ARTS Page 19
FORUM Discourage sale of citizenship 11 SPORTS Women’s basketball splits weekend games 16
‘coffeehouse’ ABBY GRINBERG/the Justice
The Independent Student Newspaper
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B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9
Justice
Volume LXX, Number 16
www.thejustice.org
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
’deis impact
Waltham, Mass.
BRIEF University announces plan to hold active shooter training drill in March The University will hold an emergency active shooter training drill in the University library from 6 a.m. to noon on March 21, according to a Feb. 5 email from Director of Public Safety Edward Callahan. Through interactive role-play, the drill will simulate an active shooter event “designed to test multiple facets of our preparedness,” including emergency protocols, technologies and staff training, wrote Callahan. Police, firefighters and other Waltham emergency teams will also test their ability to work with the University’s first responders. Within the library, simulated ammunition sounding like real gunfire will be used, and emergency vehicle sirens will be heard as they enter campus. “For the drill to be effective, it must seem as real as possible to all those participating in the exercise. At the same time, everyone’s safety will be protected,” Callahan wrote in the email. Class and event schedules will be unaffected by the drill, and other University operations are to proceed as normal. Areas around the library will be cor-
YVETTE SEI/the Justice
islamophobia's Roots: Spoken word artist Amal Kassir shared personal stories as she examined the causes of Islamophobia.
Syrian-American artist talks Islamophobia and poetry ■ Amal Kassir interspersed personal stories and poems throughout her discussion of modern-day Islamophobia. By jocelyn gould JUSTICE EDITORial assistant
“I am Amal and my name means hope,” Syrian storyteller and activist Amal Kassir told an audience on Saturday night, opening her speech on Islamophobia on college campuses and in the world. The spoken word artist described her life as a Syrian-American living in a post9/11 world on Saturday night, as a part of ’DEIS Impact, the University’s annual social justice festival. Kassir, a recent graduate from the University of Colorado Denver, has performed her poetry across the country and the world, according to the online event description. “The only thing that qualifies me to be up here is the fact that I’ve written a few poems about it and happen to be a Muslim woman,” Kassir said of the night’s topic, Islamophobia.
To tackle the massive topic of Islamophobia in the world today, Kassir first examined its historical, economic and governmental background. “It’s important to assess things geopolitically,” she said, “before we just go looking at religion.” According to Kassir, the first time the words ‘Islam’ and ‘terrorism’ were associated with each other was in 1983, when a U.S. embassy in Beirut was bombed. After this attack, the idea of “global terrorism through the religious scope” became prevalent, she said. Kassir drew attention to the connections between diplomatic and military policies in the Middle East and American business interests. “It always has been business,” she said, explaining these business connections “entailed military equipment, weapons, oil, et cetera.” She also challenged American perceptions of Islam, reminding the audience that not all Muslims are brown-skinned or Arab, and that, in fact, “the majority of all Muslims come from Indonesia.” According to Kassir, this fact is obscured by a news media that only pays at-
—Michelle Dang
Community
tention to countries which portray Islamic culture as a “society that’s disagreeable.” The three poems Kassir shared throughout the night rejected that narrative. Her first poem described her white mother bonding with her Syrian grandmother through cooking, despite their different recipes. The second described her grandmother’s garden in Syria, discussing the importance of food as a way of protecting young, starving orphans in the country from being radicalized by the Islamic State group. Her third poem was a playful ode to the struggle of finding a place to get a haircut as a hijabi. Turning to the human experience of being a Muslim American, Kassir described the way 9/11 redefined the existence of Islam in America. She disparaged “the way in just a few moments, a national tragedy can transform a group of people from mourners into suspects,” and described the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, in which FBI agents visited and raided mosques and created fear and suspicion within Muslim communities.
See ISLAMOPHOBIA, 7 ☛
Panel addresses need for more AAPI studies ■ Faculty and students
discussed the term “AAPI” and called for more courses on the subject. By maurice windley JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Kicking off the first day of ’DEIS Impact, the University’s festival of social justice, students and faculty joined together on Thursday to discuss the necessity of establishing a department at Brandeis that focuses on the origins of AsianAmerican activism. Led by the Brandeis Asian American Task Force and sponsored by Brandeis Asian American Students Association, the event featured a faculty-led dialogue and then transitioned into a discussion about the impact that the department could have at Brandeis.
Prof. Leanne Day (GRALL), the University’s Florence Levy Kay Fellow in Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies, and Prof. Pu Wang (GRALL), the Helaine and Alvin Allen Chair in Literature, led the dialogue portion of the event. Day initiated discussions by breaking down and examining the terms Asian-American and Pacific Islander, as they contain a “multicultural and diverse identity that is often hidden.” Day explained that AAPI as a category was established in the 1990 census, which expressed “Asian or Pacific islander as a single racial category.” However, many ethnic groups did not receive key representation because of this broad single category, leading advocacy groups to “disaggregate the Pacific islander component from the Asian-American category.”
See AAPI, 7 ☛
Saving Syrians
Not Giving Up
Global Health
Nadia Alawa founded a humanitarian relief NGO from her kitchen table.
Men’s basketball hopes to make their last games count.
Panelists discussed complexities of health care on the international stage.
photo courtesy of nuday syria
For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org
doned off and the library itself will be closed to all except drill participants until noon. Signage will be posted around campus to alert visitors about the drill, and the Brandeis Emergency Notification System will deliver messages to all members of the University community through voice, email and text alerts during and after the exercise. The email asks that individuals make sure to visit the BENS registration page to update their emergency contact information prior to the drill, and to prepare for the library’s morning closure. Printers will be available at the Shapiro Campus Center during the drill. If an actual emergency occurs during the drill, the email notes that a BENS alert indicating “This is not a test” will be sent and actual emergency protocols will proceed. Information and future updates about the drill will be posted on the Department of Public Safety website, accessible with Brandeis UNet ID and password.
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FEATURES 9
INDEX
SPORTS 16
KALIANNI NEAL-DESATHIK/the Justice
ARTS SPORTS
17 13
EDITORIAL FEATURES
10 OPINION 8 POLICE LOG
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News 3 COPYRIGHT 2018 FREE AT BRANDEIS.
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2018
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NEWS SENATE LOG
POLICE LOG
Senate reports on residential heating problems and committee updates
Medical Emergency
The Senate convened for its weekly meeting on Sunday, voting on two Senate Money Resolutions. Student Union Vice President Hannah Brown ’19 encouraged the Senate to attend an open meeting with Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mark Brimhall-Vargas to learn about the University’s efforts to become more inclusive since the Ford Hall 2015 protest. Services and Outreach Committee Chair and Executive Senator Aaron Finkel ’20 said he wished for his committee to take over the “Take Your Professor Out to Lunch” program. Sustainability Committee Chair Benedikt Reynolds ’19 stated that he reached out to the Department of Community Living and the Environmental Studies Department about working with them on the Environmental Ambassadors Program. Dining Committee Chair Jonathan Chen ’20 stated that the committee discussed the Lunar New Year menu. Chen added that food waste has increased 2030 percent since last semester. International Student Senator Linfei Yang ’20 spoke for Club Support Committee Chair Tal Richtman ’20. Yang stated that last week’s committee meeting was inefficient, lasting for over three hours. Yang added that he would be creating a new guidebook for club leaders to be released after February break. Class of 2018 Senator Matt Kowalyk introduced an SMR for Student Union pins. Kowalyk stated that he hoped that Student Union members would wear the buttons to “increase visibility” and increase exposure to “do more partnering events.” The Senate passed the SMR. Off-Campus Senator Matt Stenerson ’18 stated that he spoke with Assistant Dean Stephanie Grimes to plan an event for students currently living off-campus and those planning to in the future. The event will be in the game room on Feb. 27. Class of 2021 Senator Rachel McAllister introduced an SMR for ordering lollipops and merchandise tags for a Valentine’s Day tabling event. McAllister stated that students would be able to send a message accompanied by a lollipop to friends. The Senate passed the SMR. East Quad Senator Samantha Barrett ’20 stated that multiple students have complained of extremely noisy heaters in the quad, which have prevented them from getting adequate sleep and completing their work. Class of 2018 Senator Abhishek Kulkarni added that this is also a problem at the Charles River Apartments. Ridgewood Quad Senator Leigh Salomon ’19 reported that Ridgewood residents do not have the ability to control the temperature of their rooms, and that he will meet with Facilities Services to look into the issue. Massell Quad Senator Qingtian Mei ’21 reported that the card reader in one of the quad’s laundry rooms is broken. Mei stated that the Campus Card Office and Facilities promised to fix it, but had not yet done so. Kowalyk reported that the Community Emergency Enhancement Fund will be creating a guide of past projects it has funded, to give potential applicants a better idea of what kinds of projects the CEEF Committee is looking for.
Jan. 29—A party in Usen Hall reported that a custodian had fallen and was not responsive. BEMCo staff treated the custodian for a possible seizure, and the custodian was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital via Cataldo Ambulance. Jan. 30—A party in Cable Hall reported that they were experiencing flu-like symptoms. Cataldo Ambulance staff transported the party to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Jan. 30—BEMCo staff treated a party in the Charles River Apartments who was vomiting and feeling weak. Cataldo Ambulance staff transported the party to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Jan. 30—University Police received a report of a party in East
Quad who was suffering from back pain. BEMCo staff treated the party with a signed refusal for further care. Jan. 31—A party in Ziv Quad reported that they slipped a disc and could not move. Cataldo Ambulance staff transported the party to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Jan. 31—A party in Renfield Hall reported that they were suffering from flu-like symptoms. Cataldo Ambulance staff transported the party to NewtonWellesley Hospital for further care. Jan. 31—A party in Reitman Hall reported that they fell down and hurt their wrist. BEMCo staff treated the party, and University Police transported the party to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.
Feb. 2—University Police received a report of a party in Gordon Hall who was having a panic attack. Department of Community Living staff responded and was able to calm the party down. DCL staff cleared the scene and dismissed BEMCo and University Police.
Larcency
Jan. 31—A party reported that they left their wallet behind in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, and though the wallet was turned into the front desk, there was money missing when the party came to pick it up. University Police compiled a report on the incident.
Drugs
Feb. 1—A party in the Charles River Apartments reported that
SUPERBOWL SUNDAY FUN-DAY
Editor’s note: Leigh Salomon ’19 is a Features writer for the Justice.
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS
The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Email editor@ thejustice.org.
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Other Jan. 30—A staff member at the Sachar International Center reported suspicious activity in the woods behind the building. University Police compiled a report on the incident. Jan. 30—A party received a Community Standards Report from an unknown individual not affiliated with the University. The report was odd in nature, and University Police compiled a report on the incident. —Compiled by Abby Patkin
BRIEF Members of Waltham Energy Action Committee all resign because of conflict with city officials
—Emily Blumenthal
n An Arts article incorrectly stated that Sam Schulman ’21 played Jessie Kinsley’s ’20 on-stage daughter, however the role was performed by Gabi Burkholz ’21 (Jan. 30, pg. 19).
the smell of marijuana was coming through their heating vents. University Police checked the area and could not find anyone smoking. As this is an ongoing issue, University Police advised the area coordinator on call.
ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice
The Campus Activities Board provided fun and games alongside a Superbowl screening at Sherman Functional Hall on Sunday evening.
The entire Waltham Energy Action Committee officially submitted its resignation on Jan. 29 after voting in November 2017 to resign following repeated clashes with the city. Roadblocks with city government last year convinced the WEAC’s five members that they “could no longer proceed,” according to their newsletter, published on Jan. 29. WEAC explained that they “frequently met with resistance and disinterest from the mayor and Waltham employees.” The major conflict between the city and committee came from a Community Development block grant to increase the energy efficiency of Waltham Public Library, awarded to WEAC in 2016, according to a Jan. 29 Wicked Local article. The city did not allow the committee to access the $75,000 grant and put the project out to bid to contractors. They eventually removed WEAC from the grant and terminated communication with WEAC on the project. The members also cited Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy’s lack of engagement with the committee, despite the fact that the committee was originally created by McCarthy eight years ago. In an interview with Wicked Local, McCarthy commented that the WEAC “had an issue with city purchasing guidelines,” though she thanked them for their work and said they are “good people.” Despite WEAC’s lack of progress, the city has made strides in its green initiative. For instance, on Jan. 2, Waltham was designated a Massachusetts Green Community and received a grant in recognition of the city’s efforts to reduce energy costs and increase renewable energy. Joseph Pedulla, Waltham’s purchasing agent, said the city successfully decreased the cost of kilowatt energy in the past three to four years, saving about $1 million over five years, according to the Wicked Local article. This resulted from the city’s purchase of energy-efficient vehicles, the replacement of exterior lighting and conversion of boilers at schools, and an increase in solar power for municipal buildings. —Michelle Dang
ANNOUNCEMENTS ’DEIS Impact Keynote
Nadia Alawa founded NuDay Syria at her kitchen table in 2013. In just four years, it has grown to a multimillion-dollar humanitarian relief organization. But how can someone on the outside help those in crisis in a way that respects their dignity? Hear how Alawa grappled with this question as she found a way to address humanitarian needs in one of the most challenging parts of the world, starting with nothing but conviction and commitment. Today from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the Theater, Shapiro Campus Center.
Afternoon Jazz
Groove to some afternoon tunes with Brandeis Jazz Ensemble director Bob Nieske and local jazz great Billy Novick. This 45-minute performance will be followed by a light lunch buffet. Tomorrow from noon to 1 p.m. in the Atrium, Mandel Center for the Humanities.
BeWiSE and WiSI Coffeehouse
Need your daily dose of caffeine? Come bond with BeWiSE and the graduate students’ Women in Science Initiative over a shared love of science, coffee, bagels, tea and science puns. Refreshements will be available. Thursday from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Atrium, Shapiro Campus Center.
Staking a Claim
Prof. Karen V. Hansen (WGS), Women’s Studies Research Center director, explores the relationship between power and land in Dakota Sioux, African-American and Scandinavian immigrant communities in the early 20th century. Hansen will explain how the ownership of land shaped the resources that marginalized groups could obtain, control and facilitate individual and communal autonomy. Thursday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Liberman-Miller Lecture Hall, Epstein.
Cake Wars
Sharsheret at Brandeis presents the 1st Annual Cake Wars Competition. Sign up with a team of four to six people to create a cake in support of breast cancer or ovarian cancer. The cakes will be judged on how well they represent the Sharsheret mission of support/ awareness. All money raised will be donated to the national Sharsheret organization to support women with breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and other genetic diseases. Friday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the Lounge, Intercultural Center.
Black Career Panel
The panelists will share their experiences, discuss topics around diversity hiring, underrepresented minorities, their career fields and the recruitment and interviewing process. This event is part of a series of events for Black History Month. Friday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the Lounge, Intercultural Center.
the justice
CAMPUS SPEAKERS
and cultural insights about medical relief and education for communities abroad. By SAM STOCKBRIDGE Justice CONTRIBUTING writer
One message resounded clearly at the Conversations in Global Health Services Delivery forum on Thursday evening: One person really can make a big difference. The forum, part of 2018’s ’DEIS Impact social justice festival, featured four panelists who described the challenges and opportunities they encountered during their time abroad. Two main topics emerged from the discussion: how to efficiently and effectively provide healthcare to the international community and how to avoid destructive practices during time spent abroad. All panelists agreed that there is great potential for harm when providing health care internationally. They emphasized the importance of ‘cultural competence,’ an industry term for understanding the values and needs of a community before trying to provide assistance. The youngest panelist was Vineet Vishwanath ’18, who founded the Brandeis chapter of the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children. He talked about his time working in La Merced, Peru, with the Brandeis chapter of FIMRC. Street vendors are an integral part of the city’s culture, he found, but the vendors often weren’t very sanitary. In the past, he said, health organizations tried to minimize the risk of foodborne illnesses by urging locals not to eat the street vendors’ food; however, this advice ignored the role street vendors play in the community. When Vishwanath worked there, FIMRC instead spent time educating the vendors about food safety and sanitation, so residents could continue to enjoy the food without the risk of disease. Wayde Dazelle, a postbaccalaureate student and a member of the Brandeis YourStory International executive board, provided another example of the importance of cultural competence when he talked about his experience studying female genital mutilation in Sierra Leone. He found that when health workers visit communities to better understand the practice of female genital mutilation, many individuals don’t respond to their surveys out of fear of prosecution and exclusion from their community. This perception, driven by community reactions to prior attempts to curb the practice of female genital mutilation, has been hugely detrimental to their health community, Dazelle observed. He explained, “Criminalization without conversation, without dialogue … only drives things to the shadows.” Dazelle also criticized other flawed attempts to provide foreign aid,
including the Caribbean Basin Initiative, a 1984 program drafted by then-President Ronald Reagan. The program gave $11 million in food aid to Haiti, then increased that amount to $54 million annually for the following three years. As imported rice became cheaper and cheaper to buy, Haitian rice farms couldn’t compete, ruining the Haitian rice market. Dazelle said this program was antithetical to the central tenets of global health work: assisting communities and countries while enabling them to become sustainable and independent. Richard Pulice Ph.D ’86, a psychiatric epidemiologist, provided his own perspective on cultural competency when he described the different communities and countries he served in his nearly three-decade long career. Pulice has worked with refugees in the Netherlands, Romania and, since 2011, Uganda. There, he had to examine what it means to be mentally ill in Ugandan society and how Ugandan families deal with mental illness. John Paul, a native Ugandan who worked closely with Pulice, spoke about his experience with maternal health in his home country. He explained that in Uganda, the threat of malaria means that maternal health is often neglected by policy, despite the fact that on average 16 women die every hour in Uganda while in childbirth. In Uganda, women in rural communities typically give birth in the presence of traditional birth attendants. The birth attendants are often important figures in their community, but a lack of knowledge about sanitation and proper delivery procedures can lead to high maternal mortality rates. In an effort to combat this high maternal mortality rate, the Official Ministry of Health threatened imprisonment if a woman died delivering a child in her own home. The great distance between hospitals makes it risky and time-consuming for women to give birth in hospitals. Paul explained that he was able to have an impact by educating traditional birth attendants about safe habits and practices so they can serve their communities while minimizing the risk of maternal death. Despite all these challenges, the panelists still remained optimistic about the opportunities to effect change abroad. Pulice described an “important moment” that made him understand the importance of helping a community become sustainable when he worked in Uganda. He said he met a small group of women outside of Kampala who were working on improving literacy in more rural communities. They said they were trying to cultivate a community garden to grow healthier vegetables for the area. Pulice gave them some money to help, and when he visited the following year they presented him with that year’s crops. There was enough the next year they gifted his group with that year’s community garden harvest.
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WALTHAM NUTRITION
Panelists discuss lessons from medical education while abroad ■ Panelists shared stories
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ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice
Student club United Against Inequities in Disease hosted a panel to discuss how the Waltham community faces nutrition education and affordability issues on Thursday evening.
ADMINISTRATION
Advocates come before Board for divestment ■ Faculty, staff and student
representatives presented to the Board of Trustees on fossil fuel divestment. By EMILY BLUMENTHAL Justice STAFF WRITER
In the latest step in the fossil-fueldivestment debate, representatives from Brandeis Climate Justice and Faculty Against the Climate Threat met with the Board of Trustees last Wednesday to make their case. Though the Board did not reach a decision at the meeting, representatives from the groups told the Justice that they remain hopeful that the University will soon choose to divest. On April 3, 2015, the Brandeis University Exploratory Committee on Fossil Fuel Divestment released a report on the University’s potential divestment from fossil fuel companies, addressed to then-University President Frederick M. Lawrence. The committee, which included graduate student Phillip Wight, presented its divestment plan to the Board of Trustees in the spring of 2016. Wight, currently a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in Environmental Studies, co-authored the committee’s report. The Board voted against the plan and the University’s fossil fuel investments have remained in place since 2016. During the past two years, the campus divestment movement has seen a renewed effort. Throughout that period, Brandeis Climate Justice has held multiple rallies calling for divestment, and in October 2017, FACT voted in favor of a resolution with the same call. In interviews with the Justice, representatives from FACT and BCJ expressed the importance of divestment and called for action on climate change. Prof. Sabine Von Mering (GER), one of the FACT representatives, brought up that while the University teaches students to take action on climate change, it has acted against those values by investing in the same fossil fuel companies it has encouraged its students to condemn. “Brandeis must divest from fossil fuels, because we teach our students about global warming. We train you to deal with global health issues ... We cannot at the same time take your money and invest it with fossil fuel companies who are using that money
to spread lies about climate change,” she explained. Von Mering added, “Brandeis must stop profiting from climate change and stand up against the dangerous threat to truth, science and justice these companies represent.” Jordan Mudd ’20, one of the student representatives from BCJ, agreed, adding, “This starts with institutions refusing to put profit over people’s lives, especially academic ones which claim to exist for the betterment of their students’ futures.” Mudd and Prof. Paul Miller (BIOL), another FACT representative, think divestment is necessary because it would generate social change and bring renewed energy to the climate change movement. “Given the need for a mass societal change … the divestment movement is morally just and likely to propel change in the direction needed,” Miller said. Mudd added that the country needs a fundamental change from the ideologies that allowed the climate change crisis to be exacerbated, and that being apolitical is no longer an option. He stated, “Divestment is necessary because climate change is a symptom of our broken economic and political system.” Mudd also criticized those who remain apathetic about climate change. “In the face of enormous death, displacement, and economic stratification, the decision to remain ‘apolitical’ is in itself a political choice, one which condones the destructive actions of the fossil fuel industry and their role in spreading false climate science, endangering the health of frontline communities and lobbying against bold climate action,” he explained. Wight expressed that divestment would not only benefit the University, but would also further stigmatize the fossil fuel industry. “Divestment is critically important because it’s a tactic that stigmatizes the fossil fuel industry and begins the process of removing the industry’s social license. … We need to reduce the financial and political power of the fossil fuel industry and ensure their carbon reserves are not combusted. Since divestment doesn’t rely on the federal government, it is a timely strategy for stigmatizing the industry and reducing their political influence.” Wight also emphasized the University’s social justice values as a reason
to divest. He stressed that the University’s investment criteria forbid investment in fossil fuel companies, as they are not socially responsible. “Our social justice mission should be central to our decision to divest,” Wight said. He added, “It’s plainly obvious than Brandeisians are offended by the fossil fuel industry’s climate denial and war on clean energy. Plenty of other universities who do not have our social justice mission have already divested. The fact that Brandeis professes to care passionately about social justice but continues to profit from an industry whose business model is fundamentally at odds with a livable future calls into question those values.” While some may express concern that divestment could have a negative financial impact on the University, Prof. Daniel Bergstresser (IBS), a third FACT representative, wrote in an email to the Justice that the financial hit would be marginal and would be outweighed by the need for climate justice. “All of these costs ... must be weighed against the larger problem, for me, which is continuing complicity with a process that threatens our planet and with an industry that has at times, behaved in ways that I think can safely be considered hostile to science,” he said. Miller added that by not divesting, the University’s reputation with increasingly activist-minded youth would be negatively affected, and that prospective students would not see the University as a leader in combating climate change. “By joining this movement early rather than late, Brandeis will gain positive recognition for standing up for its values, hopefully attracting students who believe the institution they join should have integrity,” he explained. Wight was optimistic when asked if he thought the Board would vote in favor of divestment, stating, “I think the Board will eventually divest from fossil fuels. Brandeis’ mission of social justice and the strong feelings of the community necessitate it. Students will only care more about this issue as the planet warms, the seas rise, and our futures are increasingly threatened.” He added, “The only question is if the Board will commit to divestment sooner, rather than later, and make Brandeis a leader among its peers. There is such a thing as ‘too late’ — both for Brandeis’ reputation and the fate of the climate.”
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THE BIG GAME
BRIEF Livingstone appointed as director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education, Training, and Development Dr. Allyson Livingstone has joined the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as the director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education, Training, and Development, according to a Jan. 30 BrandeisNOW article. Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Mark Brimhall-Vargas will be working closely with Livingstone to “to move toward equitable outcomes for all in our community” according to the article. Livingstone hails from Brookline, Massachusetts and has a master’s degree in social work from New York University and a doctorate from Simmons College School of Social Work. Prior to that, she studied religion as an undergraduate at Haverford College. In an email interview with the Justice, Livingstone spoke about the numerous meetings she has been having “with faculty, staff, and students to gather narrative data about their experiences with and beliefs about diversity, equity, and inclusion at Brandeis.” Through these meetings she surmised that the University “is a space where relationships are thoughtfully created and maintained” and one whose community “emerged from and reflects a strong belief in justice.” It also boasts individuals who “want to learn from and with one another truly excel,” Livingstone explained. Through her work in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, she will be “focusing on building on these deeply held and rich community norms.”
Her goal is to get to know the community better in the near future through conducting more such interviews, Livingstone stated in her email. She anticipates that by asking “a lot of questions, [listening] closely, and [collaborating] with individuals, programs, and departments” she will “develop multisystemic equity programming that is in tune with this particular community.” Looking back on her time at Simmons College and Salem State University, Livingstone expects her “experiences as an administrator, as a member of faculty, and as an equity consultant” will inform her “current charge at Brandeis.” In her previous roles she has garnered experience by “developing and leading curricular and co-curricular programs, facilitating intergroup dialogues, advising students, reviewing and modifying institutional policies, and creating and executing curricula all with the goal of defining, assessing, and carrying out diversity, equity, and inclusion processes and practices.” As she settles into the Brandeis community, Livingstone said she is looking forward to working with students to develop diversity and equity programs and initiatives on campus. “I feel honored to be at Brandeis and to be part [of] such a high-achieving and caring community. I would like to invite all community members to reach out to me. I would love to meet and discuss possible collaboration,” she wrote. — Mihir Khanna
BRIEF Waltham named best place to live in Massachusetts by Money Magazine Money Magazine named the City of Waltham the best place to live in Massachusetts in an annual list of the best places to live in each of the 50 states. The list is based on affordability, economic and educational performance, safety, convenience and a “pleasant way of life.” Citing its proximity to Boston, easy access to an MBTA station, state Route 128, the Massachusetts Turnpike and state Route 2, the magazine named Waltham’s location as a large factor that contributed to its ranking. The city also houses plenty of large employers, such as Raytheon and Cimpress (formerly Vistaprint). Money Magazine determined that the presence of these large companies, a projected job growth rate of 4.6 percent and a median household income of $75,106 signals a strong economy. In addition, diversity was a
“plus” for Money Magazine, since one in four Waltham residents were born outside of the U.S. The wide variety of cuisine also demonstrates this diversity: Moody Street is home to a myriad of restaurants, with food from all over the world. Pho, tapas, sushi and tandoori kebabs can all be found within walking distance of each other. This is not the first time Waltham was included in a Money Magazine list. In September 2017, Waltham was ranked as the 13th best place to live in the U.S., in between Orem, Utah and Beaverton, Ohio. This list, which featured 100 locations with populations between 10,000 and 100,000, used the same criteria as the former: affordable housing, a healthy economy and high quality of life. — Natalia Wiater
ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice
Students gathered to watch the Super Bowl showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots on the big screen at The Stein on Sunday.
ADMINISTRATION
‘Take caution,’ advises cybersecurity team ■ The cybersecurity team
advised faculty and staff on general best practices in light of old network infrastructure risks. By MICHELLE DANG Justice EDITOR
Faculty and staff are working with outdated and insecure network infrastructures, the University’s cybersecurity team asserted in an informational session on Monday morning. The session served to give best practice advice to faculty and staff while the team addresses many vulnerabilities left by years of money-saving initiatives and neglect in system updates. “Senior leadership now realizes security is a priority,” said David Albrecht, the University’s director of Networks, Systems and Security. Federal and state law require institutions of higher education to encrypt and protect personal identifiable information in all aspects of administration. PII pertains to any information maintained by an agency that can be used to distinguish the identify of an individual or other information that can be traced back to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial or employment information. This includes Social Security numbers, driver’s licenses and financial account numbers, as well as passport identification. Whether scanning or printing sensitive information or sending financial information by email, “Just assume by default it’s not secure,” advised Senior Security Engineer ChiJan Yang. “There’s no way to ensure the other end is secure.” Regarding the state of University utilities on campus, the team discussed a of security myths. The University’s multifunctional printer services on campus, such as scan-toemail and scan-to-share, do not have data encryption for either “in-transit” or at-rest storage. Yang highly recommended against their use for printing, sending or storing sensitive informa-
tion, as it could result in a data breach. Additionally, the “email relay environment is not secure,” said Albrecht. “This has to do with the age of the infrastructure we have.” While Gmail, the University’s email provider, automatically encrypts emails, the University’s email has an intermediate relay system that intercepts them, yielding unencrypted and unsecure emails. To address this, the team is rolling out a platform switch to email security company Proofpoint, which is expected to come to all faculty and staff within a couple months, and later to students. Proofpoint not only has a reliable encryption system but also is better at filtering out harmful content, including inbound threats, viruses and malicious URLS. Proofpoint wil also prevent the exfiltration of protected data and provide immediate reports of phishing attempts to the cybersecurity team. In terms of cloud storage, Yang said the University’s integrated Box.com service is certified for storing sensitive administration and research data information. It is the only cloud service currently endorsed by the Institutional Review Board for PII. Google Drive, while certified for encryption, is neither certified for Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act data nor permitted by University policy to store sensitive data. The network’s shared server is also not encrypted and permitted by University policy to store sensitive data. Other upcoming security enhancements include the implementation of Two-Factor Authentication (DUO), which Albrecht said the University is one of the last of higher level institutions in the Boston-area to do. DUO is a follow-up login step that confirms identity through a smartphone app, SMS/text messaging, phone call or hardware token. The roll out of DUO for the University’s Google Apps, Box, LATTE, Sage, BUSS, Marketplace and WhoCash platforms will be seen in the next few months The team also reviewed general security practices, including aware-
Have an opinion to share? Email our Forum Editor! Contact Nia Lyn at forum@thejustice.org
ness of phishing attacks and password security. As is the case with many institutions, the University is the target of phishing emails designed to trick a recipient into opening a malicious attachment or clicking on phony links that request account logins. In the past, the University website has been cloned, asking for users to log into their Brandeis UNet accounts. “Always check and see where you’re going,” said Security Engineer John Godfrey, who said “wormhole. brandeis.edu” should always be in the URL when logging in to University servers. Wormhole is Brandeis’ Virtual Private Network, which allows secure access to resources on the Brandeis network, and all communication using Wormhole is securely encrypted. Godfrey also recommended the use of “unique passwords for anything you use,” adding that passphrases of words and spaces longer than 15 characters, like “Cheeseburger in paradise” are more secure than traditional passwords. Additionally, the team noted that computers distributed from Library Technology Services should have the desktop software application Spirion (formerly known as Identity Finder) installed, which can search for PII insecure files and allow users to shred unnecessary files out of existence. The latest versions of Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office products also recommended for certified encrypted filing. When asked how to upload physical documents without using scanning devices, Albrecht responded that it’s a “catch 22” given the state of infrastructure and added that there’s only so much that can be done until the infrastructure is updated. Yang said the takeaway for now is to start becoming aware and conscious of where sensitive data is and how it is transmitted. To promote better cybersecurity practices across campus, LTS will be providing more educational services to faculty and staff, in addition to resources posted on their website.
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ISLAMOPHOBIA: Poet explores the historical causes and modern reality of Islamophobia CONTINUED FROM 1 Kassir referenced a Pew Research Center study which found that anti-Muslim sentiment has not been a direct result of terrorist attacks, but only arose “when politicians got on television,” Kassir said. “That is when Islamophobia started to rise.” Yet, Kassir made it clear that Muslims are not the first Americans to experience this kind of violent hatred, reminding the audience of the oppression that faced Japanese, Jewish, Irish and Black Americans. Kassir said, “It’s just another trend to the cycle of ‘othering.’” Kassir has used her voice and social media accounts to spread awareness of the horrors taking place in her father’s homeland, Syria. She told the story of the horror of learning via WhatsApp messages that her aunt’s house had been bombed and everyone in the family except for one person had been killed. Kassir recounted how her father urged her to post about the tragedy on Facebook to spread awareness and how she spoke out about it at the John F. Kennedy
Center for the Performing Arts the next day. Kassir’s message got massive attention online, and Kassir’s family received a flood of cards and donations, part of what she called “the desperation of ‘What Can We Do?’” Kassir said, “Think of all the casualties that don’t have someone to tell the story, that don’t have a stage to get up on, that don’t have a country where they can tell that story to you.” Finally, focusing on the root of Islamophobia, Kassir highlighted the disconnect between the way Muslim people are portrayed in the media — usually after terrorist attacks — compared to the realities of Islam and the tragedies Muslims face across the world. “There are statistics that are far more representative of the Muslim community than the headlines,” Kassir said. “Look at the numbers and look at the tragedies, do not only look at the news.” Kassir’s performance was a ’DEIS Impact event, co-sponsored by the Muslim Student Association and Social Justice and Diversity Committee of the Student Union Senate.
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2018
ASIAN-AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER STUDIES
ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice
'DEIS IMPACT: Professors and students gathered to discuss implementing AAPI studies as an academic program on Thursday.
AAPI: Panel discusses the necessity of AAPI studies CONTINUED FROM 1 Day stressed that, in addition to understanding the “national and formal implementation of what the racial box means,” it is important to have a space that bears in mind the “strategic coalational move to claim AAPI.” She highlighted “the diverse languages, cultures and relationships to sovereignty and imperialism” that comes from combining the terms Asian American and Pacific Islander. She continued to delve into the origins of the term “AsianAmerican,” coined in 1968 by Yuji Ichioka, an American historian and civil rights activist. However, she also noted that other social movements at the time, such as the civil rights and women’s liberation movements, also helped establish the term. This historical background establishes the “origins of Asian America and activism as com-
ing out of a connected global approach,” a key point which Day explained “often gets lost” when advocating for an AAPI program. She emphasized this because advocating for an AAPI program “is not only for those that identify with Asian-American or Pacific Islander,” rather it is “a broader comparative racialization project that seeks to dismantle white supremacy as a transnational move.” By combining the terms together, Day asserted that it emphasized “what it means to build coalitions” and establishes AAPI as a political category that is premised on taking action. Wang asserted that “the primary importance of AAPI is not only about certain ethnic identities, but it is more about inclusion.” Furthermore, student panelists expressed the importance of having the option to study Asian-American and Pacific Islander history. BAATF President Maxwell Tang ’19 explained that the intro AAPI
studies class exposed students to an “entire history of people coming from many Asian countries with different roles, and experiencing the many layers of history,” crucial facets of history that other history classes may not provide. In an interview with the Justice, Day explained that since Brandeis has a strong African and Afro-American Studies program, students in these classes can take additional AAPI courses and encourage comparative racialization. Day explained that she feels that the Pacific Islander component of AAPI can help students think about both indigenous and Native American issues, broadening what academic discourse is available for students. Nearing the end of the discussion, BAATF Vice President Olivia Nichols ’20 acknowledged that part of any future courses will revolve around “not only teaching history, but questioning societal norms through that teaching.”
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features
TUESDAY, february 6, 2018 ● Features ● The Justice
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VERBATIM | ANDY WARHOL In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.
ON THIS DAY…
FUN FACT
In 1935, the “Monopoly” board game went on sale for the first time.
Scotland’s national animal is a unicorn.
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WRITTEN IN STONE: The phrase, “Only those who are forgotten are dead,” is carved onto many Jewish tomb stones in Berlin.
We Must Remember A panel of women discusses the importance of remembering the Holocaust By EITAN MAGER GARFIELD JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
There is a famous expression which goes, “Those who don’t learn about history are bound to repeat it.” Today, 73 years later, it is important not to forget the atrocities that occurred during the Holocaust. With many of the survivors already having passed and the remaining survivors continuing to get older, remembering the events of the time becomes a task for a new generation. This is why the United Nations General Assembly established International Holocaust Remembrance Day, on Jan. 27. Coinciding with this day, Brandeis University had an Internation Holocaust Remembrance Panel of members from the Women’s Studies Research Center, to share the unique experiences of their relatives who remember the Holocaust in the most vivid way possible — they lived through it. Rachel Munn, a poet who spoke first, shared poetry describing her family’s experiences juxtaposed with her personal memories. She began with a poem describing the fear instilled in Jews living in the Lodz Ghetto as they hid under stairs in their home from the Gestapo. When her family gathered, Munn pondered how long each family member would survive, as they collapsed from hunger and Nazis stuck swords through the floor and crouch under the stairs. She stressed the point that, given the recent inundation of fake news, it is more important now than ever to relay the stories of those who survived and those who perished. Sarah Swartz, a writer, followed Munn, discussing her life as a refugee child of survivors. She grew up in Southington, Connecticut where she tackled a language barrier for which she was mocked relentlessly. She talked about the struggles of being called a Nazi on the playground as her parents acclimated to a new life filled with people who had no clue what they had gone through. All the while the family was working toward receiv-
ing asylum in the United States. The inability to adjust to the new environment stemmed from what Swartz believes were, “language and cultural differences … [which] often create a wedge in human understanding.” The experiences stayed with her as she moved to Berlin and then back to the States. Despite her travels, she continued to identify as an immigrant during her early life. At the end of her presentation, she noted that, today, Germany has opened its doors to refugees and those who seek asylum, becoming a leader in accepting those who seek shelter, which she believes is in part because of the guilt many Germans feel about their country’s bloody past. Karin Rosenthal, a fine arts photographer, approached the task of remembering the Holo-
caust through photographs. She discussed her attempts to learn the names of her father’s family who perished. She made genealogy trips to learn all she could about her family and the 19 members who were murdered. A powerful photo she took of a Jewish tombstone in Berlin speaks to the themes of the Holocaust. On the tombstone are carved the words, “Only those who are forgotten are dead.” Continuing with the use of visual images as a medium through which to remember, Ornit Barkai, a documentary filmmaker, spoke next about Anne Frank and her legacy. There is a parallel in the short film Barkai created between a girl while she visits the Anne Frank House and Anne Frank’s own descriptions as she becomes increasingly less naive. Through
shaky camera footage from the small dark rooms within the Anne Frank house, the viewer is given a feeling of the terror and claustrophobia of being trapped as a fugitive from Nazis in your own home. Debra Kaufman, a sociologist, approached the subject from a different angle. She spoke about the sociological comparisons between the current Jewish youth and their grandparents who survived the Holocaust. She referenced a survey of Jews born post-1980. Many of the participants surveyed wanted to expand the memory of the Holocaust to extend to those not only of the Jewish faith. Additionally, they have moved further away from strict religion to spiritual rituals. The survey revealed that many participants wished to extend the memories of the Holocaust MICHELLE BANAYAN/the Justice
MEDIA FOR MEMORY: The panel of artists used poetry, journalism, photography, film and advocacy to remember the Holocaust.
to helping others who are suffering similarly in the twenty-first century. Laurel Leff, a journalist, discussed how the International Tracing Service released documents about the Holocaust and how this affected the public. She talked about Jewish scholars and what happened to them as the Holocaust progressed. Her mission is to find out whether or not the stories related by survivors are factually accurate, or if, in remembering certain events, survivors omitted details because the truth was too horrific or politically inconvenient. In the case of her cousin Vilna, she believes that her cousin was likely raped by U.S. or British soldiers and not Germans, but that Vilna covered the truth for fear of speaking about crimes committed by the allied forces. Karen Frostig, a public memory artist, spoke last. She discussed the dangers of nationalism and how it affects Holocaust memory. She explained that the first baby born in Austria in 2018 caused an outrage because her mother wore a headscarf. This is not so surprising, given that the leadership in Austria has such a clear right-wing platform. However, Austria was previously governed under democratic leadership that worked to promote the memories of the Holocaust. In 2016, the refugee crisis caused fear of outsiders as many refugees sought asylum in Austria. Frostig worried that global citizens are living in a dangerous time under similar conditions as those which gave rise to the Holocaust. She warned that nationalism can easily turn into fascism. After the presentations, the floor was opened to discussion. As the audience members, many of whom appeared to be over the age of 70, began drifting toward the exits, one woman remained. Huddled in the corner of the room and resting on a cane, she pulled a silk handkerchief out of her left pocket and wiped away a tear. Before turning to go she said, “Thank you, that presentation was lovely, and we should never forget.”
the justice ● Features ● TUESDAY, february 6, 2017
Salvation in Syria Nadia Alawa founded an NGO to help bring supplies to Syrian mothers and children
Photo Courtesy of NADIA ALAWA
GOING THE DISTANCE: NuDay Syria sends shipping crates full of supplies to Syrians in embattled areas of northern Syria.
By victor feldman JUSTICE editor
Six years ago, Nadia Alawa was a full-time mother whose days were spent driving her eight children to sports games and homeschooling them for exams. In 2011, her quiet life in the sleepy town of East Hempstead, New Hampshire ended with the eruption of a devastating civil war in Syria, her father’s homeland. As Syrian President Bashar al Assad’s government began executing Syrian protesters, Alawa, who was raised in Denmark and converted to Islam, followed the violence closely on Facebook and other social media. In an email correspondence with the Justice, she wrote, “I was very moved by the actions of 13-year-old Hamza Al-Khateeb who was arrested for smuggling in baby milk to infants living under siege. He got severely tortured and killed by the prison guards for refusing to negate his actions of helping others in need. That sacrifice and conviction made a huge impression on me and I couldn’t help but think of his mother and of the mothers of the starving babies and children and I knew I had to find a way to do something.” Determined to help in any way possible, Alawa founded NuDay Syria, a non-profit, humanitarian relief organization that sends medical supplies, toys, clothing, food and water to displaced mothers and children in Northern Syria. A big focus of the organization is supplying appliances, such as heaters, to a series of makeshift schools which have cropped up in the North. These schools cater to displaced children, many of whom have not been able to attend school in years. However, Alawa doesn’t simply see Nuday Syria as an NGO that sends relief aid; she understands her task as that of
helping Syrian women and children in besieged areas rebuild their lives. She hopes to do this in a way that doesn’t simply view these Syrians as victims of a senseless war but helps them rebuild their lives and maintain their dignity. She characterizes
often choose to give more than once. But fundraising can be an uphill battle. As the question of what foreign policy the U.S. should pursue in Syria loomed large in the 2016 presidential election, Alawa wrote that NuDay saw a noticeable drop in
me a lot of skills and the ability to multi-task. NuDay Syria was started as the natural extension of work I was already doing, driven by a passion and proven skills. I did not set up to start a non-profit and started it when I found it would most optimally
Photo Courtesy of NUDAY SYRIA
DIGNITY IN WAR: Nadia Alawa hopes to empower Syrian mothers and children who have been left most vulnurable in the civil war.
her project as the “mission to empower and aid mothers and children inside Syria with dignity.” Operating from within Alawa’s home, NuDay Syria has raised several million dollars over the past five years. Alawa has traveled and now sends employees to travel to churches, synagogues and mosques to help fundraise. Many of the donors are individuals who care about the cause and many times, they
donations. Today, under the Trump Administration, donations have risen again. In a 2015 interview with The Boston Globe, Alawa expressed disbelief at the turn her life had taken, and her accomplishments along the way. In hindsight, maybe her success as the manager of a thriving non-profit and NGO should have come as little surprise. She explained in an email, “Being a mother and auto didactic learner have given
serve my purpose to bring about change and hope for mothers and children in Syria.” While NuDay Syria is not a political organization, Alawa has strong opinions on the conflict in Syria. She believes that targeted airstrikes sanctioned by the U.N. could be successful in demobilizing Assad’s military arsenals. She explained that, “The Syrian non-terrorist opposition has been focused on severe military obstacles and
unleveled fighting fields for years while at the same time trying to set up an Interim Syrian Government. More focused efforts on supporting the democratic efforts and teaching negotiation skills to members of this government entity would be beneficial while at the same time doing targeted military air strikes. NuDay Syria works in very non-strategic areas for military attacks, so we are not directly targeted or feel unsafe from air attacks.” Today, millions of displaced Syrians who have fled their homes are now charged with the task of rebuilding their lives. Understanding the scope of the job ahead, Alawa encouraged everyone to help. She said, “Students can help in many ways including setting of collections of needed items such as sanitary pads for women, blankets, and gently used clothing. We also need help with running our schools and would love students getting involved by finding ways to fundraiser for funds or helping apply for grants.” Alawa will be visiting Brandeis today to give a keynote address titled, “One Person at a Time, One Humanity Closer: Tackling the Syrian Crisis From New Hampshire” for an event series hosted by ’DEIS Impact in the Shapiro Campus Center Theater at 7:30 p.m. As Syria enters its seventh year of armed conflict with no immediate end in sight, Alawa maintains hope. “I am not a political analyst, but there is no doubt that we will see peace in Syria. With our efforts for NuDay Syria, all these children that we are reaching will know growing up that the world is a friendly place. The hope we are helping keep alive in their young hearts and minds is going to be the foundation for a democratic and peaceful Syria, I believe this very strongly.”
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10 TUESDAY, February 6, 2018 ● forum ● THE JUSTICE
the
Justice Established 1949
Abby Patkin, Editor in Chief Amber Miles, Managing Editor Carmi Rothberg, Senior Editor Kirby Kochanowski, Avraham Penso and Sabrina Sung,
Brandeis University
Deputy Editors
Michelle Banayan, Abby Grinberg, Lizzie Grossman, Noah Hessdorf, Ben Katcher, Mihir Khanna, Mira Mellman and Natalia Wiater, Associate Editors Michelle Dang, News Editor, Victor Feldman, Features Editor Nia Lyn, Forum Editor, Zach Kaufman, Acting Sports Editor Hannah Kressel, Arts Editor Yvette Sei, Photography Editor and Andrew Baxter, Acting Photography Editor Morgan Mayback, Layout Editor, Pamela Klahr and Robbie Lurie, Ads Editors Eliana Padwa and Lily Swartz, Acting Copy Editors Jen Geller, Online Editor
EDITORIALS
Encourage University to make course costs known earlier February is the final month for undergraduate students to drop a class without a mark of withdrawal on their transcripts. Ideally, students will decide which classes to drop or keep based upon future goals, compatibility and interest. However, some students will be forced to make their decisions based upon unexpected strain on their finances that comes with taking a certain class. Others will have to resign themselves to additional costs as they take courses required for their chosen majors and minors. These circumstances occur because many faculty members do not inform students beforehand of the class materials that need to be purchased for the course. In light of these difficulties, this board urges the University to make transparent the estimated cost of all course materials before the registration period, such that students may make informed decisions that will allow them to make the most of their college experience. Additional fees in a course come in many forms, from textbook expenses to subscriptions to online resources. Many courses do not list textbooks prior to the beginning of the semester, and courses such as Intro to Microeconomics make use of Macmillan’s Sapling Learning, which costs about $40. It is a fundamental part of the course, as homework assignments are completed through the system. Meanwhile, several introductory science courses make use of Top Hat, an online system which allows students to engage with a lecture through online polls and
Limit financial concerns multiple-choice questions. Although Top Hat’s usefulness is highly debatable, its price can also be steep for students struggling financially. According to the Top Hat website, a student may subscribe for one term for $26, a year for $48, or four years for $75. These may not be exorbitant prices, but they can act as limiting factors for many students. In addition to an immediate monetary burden, students learning about such pricing systems after registering for a course can limit their educational choices moving forward. Flexibility in major and minor combinations, as well as the opportunity to explore different fields, is one of Brandeis University’s appeals. However, a student who joins an introductory course to explore a possible interest, only to discover an additional cost they had not accounted for, may be put off from their academic curiosity. Should the University make estimates of course costs readily available prior to the registration period, either through required posting of syllabi or as a listing under the official schedule-making website, students would be granted the ability to truly take responsibility for their own academics and better prepare for their time and eventual graduation at Brandeis. If students know the costs of their desired courses, they could also seek other sources of income or financial assistance in advance so that they can make the most of their university experience.
Allow students on block meal plans to donate unused meals Brandeis prides itself on social justice and a commitment to service, and few organizations exemplify these values more than the Waltham Group, which is composed of more than a dozen groups specializing in a variety of key issues. One such group is Hunger and Homelessness, an organization within the larger Waltham Group umbrella that works to help people in the Greater Boston Area who are struggling with homelessness, poverty and hunger. Hunger and Homelessness pursues this worthy goal with a range of annual or semi-annual programs, one of which is “Food for Thought.” The program allows Brandeis students to donate their guest meals at the beginning of the semester to help alleviate hunger. This board commends Hunger and Homelessness for its work on this program and others, but we urge Sodexo to extend donation opportunities to students on block meal plans as well. As part of the “Food for Thought” program, Sodexo provides a pound of food to the Community Day Center of Waltham for every guest meal donated through Hunger and Homelessness, according to the group’s page on the Brandeis website. This food is spread out over the course of the semester and donated to the center on a weekly basis. Brandeis Dining Services offers students weekly meal plans of 19, 15, 12 or 10 meals per week, and each of these plans comes with five guest meals per semester. However, students on block plans, such as the 120 Block Plan and the 80 Block Plan, do not have guest meals and therefore cannot donate meals to Hunger and Homelessness’
Allow charitable acts “Food for Thought.” This board urges Sodexo to re-evaluate this and adjust its policies so that students on block plans may also contribute. Meal swipes on the block plan can already function as guest meals in certain situations; for example, a student accompanied by another person may use two of the meals from their block plan at once and bring their guest into the dining hall as if they had guest meals. This board acknowledges concerns that students on block plans could potentially donate tens of meals at a time, which may be infeasible for Sodexo and cause a disruption in their revenue. To that end, we suggest capping the number of meals that a student on a block plan may be able to donate at five per semester. This is consistent with the donation capabilities of students on weekly meal plans and would therefore not pose too much difficulty for Sodexo. The City of Boston’s 37th Annual Homeless Census reported that 6,327 individuals were living on the street, in emergency shelters, in transitional housing or in hotels/motels in 2017. While this is a slight decrease from 2016’s figure of 6,628 people, programs to help people struggling with homelessness, poverty and hunger remain vital and must continue to be supported. Hunger and Homelessness’ work should be commended, as should Sodexo’s cooperation and generosity thus far. At the same time, this board urges Sodexo to take a step further and allow students on block plans to donate a set number of meals to the cause as well.
PERI MEYERS/the Justice
Views the News on
A Jan. 31 Washington Post article detailed the lengths to which American cities are going to become the site of Amazon’s second headquarters. Cities like Baltimore and Newark have signaled they are willing to fork over billions of dollars in taxpayer money in the form of subsidies and tax cuts to win over Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Supporters view this as a worthwhile investment, while detractors allege that Amazon would pocket the money and leave its host penniless. Should cities be willing to put taxpayer money on the line to attract big businesses like Amazon?
Prof. George Hall (ECON) My guess is that Amazon already knows where it wants to locate its HQ2. This whole exercise is designed to persuade mayors and governors to transfer other people’s money straight into the pockets of Amazon’s shareholders. Amazon has nothing to lose from this “competition,” and as far as I can tell their strategy is working beautifully. Amazon states that it is looking for a site with a stable and business-friendly environment, sound infrastructure, a diverse population, excellent institutions of higher education, strong local schools, and plenty of recreational opportunities. My advice to state and local leaders is to invest in building communities with these characteristics and they will attract businesses without taxpayer giveaways. Prof. George Hall (ECON) is the Fred C. Hecht Professor of Economics.
Alex Friedman ’19 This is a tricky cost-benefit problem. Obvious as it may sound, cities need to determine exactly how valuable such a business would be to their image and economy, and how best to turn that value into an offer. My home city of Austin, currently on the short-list for this new Amazon facility, has offered little in the way of tax incentives, but has presented a case for why Amazon would be better off associating itself with the Austin brand. Do I think that cities should offer tax incentives? Not if they don’t have to, but they should keep the option. There are better things that money could buy, like improved infrastructure, public works and assistance for local businesses, who have a better track record of keeping profits local. Cities with these desirable amenities are more empowered to make demands of big companies, rather than the other way around. Alex Friedman ’19 is a double major in Politics and Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, with a minor in Business.
Brandon Stanaway ’19 Each state and local economy has its own unique fiscal circumstances and thus the effects of offering Amazon corporate tax credits will impact each city differently. Before assuming that drawing HQ2 to the city near you will bring an economic boom, there are externalizations that must be considered. Does a city currently have the infrastructure to support the influx of people and business that will follow? Is there a readily available workforce? The impact of federal corporate tax rates, taxes on dividends, capital gains and interest payments on the business? Ultimately, cities providing these corporate tax credits will not reap the expected economic benefits. Cities will forgo tax revenue that could be used to fund the public education “formula,” increase state-employed work force, give raises to public employees, invest in infrastructure improvements. The tax credits can crowd out lower income individuals not benefitting from new business by raising property values and increasing local price inflation. Instead these cities could offer tax credits to local small businesses, providing people with diverse skill sets and backgrounds with benefits. Brandon Stanaway ’19 is a double major in History and Economics, with a minor in Politics. He is also a member of the Student Union.
Vidit Dhawan ‘19 Although cities will be able to increase employment opportunities for their citizens by attracting Amazon, this is still not a good investment. Firstly, Amazon may look to exploit workers and hire workers who are willing to work for a much lower wage. Secondly, since Amazon is a private company and its primary motive is to earn a profit, Amazon may look to gain a higher market share at the expense of other small retail outlets. More importantly, subsidies and tax cuts should be used to benefit low paying segments such as agriculture and infant industries, to help them become more competitive,and should not be provided to well established businesses. By doing this, the decisions will be more equitable. Lastly, large companies like Amazon may also interfere with the political decisions, which will again make Amazon better off at the expense of other smaller businesses. Vidit Dhawan ’19 is the president of Coapital and the Class of 2019 senator.
Photos: George Hall; the Justice
THE JUSTICE ● fORUM ● TUESDAY, february 6, 2018
11
Recognize the limitations of an open-market system By MATTHEW REEVES justice CONTRIBUTING writer
Money is a finite resource that exists within the world as property, a marker of wealth and an extension of one’s identity. Society has always faced the challenge of establishing rules regarding what one can and cannot buy with their money. The question is ethical in nature, as there are some things on which money should not be spent. However, in a nearly endless market, there will always exist wants, which suppliers of any degree will try to satisfy in order to make profit. This is the open market system. However, what if the product that someone is looking for is morally or illegal? This may not always stop buyers and sellers from committing their actions, but it does open the debate for what products may be open to the market. Thanks to the rapid acceleration of markets into areas of life concerning healthcare, war, politics and education, the logic of simply selling material goods is slowly being abandoned. If markets were to operate on their own, we could see the sale of anything, from an apple to a child, treated as valid within an open market. Human greed opens these doors and promotes the sale of anything. It is my belief that it is morally wrong for countries to sell citizenship to those looking to immigrate, contradicting the proposal made by Gary Becker in his article “Selling the Right to Immigrate.” Selling citizenship would place a price on what it is to be a citizen and only rewards those who can afford it. As a whole, there are two issues I believe exist when a country tries to sell the right to immigrate. First, it undermines the immigration process as a whole by enabling people with wealth to bypass the process almost entirely. Second, the sale devalues the importance and meaning of citizenship. The opportunity for the wealthy to take advantage of any social system is unbound given their resources. Regarding immigration, selling green cards could hinder those without great wealth who are trying to enter a country legally. The waiting time involved in the immigration process is critical for the validity and success of the system. There are multiple steps and, in the end, one might wait less than a year or wait several years and still be turned away, according to FileRight. Not to comment on the efficiency of the system, but if one were to forgo this multi-year process thanks to their wealth, would that not be a failure of the system as a whole? Those who pay would, in theory, not be as thoroughly examined, nor would their intentions be questioned to the same degree that anyone else’s in line would be. This would create a precedent for an unfair playing field dictated by the wealth of those
seeking to live in a new country. In terms of citizenship, paying for faster immigration would start to break down the importance a country places on good citizenship. Those who pay may see no need to be a good citizen, as they simply bought their piece of America. They have no true ties to the country and therefore may not uphold the values on which we pride ourselves as Americans. Despite this, it is still hard to see the open market for immigration as all bad. Consider for a moment the counter argument: If a country can deny the right to immigrate, then it should also offer the option to purchase the right of immigration. This is on the grounds that the market would not change the immigration process, nor would it corrupt the values the country places on citizenship. The capital investment that wealthy individuals would spend in the process of selling immigration rights could be used for the common good. Furthermore, a more selective immigration process based on economics could potentially benefit the country. This argument acknowledges that some may be turned away regardless, but leaves the feeling that anyone who pays will get in. This would not be the case with the sale of immigration rights, as the only major difference between paying and not paying would be an expedited process. Rather than waiting a few years, the application processwould take a month, but those who pay would not necessarily be guaranteed entry. The process would remain as it is currently but would offer benefits to those who could afford it, like an airline’s first-class seating system. On the idea that paying to enter would devalue citizenship, the open market for immigration could go as far as supporting the country in countless ways. The economic investment that would be put into the country could potentially be massive, given that the only cost on our end is the conceptual right of legal entry. Regardless of the price tag, more money could be brought into the country both through the sale of immigration rights and due to the fact that more wealthy individuals would pay for America’s infrastructure rather than another country’s. Every action an individual takes after being granted entry is of their own design, but imagine the actions a wealthier person would take as opposed to those of someone not as financially well-off. The wealthier person might own a stake in a housing project and help supply construction jobs, or maybe become an investor on Wall Street. Either way, they are paying for the country in a great way, and if that contribution does not qualify as a value of being an upstanding citizen, then I would be hard pressed to find a contribution that would. However, where the argument for placing a
MARA KHAYTER/the Justice
price on citizenship fails is when one considers that selling the right to immigration cheapens the value of citizenship. This would set the precedent that our government sees holding wealth as an indicator of a good citizen. This is where citizenship is undermined, as economic contribution is not the whole of what it means to be a citizen. A precedent could be set which makes true American citizens question the value of their actions. Furthermore, the notion of admitting people with vast amounts of wealth is risky given what they may do with that wealth. These people could potentially use their funds to sway elections or influence local politics in such a way that is counterproductive for the country as a whole. What value does the well-being of a country mean
to someone who purchased their right to live there? Immigrants are a part of life within any country, and immigration offers much for both immigrants themselves and the country to which they are moving immigration offers much for those who are looking to immigrate and to the country to which people are coming. It offers the ability to boost the economy and expand society, increasing the number of people in the workforce and academia. For immigration rights to be on the open market, however, damages the integrity and value of the system, as well as discouraging others who may not be able to afford immigration from trying to immigrate at all. Immigration rights are something that money should not buy.
Implore legislators to address new issues of climate change By CHRIS D’AGOSTINO justice CONTRIBUTING writer
President Donald Trump’s recent interview with journalist Piers Morgan does little to mollify Americans concerned about climate change; it doesn’t take a scientist to know that he hasn’t done his homework on the subject. As quoted in a Jan. 28 article in the Independent, Trump said, “There is a cooling, and there’s a heating. I mean, look, it used to not be climate change, it used to be global warming. That wasn’t working too well because it was getting too cold all over the place.” Time and time again, Trump has refused to address what will likely be the most consequential global issue of the 21st century, and many activists feel hopeless as a result. Nevertheless, this strange moment in history provides an opportunity for activists to stop and consider the best path forward for the climate movement. The climate movement has never been an optimistic one. Documentaries that have shaped attitudes around climate change, such as “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Before the Flood,” often spend less time discussing solutions than discussing negative aspects of climate change. These include, but are not limited to, the worst-case, scenarios for our climate — dramatic increases in the number of deadly
hurricanes, droughts and floods — as well as the fossil fuel lobby’s influence on preventing the passage of any climate-related legislation. These documentaries serve more as stern warnings than motivators for action. We get it; climate change is bad, as are the politics surrounding it, but what steps can we take to combat it on the scale required? Politicians such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and former President Barack Obama often talk about a future of 100 percent renewable energy. But, really, how do we get there? Without concrete plans, the general public may not sustain sufficient willpower over the next several decades to tackle climate change adequately. Other political issues may take precedence, and concern about climate change will likely fluctuate with time. It is only human to get distracted. Therefore, climate activists in America must dedicate more energy to deciding which economic instruments our government should implement to curb greenhouse gas emissions. They should look to laws set by, say, British Columbia, which places a fee on carbon emissions but offsets the burden through tax cuts elsewhere, according to the Canadian government’s website. Building an American movement for climate legislation with the same vigor as, the “Fight for 15” movement to increase the minimum wage could signal to the rest of
the country that climate change activists are not merely concerned about scaring the general public. Rather, it would show that they seek collective action around a realistic proposal. This approach could also attract Republicans, who may otherwise be reluctant to join the climate movement. In truth, carbon fees do not have to involve sudden, dramatic government intervention. They can gradually rise, providing markets time to adapt, all without increasing the size of government — as demonstrated by British Columbia’s revenueneutral carbon fee. Therefore, liberals can argue to conservatives that such proposals require minimum government control and can be market-based in nature. Once these ideas have greater popularity, more conservatives may realize that cutting emissions does not equate to a nightmare scenario of bureaucratic takeover. Mobilizing a movement around action, rather than fear, makes it far more appealing to the human psyche. Often, climate change appears so horrifying that even the most progressive liberals may prefer to leave the issue on the shelf. Why would anyone want to think about climate change if doing so will just result in more fear and hopelessness? Therefore, illustrating a clear path forward is essential. Installing collective agency is that path forward for both Democrats and Republicans. Constantly reminding citizens that they can
pressure their elected officials to act could make a huge difference. Framing the issue as an opportunity to enact positive change could inspire people. Why not emphasize the lives that can be saved if we address climate change rather than the casualties that will result if we don’t? In fact, there are currently two climate-related proposals in the Massachusetts Legislature, as displayed on the website Climate XChange. They intend to disincentivize carbon emissions, stimulate the green economy and compensate residents for price increases. This moment serves as a great opportunity to lobby around a particular cause and create a ripple effect to influence the whole country. Obviously, legislation is not the only way to address climate change and will not solve it completely. All Americans can live more sustainable lifestyles; they can use less electricity, buy LED lights and/or eat less meat. Actions such as these can make a huge impact, but may not be as effective as turning our energy system away from fossil fuels. Lobbying politicians to implement laws will require greater collective mobilization. It will require us to shift from a narrative of blame and guilt to one of empowerment and action and to pressure governments across the country to implement laws that promote the long-term stability of our climate.
The opinions expressed on this page are those of each article’s respective author and do not reflect the viewpoint of the Justice.
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12
TUESDAY, February 6, 2018 ● forum ● THE JUSTICE
FORUM
Consider implementation of Automatic Voter Registration Ravi
Simon unabashed
It is important for all Massachusetts residents to call their State Senator or Representative and ask them to support House Bill 2091 and Senate Bill 373, an act that automatically registers eligible voters and enhances safeguards against fraud. These bills can implement “automatic voter registration,” also known as AVR, in which citizens are automatically registered to vote in the Commonwealth whenever they visit the Department of Motor Vehicles or interact with state agencies. Individuals can refuse to be registered if they choose, meaning the system becomes opt-out rather than opt-in. In addition, ballots are mailed to all registered voters, although using the ballot remains entirely optional. Automatic voter registration may not arouse passions like more visceral or emotional political issues, yet it is a reform desperately needed in American elections. Low voter turnout is a chronic problem in American elections. Even in presidential elections, the elections with the most media coverage and highest turnout have less than a 65 percent of potential voter turnout rate, according to a Dec. 21, 2016 article from Business Insider. Local, primary and odd-year elections get significantly smaller numbers. For instance, according to a Nov. 8, 2017 article from WBUR News, local statistics for Massachusetts suggest that as few as 27 percent of registered voters participated in the election for governor in 2017. By comparison, 2017 data from the Pew Research Center showed that Belgium — a country with AVR and compulsory voting — had a nearly 90 percent turnout rate in their most recent national election. One reason for this stark difference is that, according to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, over 680,000, or roughly 15 percent of individuals, are not registered in Massachusetts alone. The problem is that turnout is critically important for the health of the Commonwealth. Environmentalists in Boston have been launching an effort since 2015 to get more people to vote. According to a Oct. 31, 2015 article from The Boston Globe, the Sierra Club and other like-minded organizations have been trying to register more voters. At a recent Lobby Day at the Statehouse, Emily Norton from the Massachusetts Sierra Club spoke, according to a Jan. 31 Statehouse News article. She pointed out that while AVR may not seem like an issue for an environmental organization to lobby for, in fact, there is a “moral urgency to making it easier for environmental justice communities to vote” because election turnout had a strong correlation with anti-environmental policies and pollution. There are several reasons why turnout is critically important, not just for the environment but for social justice issues of all kinds. The first is that voters are a hedge
JULIANNA SCIONTI/the Justice
against special interests. If local politicians feel as if they are not accountable to voters or that their constituencies do not feel strongly about the values of their candidates, they are more likely to kowtow to the corporations and rich interest groups, who fund their re-election campaigns and send armies of lobbyists to their offices. Second, voluntary registration systems have a disparate impact which targets and disenfranchises marginalized groups. Registration exists to verify the identities of individuals who go to the polls. While, auspiciously, many states put into place voter registration laws in an effort to stop voter fraud, these registration laws often came in tandem with other policies intending to restrict the number of registered voters. Voter suppression has long been a tool of the powerful to subdue the will of average citizens. Insidiously, many on-face raceneutral or class-neutral policies — including poll taxes and literacy tests — ensured many poor and Black families were barred from the polls. Although the worst of these policies were banned with the passage of the 1964 Voting Rights Act, voter registration has remained a mechanism for exclusion. Voter
identification laws, for instance, ensure that families of low socioeconomic class are systematically excluded from elections. Regardless of voter ID laws, more vulnerable groups like immigrants or individuals of low socioeconomic class are the ones likely to not have the resources to be informed on how to register. By casting a larger net and mailing ballots, states reach far more people. When Oregon implemented this policy in 2015, it registered an additional 270,000 new voters. As a result, the state saw a 4.1 percent increase in voter turnout, an increase of roughly 97,000 new voters in absolute terms, according to a Jan. 27, 2017 article from The Hill. Oregon also found that the policy has a number of extraneous benefits. For one, it made the election system more secure from fraud. While paper registration often requires only a signature, individuals bring proof of citizenship to the DMV. In addition, the new system is cheaper to operate because it is digital and saves massive amounts of paper. It is perhaps unsurprising, however, that many conservative politicians oppose automatic voter registration, evidenced in a March 20, 2015 Atlantic article. Many
Republicans benefit from smaller minority turnout to the polls, given that these populations disproportionately vote for Democrats. As in the case of voter ID laws, conservatives have shown themselves to be willing to support policies of tacit voter suppression when it benefits their political aims. In Oregon, for instance, the Motor Voter Law, as it was affectionately known, passed through the legislature on party lines. While the Republicans in the Massachusetts Statehouse are too small in number and stature to block the push for AVR, Secretary of State William Galvin has hesitated on backing these bills. At previous points in the past, he has expressed reservations, according to a Jan. 29, 2016 Boston Globe article. Increasing turnout from disenfranchised groups is critical to having their interests reflected by legislators and representatives. The ballot box is the critical way in which average citizens can demand attention from their government. In this way, automatic voter registration is connected to every major issue in the Commonwealth. The passage of HB 2091 and SB 373 will ensure that citizens can advocate more effectively on all issues of importance.
Encourage more universities to adopt well-being courses Nia
lyn purpose
According to a Jan. 26 New York Times article, Yale University has recently begun offering a class titled “Psychology and the Good Life,” and nearly 1,200 students — almost one quarter of the school’s undergraduate population — have enrolled in the course, making it the most popular in the 316-year history of the school. The course is intended to teach students how to live happier, more satisfying lives through bi-weekly lectures. According to Professor Laurie Santos, “students want to change, to be happier themselves, and to change the culture here on campus.” Santos also reflects on the fact that, for some students, this may be the first time that they are actually putting their own mental health and happiness at the forefront. They may have spent much of their high school careers working to obtain the grades needed to attain a spot in Yale and unfortunately may have built self-destructive habits. The same New York Times article cites the school’s
director of Undergraduate Studies in Psychology, Woo-Kyoung Ahn, who said that she was “blown away” by the proposal for the class, despite the fact that such a course has long been requested. This response speaks volumes to a problem that exists across college campuses.
“
Students are being encouraged to branch out and make, possibly, meaningful connections with others ... According to a Sept. 2, 2010 article from Psychology Today, a 2009 survey from the American Health Association-National Health Assessment showed that 39 percent of college students feel hopeless during the school year, 25 percent will feel so depressed that they will find it hard to function and 84 percent will feel overwhelmed by all that they have to do. It is partly for this reason that colleges offer counseling services; however, these services are not always accessible to the students who need them. A May 4, 2017 USA Today article detailed an
interview with a Georgetown University student, Benjamin Johnson, who revealed that many students were either unaware of the existence of the university’s counseling center or just chose not to use it because of the stigma surrounding receiving treatment. In addition, Georgetown requires that students pay for appointments with the counseling center. This presents a two-fold problem: It is inconvenient for students who do not have the financial means to pay for therapy and, while some students may be able to ask their families for money, it eliminates their ability to be self-reliant or keep their medical details private. Not everyone comes from a home where issues like mental health are discussed, and universities should not force students to disclose certain information unless their lives are in immediate danger. A class such as the one offered at Yale would be useful for instances like this because students will not only receive useful information about managing stress or self-care, but there will also be less opportunity to generate stigma. Currently, over 1,000 students are registered for the class, causing it to have been moved to a symphony hall rather than a typical lecture hall. Since there are so many students, it is virtually impossible to tell who is enrolled in the course out of sheer interest or with the intent of bettering themselves, as students are not outing themselves the same way that they would by visiting the counseling center.
The opinions expressed on this page are those of each article’s respective author and do not reflect the viewpoint of the Justice.
This is not to say that a bi-weekly lecture can replace one-on-one counseling sessions with a trained professional, but it is certainly a step above students leaving the state of their mental health unaddressed. According to the same New York Times article, the class will also consist of weekly assignments challenging students to perform small acts of kindness or make new social connections. A 2011 study published in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine has proved that peer interactions have been shown to help students cope with academic stress. It states, “Adequate support may intervene between the experience of stress and the onset of the pathological outcome by reducing or eliminating the stress reaction.” Students are being encouraged to branch out and make, possibly, meaningful connections with others around them, thus providing the opportunity to build a larger support network. This course, or one like it, is something that should be implemented in other schools. According to a June 28, 2017 NBC News article, more than 75 percent of mental health conditions begin before the age of 24, making it critical that students maintain a healthy mental state during their college years. Just as institutions stress the importance of grades and other manifestations of “success,” they should also stress the importance of self-care and ensure that their students are actually in good physical and mental health.
2017
10 THE JUSTICE ● Sports ● Tuesday, February 6, 2018
WBBALL: Judges in fifth with five games left in season CONTINUED FROM 16 course of the game. With 11 points scored over the course of the game, this is Nicholson’s third doubledouble of the season. Overall, this was a hard-fought battle, even though the Judges did not come out on top. The Judges have been battling very hard this season. They have already matched the number of wins that they received in the entire 2016-17 season, both overall and in the UAA. Last year, the Judges ended the year with a 1213 total record, 4-10 in the UAA. Hopefully as the Judges enter
13
OFF THE GLASS
their last five games, they will be able to improve upon last year’s standings, both overall and in the UAA. Next weekend, the Judges hope to defeat Washington University in St. Louis at home on Friday, a team they already beat earlier in the season. Additionally, on Sunday, the Judges will battle against the University of Chicago, whom they lost to earlier on in the season. The Judges currently stand in fifth place in the UAA with five games left to play. These last five games are critical to improve their positioning in the UAA before the postseason begins.
SWIM: Team closes out its impressive MBBALL: Squad in the UAA season with another cellar with five games left dominant win
KALIANNI NEAL-DESATNIK/Justice File Photo
DOING WORK, MAN: Guard Latye Workman ’18 drives in against the Carnegie Mellon defense during their game on Jan. 28.
CONTINUED FROM 16
CONTINUED FROM 16
time of 1:04.48 was almost three seconds quicker than the runner up. Also picking up a gold medal was Natalya Wozab ’20, who swam a time of 58.12 in the 100-yard freestyle. Finishing right behind was Abby Damsky ’18, who earned second place with a time less than a second slower than Wozab. In addition to Wozab, Sheinhait strengthened the senior class performance. To add to her victory in the first relay, Sheinhait picked up a second place finish in the 50-
yard freestyle with a time of 26.64. Her time was less than a half second behind the winner from Clark. Even though it was the seniors’ final home meet of the season, the 2017-18 campaign is not yet over. The teams will continue on Feb. 14 when they travel down south to compete at the University Athletic Association Conference Championships, a four-day meet hosted by Emory University. Later in the month, the team will travel to Rutgers University to compete in the Eastern Conference Athletic Conference championships.
Brandeis, knocking down 10 more than the Judges for the game. The biggest issue for the hardworking Judges, though, was turnovers. The team committed seven more turnovers than Case Western, and the Spartans capitalized on the mistakes; Case Western scored 22 points off turnovers compared to Brandeis’ six points. For the Judges, guard Lawrence Sabir ’21 had a team-high 12 points while shooting an efficient 5-8 from the floor. Sabir also added four rebounds, two assists and the only block from the Brandeis starters for the game. Guard Latye Workman ’18
also put up impressive stats for the squad with 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal. Workman was also a perfect 4-4 from the line. Forward Chandler Jones ’21 and guard Collin Sawyer ’20 combined for 16 points, eight rebounds and a pair of steals. Sawyer also shot a solid 2-5 from behind the arc. Guard Eric D’Aguanno ’20 led the team with three made three-pointers, while also grabbing three boards off the bench. Next up for the Judges is a pair of games at home as the team matches up with Washington University in St. Louis on Friday and the University of Chicago on Sunday. Brandeis has struggled against both UAA opponents so far this season, losing
to WashU by a score of 84-56 on Jan. 12 and to UChicago by a score of 77-67 on Jan. 14. Brandeis was outplayed in both games and they will especially have to improve their shooting and rebounding if they want to come out on top against these teams. While a .500 season is well out of reach, the Judges will hope to have double-digit wins by the end of the 2017-18 campaign. The rest of their opponents will be fellow UAA conference members, who have had Brandeis’ number thus far, so the road ahead will not be an easy one. With hard work and perseverance, though, fans and players alike should have faith that the beloved squad can turn things around sometime soon.
TENNIS BASKETBALL SWIMMING TRACK
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TENNIS BASKETBALL SWIMMING TRACK
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THE JUSTICE
● Sports ●
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
15
TRACK AND FIELD
jUDGES BY THE NUMBERS Men’s BASKETBALL UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS Points Per Game
Latye Workman ’18 leads the Overall team with 10.9 points per game. W L Pct. Player PPG 18 2 .900 Latye Workman 10.9 16 4 .800 Lawrence Sabir 10.6 12 8 .600 Colin Sawyer 9.7 9 11 .450 Eric D’Aguanno 9.1 13 7 .650 10 9 .526 Rebounds Per Game 5 15 .250 Latye Workman ’18 leads the 5 15 .250 team with 8.3 rebounds per game. Player RPG EDITOR’S NOTE: Latye Workman 8.3 Friday vs. Washington University Chandler Jones 4.8 Sunday vs. University of Chicago Lawrence Sabir 4.2 Feb. 16 vs. University of Rochester Eric D’Aguanno 3.5
UAA Conference W L WashU 9 0 Emory 7 2 Case 6 3 Chicago 5 4 Rochester 4 5 NYU 3 6 JUDGES 1 8 Carnegie 1 8
WOMen’s basketball UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS Points Per Game
UAA Conference W L W Chicago 9 0 18 Rochester 6 3 16 WashU 6 3 15 NYU 5 4 12 JUDGES 4 5 12 Emory 4 5 10 Carnegie 1 8 9 Case 1 8 4
Overall L Pct. 2 .900 4 .800 5 .750 8 .600 7 .632 10 .500 11 .450 15 .211
EDITOR’S NOTE: Friday vs. Case Western Sunday vs. Carnegie Mellon Feb. 9 vs. Washington University
Hannah Nicholson ’20 leads the team with 10.8 points per game. Player PPG Hannah Nicholson 10.8 Katie Goncalo 10.6 Camila Casanueva 9.8 Sarah Jaromin 7.6
Rebounds Per Game Hannah Nicholson ’20 leads with 10.4 rebounds per game. Player RPG Hannah Nicholson 10.4 Joelle MarkAnthony 6.3 Katie Goncalo 4.4 Camila Casanueva 4.2
SWIMMING AND DIVING Meet against Clark University on Feb. 3.
TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)
TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)
1000-yard Freestyle
SWIMMER TIME Tyr Hondorf 11:01.93 Sam Scudere-Weiss 11:35.63 Andrew Baker 12:27.22
200-yard Freestyle
SWIMMER TIME Rachel Goldblatt 2:06.63 Audrey Kim 2:07.93 Uajda Musaku 2:11.27
DAISY CHEN/Justice File Photo
LIKE THE WIND: Kyra Shreeve ’18 rounds the corner and accelerates during the Reggie Poyau Invitational on Jan. 16, 2016.
Team continues recordbreaking ways at Tufts ■ The men’s and women’s track teams had many noteworthy performances at the Tufts Cupid Invitational. By Zach Kaufman Justice Editor
EDITOR’S NOTE: Feb. 14-17 at UAA Championships (at Emory) Feb. 23-25 at ECAC Championships (at Rutgers) March. 21-24 at NCAA Championships (at IUPUI)
Track and Field Results from Tufts Cupid Invitational on Feb 3.
TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)
TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)
200-Meter Dash
200-Meter Dash
RUNNER TIME Regan Charlie 23.10 Matt Kimmelstiel 23.99 Adam Beckwith 24.71
RUNNER TIME Kanya Brown 28.01 Jordan Brill-Cass 28.82 Tessa Holleran 29.89
EDITOR’S NOTE: Friday at BU Valentine’s Classic Saturday at MIT Gordon Kelly Invitational Feb. 16 at New England Division III Championships (at Middlebury)
The Brandeis men’s and women’s track teams had a strong showing at the Tufts Cupid Invitational last weekend. Although, similarly to last week, the meet was non scoring, the teams still had many noteworthy individual performances from their athletes. The men’s team had a strong meet last weekend, with many athletes posting personal records and qualifying times. Jack Allan ’20 entered the meet already holding the all time Brandeis record for the heptathlon, but that wasn’t enough. During the six events spread out between Friday and Saturday, Allan turned it up a notch and recorded a score of 4475 points, beating his previous record of 4430. This performance is now also ranked as the 17th best in all of Division III this season for his event. In the 60 meter preliminary round, Regan Charie ’19 ran his best race of the season, finishing the event in 7.19 seconds. This performance qualified him
for the final later that day where he finished with a time of 7.18 seconds, tying his personal best for the event while placing fourth. Charie also finished seventh in the 200 meter with a time of 23.10 seconds. He will run again in the New England DIII championships in two weeks. In the weight throw, Scott Grote ’19 shattered his personal record. His heave last weekend measured in at 14.34 meters, a big jump from his previous best of 13.68. This performance also earned him a trip to the New England DIII championships. Ryan Stender ’18 delivered a performance typical of the rest of his season. He won the 3000 meter with a time of 8:27.03, his second best time of all time. It was also the 12th fastest time in DIII. Stender hopes to return to the National Collegiate Athletic Association championships for the 3000 for the second straight year. Churchill Perry ’20 placed second in the triple jump with a distance of 12.86 meters. Breylen Ammen ’21 posted a personal record in pole vault with a height of 4.25 meters, good for seventh in the meet. The women’s team also had athletes posting personal records and qualifying times at last weekend’s meet. The Judges represented well in the mile run, having two runners finish in the top ten. Kyra Shreeve ’18 ran the race in 5:20.18. This placed
her seventh and was good enough to send her to the New England DIII championships. Andrea Bolduc ’21 continued an impressive freshman campaign, running a personal best mile in 5:24.27 and placing 10th overall. Lenni Valdez ’21 finished fourth in the 600 meter with a time of 1:40.81. This was a small personal best and only reinforces the impressive numbers posted by the women’s middle distance runners this season. Kanya Brown ’19 had her season’s best performance in the 60 meter with a time of 8.23 in the preliminary race. In the final, she ran an 8.29, placing her seventh overall. Jordin Carter ’18 has been having an absolutely stellar couple of weeks. She broke the school record in the weight throw last week by five cm two weeks ago, but her heroic record breaking wasn’t done. Last weekend she bested herself again, beating her record breaking throw by another 13cm. Her throw of 14.91 placed her second in the meet. Carter also finished sixth in the shot put with a solid 10.60 meter throw. Both the men’s and women’s teams will continue their seasons next weekend where two more meets will occur. Boston University will host the Valentine’s Classic while the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will host the Gordon Kelly Invitational. The championships begin soon.
Pro Sports brief An unually quiet MLB offseason has owners, players and fans feeling an uncomfortable sense of deja vu Will we have professional baseball this summer? For the first time since 1994, that threat is looming. Back then the issue revolved around the owners proposed implementation of a salary cap, thus limiting the ability for players to demand higher and higher salaries. Owners believed that small market teams would be left in the dust without local revenue sharing, and a salary cap. After owners withheld a required a payment to players pension and benefit plans, and an antitrust legislation failed to be passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee, the players and the players association saw no other option, but to strike. Players walked out for 232 days, 948 cancelled games, and the first cancelled world series since 1904. This go around,
the focus is again on player salaries but under a different lense. Never in the history of the famed MLB Hot Stove has an MLB offseason been so slow. Nearly every single marquee free agent remains on the market, with few signings imminent. Only Lorenzo Cain’s 5-year, $80 million deal with the Milwaukee Brewers can be pointed to as a big time signing, but even then the $100 million threshold seems to be a blip on the horizon. Salaries increased 23 percent in 2017 coming off the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, as all seemed good between owners and players. So what’s happening now that threatens the all important relationship between owners and players? On the heels of an era marked by massive sums of money being committed to players
for longer, and longer periods of time. Case in point: Reigning MVP Giancarlo Stanton’s 13-year, $325 million monstrosity. Teams have seen these immense investments turn out poorly too many times, and it seems teams may have had their fill, but is that the whole story? In the last few days, high powered agents have released statements tip-toeing around one of the most feared word in sports, collusion. Collusion is why Pete Rose and the Black Sox were banned for life. In this case, collusion is referring to the possibility of owners colluding together to collectively holdout from signing free agents with the possible gain of reduced salaries. Understandably, the notion of ownership collusion is seen as fighting words in the eyes of players
and the players association. Those in baseball operations are frustrated by the lack of funds granted by ownership to sign the scores of free agents on the market, and as some agents have suggested, all it takes is a spark before the pot boils over. Brodie van Wagenen, who represents Robinson Cano, Ryan Zimmerman and Yoenis Cespedes among others, as well as super agent Scott Boras, who represents some of the biggest names available this offseason including Eric Hosmer, J.D. Martinez and Jake Arrieta, have both spoken out against the perceived injustices they feel the owners have placed on players. Ironically, it seems the molassesslow offseason has had an effect on ticket sales, as some teams are seeing slight declines from this
point last year, but that could all be explained by other phenomena. The players association has been coy regarding perceived plans for a spring training boycott so far, but the growing sense from players and agents points in a different direction. Recently at the Dodgers Fan Fest, All-Star closer Kenley Jansen offered a stark point of view: “Maybe we need to go on strike, to be honest with you.” The threat of a strike looms, and while it is highly unlikely any regular season games are cancelled, there is growing sentiment that a strike to begin Spring Training may be in play. As the days go on and players remain unsigned, that sentiment grows. —Cahler Fruchtman
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TRACK RECORDS BROKEN The Brandeis men’s and women’s track and field teams performed well in last weekend’s meet, p. 15.
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
MEN’S BASKETBALL
THE BANK IS OPEN
Team continues to struggle vs. UAA ■ The team now has a
1-8 record within the conference. UAA games make up half the schedule. By Ben Katcher Justice Editor
The men’s basketball team had another tough week, dropping both of its games within the University Athletic Association conference. The team is now 5-15 on the season with a 2-9 away record and a 1-8 conference record. Judges 58, Carnegie Mellon 72 While the judges actually outscored the Tartans in the second half, Brandeis was down by 21 after the first half and was unable to overcome the large deficit in the end. This game mainly came down to rebounding and efficient shooting. The Tartans had a higher field goal percentage than the Judges (48.3 versus 35.6) and grabbed 12 more boards. This was a game that Brandeis should have won given that this was only Carnegie Mellon’s fifth win of the season and its first win in the conference. Furthermore, the Judges
Waltham, Mass.
beat Carnegie Mellon in a highscoring affair last weekend by a score of 87-79. This season has not been too pretty for Brandeis men’s basketball, but fans and players alike have to be patient with this developing squad. With a lot of new players on the roster getting used to the up-tempo style of collegiate play, it will take time for everything to click for this team. With a lot of depth and potential moving forward, there should be a lot to look forward to for years to come. Judges 64, Case Western 69 Brandeis got off to a rocky start this past week with a 69-64 loss against Case Western University on Friday on the road. While the UAA is a difficult conference to compete in, the Judges have been unable to best their fellow UAA competitors all season long. However, with only one more win at home than on the road for the year, the team’s struggles extend past venues and opponents. In comparing the two teams, Brandeis actually had a higher field goal percentage (43.9 versus 35.9) and three-point percentage (33.3 versus 20.0). However, Case Western attempted 17 more free throws than
See MBBALL, 13 ☛
Swimming and Diving
Swimmers defeat Clark and keep momentum ■ The Brandeis swimming
team dominated Clark and kept a three-game winning streak before the UAA finals. By Noah Hessdorf JUSTICE EDITOR
The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams both came away with big victories this past Saturday at home against Clark University. On Senior Day, the men won by a score of 132-95, while the women were victorious 139-74. The men’s side captured nine of the 11 events on its way to securing the victory. The squad got off to a hot start when it finished first in the 200-yard medley relay with an overall time of one minute and 42.65 seconds. The win was paced by a group of four swimmers, Benjamin Francis ’21, Tamir Zitelny ’20, Richard Avrutsky ’18 and Zach Diamond ’18. In fact, the runners up were also a group from Brandeis, Thomas Alger ’20, Richard Selznick ’21, Daniel Wohl ’21 and Marcelo Ohno-Machado ’21. They finished less than half a second behind the first place group. After the relay were a series of individual races in which the Judges excelled. In the 1000-yard freestyle Tyr Hondor ’21 blew away the competition with a time of 11:01.93. This was almost 30 seconds faster than the second place competitor from Clark. Wohl followed up that success in the 200yard freestyle with a first place finish off of a time of 1:45.21. Chase Chen ’21 finished in second in the race, with a time of 1:49.76. Chen upped his game in the 100yard freestyle with a gold medal off of a 49.66 finish. His fellow classmate, Selznick, followed his
lead in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4:20.86, which was good enough for a first place victory. Diamond finished second in the race. Alger was not the only Judge to win multiple events on the day. He did so by demonstrating his versatility and securing first-place finishes in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke. On what was, of course, Senior Day, the senior class also stepped up into the limelight. Taku Harada ’18 led the charge in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:15.75, which earned him the victory. Fellow senior Avrutsky, was the top Judge in the 100-yard backstroke. On the women’s side, the team was able to come away with eight different victories. Like the men, it started off the day with a win in the 200-yard medley. The four pack of Amy Sheinhait ’18, Audrey Kim ’21, Emily McGovern ’21 and Rachel Goldblatt ’21 took home the win with a time of 1:59.32. After the event, Goldblatt was able to translate her momentum into multiple individual victories as well. She captured first-place in the 200-yard freestyle with of a time of 2:06.93, and the 100-yard freestyle in 1:02.77. The other swimmer on the roster with multiple victories on the day was Kylie Herman ’19. Herman was dominant in the distance events, finishing first in the 1000-yard freestyle with a time of 11:23.20 and the 500-yard freestyle in 5:37.16. There were other individual winners for the Judges on the afternoon. McGovern won the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 5:05.69. Kim also added to her relay victory with a win in the 100-yard backstroke. Her
See SWIM, 13 ☛
NATALIA WIATER/Justice File Photo
FLOATING ON BY: Forward Joelle MarkAnthony ’19 throws up a floater against the Salem State defender in a win on Nov. 28, 2017.
Judges split UAA games in weekend road trip ■ The team avenged its loss vs. Case Western with a win on Sunday against Carnegie Mellon. By JEN GELLER JUSTICE Editor
The Brandeis women’s basketball team left the University campus this weekend, travelling to Case Western Reserve University and Carnegie Mellon University. A less successful weekend than the last one, the Judges won one game and lost one, resulting in an updated record of 12-7, 4-5 in the University Athletic Association. The team looks ahead to next weekend when they return home to play Washington University in St. Louis on Friday, and the University of Chicago on Sunday. Judges 60, Carnegie Mellon 52 After the loss on Friday to Case Western, the Judges were able to pull out a very impressive win over UAA competitor Carnegie Mellon to improve their record to 12-7 overall and 4-5 in the UAA. After a
slow first half, the Judges were able to outscore Carnegie Mellon 3319 in the second half of play, after being down 33-27 at the half. The second half included guard Katie Goncalo ’20 leading the Judges in a 10-2 run, after the Tartans responded, scoring four points before forward Hannah Nicholson ’20 scored four points in a row, putting the Judges within one point of the Tartans. Guard Sarah Jaromin ’19 was then able to put the Judges ahead in the last three minutes of the third quarter, a lead that would last the rest of the game. With this 46-44 lead, the Judges went into the fourth quarter. The remarkable part of this quarter was the three-point shots that were scored by Goncalo, guard Kat Puda ’21 and guard Camila Casanueva ’21. These solidified the Judges’ victory. The leader for scoring in the game was Nicholson , who scored 16 points at play. Goncalo also hit the double digits, scoring 10 points in the game, also being the athlete to play for the most amount of time for the Judges with 30 minutes of game time.
Judges 70, Case Western 73 In a hard fought battle against UAA competitor Case Western, the Judges were defeated in a tight battle on Friday evening. This led to a drop in the Brandeis women’s basketball record to 11-7 overall and 3-5 in the UAA. Following the Judges’ victory over Case Western at home the week before, when they only allowed 14 points to be scored in the second half of play, this game allowed for 36 points in the same time period, more than double the amount of points permitted to be scored. That being said, the Judges began the fourth quarter tied with a score of 51-51. However, in a three-and-a-half minute period in the quarters, Case Western scored 11 points, while the Judges scored nothing at all, strengthening the opponent’s lead. With the now 6554 point lead for Case Western, the spartans would maintain a lead although the Judges closed the score gap throughout the rest of the game. Casanueva ’21 proved capable to lead the Judges during the game, scoring 16 points. Nicholson ’20 led the team with 11 rebounds over the
See WBBALL, 13 ☛
Vol. LXX #16 Vol. LXX #2
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Images: Abby Ginberg/the Justice and Creative Commons. Design: Yvette Sei/the Justice.
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TUESDAY, THE JUSTICE February | Arts 6, 2018 | TUESDAY, i ArtsJanuary i THE JUSTICE 31, 2017
Comedy night review
Comedians challenge ’Deis PC culture By Hannah Kressel and Mariah Manter justice editor and Staff writer
This past Thursday evening, WBRS hosted its second comedy night this semester. Hosted by Josh Day, the event garnered a small, but lively audience. Dim lighting, as per request of Day — who spent time fussing over the Goldilocks “just right” setting for lighting — set the tone of the evening. A largerthan-life poster of a somber-looking pup against the wall behind the stage added to this facetiously melancholy set. To start off the evening, Day joked that this was his dog, who he recently put down, and that a reminder of one’s dead childhood dog is a necessary component for laughter at a comedy show. The morbid, edging on macabre, theme of the first joke would continue throughout the night. Day began the rotation of comedians with blunt, self-deprecating humor. His ironic set often touched on his self-pronounced failed career in comedy. His bit focused on topics like death, violence and sex, interspersed with some droll one-liners like, “As long as I can remember, I’ve had amnesia.” At the conclusion of his own jokes, Day introduced the next performer, Big Al David. David continued with the self-deprecating tone but focused on the hardships of his own old age. David tried — and mildly succeeded — to connect with the young audience with social media topics such as the frustration of others sneakily taking a snapchat video of you while you are just try-
ing to have a fun night. David relied on a lot of shock humor, engaging the audience’s curiosity at how far he would venture into the improper with his humor. David finished his set with some rather perverted jokes about teenage male gymnasts. Following David’s edgy set was Danny Killea, the youngest of the comedians, who started off his routine with a light roast of Day and David. He moved into a bit about how renaming a “problem” as a “challenge” has positive implications for a drinking problem. A relatively new resident of Allston, Killea satirized the Boston spirit with a story about a 13-year-old who threw the opening pitch, Fenway Park, and the whole audience booed. In response, the 13-year-old flipped off the stadium. Killea also gave some sagelike advice — don’t talk to strangers on public transportation. Wes Hazard performed next, taking the stage after Killea’s Bostonfocused bit. Hazard, it was clear, did his homework on Brandeis before the show. He opened with some comical statistics ridiculing the “diversity” of the Brandeis student body. He was the only comedian who rooted his jokes in Brandeisian culture, while the other comedians seemed to read the audience’s responses and adjust accordingly. Killea offered up jokes on the Kosher dining options, Brandeis parties and activities like Quiz Bowl. Killea’s comedic strategy resulted in a very different variety of jokes than the other performers, the latter leading to humor that, for most of Brandeis’ students, would likely be too far outside the range of political correctness to be acceptable. Kil-
lea’s comic style was very different than the other performers, including a multitude of rather long-winded stories. Although there were fewer punchlines than the traditional comedy routine, his admittance that he now bases his life-worth on his acceptance as a contestant on Jeopardy was quite endearing and entertaining. The advertised headliner, Tom Dustin, was saved for last. Dustin’s routine was in serious opposition to the current movement toward political correctness. He prefaced his routine by admitting that he “likes mean jokes.” Despite Dustin’s misgivings about performing at colleges where everyone is “too sensitive,” his act was a complete hit with the audience. Although some of his jokes came across as rather immature and cheap, the majority of his jokes were as clever as they were lewd. Every one of Dustin’s jokes roused laughter from the audience. He had an especially successful run on the topic of Bethany Hamilton (who is a victim of a shark attack), kids under pressure in the National Spelling Bee, and an Asian ex-girlfriend. Dustin’s humor, along with that of the previous four performers, was definitely targeted at a male audience. However, Dustin was able to engage some of the female audience members by calling them out for their reactions to his particularly male-targeted jokes. Overall, the comedy show proved to be amusing, as long as you were willing to go along with their particularly politically incorrect brand of humor. And if the comedy didn’t suit your tastes, at least the free pizza might’ve.
KALIANNI NEAL-DESATNIK/the Justice
HAZARDOUS TERRITORY: Comedian Wes Hazard served up KVH certified jokes on Brandeis’ laughable Kosher dining options.
improv review
TBA is a must-see this semester
YVETTE SEI/the Justice
PSYCHOANALYTICAL HUMOR: Evan Moloney ’20 acts as therapist, complete with imaginary pen and paper, for troubled Seneca Scott ’20.
By Jen Geller justice editor
On Wednesday evening, the TBA Improv and Sketch Comedy group put on its first show of the semester. From start to finish, the show was full of laughs; the audience, about 40 students, was drawn in for the entirety of the two hours. The show consisted of various acts, each one a different activity for the group to complete. Many activities were interactive and involved the audience’s input, making the performance even more pleasing to the very responsive audience. To begin the show, new members Oliver Leeb ’21 and Anna Cass ’21 competed for the affection of an audience member. The passion that the two put into the scene proved that they were just the right additions to this astounding group of students. The audience gave
prompting words such as “grapefruit” and “stressed” to start the acts, and Leeb and Cass built upon the respective words. This particularly memorable act began what would be a fun-filled evening. My favorite sketch of the evening was a new game for the group, in which a scene was improvised in a made up language. Performers would interact in this language, and other performers served as translators. The use of tone and body language made the scene understandable, yet humorous, due to the exaggerated movements. Another memorable act was a series of monologues involving different group members describing various experiences. Seneca Scott ’20 discussed how, unfortunately, the most damaging part of his childhood was being forced to learn how to tell time and read a clock. The conversation would continue and evolve as members discussed their
childhood experiences of being late to school and even skipping classes. The experience of the monologue was enhanced by how relatable it was; as fellow students, we understand how challenging school can be and TBA’s acting was incredibly realistic. In another notable scene, Abby LeRoy ’20 laid on the floor, insisting to her “parents” that she would not go to school. Lee, serving as the girl’s father, asked what the “fat” hand of the clock represented and joked that he had already tried to kill his daughter after having to put up with her stubbornness. Another interaction relatable to students across many subjects involved Scott worrying that he would fail his physics class. A pessimistic Caroline Kriesen ’20, acting as one of his teaching assistants, agreed that he would indeed fail the class. Even more humorous was when she proceeded to advise him
to internalize all of the problems he ever had and channel them into his physics work. Her representation as a brutally honest teaching assistant was a relatable sentiment to many audience members and was enjoyed by the crowd. A very memorable joke came from Cass, who urged students to make use of the Brandeis Counseling Center because they have so many open appointments for students. The crowd roared with laughter at this point in the performance, and the show paused for a few seconds so that the audience could settle down. Following this segment, TBA huddled in the middle of the room, touching one another. Each member began to state their intentions for the coming months. LeRoy said she wants to have a baby with the father of eucalyptus, Scott wants to pass physics, and Leeb wants to bathe regularly. To conclude the evening, TBA
played a line game. When prompted, the audience would give the group a word that was not a fruit, vegetable. or “dildo.” The first blank the audience called out was “blog,” and the group went on to explain the sentence, “I like my partners how I like my blogs.” Then they went on to describe how “I like my partners how I like my crocs.” Every TBA member got involved in elaborating on the sentences. The “I like my partners how I like my crocs” sentence was particularly amusing. Scott elaborated, “I like my partners how I like my crocs: full of holes.” The crowd roared at this sexual innuendo as Leeb would go on to say, “They look good on me; stop telling me how to live my life, Mom!” The last few sentences elaborated on were “I once dated an umbrella,” “I once dated a clown,” “Sex with me is like origami” and “Sex with me is like JetBlue.” TBA shows are must-sees for Brandeis students. The passion that the group members bring to the table is inspiring and noticeable to the audience. For anyone craving a good laugh, the three shows per semester that TBA puts on will not disappoint. Before a production, TBA prepares by discussing games that have not been performed in a while and that would suit the performance space. According to member Evan Moloney ’20, “We practice maybe eight games as a group and narrow it down to about four based on which felt most natural in practice. Once we know what we'll be performing, we try not to practice those games anymore, to preserve spontaneity in the show.” This preparation is ideal, as the jokes seem authentic, realistic and very spontaneous. TBA has four big shows coming up throughout the rest of the semester and the group will also be seen around campus at other events. They also go off campus, according to Moloney, and are hoping to perform at Yale University in April. —Yvette Sei ’20 contributed reporting.
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THE JUSTICE arts i TUESDAY, January 31, 2017 THE JUSTICE i arts i Tuesday, February 6, 2018
COFFEEHOUSE review
Coffeehouse spotlights Jews of color By ISABELLE TRUONG justice Staff writer
In diverse environments such as college campuses, with students from all over the world, fostering intersectionality is necessary. Brandeis Hillel aimed to do this by opening an artistic platform for those who identify as Jews of color, Sephardi or Mizrahi to talk about their experiences at Hillel’s Race Talks: Jews of Color Coffeehouse in Cholmondeley’s Thursday evening. The night was quite short — only about an hour long with five performances, most of them musical. Aviva Davis ’21 passionately sang the song “Hurts” by Mika and explained to the audience afterwards why she chose that piece: Mika, the artist, is a gay Middle Eastern man who grew up in a family that did not accept his identity, and Davis said that she could relate to his story. She talked further about her difficulties growing up as a Jew of color in a community where most Jews did not resemble her. She joked, “I don’t know if you can tell, but I’m brown.” Her story was certainly moving and one that audience members visibly identified with. After Davis, twins and musical duo Selen and Deniz Amado ’18 wowed the audience with their acoustic covers of three different songs: one in Spanish, one in Turkish and one in English. Their beautiful voices paired together were harmonious perfection. They, too, shared their interesting story: as Sephardic Jews growing up in predominantly Muslim Turkey, they had to practice their religion in secret. Jose Castellanos ’18 performed a slam poem which expressed the difficulty of not only being Hispanic and Jewish, but of being lightskinned and Hispanic; the slam poem added a nice variety to the coffeehouse. Ending the night, Noa Iimura ’18, who is Japanese and Jewish,
ABBY GRINBERG/the Justice
SEPHARDIC SISTERS: Twins Selen and Deniz Amado ’18 wowed the audience with their acoustic covers of three songs.
shared a video that showcased his filmmaking ability. The video was not created to directly express his Jewish identity, but for an organization that aims to help and spread awareness about homeless youth, a topic he expressed his passion about. Though the event went by rather quickly, the coffeehouse was cer-
tainly impactful. I appreciated that it allowed Jews of color, a marginalized community, to be placed in the forefront. Events like this celebrate diversity, and I only wish that Hillel had more race talks like this one. The turnout was perhaps the only disappointing aspect of the event. The performances were so power-
ful, but only a few members of the Brandeis community came to support their peers. Those who did not attend definitely missed out; perhaps this lack of support is a signifier that Brandeis students should be more involved in engaging with intersectionality on campus. Furthermore, considering the large Jewish population at
Brandeis and the number of people involved in Hillel, a Jewish coffeehouse event should be wellattended. I am left confused as to why there were so few people at an event supporting their own community. However, the diverse set of acts and talent was enjoyable, and I am already anticipating next year’s event.
FILM SCREENING REVIEW
Keaton reminds us to revisit the silent film era By KENT DINLENC justice Staff writer
Theaters these days are full of fastpaced movies with modern filmmaking techniques and complex story structures, but sometimes one needs to step on the brakes and go back almost a century to the films that introduced these practices we now take for granted. One must return to the golden age of cinema, to the Hollywood of the late 1920s to early 1960s. So, amid the oncoming onslaught of summer blockbusters which seems to come to theaters earlier and earlier every year (I’m looking at you “Black Panther,” “Tomb Raider” and “Pacific Rim: Uprising”), it seemed just to attend an on-campus screening of a Buster Keaton film. The screening of the 1924 film “Sherlock Jr.” was hosted by the History of Ideas program. The organizer, academic administrator Julie Seeger (PHIL), invited students and faculty to “A Night at the Movies,” one in a series of three movie nights throughout the semester. This first one was, in part, also a celebration of Prof. John Plotz’s (ENG) new book, “SemiDetached: The Aesthetics of Virtual Experience since Dickens.” The English professor’s opening remarks brought up themes of inaccessibility to cognitive space and sharing worlds between dreams and reality. Plotz drew parallels between the Keaton film and the boldness of “The Musicians,” a 1595 Caravaggio painting. He explained that both media of art convey an aesthetic experience the audience can only observe from a distance; that we can understand what goes on, but we cannot say that we understand the rules of that reality. The musician in the painting acknowledges the audience
with direct eye contact, but with the blank stare of a man tuning his guitar and prioritizing the improving sound of his instrument over his oth-
referential. Keaton’s story-withina-story via his character’s dream is meta. He warps the film’s story and characters, hoping the unjust accu-
the coupling rod of a steam locomotive or Seth Rogen on the cowcatcher of a train like Buster Keaton did in “The General” (1926).
sations thrust upon him are exposed and that he gets the girl of his dreams (in both ways, I suppose). “Sherlock Jr.” is an easily consumable joy to watch. The silence of the film makes way for an elegant and sprightly soundtrack. You have an opportunity to behold a visual style you don’t get anymore, one of universally beloved slapstick comedy infused with dangerous stunts you wouldn’t see most actors do today. You can’t see Adam Sandler sit on
“Sherlock Jr.” featured visual effects that are impressive to this day, especially during a dream sequence with changing backgrounds. The stunts are not only impressive and funny but also add a sense of anxiety. You know Keaton is doing them all himself in set pieces that are introducing danger that promises injury, but he ventures forward with tenacity and commitment. Though “Sherlock Jr.” doesn’t feature anything as dangerous as his famous “falling
Photo Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
‘SHERLOCK JR.’: The screening of the
1924 film “Sherlock Jr.” was hosted by the History of Ideas Program.
er senses. We, as the audience, are in the room with him, and yet he does not recognize us with a true gaze of acknowledgement. Keaton similarly introduces his dreams to us in “Sherlock Jr.,” aware he is sharing the world his character inhabits. The film is the first of many to incorporate metafiction (which some might just refer to this as “meta”), the way in which a story acknowledges that it is a piece of fiction and is purposefully self-
house” stunt of “Steamboat Billy Jr.” or anything atop the train like in “The General,” Keaton still delivers. I suggest you all avoid bombastic and CGI-filled movies for a time. Go back to the silent era. There isn’t much to see in theaters other than Oscar nominees building momentum and buzz with general audiences and academy voters. Enjoy some of the classics. Revert to the black and white. I spent my weekend returning to “The General” and some works by Charlie Chaplin. I recommend “City Lights” and “Modern Times,” but if you want to be stirred by some fantastic dialogue, watch “The Great Dictator.” If you want to be inspired, watch it. If you want to be hopeful in our time, watch it. If you want to be assured that evil will never win, watch it. For those of you who know which monologue I am referring to, I implore you to revisit it. I still get goosebumps. Films like these demand more attention; we can’t all only love “Casablanca,” “Citizen Kane” and “The Wizard of Oz.” We must reflect on the pioneering work of the cinema giants that were Keaton and Chaplin. All of these feelings were stirred up and brought back thanks to the History of Ideas program. The series’ follow-up feature, “Human Flow,” is a documentary by renowned director Ai WeiWei. In the feature, a crew travels to 23 different countries to document the forced displacement and migration of refugees throughout the world. Though I am unaware of the date for this screening, I hope that you all make time to see it. It’s events like these that make me wish the Wasserman Cinematheque at the Brandeis International Business School was used regularly to screen these important films.
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TUESDAY, february 6, 2018 | Arts | THE JUSTIce
INTERVIEW
Brandeis TALKS
wf
If you could describe the internet in a few words, what would you say?
Aviva Davis â&#x20AC;&#x2122;21 ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice
Lauren Cohen â&#x20AC;&#x2122;18 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d say the world is your oyster, something cheesy like that.â&#x20AC;?
This week, justArts spoke with Aviva Davis â&#x20AC;&#x2122;21, who is a co-coordinator for Hillel Race Talks. justArts: Tell us about your role in organizing the coffeehouse.
SABRINA SUNG/the Justice
Ceara Genovesi â&#x20AC;&#x2122;18 â&#x20AC;&#x153;The internet, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s astounding. Take that however you think!â&#x20AC;?
Grace Berry â&#x20AC;&#x2122;21 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d say entertaining.â&#x20AC;?
Zoe Klein â&#x20AC;&#x2122;21 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Massive.â&#x20AC;?
--Compiled and photographed by Yvette Sei/the Justice.
STAFFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S Top Ten
Justice File Photo
Top 10 Band Names
CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Interrupt 5 Vanzettiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s partner in crime 10 Result of being demoted 14 Practice bobbing and weaving 15 Taj _____ 16 Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;let it standâ&#x20AC;? 17 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Take thisâ&#x20AC;? 19 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sax on the Beachâ&#x20AC;? musician 20 Ready for duty 21 Many Sloan grads: abbr. 23 Ibsen character 24 Stunk to high heaven 25 Pay (up) 26 Tupperware topper 27 Eaglesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; desires, for short 28 Many a member of P.E.T.A. 30 Home of Frodo and Samwise 32 What astronauts work in 33 Word on a French menu 34 Message of a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book 37 Strands in a cell? 39 Tribe involved in the Seminole War 40 State for Sen. Flake 41 Pizzazz 43 Supreme Court Justice who replaced John Paul Stevens 45 Hate with a passion 46 Cinemark rival 49 J.F.K. datum 50 â&#x20AC;&#x153;____ expert, but...â&#x20AC;? 52 City for which Germanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s government was once named 54 Bird whose name kids may giggle at 55 Is unable to 56 First European to cross the Mississippi 57 Riot 59 Do shoddy work ... or a hint to solving this puzzle 61 Sicilian city thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one letter away from a Sicilian mountain 62 Permit 63 Robe parts 64 Steals oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dance partner 65 Say to, as a pickup line 66 Result of some recent legislation DOWN 1 Bring to an early end 2 Began doing business 3 Movies like â&#x20AC;&#x153;Airplane!â&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Top Secret!â&#x20AC;? 4 Fruit loop 5 Fume 6 Junior Olympics org. 7 A toaster may have one? 8 Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s used for dating? 9 Ingredient in some low-calorie chips 10 Seattle hrs. 11 Defeated resoundingly, in sports 12 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Absolutely!â&#x20AC;? 13 Prepare to deal 18 Letter-shaped surveyorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tool
JA: How did you find people to perform and participate [in the coffeehouse]? AD: I posted everywhere ... just shouted at people: â&#x20AC;&#x153;If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a Jew of color, talk to me!â&#x20AC;? and very few people did. That was upsetting. Yael [Jaffe â&#x20AC;&#x2122;18] and Anna [Stern â&#x20AC;&#x2122;18] contacted people theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d contacted last year, people that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d met since then, and people that performed last year, and got them to come. JA: You performed. What did you do? AD: I sang! I sang a song! JA: Can you tell us about the song and about your performance? What did it mean to you?
CROSSWORD COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN
22 Part of G.P.S. 29 What â&#x20AC;&#x153;Adonaiâ&#x20AC;? means in Hebrew 31 Comedian Kevin 32 â&#x20AC;&#x153;La Cage aux Follesâ&#x20AC;? character 34 Qualify for a sports team, say 35 Graduation speeches, e.g. 36 Pasta variety 38 Cry from a frustrated Frankfurter 39 Line of work 42 Inside scoop 44 Actor Cage, informally 45 Invalidates 46 Simple organism 47 Subject in linear algebra 48 Film technique often used by Christopher Nolan 51 Chinese gambling city 53 Playground retort 58 Get hot in a bed? 60 Baby noise SOLUTION COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN
SUDOKU
Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never had any musical ability, but I figure itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always good to be prepared in case I develop some overnight. If I ever learn to play the triangle well enough to start a rock band, here are some ideas for what I would call it:
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.
1. Terra-cotta Llama 2. The Mustaches of Yesteryear 3. Vegan Invasion 4. Rotful 5. Dudebro 6. Doc Dembitzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s League of Retired Persons 7. đ&#x;&#x2DC;&#x2030;Emoji sequence [winkyface, sunglasses, boat, boat, eggplant] 8. Whereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s My Retainer? 9. 1-800-Semicolon 10. Taxidermy Tax Attorney
AD: I sang a song called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hurtsâ&#x20AC;? by Mika. Mika is amazing. His family is [Middle Eastern] but he... speaks English, French, Italian and Spanish because heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a superstar. He records songs in pretty much all of those languages. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gay, which, in traditional [Middle Eastern] homes, is not something you talk about. And so a lot of his songs, especially on his latest album, are kind of about that experience. But the song â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hurtsâ&#x20AC;? can honestly be applied to anyone whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ever felt hurt by words before. As a person who is Jewish, a woman, of color and bisexual ... the attitude of the song resonated with me. The thing that I was thinking about when I chose this song was when I was five years old and one of my classmates questioned me about my religion for the first time. And then it kept happening. And that just really sucks. Hurtful experiences can spark personal growth which, then, if you do it right, can then extend to your community. JA: Why do you think Hillel puts on this event?
By Carmi Rothberg justice EDITOR
Aviva Davis: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a co-coordinator for Hillel Race Talks. As a cocoordinator itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s partially my job to help come up with ideas and to help plan certain events we want to do.
AD: I think Hillel does this stuff because they feel bad. I think that diversity programs are a thing because whoever founded them feels bad. Thank you for gracing us with your special programs so that we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel forgotten, but we were ... forgotten. And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why these things exist. JA: Do you think this event is going to happen again next year? AD: Honestly, it comes down to people being willing to do it again. And I really hope they will because we need them! We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a coffeehouse without the people. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t imagine that next year there wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be these people that want to participate in any way that they can. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Maya Zanger-Nadis
Solution to last issueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sudoku
Puzzle courtesy of www.sudokuoftheday.com