The Justice, January 23, 2018

ARTS Page 19

FORUM Condemn US Gymnastics 11 SPORTS Final month for women’s basketball 16

‘COMEDY NIGHT’ CLEMENTS PARK/the Justice

The Independent Student Newspaper

the

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

Justice

Volume LXX, Number 14

www.thejustice.org

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

TUK-TUK TUTUS

COMMUNITY

Students attend Women’s March in Cambridge ■ Students told the Justice

why they went out to attend the second annual Boston/ Cambridge Women’s March.

By EMILY BLUMENTHAL JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

On Jan. 21, 2017, just one day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Susannah Miller ’19 marched with hundreds of thousands of people through the streets of Boston with signs touting slogans about various issues, ranging from women’s rights to climate change. Packed into Boston Common with the other marchers, she eagerly listened to the speakers campaigning for change and defending human rights.

On Saturday, Miller was once again among approximately 10,000 Bostonians crowding Cambridge

HEATHER SCHILLER/the Justice

Student teams dressed their peers up as tuk-tuks, Bangkok’s iconic three-wheeled taxis, at Southeast Asia Club's event "A Night in Thailand" at the Intercultural Center on Thursday.

STUDENT UNION

Student Union candidates prepare for spring election ■ Student Union election

candidates told the Justice why they're running and why students should vote for them.

By ABBY PATKIN JUSTICE EDITOR

In Thursday’s Student Union elections, 17 candidates will face off for 10 open seats across the Senate, Allocations Board, Judiciary and Undergraduate Curriculum Committee.

This week, the candidates spoke to the Justice about their goals for office and the issues they feel are most important to students in this round of elections.

Shangyuan (Gloria) Xu ’21 New to campus this semester, Xu is running unopposed for midyear senator. She previously served as a treasurer for her student body government in high school. “During that year, I learned many skills about communicating and understand[ing] other students,” she said in a statement to the Justice.

If elected to the position, Xu hopes to help fellow midyears make the transition to campus life.

George Li ’21 Li is running for the one open threesemester Allocations Board seat.

Because he was involved in several clubs in high school, Li explained, he “understand[s] what a club needs when it comes to funding.”

“I also understand that clubs make up a big portion of campus activities,” he added. “Therefore, it’s important to have a strong voice and advocacy for clubs.”

Rebecca Shaar ’21 Like Li, Shaar is also running for the three-semester Allocations Board seat. On campus, Shaar is involved in TAMID, a student organization that focuses on finance and consulting.

“This position on the Allocations Board lines up perfectly with my interests, and I am incredibly motivated to be both fair and as generous as possible in distributing funds between clubs at Brandeis,” she told the Justice.

Common for the second annual Women’s March. This year’s march commemorates the first anniversary of Trump’s inauguration and aims to emphasize that Americans will never stop fighting for the issues they care about.

The event included several speakers, including Tina Chéry, the founder of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute. Chéry founded the organization after her son Louis D. Brown was “killed in the crossfire of a shootout in 1993.” According to the institute’s website, the organization works to “teach young people the value of peace, focus on the assets in community, and transform society’s response to homicide.” In her speech, Chéry implored marchers to rally for education to prevent gang violence and promote justice for the families of homicide victims.

Among the thousands of

See MARCH, 7 ☛

ADMINISTRATION

Yijin (Bella) Lu ’20 Lu is running for one of the two open two-semester Allocations Board seats.

As an executive board member of the Brandeis Chinese Cultural Connection, Lu has managed the club’s Facebook page and has coordinated with local universities. She explained that these roles helped her gain the communication and organization skills needed for the Allocations Board.

If elected, Lu said that she looks forward to speaking with students and ensuring that clubs get the funding they need. “I am passionate about this job because I hope that popular activities can get more expenses from [the] school so that their events could be enriched to become more sparkling,” she said. “At the same time, I am eager to communicate with our student body to learn their ideas, needs and concerns.”

Zhixin (Sissel) Tan ’21 Like Lu, Tan is also running for one of the two open two-semester Allocations Board seats. Tan is on the executive boards of BC3 and the Brandeis

See STUDENT UNION, 7 ☛

Berg appointed to direct Sexual Assault Services ■ Sarah Berg discusses

her appointment as director of Sexual Assault Services and Prevention.

By EMILY BLUMENTHAL JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Sarah Berg will oversee the Rape Crisis Center and the Office of Prevention Services as the University’s newly-appointed director of Sexual Assault Services and Prevention. In an interview with the Justice, Berg — who was appointed on Jan. 15 — talked about her background in advocacy and her plans for the position.

Berg became interested in sexual assault prevention advocacy when she was a graduate student studying gender studies. “At the time and still today, I think that we talk about gender inequity and

violence as large social problems, which they are, but sometimes at the expense of discussing the human impact at the individual level,” she said, adding, “I realized that if I wanted to contribute to gender equity in a big way, I needed to think smaller, the individual level, to make impact and change.”

While in school, Berg began working as a domestic violence victim advocate on a hotline, eventually being hired as a volunteer coordinator and victim advocate.

According to Berg, this experience taught her about “advocacy specific to sexual assault and stalking” through “helping students, faculty and staff navigate their options after experiencing trauma.”

Berg added, “Most recently I delved into the prevention side of this work and provided training on interrupting sexual violence and responsible reporting require-

See BERG, 7 ☛

A More Perfect Union

Nine to Go

Green University

 Student Union President Jacob Edelman ’18 reflects on his first semester in office.

 The men’s basketball team has nine games left to break even.

The Brandeis Sustainability Fund awarded grants to students for 2017-18.

MIHIR KHANNA/the Justice File Photo

For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org

Waltham, Mass.

Let your voice be heard!

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

FEATURES 8

INDEX

SPORTS 16

YURAN SHI/the Justice

ARTS SPORTS

17 13

EDITORIAL FEATURES

10 OPINION 8 POLICE LOG

10 2

News 3 COPYRIGHT 2018 FREE AT BRANDEIS.

2

TUESDAY, JaNUARY 23, 2018

●

news

●

the justice

NEWS SENATE LOG

POLICE LOG

Senate debates recognition of intersectional organizations

Medical Emergency

The Senate convened for its weekly meeting on Sunday, discussing club intersectionality and funding.

Yael Jaffe ’18 presented the Jewish Feminist Association of Brandeis to the Senate for recognition.

Jaffe stated that the club “provides unique opportunities for students to experience the intersection of Judaism and feminism.” Past club events included a poetry night and a speech by Women of the Wall Director Leslie Sacks. Jaffe added that JFAB wishes to become a club to collaborate with student groups outside the Hillel umbrella and to “integrate it into the University system to become a part of student life.”

International Senator Linfei Yang ’20 asked if the group would be open to non-Jewish feminists and collaborating with non-Jewish feminist student groups. Jaffe replied that the group has a grant to conduct “interfaith work … with the Muslim Students Association” and is interested in talking about feminism in other religions as well.

Student Union Vice President Hannah Brown ’19 stated that the Hillel umbrella operating system is similar to the Undergraduate Theater Collective in the way that the overarching organization secures funding for all of its sub-organizations. Brown stated that Hillel is attempting to secure funding from the Allocations Board to fund its organizations, rather than using all of its own funds that it gets from its national organization and donations. She added that in the future, the Senate should consider not formally recognizing groups that fall under umbrella organizations.

Class of 2018 Senator Abhishek Kulkarni asked when an intersectional club constitutes duality of purpose if it combines the concepts of two or more existing clubs discussing the subjects separately.

Racial Minority Senator Hangil Ryu ’20 stated that a club generally discussing feminism may not discuss Jewish feminism and that a club discussing Jewish feminism would have a different purpose than one discussing Muslim feminism.

The Senate did not recognize JFAB as a club.

Executive Senator Aaron Finkel ’20 stated that he and some of his constituents thought there were too many clubs and that they were dividing up the University’s social life. Senator-at-Large Shaquan McDowell ’18 replied that it is not the business of the Senate to decide the intersectionalities of students’ identities, and that intervening in the University’s social life would be overstepping the Senate’s bounds.

Class of 2020 Senator Tal Richtman asked those who voted for the recognition of the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers and not for the recognition of JFAB why they would vote for one intersectional club and not another. Class of 2021 Senator Noah Nguyen replied that Senators’ opinions about the issues sometimes change.

Brown reminded the Senate that the spring semester election will be on Thursday and announced that there will be voting stations in the Shapiro Campus Center and Usdan Student Center.

Sustainability Committee Chair Benedikt Reynolds ’19 reported that the committee’s Green Ambassadors program has been extremely successful, with multiple Community Advisors and the Department of Community Living commending the program’s efforts and its effects on improving sustainability.

The Sustainability Committee started the program this semester, with Green Ambassadors helping with move-in and, during orientation, teaching students how to live more sustainably.

Jan. 15—BEMCo staff treated a party in East Quad who was suffering from a medical issue.

The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

Jan. 17—University Police received a report of an ill 74-yearold party in the Lown Center for Judaica Studies. The party was treated by BEMCo and transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

Jan. 17—A party in Renfield Hall reported that they were suffering from a medical issue. BEMCo staff treated the party, who was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

Jan. 17—University Police transported an ill party from the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center to NewtonWellesley Hospital.

Jan. 20—University Police received a report of an intoxicated party in Rosenthal Quad.

BEMCo staff treated the party, who was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

Jan. 20—BEMCo staff treated an intoxicated party in Shapiro Hall. The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

Jan. 20—University Police received a report of an intoxicated party near Sherman Dining Hall. BEMCo staff treated the

party, who was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

Jan. 20—A party in the Foster Mods reported that they were suffering from a medical issue. BEMCo staff treated the party, who was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

Jan. 20—BEMCo staff treated an intoxicated party in Usen Hall. The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

Harassment

Jan. 17—A party reported receiving harassing Facebook messages.

Jan. 18—A party reported a

Japanese New Year

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

Justice

the

www.thejustice.org

The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods.

Editor News Forum Features Sports Arts Ads Photos Managing Copy Layout

editor@thejustice.org news@thejustice.org forum@thejustice.org features@thejustice.org sports@thejustice.org arts@thejustice.org ads@thejustice.org photos@thejustice.org managing@thejustice.org copy@thejustice.org layout@thejustice.org

The Justice Brandeis University Mailstop 214 P.O. Box 549110 Waltham, MA 02454-9110 Phone: (781) 736-3750 The Managing Editor holds office hours on Mondays from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Jan. 18—A party in Usdan Student Center reported a past larceny.

Other

Jan. 19—University Police received a report of a vandalized bus stop on Lower Charles River Road. Officers on the scene reported that it appeared someone had punched the glass.

Jan. 19—A party at 567 South St. reported that their vehicle had been damaged in a hit and run accident.

—Compiled by Abby Patkin

Boston makes shortlist as potential city for Amazon’s second headquarters location

YURAN SHI/the Justice

n In a Forum article on the University’s mobile apps, the sentence “Ideally, the one active ‘Brandeis’ app should be revamped and relaunched with a link to Sodexo’s app in conjunction with ‘What’s Open,’” should be “Ideally, the once active ‘Brandeis’ app should be revamped and relaunched with a link to Sodexo’s app in conjunction with ‘What’s Open.’” (Jan. 16, Page 10).

Larceny

BRIEF

—Emily Blumenthal

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

harassment incident that took place on Loop Road.

The Japanese Student Association celebrated Japanese New Year with University students by eating osechi-ryori, a traditional food for the holiday, and playing traditional games on Friday evening.

Boston took one step closer to becoming the location of Amazon’s second headquarters, joining 19 other cities on the company’s shortlist for consideration, Amazon announced Thursday.

Building HQ2, as the project is known, would involve $5 billion of construction investments from Amazon.

Once the headquarters were operational, the site would employ up to 50,000 people, according to a Jan. 18 Wicked Local article.

Filled with colleges and universities, Boston has a “highly educated, technology-friendly workforce,” which makes it an ideal location for HQ2, according to Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo, in a statement reported in the Jan. 18 Wicked Local article.

According to business journalist Jon Chesto in his Jan. 18 Boston Globe article, Boston has to hope that its workforce’s skill is enough to secure Amazon’s investment, in the place of other cities’ multi-billion-dollar incentive packages.

However, advocates such as Rachel Heller, CEO of the Citizen’s Housing and Planning Association, warn that Boston does not “have enough homes for the tens of thousands of workers Amazon would bring.” Quoted in Young’s article, she continued, “Our housing shortage is already pricing some of our current workers out of the housing market.”

Boston’s proposal would place HQ2 at the Suffolk Downs racetrack, “a 161acre site on the Revere border,” according to Chesto. The city of Somerville, Massachusetts, has its own proposal that is being considered alongside Boston’s.

Amazon has not given any clear indication of when it will make its final decision about which city will join Seattle, Washington, as a host for the company’s headquarters.

—Jocelyn Gould

ANNOUNCEMENTS Identity at Work

Open Meeting on Brandeis’ Future

The Hiatt Career Center supports Brandeis undergraduate students and alumni of all affiliations, backgrounds, identities and preferences in considering how intersecting identities might impact work and professional development. Learn more about resources for LGBTQI+, students of color, students with disabilities, undocumented DACA students, women and religion at work to help you transition into the workforce and further enhance your career identity.

Today from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge, Hiatt Career Center.

Near the end of last semester, University President Ron Liebowitz hosted the first open meeting on the future direction of Brandeis. The robust discussion will continue throughout this year. Students, faculty and staff are invited to join the senior leadership team and Liebowitz to continue the important discussion about the University’s strategic priorities. Please visit the strategic thinking website, which includes information and resources about the process so far.

Wednesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Sherman Function Hall, Hassenfeld Conference Center.

Study Abroad Extravaganza

Adulting is tough, so we put together resources to help get you started. Topics discussed will include salary, budgets, loans and housing.

Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge, Usdan.

Join us for this comprehensive, one-stop shop, exciting program to help you plan for study abroad and complete your application for study abroad.

This event will be part study abroad fair, part open advising, part workshop, and will include opportunities to meet with faculty about study abroad.

Wednesdsay from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in Levin Ballroon, Usdan.

Adulting 101

Graphic Design Workshop

Brandeis Student Union will host a special workshop for all club officers and other members of the Brandeis community who

are interested in learning how to create attractive posters for their events. The workshop includes a Q&A for advertising and design questions and a crash course in which students will learn how to use Photoshop.

Thursday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Farber Classroom, Goldfarb Library.

How’d You Get That Internship?

Get personalized advice and tips from Brandeis seniors who have experienced internships in fields and organizations that Brandeisians want to work in most. This interactive session is great for students in the early planning stages of researching and applying for internship opportunities.

Friday from 1 to 2 p.m. the Alumni Lounge, Usdan.

Waltham: The More You Know Experience

We are offering all-volunteer training to better prepare you to engage in the greater Waltham area. Learn more about Waltham’s demographics, history and people by attending one of these sessions.

Saturday from 3 to 4 p.m. in Upper Sherman, Hassenfeld Conference Center.

the justice

CAMPUS EVENTS

Schlesinger discussed events that will help students prepare for life after graduation.

By MACK SCHOENFELD Justice STAFF WRITEr

Stress — a word that many are familiar with in some form or another. Stress about relationships, stress about family and, especially, stress about the future. To combat stress on campus, the Hiatt Career Center has organized a series of events from Jan. 22 to Jan. 26 that will help prepare Brandeis students for their next step after graduation.

This is the pilot year of Hiatt’s first Career Acceleration Week, which will help students alleviate their worries or confusions about the future through a sequence of events that will each address an aspect of life after graduation.

Career Accelerator Week has been made possible through a variety of staff and teams led by Jon Schlesinger, the director of the Hiatt Career Center. Schlesinger stated that the event was an “office-wide effort” and that none of it would have been possible without the efforts of everyone involved.

“The entire Hiatt office came together to start this event for the purpose of providing a focused week of programs for students at the beginning of the spring semester — to really get people working towards their goals, whether that’s looking for internships, looking for jobs post-Brandeis or applying to graduate school,” Schlesinger explained, adding, “I hope this will help people get geared up and ready for the year, as well as get people to learn about Hiatt and the kind of work that we do.”

Schlesinger referenced an event that specifically targets the questions students may have about the many post-graduation opportunities, called “Working Between College and Graduate School.”

During this event, employers, alumni who have experienced the gap between Brandeis and the next chapter of life, and admission representatives from graduate schools will discuss the possibilities between Brandeis and what’s next.

Another event geared toward helping students navigate postgraduation life is called “Adulting 101.” This event discusses the important aspects of adult life that many college students have not had to consider before, such as salary negotiations and renting apartments in well-known job markets like New York City.

Though it may seem as though the events in Career Accelerator Week are designed with seniors in mind, Schlesinger emphasized that the events are open to students of all years. “Although some events are geared more towards seniors, they are open to all students. There are even some events specifically designed for first and second year students,” he explained.

He noted that one particular event, “What Would You Do If You Couldn’t Fail?”, is “all about thinking about possibilities and thinking through what might be next whether it be internships, declaring majors or just exploring new possibilities.”

Another event, “How’d You Get that Internship?”, will “[bring] in current Brandeis seniors to discuss their success and also some of the challenges they faced while working for larger, well-known companies like Microsoft and Google and also for smaller companies in the area. Also, to specifically talk to first- and secondyear students about how they got those internships,” Schlesinger said. “It’s a great opportunity to both network with them and also to hear stories about how they got through this process.”

Schlesinger’s final remark on the series of events was that “the purpose of Career Accelerator Week is for students to accelerate towards their goals to get 2018 off to a running start.” He explained that the events are an opportunity for all students to explore their options both during and after their time at Brandeis, so that they never look back one day and wonder, “What if?”

For those interested in attending one or more of the Career Accelerator Week events, the majority will take place on campus in the Alumni Lounge while some are happening virtually — the schedule is accessible on Hiatt’s website.

Follow

Justice!

the

news

●

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

LUCY FRENKEL/the Justice

Tobias Reynolds ’19 juggles at an event hosted by the Campus Activities Board before Magician Derek Hughes’ performance at the Shapiro Campus Center on Saturday evening.

CAMPUS RENOVATIONS

University installs solar panels on library roof ■ A part of the University’s

ongoing renewable energy plan, solar panels were added to the libary’s renovated roofs.

By LIAT SHAPIRO Justice STAFF WRITER

Although an almost imperceptible change to the University’s appearance, Goldfarb Library’s new solar panels — installed over winter break — have doubled the amount of solar power generated on campus.

The University generates 270,000 kilowatt-hours per year through solar panels on Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, and the new panels will generate an additional 270,000 kWh per year, according to a Jan. 16 library blog post.

The panels are another step toward the University’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality. According to the Oct. 2016 Brandeis University Climate Action Plan, in 2008, the University became a charter signatory to the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment.

This plan outlines five areas directly related to reducing the institution’s carbon footprint: community effort, education, energy, facilities maintenance and technological innovations.

When discussing solar arrays, the report mentioned that “based on the small amount of usable rooftop and parking lot space available relative to campus electrical usage, and as the average solar installation is only approximately 15 percent efficient, the resulting new solar panels would only provide approximately 1-2 percent of our campus electricity needs.”

Despite the lack of immediate or significant change, the report noted that “adding solar to campus is still an opportunity to show leadership, improve resilience, add renewable

energy to the electric grid, and help reduce carbon emissions to the atmosphere.”

The Goldfarb solar panels are a continuation of recent solar additions to campus. An article published in March 2016 by the Justice reported that solar panels were installed on top of Gosman in 2010, and 2013 saw a solar thermal system installed near the Charles River Apartments.

Solar thermal technology harnesses the sun’s energy to either generate heat or power cooling systems. These solar thermal technologies differ from solar photovoltaic systems, which generate electricity rather than heat. For businesses that use large quantities of hot fluids, solar thermal systems are an advantage, as they use solar energy — rather than fuel — for heating.

The solar panels on Goldfarb Library are the newest initiative. The Jan. 16 library blog post explained that the library was chosen due to its large, brand new roof. According to Borrego Solar’s website, the 270,000 kWh generated by the new 213 kW system totals 3.5 percent of Brandeis’ energy needs.

The library is the ninth most energy consuming building on campus, behind high-traffic areas like the Shapiro Campus Center, Usdan Student Center and two buildings in the Science Complex, according to the University’s data regarding its carbon footprint. The new Goldfarb panels will generate power equivalent to approximately 25 percent of the library’s electricity usage, as per the library blog post.

The Borrego article explains that Brandeis partnered with four solar partners: Competitive Energy Services, Kenyon Energy, Borrego Solar Systems and AEW Capital Management. Collectively, these companies worked with Brandeis to create a feasible solar energy system to directly reduce Brandeis’ electricity costs.

In an email interview with the

Justice, Mary Fischer, the University’s Sustainability manager, explained that “Brandeis purchases the electricity generated by the solar panels for a known cost that is lower than our existing electricity cost, and is set for the 20-year life of the purchasing contract.”

The 20-year Power Purchase Agreement, which helped finance Goldfarb’s solar installation, is with Kenyon Energy. To illustrate the significance of this array, a Jan. 12, 2017 Cision PRWeb article gives the following examples: over 20 years, Brandeis will effectively be getting rid of 34 million pounds of carbon dioxide equivalents, or eliminating 40 million vehicle miles or permanently moving 220 cars off the roads.

Through Competitive Energy Services, Brandeis discussed its best options and consulted Borrego Solar, the leading solar company in Massachusetts, according to the Cision article.

The article quotes Competitive Energy Services Director of Sustainability Zac Bloom, “Brandeis and Competitive Energy have worked together on energy initiatives since 2013, and this project represents the culmination of months of investigation, analysis, and collaboration.”

Another illustration of Brandeis’ commitment to sustainability is University President Ron Liebowitz’s June 2017 statement in support of the Paris Agreement. At the time, Liebowitz declared that “Brandeis is proud to stand with other universities and innovative businesses, mayors and governors from across the U.S. who are all committed to working within our institutions and together to advance sustainability while combating climate change.”

Although the installation is a change invisible to those walking around campus, the panels play a role in achieving Brandeis’ longterm sustainability goals.

Celebrities and authors and celebrities — oh my!

Join

@theJustice

3

JUGGLING MAGIC

Career Center hosts week to help seniors plan for post-graduation ■ Hiatt Director Jon

●

Features!

Contact Victor Feldman at features@thejustice.org

Your backstage pass is waiting.

Email Yvette Sei and Natalia Wiater at photos@thejustice.org

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

Catching grammar F mistakes redO U W handed since 1949. C R O S S W O R D S I ! _ , .

T ; E ( ) ? “” / : !

3

1

4

2

Join Copy.

Contact Jen Geller and Avraham Penso at copy@thejustice.org

Want to write crosswords for the Justice?

Contact Hannah Kressel at arts@thejustice.org

THE JUSTICE

●

News

●

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

5

STAND UP MAGIC

Have Strong Opinions?

Write an op-ed for

Justice!

the

Contact Nia Lyn at forum@thejustice.org for more information

LUCY FRENKEL/the Justice

Magician Derek Hughes, hosted by the Campus Activities Board, performed a magic trick with an audience volunteer on stage at the Shapiro Campus Center theater on Saturday.

Community

Do you enjoy museums, music or movies?

Write for Arts!

Contact Hannah Kressel at arts@thejustice.org

Students awarded funds for a greener campus ■ The Brandeis Sustainability

Fund awarded grants to student groups to implement green projects on campus.

By michelle dang JUSTICE EDITOR

The Brandeis Sustainability Fund awarded funding to 10 student groups for the 2017-2018 school year, allowing them to bring their environmental initiatives to life on campus and the local Waltham community.

An annual grant program established in 2015, the BSF provides financial support for undergraduate students who wish to undertake initiatives to improve the University’s environmental sustainability.

According to the BSF website, its mission is to encourage students to “pursue a more sustainable future for our campus and the community we live in” by achieving “sustainability success stories and [changing] the face of the campus and local community.”

Project “Plant Power: Sodexo chef training by a vegetarian chef” was awarded up to $3,700. A local chef from Watertown will be brought in to work with Sodexo staff and expand the vegetarian and vegan menu on campus. The group, led by Eliana Koehler ’21, Shalom Krinsky ’21, Lily Swartz ’20, Cody Smith Heller M.B.A ’18 and Tamar Lieberman ’19 also seeks to encourage the student body to eat more plant-based food and to improve the dining halls’ environmental impact and their impact on the treatment of animals in the food industry.

Led by Sage DeChiara ’21 and Tamar Moss ’21, “SaveOho” is a sequel to their fall campaign of the same name. Awarded up to $3,000, the project will set up an incentive challenge for students to decrease their carbon footprint and water

usage over two weeks. In this second run, DeChiara and Moss seek more collaboration with pre-existing club and campus programs to widen their student body exposure.

Their proposal states, “Through this competition, we will not only show students how they can live more sustainablly by themselves, but also show them how they can be involved with environmental action on campus in the long-run.”

Awarded up to $1,470, the “Paper Towels” mission is to reduce paper towel waste around campus. Students Spencer Taft ’19, Elyse Hahn ’20 and Anke Larsen-Yskamp ’21 will lead the distribution of “free high quality, eco-friendly hand towels from the company People Towels,” and will promote “sustainable hand-drying practices through flyers featuring our mascot, Petey the Towel Owl.” BSF also awarded funding to “Brandeis Earth Day,” though a new budget is pending, according to the BSF website. In their project description, Aynsley O’Neill ’18, Paige Hildebrand ’20 and Eli Lovich ’21 address the community’s low participation in sustainability practices, which they believe is due to “lack of promotion, interest, and relevance.” The group will use a full-day event, involving community-wide events from clubs, academic departments and campus organizations, to “get the entire campus thinking about how we can make our home the forefront of sustainability.”

Charlotte Lang ’19, Anna Sherman ’20 and Grace Berry ’21 were awarded up to $3,450 for their initiative, “Winterizing and Sustaining the Rooftop Farm.” The team will add sturdier cold frames to the rooftop farm, allowing crops to be planted earlier, extending the growing season and increasing harvest yields, which the Brandeis Farmers Club donates to charities and sells for self-sustaining funds.

“Green Move-Out,” which fo-

cuses on end-of-the-semester waste reduction, was awarded $3,000.

Alexandra Aldridge ’20, Cameron Bechmann ’19, Victor Bianchi ’19, Candice Ji ’20 and Lauren Rubinstein ’20 will promote donation and recycling options to students as they move out of dormitories.

Tammy Botteri ’21 leads the “Zero Waste Events Pilot,” which was awarded up to $1,475. The initiative seeks to “increase waste diversion at [the University’s] catered events, facilitate zero waste events on campus,” and support community education. The proposal seeks to ensure that waste bins and “green event workers” are available at catered events on campus with 75-100 attendees to help individuals sort waste.

“Food for Thought: Pilot reusable containers at Sub Connection” will provide students with reusable green boxes at Sub Connection, Usdan Student Center’s submarine sandwich station, for a two-week trial period. Awarded up to $700, Dylan Quinn ’19, Kayla Shepherd ’19, Sophie Edelman ’21, Jeremy Goodsnyder ’20, Aaron Stone ’21, Eleanor Kelman ’20 and Leigh Salomon ’19 will assess the project’s success with Sodexo staff to determine whether the reusable boxes will be provided permanently or not.

Finally, Heller graduate students Mitali Pinto M.A.’19, Meredith Marx M.A.’19, Elizabeth Keeffe M.B.A./M.A.’18 and undergraduate student Shai Dinnar ’20 will increase awareness about composting and reducing landfill food disposal.

Their project, “Heller Composting,” was awarded up to $600 and will utilize a composting program at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

—Editor’s note: Lily Swartz ’20 is a Justice Copy editorial assistant.

Spencer Taft ’19 is a Justice News staff writer. Leigh Salomon ’19 is a Justice Features staff writer.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

Have an opinion to share?

Join forum!

Send an email to Nia Lyn at forum@thejustice.org

Have an eye for design?

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

Join layout!

Send an email to Morgan Mayback at layout@thejustice.org

SPORTS PHOTOS COPY FEATURES

JOIN THE JUSTICE! FORUM NEWS ARTS ADS LAYOUT For more information, contact Abby Patkin at editor@thejustice.org.

THE JUSTICE

MARCH: Students explain what the Women’s March means to them CONTINUED FROM 1 marchers this year were several Brandeis students. In interviews with the Justice, they stated their reasons for participating, their experiences at the march and their respective hopes and expectations for the future.

Cecelia Templeton ’21 explained that she “marched because there is a lot that needs work in America and women’s rights is an important topic.”

Miller agreed, asserting, “Women are still very marginalized in America, it felt great to be in the presence of other strong women, and [I’m] hoping to see more policies that protect reproductive rights.”

Templeton added that the energy at the march was almost tangible.

“I loved that the atmosphere was charged with compassion and support as well as a mutual hate for the intolerance that is still present in our country,” she said.

Other students cited inequalities in the U.S. as their reason for marching.

Angus Dawson ’20 explained, “I ‘marched’ because I think it’s important both to support the other demonstrators and to show the world that the inequalities facing women today cannot be and are not being ignored.”

Dawson stated that he was inspired to be among the marchers and to advocate for government policies that favor gender equality. “Equality in the law is equality

in name only; that’s only half the battle, and we can’t think we’ve won or that we’ve appeased women now that everyone is equal under the law and sit back satisfied. Until the societal systems change to reflect that equality, we have not won,” he said.

The speakers and signs at the march drew upon issues from reproductive rights to transgender rights to Black Lives Matter, often calling out Trump for his controversial tweets and stances.

“In general, those are all issues which I disagree with our president about. I marched to express that disagreement in a vocal way, to make sure I didn’t forget or become [de]sensitized to the horrible things o[u]r president says and does,” Lily Fisher Gomberg ’20 said.

Gomberg added that Trump has become far more bigoted in the year since his inauguration, and she was inspired by this injustice to march. “Last year, having elected a president who called Mexicans rapists and admitted to assault was a fresh wound. Now, it’s a part of our reality, a scab formed over that wound,” she said. “By marching, I poked at the scab to remind myself and the world that it’s there, and it’s not normal.”

Gomberg carried a sign with a quote from the Jewish text "Pirkei Avot" which said, “It is not your duty to complete the work [of repairing the world], but neither are you free to ignore it,” a statement befitting the essence of the march.

BERG: Rape Crisis Center and Office of Prevention Services receive new director CONTINUED FROM 1 ments for faculty and staff at a large state school in Colorado.”

Berg said she would like to use her previous experience in advocacy and prevention services in her new position, believing it will be helpful in better connecting with the University community. She stated that one of her priorities this semester will be reaching out to the community to “let everyone … know how we can help.”

“Reaching out for support after experiencing violence can feel like a huge step, but it doesn’t have to be scary,” she said. “The more folks know who we are and what we can do, the more empowered they can feel to come in and explore their options.”

Berg added that she has been “really impressed, maybe even overwhelmed, with the level of student involvement on campus,” and would like to collaborate with student organizations. “I plan to reach out to any and every student group who will meet with me,” she said. “I think there are possibilities to collaborate with everyone since we all can play a role in stopping violence.”

Though she has a great deal of experience in sexual assault prevention advocacy, Berg admits that there will be challenges in her new

position. She stated that she recognizes that many students have not heard about the RCC and OPS, as they are relatively new programs.

She said that increasing visibility is a priority for her, which could be a great challenge because of the programs’ obscurity. “In this type of work, there are a lot of reasons why a person might never talk to anyone about their experience, and I hope we can do a lot of break down barriers and challenge stigma here,” she added.

As for her plans for the RCC and OPS in the near future, Berg said, “I want to hear from the community about what changes folks would like to see before I start making big plans, so that is next on my agenda — meeting with students, faculty and staff to learn about what has worked well in the past and what ideas we have for the future. … I really encourage folks to email me with ideas or reach out to me directly to talk; I want to hear from you!”

The Rape Crisis Center and Office of Prevention Services are located in Usdan Student Center G-108. Students may schedule an appointment by calling 781-7363370 during the office’s business hours — noon to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday — or by emailing rcc@brandeis.edu or ops@ brandeis.edu.

●

NEWS

●

TUESDAY, January 23, 2018

7

INDIGENOUS AND ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS

ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice

Rev. M. Kalani Souza spoke about his nonprofit work in Hawaii and his work to bring together cultural and environmental education at the Intercultural Center on Thursday afternoon.

STUDENT UNION: Candidates tell their goals and ambitions CONTINUED FROM 1 chapter of Global China Connection, positions that helped her gain management skills and taught her the importance of funding, she said.

These experiences showed her the significance of the Allocations Board, which she called the “pillar” behind student clubs and organizations. “I therefore want to dedicate myself in this ‘behind hand’ and help to allocate funds to those activities that we [are] passionate about,” she said, adding, “I will ensure all the clubs get the maximum fundings so each activity will be at its peak potential.”

Alan Huang ’21 Huang, a member of the Climbing Team, Men’s Volleyball Team and Coed Volleyball Team, is also running for one of the two-semester A-Board seats. Huang is an Eagle scout and was also active in student government in high school, where he served as class treasurer.

In a statement to the Justice, Huang explained that he is interested in the Allocations Board because of its role in the Brandeis community. “As an active member in multiple sports clubs, as well as a frequent visitor of many other clubs’ activities, … I have experienced how impactful and essential clubs are to student life at Brandeis,” he said, adding that an accessible ABoard is important for the community.

If elected, Huang seeks to ensure equitable distribution of funds. “Whether it be a club that has been around for years or a start-up club, I believe each club should be given an equal opportunity to extend college life outside the classroom to best benefit the student body,” he explained.

Andrews Figueroa ’19 Figueroa, who recently finished a three-semester term on the Allocations Board, is also a candidate for the two open two-semester seats.

“I was previously elected because members of the Brandeis community believed in my ability to make efficient and equitable decisions on their behalf, and it would be an honor to continue that mission,” Figueroa said in a statement to the Justice. “If elected, I will work with my constituents to streamline the funding process, provide individualized support to new clubs, and increase club attendance through the implementation of a clubevent calendar.”

Anisha Purohit ’21 Purohit is one of three candidates running for the two-semester racial minority A-Board seat. In a statement to the Justice, Purohit cited as qualifications her past experience in finance management and her “desire to help fund meaningful events that make your college experience the best it can be.”

Her goals for office include ensuring that necessary funds are allocated to allow for bigger and better student events, promoting diversity on campus and hearing feedback from stu-

dents.

“As a first-year, Brandeis has opened my eyes to the importance of diversity, equality and inclusion.

From its resources at the Intercultural Center to the importance placed on cultural clubs and events, Brandeis’ values align with my own,” she explained. “However, I still believe we have room for improvement.”

Shiyi (Wendy) Mao ’21

putes in a method similar to the Union Judiciary.

“I really love rules. Rules are really important to me. … I really want to take a Legal Studies minor, because I love system, law and constitution,” she said, adding, “I believe in them, I have very strong faith in them.” If elected, Qin hopes to bring in more of an international student perspective and wants to introduce more diversity to the Judiciary in hopes that it will become better known and utilized.

In addition to participating in the Brandeis Academic Debate And Speech Society, Qin is also the social media chair for the Vietnamese Student Association. Her personality “is pretty serious and rational and logical — my friends would describe me using those words,” she explained, adding, “If dispute happens, I try to really know what’s going on. Based on that, I try to come up with the best solutions.”

Like Purohit, Mao is also running for the two-semester racial minority seat.

In a statement to the Justice, Mao explained that she understands how it feels to be misunderstood and unheard. “Therefore, I always strive for trying my best to represent minority groups and finding the best outcomes for them,” she said. Mao was inspired to help racial minorities be heard after she needed to miss a class due to a holiday and was told by a teacher that it would not count as an excused absence because the holiday was not a mainstream one. She petitioned school officials, made presentations and spread awareness about the holiday to change the situation.

She also served as treasurer on her student council in high school and told the Justice that, if elected, she will work with clubs to solve problems and ensure that funding is not a barrier to club programming and exploration of interests.

Sussman is one of four candidates running for the open Judiciary seats.

As someone who is involved in many clubs, Sussman explained in a statement to the Justice that his familiar face will help him succeed as an associate justice.

“A hallmark aspect of the judiciary is being impartial and open to new ideas: these are qualities I will bring with me,” he added.

Rolonda Donelson ’20

Zhenping (Umans) You ’19

Donelson is one of four candidates running for three open associate justice Judiciary seats.

If elected, Donelson seeks to “issue impartial judgment with consideration of all facts involved in any case laid before me as an Associate Justice. If elected, I intend to bring a fresh perspective to the Judiciary in the settling of cases and through the interpretation of the Student Union Constitution as a consultant to other branches of the Union,” she said in a statement to the Justice.She explained that she wishes to promote equity in the Brandeis community, adding, “I believe I am a good candidate because I am dedicated to helping to issue rulings that are equal for all parties involved.”

You is one of two candidates running for the open Undergraduate Curriculum Committee seat.

In a statement to the Justice, You said that, if elected, he looks forward to representing students and listening to their expectations and concerns. “As a transfer student with three majors, I’ve set my foot in various fields and been well-informed about students’ needs and what makes a university curriculum advantageous,” he said.

“I believe that the course curriculums should be there to equip students with the necessary knowledge to be successful, and, more importantly, give them the freedom to explore their area of interest as they wish.”

Also running are Kaixuan (Kayson) Ding ’21 for the three-semester Allocations Board seat, Daniel Kang ’19 for the two-semester racial minority Allocations Board seat, and Shijie (Jeremy) Xiao ’19 for the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee seat. Ding, Kang and Xiao did not return requests for comment as of press time. There are no declared candidates running for the Ziv Quad Senate seat in this election.

Voting will open at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday and will run for 24 hours.

Ballots will be sent to students via email, and the Student Union will also have voting stations in the Shapiro Campus Center and Usdan Student Center.

Leo Passman ’21 Like Donelson, Passman is running for one of the three Judiciary seats.

“Being an associate justice to the judiciary would mean that I have the power to make honorable decisions about Brandeis constitutional law.

I had experience writing briefs and opinions regarding US constitutional law before starting school here, but my opinions never actually held weight, so it will be rewarding to experience making decisions that can help our community in one way or another,” he said in a statement to the Justice.

Wenjing (Winnie) Qin ’21 Qin is also running for one of the associate justice positions. As a high schooler, she sat on her school’s honor council, which handled campus dis-

Yale Sussman ’21

—Michelle Dang ’18 contributed reporting.

Editor's note: Wenjing (Winnie) Qin ’21 is a Justice Layout Staff.

8

features

TUESDAY, january 23, 2018 ● Features ● The Justice

just

VERBATIM | JACKIE KENNEDY ONASSIS Being a reporter seems a ticket out to the world.

ON THIS DAY…

FUN FACT

In 1973, President Richard Nixon announced that an accord had been reached to end the Vietnam War.

Most toilets flush in the key of E flat.

MIHIR KHANNA/Justice File Photo

BIG PROMISES: Jacob Edelman ’18 campaigned on bringing transparency and inclusion to the Student Union.

State of His Union Jacob Edelman ’18 reflects on his first semester as Student Union president By hannah shumel JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Last March, Jacob Edelman ’18 won the race for Student Union president. In the debates leading up to the vote, Edelman campaigned on a promise to make the Brandeis Student Union a more transparent and inclusive government body. It was this message of transparency that ultimately helped lead him to win by a wide margin (54 percent of the total vote). A semester has passed since then with Edelman at the head of the Student Union, and looking back on his first term, he reflected on where he may have achieved his campaign’s promises and where he may have failed.

Managing a University is like a juggling act. Matters ranging from the curriculum, to tuition costs, to student housing all have to be managed. Even though much of this is handled by University officials, students are not without a voice. The Brandeis University Student Union ensures that student interests are represented in University policy making and performs a variety of other functions that allow Brandeis to operate smoothly. Running the Student Union is certainly a collab-

orative effort, but Edelman’s position is perhaps the most important.

Each day, Edelman assumes numerous responsibilities. As the top member of the Union’s Executive Board, he plays a large role in overseeing the other branches of the Student Union and helping them whenever a struggle arises. Every Sunday, he holds a two-hour meeting in which updates regarding the Student Union are provided and people can ask any questions they have. “I will voice my opinion on the issues when I feel educated enough to do so,” Edelman stated in an interview with the Justice. “Or I’ll try to facilitate a discussion among other Union members to try to resolve problems or questions or make decisions.”

Outside of these meetings, he works diligently to make himself a resource to other Union members. He is also responsible for appointing individuals to University committees.

On a broader level, Edelman dedicates himself to being aware of the student body’s needs. Conveying these needs to the Brandeis University administration in order to push through policy changes on a higher level is a job he takes very seriously. He said, “I feel as if there’s a degree of importance to the job

of Union president to do my best to present well to the administration, to be professional in that, to accurately talk about what students are feeling.” All in all, he devotes 24 hours per week to his responsibilities as Student Union president.

Edelman is no stranger to hearing and representing student interests.

Before becoming Student Union president, he held various other roles in the Union, including Curriculum Committee representative and Communications director. He joined the Union as a way to give back to the Brandeis student body and finds the work to be extremely fulfilling.

“I got to see through a lot of interesting projects, made some of my best friends, and got a sense of accomplishment in doing that,” Edelman said. He eventually came up with some ideas about how to improve the Union and believed that he could be a leader dedicated to the students.

Realizing that he had something good to offer, and with the encouragement of other Union members, he decided to run for Union president.

Edelman approaches his work with a singular premise in mind: “Students want a better social experience; what can I do to speak to that?”

While Edelman’s powers in making

his vision a reality are limited, he seemed optimistic about the progress made so far. “I don’t know how much of this can be credited to me, but from what I’ve heard, students feel like the Student Union is more responsive this year than in the past, and that it is closer to students on a dayto-day basis. Members of the Senate and Allocations Board have told me that more students are coming up to them with questions and concerns.

That’s the way it should be,” he said.

As part of his effort toward transparency, Edelman tries to make himself as accessible and approachable as possible: “People should know who their Union representatives are and feel comfortable reaching out to them, and trust that they [Union representatives] aren’t just in it for a resume item, but that they are in it because they really want to make a difference.”

While Edelman believes the Student Union is heading in the right direction, he acknowledges that there have been missteps along the way. “In hindsight, I would have been more communicative with the University at large. ... At the beginning of the year I told myself that I would send out more emails to the student body, more messages talk-

ing about how things are going.

But I got so caught up in just the day-to-day operations and problemsolving on a smaller basis that stopping to share what we have been doing sort of got lost,” he said.

Edelman is aware that he is fighting an uphill battle. There simply isn’t enough time for him to accomplish everything. “Sometimes I see complaints about the Union on Facebook and I want to solve them if it’s appropriate. Solving problems like those are incredibly rewarding, but it also takes time away from my other duties,” he said. Last semester, Edelman was taking five classes, and he found that his new role at the Student Union “took a toll” on his social life, as well as his health and sleep.

Now that Edelman is only enrolled in one class and has fufilled his major academic requirements, he hopes that he will be able to dedicate more time toward the Student Union.

“This job isn’t the biggest job in the world, it isn’t the biggest job on campus, but representing anyone gives you a new perspective if you put your heart into it,” he said. Edelman added, “If you listen to someone and hear them out, and you are able to respond fully and factually, that’s the easiest way to get things done.”

the justice ● Features ● TUESDAY, january 23, 2018

ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice

RISKING IT ALL: Rev. M. K. Souza encouraged the audience to take risks, because failure is inevitable and provides an opportunity for real change.

Stories for the Ages A conversation with Rev. M. K. Souza about the rights of indigenous people By leigh salomon JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

A word in the Hawaiian language, kupuna, often means an elder, grandparent or older individual. However, it takes on at least three more meanings: the source or process of personal growth, an honored elder who has the life experience needed to be a family and community leader, and an ancestor who has the spiritual wisdom and presence to guide people through hardship.

Rev. M. Kalani Souza is one of these kupunas, who, like the term, is more than meets the eye. He is the founding director of the Olohana Foundation; the National Outreach Coordinator for Rural, Tribal and Native Communities for FEMA’s Natural Disaster Preparedness Training Center at the University of Hawaii; a standing member and past steersperson for the Pacific Risk Management Ohana Indigenous Knowledge and Education Working Group; the chairman of the U.S. Geological Survey and Colorado State University’s Climate Science Center’s Indigenous Phenology Network; and a serving member on several Federal Native American efforts.

He is also a gifted storyteller, singer, songwriter, musician, film director and producer, poet, philosopher, priest, political satirist, peacemaker, facilitator, mediator, educator, friend and human, who was gracious enough to visit Brandeis on Jan. 18 to start a dialogue on some of these topics.

Souza started with the idea of failure. He feels that people and institutions tend to not take big enough risks because of the allure of preserving the status quo. He reasoned that since people fail most of the time any-

ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice

JACK OF ALL TRADES: Rev. M.K. Souza works with over a dozen organizations that deal with topics ranging from climate change to the rights of Native Americans.

way, they might as well “fail big” because it presents an “opportunity for positive change.”

He understands this hesitancy

to break the mold — “‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’” — is a good starting point to tackle many of the problems we face today. “I’m

not sure where the ‘broke’ is — probably in my bank account,” he teased, “but there’s this sense that something is amiss and that we’re missing something.”

He transitioned into a discussion about indigenous people, lamenting how they have struggled for thousands of years to survive in a hostile world. He explained how they include not merely people in North, Central and South America, but the rest of the continents as well, recalling that early definitions of “indigenous” defined it as “naturally occuring in any locations.” Pacific Islanders, for example, have been arguing for their inclusion since 1974 — “I know. I was doing the arguing.” He worries now that the political world is trying to marginalize what it means to be indigenous, and that power dynamics might shape these definitions by limiting expression.

In dealing with disagreement, he is unsure if two people can really look at an issue exactly the same way given their different upbringings, and so he supports everyone’s right to believe what they want, even if it’s wrong. “They have every right to expect their place at the table,” he said. “They just don’t get to own the table. They just don’t get to call the menu. And we’re going to decide if we got them with us for after-dinner drinks. That’s a discussion to be had over the appetizers.”

Expanding on this idea of opposing views, Souza reminded the audience of their own subjectivity, in which people may presuppose their thoughts to be objective when they are actually implicitly biased. This can make it difficult to solve problems because people can get so caught up in disagreeing that they lose sight of the goal they both want to reach. “We tend to just draw

the line in the wrong place,” he explained. “We tend to draw it between the two of us, which sets up an immediate relationship.”

To reconcile this inability to be truly objective, he suggested people ask for transparency instead of objectivity when conversing. He explained that drawing the line between the people and the problem, rather than between the people involved, fosters collaboration rather than confrontation. He related it to an analogy his grandfather used to use, where somebody is walking along the beach when they see something wash ashore.

If they find it useful, they can pocket it; otherwise, they should leave it behind because it may be meant for someone else.

He proposed three general rules to sum up what he cares about when approaching this kind of conversation. First, he wants the children to be fed, which requires certain infrastructure and resources. Second, he wants the elderly to be comfortable, which requires “a society that can care for those that are less able to care for themselves.” Third, and most important to him, he does not want women live in fear, believing that “when women in a society are unafraid, they tend to tend to the first two things [caring for the disadvantaged and feeding the children].”

The last question Souza received was about how he can continually support putting complex issues into a family context, given that many individuals can never return home because their identities have been denied by their families. He reflected on this question for a few moments, before responding “We have the family we are born to, and then we have the family we choose, and then we have the family that is family to us all.”

9

10 TUESDAY, january 23, 2018 ● forum ● THE JUSTICE

the

Justice Established 1949

Brandeis University

Abby Patkin, Editor in Chief Amber Miles, Managing Editor Carmi Rothberg, Senior Editor Kirby Kochanowski and Sabrina Sung, Deputy Editors Michelle Banayan, Abby Grinberg, Lizzie Grossman, Noah Hessdorf, Mihir Khanna and Mira Mellman Associate Editors Michelle Dang, News Editor, Victor Feldman, Features Editor Nia Lyn, Forum Editor, Ben Katcher, Sports Editor Hannah Kressel, Arts Editor Yvette Sei and Natalia Wiater, Photography Editors Morgan Mayback, Layout Editor, Pamela Klahr and Robbie Lurie, Jen Geller and Avraham Penso, Copy Editors

Ads Editors

EDITORIALS

Recognize current unsanitary bathroom conditions Dorm bathrooms — especially in suites, where residents are charged with tidying up — can be less than clean, promoting the spread of unwanted germs. It certainly does not help that in many dorm bathrooms, the toilets do not have lids, and flushing can scatter bacteria across surfaces.

In this, the Justice editorial board sees an opportunity. The addition of toilet lids in residential bathrooms would help lessen the spread of harmful bacteria, in addition to promoting good hygiene.

When toilets are flushed, the swirling water shoots microscopic particles of waste into the air, a phenomenon known as the “toilet plume,” according to a March 24, 2016 Business Insider article. This can spray fecal matter and the viruses and bacteria within it across bathroom surfaces, including countertops and nearby toiletries, like toothbrushes. A No. 23, 2011 paper published by the Public Library of Science found that these other surfaces in restrooms are often dirtier than the toilet seats themselves. As the Business Insider article notes, salmonella, shigella, norovirus and hepatitis A, among other viruses and bacteria, are transmitted when fecal particles enter the mouth, and the toilet plume can present a risk for those who keep toothbrushes and water glasses in the bathroom.

While acknowledging that this bacteria aerosolization poses a small risk for those who have healthy immune systems and those who wash

Implement safety measures their hands frequently, this board asks the University to consider the addition of toilet lids in its next round of campus improvements. It would be a small step, but one that could easily help prevent possible outbreaks of, say, norovirus — an illness that can wreak havoc in tight-knit communities, as seen in the 2015 outbreak at a Chipotle near Boston College.

Brandeis utilizes dual-flush toilets in many of its buildings, and it is true that lower-flow settings for liquid waste aerosolize less than solid waste settings, according to the Business Insider article. However, the fact is that an uncovered toilet will still spray some amount of germs. This issue is compounded when students do not regularly clean their bathrooms with disinfectants, or when they leave toothbrushes uncovered near the toilet.

Moreover, even in the Foster Mods, where the toilets do have lids, students may not always put the lid down before flushing.

While toilet lids would be a welcome campus addition, this board asserts that some of the burden also falls on students who let cleanliness and hygiene slip.

This campus — and its restrooms — belongs to the approximately 6,000 students that share it, and it is up to us to keep it clean.

After all, as author Brian Aldiss once wrote, “Civilisation is the distance that man has placed between himself and his own excreta.”

Urge University to implement BranVan service alerts As a result of frequent delays and interruptions in BranVan service, this board urges the Escort Safety Service and the University to coordinate an effort to improve lines of communication between riders and the shuttle service operators, including the creation of a notification system that would allow students to be informed of any service changes.

Last Thursday evening, the Campus BranVan had a flat tire, and as a result, there was no service for a period of time. Students who wanted to take the BranVan from Admissions to the Charles River Apartments, for example, were left stranded without knowing why; their only other option was a 15-minute walk on roads covered in black ice.

In order to prevent this, an optional notification system could be put into place. Not all students use the BranVan service; but those who do could sign up to receive alerts that would notify students if a van is out of service or severely delayed, which could happen as the result of an accident. After receiving a notification, a student could decide to go inside, walk or wait longer, but they would be able to make an informed choice.

Another option is to put service status online, a mechanism similar to what the MBTA and the MTA in New York City provide. Information would be entered only if there were a change in service; this could include a canceled shuttle

Improve students’ commute to Boston/Cambridge, a long delay in the Waltham BranVan schedule, or an announcement that BranVans will not stop at Grad because of a change in route.

Either one of these systems would assist students in creating better travel itineraries, as making the 15-minute walk, rather than waiting an half hour for the next BranVan shuttle to come can be the difference between making it to class on time or being late. Not all BranVan drivers turn on the GPS tracking signal, either, which if fully implemented could also be beneficial to commuters.

In addition, many incoming students do not know the ins and outs of the Waltham BranVan stops. While there is a shuttle schedule online as well as a map on the Rider app, neither show specifics. There are certain spots at which drivers stop that new students may not be aware of. Standing just 10 meters from the designated stop may prevent someone from being picked up. Providing a detailed map that could be viewed online or downloaded could help ease confusion and provide a more seamless experience for riders and drivers.

While these changes are small, and delays cannot always be prevented, thorough communication with students will help mitigate unexpected situations that may arise.

PERI MEYERS/the Justice

Views the News on

According to a Jan. 17 NPR article, Walmart plans on offering DisposeRx to all individuals prescribed opioid drugs. The free product, when mixed with warm water and an opioid drug, creates a biodegradable gel that can safely be disposed of.

Critics argue that while DisposeRx is useful, it will have little impact on the number of opioid-related deaths. What do you think of Walmart’s decision, and do you believe this could help mitigate prescription opioid abuse?

Dr. Sharon Reif (Heller) By offering a free, seamlessly provided and simple approach to render opioid medications non-usable, Walmart is encouraging change in two ways. First, it is emphasizing the importance of disposing opioid medications when no longer taking them. Second, disposal must be done safely and effectively. Other methods do exist — such as prescription takeback days or flushing medications — but take-back or drop-off approaches are not available everywhere or continuously, and environmental concerns are raised about flushing medications. Will DisposeRx reduce overdoses or addiction? Likely in a limited way as many factors are in play, and the misuse of prescription opioids needs a multi-pronged approach, including education, prevention and treatment. Do I support the initiative? Yes, at least for the attention that it brings to the need for safe opioid medication disposal and Walmart’s wide reach. We should be expansive in our efforts to reduce the risk of opioid misuse, overdose and addiction.

Dr. Sharon Reif (Heller) is a senior scientist and lecturer at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

Brenden O’Donnell Substance abuse is not black and white. It is a chemical problem, but also a social and political problem with a long history of unequal distribution of health resources according to gender, race, class and sexual difference. Solutions should therefore take into account not only the number of deaths, but also experiences. From this perspective, DisposeRx is compelling. Someone who is tempted to misuse, resell or preserve drugs might not have much time to weigh various disposal options like mail-back programs, take-back events and collection receptacles. DisposeRx makes disposal more immediate, placing the means of destroying the drug literally in the hands of the patient. As a supplement to policies limiting opioid prescriptions, programs that encourage disposal could provide more options to a more diverse range of people affected by the opioid crisis.

Brenden O’Donnell is a graduate student in the English department and conducts research on critical addiction.

Abraham Cheloff ’18 DisposeRx, while providing a safe and convenient method of disposing excess medications, seems to do little in terms of curbing the opioid epidemic. DisposeRx targets leftover or expired drugs that are left in medicine cabinets and, thus, could be abused by family members or friends looking to get high. While this certainly constitutes a path to opioid addiction, I am unsure that this new product will provide a new motivation to dispose of drugs that has not been present previously.

Anyone with leftover medications could easily have crushed them and mixed them with dirt, flushed the medications or thrown them down the garbage disposal. Individuals who leave these leftover medications in their medicine cabinets made the choice not to dispose of them in any way. I do not believe that these individuals would now go to Walmart and stock up on DisposeRx in case there is ever a need for it. This product might rather attract those who are looking to improve on their disposal practices, perhaps in order to decrease water contamination.

Abraham Cheloff ’18 is a Biology Undergraduate Departmental Representative. He is also a teacher’s assistant for General Biology Lab and does undergraduate research in the Miller Lab.

Jared Martin ’19 I previously hadn’t heard anything about this product or the implications it might have on bettering our society’s ongoing opioid crisis. When I looked into the situation a little bit more, I realized that I never really put too much thought into the disposal of medication if left over or unneeded. I think that the DisposeRx product certainly deserves acclaim not only for what it is able to chemically produce, but also for how it demonstrates a conscientious effort to curb the growth of new opioid addictions. I totally support Walmart in their decision to provide this complementary product with prescribed medication, as I believe that it will prevent misuse in many households that regularly use Walmart as their pharmacy. Perhaps it won’t provide an immediately profound impact by combating addiction, but it certainly will prevent abusive tendencies in at least some cases, which is why it is necessary.

Jared Martin ’19 is a Biology major. He is also a member of Pre-Health Society executive board and the treasurer of Pre-Veterinary Society.

Images by the Justice

THE JUSTICE ● fORUM ● TUESDAY, january 23, 2018

11

Urge more conservatives to speak on climate change By chris d’agostino justice contributing writer

Bridging the partisan divide on global warming seems next to impossible at first glance — and understandably so. Global warming clearly ranks low on the U.S. government’s priority list, and the lack of any serious climaterelated proposals from a Republican-controlled Congress speaks volumes. It is no secret that the U.S. has alienated the rest of the world by failing to act, and much of this is due to the bizarre politics surrounding climate change.

The American perception, one that cable news pundits amplify, is that climate change believers are lumped into one social group — the coastal elite — while those who reject it are boxed into another: everyone else. It is merely human to adhere to the values of one’s group, so social confines restrict many Republicans from appreciating the seriousness of climate change and subsequently being branded a “tree hugger.” Similarly, I sometimes catch myself glossing over arguments in support of a pro-life position, because taking them seriously would blaspheme my Democratic Party. Accepting the other side’s arguments may as well mean becoming them, and in case you forgot, both sides really don’t like each other.

Environmental activists dream of reshaping the partisan status quo. They may have some success but probably not as much as Katharine Hayhoe, an evangelical climate scientist and political conservative. She seeks to spread the gospel of global warming mitigation while invoking religious themes. According to a 2014 study from the American Academy of Religion and the Public Religion Research Institute, approximately two-thirds of white evangelical protestants were reportedly “unconcerned” about global warming. Recognizing this apathy, she incorporates her Christian values in efforts to change minds. Hayhoe wrote in a June 5, 2015 post on her website, “For Christians, climate change directly intersects with mandates to be responsible for creation, to love others as Christ loved us, and to care for the poor and the needy.” Her message has proved successful.

Her lectures have been shown to positively influence her audience’s perception about the reality of global warming and the harm it will cause, according to a March 2016 Harvard Thesis by Brian Webb.

People like Hayhoe are essential to the climate movement: She empathizes with people whose beliefs and values do not obviously align with left-leaning activists. Why aren’t more voices like hers heard? After all, one could argue that addressing climate change is inherently conservative; it strengthens our national security; fortifies the American

JULIANNA SCIONTI/the Justice

promise to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; and will save billions of taxpayer dollars that would have otherwise been spent on disaster relief over the next century. But why hear this from me? Why not listen to the 31 percent of Republicans — as reported by Yale University — who believe global warming is man-made?

While liberals may groan at this statistic, the number is quite large, and every one of these people have reasons for accepting the science.

So, I ask, what are their stories? Who or what helped them break through the seemingly impervious wall of partisanship? Their voices must be amplified; skeptical conservatives will more likely act on climate change once they realize they do not have to sacrifice their identity to accept it.

Climate scientists who communicate the issue often underestimate the impact

storytelling and common values have on the public opinion and instead rely on, well, the science. After all, if human-caused climate change is factual, shouldn’t numbers and statistics be enough? Yet, shoving graphs down skeptics’ throats at the rate of arctic ice decline probably won’t change their minds. What good does data serve if your audience does not listen?

Rather, start off a conversation about shared beliefs and talk about the science later — or maybe not at all. People are not strictly rational machines, and most of them probably have no interest in atmospheric science, anyway.

Changing the mind of a climate change skeptic is difficult work. While liberals may have some success swaying conservatives by drawing upon common morals, this could prove insufficient in making a real difference.

A shared identity does matter. Imagine the impact Sean Hannity could have on

conservatives if he announced on Fox News tonight that he supported bipartisan climate change legislation.

Obviously, liberals should play a paramount role in the climate movement; they should continue raising awareness and lobbying their representatives to implement solutions.

However, they must not dominate the public conversation. Liberals should make room for a diverse group of conservatives who accept global warming — evangelical Christians, libertarians, moderates — to speak publicly about the issue and provide their ideas about fixing it. They must have space to express their views on cable news programs and opinion pieces. Liberals should encourage conservatives to join the climate coalition, rather than alienate them. This way, we can establish a bipartisan coalition and regain our status in the international community.

Condemn United States Gymnastics for their treatment of athletes By lizzie grossman justice editor

In a powerful statement read in court on Jan. 18, 22-year-old McKayla Maroney shared the unfortunate story of her time with USA Gymnastics team. According to a Jan. 18 article in the Washington Post, Assistant Attorney General Angela Povilaitis read a statement on Maroney’s behalf, saying, “I had flown all day and night with the team to get to Tokyo. He had given me a sleeping pill for the flight, and the next thing I know I was all alone with him in his hotel room getting a ‘treatment.’ I thought I was going to die that night.”

According to an Oct. 18, 2017 NBC News article, Maroney was referring to an incident that happened when she was only 15 years old, and unfortunately, she is not the only gymnast to come forward with accusations against the same perpetrator, Larry Nassar.

On Dec. 7, 2017, Nassar, the team doctor for USA Gymnastics and the Michigan State University gymnastics team, was sentenced to 60 years in prison due to child pornography charges, according to a Dec. 7, 2017 US News article. Since then, more than 100 women — both gymnasts and non-gymnasts — have accused Nassar of sexually abusing them, and some of them were as young as six years old at the time of the abuse, according to a March 16, 2017 Huffington Post article.

Several gymnasts — including Maroney, Aly Raisman and Jordyn Wieber — have had the courage in the past week to testify against

Nassar in his sentencing hearing, which began on Jan. 16. While sharing their stories and speaking out against Nassar, the survivors — and many other people — have taken issue with the governing organizations that have allowed these incidents to happen, most notably USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic Committee.

“

It seems that USAG fails to create an environment in which survivors of sexual abuse feel safe to speak out.

According to Raisman’s testimony, women started to speak out against Nassar in 2012, around the time of the London Olympic Games, a time when the members of the 2012 Olympic team were first experiencing Nassar’s abuse.

These accusations were dismissed by the USOC, which said that they would not conduct an investigation and defended USA Gymnastics as one of the most prominent leaders in developing policies to protect athletes, according to Raisman’s testimony. The fact that these problems have been ongoing for such a long time points to many issues with the governing

organizations that failed to prevent such abuse.

According to an Aug. 4, 2016 article in IndyStar, USA Gymnastics refused to disclose to the public the number of sexual misconduct allegations it receives each year. However, USAG has compiled complaint files on more than 50 USAG coaches and has hidden them in a file cabinet in its executive office in Indianapolis. In addition, USAG was allegedly warned of suspected abuse by coaches in four different cases but did not report it. It is unclear as to why USAG would do this, but it is critical that they take more steps to keep their athletes safe.

It seems that USAG fails to create an environment in which survivors of sexual abuse feel safe to speak out. For one, gymnasts have no control over who the team doctor is.

This is problematic, because choosing a doctor should be a personal decision for the athlete.

This creates a power dynamic that is mostly controlled by the doctor and the governing board, with little room for the gymnasts’ personal needs and concerns. I was unable to uncover the process that USAG goes through when picking a doctor for the team or how Nassar was picked in the first place, but it is irresponsible to have one doctor fulfilling the medical needs and treatments of all gymnasts on a particular team.

All gymnasts have different needs, ranging from the specific medical treatments they require to the type of relationship they prefer to have with their doctor. According to Raisman’s testimony, it was mandatory for the team members to receive treatment from Nassar. They were not

only presented with a sole option for medical care in the first place but but also manipulated into receiving treatment regardless of whether they wanted it. According to a Jan. 17 ESPN article, USA Gymnastics wanted gymnasts to keep quiet about Nassar’s misdoings and according to a Jan. 16 ThinkProgress article, Maroney was threatened with a $100,000 fine if she were to provide a victim statement. Medical treatment is certainly very important to athletes, and it is good that USAG has developed a procedure through which all of their athletes can receive treatment if necessary. However, it is irresponsible of USAG to refuse to allow athletes to choose their doctor .

Based on the evidence in the cases against Larry Nassar, these governing organizations seem to be unaware of the sensitive situations that they put their athletes in by requiring a shared and mandatory treatment system.

Further, it is unacceptable that USAG has refused to disclose the reports of assault they receive. While board members such as USAG CEO Kerry Perry are now lauding gymnasts for speaking out, “talk is cheap,” as Raisman said in her testimony. The organizations should have taken more proactive steps to protect their athletes.

USAG needs to take further steps to ensure that they are employing trustworthy coaches and staff and keeping all gymnasts safe; crucially, this includes believing individuals who speak out. Gymnasts need to be able to train and compete in an environment in which they feel safe and supported at all times.

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

Write to us

The Justice welcomes letters to the editor responding to published material. Please submit letters through our Web site at www.thejustice.org. Anonymous submissions cannot be accepted.

Letters should not exceed 300 words, and may be edited for space, style, grammar, spelling, libel and clarity, and must relate to material published in the Justice. Letters from offcampus sources should include location. The Justice does not print letters to the editor and op-ed submissions that have been submitted to other publications. Op-ed submissions of general interest to the University community­— that do not respond explicitly to articles printed in the Justice — are also welcome and should be limited to 800 words. All submissions are due Friday at noon.

Fine Print

The opinions stated in the editorial(s) under the masthead on the opposing page represent the opinion of a majority of the voting members of the editorial board; all other articles, columns, comics and advertisements do not necessarily. For the Brandeis Talks Back feature on the last page of the newspaper, staff interview four randomly selected students each week and print only those four answers.

The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. Operated, written, produced and published entirely by students, the Justice includes news, features, arts, opinion and sports articles of interest to approximately 3,500 undergraduates, 900 graduate students, 500 faculty and 1,000 administrative staff.

The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods.

Advertising deadlines: All insertion orders and advertising copy must be received by the Justice no later than 5 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the date of publication.

All advertising copy is subject to approval of the editor in chief and the managing and advertising editors.

The Staff

For information on joining the Justice, write to editor@ thejustice.org.

Editorial Assistants

Sports: Lev Brown, Jerry Miller, Evan Robins, Donnie

News: Jocelyn Gould

Weisse

Forum: Judah Weinerman

Arts: Kent Dinlenc, Mariah Manter, Emily See, Anna Stern,

Sports: Zach Kaufman

Isabelle Truong, Mendel Weintraub

Photography: Andrew Baxter

Photography:

Copy: Eliana Padwa, Lily Swartz

Guenzburger, Chelsea Madera, Adam Pann, Clements

Lucy

Frenkel,

Dillon

Garvey,

Talya

Park, Heather Schiller*, Yuran Shi Staff

Copy: Erica Breyman, Sarah Fine, Sara Fulton,

News: Emily Blumenthal, Junsheng He, Will Hodgkinson,

Klarissa Hollander, Rachel Moore, Emily See, Billy Wilson*

Liat Shapiro, Mack Shoenfeld, Spencer Taft, Arianna

Layout: Winnie Qin, Shinji Rho

Unger*, Maurice Windley

Illustrations: Ben Jarrett, Mara Khayter, Peri Meyers,

Features: Christine Kim, Leah Leybzon, Leigh Salomon

Aaron Marks, Julianna Scionti

Forum: Ben Feshbach*, Tafara Gava, Somar Hadid, Elias Rosenfeld*, Ravi Simon

* denotes a senior staff member.

12

TUESDAY, january 23, 2018 ● forum ● THE JUSTICE

FORUM

Reconsider Facebook’s poor attempt to combat fake news Nia

lyn purpose

Facebook will begin implementing user surveys to determine the validity of news sources in the era of “fake news,” according to a Jan. 19 BBC article. Founder Mark Zuckerberg chose this approach because allowing staff to decide what users see is “not something we’re comfortable with,” according to the same article. While this is an admirable approach to tackling the issue of false information, it may not be the best method for doing so.

One issue with this plan is the partisan divide that will inevitably ensue. A May 16, 2016 article in the Wall Street Journal showed that individuals who believe in conservative ideals are more likely to trust news sources like Breitbart or CNSNews, while liberal individuals trust sources like Democracy Now! and The Nation. This data came from a 2015 study conducted by researchers from Facebook and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The study — titled “Exposure to ideologically diverse news and opinion on Facebook” — revealed that individuals shared less cross-cutting news when it came from a source aligning with the opposite ideology.

Despite their partisan bias, both Fox News and the Washington Post are news sources that seek to inform the public.

If Facebook’s new plan is implemented, it is likely that users will deem sources from the opposing party as disreputable. By declaring news articles from the opposite end of the political spectrum “fake news,” Facebook users are further entrenching themselves in their own political bubbles. If one automatically discredits an article because it came from a left-wing news source, they are robbing themselves of the opportunity to actually engage with current events.

Similar to this, the definition of “fake news” is subjective. While President Donald Trump’s recent Fake News Awards may be a short list of fallacies published by major news outlets, occasional errors do not diminish the well-established reputations of the New York Times or Time magazine.

In fact, according to a Jan. 18 Politifact article, most of the mistakes that Trump listed were acknowledged and corrected, with some even resulting in disciplinary action — like CNN forcing three journalists to resign after falsely accusing Anthony Scaramucci of meeting with a Russian, according to a June 26, 2017 New York Times article.

AARON MARKS/the Justice

Trump is not concerned with actual inaccuracies in the media; rather, it is his image that he is concerned with. Trump has even stated himself, in a Feb. 6, 2017 tweet, that he believes that any negative news is “fake news.”

As sad as it is that our president behaves like a toddler, it is even worse that some Americans behave in a similar manner and reject any news that displeases them.

While Trump claims that news stories he doesn’t like are fake, there are some who genuinely do not know the truth from fiction.

According to a Jan. 20 Al Jazeera article, technology analyst Larry Magid stated, “Simply because something is well liked by a percentage of the public, doesn’t mean it’s reliable.”

According to a Dec. 1, 2015 Politifact article, Trump condemned former President Barack Obama for wanting to admit 250,000 Syrian refugees to the United States. However, this figure did not come from any official reports,

but rather from Real News Right Now — a satirical website. These unsuspecting individuals who have been reading and promoting fake news as actual journalism are likely to continue to do so. Given the opportunity to influence what others see, these people will not fix the underlying problem. It is up to individuals to educate themselves on current events and the trustworthiness of sources, if they so choose. Far too many people read only a shocking headline and neglect to actually read the article or at least look at the source.

According to a study conducted by researchers from Columbia University and the French National Institute for Agricultural Research, only 59 percent of links shared on Twitter have actually been opened. Websites should make it clear that they are satirical or have a disclaimer upon entrance to the site to prevent the spread of misinformation.

In a similar move, in a Jan. 19 blog post, Twitter announced plans to contact nearly

678,000 users who may have interacted with fake accounts created by Russian propaganda group Internet Research Agency. Twitter has suspended the fake accounts and another 1,000 that may have been involved with the IRA. Twitter wants to ensure that there are no more repeats of the Russian-influenced 2016 presidential election. As of December 2017, the social media platform began cracking down to identify suspicious accounts through new techniques. Since then, approximately 6 million suspicious accounts have been detected.

While Facebook cannot replicate this tactic and ban every fake pro-Trump troll account, they could instead monitor those that continuously post articles with provocative headlines from untrustworthy sources.

Other users should not have the ability to dictate what everyone else sees; it is up to the individual to determine whether the news they are reading is actually real and worth conversation.

Criticize the glorification of suicide in US television By sabrina sung justice editor

On the first day of 2018, popular YouTube blogger Logan Paul uploaded a video showing close-up footage of a deceased man in Aokigahara, in Japan. In a Jan. 19 interview with Seventeen Magazine, actor Dylan Minnette revealed that season two of popular Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” will delve deeper into the life of the character whose suicide is the focus of the show. The very next day, Paramount Studios dropped the red band trailer for their TV anthology remake of cult classic film “Heathers,” which features teenagers finding posthumous adoration when their murders are staged as suicides.

These three distinct events seem to mark a troubling trend in modern American media: the conflation of suicide and entertainment.

With it comes the risk of suicide contagion in our society.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines suicide contagion as the exposure to suicide and suicidal behaviors “within one’s family, one’s peer group or through media reports.” The phenomenon, also known as “copycat suicides,” is typically observed following a high-profile death by suicide. According to a 2003 study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, there was a 12 percent increase in suicides in the month following the death of Marilyn Monroe.

Although the department’s definition does not include fictional media, a study by Wayne State University and the University of Illinois published in the peer-reviewed journal Sociological Focus in January 2014, found that with every voluntary exposure

to movies on the topic of suicide attempts, the risk of attempted suicide increased by nearly 48 percent among respondents.

Although the Scientific American is hesitant to draw conclusions between fictional media and suicide contagion, a May 8, 2017 article states, “It is difficult to see how the fictional portrayal of suicide in an explicit manner could have a positive effect in any way,” unless those portrayals also depict the effect of the death on loved ones.

Some would propose “13 Reasons Why” as an example of the latter. However, experts suggest that the show is an example of how not to portray suicide in fictional media.

The Department of Health and various mental health organizations, such as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and ReportingOnSuicide.org, have recommendations on how to appropriately report on a suicide. These guidelines emphasize brevity and facts and warn against sensational or emotionally charged language.

“Reports of suicide should not be repetitive,” the department says, “as prolonged exposure can increase the likelihood of suicide contagion.” However, there are few things as enduring as a popular TV show. According to an April 21, 2017 article in Time, “13 Reasons Why” was the most tweeted-about show of the year at time of publication, and with impending release of its second season, the show is unlikely to fade from spotlight anytime soon.

The department also warns against suggesting that suicide helped the deceased individual to achieve a personal goal. The reporting guidelines recommend avoiding photos of grieving loved ones, memorials or funerals. “13 Reasons Why” and the original

“Heathers” film both feature the lingering impact of the deaths prominently, and in both cases, there is the implication that the attention given to their deaths is what the deceased would have wanted.

One of the most controversial issues of “13 Reasons Why” was the graphic depiction of the character’s death by suicide, which showed near step-by-step detail of the process.

The show’s writer Nic Sheff defended his hyper-realistic portrayal in an April 19, 2017 interview with Vanity Fair, citing his own experience with suicidal thoughts and how an honest, gruesome description of a suicide attempt saved his own life.

“

The nature of these shows is, inherently, entertainment, meant to enrapture an audience.

However, other survivors disagree with him, believing the scene to have done far more harm than good. As survivors put it in a June 15, 2017 Teen Vogue article, the scene was too physically realistic but mentally unrealistic, simultaneously giving viewers a specific method with which to take their own lives and failing to portray the emotional and mental process that precedes an attempt.

Meanwhile, the department states, “Reports should not divulge detailed descriptions of the

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

method used to avoid possible duplication.”

The show “13 Reasons Why,” and others like it,violate every guideline on how to report on suicide. According to an Aug. 13, 2014 post on The Upshot by the New York Times, a study found that complying with these guidelines resulted in a significant reduction in suicide contagion, proving that these are not just arbitrary suggestions.

Although fiction and news reporting are different fields, with the advent of the internet and omnipresence of smart technology, they are similar in reach and influence on the American audience, and they should thus be held to similar standards. Entertainment media, especially, must hold itself to higher standards as shows such as “13 Reasons Why” and the upcoming “Heathers” will also be serving a teenage audience.

According to the AFSP, suicide remains the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, and suicide rates for all ages above 15 have steadily been on the rise since 2005. In light of these facts, it is disappointing that we, in the first month of 2018, already have two upcoming television series which plan to feature themes of suicide front and center.

The nature of these shows is, inherently, entertainment, meant to enrapture an audience. As a result, these shows are, inherently, at odds with a respectful, appropriate and beneficial handling of suicidal themes.

It is a new year, with countless new shows and films waiting in the wings. There is no better time for both creators and consumers to re-evaluate how we approach the topic of suicide in our entertainment.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-8255.

2017

10 THE JUSTICE ● Sports ● Tuesday, JANUARY 23, 2018

WBBALL: Judges drop first two games in road trip CONTINUED FROM 16 teams in all of Division III. The beginning of the period was part of a particularly dominant run for the Yellowjackets. Not only did they jump out to a quick eight straight points, Rochester also held the Judges from scoring a field goal for almost the first five minutes of the quarter. The squad attempted to claw back in the game but Rochester held on to the lead, as they were able to convert from the free-throw line, going 7-10.

During the defeat, Hodges was stellar for the squad, tying a careerhigh with 13. She was 4-6 from the

13

SETTING THE STAGE

field, and also hit on all four of her free throw attempts. Guard Sarah Jaromin ’19 was also big for the team, coming off the bench to record 12 points. Forward Jillian Petrie ’21 was the leader off the glass, securing eight total rebounds for the contest as a whole. Brandeis actually outrebounded Rochester, 45-38.

The team will be back in action next this Friday evening at home when it faces off with Case Western Reserve University. Its conference home stand will continue on Sunday with a matchup against Carnegie Mellon University, closing out the month of January.

PRO SPORTS: Cavs looking to win the MBBALL: Team’s chances East for the fourth are slowly running out straight season

YURAN SHI/the Justice

TEAMWORK: Guard Akim Sanni ’21 sets a pick for Corey Sherman ‘19 in a loss against Emory University on Jan. 21.

CONTINUED FROM 16

CONTINUED FROM 16 when they traded away guard Kyrie Irving. Yet, as Irving was traded, the Cavs received another defensive liability in point guard Isaiah Thomas. The Cavaliers’ organization was hoping that Thomas’ return from a two-month hiatus would jumpstart the Cavs’ run to the top of the conference.

Coincidentally — or maybe not — Thomas’ highly anticipated return on Jan. 2 coincided with the Cavs’ atrocious defensive streak and subsequent losing slide. Be careful

what you wish for.

As NBA wisdom tells us, the rest of the regular season doesn’t matter nearly as much as what comes next. Since Lebron’s return to Cleveland, the Cavs have always been and will continue to be the perennial eastern conference favorites. Every team’s season ebbs and flows, but as long as the team is playing well come playoff time, their seed won’t matter. The Celtics and Raptors have both been playing well, but offer no match to playoff Lebron. His competition will come from the West.

between the two teams came at the charity stripe — Rochester shot 1419 from the line while Brandeis put up a 6-14 mark, ultimately a huge difference down the stretch in close games like this. While the Judges had a better three-point shooting percentage than Rochester, as well as fewer turnovers, it was not enough to overcome their fellow UAA competitor.

There is still plenty of time for this team to turn things around with nine games left in the season.

Next week will be a continuation of the Judges’ UAA home stand as the team plays Case Western Reserve

University on Friday and Carnegie Mellon University on Sunday. Last season, the Judges finished 1-1 on the year against Case Western. Their first game was at home and the Judges came out on top by a score of 83-66. The team then lost their second matchup at Case Western by a score of 88-66. The keys to the Judges’ victory were bench points and capitalizing on Case Western’s mistakes. Brandeis had 38 bench points compared to Case Western’s 14 points, and the squad scored 31 points off turnovers besting Case Western’s seven.

Against Carnegie Mellon, Brandeis lost both games last season by scores of 70-66 and 78-64. While the first

game was very close, the biggest keys to the second game were rebounding and points off turnovers. Carnegie Mellon outrebounded Brandeis 42-31 and they scored 11 more points off turnovers. If the Judges can create more of a presence down low and be more cautious with the ball, they definitely stand a chance to come out on top in this year’s matchup.

The Judges are a very talented team with a lot of potential, but they are also a very young team. With six first-years currently on the roster, these rookies are just starting to get used to collegiate play. With plenty of time and depth to get in a groove, fans should be excited to watch the Judges grow into an impressive crew.

TENNIS BASKETBALL SWIMMING TRACK

Write for Sports!

Contact Ben Katcher at sports@thejustice.org

TENNIS BASKETBALL SWIMMING TRACK

Everyone has a story.

Help us find it.

Write for the features section of

the

Justice

Contact Victor Feldman at features@thejustice.org for more information.

Interested in music, theater, film, comedy or museums?

Write for Arts!

Contact Hannah Kressel at arts@thejustice.org

Images: CHELSEA MADERA/the Justice, HEATHER SCHILLER/the Justice, LUCY FRENKEL/the Justice, MORGAN BRILL/the Justice, NATALIA WIATER/the Justice, YDALIA COLON/the Justice

THE JUSTICE

● Sports ●

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

15

SWIMMING AND DIVING

jUDGES BY THE NUMBERS Men’s BASKETBALL UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Points Per Game

UAA Conference

W L Emory

5 0 WashU 5 0 Rochester 4 1 Chicago 3 2 Case 2 3 NYU 1 4 JUDGES 0 3 Carnegie 0 3

W 14 14 13 7 8 8 4 4

Overall L Pct. 2 .875 2 .875 3 .813 9 .438 8 .500 7 .533 12 .250 12 .250

EDITOR’S NOTE: Friday vs. Case Western Sunday vs. Carnegie Mellon Feb. 2 vs. Case Western

Latye Workman ’18 leads the team with 11.1 points per game.

Player PPG

Latye Workman 11.1 Lawrence Sabir 10.7 Colin Sawyer 9.8 Eric D’Aguanno 9.6

Rebounds Per Game Latye Workman ’18 leads the team with 8.5 rebounds per game.

Player RPG Latye Workman 8.5 Chandler Jones 4.6 Lawrence Sabir 3.8 Eric D’Aguanno 3.7

WOMen’s basketball UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Points Per Game

UAA Conference

W L W Rochester 5 0 15 Chicago 5 0 14 Emory 4 1 10 WashU 3 2 12 JUDGES 1 4 9 Carnegie 1 4 9 NYU 1 4 8 Case 0 5 3

Overall L Pct. 1 .938 2 .875 6 .625 4 .750 6 .600 7 .563 8 .500 12 .2

EDITOR’S NOTE: Friday vs. Case Western Sunday vs. Carnegie Mellon Feb. 2 vs. Case Western

Katie Goncalo ’20 leads the team with 9.7 points per game.

Player PPG Katie Goncalo 9.7 Hannah Nicholson 8.7 Sarah Jaromin 8.2 Camila Casanueva 7.1

Rebounds Per Game Hannah Nicholson ’20 leads with 8.9 rebounds per game.

Player RPG Hannah Nicholson 8.9 Joelle MarkAnthony 4.4 Jillian Petrie 4.0 Katie Goncalo 3.7

SWIMMING AND DIVING Meet against Keene State and Bridgewater State on Jan. 20.

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)

50-yard Freestyle

SWIMMER TIME Chase Chen 23.16 Tom Alger 24.35 Tyr Hondorf 24.52

200-yard Freestyle

SWIMMER TIME Kylie Herman 2:04.03 Uajda Musaku 2:09.48 Leah Kunins 2:21.20

YVETTE SEI/Justice File Photo

DIVING ME CRAZY: Swimmers from Brandeis and Merrimack College dive into the pool during their meet on Jan. 13.

Both teams fare well in January’s only meet ■ Both teams beat Bridgewater State and the mens team beat Keene State in their meet last weekend.

By Lev Brown JUStice Staff writer

EDITOR’S NOTE: Feb. 3 vs. Clark University Feb. 14-17 at UAA Championships (at Emory) Feb. 23-25 at ECAC Championships (at Rutgers)

Track and Field Results from Reggie Poyau Memorial Invitational on Jan 13.

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)

55-Meter Dash

200-Meter Dash

RUNNER TIME Jacob Ward 6.77 Regan Charlie 6.80 Matt Kimmelstiel 6.98

RUNNER TIME Kanya Brown 28.50 Jordan Brill-Cass 28.95 Tessa Holleran 30.55

EDITOR’S NOTE: Friday at BU Terrier Classic Saturday at Tufts Stampede Feb. 2 at NEICAAA Championships

On Saturday, Brandeis took a trip to Keene, New Hampshire to compete against the Keene State College Owls and the Bridgewater State University Bears. The women lost to the Owls 150-87 but were able to beat Bridgewater 157-77. The men’s squad was able to beat both schools. They defeated Keene State 155-69 and and Bridgewater State 123-112.

On the women’s’ side, the Judges were able to earn top three finishes in various events. Emily McGovern ’21 was able to take home first in the IM 200 in 2:23.08 and come in second in the 200-meter breaststroke with a time of 2:36.50. Annie Huang ’21, who had just won the University Athletic Association women’s swimmer of the week award back in December, was able to win the 100-meter at 57.38.

Kylie Herman ’19 was able to place second in the 200, third in the 200 butterfly and second in the 500, with times of 2:04.03, 2:22.70 and 5:31.36, respectively, a strong showing.

Early on in the season, the women’s squad had trouble putting wins on the board, losing it’s first four meets. However, it seems as though it has been able to turn things around, winning two of its last three.

Led by recently-nominated UAA swimmer of the week, Tamir Zitelny ’20, and several rookies, the men’s side was able to dominate its competition.

Richard Selznick ’21 won two races, including the 1000-meter freestyle in 10:14.52 and the 500-meter free in 5:02.48. Daniel Wohl ’21 also won two events, finishing the 200 free with a time of 1:47.25 and the backst roke in 2:18.85. Marcelo Ohno-Machado ‘21 was able to win the 100 free with a time of 249.97 and take second in the 200 (1:52.56). Zitelny posted a secondplace finish in the 200 butterfly in 2:01.27, Joe Beletti-Naccarato ’21 earned second in the 200-backstroke at 2:05.11. With two impressive races, Chase Chen ’21 was able to pull off second place in the 50-meter and the 100-meter races with times of 23.16 and 50.11, respectively.

For the men, the season has been successful, as the squad is now 7-3 and only gaining momentum as the season progresses. When Zitelny was asked about his experience in the season so far, he first discussed winning the player of the week award: “Being the UAA athlete of the

week last month was an awesome honor, being that Brandeis is in one of the most competitive conferences in all of Division III. Both myself and Annie [Huang ’21] received this honor in the same week, which made it even more special that both myself and her could represent Brandeis for the men and women’s side respectively.” When asked about the meet on Saturday, he shared, “Our meet yesterday truly shows our progression as a team from last season to now. I hope that our team’s ability to not only win this tri-meet two years in a row, but expand the gap from last year foreshadows the team’s success in the coming UAA championship meet at Emory in less than a month.”

Last year, the men’s squad finished in seventh and eighth place, respectively, in the two days of the UAA championship, led by then rookie Zitelny. The women’s squad also finished eighth in the championship, leaving room for improvement. Both sides have room to improve this season, and considering the upward trends both are on, the upcoming championship weeks should be promising and exciting to watch.

The team will take a nearby trip to Clark University for their final regular season meet on Feb. 3.

Pro Sports brief Super Bowl LII preview: The Patriots and Eagles will meet in a matchup of dynasty vs. dark horse The connections run rampant — 15 years ago the New England Patriots faced off against the Philadelphia Eagles to decide who would be the champion of the National Football League. The location? EverBank Field, home of the Patriots’ opponent in the American Football Conference Champion game, the Jacksonville Jaguars. This year’s Super Bowl is hosted by the Minnesota Vikings who the Eagles beat in the title game. For two of the Northeast’s most storied franchises, a chance at validation.

The Eagles have the most regular season wins without a Super Bowl title of any NFL team. This rabid fanbase has been starved of a title, and the most unlikely of situations has led to a glimpse at salvation.

Quarterback Carson Wentz, the long awaited savior of Philadelphia

football, ran roughshod over the rest of the NFL until a torn ACL in week 13 sent his season, and the collective hopes of Philadelphia, crashing down. Enter backup quarterback Nick Foles, the pro bowl and single game passing touchdown record holder was thrust into leading this team and a city. After his fantastic 2013 season in Philadelphia, Foles’ career had hit a standstill and he was later traded. Two weeks after Foles reascended to the starting role, a disastrous performance against the Dallas Cowboys ensued, culminating in Foles’ benching. Even with the one seed in tow, hope had run out before the divisional round game against last year’s runner up, the Atlanta Falcons. In a defensive battle, Foles played turnover free football and led the Eagles to a berth in the National

Football Conference title game. On Sunday evening, the only obstacle standing in the Eagles’ way of a long awaited Super Bowl appearance was the Minnesota Vikings, who had overcome their own quarterback injury nightmare in the semifinals.

Experts’ predictions of a defensive grudge match could not have been proven more incorrect. The Eagles launched an assault on the Vikings to the tune of 38 points, especially impressive against this Vikings team that led the NFL in scoring defense at a measly 15.8 points allowed per game. Foles was superb, and the defense was outstanding, especially considering the Goliath awaiting them in Minnesota. Never before in the history of the NFL has Super Bowl appearances become such a regularity for a team than these New

England Patriots, appearing in eight championship games in the last 17 years. No other team has more than three in that timeframe. Head coach Bill Belichick is going for his eighth Super Bowl title as a coach and quarterback Tom Brady his sixth as a player, both unprecedented feats.

Validation is hard to come by for a team like this, and nobody beats father time, yet Belichick and Brady have their team in position to do just that. As for the game at hand, the Eagles proved their mettle with the domination dealt to the Vikings.

Foles’ ability to beat zone coverage and tough man to man coverage will be imperative in order to open up the run game against the Patriots.

Early on, the Patriots sold out to stop the Jaguars powerful running attack, putting the game squarely

on quarterback Blake Bortles’ shoulder. The Patriots are known for making teams uncomfortable by taking away their top option, but with the Eagles that top option is not clear. The passing game has worked wonders recently, but Foles is still inexperienced and not far from his days playing turnover prone football.

On the flip side, the Patriots came out flat against the Jaguars defense, getting back to their core of quick passes, screens, and occasional shots down the field will be important in order to quickly find their rhythm. If the Patriots come out flat and don’t hit their stride until late again, they may not have enough time to recover. But if anyone knows what works in the big game, it’s the guy on the sideline with the ragged, cut-off hoodie.

—Cahler Fruchtman

just

Sports

Page 16

TEAMS STILL SWIMMING HARD The Brandeis men’s and women’s swim teams continued their strong seasons in last weekend’s meet, p. 15.

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

MEN’S BASKETBALL

HARD IN THE PAINT

Judges continue long losing streak ■ The team has now

lost six straight games dropping its record to an unimpressive 4-12.

By Ben Katcher Justice Editor

The men’s basketball team had a tough week, dropping both of its University Athletic Association conference games at home. The struggling squad dropped to a 4-12 record as it is still figuring things out as a cohesive unit.

Judges 57, Emory 90 The Judges ended their week with a tough loss at the hands of Emory University by a final score of 90-57. Emory improved to an impressive 14-2 overall record, while its conference record remained a perfect 5-0.

Emory simply outplayed Brandeis this week in all major facets of the game. The Eagles shot 53.8 percent from the field compared to the Judges’ 41.3 percent. Furthermore, the Judges had a lower threepoint shooting percentage (30.0 to 38.7), fewer rebounds (28 to 32)

Waltham, Mass.

and fewer assists (nine to 26). The biggest difference between the two squads in this one, however, was depth coming off the bench. Emory had a remarkable 49 bench points compared to Brandeis’ 15.

Judges 66, Rochester 75 The Judges were defeated on Friday by the University of Rochester by a final score of 75-66. The loss was the 11th of the season for Brandeis as their conference record fell to 0-4 on the season. Rochester improved to 12-3 overall with a 3-1 record in the conference.

Guard Collin Sawyer ’20 led the way offensively for Brandeis with 14 points on 5-12 shooting. Guard Lawrence Sabir ’21 was a menace for the team as well, totaling 12 points, seven assists and four rebounds for the day. Forward Chandler Jones ’21 also reached double-digits with 10 points for the Judges.

This game came down to rebounding, free throws and bench points. Rochester dominated down low, outrebounding Brandeis 41-28.

Furthermore, Rochester had twice as many free throws as the Judges, 26-13. The biggest point of difference

See MBBALL, 13 ☛

Pro Sports Column

Cavs slumping, but title hopes remain high ■ A rough two weeks could

act as a wakeup call for the Eastern Conference favorite to get in playoff form.

By Jerry Miller STAFF WRITER

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been categorically abysmal these past two weeks. In that stretch, the Cavs have beaten only one team — the Orlando Magic, the worst team in the entire league. In those two contests against the Magic, the Cavs won by a combined five points. They barely squeezed by in a 104-103 win on Jan. 18 and allowed 127 points on Jan. 6. The following weekend, the Cavs outdid themselves once again, pathetically giving up 148 points to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Cavs were also handed their biggest loss of the season, a 34-point blowout, by their now conference rival, the Toronto Raptors.

Needless to say, defense has been a struggle for the Cavs. Though they put up 109.7 points per game, they allow 109.5 points per game to their opponents. They rank, unbelievably, ahead of only four other teams in the NBA, one of which is the cringeworthy Magic.

The Cavs aren’t clueless though — they realize their mistakes and General Manager Koby Altman is looking to plug the leaks.

In a recent update, the Cavs are looking to trade for Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, guard Lou Williams and Sacramento Kings guard George Hill. In the process, the Cavs expressed willingness to part with their 2018 first-round draft pick, guard Iman Shumpert and center Tristan Thompson. Though this move would bring along a powerful force down low in Jordan and a hot

scorer in Williams, the Cavs may be disillusioned with their posttrade performance.

For starters, they may be trying to fit a square into a circle-sized gap. Let’s not mince words — the Cavaliers’ entire season plan is focused on the Golden State Warriors who have three of the top shooters in the league. With the triple threat at the three-point line, the Cavs need players who can defend up top and against smaller, quicker players. Jordan, a post-man who plays mainly within the paint, won’t solve any of those needs.

That’s where Williams and Hill come in. The Cavs must be hoping that those players will be able to better defend against guard Stephen Curry, guard Kevin Durant and guard Klay Thompson.

Except for the fact that both are aging, 31-year old Williams and Hill will be solid role players at best. The Cavs will be trading away a premier defender in Shumpert for a better offensive player and a similarly suited defensive player in Williams or Hill. Yet Williams, who is averaging 23.4 points, is only doing so because of the lack of other scorers on the Clippers as he fills the role of former star point guard Chris Paul. Once he is instituted into the Cavs lineup, his offensive production will drop drastically and his worth will mainly be valued in his defensive abilities, which may not be much better than those of Shumpert. If the Cavs can in fact obtain both Williams and Hill they may have a case to be made, but that possibility is still subject to much speculation.

Lastly, the Cavs continue to struggle at the point guard position. The squad thought they had rid themselves of those point guard troubles

See PRO SPORTS, 13 ☛

DILLON GARVEY/the Justice

FINGER ROLL FINISH: Guard Camila Casanueva ’21 drives past two University of Rochester defenders in a loss on Jan. 21.

Team looks to final month to improve play ■ As February grows closer, the Judges have a new sense of urgency to improve their positioning.

By NOAH HESSDORF JUSTICE Editor

The women’s basketball team lost both games it played this week, falling to Emory University on Friday night and the University of Rochester on Sunday afternoon.

Judges 39, Emory 53 The squad struggled all game against the visiting Eagles as they dropped to 9-6 on the season. A shaky offense was the team’s major weakness, as it failed to even put up 40 points on the day. The lackluster offense was led guard Eva Hart ’18 who scored 10 points for the Judges.

Hart also added eight rebounds to her impressive stat line. Forward Hannah Nicholson ’20 was another standout for the team as she recorded nine rebounds and eight points.

Brandeis only shot 25 percent for the game, while Emory shot

just under 40 percent. The Eagles’ primary offensive attack came in the second quarter when they outscored the Judges 18-7. They closed out the home team with a 13-7 edge in the fourth quarter as Emory improved to 10-6 on the year.

Judges 61, Rochester 68 Last Friday the squad faced one of its toughest tests yet when it matched up with the No. 7 ranked Yellowjackets. Rochester, one of the top teams in the University Athletic Association, and a projected future champion by many, has been nothing short of dominant at this juncture of the campaign. It has accumulated an overwhelming record of 14-1 overall, and 4-0 in conference play.

That run would not end on the road against the Judges.

Even with the daunting challenge of a formidable opponent, Brandeis kept up with the visitors from Rochester for much of the contest.

However, the squad got off to a sluggish start, getting outscored 2613 in the first quarter. The culprit for the Judges in the period was their inability to hold on to the ball, committing seven turnovers in the

first quarter alone.

Led by a stifling defensive pressure, the Judges were able to climb back into the game in the second quarter. Rochester only converted on three of their 15 field goal attempts in the second, totaling only seven points. Brandeis was able to convert strong defense into offense and trim the deficit to only one, 33-32, going into the halftime break. Guard Noel Hodges ’18 was the leader in the period, scoring eight points to lead the attack. Her biggest play came with under a minute left when she hit on a threepoint attempt that gave Brandeis a temporary lead.

Both teams battled in the third quarter, with guard Katie Goncalo ’20 scoring five points in a row which handed the Judges a four point lead with just over seven minutes left in the period. The team would reach its largest lead of the game with less than three minutes left in the quarter when it led Rochester 48-41. However, the lead would shrink to down to two as the third quarter buzzer sounded.

In the fourth, Rochester showed why they are one of the top

See WBBALL, 13 ☛

Vol. LXX #14

January 23, 2018

t s u j

Vol. LXX #2

September 12, 2017

>>Pg.19

just

Waltham, Mass.

Logo: Mock U. Images: Yvette Sei/the Justice and Creative Commons. Design: Yvette Sei/the Justice.

18

THETUESDAY, JUSTICE january | Arts | 23, TUESDAY, 2018 iJanuary Arts i THE 31,JUSTICE 2017

film review

Westerns are making a comeback By kent dinlenc justice senior writer

There seems to be a resurgence of good Westerns lately, supported by the fresh release, “Hostiles.” After recent triumphs like “Wind River,” “Hell or High Water,” “The Hateful Eight” and “The Revenant,” I might want to re-watch some of the classics, ,from John Ford’s “The Searchers” to any selection out of Sergio Leone’s oeuvre. The modern moviegoer wants more tales of frontier justice, taking place in the fabled territory west of the Mississippi.

“Hostiles” is a film about prejudice and honor. The film opens in the late 1890s with the razing and mass murder of a suburban household. All but the mother, Rosalee (Rosamund Pike), are killed by passing Comanche warriors who wish to steal Americans’ horses for themselves. The film then

cuts to Captain Blocker (Christian Bale), a high-ranking soldier who knows the land the best and hates Native Americans the most. When Blocker is coerced into escorting a prisonerof-war to his tribe’s home territory, he encounters and soothes Rosalee amidst her scorched home and dead family. Along the way, Blocker and the chief (Wes Studi) work together to ward off the Comanche warriors, violent Americans, and their dark, warring pasts.

There is no question that this film is acted flawlessly. Short-lived characters are arguably well-developed and important to Bale’s character, making their deaths all the more moving. The swiftness and unpredictability of death made it a potent obstacle throughout the journey. Bale and Pike are subtle and held back. They portray grief, trauma and anger with intermittent, silent bursts of violence.

Studi, though not very prominent even as the third lead, was appropriately stoic — adapting and interacting to his violent environment with Americans while also assuring the safety of his accompanying family.

“Hostiles” had the makings of a spectacular film, but there were instrumental technical issues that were handled as well as other aspects of the movie. The director, Scott Cooper (“Crazy Heart,” “Black Mass”), had a clear, well-executed vision. His writing, however, was not on par with his directing. There was a myriad of fantastically written scenes, but there was some unconvincing dialogue that plagued the first and part of the second act. There was an abundance of exposition explaining the violent actions of Bale’s and Studi’s characters.

As the old adage goes: “show, don’t tell.” One monologue in particular was easily four minutes long. It was

especially hard to maintain your focus when the actor uses a heavy accent as well. The two did not go well together, though the writing drastically improved as time passed.

There were also some editing choices that were redundant and tiring.

There were many cuts to characters riding their horses over a beautifully picturesque landscape. The cinematography was exceptional, despite some poorly-lit evening and night sequences. The shootouts looked cinematic, but were edited sloppily. The cuts were rushed and dizzying. It was odd to watch a movie called “Hostiles” with poorly executed moments of onscreen hostility.

Max Richter, the composer of the film’s soundtrack, is slowly rising on my list for favorite film composer of all time. Hans Zimmer will never be eclipsed and Carter Burwell has just composed soundtracks for too many

of my favorite films for me to ignore him (“Three Billboards,” “Seven Psychopaths,” “In Bruges,” “Fargo,” anything from the Coen brothers).

Richter wrote one of the most beautiful themes and overall soundtracks of the year, raising my hopes that he gets an Oscar nod today. This music forewarns the impending doom of Rosalee’s family, lets you breathe in moments of harmony, excites you in shootouts despite poor execution, and swells during the poignant end.

Barring the editing and flawed writing, this film had great potential in being one of the best movies of the year. Much like “Phantom Thread” or “Molly’s Game,” I don’t think “Hostiles” will get much attention for the awards circuit, but I do recommend you all see it. While it is a very strong B, Cooper’s missed opportunities could have made something at an A- level, at minimum.

comedy review

WBRS comedy night proves entertaining and fun CLEMENTS PARK/the Justice

OAFISH OPENER: Josh Day, who opened the comedy show, was awkward and many of his jokes fell flat.

By Maya Zanger-Nadis justice Staff writer

There was a full house at Cholmondeley’s Coffee House last Wednesday night for WBRS’ Fresh Comedy Night. The host — Josh Day, a man with more hair than head — opened with a painfully unoriginal joke about not having a joke and followed it with a lowbrow pun. After several more minutes of awkward comedy and uncomfortable laughter, Day introduced Jiayong Li. Originally from Beijing, Li took up comedy five years ago to force himself to “go outside and

talk to people.” Despite his apparent discomfort speaking in front of a crowd, Li’s deadpan style and impressive timing generated the first genuine laughs of the evening. His material centered on his experience acclimating to American culture as a Chinese immigrant, and the audience was surprisingly receptive. It is also possible, however, that the Brandeisian crowd was won over by Li’s harsh critique of white liberals. Regardless of the reason, Jiayong Li’s stand-up was thoroughly enjoyable and undeniably funny.

The next act featured comedi-

enne Emily Ruskowski. Her set was solid, though she spoke almost exclusively about the HGTV “Tiny House” franchise. Despite her unconventional choice of set material, Ruskowski’s energy provided a refreshing change of pace.

The headliner, Corey Rodrigues, followed Ruskowski after another disappointingly punny introduction by Day. Rodrigues hopped onstage and dove into a series of anecdotes, arriving at an uncomfortable description of an interview with a student newspaper regarding the production and cancellation of

“Buyer Beware.”

Most of his act ultimately focused on awkward roommate situations and other difficulties of college dorm life. He called on several members of the audience and even invited some students onstage to tell a story.

The last part of his set, in his own words, “turned into a TED talk.” Drawing on insights from his life, Rodrigues offered genuine advice geared toward university students looking to enter the workforce after graduation: The first two years of a four year degree are for “fun” (although “fun doesn’t

mean fail”) and the last two years should be spent planning for life after college. In retrospect, the latter part of his act seemed a bit like an after-school special. Still, it was honest and practical advice delivered with a great deal of humor.

Overall, Fresh Comedy Night was entertaining and fun, leaving everyone with a smile. It is likely, however, that those smiles would have been laughs had the host not wrapped up while saying “Hey — that’s the end of the show.”

That’s almost as bad as ending a review with: “Hey — that’s the end of the review.”

19

THE JUSTICE i TUESDAY, January 31, 2017 THE JUSTICE i arts i arts Tuesday, January 23, 2018

web series review

By kent dinlenc justice senior writer

Last Saturday was the premiere of the miniseries “MockU,” a satirical look into a liberal college’s theater department and the politically correct culture enveloping it. The production was the brainchild of its creator, Caroline Kriesen ’20, alongside co-director Emma Bers ’20 and cowriters Zoe Rose ’20, Alan Omori ’20 and Maryam Chishti ’20. This admirable and ambitious student project centered on a group of students from

We will, we will ‘Mock U’ varying backgrounds (arts, pre-law, economics) who plan on participating in an Arts Festival for Diversity and Progress to protest the “Ronald Rump” presidential administration.

The roughly 35-minute pilot for this miniseries introduces us to what appear to be theater student stereotypes: the ones who need a creative arts credit, the “theater couple” who are in everything together, the stoner, the awkward midyear, etc. I’ve never actually been in a theater class or production so I can’t quite confirm the validity of the characters, but

they rang true for the audience.

In terms of comedy, my initial reaction was that quite a sizable portion of the jokes went over my head.

There were jabs at PC culture I liked, alongside the stresses of university and family expectations, but a lot of it felt like an inside joke. I noticed that the lion’s share of applause and laughter came from a particular section of the room dominated by the cast and crew. The comedy had little universality and broad appeal.

Despite the somewhat narrow audience this episode was made for, I

mostly had a good time with this.

However, there were some aspects I was hesitant about. Because this is a student production, I won’t zero in on any technical misgivings, as the team was inhibited by their limited resources and that would be unfair.

Some standout performances included Kate Kesselman’s ’19 acting as the single-mindedly-devoted actress, Sam Forman’s ’21 line delivery as her “theater husband” and Savannah Edmondson’s ’20 hilarious “fishout-of-water” position as the normal midyear surrounded by the over-

YVETTE SEI/the Justice

NOT SO ‘PC’: Mock U dissects the politically correct world of liberal arts campuses through tongue-in-cheek comedy.

dramatic theater geeks. Kesselman brought the absurdity, Forman made us laugh the loudest and Edmonson brought a comedic consistency with her reaction shots.

Among the mostly impressive comedic performances, I felt that Rose’s stoner character, Quince, fell flat. She didn’t propel the story in a significant way. The only moment of hers I remember was during her audition for an upcoming project for the festival featured in a montage.

Despite the spotlight, Quince failed to be funnier than almost any other supporting character present in the preceding montage.

The dialogue throughout was not very airtight either. Other than a few satirical lectures about cultural appropriation and commentaries on theater culture, the dialogue felt mostly improvised. This may have been why these aforementioned jokes appealed to me more whereas the ones I considered to be “inside jokes” (perhaps thought up on the spot) flew over my head. Some jokes were thoroughly fleshed out, while these just felt like gags most of the audience was not in on. What mostly sold the jokes was the delivery by the cast. They may have been exaggerated caricatures, but they felt real in the “Mock U” world.

There is one consistent flaw that really bothered me though: the displayed title cards in between scenes.

There were cuts to white text explaining how much time had passed when a simple establishing shot could do the trick. Instead, the team inserted both, adding a redundancy that really bothered me. A cut from one scene to the next in a different location already implies the passage of time. There was a point where a character was leaving the audition room, the screen showed “10 minutes later” and the video cut to the same character walking in the same building.

Overall, I would say this project knew whom its audience was. Students in the Theater department will get a kick out of it. What’s important is that Kriesen and her team should be lauded for their effort and ambition. If a project appeals to and entertains its envisioned audience, I would consider it a success. This project was simply not intended for me.

film review

What a wonderful world of ‘Wonder’

By Lizzie grossman justice editor

Over Thanksgiving and winter break, my family talked about seeing “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”

However, my mind gravitated toward another movie that many of my family members seemed to consider to be a “kids” movie: “Wonder.”

“Wonder,” based on the book by R.J. Palacio, is about a 10-year-old boy named August “Auggie” Pullman (Jacob Tremblay) who lives with his mother Isabel (Julia Roberts), his father Nate (Owen Wilson) and his sister Via (Izabela Vidovic) in upper Manhattan. While it is a story that revolves around children, the trailers attracted me to this film due to the well-known actors, the themes it deals with — which many children’s movies do not — and the values of family, love and the hardships of life that the film embodies.

The plot focuses on Auggie as he is about to begin fifth grade

at a preparatory school, his first time not being homeschooled.

He had been homeschooled due to a rare facial deformity he was born with, which required him to have 27 surgeries throughout his life. According to Auggie, “They help me to breathe, to see, to hear without a hearing aid, but none of them have made me look ordinary.” As one might expect, most of the film deals with how Auggie fits in at his new school and how he meshes with his new classmates, with lots of the expected bullying from his immature and rather uncharitable fifth-grade peers, save for a few kinder souls who defy the attitudes of the majority in their class. The deuteragonist of the film is Auggie’s older sister Via, who is starting high school. She gets along very well with her brother, but has felt ignored by her parents for most of her life due to the attention that Auggie has required as a result of his medical condition, and she does not have many friends. To make it harder for her, her best friend Miranda (Danielle Russell), one

of her only confidantes, now seems to be ignoring her.

As someone who has not read the novel, I cannot say whether the beauty of the storyline was due to the plot, as presented in the novel, or to the way that the filmmakers portrayed it. However, my favorite element of this film by far was its focus on many different characters in the film, seamlessly flowing from one backstory to another. Rather than simply portraying Auggie as a victim and all of his classmates as villains, the film conveys the motives behind many of the characters whose lives are influenced by Auggie. Via’s storyline is impressively weaved into the rest of the film, showing the hardships that a family of a child like Auggie faces. There are even some other secondary characters that the film focuses on, such as Miranda and one of Auggie’s classmates Jack (Noah Jupe). Jack wants to befriend Auggie but is bullied by some of his peers for doing so. The film shows how Jack truly grows as a character. He begins by having

trouble befriending someone who is different, but the spark of his personality allows him to overcome that and stand up for what he believes in, demonstrating the impact that Auggie has on others. Miranda’s backstory is even more interesting and unexpected, illustrating how Auggie’s presence has helped her even though she is not part of his family. The way that the film transitions between characters emphasizes the importance of the emotions that are dealt with by all parties involved in a situation as difficult as the one Auggie is dealing with.

I also thought the casting was very well done. Wilson does a wonderful job at portraying the nerdy, awkward and lovable father, while Roberts ties together the family dynamic as the slightly more stern and caring mother. Vidovic, while a lesserknown actress, brings incredible emotion to her character and, while extremely beautiful and put-together, impressively portrays a shy and slightly awkward high school student. And

of course, all the younger actors do a fantastic job at conveying the emotions that fifth-grade students grapple with in such a situation, especially Tremblay himself. By the way, the work that the makeup team must have done to make Tremblay’s face look as it should for the movie was one of the most impressive visual elements of the film on its own.

After seeing this film, I would not shy away from calling it a “kids’” movie, but it is one of the many movies that shows that “kids’” movies are definitely not just for children to enjoy.

Even as a 21-year-old college student, I was able to empathize with many different characters in the movie, including the adults, who are an integral part of the plot despite its focus on the children. I would definitely recommend this film, as it displays both the simplicities and hardships of childhood through a basic but well-directed plot and allows viewers of any age to emotionally connect to the story.

20

TUESDAY, January 23, 2018 | Arts | THE JUSTIce

Brandeis TALKS

INTERVIEW

wf

If you could add a new restaurant option to Usdan, what would it be?

Caroline Kriesen ’20 ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice

Shoshanah Weinreich ’20

This week, justArts spoke with Caroline Kriesen ’20, who is the executive producer of the new web series “Mock U.”

“I would do a poke restaurant because it’s kind of a crime that we don’t have poke ... in shuttle distance of campus.”

justArts: What first got you thinking about “Mock U?”

CARMI ROTHBERG/the Justice

CROSSWORD

Meghana Reddy ’21

“A breakfast place that has really good pancakes, and, like, interesting flavors, and vegan options.”

Goldie Davoudgoleh ’20

“I would open a Sweetgreen in upper Usdan.”

Yasmine Haddad ’20 “I’m from New York City and in New York City we have, like, these Halal carts … They serve chicken over rice, maybe shawarma and maybe falafel.”

--Compiled and photographed by Andrew Baxter/the Justice.

STAFF’S Top Ten

ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice

Top 10 Reasons Students Show Up for Events

CROSSWORD COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN

28 “______ Kleine Nachtmusik” 29 “Friends” character 30 “Yeah, right!”

31 Center of a Scrabble board 32 Legumes of Andean origin 36 Something felt by young voters in 2016?

37 One of two opposing forces in China 39 Ways of doing things 42 One-named singer of “Umbrella” 45 Ferrell played him in an SNL bit 46 Lemon 47 Yen 50 Deceive 51 Former British Prime Minister 52 Not really serious DOWN 53 An email from a Nigerian 1 Famous Ford flop prince, e.g.

2 Telemarketer’s goal 54 Drop ____ 3 Open, as a new computer 55 Baseball tactic 4 “Peer Gynt” character 58 ____ Palmas 5 U.S.P.S. delivery 59 The Celtics, on a 6 2K, say scoreboard 7 Parallel parked, say 8 “Contre ____ de la tyrannie...” 60 Bad thing to be stuck in (“Le Marseillaise” lyric) 9 Meas. of economic success 10 Supporter of the arts 11 Autocrats 12 Hoth attacker in “Star Wars” 13 Hits lightly 18 “Young Frankenstein” role 22 Swingers’ bars?

24 Numbskull 25 Home to many cultures?

26 Part of I.B. 27 Make in total

JA: What do you envision for the future of “Mock U?”

SOLUTION COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN

CK: I’d love for it to start with the Brandeis community and move to liberal arts colleges, then colleges and parents. I want a non-millennial audience to access it. I think it could be like looking in a mirror, but I also want people who don’t know about this community to interact with it in a [way] that is non-threatening.

JA: How do you want people to react to “Mock U?”

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

With the massive number of events held on campus every week, it is impossible to go to all of them. Although students all have their own ways of deciding how to spend their free time, if they end up at a club meeting or department event, it is probably because of one of these reasons.

JA: Why did you choose to present “Mock U” as a web series?

CK: I felt that that was the most accessible platform for a wide audience. I want people to be involved and see what I’m doing and I want it to go beyond Brandeis. I wanted distribution and the format of a long form narrative to develop stories and characters. I wanted people to contribute. I wanted people who were comedy writers and actors to work on it and make it more accurate.

SUDOKU

By Jocelyn Gould

justice EDITORial assistant

1. Free food 2. A friend made them 3. Will benefit future career 4. An interesting topic 5. Free food 6. Extra credit 7. Their crush thinks it is interesting 8. Free swag 9. Free food 10. Free food

ACROSS 1 Like e^i(pi) and -1 6 ____ shui 10 Test for H.S. juniors 14 “The Beguiled” actress 15 Japanese noodle 16 Word before boy or girl 17 Going dry 19 “____ Queen” (Fetty Wap song) 20 D.D.E.’s command 21 Test for some coll. juniors 22 Doesn’t run very fast 23 Chill 24 Garish 25 The King’s middle name 26 Intense rage 30 Messianic figure in children’s lit 33 Type of tide 34 “Dios ____!”

35 Stay loyal to 38 Delirium _____ 40 Descartes’ conclusion 41 Culprit in a money-motivated murder plot, perhaps 43 Areas 44 Groups that people rush to join?

48 Raisin ____ 49 Baseball stat 50 Subj. of the play “All the Way” 53 Knight’s mount 55 Courtside seat?

56 U.N. agcy.

57 Cancer, in a sense 58 When you may be solving this puzzle... as illustrated by the shaded squares 61 Prime draft status 62 Actress Kendrick of “Pitch Perfect” 63 Belly button type 64 Paypal founder 65 Actor Sebastian of “I, Tonya” 66 Tale

Caroline Kriesen: The very first thing was that I joined an improv group — TBA. I didn’t think that I was a funny person at all — I just auditioned on a whim ...We talked about how to make good improv and it’s not about a joke — it’s about the story, a relationship. It’s about how people interact with each other. That was the beginning of me realizing that I could create meaningful comedy … I was really involved with the theater community and I loved it, but I’d been doing theater for my entire life — I felt like college was the time to do different things and do my own stuff. One day I just wrote a bunch of different scenes [and got started]. It was going to be a play originally. I just came up with initiations, scenes, ideas, and one was a documentarystyle conversation about a casting decision that happened at a liberal arts university. It was one character reacting to theater and was like, “I think this is so great but I don’t think it was really fair. I think it was about social justice, not good acting.” That idea is so in the back of our minds — how do we do real progress and real justice. That thinking began it.

Solution to last issue’s sudoku

Puzzle courtesy of www.sudokuoftheday.com

CK: I would love for people to hate it and to love it, any sort of reaction. I don’t want people to feel passive or neutral about it. In general, if we’re all thinking the same things, we don’t often think of nuance.

JA: What was the most rewarding part of directing “Mock U?” CK: The most rewarding thing about it was audience reaction, but I think the other thing that is rewarding is making friends and developing friendships further with people who care about the project. The most rewarding thing is seeing people bring what they have to “Mock U” and making it better. Anytime that there are these moments that people are bringing themselves into it and making work and making it better is so rewarding.

—Hannah Kressel