the
Justice www.thejustice.org
The Independent Student Newspaper Volume LXXI, Number 8
of
B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE
CAMPUS SPEAKERS
Women grapple with families’ Holocaust legacies ■ Two granddaughters
explored their connections to the Holocaust. By GILDA GEIST JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Facing History and Ourselves, an international nonprofit whose goal is to engage and educate students on racism and anti-Semitism, held a talk last Monday called “Echoes of the Holocaust: Beyond Sides of History” with the University’s Center for German and European Studies. Rachael Cerrotti, whose grandmother was a Holocaust survivor, and Julie Lindahl, whose grandparents were Nazis, shared their experiences uncovering and documenting their family histories. Cerrotti said that throughout her childhood, she had heard her grandmother, Hana, tell her life story many times, but it was not
until Cerrotti was in college that she decided to write the story down. For the last year and a half of her grandmother’s life, Cerrotti listened to and documented her story, which she shared with the audience on Monday. Because of World War II, Hana was stateless (meaning that she was not a citizen of any country) for 17 years, according to Cerrotti. Hana was first forced to leave her home in Czechoslovakia when she was 14 years old. She was chosen to go to a foster farm in Denmark, where she worked in exchange for a safe place to stay. Hana spent the following 17 years traveling across Europe and eventually to America. Cerrotti decided to create and then follow a “travel itinerary of her [grandmother’s] displacement.” On her journey, Cerrotti met and spoke to the descendents of several people whom Cerrotti said saved
See LEGACY, 7 ☛
COMMUNITY
Excavation near SCC to end in coming weeks ■ The University expects
pedestrian walkways in the area to be open by the end of next week. By JOCELYN GOULD JUSTICE EDITOR
The replacement of steam and telecommunication lines in front of the Shapiro Campus Center should be completed in about two weeks, according to Vice President for Operations Jim Gray in an interview with the Justice. The area has been fenced off and under construction since Aug. 27, when the University began investigating and repairing an underground steam line malfunction that melted telecommunication wires and led to phone and internet service disruptions. At the beginning of the project, the University was unsure why the steam line overheated, melting phone and internet service wires in a nearby duct, according to a Sept. 4 Justice article. The University also did not know what would be needed to fix the lines and prevent future incidents. After beginning the excavation, Gray explained, workers learned that there was a leak in the steam
pipe “over time that eroded the insulation around the pipe and ended up heating up the ground quite dramatically” — enough to melt the nearby telecommunications wires. Additionally, the University now must replace the steam lines themselves, not just their insulation. “The extent of the faulty pipes was a little greater than we originally thought,” Gray added, which is why the fenced area in front of the SCC has expanded over the course of the project. The pipes being replaced run the length of the fencing that lies closest to the SCC and Sherman Dining Hall. The rest of the fenced-off area is being used to hold equipment and the dirt removed from the ground to allow for the line repairs, Gray explained. The University began laying the new steam lines a little over a week ago, and Gray expects the new steam lines to be installed this week. He also expects all the telecommunication lines to be fully repaired by that same time. The telecommunication and steam lines will be laid “a little further apart” than previously, according to Gray. The lines were unusually close together in this area, contributing to the original malfunction.
See EXCAVATION, 7 ☛
Waltham, Mass.
ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice
‘EXCEPTIONAL’ COMMUNITY: University President Ron Liebowitz discussed the University's strengths and shortcomings on Monday.
President Liebowitz outlines vision for future of Brandeis ■ The "Brandeis Value
Proposition" highlighted strengths and struggles of the University. By NATALIA WIATER and JEN GELLER JUSTICE EDITORS
University President Ron Liebowitz urged the Brandeis community to strive for a strong, secure and sustainable future in a speech outlining his vision for the University yesterday. About 350 people attended the allcampus presidential announcement, with more watching the livestream, in which he shared the “Brandeis Value Proposition,” his framework for the University’s future.
Brandeis Value Proposition
Liebowitz described Brandeis as an “extraordinary institution” with “exceptional” students who love to learn and care about making the the world a better place. He highlighted the faculty and staff as the University’s “foundational strength” for their deep commitment to engaging in research with undergraduate and graduate students alike. “I am inspired by the voracity and idealism that inspired this University,” Liebowitz said, noting that “Brandeis emerged from the ashes of the Holocaust.” According to him, Brandeis was founded on an early vision of inclusivity, a value he believes is not an “outdated relic,” but an integral value that should be re-committed to and underscored. Brandeis is a small liberal arts institution with features of a large research university, Liebowitz said. Although Mark Neustadt, a creative marketing consultant, advised that the University “should clearly define itself as ei-
Confronting Domestic Violence A panel discusses the nuances of combating domestic abuse.
ther a research university or a liberal arts college,” according to a Dec. 6 Justice article, Liebowitz sees the University differently. In a joint interview with the Justice and The Brandeis Hoot, Liebowitz acknowledged Neustadt’s point of view but said that “the education and the mission come first,” not potential monetary gains from increasing or decreasing the size of the University’s student population to match that of a small liberal arts college or a larger research university.
“Too complex for our size and wealth”
Liebowitz admitted that many of the University’s programs lack “youthful energy” — faculty are “stretched thin” and the University has no clear priorities. He described the root of these “self-inflicted” problems as an overcommitment of resources and attempts to compensate for scarcity with ambition. “We are too complex for our size and wealth,” Liebowitz said. Right now, “Brandeis is less than the sum of its outstanding parts.”
Vision for the future
To counteract these problems, Liebowitz proposed three strategic initiatives that will build on the University’s strengths. Later this week, a more detailed proposal will be available online at brandeis.edu/framework. The first initiative will attempt to restructure social life on campus, with the goal of creating an improved student collegiate experience. Liebowitz cited the possible introduction of smaller residential communities and the establishment of stronger connections between undergraduate and graduate students as strategies to improve student life. “Personal and emotional development should be considered alongside academic development,” he said.
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Addressing current challenges
Liebowitz then turned to specific problems that his framework aims to address. In response to an audience
See FUTURE, 7 ☛
Incendio
Workshop examines employment post-graduation
Brandeis Latinx Students Organization hosts their third annual culture show.
Harvard admissions and Asian-Americans
By BRIANNA CUMMINGS
NEWS 5
By MAURICE WINDLEY
By HARRISON PAEK
FORUM 12
Red Sox win World Series
By SAMMY PARK NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
Liebowitz recounted stories alumni tell about how much they loved participating in Greek life at Brandeis, and emphasized the need to understand why these organizations are so important to many students.“Something has to explain why students want to join off-campus activities. Are we too bureaucratic?” he asked. He explained that while he himself does not support “singlesex” organizations, which he feels are not in line with the University’s values, he remains open-minded about understanding why Brandeis students are drawn to Greek organizations. Another initiative intends to create additional opportunities for scholarly pursuits, Liebowitz said. The University should aim to provide better staff support, to increase research funding and to offer more ambitious sabbatical leave opportunities for faculty, he added. Liebowitz hopes to see more interdisciplinary collaboration between programs and departments, such as the existing Health, Science, Society, and Policy major offered by the Heller School for Social Policy and Management in conjunction with the College of Arts and Sciences. The third initiative will honor Brandeis’ founding values, per Liebowitz’s speech. He reminded the audience of the University’s Jewish roots and described his ideal Brandeis as one that is a “repository for research on Judaism” and a beacon of learning and excellence. The openness and inclusivity of the University should continue to provide opportunities to new groups today, he said.
YDALIA COLON/the Justice
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ARTS 19
By BRIAN INKER
COPYRIGHT 2018 FREE AT BRANDEIS.
SPORTS 15
2
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2018
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NEWS
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THE JUSTICE
NEWS SENATE LOG Senators extend JFAB’s probationary period, debate interfaith event funds After a round of of committee reports on Sunday, the Senate voted to allocate funds for an upcoming interfaith event next month. The meeting began with announcements and recapping of this week’s events. Senators reported that on Wednesday a meeting was held with the Jewish Feminist Association of Brandeis to discuss the condition of the club’s probationary status, which was originally awarded last semester. Probationary clubs are are given 12 weeks to “develop and prove their ability to pursue or fulfill their purpose,” according to the Student Union Bylaws. Senators at the Wednesday meeting decided to provide JFAB with an additional probationary term because the club had not been holding regular weekly meetings, despite claiming they had widespread support on campus. Before discussing committee reports, the Senate held a vote on last week’s proposed bylaws amendment to explicitly define an executive session, which until that point had not been formally detailed. The Senate unanimously passed the motion by a vote of acclamation. During an executive session, senators may not vote upon business, and the content of the session “may be recorded but not broadcast.” The only Senate action that requires an executive session is the election of the executive senator. Senate Sustainability Committee chair Kent Dinlenc ’19 said the committee was interested in implementing a so-called “swap shack,” where graduating students could donate clean microwave ovens and refrigerators to incoming students. Dinlenc said other schools have implemented similar programs, and have reduced the number of discarded appliances. Other senators expressed support for this idea. Senate Dining Committee chair Leigh Salomon ’19 reported that Usdan has replaced its soy sauce bottles with packets of soy sauce after students repeatedly stole the soy sauce bottles. He reported that the Dining Committee is also exploring the installation of a shelving unit above the ice cream cooler in Sherman dining hall that could hold sprinkles and other ice cream toppings. Senator Alex Chang ’22 recommended adding ice cream cones to the shelf, which other senators expressed support for. Chang said he had acquired about 30 signatures from students and other members of the Brandeis community in support of his piano resolution, which seeks to purchase pianos for each of the first-year residence quads. The Senate next focused on a Senate Money Resolution from Racial Minority Senator Geraldine Bogard ’20, who requested approximately $400 for a proposed interfaith event that would take place on Nov. 8. Bogard said the event would provide students and faculty of any religious faith or atheist views a “common ground” to talk about stereotypes and personal experiences with religion on campus. She estimated that the attendance of the event would be approximately 60 people, a figure of which Senator Kendal Chapman ’22 was skeptical. Chapman noted, “I have doubts about the Brandeis community showing up for this.” Senator Linfei Yang ’20 also expressed reservations about the event’s menu. Approximately $150 of the SMR would go to securing food, including 10 cheese pizzas and one garden salad. Though one senator noted that the garden salad would be “large,” Yang said he would not support the resolution until more vegetarian and glutenfree food options were made available. Bogard said that she respected the feedback of the other senators, but noted a vote next week on her SMR would be too late. As a compromise, the senators voted on her resolution, with the agreement that she would change the resolution to accommodate the suggestions of her fellow senators. Senator Benedikt Reynolds ’19 emphasized that the revised SMR should not exceed $500. The SMR was passed in a vote of acclamation. —Sam Stockbridge
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS n The Senate Log incorrectly stated that the amendment proposed by the Bylaws Committee defining executive session would amend the Constitution. It was corrected to say it would amend the Student Union Bylaws. (Oct. 23, Page 2) n The subheading of a News article incorrectly used “he” and “his” in relation to a campus speaker, when “she” and “hers” should have been used. (Oct. 23, Page 1) n A Forum article incorrectly referred to Black Lives Matter as “Black Lives Latter.” (Oct. 23, Page 11) The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Send an email to editor@thejustice.org.
Justice
RALLY FOR TRANSGENDER RIGHTS
ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice
Students gathered on Sunday to support transgender rights in response to a Trump Administration memo that would redefine gender to threaten recognition and protection for transgender people.
BRIEF
Waltham receives additional funding for transportation services and repairs The state of Massachusetts supplied the city of Waltham additional funding for road work and transportation, according to an Oct. 24 Waltham Patch article. Waltham received $1,609,034 in the initial fiscal year 2019 funding report, but has now secured an extra $321,807, bringing the total to $1,930,841, according to the Patch article. The funds were part of a $40 million supplemental budget signed by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker on Oct. 23, an Oct. 27 USNews article reported. Governor Baker said the funding “represents [the Commonwealth’s] continued commitment to supporting communities as they address the maintenance and modernization of local roads.” The additional funding that Waltham received is part of the Chapter 90 Program. According to the MassGov Chapter 90 Program webpage, Chapter 90 funds are for “capital improvement such as highway construction, preservation, and improvement projects” and are designed to “create or extend life of capital facilities.” A MassGov blog post quoted Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack, who explained that the Chapter 90 funding program is an effort by the Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito’s administration to work with local community leaders. So far, according to the same blog post, Chapter 90 transportation funds have helped 351 cities and towns throughout Massachusetts. The individual funding is based on a formula that takes various factors into account, such as road miles, population and city or town employment. “The Administration realizes local leaders often know best what capital improvements are needed at the local level,” Pollack said. The same Patch article quoted LeBlanc as celebrating the additional funding Waltham received. LeBlanc said, “That’s great news that the Governor has given us a little more money. Perhaps the Governor has been spending some time driving on our streets.” —Liat Shapiro
POLICE LOG MEDICAL EMERGENCY October 24—BEMCo staff, University Police and the Waltham Fire Department responded to a report of a party experiencing stomach pains in Village B. Responders notified the area coordinator on call, and Cataldo Ambulance staff transported the party to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. October 25—University Police and BEMCo staff responded to a party who fainted in the Gerstenzang Science Complex. BEMCo staff treated the party, and a Cataldo Ambulance transported the party to NewtonWellesley Hospital for further
care. Responders notified the area coordinator on call of the incident. October 26—BEMCo staff treated a staff member of the Heller School experiencing malaise. Cataldo Ambulance staff transported the party to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. October 26—BEMCo staff treated a party for a finger injury in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. The party signed a refusal for further care. October 27—A party in Hassenfeld-Krivoff with an eye injury received assistance from BEMCo staff. The party signed a refusal for further care, but
University Police transported the party to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. October 27—University Police and BEMCo staff responded to a party in the Charles River apartments experiencing chest pains and difficulty breathing. The Waltham Fire Department arrived on the scene with a Cataldo Ambulance, and the area coordinator on call was notified. The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. October 28—BEMCo staff treated an intoxicated party in Ziv 130. University Police and BEMCo staff notified the area coordinator on call. A Cataldo
Ambulance transported the party to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. DISTURBANCE October 28—A party in Ridgewood C lowered the volume of their gathering without incident after University Police received a noise complaint. HARASSMENT October 23—University Police compiled a report after a staff member at the administration complex reported harassment by email. —Compiled by Sam Stockbridge
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THE JUSTICE
Scholar discusses Arab existentialism the relationship between prominent existentialist thinkers and the Arab world. By ECE ESIKARA JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
The History department and the Crown Center for Middle East Studies hosted Yoav Di-Capua, a historian currently working at the University of Texas at Austin, to give a talk on Thursday about his latest book, “No Exit: Arab Existentialism, Jean Paul Sartre and Decolonization.” The talk discussed Arab existentialism from the end of World War II until the late 1960s, Sartre’s popularity among Arab intellectuals during those times and his inability to choose a side in the 1967 Six Day War between Israel and its neighboring countries. Prof. Naghmeh Sohrabi (HIST), associate director for research at the Crown Center and the Charles (Corky) Goodman Professor of Middle East History, opened the talk by introducing Di-Capua, whose work “follows the remarkable career of Arab existentialism, [and] reconstructs the cosmopolitan milieu of the generation that tried to articulate a political and philosophical vision for an egalitarian postcolonial world by touring a fascinating selection of Arabic and Hebrew archives, including unpublished diaries and interviews.” Di-Capua began by examining existentialism, the tradition of philosophy that attributes the philosophical theory to the human subject. Di-Capua also talked about agreement among Muslim scholars that the Arab world needed to catch up with the West in terms of ethics, political system and language. “Gradually you began to hear from European intellectuals that something is wrong fundamentally with them as colonial subjects, specifically with [Islam].” Muslim scholars, Di-Capua explained, were made to feel that they were “incompatible with science, ... incompatible with reason, ...
incompatible with democracy. [They] are basically doomed.” On the other hand, they were also pressured to “become … French, Italian or whatever. This internal contradiction is actually is a big philosophical problem in the young generation that came out of the ’40s, and they write about this.” “Existentialism is the beginning of an answer. … It tells you ... that there is no essence as a colonized subject, or as a Black person, or as slave, or as a woman. These are all situational conditions. You have been locked in to this position by a long process of socialization … [in] which you actually have no future because you are a Muslim.” The appeal of existentialism, DiCapua explained, is that it “will tell you that your existence precedes the essence. You actually have options in the world. Once you understand how you became who you became as a fundamental process, you can actually become whatever you want.” Arab intellectuals of the time felt liberated through these ideas, which were frequently discussed by philosophers in 1940s Paris. Jean-Paul Sartre, one of the most famous existentialists of the 20th century, was one of these philosophers. Sartre, according to DiCapua, was good at recognizing the subjectivity of Arab existentialism. “No other culture at the time engaged with Sartre as intensely as Arab intellectuals,” he explained. Eventually, Arab intellectuals even persuaded Sartre to visit the Arab world, which he did along with fellow artist Claude Lanzmann and thinker Simone de Beauvoir in a trip to Egypt in 1967. During the Q&A session following the event, audience members focused on de Beauvoir’s role in feminism in the Arab World, whether Arab people’s culture is compatible with existentialism or not, Sartre’s views on Zionism and the orientalist nature of the Marxist philosophy. Di-Capua described the incompatibility of Marxism with existentialism, saying that Marxism is an ideology that focuses on materialism without regard for the human condition and otherness and thus is colonial and orientalist.
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2018
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ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice
RAISING AWARENESS: Rachel Adatto, who led the effort to pass the “Photoshop Law,” explained that she thinks the law’s biggest benefit has been raising awareness about eating disorders like anorexia in Israel and the world.
Experts examine legal limits on photo editing ■ Shayna Weiss and Dr. Lisa
Fishbayn Joffe (PHIL) offered reflections after Rachel Adatto explained Israel’s law. By JOCELYN GOULD JUSTICE EDITOR
Rachel Adatto, the architect of Israel’s so-called “Photoshop law,” joined two Brandeis scholars on Thursday to reflect on the law’s legacy. Adatto, a women’s health expert and former member of Israel’s parliament, authored the law to counter misperceptions of healthy body shapes by imposing regulations on images that distort body size and shape. Adatto led the effort to pass Israel’s “Photoshop Law,” which focuses on the connection between the media’s portrayal of skinny women and the development of eating disorders such as anorexia. After Adatto explained her reasons for creating the law, two University scholars offered their thoughts on the law and its impact. Shayna Weiss ’07 is the associate director of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, and her reflections focused on women’s lives in Israel. Dr. Lisa Fishbayn Joffe (PHIL), the Shulamit Reinharz director of the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, discussed the Photoshop law from a legal perspective. The Photoshop law, passed in March 2012, has two parts. The first part of the law mandates that people with a body mass index less than 18.5 cannot be hired as models. (Athough BMI is frequently used to assess whether someone is over- or under-weight, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control notes that “because BMI does not measure body fat directly, it should not be used as a diagnostic tool.”) The second part states that any advertisement that includes a photo
of a model that has been digitally altered to make the model look thinner must have a disclaimer stating that image editing software was used. Adatto explained that she did not choose to join the Knesset specifically because she wanted to enact this Photoshop law. She recounted how she became a member of the Knesset because then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon invited her to join the Kadima party, which he was founding. Once in the government, she “accidentally” decided to focus on fighting anorexia. She recounted attending a Knesset meeting that discussed the problem of women being hospitalized from eating disorders such as anorexia. “Everyone was looking at me, because … I was the only physician in the room,” Adatto said. This experience pushed Adatto to work on the issue of anorexia, which led her to discover “a huge world with a huge problem.” She explained that “people don’t understand that being underweight, or being anorexic, is such a chronic and long-term disease.” In Israel, there are 3,000 new cases of the disorder each year, she said. Adatto chose to focus on what she sees as the “direct connection” between the influence of the media and the development of anorexia. Young girls see “very thin models” throughout the media, which Adatto believes makes these girls connect the goal of success to the idea of being skinny. This pressure pushes girls to start dieting, which is a “slippery slope” toward developing an eating disorder, Adatto said, clarifiying that emotional distress, often from sexual abuse, is also involved. The goal of the Photoshop law is to ensure that people, especially young girls, looking at an extremely skinny model in an advertisement “can understand that this is not the real
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NEWS
‘TRUTH IN ADVERTISING’
CAMPUS SPEAKER
■ Yoav Di-Capua examined
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the
person,” she said. Adatto has seen how the “Photoshop Law” has made people inside and outside of Israel start to talk and learn about eating disorders. “The issue was raised,” she said. “This is the most important thing that the law did.” But Adatto was careful to stress that legislation alone cannot solve the problem. Body image education that starts from a young age is another important part of the solution, she said. In her reflection, Fishbayn Joffe explained that similar laws have been passed in France, Spain, Italy, Brazil and India, but efforts to enact such a legal policy in the United States have failed. Weiss reflected that the law “seems almost unAmerican.” Fishbayn Joffe looked at the two parts of the law in her reflection. She argued that the idea of limiting models’ employment is “not even considered” in the U.S., while the idea of enforcing “truth in advertising” is more accepted. She pointed to companies who have started unaltered marketing campaigns and celebrities that have called for their pictures not to be altered, such as the AerieREAL campaign, which uses unretouched photos. These examples, she said, demonstrate the prevalence in the U.S. today of some of the same ideas that motivated Israel’s law. Weiss looked at how the Photoshop law affects “the burdens placed on women’s bodies in Israel.” She highlighted a type of scholarship that portrays female bodies in Israel as being “overburdened” by expectations of nationalism, religious oversight and the nation’s pro-natalist policies that encourage women to have children. Weiss wondered whether this law alleviates or intensifies the “scrutiny” that women face in Israel as they struggle to fit a specific ideal.
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THE JUSTICE
A CAREER ROADMAP
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NEWS
By LIAT SHAPIRO ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice
‘DORM ROOM TO THE BOARD ROOM’: Prof. Andy Molinsky (IBS) explained what he sees as a gap between the skills students gain in college and the skills and confidence they need for professional employment.
Speakers map out routes to success in college, workforce and Sheila Pisman addressed the difficulty recent college graduates have getting jobs. By MAURICE WINDLEY JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Prof. Andy Molinsky (IBS) and Brandeis Visiting Scholar Sheila Pisman led an interactive workshop for members of the Brandeis community on searching for careers as a recent college graduate. Titled “Advance: A Career Roadmap for Ambitious Young Leaders,” the workshop focused on the key challenges and concerns plaguing recent graduates entering the workforce and proposed future programs highlighting steps that can be taken to alleviate these issues. Molinsky, the director of the Perlmutter Institute for Global Business Leadership, began the event by explaining that his goal was to shed insight on the concerns of recent graduates entering the workforce and to address those concerns proactively. Molinsky also mentioned that he is working on a podcast called “From the Dorm Room to the Board Room,” which will help graduates be prepared for the professional world by highlighting that currently “there is a gap” between the skills that students need for college and the skills required for the workforce; the podcast intends to supplement the necessary skills. Molinsky thinks that “young professionals often struggle
to make [the] transition” from college to a career because they don’t feel prepared for the rigor of the workforce. As a result, “companies can be unimpressed by the readiness of graduates,” making it more difficult for recent graduates to succeed in the workforce. In his podcast, Molinsky will attempt to address these mismatched expectations in three stages. First, he will seek to explain why young professionals are struggling to find jobs. He will then examine the differences between university and workforce cultures. Finally, he hopes to provide insight “to help students and companies alike better bridge that gap.” In the workshop, Pisman spoke about differences in how students receive feedback in school and at companies. In college, students get feedback from grades. However, in the workforce they must take initiative and “learn how to seek feedback”; doing so is critical to their professional growth. Another difference Pisman explained is that college culture is supportive of students who experiment and make mistakes, whereas “generally the culture of work is much less supportive” of people making mistakes, which can have severe consequences when working with clients. You are accountable mostly to yourself in college, she said. In the workforce, you are accountable to “many stakeholders” — including your boss and clients. Pisman also noted that in college, students interact primarily with people their age who are often from “similar backgrounds.” She sees this
5
Author shares stories that motivated her debut novel
the process of writing the different perspectives and voices that define her novel.
■ Prof. Andy Molinsky (IBS)
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2018
CAMPUS SPEAKER
■ Mira T. Lee described
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as a contrast to the workforce, where it is important to learn how to “strategically connect with … people of different ages and backgrounds.” Pisman is working with Molinsky on creating a Brandeis Leadership Academy, which will be a “weeklong, intensive summer program” that will prepare Brandeis students with the “skills, tools and knowledge to feel much better prepared” to begin their careers. The second section of the workshop focused on unpacking the issue of post-collegiate readiness in small groups. At one table, Melissa Darling ’16, an investment associate at PanAgora Asset Management, Nathan Feldman ’14, a business development associate at Capstone, and Alice Lin, a corporate talent analyst at Liberty Mutual, discussed different ways to ease the transition from college to the workforce. Darling explained that she thinks it’s best to bring “your own personality” to the workplace, since authenticity can help one fit in to professional settings. Feldman added that in “the working world” it is important to “build up credibility” by showing that one has the best interests of the company in mind. Lin explained that “sharing the impact of your work” is key to building relationships in the workforce, as it demonstrates how one’s efforts are contributing to the company’s overall success. Molinsky explained that it is important to focus on building your network and “collecting skills” preand post-graduation, so as to become a well-rounded applicant.
JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Author Mira T. Lee stood behind Harlan Chapel’s granite lectern, reading passages from her debut novel, “Everything is Beautiful.” Last Tuesday night, Brandeis faculty, staff and students listened to Lee share the ways her personal experiences growing up in immigrant communities and with family members suffering from schizophrenia influenced her novel. The organizers of the event placed two lamps near the front of the chapel but kept the main lights off, leaving audience members in dim lighting. “Everything Here is Beautiful” was chosen as a “Top Winter” or “Top 2018” pick by more than 30 news outlets, according to the event description. Lee’s website notes that her short fiction has appeared in numerous national journals and that she received the Artist’s Fellowship from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Prof. Stephen McCauley (ENG), co-director of the University’s Creative Writing program, opened the event. He said Lee’s book deals with “issues of mental health in a sensitive and poignant way.” Because one of the book’s central themes is mental health, McCauley invited Joy von Steiger, director of the Brandeis Counseling Center, to speak about University counseling resources. In addition to listing the BCC’s hours, von Steiger shared her belief that “Brandeis is filled with people who care deeply about their peers,” explaining that Brandeis students can and do support those around them. Prof. Michelle Hoover (ENG), Brandeis’ Fannie Hurst Visiting Writer and a personal friend of Lee, expanded on McCauley’s introduction. Hoover said “Everything Here is Beautiful” highlights how society often treats mental illness. “I found that we kind of begin to judge [the main character] the way outsiders judge mental illness,” Hoover said. Regarding the issue of mental health, as well as other aspects of the story like immigrant experiences, “we see from the outside and then [Lee] forces us to go
inside.” Lee described “Everything Here is Beautiful” as a “big messy, crosscultural drama about two sisters and how their life-long bond is put to the test as the younger, Lucia, struggles with a mental illness.” She explained that the driving force behind her novel was making her characters grapple with moral dilemmas and exploring “those murky kind of situations that make us cringe because good people are in conflict with one another even though no one is at fault.” She also shared that although she originally wanted to “take a 360 degree look at mental illness and its ripple effects,” the novel evolved to focusing on relationships and “how tricky it can be to do right by the people you love most.” Lee broadens the perspective of the reader by using several narrative voices, including third person accounts from a hospital ward. During the reading, Lee read excerpts from the perspective of Miranda, the elder sister, Manny, Lucia’s second husband and father of her daughter, and Lucia herself. Lee paused between excerpts to share insights about her thoughts and struggles from during the writing process. She told the audience that she believes writers “need to explore the full range of our characters’ humanities.” For Lee, this led her to write a book that is not “the typical Asian-American story and certainly not everyone’s version of America. But it’s mine.” Lee took the time to share her own experience with schizophrenia with the audience, describing a time she watched a family member become convinced that secret messages were being transmitted through the microwave. Lee explained that early drafts did not focus on Lucia’s mental illness. She began to consider weaving Lucia’s mental illness throughout the entire story after one of her early readers, a biology professor, commented that Lucia’s illness would make her story stand out. Lee ended her reading with words about empathy that she included in the epigraph at the front of her book. She read, “Because the commonality among human beings is emotion and the only way we can bridge our vast discrepancies and experience is through what we feel. Let us be humbled in the knowledge that one may never fully understand the interior lives of others, but let us continue to care.”
CAMPUS SPEAKERS
Artist, professor explore transgender history through art ■ Tuesday Smillie and
David Getsy lectured after a screening of the movie “Happy Birthday Marsha!” By STEVEN LUO JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Tuesday Smillie, the University’s Perlmutter artist-in-residence, and David Getsy, an art history professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, joined members of the Brandeis community on Saturday to screen the movie “Happy Birth-
day Marsha!” and to discuss “genderqueer archival research,” per the event description. “Happy Birthday Marsha!” is a fictional short film by Sasha Wortzel and Tourmaline that “imagines transgender rights pioneers Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera in the hours leading to the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City,” according to the event’s description. “Johnson and Rivera co-founded STAR (Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries), a radical political organization that advocated for homeless drag queens and trans women of color, providing housing
and social services.” The film follows Johnson, who reluctantly goes to a gay bar with her friends to celebrate her birthday. At the gay bar, she sings a song about the progress of transgender rights and recognition, comparing it to the flow of water in the river, and kisses a few girls. Police attempt to shut down the gathering after her vocal performance, and the Stonewall riot begins. Getsy, who has written three books and edited five more about the portrayal of transgender people in the arts, spoke after the movie was shown. He examined how
movements for transgender rights have developed throughout history. He then discussed photos of transgender pride demonstrations and his interpretation of those photos as works of art. He then defined the term “transfeminism” as a movement to promote rights, recognition and justice for transgender women. After Getsy spoke, Smillie discussed Steven Marble, an artist who identifies as “gender confounding.” He creates artwork, often using trash, to demonstrate his transgender pride and his criticism of societal institutions, according to Getsy. Smillie explained that once,
when Marble’s identity was stolen and someone made fraudulent purchases on his account, he made an artistic statement about his potential financial desperation by walking into his bank wearing only one shoe. Both Smillie and Marble are working to recover the records of transgender people in art throughout history. Smillie’s exhibition, “To build another world,” is on view at the Rose Art Museum until Dec. 9, according to the event description. Smillie also mentioned that some of Marble’s artwork is on display at the Rose.
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EXCAVATION: SCC walkways could reopen next week CONTINUED FROM 1 The primary contractor working on this project for the University is BOND Brothers construction company, the same company that built the new Skyline Residence Hall, Gray said. Once the lines are repaired and replaced, workers will fill the hole with the dirt that is currently piled next to the Louis Brandeis statue hill, helping to clear that area. “We’ll start filling up the hole next week, and in two weeks, we should be done,” Gray said. He expects the work to be completed in the week of Nov. 5. Once the hole is filled, the fences will be removed and the pathways will be open to the Brandeis community. However, the final landscaping will have to wait until spring, according to Gray. Gray said that the excavation is “taking just about exactly [how much time] we thought it would.” He said that although he expected the project to be done around Nov. 1, “I
was telling people we’d be done by Thanksgiving.” The Aug. 24 email to the Brandeis community that initially announced the service interruption said that “excavation and repair work will begin on Sunday, August 26, and continue for 2-6 days.” In an email to the Justice, Gray clarified that that time period referred to “the potential duration of interruptions, before we had full service restored,” and that they expected from the start that repairing the steam and telecommunication lines “would take much longer.” In the Aug. 4 Justice article, Gray said he expected the excavation to take several weeks, and longer if the steam lines needed to be replaced. Gray acknowledged the inconvenience that this project has caused the Brandeis community. “We will be thrilled to get rid of that fence and put the pedestrian pathways back in their normal routes, and restore the appearance of the center of campus,” he said.
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2018
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ECHOES OF THE HOLOCAUST
JEN GELLER/the Justice
‘BEYOND SIDES OF HISTORY’: Julia Lindahl and Rachel Cerotti recounted their journies to discover and chronicle their family histories.
LEGACY: Grandchildren united through WWII
CONTINUED FROM 1 her grandmother’s life, including a rabbi, a Swedish fisherman and Hana’s foster mother from one of the farms. In 2015, after a year spent following her grandmother’s journey, Cerrotti returned to the United States, where she started to see parallels between recent refugee crises around the world and her own research about her grandmother’s displacement. “I started to notice that a lot of the headlines in the newspapers were looking eerily similar to the headlines that I was studying,” Cerrotti said. Next, Lindahl described the shame she had felt from a young age, the anger she saw in her mother and the secrecy she saw in her father, all stemming from a family secret. “My otherwise very gentle and loving American father banned me from asking any questions about what my grandfather had done [during WWII],” Lindahl said. “I actually asked my father, I was 22 years old, ‘Was he … one of the perpetrators?’ My father said, ‘You are forbidden from ever looking into that history.’” In April 2012, Lindahl visited Berlin to search the Bundesarchiv (the German archives) to uncover the family secret that had “asphyxiated [the] relationships” in her family. Between 2010 and 2015, Lindahl received information from the German archives that told her that her grandparents had been in the Nazi party. Lindahl read a passage from her latest book, “The Pendulum,” in which she recalled hearing her
grandmother deny the existence of the Holocaust. “She raised her head slightly and shook her finger. ‘But the Holocaust, I can assure you, did not happen,’” she read. Lindahl learned in the course of her research that her grandfather “was responsible for slave labor, for daily torture of people, and was complicit in deportation and murder.” She added, “There is evidence that he was actually involved in the invasion of Poland.” In searching for the truth in her own family, Lindahl came to a realization about her grandparents: “What drew them to be Hitler’s ardent supporters and implementers of his racial war was a macabre sort of marriage between greed and tribalism in which the first thing to be sacrificed was any idea of truth,” she said. “Once we become unmoored from any idea of truth, our inner freedom dies, and very soon our outer freedom dies.” Although Lindahl said she found this information troubling, she emphasized the importance of uncovering history: “As difficult as it may be, it is necessary to search for the truth.” Just one year after Cerrotti’s return to the U.S., Cerrotti’s husband, Sergio, heard an interview with Lindahl on NPR and immediately told Cerrotti about her. Cerrotti then emailed Lindahl about collaborating and awaited her response. “I knew we were living in breaking times, and so I responded to Rachel,” Lindahl said. “And then I didn’t hear from her for a while.” That was because just two hours after Cerrotti sent her email, her husband collapsed on the ground. At age 28, Sergio had died of an un-
diagnosed heart condition. His death changed how Cerrotti viewed her grandmother’s life story. “For seven years at that point I’d been following my grandmother’s physical journey. … After seeing death myself and going through this trauma, all of a sudden it was her emotional journey that … I started following. I started reading her diaries again, and I would pick up different lines from it, because she had so much grief, and she had so much trauma, and it was not something I could have touched before.” A few months later, Cerrotti flew to Lindahl’s home in Stockholm to finally meet her in person. Cerrotti emphasized how much it meant to her when Sergio told her about hearing Lindahl on the radio. “One of the last gifts I received from [Sergio] was introducing me to Julie,” Cerrotti said. Lindahl said that her opportunity to exchange stories with Cerrotti was valuable. “There is great power, actually, in seeking connectedness with people whose stories are quite different to your own, and not being afraid to see what happens when those two narratives touch,” Lindahl said. “I think it’s something that’s missing from our society at the moment.” The event closed with insights from Dr. Anna Ornstein, a psychiatry professor at Brandeis and survivor of Auschwitz. Sharing our stories, Ornstein said, is crucial to help us learn from our mistakes, and the mistakes of others. “You are creating a new narrative in the hope that people will indeed not repeat the past, and that’s all we have at the moment — the hope.”
FUTURE: Liebowitz presents ‘Brandeis Value Proposition’ CONTINUED FROM 1 member’s question about divestment from fossil fuels, he explained that the construction of the University's current endowment portfolio makes divestment a difficult prospect. The Board of Trustees is discussing minimizing fossil fuel holdings where possible, which, Liebowitz said, is generating debate. In a follow-up interview, he clarified that withdrawing investments takes time and an early withdrawal would incur large fees. “There are real risks in doing this,” Liebowitz said, calling it “deleterious” to financial aid programs. He also warned that withdrawal may come at the expense of professorships. Regarding the University’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Liebowitz said the campus was not “conducive to ADA.” He explained many buildings, such as Edison-Lecks, Spingold and some residence halls, need to be either
renovated or rebuilt to avoid further safety and accessibility issues, though he highlighted the Skyline Residence Hall as an example of a new, accessible building. He added that there are currently no systems in place to set aside money in the endowment for the maintenance of these older buildings. In the interview, Liebowitz said that Brandeis will select an outside group from among three contenders to assess which buildings need renovation and which are too old to merit further investment. Another point Liebowitz highlighted in the interview was the need to support programs that mirror the University’s founding mission. He brought up the the hypothetical of eliminating the Classics department as an example. While departments such as this do not provide any significant revenue flow, as a strong liberal arts college Brandeis cannot cut funding to these programs. “Finances alone will never dictate what we
do or don’t do,” he told the audience. Liebowitz then pivoted to discuss the University’s finances. He described the ongoing structural deficit as a challenge in the long term, since the University currently takes more from the endowment than is financially prudent. Regarding donations, Liebowitz said in the interview that although alumni tend to have positive academic experiences, they often report negative experiences at Brandeis overall. Addressing the issue of raising money in the short term, which could be accomplished through increases in room-and-board fees, Liebowitz said that pursuing these avenues is not worth the negative feelings of students who have to pay for meal plans even though they have kitchens. The current donation rate from alumni is 19 percent, but Liebowitz said that he hopes this can increase to 30 to 35 percent. If the University were to implement a capital campaign, the goal would be closer to $1
billion than $100 million, he said.
Timeline
Over the next few months, three task forces will be appointed to determine how best to mobilize the University’s resources, Liebowitz said. The task forces will focus on founding values, student life and strategy and planning. The student life task force will include students. Members of the Brandeis community will be invited to attend open meetings on these issues, and the University will send surveys to alumni and parents. In yesterday’s remarks, Liebowitz focused on the Strategy and Planning Committee, which will propose a timeline for obtaining and restructuring the University’s human and financial resources. One of the problems the University faces today is the lack of administration centralization, which results in gaps of information flow within departments such as Human Resources, Institutional Advancement, Academic Affairs and even in the Brandeis Library, he said. The committee would
aim to rebuild and centralize these key administrative functions, which could include redefining existing job descriptions and introducing new processes and procedures. In the joint interview, Liebowitz explained that Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Stewart Uretsky led an effort to create a new financial model that will now be used by the committees in the upcoming months. The previous model was unable to calculate indirect costs, such as time spent soliciting donors or reserving spaces on- and off-campus, distorting the University’s perception of its finances, he explained. Accomplishing these goals will not be a simple or easy task, and will require great patience, difficult decisions and sacrifices, Liebowitz said. “This framework cannot be achieved in a few years, not even at the end of my presidency.” He called for the community to be a part of this change and work together to build the future. “Brandeis is worth the effort,” he concluded.
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features
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2018 ● FEATURES ● THE JUSTICE
just
VERBATIM | FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE Thoughts are the shadows of our feelings — always darker, emptier and simpler.
ON THIS DAY…
FUN FACT
In 1888, John J. Loud patented the ballpoint pen.
Nutella was invented during World War II in an effort to extend chocolate rations.
Images Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
Photo Courtesy of TRON
PURE SPORT: In 1978, former TRON member Mike Banks ’29 told the Boston Globe that Ultimate Frisbee is the “purest sport.”
What’s the deal with TRON? The team is about a lot more than Frisbee By LIAT SHAPIRO JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
“Hey, I’ll see you around,” Robert Singer ’19 said on his way out of his politics class. “I gotta go buy a banana so I don’t die.” Around this time of year, the Brandeis men’s Ultimate team, known as TRON, holds its annual game of mafia. The risk of being “assassinated” sends team members retreating into the farthest corner of the library clutching a brown banana. Yet, for TRON, multiple assassinations fail to break the bonds created by UDH: unity, desire and humility. These three values are the foundation on which TRON is built. Throughout the years, the team has relied on this motto to create the family culture and welcoming environment that exists today. Brandeis Ultimate Frisbee has been around for decades. Jordan Kaufman ’19, currently a TRON captain, has researched the team’s history. In an interview with the Justice, Kaufman disclosed that the first Ultimate Frisbee team at Brandeis began in the 1970s, calling themselves the Brandeis Whippets. A fall 2001 issue of The Ultimate News, a newsletter about Ultimate Frisbee, confirms the existence of the Brandeis Whippets. Gil Wernovsky ’78 remembered his time with the Brandeis Whippets. “It was the ’70s, and I wanted to rebel. I was tired of my lacrosse coach having testosterone storm and screaming we weren’t real men. Ultimate was much more appealing,” Wernovsky said, “and the people were much more normal.”
According to Kaufman, by the 1990s the name had been changed to Fluid Union. Later, sometime between the late 90s and the early 2000s, the team rebranded themselves as TRON, after the American science fiction film of the same name.TRON alumni consistently emphasize the unity within the team. Elan Kane ’16, a former TRON team captain, said in a May 2016 interview with the Briarcliff Daily Voice, “Most of my closest friends from Brandeis were my teammates.” In an interview with the Justice, Daniel Lay ’21 explained, “What got me into TRON was both the community and the environment. We traveled as a team, we ate as a team, we did everything in a community and that was something I wanted.” TRON’s unity not only reveals itself in the strong friendships between players, but also in the team’s internal structure. The team is open-roster, offering positions to anyone interested in the sport. In November, TRON holds a trial tournament during which all members are split into, in the words of Kaufman, “A Side and B Side, two sides of one team, is what we say about it.” Both sides have their captains, practices, and tournaments, with A Side attending more travel tournaments than B Side does. Singer explained that the teams begin and end practices together. “Even though TRON’s split into two sides, it is still one team,” he declared. TRON nicknames, although a tradition veiled in secrecy, also bring the team together. Ben Korman ’21, also a TRON captain, said, “Nicknames are a secretive
thing, but it’s something that makes you part of the team and keeps people coming back.” These nicknames are taken so seriously, in fact, that some team members only know TRON names. When asked for the name of the alumni captain, Lay sheepishly admitted, “I only know his TRON name.” Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of TRON nicknames is that team members must wait their entire TRON career before learning the story behind their nickname. Only at the TRON alumni weekend during their senior year are the meanings revealed. And yes, TRON has an annual alumni weekend; the most recent was held this past weekend during the rain storm. The internal unity of the team makes it easy for players to encourage one another in their dreams and goals outside ultimate frisbee. Korman explained that the goal of TRON extends beyond being physically in shape or getting better at Ultimate. “It’s a lot about mental toughness, and part of that comes from supporting each other as friends, as family,” Korman said. Korman also recounted how playing frisbee and the TRON community gave him a place to apply himself and “come out stronger.” He shared how as a “smaller guy and not the fastest, constantly throughout my career, I’ve not been given the spots I’ve wanted. I was told I’m not good enough.” This gave him the desire to, as he put it, “put my head down and work hard.” The student leaders of TRON desire to create a community where members can not only push themselves to play frisbee better,
but also where, according to Korman, “they can become the best versions of themselves.” Becoming your best self often requires a lot of humility. Kaufman referred to humility on the field as “the spirit of the game.” He said that “since there are no refs, there is a huge focus on being a spirited player. The point of it is to avoid cutthroat gamesmanship.” In 1978, Mike Banks ’79 told the Boston Globe that Ultimate Frisbee is the “purest sport.” 40 years later, Lay further described the manifestation of displaying humility, as “calling fouls, but also calling them on yourself too.” Despite their team’s talent on the field, Kaufman, Korman and Singer — all captains or administrators of TRON — emphasized the critical role their coaches play. The expertise their coaches bring to the field comes from playing among the best club teams in the surrounding area. Singer also pointed out that Derek Jenesky, Brandeis’ Club Sports Coordinator, has been a huge resource for the team. “He’s actively helping us make things happen,” Singer said. “It really feels like he’s on our side.” All members of TRON — be they coaches or team members, alumni or current students, A Side or B Side players — stand united in their desire to be their best selves both on and off the field, living life with humility. Although TRON members usually have one another’s backs, they are currently preoccupied watching their own backs. “People look at me strange because I’m flossing,” Singer said. “But you know, I don’t really want to die today.”
THE JUSTICE ● FEATURES ● TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2018
Identity Awareness A discourse on intimate partner abuse
NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
WHERE IS THE JUSTICE? “The justice system, in many ways, is blind to aspects of domestic violence,” said Damian Lima.
By SAMMY PARK JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Not long ago, domestic violence was regarded as a family issue. When police responded to a domestic disturbance call, they often told abusers to just take a walk. With the passage of the Violence Against Women Act of 1991, domestic violence shifted from being a “family” matter to a national, political issue. However, the criminalization of domestic violence did not solve the problem. And as people are increasingly entering and being abused in non-heteronormqtive romantic relationships, the perceptions and discourse surrounding domestic violence have to change, according to a domestic violence panel. The panelists spoke during the “Breaking the Silence: Confronting Domestic Violence in LGBTQIA Communities” event on Thursday in the Heller-Brown building. Among the panelists were Damián Lima, a member of the Health Equity Advisory Committee for the Boston Public Health Commission, Erin Miller, manager of the Newton Wellesley Hospital Domestic Violence program, and Lauren Montanaro, a Community Engagement Specialist at REACH, a Waltham-based domestic violence non-profit. Sponsored by the Gender and Sexuality Center, Intercultural Center, Prevention, Advocacy & Resource Center and the Women and Gender Studies Department, the panel was moderated by Deirdre Hunter, a WGS lecturer. “For many members of the LGBTQIA community around this country, there are really no support systems or resources available to them. When they do try to access support systems, they are met with homophobia, transphobia, and, sometimes, ridicule. We are quite lucky in the Boston area to have several agencies and resources that
provide support specifically to LGBTQIA survivors [of domestic assault],” Ryan Mischler, the program administrator for GSC, said. The small audience consisted of undergraduate and graduate students as well as professional staff from PARC. They first listened to the panel speak about the importance of
raise awareness about this is crucial. There’s a lack of representation in general, but to think about abuse, it’s even less recognized. I think it’s important to talk about this because if we continue to shroud this issue in silence and in isolation, then we are doing a disservice to LGBTQIA survivors.”
ful and exciting, yet there’s a whole lot of other stuff that comes with relationships. To not provide information and support, as a community, would not serve our students. I don’t want to be in a position where a generation says, ‘you never said that it could happen to queer folks too.’” Because domestic violence is al-
NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
SPEAKING UP: The panelists discussed the lack of support systems available to members of the LGBTQIA community who experience domestic abuse.
highlighting the issue of domestic violence in the LGBTQIA community. Montanaro said, “When I go out into communities and talk about domestic violence, I hear very gendered language. I hear about men who are abusive and women who are being abused. And that isolates so many people where that’s not their experiences. So, being able to
Hunter elaborated on the importance of having this discussion take place on a college campus because “we have such a high number of relatively young adults who are having the opportunity to express themselves and their identities in maybe a different way than they did before. And identity exploration can be, and typically [is], really wonder-
ready an underreported issue, the panelists shared that the prevalence of straight male survivors, as well as the number of LGBTQIA-identifying people that have experienced partner violence, is relatively unknown. However, Lima shared that the relative lack of data does not mean that intimate partner abuse is any less common in non-heteronor-
mative relationships. While the panel was about the LGBTQIA community, panelists also discussed why domestic violence advocacy has to be intersectional. “If someone is in a relationship where they depend on their partner for citizenship, that gives them an incredible amount of power. They decide whether or not their partner can stay in this country. There are so many layers to this issue. And the justice system — in many ways — is blind to aspects of domestic violence,” Lima said about the lack of intersectional thinking in domestic violence policy. Adding onto Lima’s example of a power dynamic stemming from immigration status, Montanaro also shared that many victims of domestic violence do not call the police or report their abuser out of fear that they or their partner will be deported. “Countless times when I go out into the community and have conversations about what resources there are for survivors to access, instantly, I hear about restraining orders being an option. And they can be a life-saving option for so many folks. But you may not feel comfortable walking into a courthouse to file those orders for fear of being detained or having ICE being there,” Montanaro said. The panelists ended by discussing their hope for the future of domestic violence advocacy. “I’m hoping to be here 10 or 20 years from now and because more young people are identifying as LGBTQIA: my vision of the future is that we won’t need LGBTQspecific services because we’ll have a much more expansive view that’ll include everybody,” Miller said. As the event closed, the panelists reflected on both the progress and the current shortcomings of domestic violence advocacy. They hope that through authentic conversations and structural changes, the movement will become more inclusive.
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10 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2018 ● FORUM ● THE JUSTICE
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EDITORIALS
BranVan service still littered with problems Even after recent changes to the Branvan reservation system, significant issues remain with both the campus and Waltham Branvan service. This board has highlighted several problems with the program in the past, but few of these suggestions were implemented. Given how many students are reliant on the Waltham and campus BranVans on a daily basis, the continual issues with the BranVan services are hard to ignore. A common issue facing students attempting to catch a BranVan is the lack of a tracker on the Transloc Rider app. For seemingly no reason, the tracker fails to register the position of the Waltham and campus BranVans for long periods of time. This is clearly not an issue with the Rider app, as the Joseph’s shuttles usually manage to have their locator on during all hours of operation, except for some early mornings. Another recurring issue is missing shifts during peak hours. Recently, both the campus and Waltham BranVans have missed a number of their pickups between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.; no reason for this has been communicated to the community. This is understandably frustrating for students, particularly in poor weather conditions. Last Tuesday, a large crowd of students waited in heavy rain for nearly an hour to take the 6:30 p.m. campus BranVan, which still had not arrived as of about 6:50 p.m. This is hardly an uncommon experience. While inconsistent timing is inconvenient for most students, it is debilitating for students with disabilities who may be reliant on the BranVan to travel across campus. Although the
Few improvements made Waltham BranVan specifically does not take a 5:30 p.m. shift to avoid rush hour traffic, the unreliability of vans at other scheduled times is a serious issue. Additionally, the newly introduced QR code reservation system for the Waltham BranVan is confusing and unintuitive. The QR codes themselves do not appear to be consistently verified by BranVan drivers. Additionally, the requirement to reserve spots two hours in advance seemingly has not solved problems with overcrowding and creates problems for students who need transportation at the last minute. While the idea of modernizing the reservation system is a good one, the current system is confusing and unhelpful. Furthermore, few of the suggestions we and other members of the University have suggested to improve service appear to have been put into affect. Changes such as emergency outage warnings, additional vans during peak hours and improved disability access would comprise worthwhile and fairly unobtrusive additions to the service, but none of the above suggestions have been put into effect. Given the more substantial changes the program could use to reliability and driver responsibility, continued failure to act on even these small alterations is exasperating. On the whole, the lack of progress on the BranVan’s issues is as frustrating as the particular issues themselves. Many of these issues have affected students for months or years, and the University’s apparent disinterest in improving the system is disheartening.
MEGAN GELLER/the Justice
Views the News on
On Oct. 21, the New York Times reported that the Trump administration is considering defining gender as a biological condition determined by genitalia at birth. This would essentially make “transgender” a legally nonexistent category, and make all Title IX cases involving transgender people impossible to bring forward. If the Justice Department approves this change, it will take effect at the end of this year. What changes could this new gender definition bring, and how should institutions such as Brandeis react to it?
Prof. Sara Shostak (SOC) The Department of Health and Human Services proposed legal definition of sex under Title IX claims to be scientific and objective, but it is not. Scholarship in both the life sciences and the social sciences demonstrates that neither sex nor gender are strictly binary. In my course, Sociology of the Body and Health, we learn about the profound harms that have been done to intersex individuals by attempts to force their bodies to conform to a binary system. Related, neither genitalia nor chromosomes determine an individual’s gender identity. Rather, gender identity exists on a spectrum and expresses a person’s felt sense of self. The proposed definition denies the lived experience of millions of people and, by precluding access to Title IX protections, undermines their rights. Given the clear associations between stigma, discrimination, and health, I fear that this policy would have devastating effects for both intersex and transgender individuals. This moment calls us to act, both on campus and beyond. Vote; in Massachusetts - Yes on 3; write to your members of Congress and/or Secretary Alex M. Azar II. Prof. Sara Shostak is an Associate Professor of Sociology, specializing in sociology of health and illness and the relationship between body and society.
Prof. Keren McGinity (AMST) There are more than 1.4 million trans Americans. The Trump administration’s proposal for a new definition of gender as a biological condition determined by genitalia at birth would inaccurately suggest that transgender people do not exist in the United States. Not only would such a false definition dehumanize and endanger American lives, it would set the clock back on the very real progress that the LGBTQ movement has made over the past several decades. Transgender Americans deserve the same protection from discrimination under the law as cisgender Americans. I would like to see Brandeis go beyond a non-discrimination and harassment policy to issuing an explicit statement of support for students of all gender identities so that they are seen and valued. The Brandeis community is strengthened by the diversity on campus, including gender diversity, and no one should feel invisible.
Commending Student Union’s LimeBikes initiative Brandeis students can now be spotted riding bright green bikes around campus thanks to DeisBikesLimeBike, a bike-sharing program newly launched on campus by the Student Union and Director of Sustainability Programs Mary Fischer. According to an Oct. 27 email to the Justice from Senate Chief Strategist Aaron Finkel, bringing a bike-sharing program to campus has been a priority for “well over a year.” This board applauds the Union and sustainability groups on campus for their initiative and encourages students who are interested to utilize the new service. LimeBikes have been available on campus since Oct. 19, according to Finkel. Provided to the University at no cost by Lime, 16 LimeBikes are currently available at Brandeis, according to Finkel. The Senate Services and Outreach Committee is dedicated to marketing the service, and brought in LimeBike representatives to the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium on Oct. 23 to promote the company. We appreciate the steps taken to ensure that University students are aware of the new biking opportunity. To use LimeBikes, students need to download the LimeBike app. Bikes are parked around campus, and the app contains a map of the nearest bikes. After locating a bike, users can scan the bike’s QR code to unlock and use it. Rides generally cost one dollar for
Sustainable transportation every half hour, but students can get a 50 percent discount by logging in through a Brandeis email, according to Finkel. Prior to LimeBike, University students had utilized DeisBikes, a student-run bike-sharing service. DeisBikes had been launched in March 2009 and was intended to decrease Brandeis’ carbon dioxide emissions by “installing and promoting biking culture,” providing greener means of transport and lessening reliance on fossil fuels, according to Brandeis Sustainability. The program was disbanded when the students running it graduated and, according to Finkel, LimeBike will hopefully be a “more permanent option” for Brandeis. Unlike the former bike-sharing service, LimeBike is more high-powered, with “electronic tracking devices, enhanced safety features, storage space … and a dedicated app,” per Finkel’s email. Like DeisBikes, the new DeisBikesLimeBike provides a sustainable outlet for transportation and recreational student exercise. We appreciate the Union’s and Brandeis Sustainability’s continued dedication to providing environmentally-friendly transportation options for students. This board is optimistic about the LimeBike program, and we look forward to seeing its impact on campus.
Prof. Keren McGinity (AMST) is an adjunct assistant professor of American Studies, specializing in women’s history and cultural studies.
Rube Bevan ’21 After reading the article, I was angry and deeply saddened but not shocked. I was not shocked because I know what to expect from Trump and also because I know what to expect from America. This new legislation could essentially erase all federal protections for transgender and gender non-conforming people. If we are discriminated against and lost our Title IX protections, then we cannot expect to win a case against the discriminatory party. I think that Brandeis needs to introduce specific protections against discrimination for transgender students on campus. If a student is discriminated against, they have a legal basis for protection against further discrimination. There are many other things that Brandeis could do. They could expand the availability of gender-neutral housing and gender-neutral bathrooms. They could provide more funding and support to the Gender and Sexuality Center, allowing for an expansion of programming and hiring more staff. These are just a few things that the administration could do to better support transgender and gender non-conforming students. Right now, what we need most is support. Rube Bevan ’21 is majoring in Psychology and minoring in Music.
Janis Li ’21
My first reaction to hearing about this news was that it was completely ridiculous. What good reason could our government have for unnecessarily redefining a term. In fact, it seems that the consideration of such a change serves more as an attack on a group of people rather than an attempt to solve a problem. Sex already defines the biological condition determined by genitalia at birth. If this change is implemented by the Justice Department, gender and sex will mean the same thing. Well, language isn’t frozen in time. Connotations and definitions grow according to how people perceive them. I hope that national institutions, including Brandeis, will reject this change and continue to use “gender” with its original definition and connotation. Despite how hard others try to make it for the transgender community, I have faith that those who care will always find a way to fight against this unfair treatment. Janis Li ’21 is majoring in Neuroscience, Biochemistry, and Biology and minoring in Hispanic Studies and Chemistry. Photos: Sara Shostak; Keren McGinity; Rube Bevan; Janis Li
THE JUSTICE ● FORUM ● TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30 , 2018
11
The MAGA Bomber is a dreadful sign of things to come By VIOLET FEARON JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On Wednesday and Thursday, at least nine crudely made pipe bombs were sent to prominent individuals and organizations across the U.S., according to an Oct. 25 New York Times article. The targets span from politicians — former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton among them — to actor Robert de Niro, investor George Soros, former CIA director John Brennan and CNN’s New York offices. The connecting factor between these targets was quickly evident: they are all critics of President Donald Trump, and have been repeatedly verbally attacked by him. The packages were intercepted and no one was harmed. But these incidents sparked debate about the relationship between President Trump’s rhetoric and the likelihood of political violence. While it would be absurd to suggest that Trump has any direct connection to this incident, a leader’s words do not occur in a vacuum. When an event like this occurs — carried out by a single, unstable individual — it is not unreasonable to examine the role that Trump’s consistent encouragement of violence and dehumanization plays in deepening political divisions. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders presumably disagrees with all of the above. In a Wednesday night press conference, she called the idea that President Trump’s rhetoric might have encouraged the person responsible “disgraceful,” adding that there’s a difference between “comments made and actions taken,” according to an Oct. 25 PBS article. Saunders is correct in one respect: there is certainly a difference between comments and actions. But she is mistaken if she believes that “comments made” are irrelevant to the situation. On the contrary, words have power, and the office of the Presidency imbues a person’s words with a particularly great amount of power. After all, one of the roles of a president is to act as a tone-setter for the nation, to guide Americans through times of difficulty, to boost morale and to provide reassurance. At least, that’s the theoretical ideal. What we have presently is a president who has, over the course of his campaign and his time in office, consistently endorsed violence against his detractors. Consider one sequence of events in early
2016. During a Feb. 1 rally, Trump reacted to protesters by telling attendees to “knock the crap out of them,” telling the crowd “I promise you I will pay for the legal fees.” At another rally later that month, as a protester was being led away, Trump said “I’d like to punch him in the face, I’ll tell you.” Similar sentiments continued in subsequent weeks; but when a protester was finally assaulted at a March 9 rally, the campaign released a statement stating that they “obviously discourage this kind of behavior and take significant measures to ensure the safety of any and all attendees.” “Obviously” is not a suitable adverb in that sentence. This overt approval of violence is a hallmark of Trump’s campaigning style. In 2017, Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.) physically assaulted Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs at a press conference. After Jacobs asked a question, Gianforte slammed him into the ground, punched him and broke Jacobs’ glasses. Just a few days before the interceptions of the pipe bombs, the president praised Gianforte in a Montana rally, saying, “Any guy that can do a body slam, he is my type!”
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After all, one of the roles of a president is to act as a tonesetter for the nation.
In another disturbing instance during an Aug. 16 campaign rally, Trump emphasized the important nature of judicial appointments by telling supporters that “If [Clinton] gets to pick her judges, [there’s] nothing you can do, folks.” He then added, “Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is. I don’t know. But I’ll tell you what, that will be a horrible day.” This apparent call for gun violence against a political opponent led to media usage of an esoteric term also mentioned after the pipe bomb interceptions: stochastic terrorism. Stochastic terrorism is the usage of mass communications to cultivate rage against a person or group in such a way that,
MARA KHAYTER/the Justice
as the Times piece put it, “every act and actor is different, and no one knows by whom or where an act will happen — but it’s a good bet that something will.” There is an inherent risk when a person in a position of great power uses that power to focus their supporters’ hatred on another group; the exact risk involved, and the level of moral culpability placed on the inciter, is difficult to quantify — but it is real. The negative impacts of Trump’s rhetoric go beyond blatant encouragements of violence. When a president repeatedly refers to the media as “the enemy of the people,” calls Mexican immigrants “rapists,” calls women “fat,” “ugly,” “bimbos” and “disgusting animals,” spreads bizarre conspiracy theories about Honduras refugees fleeing violence, and yet says among the ranks of Neo-Nazis are “some very fine people,” these words have consequences on what is deemed acceptable and unacceptable in society. Trump fans the flames of fear in order to increase his own political standing, but he
has no control over the resulting fires. Unsurprisingly, the incidents of the past week do not seem to have altered President Trump’s tone. Just one day after CNN offices were evacuated due to the package, the president decided that, rather than promote a message of unity and support, he would take yet another shot at the media through his preferred medium, Twitter. In an Oct. 25 tweet, he wrote: “A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News. It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!” This behavior is dangerous and abnormal, it permanently denigrates the office of the Presidency and it isn’t going away. The battle to restore some semblance of normalcy to American politics will not involve pipe bombs or body slams, but ballots.
Meet incels, the internet’s resident anti-women hate brigades Judah
WEINERMAN CHATTERBOX
Of all of the weird, extremely online terms I thought would never escape the dusty corners of the internet, the phrase “incel” and its associated communities is one that I was downright shocked to hear someone mention in real life. For those of you lucky enough not to know, the term incel is a contracted version of the phrase “involuntary celibate” and describes a person who defines themselves as unable to find a romantic or sexual partner despite desiring one. In its current use, self-described incels are overwhelmingly white and male, and their behavior centers around a seething resentment towards women, girls and conventionally successful men. Incel communities are some of the most vile, hateful places on the internet, brimming with a gross sense of entitlement to women’s bodies and endorsements of wide-scale violence against sexually active people. Although major platforms have played a great deal of whack-a-mole with incel communities, they just keep coming back. The internet’s largest incel community was formerly /r/Incels of Reddit, but it was shut down after real-world violence was connected to the ideology. Self-described incels are responsible for at least 45 murders in the United States and Canada, with women
and their partners as the explicit targets, according to an April 26 L.A. Times article. Incel jargon is largely impenetrable to outsiders and downright horrifying when translated to normal human thoughts. For incels, most men can be safely separated into three categories. First, you have “Chads,” conventionally attractive but dull men whom women are insatiably attracted to. Next, you have “betas,” unremarkable men who women will ignore but eventually marry for their money in a practice referred to as “betabux.” Lastly, you have the incels, who suffer from some horrible flaw that leaves them eternally ignored and scorned by women. Of course, if you ask incels, non-males should be instead called “femoids” because they’re not fully human. What terrible defect do these incels have that makes them modern-day pariahs? Incels come in all shapes and sizes, and each self-applied appellation describes another supposedly fatal flaw holding them back. A lot of these are based on supposed physical defects that have little to do with what actual humans consider character flaws. “Heightcels” blame their short stature, “wristcels” blame their small wrists, “chincels” blame their jaw structure and “fatcels” blame their weight. “Braincels,” a rather hefty subset of the incel sphere, are those whose supposed intelligence makes them unpopular with women who, in the incel mindset, abhor thinking and logic. “Racecels” are those who claim their non-white status makes them outcasts, as women naturally seek power, and therefore attempt to find it exclusively with privileged white men. All of these subsets have a shared loathing of “volcels,” otherwise known as voluntary celibates.
While in standard English, “celibate” is usually reserved for the likes of ordained Catholic priests and those abstaining from sex before marriage, to incels a “volcel” is anyone not actively pursuing sex or a relationship at all times. Even those in relationships get slapped with the “volcel” label if they focus more on emotional rather than physical intimacy. For incels, people are far less important than bodies. Filled with an unending amount of resentment over their present state, some incels have set themselves on drastic and violent methods of change. The first camp believes in “taking the red pill.” The term was borrowed from the broader women-hating sphere and refers to the scene in “The Matrix” in which Keanu Reeves takes the titular medication and is then able to see that the world is run by robots that all look like Hugo Weaving. In the misogynist context, taking the red pill allows you to see that women are actually the dominant class and that men are living under the shackles of feminism. If all men knew the truth about modern gender roles, incels argue, proper gender roles could be restored and their inceldom would be at end. Of particular concern are those “redpilled” incels who claim that they’re on the verge of “going ER.” If you see anyone do this in anything that could remotely be a serious manner, report it to the FBI or local authorities. The “ER” is Elliot Rodger, better known as the Isla Vista shooter. Rodger, a self-described incel who posted lengthy video manifestos outlining his hatred of women and of romantically successful men, murdered six people and wounded 14 others before taking his own life in 2014. As a result, he has become something
of a dark folk hero for incels, a role model whose manic ramblings have become words to live by. Alek Minassian, another incel terrorist who killed 10 people in a van attack in Toronto earlier this year, called Rodgers “the Supreme Gentleman” and proclaimed he was leading an “Incel Rebellion” in Rodger’s honor. Horrific acts of violence like Rodger’s and Minassian’s aren’t lone outbursts, but rather are representative of the complete moral decay at the heart of incel communities. On the other end lies the so-called “black pill,” the supposed realization that absolutely no action will ever liberate incels from their loveless purgatory. A combination of extreme cynicism and an incredibly botched interpretation of Nietzschean philosophy, black-pill advocates suggest that the only option for incels is to, in their own words, “lie down and rot.” This profoundly nihilistic, damaged worldview is being pushed on young, impressionable minds. Many incels are high school age or even younger, and their formative years are being spent around the most toxic thoughts imaginable. The mere existence of the incel phenomenon is sadly unsurprising. The presence of jaded and hateful men in early adolescence is hardly a unique phenomenon of the internet age. Instead, what’s truly scary about this new breed is the degree of constant connectivity that creates incels and the echo chamber that they naturally form for each other. It’s the old crab bucket metaphor at hand but in the most depressing manner possible. Incels would rather see each other fail, piling on additional resentment to the ever-growing influx of hatred, than give their fellows reasonable advice to escape their current fate.
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2018 ● FORUM ● THE JUSTICE
FORUM
Harvard lawsuit exposes longtime issues with college admissions By HARRISON PAEK JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Court proceedings continue for Students for Fair Admissions’ case against Harvard University. The Justice published a collection of sentiments on the case from Brandeis students and faculty in “Views on the News” last week. Because this case is close to home for the many college students who identify as racial minorities, the issue deserves a more in-depth look. As college has become a requirement for a widening array of jobs and opportunities in America, it has become more difficult to provide equal opportunities for those who are underrepresented or underprivileged. Affirmative action is a series of policies that aim to tackle this issue. However, America is a strange beast regarding education. The population is so diverse that it is impossible and grossly unfair to treat everyone the same way, yet it is very difficult to be the arbiter of how equality should be. Harvard has tried to tackle this through a “holistic” application review. This is all too familiar to college students who have waded their way through the college application process and, though ambiguous and cliched, we can understand the idea of looking at an applicant as a person. However, a major talking point in this case is the usage of a “personal rating.” Although Asian and Asian-American students filled all the admission requirements from a merit standpoint, the reason for their rejection was a low score in this personal area, which Harvard assigned seemingly arbitrarily. It is almost impossible to objectively quantify a student’s hunger to learn, which makes it important to acknowledge that there is never going to be a perfect system in a country as highly variable as America. One is left to question whether removing race from the equation would be the better solution. If, upon review of Harvard’s documents, SFFA and their lawyers can prove that Harvard is using racial quotas as a factor in admissions, affirmative action will change completely. The mission of the SFFA is grounded in the belief that “a student’s race and ethnicity should not be factors that either harm or help that student to gain admission to a competitive university.” This means that if the SFFA wins this case, it will set a precedent for race-blind admission to higher education. Race-blind admissions would cause a significant influx of Asian and AsianAmerican students admitted into the most competitive schools in the country. A 2015 study by the Brookings Institution showed that Asians and Asian-Americans form the overwhelming majority of students with the highest scores in the SAT math section. Black and Latinx students have significantly lower scores in comparison. The College Board’s report “Reaching the Top: A Report of the National Task Force on Minority High Achievement” says, “As early
as second or third grade, [Black students] generally have much lower grades and test scores than Asians and Whites — patterns that persist over the course of their school careers.” In this sense, it is impossible to dispute the fact that race plays some sort of factor in academic success. This opens up a whole slew of problems, including the history of racial inequality in America and its contribution to socioeconomic differences. Although this discrepancy in admissions is a product of multiple factors, strong ties between race and academic progress remain. However, this issue of factors is precisely the problem. College admissions is an extremely difficult task. How does one classify a person? Colleges do their best to find a crop of kids that will grab the opportunities they are given through schooling and do the most with it. Trying to assess the drive and integrity of an individual with the current system is the equivalent of asking about a life story through a drive through window. According to a 2016 survey conducted by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, a random sample of 76 admissions officers from a mix of 28 public and 48 private higher education institutions received a mean of 854 applications each. As much as admissions offices around the country would like to take a very personalized look at each student, it is impossible to do 854 people justice in the few short months they have without using test scores and GPA as the major indicator of success at their school.
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Developing a microcosm of the world on a college campus develops a reverence for difference. Even though it does cast students in broad strokes, race is merely being used to further interpret this information; it is indicative of how well a student took advantage of the opportunities presented to them. College admissions have done what America has always done, with all the same flaws intact. It has used race to classify a large group of people. The reason why it has come to protests and a lawsuit now is because of several indisputable facts. Asian and AsianAmerican students with the same, if not better, academic performances are being rejected because they are among a cohort of high-performing students of the same race. Harvard may or may not be using racial quotas to admit their students; the college admission process is broken in many ways.
Photo Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS; Photo Illustration by JUDAH WEINERMAN /the Justice
This particular case has stirred up another round of heated disagreements about the definition of equality within a multicultural environment. SFFA and Harvard disagree about the meaning of equality. From SFFA’s perspective, race has been repeatedly used as the main determining factor behind college admissions and rejections. Multiple citations of the Constitution on their website make it clear that “all men are created equal” means race should be completely removed from the equation. From Harvard’s perspective, diversity is synonymous with inclusivity. The mission of Harvard’s Office of Diversity Education & Support is to engage students and faculty and to “enhance their skills and deepen their understanding around issues of diversity and inclusivity.” Including all types of people means taking race into account. At the end of the day, race is a major defining characteristic of people and it always has been. It can either be a point of contention or a tool; racial diversity on modern college campuses serves to create a generation of more worldly minded people. It all comes down to what kind of environment colleges are aiming to cultivate on their campus. A homogeneous crop of extremely successful students might excel greatly in the area of classroom education, yet no one can project how detrimental homogeneity would be to a student’s ability
to reconcile differences in the world around them. Each student is a person. I am AsianAmerican, and race defined my application to college. Theater was an advantageous activity for me to do because it was not the norm in the scope of the Asian population as a whole. It was a general fact that I would need another 200 points on my SAT to be on the same level as Caucasian students in my cohort. I come from a family with significant reverence for education. One is supposed to be able to infer droves of information based upon this simple statistic of race, yet I know that I am me first and Korean second. Unfortunately, being blind to my race would abbreviate my identity to a greater extent than I would like. Furthermore, Asians and Asian-Americans may be oppressed by an admissions office, but race-blind admission ignores centuries of oppression the whole country has imposed against those of Black and Latinx backgrounds that might cause a disparity in education. Creating a microcosm of the world on a college campus would create a reverence for difference. An absence of race means everyone’s personhood is confined to the boundaries of this imperfect system. In other words, one is completely defined by what an admission officer can see from an application, and admissions, though procedurally equal, are never just.
Carbon removal technology won’t be enough to save the planet Maddox
KAY
GLOBAL WARNING
It is too late to slow climate change with just windmills, solar panels and Teslas. On Oct. 24, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a report asserting that “negative emission technologies” that scrub carbon dioxide from the air will be essential if we plan to contain climate change. This news comes on the heels of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that the nations of the world have a decade to shrink emissions drastically enough to restrain global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. If we fail to meet this goal, “tens of millions more people could be exposed to lifethreatening heat waves and water shortages, and the world’s coral reefs could disappear almost entirely,” according to an Oct. 24 New York Times article. The methods scientists have proposed of chemically scrubbing carbon from the air are unproven and still in their infancy. As we sink resources into them, we must adapt to what will inevitably become our reality:
using less of everything. Even as we dangle in peril, we fight to preserve a lifestyle that grows more unsustainable by the day. Our avocados come from Florida, electronics are designed to be discarded and single use plastics clutter our lives and landfills. According to a fact sheet the Earth Day Network produced this year, the world uses 4 trillion plastic bags per year, only one percent of which are ever recycled. It isn’t entirely our fault: Companies spend their energy making us want more things, even as those things become increasingly unsustainable to produce and destroy. The reality of an economy that favors a short-term profit motive is that companies and sectors avoid responding to looming catastrophes for as long as they can. Governments, rightly fearful of eliminating jobs and causing resulting social problems, are toothless to stop them. Environmentalists put stock in international agreements like the Paris Accords to hold countries accountable for their emissions. But in order to paint a brighter picture for politicians, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, whose numbers the Accords were based on, “speculated on the hope of future technology,” to “assure us that we can get by with much more relaxed emissions reductions,” according to a July 3, 2017 Guardian article. When the IPCC removes carbon-scrubbing speculation from the equation, avoiding catastrophic climate change “requires that we slow down and gradually reverse the pace
of economic growth,” says the same Guardian article. By counting on technology to save us before it exists, the IPCC leaves no room for error, and everyone knows what happens when those with good intentions are content to assume.
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Even as we dangle in peril, we fight to preserve a lifestyle that grows more unsustainable by the day. What this means, then, is that individuals and nations are approaching the problem of climate change by marking it as a distant concern and not an immediate one, and making it seem less bad than it is, respectively. As nobody else will, grassroots movements have taken up the task of encouraging sustainable living. For example, as of September 20, 349 cities, counties and states have banned or taxed plastic bags, which are estimated to have a 12-minute lifespan from shopping cart to trash can, according to a Sept. 20 Forbes article. When California banned plastic bags in 2014, residents kvetched for a short while and then got used to it.
The opinions expressed on this page are those of each article’s respective author and do not reflect the viewpoint of the Justice.
Starbucks should be next. No thermos, no coffee. We can all drive a little less, purchase a little smarter, and repair instead of replace. A momentary inconvenience is a small price to pay for reduced waste and emissions and a healthier planet. Scientists have many ideas of how best to zap the estimated 10 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year, which will likely be necessary by midcentury. Some are low-tech and community based, such as planting more trees and no-till agriculture, which can trap more carbon dioxide beneath the soil, as well as “encourage plant growth and increase farmers’ profits,” according to a March 3, 2015 New York Times article. Others are still in the pipeline but becoming more feasible, like direct air capture,” in which fans blow air into a chemical solution which captures and treats carbon dioxide, per a June 7 ScienceMag article. These more technical approaches, which are not yet large-scale, are what the National Academies hope the government will earmark billions of dollars in funding for. Carbon capture and scrubbing technologies represent an important, and apparently necessary, development in combating climate change. Yet we cannot wait for technology to save us from the storm. We can live smarter and with less now, by choice, or we can pump through what is left of our resources and be forced to change later. The promise of technology gives hope that our children might see the Great Barrier Reef, but it should not pacify us to continue living wastefully.
THE JUSTICE ● SPORTS ● TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2018
WSOCCER: Judges look forward to the season’s end CONTINUED FROM 16 per game. The women's team is ranked #13 in Division III by the United Soccer Coaches and #19 by D3soccer.com. They have had 15 games this season, and have one more on the calendar. The next game for the Judges is their final game of the season, on Saturday Nov. 3 at New York University. This game has the potential to affect the Judges' playoff positioning. As it currently stands, the team is tied for third in the UAA, after Washington University in St. Louis and New York University. The Judges are tied with the University of Chicago.
Boston College, he put up the best fight Quin had seen up to this point. In a marathon set, Quin eventually won 15-14 in the closest bout of the match. In the semifinals, Quin took on a fencer from MIT and won 15-9 to move on to the final. In the final, he took on another fencer from BC and won again by a score of 15-9 to defend his title. Tristan BarcaHall ’21 also performed well in foil, claiming sixth place overall. The fencing season will rage
FIERY FOCUS
If the team wins their final game, it should vault them to second place in the UAA tournament, but if they lose, it could be detrimental, dropping them all the way to fourth at best. The team has remained competitive in a conference that is host to some of the top teams in the nation. With a perfect 6-0 divisional record, Washington University have already clinched the UAA championship and are currently ranked as the number one team in the nation by the United Soccer coaches and by D3soccer.com. If the Judges can advance in this crowded conference, it will only further the team's confidence from here on out.
FENCING: Squad looks to foil opponents in the upcoming season CONTINUED FROM 16
13
from now until March. Fencers from each weapon — foil, epee and sabre — aim to improve their craft and to bring Brandeis its third straight conference championship. In addition, top fencers from both the men’s and women’s team will try to garner national attention and eventually compete in the NCAA national championship at the end of the season. Catch the fencing team next when they compete in the Northeast Conference Meet no. 1 hosted by MIT on Nov. 17.
THU LE/Justice File Photo
KICKIN IT: Brandeis defender Dylan Hennessy '20 dribbles past a Rochester defender in their game on Oct. 12.
MSOCCER: Team looks to last game of the season CONTINUED FROM 16 teammate, putting the Bears up 1–0. The Bears tagged on an insurance goal near the end of the first half. In the second half, Brandeis controlled the ball a little more, outshooting WashU 13–10, but those shots could not find the back of the net and the game ended in a 2–0 defeat for the Judges. Amherst 2, Judges 1 This was the first meeting between the two schools since 1999, and Amherst wasted no time catching up. Just 60 seconds in to the contest, Amherst sent a banana shot from
midfield into the offensive zone. An Amherst forward won control of the ball by heading it to his teammate in the box, who sent a rolling shot home to give Amherst a 1–0 lead early on. A little over 10 minutes of game time later, the Mammoths doubled the score. Alex Shahmirzadi connected with an open Sean Fitzgerald on a header in the Brandeis box that made the score 2-0 in favor of Amherst. In the 80th minute of play, Brandeis made strides to even the score. Noah Gans ’21 was dribbling up the sideline when he spotted Bryant Nardizzi ’20 running in the middle of the field. Gans launched a perfect arc to Nardizzi, who took a couple of
dribbles before nailing the shot from 20 yards out. The Judges have one game left to play in their season, as they hope to bring their record to an even .500. On Nov. 3, the team will travel to the city that never sleeps to take on New York University at noon. Although the Judges may have missed their shot at this year's playoffs, the team will still look to finish their season off strong and beat the Violets of NYU. As the season is coming to a close, the team has already begun planning for next season. With a new class of first-years and ample time to practice, next season should be a great one for the men's soccer team.
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THE JUSTICE
JUDGES BY THE NUMBERS
● SPORTS ●
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30 , 2018
15
VOLLEYBALL
MEN’S SOCCER UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS Goals
UAA Conf. W L D Chicago 5 1 0 Case 4 1 1 WashU 3 1 2 Rochester 3 2 1 NYU 2 3 1 JUDGES 2 3 1 Carnegie 2 4 0 Emory 0 6 0
Andrew Allen ’19 leads the team with six goals. Overall W L D Pct. Player Goals 14 2 1 .853 Andrew Allen 6 14 2 1 .853 Bryant Nardizzi 6 7 6 2 .533 Jake Warren 4 12 2 1 .833 Devan Casey 3 11 4 1 .719 7 8 2 .471 Assists 10 4 2 .688 Max Breiter ’20 is tied for the 9 7 1 .559 team lead with three assists. Player Assists Max Breiter 3 Jared Panson 3 Bryant Nardizzi 3 AJ Mercer 2
EDITOR’S NOTE: Saturday at NYU
WOMEN’S SOCCER UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS Goals
UAA Conf. W L D WashU 6 0 0 NYU 4 1 1 JUDGES 4 2 0 Chicago 4 2 0 Emory 3 2 1 Rochester 2 4 0 Carnegie 0 6 0 Case 0 6 0
Overall W L D Pct. 16 0 0 1.000 9 5 3 .618 12 3 0 .800 13 3 1 .794 12 4 1 .735 9 6 1 .594 7 8 1 .469 7 9 0 .438
EDITOR’S NOTE: Saturday at NYU
Katie Hayes ’20 leads the team with six goals. Player Goals Katie Hayes 6 Daria Bakhtiari 5 Sasha Sunday 3 Sam Volpe 3
Assists Lauren Mastandrea ’22 leads the team with three assists. Player Assists Laura Mastandrea 4 Emma Spector 3 Sasha Sunday 2 Julia Matson 2
VOLLEYBALL UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS Kills
Chicago Emory WashU Carnegie Case NYU Rochester JUDGES
UAA Conf. W L 6 1 6 1 5 2 5 2 3 4 2 5 1 6 0 7
Overall W L 26 3 21 6 22 6 21 8 17 12 17 14 23 9 11 16
Pct. .897 .778 .786 .724 .586 .548 .719 .407
EDITOR’S NOTE: Nov. 2 vs. UAA Tournament
Emma Bartlet ’20 leads the team with 254 kills. Player Kills Emma Bartlett 254 Shea Decker-Jacoby 222 Marissa Borgert 133 Belle Scott 128
Digs Kaitlyn Oh ’22 leads the team with 359 digs. Player Digs Kaitlyn Oh 359 Yvette Cho 308 Grace Krumpack 209 Marlee Nork 125
CROSS COUNTRY Results from the Conn College/UW Oshkosh Invitationals on Oct. 13.
TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)
TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)
8-Kilometer Run RUNNER TIME Josh Lombardo 26:24.6 Matthew Driben 26:37.0 Dan Curley 27:23.2
6-Kilometer Run RUNNER TIME Emily Bryson 21:38.5 Julia Bryson 22:46.2 Danielle Bertaux 23:00.5
EDITOR’S NOTE: Nov. 10 at New England DIII Championships
ANDREW BAXTER/Justice File Photo
PREPARATION: Marlee Nork ’19 prepares to serve the ball in a game against Case Western Reserve University on Sept. 29.
Team looks ahead to the last two games ■ The team has had its share of disappointment, but an emboldend squad is ready for their last week of play. By JEN GELLER JUSTICE EDITOR
The Judges continued their season this week with two games against non-University Athletic Association rivals Wellesley College and the University of Massachusetts-Boston. With the two losses that resulted from these matches, the Judges are now 11–16 overall for the season. Looking ahead, the Judges will play at the UAA tournament on Friday at the University of Rochester, where they will take on UAA rivals Emory University and Carnegie Mellon University. Brandeis is currently 0–7 in the UAA. Judges 0, UMB 3 On Saturday, the Judges took on the UMass Boston Beacons at home for their senior game, honoring their nine seniors before the start of the game. The team fell, losing all three sets with scores of 25–15, 36–34 and 25–19, according to the Brandeis Athletics website. This brought the
Judges down to 11–16 for the season as the Beacons’ score increased to 17–8. In the first set, the Beacons started right away with a raging lead. In fact, they never trailed once in this set: The team raced ahead to a 16–6 lead and then sped to the first set a 25–15 win. The second set of this match turned out to be very long — the longest for the Judges this season. After starting out ahead with a score of 15–10, the Beacons pressed forward. Ultimately, the lead switched back and forth for quite a while until UMB ended with a hard-fought 36–34 victory over the Judges. In the third set, the Beacons claimed a lead early on, but the Judges were able to tie the score several times until the score was tied at nine. Afterwards, UMB made an 8–3 run to bring the score to 17– 12, a lead that the Beacons would maintain throughout the set and match when they were victorious, 25–19. During this match, Emma Bartlett ’20 led the team with nine kills, followed close behind by Shea Decker-Jacoby ’19 with eight. Marissa Borgert ’21 led the team in assists, with 16, followed by Marlee Nork ’19 with 10. In terms of defense, Kaitlyn Oh ’22 led with seven digs, and Grace Krumpack ’19 and Decker-Jacoby each contributed
five. Overall, though, seven players contributed multiple digs for the team. Judges 0, Wellesley 3 On Thursday, the Judges’ overall record fell to 11–15 when they lost to Wellesley College with set scores of 25–13, 25–23 and 25–15, according to the Brandeis Athletics website. This match brought Wellesley to 19–5 for the season. In the first set, the teams began with a tie at a score of nine. However, the Blue went on a 10–2 run that resulted in Wellesley being ahead with a score of 19–11. The Blue maintained that lead until they swept the set with a score of 25–13. Brandeis had three straight errors that led to the victory for the Blue. In the second set, the Judges started strong with a 15–9 lead. However, the Blue fought back and achieved a tie with a score of 18. Although the Judges scored three more points to record an overall score of 21–18, the Blue came through and tied the score at 21 and then 23. A kill for the Blue and an error from the Judges led to Wellesley winning the match 23–23. In the third set, the Blue trailed only for a small amount of time before jumping to an 11–4 lead which they maintained until they won the set and match with a score of 25–15.
PRO SPORTS BRIEF The Boston Red Sox have defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in their fifth World Series win since 2004 After a dominant playoff run, the Boston Red Sox took home their first World Series win since 2013. This season, the team amassed 108 wins and was the top team of the stacked American League East division. Their sworn rivals, the New York Yankees, won 100 games this year, which ordinarily would have easily gotten them the division crown, but only earned them a wild card spot. This just goes to show how historic this year’s Sox squad was. The core of the 2018 team was built with an impressive balance of young, homegrown talent and intelligent free agent signings. These young players have developed into stars, the likes of which include names like Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley, Jr. Betts most notably broke out this year and
became a clear MVP favorite for the American League. He led all of Major League Baseball in wins above replacement with 10.9, battling Mike Trout as the top five tool player in baseball. Additionally, the team made smart transactions before and during the season, adding J.D. Martinez to the roster this summer, and veterans like Ian Kinsler and Nathan Eovaldi midseason. They provided reinforcements and leadership to the team, propelling them toward a deep playoff run. J.D. Martinez, especially, thrived at Fenway Park, contending all season for the triple crown. He solidified himself as one of the most complete hitters in the sport, posting an eyepopping statline of .330/43/130 for the season. Their hitting alone was not the sole reason for the Red Sox success.
All season long, the pitching staff for the Sox was consistently dominant, mostly off of the work of perennial all-stars Chris Sale and David Price. That 1-2 combo combined with a stout bullpen gave the Red Sox the pitching weapons they needed to establish themselves as the MLB’s top team. The series itself was pretty much a washout. The first two games took place at Fenway Park right here in Boston. Game one saw two of the game’s top pitchers facing off. The Red Sox sent out their dependable ace, Chris Sale, to face off against superstar Clayton Kershaw of Los Angeles. The Red Sox red hot lineup was eager to get out to a fast start. In the first inning, Mookie Betts singled, stole second and subsequently scored off of an Andrew Benintendi RBI. A J.D.
Martinez single later in the inning brought home Benintendi. The Dodgers would eventually tie it up in the top of the third before losing the lead for good in the bottom of that same inning. The score of game one would eventually end 8-4. In game two, the Sox sent out David Price to face off against Dodgers phenom Hyun-jin Ryu. The Red Sox again scored first, this time in the second. The Dodgers would go out to their first series lead in the fourth inning, scoring two and going up 2-1, but three more Red Sox runs in the bottom of the fifth would negate that lead for good, ending the game at 4-2. Game three of this world series will be talked about forever. It is already in the ranks as one of the best World Series games of all time. Los Angeles would score first in the
bottom of the third and would not be matched until Boston scored one of their own in the eighth. After the ninth inning concluded, the score was still tied at 1-1, so the game advanced to extra innings. After Boston scored in the 13th inning, it seemed this marathon game would finally conclude, but L.A. would respond and tie the game in the bottom half of that inning. It took until the 18th inning for L.A. to finally walk off with the win. However, this was not the turning point the team had hoped for, as they would go on to lose games four and five, securing the series win for the Red Sox. After breaking the 86 year old curse of the Bambino in 2004, the Red Sox won the series again in 2007, 2010, 2013 and now 2018. – Brian Inker and Zach Kaufman
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RED SOX WIN THE AWAITED GAME The Boston Red Sox have defeated the LA Dodgers in the World Series, p. 15. Waltham, Mass.
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
MEN’S SOCCER
ANKLE BREAKER
Judges continue their losing streak ■ The men's soccer team
looks forward to their last game of the season against NYU. By ZACH KAUFMAN JUSTICE EDITOR
With their season almost at its conclusion, the Brandeis men’s soccer team can now reflect on their season as a whole. As has been a recurring theme throughout the season, the team garnered high expectations after making it to the Division III Final Four just last year. However, with a 7-8-2 record and one game left to play, it is safe to say that those expectations have not been met. Still, though, the team has a lot to be proud of, and the season will be remembered for its high points and its low points. Unfortunately, one of the low points came last week — the team is currently riding a three-game losing streak. Chicago 2, Judges 0 The Judges had a tough task ahead of them, as they were facing one of the top teams in the country on the road. Although scoring
early in games has been a hallmark of the Judges season, in this game, the Maroons flipped the script and scored in the opening seconds. Just 88 seconds in, Chicago got their first goal of the game off the leg of the ever reliable Matthew Koh. It was his 12th goal of the season. His 13th would come in the 14th minute of the game, giving the Maroons the 2–0 advantage they would keep for the rest of the game. WashU 2, Judges 0 Based on their records and statistics up to this point, the Judges and Bears were on relatively even playing ground before this game. These were the type of close contests the Judges had to win if they wanted a spot in the postseason. In this game, the Judges did not come through, and the team fell to Washington University at St. Louis 2–0. The Bears jumped right out in the first half and took control of the game, outshooting Brandeis 8–2. In the 18th minute, WashU had the ball near the Brandeis 6-yard box. A forward from WashU sent a through ball between the Brandeis defense which was scored by his
See MSOCCER, 13
☛
FENCING
Teams begin season at Fall Invitational
■ The Brandeis fencing team
starts off their new season strong and looks forward to much more success. By ZACH KAUFMAN JUSTICE EDITOR
The Brandeis men’s and women’s fencing teams participated in their first meet of the season this past weekend. The teams traveled west to Northampton, Massachusetts to take part in the New England Intercollegiate Fencing Conference Fall Invitational, also known as "The Big One." Each team had one of their top fencers defending their titles with the foil weapon. Here is how the Judges fared in their first meet of the new season. Women’s Team Joanne Carminucci ’19 earned herself a fourth seed in the direct elimination tournament after posting an impressive 5-0 record in the preliminary rounds. She received just four touches and her margin of victory was a staggering +21. In the tournament, she showed no signs of slowing down. In the first round, she quickly dispensed a fencer from Vassar College 15-1. A short while later, she defeated an opponent from the University of Massachusetts, 15-3. She then faced two straight fencers from Boston College in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. She quickly defeated them 15-6 and then 158, respectively, to advance to the final round. In that round, she faced her hardest test yet. The top seeded fencer in her bracket was from Dartmouth University and had been making similarly quick work of her opponents. However, she was no match for Carminucci, who defeated her 15-9 to capture her second straight crown with the
foil. Before losing to Carminucci, the top seeded foil fencer faced another opponent from Brandeis, Jessica Gets ’20. Gets also went undefeated in the preliminary rounds to earn the sixth seed. She defeated two of her teammates before falling to her opponent from Dartmouth in the semifinals. This strong performance earned her a bronze medal. Meanwhile, in saber action, Jada Harrison was given a fifth seed after an impressive 6-0 performance in the prelims. She quickly beat opponents from Smith College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute the first two rounds. Her quarterfinals bout was a battle, but she eventually pulled away and won 15-13. She would lose in the semifinal round to a fencer from Sacred Heart University, but her effort would be enough to earn her the bronze medal for her weapon. Men’s Team Ian Quin ’20 was one of ten undefeated fencers in the men's foil preliminary round. His +18 indicator earned him a sixth seed for the direct elimination tournament. In the first round, he took on an opponent from UMass and made quick work of him, dominating the match 151. He then took on an opponent from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It took a little bit longer, but Quin won again, this time by a score of 15-7. As Quin advanced further, his opponents got tougher and tougher and began to put up more of a fight. But Quin prevailed nonetheless, defeating a fencer from Sacred Heart University 15-10 in the next round. In the quarterfinal round, Quin matched up against the third seed in this tournament. Hailing from
See FENCING, 13 ☛
CHARLIE CATINO/Justice File Photo
DRIBBLE AWAY: Midfielder Katie Hayes ’20 dribbles the ball past an Emory defender during their game on Oct. 14.
One win, one loss, and one canceled game ■ The women's soccer
team hopes to improve their standings in the UAA following their last game. By MEGAN GELLER JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
With the regular season nearing its end, the women’s soccer team pushes on. The team has one game left in the season. Currently, the team has an overall score of 12–3. With the end of the season nearing, the Judges have had an amazing season. The first game of this week was scheduled for Tuesday Oct. 23, against Simmons College. However, the game was canceled. WashU 1, Judges 0 The following Friday, the Judges went head-to-head with Washington University in St. Louis. The first half of the game was close between the Judges and the Bears. The game started off with a corner kick by Sasha Sunday ’19 and fouls on both Brandeis and WashU. Brandeis’s only goal of the day was in the 24th minute of play by Daria Bakhtiari
’21. Sierra Dana ’20 made one save in the first half. In the second half, the Bears pushed back. 47 seconds into the half, WashU had already made a corner kick followed by a shot that was saved by goalie Dana. This was followed by both teams conceding two fouls each. Within the last 53 seconds of the game, WashU made their first goal. Dana finished the game with six saves, just short of her season record of seven saves. Following this game, the Judges' record fell to 11–3, while WashU improved to 15–0. Brandeis ended the game with one fewer fouls than WashU. Brandeis and WashU won three and seven corner kicks, respectively. Brandeis had seven total saves during the game, while their opponent had only one. UChicago 0, Judges 1 On Sunday Oct. 29, the Judges came on strong against the University of Chicago. Dana was Brandeis’ goalie at the start of the game. By the sixth minute, Dana had already made her first save of the day. The first half of the game was evenly played by both teams. This trend persisted into
the second half, until Lauren Mastandrea ’22 shot the ball towards Sam Volpe ’19 who charged the ball into the goal, for her third goal of the season. Dana made three saves in the last six minutes of the game.Within the first two minutes of the second half, Brandeis had attempted a shot that was saved by an opposing player. This was followed by a shot by the Judges, and two corner kicks, one by Brandeis and the other UChicago. The game ended with a shot by UChicago and a save by Dana. UChicago outshot Brandeis during this game, 18–15, but the Judges put 10 of their shots on goal, compared to just six for their opponents. In addition, the Judges had six saves during the game, three fewer than UChicago. Since 2009, Brandeis has not defeated University of Chicago. They haven't won in the Windy City since 2008. Following this game, the teams score improved to 12–3. The Judges are currently 4–2 in the conference. With a shot percentage of 10.1 percent, the women have an average of 2.00 goals per game and 19.9 shots
See WSOCCER, 13
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Vol. LXXI #8
October 30, 2018
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TUESDAY, THE JUSTICE OCTOBER | ARTS 30, 2018 | TUESDAY, I ARTS JANUARY I THE JUSTICE 31, 2017
FILM REVIEW
AAAS brings us ‘BlacKkKlansman’
By KENT DINLENC JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
The Department of African and African American Studies (AAAS) hosted a screening of Spike Lee’s latest film “BlacKkKlansman” at the Intercultural Center last Thursday. The movie is based on a true story about Ron Stallworth, an African American man, who joined the Colorado Springs police department in the 1970s. Once accepted, he infiltrates the local Ku Klux Klan chapter over the phone by impersonating a white man who feels enthusiastic about joining the nefarious organization. The chapter president then invites Stallworth to meet, prompting the officer to enlist his Jewish colleague’s help to be his surrogate. The two use their positions to prevent any violent acts against Colorado Springs’ growing African American civil rights movement, which is led by Stallworth’s love interest in the film, Patrice. Spike Lee has always been an angry and provocative artist, often bleeding his ideology into his films. “BlacKkKlansman” is no exception. The language used by the KKK members in the film parallel those echoed in the Trump administration. Phrases like “America first” are used throughout, imitating the growing hateful rhetoric in our country. The movie does a great job highlighting the rift between the Black and white communities while easing the tension with some comedy in between scenes of intolerance and tragedy. Lee effectively discredits the modern conception of the KKK and Black Panther movement as the extremes of both sides. While one side preaches intolerance and hate, the other is a reactionary protest that uses words rather than violence. The film itself is worthy of winning the second-highest honor of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the Grand Prix. The acting is great all around. If there is one thing that both sides of the conflict have in common in the film, it is that they are played by a fantastic ensemble cast led by John David Washington – son of Denzel – as the titular cop and Adam Driver as his partner. Amid the violence and hatred, both men were refreshingly gentle and collected in their roles. Their on-screen chemistry enhanced their performances, proving the two work well as characters and as actors. Another standout performance came from Topher Grace’s portrayal of Grand Wizard David Duke. His unsettling charisma and straight face while spouting despicable rhetoric makes you reflect on the nature of cultism. While the
THEATER REVIEW
THU LEE/the Justice
CAPTIVE AUDIENCE: A packed audience of Brandeis students attentively watched “BlacKkKlansman” in the Intercultural Center.
language in the script may have made the actors uncomfortable, they did a phenomenal job playing these racist characters. Paul Walter Hauser, who stole the show in last year’s “I, Tonya,” almost does so again. Ashlie Atkinson, who plays the ambitious wife of one of the more extreme members of the Klan, is outrageous in how bigoted and racist she appears. Spike Lee’s vision is well-realized, providing the opposing perspectives of the KKK and the Black Panther movement with respect to the same events. In the latter half of act two, we have a powerful scene where the film cuts be-
tween both movements reacting to “Birth of a Nation,” the famously racist D.W. Griffith 1915 film. One shot shows the Klan laughing loudly at racist stereotypes. The other focuses in on a discussion of the film when an old man recounts a harrowing story of his friend’s torture. Most of the few complaints I have about the film, involve pacing. The movie could have been shorter, especially when its witty pace was brought to a full stop by the forced love interest. While I do appreciate that Patrice represented the reversion to Stallworth’s African American identity while living a life
surrounded by prejudice and white police officers, her presence is uninteresting from a narrative point of view. The last few minutes of the film are powerful, showing footage of 2017’s Charlottesville riots, but they render the message too heavy-handed. Maybe that’s what audiences have come to expect from the outspoken Spike Lee, but the outright modern-day reference definitely insults their intelligence after nearly two hours of artful parallels. This is Lee’s best work since “Malcolm X” and “Do the Right Thing,” and “BlacKkKlansman” deserves most of the acclaim it has received.
‘Hookman’ is a twist in the gut
By MENDEL WEINTRAUB
tor, welcomed the audience with a thoughtful statement, encouraging anybody who felt triggered by the narThe program for the Undergradu- rative to step outside. Her grace and ate Theater Collective’s production of understanding in the face of the situLauren Yee’s “Hookman” came with Photos by YURAN SHI/the Justice a content warning for violence, blood, strong language, racial stereotyping, HOOKMAN ARRIVES: The car crashes and discussions of sexual Hookman (Daniel Souza ’19) assault. To justify the performance of finally catches up to Lexi. a show that comes with such a laundry list of topical issues in its purview is a delicate task, especially in light of recent events that have struck close to home for the Brandeis community: the University’s position on cases of sexual assault and the recent anti-Semitic tragedy in a Pittsburgh synagogue. What set back this production was the coincidentally tragic weekend during which it was put on — that is, this show was simply put on in the wrong place at the wrong time, making it a theatrical anachronism. The genre, slasher comedy, did not justify Hookman’s tone deafness. The unfortunate timing of “Hookman’s” production should in no way detract from the work of its dedicated cast and crew, who certainly understood the predicament they were in. Before the start of Sunday’s matinee, Karina Wen ’20, the show’s direcJUSTICE STAFF WRITER
WILD RIDE: Lexi and her best friend Jess (Casey Bachman ’21) drive to a movie in the middle of the night.
ation was exceptional. To address the controversy head-on, directly to the audience, was an encouraging gesture. Hookman’s nonlinear narrative opens on a conversation between two
college students, Lexi (Sophia Seufert ’22) and Jess (Casey Bachman ’21), as they drive to a midnight movie screening. After the drive ends in an accident, a series of confrontations between Lexi and an animated cast of characters reveals what really happened the night of the crash while also touching on a number of important social issues. The people in Lexi’s life include her distant roommate Yoonji (the hilarious and controlled Ashley Kim ’20), the impossibly eccentric Chloe (played with enthusiasm by Hannah Novack
INTERPRETIVE DANCE: The characters gather around Lexi (Sophia Seufert ’22) for a jarring dance.
’22), and three male characters, Sean, Adam and Kayleigh (all played by the ever-dedicated Seth Wulf ’21), whose concepts of what is sexually acceptable are, to say the least, reprehensible. Looming over all this is the titular Hookman, who is played in brooding silence by Daniel Souza ’19. All of the performances were sound, with clever line readings and deliberate gestures. The actors brought the story to life. The production design was minimalistic, but appropriately suited the material of the show. Without clut-
ter, the show’s content was brought into the limelight. The sound design was similarly minimalistic though some more sound effects, perhaps more ambiance and noises that suited the play’s environments, might have brought more life to the scenery. Despite the successful effort of this production, ignoring the poor satire of this show in the context of this week’s events would be an oversight. It is no testament to the team behind “Hookman” that regardless of this production’s timing, the script’s satire is convoluted at best. Its attempts to make the audience laugh are so poorly integrated with the moments meant to make the audience think, to the point that one begins to think they are laughing at the disturbing situations unfolding on stage. A humorous monologue from Chloe at the end of the play in which she gleefully exclaims something along the lines of “we all die in the end” really missed the mark. With that said, any discourse is good discourse. While the tone of this production was borderline offensive when considered in the chronological context of its performance, at least it is adding fuel to an important conversation. While this reviewer felt that “Hookman” missed the mark, his opinion is just one of many.
THE JUSTICE I ARTS I TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2018
CULTURE
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YDALIA COLON/the Justice
BIG SMILES: Miranda Hurtado-Ramos ’19, the emcee for the evening, smiled brightly on the stage in Levin Ballroom.
Incendio ignites a fire onstage By BRIANNA CUMMINGS JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
YDALIA COLON/the Justice
FANCY DANCING: Dancers in colorful flowing skirts took the stage and impressed the audience with their moves.
Saturday may have been a non-stop downpour, but that did not extinguish the flames of Incendio. The Brandeis Latinx Students Organization hosted their third annual cultural show, Incendio, to honor Latinx arts. Proceeds from the show went toward Border Angels, an organization that helps with immigration reform, migrant rights and the challenges that have arisen from the Trump administration. The theme was “Premio Lo Nuestro,” which is a television special on Univision. Levin Ballroom was decorated in red and gold, and the BLSO e-board members were dressed in award-show attire. The night started with host Miranda Hurtado-Ramos’s ’19 introducing herself and the e-board. The first performance of the night was from Kaos Kids, the campus’ only hip-hop dance group. The group was dressed in purple and black and danced to a variety of songs by popular hip-hop artists like Rihanna and Nicki Minaj. The next group to perform was Brandeis’ majorette dance team, Toxic, who danced to an array of Latin songs. The dancers were dressed in black crop tops paired with fishnet leggings. There was a break in between performances during which the BestDressed award nominees were chosen by the e-board, but Hurtado-Ramos
welcomed others to nominate themselves. Multiple people arrived onstage wearing their spiffiest outfits. After introducing everybody, Hurtado told the audience that she would give them time to consider the options before voting. The next performers were Boston University’s Sabor Latino. The group danced the Salsa, a traditional Latin dance that comes from Afro-Cuban culture. During the intermission, the audience was treated to a delicious meal catered by Mi Tierra, an authentic Central American restaurant on Moody Street. The roasted chicken and pupusas were the cherry on top of an already-great evening. After the intermission, Miranda returned to the stage with the Best Dressed nominees to select a winner. The voting was conducted by the audience cheering for the person they wanted to win. E-board member Consuelo Pereira-Lazo ’19 won and was awarded a red vinyl record trophy. Afterwards, Milton Academy’s Ritmo showed everyone that high schoolers can give college students a run for their money. Donning red and black, they lit up the room. Everyone could agree that they definitely had “ritmo,” which means rhythm in Spanish. The show took a break from dancing to shine the spotlight on a few student poets. The first poet was Vanerich Polanco ’20. Palanco shared two poems: one about systemic injustice in the United States
against Black and brown people, and a second about the beauty of her home country, The Dominican Republic. Polanco was succeeded by Imani Islam ’20. Islam is the vice president of the Caribbean Culture Club and shared her experience as an Afro-Caribbean woman with a poem that resonated with students of all different backgrounds. The last poet for the evening was Angela Mendez ’19. Mendez shared her experience as a Chicano woman with two beautiful poems. She spoke about the struggle of being bilingual in the rigid, closed-minded United States public school system, feeling disconnected from mainstream American culture and the anger she feels when people patronize her parents for speaking with accents. Angela definitely touched the entire room with her passionate and raw poems. The last group of the evening was Brandeis’ Latinx dance team, Latinxtreme. The first dance featured a group in long, colorful dresses, while the second dance featured students dancing in pairs. At the end of the evening, Miranda asked the audience to choose a winner for Best Performance. Milton Academy’s Ritmo won, mainly for their ability to outshine all of the college students despite being relative novices. Overall, the evening was a success. Between the great food and fascinating performances, Incendio was fire!
FILM REVIEW
Mediocre times at the El Royale By KENT DINLENC JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
“Bad Times at the El Royale” is a recently released film with a stellar cast, an acclaimed writer and an intriguing 1970s aesthetic. The movie takes place at the titular hotel and features eight strangers: a young concierge, a priest, a blues singer, a sleazy vacuum salesman, a rebellious young woman, her sister and a cult leader. The group finds themselves trapped when a storm surges overhead, and their secrets are revealed in a hotel chock-full of its own secrets. Drew Goddard, the writer and director of this film, made a pretty
impressive directorial debut. The Academy Award-nominated writer of “The Martian” and creator of “Lost” and “Daredevil” has had a pretty good track record. His subversion of expectations and genre-twisting style was first introduced in the horror film “Cabin in the Woods” and is seen again in the mystery genre with “Bad Times,” which flips the Agatha Christie-esque style on its head. The non-linear storytelling makes for great comedic effect and keeps the audience interested. The ensemble was quite impressive, garnering the talents of Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Jon Hamm and Louis Pullman. Bridges does an outstanding job
evoking sympathy for the dark, tortured character Father Flynn. Flynn is a miserable man plagued by Alzheimer’s disease and the goal of avenging his brother’s murder. Erivo, best known for her presence on the Broadway stage, is one of two breakouts in the film. Her singing voice is not only easy on the ears but also a clever tool for storytelling. Her chemistry with Bridges and dislike for the remaining characters rings true. The other breakout is Pullman, who is the fan favorite in every scene. He is simultaneously sympathetic, odd, innocent and guiltridden. Finally, we have Hamm, whose charm is so magnetic you completely ignore the fact that almost
all of his dialogue is expositional. His presence, while used entirely to move the story along, is a delight and unfortunately short-lived. Aside from the acting, the banger soundtrack and the gorgeous production design, there is very little to praise about this movie. While the first two acts are riveting, the third completely drops the ball. The audience is treated to an unwelcome and frankly uninteresting tonal shift that mainly stems from the script. The narrative structure is captivating, but the stories themselves are bland. You only care about a few of the narrative threads among many. The ones we do stick with, in particular the one involving
Chris Hemsworth’s cult leader, is boring. His entrance in the third act nearly ruins the movie. Jon Hamm is barely in the film at all — he’s gone by the second act! Working with such a captivating character, you’d think Goddard would have the good sense to keep him in. “Bad Times at the El Royale” is a great two-thirds of a film. But the dynamic set, the fun costumes, the oddball characters and the soulful music could not save the movie from its mediocre script. I’d say director Drew Goddard had an inspired vision, but his bad habits from “Lost” caught up to him and left me wanting more of the good and much less of what we got.
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2018 | ARTS | THE JUSTICE
INTERVIEW
Brandeis TALKS
What are the best and worst things you’ve received while trick-ortreating?
Karina Wen ’20 Edgar Lara Amador ’21
YVETTE SEI/Justice File Photo
“Candy is always great... I don’t really have a worst thing, which is a good thing.”
This week, justArts spoke with Karina Wen ’20, the director of the Undergraduate Theater Collective’s recent production, “Hookman.”
JustArts: What drew you to “Hookman”?
Gabi Burkholz ’21 “The best thing I’ve ever received was a giant pack of king-size assorted candy bars, ... and then the worst thing I got was raisins.”
Nate Rtishchev ’21 “Those weird small boxes of pretzels that were kind of stale but they’re like ‘Oh! They’re fun Halloween pretzels.’... The best... Reese’s Cups. You can’t go wrong with Reese’s.”
Sarah Salinger-Mullen ’19 “The worst thing I ever got while trick-or-treating was one of those religious pamphlets that’s like, “Why Halloween is a sin!” And the best thing I ever got was one of those giant candy bars - HUGE candy bars.” —Compiled and photographed by Andrew Baxter/the Justice.
STAFF’S Top Ten
ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice
Top 10 Amino Acids By Jen Geller JUSTICE EDITOR
Proteins are one of the macromolecules that keep us alive. They are composed of their monomers— amino acids. Having memorized them and their structures this semester for class, here are my favorites: 1) Glycine 2) Methionine 3) Proline 4) Tyrosine 5) Tryptophan 6) Histidine 7) Lysine 8) Serine 9) Valine 10) Phenylalanine
MEGAN GELLER/the Justice
CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Banned apple spray 5 Bad sign 9 Neighbor of Chad 14 Swamp 15 “The Lion King” queen 16 Bad way to be on Valentine’s Day 17 Product with “Touch” and “Nano” variants 18 “____ Brockovich” 19 Medium for Logan Paul 20 *Jewish New Year 23 Fair-hiring inits. 24 *Clandestine 27 The Academy may give one out, for short 29 Chinese dish 31 Sault-____-Marie 34 Not spoken outright 38 “Thereabouts...” 39 *One you might seek to impress at a reunion 43 Frozen waffle brand 44 Useful stuff for the CIA 45 Prefix with -globin meaning “muscle” 46 Used, as an innate skill 49 Touch lightly 51 The DSM has five of them 55 Sucker 57 Youth group ... or what the starred clues belong to 61 Inferno 64 ____ gras 65 Set to zero, as a scale 66 One you don’t want to meet? 67 Gain entry to a game 68 Citation words 69 Some support beams 70 Onion relative 71 “Little” Dickens girl DOWN 1 “Jake and ___” (comedy web series) 2 Thinning procedure, for short 3 Got up 4 Character to whom “not I” is replied 5 High draft classification 6 Randy’s last name on “South Park” 7 Namesake Yale of Yale University 8 Grannies 9 Cruise Missile named for a tribe 10 Foul mood 11 Sticky stuff 12 Part of ESL 13 In medias _____ 21 Riots 22 Org. for the Canucks 25 Truth _____ (Sodium Pentathol) 26 Throw a ______ fit 28 Gay Catholic on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” 30 New York neighborhood
Karina Wen: I was researching Asian American playwrights and I found it on Lauren Yee’s website. It’s just so much my sense of humor, and I love that it’s weird and creepy but it’s also about something. I was really passionate about it and I was picturing ways that I could … add to it. I had this really specific vision. JA: What are some of those ideas that you had? KW: The scene where Hookman kills Yoonji, we did as a dance number. That was one of the earliest things that I came up with. Also the music. The soundtrack was things that I chose that I felt fit the ambiance of the show. And the scene where Lexi is traveling home … and everyone around her starts moving in a really creepy way — that was another thing I was really proud of.
Crossword Courtesy of EVAN MAHNKEN
31 Place for tools 32 Gato grande 33 Pranked on halloween, say 35 “The _____” (Showtime drama) 36 One may be positive or negative, but not neutral 37 Small kiddo 40 Piece of artillery used in WWI 41 Allow 42 Be at odds 47 Not us 48 Never, in Germany 50 Conference that now has 2 more members 52 Butcher’s refuse 53 Nary a soul 54 Flat 56 Home is one 58 Smell to high heaven 59 Eurasia’s ___ Mountains 60 Feature of many a hotel desk 61 Fat meas. 62 Place to wear goggles 63 Wanted poster inits.
JA: “Hookman” has a lot of sensitive material. What was that like in the rehearsal space? KW: It was really interesting. I tried to be really open about the content and [gave] the actors space to say how they felt. The humor, for example. Chloe makes all these racist comments about Korean people. And it’s kind of like, you laugh and then you’re like, “Wait, why am I laughing?” JA: Were you at all worried about how this would be received given the climate on campus right now?
Solution Courtesy of EVAN MAHNKEN
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.
KW: I was definitely concerned, particularly in regards to the content about sexual assault, because that’s very relevant in current events right now. So I wanted to make it really clear … to the audience. We had content warnings and the pre-show announcement and everything. I think theater is a really important medium for thinking about things that are difficult to talk about and I think the fact that it is theatrical and that it can be nonlinear and unrealistic, it is something that can really help us in thinking about these topics. JA: What’s your favorite line in the play? KW: I really like when Jess says, “Maybe she just died, in general.”
—Maya Zanger-Nadis
Solution to last issue’s sudoku
Puzzle courtesy of www.sudokuoftheday.com