rugby and are secured under the ‘club sports’ organization, while sports clubs include Quidditch and archery and must apply for funding each year. Allocations Board co-Chair Rebecca Shaar ’21 then thanked Kumar, saying that he “gains the respect of people, not by demanding it or commanding it, but by being the person that deserves that respect.” Kumar has also been a role model and a mentor for her, Shaar said. “Working alongside Aseem and seeing how he taught me how to move forward and seeing the passion that he puts into his work is truly inspirational,” she said. Next semester, A-Board will work to facilitate a smooth transition to the Slate system and to “reevaluate” some of its funding policies, Shaar said. The junior and senior representatives to the Board of Trustees, Zosia Busé ’20 and Christian Nunez ’19, both reported a good working relationship with the Board. Summarizing his work, Nunez said, “From mental health to divestment and issues with financial aid and community living, we have stood with the student body and have brought these issues to the attention of the Board of Trustees.” In the future, Busé and incoming junior representative to the Board of Trustees Zoë Fort ’21 plan to create student summaries of the Board of Trustees’ meetings and to give reports of the meetings to student media to increase transparency. Outgoing Student Union Vice President Aaron Finkel ’19 then summarized the achievements of the Senate committees. The Senate Sustainability Committee, led by Executive Senator Kent Dinlenc ’19, had solar panels installed on multiple buildings, held a sustainability symposium and passed a ban on sales of disposable water bottles on campus, which will be instituted next year. Along with passing the Club Consultant amendment, Noah Nguyen’s ’21 Club Support Committee changed the process of club chartering, Finkel said. In a message to the Justice, he explained that the committee “introduced new mandatory club leaders info sessions.” Additionally, the menstrual product initiative, which began last year, is now a permanent resource thanks to the Facilities and Housing Committee, led by Taylor Fu ’21. In his final State of the Union speech, Finkel reflected on his time in the Union, stating that it has been “a
really rewarding experience” and has changed his outlook on leadership. “Brandeis is a wonderful institution and it’s really been fantastic for me,” he said. In the future, he encouraged the student body to listen to one another and to reach out to people who may have differing views. “It’s easy to separate ourselves into our individual communities, but at the end of the day we are all one Brandeis. No matter who we are or where we come from, this is our home,” he said. Finkel traditionally ended every Senate meeting with a fake quote from Confucius, ending them with humor and puns. As an homage, Finkel closed his State of the Union speech with a real quote from Confucius — “The more a man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and world at large.” Finkel and Brown then gave out the Senate awards and superlative certificates, an annual tradition at the State of the Union. Committee of the Year went to the Dining Committee, which under Chair Leigh Salomon ’19 had frequent meetings with Sodexo to ensure higher food quality, Finkel said. The Senate Legislator of the Year was Village Quad and 567 Senator Jake Rong ’21, who as chair of the Rules Committee passed 400 percent more bylaws than last year. The Senator of the Year award went to Class of 2022 Senator Nancy Zhai. The superlatives included “Most Opinionated” for Busé, “Most Likely to Ironically Take Over the World” for Dinlenc and the “Cleanliness Award” for incoming Student Union President Simran Tatuskar ’21. In the penultimate part of the event, Brown gave her speech to the Union. Though the year was “a roller coaster,” she said, the Union still had many accomplishments. This year, she said, the Union funded the Branda app, and introduced Presence and the commuter rail subsidy, among other projects. Union members also met frequently with administrators to bring concerns about campus issues like accessibility, and brought the MyDeis Facebook groups back under the control of the Office of Communications. Although the Union has not “always made the right choices,” Brown said, it has used the experience to “learn and … grow from ... mistakes.” Brown concluded her speech by saying, “If I had to summarize this past year’s Student Union, I would say, goal-oriented, driven and persevering. I am proud of the work that the 2018–2019 Student Union has accomplished.” Brown and Finkel gave way for the transition to next year’s Union leadership — Brown inducted Tatuskar and Finkel inducted incoming Student Union Vice President Guillermo Caballero ’20. Brown then issued the Oath of Office to next year’s Senators. Tatuskar gave a brief speech thanking her Union mentors for preparing her to assume the presidency. Caballero did not give a speech. —Editor’s Note: Nancy Zhai ’22 and Jake Rong ’21 are staff members of the Justice.
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MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019
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NEWS
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THE JUSTICE
REBRANDING
Image Courtesy of MAX PEARLSTEIN
Univ. set to launch new brand narrative, logo ■ Brandeis partnered with
Neustadt Creative Marketing to rebrand the school to highlight its ‘connectivity.’ By JOCELYN GOULD JUSTICE EDITOR
Illustration: Natalia Wiater
BRIEF University employee takes second place to ‘Jeopardy’ star Brandeis University Sports Information Director Adam Levin ’94 took second place against “Jeopardy” phenom James Holzhauer during an appearance on the April 29 episode of the show, according to an April 30 BrandeisNOW article. Holzhauer, a professional gambler, according to the BrandeisNOW article, overtook Levin by a slim margin of $18, winning $54,017 to Levin’s $53,999. Levin explained in an interview with the Justice that going into the show he did not have one particular strategy. “I was just there to have fun. … I was just gonna pay attention to the board and try my best to answer whatever question came up next,” he said. While his aim was to have fun, Levin told the Justice that he had carefully studied past episodes of the show and had read up on strategy. “One of the lessons I [learned] from reading a book that a previous champion had written was to know what you don’t know, because you hurt yourself more by ringing in and answering it incorrectly than you do by not ringing in at all, because you’re penalized for a wrong answer,” he explained. Additionally, he said, “I saw how James [Holzhauer] played the game, and I knew that if I was gonna win and beat him, then I was gonna probably have to play a similar way.” In comparison to previous contestants, Holzhauer has won unprecedented amounts of money. “The best way to put into perspective what James has done is that he is close to averaging what the previous single-day record was … 77,000 [dollars],” Levin said, elaborating that the standard winnings for a first-place contestant is around $25,000. In order to compete on the show, Levin took online test. Out of the 80,000 people who tested, he explained, auditions were extend-
ed to 3,500-4,000 people. The auditions consist of a written test, a simulation game and an interview portion. Levin said that he auditioned because he has been “a lifelong fan of the show … [and has] always wanted to see how [he] would stack up.” Once onstage, however, he suffered from nerves. “It’s one thing to be playing in your living room at home and in a comfortable space as opposed to up on a stage with people watching and bright lights and cameras,” he said. The hardest part of the show was “getting the timing down for the buzzer,” Levin said. Levin expressed pride in his performance. While there were a few questions where he said he could have rung in, nothing stumped him. Playing against Holzhauer was challenging, he said, but he has come the closest of any contestant to beating him and made it a difficult game for Holzhauer to win. Though Levin placed second, “only ... seven other people have scored more in a game” than he did, Levin said. He also set the record for highest finish for a runner-up on the show, but he only got to take home $2,000 because he was not the victor. While he “would have liked to have won 54,000 dollars,” Levin said, he maintained that he “couldn’t have performed any better than [he] did, and to have done that against someone who’s gonna go down as one of the two or three best players of the game ever, there’s no shame in that.” Levin concluded by explaining that his performance has made an important mark on the show’s history. “Unless somebody else pushes him the same way that I did, and finishes second, it could be a record that stands for a long time,” he said. —Emily Blumenthal
In two identical presentations on May 1, Mark Neustadt of Neustadt Creative Marketing unveiled Brandeis’ new brand platform. Developed from over a year of conversations with the Brandeis community, the platform includes a new visual identity system centered around a new logo, and a brand narrative that highlights the University’s “connectivity.” It is set to launch on Aug. 1. Neustadt, an external partner who specializes in marketing strategies for educational institutions, worked with the Office of Communications to develop the brand narrative. Interim Senior Vice President of Communications Bill Walker and Assistant Vice President for Communications and External Relations Max Pearlstein also spoke at the presentations, and they joined Neustadt for an interview with the Justice after the evening event. At the beginning of his presentation, Neustadt explained that the purpose of the brand platform was to address the fact that “Brandeis suffers from a lack of external visibility” and “should be better known … and better understood.” The brand platform helps “build awareness” of the University by repeating “certain themes, certain cues and certain visual references.” The platform aims to create a cohesive identity for Brandeis, resolving the current “profusion of different ‘looks’ around Brandeis, and a profusion of different narratives of what Brandeis is,” Neustadt explained. He showed a PowerPoint slide filled with logos for different schools, centers, institutes and programs at the University, which used different fonts, colors and design styles. The new visual identity system will provide a model for unifying the University’s “chaotic” visual representations. Neustadt described a brand narrative as what differentiates Target and Walmart — even though both stores are essentially the same, and customers have never blatantly been told the differences between their identities, customers understand that the two stores are not interchangeable because they have different brand narratives. Brand narratives are never ‘told’ to anyone, but they inform the way the institutions position and market themselves. The University’s brand narrative is oriented around Brandeis’ “core differentiator”: a “particular connectivity” that unites students, faculty and staff in collaborative, multidisciplinary ways. Both Pearlstein and Neustadt agreed that the University has needed this project for a while. In an email to the Justice, Director of Media Relations Julie Jette explained that the University did not have a brand narrative before undertaking this project. Neustadt clarified during his presentation that Brandeis “doesn’t actually have a logo right now”; a variety of different watermarks are currently available through the Office of Communications, and different groups within Brandeis do not have standardized logos that correspond to a central University logo. Neustadt stressed, however, that the work Brandeis faculty, students and community members do is “the most important messaging that Brandeis puts out” — not the brand platform. The platform simply serves as an “anchor” or a “foundation” for communicating the work the University creates. He also acknowledged that people at Brandeis, and at many other educational institutions, are distrusting or skeptical of attempts to market their school. “People are right to be suspicious of marketing because they think what you’re doing is, you’re taking their experience and you’re making it shallow,” Neustadt said during the interview. “You have to work really, really hard to be authentic.” This challenge is especially rel-
evant to Brandeis because “you can’t pretend Brandeis is exactly like any other institution,” Neustadt said. It is “a place you need to know very well,” and “a place you need to love.” Having already worked on a variety of communications and marketing projects for the University over the last few years, Neustadt came into this project familiar with the institution and its unique qualities. But Neustadt did not rely on his prior research work for crafting this platform. Instead, those leading this project worked closely with community members to develop the narrative and visual identity system. The team conducted group and individual interviews with Brandeis faculty, deans, staff, administrators, Trustees, current undergraduate and graduate students and alumni. According to Neustadt’s presentation, they consulted with over 40 offices, research centers and institutes on campus in total. Although they also spoke to alumni and prospective undergraduate students, the team focused primarily on internal audiences like staff and current students. This was to ensure that they were building a picture of the University that resonated with those currently inside it, before broadcasting that picture to external groups. “You don’t make up [a good brand] out of your head,” Neustadt said in the interview. “A good brand is there, and part of what you do is polish it off and bring it into the light.” Pearlstein stressed the importance of taking the time — over a year, in this case — to talk to the community. “It took a year’s worth of conversations, and tweaking and getting feedback, in order for us to get to this point,” he told the Justice. Now that the platform has been developed, it will launch at the beginning of August, although Neustadt explained that there will be a transitional process as groups on campus gradually move over to using the new visual system. The new visual identity system centers around the logo, or watermark, which includes a redesigned seal and the words “Brandeis University” in new, custom fonts. Looking closely, one will realize that the “r” and the “a” have been customized to be closer together; the designers did this intentionally to help resolve the way these letters “bump into” each other normally, leaving space between their lower halves. With this new visual system, the Brandeis seal can be used “more pervasively” than it is in the current system. In an email to the Justice, Pearlstein explained that only the Office of the President currently uses the seal. “There’s a lot of affection around the seal,” Neustadt said. Although the team intended not to change the seal, they ended up making minor changes to “increase the visibility,” such as enlarging the outer ring’s text, the shield’s Hebrew script and the three flames. Alternate versions of the logo include different combinations of these core elements, allowing for design flexibility. The system also creates a standardized logo for the schools, centers and institutes on campus, as well as projects or centers within those subgroups. The system also standardizes the school colors and establishes fonts for print materials. The idea of “connectivity” is the core of the brand narrative, stemming from the fact that Brandeis is smaller than most research universities. “Brandeis has a culture where people connect across the institution,” Neustadt said, such as when students pursue multiple majors and minors in varying disciplines or join a large variety of clubs. This is both “attractive” to prospective community members and “distinctive” among universities, Neustadt argues, making it a good foundation for the brand narrative. This idea connects directly to University President Ron Liebowitz’s Framework for the Future, which highlights Brandeis’ “porousness and connectivity.” Liebowitz did not respond to a Justice request for comment by press time. Neustadt stressed that brands need to align with the reality of an institution while also providing a direction
for the University to move forward. He believes that the idea of connectivity fits both criteria. According to Neustadt’s presentation of the narrative, other key characteristics of the University include Brandeis’ production of “important, daring, and consequential scholarship” and its students’ desire to learn in multidisciplinary ways. It also includes the view that Brandeis was founded by the American Jewish community and thus has always welcomed people “from all backgrounds.” Additionally, Brandeis’ “deep commitment to social justice” is mentioned, as is its close proximity to Boston. Finally, the narrative includes a sketch of the University’s “personality,” describing it as “inquisitive,” “considerate, genuine, and friendly” and “embracing of the unconventional and creative.” It also asserts that Brandeis is “inviting and open to engaging across difference, even if that requires uncomfortable conversations, with the goal of making Brandeis and the world a better place.” The Justice surveyed 204 students and alumni — graduates from 2018 all the way back to 1965 — about the brand platform. Half of those surveyed reported that they liked the new logo, with about a third being neutral to it. When asked which logo they prefer out of the new watermark or an option that is currently available through the Office of Communications, 54.5 percent said they favored the new logo and 40.5 percent favored the current one. Negative comments on the logo frequently focused on disliking the font or the relationship between the “r” and the “a” in “Brandeis.” 60.8 percent either agreed or strongly agreed that Brandeis is defined by a “particular connectivity,” with even more agreeing that it is inquisitive (61.4 percent) and friendly (67.8 percent). 55.9 percent of respondents said Brandeis embraces the unconventional or creative. Only 50.3 percent agreed that Brandeis is open to engaging across lines of difference, even if it requires difficult conversations, and 22.6 percent either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement, the largest negative response of any of the personality questions. The Justice also asked respondents for three words they would use to describe the University’s personality. They overwhelmingly characterized Brandeis as academic, intellectual, friendly, hard-working, studious, dedicated to social justice, passionate and Jewish. These reports echo parts of the key characteristics and personality traits listed in the narrative. The idea of connectivity was not directly mentioned, but respondents routinely highlighted the campus’ “community,” and individuals characterized it as “collaborative” and “tight-knit.” Additionally, although respondents rarely described the University’s personality as unconventional or creative, they called it “quirky” over a dozen times. Supporting the result that communicating across lines of difference is less prevalent in Brandeis’ current identity, this theme was mentioned less frequently than the others listed above. Some respondents used the phrases “hypocritical,” “racism” and “not actually being a welcoming university to marginalized communities” to characterize the University, and described the administration as a “mask of social justice.” Other responses to the survey wondered how much the brand platform cost and questioned whether this was an appropriate use of University funds when “there are some real issues going on at this school,” such as concerns over racism in community policing, divestment and accessibility for students with disabilities. In an email to the Justice, Jette explained that the University does not disclose salaries or consulting fees, “except when required to do so by government regulations.” During the interview, Pearlstein clarified that the narrative is not supposed to be “the full story” of Brandeis and that community members should “interpret [it] through [their] own lens.” —Natalia Wiater contributed reporting.
THE JUSTICE
CONTINUED FROM 1
NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
TAKING A STAND: Concerned Students 2015 organized a protest of DCL and Public Safety's policies. They also released a list of demands to the University.
RALLY: Protesters call for racial justice CONTINUED FROM 1 13 “in solidarity” with the initial protest, according to a statement they put out after their demonstration. In the statement, they referred to themselves as #StillConcernedClinicians and said they “feel it is [their] duty and [their] role to amplify the voices of these students” and are working to “understand the role that systems of oppression can have on the mental health of the students [they] serve.” The organizers of the May 1 rally and march also asked for increased “transportation equitability and accessibility for students of color” through the establishment of transportation options for students without the financial ability to go home for breaks, as well as expansion of transportation routes to Market Basket Plaza for low-income students. They also asked for use of “more sensitive” transportation options than a police cruiser for student emergency situations. The fourth demand pushed for DCL and Public Safety to stop excessive policing of students of color, require Brandeis police officers to wear body cameras and “strengthen community engagement methods with students of color.” A student who read the demands at the Public Safety office said, “You want us to trust y’all, but we don’t, because we don’t know y’all. Y’all are just like white people on this campus with guns.” Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan did not respond to request for comment from the Justice. The final demand urged Liebowitz to issue a statement in solidarity with “students at John Hopkins University organizing against the funding of [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] contracts, and those at Yale University organizing against racialized police brutality in their local community.” The organizers said that they “expect a clear statement of action” to be publicly issued by the administration by May 14 at 12:00 p.m. Liebowitz responded to the demands in an email to the Brandeis community on May 3. He wrote that some of the demands brought up at the rally had been raised by students before and were already being addressed, and that other demands “need[ed] to be investigated, understood, and discussed.” Liebowitz added that he asked University Provost Lisa Lynch and Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Stew Uretsky to work with the Division of Student Affairs and the Department of Public Safety, respectively, on negotiating with the student organizers. “It will be through meeting and discussion, rather than through demands and deadlines, that we can make progress,” Liebowitz wrote. In the same email, Liebowitz criticized the way the protest was conducted. He wrote that some of the protestors used “loud, vulgar, and threatening tactics,” such as using a bullhorn and shouting obscenities, and that he “expects all protests to be done in a manner that is respectful of other individuals.” Liebowitz wrote that some of the behavior at the protest violated Section 7 of the University’s Rights and Responsibilities student code. He quoted Section 7: “Though the campus must
NEWS
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MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019
ISRAEL CUBE: Spray painting leads to potential student conduct charges
#STILLCONCERNED
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be open to the free exchange of ideas, the University may limit the time, place, and manner of demonstrations. All members of the community are expected to conduct dialogues with dignity and courtesy.” Liebowitz and Dean of Students Jamele Adams did not respond to requests for comment from the Justice. Director of Media Relations Julie Jette did not comment on the May 1 rally or the protesters’ demands. The five core organizers of the rally, who requested that the Justice identify them by their first and last initials and class years, held a forum on May 2. One organizer, MR ’20, said that their criticism of DCL and Public Safety was not targeted at any individual staff members or incidents, but rather at the institution. “I want people to be honest with themselves about ways they are [complicit] in … racism,” CC ’19 added. CC explained that many of DCL’s actions and policies made her feel uncomfortable on campus, saying, “I don’t feel safe.” She said that DCL policies were created largely by white communities and that people outside of those communities felt isolated. “Our ways of life are separated,” she said. CC specifically named DCL’s policy regarding religious candles as an example of a policy that was not equitably implemented. She said that DCL had granted permission for students to use Shabbat candles, but not candles associated with African and indigenous religions. CC also cited her experiences with social gatherings led by students of color being more heavily policed — even when they had been approved by DCL — as one example of of racialized policing. The organizers also talked about how the rally was in solidarity with students at Johns Hopkins University and Yale University, who were engaged in similar efforts to better the campus experiences of Black and Brown students. DF ’19 said that she received an email from Johns Hopkins students asking other universities to stand in solidarity with their efforts to stop their administration from creating a private police force and to push them not to have contracts with ICE. CC talked about the rally’s connection to Yale University. According to an April 24 CNN article, on April 23, a Yale police officer stopped a car, believing that the Black man in the driver’s seat was the perpetrator of a recent armed robbery. A Hamden County police officer shot into the vehicle multiple times. The woman in the passenger’s seat was injured, neither she nor the man were arrested and no gun was found in the vehicle. “Solidarity is necessary for all Black Lives Matter movements,” CC said. Several of the students also expressed how exhausting it was for them to keep fighting. “It feels like running on a hamster wheel,” MR said, explaining how she felt like she was constantly putting in energy and not seeing substantial change. CC added, “I’m sick of it. I take pride in knowing that people fight for me, but people shouldn’t have to fight to get an education.” CC continued, “I’m so eternally grateful for my ancestors and the work that they’ve done, but why are we still fighting?”
called Hillel’s coverup of the initial graffiti “irresponsible” and wrote, “As a university committed to social justice, we should be promoting dialogue, not suppressing it.” The group’s premise is to be a coalition of “progressive young Jews” who are against the “occupation” in Palestine, with its message centering around the idea that the state of Israel is “lying to young Jews” about what is occurring in occupied territories, per its Facebook page. In that vein, the statement called the cube “a beacon of propaganda and an embodiment of blatant nationalism.” The group also accused Hillel and the University of promoting a “one-sided narrative” that “stifle[d] the diversity of opinion” about Israel among Brandeis students and failed to address the “complexities of the occupation,” per the same statement. IfNotNow held a “Propaganda Cube” debrief on May 3, to start a conversation about the “art installation,” according to the Facebook event description. The Justice reached out to representatives of IfNotNow for comment and received only a referral to the group’s social media posts. On May 2, Brandeis Hillel’s Student Board put out its own statement, emphasizing the “real hurt to members of our community” caused by the spray painting of the cube. For Israeli Brandeisians and those with other ties to the country, the week was a time of celebrating the country and “all of the complexity that loving Israel, like loving any country, carries with it,” the statement explained. “We wish that those who defaced the exhibition in the Great Lawn—the first time or the second time—had decided to contribute to the project rather than vandalize it.” The statement mentioned Hillel’s dedication to dialogue about the conflict, including subjects like Israeli politics that are often difficult to discuss. “Hillel works hard to offer different perspectives on the Israeli-Arab conflict. ... That is why we hosted two Palestinians this year in conversation with Israeli Jews – to model respectful disagreement and dialog,” Rabbi Seth Winberg, Brandeis Hillel’s executive director and the senior Jewish chaplain, wrote in an email to the Justice. Other organizations made statements about the situation, though not involved. In an email to the Justice, Brandeis Israel Public Affairs Committee Vice President Jillian Fisch ’21 expressed BIPAC’s “disappoint[ment] to see that the original artwork of the artists was vandalized.” Fisch, however, emphasized that if the spraypainters graffitied the wall designated for student expression, she would have had no problem with the speech, because that “could have helped spur a conversation in a much more effective and constructive way.”
board to discuss racial issues, with one commenter saying students “give more fucks about a piece of WOOD than the black brown trans queer students of all legal statuses telling you they don't feel safe here,” referencing the May 1 #StillConcerned protest. Though the two events occurred on the same day, the protest and the cube graffiti were unrelated events concerning different causes.
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ongoing conduct process.
The conduct process
Backlash over the spray painting spread swiftly in the University’s social media circles. In the Facebook group “Overseen at Brandeis,” one student posted a picture of the cube, allegedly to “spark a discussion.” In the nearly 300 comments on the thread, current students and alumni debated the nature of the graffiti and its links to oppression of different minorities. The discussion quickly became volatile and vitriolic. One commenter invoked the University’s Jewish history to dismiss views that are critical of Israel, stating, “If you don’t like Israel or Jews, then simply don’t come to Brandeis. It’s not a place for you.” Around 20 people, including some opposed to the vandalism, refuted the commenter, emphasizing peoples’ right to diversity of opinion and accusing the individual of xenophobia. Some used the conflict as a spring-
The situation was further inflamed with an email from University President Ron Liebowitz on May 15 informing the community of the results of the University’s investigation into the incident. In the email, Liebowitz wrote that the “culprit” of the initial “Free Palestine” spray painting had not been found, but that the perpetrators of the second act of covering the mural, IfNotNow’s sign, could be “going through the university’s conduct process.” While the email told of no new information about the perpetrators, the revelation that IfNotNow could be brought up on conduct charges brought a new wave of backlash from the community. In a statement provided to the Justice, Students for Justice in Palestine condemned the potential conduct charges, stating that the “precedent is dangerous and harmful, and ... establishes our university as one which does not care about freedom of expression but instead perpetuates an echo chamber of unchallenged support of the Israeli government that these students dared to question.” Liebowitz referenced the University’s “Principles of Free Speech and Free Expression,” writing that the perpetrators violated the policy. “If the messages left on the installation had been conveyed without vandalizing property and in accordance with university policy, the speech would have been protected. But this case involved vandalism targeted at a specific group,” the email stated. The group Liebowitz refers to is Brandeis Hillel, so according to Liebowitz, it “could easily lead one to interpret the acts as antiSemitic.” On May 16, IfNotNow published a second statement on its Facebook page decrying Liebowitz’s email and countering his accusations of antiSemitism. “It is because of the Jewish tradition of repairing the world (tikkun olam), and not in spite of it, that we believe in the possibility of a Jewish community that seeks freedom and dignity for both Israelis and Palestinians,” IfNotNow wrote. The Justice reached out to Liebowitz for further comment and received a response from Director of Media Relations Julie Jette referring back to his May 15 email. In an email to the Justice, Muncaster explained it is University policy not to comment on the
To gauge the nature of the potential charges brought against IfNotNow, the Justice interviewed Nathan Greess ’19, a former chair of the Student Conduct Board. When an individual goes through the conduct process, they can pick from three options: an administrative agreement, an administrative hearing or a Student Conduct Board hearing. In an administrative agreement, the student accepts responsibility for their actions and works with the hearing officer to determine appropriate sanctions. In an administrative hearing, the accused party can bring witnesses and evidence to be heard before one administrative officer. The Student Conduct Board consists of three students and two staff, with the addition of a neutral overseeing conduct officer, and tends to only cover more severe offenses, because the process takes longer. A student who goes through either hearing can appeal the decision if new evidence is found or if there was a procedural mistake during the initial process. During the interview, Greess discussed Sections 6 and 7 of the Rights and Responsibilities, which is the rulebook used in conduct hearings. Section 6 concerns vandalism and respect of University property. Section 6.0 reads, “Respect, maintain, and preserve University grounds, academic and administrative buildings, residence halls, dining facilities, and associated structures, as well as faculty, staff and other students’ personal property.” Greess speculated that a conduct committee could “read it to violate ‘associated structure,’” and was certain that if IfNotNow were to be charged with a conduct violation, it would be a vandalism charge, as there is more guidance and precedent in dealing with vandalism cases. Charging the group under Section 7, which concerns demonstrations, would be more difficult, he said. Under Section 7, a demonstration cannot “disrupt University operations or obstruct physical movement to, from, or within any place on the campus.” Greess said he interpreted the section “as having to do with physical demonstrations,” such as sit-ins, and “wouldn’t know how to go about” invoking Section 7 in any other type of demonstration. Under Section 7, the University can limit the “time, place, and manner” of protests, but IfNotNow did not physically demonstrate. “I wouldn’t read it as a disruption … but I think it would be by administrators who don’t like demonstrations,” he said, explaining that the section is “written so broadly” that it creates “flexibility.” Oftentimes, the Student Conduct Board will ask for past precedent in similar cases. However, Greess said, he has no memory of the University putting protesters through conduct charges, and he believes it would have been mentioned in the recent debate. While Liebowitz will often send out emails responding to demonstrations, the administrative response has typically ended there, he said. Most vandalism charges are related to stealing University property, rather than anything similar to the IfNotNow case. Greess was surprised upon learning that IfNotNow was undergoing conduct charges, as he felt “it’s a little bit risky, because it’s such a heated issue.” He said, “My guess is it’s probably not a significant sanction, in any of the three options. … I’d be really surprised if this went to conduct board … it’s not really as severe as any of the stuff that conduct board gets.” —Editor's Note: Editor Gilda Geist and Editorial Assistant Sarah Katz are members of IfNotNow. They did not contribute to or edit this article.
On social media
NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
STAGE ONE:.The initial mural when the cube was constructed.
The investigation
On May 10, the University and Hillel made a joint statement condemning the incident and announced that an investigation would be launched. It was signed by Winberg and Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Karen Muncaster and was published in BrandeisNOW. The statement mentioned the recent Chabad synagogue shooting in Poway, California and the increased public safety presence at some Jewish events. Muncaster and Winberg wrote, “We are committed to providing a safe environment for all our students, and we realize many of our Jewish students may feel particularly vulnerable during times of tragic anti-Semitic incidents around the country.” The two went on to write that the removal of the graffiti was “consistent with university policy” and that the University is “committed to freedom of expression, but … will not tolerate vandalism.”
President Liebowitz's statement
Photo Courtesy of MIA RUBINSTEIN
STAGE TWO: The cube is spraypainted.
NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
STAGE THREE: IfNotNow's sign on the repainted board.
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features
MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019 ● FEATURES ● THE JUSTICE
just
VERBATIM | NORA EPHRON Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.
ON THIS DAY…
FUN FACT
In 1946, Cherilyn Sarkisian, known as Cher, was born.
Out of the ten women who have appeared on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list, three have been Brandeis students.
Late Night Thoughts says goodbye to college Brandeis-based band prepares to expand past the campus music scene.
Photos By ANDREW BAXTER/Justice File Photo
MAKING MUSIC: Late Night Thoughts was formed after Michael Harlow ’19 (left) and Brian Rauch ’19 (right) met during a Brandeis class.
By SOPHIE FULARA JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITIER
Back at their home on Russell Street, Late Night Thoughts members Michael Harlow ’19 and Brian Rauch ’19 can be found writing lyrics for their next hit single. The pair often writes and rehearses in one of the common rooms, which they have equipped with a drum set, keyboard, bass, guitar and PA system. To them, music has always played an important part in their lives, but it wasn’t until coming to Brandeis that they strove to become professional musicians and became one of the most popular bands on campus. Harlow and Rauch came from different places in their lives before meeting in person. Harlow was expelled from private school for disobeying authority, after which he was sent to a public college preparatory school in Newton, Massachusetts. He continued to find difficulty in the meaning behind most of his schoolwork, and he even doubted his own musical abilities by comparing himself to his older brother, who attended Oberlin Conservatory of Music for jazz piano. In the meantime, Rauch felt immense pressure from his community in Scarsdale, New York to be the perfect candidate for top-tier colleges, which instilled discipline and resolve in him. He applied to Brandeis for the small class sizes and social justice initiative, but what he was really hoping for was to be a walk-on baseball player. Harlow said in an interview with the Justice, “[Rauch] is a huge baseball fan. He knows everything about the major league teams.” Unfortunately, playing college baseball was not Rauch’s calling. After getting cut from the team, Rauch quickly turned his attention to his second passion — music. Rauch took a music class that Harlow was also attending. The class, Protest Through Song: Music that Shaped America, taught by Prof. Paula Musegades [AMST and MUS], gave Harlow and Rauch the perfect
chance to meet. The pair quickly became friends, and eventually, they would go on to form the indie folk pop band Late Night Thoughts. Between music and schoolwork, Harlow and Rauch certainly had their fair share of late night thoughts. Oftentimes they spent hours a night writing and rehearsing, even excluding the time spent in the Getz Sound Studio or the countless hours of singing in both chorus and one of Brandeis’ acapella groups, Starving Artists. In addition to LNT, Rauch takes singing lessons, and Harlow organizes Stein Night, a chance for student performers to share their work at The Stein. Rauch says, “It was very hard to run basically a business where you are the product while also being a student.” Indeed, there was another factor made balancing schoolwork and music even more difficult for Harlow and Rauch. The two have Attention Deficit Disorder and it’s affected them their entire lives. Harlow said, “Both of us grew up struggling with ADD and distraction and being told that being distracted was a bad thing.” For Rauch, keeping up with music and schoolwork needs to be done by taking one concern
at a time. As soon as he focuses his attention to one thing, he gets fixated on it. Grappling with ADD and schoolwork pushed Harlow and Rauch to focus on their love of music. The two enjoy writing about their experiences at Brandeis, including a song called “Sky Focus,” which is about their struggles with ADD. They’ve also written songs that recount happier times, including “Diamond in the Rough” and “What Love Truly Means” both of which Rauch’s girlfriend, a recent Brandeis graduate, has had a large impact on. Their dedication and hard work were put to the test last year when they auditioned for BEAM, Basement Records and the Campus Activities Board’s first digital talent search for the opening act at Springfest. After sending a YouTube video of a previous performance, Late Night Thoughts received the honor to perform as the opening act for A$AP Ferg. Looking back on the incredible experience, Rauch said, “It was a rush. It felt amazing to be up there and to know that we created something that people are going to remember.” Harlow added, “Just being able to perform a song about what had happened to us at the school to the people we had shared it with was very incredible and a unique experience.” Their fans—referred to as the Late Night Thoughts Family (LNT Fam)—were heard chanting “Late Night Thoughts” while singing along with Harlow and Rauch, a truly remarkable experience. Since then, Harlow and Rauch have been working on their EP, Worth It. which will be performed on May 18 at the Charles River Commons. Their careers have been filled with business meetings, creative meetings, marketing, singing, songwriting and performing, but the two are ready for the journey with open arms. Looking back on their time at Brandeis, Harlow says, “We’ll miss the people the most. I’ll miss being in a place that by design puts you next to other amazing human beings of your age and interests. The real world just doesn’t do that.”
Design: Sammy Park/the Justice; Illustrations Courtesy of Creative Commons
THE JUSTICE ● FEATURES ● MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019
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For the inbetweeners
Sage Rosenthal ’19 and Isabel Lahn-Schroeder ’19 explore their generational identity through podcasting.
By SAMMY PARK JUSTICE EDITOR
Millennials are obsessed with avocado toast, complain about student loan debt and reminisce about the time that elementary school-aged children did not have social media addictions. Generation Z’s main sustenance is laundry detergent and they know thousands of Vines by heart. But what about the inbetweeners who do not identify with either? Brandeis graduates Sage Rosenthal ’19 and Isabel Lahn-Schroeder ’19 premiered the first installment of their ongoing podcast project, ...And Sometimes Y, on May 9 through Spotify and Apple Podcast. The podcast is centered around Rosenthal and Lahn-Schroeder’s experience of occupying a confusing space as not quite young enough to fully identify with the antics of Generation Z and not old enough to be entirely millennial. Their Spotify profile says that the podcast is a journey “to find a balance between their generational identities by talking through their own coming of age story.” The first episode of ...And Sometimes Y called “Episode Z(ero): Introduction” starts with Sage saying, “If people other than ourselves are listening, then that means that we did it.” In the short, five-minute first episode, the pair talk about how Sage’s WBRS radio show, called Sage Thyme, inspired both to begin a podcast. During “Episode Z(ero): Introduction,” Lahn-Schroeder recalled that “Sage has a radio show on campus, and I’ve become a frequent guest on it ... during the music breaks, we talk to the audience about the songs and what’s going on with our lives. And we realized that’s kind of what a podcast
is. A lot of our friends like listening to it.” Recorded in the Sound and Image Medio Studios lab, the first few episodes of the podcast took place on campus. “I think Brandeis has given me a lot of confidence in a variety of areas which has inspired this podcast. Beyond that, I feel Brandeis has offered a space for a lot of creativity confidence, which can be incredibly refreshing. The opportunity to have a radio show once a week with total creative freedom and it having nothing to do with my career aspirations, is pretty cool,” Rosenthal said in an interview with the Justice. Lahn-Schroeder explained that the generational focus of the show came through “wanting to do something that was true to our lives and interesting to others. We hope for it to be a coming of age podcast with a generational spin. It is also a good way for us to keep in touch,” she said. While Rosenthal and Lahn-Schroeder were roommates during their sophomore year in East Quad, the two will have to grapple with continuing a podcast from different areas of the country after graduation. Lahn-Schroeder will be moving to Brooklyn, New York while Rosenthal hopes to make Washington, D.C. her home. “Right now we are still trying to figure out the logistics, especially as Sage continues to figure out where she will be after Brandeis,” Isabel said. “We are hoping to record remotely through microphones and potentially video chat, take turns editing and see how it goes from there.” As Rosenthal and Lahn-Schroeder prepare to leave the Brandeis bubble, Rosenthal said, “I am incredibly grateful for all the opportunities Brandeis has given me, especially the connections I have made.”
By MEGHNA KANTHAN JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Photo Courtesy of ...AND SOMETIMES Y
LONG DISTANCE CALL: Isabel Lahn-Schroeder (right) is moving to Brooklyn, New York and Sage Rosenthal (left) hopes to be in the Washington D.C. area post-graduation.
Design: Sammy Park/the Justice
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MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019
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NEWS
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THE JUSTICE
COMMENCEMENT 2019
Good luck, Class of 2019! COMMENCEMENT: Deborah Lipstadt MA ’72, PhD ’7 urges grads to speak out against anti-Semitism, prejudice CONTINUED FROM 1 problems. “Today’s graduates, more than any other cohort of students since the 1960s, are intensely aware of the great challenges facing them and future generations,” he said. Liebowitz continued, “Whether it’s criminal justice reform, inequality, failing public schools, the impact of climate change, refugee immigration rights or any number of issues that represent great challenges to society, it is this generation — your generation — that gives us the greatest hope.” R Remi Matthews ’19 delivered the undergraduate student address, dedicating it to “the ones who did the impossible thing, the ones who did the unthinkable.” In his speech, he reminded the graduates of their potential, telling them, “You are powerful beyond measure. And as you set forth into the real world, as people like to call it, remember that you’re far more prepared
than you think.” Matthews admitted, however, that he had not always taken that mantra to heart. When he first took computer science classes, namely COSI 11a, he felt a sense that he could not code as well as everyone else and that his colleagues and peers did not think he was knowledgeable about his work. “Throughout my time at Brandeis, I had to constantly validate my prowess in the spaces I entered,” he said. “Everyday felt like an uphill battle, and I was growing more and more tired.” A change in how he looked at his life altered his outlook on his academics and got him out of a dark place. Matthews now views his life through the lens of the “butterfly effect,” which stipulates that “one small change in one moment can result in vastly large differences in a later moment.” He cherishes small moments, like laughing at The Stein, and weights them more significantly. “It’s these little moments that may
RIVKA CARMI Carmi received the Doctor of Science honorary degree for her work in the sciences, genetics and medicine. As a pediatrician and neonatologist, she focuses her work focuses on diseases in the Negev Arab-Bedouin population. Carmi has written more than 150 publications on medical genetic, and helped in identifying 12 genes and delineating three different syndromes. In fact, one is even named after her — Carmi Syndrome. She was also the first woman to serve as the president of an Israeli university and was president of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev between 2006 and 2018.
or may not seem significant at the time, that prepared you” for other moments in your life, Matthews said. In the final part of his speech, Matthews thanked his mentors who helped him get to where he is today. “Whether it was navigating the space physically, emotionally or academically, I thank each of you. Without you guys I wouldn’t be able to see the strength I had within myself,” he said, addressing previous student Commencement speakers from the past three years who were in the room. Graduate student speaker Akash Kalra MBA ’19 took a different approach with his speech, stressing that being a Brandeis student has improved his life immeasurably. “Brandeis has given me every single thing that I aspire to. It has made my life dream come true. More importantly, it has given me the self confidence that I always lacked,” he said. Coming from a small town in India, Kalra
explained that did not have many opportunities to pursue the type of learning that the University offered. At Brandeis, he enjoyed the “engaging” teaching styles of the professors and praised their willingness to help him. Thanks to Brandeis, he also found career opportunities in multiple cities and countries that he had once only dreamed of visiting, he said. Kalra also said he found an “intimate” community at the University. “Not even once did I feel out of place … I found my home away from home in Brandeis,” he said. According to a BrandeisNOW article, 881 undergraduate students, 294 Heller School for Social Policy and Management graduate students, 233 Heller School for Social Policy and Management graduate students, 270 Graduate School of Arts and Sciences students and 177 Rabb School of Graduate and Professional Studies graduate students received degrees.
2019 HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENTS
Photos by NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
by Jen Geller
JON LANDAU ’68 Landau, the 2019 recipient of the Doctor of Music honorary degree, began critiquing music for national publications such as The Rolling Stone while still in college and quickly became a pioneer in the music industry. He currently manages Bruce Springsteen and produced his 1975 album, “Born to Run.” In addition, Landau is the chair of the nominating committee for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Landau also created the Jonathan Landau ’68 Endowed Scholarship in 1997, which is awarded to Brandeis students majoring in the fine arts.
DEBORAH LIPSTADT MA ’72, PHD ’76
Lipstadt, one of the most prominent historians of the Holocaust, received an honorary degree for her scholarship. In 1996 she won a 10-week trial and sixyear legal battle against author and historian David Irving who filed a lawsuit against Lipstadt after she labelled Irving a Holocaust denier. She later wrote a book about the lawsuit titled “History on Trial.” As the 2019 Commencement speaker, she highlighted issues relating to hate and prejudice in her speech, imploring the audience to step up to change how people treat each other. “In the fight against evil, there are no bystanders,” she said.
THE JUSTICE
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NEWS
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MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019
COMMENCEMENT 2019 NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
BRIEF
89 new Phi Beta Kappa members inducted at ceremony THU LE/the Justice
‘CLASS OF 2019, LET’S MAKE THINGS HAPPEN’: R Remi Matthews ’19 delivered the undergraduate student address.
THU LE/the Justice
NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
‘I WILL BE FOREVER GRATEFUL TO BRANDEIS’: Akash Kalra MBA ’19 delivered the graduate student address.
“We cannot be against just one ‘-ism’ to the exclusion of all others. If we are going to fight prejudice, we must fight it across the board.” —Deborah Lipstadt MA ’72, PhD ’76
The Brandeis community honored 89 Phi Beta Kappa inductees at an initiation ceremony in the Spingold Theater on May 18. There were 81 graduating seniors and eight juniors recognized for their achievements. Phi Beta Kappa is the United States’ first and “most prestigious” undergraduate honors society, according to a program distributed at the event. A student is eligible to be elected to Phi Beta Kappa if they have good grades, a well-rounded course load and a faculty nomination letter vouching for their achievements and moral character, per the event program. Associate Professor Alice Kelikian (HIST), the president of Brandeis’ chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, kicked off the event by welcoming the inductees. Kelikian said that as the first woman in her family to graduate from college and the first woman to be inducted into Princeton University’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, it was “an honor to officiate today.” She then invited University President Ron Liebowitz to the podium. Liebowitz commended Brandeis students for their passion for learning. “The breadth and depth of curiosity among so many Brandeisians is, in my view, unusual for college and university campuses today,” he said. Liebowitz also explained that in its early days, Phi Beta Kappa only accepted white men, and pointed out that Brandeis’ 2019 inductees were nearly two-thirds women. According to Liebowitz, Brandeis received a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa in 1961, only 13 years after the University was founded. After Liebowitz spoke, Brandeis’ Phi Beta Kappa secretary, Prof. Craig Blocker (PHYS), detailed the history of the organization. Founded on December 5, 1776 at the College of William and Mary, Phi Beta Kappa
recognizes students who demonstrate “excellence in the liberal arts and sciences,” according to the Phi Beta Kappa website. Ten percent of institutions of higher learning have Phi Beta Kappa chapters, and ten percent of students in each class are elected, Blocker said. He also said that the society began admitting women in 1875. According to the Phi Beta Kappa website, the first Black member was inducted in 1874. Associate Professor and Brandeis Phi Beta Kappa treasurer Xing Hang (HIST) read the names of the inductees as they came to the stage to accept their certificates. 54-year Phi Beta Kappa member and Henry F. Fischbach Professor of Chemistry Irving Epstein (CHEM) gave the Phi Beta Kappa Address. According to Epstein, 17 United States presidents, 38 Supreme Court Justices and over 130 Nobel laureates are Phi Beta Kappa members. He also pointed out that Mark Twain, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Peyton Manning had been inducted into the society. Epstein encouraged the inductees to find a career they were so passionate about that they’d be willing to do the work for no pay. “All of you have found … several things that you’re good at, or you wouldn’t be here today,” he said. “I hope that you’ve also discovered a love for at least one of those things and that you will be able to shape your future endeavors around that love.” Epstein concluded the ceremony by explaining “imposter syndrome,” a term used to describe “a feeling in which someone doubts their own accomplishments and suffers from the persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud,” he said. “My advice,” he said, “is get over it. … You’ve earned your place here.” —Gilda Geist
NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
CIXIN LIU
PERRY TRAQUINA ’78
As the author of several short stories and novels, Liu has vast experience in the field of literature, earning him a Doctor of Arts honorary degree. Focusing on the fantasy genre, he has also written seven novels and won China’s most prestigious award for literature and science-fiction, the Galaxy Award. Liu was also the first Asian person to win the Hugo Award, which he won for his work titled, “The Three-Body Problem.”
Traquina is the recipient of the honorary degree for Doctor of Humane Letters. The son of Portuguese immigrants, Traquina majored in American Studies and Economics while at Brandeis. He went on to become a member of the Board of Trustees since 2002, and has served as the Board chair between 2013 and 2016. He is now the chair of the Board’s Investment Committee and a member of the Resources Committee. Traquina was also the chairman and CEO of Wellington Management Company until 2014. He spent 34 years at the firm.
BARBARA MANDEL ’73 Mandel received a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree. Elected to the Brandeis Board of Trustees in 2005, Mandel currently serves as the vice chair of the Board. In addition, she serves as a co-chair of the Institutional Advancement Committee and is part of the Nominating and Governance and Coordination committees. Mandel has a history of donating to the University, and the Mandel Center’s auditorium is named in her honor.
SUSAN WINDHAM-BANNISTER PHD ’77
Windham-Bannister was honored with the Doctor of Humane Letters. She leads a $1 billion life sciencesfocused innovation fund, making her the first African American to administer such a large fund. Her contributions to the fund led to Massachusetts’ recognition as a global leader in the life sciences. Additionally, Windham-Bannister was a managing partner at Abt Bio-Pharma Solutions and was recognized by the Boston Globe as one of the 10 Most Influential Women in Biotech and by Boston Magazine as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Boston, according to the Brandeis website.
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10 MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019 ● FORUM ● THE JUSTICE
Justice
the
Established 1949
Brandeis University
Jocelyn Gould, Editor in Chief Jen Geller, Managing Editor Avraham Penso and Natalia Wiater, Senior Editors Andrew Baxter, Eliana Padwa and Maya Zanger-Nadis, Associate Editors Emily Blumenthal and Gilda Geist, Acting News Editors Sammy Park, Features Editor Gabriel Frank, Forum Editor, Megan Geller, Sports Editor Luke Liu, Acting Arts Editor, Noah Zeitlin, Acting Photography Editor Yael Hanadari-Levy, Acting Layout Editor Liat Fischer and Devo Meyers, Ads Editors River Hayes and Mia Rubinstein, Copy Editors
EDITORIALS
Celebrating the achievements of Justice seniors The end of the year is very bittersweet. As we finish finals and the semester, Commencement approaches, which means that we have to say goodbye to our graduating editors. We thank all of our seniors for their work over their time in the Justice. As much as we will miss them, we are confident that they will go on to do amazing things in the future. Amber Miles Amber has made a lasting impact on the Justice, and she cemented her legacy through passion and dedication. Beginning her Justice career during the first semester of her first year, Amber quickly assumed the position of Forum editor and brought ethical and varied opinions to the section. Throughout her term as editor, she consistently brought commitment to the section, an approach that followed her for all four years at the Justice. After her term as Forum editor ended during her sophomore year, Amber trained and subsequently became the paper’s Managing editor for the 2017–2018 school year. As an advocate for journalistic ethics and integrity, she fought tirelessly for the respect of the institution of journalism while bringing her wit and sense of humor to brighten the office. It was at this time, and for the rest of her Justice career, that Amber began to write for News. Amber continued to serve on the Justice’s executive board during her senior year as a Senior editor, and she continued to play an essential role by providing counsel and expertise to the decision-making process. We will miss Amber’s presence around the office, but know she will succeed in her teaching career in the future, making a lasting impact on her students every single day — passing on the values that make her the amazing person that she is. Nia Lyn Nia has been an asset to the Justice and has an incredible ability to stay calm through thick and thin. She began her journey at the Justice as a Forum writer, and through her commitment to strengthening her opinions with facts, eventually rose up to became the paper’s Forum editor. As editor, she maintained the integrity of the section with grace and an innate ability to communicate with her staff. If you get to know Nia, her fun sense of humor and sarcasm is hard to miss. That brought her to her tenure as an Associate editor, where she remained deeply unf lappable despite late production nights, missing Views on the News responses and heated editorial meetings. Through it all, Nia has served as a voice of reason on the paper — and added fun to the office. We will miss her and her memes! Sam Stockbridge Although he did not join the Justice until halfway through his junior year, Sam made his mark as an
You will be missed invaluable member of the paper. From the first article he wrote, covering the controversial playwright Michael Weller ’65 receiving the Creative Arts Award, Sam always dove into important and complicated stories on campus. He quickly became News editor, dedicated to helping his staff improve not only as journalists, but as writers as well. Yet he never stopped writing, making a name for himself with in-depth coverage of Student Union controversies and other campus news. Sam was dedicated to making sure that every article was as strong as it could be and to preserving and promoting journalistic ethics in our reporting. As he moved on to Associate editor, he has continued to contribute to and promote the News section. In the office, Sam never failed to bring energy and humor to a late night. The office will not be the same without his puns, enthusiasm or book recommendations. We will miss him quietly playing everything, from jazz to classical to pop music, in the News corner and waxing poetic about the value of “The Elements of Style.” Most of all, we will miss his fierce commitment to journalism, which always pushed the Justice to be a better news organization. He can also be found on the Journalism minor’s website, doing what he loves — interviewing sources and pursuing a story. Morgan Mayback Morgan joined the Justice in the fall of 2016 in her sophomore year. As Layout editor, she has made the Justice infinitely more visually interesting. Serving in that role throughout her sophomore and into her junior year, she left her mark on every page she created. Shortly after stepping into the role of Associate editor during her junior year, she helped the Justice when an interim Layout editor was needed during her senior year. Her dedication to the paper did not go unnoticed. During editorial meetings, she was a voice full of wisdom, writing several editorials during her time as editor. The embodiment of a modern renaissance person, she even contributed cartoons to the Justice. During production nights, she has been a source of constant help and reassurance to frazzled section editors struggling with InDesign. Her eye for layout and graphic design has improved the Justice’s appearance and her clever in-house ads caught our readers’ eyes. Her friendly spirit has brightened the newspaper office during production nights. As we say goodbye to our editors from the class of 2019, we also want to thank all seniors who have contributed to the Justice on our staff and as senior staff. Without every single person who contributes to this paper, the reporting, editing, layout and photography would not be possible. Thank you, and congratulations to the Brandeis University Class of 2019!
JEN GELLER/the Justice
Views the News on
Congratulations to the class of 2019! Looking back at your college experience, and your senior year specifically, what experiences and people stand out to you the most? In the course of your Brandeis experience, what moments will you look back on most fondly?
Maddox Kay ’19
Freshman year, I took Morality and Market Society with Prof. Strand, and Opinion Writing with Prof. McNamara. These courses, while completely different, were formative in my Brandeis experience; a column I wrote for Opinion Writing was my introduction to the Justice. Some other memories include my short but sweet time on the track team, and studying in the Hague. Finally, in my last semester I took two of my favorite classes at Brandeis: Stories of America at Work with Prof. Schratz and Environmental History of the Americas with Prof. Lorek. As I get ready to graduate, these classes helped me think about the working world ahead as well as how we interpret and interact with the spaces around us. Professors Jim Mandrell, Daniel Breen, and Matthew Schratz, friends Mason Bromberg, Bryan McNamara, Max Byer, Sophie Sinclair, and my girlfriend Dylan Corn, among others, made my time at Brandeis unforgettable. My four years wouldn’t have been the same without Alpha Epsilon Pi or the Justice, and I look forward to visiting again soon. Maddox Kay ’19 is a Sociology major, with minors in Legal Studies and Hispanic Studies, and was a Forum columnist for the Justice.
Valerie Janovic ’19 As a transfer student, my experience at Brandeis has been slightly different from most. Rather than notice the incredible atmosphere and endless opportunities at this school and classify them as the typical college experience, I noticed precisely how Brandeis is unique. At Brandeis, we have CAs rather than RAs because our dorms are a community, not just a residence hall, and while the sentiment is undoubtedly cheesy, it is also true. Brandeis students are absurdly friendly and kind, always willing to hold the door open for someone who is much too far away. They are incredibly passionate about making the world a better place, whether on a global scale or on an individual level by being welcoming to the new kid. I will miss being over-committed to awesome clubs, and learning from fascinating courses, but above all, I will miss the ridiculous and amazing people at this school, who helped me grow and change in a million ways for the better. Valerie Janovic ’19 is a music and psychology double major.
Ravi Simon ’19 The specter of graduation has haunted my senior year. It has induced a perpetual anxiety about the future, a commentator inside my head who never stops reminding me that I don’t have a job yet. All the while, seniority pushed me into leadership positions in clubs, higher level courses, and more difficult competition on the debate team. I felt as if my workload was an iron curtain, precluding me from peering beyond the demands of each week. In spite of all this, I enjoyed my last year at Brandeis greatly. I owe this to my roomates from freshman year, my friends from the orientation leader program, and the wonderful community on the debate team. The curtain is about to be drawn back and I while am anxious, I am also excited to see what life holds for me.
Ravi Simon ‘19 was the president of Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society and a staff writer for the Justice.
Nakeita Henry ’19 My time at Brandeis has been highlighted by community. I was lucky and found a solid community during orientation and they have stayed with me throughout these four years which has been truly wonderful. I also gained a community through Brandeis women’s ultimate and Habitat for Humanity. This April, I went on my fourth and final alternative spring break trip with Habitat. We drove down to the coast of Virginia; spent the week building houses, exploring the area, and getting to know the locals; then we rushed back on Friday night so that those of us on the ultimate team could make it to our regional tournament in western Mass by 8am on Saturday. The women’s ultimate team made it to the game to go to Nationals, only losing 9-8 to one of the top teams in the country. It was a wild conclusion to a truly unforgettable and special week. Moments like these were only made better by the people surrounding me and it’s the people that — more than anything — I will sorely miss. Naketia Henry is a Creative Writing and Psychology double major with minors in Education Studies and Social Justice and Social Policy. Photos: Nakeita Henry; Noah Zeitlin/the Justice
THE JUSTICE ● FORUM ● MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019
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Freshman year at Brandeis presents new opportunities By RENEE NAKKAB JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
The first few pieces I published at Brandeis were a collection of reflections on how I wished the orientation leaders had better prepared the first-years. From transportation to nightlife, I thought that the nuances of being a Brandeisian were not explained well enough, and we were left to learn too much on our own. Now, after successfully completing my first year, I cannot help but chuckle at just how misguided my earlier thoughts were. The very purpose of the first year of college is to be out of the know. Undergoing a multitude of experiences, making mistakes and taking questionable risks help one grow as a person. Essentially, the first year is about being willing to jump and not fearing the fall. The first leap of faith is within academics. Before a first-year comes to campus, they have to select classes for the fall. While they do have academic and faculty advisors, in addition to the Roosevelt Fellow peer advising program, how much can those really help? A student can type up pages of their academic interests and email it to any of these advisors, but the student knows themself best. Advisors can guide based on the little they learn about the student from their transcript or anything the student sends them, but they do not know the student’s history with handling stress or deep passions about specific topics. It is these aspects that make the student their own best advisor. Subconsciously, students know what interests them, what they hate and what they want to learn more about. However, if a student does not have a clue despite these guiding questions, the next step is to try different possibilities. They must look through the course catalog and see which course titles catch their eye. Advisors can help plan their major and satisfy University requirements down the line, but they will prefer the student settle into different classes that pique their interest so they can find themselves academically. Although it may seem like mindless, random stumbling through courses within completely different or similar fields of study, it is this unplanned path that may lead to a future major, occupation or passion. The beauty of the academic choices of the first year is that they are non-binding. Students can try multiple courses in different fields and find what they love the most, and they do not have to stick with a certain area of study if they do not want
to. Brandeis acknowledges how intellectually curious its students are, and encourages us to try many different courses by making it easy to double and triple major or minor. There are also interdisciplinary courses that apply for different majors or minors. My “Building the Massachusetts Constitution” course went towards both my Legal Studies minor and History major. After taking this course, I discovered that I had a passion for American legal history and wanted to do more with it. Now, I am doing groundbreaking research within this field, where I am documenting every moment of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention. This institution clearly supports first-years dabbling in different academic regions and wants to help them further develop their passions. Brandeis is most known for doing just that, especially in the research department. We are an R1 institute known for our Nobel Prize-winning faculty, such as Professors Michael Rosbash and Jeffrey Hall. Aside from the science research facilities, we have a women’s and gender research lab and research being done in the Near Eastern and Judaic studies department, among all of the other humanities and social sciences. While it is amazing that we have all these opportunities, what makes it better is that each and every one of them is accessible to firstyears. It is the norm for graduate students or upperclassmen to get these research positions in other schools, but Brandeis not only allows but encourages underclassmen to get their foot through the door and try. People can explain what it is like to do research; yet it is not until you are wearing white gloves in the archives or holding the test tubes in your hands that you can experience a passion you never thought you had. When you choose to go on an endless hunt to explore your current interests and those you may have never realized you had, you can take advantage of all Brandeis has to offer. The Brandeisian extracurriculars are all-inclusive and actively hope to find individuals with a passion for trying something new. Through the Brandeis Aviation Club, Brandeis helps you get a pilot’s license. In the MakerLab, you can 3D print and learn how to use the designing software for free. Through Brandeis’ annual hackathon, you can be hired for a job on the spot by the multiple companies that sponsor the event. Brandeis wants to enable you to prosper in every unique way possible. I had never debated or rowed before Brandeis,
READER COMMENTARY: KENNEDY III ARTICLE I am puzzled as to why Ellie Eiger (Brandeis ’20) and Congressman Kennedy in a recent article (“Congressman discusses US-Israel Relationship”) believe that the citizens of Gaza should vote in Israeli elections? Gaza has never been part of Israel. In the Biblical Period, it was the Land of the Philistines, one of Ancient Israel’s mortal enemies. From 1948-67, it was part of Egypt, and served as the staging point for the murderous Fedayeen raids. It is interesting to note that, just as Jordan never gave a moment’s thought to an independent Palestinian State in the West Bank during its occupation from 1948-67, Egypt never uttered a word about an independent Gaza, either. Israel left Gaza in 2006, withdrawing all of its citizens and leaving major agricultural and industrial structures intact when it ceded the area to the Palestinian Authority (PA) as part of the Oslo Accords and subsequent agreements. Within two years, the corrupt PA was ousted in an election that went to the more radical Hamas — and that was the last time Gazans (and West Bank Palestinians) had an opportunity to exercise the right to vote because the “democratic” Palestinian Authority has gone 14 years without another election! Gaza is not part of Israel, so its residents should not vote in Israeli elections. —Nathan Salant serves on the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America’s Letter Writers Board.
MEGAN GELLER/the Justice
but I was able to discover my love for both of these activities over the course of my first year. That being said, I realized that the activities I was continuing from high school were not ones I truly enjoyed. It was through broadening my horizons that I realized I had been following my old path because I felt like I should, rather than because I had actually wanted to. All first-years need to go through a moment of re-evaluation to ensure that they are doing what is best for their personal growth and development. Part of this reflection should include the types of relationships you have in your life. Over the course of the first year, it is natural for relationships to evolve. All first-years are in the same boat when they first arrive; they are eager to make friends and find a group they can fit in with. It is natural to feel like you belong to more than just one group of people with a specific set of interests, but many will stick to the first group of friends they made because they fear being labeled an outsider. Over the year, you find yourself
straying from some people and being drawn to others, which is the purpose of the first year of college: exploring relationships, finding the people who make you happy and your best self. Additionally, although it may feel like we have known our first-year friends for years after only a couple of months, it is important to realize we do not know nearly as much about one another as we think. That is what the next four years are for. Ultimately, college is a fresh start where you are given an opportunity to become the person you want to be. However, it is hard to know exactly who that individual is. The first year may seem like a giant race to find friends, your major and extracurriculars — all before you even have a chance to catch your breath. Yet it is the very opposite. Take those ten long strides into your first year by actively trying everything you heart desires, but take the rest of the academic year to settle into what you truly want to be a part of. It is finding those passions and not being afraid to take the risk and try.
Workplace bullying is corrupting politics By NOAEM SHURIN JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
We’ve all heard the phrases, “if you don’t have something nice to say don’t say it at all,” “always say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’”, and “treat others the way you want to be treated.” From kindergarten to grade school we’ve learned to treat each other with respect, assume each other’s best intentions and, in disagreements, engage with the best forms of each other’s arguments. Instances of workplace bullying and harassment are on the rise. Grown adults are currently bullying other grown adults in their very adult workplaces. This occurs so often that one in every three workers in Massachusetts will experience some form of workplace bullying. When I first heard that statistic, I was shocked. It is deeply concerning that adults have forgotten the basic principles of interaction and human decency any kindergartener could instinctively recite if asked. Taking a step back, I realized adults haven’t forgotten these norms. They’ve been retaught other more harmful ones. Recently, there’s been a shift in discourse. Politicians, the people we trust to shape the laws and norms of our society, have forgotten the crucial knowledge we learned in kindergarten –– specifically, the importance of refraining from the name calling and slandering we’ve been seeing during the current election cycle. People are becoming more concerned with how politicians dress than with their policies. Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Executive Office are all workplaces. The discourse among politicians is the government equivalent of workplace interactions. I would never expect to be shamed for dancing in college or wearing makeup in a workplace setting. My private life is of no concern to my employer because it has no impact on the way I do my job. This kind of concern with personal life happens in Congress all the time. What’s worse is that in a normal workplace I would have a human resources department to settle bullying disputes, but when part of the expectations of your job are public harassment and humiliation, there’s no way to remedy things when they’ve gone too far. By condoning and even praising this sort of behavior, we normalize it and shouldn’t be surprised when we see it in our workforce. This is why bills that target the work environment, like the Healthy Workplace Bill, are so crucial. The Healthy Workplace
Bill would expand worker’s rights by providing a clear definition of workplace bullying and expanding legal protections for both employees and employers. Employees would be able to sue for instances of workplace bullying that aren’t on the basis of protected class (i.e. race, gender and religious creed). This is necessary because there’s a lexical gap in our legal system that allows people to bully others because of their socioeconomic status, their region of origin, their style choices, or any other number of silly reasons to berate another human being. Simultaneously, it assuages fears of wrongful accusations by allowing employers to defend their actions if they provide evidence they were necessary to running the company. So firing someone because they were negligent would not be considered an instance of workplace bullying. Most importantly, however, it creates “vicarious liability,” which means that an employer can be held liable for harm to an employee even if the harm was not directly caused by the employer. For example, if the employer creates a culture where bullying is acceptable, they can be held liable for negligence. This is crucial because the way to reshape the work environment is to reshape employer incentives. If this bill passes, employers would be incentivized to take preventative measures in order to curtail workplace bullying. This could look like making boardroom meetings more inclusive to employees, rebuking bullying immediately when it becomes apparent and expanding HR departments by making people do more comprehensive, government-regulated, discrimination training. It is very difficult to change the work environment on the federal level, but putting laws in place that change it on the individual level would discourage people from emulating the behavior they see normalized by politicians. The Healthy Workplace Bill is a way to directly target the norms seeping into the workplace as a result of these harmful trends. Not addressing these issues now would mean knowingly letting another year of graduating seniors like myself enter the workforce without the legal protections they need. If you want to be a part of changing the work environment for the better, call your legislators and tell them to vote SD 1072 out favorably. If we all take the time to support the bill (and maybe email a few of our kindergarten teachers to get a refresher course), future graduating classes could enter a stronger and more accepting workforce.
The opinions expressed on this page are those of each article’s respective author and do not reflect the viewpoint of the Justice.
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MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019 ● FORUM ● THE JUSTICE
FORUM
Interfaith dialogue needed By JAVAID IQBAL JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Arriving in Boston alone in the fall of 2018 to join Brandeis University’s Heller School, I experienced the “otherness” I used to read about in my sociology books. The scrutiny started at the airport — the moment I landed. I guess my skin gave it away. As someone who grew up in Kashmir, a politically fraught place, being continuously and unnecessarily frisked and stopped by authorities has been unwelcome but unsurprising. But this time, after living in Boston for a few weeks and experiencing constant stares, I was truly learning how “otherness” works in American social, political and religious contexts. What I didn’t know was how deadly this feeling of “otherness” could be. The recent March massacre of 50 Muslims attending Friday prayers in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, revealed how pernicious this perceived sense of “otherness” can be. This episode was similar to the murder of innocent Jews at the Pittsburgh synagogue in the fall of 2018 — and revealed how hate can kill. After many of these incidents, expressions of condemnation and shock reverberated around the world and vows of religious unity abounded in community after community. Yet I often wonder: Was the world really shocked? After Christchurch, Pittsburgh and many other devastating acts of terrorism around the world, there were massive outpourings of support across social media platforms, from community leaders and houses of worship. But these gestures are unlikely to change anything unless we change our outlook towards each other. Working towards this goal will require us to recognize — and work on eliminating — many biases we carry implicitly. What we need is a concerted effort to reach out to and learn to live with those whom we view as the ‘other’ — especially “the strangers” among us, who for most developed countries mean those from immigrant and marginalized communities. And there is evidence on why we need to do that. A quantitative analysis found that when Muslims perpetrated acts of terrorism, they received 357 percent more news attention than similar acts committed by non-Muslims. The word “terrorism” is rarely used when a nonMuslim is the perpetrator. Conversely, “terrorism” is used almost exclusively by the news media when the perpetrator is identified as a Muslim. This needs to change. These attacks on minority populations — often labeled as religious extremists — will continue to occur unless and until root causes of this prejudice are identified, acknowledged and addressed. When different segments of society feel alienated, and there is no unifying narrative from community and government leaders, demagogues take advantage of the situation to sow and foment insidious divisiveness. People start to notice how newcomers appear to look and act differently, and begin to see them as the source of social problems that may have always existed. Many believe their own governments are complicit in
changing the social demographics of the country and believe they need to take matters in their own hands. Research shows that when a majority group feels threatened into becoming the minority, they favor their own group. Since white populations tend be majorities, holding powerful positions in the West, studies demonstrate such tendencies are found in many other groups that face a loss of power. This is not to single out a community, but to ensure that conversations that account for changing demographics need to take place. There are unmistakable similarities between Christchurch and Pittsburgh; first is that the attacks were committed against minority communities in their places of worship. These premeditated attacks are perpetrated to inflict deep psychological harm among vulnerable communities. The message is clear: You can be attacked in places where you expect refuge and safety. The perpetrators’ goal is to convey to the target communities that they are safe nowhere and to create an atmosphere of deep, unquenchable fear. Often, these attackers succeed, causing the target minorities to abandon the very elements of their identity that make them unique. While the whole world is enraged at the atrocities that transpired in Christchurch, just as it was after the Pittsburgh massacre, we are obliged to ask ourselves: What has really changed? What steps do we take to ensure that such events don’t occur again? Given the currents of hatred and toxicity running through our society, it is incumbent upon us to take corrective steps on an individual level. We cannot just rely on the government to do this, as most of these attacks are lone-wolf attacks, which by their very nature are difficult to predict. In multicultural societies, this means we need to reach out to each other and begin inter-faith and cross-cultural conversations. We can begin by simply talking to those who look, pray, live and love differently from us. On my first Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, I was graciously invited by my Jewish professors to attend dinner with their family. I realized that they celebrate their families and one another in the same ways I used to celebrate Eid with my own family. It taught me that, despite how much hate politicians provoke, deep down we are all the same. Our communities need to reach outside of our comfort zones and make conscious efforts to get to know people who are ethnically, socially, economically and religiously different from us. Such exchanges can stimulate improved communication between natives and immigrants, and create opportunities to discuss matters of faith, and how diverse communities choose to express their various traditions, values and beliefs. This could include opening mosques and churches to members of different religions and allowing them to be a part of each other’s services and celebrations. And while these discussions and engagements would be difficult, with strong leadership, sincerity and good will, they will invariably lead to a better tomorrow for us all.
READER COMMENTARY: 4/16 STUDENT UNION EDITORIAL Dear Justice editorial board, In response to your 04/16 editorial criticizing the Student Union, I’m writing to point out some things the press has not reported on: • In the interest of constituent outreach, DCL and I hosted a “Meet and Greet” event in Village on March 1. It was advertised through posters, by e-mail, and on social media. • I identified by name 18 members who have never signed in for office hours, and the Senate President publicly censured them at our penultimate meeting. • At my request, Area Coordinator Brad Toney circulated a survey to all Village CAs and residents asking for feedback. It received 0 responses. The Union has both provided opportunities for constituents to voice their opinions and recognized where we have fallen short. All of the above took place before you published your editorial. — Jake Rong ’21 is the executive senator of the Student Union
HARRISON PAEK/ the Justice
A graduating senior looks back Andrew
JACOBSON REALITY CHECK It’s a daunting task, writing my final article for this paper and avoiding the cliches that characterize graduation season. Am I meant to summarize or galvanize? Clarify or edify? Leave some parting words of wisdom for a generation slightly more addicted to their phones, or express my gratitude for the village of students, professors, friends and mentors that made it all possible? In the spirit of indecisiveness, I choose it all. To start, I would like to thank my teachers, especially Professors Sava Berhané, Stephen McCauley, Mike McKay and Steve Whitfield. These people are truly excellent educators. In their own way, each taught me to see the world anew. Not only are they subject matter experts, but developers of people who helped grow my knowledge, courage, empathy and passion. Thank you also to my parents who supported me throughout, and my two little brothers for whom my love cannot be expressed in words. And my friends — thank you for always encouraging me to be me. Now, enough about me. In the vein of advice, I want to say a few things. The first is, be okay with uncertainty. College is a time of building ourselves. Done right, we try many things and fail often. We figure out our friends, our interests, our hobbies and values. Inevitably there always remain questions unanswered. This, says poet Rainer Maria Rilke, is the goal — in fact, the whole enterprise itself: “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” Another point: be sensitive to the disturbances in your heartbeat. When it speeds up, when it slows down — these are voices of clarity trying to clamour to the surface of our minds like beautiful weeds through the cracks in the sidewalk. We must heed them, listen to them, respect them — because they are the signal among so much noise. College for me, and I imagine many of you, was a project of convergence — a process of trying to bring closer our inner world and the one outside, one which can be tolerable but is sometimes brutal. When should
The opinions expressed on this page are those of each article’s respective author and do not reflect the viewpoint of the Justice.
we trust ourselves? When should we our trust in others? I think what we each need is a healthy dose of skepticism — the ability to ask ourselves, “Is the status quo the best it can be?” If it’s not, we need to seek and find what is. But this skepticism cannot be unconditional. Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson talks about the process of becoming cynical. He says that most of us begin naive, get burned a few times and then become cynical. I think our generation likes being cynical. We think it’s the most wise and mature way to be. So why dare to love? Why dare to follow our dreams if failure is an option? Because of courage, Peterson answers. Because — at our best — we are courageous people desperately wanting to impact the world in a way no one else can. So we don’t take our dreams to the grave. The conclusion of any period of time brings reflection. At the end of the second millenium, newscasters reviewed the achievements of the last thousand years. Every New Year’s Eve, we reminisce and resolve for the year to come. Now, at the end of four years in Waltham, it bears mentioning how far we’ve come. Consider how much we’ve grown intellectually, socially and spiritually, perhaps. It might not feel this way, but we’re ready. We’re ready to solve issues in healthcare and law, business and education. The Brandeis campus might not have the best architectural integrity, but it sure was a hell of a good education. Now, an aside. In the year 2000, Harvard sociologist Robert Putnam wrote a book called “Bowling Alone.” He discusses the decline of social interaction in the United States since the 1950s. Less people are involved in civic organizations, adult sports teams and all sorts of other groups. From once bowling in leagues, Americans are largely now bowling alone. “The loneliness epidemic” is what Psychology Today called this phenomenon in a recent article. Here are some statistics from a recent survey: Over 46 percent of Americans asked said they feel alone sometimes or always. 43 percent feel isolated from others. And only 53 percent of people said that they have meaningful inperson interactions regularly. Loneliness rates have doubled since the 1980s, and the mental and physical health results of this are disastrous. Why are people feeling alone? Robert Putnam blames television and the internet. Many people have families, he says, and many of them have friends, too. But not everyone in this country has community. Sure, there are pockets of certain ethnic and religious groups that stick together — Hindus and Jews, for instance — but many Americans,
many Westerners don’t have that anymore. We’ve pluralized and diversified, studied abroad and broadened horizons. Many of us have grown tall while neglecting to grow deep. Many Americans don’t feel like essential parts of a community anymore — don’t experience the lively caring dynamic thing that is a social fabric. But at Brandeis we’ve had that. At Brandeis we’ve all been part of this radiant web of light that’s connected us all. We’ve banded together, participating in Shabbat or complaining about Sodexo, tripping down the Rabb steps or falling asleep one too many times in the dungeon. Whatever it is, we’ve been part of this really special community — and what I want to encourage everyone to do is remember that, and remember that this is just the beginning. Several weeks ago, like many of you all, I attended a seder with my cousins in New York. Some time in, we read about the four children — the wise, the wicked, the simple and the one who doesn’t know how to ask. Naturally, my mischievous younger brother Ben was chosen to talk about the wicked child. He asked, “What is this worship to you?” This is what the wicked child says. I thought for a minute — what’s so wrong with that? What makes this son wicked? He’s not mean, or arrogant, or walking around flaunting a big ego. What is he doing wrong? “He excludes himself from the collective and thus denies the Jewish faith,” the Haggadah says. “If he had been there in the Exodus, he would not have been saved.” So his sin is regarding himself as outside the community! This is how important is to be part of the collective. Even if you feel different than most people, there’s a spot for you. There’s a spot for everyone, and there is not only a space but a certain responsibility that we each have to bring others in. It is up to us to be part of our communities, to make them vibrant, caring and amazing. The responsibility falls upon us. I encourage us to remain involved in this special, exciting community — to not take it for granted by really indulging in it as much as we can. We may be leaving Brandeis, but this is just the beginning. And, one last thing: Fronti Nulla Fides. In the words of Amor Towles, “place no trust in appearances.” How often it is the case that we are deceived by appearances. May we all have the wisdom to discern facade from depth and pursue what’s truly meaningful If you’ve made it this far, I thank you for reading my corny commencement address. Cheers to living into the answers and, of course, congratulations to the Class of 2019.
THE JUSTICE ● SPORTS ● MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019
FIERY FOCUS
BASEBALL: Judges end 2019 season with 17–20 record CONTINUED FROM 16 driving a 2–2 pitch down the right field line, allowing Parrot to tie the score. This game, the Judges earned 11 hits, with two each from Khoury, Isaac Fossas ’21, Sand and Parrot. The team ended their season on a 17–20 record overall and 3–13 in the conference. The team ended with a one-game winning streak, 1197 at bats, 247 runs and 339 hits, of which 72 were doubles
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and seven triples. The team had 24 home runs and 103 extra base hits. Summary In terms of statistics, Khoury led the team with 41 runs batted in, followed by Frey with 38 and Fossas with 36. Greg Tobin ’20 led the team in innings pitched with 56.1, followed by Mason Newman ’21 with 45.1 and Roberts with 37.1. This strong team concluded their season with a batting average of .283 as of May 4.
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ANDREW BAXTER/Justice File Photo
SWING: Brandeis's Anupreeth Coramutla '21 tosses the ball up for a serve against his Babson opponenet on March 27.
TENNIS: Team wins four of six games CONTINUED FROM 16 Judges 5, Spartans 3 On April 26, Case Western fell to the Judges 5–3. In doubles Ng and Tegtmeier fell to their Spartan opponents 8-3. The Judges came back with a win by Tzeng and Chen 8–2. The tie was broken by Aizenberg and Coramutla with an 8–7 victory, giving the Judges the lead going into singles. The Judges won at 3–2. This win left the Judges with a 15-win season this far. The Judges have only accomplished this seven times in school history, and this is their second year in a row. Judges 5, Phoenix 3 On April 27, the University of Chicago fell to Brandeis 5–3. The
Judges began with a 2–1 doubles win. The first point of the match was taken by Chicago when Aizenberg and Coramutla were defeated by their competitors. The new pair, Vohra and Tzeng won 5–3. In singles, Brandeis bounced back with wins by Aizenberg and Tzeng. Judges 1, Owls 5 The final game of the season was on April 28, when the Judges lost 1–5 against Emory University. After doubles, the Judges fell behind. Emory won the first two doubles matches and then the first three singles matches, clinching their victory. Coramutla was defeated by his opponent 6–3 and 6–2. Tzeng's opponent bested him, 6–1 and 6–3. In the last singles match Vohra
was defeated by his opponent 6–2 and 6–2. This game left the Judges at a rank of 10 in Division III this season as well as placing the Judges tied for their second most wins in the program's history. Summary This season, the Judges won 16 games and lost four. The team ended the season losing one game. In the conference, the team was 2–1 overall. Led by coaches Ben Lamanna and Christo Schultz, the team had a strong season. Coach Lamanna was quoted by Brandeis athletics saying "This team is really special... They worked really hard for this and trained for it. They have been resilient, and shown good character – a bunch of good kids who've earned it."
BANSHEE: Ultimate Frisbee is a funfilled, athletic way to make friends CONTINUED FROM 16 sectionals tournament, there were two bids to regionals up for grabs, and the Judges were hungry to get one of the bids. In the first day of sectionals, the team went 2–1. The team had to remain in their position, the next day, in order to gain a spot in regionals. In this championship, the Judges defeated the
University of Wellesley Whiptails and earned their bid to regionals. In regionals, there were four bids to nationals. In the final game of regionals, the Judges were defeated 9–8, ultimately losing their chance at a nationals bid. Goals The team's main goal was to raise their rank to in Division III Ultimate and eventually qualify
for Nationals. Additionally, the team wants to continue to be a welcoming place where players can have a safe and fun environment to participate in an exciting sport. Experience The team encourages people of any experience level to join. “There is a wide range of experience on the team, including players who had been playing
Ultimate throughout high school and some who have never even touched a Frisbee,” explained Maya Fields ’19. According to Anna Sherman ’20 in an interview with the Justice, “You get results that reflect the amount of effort and time you put in. People are surprised how much they've improved over the course of the semester, and it's always encouraging to see new players with zero experience evolve.”
The team practices year-round; however, according to Muhlfelder, there is “no commitment requirement to be on the team, and we see the full spectrum of commitment — some people only come from time to time just because they love the sport.” —Editor’s Note: Editor Mia Rubinstein is a member of Banshee and did not contribute to or edit this article.
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THE JUSTICE
JUDGES BY THE NUMBERS
● SPORTS ●
MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019
15
SOFTBALL
BASEBALL TEAM STATS
UAA STANDINGS
Runs Batted In
UAA Conference WashU NYU Case Emory JUDGES
W L 12 1 8 8 7 7 8 8 3 13
W 31 26 22 20 17
Overall L Pct. 5 .851 13 .667 13 .629 19 .513 20 .459
Mike Khoury ’21 leads the team with 41 runs batted in. Player RBI Mike Khoury 41 Dan Frey 38 Isaac Fossas 36 Luke Hall 28
Innings Pitched Greg Tobin ’21 leads all pitchers with 56.1 innings pitched. Player IP Greg Tobin 56.1 Mason Newman 45.1 Cam Roberts 37.1 Albert Gutierrez 29.0
UPCOMING GAMES: Season has concluded.
SOFTBALL UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS Runs Batted In
UAA Conference W L W Emory 16 4 33 JUDGES 10 6 29 Case 10 8 25 NYU 8 9 20 WashU 4 11 15 Carnegie 2 15 13
Overall L Pct. 11 .925 7 .719 13 .615 13 .522 1 8 .577 25 .336
UPCOMING GAMES: Regular season has concluded.
Scottie Todd ’20 has a team-high with 27 runs batted in. Player RBI Scottie Todd 27 Jolie Fujita 26 Marley Felder 24 Keri Lehtonen 24
Innings Pitched Sydney Goldman ’22 has a team-high with 112.1 innings . Player IP Sydney Goldman 112.1 Scottie Todd 112.0 Amidori Anderson 20.2
TRACK AND FIELD Results from the UAA championships on April 6.
TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)
TOP FINISHERS (Men’s) 100-meter dash
RUNNER Regan Charie Jacob Ward Michael Leung
800-meter run
TIME 11.24 11.90 12.14
RUNNER TIME Julia Bryson 2:20.36 Leinni Valdez 2:22.82 Lizbeth Valdez 2:22.84
UPCOMING MEETS: May 23 at NCAA Championship May 24 at NCAA Championship May 25 at NCAA Championship
ZOE BRODSKY/Justice File Photo
BATTER UP: Brandeis’ Melissa Rothberg ’20 is up at bat in a match against Case Western Reserve University on April 12.
Historic season ends with 27–6–1 record ■ The Judges end season after a win against Penn State Berks University. By ALBERT GUTIERREZ JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
The Brandeis softball team continues their historic run as they finish their season with an impressive 27–6–1 record.
TENNIS Men: Results from the meet on April 28. Women: Results from the meet on May 12.
TOP PERFORMERS (Men’s)
TOP PERFORMERS (Women’s)
MEN’S SINGLES David Aizenberg
RECORD 6–1, 3–2
WOMEN’S SINGLES RECORD Diana Dehterevich 6–3, 7–5
MEN’S DOUBLES Vohra/Tzeng
RECORD 8–6
WOMEN’S DOUBLES RECORD He/Hatfield 7–8
UPCOMING MEETS:
Both seasons have concluded.
How it happened The Judges finished their season with 27 wins due to an overpowering offense, strong pitching performances and an experienced coaching staff. The team earned five All-University Athletic Association honors as well as a Coaching Staff of the Year award. Scottie Todd ’20 also earned Pitcher of the Year. The season’s offense was led by Jolie Fujita ’21, who hit a .421 average for the year, including four homers and six doubles. Todd hit a .400 average while leading the team in homeruns with five. Keri Lehtonen
’19 hit .301 with a conference, leading 15 doubles on the year. Firstyear Marley Felder ’22 also hit an impressive .355 average with 22 runs batted in. The Judges’ pitching staff was also a standout, as first-year Sydney Goldman ’22 and Todd combined for 25 wins this year. Todd finished with a 2.03 earned run average over 100 innings and Goldman finished with a 2.09 earned run average over 104 innings. Overall Although they dropped four games against Emory University, the Judges finished nationally ranked at number 20 and earned a NCAA regional berth for the first time since 2010. The Judges will now have to travel to Ithaca, New York to begin regional play. Their quest to a NCAA title will begin on Friday, May 10 when they take on Penn State University Berks. The regional competition will be double elimination, so losing the first round does not guarantee that
they drop out of the bracket, but winning is essential for the Judges to continue. The Judges finished first in all of Division III in runs scored. For the past five seasons, the Brandeis softball team has obtained records of 21-14 (.600), 18-19 (.486), 1317 (.433), 11-21 (.344) and 29-7-1 (.797), respectively. The team improved greatly this year as seen by these statistics. In an interview with the Justice, Keri Lehtonen ’19 explained, “[The softball team is] a family away from home. I have 20 people that I can talk to anything about-good or bad they are always there for me. And no matter how long I have known my teammates for I have a network of friends for life.” She also said, “Our goals were to have fun and have a better record than last year, and we blew those goals out of the water. We had a 16 game unbeaten streak and made the NCAA Tournament! I’m preparing to graduate this weekend and I am going to miss my team so much, and I am so so proud of them.”
PRO SPORTS BRIEF
National Football League 2019 draft viewed by 6.1 million people this year Watching the National Football League Draft on television has become a very popular activity. The 2019 NFL Draft occurred back in April and was broadcast by five different networks: ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN Deportes and the NFL Network. An average of 6.1 million people watched the draft during its three days, as reported in a 2019 Hollywood Reporter article. The programming highlights the college careers of many players that are chosen. Expert commentators, including former NFL general managers, coaches and star players, predict which players will be selected by the various teams and the likelihood of a given player finding success in the NFL. A great deal of print and online media is dedicated to predicting who will be chosen in the days or weeks leading up to the NFL Draft and then later lauding or lamenting a team’s choices during the inevitable critique that follows the draft.
The die-hard fans of a given team may become positively jubilant or nearly catatonic following the draft. This year, the New York Giants, in need of an eventual replacement for their aging star quarterback Eli Manning chose quarterback Daniel Jones from Duke University as the sixth overall player chosen in the first round of the draft. In taking Jones, the Giants passed on players who were considered by many to have been much more worthy of such a high pick. As reported in an April 26 CBS sports article, one fan did not mince words after the Giants had chosen Jones, exclaiming, “This is the worst day of my life. I feel like I’m in a bad nightmare but I keep pinching myself and it’s still real.” Despite this mixture of euphoria and “gnashing of teeth” that inevitably follows every NFL Draft and despite the great expertise of the general managers and scouts who are employed by teams
for the purpose of assessing the skills of college players, picking players in the NFL Draft is not an exact science. College football excellence does not always correlate with NFL prowess, where players by and large are faster and stronger than college players. Tom Brady, considered by many to be the greatest professional quarterback of all time, was picked in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft. As reported in an April Masslive article, among the six quarterbacks chosen before Brady in the 2000 NFL Draft, some had respectable careers but none came close to his success, and one did not even compete in a single game or attempt a single pass in the NFL. Recent quarterbacks chosen in the first round who have already shown brilliance and who are destined to have sustained highly-successful careers include Jared Goff of the Los Angeles Rams, Patrick Mahomes of the
Kansas City Chiefs and Carson Wentz of the Philadelphia Eagles. However, there are prominent examples of quarterbacks chosen in the first round who failed at the NFL level, according to a Businessinsider April article. These include Johnny Manziel, Paxton Lynch and Matt Leinart. Manziel, who was plagued by off-the-field problems, lasted just two seasons in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns. Lynch lasted two seasons with the Denver Broncos before being released, and after sitting out the 2018 season, he was recently signed as a backup for the upcoming season with the Seattle Seahawks. Leinart lasted just four seasons as a backup for three different teams. Given the inherent uncertainty in predicting the potential future success of college players who are chosen as NFL Draft picks, even for experienced experts, it would certainly be logical for us fans to just sit back and casually
wait to see how the players chosen by their favorite teams will perform over the next few seasons at the professional level. However, when it comes to sports, fans tend to be emotional rather than logical. They paint their faces with team colors and agonize over teams’ losses while celebrating with gusto their victories. For those fans who do not live in areas where a local NHL or NBA team is competing in the playoffs, this time of year is relatively lacking in sports drama, especially because the excitement of tight baseball pennant races is a few months off. This creates a great opportunity to satisfy professional sports craving by scrutinizing the NFL Draft. It seems that this obsession with the NFL draft that afflicts so many is a bit silly, but it is fun, and is it not all about entertainment and pleasant diversion anyway? —Megan Geller
just Sports Page 16
THE NFL DRAFT 2019 Approximately 6.1 million people watched the three-day NFL draft this year, p. 15.
Monday, May 20, 2019
TENNIS
MOVE THAT DISC
Season ends as Judges serve opponents ■ Judges end season ranking third in UAA men's tennis standings on April 28. By MEGAN GELLER JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
The Brandeis men’s tennis team has played six games since the beginning of April. Starting on April 6, the Judges have since played Bowdoin University, New York University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Case Western Reserve University, Chicago University and Emory University. Judges 3, Polar Bears 6 On April 6, the Judges lost to Bowdoin University with a score of 3–6. In doubles, the team dropped with Nikhil Das ’21 and Rajan Vohra’s ’21 falling 2–8. However, the Judges fought back as David Aizenberg ’20 and Anupreeth Coramutla ’21 earned a 8–6 victory in addition to a 8–5 victory by Jeffrey Chen ’22 and Adam Tzeng ’22. In singles, number-one player Aizenberg fell twice at 2–6 and 2–6. Chen claimed two victories
Waltham, Mass.
at 6–4 and 6–1. Judges 6, Bobcats 3 On April 7, The Judges defeated NYU in a 6–3 victory. David Aizenberg ’20 and Anupreeth Coramutla ’21 earned a 8–2 victory, in addition to a win by Colt Tegtmeier ’22 and Tyler Ng ’19 with a score of 8–4. The Judges finished their sweep in doubles action with a 8–4 win by Tzeng and Zach Cihlar ’19. In singles, the team was split: Ng dropped two matches, 6–3 and 6–0, while Coramutla was victorious with 6–3 and 6–2. Judges 5, Beavers 4 On April 12, the Judges narrowly defeated MIT with a score of 5–4. In doubles, Judges lost in Aizenberg and Coramutla's game by 8–5. Fortunately, doubles Tegtmeier and Ng, as well as team Chen and Tzeng, were victorious 8–3 and 8–7 respectively. In singles, the teams went back and forth but Rajan Vohra ’21 brought the team up with scores of 6–2 and 6–0. See TENNIS, 13
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BASEBALL
Judges end season this week ■ Last three games of the
season place Judges fifth in UAA baseball standings. By MEGAN GELLER JUSTICE EDITOR
The Brandeis baseball team has participated in three games this month, against Bridgewater State, Eastern Connecticut State University and University of Massachusetts Boston respectively. So far this season, the team played 37 games overall, with 16 in the conference. They had 1197 at bats, 247 runs and 339 hits. Judges 4, Bears 3 On Wednesday, May 1, the baseball team scored one run in the fourth inning, two runs in the eighth inning and one in the ninth inning. The game resulted in a 4–3 win. This win brought the Judges to a 16–19 score this season while Bridgewater State University fell to 13–20. In four innings, the Judges scored one point each, until they remained hitless. In the fifth inning, Bridgewater State pulled ahead. Additionally, Albert Gutierrez ’21 got a pop-up foul. In the eighth, Cam Roberts ’22 made a comeback via his pitching. In the bottom of the ninth inning, a Bridgewater player passed the
ball to catcher Luke Hall ’21, letting Mike Khoury ’21 score the walk-off run. Brandeis pitchers threw 11 strikeouts: five by Gutierrez, two by Roberts and two by Maestri. Judges 2, Warriors 14 On Thursday, May 2, the baseball team fell 14–3 to Eastern Connecticut State University. The Judges stood firm through the first four innings, but mistakes caused the team to fall behind. Tim Lopez ’20 went three innings without giving up a run and held the opposing team to only one hit. Donnie Weisse III ’20 substituted in for Lopez, making a few errors, and the opposing team accumulated six runs. In the fourth inning, the Judges held their own as Frey knocked three runs. Khoury Frey was the only other team member to reach the base more than once. Judges 6, Beacons 5 In the last game of the season on Saturday, May 4, the Judges defeated University of Massachusetts Boston 6–5. Entering the ninth inning, the Judges were down 5–4. Team Member Alex Parrot ’21 kickstarted the ninth inning with a single, followed by Khoury See BASEBALL, 13
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Photo Courtesy of BRANDEIS BANSHEE
FLYING FRISBEE: Brandeis’ Grace Barredo ’19 attempts to throw the disc in an ultimate frisbee match this season.
Banshee concludes 2018-2019 season ■ The Brandeis Women's
Ultimate Frisbee concludes there is season one win short of attending nationals. By MEGAN GELLER JUSTICE EDITOR
+This year the team had a strong season, ending a game just one point from being able to attend nationals. They have definitely continued to grow stronger as a team. At the beginning of next season, the team will sit down and discuss their goals for the next season. The Brandeis women’s ultimate frisbee team is more than just a team that desires to compete at the national competition, it is also a community.
“ We do many things to bond and become closer as a team.” explained by Allison Frebowitz ’21 in an interview with the Justice. She elaborated, “We are not only teammates, but good friends that spend a lot of time together, not just at practice but socially. We support each other in all we do, whether that is attending each other's a capella and comedy shows, sitting together in the library, or tossing in between classes.” As a community, the team attends movie nights, spa nights and scrimmages with the men’s team, TRON. Each member of the team also gets a nickname, making them feel like a member of the Banshee family. The team has weekly lunches and social events. In an interview with the Justice, Hannah Muhlfelder ’20 added, “Banshee often studies
together with the men's team, TRON, in Goldfarb, and we throw together on Chapels or play Spikeball when it's nice out. If I see a Banshee in the dining hall I'll ask to sit with her, especially if she's by herself. I love that when you get to know people on the team you're somehow always surrounded by friends, and campus feels so much more like home.” Season This season was one of Banshee's best season's ever. The team started in their first tournement, where the Judges were in the eighth seed. By the end of the tournament, they were in the fouth seed. In the following tournement, the Judges placed fifth out of 21 teams. In the See BANSHEE, 13
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Vol. LXIX #25
May 20, 2019
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
THIN
K OU T S IDE THE B OX
just
arts & culture
Waltham, MA.
Images: Yuran Shi/the Justice, Yvette Sei/the Justice, Natalia Wiater/the Justice, Noah Zeitlin/the Justice, Andrew Baxter/the Justice, Jen Geller/the Justice. Design: Noah Zeitlin/the Justice
18
MONDAY, THE JUSTICE MAY 20 | 2019 ARTS I| ARTS TUESDAY, & CULTURE JANUARY I THE 31,JUSTICE 2017
DANCE SHOW
Adagio stars ignite the stage Photos by NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
SHADES OF COLOR: The light coordination ensured that the backdrop reflected the theme of each dance.
By SHOSHANA FINKEL JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
This years Adagio Dance Company spring show was titled “Dancing with the Stars,” showcasing talent that was enough to blast anyone watching into space. While the individual dance numbers did not adhere to a common theme, it did feel like we were watching stars up on the stage of Levin Ballroom on April 17. Among the performances, there were a few dances that stood out to me most over the course of the night. One of them, titled “Sowing Darkness Into Light,” choreographed by Frankie Marchan
ELEGANT OUTFITS: The dancers in “Realize” wore shiny leotards and magenta skirts.
’19 and Matthew Jadd GS ’20, was set to a song unexpected in a modern dance show — “Fire On High” by Electric Light Orchestra. The dramatic music perfectly fit the dance’s themes of battling with your inner demons and conquering mental illness. I was also very im-
pressed with the dancers of “Express,” choreographed by Haley Director ’20, danced on chairs with high heels on! Two dances, “Teeth” choreographed by Sam Jean ’19 and “Start a War” choreographed by Rachel Lese ’21, both made the bold choice of having two teams of dancers instead of the usual single tableau. The teams “fought” each other with their dance moves, sometimes from across the stage and sometimes face-to-face. It must have taken an especially long time to coordinate and it was enjoyable to watch them bring narrative into the dance number. Another dance that incorporated narrative as well as pantomime was “Devil’s in the Boardroom,” choreographed by Lissa Sangree-Calabrese ’19. This dance was meant to display the evil nature of capitalism. The dancers moved like demonic automatons in motions that mimicked operating fax machines and passing along big stacks of paper. It looked like a lot of fun up there! The closing number, performed by the Adagio Dance Ensemble (the auditiononly portion of the group), was choreographed by Genevieve Bondaryk ’19 set to “Feelin’ Good,” sung by Michael Buble. In this breathtaking dance, the group mastered something that some other groups struggled with, which was having all the dancers coordinate and move in sync. But this is understandable, as Adagio is an event for dancers of all backgrounds, talents and levels of experience — and at the end of the day, their hard work outshines any missteps. Another enjoyable part of the show for
me was the costume design. While many groups stuck to black leggings paired with matching t-shirts or leotards, a few others chose unconventional costumes that separated them from the rest. For example, in the dance “Hit Hard,” choreographed by Renee Korgood ’20, the dancers all wore cut-off jeans and black tshirts, and I was impressed by their ability to move so fluidly in them. All of the dancers of “I Got You,” choreographed by Emily Glovin ’19, wore flannels tied
skirts. One very glamorous look was featured in the number “Bailar,” choreographed by Director, whose performers wore sparkly, sheer turtlenecks with dark bras underneath. The emcees of the night, Chris Calimlim ’19 and Conor Amrien ’19, were goofy and cringe-worthy in the best way possible, leaving the audience groaning with laughter with every pun-heavy introduction they gave. I also enjoyed the lighting of the show, which was often colorful, flashy and enhanced the dance numbers (except, at times, when strobes and blackouts were not timed correctly with the moves). But what impressed me most of all about this ensemble is the diversity of people includes: In skin color, body type and gender presentation, as well as style and skill of dance. Adagio is a dance company for any-
DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE: The event gave everyone a stage to express themselves.
around their waists, which made for one who wants to express themselves a cute casual-but-coordinated look. through dance, and I loved watching Some more elegant outfits made such an inclusive group of artists. their way to the stage in dances like — Editor’s Note: Editor Gilda Geist ’22 “Realize,” choreographed by DeBoand staff Sarah Katz ’22 performed at rah Ault ’22, in which dancers sported Adagio. shiny leotards under flowy magenta
FILM REVIEW
‘Gloria Bell’ disappointed faithful audience By LUKE LIU JUSTICE EDITOR
As expected, when I went to see “Gloria Bell,” directed by Sebastián Lelio, the theater was entirely empty — a sharp contrast to the sold-out “Avengers: Endgame” showings just across the hall. However, I still had high hopes for the underdog. The film’s two leading cast members, Julianne Moore and John Turturro, have been acting for nearly three decades, with more than enough proof of their talent with films like Moore’s “Boogie Night” and Turturro’s “Barton Fink”. Lelio’s previous film, “A Fantastic Woman,” was also well-acclaimed. “Gloria Bell” follows the titular character, a middle-aged divorcee who wants to rediscover her life while encountering an unexpected romance with Arnold, someone who shares a similar experience with her. Unfortunately, the film did not live up to my expectations. The writing of the script, specifically the reason behind the characters’ actions, is frustratingly unclear. Usually, I am fine with a film treating the audience with respect by not over-explaining the storyline. However, in order for that to work, characters need to show consistent and clear motivations in order for the viewers to develop empathy. In “Gloria Bell,” Design: Yael Hanadari-Levy/the Justice
characters are constantly falling in and out of romantic relationships for no known reason. In one scene, Gloria and Arnold are still mad at each other; yet in the next one, they are on their way to vacation to Europe. The cast did their best at playing their characters in the most natural manner, but the sharp contrast of character motivations between scenes constantly made me wonder if I forgot twenty minutes of plot development. The film’s thematic inconsistency was annoying for the audience. For at least half of the film, I could still enjoy the film for its unique point of view. The characters of Gloria and Arnold represent two different kinds of midlife crises. On one hand, Gloria carries pressure on her shoulders, from her professional environment to physical decay to an annoying neighbor. On the other hand, even though he was living a financially easy life, Arnold is constantly being dragged down by his divorced family, who continuously use guilt trips to depend on him financially. The two characters have a special bond at first sight, but they need to work extra hard to protect that relationship. For me, the best part of the movie was when Gloria takes Arnold out to dinner with her ex-husband and children. Sitting across the table and watching Gloria’s intimate relationship
with the ones she loved, Arnold feels so abandoned that he has to leave. Throughout the scene, there is no dramatic dialogue or story plot other than the display of a divorced — but still loving — family, yet the camera keeps switching focus between Gloria and Arnold to sharply contrast that the unhappy memory of which it reminds him. However, from this point on, the tone of the film takes a sharp turn. Almost halfway through the film, the director apparently decided that there needed to be a villain in the story. Gloria breaks up with Arnold and then they fall in love again, only for Gloria to be betrayed by Arnold one more time. None of those event’s actions are supported by established characteristics of the characters. In the end, when Gloria uses Arnold’s paintball gun to destroy his car, I felt no satisfaction, except sympathy for the man. It was almost like the director noticed the emptiness of the story so he added a side story about Gloria’s daughter’s wedding, even though Gloria’s daughter was barely mentioned previously, which gave the audience nothing to relate to. Overall, I am disappointed with the film; not because it is astonishingly bad in any way, but because it started out so promising and eventually fell back to mediocrity. It had an interesting vision and likable
characters; however, the peculiar structure of the story forces the characters to act in a self-conflicting manner. Considering this is a remake of the director’s own 2013 film, “Gloria”, I feel no guilt when I say that I wish I had seen the movie about people in costumes fighting a purple alien instead.
Photo Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMON
WASTED TALENTS: From the cast, including Julianne Moore, to the director, the film was very promising on paper, but did not deliver.
THE JUSTICE I ARTS & CULTURE I TUESDAY, MAY 20,
19
THEATER
From reality to stage: an interview with This Place/Displaced cess was to work with folks doing organizing and community work, fighting displacement of people who have been living in Boston on for a long time and/or are immigrating to Boston and deserve to be able to live here, and bring awareness to folks who may not understand the impact they’re having either consciously or not. … And part of what we have done in this production process is bring in community organizers to the post-show ‘talk box’ to talk to the audiences about what they actually can do on practical level to be part of the fight against gentrification.
By LUKE LIU JUSTICE EDITOR
From May 2 to 4, Brandeis hosted four showing of “This Place/Displaced,” a theater production that focus on the issue of gentrification and displacement in the Greater Boston area. The event was able to happen thanks to the effort of the Brandeis Univeristy minor in Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation. Last week, justArts & Culture spoke to Anneke Reich, the producer of “This Place/Displaced” JA&C: Can you tell us a bit and a Brandeis alumna, and Joshua Glenn-Kayden, the director of the about the term gentrification? show. AR: So when we talk about gentriJA&C: Tell me a bit about your- fication and displacement in Boston self and what you do in the project. we are really talking about what happens to an area when people Anneke Reich: I graduated from with more resources, financial reBrandeis in 2013. And I am the artis- sources, can afford to move in and tic director of the Artist’s Theater that what that ends up doing is a of Boston. So I had a producing role displacing people who have been on the show and I was also part of living there for a long time who can the team that conceived the concept no longer afford what people talk of the production in this structure. about as the market price of housing.
JA&C: I read about a previous report on “This Place/Displaced” and one thing I found really interesting is that there were eight different writers who contributed to the project. What is it like to have so many different JA&C: When people talk about dis- voices contributing to the project? placement, people think about war AR: It’s actually seven playwrights. zones, natural disasters that caused people to lost their home. Rarely do We reached out to the people in the people connect it with places like Greater Boston community, who are Boston or New York City. What was residents, who have had personal the first reaction when you started experience with eviction or displacegetting involved with the project? ment, largely if not entirely because of gentrification. These are people AR: So the topic of gentrification who want to have their stories staged and displacement is a very big deal and performed in a theatrical way. in the Boston area. And a lot of people So we pair these people who wanted know that, either because they’ve per- their story to be in a play with playsonally are experiencing it or because wrights. So seven people, who we call they heard other people talking about our community partners, work in it, so it is a topic of conversation. … So partnership with seven playwrights to one of our goals of this production pro- each ... co-construct a narrative. And Joshua Glenn-Kayden: I am the director of the production. So last year, Anneke and ATB asked me to come on board to direct, and we in our rehearsal process took the seven plays you will see tonight.
these seven plays make up the col- shows and be a part of the post show lection that is This Place/Displaced. discussion panel. And we have been really lucky to have them so involved JGK: It is a huge leap of faith for in the process. I think their presences someone to say to a theater company: within the work makes it ... better. “Yes, here is what I went through,” and put it on stage. And I think we all JA&C: A review on the show feel a real responsibility to be honest mentioned that the production and accurate and true to all of their was done in a way that is true to story and their tensions, because I itself but not being, quote from think so much of the point of this is the article, too “preachy,” “dry” to say these people’s stores are re- or “heavy.” What was the process ally vital and they should be heard. like to balance the artistic side of a play on stage and still been AR: Yeah, I couldn’t agree with that to true to the original stories?
NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
THE REAL LIFE STORY: All seven stories in “This Place/Displaced” are based on real stories of residents of the Greater Boston
more. I think part of the way we dealt with that weight and responsibility was we as company members played a role in checking in with the community partners throughout the original process. Asking how they are feeling about the way their story was being written to make sure they felt involved enough in a process of how their stories were being written, if they wanted that to still be involved in the process. JGK: We had a few of those community partners come to rehearsals and we had a few of them come to the
It is their story, and if the message is particularly skewed, one might say, we thought that was just inherently important. But also these playwrights are, you know, really talented writers and storytellers, and what they were able to do is, in their own way, elevate the emotional side of these stories and really make them feel like a piece of storytelling, rather than you’re sitting in front of a person lecturing you about the issues of housing inequity. JGK: The personal is the political. So having these stories on stage and being true to these specific stories is inherently political, because it’s an act of representation and putting these stories at the forefront. And I am not too worried about things being preachy because I think if we are accurate, loving and respectful in the way we work with the stories, the message emerges no matter what, and I think the message is the point. AR: Not to mention we as an organization and our collaborators all just deeply share the belief that we want to fight housing inequity and fight for equity injustice, and we chose to partner with people and work with organizations who not only agree with us but also fight every day for that, so we are making a stance.
JA&C: Being an alumna coming from Brandies now working in the theater industry, what would you like to tell students who are majorAR: So one thing is that the play- ing in theater or are interested in wrights that we collaborated with working in the area in the future? are all very beautiful, talented writers and thinkers. And I think what it AR: Take care of yourself and makmeant to trust these playwrights with ing sure that you have the capacity to the stories was to trust them with this take on different things. Get to know balancing act. First of all, honoring the larger community in Boston. whatever aspect of each community Start taking steps to see more theater partners’ story that they felt needed that’s happening in the Greater Bosto be included. … I know some people ton community. Reach out to folks might have interpreted some of that if you are really compelled by things as coming off preachy, but if that’s you see. And begin to develop your what the community partner wanted, own artistic values and identity from it’s going to be there, and that’s how doing a lot of listening and a lot of we took that stance fundamentally… learning because you’re listening.
FASHION
Student fashion designers showcase the fruits of their labor By KELLY ZHANG JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
This past Friday, I stepped out of the cold winds of nature and into the warmly lit room displaying “Nature,” a themed collection of outfits and garments curated by four members of the Fashion Design Club. In addition to natureinspired outfits ranging from cozy to chic to avant-garde, the room was tastefully set up with a backdrop inspired by those found on the red carpet, a quilt square designing station and a table with light food and refreshments. Club president Tyffany English ’19 led us around the room located on the third floor of the Shapiro Campus Center, explaining who designed each piece and how each piece was inspired by nature. English created a few summeresque pieces that reflected my own inner yearning for glorious sunny days and temperatures greater than 70 degrees. She wore a few of her designs: an adventurous offthe-shoulder floral and palm leaf crop-top attached to free-flowing sleeves and wide-legged, highwaisted shimmery gold pants, both made of lightweight fabrics. Hanging from a mannequin, English’s last design showcased an elegant dress aesthetically arranged. The top half was dotted with colorful oranges, blues and reds in a manner characteristic of pointillism. One side was sleeveless and the other side was tastefully draped over with the same muted green fabric as the rest of the dress. A knotted belt cinched the waist and a dramatic shoulder
Photo Courtesy of BRANDEIS FASHION DESIGN CLUB
COLOR AND STYLE: Under the theme of nature, students worked with a variety of materials to create fashion pieces. embellishment made of strawlike material flare out above the sleeve. The designs were flawlessly gorgeous, but what most amazed me was the fact that the materials used to create them were thrifted everyday items, such as a pillow and curtains. With the arctic in mind, Andrea Murillo ’20 fashioned pieces out of materials suited for the freezing cold, such as faux fur and thick yarn. She showcased an uber-soft turtleneck with matching pants of equally soft calibre and a glamorous faux fur-lined red coat dress elegantly cut and tied together with a black ribbon at the waist. Murillo herself wore an adorable crocheted turquoise hat and burgundy red scarf as a complementary accessory to her black and maroon outfit.
Murillo excitedly mentioned that the “coat dress has pockets, by the way!” which is definitely a major plus — and props to her. Who doesn’t love a good dress with pockets? It’s fashion with function. However, while many associate designing one’s own outfits with sewing, Murillo pointed out that she “chose to crochet a few things. … to showcase that Fashion Design Club is multidimensional. … The goal of the club is to provide a space where our creativity can run freely without limitations.” Sabrina Howard ’19 interestingly focused on the shapes found in nature rather than a specific season or type of weather. As Murillo described, Howard “ordered printed fabric that reminded her of nature including flowers and an or-
ange ombre fabric that resembled a sunset or a fire.” And her pieces did indeed resemble the flow of nature. Howard put together a stunning two-piece outfit made from a satiny fabric with florals popping out of a dark background. The top was neatly cut to fit the mannequin’s frame and the wide-legged pants flowed outwards. Howard’s second outfit featured another dress with a halter top neckline, a lovable bow at the waist and a gradual ombre from pastel yellow to fiery orange at the bottom of the dress. Murillo continued her description, saying, “She also made a fringe skirt to mimic organic movement seen in various aspects of nature. Her garments were flowy and not structured.” Vice President Qiang Hu ’21 centered her designs around
storms, which “are usually dark and drain the color from the environment,” as Murillo explained. “Qiang was inspired by geometric shapes found in storms like lightning or a tornado, which is why she chose to use the white fabric with black lines on it and make the avant-garde piece look kind of geometric.” The avantgarde top Murillo mentioned was a pure white vest with halves of flattened paper lanterns attached around the collar and pockets. A neat black tie with white swirls at the waist of the vest tied together a runway-ready look. Qiang wore some of her own designs as well: another white top with the sleeves rolled up and a modern day blue-blackwhite striped scarf. “The top she was wearing had a piece of chiffon attached to the side and it was not attached cleanly, and this was inspired by the wild and unpredictable nature of storms,” Murillo added. Chartered as an official club in 2008, the FDC was recently revived after some years of silence by English. But what exactly is FDC? For Murillo, it’s a place where she “can work on independent projects” but with “a supportive group that [she] can bounce ideas off of and learn from.” Last semester, the club created skirts for the Toxic Majorette dance team for Night for Africa, and looking forward, FDC plans on continuing to design, showcase and teach the Brandeis community not just about fashion but a little more about expressing your inner creative nature. Design: Yael Hanadari-Levy/the Justice
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MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019 | ARTS & CULTURE | THE JUSTICE
INTERVIEW
JUSTARTS SPOTLIGHT ON THE ROSE
By SHOSHANA FINKEL JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
This spring, the Rose Art Museum is featuring the artwork of renowned modern artist Howardena Pindell. Her artwork is diverse both in media and in message. Most of her work can be described as abstract paintings inspired by personal events or societal moments during her life, though the exhibit does not limit itself to the paintings, including videos and collages. “Untitled,” acrylic on canvas, jumped out at me in the exhibit. Unlike most of her abstract pieces, it depicts a chillingly familiar image: a skeleton. But unlike most pictures we see of skeletons, it is not hanging or standing upright, nor is it peacefully resting horizontally. The viewer is looking at it from a jarring angle, almost as though from underneath, through the ribcage. The bright purple and orange pigments Pindell chose for this piece reminds me of the color palette of the pop art of the ’60s, from artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. A fixture of pop art was the depiction of mundane objects in vibrant colors and photorealistic detail. Instead of choosing a soap box or soup can to paint, Pindell depicted a skeleton, perhaps the most basic and mundane of all objects, despite our usual disdain for them — everyone has a skeleton, after all. Skulls and skeletons are typically used in art as “memento mori,” or reminder that we will all die one day. But I think in the context of the themes of racial tension in Pindell’s work, the skeleton is also a reminder that no matter our skin color or status, we all have the same bones underneath the way in which the world see us. This exhibit close on May 19, so if you got a chance to see it, consider yourself lucky to have had the chance to see a contemporary art giant’s works for free on our campus. If you are interested in her multimedia art, some of her video performance pieces can be found online.
STAFF’S Top Ten
NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
Top 10 Commencement Issues By Nia Lyn
JUSTICE SENIOR EDITOR
Graduation is scary, stressful, but also really exciting. That being said, not everyone has their postgraduation plans figured out and that’s perfectly okay! 1. So what are your plans after graduation? 2. Do you have a job? 3. Why don’t you have a job yet? 4. What do you plan on doing with that degree? 5. You can’t make money with a degree in ____. 6. You should have majored in _____. 7. When are you having kids/ getting married? 8. Why don’t you have a partner? 9. When are you playing off your loans? 10. Why are your student loans so expensive?
Mariel Guzman ’19 Minnie Norgaisse ’19 Photo Courtesy of MARIEL GUZMAN
This week, justArts&Culture spoke with Mariel Guzman ’19, the president of Voices of Soul and Minnie Norgaisse ’19, music director of Voices of Soul. Voices of Soul held their Collegiate A Cappella of Boston Invitational on May 4. JustArts&Culture: Tell me a bit about yourself and your role in this event. Minnie Norgaisse: I was the music director of the group. … so my job in the group was arranging music and teaching it to the group. NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
Howardena Pindell, “Untitled,” 1967. 66 x 71 inches, Framed: 62 3/4 x 60 1/8 inches, Acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the artist and Garth Greenan Gallery, New York
Mariel Guzman: I am also a senior with Minnie. I’ve been in the group since freshman year. I am the president. ... As president I kind of work together with both the business manager and the music director to plan out practices, look at set lists and keep the group in check when we need to. JA&C: How did you pick the songs that you performed? MN: So the way it goes is that at the start of the semester, we figure out what new songs we are adding to our repertoire. … As far as specific songs, for like particular event or concert, typically we want to make sure that every song gets their time to shine. So we are always trying to make sure that our newer songs get the chance to be performed. MG: It also depends on the gig sometimes … It also depends on the vibe, from smaller things like a coffee house to bigger things like a concert.
VICENTE CAYUELA/the Justice
CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Celestial body that reaches temperatures over 50,000º F 6 Barbershop request 10 Word at the end of a countdown 13 Herman’s Hermits frontman 14 It may be five-alarm 15 “Mein Gott!” 16 Court figure who suggested split custody?* 18 Good pilot 19 One in the hoosegow 20 Half of the Odd Couple 22 “I will, no matter what!”* 25 Celebrity appearance on Reddit, often 28 NotePad file extension 29 Class for pre-meds, maybe 30 German-American businessman Strauss 32 1994 ABC sitcom cancelled after less than a year 36 Razors 40 Travel book listings 41 Pennsylvania county 42 ____ arms 43 Go downhill fast? 46 Theater company 47 Technique that won the 1960 Nobel Prize in Chemistry* 52 “Fare ye well” 53 Terms of endearment 57 Some fridges 58 Occupation of Napoleon, Jack, Evelyn and James ... as found in the starred clues 61 Official animal of Utah 62 See 39-Down 63 Trattoria dessert 64 The last Jedi, by the end of “The Last Jedi” 65 Where a pie may cool 66 Cover for a 58-Across, perhaps DOWN 1 Cleaning up a mess? 2 Midnight in Paris? 3 “Sula” author Morrison 4 What acne may cause in teenagers 5 Travel book listing 6 Fabled irritant for a lion 7 Edge 8 U.N. agcy. 9 Central figure in Greek mythology? 10 Org. founded by W.E.B. DuBois 11 Razor creator 12 “_____ the Wild Things Are” 14 Bit of soccer attire 17 Black gem 21 “Amen to that!” 23 Frontiersman Boone 24 Little brat 25 Onetime attendee 26 List of offerings
JA&C: What is the process like to organize the CABo Invitational with so many performers from different schools? MG: Andrew, our business manager, reached out to every group he could think of in the area. We started off asking our group members who we knew at other schools. … Some of us did individual outreach, but we gave Andrew all the information and he reached out to everyone. … Every semester we try to do one event off campus, but with this event was our opportunity to network with other groups in the area, and we are so happy he was able to put it to light, because it was even better than we expected. ... Andrew is the first business manager we every had. ... He paved the way for the rest of the group, and it’s going to get better. JA&C: What’s the most rewarding part of organizing this event?
Crosswords Courtesy of EVAN MAHNKEN
27 Enterprise foe 31 Hospital hookup 32 Defense grp. founded in 1948 33 Other, in Oaxaca 34 Flight of fancy 35 s^-9 37 Supports, as a cause 38 It’s used to hold one’s horses 39 62-Across button 43 Carnegie’s industry 44 Catwoman player whose name becomes a cat if a Y is added to the end 45 Preternatural 47 B-baller 48 “Rolling in the Deep” singer 49 Like investing in futures 50 Tax month 51 Have a hard time swallowing 54 “Jeopardy!” creator Griffin 55 Opposite of exo56 Word before put or down 59 Record label until 2012 60 “Silent” name
MN: Being able to enjoy the fruit of labor at the end and listen to the other groups. We been looking forward to it for such a long time, and finally getting there and been able to enjoy it was huge. … Also meeting with the other group members. I wish we had more time to just chill with them after, but it was super rewarding just to talk with them for a little bit. … Having other colleges able to come and unite over our mutual love of music is super great. MG: I completely agree with Minnie. Seeing how hard our entire group worked as a whole was rewarding to me. I think how well this event ran was a result of all learning experience we had. … Whether it’s some as little as like how to film the event and stream it to something as big as just knowing the sound would be ok and we would have the space for it. … To be a representative of such a wonderful group was a really rewarding experience for me. JA&C: Anything else you want to tell the readers? MN: We hope that this event would get better and bigger over the next couple of years. … I love Voices of Soul and I am really proud of everything we have done. MR: Come audition for Voices of Soul! We are great! —Luke Liu
Solution Courtesy of OPENSKY SUDOKU GENERATOR
— Editor’s Note: Editor Andrew Baxter ’21 is in Voices of Soul.