The Justice, March 6, 2018

ARTS Page 18

FORUM Condemn collection of ethnic data 11 SPORTS Women’s basketball makes playoffs 16

‘iphigenia’ andrew baxter/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 18

www.thejustice.org

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Lantern festival

admissions

Univ. addresses applicant fears ■ Brandeis assured high

school applicants that they will not jeopardize their admission by protesting.

By Abby patkin Justice Editor

chelsea madera/the Justice

Student dancers performed at the Brandeis Chinese Cultural Connection's Lantern Festival on Friday night, marking the traditional end of Chinese New Year celebrations.

Leaders evaluate inclusion and diversity at Brandeis ■ Students and staff discussed the progress the University has made on diversity and inclusion.

By Avraham Penso Justice Editor

Despite recent improvements, certain challenges remain in the effort to fulfill the agreements negotiated after Ford Hall 2015, Chief Diversity Officer Mark Brimhall-Vargas explained in an interview with the Justice.

The interview followed a Feb. 12 presentation by Brimhall-Vargas and Student Union Diversity and Inclusion Officer Amber Abernathy ’18 that discussed the University’s efforts to improve student, faculty and staff diversity and ensure equitable club funding.

Abernathy described her work assessing whether clubs centered around minoritized racial and ethnic groups received equitable treatment in the club allocation process. She explained her preference for the term

“minoritized” over “minority,” saying that the latter has been “placed upon individuals through an oppressive power structure.”

Displaying graphs of student demographics and funding requests, Abernathy noted that although Hispanic/ Latinx, Black and Asian students together comprise around 50 percent of the student body, the percentage of money requested by clubs that serve these minoritized groups is smaller.

As a result, Abernathy said, these clubs might not be receiving equitable resources, despite having funding requests approved at roughly equal rates with other clubs.

To help these groups secure equitable funding, Abernathy urged the Student Union to ask, “How can we, as a Union, be a little bit more accessible to … students that identify as minoritized groups?” She emphasized that improving accessibility would require examining the “historical aspects of [minoritized students] asking for money to higher power structures” as well the possible role of bias in the allocation board’s funding process. Abernathy plans to speak with minoritized

student groups to understand how the Union can better represent them and provide “the safe space where they can ask for more money.”

Following Abernathy’s presentation, Brimhall-Vargas discussed the University’s progress toward enacting the policies agreed upon following the Ford Hall 2015 student protest, as well as some of the challenges that have arisen in attempting to do so.

He mentioned notable accomplishments, such as addressing the needs of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and temporary protected status students, as well as the creation of a diverse ombuds office and the hiring of Maria Madison as associate dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

However, Brimhall-Vargas admitted, other goals were not “practical, feasible [or] legal.” In an interview with the Justice, Brimhall-Vargas explained that he chose not to mandate diversity trainings, saying, “If you force someone into a diversity training, they usually don’t approach it

See diversity, 7 ☛

Participation in peaceful protest and any resulting disciplinary action will not affect applicants’ chances of admission to Brandeis, the University announced on its social media accounts on Feb. 23.

The announcement came at the heels of a Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which saw 17 fatalities and 14 injured. In the wake of the shooting, students across the country have staged or begun planning class walkouts in memoriam the survivors and victims, also demanding tighter gun measures, according to a March 1 WBUR “All Things Considered.”

There will be a slew of “March

for Our Lives” walkouts across the country on March 24, and on March 14, Brandeis students will hold a walkout in solidarity with Parkland, featuring a 17-minute moment of silence to honor each of the victims.

Hundreds of students around the United States — high schooland college-aged alike — will walk out of class in protest this month.

However, WBUR notes, some high school administrators have threatened to discipline students who miss class to protest.

Yet the University will not penalize applicants for participating in peaceful protests. “Brandeis supports students’ right to stand up for their beliefs. Those who participate in peaceful protests will not jeopardize their admission to Brandeis. Speak up, speak out,” read the University’s statement, which was posted on Facebook and Twitter.

The University’s message echoed similar ones from colleges

See admissions, 7 ☛

campus speaker

Journalist speaks on antibiotic resistance ■ Independent journalist

Maryn McKenna spoke about the risk of antibiotic use in poultry and farming.

By Emily Blumenthal JUSTICE SENIOR WRITER

On Christmas Day 1948, scientist Thomas H. Jukes checked the results of an experiment with chicken feed — he noticed that chicks who were fed small amounts of antibiotics gained more weight than those who were not. Jukes was one of a number of scientists conducting experiments to find an inexpensive feed for livestock to compensate for the market losses following WWII, and he thought he had stumbled upon a possible solution. According to journalist and Schuster Institute of Investigative Journalism fellow Maryn

McKenna, Jukes’ discovery caused a massive upheaval in the system of raising livestock as well as “a profound human health threat that would sweep the world.”

When McKenna first heard about the use of antibiotics on healthy animals, she was “perplexed,” and, having recently finished writing a book on the antibiotic-resistant bacteria MRSA, decided to learn more about the subject. The result was her book “Big Chicken,” in which McKenna discusses “how we came to give antibiotics routinely to most of the meat animals on the planet.” McKenna presented the tale at a Feb. 26 forum, followed by a Q&A. McKenna began her presentation with the history of antibiotics, starting from Alexander Fleming’s invention of penicillin in 1943.

She stated that “antibiotics were a miracle and a shock,” and empha-

See big chicken, 7 ☛

When an EP Dropped

Driving It In

Boston Landmark

 Mathias Boayar ’20 dropped his first EP on Spotify and Itunes.

 The men’s basketball team concluded a disappointing season in the UAA cellar.

An architectural history scholar discussed the importance of Boston's Prudential Center.

andrew baxter/the Justice

For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org

Waltham, Mass.

Let your voice be heard!

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

FEATURES 9

INDEX

SPORTS 16

yvette sei/the Justice

ARTS SPORTS

17 13

EDITORIAL FEATURES

10 OPINION 8 POLICE LOG

10 2

News 3

COPYRIGHT 2018 FREE AT BRANDEIS.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2018

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NEWS SENATE LOG

POLICE LOG

Senate debates club accreditation and club constitutional changes

Medical Emergency

The Senate convened for its weekly meeting on Sunday, voting on probationary status accreditations and constitutional amendments for three clubs.

Ben Shelling ’20 and Sami Schnall ’19 presented Smile Train to the Senate for probationary status.

Shelling stated that there was “not enough emphasis on global, social change related to the health fields.” Schnall explained that Smile Train is an organization which funds surgeries for underprivileged children suffering from a cleft lip or palate.

Schnall added that without surgery, children with these conditions have “difficulties with eating, breathing, drinking… and have difficulties holding a job.”

Shelling stated that the club’s events had little -to-no cost, and that the club wanted a room to hold events.

Class of 2018 Senator Abhishek Kulkarni asked how Smile Train would differ from other campus medical clubs focusing on children on campus.

Schnall replied that it is very difficult to raise awareness of every disease in a club that generally focuses on medical problems.

Schnall added that other medical clubs are “a lot about research … but Smile Train is significant in that you are seeing the before and after.”

Shelling stated that the club’s goal is to create “social change and health change.”

Kulkarni stated that he was worried about having a club focused on an individual disease, as that could open the door for many other clubs focused on other diseases and draw membership away from existing clubs.

Class of 2019 Senator Vidit Dhawan expressed reservations about holding a vote on Smile Train, stating that the club had not had an active senator come to its meetings due to miscommunications with the Student Union. Foster Mods Senator Casey Lamar ’18 had attended a meeting, but Lamar had never been present at a Senate meeting.

Executive Senator Aaron Finkel ’20 added that should the Senate not vote on the club’s presentation for probationary status, the club would not be able to ask for funds during Marathon and would need to present to the Senate again.

The Senate voted to accredit probationary status to Smile Train.

The Senate voted to amend the constitution for the Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society.

The Young Americans for Liberty Club proposed changing its name to the Philosophy Club. Senator at Large Shaquan McDowell ’18 stated that the club’s proposed change is “more than a name change, but … of the identity of the club.” The Young Americans for Liberty Club is associated with the overarching Young Americans for Liberty organization.

The Senate voted to place the item in unfinished business for next week and to ask the club to present at the next meeting.

Finkel reminded the Senate of the upcoming Student Union Coffeehouse this Thursday at Cholmondeley’s from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Sustainability Committee Chair Benedikt Reynolds ’19 reported that the committee has initiated a Sustainability Ambassadors program in partnership with the Department of Community Living.

Reynolds added that the program will be a part of the next orientation.

Feb. 12—A party in Renfield Hall requested BEMCo assistance for stomach pains.

Cataldo Ambulance staff transported the party to NewtonWellesley Hospital for further assistance.

Feb. 13—University Police received a report of a party in Golding Judaica Center who was feeling lightheaded. Two parties were transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

Feb. 14—BEMCo responded to a call regarding a party who had passed out in Usdan Student Center after giving blood earlier in the day. University Police transported the party to an urgent care facility for further care.

Feb. 15—A party in Reitman

Hall reported that they were experiencing flu symptoms with nausea and dizziness. The party was treated with a signed refusal for further care.

Feb. 15—BEMCo treated a party in the Gerstenzang Science Library who had had a seizure. Cataldo Ambulance staff transported the party to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

Feb. 16—University Police received a report of a party who was unconscious in the Usdan Student Center game room. The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital via Cataldo Ambulance.

Feb. 17—University Police received a report of an intoxicated party in Village Quad.

The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital via

Cataldo Ambulance.

Feb. 23—Brandeis Counseling Center staff requested a psychiatric transport for a patient who was voluntarily seeking treatment. Cataldo Ambulance staff transported the party to Mount Auburn Hospital without incident.

Feb. 24—A caller in the Charles River Apartments reported that they were having chest pains and needed medical assistance. Cataldo Ambulance staff transported the party to Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Feb. 28—University Police received a report of a custodian who was on the floor of a men’s bathroom in Usen Hall. A second call placed to dispatch reported that the custodian had left the area under their own power. BEMCo was dispatched

TEAM TRIVIA THURSDAY

n A News article omitted a statement from Hillel International President and CEO Eric Fingerhut, which was sent to Hillel campus directors and provided to the Justice by Brandeis Hillel Executive Director Rabbi Seth Winberg. This article has been updated to include quotes of Fingerhut’s statement.

(Feb. 12 Page 1).

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

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

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See POLICE LOG, 5 ☛

BRIEF Waltham police report identifies human remains as missing resident from last spring, found a year later

—Emily Blumenthal

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

and notified for a custodial supervisor’s response. University Police and BEMCo staff searched the area and reported it clear.

Feb. 28—A party in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center reported that they had exacerbated a part knee injury while playing sports. BEMCo staff treated the party with a signed refusal for further care.

March 1—BEMCo staff treated an ill party in the Shiffman Humanities Center with a signed refusal for further care.

March 3—University Police and BEMCo staff responded to a report of an intoxicated party in Ziv Quad.

BEMCo staff treated the party with a signed refusal for further care.

HEATHER SCHILLER/the Justice

Student teams tested out their wit in a trivia game night at the Stein on Thursday evening, hosted by the Department of Student Activities.

The Waltham Police Department said in a Feb. 22 statement that it had found human remains “in a remote wooded area ... this week,” which “were those of a 73-year-old Haitian woman who went missing last May,” according to a Feb. 22 Waltham WickedLocal report.

Waltham Police had previously announced on Feb. 21 that they had discovered suspected human bones “in a remote wooded area” behind the Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School. On Feb. 22, the police “identified the remains as those of Sara LaRoche,” according to the same report. The identification was “based on a preliminary investigation, including interviews with family members, surveillance video, and clothing found with the remains,” the Waltham Police Department said in its statement.

LaRoche was reported missing at Brook Avenue near the old Waltham Hospital in May 2017. At the time of her disappearance, according to Waltham WickedLocal, she was described as “speaking only French-Creole and possibly suffering from dementia.” At the time of the filing of the missing persons report, state and local agencies had “conducted a search … but Ms. LaRoche had not been found,” according to the same article.

The case will go to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine cause of death and make a positive identification. The same report states that “no foul play is suspected.”

According to the report, the investigation is still open and ongoing. It is being conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, the Waltham Police Department and Massachusetts state police working for the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.

—Emily Blumenthal

ANNOUNCEMENTS Bardic Music from Central Asia

Accomplished musicians from Central Asia give an informal performance of “Qyrq Qyz” (“Forty Girls” or “Forty Maidens”), an oral epic poem that interweaves elements of myth, legend, history and geography. Presented as part of the MUS3B: World Music course. Curated and introduced by Theodore Levin of Dartmouth College.

Today from 2 to 3:20 p.m. in the Recital Hall, Slosberg Music Center.

Richman Fellow Award Presentation

Vanita Gupta will present ”Hope Is a Discipline: Fighting for Justice in Perilous Times” It’s no overstatement to say that we are living in perilous times in the quest for justice, fairness and inclusion. Despite tireless efforts to drive progress, in too many communities we see a dramatic gap between what our laws guarantee and what people experience. But there is reason for hope: today, around the country, a broad-based movement by people from all backgrounds is pushing for reform and succeeding. Join Richman Fellow Award recipient Gupta in a discussion about the importance of cultivating hope in the face of

seemingly insurmountable challenges. Gupta is the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference and former head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

Today from 4 to 6 p.m. in Rapaporte Treasure Hall, Goldfarb Library.

Legally Latex

We are excited to invite all Brandeis University students to Legally Latex: The 18th Annual Liquid Latex Show. Liquid Latex is the annual show put on by the Liquid Latex Club.

The show is one of the most unique performance experiences at Brandeis and provides a space for creativity and expression unlike anything else. Come see your friends perform some amazing dance and runway pieces in nothing but latex body paint.

Today from 8 to 10 p.m. in Levin Ballroom, Usdan Student Center.

The Changing Face of Global Recycling

While the global recycling market has been impacted by recent decisions in China, Brandeis has partnered with Republic Services to handle our waste. We will hold two education sessions to present new information

and answer questions. Come take a virtual tour of our recycling facility, learn what can and can’t be recycled on campus and hear how the changes in the market will affect Brandeis in presentations by Sustainability Program Manager Mary Fischer with Gretchen Carey of Republic Services.

Thursday from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room, Shapiro Campus Center.

History of Ideas Movie Night: “The Leopard”

Luchino Visconti’s “The Leopard” starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale. “A noble aristocrat of impeccable integrity, tries to preserve his family and class amid the tumultuous social upheavals of 1860’s Sicily.”

Thursday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. in Room G03, Mandel Center for the Humanities.

Student Union Coffeehouse

Stop by Trelawny’s Tea Room for refreshments, music and a discussion with your Student Union Representatives about the future of Brandeis.

Thursday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in Cholmondeley’s Coffeehouse.

the justice

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boston’s ‘Ugly Duckling’

OBITUARY Waltham community mourns civil leader and benefactor’s generosity Waltham civil leader Joseph Burgoyne III passed away suddenly at the age of 62 on Feb. 16, according to a Feb. 21 Boston Globe article. The third-generation Waltham businessman was laid to rest at Grove Hill Cemetery in Waltham on Thursday, Feb. 22.

Hundreds of Burgoyne’s admirers lined the streets Tuesday and Wednesday to pay their last respects as businesses in the Waltham area erected tributes to Burgoyne, according to the Waltham Patch. Waltham Police told the public to expect detours and heavy traffic for the Burgoyne funeral procession on Thursday, while a Patch news photo shows several police officers in uniform saluting the beloved Waltham native in front of the Waltham Police station, with a flag at half-staff in the background.

Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy spoke highly of Burgoyne in an email to the Justice.

“He was a very quiet benefactor for hundreds of causes and never once wanted any credit or publicity. He was a hometown guy who did really well and always gave back,” she said.

Burgoyne owned the Walthambased Ideal Concrete Block Co. with his brothers. He began working for the family business at the age of 12, according to his obituary. He was a graduate of Waltham High School and a benefactor of many community organizations, including the Waltham West Suburban Chamber of Commerce, the Waltham Boys & Girls Club, the Waltham Lions Club, the Waltham Lodge

of Elks, North Waltham Little League, Waltham High School Gridiron, the Girl’s Lacrosse Booster clubs and Bentley University’s Parents Executive Committee. Burgoyne won the Waltham Chamber of Commerce Community Achievement award in 2017 in recognition of his work.

Burgoyne is remembered by his admirers as a warm, affable man who held immense love for his family and his city. “He loved Waltham. He loved the people of Waltham. He couldn’t have been more proud to be born, raised, run a business, and raise a family in Waltham,” his son Christopher told the Waltham News Tribune in a Feb. 22 article.

Burgoyne is survived by Patricia A. (Walsh) Burgoyne, his wife of 40 years, as well as his daughters, Erin M. Donovan and Molly Rose Burgoyne, and his sons, Joseph L. Burgoyne IV and Christopher P. Burgoyne, along with his grandchildren Marie, Tommy, Annie, Maggie and Griffin, according to his obituary.

His son, Joseph Burgoyne IV, told the News Tribune that Burgoyne warmly opened his home to one and all.

“We went to Bentley University and anyone from out of state knew they had a home away from home,” he said. “It put other parents at ease.”

Christopher Burgoyne, meanwhile, commented on his late father’s generosity. “The word ‘no’ was not in my dad’s vocabulary,” he said. “It was always, ‘How can I help you?’”

—Chaiel Schaffel

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the pru: Elihu Rubin connected the architecture of insurance company headquarters to the development of the urban city.

Speaker discusses the Pru’s modern relevance ■ Scholar Elihu Rubin

highlighted the historical relevance of the Prudential Center and the urban city.

By Jocelyn Gould Justice Editorial assistant

Taking his audience back in time to a fascinating period of urban redevelopment, Elihu Rubin told the story of the Prudential Center, a Boston landmark which offers insight into the birth of its modern post-industrial city. Rubin gave his talk on Thursday night, Feb. 15.

Rubin, a professor of urbanism at the Yale School of Architecture, began his lecture with a surprising admission: He collects postcards with images of insurance company headquarters on them. Rubin showed the audience snapshots of his collection, featuring diverse and intriguing architectural constructions, before stopping on an image of a tall rectangular tower with the word “Prudential” written across the top.

Rubin himself admitted of the Prudential Center in Boston: “No one ever thought that the building was all that … great.” For Rubin, however, as he studied this initially boring building, it became “a kind of prism” that revealed “important trends and ideas in postwar American urbanism.”

‘The Pru,’ as Rubin referred to the building, was designed by Charles Luckman and William Pereira in the early 1960s as an office for the life insurance company Prudential Financial Inc. Located in midtown Boston, the Pru is a massive tower surrounded by an open plaza filled with shops.

According to Rubin, Luckman’s goal was to “humanate” the city by creating “massive concourses and plazas”

to bring “lots of light and air into the urban core.”

The story of the Pru is far more complicated than breathing room in the city, however, and can give insight into the major role insurance companies played in urban development in the 1950s and 1960s. Just as railroads helped shape urban landscapes in the 19th century, Rubin argues that insurance companies were “one of the motive forces of urban change, architecture and urban development in the 20th century.”

“You can’t tell the story of American architectural history without considering buildings which have been produced by insurance companies,” Rubin said. He pointed to the major financial investments that insurance companies made after World War II to redevelop industrial cities. During this time period, insurance companies stepped in to invest in the cities, transforming them into post-industrial landscapes.

The Pru’s construction was part of a national decentralization of the Prudential company, in a response to the company’s massive growth. In the 1950s and 1960s, the company created offices in cities across the country, such as Los Angeles and Houston.

Prudential developed its approach to urban architecture prior to building the Pru, choosing larger areas of land outside the crowded downtown to have both the iconic Prudential tower as well as parking and amenities, according to Rubin.

“They want the tower with ‘Pru,’ but they want to control a big chunk of land,” Rubin said. With offices like the Pru, Prudential found ways of “navigating this immediate postwar age, where we’re not sure where corporations should locate. Prudential, by locating itself in Boston’s midtown district, was able to “have it both ways,”

according to Rubin.

The Pru followed this trend, but unfortunately, the result of Luckman’s “humanating” endeavor was “awkward,” as Rubin put it. Unexpected wind patterns in the plazas made opening doors extremely difficult, and the shopping centers in the Pru were never successful.

The Pru was deeply unpopular in the city. Beginning in the 1990s, the company completely rearranged the plaza’s design to try to solve the problems, Rubin said.

However, the Pru was not a failure in its mission to help develop the city of Boston. Prudential’s pressuring Boston legislators for tax incentives before building the Pru led to a “rewriting of urban redevelopment law,” according to Rubin. This helped change the reputation of Boston as a financially undesirable city to invest in, opening doors for other investments.

Rubin said, “Prudential’s investment helped spark confidence in the city,” going on to call that confidence the “important intangible aspect of urban redevelopment.” Office buildings were constructed in downtown and midtown, part of a “building program” the Pru inspired.

Concluding his lecture, Rubin highlighted the “ironical resilience” of the Pru. “There was nothing sacred about it,” Rubin said. “It was just open enough to allow it to adapt, … and so the Pru makes itself relevant again.”

Juxtaposing the Pru with the new forest of tall, glass buildings in Boston, Rubin said, “Isn’t there something kind of charming, … kind of ‘ugly duckling’ about our little Pru?” He went on to ask, “Isn’t the Pru now so much more of Boston’s character than some of those new glass buildings?”

This event was part of the Richard Saivetz ’69 Annual Memorial Architectural Lecture Series.

Campus speaker

Scholar explores the reality of speaking Spanish in America ■ Linguistics professor Kim

Potowski examined myths surrounding the Spanish language in America today.

By Mack Schoenfeld Justice staff writer

This week, renowned linguistics professor and researcher Kim Potowski came to Brandeis to discuss the myths that surround the American variation of the Spanish language. Potowski is a professor of linguistics at the University of Illinois, Chicago and has conducted research on a wide variety of topics, such as Spanish in the U.S., language change between generations and language diversity in America. Due to her

thought-provoking research and its relevance to many of the programs offered at Brandeis, the Latin American and Latino Studies program, the Romance Studies department, the Linguistics program and the Dean of Arts and Sciences worked in tandem to invite Potowski to speak about her research.

Potowski’s presentation was divided into critiques of a few myths about the Spanish language in the United States. The first myth she discussed was that the U.S. is the fifth-largest Spanish-speaking country. She disproved this statistic by explaining that this calculation excludes the 11 million undocumented Latin-Americans and the 3 million Americans who speak Spanish but have no Hispanic heritage. Therefore, Potowski concluded that the U.S. actually pos-

sesses the second-largest Spanishspeaking population in the world.

The next myth Potowski aimed to debunk is that American Spanish is “less than others.’” This notion brings up the question of whether, if the U.S. is not an official Spanishspeaking country, the American variation of Spanish is less proper or correct than the others. Potowski explained that the variations of Spanish come from the different regions in which they are spoken. Thus, if the U.S. has the second-largest Spanish-speaking population, U.S. Spanish should command as much importance and respect as the other variations. Potowski is a firm advocate of U.S. Spanish becoming an official variation of Spanish. “We need to demand linguistic status for U.S. Spanish because you should speak

or adjust to the variation of Spanish that corresponds to where you live, and the U.S. has its own type,” she explained. Potowski’s idea is that if American Spanish speakers have developed their own type of Spanish, they should use that type. Why would one need to learn Venezuelan or Ecuadorian Spanish to speak Spanish in the U.S.?

Potowski concluded her presentation by breaking down the myth that the goal of Spanish teachers is to eliminate forms of informal Spanish. As Potowski believes that the type of Spanish a person speaks should match the region in which they are speaking it, she stated that discouraging students from using the variation of Spanish that they grew up using or are familiar with could be damaging. Modifying their native

language would damage their Spanish-speaking skills, because they would constantly be unsure of which grammatical and structural rules to embrace and which to disregard. It would also damage their identities, because the language they speak is a “marker of identity” for them. “Spanglish,” for example, a term that Potowski resents due to its inaccurate representation of the U.S. variant, represents the culture and upbringing of many Spanish speakers in the U.S., whose entire knowledge of the Spanish language is this “informal” variant.

Potowski engaged the audience with her take on Spanish in American society and concluded by asking for both students and teachers to respect all forms of Spanish so as not to offend anyone’s culture or upbringing.

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police log CONTINUED FROM 2 March 4—A party in the Village reported that they had exacerbated a past ankle injury. BEMCo staff treated the party with a signed refusal for further care.

Drugs Feb. 14—University Police received a report of the smell of marijuana in the area of the administration complex. Upon arrival at the scene, University Police encountered a party who requested to be voluntarily evaluated at the Brandeis Counseling Center. University Police drove the party to Mailman House for evaluation.

Disturbance

Feb. 13—University Police received a complaint of a loud television and people talking in the hallway in Reitman Hall. University officers at the scene checked all the floors and found them quiet.

Feb. 16—A party called to report loud music coming from the Charles River Apartments. University Police at the scene spoke to the residents, who agreed to turn down the music.

Feb. 25—University Police assisted a community advisor in Rosenthal Quad in dispersing a loud party. The group was dispersed without incident.

Feb. 27—A party in the Charles River lot reported that they may have heard the sound of glass shattering in the parking lot. University Police checked the area and found it normal upon arrival.

March 1—University Police received a report of loud music in 567 South St. Upon arrival, University Police found that the residents were just talking loudly. They complied when asked to quiet down.

Harassment

Feb. 22—University Police received a report of harassment directed at a staff member. University Police compiled a report on the incident.

Other

Feb. 15—A party reported that an unfamiliar male who did not appear to be a student asked that the party allow him access into East Quad. The male had a beard and was wearing khaki pants, a green hoodie and a baseball cap. University Police checked the area and it was clear.

Feb. 15—University Police investigated a call placed by students concerned for the wellbeing of a dog locked in the backseat of a car. University Police found that the temperature was in the low 50s and the dog did not seem to be in distress. The car’s license plate did not match any information on file, and University Police took no further action.

Feb. 15—The Office of Academic Affairs reported that they had received an envelope that contained a number of apparently cut-andpasted political cartoons and an odd letter. University Police compiled a report on the incident.

Feb. 27—A party in Reitman Hall reported a violation of a restraining order. University Police filed a report and a criminal complaint at Waltham District Court against the defendant noted in the order.

Feb. 28—University Police received a report of a suspicious male party on the railroad tracks adjacent to the tennis courts. University Police on the scene advised the man, a local resident, to stay off the tracks for his personal safety.

March 3—A caller reported three men on Charles River Road who were wearing hooded sweatshirts and were peering into car windows. University Police inspected the area and identified the men, who checked out.

March 3—University Police responded to a call regarding suspicious activity in a women’s shower area in Shapiro Hall. University Police compiled a report on the incident.

—Compiled by Abby Patkin

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THE JUSTICE

CAMPUS EVENTS

webinar by Marissa Pick ’07 highlighted how to use social media for personal branding.

By JIYIN CHEN Justice CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Social media presence and outreach is an important skill in the application and hiring process, said Marissa Pick ’07 in a webinar about “personal branding” that took place on Wednesday as a part of Hiatt Career Center’s ongoing “Marketing Week.”

This hour-long online event invited Pick, now the global director of B2B Social Media at the CFA Institute in New York, to present the webinar, which was hosted by Alexandra Stephens, associate director of Alumni Career Programs at Hiatt.

The term ‘personal branding’ developed in the so-called “age of individual,” said Pick, who used Venn diagrams and memes to demonstrate why and how a person’s own brand needs the support from their own perspective as well as others’. Pick gave five focus areas to demonstrate altruism and genuineness in personal branding: purpose, authenticity, value proposition, self-promotion and valueadding. At the same time, Pick emphasized active interactions with others, which she sees as a key to actively understanding oneself.

“What makes you outstanding, what makes you achieve, what are your passions, this and that, all things related to your personal brand should be consistent all across these incorporated factors and values of yours,” Pick said.

Pick detailed how to shape one’s personal brand on three major social media platforms: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Social media is “powerful [tool] to amplify your message, whatever that message is and whatever those audiences may be,” she asserted.

In a poll, Pick asked the audience for their preferred careerbased social media and noted the

significance of LinkedIn. Comparing this result to a subsequent poll where she asked about personal use of these media, Pick said, “I am surprised … by how many of you guys on this webinar aren’t using any of those social media — I hope after this you can incorporate this into your social branding.”

Pick noted how employers utilize social media and explained that social media helps identify candidates who fit into selective niches. “When you go in,” she said, “you can search different profiles of Twitter users; you can find really, really, really, segmented people to start conversations with.”

In a list of “do’s” and “don’ts,” Pick warned that one’s digital reputation “stays for life”: “you know, it’s good, it’s bad, it is what it is — treat it as if it’s permanent.”

“Be mindful about what you put up on social [media], because you will eventually become who you are on social media,” Pick emphasized. “You can only fake for so long, and you will become a pain on social media if you are too in real life.” She added, “Step back, think about what you are posting and think about how it will affect your personal brand [in the] longterm.”

Pick added, “Social media has little to do with what we say but everything to do with what people say about ourselves.” On this note, Pick stressed the importance of headshots as “very crucial, the second [thing] of influencing somebody with your brand,” especially in directing employer perceptions.

Pick summarized the key to good branding as four factors: time, effort, patience and thick skin. She advised students to look for “others’ interest in yourself” and “your interest in others.”

“Be interesting,” she urged. “Be interested — being engaged in interacting and sharing — and be experimental.”

Pick concluded her webinar with a frank statement: “Engagement is the key to social media, and for me, [it’s the key to] building my personal brand and adding that value.”

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CELEBRATING WALTHAM

Alumna highlights social media in the hiring process ■ A Hiatt Career Center

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ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice

A celebratory event recognized Money Magazine’s 2017 naming of Waltham as a ‘best place to live,’ featuring Waltham High School’s Show Choir on Feb. 15 in the Napoli Room.

CAMPUS SPEAKER

Physics scholar explains energy transfer studies ■ Phil Nelson gave a lecture on Fluorescent Resonant Energy Transfer and its potential to craft more efficient solar cells.

By SAM STOCKBRIDGE JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Physicist Phil Nelson gave a lecture about the history and promise of Fluorescent Resonant Energy Transfer on Tuesday evening in the AbelsonBass-Yalem physics building. The talk, titled, “The Physics, Biology, and Technology of Resonant Energy Transfer,” explored the discovery of FRET, in the early 20th century and examined how it is being used to improve the technology of tomorrow.

Nelson, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, began his lecture by describing the history of FRET. The phenomenon was first encountered by Günther Cario and James Franck in 1922. The scientists conducted an experiment where they used a laser to excite a mixture of two gases: thallium vapor and mercury vapor. When they modified the wavelength of the laser to excite only the mercury vapor, the mixture paradoxically emitted energy that could only have come, instead, from the thallium vapor. Upon further study it was discovered that the energy was being transferred from one compound to the other by what would come to be known as FRET. Over the next 10 years, scientists conducted more experiments, greatly enhancing their understanding of the phenomenon. They found that FRET would only occur if the energy levels of the “donor” atoms (the particles that can absorb the energy being produced) are similar to the energy levels of the “acceptor” atoms (the particles that end up emitting energy).

As time continued, researchers uncovered more examples of interactions that take advantage of FRET. DNA is able to coil into tightly-packed loops because of FRET; it is also re-

sponsible for the function of a family of genetically encoded chemical indicators used extensively in biology which change color in the presence of calcium.

Nelson explained that for many years after its discovery, physicists did not fully understand how FRET worked, even as researchers continued to use it in their experiments.

This problem arose from the thenemerging field of quantum physics, which looked like the perfect way to describe the behavior.

The field of quantum physics had been built on observations that the electrons in atoms could only occupy discrete, quantized (hence quantum) energy levels. When hit by the right wavelength of light, an electron would be excited into a higher energy state, then eventually drop back down to its lowest energy state (the “ground state”), emitting its own light from the energy loss. Quantum physics seemed like the perfect tool to describe FRET: discrete energy transfer on a small scale with only two particles to consider.

When physicists tried to do just that, they found that their models didn’t predict the donor-to-acceptor behavior of FRET. Instead, they predicted that the energy would be transferred back and forth between donor and acceptor again and again until being randomly emitted. This “slosh[ing] back and forth” of energy was a poor approximation of the observed “one-way” energy transfer of FRET. Nelson then showed how theorists were able to modify the original approximation to accurately describe FRET behavior. The original approximation assumed that the acceptor and the donor atoms were completely isolated from other particles, and assumed that the donor would always transfer its energy to the acceptor.

To account for cases where the donor simply returns to its ground state without exciting the acceptor, another term was added to the equation describing the donor particle. They also added a term to account for the

influence of other particles on the exchange.

Finally, Nelson explained how paradoxes in plant biology were solved by recognizing that plant cells take advantage of FRET to operate efficiently. One of the first people to make this connection was W.A. Arnold, a physicist at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1931 Arnold became a research assistant for Robert Emerson, a prominent biologist who had extensively studied photosynthesis. Emerson suspected that one of the pigments in an alga he was working with, phycocyanin, was somehow involved in the alga’s photosynthesis. The alga was exposed to a wavelength of light that the phycocyanin was able to absorb, but which the chlorophyll was not.

Despite this, the alga was still able to photosynthesize energy. Emerson asked Arnold to see whether the phycocyanin was responsible for the photosynthesis, or if the energy from the phycocyanin was somehow being transferred to the chlorophyll.

Arnold agreed, and after a few experiments he concluded that the phycocyanin was transferring the energy to the chlorophyll.

Arnold brought the problem to one of his professors, renowned physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer had a hunch that the behavior was a result of FRET, and the two agreed to write a paper about it.

About two years later, Oppenheimer published the paper himself without consulting Arnold. He showed that the alga were able to absorb more frequencies of light by taking advantage of FRET, one of the first documented examples of the phenomenon in nature.

Nelson concluded the lecture with a slide showing a 2010 paper which proposed to make more efficient solar panels by mimicking the structure of plants. The paper outlined how FRET could be used to design solar panels which would collect energy from more wavelengths of light, greatly increasing their capacity to generate electricity.

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admissions: Tweet reassures applicants about walkout protests CONTINUED FROM 1 and universities around the country, including Yale University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Virginia and George Washington University.

“We can’t speak for other colleges, but high schoolers have enough to worry about. We do not want to be the source of any additional, unneeded anxiety,” read one comment from the University’s account on the Feb. 23 Facebook post.

The statement was posted on the University’s social media pages on behalf of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, according to an email from Dean of Admissions Jennifer Walker, a copy of which was provided to the Brandeis Hoot and the Justice.

While the statement came as students prepare to hold protests in favor of stricter gun restrictions, the message should not be read as the University taking a position on gun control, Walker wrote.

“The tweet was intended to reas-

sure high school students, some of whom may be facing disciplinary action for expressing their views in upcoming protests that are being planned across the country,” she explained.

When applying to Brandeis, applicants are asked about any disciplinary violations and are given the opportunity to provide information on the circumstances, Walker wrote. “Brandeis, like MIT, Dartmouth and other schools that released statements recently, supports students’ right to participate in peaceful protests without jeopardizing their admission,” she added.

In fact, participation in a protest may even fit in with the University’s social justice values, Walker suggested.

“Having the bravery to stand up, to organize people, that takes a lot of courage and that is certainly something that I think would be applauded here,” Walker told WBUR. “From a Brandeis perspective, I think speaking up and speaking out is a good fit for our campus culture.”

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Cultural celebration

chelsea madera/the Justice

Students performed at Brandeis Chinese Cultural Connection's Lantern Festival, celebrating Chinese culture before serving authentic Chinese cuisine Friday night.

diversity: Open session evaluates Univ. diversity CONTINUED FROM 1 with an open mind. … If you help [faculty] think about how to construct a syllabus that is inclusive, that’s far more effective.”

Brimhall-Vargas’s talk and presentation also focused on the University’s push to increase the number students, faculty and staff from under-represented minority groups — a category that includes individuals who are Black, Hispanic or of two or more races, per the 2015 agreement. From 2015 to 2017, the percentage of URM undergraduate students increased to 15.8 percent (rising from 541 to 574), while the number of URM graduate students increased to 10 percent (rising from 192 to 209). During that time, URM full-time equivalent faculty also increased from 25 to 32 (with four of those hirings in Arts and Sciences) and now comprise 5.6 percent of the total FTE faculty, while URM staff increased from 124 to 156 to make up 10.8 percent of total staff.

While commending these improvements, Brimhall-Vargas noted that for the University to fulfill its promise to double the number of URM faculty by 2021 it would have to hire four to five more faculty per year, a challenge he called “ambitious” but not “impossible.” He also pointed out that the number of Asian faculty had decreased

from 37 to 34 and stated his desire to reverse this decline.

Brimhall-Vargas also expressed concern about the increased amount of faculty refusing to specify their race, even as students and staff increasingly chose to do so. He plans to speak to the Office of Planning and Institutional Research about “the need to provide the University a better sense of why we want people to go in and identify various categories like race. … There’s a natural suspicion around that, but we need to improve the data we have so we’re measuring effectively.”

Brimhall-Vargas told the Justice that although he saw only aggregate and not individual data for this study, past experience with other surveys has led him to believe that individuals who choose not to specify a race — instead frequently writing in “human” or “American” — are usually white.

Hypothesizing as to why large numbers of faculty would choose not to identify their race, he suggested that faculty might “bristle” at the federal racial categories — which place individuals from Middle Eastern and North African descent in the “white” category, among other flaws.

With regards to the potential dilemmas faced by other groups — such as Jews — that may not identify with any of the federal racial categories,

Brimhall-Vargas said, “If you’re an Ethiopian Jew, or an Ashkenazi Jew, you have a racial identity, I would suspect, in addition to a religious identity.” In a follow-up email, Brimhall-Vargas added that “racial categories are currently determined by the federal government. To include ‘Jewish’ as a race would require that these changes be made there.”

Finally, Brimhall-Vargas told the Justice that he hopes to address concerns about the degree to which students of different backgrounds feel comfortable interacting with one another.

“As a community becomes more diverse, certainly in terms of race, conflict emerges. … That’s an inevitable part of what it means to become a diverse community, and not everyone has a childhood upbringing that prepares them or gives them skills in that," he said.

Working in conjunction with Dr. Allyson Livingstone, director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education, Training, and Development, Brimhall-Vargas hopes to collaborate with the organizers of the workplace identity panel series #TheDialogues, as well as individuals involved with the ’DEIS Impact social justice festival, to think about “building that skill set through existing structures and programs and people.”

big chicken: Author discusses antibiotic use in farming CONTINUED FROM 1 sized their role in allowing soldiers “to survive … grave infections that would otherwise have killed them in horrible [and] lingering ways, saving them in days, sometimes in hours.” The country went into an antibiotic fever; seemingly every disease could be cured with these new miracle drugs.

In 1947, however, trouble struck in the form of antibiotic-resistant staph, McKenna said. This new strain of the disease presented a problem never seen before, and medical professionals struggled with finding a cure. America had now faced its first bout of antibioticresistant bacteria, but with Jukes’ discovery of antibiotics as growth promoters in healthy animals, the nation soon forgot about the problem. “Within five years, farmers went from using no antibiotics … to giving [their animals] 500,000 pounds [of them] per year,” McKenna stated.

The potential dangers of the skyrocketing use of antibiotics were not, however, without warning.

“Just three years before Jukes made his experiment,” McKenna explained, “Alexander Fleming, the father of penicillin, … warned that using doses of antibiotics that were too small to cure an infection would encourage resistant bacteria to arise.”

McKenna elaborated, “When we give an antibiotic to a sick human, or to a sick animal, … we are balancing that risk of resistance against the benefit of curing an infection. But when we use antibiotics when an animal is not sick, we shift the balance almost entirely over to risk, and that’s what we do when we give antibiotics routinely to the animals that provide the protein that we eat.”

People across the globe soon felt the negative effects of antibiotic use on livestock. McKenna stated that several outbreaks of antibioticresistant foodborne illnesses oc-

curred, killing dozens across the U.S. and UK. In response, in 1971, the UK restricted the use of antibiotics in animals, but the U.S. failed to do the same. The powerful agriculture lobby stopped congressional hearings on antibiotic usage policies, and, McKenna explained, instead of acting to prevent the damaging aftermath of antibiotic resistance, the U.S. decided to “put antibiotics out into the farm environment, and wait to see what happens.”

The results of America’s lack of controls, McKenna stated, led to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria far from farms and their workers. Drug-resistant salmonella outbreaks in 2013 and 2014 sickened hundreds in 29 states and Puerto Rico; the origin was one California chicken plant.

McKenna added that other countries have also felt the ills of antibiotic-resistant epidemics. In 2004, the Netherlands had an outbreak of MRSA originating from pig farms, and in 2015, pork from Chinese

farms carrying bacteria resistant to the last-resort drug Colistin afflicted people around the globe.

With many common antibiotics now too risky to use, it is expected that pharmaceutical companies will research new drugs. McKenna said, “We always assumed that however bad the resistance might get, there would always be another drug.” However, according to McKenna, these companies have largely stopped making new drugs, as the process is expensive and often takes over a decade from developing the drug until getting approval by the Food and Drug Administration.

The developing world is now facing its own problems with antibiotic usage in livestock, McKenna stated. As middle classes emerge in these countries, demand for protein goes up, and so does the use of antibiotics. The large increase in antibiotic usage and lax regulations, McKenna stressed, will only magnify the issue of antibiotic resistance.

“Whether we realize it or not,”

McKenna said, “by our overindulgence in antibiotics in medicine and in agriculture, we have brought ourselves to the edge of a post-antibiotic world, which is a world in which we would lose most of what we think of as modern medicine. … I think we do not realize how close we are to being in that much danger.”

However, McKenna declared, the tide is turning in a positive direction. China has preventively banned the use of the antibiotic Colistin. In the U.S., poultry companies such as Purdue, Cargill and Tyson no longer feed antibiotics to their chickens, and in January 2017, the Obama Administration banned the use of growth promoters in agriculture.

To end her presentation, McKenna quoted the microbiologist Joshua Lederberg, saying, “There is nowhere in the world from which we are remote.” If we change our ways, McKenna concluded, we may have time to stop the bugs from overtaking the drugs.

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features

TUESDAY, march 6, 2018 ● Features ● The Justice

just

VERBATIM | ANDY WARHOL Art is what you can get away with.

ON THIS DAY…

FUN FACT

In 1960, Elvis Presley left the U.S. Amy after two years of service.

Each year roughly 8,000 Americans are injured by musical instruments.

Don’t Hang Up On His EP Mathias Boyar ’20 drops his first EP on Spotify and iTunes Artwork Courtesy of MATHIAS BOYAR

BASEMENT RECORDINGS: All the songs on “Hangup” were recorded in the basement of Mathia’s Boyar’s ’20 home.

By Victor feldman JUSTICE editor

“I recorded almost all of this in my basement,” Mathias Boyar ’20 said in an interview with the Justice. Still slightly uncomfortable with self-promotion, he sat back onto the black leather couch in Farber Library and admitted, “Normally I write a song and just show it to a couple people and then it ends up on a file somewhere on my computer where it’s archived.”

Now, for the first time ever, Boyar’s music is accessible to anyone with internet access.

Ever since he was a kid, Boyar has been making music, writing original songs and playing them on his guitar. Hoping to turn his love of music into a viable career, two weeks ago Boyar took what could be seen as his first career step into the music world,when he released “Hangup,” a five-song EP on Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp.

Running 19 minutes in length, “Hangup” consists of rap verses and guitar solos with the occasional interlude of Boyar singing. Every song begins with voice recordings from Boyar’s friends, who have listened to the EP already. Each time, his friends comment on the music, saying that he needs to show more “ego” or that “the point of music is to touch your audience.” In this way, each voicemail prefaces the theme of the song to come.

The first song, “Coy,” is exactly what is sounds like,

a song about a somewhat shy music creator who knows he must be confident in his musical abilities but is unsure how the public will treat him.

Over the course of the next three songs, Boyar gains confidence. Sometimes following the advice of his friends and other times doing just the opposite, he experiments with injecting more ego into his songs and rapping about “nonsense” and explores what the purpose of writing music is in the first place. By the last song, titled “Scaffolding,” Boyar seems to have

found his voice and come to peace with releasing his work to the public. The song ends with a voice message from his friend Jonah, who says, “Hey, you’re so concerned with what everybody else thinks about your EP that you’re actually unable to be proud of it and happy with the result. … If everyone was just less concerned with other people’s input, I think we would be a lot more content with what we are putting out there.”

Boyar said that the purpose of this project was to ask, “Why does everybody care

ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice

ANXIOUS RAPPING: In a song called “Coy” Mathias Boyar ’20 raps about the anxiety he felt when releasing his music to the public.

so much?” “I think turning it into a voice message added another degree of separation because these people aren’t even expressing their opinions to my face, they are saying it through the phone.”

He suggested that he drew on personal experiences as well as themes from his music idols like A$AP Rocky and Queen for material in his songs. “I like everything, just not country,” he said. So far, “Hangup” has received generally positive feedback on campus. “I’ve gotten a lot of super helpful and con-

structive criticism,” he said.

At Brandeis, Boyar double majors in Music and Economics. Music is clearly his passion, but Boyar acknowledged that making a career as an artist isn’t always feasible and he wants to keep his options open.

While he’s still a student and free from the financial constraints of adulthood, Boyar spends his time out of class singing in Voices of Soul and participating in the Brandeis Improv Collective. Boyar believes that music can be a powerful form of art as well.

“Music is supposed to touch you here,” he said, pointing to his chest. “But sometimes music can be fun or ridiculous, too,” he added, saying, “I see it from both sides.”

Around campus, Boyar can be seen walking to class with a pair of white Beats headphones over his ears. Recently, students have stopped Boyar to congratulate him on “Hangup,” and Boyar said he was a little overwhelmed by the immediate reaction to the EP and wondered whether he should promote himself more aggressively. “For me, it’s a matter of reconciling my anxiety about other people’s opinions, but also being the personality that wants to be outgoing,” he said.

Boyar has already begun writing new songs for his next music release. This time, he might not have to record his songs in the closet of his basement at home. But, as he noted, “Sometimes it’s nice to create a simple recording setup; there is a lot you can record in a basement closet.”

the justice ● Features ● TUESDAY, march 6, 2018 ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice

USER UPTICK: Over the past five years, the BCC has seen a 30 percent increase in demand for individual appointments.

THE STATE OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH

At a forum on mental health, students voice their concerns

By hannah shumel JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Being a college student is stressful, which is why it is important for Brandeis to have quality mental health services, a forum of students agreed last Thursday. The Brandeis Counseling Center, in conjunction with the Student Union, held an open forum in the Napoli Room, the goal of which was to facilitate understanding and discussion between Brandeis students and the BCC. Students, or anyone in attendance at the forum, could ask questions regarding issues related to the BCC, and the panelists would respond, educating the audience members on a variety of topics. The topics included the services provided by the BCC, the BCC staff, present and future endeavours and what the BCC hopes to achieve.

In addition, audience members could make comments and suggestions for the panelists to consider and discuss. The forum was recorded and posted online for anyone wishing to watch it.

The panelists included Student Union President Jacob Edelman ’18, Vice President for Student Affairs Sheryl Sousa ’91, Director of the BCC and clinical psychologist Joy von Steiger, Assistant Director of the BCC, Clinical Social Worker and Eating Disorder Specialist Amy ScobieCarroll, eating disorder specialist Rachael Pucillo and counseling psychologist Dennis Tyrell.

In the last five years, the BCC has experienced a 30 percent increase in individual appointments. Last semester was particularly hectic; in addition to an increasing demand, many staff members had left the Center due to an implemented change in its model for treatment. This has put a lot of strain on the BCC — and it showed, according to some audience members. Multiple audience members provided testimonies of their friends

ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice

SYSTEM ERRORS: Both the panelists and the audience members agreed that the BCC needs to impove its communication with students.

complaining about the BCC, and many expressed feelings of frustration and concern that the center wasn’t meeting their individual needs as well as before.

The main criticisms included the long wait time for an initial appointment and a lack of communication from the BCC. While most in attendance were grateful for the BCC and appreciative of the services it provides, there was a consensus that several pressing concerns needed to be addressed. As a result, most of the discussion was devoted to how the BCC can be improved.

However, the BCC isn’t completely at fault, the panelists explained. Panelists noted that the BCC doesn’t directly communicate with students. Additionally, much of the staff at the BCC consists of trainees, who leave after a certain period of time; not much can be done if a staff member wants to leave because they feel that the workplace is no longer right for them. The members of the BCC have also been putting in hard work and have received increased funding in order to ensure that the situation from last semester is not repeated.

Panelists and attendees worked together to brainstorm ways that the BCC could communicate more effectively with the student body. The panelists admitted that much improvement was needed in this area. The most popular ideas included a regular email, similar to the weekly emails sent out by the Department of Student Activities, and updating the BCC’s Facebook page more frequently. Both parties agreed that through these changes, more students would become aware of the BCC and the stigma around getting help

for mental health issues would be reduced. In addition, students would notice the effort being put into this communication, which would improve the BCC’s reputation and affirm the University’s commitment to mental health.

Other ideas included educating Community Advisors on the BCC and its services and hanging flyers in bathroom stalls.

One way in which the BCC is improving its services is by instituting embedded therapists in various locations around campus, including the sports and convocation center, Gosman, the Intercultural Center, North Residence Quad, Village Quad, the Heller School and the International Business School for Socicla Policy and Management.

These therapists have drop-in hours in which students can simply show up and have someone to talk to They hope to eventually expand this program to other locations. This addition was very well-received by the attendees.

Another criticism of the BCC was that the formal process of gaining access to its services was intimidating; the embedded therapist program seeks to address this concern by providing an opportunity for students to seek help in a more relaxed setting. However, no one knew about this program before attending the forum. The panelists acknowledged that this was probably due to their subpar communication, although they did note that they were already planning on making flyers to advertise in dorm halls.

Other topics of discussion included group therapy, the BCC’s relations with studentrun groups on campus relating to mental health needs and inclusivity. Overall, both the panelists and attendees appeared satisfied with the dialogue created between the two parties. Hopefully, both parties concluded with a mutual understanding, the BCC can look toward a brighter future.

9

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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, Pamela Klahr, Robbie lurie and Natalia Wiater, Associate Editors Michelle Dang, News Editor Victor Feldman, Features Editor Nia Lyn, Forum Editor, Zach Kaufman, Sports Editor Hannah Kressel, Arts Editor Yvette Sei and Andrew Baxter, Photography Editors Morgan Mayback, Layout Editor, Liat Fischer and Devo Meyers, Acting Ads Editors Eliana Padwa and Lily Swartz, Copy Editors Jen Geller, Online Editor

EDITORIALS

Commend the University for holding active shooter drill

On March 21, the University will conduct an emergency preparedness drill on campus simulating an active shooter in the Brandeis Library. Through interactive role-play, this drill will test the University’s level of readiness should a real crisis of this nature unfold on campus. In light of similar shooter threats that have recently taken place both at Brandeis and at other educational institutions across the nation, this board commends the University’s proactive approach in fostering a safer and more protected community.

There have already been 12 school shootings across the nation since 2018 began, according to a March 2 CNN article.

In November 2017, three students in East Quad were threatened by an armed subject from outside the community. These facts highlight the need for increased emergency preparedness, and the University is doing an important job in meeting that need.

According to the University, simulation drills have become the most advisable practice in higher education settings in response to increased school shootings and are recommended by emergency preparedness experts.

This upcoming drill will allow campus security operations to evaluate their emergency protocols to make sure their staff, technological databases and plans of action are able to meet the demands of a potential threat. Furthermore, it will incorporate Waltham police, firefighters and other responders from the local community including Bentley University Police and Cataldo Ambulance.

Throughout the drill, emergency vehicles will be entering campus with sirens and lights, as if it were actually under threat, testing the communication between local first responders and those of the University under real-life conditions. This board applauds the University’s steps in not only improving our own emergency protocol but also improving its collaboration with other Waltham emergency personnel to be

Promote crisis readiness more prepared amid the stresses of a real threat to our campus.

The March 21 drill will simulate the sound of gunshots in the Brandeis Library.

It is understandable that this component may be triggering for some on campus who may feel anxiety or fear because of such a sound. This board appreciates the University’s consideration of these potential triggers and its commitment to providing the campus community with helpful resources throughout the drill.

According to statements released by the Department of Public Safety, the Brandeis Counseling Center will be offering drop-in hours throughout the process, and there will be clinicians onsite in the Department of Community Living offices, according to their website.

Additionally, the University has done a noteworthy job of making sure every member of the Brandeis community is aware of this drill and can prepare for any hardships or inconveniences.

Several emails have already been sent out to students, faculty and staff — in addition to signs across campus notifying people of the upcoming event. Further, alternative study spaces have been set up to compensate for the closed library.

All of this information is available on a specially curated website accessible only to members of the Brandeis community (www.brandeis.edu/drill). Should a real emergency unfold on campus, it is crucial that our security measures be properly aligned to diffuse the situation and restore the safety of the campus community.

Often, this is best ensured through simulation. While this may come with challenges and discomforts, this Board understands its necessity in protecting the Brandeis community and commends the University’s efforts in making sure everyone affected is accommodated and informed.

Acknowledge MakerLab’s contributions to the University This past week, the Brandeis MakerLab raised $6,000 through a crowdfunding campaign. Created in 2014, the MakerLab is central to much of Brandeis’ pursuit of new and emerging technologies, and is responsible for advances in the field of 3D printing, robotics and drones. This board recognizes the importance of the MakerLab and commends the Brandeis community members involved in this innovative campus resource.

The MakerLab has already contributed immensely to the Brandeis community; it has partnerships with 20 different research laboratories and is involved in the teaching of 12 different University courses.

The lab is also active in the world of social justice; a Feb. 13 Justice article detailed how the MakerLab allowed the Brandeis Prosthesis Club to create prosthetic hands for children with physical disabilities.

It is this type of work that showcases the positive influence of the MakerLab. This board recognizes the success and impact the MakerLab has had for the University and the greater community as a whole.

While many universities across the country have institutions similar to the MakerLab, the Brandeis MakerLab is unique. In the Brandeis spirit of combining liberal arts with top-tier

Recognize new technologies research, the MakerLab has not stayed only within the realm of STEM principles.

Instead, it has ventured out into different types of disciplines, such as creating 3D printing models of molecules for the Biology Department, using state-ofthe-art technologies in scanning for the Archeology Department and Virtual Reality for the Arts. Additionally, as demonstrated by the work of the Brandeis Prosthesis Club, the MakerLab has not been constrained by the pursuit of research and also has begun to use its work to contribute to the community.

Social justice has become a pillar of the MakerLab’s work.

Even with the complex and impressive accomplishments of the MakerLab, it remains accessible to all. The technology does not require engineering or sophisticated programming knowledge.

The MakerLab could be incorporated into many academic or professional interests.

This board commends those that have taken up the challenge and explored the MakerLab and encourages more students to do so. We also applaud those that have noted the work of the MakerLab and donated to its crowdfunding campaign.

PERI MEYERS/the Justice

Views the News on

President Donald Trump’s apparent support for raising the minimum age to purchase a gun from 18 to 21 and a more rigorous system of background checks for all firearm purchases left many Republican lawmakers stunned, according to a Feb. 28 New York Times article. Gun control advocates say that these regulations are a first step in combating gun violence, while detractors allege they would fail to stop guns from getting in the hands of criminals. Are additional regulations the right step to take in order to reduce gun violence?

Prof. Keren McGinity (AMST) Changing the minimum age to purchase a gun from 18 to 21 with a more rigorous system of background checks for all firearm purchases would be a positive step, but additional regulations are essential if the United States strives to reduce gun violence that results in the deaths of innocent children and adults. Age is not a sufficient predictor of premeditated murder and no database is foolproof. The gunman responsible for the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history was 64 years old and his name did not raise any red flags. Perhaps the most important regulation is a ban on assault-style weapons that enable a lone operator to kill many people in a short amount of time. They are not necessary for self-protection by a civilian. Protecting the Second Amendment’s “right to keep and bear arms” does not require preserving the right to own weapons used by combat soldiers; such guns, conversion gadgets, and ammunition must be outlawed.

Prof. Keren McGinity (AMST) is an adjunct assistant professor of American Studies, specializing in women’s history and cultural studies.

Prof. Michael Strand (SOC) The myth is that the market for guns that enables the extraordinary U.S. exceptionalism of mass shootings is not something already regulated into existence. The success of the gun lobby has been to label anything that detracts from the profitability of gun manufacture and sale as “regulation.” What we are witnessing is a case of organized resistance to a market created to be eminently favorable to capital, but one which makes life increasingly precarious. Resistance invokes what should be an obvious point: the preservation of life is more important than profitability, with gun markets and healthcare being the most obvious examples of the contradiction, and climate change arguably the most consequential. The worry is that such forms of resistance are increasingly subjugated as impossible, naïve, even “radical.” Life itself seems less sacred in comparison. Trump’s proposals at least suggest that he recognizes the contradiction made vocal by mass sentiment.

More consequential is the mobilization of students around the value of life (their lives) as a vital front in the battle of life versus capital.

Prof. Michael Strand (SOC) is an assistant professor of Sociology, specializing in social theory and historical methods.

Zach Kasdin ’18

Under the Gun Control Act of 1968, only those who are 21 or older can purchase a handgun. This age requirement drops to 18 years old for “rifles and shotguns.” Presumably, this distinction traces the line between guns-for-protection and guns-for-sport. And yet, in the face of the recent Parkland, FloridA, school shooting, in which a high-powered rifle allowed the 19-year-old perpetrator to kill 17, any further restriction on the sale of such damage-inflicting weapons seems well-reasoned, to say the least. If federal law requires someone to be 21 or older to purchase a handgun, then any commonsense first-step toward decreased gun violence would naturally place a similar age restriction on the purchase of all weapons. Granted, any long-lasting plan to limit gun violence will need to move beyond this type of Band-Aid solution, and instead rethink the role that guns can and should play in our nation’s culture. But, in the meantime, the leveling of the age-requirement to 21 seems like a good place to start.

Zach Kasdin ’18 is an Undergraduate Departmental Representative for the Politics Department, and the co-editor in chief of the Brandeis International Journal.

Ben Siegel ’20 Additional regulations are absolutely necessary to corral gun violence.

In no other modern nation is gun violence as rampant as it is in the United States. There is no reason to own any type of automatic or semiautomatic weapon. We need to redefine what types of guns are allowed to be owned, and the process used to obtain one. We need to have strong background checks, and necessary gun training, with accuracy tests.

We need a mandatory waiting period to ensure that no one who plans to commit atrocities is given the chance to just buy a gun and commit said act. We need a ban on all semi-automatic weapons and bump stocks; there is no need for these monstrous weapons. Finally, we need an accurate and up-to-date gun owner database. I believe that these measures are the first steps to ending the cycle of gun violence in our country.

Ben Siegel ’20 is a Biology major.

Photos: Keren McGinty; Michael Strand; the Justice

THE JUSTICE ● fORUM ● TUESDAY, march 6, 2018

11

Condemn collection of ethnic data on government forms

By Ye pogue Special To The Justice

In a recent Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, FBI director Christopher Wray said that Chinese spies are spreading throughout the United States as part of a “whole-ofsociety” threat. He claimed that every Chinese person is a suspected spy regardless of their affiliation with Chinese government and called for a whole-of-society response from Americans, according to a Feb. 13 Business Insider article. He also said that the Chinese intelligence employs nontraditional collectors such as professors, scientists and students.

They collected information not only in major cities but also small ones across basically every discipline.

Coincidently, about two weeks before Wray’s ethnic profiling statement against Chinese, a group of Chinese Americans and immigrants vocally opposed House Bill 3361 “An Act Requiring State Agencies to Collect Asian American Aggregate Data,” in Massachusetts. The bill was considered ethnic profiling by many. I, along with more than 600 Chinese Americans and immigrants, showed up at the Massachusetts State House to oppose the bill. The bill requires all state agencies to seek specific ethnic information from “AsianAmericans.” Asian residents would have to identify themselves as Chinese, Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian or other specific ethnicity based on their ancestry of origin. If the bill is passed, there will be a Chinese race box on all government forms in Massachusetts.

The claimed goal of this bill, according to the bill sponsor Representative Tackey Chan of Quincy, is to use ethnic distinctions to properly allocate funds and resources such as language assistance. I am one of the organizers of the opposition campaign, which was mostly grassroots people who had zero or limited political experience. I think the bill sponsor exposed a very real problem: inadequacies in the services available to many Asian American residents of Massachusetts. However, the bill tries to solve the right problem with a wrong solution. For example, if said bill is passed and the data showed that on average, Chinese have lower English proficiency, this data cannot help the government distinguish the particular Chinese who need language assistance from the Chinese who are native English speakers. Instead, it creates more stereotypes — Chinese Americans and immigrants speak bad English. Also, believing that knowing a person’s ethnicity can predict what a particular individual may need is built on the racist assumption that all the people in the same ethnic group are the same and need the same thing. Resource allocation should be based on need, not assumptions or generalizations about ethnicity.

In a Feb. 2 Boston Globe article and a Sept.

2, 2017 Boston Herald op-ed on the issue, the opposition’s likening the bill to racial profiling, the Chinese Exclusion Act and Japanese Internment Camps were characterized as preying on fear. I find this quite ironic since the bill is calling for a comprehensive “Wholeof-Massachusetts” ethnic data collection on a community with a long history of being suspected as a national security threat. In the meantime, Wray is alerting every loyal citizen of the U.S. to watch out for Chinese spies. The loyal citizens Wray calls upon include the people who are working in various Massachusetts state and quasi-state agencies.

I came to the U.S. as an international student about eight years ago. I have heard similar accusations very frequently. I am not a STEM student, but I have always been very watchful with my words to avoid being suspected as a spy. Every time I applied for the renewal of my F-1 student visa, I had silent prayers that my visa application would not be denied. Many of my fellow international students and foreign worker friends are unwilling to contact any government agencies, federal, state and local alike. Being Chinese reduces our credibility before the U.S. government. The addition of a Chinese race box on all government documents will only make our lives more difficult.

For people like me and other opponents of the bill, adding a “Chinese box” sound like a response to a “whole society threat.” The bill was not proposed to practice ethnic profiling by intention, but it resembles the tactic the FBI director is employing. This new FBI accusation should be a wake-up call for not only Asian American communities but also all communities. The Chinese immigrants are not preying on fear. We express our fearful and hurt feelings because ethnic profiling has happened before and is happening to us again.

“

We express our fearful and hurt feelings because ethnic profiling has happened before and is happening again.

Similar ethnic and racial profiling happened not so long ago to other racial minorities.

In Germany during the rise of Nazism, the government identified persons of Jewish religion or origin on birth certificate data. At the time the requirement was implemented, there was anti-Semitic hatred against Jewish people, but there was little hint of the rise of Nazism. Later on, birth certificate data greatly facilitated the rounding up and persecution of Jewish people. In a testimony submitted by my

MARA KHAYTER/the Justice

mentor Professor Frank Sloan, who is the son of surviors of the Nazi’s rule and is currently teaching in the Duke University Economics department, wrote that “A common view is that such things cannot happen here. This is what many Jewish people thought, and they did not want to emigrate from Germany since they believed that the German people would not allow the atrocities of the German government under the Nazis to continue. Yet the atrocities only became worse.”

Another insidious racial profiling practice is the colorblind war on drugs right here in every state. Detailed in Michelle Alexander’s book “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness”, the police selectively go to the Black neighborhoods to round up people. Their selection of location is to some extent “evidence-based and data driven,” because the Black people were said to be using crack cocaine, which was listed as the most dangerous drug, while white people use more powder cocaine and other illicit drugs, such as heroin. Though the data shows that many more white people use and deal drugs,, Black people cannot use that data to liberate themselves from mass incarcerations.

In the past six months, many people, including the Chairperson WingKay Leung of Asian American Commission told me during the hearing “Data do not discriminate, people discriminate.” In a meeting, he also said to the opposition that there was little need to be so

concerned, because the U.S. is a democratic society and can make sure that data does not fall into the wrong hands. However, when I look back into history, I cannot tell who had the right hand. There are too many human right violations and innocent blood on the hands of people who had no ill intention.

When Anti-Chinese and Sinophobic sentiments are on the rise, many members of the Asian community start to claim that they are not Chinese, but Taiwanese/Hong Kongnese or Singaporean instead. This is why I see this Asian data disaggregation effort as particularly painful. Only the immigrants from mainland China are considered the Chinese, and there is no way out for us.

Shortly after the opposition’s passionate testimonies at the State House, the legislators voted down the original bill and created a special commission to investigate and study the feasibility and impact of collecting disaggregated demographic data for all ethnic groups. If this study commission concludes that this data collection is favorable, given the data already collected in California and other places after the passage of similar legislations and ethnic background of the organizations calling for the data, it creates the possibility for a Jewish or Israeli box, boxes for people from the so-called Muslim Ban countries and many others. There will be many good and bad hands waiting for that data, and I am not optimistic about it at all.

Consider benefits of medical breakthroughs in reproductive health Nia

lyn purpose

According to a March 3 article in Time, this February, a woman from the United States gave birth to a baby after a successful uterine transplant — making her the second in the country to do so. The woman, who wished to withhold her identity, is part of an ongoing clinical trial at the Baylor University Medical Center to treat women with absolute uterine factor infertility, meaning that they have either a nonfunctional or nonexistent uterus.

The first successful surgery was performed in 1999 by a team of doctors at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. Since then, eight children have been born from women who had undergone a uterine transplant, according to the university’s website.

The procedure consists of three total surgeries: the first to implant the uterus, the second to deliver the child via Cesarean

section and the third to remove the uterus after having children, according to Dr. Mats Brännström, lead surgeon from the Swedish research team, in a June 7, 2016 interview with Scientific American. After delivery of one or two children, the uterus is then removed to prevent the risk of further complications or infection due to the immunosuppressant drugs administered. At the time of the interview, there were four pilot trials in the U.S. and two in Europe.

This is an important milestone because, for some, the ability to conceive is part of their identity as a woman. An Aug. 15, 2014 BBC News article detailed the lives of several women struggling with infertility.

One woman, Jessica Hepburn, stated that she had unsuccessfully tried to have a child for nine years, even with thousands of dollars of in-vitro fertilization treatments. She stated, “Shame is a massive factor in not being able to have a child — feeling just so desperately that you want to be like everybody else, but somehow you’re not.” Another woman, Jody Day, said that the inability to conceive drove her into depression: “I kept asking myself ‘what is the point of my existence?’” She went on to say that with time, she became a social pariah as a single, childless woman. While adoption is always an option, that is another

commitment in itself that should be carefully considered.

Not only is this procedure beneficial for women who may not have been able to conceive, it also creates new options for transgender women who want to carry children. A Nov. 4, 2017 article in the Independent cites Dr. Richard Paulson, the president of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, as saying, “You could do it [the procedure] tomorrow, there would be additional challenges but I don’t see any obvious problem that would preclude it.” As Paulson has stated, there are obvious morphological sex differences that need to be addressed, such as the differences in the size and shape of the pelvis. But in the future, these differences can be accounted for and addressed accordingly. However, while the uterine transplant procedure is still experimental and not a sure replacement for surrogacy or adoption, it does present new opportunities for those that want to be parents.

Similarly, this can help couples overcome the obstacles set to hinder the adoption process. Despite evidence that children of LGBT families are just as intelligent and social as the children of heterosexual parents — and basic common sense — there are still laws in place that prevent LGBT couples from adopting children. Recently, the Georgia state

senate passed the Keep Faith in Adoption and Foster Care Act which gives adoption agencies and foster care providers the right to refuse referrals to parents who seem to violate their religious beliefs, according to a Feb. 28 Newsweek article. This just opens the door for rejection on the basis of sexual orientation, race, gender identity or religious affiliation under the front that it is in the child’s best interest. In the same article, Sen. William Ligon, R- Ga., claims that the bill will not prevent anyone from adopting children but instead is meant to ensure that children are placed into homes in which they have the freedom to practice their faith. This is just a thinly veiled attempt at preventing couples that do not fit into the cisgender-heterosexual standard of normalcy from adopting children.

With expanded means of obtaining a child, such as through a uterine transplant, individuals may not have to deal with the difficult legal issues surrounding adoption.

According to Time, a uterine transplant would cost around $500,000. While the price may be discouraging, the successful surgical method is still relatively new. If it gets past the clinical phase and gains federal approval, the surgery may eventually decrease in cost, making this more affordable for other individuals.

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, March 6, 2018 ● forum ● THE JUSTICE

FORUM

Demand bipartisan solution to pervasive gun violence

By CHRIS D’AGOSTINO JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I know very little about guns. However, I understand that something is wrong in America when there is gun violence — particularly in schools — that far exceeds that of many other countries. A study by the Academy for Critical Incident Analysis detailed in the Washington Post addressed this discrepancy. It examined school violence in 36 countries and concluded that approximately half of all occurrences with at least two victims happened in the United States from 2000 to 2010, and the vast majority of these incidents involved guns. Those 36 countries totaled to 3.8 billion residents in 2010, while the U.S. population accounts for less than one-tenth of this number at that time. America clearly has a unique problem.

Yet legislative solutions — at least at the federal level — are extremely difficult to implement. Many gun control advocates blame the influence of the National Rifle Association for legislative inaction. They are probably correct. After all, according to a March 2 NPR poll, 94 percent of Americans support universal background checks, representing an unusual consensus in a divided America.

In addition, 72 percent support banning assault-style weapons, according to the same poll. If the federal government represented the will of the people, this issue would have been addressed already.

Nevertheless, debates on cable news present a more divisive picture. In a March 1 CNN debate, gun owners engaged in a contentious argument about the necessity of owning an AR-15. This disagreement may foster the illusion that Americans actually do not agree broadly on certain gun control measures.

The bitter political climate may amplify this perception. Therefore, it is crucial for Americans to reject this notion. Gun control advocates can help make this happen.

I do notice that many gun control advocates argue from a purely philosophical angle and fail to consider the practical implications of their words. They may argue that no civilian should have access to the weapons used in mass shootings, implying semi-automatic and automatic rifles. However, the guns used in these atrocities extend beyond those weapons; Dylann Roof used a pistol when he killed nine churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina in 2015, and Seung-Hui Cho used two when he killed 32 students and faculty at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 2007. When conservatives hear a sentiment like this— even when they agree with modest gun control measures — they may interpret it as a liberal plea to remove most guns, stifling what could be a productive debate.

To counter this concern, gun control advocates must clarify their positions and be more forthcoming about which guns they seek to regulate, as well as how and why they wish to do so. In a polarized environment, one side may only assume that the other advocates the most extreme position based on such ambiguity and general hostility toward the other. The mere mention of the words “gun

AARON MARKSz/the Justice

control” can evoke fear and anger among many gun enthusiasts. Therefore, clarity is important to effectively advance the debate on gun control.

“

The mere mention of the words “gun control” can evoke fear and anger among many gun enthusiasts.

Advocates must seriously educate themselves about guns. They must understand

the difference between semi-automatic and automatic weapons, the significance of bump stocks, high-capacity magazines, and the various other components of weapons.

Discussions about morals and ethics are not enough to have a productive conversation about guns.

Another unfortunate consequence of a highly polarized political environment is that each side often assumes the worst of the other. Gun control advocates may feel tempted to assert that those on the opposing side are heartless if they do not support, say, a ban on AR-15s. This mindset is extremely misguided. Surely, many AR-15 owners grieve after tragedies and are frustrated by the rifle’s ubiquity. They just do not believe banning the weapon would solve the problem. Both sides should debate the solution rather than point fingers. After all, it is far more difficult to convince someone of your position if you assume the worst of them.

The issue of gun violence may not be solved in the near future. The stranglehold of the NRA may prove too strong to break without serious campaign finance reform. However, positive political shifts can certainly be accelerated by productive national conversations. The importance of each side discovering common ground cannot be understated, especially in a political climate characterized by bitterness, divisiveness and vindictiveness. A bipartisan coalition that demands mandatory background checks for all firearm purchases would be the first step to diminishing the NRA’s massive influence over politicians who prohibit these laws. After all, history has the shown that the foundations of influential institutions weaken once the general public scrutinizes them.

Therefore, activists must not take for granted the importance of constructive dialogue between both sides and should resist alienating one another.

Caution against investment in suspicious companies

By XUANYU FENG SPeCial To The Justice

Jia Yueting, the co-founder and head of Le Holdings Co Ltd., also known as LeEco and formerly as LeTV, unveiled a concept smart car in April 2016, according to an April 20, 2016 Reuters article. Critics offered praise, calling the car “Chinese Tesla.” Surprisingly, the concept smart car never went into production. Earlier this year, Le Holdings grabbed widespread attention among Chinese stock investors for the dramatic plunge of its stock price after it resumed trading from a nine-month suspension.

As the only video website company listed on the China’s Shenzhen stock market, Le Holdings’ financial data was once very decent; the stock once hit 179.03 yuan per share and kept its high position of 50 yuan for a long time, according to data from Sina. However, since 2016, Le Holdings has shown various signs of mismanagement, including failed investment, financial reporting fraud and illegal asset transfer. Nevada State Treasurer Dan Schwarzer stated, “This is a Ponzi scheme. You have a new company that has never built a car, building a new plant in the middle of the desert, financed by a mysterious Chinese billionaire. At some point, as with Bernie Madoff, the game ends,” in a Nov. 15, 2016 interview with Reuters. Soon after, Le Holdings started the suspension of public trading on April 17, 2017, and it lasted until

Jan. 24 of this year.

At his peak, Jia was seen as a business leader in the technology sector of China, and according to a Dec. 13, 2017 New York Times article, “He charged into businesses as varied as smartphones, electric cars and sports broadcasting, vowing to challenge giants like Apple and Tesla.” But it did not last long.

Jia became trapped by massive debts and flew to California, leaving his company’s stocks suspending and all his debts behind, according to the same New York Times article. Later, he was noticed and named by the Chinese securities regulator and urged to fly back to resolve his debt issues.

After a nine-month wait, as soon as the trading resumed, the stock price dropped over 10 percent daily for 13 consecutive days, from 30.68 yuan to only 4.34 yuan, until the stock rebounded on Feb. 8, according to Sina.

So, what are the causes?

Firstly, a series of the investments run

by Jia turned out to be wrong. Le Holdings invested in YiDao, a car-renting company similar to Uber, for more than 4 billion yuan.

However, YiDao quickly failed under the fierce and aggressive market competition from its competitors DiDi and ShenZhou, backed by Tencent and Lenovo, respectively.

Later, Jia started promoting his electric smart car, in which he invested more than 20 billion yuan. Sadly it never came into reality, and thus, the market is not expecting anything in the way of returns from the investment of Jia

and Le Holdings.

Secondly, according to an Oct. 31, 2017 article in Caijing Magazine, 10 officials working for the Chinese securities regulator have been under investigation, as they were suspected to be involved in the corporate fraud on financial data. The Central Television of China also covered the story of Le Holdings in a 30-minute special television program, implying the astonishing disappearance of more than 7 billion yuan from the account of Le Holdings. Under such pressure and expectation that Jia might be sued for economic crime, the investors in the market had no choice but to sell the shares they hold as soon as they got the chance.

“

His company’s collapse is a cautionary tale for China, where firms regularly soar and fall at dizzying speed.

What’s more, Le Holdings stocks were suspended from being publicly traded for more than nine months. The reasons given

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

by the company varied from expecting major disclosure to being forced to suspend. The long-lasting suspension of its stock blocked the investors from trading their stocks freely so as to stabilize the stock price, but it was an indirect proof of the public image of Le Holdings’ hardship in management and strategic adjustments, let alone paying dividends and working on its stock price.

Last but not least, Le Holdings’ business has been expanded beyond the company’s ability to bear. Jia started his company as a video streaming portal but quickly expanded it to a multinational conglomerate, selling products from wine to cloud service, from smartphones to smart cars. Similar to the extensive investment in its smart car, it is rare for these projects to be long-term profitable. Despite that, he kept investing in new programs by borrowing money. No wonder that Le Holdings is called a “Ponzi scheme” by Dan Schwarzer.

How the tale of Le Holdings will end is yet to be seen. Jia and his company’s descent into failure is a cautionary tale for China, where firms regularly soar and fall at dizzying speed. Jia was once pictured as an ambitious and promising leader for Le Holdings. Being ambitious and having a vision is good. There is no problem with that. But as he carries less than enough management capability for his splendid and extensive vision, it turns to be extremely dangerous and risky for all following him.

2017

10 THE JUSTICE ● Sports ● Tuesday, March 6, 2018

WBBALL: Season ends after ECAC tourney loss CONTINUED FROM 16 addition to picking up a spot on the Honorable Mention team.

The squad finished with an overall record of 12-13, and went 4-10 in conference play. That record was good enough for sixth place in the conference, as the title went to the University of Chicago.

The team’s 12-13 record and 4-10 conference record was identical to its results from the 2016 to 2017 campaign. Coincidentally, in the 2015-16 season, the squad also went 12-13 overall. The Judges will look to finally break the trend and record a winning season in the

13

JUMPING FOR JOY

2018 to 2019 season. New incoming first-years will need to complement returning veterans in order to do so.

While the loss may sting for a while, especially considering the atrocious first half shooting, the team has the young talent to remain competitive in their conference. The team posted a record of 8-3 outside of the tightly contested UAA conference and is returning a lot of young talent.

If conference dynamics change, and dominant teams such as the University of Chicago lose a step, the Judges could make next season one to remember.

PRO SPORTS: The NCAA’s rules work MBBALL: Judges looking differently in theory ahead to next season than in practice

YVETTE SEI/Justice File Photo

RIM AND IN: Guard Latye Workman ’18 shows off his hops as the ball goes off the rim during their game on Feb. 24.

CONTINUED FROM 16

CONTINUED FROM 16 The NCAA has the second largest TV market for both football and basketball to its respective professional leagues. Dominant teams, draft day studs, engaging rivalries and classic games draw huge TV audiences and, as discussed before, booming ad revenue. People don’t watch for the NCAA as a league, they watch for the players and the game which is the product of the players’ effort.

This system has existed for decades, so why did the FBI only

get involved now? Well, it turns out that top players were being paid illegitimately and when NBA players were asked if this was a new phenomenon, many responded by saying that this system was an open secret among the players.

Many top players were getting paid one way or another to sway certain prospects to certain colleges.

It’s time for the NCAA to pay its athletes the money they deserve so they don’t resort to shady agents who often do not have the players’ best interests at heart. They work hard and deserve compensation.

consecutive victories.

Despite the rocky season, the Judges were able to defeat New York University in their final game of the season with a 97-59 lead. As the Judges said goodbye to seniors Nate Meehan ’18 and Latye Workman ‘18, the team was able to end their season on a high note while at home.

Although not the strongest regarding winning numbers this season, many individuals gave stellar performances throughout the 2017-18 season. Sabir proved to be an invaluable member of the team.

Starting in 25 games this season, he averaged playing 27.6 minutes per

game. Sabir scored 264 points this season, an average of 10.6 points per game. He was a key player in many Judges victories including the Nov. 20 win over Lasell College, where he scored 26 points, his current record within any single game.

Another forceful player for the Judges this season was guard and forward Latye Workman ‘18.

Averaging 29.8 minutes of play per game, Workman started in 25 games this season. He scored 244 points this season, an average of 9.8 points per game. Workman was a crucial part of the Jan. 28 game over Carnegie Mellon, the game that broke the Judges losing streak that took place in January.

Looking forward, the Judges have a considerable amount of work to do as they look ahead to the 201819 basketball season. Losing only two seniors to graduation gives this group of players a large, yet essential, opportunity to rise to the challenge and improve. Unifying over the next several months before the season begins.

The squad has a plethora of young talented players which could mean growth for the program in the upcomign years. If next year’s rookie class can fill the holes left by seniors such as Workman, the team will be a contender. As the other schools in the conference lose influential seniors, it could be time for Brandeis to shine.

TENNIS BASKETBALL SWIMMING TRACK

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THE JUSTICE

● Sports ●

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

15

TENNIS

jUDGES BY THE NUMBERS Men’s BASKETBALL UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Points Per Game

Lawrence Sabir ’21 led the team Overall with 10.6 points per game.

W L Pct. Player PPG 22 2 .846 Lawrence Sabir 10.6 23 4 .852 Latye Workman 9.8 13 12 .520 Eric D’Aguanno 9.6 16 9 .640 Colin Sawyer 9.4 12 13 .480 Rebounds Per Game 10 14 .417 7 18 .280 Latye Workman ’18 led the team 7 18 .280 with 7.7 rebounds per game.

Player RPG EDITOR’S NOTE: Latye Workman 7.7 The men’s season has concluded.

Chandler Jones 4.8 Lawrence Sabir 3.9 Eric D’Aguanno 3.4

UAA Conference

W L WashU 13 1 Emory 12 2 Chicago 9 5 Rochester 7 7 Case 6 8 NYU 3 11 JUDGES 3 11 Carnegie 3 11

WOMen’s basketball UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Points Per Game

UAA Conference

W L W Chicago 14 0 24 Rochester 11 3 23 WashU 9 5 19 NYU 8 6 18 Emory 7 7 13 JUDGES 4 10 12 Carnegie 2 12 10 Case 1 13 4

Overall L Pct. 3 .889 4 .852 8 .704 11 .621 12 .520 13 .480 15 .400 20 .167

EDITOR’S NOTE: The women’s season has concluded.

Katie Goncalo ’20 led the team with 9.1 points per game.

Player PPG Katie Goncalo 9.1 Hannah Nicholson 9.0 Camila Casanueva 7.7 Sarah Jaromin 6.4

Rebounds Per Game Hannah Nicholson ’20 led with 8.2 rebounds per game.

Player RPG Hannah Nicholson 8.2 Joelle MarkAnthony 4.9 Camila Casanueva 3.8 Katie Goncalo 3.7

SWIMMING AND DIVING Results from ECAC Championships on Feb. 23-25.

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)

200-yard Freestyle

SWIMMER TIME Marcelo Ohno-Machado 1:45.51 Chase Chen 1:46.04 Taku Harada 1:47.66

YVETTE SEI/the Justice

A PERFECT TEN(NIS): Rajan Vohra ’21, midway through his swing, has his eye on the ball during a match on March 4.

100-yard Backstroke

SWIMMER TIME Audrey Kim 1:00.64 Amy Sheinhait 1:01.65 Uajda Musaku 1:03.10

Track and Field

Judges to send six runners to NCAA’s ■ The track team’s top finishers will compete against athletes from across the nation.

By Zach Kaufman Justice Editor

EDITOR’S NOTE: March 21-24 at NCAA Championships (at IUPUI)

Track and Field Results from UAA indoor championships on Feb. 24.

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)

60-Meter Dash

200-Meter Dash

RUNNER TIME Regan Charie 7.08 Lorenzo Maddox 7.21 Jacob Ward 7.24

RUNNER TIME Kayla Fahey 27.51 Kanya Brown 27.77 Jessie Moore 27.98

EDITOR’S NOTE: March 9-10 at NCAA Championships (Birmingham, Alabama)

With the NCAA championships approaching quickly, the Brandeis men’s and women’s track teams sent a small group of athletes to Tufts University for their last chance to prove that they belong among the nation’s Division III elite. This meant top 15 in the nation for the men, top 17 for women and top 12 in relays.

This was the penultimate meet of the indoor season and as the weather continues to get warmer, the outdoor season will begin.

The men’s team sent three athletes to Tufts with the hope that all three would qualify for the NCAA championships on Friday in Birmingham, Alabama. Scott Grote ’19 impressed all season in the weight throw, so he was a natural choice to send to Tufts. His throw of 14.31m placed him tenth in the meet, but it was not enough to rank him nationally. Not qualifying for the NCAA championships should not take away from the incredible numbers that Grote put up all season

long. Churchill Perry ’20 travelled to Tufts to compete in the triple jump.

While his 12.60m jump was not enough to qualify him for NCAA’s, he still finished an impressive sixth at the meet overall, capping off a great sophomore campaign. Team captain Ryan Stender ’18 also attended the Tufts meet to compete in the 3000m run. Stender finished the race in 8:41.91, good for seventh at the meet.

His 3000m time from earlier in the season was enough to put him at 21st nationally, but it did not qualify him to move on. This should not detract from a dominant four years Stender has spent leaving others in his dust.

Graduate student Irie Gourde ’17, who only just joined the team as a senior last year, already had the times necessary to qualify for two events.

He did not go to Tufts, but no one beat his times, so he will be Brandeis’ lone male representative in Birmingham.

Gourde currently owns the second fastest time in the 400-meter dash, 47.81 seconds, and his time of 22.09 seconds for the 200-meter dash is seeded 10th at nationals after track conversion. This is Gourde’s first trip to nationals for the indoor season after placing 18th in the 400-meter last spring during the outdoor season.

For the women, the highlight of the day certainly came with the help of their distance medley. The team of Lisbeth Valdez ’21 on the 400m leg,

Doyin Ogundiran ’19 taking the 800m leg, Julia Bryson ’19 on the 1200-meter leg, and Emily Bryson ’19 anchoring, already had the eighth ranked time for their event coming into the Tufts meet. However, they did not want to leave anything up to chance, as most schools hadn’t run their best squads for the event. They came to Tufts anyway and won the event with a time of 11:47.36, improving their ranking to second in the nation, trailing the national leaders by less than half a second. Ogundiran and Emily Bryson will forego competing in other events in order to give this medley team the best shot at winning nationals. Ogundiran is currently ranked seventh in the 800-meter run and Bryson’s mile is good for second in the nation. Jordin Carter ’18 definitely showed the most improvement out of anyone on either team. Her weight throwing season ended at the Tufts meet, but not before she had the second-best throw of her career, going 15.69m, placing her fourth at the meet. This performance was the sixth straight competition in which Carter had a throw over 15 meters after having never gone over the mark before the season began.

The NCAA Division III indoor track and field national championships will begin on Friday, March 9 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Pro Sports brief With the recent signing of JD Martinez, where do the Red Sox stand in the AL East pecking order?

After months of speculation, the Boston Red Sox finalized the signing of slugging outfielder JD Martinez to a front loaded five year deal worth around $110 million. Even before free agency started, the consensus in the industry was that the Red Sox needed to put forth their best possible effort when it came to courting Martinez.

Much of that speculation stemmed from two numbers: 241 and 168. Those represent that amount of homeruns hit by the rival New York Yankees and the Red Sox, respectively. The Yankees paced the league in home runs last season, yet went out and added Giancarlo Stanton, the reigning MVP and MLB home run champ.

Meanwhile on the other side of the rivalry, the Red Sox finished 27th in the league in home runs and while their counterparts in the Bronx added

even more firepower, the Red Sox were stagnant until last week. The signing of Martinez adds a much needed influx of power to the Sox lineup, as Martinez led the league in slugging percentage over the second half of the season, finishing with 45 home runs.

The signing checks off numerous boxes, but does it push the Red Sox closer to the division favorite Yankees?

Offensively, the Red Sox pack one of the deepest lineups in baseball, yet they still trailed the Yankees in nearly every major offensive category.

While Martinez shores up noticeable weaknesses, his addition does not suddenly make the offense an area of relative strength. The Yankees lineup still has a significant advantage.

Both starting pitching rotations are also among the game’s best. Flamethrowing Yankee ace Luis Severino

has become one of the best young starters in the game, Japanese expat Masahiro Tanaka has shown glimpses of the talent that led to his record setting performances in Japan, and trade deadline acquisition Sonny Gray has long been a heralded talent. That threesome may not be able to touch the pure talent of the Red Sox rotation that stretches four deep with all-star caliber starters: Chris Sale, one of the preeminent starters in the league, former Cy Young award winners David Price and Rick Porcello, and breakout star Drew Pomeranz.

Advantage Red Sox. The bullpen battle is a little more contested. Both the Red Sox and Yankees boast an elite shut down closer in Craig Kimbrel and Aroldis Chapman, respectively.

Kimbrel is historically the more dominant

of the two, putting up five of the greatest seasons by a closer in recent history. For perspective, during those five seasons, Kimbrel averaged 44 saves and a miniscule 1.47 ERA. Chapman is no slouch as the hardest throwing pitcher who ever lived has deep October experience, despite his inconsistencies. The rest of the bullpens extend deep with experience.

The Red Sox return Carson Smith and Tyler Thornburg back into the fold and the Yankees counter with David Robertson and Dellin Betances, who would be closers on many teams. The bullpens reach a draw.

The X-Factor in this rivalry for the AL East crown are the managers, a pair of rookies, who have immense baseball experience. Fresh off of helping the Houston Astros win the World Series, Alex Cora returns

to Boston in an effort to return the franchise to late October baseball.

Cora has been a part of multiple Major League World Series, including the 2007 title with the Red Sox, proving his mettle and experience in the most important of games. On the other hand, the Yankees turned to a franchise legend to replace Joe Girardi: Aaron Boone. Red Sox fans cringe at the mention of Boone for his famous series-winning, walk off homerun in the 2003 ALCS to eliminate the Red Sox and continue the Yankee reign over the AL. But Boone has his own laundry list of experience to bring the hallowed franchise their 28th title.

Mark your calendars for April 10, as the storied rivalry will begin again at Fenway Park.

—Cahler Fruchtman

just

Sports

Page 16

TRACK SENDS FIVE TO NATIONALS The Brandeis men’s and women’s track teams had five athletes qualify for the NCAA championships, p. 15.

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

MEN’S BASKETBALL

BOXING THEM OUT

Season ends on a high note with win ■ The Judges dominated

NYU at home, winning 97-59, their biggest point spread of the season.

By Jen Geller Justice Editor

Saturday, March 8 brought an end to a rollercoaster season for the Brandeis men’s basketball team. The Judges ended with an overall record of 7-18 and 3-11 in the University Athletic Association. The team record declined from the 2016-17 season, during which the Judges concluded their season 8-16, overall.

Looking back at the season, it is clear that the team grew together.

However, there is always room for improvement and this season proved that the team was able to overcome many obstacles. The most notable struggle of the season lasted between Saturday, Jan. 6 and Friday, Jan. 28 when the Judges suffered from a seven-game losing streak. With hard work and determination, the Judges were able to come out of this slump to win three more games during the rest of the season.

The season began with the Judges

Waltham, Mass.

suffering two defeats, one away at Suffolk College and one home against Becker College. The first win of the season came against Lasell College, in which Guard Lawrence Sabir ’21 would prove to be a force to be reckoned with, even as a rookie.

In the coming weeks, the Judges would lose three games, again, before finally having another victory against Newbury College. Guard Nate Meehan ’18 led the game, scoring 16 points.

Victories against Bates College and Fitchburg State University led the Judges to their seven-game losing streak both home and away, including against New York University, the University of Chicago and Emory University. It would take a longawaited victory against Carnegie Mellon for the Judges to have a win under their belts and new motivation to turn the season around. During this game, forward Chandler Jones ’21 led the way. He scored his first career double as he scored 18 points and had ten rebounds.

Over the course of the rest of the season, the Judges would win and lose both home and away games, but could never pull through to win any

See MBBALL, 13 ☛

Pro Sports Column

It is time for the NCAA to pay its athletes ■ An ongoing FBI

investigation has revealed college sports’ unspoken dirty secret.

By Zach Kaufman JUSTICE EDITOR

Due to an ongoing investigation into the 2016 election cycle, an internal probe of all affairs, and the daily barage of tweets and public statements from the president, the FBI has been getting a lot of press recently. With so much on its plate, it may not make sense as to why the FBI is investigating the National Collegiate Athletic Association, but the investagation could finally reveal a decades-old problem with collegiate sports.

In order to understand why the FBI is investigating sports, it is important to first understand the perspectives of both the NCAA and its athletes.

The NCAA is a non-profit organization with the mission of regulating collegiate sports. It oversees the athletic programs of hundreds of colleges and universities across the U.S. and Canada and helps the almost half million college student athletes across the country. In doing so, the NCAA consistently generates almost a billion dollars in yearly revenue, but due to its non-profit nature, it can write most of it off as functional expenses. This money goes into a variety of tax exempt funds which are meant to improve the lives of student athletes. The money in these funds can pay for anything from scholarships to team travel and lodging expenses.

Equally important is where the money comes from. Each March, the Division I men’s basketball tournament generates over 86 percent of the NCAA’s total

revenue, but the athletes never see a penny. The NCAA makes the argument that the athletes are students first and are thus considered amature athletes and semi-professional, meaning they do not have to be paid. However, there is a severe departure from how these rules work in theory and how they work in practice.

It is pretty easy for athletes to poke holes in all of the NCAA’s main arguments. The NCAA has maint ained that the athletes are students first and are no different from any other student in their respective universities. However, at many top tier athletic schools, this is simply not the case. The most famous instance of this was at the University of North Carolina, where a particularly popular class among top level athletes was Swahili. However, an investigation revealed that Swahili was one of many classes offered at UNC that were not what they seemed. Dubbed “paper classes,” Swahili and others, mainly in the African American Studies department were classes that athletes were instructed to take for easy A’s. This problem is definitely not unique to UNC. Athletes were instructed to take these classes not simply because they lacked the intelligence to pass. Their daily schedules are incredibly demanding. They have hours of practice in addition to class, and many top level athletes simply chose not to go. It is well understood among the athletes, coaches, university officials and fans that the players are there for athletics first and foremost. But the NCAA persists regardless.

The NCAA also argues that these athletes shouldn’t be paid because they are amatuer. However what gives them this qualification?

See PROSPORTS, 13 ☛

ABBY GRINBERG/Justice File Photo

EYES ON THE BALL: Guard Katie Goncalo ’20 (L) and forward Jillian Petrie ’21 (R) fight for a rebound in their game on Feb. 11.

Judges earn berth in ECAC tournament ■ The team earned its first

playoff birth since 201415 season despite losing its last five games.

By NOAH HESSDORF JUSTICE Editor

The women’s basketball team concluded its season this past Wednesday night as it fell in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Tournament. Its first round defeat came at the hands of Springfield College by a score of 5846.

The game started out slow for the Judges as they failed to get much offense going. They shot an abysmal 2-24 from the field in the first half. The team only mustered four points in the first quarter, as Springfield scored a much stronger 19. Both of Brandeis’ buckets in the half came in the first half.

The Judges totaled eight points in the second quarter, an improvement on their weak performance in the first. They did so without actually recording a single field goal, going 0-8 from the

field in the process. The team was able to put points on the board due to its aggressive play that yielded 12 attempts from the charity stripe.

In the third quarter, the ball started to move crisply for the visiting Judges. The team was an efficient 8-18 from the field, including a couple key threepointers. Guard Katherine Puda ’21 had two threes of her own, and added an impressive layup as well.

Toward the end of the quarter, the Judges got as close as they would all day to Springfield, cutting the lead down to only five points.

In the fourth quarter Brandeis was outscored by seven as they went 7-16 from the field. Overall, in the second half the squad converted on just over 44 percent of its field goal attempts, a marked improvement from its putrid first half. For the game as a whole, they shot 29.3 percent. Keeping them in the contest was the club’s aggressive play on the glass, as they outrebounded Springfield 40-33.

Puda was the leader for the squad on the night, totaling 10 points.

She was able to do so coming off the bench and playing 19 minutes.

The other player in double figures

for Brandeis was guard Noel Hodges ’18. In her final game in a Judges’ uniform, the captain tied a team-high with 10 points. Hodges was also impressive with three offensive rebounds and two assists to add to her box score.

Many players contributed on the way to the team’s strong 40 boards. Guard Camila Casanueva ’21 showcased her athleticism with five rebounds off the glass. Guard Eva Hart ’18 and forward Hannah Nicholson ’20 tied with Casanueva with the team-high five rebounds.

Big for the Judges was the fact that three of Nicholson’s five rebounds came on the offensive glass.

The season as a whole was a difficult one for a young Judges team. They were led all year by their two senior captains, Hodges and Hart. The team will look to replace the two veteran leaders next year, and will lean mightily on both Nicholson and Casanueva.

The University Athletic Association honored both players recently. Nicholson was named to the conference’s second team, while Casanueva was the Rookie of the Year in the conference, in

See WBBALL, 13 ☛

Vol. LXX #18

March 6, 2018

Vol. LXX #2

September 12, 2017

Iphigenia

and Other Daughters

>> Pg. 18

just just

ARTS

Waltham, Mass.

Images: Andrew Baxter/the Justice. Design: Andrew Baxter/the Justice.

18

THE TUESDAY, JUSTICE March | Arts6, |2018 TUESDAY, i Arts January i THE JUSTICE 31, 2017

THEATER REVIEW

A feminist tale of a Greek tragedy

Photos by ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice

DARK DANCERS: Chorus members (Hannah McCowan ’19, pictured) circle Iphigenia as she is prepared for sacrifice.

THE STATUE OF ARTEMIS: Iphigenia (Zoe Rose ’20) stands over the prostrated body of her long-lost brother Orestes (Rielly Allen ’18).

By KENT DINLENC justice Staff writer

The Brandeis Shakespeare Society, also known as Hold Thy Peace, put on an adaptation of playwright Ellen McLaughlin’s “Iphigenia and Other Daughters” this past weekend in the Shapiro Campus Center. The story revolves around a family of women in ancient Greece who are left behind by the men in their lives who have traditionally defined them, focusing on the lives that are swept to the sides of history to make way for the men. McLaughlin’s take on the aftermath of Iphigenia’s sacrifice to the gods delves deep into the thoughts of Iphigenia, her mother and two sisters.

The director, Sophia Massidda ’20, told a story that continued this theme of female exclusion from history, particularly through Iphigenia’s sister, Electra (Rachel

Greene ’20). She barged through the front door, demanding everyone “look at me.” She confesses later in the play that “I used to be someone: I was [Iphigenia’s] sister; first I was someone’s daughter.”

This blended well with the motif of invisibility, which was underscored with her constant humiliation. She is demeaned by her mother, Clytemnestra (Amber Ruth Crossman ’21), who observes that women are not part of history, but merely exist at the margins.

While McLaughlin touched upon an interesting subject, the story she wrote lies on the other side of the spectrum. The script was full of never-ending, dull monologues addressing the audience.

Conversations between two characters felt like interruptions of each other’s spoken-word theses. The play’s three-act structure was unbalanced.

The first act, which only featured

ELECTRA-FYING INCEST: Electra (Rachel Greene ’20) kisses her brother Orestes when he comes home from war.

two people speaking (not to each other, I might add), stalled the play for half an hour to reach a single plot point that could have been made in 10 minutes.

The second act felt like an eternity, as if it were a lingering thought with no end in sight.

The story had no beats, nothing that kept me invested within characters as the plot progressed.

McLaughlin was telling, rather than showing; the dialogue was mostly expository and did no favors to my interest in the plot.

Characters droned on and on.

A succinct script could have done wonders for the story.

McLaughlin’s heavy-handed vicarious speech is thinly veiled provocative dialogue. I could see that the script held no enjoyment or stimulation, so I looked to the HTP cast and crew for help.

Massidda incorporated choices that added some symbolism and

much-needed subtlety to the script.

Dancers that circled Iphigenia and her mother during the sacrifice in Act One added some levity to the moment, while also inching closer and closer to their victim.

The dancers were played by Lexie Vogel ’21 and Hannah McCowan ’19, choreographed by McCowan herself. They mirrored each other in fluid motion and dance, bringing up the cyclical and repetitive nature of life, in that the women of history were relegated to their appearance rather than their actions and words.

Apart from Riely Allen’s ’18 Orestes and Amber Ruth Crossman’s Clytemnestra, no performances struck me as noteworthy. The presence of these two in the play added some perspective, but they were still plagued by McLaughlin’s monologues. The performances ranged from overthe-top to underwhelming (often from the same character) which

killed the momentum of the story.

Overall, the line delivery was wooden and unenthusiastic. The costumes, however, were welldone despite such a tight budget, some appropriately ragged and torn and others elegant and pretty.

Massidda’s direction did nothing to soften the heavy-handedness of McLaughlin’s script. I couldn’t observe any significant choices in the storytelling that eased the pain of listening to this dialogue. There were one or two rare instances that caught my attention, such as the dancers on the stage or the chemistry between Orestes and Electra.

I want to conclude by insisting most of my opposition toward this play is directed at the script.

It gave the cast and crew little to work with and inhibited their potential. I implore the producers to review their future scripts with more caution.

POP CULTURE

Political awareness characterizes Oscars

By aNNA sTERN justice Staff writer

During a year of distress in both the political and entertainment worlds, the Oscars were a reminder of the power and hope of Hollywood.

A telecast celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Academy Awards on March 4, 2018 harkened the power of nostalgia and showed montages featuring powerful clips from iconic films celebrating the essence of film. However, the show also took an optimistic tone, looking toward a brighter future.

Host Jimmy Kimmel brought his usual charm and sarcasm to the stage. As is now routine, he poked fun at President Donald Trump and the current political climate.

However, he also talked about the #MeToo movement and how Hollywood should support the upcoming March for Our Lives, planned by survivors of the Parkland, Florida shooting. Though his opening monologue was interspersed with allusions to current events, Kim-

mel also used Los Angeles as his stage and took some of the celebrity Oscar attendees to the theater across the street to crash a showing of “A Wrinkle in Time.” It was there that he had Armie Hammer of“Call Me By Your Name” shoot hot dogs out of a canon, Gal Gadot of “Wonder Woman” hand out candy and other actors thank the public for going to the theater. Though this was a cute gesture, it added unnecessary time to the broadcast.

The Oscar for best presenters, however, goes to comedians Tiffany Haddish and Maya Rudolph. Their introductions to the best short film award were a much needed comic relief from the general atmosphere of the evening.

One theme was clear throughout the entire broadcast: equality.

Many presenters alluded to the fact that Hollywood is changing and will begin to allow greater opportunities for women and minority groups.

Actresses Salma Hayek, Ashley Judd and Annabella Sciorra introduced a short video which praised

the trailblazers in Hollywood who have spoken out against sexual harassment and created diverse films produced by women and minority groups. This moment was especially poignant as Hayek, Judd and Sciorra spoke out against Harvey Weinstein from personal experience.

Even though the four lead actor awards were won by white actors, some results of the awards show demonstrated that Hollywood is taking baby steps to enter this new age. Jordan Peele, famed Comedy Central alum of “Mad TV” and “Key and Peele,” was the first African-American to ever win the Oscar for best original screenplay, which he won for his satirical horror film “Get Out.” It was a celebratory evening for Latinx people as Mexican director Guillermo del Toro won best director and best picture for his fantastical sci-fi romance “The Shape of Water.”

“Coco,” the Pixar film depicting the Mexican holiday “Dia de los Muertos” (Day of the Dead) also

won best animated feature and best song for its touching anthem “Remember Me.” Accepting the award for “Coco” were its filmmakers, two of whom are gay, which shows evidence of Hollywood working to create more spaces for LGBTQ filmmakers. In fact, the Chilean film “A Fantastic Woman,” about a transgender woman and her fight against scorn and discrimination, won best foreign film.

The film’s actress, Daniela Vega, was the first transgender woman to ever present at the Oscars. The winner of best original screenplay was “Call Me By Your Name” a beautiful coming-of-age romance between a teenage boy and a graduate student in picturesque Italy.

Though many of these films discussed progressive issues, there was still only one female nominee for best director, which presenter Emma Stone referred to as “four men and Greta Gerwig.” Gerwig, director and writer of the critically acclaimed “Lady Bird” was the first woman nominated in this category in 10 years. The actress

who summed up the theme of the evening was best actress winner Frances McDormand (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”).

After thanking her family, she put her Oscar statue down and asked all of the female nominees to stand up and be recognized (“Meryl, if you do it, everyone else will”).

She asked every person in the Dolby Theater to look around and see that these incredible women, writers, actors, directors and creatives have stories to tell and stories that need financing.

She closed off her speech with two words; “inclusion rider.” An inclusion rider is a clause that actors can put in their contracts so that studios can be certain of gender and racial equality when hiring for the film.

It is Hollywood’s hope that after the cloud that has passed over the community with both #OscarsSoWhite and the Weinstein mishaps, a new age can commence.

This Sunday’s Oscars were a pretty good first step.

19

JUSTICE i arts i TUESDAY, January 31, 2017 THE THE JUSTICE i arts i Tuesday, March 6, 2018

exhibition REVIEW

The Rose invites us to take a closer look NATALIA WIATER/the Justice

OUT OF FOCUS: A student stands in front of Annette Lemieux’s mirror works, which is included in a new exhibition on art in the 1980s.

By JOSH RUBENSTEIN justice contributing writer

On Wednesday, March 1, I attended the Rose Art Museum’s Spring Exhibitions Opening Celebration.

The celebration presented the Rose’s three new exhibits: “Jennifer Packer: Tenderheaded” in the Gerald S. and Sandra Fineberg Gallery, “Praying For Time” in the Lower Rose and Foster Galleries and “Blueprint For Counter Education” in the Mildred S.

Lee Gallery.

I encountered the first exhibit, “Jennifer Packer: Tenderheaded,” almost immediately after entering the Rose. Packer’s work is focused on the physicality of African-American bodies and how they are visually affected by our current political landscape.

As I walked along the wall digesting each painting, I was delighted

by Packer’s distorted, slightly out-offocus, grimy oil paint style that was simultaneously urban and majesti-

cally elegant.

“Praying For Time” was the second exhibit I encountered and one of the only exhibits at the Rose not centered on an artist, but instead around a theme: significant global moments ranging from 1980 to the early 2000s.

The exhibit was organized by Luis Croquer, the Henry and Lois Foster Director and Chief Curator of the Rose. Croquer designed the exhibit to reflect the tumultuous period in world history, specifically focusing

NATALIA WIATER/the Justice

PONDERING IN PAINT: Attendees to the Opening stand in front of Jennifer Packer’s paintings in “Tenderheaded” and discuss.

on art inspired by events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall and the 9/11 attacks. The exhibit is a combination of pieces from new and old acquisitions.

The centerpiece of the night was “Blueprint For Counter Education,” an exhibition composed of charts that map a network of intersecting ideas and information. “Blueprint” can be thought of as a proto Internet project, anticipating the prevalence of search engines and the quick connection of the hyperlink. I was struck by the multitude of phrases and images that adorned and made up “Blueprint,” specifically the phrase, “Modernism at this moment must be considered the end of the Renaissance.”

“Blueprint for Counter Education,” the book and philosophy from which the exhibition is based was created in the late 1960s by former Brandeis professor Maurice Stein (SOC) and his student, Larry Miller.

I sat down with Miller and Stein to discuss what it was like having the work they created at Brandeis on display at the Rose. Miller reminisced about Brandeis in the 1960s and how much of a fixture the Rose was on campus. When asked how the project initially came about in 1968, Miller replied, “I guess he [Stein] saw something special in me.”

In addition to Stein and Miller, I was able to speak with Caitlin Julia Rubin, who curated “Blueprint.” “It was a pleasure to dig into the history of ‘Blueprint for Counter Education,’” said Rubin, “and an honor to celebrate the exhibition’s opening

with Maurice Stein and Larry Miller, its creators. One of the highlights of the evening was the crowd that turned out to celebrate Maury and Larry, including former colleagues and students who shared their own memories of the time at Brandeis from which ‘Blueprint’ emerged.

Larry, who graduated from Brandeis in 1969, keenly remembers attending openings at the Rose as a student; it was wonderful to be able to present his and Maury’s work in our galleries, years later.”

Stein, aided by Miller, developed the blueprint as an anthemic call to action for thinkers to develop radical new ways of learning. The exhibition at the Rose is presented as part of a citywide partnership of arts and educational institutions, organized by the Institute of Contemporary Art to recognize the outsized role greater Boston played in the history and development of technology.

A visit to the Rose is always an artistically and perceptually captivating experience. Although there isn’t a distinct theme linking the three shows, they most definitely complement each other. The Spring 2018 opening presented the poignant work of Packer, a wide variety of works from the Rose Art Museum’s permanent collection and a close look at the provocative project “Blueprint for Counter Education” within the context of Brandeis University in the 1960s. These three exhibits are an excellent showing of the Rose’s rich offerings. All shows are in residence at the Rose Art Museum until July 8.

FILM REVIEW

‘Fukushima Mon Amour’ the merrier By kent dinlenc

YVETTE SEI/the Justice

justice Staff writer

The Center for German and European Studies hosted a film night at the Wasserman Cinematheque on Feb. 28. The department screened “Fukushima Mon Amour,” a film following a 20-something German woman travelling to the site of the 2011 nuclear meltdown caused by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake. She goes to an adjacent temporary residence to entertain the remaining citizens who insisted on staying in their hometown. When she is tricked into bringing an old geisha back to her destroyed home a few kilometers away, the two rebuild the house in an attempt to escape their past mistakes.

The director, Doris Doerrie, was in attendance to briefly summarize the film before the screening and to conduct a Q&A afterward.

As someone who has visited Japan frequently throughout her life, she felt obligated to tell the stories of Fukushima survivors through the film.

After spending six months among the wreckage and welfaredependent families, she wrote this story about loss, legacy and pain.

She also drew upon childhood memories from growing up in post-World War II Germany, where she lived in similar conditions in devastated lands.

As I left the theater, a thought passed through my mind: “This was the most ‘Indie’ film I’ve ever watched.” It was a black and white film with a French title featuring

DARING DIRECTOR: Director Doris Doerrie discusses the film and gives background on its creation prior to the screening.

German, English and Japanese dialogue shot in a real disaster zone by a German filmmaker; there was even a cat motif. All of these artistic choices had significance to Doerrie and her story. The French title was an homage to the 1959 classic “Hiroshima Mon Amour”; the language barrier mirrored the director’s

difficulties with communication during her first trips to Japan; the black and white was used to salute Japanese cinema and mask the bland, dead environment left behind from the disaster.

The crew endured harsh conditions, shooting a mere 12 kilometers from the actual power plant amid lingering radiation at

the devastated house of a family of survivors. They were no strangers to the sound of a Geiger counter.

All this to tell the stories of these people, who are haunted by survivor’s guilt and whose trauma obscures those crucial 20 minutes when they lost everything they had.

There is a palpable intimacy between the characters that can be

accredited to the real elements of the disaster. Supporting characters were played by actual survivors, such as the town’s senior citizens and the abbot living in the temporary residence with them.

The old geisha’s story was based off that of a real geisha who survived the disaster. In the film, she is concerned that as the last of her geisha friends leave, their beloved song will die with her and the legacy will be lost. The film even features the actual song of the real geisha.

Doerrie wished to tell the story of a master-student relationship between the old geisha and the young German woman in an environment that would break the two down. Despite some of the plot beats being derivative (à la “The Odd Couple” and master-student tropes), the bond between the two is unique in that both the master and the student are female. Doerrie mentioned that this was very rarely portrayed on film, so she decided to keep this dynamic. The two actresses playing the student and master, Rosalie Thomass and Kaori Momoi, respectively, performed very well for most of the film. However, there were some not-so-believable moments alongside editing choices that were jarring and redundant.

“Fukushima Mon Amour” is an experience. It’s drowning in symbolism but is kept afloat by a thoughtful and evocative story. I plead that you all go to the Wasserman Cinematheque whenever there is a screening. It’s such a great and convenient venue.

20

TUESDAY, March 6, 2018 | Arts | THE JUSTIce

INTERVIEW

Brandeis TALKS

wf

What is the full name of Chum’s (Cholmondeley’s)?

Sophia Massidda ’20 Photo Courtesy of SOPHIA MASSIDDA ’20

Zoë Wilhelmsen ’21

This week, justArts spoke with Sophia Massidda ’20 who directed “Iphigenia.”

“C-h-u-m-s.”

justArts: Was it your initiative to put on this production?

Sophia Massidda: I actually saw this at B.U. when I was a sophomore in high school and it was a student production.

Ever since, I’ve loved it and I’ve always wanted to do it. And if I want to see a show, I should just put it on, right? So I did.

Reyna Luback ’21 “There’s a full name?”

MORGAN MAYBACK/the Justice

CROSSWORD Genevive Bondaryk ’21 “I didn’t even know there was a full name of Chum’s. I literally don’t know.”

Amanda Kahn ’20 “C-h-u-m-o-n-l-e-y.”

Kwesi Jones ’21 “Oh ok! C-h-o-m-o-l-d-e-y.”

— Compiled by Jen Geller/the Justice Photographed by Andrew Baxter/the Justice.

STAFF’S Top Ten

YVETTE SEI/the Justice

Top 10 Pump-Up Songs

By DEVO MEYERS AND LIAT FISCHER justice EDITORs

Here’s a list of the top 10 songs that get us in the best mood possible — whether it’s for a night out, a run, or even a midterm, these songs are bound to make you feel great!

1. “Shut Up And Dance” by Walk the Moon 2. “Best Day of My Life” by American Authors 3. “Fire Burning” by Sean Kingston 4. “Bastille” by Pompei 5. “Forever” by Chris Brown 6. “Brand New” by Ben Rector 7. “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore 8. “Starships” by Nikki Minaj 9. “It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons 10. “Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson

ACROSS 1 Per _____ 7 Grp. entertaining GIs 10 Where the Saints go marching in, for short 14 ______ Harum (prog rock band) 15 Latkes, e.g.

17 Complimentary restaurant offering 19 Shade of printer ink 20 It hurts to stub it 21 ____ Period (Japanese era) 22 Pre-check org.

24 “Give me some time, will ya?”

27 Good place to start 33 Programming necessity: abbr.

34 The “D” of L.E.D. 35 Actor Epps 36 ALF’s home planet 38 Tune 40 “____ iacta est” (“the die is cast”) 41 Princess Leia, at the start of Episode VI 44 Words from knights in a Monty Python movie 45 Take an issue to H.R., say 49 Nearest the center 50 Sault-____-Marie 51 Santa ____ winds 54 Adjudicator in black and white 55 Remove from power 58 An environmentalist may strive to reduce theirs 64 Planned ... or, a description of 17-, 27-, 45- and 58-Across?

65 Like something rated XXX 66 30 mL, for NyQuil 67 Activist campus org.

68 “_____ of a Down” (heavy metal band) DOWN 1 Busy worker during tax season: Abbr.

2 Dog sound 3 Wacky tobacky 4 One melting due to global warming 5 British supporter during the American Revolution 6 Alan who played Hawkeye 7 Netwk. that was replaced by the CW 8 New Mexico home to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum 9 Work with no sequel 10 War locale, informally 11 Many a character in “The Grapes of Wrath” 12 Give for a time 13 Regarding 16 Type the #MeToo movement stands against 18 “My name is _____ Montoya.

You killed my father. Prepare to die.”

JA: Is there any one particular adaptation or one thing that you did or said that you are particularly proud of?

SM: Clytemnestra is sort of the villain and Iphigenia is supposed to be the sacrifice, but I did my best to present full, rounded, humans because this play is about women and I want to do justice to the women in the story. And the choice to make Chrysothemis an alcoholic I’m particularly proud of because that wasn’t in the script and I just feel like she was one of the characters that really fell flat just with her dialogue and I wanted to do something to give her a little more depth.

JA: If you could have changed one aspect of the process or how it turned out, what would have changed?

CROSSWORD COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN

22 Birthplace of Elvis Presley 23 Said “cheese!”

25 Give silent approval 26 Steel ____ (cleaning supply) 27 Actor Malcolm-____ Warner (“The Cosby Show” son) 28 Muckraker Tarbell 29 Actor Cage, familiarly 30 “Right away, sir!”

31 “Twin Peaks” character with an eyepatch 32 Sleazy hookup 37 Wise guys?

38 Nick Foles, for the 2018 Super Bowl 39 Snakelike fish 41 Showed disdain 42 ____ Angeles 43 Playground comeback 46 Subject of a 2001 scandal 47 Changes, as a constitution 48 Houston baseballers 51 Something druggies “drop” 52 iPod variant 53 Word after liberal or fine 56 Tribe near modern-day Salt Lake City 57 Still active in one’s golden years 59 Spelling competition 60 Has too much, for short 61 Cousin of Addams 62 Never, to Nietzsche 63 Movie buff’s netwk.

SM: I originally wanted to put it on in a different space on campus and I’m happy with what I did in the SCC theater but it’s just a really difficult space to work with. I have a cat that I wanted to be a part of the production; I think it’s interesting to add that little element of chaos in there. You never really know what a live animal is going to do when you just let it loose in a theater space... which is a cool concept to play around with.

JA: Ellen McLaughlin said regarding this play: “I suppose I’m interested in redifining the concept of history from a female perspective.” Do you believe that is accomplished in this play?

SOLUTION COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN

SM: I think it definitely is. I mean, I’ve read the Oresteia and I have not read “Iphigenia at Aulis,” “Iphigenia at Tauris,” and “Electra” which are the plays that this adaptation was based on.

But I know the basic legend and I know that the way that it is typically told is from the perspective of men, you know, you start with Agamemnon, he kills Iphigenia and we just sort of leave that all behind us and follow Agamemnon.

And then we follow Orestes and watch him live his life and he sort of dips into the home and kills his mom and then that’s all sort of forgotten about. But it’s like there are these four women living their lives and this one woman who was killed... I mean, they have narratives too.

JA: What was the best part?

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

SM: It was really fun! I don’t mean to exclude the one male actor we have and some of the male production staff that we have… but a majority of the cast … and production staff were women. [It was] really kind of amazing to have a rehearsal room that more often than not was entirely women and just a lot of girls who got to bounce ideas off of each other and talk without a man being there and without having to deal with a male narrative.

JA: What kind of differences did you experiences?

Solution to last issue’s sudoku

Puzzle courtesy of www.sudokuoftheday.com

SM: It’s hard to name specifics but really just being, like, comfortable with each other in this really interesting female way. I think it could just be when you get a group of girls together and they all sort of trust each other you just make this like weird magic.

—Maya Zanger-Nadis