The Justice, January 30, 2018 by The Justice

ARTS Page 19

FORUM Criticize Grammy Awards process 12 SPORTS Men’s basketball ends losing streak 16

‘QUICKIES’ ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice

The Independent Student Newspaper

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Volume LXX, Number 15

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Tuesday, January 30, 2018

CREATIVE ARTS AWARD

Community

Liebowitz talks on Univ. future ■ University President Ron

Liebowitz led an open meeting to share strategic thoughts on the University's future. By JOCELYN GOULD JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Continuing an ongoing dialogue with the Brandeis community, University President Ron Liebowitz held an open meeting on Wednesday night to discuss the University’s future. Liebowitz opened the meeting with a speech that laid out “broad, strategic areas within which will lie many other specific programs, ideas and recommendations.” These priorities were the result of 18 months of meeting with Brandeis community members during office hours and small lunches, consulting two experts on the University’s identity and mission and reading 35 self-reflection documents written by “faculty and staff leaders of the insti-

tution,” Liebowitz explained. The first priority Liebowitz highlighted was to become “a newly extraverted institution with regional, national and global connections and impact.” He pointed to the transition Brandeis has experienced in the last two to three decades, during which it “hunkered down” and started “focusing in on itself … instead of looking outside,” moving away from the international character of its founding. To solve this problem, Liebowitz wants Brandeis to take pride in what makes the University special. Currently, he sees the University as “overly self-critical” and consequently losing the opportunity to share “all the institutional accomplishments with the wider world in order to build relationships and build the reputation of the institution.” Turning his attention to issues within the University, Liebowitz expressed a deep desire to “redefine the student experience.” Although proud of Brandeis’ academic rigor, the pres-

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COMMUNITY

Liebowitz supports Middlebury colleague ■ Liebowitz supported

Ithaca College President Shirley Collado amidst a sexual assault allegation. By AVRAHAM PENSO JUSTICE EDITOR

University President Ron Liebowitz wrote a Jan. 17 open letter defending his former colleague, Ithaca College President Shirley Collado, who pleaded no contest to a 2001 charge of misdemeanor sexual abuse. The open letter followed a Jan. 16 article by student newspaper The Ithacan, which detailed the abuse accusation made by a former patient. “I am writing to express my unequivocal support for Dr. Shirley Collado as she confronts the resurfacing of decades-old allegations that impugn her reputation,” Li-

ebowitz’s letter begins. Collado began working at Middlebury College while Liebowitz was president in 2007, serving first as vice president for institutional planning and diversity and later as dean of the College and vice president of student affairs. Liebowitz discussed hiring Collado in the open letter, writing, “Shirley was quite candid in discussing a legal action lodged against her when she was in her twenties and the fraught decision she made to seek a resolution rather than fight the baseless charges.” Liebowitz also praised Collado’s work, asserting that her years at Middlebury were “characterized by her deep empathy for our students and colleagues, her championing of creating an inclusive learning environment, and a commitment to assisting those less advantaged.”

YVETTE SEI/the Justice

WELLER: The Creative Arts Award was presented to Michael Weller '65 (R) during a dinner ceremony in the Faculty Club on Tuesday.

Weller receives Creative Arts Award for career’s works ■ Michael Weller ’65 was

awarded on Tuesday night and spoke of the “Buyer Beware” controversy in his acceptance. By SAM STOCKBRIDGE JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In his acceptance speech for the 2017 Creative Arts Award, Michael Weller ’65 expressed his gratitude and frustration in the wake of his controversial play, “Buyer Beware.” Weller, an Academy-Award nominated screenwriter and Brandeis alumnus, was announced as the recipient of the award last summer. Weller noted in his speech that he wrote the play to demonstrate his appreciation for the University. The ceremony was held on Tuesday evening in the Main Dining Room of the Faculty Club, populated by more than a hundred professors, faculty members, alumni and student leaders. Prof. Gannit Ankori (FA), head of the Division of Creative Arts, kicked off the night with a short film which detailed Weller’s accolades and accomplishments through old interviews and photographs. Weller said in the film that his Brandeis college experience informed the composition of his first

play, “Moonchildren.” He went on to write more than 40 other plays and screenplays. The film also provided context for the Creative Arts Award, which has been awarded to such distinguished individuals as Tennessee Williams, Georgia O’Keeffe, Mark Rothko, Vladimir Nabokov, Buckminster Fuller, John Cage, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Charlie Chaplin. After the video, guests ate dinner and mingled. One member of the Lydian String Quartet discussed free speech on college campuses with alumni, former faculty and Justice reporters, themes that Weller would echo in his acceptance speech. After the meal, University President Ron Liebowitz presented Weller with the award, then gave a short speech apologizing for the controversy surrounding “Buyer Beware.” He emphasized the importance of discussing and learning from the production, instead of simply focusing on the “miscommunication and pain.” The controversy in question began in 2016, when Brandeis invited Weller to study the Lenny Bruce archives and engage with students, faculty and administration as he completed his fellowship. He drew on this research to write a new play

to be performed at Brandeis, tentatively titled “Buyer Beware.” The name is a reference to one of Bruce’s recordings. The play focused on a white college student named Roy who performs a comedy routine in the style of Lenny Bruce at his college, leading to threats from the administration and other students. Roy recites parts of the eponymous Bruce routine at the beginning of the play, including eight uses of the N-word and four uses of other slurs, as well as jokes about the Israel-Palestine conflict, while a crowd of students protests his performance. In July 2017, a draft of the play was presented to the University’s Theater Arts Department, where it was scheduled to be performed in November 2017. Several students voiced opposition to the play, including Andrew Child ’19, an undergraduate departmental representative for the theater department, and alumna Ayelet Schrek ’17, who helped organize a phone and email campaign to draw attention to the play’s language use and portrayal of minorities. After weeks of criticism, the University proposed postponing the production until spring 2018, when it would offer a course to discuss the controversial aspects of the play.

See AWARD, 7 ☛

Faulty Perceptions

Shooting Straight

Election Results

 Experts discussed how perceptions of race affect our behavior.

 The women’s basketball team has high hopes for the final month of the season.

The Student Union welcomed new members after Thursday's election.

CLEMENTS PARK/the Justice

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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

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2018

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NEWS SENATE LOG

POLICE LOG

Senate discusses intersectionality in club recognition and daily life

Medical Emergency

The Senate convened on Sunday and reflected on last week’s debate over whether or not to recognize an identity club on grounds of duality of purpose. The bulk of the meeting time was spent on an open forum on intersectionality, facilitated by Union Diversity Officer Amber Abernathy ’18. Abernathy said her goal was to to help present a framework for moving forward in how the Senate sees “intersectionality and inclusion in general,” not only to aid Senate members with how they come to recognize clubs but also with their day-to-day tasks as they interact with constituents. Last week’s review and vote not to recognize the Jewish Feminist Association of Brandeis, a group that fell under the Hillel umbrella, led to some Senate members’ concerns about how to reconcile intersectional identities and the Senate’s bylaw policies on duality of purpose. However, Student Union Vice President Hannah Brown ’19 said the discussion on intersectionality had been requested by many Senate members since last semester and that the facilitation was “not about last week,” rather “about the future and how we will go about club recognition.” Brown said the subject of club recognition and duality of purpose has been largely debated in the Senate for the past three years. Abernathy introduced the history of the term “intersectionality,” first coined by scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, recipient of the University’s 2017 Joseph Gittler Prize. The term is used to refer to how different aspects of identity — such as class, race, gender and sexual orientation — may overlap and interact with one another. Abernathy told senators to realize, “When we don’t look at the complex being and all the identities that someone holds, we’re really risking putting someone out and leaving someone out and really causing harm.” Senate members further reflected on how they may incorporate the theory into their work and policies. “It’s important to recognize your place in any conversation … making sure you see from the other perspective and asking yourself what you bring to the table as far as your history and your background,” said Social Justice and Diversity Committee Chair and Rosenthal Quad Senator Lizy Dabanka ’20. Racial Minority Senator Hangil Ryu ’20 brought up the idea that intersectionality may include consideration of mental health, and others agreed that intersectionality can pertain to many types of crossroads. Club Support Committee Chair and Class of 2020 Senator Tal Richtman asked the Senate to think about what actionable items beside “listening better” could be implemented to ensure that the Senate practices intersectionality. East Quad Senator Samantha Barrett ’20 added, “Because we’re a legislative body … there needs to be some general outline that says ‘okay, these are the parameters we follow’” when determining duality of purpose. Class of 2019 Senator Vidit Dhawan agreed that, while it is important that people are aware of intersectionality, it is equally important for the student body to focus on using shared interests to get more diverse members to each other’s clubs, rather than spreading the community thin with many sub-groups. The Senate left the discussion open-ended for future discussions and implementations. Brown announced to the Senate that the Board of Trustees meeting is taking place today and that their request for a student panel for a Q&A on student life and concerns will include Abernathy, Brown, Student Union President Jacob Edelman ’18, Rebecca Myers ’18 and several graduate students.

Jan. 22—A party in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center reported that they injured their knee. BEMCo staff treated the party with a signed refusal for further care. Jan. 22—A party in Usen Hall reported that they had been struck in the head with a basketball approximately an hour and a half earlier in the evening. BEMCo staff treated the party with a signed refusal for further care. Jan. 25—University Police and BEMCo assisted Department of Community Living and Brandeis Counseling Center staff with a psychiatric transport from Cable Hall to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Jan. 25—University Police received a report of a party vomiting blood in a bathroom in Shapiro Hall. The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital by Cataldo Ambulance

staff. Jan. 26—BEMCo staff treated a party in the Foster Mods who has chronic back pain. University Police transported the party to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Jan. 27—BEMCo staff treated an intoxicated party in the Foster Mods with a signed refusal for further care. Jan. 27—University Police received a report of an intoxicated party in a bathroom in East Quad. BEMCo staff treated the party, who was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. The area coordinator on call was notified of the incident. Jan. 27—A party in Reitman Hall reported that they were feeling ill. BEMCo staff treated the party, who was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. The ACOC was notified.

Jan. 27—University Police received a report of an intoxicated party in a Ridgewood Quad bathroom. BEMCo staff treated the party, who was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. The ACOC was notified. Jan. 28—BEMCo assisted a party in Village Quad who appeared to be intoxicated. The party signed a refusal for further care.

Disturbance

Jan. 24—A staff member reported that an alumnus had previously trespassed in Rosenthal Quad. University Police compiled a report and issued a trespass notice at the request of a judicial staff member. Jan. 27—A community advisor on duty in the Foster Mods reported that an authorized party in one of the Mods had ended, but some of the attendees leav-

VIETNAMESE FAMILY DINNER

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

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

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Larceny

Jan. 27—A party in Cable Hall reported that a keychain with their ID card had been taken from their door after it was left in the lock overnight. University Police compiled a report on the incident and DCL will have the lock replaced. The residents were relocated for the evening. —Compiled by Abby Patkin

BRIEF US Attorney conflicts with Massachusetts’ legalization of marijuana

—Michelle Dang

n A News article incorrectly conflated the library solar panel installation with a separate University partnership with Borrego Solar Systems. The Borrego solar project is not conected to the library’s new solar panels, and the four solar partner companies mentioned were not involved in the Goldfarb project (Jan. 23, pg. 3).

ing seemed to be overly aggressive. University Police were on standby in the area until the crowd dispersed without incident. Jan. 28—University Police received a noise complaint regarding a party in the Foster Mods. The party was cleared without incident. Jan. 28—University Police dispersed a small, loud group from outside Cholmondeley’s Coffee House without incident.

HEATHER SCHILLER/the Justice

Students tried Vietnamese cuisines at an event held by the Vietnamese Student Association at the Intercultural Center on Friday evening.

During a press conference in his office on Wednesday, US Attorney Andrew Lelling stated that he “will not rule out” bringing criminal charges against participants in Massachusetts’ newly-legal marijuana industry, according to a Jan. 24 Wicked Local report. Lelling, recently appointed by President Donald Trump, affirmed that he will enforce the administration’s agenda and defer to federal law, which classifies marijuana as a Schedule I illicit substance, rather than to recent state laws legalizing the drug. Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently rescinded an Obama administration policy allowing states to legalize marijuana without conflicting federal enforcement. In previous statements, Lelling has echoed similar sentiments. On Jan. 4, Lelling stated, “This office will pursue federal marijuana crimes as part of its overall approach to reducing violent crime, stemming the tide of the drug crisis, and dismantling criminal gangs, and in particular the threat posed by bulk trafficking of marijuana, which has had a devastating impact on local communities.” Lelling has already begun prosecuting offenders on marijuana-related charges. According to the same Wicked Local report, on Jan. 12 Lelling charged Massachusetts residents Peter Molle Jr. and Eric Vallee with illegally cultivating marijuana. On immigration, Lelling expressed similar views to Trump and vowed to push the administration’s agenda in that sphere as well. “When it comes to immigration enforcement, we will be more aggressive...I think you will see increased immigration enforcement from my office,” Lelling said during the same press conference. Lelling acknowledged that the administration’s viewpoints on marijuana and immigration are unpopular in Massachusetts and added that he still hopes to maintain relationships with local and state police departments. Lelling asserted, “I’m appointed by the president to pursue the president’s law enforcement agenda.” —Emily Blumenthal

ANNOUNCEMENTS Meet the Director of Sexual Assault Services

Let’s warmly welcome Sarah Berg, Director of Sexual Assault Services and Prevention, to the Brandeis community. She is excited to be here and looking forward to working closely with students, faculty, and staff. Stop by the Rape Crisis Center tosay hello. Light breakfast will be served. Tomorrow from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in the Rape Crisis Center, Usdan.

Gender and Sexuality Center Open House

The Gender and Sexuality Center will hold a mid-year open house to unveil all of the new programming we’ll be rolling out this semester. Come by and enjoy some snacks, grounding exercises, and learn about the new programming, collaborations and initiatives we’re launching this semester! Tomorrow from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Gender and Sexuality Center, Usdan.

Mini Day of Service

We invite students, faculty and staff to join the Waltham Group’s Community Connections for a mini day of service. Engage on-site with a community partner and reflect about your experience with your group. Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. off campus.

Amal Kassir: Islamophobia in College

Amal Kassir is a hijabi Syrian-American spoken word artist. Amal’s work focuses on bringing educational opportunities to displaced Syrian children. Amal will give a talk about Islamophobia on college campuses and in the larger world. She will focus on the importance of humanizing individuals and reaching out across boundaries that may separate us. Saturday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Theater, Shapiro Campus Center.

Cyber Security Workshop

Information Technology Services realizes the importance of securing the University’s data and computing infrastructure. Topics to be covered will include: compliance with laws and regulations that pertain to the University, personally identifiable information, general security practices and upcoming security enhancements. Monday from 10 a.m. to noon in the Lurias, Hassenfeld Conference Center.

“Sound and Fury” Film Screening

Deepen your understanding of Deaf identity and culture through a screening of the documentary “Sound and Fury.” Experts Courtney Dunne, Larry Stephen and Bruce Bucci will offer their perspectives and lead an in-depth discussion on the issues raised in the film. Monday from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Altman Amphitheater, Heller-Brown building.

the justice

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TUESDAY, January 30, 2018

faculty meeting

BRIEF New Muslim chaplain hired to counsel and support students Mohammed Xhemali has joined the Brandeis Multifaith Chaplaincy as the new Muslim chaplain, the Office of Diversity announced this week. As the new chaplain, Xhemali will lead prayers, give sermons and provide spiritual counseling for anyone in the Brandeis community who wants it. He will also serve as the new adviser to the Brandeis Muslim Student Association, where he will assist with their events and programs. Prior to joining Brandeis, Xhemali got involved with religious exploration when he studied to become a pharmacist, at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy University. There he led the Muslim Student Association. He also gave sermons regularly at the Worcester Islamic Center in his hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts and served as a chaplain at Worcester County Correctional Facility. In an interview with the Justice, Xhemali said that he comes from a Muslim family, but added, “I feel like anyone who is taught a certain way still has to take a certain journey on their own to find that intrinsic motivation to assume the role that they end up assuming later in life.” He then elaborated, “I just remember being in high school one day and it hitting me like a wall: am I Muslim because my parents are Muslim or because I think this is the truth from God? And then coming to terms with the answer to that question that is mine — not my parents, not the mosque — that’s the process I engaged in.” Xhemali acknowledged that

getting in tune with one’s religious beliefs is a difficult process to go through and said that he is grateful he had mentors and teachers to help him. As a chaplain, he wants to help people navigate this process. About his mentors, Xhemali said, “They meant so much to me to be that kind of resource, so being able to turn that around and be that resource for people who are confused or being there for whatever they need; it’s a rewarding experience. It feels like I’m paying back what I’ve gotten through life.” Xhemali continued, “I just think that in our day and age, it’s so difficult to get an outside take on the ideas and representations of what Islam is about and my goal is to help demystify what this religion is for a lot of people and be there as a resource for them along with every other chaplain here on campus. It is literally our job to have our doors open to people. We are more than willing to invite anyone who wants to come by for any kind of conversation.” For those seeking spiritual counseling, Xhemali said he and the other chaplains are a great resource on campus. In particular, Xhemali’s hours vary because of his work as a pharmacist, but he will always be in his office at the Brandeis Student Muslim Association Suite in the lower Usdan Student Center on Friday mornings and afternoons, as well as Tuesday afternoons and evenings. — Mack Schoenfeld

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KALIANNI NEAL-DESATNIK/the Justice

ADMISSIONS REPORT: Dean of Admissions Jennifer Walker gave faculty an update on admisions and enrollment on Friday.

Faculty receive snapshot of admissions landscape

■ The faculty convened in

their monthly meeting to hear updates from Admissions and administrators on Friday. By Michelle dang Justice EDITOR

Midway through the application cycle for the Class of 2022, the admissions officers are looking to increase face-to-face recruitment tactics in future cycles, Dean of Admissions Jennifer Walker explained at the monthly faculty meeting on Friday. Walker gave a presentation on enrollment statistics and the recruitment and status of applications for the upcoming year. “With confidence, 60 percent of our applicant pool is fully admissible — so by the numbers we know they could come here and be successful,” said Walker, who spoke of the University as a top tier school, albeit one facing a “very saturated market here” in the college-dense Boston area. “I and my team at admissions are largely focused on identifying students who want to be here, who seem like the best fit for our community … those that seem to identify as someone who will make contributions to your classroom experience,” Walker said. Although the Admissions Office is not yet through the current application cycle, Walker gave an overview of Class of 2021 demographics. Compared to the prior year, Class of 2021 applications were up by 3.3 percent as a whole, however the rate of international applications up 4.1 percent higher than domestic applications, at 2.5 percent — an ongoing trend, said Walker. She added that 4,010 students

were admitted from the applicant pool and that notably, 35 percent of the class applied early decision, the binding agreement that identifies a college as the first choice for the student. Sharing a snapshot of Class of 2021 demographics, Walker highlighted several key statistics. International students make up 19 percent of the class, which is in range of the University’s ideal of 20 percent or less, and 73 percent came from outside New England, which is consistent with years past. Of the domestic students, 30 percent identify as non-white, and of that, underrepresented minorities represent 15 percent. In addition, after subtracting the international student population, 49 percent of the class identify as white. Walker also added that 14 percent of the class is made up of first generation college students and 17 percent of the class is Pell Grant Program eligible, or part of the low-income bracket eligible for non-repayable federal aid. In regards to the ongoing application cycle, Walker said that Admissions has worked to increase its face-to-face recruitment, traditional marketing and communications with prospective students. High school students today want colleges to “market specifically to them,” she said. A faculty member asked what is taken into consideration when determining the “fit” Walker mentioned, followed with, “What is the ‘Brandeis Culture?’” Reflecting on the difficulty of answering that question, Walker said, “I wish I could give you a blanket statement,” but she noted that a clear passion for learning was common. She gave an anecdote about an applicant who — in response to a prompt “What can you speak hours and hours about”

— wrote an entire application essay on gerund phrases, or ‘-ing words,’ inciting laughs from the faculty. “I was sure he was going to find his place here,” Walker said. University President Ron Liebowitz was absent from the meeting and Provost Lisa Lynch provided his notes to the faculty. Liebowitz asked faculty to contribute to his “strategic thoughts” discussion on the future of the University and also mentioned that the monthly Board of Trustees meeting will take place today and tomorrow. The Board will meet with faculty, staff and students involved in the two resolutions passed by the faculty last fall: faculty and staff retiring contributions and divestment of the University’s endowment portfolio of fossil fuels. The Board will also meet with a student panel with a “strong desire from board members to hear about the challenges students faces on campus.” The Board’s academic committee will have a discussion among themselves and with the Board at large to consider the general education proposal passed by faculty in November 2017. The Board will also meet with 15 faculty members who have been hired in the last four to five years, in order to hear about their faculty and teaching experiences and challenges, as well as what drew them to the University. Lynch concluded the meeting by sharing a list of goals for 2018 from the Provost’s Office. Pertaining directly to students, the goals included getting a better understanding of student life from undergraduate and graduate students and promoting faculty awareness on student mental health issues, given the increased demand at the Brandeis Counseling Center last semester.

Student union

Student body elects new members to join Student Union ■ University students voted

to fill 10 open positions in the Senate, the Allocations Board and the Judiciary. By Liat shapiro Justice staff writer

The winter 2018 Student Union Elections saw 17 candidates compete for 10 positions. Voting opened just after midnight on Jan. 25, and results were in by early morning on Jan. 26. There were two open positions on the Senate: Shangyuan (Gloria) Xu ’21 won the Mid-Year Senator seat, while the Ziv Quad Senator seat remains open. There were a total of 21 votes for Mid-Year Senator. Xu took home 20 votes; the other sole vote was an abstention. For the Ziv Quad Senator

position, there were 16 abstentions and 15 write-ins, a total of 31 votes. In an email to the Justice, Xu wrote that as the Mid-Year Senator, she hopes to “help mid year students blend in Brandeis more smoothly, and have a fantastic semester.” The Allocations Board had four open positions. Rebecca Shaar ’21 took home the three semester seat, beating out Kaixuan Ding ’21 and George Li ’21. Shaar won with 34.85 percent, or 176 of the 505 votes cast. In an interview with the Justice, Shaar shared her goal of “uphold[ing] the existing system for equitably distributing funds and help[ing] amend that system when necessary!” Four contestants faced off for the two open two semester A-Board seats: Andrews Figueroa ’19, Alan Huang ’21, Yijin (Bella) Lu ’20 and Zhixin (Sissel) Tan ’21.

Figueroa received 26.45 percent, or 187 of the 707 votes cast. Huang won 22.49 percent, or 159 votes. Lu came in third with 19.24 percent, or 136 of the votes, and Tan walked away with 12.02 percent, or 85 votes. The Allocations Board two semester racial-minority seat had three contestants: Shiyi (Wendy) Mao ’21, Anisha Purohit ’21 and Daniel Kang ’19. Mao won the seat, garnering 26.38 percent of the vote, or 62 of the total 235 votes cast. Kang was one vote behind with 25.96 percent, or 61 votes. Purohit received 51 votes, marking 21.70 percent of the total votes cast. The remaining 56 votes were abstentions. The Judiciary had three seats open for associate justice, with four contestants facing off: Yale Sussman ’21, Wenjing (Winnie) Qin ’21, Rolonda Donelson ’20 and Leo Passman ’21. Sussman received 23.74 per-

cent, or 202 of the 851 votes cast. Qin came in a close second with 23.38 percent, or 199 votes. Donelson took the third seat, receiving 21.62 percent, or 184 votes. Passman received 20.21 percent of the vote, with 172 casting their ballots for him and the remaining 88 voters abstaining. In an email to the Justice, Sussman declared that as associate justice, he will bring “a level of practicality and pragmaticism [sic] to the Judiciary so that every club and student feel[s] that they are represented in a fair and efficient manner.”’ Sussman also thanked those who voted for him, adding that he wants to “make it easier for the Brandeis population to understand the workings and rulings of the court in a timely manner.” There was one seat open to juniors on the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, with Shijie (Jeremy)

Xiao ’19 and Zhenping (Umans) You ’19 facing off. The majority of the votes cast in the election — 231 out of 482 — were abstentions. In an email to the Justice and the Brandeis Hoot, Student Union President Jacob Edelman ’18 explained that while the abstain option beat out both UCC candidates, because the option did not garner more than 50 percent of the votes, the seat would go to the candidate with the next highest amount of votes. Thus, the position went to Xiao, who received 27.18 percent, or 131 votes. You received 108 votes, or 22.41 percent of the total cast. Figueroa, Huang, Mao, Qin, Donelson and Xiao did not return requests for comment as of press time. —Editor’s note: Wenjing (Winnie) Qin ’21 is a Layout staff member for the Justice.

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COMMUNITY

Documentary addresses abortion clinic policies ■ Brandeis Pro-Choice and

Brandeis Democrats discussed reproductive rights after watching the film “Trapped.” By MAURICE WINDLEY Justice STAFF WRITER

As discussions concerning abortion laws continue to become a prominent topic in the U.S., Brandeis Pro-choice and Brandeis Democrats collaborated to screen “Trapped”, a documentary created by Dawn Porter that follows the challenges faced by doctors of abortion clinics. The film highlights the Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers, laws that seek to overregulate and limit abortion providers in 23 states, which ultimately restricts availability and causes closures of these clinics. “Trapped” follows various abortion clinic doctors stationed in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia and documents the struggle to keep clinics open and operating, despite the states’ increasing TRAP laws. The film helped shed light on the issues that doctors face when operating clinics. For example, the Texas House Bill 2 laws enacted in 2013 set unnecessary provisions onto abortion clinics, including requirements that forced physicians to have active admitting privileges

within at least 30 miles from a hospital, obligations for patients to make multiple trips and required ultrasound procedures. The film showcased how these laws effectively disenfranchised women from having access to procedures, as the cost for traveling to a clinic increased and dwindled numbers in 2013. These tyes of situations were a prime concern of Amy Hagstrom Miller, CEO of health care group Whole Woman’s Health, who explained that HB2 “crumbled the service infrastructure completely” by reducing the active number of clinics open in Texas from 44 to six. Whole Woman’s Health would eventually challenge House Bill 2 in the supreme court case, Whole Woman’s Health vs. Hellerstedt in 2016, setting the landmark precedent that Texas cannot place restrictions on delivery of abortion services, as that would put an undue burden on women that seek abortion. The documentary also discussed religious pressures on both the patients and the physicians. Although the clinics are often pressured by religious hecklers, some physicians such as obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Willie J. Parker in Birmingham, Alabama, are able to refine themselves within religion. He explained in the film that his “commitment to his work is rooted in his early Christian and religious understandings.”

Although HB2 was overturned through the Supreme Court Case in 2016, on grounds that the bill placed a “substantial burden on a women seeking abortion,” the film insists that current anti-abortion laws remain a critical issue on women’s reproductive rights. Brandeis Pro-Choice President Susannah Miller ’19 opened a discussion panel after the screening, during which Dariana Resendez ’19 explained that women’s reproductive rights “ultimately should be the women’s choice because it is her body.” The students highlighted that many of the laws restricting women are enforced by male government officials. Resendez continued by saying that “denying a woman of having that choice is to deny her of her own rights and put her at risk, most often by excuses that are not scientifically validated, but socially constructed by other groups.” Miller highlighted that, although the film focused on abortion clinics in the South, other states are still implementing anti-abortion laws. The National Association for the Repeal of Anti Abortion Laws seeks to tackle these issues concerning women’s reproductive rights, such as access to birth control, abortion access, reproductive discrimination and paid family leave. Miller concluded the event by explaining that “although Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt was passed, the fight for women’s rights and pro-choice is not yet over.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

Study abroad extravaganza

YVETTE SEI/the Justice

University students learned about popular study abroad opportunities from program representatives, staff and fellow students on Wednesday afternoon in Levin Ballroom.

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

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TUESDAY, January 30, 2018

2017 creative arts award winner

BRIEF Broken sprinkler head drenches student residences in East Quad A sprinkler head in East Quad’s Hassenfeld Hall was activated on Thursday night, spraying water throughout the hall and flooding several rooms on the fifth floor. Though the incident remains under investigation, Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan wrote in an email to the Justice that it is “probably attributed to human involvement.” When residents throw things in the hallway and hit a sprinkler, they can inadvertently activate or damage it, Director of Community Living Tim Touchette added in an email to the Justice. “Hall sports, and any other activities that involve jumping and or throwing objects within the residence halls are extremely dangerous and as such are not allowed,” he wrote. “These activities are restricted because they often result in sprinkler heads being compromised similar to the way the sprinkler system in East was damaged. The cost to repair spaces and the disruption to student life is not worth the few minutes of ‘fun.’” Hassenfeld residents were temporarily relocated as Facilities staff addressed the flooding in the hallways and rooms, according to Callahan. Facilities staff from the Operations & Maintenance and Custodial Services departments responded to the scene and shut the water off. They also replaced the broken sprinkler head, cleaned up the water and recharged the sprinkler system that evening, Associate Vice President for Facilities Services Bob Avalle wrote in an email to the Justice. “I believe Brandeis handled the situation pretty well,” East Quad resident Ben Wolfe ’20 told the Justice. “They had many people working on drying rooms and the hallway, while DCL did a good job of helping students find temporary housing.”

Wolfe, whose room was one of those flooded, explained that the water reached his hamper which was on the ground, soaking and discoloring some of his clothes. He also lost notebook paper, which became unusable after the incident. “The whole situation was an inconvenience, especially considering I had a class at 8 AM the next morning, but only a minor one (at least for me),” Wolfe said, adding that the flooding was worse in some of the other rooms on his floor. “I would definitely understand being more upset if more of my belongings were ruined, which I am sure happened for some people.” To aid residents whose belongings were affected by the flooding, DCL is working with the University’s insurance and advocating for students who require reimbursements for waterlogged property, Touchette wrote in his email to the Justice. “Technically students should carry their own renters insurance, just as you would if you live off campus in an apartment, but we always want to help if we are able to,” he wrote. DCL also provided complimentary laundry to students whose clothes or linens were impacted by the flooding, according to Touchette. “As far as laundry goes, the DCL staff always goes above and beyond to make sure students are comfortable and returned to as normal of a life as quickly as possible, so from time to time we do assist with laundry,” he wrote. University Police and the Department of Community Living are investigating the incident to better determine the cause, according to Touchette. Anyone with information on the matter is instructed to contact either department immediately. — Abby Patkin

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CONVERSATION: Michael Weller ’65 shared personal stories from his life in a conversation with the University community.

‘Buyer Beware’ author discusses life and work

■ Michael Weller ’65

avoided controversy and described his time at Brandeis and his journey to becoming a playwright. By ELIANA PADWA Justice EDITOr

Playwright Michael Weller ’65 is widely known on campus for recently penning the controversial “Buyer Beware,” but in his Wednesday talk with the Brandeis community, Weller focused on his decades-long relationship with the University. Opening with a tributary video which congratulated him on receiving Brandeis’ 2017 Creative Arts Award, the event allowed Weller to represent himself on campus. The discussion followed the Tuesday night award ceremony. Moderator Prof. Thomas Doherty (AMST) opened the conversation by asking Weller to elaborate upon four points brought up in his introductory video: Weller’s experience with the late Prof. Emeritus John Matthews (THA), his work, his dislike of social media and the “brouhaha” surrounding “Buyer Beware.” Regarding “Buyer Beware,” Weller said simply, “There’s nothing much I can say except I’m very sorry it didn’t happen.” He declined to comment on any upcoming production of the show, and said “Buyer Beware” had been a somewhat political play but really was

about people “trying to make sense of their lives” in a political place. Weller invited questions but pointed out that no one had seen it so the discussion would be limited. The sole audience question about “Buyer Beware” concerned the process of writing and researching it using the University’s Lenny Bruce archives. Weller explained that he listened to Lenny Bruce while writing, and that he “started to hear him;” he began to feel a personal connection to Bruce. As he wrote the play, about a student inspired by Bruce to write about events at Brandeis, he channeled his connection with Bruce into the protagonist. The majority of the discussion focused on Weller as a person and playwright. To explain his dislike of social media, Weller shared an anecdote from his time at Brandeis: In Weller’s dorm, a bystander interrupted a heated debate about Israel and eloquently explained each side’s argument. To Weller, that ability to hear two sides of an argument and understand them both is the pathway to wisdom, and he fears that on social media, mob rule and “banging buttons” has replaced that. He fears that the ability to broadcast one’s opinions instantly means people do not question themselves, but he acknowledged that perhaps people are relearning how to “be judicious.” Weller’s other Brandeis anecdotes involved his mentor, Matthews. Weller had been intimidated by his fellow Brandeis students, seeing them as “intellectual and

… very in the tradition of being Jewish,” and felt “way above [his] head” until Matthews encouraged him as a writer. Matthews also advised Weller to move to London rather than New York after graduation, which was “the best advice.” Weller’s career took off in London with his first play, “Moonchildren”, which Doherty described as a 1960s version of “Friends.” Weller’s transition into screenwriting happened by chance; he received a call one day asking him to write a screenplay of “Hair” with Czech director Milos Forman. According to Weller, Forman was the only screenwriter whose work had deeply affected him. Asked by Prof. Maura Farrelly (AMST) to elaborate, Weller explained that Forman created subversive films about ordinary people living their lives: “He managed to … say something that had a political implication without being an overt political statement,” a radical accomplishment in repressed Czechoslovakia. Weller’s newest play, “Jericho,” opened in New York, on Jan. 25. Weller teaches at The New School and is president of the “Writers Guild Initiative,” which encourages exonerated prisoners, Dreamers and veterans to write. Weller noted that writing is a unique process because it’s “a way to discover what you really think … when things are quiet.” “A Conversation With Michael Weller” was co-sponsored by the American Studies Program and the Division of Creative Arts.

COMMUNITY

University friend leaves $8.4 million to scholarship funds ■ The late Dr. Seymour S.

Bluestone gave $8.4 million to suport Univ. sustainability and transitional year programs. By Liat shapiro Justice staff writer

In September of 2017, Dr. Seymour S. Bluestone left Brandeis an $8.4 million bequest in his passing. Several small donations, one visit to campus and a long-lasting relationship with Prof. Laurence Simon (Heller) had forged a deep connection between Bluestone, nicknamed “Sy,” and the University. In 2001, Bluestone created the Jesse F. and Dora H. Bluestone Scholarship in memory of his parents, according to a Jan. 16, 2017 BrandeisNOW article. This program provided financial support for students enrolled in the Sustainable International Development program at the Heller School for Social Policy and

Management. In an interview with the Justice, Heller Dean David Weil mentioned Bluestone’s ongoing relationship with Simon, the previous director of the SID program and current director of the Center for Global Development and Sustainability. Weil noted that despite only meeting once, Bluestone and Simon “stayed in touch for years.” Weil further emphasized Bluestone’s commitment to this ideal, stating “Sy firmly believed ‘we all share one world,’ and that diversity helps to promote learning and enrich the lives of everyone in society.” Bluestone carried two calling cards: one with his name and contact information and the other inscribed with the words “One World,” according to the BrandeisNOW article. According to the SID’s website, the program’s goal is to provide students with an ideal setting to help young professionals “develop a vi-

sion and model of global development that fosters equitable economic growth, social inclusion, peace and security, and environmental stewardship.” Another recipient of Bluestone’s bequest is the Center for Global Development and Sustainability. In a letter from the director found on the Center’s official website, Simon describes the Center as a “think tank that produces scholarship and plans practical solutions to sustain and enhance wellbeing throughout the world.” A third program, the Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program, will also receive some money from this bequest. MKTYP is a program for undergraduate students at Brandeis that helps prepare intelligent and talented students from under-resourced high schools for a college career at Brandeis. The program was also supported by the Jesse F. and Dora H. Bluestone Scholarship. “Sy understood that we all succeed when more students have the

opportunity to fulfill their potential,” MKTYP Director Kathryn Bethea said in the BrandeisNOW article. The article also quoted University President Ron Liebowitz as saying, “Sy Bluestone’s bequest will help Brandeis continue to attract talented students of all backgrounds and perspectives.” In the interview with the Justice, Weil explained that the gift will provide financial aid for a total of four to five students enrolled in the SID program. Weil noted that the Heller administration hopes to begin the process of determining who receives these new scholarship funds in the near future. Weil emphasized that Bluestone’s gift supports Heller’s dedication to “providing impactful education to students who seek to improve social conditions, regardless of their financial capability.” He added that “gifts like Sy’s — which allow us to provide full scholarships to students who need them — allow us to fulfill that mission.”

A man not unfamiliar with philanthropy, Bluestone also dedicated his life to serving others. During the Korean War, Bluestone served as a medical officer in the U.S. Army from 1945 to 1947, eventually reaching the rank of captain, according to the BrandeisNOW article. A graduate of both Cornell University and the New York University School of Medicine, Bluestone took advantage of his education and later held several medical positions, most notably serving as director of the New York State Rehabilitation Hospital for 10 years. Even after his passing, Bluestone’s desire to share one world continues to live on through his generosity. The BrandeisNOW article quoted Zamira Korff, senior vice president of Institutional Advancement, as saying, “I am immensely grateful that Sy chose Brandeis — an institution committed to creating a fair and just society — to address the issues that were so important to him.”

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LETTER: Liebowitz comments on written support given to former Middlebury colleague CONTINUED FROM 1 According to the Jan. 16 article in The Ithacan, the newspaper received an anonymous set of court documents from 2001 in December 2017 that described Collado’s alleged sexual abuse of a patient she was treating for post-traumatic stress. The article explains that Collado pleaded no contest for the charge of “placing her hand on the patient’s clothed breast with sexual intent while Collado was [the patient’s] therapist.” Collado denied the allegations, telling The Ithacan, “I didn’t have the legal resources; I didn’t have the financial resources to, and I didn’t have the emotional wherewithal to really take this on the way I would have preferred. … This happens all the time, where you make this really difficult choice, even if it goes completely against the truth of who you are.” Collado also provided a lengthy account of the relationship between the patient and herself in a state-

ment on the Ithaca College website, also published on Jan. 16. In an email to the Justice, Liebowitz wrote that he composed the open letter as “someone who hired her while I served as president of Middlebury College, and as someone who worked closely with her from for more than 6 years, including on many challenging issues.” Because the letter was written in a personal capacity, Liebowitz said he did not work with the University’s Office of Communications. Liebowitz added that he has not received any feedback from the Brandeis community regarding his letter. Liebowitz concluded his letter of support for Collado writing, “Ithaca College is lucky to have someone like Shirley as President. … She is dedicated to making a difference for the students, faculty, and the campus community she serves.” —Natalia Wiater contributed reporting.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2018

OPEN MEETING

CHELSEA MADERA/the Justice

FUTURE: President Ron Liebowitz spoke to community members at Hassenfeld Conference Center on Wednesday evening.

OPEN MEETING: Liebowitz asks community for ideas regarding University’s future CONTINUED FROM 1 ident expressed concern at the “imbalance in the Brandeis experience.” “Students are incredibly intense, they’re passionate about their academics … but in essence, they are lacking something on the student life side,” Liebowitz said, clarifying that the issue is not a lack of “co-curricular” activities, but rather “what happens in the students’ lives when they leave the academic realm. When they go back to the residence halls, what is there to greet them?” Liebowitz sees reforming the residential life experience to create “smaller, more meaningful residential communities” as a key solution to this issue. However, he also expressed a desire to unify the entire school with “a single shared school spirit.” In the area of academics, the president stressed the necessity of adjusting to the recent demographic changes to the University’s student body. “Because it’s diverse,” Liebowitz said of the student body, there are “different learning styles” which the faculty needs to meet with new teaching methods. Liebowitz also commented on the intense desire he heard from students to learn life skills, like balancing a checkbook. He admitted it’s “something I certainly don’t think about, as an educator, of taking place in college.” During the Q&A portion of the meeting, Liebowitz revealed that the University is considering switching from the two-semester system to a

four-quarter system, creating winter and summer sessions while shortening spring and fall, for financial and academic reasons. In response to a question of whether the University would change its stance on Greek life as a part of improving the student experience, the president said he was not considering recognizing Greek life. The question of the University’s identity came up twice during the meeting. Although Brandeis’ commitment to social justice made it unique in 1948, according to Liebowitz, such a commitment has become the norm for colleges and universities. Thus, Brandeis must decide how “differentiate” itself to show, as the president put it, that social justice is “part of our DNA.” Liebowitz also emphasized his commitment to Brandeis’ Jewish heritage, another part of the University’s DNA. He called on the University to “respect and honor our roots,” specifically by making “service … to the American Jewish community” part of Brandeis’ mission. On this point, Liebowitz admitted, he has gotten pushback from those who fear “separating out any student from the rest,” but he reiterated the importance of Brandeis’ identity as “the only secular university founded by the American Jewish community.” Modernizing the “academic and physical infrastructure” of the University is central to both his desire to improve students’ residential experience and to maintain Brandeis’ standing among respected research universities. He said the University

has recently “deferred maintenance,” leading to problems like leaky ceilings and malfunctioning heating systems, which potentially undermines its “status as a major research university.” On this point, and throughout the meeting as a whole, however, Liebowitz continually reminded the audience of the University’s financial constraints. With an endowment just shy of $1 billion, Brandeis does not have the financial resources of other top universities and has been overspending. Despite financial constraints, Liebowitz reiterated his belief in the importance of all of the goals laid out during his presentation, and encouraged students, staff and faculty to be involved in the process of shaping and implementing these priorities. This spring, he plans to send out surveys to gauge the priorities of the Brandeis community. Additionally, the Student Union, Graduate Student Association and the Faculty Senate, among other campus organizations, will be consulted, and specific task forces will be appointed to address key priority areas. By the start of the 2018-19 school year, Liebowitz hopes to have an “opening set of programmatic plans,” which can then be analyzed financially. Near the end of the meeting, Liebowitz expressed his desire to hear from Brandeis’ community: “When you’re surveyed, take the time and tell us what you’re thinking. … What you think is central to the future of Brandeis.”

AWARD: Weller speaks on play controversy CONTINUED FROM 1 Weller then withdrew his work because he felt the student and faculty response “might not be conducive to the creative atmosphere desired for a premiere presentation of a new work,” according to the University’s Nov. 6 statement on the controversy. After Liebowitz’s speech, Weller thanked the University. He began his speech with humility, saying plainly, “This is a tricky moment for me.” Lenny Bruce was offensive, challenging and shook his audience to their core, he said. “I guess I did too, maybe a little too well.” Weller described his struggle to accept the award in a way that “fit the occasion without making [his] nose grow longer.” Trying to compose his acceptance speech, he

sought inspiration from the Lenny Bruce papers on display in Goldfarb Library, to no avail. Instead, Weller said with a wink and a smile, he encountered the ghost of Lenny Bruce. Weller used their exchange to examine how attitudes toward controversial humor have changed in the last 70 years. He described how Bruce called people out for being “full of shit,” and observed, “People are still full of shit these days, but now they don’t want to know it.” He also wondered if students today are too isolated, commenting that when he grew up kids played “cowboys and Indians,” while “kids these days stay in their rooms playing Call of Duty and Destiny 2.” Weller observed that despite Bruce’s controversial routines, he was an immensely influential come-

dian and public figure, arguing that his presence in the library archives should be a “testament to his quality.” He described how Bruce’s ghost regretted letting the “virtue cops grind him down,” imploring Weller not to make the same mistake he did. Just before the end of their exchange, the ghost wrote a statement on a piece of paper and instructed Weller not to read it until the ceremony, Weller said. He had reservations, given the formality of the ceremony and Bruce’s history of inflammatory remarks, but he eventually agreed. In front of the administration, students and alumni, Weller produced a piece of white paper, unfolded it and read it aloud: “I’m honored. Thank you.”

features

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2018 ● Features ● The Justice

just

VERBATIM | NOAM CHOMSKY If we choose, we can live in a world of comforting illusion.

ON THIS DAY…

FUN FACT

In 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated.

The word “dude” used to refer to men who were too concerend with keeping up with the latest fashion trends.

Photo Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

For Us by Us: The Untold Stories of People of Color on Campus

This is the fourth installment of “For Us by Us: The Untold Stories of People of Color on Campus.” I wanted to write this piece to highlight people of color on campus. To create a space for our accomplishments, hardships and experiences. To be recognized and acknowledged. To expose ourselves to other cultures, religions and to each other. To realize that we are not alone in our experiences or on this campus. To continue these forms of communication and to hopefully develop new ones.

—Arlett Marquez ’20

NEW YORK CITY: SUMMER 2010 By arlett marquez JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Judiana Moise ’20 was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and moved to New York when she was 12. After spending a year in New York, she moved to Rhode Island. In an interview with the Justice, Moise said, “I moved to Mount Vernon and I believe it was right next to the Bronx. I don’t remember exactly, but I just know I was in the ’hood. One park and a lot of tall buildings. New York is different; there’s more of your people. Everyone looks the same, everybody’s Black. Later on you look further in and then you’re like ‘Oh he’s Haitian, oh he’s Jamaican.’ It felt like home but then I moved to Rhode Island and it was tough. I was in North Providence first, which was super white and the middle school was also really white. It was bad. I was crying every day. I was also tall and shy, so I just stayed quiet. Then I moved to Pawtucket, which is where I live now. Everything was a shock. I wanted to go back to Haiti for a long time, but I haven’t been to Haiti since then.” Arlett Marquez: How was your life in Haiti? Judiana Moise: My parents were separated, so I always experienced two different sides of the family story. On one side you have time with your mom, but you knew that would end and you would have to go with your dad. I lived with my father more. I was with my father because it’s just different in Haiti. He was a man and he had more authority, had more money and he wanted his children. And the

law agreed. I have five siblings but I don’t have a lot of contact with them at this moment except for my little brother. If we are thinking about it in a U.S. context, I would have been considered middle class. I was in a private school. It was hard coming here because I was used to a certain way of living. AM: How has Brandeis been? JM: I really have nothing to say about Brandeis specifically, I just think that being in college in the United States is weird in general. In terms of scholarship and people, I learned that what I thought I knew about people isn’t always true. Brandeis is just awkward and there’s this quietness about it. Sometimes I like the quiet, though, because I know how to be alone. Sometimes people won’t see me for a few days and they ask where I’ve been, but it’s so normal for me. The institution alone is different because back home I would have probably gone to an all-girls school. I would have probably studied to be a secretary or something. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this environment. To me, it’s a task and I’m here to get it done. I realize I experienced different shit and I think differently in terms of how I see myself being on this campus. I know this is not it for me. I don’t know what it is, but I know school alone is not what makes me happy all the time. Crazy enough, Caribbean people look at this institution as a big thing, especially when you’re an immigrant and your children make it. My mom throws it out there every once in a while.

AM: What do you want to do after college? JM: I don’t know. I just hope I’m happy. I would love to travel. For a long time I wanted to live in France, so if you don’t see me after this, you know where I am. I’ll probably be where all the black people are. Professionally, I would love to be in the music industry, but don’t get it twisted, I can’t sing. I definitely love the managing side of it all but saying that is different than actually accomplishing it. It’s so overwhelming, though, and a lot of pressure to have something to say. Like, why do I have to know now? Either way, we get shit done and whatever job I get in the future, I’ll know how to hustle.

“

Brandeis is just awkward and there’s a quietness about it...

JUDIANA MOISE

AM: What sparked your interest in music? JM: It was actually my cousin during my first year here in the summer. I did everything he did and music was one of those things. One day we were walking and he was playing the song, “I’m Me” by Lil Wayne and that’s literally when my love for hip-hop started. The song itself is an amazing song but it was something about the way he was vibing to it and the

confidence he had. I remember being in school and being quiet and then looking at my cousin rapping, “I’m me, the hottest hottest under the sun,” thinking, “man, I want that confidence.” It got me interested, like, why does he have so much charisma? At that time, I would just listen to French songs. There was something about hip-hop that was pleasing and I saw that there were more Black people involved. I focused more on what was happening at that time in hip-hop but then I moved on to more of the history. I think it has to be a balance. What made me go back to the history of hip-hop was Tupac. Again it was my cousin who told me the story of Tupac and Nas and how Nas dissed Jay-Z. I asked him what “dissing” was and he said, “Oh, that’s when they talk shit and they mean it.” He showed me a lot of songs. It made me invest a lot into the history of hip-hop. This was all quietly done, I wasn’t sharing my passion for this music with anyone else except my cousin. I was able to understand America through music. Music got me out of my shell because I would talk to people who were also interested in music. American music alone taught me English. Music got me through. AM: Why do you love music? JM: Why do I love music? That shit just makes sense to me. I feel life without music is boring. It has so many different moods where, if you’re feeling this way or that you can find music that connects. … I had this friend who had a really big problem with me listening to American hip-hop. She would say “Why

are you taking our shit? Then you go and rep Haiti when this is all I got.” I would just not know what to say because I think music is universal. You can’t own music. I would start to question myself but then I realize that I just genuinely love music. I experienced my adolescence in the United States and not Haiti. If I didn’t, I probably would be bumping some Zouk or whatever was poppin’ back in Haiti. At first, I got where she was coming from but then again, I found it really sad. I like London shit, Jamaican shit. America has Americanized Jamaican music. When you look at what they did with Bob Marley — that shit is fucked up. He’s a whole brand, they made so much money off of that guy. Promoting weed alone with Bob Marley is huge. Selling his posters, advertising and you forget that motherfucker is from Jamaica. Jamaicans can say “Oh nah he was in the streets with us,” but Americans can say the same thing. AM: Anything else you want to say? JM: Well first, my natural hair is prospering. On a serious note, though, you don’t really know somebody until you start talking to them. I feel like some people don’t want to do the work. Practice your small talk and you can learn so much about someone through small talk. That’s actually my advice to whoever is reading this, to whoever is in this place right now. Make sure you come in with an open heart. It’s hard, because sometimes I don’t do it but I do believe the outcome is so positive.

the justice ● Features ● TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2018

CLEMENTS PARK/the Justice

MORE WOMEN: Both Dr. Valerie Purdie Greenway and cultural neuroscientist Jiyoung Park (pictured above) stressed the importance of more women joining STEM.

The Fault in Our Perceptions Two researchers spoke about how perceptions affect behavior By MICHELLE SAYLOR JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Director for the Laboratory of Intergroup Relations and the Social Mind Dr. Valerie Purdie Greenaway, and cultural neuroscientist Jiyoung Park came to Brandeis on Thursday to present on what seemed to be two starkly different topics: one about racism, the other about self perception. However, as the audience in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall soon learned, things aren’t always as they appear. Greenway, whose research is titled, “Inverted Influence: Blacks, whites, and difficult conversations about race,” took up the microphone. She first described the difference between implicit motivation and implicit power. Implicit motivations energize us, orient us to new situations and are the subconscious drivers of our motivations. Implicit power, on the other hand, is the driver of unconscious motivation within us and manifests itself in such a way that we are inspired to influence others. Both are important concepts that are central to Greenway’s research. Greenway gave her lab participants a test to determine who had low implicit power and who had high implicit power. Then, with the support of her lab, she ran three experiments. The first experiment measured the implicit power of Black Americans. She created a 12-minute video with a “context opportunity for Black people to engage and influence others.” To do this, she had a control group, in which Black people watched a clip about the Swiss Alps region from Planet Earth. She believed there was no place to “motivate arousal” through this film. The experimental group, however, watched a clip about slavery, clearly with the intent to

create some emotional response. She then had all the participants who watched these clips write letters to white people. These letters were then coded by professionals and scanned for words that evoke feelings of agency, affiliation and concern for impact and achievement. This experiment concluded that the group shown the control

ters. This is only one experiment, so other alternative explanations could be empathy, racial identity, extroversion of the writer, or perspective. In Greenway’s next experiment, she performed the test again with white Americans, except she measured three additional responses: self-reported receptivity to mes-

regardless of which video group they were a part of, were not only more easily able to recall Black historical figures but also reported less anxiety after reading the letter. The final experiment conducted involved putting Black and white Americans in a room to discuss how slavery is taught in schools.

CLEMENTS PARK/the Justice

TOUGH TALK: Dr. Greenway’s latest research is titled, “Inverted Influence: Blacks, whites, and difficult conversations about race.“

clip had no significant correlation between low or high implicit power and low or high number of affiliation expressions. However, to those who were shown the slavery clip, participants with high levels of implicit power were much more likely to use an affiliation strategy (concern about relationships, creating a social bond more powerful than color differences) in their let-

sages in letters, implicit anxiety and the ability to recall Black historical figures. After these participants watched their control or experimental video clips, they were then given the letter written by one of the Black Americans who watched the same video previously. She found that white Americans who received a letter written by someone with high affiliation,

First, people from each racial group were split up and watched either the Planet Earth clip or the clip about slavery. In discussion sections, the results of those talks were white and Black Americans speaking about affirmative action using phrases like “let’s work on this together.” Greenway found that people with high implicit power felt more comfortable speaking

openly and engaging in an open dialogue with people of other races. What this means for the future is still unclear. However, its implications suggest that people who are motivated to help the world are more likely to work with people different from themselves. Park, a cultural neuroscientist who runs a lab at University of Texas at Dallas, spoke after Greenway. She studies emotional cues — how they affect people’s initial reactions, how that then influences experiences, and in turn, how all of these affect health. She studies variations between cultures as well as disparities within them. Her biggest research question and the one on which she presented, is: Does culture modulate such early, automatic processing of threat? Her research focused specifically on social evaluative threats. Through experimentation using a computer program that detected face priming, she found that there are adverse psychological and physiological consequences to experiencing any social threat on a regular basis. Obviously, not all individuals are equally sensitive. She found that interdependent people are more at risk since they have a higher sensitivity to people’s perceptions of them. Perhaps her most interesting discovery is that these values of sensitivity and perceived threats vary vastly depending on where the participant is from. As women working in STEM, Greenway and Park find themselves in a field largely dominated by men. While they pointed to the importance of bringing more women into STEM, the primary point of their presentations was to demonstrate that, when society is looked at under a critical and scientific light, discoveries can arise that challenge our perceptions of reality and force us to take responsibility for our beliefs.

10 TUESDAY, january 30, 2018 ● forum ● THE JUSTICE

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Recognize University’s response to flood in East Quad According to a Friday email from East Quad Department of Community Living staff, an “incident with a sprinkler head” on the fifth floor of Hassenfeld Hall led to water rushing into up to 72 rooms — the number of rooms on the fourth and fifth floors of Hassenfeld — and two hallways on Thursday evening. According to the same email, University Police are still investigating the cause of the incident and asked students to offer any information that they had on the matter. This board applauds the University’s efforts to quickly defuse the situation but urges it to conduct a thorough investigation into the root cause of the flooding and find a way to prevent similar incidents in the future. It is also imperative that the University remain transparent and communicative throughout this process. Returning to East Quad on Thursday evening, residents of the fifth and even fourth floors of Hassenfeld found puddles covering the hallway floors and the floors of some rooms as well. Ben Wolfe ’20, a Hassenfeld resident who lives on the fifth floor, told the Justice that his floor was flooded, along with many other rooms on his floor. His “hamper was on the floor during the flood so some of [his] clothes got soaked and discolored,” and he had notebook paper that “became unusable after the incident.” Wolfe said he viewed these as minor inconveniences and told the Justice that DCL helped students as needed, including offering to help them find temporary housing. This board would like to commend the University’s Facilities workers for their prompt action in draining the water from the hallways and student rooms so that students could return to their rooms and deal with other possible inconveniences that may have occurred. Furthermore, Director of Community Living Timothy Touchette confirmed in an email to the Justice that the University has and will continue to monetarily aid East Quad residents with laundry services and advocate for students with

Provide relief for students the University’s insurance company regarding replacing student belongings. This board applauds the steps the University has taken thus far to remedy the situation and encourages continued efforts to minimize any repercussions from the flood. However, more must be done to prevent future incidents. As of press time, the University had not found a cause for Thursday’s flooding. In a Sunday email to the Justice, Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan still did not have an answer as to why the incident took place, although he wrote that it is “probably attributed to human involvement.” In his email to the Justice, Touchette confirmed that the exact cause of the flooding is unknown but wrote that “hall sports, and any other activities that involve jumping and or throwing objects within the residence halls are extremely dangerous and as such are not allowed. These activities are restricted because they often result in sprinkler heads being compromised similar to the way the sprinkler system in East was damaged.” This board encourages students to be careful not to damage sprinklers. Furthermore, we urge the University to explore the level of disrepair of the Hassenfeld ceilings. Ceilings in Hassenfeld are in such poor shape that the residents of the fourth floor of Hassenfeld had to deal with leaks caused by a fifth-floor sprinkler incident. Moving forward, the University must assess the condition of Hassenfeld and all University buildings to ensure that any future plumbing problems are not compounded by infrastructural neglect. Overall, this board commends the University for prompt attention to alleviating the consequences of the flood. However, although these problems are hard to prevent in their entirety, it is imperative that the University create a plan to prevent future sprinkler floods of this magnitude.

Commend University for appointing new Muslim Chaplain Muhammad Xhemali has joined the University’s Multifaith Chaplaincy as the new Muslim chaplain, Director of Religious and Spiritual Life Rabbi Elisabeth Stern and Chief Diversity Officer Mark Brimhall-Vargas wrote in an email to the University community. This board applauds the University on its appointment of Xhemali to the position, which marks a step toward a more inclusive Brandeis. Xhemali will be the first official Muslim Chaplain since 2015, when the position was held by Dr. Imam Talal Eid. Since Eid‘s departure, the position has been filled by an interim Muslim chaplain, Maryam Sharrieff. The University’s mission statement notes that, as a nonsectarian institution, Brandeis “welcomes students, teachers and staff of every nationality, religion and orientation [and] renews the American heritage of cultural diversity, equal access to opportunity and freedom of expression.” In hiring a new full-time chaplain, the University is demonstrating

Accommodate student faith commitment to its Muslim community and recognizing the importance of spiritual and religious resources for a variety of students. This board further commends the University on its choice of Xhemali, a strong candidate with impressive experience providing spiritual guidance. Xhemali served on the board of his university’s Muslim Student Association and has worked in a wide variety of settings, including universities, a community mosque and prison chaplaincy, according to the email. Stern and Brimhall-Vargas described Xhemali as a man who is “passionate about his tradition and its deep teaching, and loves to share its wisdom.” We commend the University on this step to provide proper resources to its Muslim constituents and encourage our administration to continue to take such measures to make Brandeis as inclusive as possible.

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Views the News on

A Jan. 24 Washington Post article reported that the U.S. Census Department is considering adding the question “Are you a citizen?” to the 2020 Census. Supporters claim that this would provide more accurate data about the country’s population and demographics, while detractors allege that this is an effort to suppress Hispanic voters and give the Republican Party an unfair advantage. Do you believe the U.S. Census Department should add citizenship to the 2020 census, and if so, what effects do you think such a decision would have?

Noah Seligman ’18 Yes. I believe it should be added. America’s number one responsibility should be to take care of its citizens and ensure the integrity of our democracy. In short, it makes no sense to allow districts with higher populations of non-citizens to have a disproportionate amount of political clout. Whether they are Mexican or Russian, no one except for Americans should be allowed to influence our electoral process. This would not give the Republican party an “unfair” advantage. It would be correcting a bias that would let us more accurately identify the will of the American people, the ultimate directive of a functioning democracy. It’s hard to contemplate how this would suppress the Hispanic vote. Any illegal immigrant, regardless of race, ethnicity or nationality, is not and should not be able to vote in American elections. Anyone here legally is obligated to vote, especially given voter turnout in recent elections. Noah Seligman ’18 is president of the Brandeis Pre-Law Society.

Taminder Singh ’20 I believe that the U.S. Census Department should not add the question “Are you a citizen.” Let us be honest, the main base of the Republican Party consists of white males. That being said, many State-wide public offices are held by Republicans. Republicans are notoriously known to use gerrymandering to have more seats in the House in their favor. While using ethnicity and citizenship status, Republicans can create county lines as they wish to favor their party needs. Also, offices like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement can use this to narrow down which place has the least amount of citizens and target them. The addition of this question will fully be based on racism and political strategy, nothing else. Under Trump’s America, no non-citizen minority is safe. The U.S. Consensus should be more reasonable for adding such a question. Taminder Singh ’20 is majoring in Economics and Computer Science with a minor in Politics.

Lucy Pugh-Sellers ’20 Adding the question “Are you a citizen” to the 2020 Census could have disastrous consequences for both the Census itself and communities nation-wide. First, the question would not provide any more accurate data to the census, as presumably those that would answer “no” and be flagged as “illegal” would refuse to answer the census in the first place. I cannot imagine that with the American government targeting so-called “illegal” immigrants left and right, that anyone would answer “no” that question. Furthermore, it could lead to people lying and saying “yes” if they did choose to fill out the survey, contributing to misinformation and rendering the question pointless. I would also question the purported motivations of the United States Department of Justice and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Although they claim to want to actually prevent discrimination, recent past champions of this cause have been solely Republicans. This coincides perfectly with the centering of the tenant of deporting as many non-citizen immigrants as possible to the Republican Party platform, as well as the repeated concerted effort to disenfranchise classically Democratic voters through suppression and gerrymandering. Lucy Pugh-Sellers ’20 is majoring in History with minors in Film and Legal Studies.

Lizzie Grossman ’18 I do not believe that the 2020 Census should ask about citizenship. I do not think that political districts should be based on whether or not its individuals are citizens. For one, illegal immigrants could be more easily targeted by the government if they are able to get a count of which areas have the most non-citizens. In addition, individuals are members of a community regardless of whether or not they are able to vote. Many non-citizens want to become citizens eventually, and asking whether or not they are citizens for the purpose of political districts only further oppresses Hispanic voters by not including them in a political district they are part of, especially those who live in areas that are immigrantheavy. I would hope that if the 2020 Census were to not ask about citizenship, there would be more motivation to help immigrants fight for citizenship in order to gain voting rights. Lizzie Grossman ’18 is an associate editor for the Justice.

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THE JUSTICE ● fORUM ● TUESDAY, january 30, 2018

Criticize Grammys for lack of diverse award recipients Judah

weinerman chatterbox

On Jan. 28, the 60th annual Grammy Awards, held in New York City, continued the long and storied tradition of honoring the complete mediocrity that the Recording Academy strives for. Once again, the Grammys chose to elevate bland and predictable pop acts over cuttingedge hip-hop and rap artists. Bruno Mars’ milquetoast pop retread “24 Karat Magic” bested far more worthy contenders like Kendrick Lamar’s “DAMN.” and Childish Gambino’s “Awaken, My Love!” for album of the year, repeating the annual cycle of hip-hop being kept out of the top spot by any means necessary. Once again, the Grammys have marked themselves as the laughingstock of the award season, hopelessly out of touch with anything close to the cultural zeitgeist and seemingly clueless to music’s current form. Disturbingly, the Recording Academy seems to care less about artistic integrity or creativity and more about ensuring a basic standard of whiteness and complacency is maintained in its top honors. If the album of the year winner isn’t an accessible and inoffensive white pop album, it’s an oddball album from white industry veterans the Academy should have honored years ago, like Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories” or Beck’s “Morning Phase.” The last album of the year that can be charitably described as anything close to a daring pick is Outkast’s 2004 LP “Speakerboxx/The Love Below,” a legitimately forward-thinking album that only won because of the runaway success of its lone traditional stab at pop songwriting, the smash hit single “Hey Ya.” Since then, no hip-hop album has ever won album of the year, despite the wealth of fantastic works in the genre and its meteoric rise as the dominant form of popular music. No matter the pick, the logic behind it is always the same. The Grammys are only capable of looking backward, clinging dearly to musical artifacts and outdated preconceptions. Mars’ “24 Karat Magic” is a hollow replica of classic R&B albums like Stevie Wonder’s “Songs in the Key of Life” and Janet Jackson’s “Control”, containing all their flair but none of their punch or immediacy. Traditionalist pop and rock acts always manage to find their way into the top spot, cultural relevance or critical acclaim be damned. Any remotely daring album put out by a Black artist is to be cast aside by the Grammys,

regardless of artistic merit. Whether it be Frank Ocean’s masterful “Channel Orange” losing to Mumford and Sons’ listless folk-pop album “Babel” or Beyonce’s tour de force, deeply personal “Lemonade” being triumphed by Adele’s superficially impressive but ultimately meaningless “25”, the Recording Academy clearly has a marked preference for white artists and a marked discomfort with any semblance of Black confidence. The most egregious example of this fixation on white artists is when Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ “The Heist,” a genuinely mediocre album that nevertheless was popular, likely because it featured a white rapper, won best rap album over Kendrick Lamar’s superlative “good kid, m.a.a.d city.” Clearly, the Recording Academy believes that a modern-day poetic epic about the fragility of life in Compton and the struggles of adolescence is inferior to an album that thinks the verse “when I was in third grade I thought I was gay” is the height of songwriting. While I’m sure many will disagree, citing Macklemore’s experiences as more relatable to the average listener, his win shows that the Academy punishes experimentation and rewards safety and radio play. Macklemore’s tone-deaf apology

MARA KHAYTER/the Justice

to Lamar and bungled ploy to agree with the consensus opinion that he had been robbed while simultaneously attempting to brag about his Grammy win killed what little credibility he had in the music world. Although the Grammys may attempt to present themselves as kingmakers, they’re anything but. Bruno Mars is hardly the first artist chosen for the safe blend of slick production and forgettable lyrics the Academy craves. In the face of a changing industry and culture, the Grammys desperately cling to old memories and trends. How else can you explain U2 and Sting being on stage more often than Jay-Z and Kendrick? Only making matters worse were the comments of Recording Academy president Neil Portnow, who responded to criticism that the Academy was purposely shortchanging female artists by suggesting that women needed to “step up” if they wanted to win awards, according to a Jan. 29 Washington Post article. Considering the 2018 Grammys had a grand total of one award go to a female solo artist, that’s downright idiotic. In the best pop solo performance category, with four women nominated, the Academy chose instead to honor Ed Sheeran’s utterly insipid “Shape of You” instead. The cultural dominance of white

men has truly come and gone, especially in the music industry. We are no longer in an era of Dylans and McCartneys and Jaggers, so perhaps it might be time for the self-proclaimed most prominent music awards to take notice. This shell game at the heart of the awards is already starting to be exposed, and artists are catching on to the outstanding mediocrity of the Grammys: This years’ event was boycotted by former winners like Drake, Kanye West and Justin Bieber, and others have signaled their discontent with the banality of the format, according to a Jan. 28 USA Today article. Frank Ocean intentionally failed to submit his 2016 album “Blonde” for eligibility, telling Billboard, “That institution certainly has nostalgic importance, it just doesn’t seem to be representing very well for people who come from where I come from, and hold down what I hold down,” as stated in a Nov. 15, 2016 Billboard article. Ocean is hardly alone in his sentiments. The idea that the Grammys have never truly recognized the best artists and never will is one widely shared in the music industry. It is only a matter of time before the Grammys lose what little relevance they still have, and the entire recording industry will be better off for it.

Urge Congress to pass legislation to support Dreamers in the US By Elias Rosenfeld justice Staff writer

There is a reason that fewer than 10 percent of Americans support Congress, as found in an Aug. 3, 2017 Quinnipiac University poll. They view the institution I visit nearly every day as ineffective, weak and lacking American interests. This summarizes the view by many as of late January, when the spineless Congress chose to vote to fund the deportation of 800,000 young Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients such as myself who, since Sept. 5, have been unable to see their futures beyond six months. This lack of principle is not partisan, which is why GOP members such as Reps. Carlos Curbelo ,R-Fla., and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen ,R-Fla., and Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren ,D-Mass., and Sen. Kamala Harris ,D-Calif., all voted against the ineffective shortterm management of congressional funding, better known as “CRs.” Americans also view this institution as ineffective, because since 2001 they have failed to pass any solution for Dreamers, even though more than 80 percent of American constituents urgently want this to be solved, according to a Jan. 20 CBS News article. Since October 2017, President Donald Trump has held dozens of bipartisan meetings focused on the legislative solution of DACA. In September 2017, he reached a deal with Democratic leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer ,DNY, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi ,D-Calif.,. Trump turned his back on this deal just a mere two days later. Months later, he held a televised

bipartisan meeting, urging Congress to send him a “bill of love,” according to a Jan. 9 CNN article. He even urged, at the questioning of Sen. Dianne Feinstein ,D-Calif., that he would support a clean, stand-alone DREAM Act, while then focusing on comprehensive immigration reform. The president’s response was that he would “take the heat” if Congress were to pursue an immigration reform bill, according to a Jan. 9 Politico article. Well, two days later, exactly that was done. Senators Lindsey Graham ,R-S.C., Jeff Flake ,R-Ariz., and Dick Durbin ,D-Ill., had a bipartisan bill that addressed every single concern brought about by the president. Yet again, Trump used derogatory comments and flipped on his position by choosing not to support the bill he had supported nearly nine hours earlier. That is likely because this White House is guided by Stephen Miller, a man who wishes to use 800,000 Dreamers as political chips to reduce legal — yes, legal — immigration by over 50 percent, according to a Jan. 18 article in the Atlantic. White House Advisor Stephen Miller has sought to persuade the president to use DACA, a program that 80 percent of Americans support against anti-immigrant policies even many moderate GOP members oppose, because they seek to reduce legal immigration by 50 percent. This is why the most recent shutdown was so urgent and crucial. Never in the history of this modern nation had a shutdown occurred when a single party controlled the House, Senate and White House. This especially should not happen to an issue with bipartisan solutions

that had already been negotiated and accepted. But beyond that, what is lost in all this hubris is the urgency of these 800,000 lives. When we watch the television and news, these aren’t just mere political talks on CNN or Fox News; these are conversations about our direct and physical future in our only home. These are soldiers, teachers, students, mothers, children and workers staring at a screen, because their direct ability to succeed in this country will be decided within weeks. All my hard work in the last 19 years is at stake, because since Sept. 5, 2017, I have been unable to clearly see my future in my only home. Come August, my DACA status expires, and my life is thrust in imminent chaos as my education is in jeopardy, but also because someone like myself could be detained and deported to a country I do not call home. It will mean going back to a country where I do not even command the native language and to a city ,Caracas, Venezuela, that is now ranked deadliest in the world, according to an April 8, 2017 Business Insider article. The constant thought of deportation is now a topic I wake up every morning thinking about. Without congressional action, I will become a target for deportation — along with 800,000 other DACA recipients who, for all intents and purposes, are Americans in every way. Congress must remember that any immigration bill they pass will take months to fully implement, which is why it is so critical for them to pass legislation without delay. According to a Nov. 9, 2017 article from

American Progress more than 15,000 Dreamers have lost their work authorization and deportation protections since Trump eliminated the DACA program on Sept. 5. Every single day, 122 other Dreamers lose their status — and this trend will continue until Congress affirmatively takes action to protect us from deportation, as stated in the same American Progress piece. Come March, that number will rise to 1,200 Dreamers losing protections every single day, according to Fwd.us. I urge you to count from one to 1,200 in your head to see the dramatic impact this will have on our workforce and economy and on American families every single day. I have been fighting tirelessly to be in the only country I know, spending more days in Washington D.C. this school year — lobbying on behalf of three advocacy groups — than I have even been able to spend in Boston. These meetings are on the future of 800,000 people who have no clarity beyond March. This advocacy has led to the support from the Brandeis Student Union, which passed a resolution urging members of Congress to pass immediate relief. Protecting Dreamers is an issue that is both urgent and imminent. There is strong bipartisan support in Congress to allow Dreamers like me to stay here, and it is something that 80 percent of Americans would like to see be resolved. I urge every member to follow their constituents and pass a legislative solution for Dreamers that is rooted in compromise, the fundamental basis of our nation and U.S. Constitution.

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

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TUESDAY, january 30, 2018 ● forum ● THE JUSTICE

FORUM

Urge students to take advantage of societal progression By Arnav ghosh justice contributing writer

This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that Americans will live through a key event in our history. History has germinated before our very eyes, just as news spread of bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, or when we watched mankind reach the moon, or not too long ago, when the country saw Barack Obama become president, less than half a century after Martin Luther King said that he had a dream, so too does history germinate before our very eyes. The millions-strong Women’s Marches, the #MeToo movement, the rapidly transforming nature of the American workforce — these are the seeds of tomorrow’s history. Future generations of American students will walk into a 21st Century Studies class and look back on our time just as we look back on Americans pre-Revolutionary War — as a time of movements and massive developments in the story of the United States. Just as we see those people as witnesses of the Boston Tea Party and protesters chanting “no taxation without representation,” so too will future generations study our society as the stage upon which our history plays out. What sets the key events of today apart from the key events of the past is that the nature of the United States itself is changing faster than it has in generations. America is transforming in ways that have never been possible before, and as a result, we have more than the rare privilege of observing monumental moments in history. We are not special because we can watch history in the making. We have a unique opportunity to influence the future, rather than just watching important events develop, because the fundamental nature of what it means to be an American is changing. The unprecedented speed and magnitude of America’s cultural, political and workforce transformation has granted us the privilege of writing the future like never before. America’s metamorphosis permeates all levels of society. It is most visible at the top, where the president has cast aside all the norms of political conduct and discourse. However, America’s constituents are changing too, in an equally significant way. Most obvious is that the U.S. population has grown remarkably — from 282 million to over 325 million from 2000 to 2017, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Another very perceptible change is that America is becoming more ethnically diverse, but the magnitude of this change sometimes goes unnoticed. According to a July 1, 2016 NPR article, in 2016, racial or ethnic minority babies outnumbered their white counterparts for the first time in American history. Not only has the U.S. demographic itself undergone drastic change, but the workforce is changing at an unprecedented rate: Millennials in their late 20s are currently making significantly less than their Baby Boomer parents did at their age, according to a Jan. 14, 2017 Forbes article. This is not some omen of economic doom brought about by the biggest recession since the Great Depression. Millennials are entering the workforce much later, because the college graduation rate has increased by 50 percent since Baby Boomers’ graduation rates were

JEN GELLER/the Justice

measured, and thus are making less money during their late 20s, as their parents had a decade of experience under their belt by this point, according to the same Forbes article. But a college degree — once the definitive ticket into the workforce at a high level — is now treated like a base-level requirement, akin to completing high school. Indeed, a bachelor’s degree is a necessity in the modern American workplace to realistically access the upper echelons of jobs, with median salaries that are tens of thousands of dollars higher than those that do not require a bachelor’s degree, according to 2016 data from the Pew Research Center. The story of American success is no longer that of a high schooler who went into a trade and worked his way up; it is the tale of a college graduate working in a lab, studying computer science, hoping to find a job where his uniquely honed skills can bring in a decent salary. These changes have dominated America’s culture and national dialogue. Thanks to the inescapable connection to social media, we are all made aware that

Americans’ clashes over issues have increased in number, variety and intensity. Some Americans cry out, buckling under the weight of student loan debt, as others bravely speak out against sexual assault in a manner never before seen in our country. Still, more work must be done to end religious persecution, almost all Americans demand better of their government. America’s culture, at all levels, is going through an extraordinary, if sometimes painful, crucible. Our country is changing at rates that are completely unprecedented. This is history in our time. The transformation of America’s demographics, politics and culture will be looked back on as a defining period in the story of our nation. While we have been granted the great privilege of watching history unfold in real time, this privilege brings with it a responsibility to be not just casual observers but rather active participants of history. Even more so, it is the chaotic, rapidly changing landscape of America that calls us to action. Now, more than ever, the power of the individual has

been made large as today’s rapidly changing world will compound our actions to alter our future more than we thought possible. Just as women have banded together and forced us to confront the horrifying, disgusting underbelly of Hollywood, so too must ordinary citizens come together. We must go forward and proactively decide how the arc of history will bend. We must go out louder and prouder than ever before — prouder of our skin, our faith and our partners. It is easier now, than ever before, to witness history. A quick scroll through Facebook will give you more exciting news than your average TV show — a fake nuclear attack, affairs, scandals, intrigue and an ever-expanding web of secrets, deceit and drama. But we must be more than fascinated observers of history. Now is the time to ffect change, because taking action during America’s period of greatest advancement will shape tomorrow’s history like never before. Now is the time for us to go out and fight for the America that we want for our brothers and sisters.

Recognize changes to racially insensitive team names By abby grinberg justice editor

Following in the footsteps of other professional sports teams and universities, the Cleveland Indians have finally acknowledged that their logo and mascot are offensive — not to mention racist — and will discontinue their use in 2019. Beginning next year, the Cleveland Indians will no longer use the Chief Wahoo logo on their uniforms, according to a Jan. 29 New York Times article. In a statement published on Jan. 29 in an ABC News article, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said, “Major League Baseball is committed to building a culture of diversity and inclusion throughout the game,” and that the logo “is no longer appropriate for on-field use.” The decision made by Major League Baseball and the Cleveland Indians reflects the movement among sports teams in recent history to retire Native American nicknames, symbols and mascots. According to a Sept. 12, 2013 USA Today article, Stanford University was among the first universities to change its mascot from the Indians to a Cardinal in 1972, and schools such as Dartmouth University, Siena University and Eastern Michigan University quickly followed suit. The changing of nicknames, symbols and mascots of sports teams has stirred

controversial discussions between fans who oppose these changes and those who believe that the misuse and appropriation of Native American culture is insensitive, offensive and racist. Fans that have a strong attachment to a team and its historical association with a specific mascot, logo or nickname have expressed resistance to the changes. Some say that the use of Native American imagery is actually to honor American Indians.

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Sports teams should be condemned for continuing to use ethnic stereotypes to market themselves. However, supporters of keeping old nicknames, symbols and mascots have also been facing severe criticism from those that consider using other cultures and groups as nicknames and mascots to be degrading and harmful to the people that are part of those cultures and groups. Protesters gather consistently outside stadiums of teams that use Native American nicknames, symbols

and mascots, such as the Cleveland Indians. According to a May 25, 2016 Los Angeles Times article, one Native American woman told the New York Times that when schoolmates called her “redskin,” it was a “taunt and an insult, not an expression of respect.” Based on the events over the past few decades, it appears that many sports team officials would agree. Although no offense against Native Americans or any other cultures or groups may have originally been intended in the creation of mascots, logos and nicknames of sports teams, the offense still exists and should be addressed. Ethnic or racial slurs — terms that stereotype a person based on something that is outside of their control — should not be used under any circumstance. Sports teams should be condemned for continuing to use ethnic stereotypes to market themselves. Understandably, nicknames, logos and mascots hold a lot of historic importance to fans. However, this doesn’t take away from the severity of the issue of using terms or imagery that may be considered offensive to any ethnic group. The Cleveland Indians are by no means the last team left to change its logo, and there is still much progress to be made. Unfortunately, not all teams are acting on the increasing pressure to leave the Native American nicknames behind. The Washington Redskins in the National

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

Football League is an example of such a team that has been resisting change. According to an Oct. 9, 2013 article in the Washington Post, in a letter written to fans, the owner of the Washington Redskins, Dan Snyder, wrote, “As some of you may know, our team began 81 years ago — in 1932 — with the name ‘Boston Braves.’ The following year, the franchise name was changed to the ‘Boston Redskins.’ On that inaugural Redskins team, four players and our Head Coach were Native Americans. The name was never a label. It was, and continues to be, a badge of honor.” Even if it had been intended as an honor, many fans today do not agree and have protested the use of “Redskins” as the name for the team. According to the same ABC News article, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year stated that the Redskins’ name cannot be stripped of trademark protection just because there are some that find it offensive. This ruling misses the larger issue at hand. A sports team should not be marketed based on an ethnic or racial slur. The Cleveland Indians is yet another professional sports team that has addressed the larger issue at hand with using a logo that many find offensive and racist. Their decision to stop the use of their current logo sets a positive example in the sports community and will, hopefully, prompt similar actions by other teams still using offensive nicknames, logos or mascots.

2017

10 THE JUSTICE ● Sports ● Tuesday, JANUARY 30, 2018

MBBALL: Judges get blown out by Case Western CONTINUED FROM 16 The Judges were stopped from climbing back into the game at all, even trailing by as much as 32 points at one juncture of the game. The 31-point loss was the worst on the year for the Brandeis squad. Even in crushing defeat, the Judges were able to have three players pup up double-digit points. Sabir recorded 13 points for the team off of 4-9 shooting from the field, as well as five free throws. In addition, he added four rebounds and four steals to stuff the stat sheet. Off the bench, Sherman added 12

TEAM AT HER BACK

points, while Say finished with 11 points. On the glass, Workman was the leader of the squad, corralling nine total rebounds. Center Akim Sanni ’21, Sabir and Sherman each recorded two assists for the team. Next up for the Judges is a road trip for a rematch against this week’s opponents. On Friday, the team will at the home of Case Western in an attempt to avenge a brutal loss. After that, the Judges will travel to Carnegie Mellon on Sunday with hope of another victory. The team is about to enter the final month of regular season play before the playoffs begin so every game matters.

TRACK: Team looks ahead to NEICAAA WBBALL: Squad ready for finals and Tufts playoffs as February begins Cupid Invitational

YURAN SHI/the Justice

PLAYING WITH HART: Guard Eva Hart ’18 drives in against Carnegie Mellon as the bench looks on in their game on Jan. 28.

CONTINUED FROM 16

CONTINUED FROM 16 women’s teams. For the men, they were followed by Tufts University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Amherst College. For the women, Wesleyan, MIT, and Amherst finished after Stonehill. Up next, the Judges will continue their busy season with two more meets next weekend. All runners who posted qualifying times will be heading to the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston on Friday and Saturday to compete in the New England Intercollegiate Amatuer Athletic

Association championships. The rest of the team will travel to Tufts University again for the Tufts University cupid invitational. The weekend following, the craziness continues with two more meets. Some of the team will travel to Boston University for the Valentines classic while others will be down the road at MIT for the Gordon Kelly invitational. After that, the team will travel to Middlebury College in Vermont to participate in the New England Division III championships agaist other DIII schools from the region.

took place in the second half of play. At the half, the Judges and Spartans were tied at 28-28, but over the course of the second half, the Judges would go on to dominate the action and play. A true mark of the play was the incredible, yet sudden, improvement in Brandeis defense during the second half of the game. They were able to outscore the Spartans 17-8 in the third quarter alone, attributed to the team’s defense mechanisms. The fourth quarter proved to be even stronger than the third, with the judges outscoring the Spartans 18-6, missing only one shot. For the second quarter in a row, Goncalo

alone was able to score an equal number of points to the entire visiting team’s roster, scoring six points by herself. Looking back on her overall performance for the game, Goncalo made seven out of 13 shots from the floor, two out of the six three-point shots and five out of five from the line. Additionally, other players helped to make this one a success for the Judges. Nicholson, also scored in the double digits at play with 10 points and a perfect shooting evening. Forward Joelle MarkAnthony ’19 led with eight rebounds at play. Guard Eva Hart ’ 18 scored nine points and had a career high of six assists during the game. Overall, this game was an

important confidence boost for the Judges, ending a three game losing streak. The wins continued on Sunday as the Judges went on to defeat Carnegie Mellon University. Looking ahead, the Judges are entering the final month of regular season play, so each game is becoming increasingly consequential as the playoff picture is finalized. Despite the Judges 11-6 record overall, the team currently sits at 5th place in the UAA due to their 3-4 record within the conference. They will go on the road to face Case Western on Friday before playing Carnegie Mellon in a repeat of last weekend’s games. If recent success is any indication, this weekend should be another sweep.

TENNIS BASKETBALL SWIMMING TRACK

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TENNIS BASKETBALL SWIMMING TRACK

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THE JUSTICE

● Sports ●

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

FENCING

jUDGES BY THE NUMBERS Men’s BASKETBALL UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Points Per Game

UAA Conference W L WashU 7 0 Emory 6 1 Rochester 4 3 Case 4 3 Chicago 4 3 NYU 2 5 JUDGES 1 6 Carnegie 0 7

W 16 15 13 10 8 9 5 4

Overall L Pct. 2 .889 3 .833 5 .722 8 .556 10 .444 8 .529 13 .278 14 .222

EDITOR’S NOTE: Friday vs. Case Western Sunday vs. Carnegie Mellon Feb. 9 vs. Washington University

Latye Workman ’18 leads the team with 11.1 points per game. Player PPG Latye Workman 11.1 Lawrence Sabir 10.7 Colin Sawyer 9.6 Eric D’Aguanno 9.3

Rebounds Per Game Latye Workman ’18 leads the team with 8.4 rebounds per game. Player RPG Latye Workman 8.4 Chandler Jones 4.8 Lawrence Sabir 4.2 Eric D’Aguanno 3.5

WOMen’s basketball UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Points Per Game

UAA Conference W L W Chicago 7 0 16 Rochester 6 1 16 WashU 4 3 13 Emory 4 3 10 JUDGES 3 4 11 NYU 3 4 10 Carnegie 1 6 9 Case 0 7 3

Overall L Pct. 2 .938 2 .875 5 .625 8 .750 6 .600 8 .563 9 .500 14 .176

EDITOR’S NOTE: Friday vs. Case Western Sunday vs. Carnegie Mellon Feb. 9 vs. Washington University

Katie Goncalo ’20 leads the team with 10.6 points per game. Player PPG Katie Goncalo 10.6 Hannah Nicholson 9.6 Sarah Jaromin 7.6 Camila Casanueva 6.9

Rebounds Per Game Hannah Nicholson ’20 leads with 8.8 rebounds per game. Player RPG Hannah Nicholson 8.8 Joelle MarkAnthony 4.9 Jillian Petrie 3.8 Katie Goncalo 3.8

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

NATALIA WIATER/Justice File Photo

MENDING FENCES: A Brandeis fencer lunges in while sparring a fencer from Cornell University in their match on Dec. 3, 2017.

Both teams dominate NFC championship ■ The men’s fencing team won the competition, while the women’s team placed third in a successful meet. By Abby patkin Justice Editor

EDITOR’S NOTE: Saturday 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)

200-Meter Dash

RUNNER TIME Regan Charlie 23.32 Lorenzo Maddox 24.10 Matt Kimmelstiel 24.39

RUNNER TIME Kayla Fahey 28.08 Jessie Moore 28.21 Jordan Brill-Cass 28.57

EDITOR’S NOTE: Friday at NEICAAA Championships Saturday at NEICAAA Championships Feb. 9 at BU Valentines Invitational

The fencing teams finished their Northeast Fencing Conference campaigns on Sunday with impressive showings at Boston College. The men clinched their third NFC crown in four years with an undefeated 10-0 record, and the women finished a strong third place with a 9-3 record, besting some of the top programs in the region. As the Judges finish their NFC campaign, they are tied with Boston College with an overall record of 19-3. The men narrowly beat out Brown University and Boston College in their first two matches of the day, going 15-12 in each match. The Judges picked up wins in foil and epee against Brown, taking down host BC with a 5-4 victory in foil and a 6-3 win in epee. BC narrowly earned a 5-4 win in saber. The Judges dominated in their final four matches against club squads from Vassar College (234), Dartmouth College (22-5), Tufts University (21-6) and the University

of Florida (23-4). Men’s foil saw great success at the meet, going 6-0 on the day and proving the only squad to defeat both Brown (5-4) and BC (6-3). The squad lost only one match in all the others combined. Elishua Litle ’18 and Ian Quin ’20 led the squad to victory with seven wins each, going 7-1 and 7-2, respectively. The event was a success for veteran and rookie fencers alike, with Tristan Barca-Hall ’21, Sam Chestna ’20 and Trevor Filseth ’20 all going 6-0 against a slew of mostly club opponents. Rookie Alek Broszkowski ’21 had a standout day, holding his own against club opponents and going 7-0. The epeeists posted a respectable 4-2 record, with Hunter Stusnick ’18 leading the squad with an 8-3 record, tying for the most wins on the team for the day. Men’s saber fared similarly with a 4-2 record, their two defeats coming by slim margins at 5-4 scores and three of their wins by 9-0 shutouts. Kyle Berney ’18 matched Stusnick’s win total, posting 8-3 on the day. The women’s team started the day with a rocky start, falling to Brown and BC by identical 17-10 scores. The losses were a sour start to the meet, with the Judges suffering defeats by slim margins. Like the men, the women’s team also saw success in bouts against the other squads, going

undefeated against Dartmouth (189), Vassar (19-8), Tufts (16-11) and the Florida club team (20-7). Foil and epee cleared the way for the women’s team, with each going 5-1 on the day. Foilist Renee Pite ’19 dominated with a 10-4 record, and teammates Joanne Carminucci ’19 and Jessica Gets ’20 followed close behind with eight wins apiece. Women’s epee had a fantastic showing, marking a pair of 9-0 wins. Their only loss was a close one at 5-4. Dakota Levy ’20 was the clear frontrunner, ending the day with an 11-3 record. Rookie Jamie Noh ‘21 wasn’t too far behind, notching 10-2 on the day and making her another one to watch. Liz Feller ’18 wore two hats on Sunday, going 8-1 in epee before picking up a saber in the final two matches and going 5-1 against club squads from Florida and Dartmouth. Both teams will look to keep the momentum going on Saturday at the Eric Sollee Invitational. The Judges will have the home field advantage as they host Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Haverford College and New York University in an event leading up to the National Collegiate Athletic Association championships later in March.

Pro Sports brief Hideki Matsuyama looks to win his third straight Phoenix Open and improve his No. 5 PGA ranking Golf is about to get rowdy. Starting Jan. 29 and going through Feb. 4, the Waste Management Phoenix Open, dubbed “the greatest show on grass,” is taking place in Scottsdale, Arizona. The tournament is famous for its notorious 16th hole, a par-3 which, with the addition of stadium seating, turns into “the Coliseum.” It’s one of the reasons this tournament has one of the largest galleries of any tournament in the world. Tiger Woods was famously showered with beer by adoring fans after he aced the 16th in 1997. Last year, over 650,000 people came to be a part of the hype. Four nights of the tournament are spent inside a giant tent, where live music only contributes to the party atmosphere. This year the Coors Light Birds Nest concerts will feature Florida Georgia

Line, OneRepublic and Zedd. The tournament also makes charity a priority, donating $86 million to various causes. Sustainability will be a goal throughout the weekend. Spectators are encouraged to wear the color green on Saturday to highlight the tournament’s commitment to protecting the environment. This will be the seventh year the tournament has had a “green out.” Over $390,000 has been raised and donated to sustainable causes throughout the history of this movement. The tournament boasts that it is zero waste; nothing has been sent to a landfill for five consecutive years. The first round of the Open does not begin until Thursday. Before then spectators will gather for other events like the San Tan Ford Special

Olympics Open, Phoenix Suns Charities Shot at Glory and Annexus Pro-Am. The Pro-Am portion will feature amateurs including swimmer Michael Phelps, former NFL star Emmitt Smith and former Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arian. Then, on the 1st, all players entered in the Open will compete on the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale, a 71-par, 7261-yard course. All eyes will be on Hideki Matsuyama, a Japanese golfer currently ranked fifth in the PGA tour. He won the Waste Management Phoenix Open the past two years in a row, and many think he is capable of bringing home a third victory. However, the 132 other golfers competing for their share of the $6.9 million purse will not make it easy for him. 19 of the players are in the top 50 as ranked by the

Official World Golf Rankings. Webb Simpson, last year’s runner-up, is back to fight for the win. Other fan favorites competing include Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, Patton Kizzire, Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth. Kizzire is currently in first place for the FedEx Cup, with Rahm in second. Fowler is in 15th place for the FedEx Cup. Thomas, at age 24, is ranked sixth for the FedEx Cup. Spieth, also only 24 years of age, boasts a total of 11 PGA Tour wins. The youngest golfer ever to win the Open was Ralph Guldahl, who, in 1932, won the tournament at age 20. But that’s not to say that age is an advantage. In 2009, Kenny Perry won the Open at age 48, making him the oldest ever winner. Phil Mickelson, currently age 47, is one of the most veteran golfers playing this

year. He has a long history playing in the Waste Management Open and holds some of its records; perhaps this year he is hoping to challenge his own 72-hole record of 256 for the tournament. In total, Mickelson has won $3,956,315 from playing the Open, beating out even two-time winner Matsuyama, whose earnings are $3,119,200. Expectations are certainly high for the Open. Last year fans celebrated two holes-in-one. Jack McGuire aced the 12th and Chad Campbell the seventh. Fans are already flying into Arizona from across the country in anticipation of the tournament start. Here’s hoping this year’s excitement brings more beer showers. —Kirby Kochanowski

just

Sports

Page 16

FENCING TEAMS WIN BIG The Brandeis men’s and women’s fencing teams dominated their opponents in last weekend’s meet, p. 15.

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

PUT HIM ON A POSTER

Judges sweep weekend games ■ Sophomores Hannah

Nicholson ’20 and Katie Goncalo ’20 were standouts in the victories. By Jen Geller Justice Editor

The Judges have dominated in the past week of play, conquering Case Western Reserve University and Carnegie Mellon University, both University Athletic Association competitors. The victories improved their record to 11-6 overall and 3-4 in the conference. The team looks ahead to their next game on the road against UAA competitor Carnegie Mellon on Friday. Judges 55, Carnegie Mellon 52 An astonishing battle on Sunday left the Judges victorious against fellow UAA competitor, Carnegie Mellon University, improving the Judges to a 11-6 overall record and a 3-4 mark in UAA play. Forward Hannah Nicholson ’20 played an extraordinary role in this game, scoring a career high 23 points in the game and having 11 rebounds. At the half, the Judges were

Waltham, Mass.

trailing the Tartans with a score of 29-25. After a seemingly downhill start to the second half with 8:57 to go in the third quarter, the Judges would score the next eight points in the game. Although CMU tried to push back, the Judges would outscore the Tartans 11-3 heading into the final quarter of play, with a lead of 44-42. During the period, Nicholson finished with eight points scored and Guard Katie Goncalo ‘20 scored six points. In fact, although both teams offensively declined in the final quarter, Brandeis held their guard as they never let CMU overtake them, demolishing the opposition with a 11-10 lead in the final quarter alone. This game was a nailbiter for Judges fans, but the persistence of this team allowed for the success of the women, an overall trend this weekend. Judges 63, Case Western 42 On Friday evening, the Judges conquered UAA competitor Case Western Reserve University, improving their record to 10-6. Goncalo proved to be a force to be reckoned with, scoring a career high of 21 points in a game, 19 of which

See WBBALL, 13 ☛

Track and field

Individual runners shine at BU and Tufts ■ Two school records and

three Division III top times were set at last weekend’s track and field meets. By Zach Kaufman JUSTICE EDITOR

The Brandeis Men’s and Women’s track teams participated in both the Boston University Terrier Classic and the Tufts University Branwen Smith-King Invitational which took place this past weekend. While the teams did not place well among some stiff competition in the Tufts meet, the Judges had some individual studs on the weekend. Two school records were set and three runners had top five NCAA Division III performances. The meet at BU was non scoring, but runners posted individual qualifying times. The men’s team placed 11th out of 14 teams in the competition. The runners ran hard, but were simply outmatched at a crowded meet. Graduate student Irie Gourde ’17 was a standout in the 400 meter run. He finished the race in 48.49 which was good for 10th in the competition. His time is actually the fastest anyone has run the 400 meter dash in all of Division III this season, however he is ranked fourth because the other three ahead of him ran on flat tracks as opposed to the banked track at BU. Also in that same race, Churchill Perry ’20 entered the national ranks. He finished in 49.54 seconds, good for 20th overall at the meet and also the 25th best time this season in Division III. Four athletes scored for the men’s team during the Tufts meet on Saturday. Regan Charlie ‘19 took home fourth place in the 200 meter dash with a time of 23.32 seconds. He also was just a thousandth of a second away from making the finals with his 60

meter dash time. Brandeis also had runners Jacob Judd ’21 and Max Whitmore ’18 finish fifth and sixth respectively in the 1000 meter dash. Sophomore Jack Allan ’20 was fourth in the long jump and just missed the finals in the 60 meter hurdle. Rounding out the scorers for the men, Breylen Ammen ’21 just barely finished in scoring position, tying for eighth in the pole vault. The women’s team placed 14th out of 16 teams who participated in the Tufts invitational. Emily Bryson ’19 continues to impress. During the mile run at BU. Bryson finished eighth overall including sixth among collegiate runners. But that’s not what made the run special. Bryson broke her own school record with a time of 4:51.36, making her the fastest mile runner in Division III this season. That was not the only school record that was broken last weekend. At the Tufts meet, Jordin Carter ’18 finished third overall in the 20-pound weight throw with a distance of 14.78 meters, besting a 16 year old Brandeis record by just 5 centimeters. Other top performers include Julia Bryson ’19 whose mile won her heat and placed her 43rd overall. The 4x400 team was also very successful, finishing 18th including second in Division III. The dependable squad of Doyin Ogundiran ’19, Leinni Valdez ’21, Lisbeth Valdez ’21 and Lydia Harris ’20 won their heat with a time of 4:07.79. Ogundiran also made a name for herself as a soloist, placing 16th overall in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:13.42. It was the third-best time in all of Division III this season. Stonehill College, a small Division II liberal arts college in Easton, Massachusetts won the meet for both the men’s and the

See TRACK, 13 ☛

KALIANNI NEAL-DESATNIK/the Justice

INSTANT REGRET: Center Akim Sanni ’21 goes up for the dunk against the Carnegie Mellon defender in a win on Jan. 28.

Losing streak ends after win vs. Carnegie Mellon ■ Team defeated Carnegie Mellon but could not keep the momentum going, losing to Case Western. By NOAH HESSDORF JUSTICE Editor

The Judges split their conference games this week, going 1-1 in the process. On Sunday the team defeated Carnegie Mellon University in a close victory, while two days before on Friday night it fell in a blowout to Case Western Reserve University. Judges 87, Carnegie Mellon 79 The Judges got their first conference win of the season on Sunday afternoon, holding off Carnegie Mellon to claim their overall fifth win of the season. Forward Chandler Jones ’21 led the team on the day, recording an impressive 18 points in the process. It was also a double-double for the rookie, as he added 10 rebounds to go along with his point totals. Forward Latye Workman ’18 was almost as impressive, scoring

17 points to lead the charge for the team’s big men, along with Jones. Workman had an all-around remarkable game, recording six rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. For the guards, shooting guard Colin Sawyer ’20 was the leader on the day, scoring 14 points off of 6-8 shooting, including two three-pointers. Guard Lawrence Sabir ’21 was also big on the day, coming just short of a double-double, with eight points and 10 rebounds. Sabir also added six assists and two steals for the squad. The bench also stood tall for the Judges on the day, led by guard Corey Sherman ’19. Sherman led the scoring for the reserves, recording 14 points and five assists. His totals were helped by his eight free throws. Also off the bench was co-captain, forward Eric D’Aguanno ’20, who contributed 14 points off the backs of a 4-10 shooting performance from behind the three-point arc. As a whole, the squad shot over 36 percent from three on the game. D’Aguanno also led the bench in minutes played with 26. For Carnegie Mellon, the loss dropped them to 4-14 on a season

that is quickly coming to a close. The defeat also put them behind the Judges for last place in the conference standings. Case Western 89, Judges 58 The Judges got promptly romped by the visiting Spartans, who improved their record to 3-3 in the University Athletic Association conference. Three-point shooting was the key in the victory for Case Western, as it converted on a season-high 18 threes during the contest. Brandeis was put into a tough hole from the get go, as Case Western ran out to a quick 13-4 lead. Guard Semih Say ’21 battled for the Judges, as his bucket in the first half put the team within six points temporarily, one of the only times in the game that the score was even that close. Case Western dominated the rest of the first half as it took a 12-4 run at the end of the half to take a 15 point lead into the halftime break. The beginning of the second half was more of the same as the Spartans played brilliantly through a 11-3 run to give them a 53-30 lead.

See MBBALL, 13 ☛

Vol. LXX #15

January 30, 2018

Vol. LXX #2

September 12, 2017

.19

Pg >>

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ARTS Waltham, Mass.

Images: Andrew Baxter/the Justice and Creative Commons. Design: Andrew Baxter/the Justice, Natalia Wiater/the Justice.

TUESDAY, THE JUSTICE january | Arts 30, 2018 | TUESDAY, i ArtsJanuary i THE JUSTICE 31, 2017

film review

Margot Robbie shines as Tonya Harding By mendel weintraub justice Staff writer

Photo Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

MARVELOUS MARGOT: Margot Robbie, who starred in “I, Tonya,” was mesmerizing on the screen playing famous ice skater Tonya Harding.

The biopic is a Hollywood hallmark, and like all hallmarks, it is rife with clichés: the lovable protagonist with whom you side, the uplifting ending and the agreeable supporting characters. A biopic lacking these elements is hard to find, and those without them are rarely successful. But “I, Tonya,” Craig Gillespie’s unorthodox portrayal of the life of American figure skater Tonya Harding, is a biopic that leaves all the typical boxes unchecked, making for a deliciously dark comedy. If you are unfamiliar with the wild true story of Tonya Harding, some review is in order: In 1994, a thug bashed in Nancy Kerrigan’s (Harding’s ice-skating rival) leg with a retractable bat. Jeff Gillooly, Harding’s ex-husband, had hired the thug. Tonya allegedly had prior knowledge of the plot. “I, Tonya” documents events from the very beginning of Harding’s short career to the aftermath of her trial. Perhaps the greatest quality of “I, Tonya,” which stars Margot Robbie in the titular role of Tonya, is its radically paradoxical narrative. The film touts itself as a true story, but is told from multiple contradictory perspectives. You never know whom to believe, and viewers sympathize with different characters at various points throughout the film. Adding to the confusion, none of the characters are particularly good people. The film spends two hours following Harding’s abusive mother, LaVona (the Oscar-bound

Allison Janney), abusive ex-husband, Jeff (Sebastian Stan) and his henchman, Shawn Eckhardt (Paul Walter Hauser), and at the center of it all is Tonya Harding, who is not very kind herself. The fact that this movie works at any level is thanks to the performances of the cast. Robbie, who is most well-known for her role as Harley Quinn in the critically-panned comic book movie “Suicide Squad,” is surprisingly great as Harding. Her performance is seamless; not a moment in the film goes by in which Tonya Harding does not shine through. Robbie’s ability to toy with emotions is simply astonishing as she wins viewers’ love and then makes them hate her, only to fall in love all over again at the flip of a dime. Bolstering Robbie’s performance are the superb turns from the supporting cast. Allison Janney’s tightrope act as the somehow endearing monster of a mother is worthy of praise. Sebastian Stan, who, like his co-star Robbie, is most well-known for his role in comic book films, gives a surprisingly strong performance as Jeff. However, while all the aforementioned performances are noteworthy in their own rights, none stand out as much as that of the film’s unsung hero, Paul Walter Hauser, who has been criminally ignored in this year’s awards season. Hauser’s performance as Shawn Eckhardt, Harding’s bumbling bodyguard, is among the greatest comedic performances of the century. There is not a single word that comes out of his mouth that fails to leave you in stitches. This past week Oscar nominations

were announced, and “I, Tonya” reaped three nominations, each of which was very well-deserved: Best Actress for Margot Robbie, Best Supporting Actress for Allison Janney and, finally, Best Film Editing. It would be giving too much away to detail the circumstances of the film’s final scene, which cross-cuts between various stages of Harding’s life. However, the editing of this scene cannot be left unmentioned. The scene is stunning and creates one of the greatest final shots of any film this year. As great as this movie is, there are instances in which its comedic atmosphere can be jarring. For instance, moments of abuse that are depicted in the film are often played for laughs. While these scenes frequently portray Harding as a strong woman who fights back against her abusers, the content of these scenes is nevertheless troubling, and for obvious reason. In one scene where Tonya confronts her mother about the years of abuse she suffered at her hands only to storm away angrily, LaVona calls after her, “Spilled milk, baby.” Though it is a funny moment, the circumstances are far more heartbreaking than they are hilarious. The uneasiness that “I, Tonya” provokes is obviously intentional. This is a complicated story, and our emotional response to it is not supposed to be simple. As we grapple with the motivations of each character, we never fully trust them. One moment in particular sums up this movie perfectly, when Harding remarks, “There’s no such thing as truth.”

film screening

Hamilton Morris on high (quality) filmmaking By isabelle truong justice Staff writer

Psychedelics enthusiasts huddled into the Wasserman Cinematheque at the Brandeis International Business School last Thursday night. The atmosphere did not feel intimate, but rather quite distant, and the entire room smelled heavily of marijuana. The speaker for the event was journalist and filmmaker Hamilton Morris, who shared season two, episode six of his show, “Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia on Vice.” The episode was titled, “A Clandestine Chemist’s Tale.” In his show he explores the history and process of making various psychedelic drugs, from mushrooms to hallucinogenic frog venom. The show has a huge following; even a viewer not interested in partaking in such experiences can find the documentary-style episodes to be actually quite intriguing. The screening began with a brief introduction by Morris about the episode. Most audience members had already seen it; however, this version was longer than the one available online, and less censored. Morris explained how the process of making the episode was extremely difficult, and understandably so, due to the clandestine nature of the highly illegal and controversial drug, MDMA. Finding a clandestine chemist who had synthesized the drug is no easy task, especially one who would talk about it on camera to a large viewership. Morris also told us that Steve Gill, the main chemist featured in the episode, is an elusive character who constantly went through depressive periods, which made contact and filming difficult. The episode, which was about an hour long, gave viewers a comprehensive look at the process of making MDMA and included interviews with big clandestine producers of MDMA, as well as with law enforcement and one Drug Enforcement Administration chemist. We met Gill who, with his wife during the 1990s, created a

HEATHER SCHILLER/the Justice

CLANDESTINE CHEMIST: Morris discussed the importance of allowing young people to practice chemical synthesis and the skill needed to do so. successful clandestine chemistry empire selling MDMA and other similar chemical compounds before he was eventually caught and arrested after decades of being successfully hidden. However, contrary to most assumptions about drug dealing and the industry, Gill did not make MDMA for profit purposes. He discussed his passion for chemistry as a young teenager, and how synthesizing chemicals was just something that he constantly loved to do. He didn’t make MDMA out of the adrenaline of it being criminal and clandestine, but rather was simply interested in playing with all different types of chemical compounds. Morris also gave us a look into an clandestine MDMA lab with

two anonymous chemists, who even walked us through a step by step demonstration, from heating to distilling to freezing. Making MDMA requires many intricate steps with materials that are extremely hard to attain without an official license which authorizes the ability to work with such dangerous chemicals. Morris’ message really manifested during the interview with the DEA chemist. The chemist, just like Gill, had created all of the very same drugs: MDMA, MDA, MMDA and more. The only difference between the two was that one was doing it illegally and eventually had his life ruined, whereas the other did it as an official government career without

complication. Both motives stemmed from a love and extensive knowledge of chemistry. At the end of the episode, Morris said that the stigma towards MDMA ignores the amount of science and technique that comes from creating MDMA, that the U.S.’s ban on clandestine chemistry prevents young people from practicing chemical synthesis, a really unique and interesting type of science. A Q&A filled with inquiries and compliments followed the end of the screening. One person asked how Morris was able to do this entire episode without facing legal barriers, to which he responded that filming a “total synthesis of MDMA on television” is surprisingly not against the

law. Another asked about the scene in which he compared the two chemists, the DEA chemist and Steve Gill, and what the intention of that scene was. To this Morris answered that the two are almost the same — the DEA chemist had “every element of being criminal except for committing the crime.” It was evident by the hands raised that there were many more curious voices wanting to be heard, but not enough time. Overall, hearing Morris’ thoughtful and thorough responses to questions about his passion for chemistry and about the process of making the episode was definitely the highlight of the event. I only wish it were longer, because it seemed as if he had a lot to say.

THE JUSTICE i TUESDAY, January 31, 2017 THE JUSTICE i arts i arts Tuesday, January 30, 2018

theater review

Who doesn’t love a good ‘Quickie’?

By Lizzie Grossman justice editor

Anyone who has seen theater at Brandeis knows the hard work that theater students put into their performances, with several hours of rehearsal culminating in an elaborate performance. At the beginning of the spring semester, however, students perform plays that have only been rehearsed two or three times — and while they are very impressive, they have the unique element of being performed in under 10 minutes. “Quickies,” presented by the Undergraduate Theater Collective, is an annual festival of short plays that are written, directed and performed purely by students. “Quickies,” produced by Haia Bchiri ’20 and Karina Wen ’20, were performed on Sunday and consisted of 11 well-crafted short plays. The show opened with “The God

in the Gaps,” written by Lauren Komer ’21 and directed by Caitlin Crane-Moscowitz ’20 and Emily Bisno ’19. This play starred Kate Kesselman ’19 and Oliver Leeb ’21 arguing about scientific versus religious viewpoints, respectively. While their acting was nothing short of impressive, the show-stealer was Raphael Stigliano ’18, who did not even have a line in the play; while Kesselman bounced a ball up and down to aid her scientific explanations to Leeb, Stigliano did nothing but literally imitate the movements of the ball. Whenever the ball bounced, he jumped to its beat; when it rolled off the stage, he rolled off the stage as well, which was the spark of humor in the performance and kept the audience engaged during the philosophical discussion between Kesselman and Leeb. While the rest of the plays were all impressive, there were definitely a few standouts. The second perfor-

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ALL IN GOOD FUN: Isaac Ruben ’21 and Ryan Sands ’19 act in “No Stars, Don’t See,” which poked fun at student journalists.

mance, titled “No Stars, Don’t See,” written by Otis Fuqua ’19 and also directed by Crane-Moscowitz and Bisno, featured Isaac Ruben ’21 and Ryan Sands ’19, and — ironically — poked fun at journalists who review theater performances. Ruben read aloud several comments like those that have appeared in previous theater reviews, many of which were clearly over-exaggerated, such as a reviewer suggesting that the actor should have been on a block on stage instead of on the ground. Sands acted out the absurdity of these comments — for example, stepping onto a block — as Ruben read them aloud, with hilarious facial expressions to complement the strange critiques. The most entertaining part of the show was actually not a “Quickie,” but a magic show right before intermission performed by Zack Garrity ’20, which may as well have been a “Quickie” on its own. Garrity started by performing a basic card trick in which he asked an audience volunteer to pick a card from a deck. While Garrity left the theater temporarily, the volunteer revealed to the audience that the card she had picked was the two of spades. Garrity made several purposely failed attempts to figure out the card that had been picked, such as asking audience members to look at the back of their programs, in which under the “special thanks to” section, the “nine of diamonds” was listed. However, it became clear that this was not just a magic show but a prepared skit when Rachel Greene ’20 fell onto the stage and “fainted,” and Sara Kenney ’18 and UTC president Tres Fimmano ’18 came on stage to check on her and call Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps. Within the process, Garrity even asked them to check Greene’s back pocket, in which there was a card — still not the two of spades. Kenney and Fimmano proceeded to have a “fight” over responsibilities in the UTC during which time Fimmano wanted to change his shirt due to Garrity having spilled water

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MONSTER MOTHER: Sam Schulman ’21 plays a daughter frustrated by her mother’s (Rachel Steinberg ’19) partygoing ways.

on him. Kenney got mad, saying that he already had too many privileges in the UTC and he should not have the privilege to exit the stage to change his shirt. Fimmano became outraged and decided to simply take off his shirt onstage and face his back to the audience — and drawn on his back was the two of spades! The festival culminated in “Mrs. Rudy’s Seventh Period Class,” directed by Sarah Salinger-Mullen ’19 and assistant directed by Abigail Garber ’21, a story devised and created by the directors and cast. The cast in this play was much larger, and featured Jessica Kinsley ’20 telling a bedtime story to her onstage daughter, Sam Schulman ’21. The story she told was acted out by the remainder of the cast, and was about an experience she had in seventh grade in which she got drunk right before a school dance. She

claimed that someone had spiked her punch, and all of the seventhgrade students had a fight while accusing each other of having done it. After breakups, friendships ending and declining dance invitations due to the fight, they still did not find out who spiked the punch. At the end of the play, Schulman asked Kinsley who did spike the punch and Kinsley simply smiled and said goodnight to her daughter, implying that she had actually gotten drunk on her own and her classmates were fighting over nothing. All of these short plays showed an immense amount of work from the writers, actors and directors alike. They showed that theater can be entertaining regardless of how long a performance is or how much time one spends rehearsing for it. These several short plays were just what the Brandeis community needed on a Sunday night.

pop culture review

And the Oscar winners might be...

By Kent Dinlenc justice Staff writer

I think Stephen Colbert said it best on The Late Show on Jan. 23, the night after the 90th annual Oscar nominations were announced: “There are no controversies over lack of diversity. …With no big Oscar snubs, who are we mad at?” While I don’t believe diversity is an indicator of quality, there are very few exceptions to this year’s nominees that I take issue with. It happens to be that the Oscars got most everything right this year. This growing inclusion is more a commentary on the industry than on the quality of the films released in 2017. Guillermo del Toro’s romancefantasy film “The Shape of Water” led the pack with thirteen nominations while Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” received eight and my favorite film of the year, “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri,” received seven. I was not particularly taken with “The Shape of Water” as most critics were this awards season. It was competently made but, overall, I wasn’t blown away like I was by many of the films nominated this year. Films like “Blade Runner 2049” and “Get Out” were much more visually striking and thematically complex, and let’s not discount most people’s favorite film of the summer, “Baby Driver,” which received a few technical award nominations. Other than my insistence that “The Square” win best foreign film, I’m strictly discussing the categories involving the live action feature film nominees. Let’s begin with everyone’s favorite category: makeup and hairstyling. This category hands down goes to “Darkest Hour” for transforming

the skinny, slightly fair-skinned Gary Oldman into the rotund and pale Winston Churchill. Unless the voters want to shake things up like they did with the Oscar-winning “Suicide Squad,” which upon utterance automatically makes me shudder, this should be a lock. In the categories of production and costume design, “Blade Runner 2049” and “Phantom Thread,” respectively, should also be winners. The former was a sleek and beautiful look into a dystopian future while the other was about a clothing designer. Although most are going to insist “Baby Driver” win awards for best sound mixing and editing, these could easily go to “Dunkirk.” Sound editing is the designs and recording of a film’s audio, whereas sound mixing is the process of seamlessly layering them atop one another. “Dunkirk” should take both, but I would not be surprised or averse to “Baby Driver” taking sound mixing. “Dunkirk” may also take film editing, as it has recently won a few major film guild awards for best editing. Once again, “Baby Driver” could easily pull the rug out from under “Dunkirk.” Recognition for this year’s most stunning visuals, awarded via the cinematography and visual effects categories, should go to “Blade Runner 2049.” The “2049” director of photography, Roger Deakins, has fourteen nominations and zero wins under his belt while also being regarded as one of, if not the, best cinematographers of all time. While I would not be upset if “Dunkirk” snubs him once again for its glorious dogfight scenes and panoramic beach shots, this is for Deakins. The VFX award should go to “2049,” but “War for the Planet of the Apes” is

an incredibly close second. That franchise has been snubbed twice now while demonstrating a mastery in motion capture and detailed visual effects. It’s a toss-up between the two, but I hope “2049” gets it. Let’s briefly move behind the camera to the screenplay categories. In the best original category, this must go to “Three Billboards.” McDonagh wrote the tightest and most unique story by far. Some may argue for “Get Out,” but Jordan Peele’s direction is what captivated audiences, not the script. In the adapted category, this award will most likely go to “Call Me By Your Name.” This will unfortunately be the only award the film will be receiving on Oscar night, though I would much rather “Logan” get it. It’s an impressive enough feat that the comic book movie was nominated for a screenplay award; it may as well take the award home. Best original score will unfortunately go to Alexandre Desplat for “The Shape of Water.” I will continue to campaign Hans Zimmer to no end for “Dunkirk,” but Desplat has been racking up all of the awards. The odd thing is that Desplat will edge out Zimmer for a second time, taking the award for “Grand Budapest Hotel” over “Interstellar” in 2014. An underdog I won’t be particularly upset to see take the award home is Jonny Greenwood for “Phantom Thread.” I would not have guessed the lead guitarist from Radiohead would compose such a gorgeous orchestral score. And no, “Baby Driver” was not snubbed in this category. Its soundtrack was a compilation of unoriginal songs. It was nominated by the Grammys, but lost to the “La La Land” soundtrack Sunday night.

This was an incredibly strong year for actresses. Although the best lead and supporting awards are Frances McDormand’s (“Three Billboards”) and Allison Janney’s (“I, Tonya”) to lose, respectively, all of the other actresses in both categories were fantastic and equally deserving, except for Meryl Streep. Her performance was not particularly as outstanding as the other women’s. I would have personally liked to see the spot be occupied by Nicole Kidman for “The Killing of a Sacred Deer.” The supporting actor award is Sam Rockwell’s to lose as well. He was a major reason people both loved and hated “Three Billboards.” Regardless of what you thought, this then-criminally underrated actor will finally get his time in the spotlight (go watch “Moon,” he’s remarkable in it). I won’t be surprised if Willem Dafoe (“The Florida Project”) sneaks by to take it, but I hope he doesn’t. The lead actor category is oddly unsatisfying. I wasn’t particularly taken with most of the performances. They were all good, but not even close to the quality and intensity brought on in the other three acting categories. The fact that Gary Oldman will most likely get the award as his “career win” should tell you that the other four nominees were not that impressionable to audiences this year. Some may argue Chalamet for “Call Me By Your Name” and Kaluuya for “Get Out” are deserving, but both were significantly elevated by their tight scripts and meticulous directing. This brings us to best director. Let me tell you now that del Toro is on the bottom of my list for who I want to win, but he will unfortunately

most likely take it home. Unless the Director’s Guild Awards rules differently this Friday, del Toro is a lock. I see this award as a way to recognize the seamless culmination of all of the aforementioned categories. It takes a lot of talent to perfect and match great visuals, tight scripts, smooth editing and poignant performances with one another while maintaining your vision. This is why I was upset not to see Denis Villeneuve for “2049.” I hope Jordan Peele wins in this category, but Nolan is an extremely close second. They both should be lauded for meticulously crafted visions in their drastically different films. Del Toro was… fine. According to my predictions above, “Shape of Water” is going to lose in every category. You wouldn’t expect a film in this position to win best director, or best picture for that matter. Since 2000, among the 17 films that had the most nominations on Oscar night, only eight of the last 17 won best picture. The Producers Guild Award, which recently gave “The Shape of Water” best picture, has been correct eleven times. The film also picked up the Critic’s Choice Award for best picture, which has been correct twelve times. “Three Billboards” won the Screen Actor’s Guild’s best ensemble award, which is comparable to best picture (correctly predicted nine times). The year’s best picture usually comes with a best screenplay and/or best director award. Since McDonagh will win best original screenplay and del Toro will win best director, it’s very much neckand-neck. I’ll cross my fingers. My favorite film of the year may actually win best picture. Good luck to you, “Three Billboards.”

TUESDAY, January 30, 2018 | Arts | THE JUSTIce

INTERVIEW

Brandeis TALKS

If you described your personality as a type of cookie, what would it be?

Karina Wen ’20 and Haia Bchiri ’20 YVETTE SEI/the Justice

Noah McNerney ’21

“Insomnia cookies… they have these like, green cookies that have chocolate chips … I have a sense of quirkiness, and [the cookie] has a good crunch.”

This week, justArts spoke with Karina Wen ’20 (pictured) and Haia Bchiri ’20 (not pictured), who were co-producers of this year’s annual “Quickies.” justArts: What are the “Quickies”? Karina Wen: “Quickies” is the UTC’s annual festival of original short plays (maximum ten-minute ) created by students! ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice

Mercedes Helm ’21

“I would say oatmeal chocolate chip because I feel like parts of me are sweet, but also like, other parts of me are just good, maybe not always the favorite.”

Joon Cha ’20

“If I had to describe [my personality] as a cookie, I’d be oatmeal raisin. I think oatmeal raisin is kind of balanced … I feel it’s well rounded because it has a nutritional side and a sweet side.”

Becca Feenstra ’20 I’d probably describe myself as a chocolate chip cookie because I’m pretty original and you know, like, very classic. You can’t go wrong. --Compiled and photographed by Andrew Baxter/the Justice.

STAFF’S Top Ten

ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice

Top 10 Places to Sleep on Campus By Maya Zanger-Nadis justice EDITORial assistant

Between their six classes and the 14 clubs they run, students ultimately sleep whenever they can, wherever they can. These are the optimal locations on campus for anything from a catnap to a full eight hours.

1. Couch in any Ziv common room 2. Village Lounge 3. SCC stairs 4. Booth in Upper Usdan 5. Frozen Massell Pond 6. Wherever UWS is taught 7. Peace Room ;) 8. Cradled in the arms of Louis Brandeis 9. Gosman Bridge 10. BranVan

CROSSWORD

JA: What are the typical themes you have in the “Quickies”? KW: Usually there is a mix of comedies and dramas. Some plays also involve music and/or dance.

ACROSS 1 Gardening tool 4 Lille women, for short 8 Able to drink, say 13 Codger 16 Sovereign decree 17 Sense of superiority, idiomatically 18 Barbershop quartet member 19 Beginning of time? 20 Subj. for Tom Wolfe in “The Bonfire of the Vanities” 21 “Call of Duty” item, slangily 22 Nordic airline 24 Shriners’ wear 26 Petting zoo attraction 32 Manhattan sch. 33 Best Buy buys 34 Bill 37 Tax mo. 38 Grokked 39 Grp. with the first song in “Guardians of the Galaxy 2” 40 ____Guessr 41 When Macbeth is named Thane of Cawdor 45 ____ Perce 46 Mile High City player 48 Calendar before the Gregorian 51 Canal locale 24 ____ Fighters 52 Soon, to Shakespeare 25 Nav. rank 53 Bit of coffee at the bottom of 26 One may cause you to switch to the cup Plan B 56 Movie with the tagline “A 27 Social media intern’s job little pig goes a long way” 28 Prefix with zone or trash 60 Word that means the same thing but quieter when an “M” is 29 Israeli desert 30 Amazon deliverer, perhaps added to the front 62 Peter Fonda film, or 31 Legendary gatekeeper 34 Ky. neighbor phoenetically, what the ends of 35 Trump impersonator Baldwin 17-, 26, and 46-Across have 36 TV clown played by Bob Bell 64 Passover month 41 Word after red or dead 65 Say 43-Down, e.g. 42 Netwk. from which Stephen 66 Cow parts Miller had to be escorted out by 67 ____-chef security 68 Area 51 denizens 43 See 65-Across 44 Roth ____ 46 Patronize, as a restaurant DOWN 47 One of three for John Glenn 1 Santa syllables 48 Short outing 2 Engineering school in 49 Let free Needham, Massachusetts 50 Many, informally 3 Advantage 53 Opus ____ 4 “That was so-so” 54 Plows into 5 Annoys, as a cat might 55 Boston Bruins legend, to 6 O.T. prophet his fans 7 Short meeting? 57 Together, musically 8 Bit of granola 58 At an angle 9 State of agitation 59 Spanish 101 word 10 Desi of “I Love Lucy” 61 Some E.R. workers 11 Many a show-and-tell 63 Reading and others, for short showing 12 French beings 14 Patrick Swayze film 15 Street cred 23 What the Ice Bucket Challenge raised awareness of, briefly

Haia Bchiri: “Quickies” themes run the gambit, though there tend to be a few school-related comedies, some family dramas and a number of plays dealing with personal tragedy. On the whole, though, the “Quickies” festival leans toward comedy. JA: Do you need any background to direct? KW: Nope! This year we chose directors based on a brief application. Some of them had directed before, and some had not.

CROSSWORD COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN

HB: You don’t need to have any background to direct a “Quickie.” That’s the beauty of the festival: It’s a chance for students to explore realms of theatre in which they have little to no experience and possibly discover that they want to continue to pursue them or possibly just have fun trying something new for a bit. JA: How does casting work? KW: We do common casting for all the short plays. All of the directors are in the room, and people drop in and read monologues that we provide.

SOLUTION COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN

HB: Casting is done a few weeks before “Quickies.” We gather all of the directors, along with the producers, in one room and hold open auditions for a few hours one evening. After that, we all sit together and talk through our cast options, negotiating over actors who are wanted for more pieces they can do and coordinating all of the lists so we can send them out simultaneously. JA: What are some of the challenges in putting this together? KW: Many people who were involved in “Quickies” this year are very busy, so coordinating schedules could be pretty challenging.

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

HB: Organizing all of the shows dayof may be the hardest part; making sure the order of the festival works for everyone and no one has conflicts during their tech time is a challenge. JA: What was most exciting about producing the “Quickies”? KW: It was great to be able to see the plays on their feet! Although we as producers weren’t directly involved in any of them, we got to see all of them through the whole process, from scripts to fully staged plays. HB: We had an amazing group of people this year (including my incredible co-producer, Karina) and they made “Quickies” the wonderful, honestly fun experience it was. —Hannah Kressel

Solution to last issue’s sudoku

Puzzle courtesy of www.sudokuoftheday.com