ARTS Page 19
FORUM Criticize Spacey’s actions 12 SPORTS Women’s soccer ties NYU 1-1 16
‘THE SPARROW’ HEATHER SCHILLER/the Justice
The Independent Student Newspaper
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Volume LXX, Number 10
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Tuesday, November 7, 2017
‘ALL THE RIVERS’
COMMUNITY
Playwright responds to media regarding play’s cancellation ■ Michael Weller ’65 spoke to
WBUR about the University’s handling and cancellation of his play “Buyer Beware.” By ABBY PATKIN JUSTICE EDITOR
The University recently opted to cancel a production of Michael Weller’s ’65 controversial play “Buyer Beware,” a decision administrators said was reached following discussions between faculty and the playwright himself. Contrary to that narrative, however, Weller claimed in a Nov. 2 WBUR interview that he has not heard from the Theater Department since delivering the play. The play was originally slated to premiere on campus this academic year. However, “the challenging issues that the play raises prompted a reconsideration of that scheduling,” Senior Vice President of
NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
LOVE STORY: Dorit Rabinyan spoke about her book to a University audience at Rapaporte Treasure Hall on Wednesday evening.
Author discusses banned novel depicting a love story ■ Dorit Rabinyan spoke about
her book “All the Rivers,” a love story between and Israeli woman and Palestinan man. By ELIANA PADWA JUSTICE EDITORial assistant
Author Dorit Rabinyan’s “All the Rivers” was banned by the Israeli Ministry of Education for its love story between an Israeli woman and a Palestinian man. During her Wednesday lecture, Rabinyan chose to focus again and again on the need to establish a human connection with others, to bond. Connection between Middle Easterners of various backgrounds became personally important to Rabinyan in 2002, during a winter she spent in New York. That winter, she met a group of Palestinian artists living in Brooklyn, and in the freezing temperatures, they became “much more … related to the ground that [they were] accustomed to.” They had “grown up under the same sun,” and in New York, the joy of recognizing each other as fellow Middle Easterners overpowered the
political divides they’d been raised under. Rabinyan described herself as being the most religious of the group and explained that that experience was new to her. She enjoyed being teased and seen as the “primitive” one of the group by her secular friends. Rabinyan was aware that as an Israeli, she enjoyed freedoms denied to her Palestinian friends, and that it was necessary to have an equalizer. “All the Rivers” is based on Rabinyan’s romance that winter, and she dedicated the book to her then-lover, Hassan Hourani. She said hearing Hassan’s perspective of their “contradictory, disputed, dual” piece of land showed her how fortunate she was to have a homeland and a passport to go back. She wrote the story after Hassan’s death, she said, to continue the dialogue they had in New York. “All the Rivers” was originally titled “A Rescue Act,” and Rabinyan explained that writing the book was her way of bringing Hassan back to life. She first wrote it in Hebrew and said that she sees Hebrew as a language that gave her liberty and privilege but has caused Hassan’s Palestinian family difficulties. Res-
Communications and External Relations Ira Jackson wrote in a Nov. 2 email to students, faculty and staff. In the last several months, students and alumni took to social media to protest the play, which featured a white character repeatedly using the N-word. However, Weller told WBUR that the protestors “just don’t know how to read a play,” adding that in “Buyer Beware,” he was trying to show a broad cross-section of people under a lot of pressure.” Weller did not respond to request for comment as of press time. In his email, Jackson wrote that the decision to premiere the play off campus and instead “engage with the play and the issues it raises within the context of a rigorous, team-taught course next semester” was made following conversations between Weller and creative arts faculty. Theater faculty also discussed the decision with some stu-
See WELLER, 7 ☛
CAMPUS SPEAKERS
urrecting him in Hebrew felt like correcting that, she said. Rabinyan has been told by Palestinian readers that Hilmi, Hassan’s character, is just like them. To Rabinyan, that’s the best compliment an Israeli writer can get. Rabinyan’s focus on dual Israeli and Palestinian narratives emerged again during the Q&A session. When asked if “All the Rivers” was available in Arabic, she said that it isn’t but told a story about two letters she received about the book from people who lived only six miles apart. One was a student at a Palestinian university who had to hide the book because “those Zionist fingers [had] written it,” and the other lived in a Jewish settlement and hid the book because it was too left-wing. Both authors cited the same passage and said they were impacted by “the love for humanity. They felt they could cross . . . their own immediate loyalty,” Rabinyan said. When asked, Rabinyan explained the Ministry of Education’s reason for banning the book from Israeli high schools: “[It] is dangerous to the Jewish identity of the young readers in Israel because
See LOVE STORY, 7 ☛
Scholars address sexual violence ethics ■ A panel of professors
discussed the intersection of race, ethnicity and religion in resolving sexual violence. By MAURICE WINDLEY JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Around the world, the conversation on how to properly address sexual assault is still ongoing. In a panel on Friday, the University’s Feminist and Sexual Ethics Project sought to highlight ways that race, ethnicity and religion can intersect and shape perspectives in approaching sexual violence. Moderated by Prof. ChaeRan Freeze (NEJS), the panel included Prof. Bernadette Brooten (REL) and Sarah Deer, a Native American lawyer who played a role in the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
Brooten, the Robert and Myra Kraft and Jacob Hyatt professor of Christian studies and a member of the Brandeis Task Force on Sexual Assault began the discussion by explaining that “sexual violence happens in all communities, but differently in each.” Accordingly, she sought to highlight some of the ways culture affects society’s perspective on the crime. “Only by addressing culture, religion, economics, politics and different actions to legal protection,” Brooten explained, “can we dismantle specific rape cultures.” By viewing sexual assault with regard to all of these factors, society can address each sexual assault in culturally appropriate ways, she asserted. She also noted that, while the material can be triggering to some individuals, “economic and political circumstances can determine a survivor’s access to protection and other
See ETHICS, 7 ☛
‘Wasted’
Ready for Playoffs
‘Home Within’
A recent documentary tries to solve the crisis of food waste.
The men’s soccer team will begin its exciting playoff run this Saturday.
An artist and musician depict the emotions behind the Syrian crisis through a visual concert.
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FEATURES 8
INDEX
SPORTS 16
LUCY FRENKEL/the Justice
ARTS SPORTS
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EDITORIAL FEATURES
10 OPINION 8 POLICE LOG
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News 3 COPYRIGHT 2017 FREE AT BRANDEIS.
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017
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NEWS SENATE LOG Senate dicusses administrative changes regarding student life The Senate convened for its weekly meeting on Sunday, discussing multiple changes to aspects of student life recently made by the Union and by the University Administration. The Senate voted to de-charter and de-recognize clubs which had not renewed their anti-hazing forms. The senators also voted to re-charter and re-recognize the Brandeis Traditional Music Club. Student Union President Jacob Edelman ’18 reported on the new organizational structure created by University President Ron Liebowitz after the departure of Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel. In an email to the community, Liebowitz stated that “Sheryl Sousa ’90, vice president for student affairs, who oversees the dean of students, community living, athletics, the Hiatt Career Center, the Health Center, and student activities, will now report to Provost Lisa Lynch.” In response, Edelman stated that “it makes sense to centralize aspects of academic and non-academic student life to a certain degree. … There will be less communication failure that goes on.” Student Union Vice President Hannah Brown ’19 explained that she got word that the new General Education Requirements passed its second phase. The proposal will go to the Board of Trustees next for a vote. Executive Senator Aaron Finkel ’20 reported that he met with Assistant Director of Conference and Events Services Kim Callahan to discuss increasing school spirit and creating a Student Union podcast. The Campus Operations Working Group Committee chair, Senator-at-Large Shaquan McDowell ’18, stated that the committee met to discuss the results of the free menstrual products initiative trial. Club Support Committee chair Tal Richtman, the Class of 2020 senator, reminded the Senate about the committee’s upcoming workshop on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. and asked them to encourage any club leaders they know to attend. Sustainability Committee chair Benedikt Reynolds, Class of 2019 senator, reported that half of the committee attended a sustainability symposium at Emerson College and learned about ways to make the University more sustainable. Committee members will assist new students with move-in and will encourage them to live more sustainably. Social Justice and Diversity Committee chair Elizabeth Dabanka ’20, the Rosenthal Quad senator, reported that the committee is working to raise $4,000 for its ’DEIS Impact event. Health and Safety Committee chair Samantha Barrett ’20, the East Quad senator, reported that there are now “no smoking” signs in North Quad. Barrett and Brown met with Director of Student Accessibility Services Beth Rodgers-Kay about improving campus accessibility for students with disabilities. Barrett is working to find out the number of first-aid kits needed for the committee’s first-aid kit initiative. Finkel, who also chairs the Services and Outreach Committee, implored senators to attend meetings, as the committee needs more help planning Midnight Buffet. Finkel reported that Turkey Shuttles are almost sold out, but that there are many issues with refunds and buyers selling tickets they no longer need. Finkel drafted a Senate Money Resolution to fund a new shuttle extension into Cambridge and Boston on weekends. He stated that he desires funding for shuttle extensions to be covered by Public Safety in the future. The Senate will vote on the SMR next week. Finkel also drafted an SMR to cover the costs of a new television in the Student Union conference room. Class of 2021 Senator Rachel McAllister said she put up posters in all dorm halls in Massell Quad for students to express their concerns. Richtman met with the Disabilities Services Office to better understand the system to accommodate students with disabilities and how those students are involved in the community. Massell Quad Senator Qingtian Mei ’21 proposed a direct channel between students and the Department of Community Living to allow students to quickly get their questions answered. —Emily Blumenthal
POLICE LOG Medical Emergency
Oct. 31—A party in Sherman Dining Hall reported that they had fallen and injured their nose. BEMCo staff treated the party, who was transported to an Urgent Care facility for further care. Oct. 31—A staff member in the Science Complex reported that a party was suffering from severe stomach pain. BEMCo staff treated the party, who was transported to NewtonWellesley Hospital for further care. Nov. 2—BEMCo staff treated a child in the Lemberg Children’s Center who had caught their finger in a door. Nov. 2—A party in the Shapiro Campus Center reported that their back was hurting. BEMCo staff treated the party, who was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Nov. 3—A party in Ridge-
wood Quad reported that they were experiencing severe stomach pain. BEMCo staff treated the party with a signed refusal for further care. Nov. 3—BEMCo staff treated a party in the Charles River Apartments who had cut their finger with a knife. Nov. 3—A party in Ziv Quad reported that they were not feeling well. BEMCo staff treated the party with a signed refusal for further care. Nov. 4—A party in Hassenfeld Lot reported that they encountered an intoxicated party who was conscious and alert. The intoxicated party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Nov. 4—University Police received a report of a party who had fallen in Theater Lot while skateboarding. BEMCo staff treated the party, who was transported to NewtonWellesley Hospital for further
care. Nov. 5—University Police received a report of an intoxicated party in Ridgewood Quad. BEMCo staff treated the party, who was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital.
Drugs
Nov. 1—Department of Community Living staff contacted University Police regarding a party who was smoking marijuana outside Usdan Student Center. The party was gone upon University Police arrival. Nov. 5—An area coordinator in Rosenthal Quad confiscated drug paraphernalia, which University Police confiscated. The AC will compile a Community Standards Report on the issue.
Disturbance
Nov. 3—A Waltham resident reported that there was noise
FROMAGE WITH FRIENDS
n The Justice has no corrections of clarifications to report this week. The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Email editor@ thejustice.org.
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Larcency
Nov. 1—A party in Brown Social Science Center reported that they had their laptop and other items taken after they were left unattended in a common area. University Police compiled a report on the incident.
Other
Nov. 3—University Police compiled a report on a suspicious Facebook post. —Compiled by Abby Patkin
BRIEF Gov. Charlie Baker orders re-establishment of Task Force on Hate Crimes after report of growing anti-Semitic incidents
MICHELLE BANAYAN/the Justice
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS
and loud music coming from the Foster Mods. University Police advised attendees of a registered party to lower the music, and the residents complied without incident. Nov. 5—University Police received a complaint of loud voices in Massell Quad. The area was all quiet upon University Police arrival.
Gov. Charlie Baker signed an executive order to launch a hate crimes task force yesterday afternoon. It is the re-establishment of the Governor’s Task Force on Hate Crimes, created in 1991 by former Gov. William Weld, according to a Nov. 6 article by the State House News Service. The order follows a data report by the Anti-Defamation League last week, which highlighted a 32 percent increase in antiSemitic hate crime incidents in New England since last year. The report is based on a total of 132 anti-Semitic incidents up until September of this year, according to the SHNS article. The ADL reported on Nov. 2 that this year’s incidents include harassment, vandalism, school incidents and threats made against Jewish institutions, with 89 percent of these cases occurring in Massachusetts. “Anti-Semitism is sadly becoming a daily reality for thousands of Massachusetts residents. When hate hits 58 cities and towns, all of us have a responsibility to step up and take action,” said ADL New England Regional Director Robert Trestan in the ADL report. According to the official website of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, the commonwealth passed the Hate Crimes Reporting Act in 1991, which charged the Secretary of Public Safety with gathering reports annually “from all state, local and campus police departments and other law-enforcement agencies.” The 1991 act also defined a hate crime as “any criminal act coupled with behavior that shows the crime was motivated by bigotry or bias. Specifically, a crime is classified as a hate crime when the criminal act is motivated by racial, religious, ethnic, handicap, gender or sexual orientation prejudice,” according to the state website.
A student tries a variety of French cheeses at an event hosted by the French and Francophone Club Thursday at Ridgewood Commons.
—Michelle Dang
ANNOUNCEMENTS Deis does Citizen Science
Want to learn more about how citizen science can support local conservation efforts? Join the Mystic River Watershed Association for a public discussion examining the ecology of Herring migration and how citizen science can contribute to our understanding of the species in the Mystic River. Then become a citizen scientist by participating in a data sprint where we will work virtually to count Herring to support MyRWA research efforts. Today from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Farber Mezzanine and Farber 101, Farber Library.
Training Active Bystanders
If you are a bystander witnessing a harmful situation, you have a choice to make. Do you do something? What do you do? This workshop helps participants recognize when they are bystanders, analyze situations and evaluate the consequences for everyone involved and heightens the
bystanders’ power. It teaches how bystanders can interrupt harm doing and generate positive action by others. Facilitated by Quabbin Mediation. Today from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in Pearlman Lounge.
“Finding Home” Screening
Abraham Troen ’14 returns for a screening of his film “Finding Home,” a triptych following three LGBT people, from China, El Salvador and Iran, as they seek asylum in the United States. Troen is an Annenberg Fellow at University of Southern California, from which he holds an MFA. We present this documentary and conversation prior to the movie’s debut at DOC NYC. Today from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Wasserman Cinematheque.
Kindness Day
Join Brandeis in spreading random and planned acts of kindness throughout the
day, creating a ripple effect across campus! Thursday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on campus.
Brandeis Industry Night
Industry nights are an opportunity for students to learn about new fields, organizations and career paths from Brandeis alumni, parents and recruiters with two hours of open networking with industry representatives from the biotech, health and science industries. Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. in Hassenfeld Conference Center.
7th Annual Night for Africa: Nyumbani
Presented by the Brandeis African Students Organization, the theme for this year is Nyumbani, which means“home” in the East African language Swahili. We will showcase different aspects of Africa such as the culture, music, fashion and food. Saturday from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in Levin Ballroom, Usdan.
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COMMUNITY GATHERING
BRIEF University appoints Vice President of Human Resources Robin Nelson-Bailey to acting Title IX coordinator and compliance officer Vice President of Human Resources Robin Nelson-Bailey was appointed acting campus Title IX coordinator and compliance officer for complaints of discrimination or harassment, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Stew Uretsky announced in an Oct. 31 email to the University community. Nelson-Bailey joined the University’s Office of Human Resources in May 2016. As acting Title IX coordinator, Nelson-Bailey will oversee “the University’s investigation and resolution of all Title IX complaints,” to the University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion website. She may meet with students, staff or faculty to receive complaints of sexual misconduct and gender bias. In the existing protocol, students reporting allegations of sexual misconduct are instructed to fill out online University report forms, which include an anonymous option and may be found on the website of the Department of Student Rights and Community Standards. Assuming the role of compliance officer, Nelson-Bailey will also be accepting reports from community members, in accordance with the University’s Non-Discrimination and Harassment Policy. The policy states, “it is essential that Brandeis be free from dis-
crimination or harassment related to race, color, ancestry, religious creed, gender identity and expression, national or ethnic origin, sex or sexual orientation, age, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status or any other category protected by law.” Students, staff and faculty with allegations of discrimination by a staff or faculty member are asked to report to Nelson-Bailey directly by email or phone. Reported allegations of discrimination by a student or graduate student are to be directed to the Office of Student Rights and Community Standards. “As a reminder, Brandeis community members are encouraged to come forward personally with their reports. However, the University will also review and respond to anonymous complaints to the extent feasible,” Uretsky wrote in the email, also mentioning that anonymous report allegations of misconduct are accepted through the University’s 24-hour Confidential Complaint Hotline. Nelson-Bailey will serve as acting coordinator indefinitely, as the position of director of human resources — the administrator responsible for employee relations, employment and Title IX — remains vacant. —Michelle Dang
NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
Community members met in unity to give a moment of respect to the victims of the New York City terror attack on Wednesday afternoon in the Shaprio Campus Center Atrium.
Artists recreate Syrian crisis in visual concert ■ Kinan Azmeh and Kevork
Mourad performed “Home Within,” depicting the emotional experience of the revolution. By JOCELYN GOULD Justice STAFF WRITER
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Combining their musical and visual artistries, artists Kinan Azmeh and Kevork Mourad brought the hope and despair of the Syrian humanitarian crisis to Brandeis students and visitors with their performance piece “Home Within” on Nov. 4. The performance projected Mourad’s live drawing on a screen behind Azmeh as he played his clarinet, allowing an auditory-visual relationship to form and develop in realtime before the audience. Syrian clarinetist and composer Azmeh wrote and performed the music for the performance, and SyrianArmenian artist Mourad showcased his technique of “spontaneous painting” to combine live drawing and music, according to the event brochure. The performance presented a complicated mixture of live and prerecorded elements. Mourad’s drawings, created in real-time, were occasionally taken over by animations, sometimes bringing elements of the drawing to life and other times blurring and washing away one piece in preparation for the next drawing. Azmeh’s clarinet playing had the same interplay between his live music and prerecorded music featuring other instruments. The show also allowed for improvisation by both artists at certain points, ensuring that every performance of their tour is unique. Mourad’s drawings were simultaneously abstract and architectural, featuring faceless figures, chaotic
swirls and smudges, buildings and cityscapes. His technique is a combination of line drawing and intentional smudging, made possible by the paint he invented for the process. In his pre-concert talk, the Boston Globe classical music critic Jeremy Eichler set the stage for the performance with a discussion of music as it relates to memory and exile. He offered his own belief as to why literary and visual artists are so drawn to and inspired by music, explaining that music “can communicate deeply without the semantic specificity of spoken language.” Mourad echoed this idea in the discussion after the concert, describing the inspiration for this piece, which has been performed across the world. “The Middle East,” Mourad said, has been “a place for storytelling for centuries. …We are modern-day storytellers.” With this piece, the artists hope to share the events of the crisis in Syria “in a poetic way … from the people’s point of view” in order to continue the Syrian tradition, Mourad said. Azmeh continued this idea, explaining that “Home Within” does not try to capture the entire Syrian experience, but rather the artists’ personal emotional experiences throughout the revolution and its aftermath. “Making art is an act of freedom,” he said, connecting the artists’ own self-expression in this piece to “why people went and started the uprising in the beginning … to express their opinions.” Azmeh and Mourad began “Home Within” in 2012, a year after the Syrian uprising began during the Arab Spring. “This project started from an optimistic perspective,” Azmeh explained, but as the humanitarian crisis worsens, Azmeh admits this piece is also “inspired by … a human
tragedy, which continues to unfold.” The piece thus grapples with a mix of hope and pessimism. Mourad’s drawings — especially their architectural components, which combine Armenian Christian, Islamic and Jewish visual traditions — are an attempt to recapture the tolerant city of his youth, he explained. A century ago, Syria accepted and welcomed Armenian refugees, allowing them to maintain their culture while simultaneously becoming Syrians and creating a world in which mosques and churches coexisted, according to Mourad. “I thought the whole world was like that,” Mourad said of his childhood in Aleppo. Today, seven million Syrians have left their country, according to Mourad, and he does not think they will all go back. Even when the crisis finally ends, “It’s going to be a different country,” he said. For Mourad, then, “Home Within” is a way to express his thankfulness to the Syria of the past and to ensure people remember the country’s generosity and tolerance. The challenge to find hope amid this tragedy is reflected in the title of the piece’s last movement, “and we are all optimistic.” While Mourad finds comfort in chronicling the Syria of his childhood, Azmeh looks to the country’s future. “What brings me hope is that Syrians now are willing to discuss real topics,” Azmeh said. “This is a huge progress that came at an incredibly high price. … It is a society that decided not to sleep anymore.” The event was presented by MusicUnitesUs, the Rose Art Museum and the University Departments of Music; Fine Arts; and Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation. Visitors to the Rose Art Museum can see Mourad’s exhibition “Immortal City” until Jan. 21.
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Northeast Mental Health Announces
New Waltham Office! Northeast Mental Health is pleased to announce the opening of our Waltham office on November 1, 2017. We will provide diagnostic and treatment services for children, teenagers, adults, and beyond. Location: 11 Spring St. in downtown Waltham. From Brandeis Campus we are 11 to 12-minutes by bicycle or bus. Parking is also available nearby. Students who lack insurance coverage receive an
Join Copy.
initial session at no cost. Eric Ranvig, BA. MA. Psychologist
C.Davenport Hanson, MD. JD Board certified in Psychiatry and Neurology
*Applications- We are also accepting applications for office staff positions and undergraduate internships.
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CAMPUS SPEAKER
of Political Science at Boston University, analyzed Germany’s changing politics. By DANIELA MICHANIE Justice CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On Sept. 24 the Alternative for Germany became the first far-right party to enter Germany’s parliament in more than half a century. Now the populist party has the potential to reshape German politics, scholar Vivien Schmidt said in a lecture on Wednesday evening. In a talk titled “What leadership is there for Germany in the EU, faced with Rising Populism and Euro-Fatigue,” Schmidt, a professor of Political Science at Boston University, discussed her research and offered her stance on the future of Germany. Schmidt drew parallels between how German concern with economic stability led to the rise of the Nazi party and the similar phenomenon that allowed the AfD to gain such a high number of seats in parliament. “What lessons do we retain from the past in Germany? 1923: Inflation is terrible, millions of Deutsche Mark, wheelbarrows of money, of many in order to buy one loaf of bread,” said Schmidt. She argued that it has become a cultural phenomenon in Germany to prioritize economic stability, often to the point where Germans lose sight of other values. “No one remembers in Germany that in 1931 massive levels deflation and high levels of unemployment allowed the Nazis [to] come to power,” said Schmidt. “That’s what they should have been thinking about rather than being obsessed about inflation.” Schmidt compared the rise of the Nazi party to that of the AfD. The AfD was formed in 2013 by conservatives who were displeased with the decision made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel to bailout Greece using taxpayer money. The bailout came as a result of attempts to end the Greek Depression, which began nearly a decade ago and has left Greece with a broken economy. When it comes to the refugee crisis, however, Schmidt argued that there the lessons of history
were learned. “Angela Merkel on her own decides that we’re going to let in a million Syrian refugees because that’s what’s right. If you look at the German response it was overwhelming, initially. This has to do with culture, history, a different lesson learned from history,” Schmidt said. However, public opinion has begun to shift in recent years in part because of events like the New Year’s Eve sexual assaults in Cologne, in which up to 1,000 men of “Arab or North African appearance,” allegedly sexually assaulted women at the city’s central railway station, according to city Police Chief Wolfgang Albers. Combined with the arrival of the one million immigrants in Germany and the Berlin terror attacks in 2016, the AfD shifted its focus from a party with largely financial concerns to the populist, anti-immigrant, nationalist party of today. “They had initially focused on the euro — it was just a bunch of economics professors — but what you get is a shift and it moves into extreme right, anti-immigrant party,” explained Schmidt. The end of the presentation was followed by an exchange between Schmidt and the audience, many of them members of the Waltham community, about solutions to rising concerns about immigrants in Germany and their impact on politics. Karl Knoblauch, a Waltham resident and frequent attendee of Brandeis lectures, offered a solution that would involve giving funds from the Value Added Tax, a consumption tax which acts like a sales tax collected at each stage of production, as payment to European countries that agree to take in immigrants. “Find pots of money to form solidarity funds,” said Knoblauch. Schmidt is the Jean Monnet Chair of European Integration and Professor of International Relations at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. Her research focuses on the European political economy and democracy as well as political theory, on which she has published several books. In 2015, the European Parliament named her book, “Democracy in Europe” as one of the “100 books on Europe to Remember.”
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017
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DIALOGUES IN TECH
Scholar analyzes the rise of Euro-populism following changes in Germany’s parliament ■ Vivien Schmidt, professor
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YVETTE SEI/the Justice
THE DIALOGUES: The second panel and workshop of the year took place in the International Lounge on Wednesday afternoon.
Women tech professionals discuss workplace challenges ■ Ally Yost, Lynne Zagami
and Ashley Lucas spoke to students about identity and marginalization in technology and business. By WILL HODGKINSON Justice STAFF WRITER
What can we do to ensure that everyone succeeds? Today, that question lies at the center of public controversy, debate and discussion. On Wednesday, “Identity in the Workplace: Tech and Startups” gave an answer. Some twenty students gathered in the Usdan Student Center for a panel discussion on the issues of gender and marginalization in business. This event constituted the second chapter in the ongoing Dialogues initiative, a student-led program aimed at empowering career-driven students through discussion of identity and its role in the workplace. This time, the conversation centered on specific ways to encourage women and improve their position in the professional world, in particular the burgeoning technology industry — a field that continues to marginalize them. According to Cary Weir Lytle, assistant director of employer relations at the Hiatt Career Center and one of the event’s chief facilitators, the Dialogues forum arose out of student concerns with gender discrimination in industry and broader society. He credited The Dialogues’ success to its unique and lateral approach to these issues. “Last year when the Dialogues first launched ... we noticed that almost all the events were packed. … This is really important [that] we’re creating these spaces, he said. In keeping with the Dialogues’ mission to promote diversity, Lytle stressed the importance of providing women with the professional opportunities the business community has denied them for so long. “Brandeis is a majority women school,” he said. “We think about the proportion of women going into predominately male-dominated fields … and it’s not enough to say: ‘go network’ ... there’s a lot of forces
at work.” For Lytle, talk around professional inclusivity is not just theoretical; it affects marginalized groups on a daily basis. In the wake of the recent harassment allegations made against former Fox CEO Roger Ailes and movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and the systemic gender-based biases of Silicon Valley, he emphasized that honest conversations about gendered obstacles remain as relevant as ever. “We knew this was an important topic. There’s been a lot of things in the news,” noted Lytle, “So we said, ‘These are the conversations we need to have.’” These conversations began with Wednesday’s event. Panelists included: Ally Yost, an associate at The Engine, an MIT-founded organization to promote scientific innovation; Lynne Zagami, head of customer success at Shoobox, a start-up that provides technological succor to local law firms; and Ashley Lucas, director of Babson College’s WIN Lab ‘Accelerator’ program for female entrepreneurs. Though each woman eventually found success, all three have encountered the problems of genderbased prejudice in their careers. Zagami started the conversation by relating her experiences as the first female member of Bright Leaf, a technology start-up. “I didn’t feel I was as much subject to some of the gender based issues that a lot of start-ups face,” she admitted. Later though, Zagami realized through her interactions with other women in start-up fields that gender discrimination continued to be an issue, and she resolved to fight to allow women access to the same resources and opportunities afforded men. “There are times where you really feel the gender imbalance in the start-up world, and I take the approach of I don’t really care if someone gets upset if I call it out,” she said of how time has affected her perspective. On the subject of female participation in business and entrepreneurship, the panelists didn’t mince words. “It’s incredibly difficult and very lonely,” Lucas confessed. She mentioned the difficulty of pitching and co-ordinating business ideas in male dominated fields, due to the all-too-prevalent “Bro-culture” of
the corporate sphere. While more women have been able to break out in recent years, stark gender disparities continue to exist, Lucas said. Yost agreed, adding, “There aren’t a lot of women-led or minority companies getting funded.” “Unconscious bias,” according to Yost, affects women too. She underscored the need for all to confront it and for women to “find cues when you are being biased unconsciously.” The newfound attention to workplace discrimination can help to provide a catalyst for constructive change, Zagami said, adding that programs such as the Dialogues provided a much-needed venue for education, growth and understanding. For her, this spirit of personal and collective growth is integral to any lasting improvements for women and other marginalized groups in professional life. Change, according to Zagami, can only arise through fellowship and mutual engagement. “Everybody needs to be helping everybody,” she said. The panelists elaborated on how women can both fight these disadvantages and empower themselves. “I always feel like I sound incredibly negative when I’m up here and doing panels like this, because it is sort of this bleak landscape,” Lucas said. “But because of that, there is this huge, incredible community ... of these folks who are so dedicated to making sure you have the resources that you need in order to succeed.” However, for Lucas, this process of empowerment must be a two-way street. “Always be that person who is willing to lend help,” she urged the audience. After the official discussion ended, the organic ones began. Zagami, Lucas and Yost circulated through the audience, allowing attendees to become participants. Each table started its own exploration of the topics the panel raised. For panel moderator Unee Washington, managing director of Assist Capital Solutions this bottom-up approach fulfilled the event’s central goal: inspiring those present to go forth and use what they have learned in life. “It’s ultimately believing in yourself,” she said. “We can heal and shift the paradigm.”
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LOVE STORY: Author’s controversial novel bridges individuals across communities CONTINUED FROM 1 they might be encouraged to get involved with the non-Jewish residents of the country and that might encourage them to assimilation.” Rabinyan said she felt overwhelmed by the Ministry’s decision, because the book was specifically about fear of love and intimacy between Israelis and their neighbors. “This personal fear of love can be read as a communal fear of peace, … of harmoni-
ous Jewish life in this region with [these] neighbors,” she said. “You cannot live with no boundaries and keep your identity separate.” Rabinyan believes that the book wasn’t actually banned because of the fear of assimilation, but rather because it describes Palestinians as people. She criticized the government for trying to convince millennials and high-schoolers that Palestinians are demons and not people. Her book, she said, gives them a face.
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017
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FEMINIST AND SEXUAL ETHICS PROJECT
YVETTE SEI/the Justice
ETHICS: Prof. ChaeRan Freeze (NEJS), Sarah Deer and Prof. Bernadette Brooten (REL) spoke at Rapaporte Treasure Hall on Friday.
ETHICS: Profs. dismantle sexual assault views
CONTINUED FROM 1
Do you enjoy museums, music or movies?
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resources.” Brooten called attention to the fact that political and religious traditions can also affect how sexual assault is reported. With regard to sexual assault against Native women, tribal authorities are not allowed to arrest non-Native suspects, which can “give other suspects free reign,” she said. On the one hand, while religion can be a form of healing and virtue, it can also contribute to the belief that a victim is responsible for not following religious values of virginity, said Brooten. Through this, “harmful racial and religious stereotypes” can form and shape harrowing narratives against people of color that have the ability to persist throughout history, she added. “Until we hold white rapists accountable,” noted Brooten, “white and other survivors will continue to suffer from the racist view that white people are unlikely to rape.” With this in mind, she suggested that, in order to dismantle this negative perspective, “we can work to overcome our
implicit racial and other biases” and listen to survivors in order to redouble efforts against sexual violence. After Brooten discussed her ideas, Freeze continued the conversation by introducing Deer, who serves as a Chief Justice of the Prairie Indian Community Court of Appeals and a law professor at the University of Kansas. Deer spoke about the perspective of Native American women and sexual violence. She explained that for many Native American women, it can be difficult for survivors of sexual assault to “separate recent instances from the larger experience that [Native] people have endured through a history of forced removal, displacement and destruction.” Deer continued to explain that “Native nations” have also been wounded by the historical circumstances surrounding the displacement of Native peoples. Moreover, “Rape as a sociopolitical problem,” Deer said, “came to us as boats from Europe.” This perspective illustrates rape as a “method of war” which serves to divide and hu-
miliate a nation and its people. Brooten then brought the discussion back to the intersection of religion and sexual assault, defining sexual assault in the context of religion as an “invasion of body, mind and spirit.” While religion has shifted its stance on sexual assault over time, many historical views are still prevalent, she added. Brooten explained that “we need more research on correlating scriptures to views on sexual assault.” Differing views of strong religious figures can also shape how someone approaches recovery after a sexual assault, she asserted. Brooten said that “believing in a benevolent God can help to heal from the trauma of rape,” while conversely, “believing in a condemnatory God can hinder it.” Brooten concluded that while sexual assault is still prevalent in today’s society, “important leaders and progressive interpretations are desperately needed to address the spiritual crime of sexual assault.”
WELLER: University makes statement on ‘Buyer Beware’ CONTINUED FROM 1
Contact Hannah Kressel at arts@thejustice.org
dents, according to Jackson. Theater faculty received a draft script of the play in early July, with faculty and Weller meeting in September to discuss possible dates in February for a production, according to a Nov. 6 University statement posted on BrandeisNOW. Weller was informed at this time of the faculty’s decision to hold a course on provocative works of art, according to the statement. Jackson emphasized that the decision was left up to the faculty, “our community’s educational and pedagogical experts,” rather than the University administration.
However, the Nov. 6 University statement claimed that Weller is the one who made the decision to produce the play off campus in a professional venue. “It was the playwright’s sense, in his own words, ‘that rehearsals of the play, and growing sentiment among some students in the theater department, might not be conducive to the creative atmosphere desired for a premiere presentation of a new work,’” the statement read. Still, Weller told WBUR that he is disappointed with how the discussion was handled, saying that it was “a dangerous and corrosive way” to deal with the creation of a play, according to the article.
Have an opinion to share? Email our Forum Editor! Contact Nia Lyn at forum@thejustice.org
Next semester’s course will “engage in challenging educational work” by “devoting a full semester to analyzing and openly discussing provocative works of art that may cause discomfort,” Jackson wrote. The University will also honor Weller with the Creative Arts Award next semester as planned, according to the email. Yet Weller said in the WBUR article that he is upset the play will not be performed on campus. “I just hope that there is a chance for the kids who haven’t seen the play at Brandeis to see it,” he said in the interview, adding, “I wanted to give it to the school. I’m personally heartbroken.”
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features
TUESDAY, november 7, 2017 ● Features ● The Justice
just
VERBATIM | J. R. R. TOLKIEN A safe fairyland is untrue to all worlds.
ON THIS DAY…
FUN FACT
In 1947, the longest running TV show in the U.S., “Meet the Press,” debuted on NBC.
During a lifetime the average person spends 38 days brushing their teeth.
PHOTO COURTESY OF RAMIE TARGOFF
GOING THE DISTANCE: Prof. Ramie Targoff (ENG) traveled to the American Academy in Rome to study the life of Vittora Colonna.
When in Rome Prof. Ramie Targoff (ENG) used her Guggenheim Fellowship to give life to the sonnets of Vittora Colonna
By sophie fulara JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Prof. Ramie Targoff (ENG) knows just what it takes to write a book. With three academic works under her belt, Targoff’s most recent book is a biography of Vittora Colonna, the first woman poet to publish a sonnet series in Italy. In addition to her biography, Targoff has also translated one of two sets of Colonna’s poems in a series called “Other Voices of the Renaissance.” The idea came to her when she was writing “Posthumous Love,” a book about how poets are affected by the death of their loved ones. Until someone had mentioned Colonna, Targoff had never heard about her. In fact, not many people had. Information about Colonna was not readily available and some of the only sources of information that Targoff could find were a Wikipedia page written in Italian and an Italian translation of a German biography. Targoff went searching for the 1538 edition of Colonna’s sonnets at the Houghton Library, where she became im-
mediately fascinated by the poet. It was already unusual for a woman to be writing sonnets at that time, let alone ones that were emotionally alive and real. Targoff’s fascination with Colonna drove her to be the first to publish a biography on her in English, as well as the first to translate her poems into English. Colonna was connected to some of the most powerful individuals in Italy. She was born to one of the three wealthiest families in Rome, was married to a Spanish aristocrat from one of the ruling households of the Kingdom of Naples and was best friends with Michelangelo. When she was widowed at the age of 35, she decided not to remarry, and instead continued her life in nunneries without taking the vow. She was such an important figure that the Pope forbade any nun from allowing Colonna to take the vow under the threat of excommunication.When her parents died, Colonna and her brother were the only remaining children. Although her brother ruled a total of fourteen villages, Vittora Colonna was the smart,
sane, reliable sibling, one whom the Pope needed to serve as the negotiator between her brother and everyone else in the area. A favorite quote of Targoff’s is from one of the rare moments where Colonna directly communicated with her husband, who felt underappreciated during the time that he was serving Charles V. Pope Clement VII was Charles V’s enemy and offered Colonna’s husband a position in the army. Had he decided to join, the Pope and his allies would have made him the King of Naples, and he could get the rewards he thought he deserved. But Colonna thought otherwise. She said, “I would rather be the wife of an honest captain than the queen to a tainted crown.” Colonna’s sonnets are what make her intriguing to Targoff. Within a year of her husband’s death, Colonna decided that she would express her grief through writing. This set of sonnets, the one that Targoff has translated, is recognized as the posthumous sonnets because it pertains to her dead husband. The other set is known as the spiritual sonnets
and is written to Michelangelo. Because these sonnets have already been translated into English, Targoff’s translation will serve as the latter set’s companion. To completely understand Colonna’s perspective, Targoff used her Guggenheim Fellowship to stay at the American Academy in Rome. Every week she would spend time at different places where Colonna lived. She immersed herself in Colonna’s life, staying in a sister nunnery to the one where Colonna lived, where she prayed nine times a day with the nuns. She also spent much of her time reading files from Colonna’s family archive. After doing extensive research, Targoff was ready to map out Colonna’s biography and begin translating her poems from 1538. She had to use a 16th-century EnglishItalian dictionary because Colonna’s work was written in Renaissance Italian, so the translation process involved translating archaic Italian to Shakespearean English to modern English. One example Targoff uses is the word “gentle.” The current meaning is
something “mild and soft,” but during the Renaissance, it meant “highborn.” If the word gentle appeared in Colonna’s poem, Targoff needed to understand the archaic English meaning before translating it to modern English so that the word’s meaning could be retained. With Colonna’s sonnets, Targoff’s main goal is to translate the poems into English in a fashion that will speak to readers today. She recognizes that the translation of a poem can turn into a completely different version of the poem itself, but she wishes to bring the opposite effect, rendering the sonnets as clearly as possible so that Colonna can be heard. After spending about a year and a half conducting research and two years writing the biography, Targoff has some advice for aspiring writers: by using rich details and vivid imagery, students can give life to their work. She concluded by saying, “Start with what you know and if you don’t know it, research it. You’re always trying to think about how you can catch the reader’s attention to give your work vivacity.”
the justice ● Features ● TUESDAY, november 7, 2017
PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
CHILD HUNGER: According to the film “Wasted! The Story of Food Waste,” 40 percent of the food being produced in the U.S. is wasted.
‘Wasted’
How food waste contributes to climate change and world hunger By eitan MAJOR garfield JUSTICE contributing WRITER
Across the United States, many people go about their daily lives eating only half the sandwich they bought from the corner store, throwing out extra produce that has gone bad and subscribing to the notion that food cannot be eaten post-expiration date. On Nov. 2, the Campus Activities Board hosted a screening in the Mandel Center for Humanities of the movie, “Wasted! The Story of Food Waste.” The film issued an urgent address for global action to help reduce food waste. In the opening minutes, the film stated that the United States is among the worst perpetrators of food waste in the world. According to the narrator, “40 percent of the food being produced [in the U.S.] is going to waste.” This is problematic because, as is mentioned later in the film, “one out of five children in America does not have enough to eat.” As explained through a series of oncamera interviews with chefs like Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain, as well as environmental activists, food requires oxygen to efficiently biodegrade. When wasted food is brought to a landfill, it sits beneath tons of other waste that prevent access to oxygen, causing it to break down anaerobically and release methane (a greenhouse gas that traps heat twenty-eight times more effectively than carbon dioxide). According to Tristram Stewart, an author and lecturer on food waste at Cambridge University, grocery stores are the biggest contributors to what he called the “food waste crisis.” He explained that in an effort to give consumers a sense of endless choice, American supermarkets purposely overstock produce knowing that a large percentage of the food will be
thrown away rather than purchased at the end of each month. He suggests that if supermarkets did not overstock, they could solve a significant amount of the world’s food waste problems overnight. But grocers aren’t the only culprits; American consumers must also change their shopping habits. As Bourdain noted, most people won’t buy food that is being sold past its expiration date, although most items, with the exception of meat and dairy products, can be safely consumed well beyond that date. He suggested that such labels are designed to help sellers rotate produce rather than indicate to consumers what is and is not safe to eat. According to Bitali, American consumers are “too picky” about what they are willing to eat. A stark example of this in the fishing industry, where Americans choose to eat very specific seafood such as Atlantic Salmon or Shrimp. Immediately following a scene of fisherman picking out the fish that would satiate the American taste, the narrator explained that for every pound of shrimp caught, six pounds of other seafood are wasted. While there are many edible fish, Americans limit themselves to what is familiar. Porgi, which Bitali says, “would otherwise be delicious,” is viewed in general society as a “garbage fish” and has to be rebranded in order for restaurants to serve the fish to customers. Some entrepreneurs in the U.S. are responding to the issue of food waste by building their businesses around preventing it. Doug Rauch, former president of Trader Joe’s, is one such person. He intends to fight food waste through his store Daily Table, a nonprofit grocery story that recovers food from other supermarkets that would otherwise be wasted and resells it to underprivileged communities at competitive prices. Another business aiming to pre-
vent food waste is a British brewery called Coast Ale. Although people in England consume “24 million slices of bread per day” the end crusts of the bread go to waste according to the film. Coast Ale uses the discarded end slices of bread to make beer. Fortunately for the U.S., other countries in Europe and Asia provide examples of how governments can effectively incentivize citizens and corporations to reduce their food waste. The narrator explained that South Korea, a leader in recycling food waste, has passed laws requiring citizens to pay for every pound of food they throw away each week. Similarly, in France, restau-
PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
rants are subject to fines for wasting food. With millions of people unable to feed their families each day, “Wasted” deemed it reasonable to demand that no food be wasted. The film concluded that radical changes in how American consumers and enterprises use food are necessary. Stewart urged every consumer to be what he calls an “active citizen” by buying less food and learning from chefs how to cook in a fashion that minimizes waste. He is confident that every person in the U.S. is capable of not wasting food, but until more people take action, the food waste crisis will continue to grow.
SIMPLE SOLUTIONS: Governments in South Korea and France have discouraged food waste by imposing fines on wasters.
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10 TUESDAY, November 7, 2017 ● forum ● THE JUSTICE
the
Justice Established 1949
Brandeis University
Abby Patkin, Editor in Chief Amber Miles, Managing Editor Carmi Rothberg, Senior Editor Kirby Kochanowski and Sabrina Sung, Deputy Editors Michelle Banayan, Abby Grinberg, Lizzie Grossman, Noah Hessdorf, Mihir Khanna, Mira Mellman, Jerry Miller, Associate Editors Michelle Dang, News Editor, Victor Feldman, Acting Features Editor Nia Lyn, Forum Editor, Ben Katcher, Sports Editor Hannah Kressel, Arts Editor Yvette Sei, Acting Photography Editor, Natalia Wiater, Photography Editor Morgan Mayback, Layout Editor, Pamela Klahr and Robbie Lurie, Ads Editors Jen Geller and Avraham Penso, Copy Editors
EDITORIALS
Urge University to improve its emergency preparedness The night of Oct. 29 saw countless frustrated students as a violent storm resulted in the loss of power to all four Charles River Apartments for nearly nine hours. According to an email sent out by Area Coordinator Amanda Drapcho at 7:04 p.m. that night, “the power outage was caused due to a faulty power line which caused damage to a tree and therefore, resulted in a power outage across all four Charles River apartments.” Power was not restored to the Charles River Apartments until around 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 30, and while this board recognizes that such occurrences are unavoidable and do take time to remedy, the Department of Community Living’s response was inadequate and demonstrated a lack of preparedness. Drapcho first emailed residents at 5:44 p.m., informing them of the power outage, and emailed a second time with a more detailed follow-up an hour and 20 minutes later. In her follow-up email, Drapcho reassured students that the BranVan would be running as scheduled but stopping in Charles River Lot instead, and that card swipe access was still working. Unfortunately, the latter ceased to be true soon thereafter, and locked-out students had to contact DCL or University Police directly to be let into their rooms, a fact Drapcho only communicated to the residents in a 10:59 p.m. email, leaving several students stranded and confused in the rain. Despite this lapse in communication, there are numerous reports of Drapcho and Community Advisor Vineet Vishwanath ’18 spending the night running up and down the Charles River Apartments letting residents into
Consider student safety their rooms, an effort for which this board commends them. Unfortunately, between allowing students into their rooms and communicating with the necessary authorities involved, Drapcho and DCL were left with little time to worry about the numerous other side effects of the power outage. Given that power was out past 2 a.m., the only building on campus accessible to displaced residents was the Shapiro Campus Center, since the library and most other buildings with common spaces close at 2 a.m. Additionally, the BranVan stopped running at 2:30 a.m., right around when the power came back on, which meant that most displaced residents had to brave the storm with winds gusting up to 45mph to get back to their rooms. Had DCL codified plans for such emergency situations, including provisions for a staging area for residents and transport for them, these additional impacts on students could have been mitigated. This board urges DCL to take this experience as a learning opportunity and encourages them to formulate executable plans for a multitude of such non-lifethreatening emergencies impacting large swathes of students. This would alleviate the pressure on an area coordinator in the moment and ensure that nothing is overlooked amid the flurry of everything going on. New England is no stranger to extreme weather and freak storms, and with winter fast approaching, there is an increasing chance of another such incident occurring, with harsher conditions for impacted students to face.
MARA KHAYTER/the Justice
Views the News on
According to a Nov. 2 New York Times article, Americans convicted of sex offenses against children will now have a passport to reflect their actions. Individuals in the Department of Homeland Security’s database will be notified that their current passport will be revoked and replaced with the modified version. However, the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws is against the decision, calling it a “slippery slope.” Do you agree with this policy or is it violating individuals’ rights?
Prof. Rajesh Sampath (Heller) The question here is whether asking child sex offenders to have their passports marked to reflect their criminal past is a gross violation of individual freedom and autonomy; that is incomprehensible. One can argue on substance that the “slippery slope” critique of the Homeland decision should not be invoked, because we are talking about a particular type of offense in this instance. And, in fact, making that offense explicit in travel documentation could protect the convicted felon from future harm in countries that may not tolerate knowing that a visitor with such an offense is present in their country. Further violations of their rights would then ensue. One can also argue against the concern, however, that deprivation of a present liberty for the sake of protecting against future deprivations leads to an infinite regress. Perhaps we need to weigh the assumptions of the Homeland decision against the backdrop of this ethical dilemma. Rajesh Sampath (Heller) is an associate professor of the Philosophy of Justice, Rights, and Social Change and Associate Director of the Master’s Program in Sustainable International Development
Amanda Kahn ’20 Having sex offenders use passports to identify their past offenses can be helpful in preventing sex trafficking and child exploitation. The Department of Homeland Security can use this passport identification to help prevent further crimes from occurring. Because this identifier does not prevent people from traveling out of the country, I don’t think that it violates individuals’ rights. There are already laws in place that prevent convicted felons who have committed certain crimes from having a passport at all, so this is a natural extension of those policies. However, the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws does make a good point that this policy can be a slippery slope. Particularly in this political climate, this precedent could potentially be used to discriminate against other groups. The language of this law must be drafted carefully so this can be avoided, but if that is done, this law can be a success in preventing more heinous crimes from happening.
Recognize need for seniors to have class selection priority
This past week was class registration for the Spring 2018 semester. Every semester brings with it the issue of certain classes garnering a disproportionate amount of interest, resulting in more students seeking to take the class than there are available spots. This bars some students from enrolling in those classes. The second semester carries with it a unique burden for the majority of graduating seniors. Many still have requirements to complete, such as creative arts, science or even major requirements, and seniors need to get into classes that fulfill these University and major requirements in order to graduate in May. For these students, not getting into one class can be the difference between graduating on time and being forced to take a summer class — or even an additional semester — and this board urges the University to explore ways to avoid this. Many classes are at risk for this issue. For example, there are not many courses that fulfill the University science requirement that do not require pre-requisites. A senior that has not been able to fit such a course into their schedule in previous semesters needs to be assured a spot in such a class during their last semester. This board recommends that seniors be given priority in class registration
Amanda Kahn ’20 is majoring in Biology with a minor in History.
Acknowledge academic needs for their last semester. While there are certain coveted classes — such as biology lab — that have already sent notes to the demand list saying that seniors will be given priority, many courses have no such stated policy. A system that operates on a department-by-department basis is not an effective one. There should be an overarching University policy that allows seniors priority and ensures that they will be able to graduate on time. This board believes that seniors should have the earliest enrollment times on the first day of registration, ensuring that seniors lacking a vital graduation requirement are able to take the one course they need in order to graduate on time. Even if you only need to fulfill one more requirement to graduate, having a late enrollment time can cause you to be held out of that class and unable to graduate. As the price of tuition has consistently increased year by year, this problem has only been exacerbated. Having to stay in college for additional time to fulfill the University requirements will be nearly impossible for some students due to the added financial burden. No student should need to pay for additional semesters because they were locked out of a course in their last semester.
Ashley Loc ’20 I believe that this is a very reasonable undertaking, since here in America, we have many protective measures against child predation, but the same cannot be said for other countries. In rural China, I had seen an eight-year-old child purchase an entire case of Budweiser and lug it back by himself, so I can only imagine how little action would be taken if he were to be targeted sexually. Quite simply, there are so many struggles faced overseas, and without specially marked passports, I fear that sexual offenders could commit many crimes without the fear of even being acknowledged — nevertheless punished. And while an individual may not be bound by the same legislation elsewhere, the physical and emotional trauma that can be inflicted on a child should resonate with us regardless. Ashley Loc ’20 is a double major in International and Global Studies and Health: Science, Society and Policy.
Alex Friedman ’19 You will never lose an election making life harder for people convicted of a serious crime, especially if it involves a child. I’m not convinced that it does much of anything to deter folks from committing a sex crime, nor to protect children from a known offender. A serious conversation needs to be had about when a person has paid their debt to society, both in this world of passports, but also the worlds of restricting voting for felons, prison conditions and job prospects for ex-cons. We need to decide, as a culture, when a person should be allowed full readmittance to our communities. If what we’re doing is creating a second tier of citizens, defined and derided for the rest of their lives by something they’ve done, I’m not sure we’re achieving any goal other than feeling better about ourselves. All of this assumes that our new punishments are affecting the people we want to affect. Minors who send nudes to other minors are liable, for example. I’m not sure the cost-benefit works out in society’s favor, nor do I think this is the criminal justice work needed currently. Alex Friedman ’19 is a double major in Politics and Business. Photos by the Justice.
THE JUSTICE ● fORUM ● TUESDAY, November 7, 2017
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Explore benefits of the field of behavioral economics By jesse yang special to the justice
Are simple experiments still relevant? Undoubtedly, simple experiments are exceedingly useful to teach larger concepts and theories. Take Boston’s Museum of Science, for example: One would be hard pressed to describe the hands-on experiments at the exhibits as complex and innovative, but certainly they seem to be enjoyed by the public. I, for one, still remember the toy cars and ramps experiments my science teachers used to teach basic physics theories. However, would one consider a similar experiment for the purpose of pushing the boundaries of academia? I sincerely doubt it. Nowadays, when people are thinking about revolutionary theories shattering fields previously understood, they are thinking less of Galileo’s relatively simple leaning tower experiment and more of the Large Hadron Collider and its hundreds of associated laboratories. This holds true to even the social sciences, where quantitative heavy fields like mathematics have grown increasingly important to better understand human and market behaviors, resulting in research papers and experiments that seem utterly incomprehensible to the average person on the street. What if I told you that simple experiments are still relevant and that, for the last two decades, simple experiments have been at the forefront of shattering traditional assumptions in the field of economics? Consider the following example: One fine morning, a class full of Brandeis students comes across an opportunity; today, it just so happens that the professor will kindly give half the class free mugs to enjoy. Afterwards, time will be allotted for the non-mug-owning portion of the class to examine their peers’ unexpected windfall. Finally, the mug-owning students are invited to sell their mugs, and the non-mug owning students are invited to buy them. Those with mugs demand nearly twice as much as the other students are willing to pay. What is the reason for this occurrence? Richard Thaler, professor of Behavioral Sciences and Economics at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and 2017 winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in the Economic Sciences, describes this specific behavior in his book “Nudge” as people being “loss averse.” To put it simply, once people have gained something, they feel the impact of its loss greater than what they felt when they gained it. The simple mug experiment, among a plethora of other simple economic experiments, is described in “Nudge.” All of these experiments support a new field modern economists and psychologists have created to study and address psychological and emotional factors that could influence economic decision-making away from traditional expectations. Thaler’s Nobel Prize represents a growing recognition of behavioral economics, the combination of psychology with economic
decision-making. The committee cited Thaler’s work for showing how “human traits systematically affect individual decisions as well as market outcomes,” according to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 2017 press release. Thaler, of course, is not the only behavioral economist; his name is often associated with others such as Dan Ariely, professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University, and Daniel Kahneman, famed IsraeliAmerican psychologist and Economic Sciences Nobel Laureate. The field itself boasts a growing number of books that touch upon a wide variety of subjects, all stemming from ideas that question economists’ standard assumption that human behavior is rational. The field has also been popular with policymakers. Thaler’s own theories resulted in the formation of the Behavioural Insights Team, a public policy team set up by former United Kingdom prime minister David Cameron, according to a September 2010 article from the Guardian. Also known by its informal name, “Nudge Unit,” the team applies behavioral economics and psychology to government policy. In the United States, the White House opened the
JULIANNA SCIONTI/the Justice
Social and Behavioral Sciences Team in 2014, a group of experts similar to its UK counterpart, as reported by a 2015 Time magazine article. Around the world, such teams have worked with governments and businesses to analyze behavior. Experiments have included using small wording changes in emails to increase recruitment of diverse police officers as well as reminders on owed income tax payments to the government, according to a July 23, 2015 article from the Guardian. Results have been exciting, such as the pass rate for minority police candidates increasing by 50 percent during the recruitment process simply by adding “take some time to think about why you want to be a police constable.” And in the case of tax payments, the team was able to nudge forward income tax payments by adding reminders to taxpayers that most of their neighbors had already paid. However, just as psychology can reveal insights into economic behavior, the field of behavioral economics reveals something striking about research: Groundbreaking theories can come from relatively simple experiments. In fact, popular books on experiments in behavioral economics show that the field can
be understood through easily administered experiments, similar to the mug experiment. This is not to suggest that the entirety of behavioral economics is made up of simple and easily replicable experiments but rather that the field has tremendous outreach potential to the public. It is relatable and applicable while continuing to be insightful. This is shown in several books, such as Thaler’s “Nudge” and Ariely’s “Predictably Irrational,” both of which include experiments done on campuses and in bars. In fact, with some preparation, similar experiments could be conducted by any curious Brandeis student. This approach is refreshing in today’s complex world, where research is becoming increasingly specialized. As many students may know, impressive technical expertise does not always translate into digestible reading. Therefore, anyone finding themselves with some free time over the weekend should look at some of what behavioral economics can offer. Then, they should think about conducting an interesting test or experiment. After all, the next big thing could be right around the corner.
Encourage students to remember the actual relevance of grades Nia
lyn purpose
Exam season is underway and with this comes the influx of students stressed and studying ardently to earn a good grade. This is a commendable action, but intense studying, coupled with the pressure to do well and the high expectations imposed upon students, makes it easy to become discouraged or overwhelmed. School is competitive and right now, outperforming peers can feel like the only thing that matters. This stress can be detrimental, and in order to prevent any disastrous outcomes, it is vital that students keep the truly important things in mind. Grades matter, but they are not everything. Grades do not define intellect; they merely reflect one’s knowledge of a specific subject or even their preparedness for the exam. Take the SAT, for example: A test formerly known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test was meant
to reflect the intellect of individual students. However, according to the Public Broadcasting Service, the exam’s name no longer carries the same meaning, nor is it supposed to measure intellect. According to the same PBS article, Wayne Camara, former director of the Office of research at the College Board, stated that the SAT measures “developed reasoning,” a skill set acquired both in and out of the classroom. In an interview with PBS, Bob Schaeffer, public education director of FairTest, the National Center for Fair & Open Testing described the SAT by stating, “There’s a lot of how shrewdly you can play the game. There’s a lot that can [be] taught in coaching courses that has nothing to do with any of the skills you need to succeed in college or in life.” Despite this, the exam is still used as one of the major determining factors for college admissions. Those who aren’t able to take test prep courses might do worse than other students, but this is not indicative of their abilities as a student. This practice of teaching test-specific material with the goal of passing a standardized test is known as “teaching to the test,” and though it is beneficial short-term, there is no actual merit. Instead of actually learning, some just commit facts to short-term memory. A Sept 9, 2013 article in the Atlantic describes a high
school teacher’s experience with his own class when he realized the widespread problem. He stated that, “Trigonometry was just a collection of non-rhyming lyrics to the lamest sing-along ever.” This is true for all of education; students are encouraged to memorize facts with no real basis of understanding in order to recall them for the upcoming exam. Instead of testing our conceptual understanding, many exams test our ability to regurgitate facts and reiterate the instructor’s lesson. The teacher also went on to state that “when you memorize a fact, it’s arbitrary, interchangeable, … but when you learn a fact, it’s bound to others by a web of logic.” This logic isn’t applied by many educators, as memorizing facts still seems to be the preferred method of learning. Conversely, those who seek to conceptually understand information can be put at a disadvantage. Some instructors expect students to define and explain things simply as they have stated them in class, and any deviation results in a loss of credit. This pressure to essentially be perfect is harmful for students. According to a July 27, 2015 New York Times article, a survey of college counseling centers revealed that over half of their clients suffer from severe psychological problems such as depression and anxiety. Additionally, according
to the American Psychological Association, in 2013 over 46 percent of students that visited a counseling center reported feelings of anxiety and nearly 40 percent claimed depression. The pressure to do well, please one’s family or even ensure a job after graduation can be too much for some people. This is not to say that exams or stress are the cause of psychological disorders, but they can exacerbate existing problems. The same New York Times article describes a student whose life began to spiral when she received a poor grade. Upon receiving a 60 percent on a calculus exam, Kathryn DeWitt stated, “I had a picture of my future, and as that future deteriorated, … I stopped imagining another future.” College is expected to be stressful, and it is important to strive for the best, but students should understand that it is okay to fall short. Grades are not the most important thing in the world, and it is important to remember that the educational system is not designed to cater to everyone and their individual learning methods. According to a saying commonly attributed to Albert Einstein, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Grades do not reflect true intellect and the sooner this is accepted, the happier students can be.
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, november 7, 2017 ● forum ● THE JUSTICE
FORUM
Criticize flawed free speech practices on the internet Judah
weinerman chatterbox
Something is rotten in cyberspace. Internet platforms of all kinds have become cesspools of organized harassment and bigotry, with those supposedly in charge of maintaining civility and decency allowing it all under the mistaken banner of “free speech.” Twitter, the internet’s premiere shortform news and networking website, allows white nationalists like Richard Spencer and David Duke to post freely, yet suspended actress Rose McGowan for attempting to use the platform to bring attention to her sexual assault accusations against Harvey Weinstein. Apparently in Twitter’s eyes, “Does human civilization actually need the Black race?” is less worrisome a statement than “#OscarsSoRape.” Neo-Nazi Tim “Baked Alaska” Gionet gets a free pass for a feed chock full of images of “progressives” in gas chambers and iconography involving him threatening his “enemies” with firearms by claiming that he’s just joking, while comedy twitter account KRANG T. NELSON was banned after right-wing groups abused Twitter’s report function on a single tweet of his that joked about “millions of antifa supersoldiers” descending upon an idyllic town square, according to a Nov. 1 Newsweek article. At the 2012 Guardian Changing Media Summit, Twitter branded itself as the “the free speech wing of the free speech party,” but it would appear that said freedom is hardly distributed as equally as Twitter proclaims it to be. Furthermore, is allowing harassers the right to go after their targets, as they please, at all coherent with the principles of free speech? Meanwhile on YouTube, we’ve seen both the rise of talking heads like Paul Joseph Watson and Stefan Molyneux, modern day heirs to the right-wing outrage radio style pioneered by Rush Limbaugh, and the much more insidious trend of popular and supposedly apolitical channels sneaking alt-right talking points into their content. Content creators like Watson and Molyneux, who create videos with such charming titles as “I Love My Male White Privilege!” and “There’s NO Such Thing as Mental Illness,” can regularly expect for YouTube’s video recommendation algorithms to promote their videos alongside innocuous news or entertainment content. The platform’s biggest star, Felix “Pewdiepie” Kjellberg, who
CARMI ROTHBERG/the Justice
was partnered directly with YouTube and Disney before recent controversies, used the phrases “Death to All Jews” and “Hitler did absolutely nothing wrong” as shock lines in a reaction video and called an online opponent the N-word during a livestream in what he later called a “heated gaming moment.” After Kjellberg had his premium YouTube series cancelled and his Disney contract torn to shreds, he denied any wrongdoing and instead blamed the Wall Street Journal for “taking that and use it out of context to portray me as a Nazi” and proceeded to accuse institutions like the Wall Street Journal of running a smear campaign against him, adding that “Old-school media does not like internet personalities because they are scared of us. We have so much influence and such a large voice, and I don’t think they understand that,” according to a Feb. 6 article in the Guardian. Similarly, h3h3productions, a channel popular enough to be featured on NBC’s Today Show, regularly claims that his videos will “trigger feminists” and declared in a conversation with rapper Post Malone that “women, in a natural setting, are designed to be conquered.” These YouTubers have very young and impressionable audiences, and — knowingly or not — they’re pushing messages of extreme racism, anti-semitism and misogyny upon them. YouTube originally did nothing in response to the fact that their golden boys were putting out such hateful content, but after advertisers balked at
having their branding associated with white supremacists and rape apologists, YouTube relented and put a demonetization system in place that stopped only the worst offenders. Reddit, the self-proclaimed “front page of the internet,” plays host to /r/the_donald, the internet’s largest community of Donald Trump supporters. It should come as little surprise that they’re a unanimously terrible bunch. Back in July, Trump tweeted a video of him “beating up” CNN which had been made by the user HanAssholeSolo, who had previously posted comments like “500,000 dead Muslims is a good start. Kill the rest and I’ll be impressed,” and “liberals just need to buy some good rope and hang themselves.” Another prominent /r/the_donald user, Lance Maurice Davis, who went by “Seattle4Truth” and posted links like “CNN IS *ACTUALLY* ISIS” and “Teen Vogue looooves jihad now! They want to indoctrinate children” murdered his own father after a heated argument about Pizzagate, the crackpot conspiracy theory that claims that Hillary Clinton and John Podesta are running a secret pedophile ring out of the basement of a pizzeria in Washington D.C., according to an Aug. 10 article in GoSkagit. When pressed about the violent extremism his site was giving a platform, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman stated that “the_donald is a small part of a large problem we face in this country — that a large part of the population feels unheard, and the last thing we’re going to do is take
their voice away.” That includes subreddits like /r/incels, a community of “involuntary celibates” that discusses optimal ways to entrap and incapacitate women and celebrates mass murderer Elliot Rodger as their patron saint and /r/uncensorednews, a supposedly unbiased news source that actually exists to peddle alt-right and homophobic talking points that proudly proclaims, “Here at uncensored news we love racism, bigotry, misogyny, hatred, xenophobia, transphobia, homo phobia etc.” How is any of this the “voice of the unheard?” In what universe is any of this valuable discussion? If the only argument that sites like Twitter and Reddit have to defend allowing such undisguised hatred on their platform is the free speech argument, that’s not much of an argument at all. When your positions are so awful that the only defense you can muster in their favor is that you are constitutionally not barred from expressing said position by the government, that’s a terrible position to take. Furthermore, groups like /r/the_donald don’t actually believe in free expression to begin with: The forum explicitly states in its sidebar that any questioning or dissent of the president should go in a separate forum, as “This forum is NOT for that.” If institutions like Twitter and Reddit really want to be the avant garde of free speech, they need to get rid of the steadfast deniers of free speech that they’ve been promoting and abetting this whole time.
Criticize actor Kevin Spacey’s response to recent allegations By santiago montoya JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
In 1988, England introduced Section 28 of the 1988 Local Government Act, which barred the so-called promotion of homosexuality in schools. In the 1970s, Senator John Briggs came up with an initiative called California Proposition 6, which attempted to bar gays and lesbians from working in Californian schools. The initiative was set aside because of the lack of support from the public. In Russia, one salient homophobic group calls itself Occupy Pedophilia, claiming that they protect the rights of children by humiliating, assaulting or otherwise targeting gay people, according to a Feb. 6, 2014 article from Gawker. LGBTQ activists have fought hard to reject the mislabelling and portrayal of the queer community as pedophiles, but recent events are damaging the progress made. According to an Oct. 19 Buzzfeed article, actor Anthony Rapp revealed that actor Kevin Spacey made sexual advances on him when Rapp was only 14 years old. With Spacey’s eventual coming out as a gay man, one wonders if the homophobic bigots will commence pressing the case that LGBTQ people are a threat to children. Rapp was starring in the play “Precious Sons” on Broadway in 1986 when he had the opportunity to meet Spacey at a post-show party, which multiple cast members attended. At the time, Spacey was starring in another Broadway play, the revival of “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.” Rapp grew bored and went to watch television, later realizing that he and Spacey were the only ones left. Spacey, who according to Rapp appeared “drunk,” attempted to seduce him. “I was aware he was trying to get with me sexually,” Rapp said, according to his testimony in the Buzzfeed article. When Spacey encountered Rapp lying in bed, Rapp says Spacey climbed on top of the
14-year-old Rapp, making a sexual advance. Rapp was able to sneak underneath Spacey and flee the scene, before locking himself in the bathroom and announcing to Spacey that he was leaving. To this, Spacey replied, “Are you sure you wanna go?” according to the same Buzzfeed article. The event lingered in Rapp’s mind and he considered pursuing some sort of legal action, consulting a lawyer back in 2001, per the same Buzzfeed article. Now, the egregious sexualmisconduct scandal circling mogul Harvey Weinstein was the nudge of encouragement that Rapp needed to speak out. According to an Oct. 29 Vulture article, Rapp stated, “Part of what allowed the Harvey situation to occur was that there was this witting and unwitting conspiracy of silence,” and added, “The only way these things can continue is if there’s no attention being paid to it, if it’s getting forgotten.” The narrative of “coming out” as a person on LGBTQ spectrum usually has the positive connotation of empowerment. The individual is empowered enough to set the fear of rejection aside and lift the burdensome weight of oppressive secrecy off the person’s shoulders. It is usually an act of transparency, not an act of dishonesty. It should not be an obligation of those individuals with public platforms to share every intimate detail of their private lives. In this case, an actor’s only job is to present to the public the diverse range of characters they are able to create. An actor’s personal life should not matter for the job. Being queer should not determine an actor’s ability to play the lead role in a heterosexual romantic love plot. British actor Rupert Everett, who is openly gay, said during an interview for the Guardian that he regretted having revealed details about his sexuality: “Honestly, I would not advise any actor necessarily, if he was really thinking of his career, to come out.” Thus, Spacey might
have decided to keep his sexuality as a secret for the sake of his acting career, given his successful career and two Academy Awards earned in less than five years. But Spacey’s time to come out was, as comedian Billy Eichner described it in an Oct. 29 tweet, “a bad time to come out.” Spacey’s coming out seems like an outright attempt to cover up the allegations against him. In the case of Spacey, the timing of his coming out seems like a distraction tactic. Spacey replied to Rapp’s allegations via a tweet, saying, “I have a lot of respect and admiration for Anthony Rapp as an actor. I’m beyond horrified to hear his story … I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.” Then Spacey did a maneuver with the apparent intent of making the story go away, adding to his statement: “This story has encouraged me to address other things about my life … I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man.” According to an Oct. 30 New York Times article, Sarah Kate Ellis, the president and chief executive of GLAAD, said that coming out to deny accusations of sexual misconduct was inappropriate: “This is not a coming out story about Kevin Spacey, but a story of survivorship by Anthony Rapp and all those who bravely speak out against unwanted sexual advances.” Actor Zachary Quinto also tweeted about the situation on Oct. 30, saying that Spacey had not come out “as a point of pride” but “as a calculated manipulation to deflect attention from the very serious accusation that he attempted to molest one.” Quinto also stated, “I am sorry that Kevin only saw fit to acknowledge his truth when he thought it would serve him — just as his denial served him for so many years.” The Buzzfeed article created a ripple effect, with eight employees from the Netflix
The opinions expressed on this page are those of each article’s respective author and do not reflect the viewpoint of the Justice.
series “House of Cards” coming forward and alleging sexual harassment from Spacey. The production assistants told CNN in a Nov. 3 article that Spacey sexually assaulted them and/or behaved inappropriately on more than one occasion during the production of the show. Ultimately, all eight people described Spacey’s behavior as “predatory.” Initially, Netflix suspended production of the show, but as allegations from production saw light, Netflix decided to fire Spacey on Nov. 3. According to a Nov. 4 CNN article, a spokesperson for the network said, “Netflix will not be involved with any further production of ‘House of Cards’ that includes Kevin Spacey. We will continue to work with MRC during this hiatus time to evaluate our path forward as it relates to the show.” CNN also reported that the network will not release the film “Gore,” starring and produced by Spacey. In addition, Spacey’s talent agency, Creative Artists Agency, and publicist “have since cut ties with him.” This time, though, Spacey did not play his cards well. As Quinto stated, “[Spacey’s] denial served him for many years,” but his new truth will not. He has attempted to use his sexuality — and with it, the entire LGBTQ community — like a prop to wipe away the mess of his own doing and to mitigate the collapse of his nowplummeting career. The LGBTQ community has disassociated from Spacey, which is a necessary step in order to fight against the pedophile stereotype that queer people have had to bear for a long time. Spacey’s rejection from the public, the networks and his other affiliations is necessary. It is a tactic not only to protest against the people who abuse their positions of power, but also to get the point across that sexual advances on someone without their consent is not, and will never be, okay. At least one president — even if a fictional one — has suffered for his predatory behavior.
2017
10 THE JUSTICE ● Sports ● Tuesday, NOVEMBER 7, 2017
WSOCCER: Team will start its playoff run against Stevens CONTINUED FROM 16 Athletic Conference, a large conference with over 100 Division III schools. They finished with a record of 11-3-4, slightly better than the Judges, but it should be an even matchup. The Judges have had success in the playoffs in the past, but injuries could plague the team this time around. The team is on its third goalkeeper, graduate student Frankie Pinto ’17. She was a redshirt first-year and spent her Brandeis career playing basketball. She has done well, but a solid goalkeeper is always an important element of any team,
13
KEEPING POSSESSION
especially come playoff time. If the Judges win this weekend, they will advance and play either Williams College or Lesley University. Williams is the first seed in the region, so that will be a tough matchup, but if the Judges pull out a win, their path further in the playoffs should be less competitive. Will the Judges make a deep postseason run? Or will the team’s injuries plague them and cause an early exit? The team has been surviving with the depth that it has so far. However, only time will tell if the squad can muster more clutch performances when it matters the most.
SWIMMING: Fans will be able to watch MSOCCER: Club will play talented rookies at Western Connecticut State home next month
LUCY FRENKEL/the Justice
FOCUSED FOOTWORK: Midfielder Noah Gans ’21 dribbles past his New York University defender with ease on Saturday.
CONTINUED FROM 16
CONTINUED FROM 16 silver. Wohl and Selznick tacked on a few more silvers with wins in the 200-yard breaststroke and 400-yard individual medley events, respectively. The Judges finished the day with a second-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Both teams will continue on to Bentley University this coming Friday for a chance to improve their records. The men sit at a superb 4-1 record, while the women have struggled, managing only two
wins in six scored events. The meet is not for another two weeks, so the Judges have plenty of time to prepare. As with other Brandeis sports this season, the first-year athletes have been outstanding and will look to build on their impressive collegiate debuts. The talent is undeniable for both Brandeis squads and it remains to be seen how they will perform. Fans can look forward to the Judges’ long road stand ending with the first scoring home meet against Colby College on Dec. 9.
the Judges outshot the Violets 168, including the team’s six shots on goal. On other aspects of the game, the team also outplayed the visitors from New York. The squad attempted six corner kicks to NYU’s one and only committed 11 fouls while NYU had 14. With captain goalkeeper Ben Woodhouse ’18 sidelined with an injury, Irwin was forced to start the game, as he has done for the last three contests. This time he was able to record his first career shutout in only his fourth career start. The club will need Irwin to continue to step up
if Woodhouse is not able to return to action in the postseason. Going forward, the team will play highly intense matchups in the National Collegiate Athletic Association matches. Yesterday the NCAA Division III Soccer tournament was announced, and the Judges will host the first two rounds. The team's opening match will be against Western Connecticut State University. The other matchup taking place at Gordon Field will be the University of Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders facing off with the Bowdoin College Polar Bears. The team will look to match and possibly exceed the high expectations
it set for itself last year. In the 2016 campaign, the squad made it all the way to the Final Four for only the second time in the program's history. This tournament appearance represents the team's fifth in the last six years. The 2016 season was an improvement upon a 2015 one that saw the Judges falling in the Sweet 16. Another improved performance would land the club in the championship game, a feat the school has not witnessed in over 40 years. It should be an exhilarating playoff run for fans to watch as the Judges look to prove their dominance over Western Connecticut State.
SOCCER VOLLEYBALL SWIMMING TRACK
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SOCCER VOLLEYBALL SWIMMING TRACK
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THE JUSTICE ● Sports ● Tuesday, NOVEMBER 7, 2017
jUDGES BY THE NUMBERS
15
VOLLEYBALL
Men’s Soccer UAA STANDINGS UAA Conf. W L D Chicago 6 1 0 JUDGES 5 2 0 Rochester 4 2 1 Emory 4 2 1 Case 3 4 0 Carnegie 2 3 2 WashU 1 5 1 NYU 0 6 1
TEAM STATS Goals
Overall W L D 16 2 0 13 4 0 11 3 3 12 5 1 7 9 2 10 4 3 7 7 2 8 7 2
Patrick Flahive ’18 led the team with five goals. Pct. Player Goals .889 Patrick Flahive 5 .765 Andrew Allen 4 .786 Mike Lynch 4 .706 Josh Ocel 4 .438 .714 Assists .500 Josh Ocel ’18 led the team with .533 eight assists. Player Assists Josh Ocel 8 Max Breiter 4 Andrew Allen 3 Dylan Hennessy 3
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Judges concluded their regular season on Saturday.
WOMen’s Soccer UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS Goals
Chicago WashU Carnegie JUDGES NYU Emory Rochester Case
UAA Conf. W L D 6 1 0 6 1 0 5 1 1 2 3 2 2 3 2 2 4 1 1 6 0 1 6 0
Overall W L D Pct. 17 1 0 .944 15 1 1 .938 13 2 2 .867 11 4 4 .733 10 5 3 .667 10 7 1 .588 7 9 1 .438 7 11 0 .389
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Judges concluded their regular season on Saturday.
Samantha Schwartz ’18 tied for the team lead with eight goals. Player Goals Samantha Schwartz 8 Sasha Sunday 8 Haliana Burhans 4 Julia Matson 4
Assists Sasha Sunday ’19 led the team with nine assists. Player Assists Sasha Sunday 9 Haliana Burhans 3 Katie Hayes 3 Hannah Maatallah 3
VOLLEYBALL UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS Kills
WashU Emory Carnegie Chicago Case Rochester NYU JUDGES
UAA Conf. W L 6 1 4 3 6 1 5 2 4 3 2 5 1 6 0 7
Overall W L 24 9 27 6 29 4 23 8 19 12 19 13 11 22 15 14
Pct. .727 .818 .879 .742 .613 .594 .333 .517
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Judges concluded their regular season on Saturday.
Marissa Borgert ’21 led the team with 224 kills. Player Kills Marissa Borgert 224 Shea Decker-Jacoby 211 Emma Bartlett 186 Zara Platt 124
Digs Yvette Cho ’19 led the team with 481 digs. Player Digs Yvette Cho 481 Shea Decker-Jacoby 253 Marissa Borgert 162 Clare Meyers 151
cross cOuntry Results from the UAA Championships on Oct. 28 in New Jersey.
TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)
TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)
8-Kilometer Run RUNNER TIME Ryan Stender 26:20.0 Mitchell Hutton 26:53.4 Luke Ostrander 26:59.2
6-Kilometer Run RUNNER TIME Emily Bryson 23:41.1 Julia Bryson 24:18.6 Niamh Kenney 25:27.1
EDITOR’S NOTE: Nov. 11 at NCAA New England Regional Championships (in Maine) Nov. 18 at NCAA Division III Championships (in Illinois)
NATALIA WIATER/Justice File Photo
ALL SET: Breakout sensation right side hitter Marissa Borgert ’21 prepares her set during a home match on Sept. 13.
Judges should be proud of their incredible year ■ Right side hitter Marissa Borgert ’21 had a triple-double in a historic match against Carnegie Mellon University. By BEN KATCHER JUSTICE editor
Members of the Brandeis women’s volleyball team, head coach Alesia Vaccari, family, friends and fans of this squad have an awful lot to be proud of this season. As the sports editor of the Justice, I have been covering this team for over a year now and I am truly inspired by this team’s incredible transformation. In just one year, the Judges improved their numbers in every major team category per set: assists, digs, service aces, blocks, hitting percentage and kills. Last year’s team finished the regular season with a 7-21 record and ended the year on a 12-game losing streak. This season, the Judges finished with a winning record at 1514, including an outstanding 9-2 mark at home. How did they do it? Brandeis’ offseason recruitment pulled in a class of unparalleled talent. The firstyear phenoms of right side hitter Marissa Borgert ’21, outside hitter Clare Meyers ’21 and middle hitter
Belle Scott ’21 exploded out of the gates in their first collegiate seasons. Borgert led the team in kills with 224, while Meyers and Scott were fifth and sixth with 120 and 118 kills, respectively. Borgert was also third on the team in digs with 162, while Meyers was fourth with 151. Led by team captain libero Yvette Cho ’19, who put up a career-high 481 digs this year, the Judges quickly became a formidable powerhouse in Division III play. While the University Athletic Association playoff tournament did not end as well as the Judges would have liked, this team has every reason to be proud of what they have accomplished in just one season. Judges 2, NYU 3 Brandeis closed out its regular season with a hard-fought 3-2 defeat in the University Athletic Association seventh-place match against New York University on Saturday. The Judges came out strong, taking the first two sets by scores of 25-13 and 2521, respectively. However, the Violets stormed back, coming out on top in the final three sets by scores of 25-20, 25-21 and 15-9. Outside-hitter Shea Decker-Jacoby ’19 led the team with 13 kills. She also recorded 19 digs, putting in impressive work both on offense and defense for her squad. Borgert
continued to add to her already outstanding resume with 11 kills and 12 assists for the match. Setter Marlee Nork ’19 led the team in assists with 20 and added 11 digs as well on defense. Judges 0, Case 3 The eighth-seeded Judges had a tough time against fifth-seeded Case Western Reserve University on Friday evening, dropping the match 3-0 by scores of 25-16, 25-18 and 25-19. Despite the loss, Nork shined for the team once again. The setter led the Judges with 10 assists while also totaling three service aces. Middle hitter Emma Bartlett ’20 was a monster at the net with six total blocks for the match. Judges 2, Carnegie 3 Brandeis fell just short on Friday against top-seeded Carnegie Mellon University. The team lost 3-2 by scores of 25-21, 28-30, 17-25, 26-24 and 8-15. This was the first ever eighthversus first-seed match to go five sets in UAA tournament history. Borgert was amazing in this one, totaling 20 kills, 15 assists and 13 digs. Nork was just as extraordinary with 33 assists and 20 digs for the match. Decker-Jacoby could not be stopped either with 15 kills and 26 digs against the Tartans.
PRO SPORTS COLUMN The connected Los Angeles Dodgers fanbase has a lot to be excited about despite World Series defeat The Houston Astros won the 2017 World Series. By emerging victorious in this out-of-control seven-game series, the Astros took home their first championship in their 56-year franchise history. In the immediate wake of Hurricane Harvey’s devastation and after years of extreme losing, the Astros have a fascinating and inspirational story that deserves to be told. Look elsewhere for that column. This is about the losers. I’m from Los Angeles and am a lifelong Los Angeles Dodgers fan. This was not only the first time one of my teams made it to the championship in my lifetime, but also the first time it felt like one of my teams was the best team on the planet. The Dodgers couldn’t get it done and that’s an uncomfortable
and disappointing reality. But you know what? This was undeniably a special season, and a Game 7 loss doesn’t erase it, even if it does obscure it. Plus, the whole year was a lot of fun. Calling my dad in Los Angeles after every World Series game and getting his text updates of runs scored and opportunities blown, as if I wasn’t also watching, was the best part. So were the frantic calls between innings during the insanity of Game 6, screaming about the irresponsible overuse of relief pitcher Brandon Morrow and right fielder Yasiel Puig’s unbelievable strength as I sat in a deserted Upper Usdan. One of the few remaining people in the world who gets his news from the newspaper, my dad eagerly informed me of Los Angeles
Times columnist Bill Plaschke’s commentary on manager Dave Roberts and the disappointed letters-to-the editor as the Dodgers blew leads and lost games. I loved that I got to once again experience his Los Angeles with him. Living in Waltham, I don’t get an Xfinity channel with Dodgers games. The reality is that I didn’t experience this team like I did the mid 2000s’ James Loney, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Russell Martin years, when the game was on every single night and I was fully ensconced in the dulcet tones of Vin Scully’s legendary voice. As it seemed more and more likely that the Dodgers were doing something special, part of me felt like I wouldn’t have a genuine claim to a championship if this was finally
going to be the year. However, it ended up being the time I spent out of Los Angeles this summer, not the time in Los Angeles, that showed me I was wrong. As I made my way through the country this summer, I ran into Dodgers fans everywhere I went. It’s always cool to see other people wearing those iconic Dodger blue hats in places other than L.A. It means that we, strangers in a strange land, have an emotional connection to the same city and the same group of guys. More than that though, it means we see ourselves in, and have constructed a meaningful part of our identity in, the same entity. Even as I build a new life 3,000 miles away from the only one I have ever known, the connections don’t undo or break
from what they were. It’s showing me that while distance can change form, content has the power to persist. And so my connection to the Dodgers, and Los Angeles, and my parents, and my childhood, persists, authentically. And that’s a pretty cool thing to learn from a boring game. This season for the Dodgers and their fans may have ended in disappointment, but at the end of the day, all that really matters is this: The Dodgers will be back next season as strong as ever, and I will be right there with them. —Evan Robins Editor’s note: A longer version of this article will appear online.
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BE PROUD, JUDGES The Brandeis women’s volleyball team finished the regular season with a winning record just one year after going 7-21, p. 15.
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
MEN’S SOCCER
BRANDEIS BOOT
Team looks ahead to postseason play ■ After ending the regular
season with a shutout win, the men’s soccer team now prepares for its playoff push. By NOAH HESSDORF JUSTICE EDITOR
The men’s soccer team finished its regular season on a high note this past Saturday, vanquishing their University Athletic Association foe, New York University, 1-0 at home. Judges 1, NYU 0 The victory brought the Judges’ record to an impressive 13-4 on the season. Many of those wins came off dominant offensive performances, but Saturday’s matchup was anything but that. The squad used its stifling defense to pull off the victory in a close match. For the game, the Judges held the NYU Violets to only two shots on goal. One of those attempts, however, was nearly punched in. NYU senior forward Nic Notaro had the ball in the 25th minute and attempted to push it past Judges goalkeeper Greg Irwin ’20. Irwin was able to dive to his left and make a spectacular save
Waltham, Mass.
that kept the game tied up at zero. Brandeis would have its own solid opportunity in the first half when forward Andrew Allen ’19 had a one-on-one chance with the NYU goalkeeper. The goalie, NYU junior Grant Engel, was able to stop the straightaway attempt and preserve the shutout in the 42nd minute. A few minutes later, as the first half dwindled down, the team had another good look at goal but midfielder Max Breiter’s ’20 header just missed the net. The second half would be where the club finally put a point up on the board. Allen would once again have a golden opportunity against Engel, but this time he would take full advantage. Defender Alex Walter ’20 lifted a through ball over the NYU defense that left Allen all alone with Engel. Allen beat the keeper and converted his fourth goal of the season. The Judges were up 1-0 early in the second half, as the goal was recorded in the 47th minute. The team was able to hold onto that lead for the remainder of the contest. Its defense tightened significantly, not allowing another shot in the goal in the entire second half. Overall,
See MSOCCER, 13 ☛
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Swimmers come out with several key wins ■ The men’s and women’s
swimming and diving teams finished Friday with a total of three team wins on the road. By JERRY MILLER JUSTICE EDITOR
The Brandeis swimming and diving teams combined to win four of five matchups this past Friday at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute invitational. The women’s team faced off against WPI, Babson College and Smith College for a four-way duel. Led by Audrey Kim ’21, the women’s team got off to a hot thirdplace start in the 400-yard medley. With Kylie Herman ’19 cleaning up at the tail end, the Judges finished with an overall time of 4:16.91. Talia Borenstein ’21 followed up the performance with a silver medal in the 1000-yard freestyle event, swimming to a time of 11:26.44 to beat out sophomore Cialian Gonyea of WPI. Herman matched Borenstein’s second-place finish with a time of 2:03.19 in the 200-yard freestyle event, giving the Judges a nice lead over Babson and Smith College. WPI still held a tight grip on first place, with sophomore Sydney Seo narrowly beating out Kim in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:02.72. Annie Huang ’21 and Natalya Wozab ’20 combined for two top-five finishes in the 100yard breaststroke but were unable to outmaneuver WPI, who took home the first-, second- and fourthplace finishes. Amy Sheinhait ’18 continued to fight the Engineer tide and took home a bronze in the 50yard freestyle. Kim was again out mastered by WPI, losing first place by centimeters in the 200yard backstroke event. Herman
and Borenstein went back-to-back in the 500-yard freestyle, snagging third and fourth place only to have WPI steal the gold and silver medals yet again. Rachel Goldblatt ’21 finally cracked the WPI onslaught, hitting the boards in 1:02.64 in the 100yard butterfly and taking home the first gold of the day. WPI failed to place in the top-eight finishes for the event, with the Judges taking fourth and fifth place. Kim continued to put on a show for the crowd, taking home her second silver of the day in the 400-yard individual medley event. Sabrina Greer ’19 and Borenstein clocked in seconds later, taking home third and fourth, respectively. The Judges capped off the day with a second-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Though the team took home a bevy of medals on the day, their efforts were for naught against the Engineers’ attack. The Judges fell to WPI 176-94, but managed to offset the loss with 177-67 and 176-118 wins against Babson and Smith, respectively. The men’s team had a solid showing, going 1-1 on the day and beating out Babson 157-122 on the heels of outstanding rookie performances. Richard Selznick ’21 took home two golds on the day, knocking the competition out of the water in the 1000- and 500-yard freestyle events. Daniel Wohl ’21 added to the hardware display with a win of his own in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:47.68. Fellow underclassman Tamir Zitelny ’20 stole a third gold for the Judges in the 200-yard backstroke, bumping the Judges up in the standings with a time of 2:02.85. Zitelny followed up that performance with a 2:00.34 time in the 200-yard freestyle, good for
See SWIMMING, 13 ☛
ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice
PURE STRENGTH: Forward Sasha Sunday ’19 loads up to launch the ball in the team’s regular season finale on Saturday.
Judges end the regular season with a 1-1 tie ■ Defender Julia Jaffe ’19
scored her first career goal on Saturday against New York University at home. By ZACH KAUFMAN JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
In the final game of the regular season, the Judges drew even with New York University. After two regulation periods and two overtime periods, the score was locked at 1-1 and the game finished in a tie. Before the game, the team honored its two seniors, forwards Samantha Schwartz ’18 and Haliana Burhans ’18, who played in their final regular season games as Brandeisians. This draw left the Judges with a final record of 11-33 including 2-3-2 in the University Athletic Association. This placed them fourth in the University Athletic Association, tied with the NYU Violets. The University of Chicago, with a record of 17-1 — including 6-1 in conference play — came out on top of the league. The runner up was Washington University in St.
Louis (15-1-1, 6-1). Following them was Carnegie Mellon University (13-2-2, 5-1-1). While Brandeis had a better overall record at 11-4-4 compared to NYU’s 10-5-3, the two clubs had identical 2-3-2 records within the conference and a draw against each other left them tied for fourth. Coming in sixth was Emory University (10-7-1, 2-4-1). The University of Rochester (7-91, 1-6) and Case Western Reserve University (7-11, 1-6) rounded out the standings, tying for last place. Judges 1, NYU 1 On Saturday, the Judges hosted New York University for their final game of the regular season. In the first half, Brandeis outshot NYU 7-4, but few of those shots were on target. The closest attempt came when Schwartz hit the crossbar in the 17th minute. The first half drew to a close with the teams still tied 0-0. NYU drew first blood in the 67th minute. After a foul was called on the Judges about 25 yards from goal, NYU freshman back Nalani Ogawa drilled a free kick just under the crossbar and out of the reach of goalkeeper Frankie Pinto ’17. After 10 more minutes of play,
the Judges struck back and scored the equalizing goal. Midfielder Hannah Maatallah ’19 passed the ball to defender Julia Jaffe ’19. Jaffe darted through the NYU defense and scored her first goal as a Judge. This was the end of scoring for regulation and the game went into overtime. In the two overtime periods, Brandeis outplayed NYU, leading the shot spread 5-2, but they could not find the back of the net and after two overtime periods the score was still tied 1-1 and the game ended in a draw. As this was the final game of the regular season, the squad now looks ahead to the playoffs. The team eagerly watched the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament selection show, which aired yesterday afternoon. The squad made the tournament for a team record fourth straight season. In a tournament-style postseason similar to March Madness for basketball, 64 teams will compete. The Judges will play the Stevens Institute of Technology in the opening round, which will occur sometime next weekend. Stevens plays in the Eastern College
See WSOCCER, 13 ☛
Vol. Vol. LXX LXX #9 #2
November 12, 7, 2017 September 2017
The Sparr ow >>pg. 19
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Artwork: Otis Fuqua. Images: Heather Schiller/the Justice. Design: Andrew Baxter/the Justice.
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THE TUESDAY, JUSTICENovember | Arts | TUESDAY, 7, 2017 iJanuary Arts i THE 31,JUSTICE 2017
Film review
McDonagh thrills with ‘Three Billboards’ By Kent Dinlenc justice Staff writer
Telling you all that I have been looking forward to this film would be an understatement. Ever since it was announced two years ago, I have been anticipating a thoughtprovoking experience from “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” Now you may be thinking: “Why is this indie movie so important?” Well, it’s because it was made by Martin McDonagh, the writerdirector of my favorite movie of all time, “In Bruges” (2008), and my number nine “Seven Psychopaths” (2012); these being his only two films apart from his Oscarwinning short film “Six Shooter” (2004). I’ve been waiting for the third since 2012. Thanks to an early screening at the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square on Oct. 26, I was one of a select few to watch “Three Billboards” two weeks before its release this Friday. “Three Billboards” takes place, you guessed it, just outside of Ebbing, Missouri, a small town with a close-knit community. It’s been a year since a local mother (Frances McDormand) found out her daughter was murdered. She’s sick of waiting for an arrest, so she decides to bring the cold case to light again by leaving a message on three adjacent billboards. When a local deputy Dixon (Sam Rockwell) sees the message for the first time, he informs his mentor and commanding officer (Woody Harrelson). I feel if I give any more details about the plot the entire film will be ruined, so I will leave it at that. First off, there should be no question that “Three Billboards” will be a major awards contender. The movie has already received praise in the form of the Venice International Film Festival’s “Best
Screenplay” award and multiple audience-choice picks at multiple festivals like the Toronto International Film Festival. McDonagh has easily written the best script of the decade, eclipsing “Seven Psychopaths.” As a playwright, you can understand that he gives his all to his scripts. He’s quite well-known in the theater community for penning “The Pillowman,” a dark comedy revolving around a writer arrested for child murders resembling those found in his short stories. Though I commend his direction and the accompanying cinematography by Ben Davis, they are not the main standouts. The script is perfect. No frame is without purpose, each scene is called back. The storytelling is so dense with vital information and character moments, you pay no attention to the runtime of each scene. The movie felt longer than it was (one hour and 55 minutes), but not in a bad way whatsoever. There is so much to dissect, so much to absorb. The time efficiency in this film should be commended. Editor Jon Gregory should get as much recognition as possible for fitting this story into a tight time frame (under two hours) while keeping all the crucial elements stacked atop each other, discarding all of the fluff. Carter Burwell’s poignant score ties all of the technical aspects behind the camera together. But let’s shift now to the unparalleled tour-de-force acting featured in “Three Billboards.” First to be mentioned is McDormand, who is unrecognizable as the dirtymouthed mother who will stop at nothing to bring her daughter’s case back into the public eye. People usually see her as the kind, competent Minnesotan police chief in her most famous role in “Fargo”; or at least that’s how I’ve al-
ways seen her. But in this she’s tough, she’s rude, she’s witty and she kicks ass. She’s all of these things in back-toback scenes, done seamlessly and with subtlety. Each action, each delivery, what she does, what she doesn’t do; they all summate to a touching performance that surprises, intrigues and evokes sympathy. So far, this year there have been very few supporting performances that stood out in film. The most notable were Patrick Stewart in “Logan,” Holly Hunter in “The Big Sick,” Tilda Swinton in “Okja” and the entire cast of “Dunkirk” who supported each other. Not since J. K. Simmons in “Whiplash” has an Oscar win been so guaranteed. Sam Rockwell delivers a performance that steals every scene, every chuckle, every whimper. I can’t give away the reasons why he elicits such emotion, because that would reveal important plot points and character arcs, so I will hold my tongue (or fingers over this keyboard, I suppose). Rockwell is an extremely underrated actor with stellar performances in more terrible movies than good ones. If you want to see more of him, I once again recommend “Seven Psychopaths,” as well as his best work until now: “Moon” (2009). The praise given to McDormand and Rockwell should in no way diminish the rest of the supporting cast. Woody Harrelson, Lucas Hedges, Caleb Landry Jones, John Hawke, Peter Dinklage and Zeljko Ivanek all become the colorful characters of Ebbing, Missouri. Jones, however, is a particular standout among these men. His recent roles have been getting better and better. He’s been in this year’s best films so far: “Get Out,” “American Made,” “The Florida Project” and now “Three
Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons
MASTER WORDSMITH: Martin McDonagh is the director and masterful writer of new thriller film,“Three Billboards.” Billboards” while also appearing in this summer’s “Twin Peaks” revival season. However, removing any of these men would be a detriment to the atmosphere of unease, hilarity, villainy and heroism in this Missourian community. I in no way want to overhype my review of “Three Billboards,” yet at the same time none of my praise is exaggerated. The film showcases the perfect execution of my favorite film genre: dark comedy. McDonagh does not adhere to the
rules of political correctness. Prepare to laugh at the un-laughable, sympathize with the unsympathetic and fall in love with the unlovable. He is a master of writing, so I recommend you don’t miss it. “Three Billboards” just barely bests “Seven Psychopaths,” which means it just makes my top 10 list of all time. I will be returning to the Embassy this Friday, ready to re-watch the best film of the year. A-plus.
Improv review
Improvisation battle is the best of both worlds By Isabelle Truong justice Staff writer
Last Thursday night, comedy lovers and comedians alike amassed in Schwartz Hall — typically a lecture hall or some place you go once or twice to take your final exams — to watch improvisation groups To Be Announced (TBA) and Bad Grammer battle it out in their “Blue Team vs. Green Team” competition show. The rules were laid out quite simply: TBA, the blue team, and Bad Grammer, the green team, played about 10 or so mini games in which, in true improv spirit, the audience had the opportunity to actively participate by choosing which team won based off of the amount of applause they gave. Team members sported the color of their teams. The “cube game” kicked off the night. It included two members from each team rotating in a group of four, with a specific relationship to one another that was different from the last. For example, the first pair were second cousins, while the last person from the previous pair was the hairdresser and the next
Photos by ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice
COME TOGETHER: Both TBA and Bad Grammer perform in this skit, breaking the boundaries of their teams. person for the next pair was the client, and so on. The players went back and forth, making spontaneous and rowdy jokes. This game definitely showcased the silly humor that improv has to offer, setting the stage and tone for this kind of comedy for any audience members new
BLUE TEAM: Members from TBA perform a skit in which certain members act out a given word.
to improv. Schwartz Hall was filled with exuberant humor that night. Apparent from the audience’s boisterous cheers, laughs and enormous smiles before the show even started, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves throughout the event, despite it being one hour and 15 minutes. There was a lot going on and a lot of dramatic acting that was hard to follow at times, but it was nonetheless a fun time for everyone. During some moments, I felt confused as to how a few of the games worked and what was going on. However, I soon learned that the jokes were not supposed to be witty and calculated but overdone and comical. This type of humor really showcased the comedians’ unique personalities and created a really interesting experience. One of the craziest games the teams played was the “bucket game,” in which two team members dunked their heads into a large bowl of water for as long as they could, running and switching back and forth like a relay race. They were given, once again, words cho-
sen by the audience, and they not only had to joke and think on their feet, but also do so drenched in water and out of breath. It was safe to say that it got messy and eventful quickly. The night grew funnier as the games and jokes became stronger.
For the last couple of games, the teams came together to highlight particularly sexual jokes. One game had the players divide the “stage” into three different emotions. The audience chose “discomfort,” “rage” and “horniness.” Three players shifted to each area and acted out different relationships to one another according to the emotion. In the last game, members had to complete the phrase “sex with me is like” based on the chosen words. They also had to offer an explanation. For example, “sex with me is like a carpet because it’s magical” was one joke. All in all, three words I would choose to describe the night are: crazy, messy and sexual. Both teams did a great job, exuding energy on both sides. It was sloppy, but perhaps that’s what made it enjoyable. The interactions with the audience further incited the audience’s excitement and engagement, myself included — even if, at times, a joke’s trajectory was not initially crystal clear — making me curious about what more Brandeis’ improvisation groups have to offer.
GREEN TEAM: Members of Bad Grammer perform a skit involving a mother and jail time.
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THE JUSTICE arts i TUESDAY, January 31, 2017 THE JUSTICE i arts iiTuesday, November 7, 2017
THEATER REVIEW
‘The Sparrow’s’ unique vision soars Photos by HEATHER SCHILLER/the Justice
SPECIAL SPARROW: Emily Book (Maia Cataldo ’20) saves her teacher, Mr. Christopher (Rodrigo Alfaro Garcia Granados ’18) after he is shot.
STUNT GONE WRONG: Emily saves cheerleader Jenny (Caitlin Crane-Moscowitz ’20) after a cheerleading stunt goes wrong.
By Kent dinlenc justice Staff writer
This weekend I paid a visit to the Shapiro Campus Center theater to watch “The Sparrow,” the latest production by the Undergraduate Theater Collective. The play, written in 2007 by Chris Matthews, Nathan Allen and Jake Minton, revolves around a girl named Emily (Maia Cataldo ’20) returning to her hometown after being the sole survivor of a fatal accident with her second-grade class ten years prior, an accident that leaves her with survivor’s guilt. As she tries with some difficulty to assimilate into the junior class, she befriends her counselor and biology teacher, Mr. Christopher (Rodrigo Alfaro Garcia Granados ’18), and a cheerleader, Jenny (Caitlin CraneMoscowitz ’20). A few weeks later, when one of Jenny’s cheerleading stunts goes awry, Emily saves her while simultaneously exposing her telekinetic ability. She becomes popular for a while until she witnesses a disheveled Jenny, who has lost her place, kissing Mr. Christopher, who is reminded of his dead wife when caring for her. Emily’s life unravels and reveals to all that she caused the incident all those years ago by using her abilities. If there is one thing I can say about “The Sparrow,” it’s that it has a creative and unique vision credited to its director Leah Sherin ’19. I really felt immersed while sitting on stage. All of the technical direction, the lighting, the sound, the staging, the props; it was actually more effective than
I thought it would be — other than the wooden high school locker that fell on top of me hilariously at one point, but obviously I’m not going to fault anybody for that. The slightly muted principal’s announcements were a nice touch. This play also had a lot more choreography than I thought it would. I really felt that the actors effectively created a dynamic space resembling a high school. So, good job to Sherin and choreographer Hannah McCowan ’19.
As for all of the actors, I’d have to say that the ensemble was good. There were some moments where the dialogue flowed a bit too smoothly, as if the lines were being read in quick succession. You know what I mean? Those scenes where actors leave almost no time in between each other’s lines. It pulls you out of the authenticity of the dialogue. Nobody immediately responds in one millisecond in a conversation. There’s no breathing room.
This didn’t happen often, it just initially put me off when I noticed it in the opening scene. Though intermittent, it was noticeable; but that’s not a huge flaw, just a small nit-pick of mine that recurs in most student productions. I’d have to say the standouts among the cast were Cataldo, Granados and Crane-Moscowitz — the undisputed leads of the play. Cataldo was quite restrained in her performance, which was appropriate for a character that kept
BOOKS BY BOOK: In this scene, Emily Book makes her books fly, interpreted to the crowd through dance.
to herself. With a few lighting cues and some melancholic music, she pulled off the fragility and the “magic” element of her character. Crane-Moscowitz’s performance was great as well. She believably portrayed the conflicted character whose social standing and selfconfidence was dwindling. But by far the best actor on stage was Granados. He added excitement and energy in the beginning when needed, he dealt sage advice when prompted, and he was dramatic when he needed to be. He easily stole every scene and acted the most naturally on stage. All of that said and done, there were some problems I had. There was a lot of dancing. I’d say one or two of the dance numbers could have been cut. The number I enjoyed the most was the one featuring the song “I’ve Got the World on a String.” It may have been my partiality toward Frank Sinatra, but I thought the group had some creative and fun choreography. A scene that should have been cut was a ballet number performed by Cataldo with just her on stage. It was nice and elegant with the calming music, but ultimately unnecessary. There was so much dancing that I jokingly thought this production was just wish fulfillment for all of the actors to be in “High School Musical.” That’s not really a criticism. I could just see how happy all of the performers were while dancing, smiles extended from ear to ear. It’s just something I noticed that may be the reason why the dance numbers were so abundant. I also felt the scenes when Emily was home with the McGuckin family were not needed. The best parts of the play were related to the high school community’s dynamic. I witnessed the most hilariously jock-y jocks I’ve ever seen. The mother McGuckin (Sophie Welch ’20) had some moments to stretch her acting chops, but her character unfortunately could have been cut altogether in my opinion. In fact, other than Mr. Christopher, I would have cut most of the adult characters. Not because their actors were not up to par, but because they didn’t really add anything to the plot and my overall enjoyment of the play. The high school scenes were what drew me. “The Sparrow” was a largely delightful play. Definitely one of the better productions I’ve seen on the Brandeis campus this semester. I’m glad I caught it when I had the chance. This “dark ‘High School Musical’” was executed well enough that I can say I had a good time being immersed in it.
Movie review
Gyllenhaal’s Oscar prospects grow ‘Stronger’ By Mendel weintraub justice Staff writer
There is nothing Hollywood loves more than a by-the-numbers biopic. In fact, this tragic love has resulted in an onslaught of such films since the turn of the century, which has led to triumphs, such as Tom Hooper’s “The King’s Speech,” but also to mediocre, formulaic pictures disguised as prestige cinema, like “The Imitation Game.” David Gordon-Green’s “Stronger,” encompasses the recovery of Boston bombing survivor Jeff Bauman, who became a reluctant hero in the aftermath of the tragedy. It is neither masterful nor mediocre, and is most certainly not formulaic. It is, simply, a true story told well and told differently than its biopic brethren. What are the strengths of “Stronger”? Well, for one thing, it has Jake Gyllenhaal, a chameleon of an actor, starring in the lead role; he simply disappears into every character he portrays. The role of Bauman, a man who lost both his legs in the 2013 bombing, is no exception. Gyllenhaal takes on the physical challenge of this role without
falling into the “please-give-me-an-Oscar” trap (when an actor exaggeratedly plays a disabled person for awards attention) that Eddie Redmayne so fawningly succumbed to in his Academy Award-winning portrayal of Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything.” Gyllenhaal’s decision as a performer to focus on his character, and not his character’s disabilities, is what gives the film its sturdy backbone. But what is even more interesting about the performance — and this may very well be more a testament to Gordon-Green’s direction than to Gyllenhaal’s work — is that the film doesn’t exclusively depict Bauman as a survivor; he is very much a victim. All too often we, as viewers, are expected to identify a film’s protagonist as perfectly brave, and thus fail to hold main characters accountable for their negative actions. “Stronger” unabashedly shows Bauman, post-amputation, in various states of naked imperfection (at times, quite literally), such as reckless drunkenness, lateness and ambivalence that are meant to anger the audience. In these moments, we are not asked to sympathize with Gyllenhaal’s character, who arguably should be sympathized with
at all times. This is an incredibly bold risk that pays off mightily, an accomplishment that is no doubt the result of Gyllenhaal’s unmatched ability to execute truly human performances. While on the topic of great performances, “Stronger” also features British actress Tatiana Maslany (an Emmy winner for her under-the-radar BBC sleeper hit “Orphan Black”), who plays Erin, Bauman’s on-andoff girlfriend, who cares for him throughout the film. So much of Maslany’s performance in this film is unspoken, and her ability to convey the pain, anger, impatience and unwavering love of her character without words is absolutely stunning. When she does speak, she delivers her lines with raw, believable emotion that is confounding, because while you want to look away from her in the fit of tears she’ll provoke from you, you are still left unable to take your eyes off her. Gyllenhaal gives “Stronger” its backbone, but Maslany brings its soul. One other notable performance comes from Miranda Richardson as Patty, Jeff’s cigarette-smoking, bottle-hooked mother. As Patty, Richardson plays on the stereotype of the Boston mom, bad-mouthed and
brash, but brings her own atmosphere of sympathy that helps make an otherwise unpalatable character tolerable. Despite the exceptional performances at the center of “Stronger,” there are some glaring problems, most notably with its pacing, which seems to be director David Gordon-Green’s Achilles heel. While he spends a majority of the film depicting Bauman as the reluctant face of the “Boston Strong” movement, he makes a jarring turn toward the end by having Bauman become suddenly engaged in the publicity he spends so much of the story criticizing, a move which is unforgivingly out-of-character, even if Gyllenhaal plays it well. Additionally, the ensemble spreads a bit too thin; characters who seem integral were introduced, only to inconsequentially drop in and out for the duration of the movie. Bearing my deep frustration with the modern formulaic biopic in mind, I forgive “Stronger” for its narrative errors, simply for its portrayal of Bauman as a human rather than an infallible protagonist. However, at the end of the day, it is Maslany that makes the movie worth the price of admission; this is her show, and she is a star.
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TUESDAY, November 7, 2017 | Arts | THE JUSTIce
Brandeis TALKS
INTERVIEW
wf
What is your favorite type of video to watch while procrastinating?
Leah Sherin ’19
NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
Cristin Weiss ’18
This week, justArts spoke with Leah Sherin’19 who directed the Undergraduate Theater Collective’s “The Sparrow.”
“My favorite is probably Marcel the Shell with shoes on. My bio teacher showed it to me in high school, and she actually said to use it to procrastinate.”
justArts: How did you decide you wanted to direct this play?
ABBY PATKIN/the Justice
Liv Molho ’20 “Old clips of TV shows I have already seen.”
Matt Kowalyk ’18 “Reviews of really bad hotels that are usually infested with roaches and leftover drugs and things. There are series on YouTube that are forty minutes apiece.”
Priyanka Rangadass ’19 “I watch this YouTuber named Jus Reign. He is a Punjabi comedian, and he is pretty funny. I like watching his videos; he used to do Vine, but since Vine died, he does full YouTube, and he is pretty funny.” --Compiled by Jen Geller/the Justice and photographed by Yvette Sei/ the Justice.
STAFF’S Top Ten
Top 10 States Ranked Alphabetically By Zach Kaufman
justice EDITORial assistant
There are infinite factors that gives each U.S. state its own character. After much deliberation, here are the top 10 U.S. states ranked by their alphabetical order. Did your home state make the cut? 1. Alabama 2. Alaska 3. Arizona 4. Arkansas 5. California 6. Colorado 7. Connecticut 8. Delaware 9. Florida 10. Georgia
CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Something to wear to the office on March 17 9 Subjects of some conspiracy theories 15 Places to make quick connections? 16 Use your gut 17 One prompting a cry of “charge!” at a hockey game 18 President who said “I’ve looked on a lot of women with lust.” 19 You’re no longer one if you were born on July 23 20 Stood slackjawed 22 Bishop on the board, e.g. 23 Spanish ship of yore 25 Ran, as a bath 26 Morgan of Arthurian legend 29 Coulombs per second 31 Leave off 32 Canine 33 Word before cause or project 36 Art houses 38 Impress, in olden days 40 Mineral suffix 41 Asks tough questions 43 Frozen drink 44 Criminal, in a TV drama 46 The Fourth Estate 47 Large draft 49 ______, el Hijo, y el Espiritu Santo 51 Ardent believer in “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” 53 Slaves to crosswords? 54 Feature of many sci-fi films, for short 57 What Snoopy pretends to do in “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” 59 “It’s the remix to ______, hot and fresh out the kitchen” (hiphop lyrics) 61 It starts with love? 62 A young bird, or what a young bird might be doing with its mama bird 63 Mystery awards 64 Supporters of 4-Down, pejoratively DOWN 1 Place for a hooligan, perhaps 2 French 101 verb 3 Prefix meaning “work” in Greek 4 Org. proposed by Richard Nixon 5 Straight 6 One is the subject of “Inherit the Wind” 7 “I’ll buy that...” 8 Holds highly 9 Open ____ 10 “Whew! I need _____” 11 You might hit yours in a marathon
Leah Sherin: So I think what drew me most to it was really just the story. For me, it’s all about, you take this small town in the middle of nowhere, and then you just kind of put a microscope on it and look at all the tiny little things that happen there. And even though it’s the middle of nowhere, and it’s so irrelevant to the rest of the world, this town is going through such tragedy and are confronted with this accident that happened 10 years ago and this girl coming back who reminds them of it, and they go through this transformation, and I think it’s just a beautiful story with how you zoom into this really tiny town. So that’s kind of what drew me to it and made me want to bring it to life! JA: Considering how much you loved the story, what made you want to direct this show rather than act in it? LS: I think that this story is a lot about the big picture, and I think when I think about the story it’s not just each individual character; it’s about the whole town. So I think by directing I was able to take a step back and look at the whole world we create and try to create this world that encompasses all these ideas [such as] control and tragedy and hope. JA: Was choreography and music already in the script, or did you incorporate them yourself?
12 No pressure environment? 13 Victoria, to her predecessor 14 Scatter all over the place 21 Double 23 Scandalous suffix 24 Hitler didn’t hear many of them 26 Points 27 Give off 28 What “Chez” indicates, to a gourmand 30 The max no. is twelve in professional boxing 32 Menu, in the world of 28-Down 34 Days before 35 The opening and closing of a teapot? 37 One who might have an asst. 39 French 101 verb that rhymes with 2-Down 42 Losing one’s religion 45 Selma has one on “The Simpsons” 46 Many companies and politicians have one 47 Online political magazine 48 Married, in olden days 50 Difficult, as reading material 52 ______ Crazy (Gene Wilder movie) 54 Early second century year 55 Novel in which everyone over 15 disappears 56 Gerunds, colloquially 58 Season opener? 60 “Should have thought of that sooner,” in text
CROSSWORD COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN
SOLUTION COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN
LS: So a lot of what we did was not really scripted. The script would give us stage directions like “Emily causes her books to fly all around the room,” and we brought in the ensemble and had them carry books as if they were flying in, and Emily controlled it. We kind of interpreted it as we wanted to, but we knew coming into it that we — Hannah McCowan ’19 and I — we kind of crafted the world of how we wanted the movement to fit in together, figuring out these big dance pieces with also these movement sequences that can sort of tell the story. And although the script is beautiful and gives us so much of the story, it also doesn’t really tell you the full story of the accident and everything, so we used our movement sequences, [such as] the shaking pictures at the beginning and Emily’s dream to explain to the audience what had happened in the past and how we got to where we are today. JA: What was your favorite part of directing?
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.
LS: So much of it! I was really fortunate to have an amazing, amazing team working with me — the cast and the whole production staff. I think my favorite part was just working with the cast. We did a lot of it together — I would come in with an idea, and I would talk to the cast about it, and we would figure out how to stage it in the most effective way, and we would go through different ideas and kind of create this whole product together. I think the collaborative process was really, really special. JA: What’s your favorite scene in the show and why?
Solution to last issue’s sudoku
Puzzle courtesy of www.sudokuoftheday.com
LS: The pig dissection! It’s so out of nowhere, but it’s just such a lively moment, and it was really challenging for the cast to learn; it was a really challenging dance! It was amazing to see it come together and just to see how this crazy moment that Emily controls comes out of nowhere; I’m still surprised whenever it happens! —Lizzie Grossman