the
Justice www.thejustice.org
The Independent Student Newspaper Volume LXXII, Number 5
of
B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Waltham, Mass.
ACCESSIBILITY
HOMECOMING 2019
SAS head makes sudden, unexplained departure ■ Director of Student Accessibility Support Beth Rodgers-Kay retired at the beginning of the semester. By GILDA GEIST AND CHAIEL SCHAFFEL JUSTICE EDITOR AND STAFF WRITER
NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
This year's homecoming events included soccer games, food trucks, cornhole and more.
SUSTAINABILITY
University implements new sustainability initiatives ■ Brandeis Sustainability
Manager Mary Fisher described new initiatives at the State of Sustainability. By JEN GELLER AND NATALIA WIATER JUSTICE EDITORS
Since the start of the semester, the University has been sharing initiatives it is taking to improve sustainability efforts at Brandeis. According to the Brandeis Sustainability website, the office’s goals are to fulfill the University’s commitment to social justice, reduce its carbon footprint and be responsible members of the global community. During the annual State of Sustainability event held on Sept. 26, Brandeis Sustainability Manager Mary Fisher explained how Brandeis is becoming more sustainable and what the next steps are in creating a greener campus. At the event, Fisher said that converting the Brandeis campus to be completely run on solar or wind power would be impossible. She said that although there are some buildings with solar panels, such as Skyline Residence Hall and Gosman Athletic Center, powering the entire University would require covering the entire surface area of the campus with panels. For wind power, Fisher said that the campus would need 13 wind turbines, and the city of Waltham would not approve this. One turbine would provide 7% of the campus’s energy usage.
Fisher shared one way that Brandeis is tackling this challenge, however, which she elaborated on in an interview with the Justice. The University is looking to build renewable energy sources elsewhere in the country to offset Brandeis’ own usage. In her interview, Fisher said, “We need to look into doing this and push doing this, because it is the best way to reduce our carbon footprint.” This entails buying renewable energy credit by financing a new renewable energy source elsewhere in the country, such as in South Dakota and other states. Locations will be selected based on which areas rely more heavily on coal. This way, the University is offsetting those states’ coal use and providing them more renewable sources. Another initiative Fisher announced at the State of Sustainability is eliminating sales of about 10,000 bottles of water annually by the end of the semester. Water bottle sales will eventually be limited to the Hoot Market and campus vending machines. In her interview with the Justice, Fisher emphasized that “Brandeis’ tap water goes through the same processes of … other bottled water companies,” making it perfectly safe to drink. New bottle filling stations have been added around campus, including the main hallway of Gerstenzang, Slosberg lobby and Mandel Ground Floor, among 11 others. She told the Justice that the carbon footprint of one bottle of Dasani water is the same as over 2,000 gallons of tap water. Fisher added that one factor in completing this goal is the University’s
contract with Coca-Cola, a 10-year contract that has four years left in it. By selling Coca-Cola products, the University receives $50,000 per year. Removing bottled sales, particularly at Einstein’s, could impact the University’s income by up to $200,000. Fisher said that the University was supportive of this change, but needs Coca-Cola on board as well, which can be difficult because they “only care about their sales at the end of the day,” and while the company has sustainability initiatives, getting their products off of the shelves is not one of them. At this time, however, Fisher told the Justice that the school’s initiative should be feasible in both University Starbucks in Heller and Farber, the cafe in Mandel Center, Peet’s Cafe in the Shapiro Science Center, the Faculty Club and Dominic's in the International Business School. Coolers will take the place of plastic bottles where cold and hot water will be available for use for reusable bottles. At the event, Fisher also said that compost is the key to diverting waste, not recycling. Brandeis has increased its composting from 15 tons to 256 tons per year from 2015 to 2019, respectively. Over 40 more compost bins have been added all over campus since August. Next, the University will add compost bins to the Charles River Apartments and 567 South Street, but the timeline for that project is yet to be determined. Fisher said that food makes up 7% of the campus’ total carbon footprint. 13.3% of the food the Brandeis
See SUSTAINABILITY, 7 ☛
Life in a suitcase
By SOFIA GONZALEZ
FEATURES 9 For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org
NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
An abrupt departure
Rodgers-Kay’s absence was sudden — SAS staff and students who had appointments with her expected her to be in the office and filling appointments on the first day of the semester, Aug. 28. According to SAS Undergraduate Accessibility Specialist Kaitlyn Rogers, SAS staff learned on Aug. 30 — two days after the semester began — that Rodgers-Kay “would not be on campus as we had anticipated,” per a Sept. 24 email to the Justice. In a Sept. 6 email to the Justice, Dean of Academic Services Erika Smith wrote that Rodgers-Kay’s last day would be in mid-September. Jette clarified in a Sept. 27 email to the Justice that Rodgers-Kay worked from home for “several weeks” until her official retirement date of Sept. 23. On Sept. 12, two weeks after the start of the semester, Brandeis Academic Services sent an email announcing Rodgers-Kay’s retirement to students registered with SAS. Ac-
See ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES, 7 ☛
GRADUATE STUDENTS
New rule would prohibit graduate student unions ■ This rule would prevent
graduate students employed at private universities from unionizing. By ARI ALBERTSON JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Graduate students working as teaching and research assistants would be prohibited from unionizing under a rule proposed by the National Labor Relations Board on Sept. 23. According to the rule, graduate students who work for a university are not employees because their relationship to the school is “primarily educational in nature.” The NLRB ruled in August 2016 to grant graduate students at private universities the right to unionize, according to a Sept. 20 New York Times article. Brandeis University’s graduate students voted to unionize in May 2017. In 2018, the union negotiated a contract with the Service Employees International Union Local 509, forming the second contract for graduate students at a private university since the 2016 ruling, according to an Aug. 27, 2018 Boston Globe article. Benefits of unionization include increased pay, capped workloads and mental health ser-
A conversation with Janikah Brice ’20
This week begins a new series, "Life in a Suitcase," which highlights immigrant narratives on campus.
Image Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
Shortly after the semester started, Elijah Harrison ’21 walked into the Student Accessibility Support office for a scheduled appointment with Director of SAS Beth Rodgers-Kay. Earlier that day when he had emailed her about running a few minutes late, he received an automated reply from Rodgers-Kay: “I am out of the office. I will not check email during this time.” In the office, Harrison waited for half an hour before being told that Rodgers-Kay would not be in that day. Instead, Scott Lapinski, the accessibility specialist for graduate students, met with Harrison. Lapinski told Harrison that Rodgers-Kay had retired. Rodgers-Kay — who had been director of SAS for nearly a decade and a half — stopped showing up for work at the SAS office sometime in late August. According to Director of Media Relations Julie Jette in an email to the Justice, Rodgers-Kay officially
retired on Sept. 23. On Aug. 30, SAS learned that Rodgers-Kay would not be coming back to work for at least a few weeks. Some students who had Rodgers-Kay as their case manager were notified of her departure as late as mid September.
vices for graduate employees. NLRB members are appointed by the President of the United States, which explains the Board’s backand-forth policy on graduate student unions, from prohibiting unions in 2004 under President George W. Bush to overturning that ruling in 2016 under President Barack Obama, and now yet another reversal under President Donald Trump, whose NLRB appointees have sought to limit union power. The proposed rule’s potential effect on existing unions, including the one at Brandeis, is uncertain. Dominick Knowles, a fourth-year PhD candidate and member of the Brandeis Graduate Union, said in an interview with the Justice that the rule change “could mean the end of our contract and a return to pre-2016 labor relations,” and noted that the rule would make it much more difficult for students at other universities to unionize. “It would mean, essentially, starting from scratch with no legal precedent,” Knowles said. According to a Sept. 20 Washington Post article, the rule would not necessarily prevent schools from voluntarily recognizing unions, but nonetheless administrative opposition at many universities could make unionizing more difficult.
See GRAD UNIONS, 7 ☛
University archives receives Abbie Hoffman tapes By JACKIE TOKAYER
The Justice talked to the president of YourStory International.
A love letter to affirmative action
By LUKE LIU
Men's soccer wins three games
ARTS AND CULTURE 19
By JONAH WHITE
Make your voice heard! Submit letters to the editor to letters@thejustice.org
By HARRISON PAEK
COPYRIGHT 2019 FREE AT BRANDEIS.
NEWS 5 FORUM 12 SPORTS 16
2
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019
●
NEWS
●
THE JUSTICE
NEWS TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
WALTHAM BRIEF School committee to interview school district superintendent candidates The deadline to apply for the position of superintendent of the Waltham school district passed this week, on Friday, Oct. 4, according to an Oct. 4 Waltham Patch article. The school committee is set to review the applications in the upcoming week, and interviews for the position will begin four days after the review is complete. Superintendent Drew Echelson stepped down after nearly four years in the position, starting in 2015, Patch reported on Nov. 7, 2018. Patch later reported that he stepped down to take a job at his alma mater, Harvard University, as the director of an educational leadership program, according to a Nov. 8, 2018 Patch article. The interim superintendent has been George Frost ’68, who, according to an April 26 Patch article, was previously the administrator of human resources for Waltham Public Schools since 2012. One issue that the incoming superintendent will face is the $374 million Waltham High School project to build a new high school — the most expensive high school plan in the state — according to a Sept. 10 Waltham Wicked Local article. According to the Massachusetts Association of School Committees’ job posting for the position, the new superintendent should expect to start on July 1, 2020. The qualifications listed on the Massachusetts Association of School Committees’ brochure for the role are: “Licensed or eligible for licensure as a superintendent in Massachusetts, minimum of master’s degree; advanced degree preferred, minimum of ten years in education, including five years of administrative and/or central office experience and five years teaching experience.” —Jason Frank
Follow
Students interested in careers in technology convened in Sherman Function Hall on Thursday for the Technology & Innovation Career Fair. According to the Brandeis events website, this is the University’s largest technology industry event of the year.
BRIEF Univ. to implement new club financial management system
Image Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
Justice!
the
@theJustice
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS n Clarification: Noah Zeitlin did not create the posters in the photograph. He designed the layout (September 24, Page 1). n A News article on page 2 did not accurately reflect the employment status of Sodexo employees after Sodexo is no longer Brandeis’ dining vendor. Senior Representative to the Board of Trustees Zosia Buse said that while the Sodexo employee’s contract is through Sodexo, it is under the University’s purview. While the jobs of the employees are not guaranteed after Sodexo and Brandeis are no longer in a contract, she is pushing for the workers to keep their jobs (September 24, Page 2). The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Send an email to editor@thejustice.org.
Justice
the
www.thejustice.org
The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods.
Editor News Forum Features Sports Arts Ads Photos Managing Copy Layout
LAUREN BERK/the Justice
editor@thejustice.org news@thejustice.org forum@thejustice.org features@thejustice.org sports@thejustice.org arts@thejustice.org ads@thejustice.org photos@thejustice.org managing@thejustice.org copy@thejustice.org layout@thejustice.org
The Justice Brandeis University Mailstop 214 P.O. Box 549110 Waltham, MA 02454-9110 Phone: (781) 736-3750 The Managing Editor holds office hours on Mondays from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
After a months-long delay, the University will transition its financial management system for campus clubs from the Student Union Management Systems to Slate by the end of June 2020, Executive Senator Jake Rong ’21 reported during the Sept. 22 Senate meeting. SUMS is the Student Union’s financial management system through which club leaders can request funding, reimbursements and payment for their organizations’ activities per the Department of Student Activities website. This system, however, “was becoming outdated and its technological life was expiring,” Assistant Dean of Students Stephanie Grimes wrote in an Aug. 9 email to club leaders that announced the University’s upcoming transition to Slate. “We have spent several months working with staff from across campus to build our new and improved system which will hopefully prove to make your lives easier as a club leader,” she explained, referring to Slate. Former Union Treasurer Adrian Ashley ’20 spoke about Slate at last semester’s State of the Union, echoing Grimes’ sentiment when he said, “The system is a lot more straightforward than SUMS.” Replacing SUMS with Slate was scheduled to occur at the beginning of this semester, but in a Sept. 10 email to club leaders, Grimes announced that the implementation had been delayed. “After much deliberation on the impact, progress and updates of the new replacement financial system to support clubs, we have decided to postpone the implementation of the new system, Slate, until later in the year,” Grimes wrote. The “complexity” and “detail” required for developing the project “has delayed the progress forward,” she explained. Her email did not indicate when the transition would now occur. At the Sept. 22 Senate meeting, Rong, also the Senate representative to the Allocations Board, removed some of that ambiguity, reporting that the transition would “definitely” occur by the end of this fiscal year and potentially by the spring semester, “depending on how quickly Student Activities is able to sort [the transition] out.” Brandeis’ fiscal years begin on July 1 and run until June 30, per the 2019 Year End Memorandum. Grimes did not respond to the Justice’s request for comment by press time. —Jocelyn Gould —Editor’s Note: Senator-at-Large Nancy Zhai ’22 is a News Staff Writer, and Foster Mods Senator Trevor Filseth ’20 is a Forum Staff Writer. —Editor’s Note: Emily Blumenthal contributed reporting.
POLICE LOG MEDICAL EMERGENCY Sept. 22 — A caller in Pomerantz Residence Hall reported an ankle injury. BEMCo treated the party, and University Police transported the party to Urgent Care for further care. Sept. 22 — A caller in the Gosman Athletic Complex reported a knee injury to a soccer player. BEMCo treated the party with a signed refusal for further care. Sept. 22 — A party walked into Public Safety not feeling well and requested BEMCo, who treated the party with a signed refusal for further care. Sept. 24 — In Gordon Hall, University Police and BEMCo investigated a report of an intoxicated party. The party was transported to NewtonWellesley Hospital for further care via Cataldo Ambulance. The Area Coordinator on call was notified and a Community Standards Report was compiled. Sept. 24 — A party requested BEMCo for a bee sting in the Sachar International Center. The party was treated with a signed refusal for further care. Sept. 24 — BEMCo treated a party in Scheffres Hall for an ankle injury with a signed refusal for further care. Sept. 24 — A Sodexo worker slipped and fell in Usdan Student Center. BEMCo treated the party with a signed refusal for further care. Sept. 25 — BEMCo treated a party with a finger injury with a signed refusal for further care. Sept. 25 — Health Center staff requested an ambulance for a party having an adverse reaction to prescribed medication. The subject was stable and breathing. The Waltham Fire Department was notified, and the party was transported to NewtonWellesley Hospital for further care via Cataldo Ambulance. Sept. 25 — A party in the Charles River Apartments was treated by BEMCo for a burn on their hand with a signed refusal for further care. Sept. 25 — University Police and BEMCo responded to a party in the Charles River Apartments for chest discomfort. The party was treated by BEMCo with a signed refusal for further care. Sept. 27 — A bicyclist fell by the University entrance. BEMCo treated the party with a signed refusal for care. Party also declined a ride to the hospital by University Police. Sept. 28 — In the Gosman Athletic Complex, a party at a soccer event felt ill. BEMCo treated the party with a signed refusal for further care. Sept. 29 — A party in Hassenfeld Residence Hall requested BEMCo for an intoxicated party. Party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital by Advanced Life Support for further care. The Area Coordinator on call was notified and a Community Standards Report was compiled. Sept. 30 — In the Charles River Apartments, a party was not feeling well after using a chin-up bar. BEMCo responded and the party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care via Cataldo Ambulance. Oct. 1 — A nurse reported a party in Ziv 129 having suicidal thoughts. The party was located and the Area Coordinator on call contacted Brandeis Counseling Center who spoke to the party on the phone. No further action was taken. Oct. 2 — There was a report for a party in the Charles River Apartments feeling ill. BEMCo treated with a signed refusal for further care. Oct. 2 — An intoxicated party was on the ground floor in Hassenfeld Residence Hall. BEMCo treated with a signed refusal for further care. Oct. 3 — A party in the Gosman Sports complex had a finger injury. BEMCo treated the party with a signed refusal for further care. Oct. 4 — In Renfield Hall, a party had chest pain and was vomiting. BEMCo responded, and the party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. The Area Coordinator on call was notified. Oct. 4 — A party was reported to not be feeling well in the faculty center. The party was treated with a signed refusal for further care. Oct. 4 — In Ziv 129, a party reported trouble breathing. BEMCo and the Waltham Fire Department responded. The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care via Cataldo Ambulance. The Area Coordinator on call was notified. Oct. 4 — A party in the Gerstenzang
Science Library had an ankle injury. BEMCo responded, and University Police transported to Urgent Care. Oct. 4 — A party in Deroy Hall felt ill. BEMCo responded, and the party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care via Cataldo Ambulance. The Area Coordinator on call was notified. Oct. 5 — After there was a call for a party vomiting in Cable Hall and w the Area Coordinator on Call was notified, no party was found. Oct. 5 — In Shapiro Residence Hall, someone called about an intoxicated party. BEMCo responded, and the Area Coordinator on call was notified. The party did not need medical attention. Oct. 5 — BEMCo reported assessing a party on Loop Road by Public Safety. Patient treated with a signed refusal for further care. Oct. 5 — BEMCo was requested by a Community Advisor in Deroy Hall for a party with heart palpitations. Patient refused medical care. Oct. 5 — A party in Ziv 127 was ill. BEMCO treated the party with a signed refusal for further care. Oct. 6 — In Skyline Residence Hall, a party was intoxicated. BEMCo treated and the party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care via Cataldo Ambulance. The Area Coordinator on call was notified. A Community Standards Report was compiled. Oct. 6 — A party in the Charles River Apartments was not feeling well, and BEMCo treated with a signed refusal for further care. Oct. 6 — A party in Ziv 129 felt ill. BEMCo responded, and the party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care via Cataldo Ambulance. The Area Coordinator on call was notified. LARCENY Sept. 22 — In the Shapiro Residence Hall, a party reported they were the victim of a computer fraud scheme for $480.00. University Police compiled a report on the incident. Sept. 23 — A party reported items stolen from their unlocked vehicle in the Gosman Athletic Complex. University Police compiled a report on the incident. SERVICE ASSIST Sept. 23 — Waltham Police called University Police for a domestic situation of a child who threatened to commit suicide by jumping off of a roof at Brandeis. The party resided off campus, but University Police checked the perimeters of campus. The party was located and transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care via Cataldo Ambulance. Sept. 23 — Waltham Police requested University Police for assistance for a report of a suspect dressed in black who broke into a home on Wheelock Road and stabbed two individuals. Both individuals were seriously injured. The suspect fled toward the University. A Brandeis Emergency Notification was sent out to the Brandeis community, and the suspect was arrested by Waltham Police on Crescent Street before the Brandeis lockdown was lifted. VANDALISM Sept. 29 — A student party received information about a smashed lower part of the door at the press box in the Gosman Sports Complex. University Police compiled a report on the damage. DISTURBANCE Oct. 4 — In the Rabb Graduate School, several kids skateboarded off the steps, disrupting a class. University Police found the parties gone upon arrival. Oct. 6 — There was a report of two parties verbally fighting in the Charles River Apartments. The Area Coordinator on call was on scene, and University Police compiled a report on the incident. Oct. 6 — A noise complaint was filed in Village C. All was quiet upon University Police arrival. MISCELLANEOUS Sept. 24 — A suspicious party was reported in Massell Quad by a party who said they appeared “sketchy.” University Police was unable to locate the party, but conversed with two other parties in the area who did not see the suspect. —Compiled by Jen Geller
THE JUSTICE
GIVE ’EM THE BOOT
●
NEWS
●
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019
3
BRIEF One off-campus stabbing victim released from hospital One of the two University graduate students stabbed on Sept. 23 has been released from the hospital and the other “is recovering well” according to a Sept. 26 email sent to the Brandeis community by University President Ron Liebowitz. The incident took place on Wheelock Road near campus around 1 a.m. The victims’ names will not be released for privacy reasons, although a press release from the Waltham Police Department reported that both students are female. The suspect, a 16-year-old Waltham resident, has been charged with two counts of assault with intent to murder and assault and battery with a deadly weapon, according to Waltham Police. His name is being withheld because he is a minor and case proceedings will not be open to the public. Police say the motive for the attack is still under investigation but it appears to have been a random act. Waltham Police responded to an emergency call on Wheelock Road at 1:37 a.m.
where they found the two victims. Officers then responded to a report of “a party covered in blood breaking into a car” on Highland Street at 3:24 a.m. and determined it was “likely related to the earlier incident.” At 5:13 a.m. police identified the suspect and placed him in custody. In response to the incident, Liebowitz said in the email that both Brandeis Public Safety and Waltham Police have increased patrols. Public Safety plans to hire a night lieutenant and an additional daytime officer and to contact offcampus landlords to ensure that buildings are secure and well lit. Liebowitz also encouraged students to register to receive updates from the Brandeis Emergency Notification System. Liebowitz also reiterated that counseling services and support are available, and that he was “heartened” by the way students have supported each other through this challenging time. —Ari Albertson
GOING GREEN IVY DALL/the Justice
Students browsed boots, socks, jackets and more at an L.L. Bean pop up stand, which included a giant portable snowboot display and a bootshaped car, by the Shapiro Campus Center on Friday.
Board of Trustees discusses student concerns, endowment ■ The Board addressed
the progress of the Framework for Our Future report. By ELLA RUSSELL
JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
The Board of Trustees met on Sept. 16 and 17 to discuss its plans for the 2019-2020 academic year. University President Ron Liebowitz sent an email Thursday to the Brandeis community with a summary of the meeting. Chief on the agenda was the Framework for Our Future report, which according to Liebowitz, synthesized recommendations from the Board’s task forces and working groups for the coming year. In a report on the meeting to the Brandeis newspapers, Brandeis Senior Representative to the Board of Trustees Zosia Busé ’20 explained that the Framework detailed three major goals: promoting diversity and inclusion, continuing to develop a culture of intellectual rigor and advancing the reputation of the University nationally and internationally. Liebowitz announced that he would “solicit input and feedback [regarding the framework] from the larger Brandeis community” in late October and November. He said that the Board would alert the Brandeis community “over the coming weeks” of their engagement efforts. The Board met with students for dinner on Sept. 16, where they discussed the students’ concerns about the University’s “dining, residence halls, and campus culture in terms of school spirit and community,” Busé wrote in the email. The students attending the dinner included Samira Bari ’20, Andrew Baxter ’21, Grace Berry ’21, Ph.D. candidate Robert Cochran MA ’17, Fernando Estrella ’20, Jason Frank ’22, Ph.D. candidate Jack Huguley MA ’16, Elidaurys Martinez-Catano MA ’20, Madhura Shringare MBA ’20, Jordan Walder MBA ’20 and Emma Wolters ’21 along with Junior Representative to the Board of Trustees Zoe Fort
’21 and Busé. According to her report, the general sentiment was that “Brandeis fuels a remarkable amount of academic excellence. Yet, students crave community and a spirit of affiliation.” The Board’s committees each presented developments in their area of specialty. The Academy Committee discussed the progress of the Brandeis Core, the University’s new core curriculum for students matriculating after fall 2019. It also announced plans to review academic services and discussed new data on the undergraduate and graduate populations, with particular focus on international students and the recent rise in visa denials for graduate students from Africa, per Liebowitz’s email. According to Busé, Provost Lisa Lynch announced that the results of the July 2019 climate survey would be released later this fall. The Resources Committee reviewed the fiscal year budget of 2019 and the upcoming budget for 2020. It also gave an update on the implementation of the new Workday program, reported on the establishment of a Data Governance Committee and IT Governance Committee and discussed the reasons behind the dining contract with Sodexo. Busé wrote that “student concerns with quality, pricing and dietary accessibility were large factors in Brandeis’ pursuit to re-evaluate the contract.” The Institutional Advancement Committee also discussed the results of FY19 and the fundraising processes for FY20. According to Liebowitz, the committee achieved “97% toward its overall cash goal.” The committee announced plans to implement a “powerful, sustainable, volunteer-led campus-wide alumni relations program” over the coming year. The Nominating and Governance Committee assessed changes to the trustee orientation program and discussed efforts to recruit a diverse body of Board members. The Risk Management and Audit Committee assessed the improved capacity for disaster
recovery due to “use of an offsite server facility,” the implementation of the two-factor authentication software Duo and the general state of campus safety. According to Busé, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Stewart Uretsky announced that “special secure locks have been installed in every single classroom on campus,” the campus security camera system is being updated and “more strategies are in the works.” The Investment Committee provided an update on the University’s endowment. According to Liebowitz, they explained that “equity market volatility” has led to fluctuating returns on the endowment portfolio. Throughout the meeting, the Board discussed the University’s five-point drop in the U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of the best colleges and universities and the research undertaken with marketing agency SimpsonScarborough to understand the reputation of the University among key groups. Liebowitz wrote in his email that these groups range from potential undergraduate and graduate students to “philanthropic-minded adults who are likely to be interested in Brandeis.” Other items on the Board’s meeting agenda included the creation of an ad hoc committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the appointment of UniWorld Group CEO Monique L. Nelson to the Board of Trustees and the promotion of International Business School Associate Professor Aldo Mussachio to professor. Liebowitz concluded his email by praising “the level of engagement, thoughtfulness, and insight” of the meeting and wrote that anyone with questions should not hesitate to reach out. —Editor’s Note: Andrew Baxter is an Associate Editor for the Justice. He did not edit or contribute to this article. —Editor’s Note: Jason Frank is a News Staff Writer for the Justice. He did not edit or contribute to this article.
JEN GELLER/the Justice
The Brandeis community gathered on Sept. 26 for the annual State of Sustainability, where students and staff discussed how the University was making efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.
Image Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
Everyone has a story. Help us find it.
Join
Features! Contact Eliana Padwa at features@thejustice.org
4
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019
●
NEWS
●
THE JUSTICE
NEWS SENATE LOG Senate discusses IfNotNow’s club status, diversity and inclusion training at Oct. 1 meeting The Senate met on Oct. 1 for a makeup meeting after the holiday, where they discussed new amendments to office hours and the Union Code of Conduct, as well as IfNotNow’s club status.
Club changes and decharters
The Senate voted by acclamation to allow the Brandeis University Conservative Organization, an organization for Conservative Jewish members within the Brandeis community, to change its name to Masorti. Union Vice President Guillermo Caballero ’20 announced that the Senate had miscounted last week’s vote to recognize IfNotNow Brandeis as a probationary club. The original vote was that 13 out of the 19 senators present at the previous week’s meeting were in favor of recognizing IfNotNow, which passed the two-thirds majority threshold. However, the number of senators present at the meeting was miscounted, and the vote was actually 13 out of 20 senators in favor with one abstention — 65% of the Senate and just under the two-thirds requirement. The motion needed 14 votes to pass. Therefore, the recognition of IfNotNow technically did not pass. Caballero spoke to IfNotNow members and gave them the option of coming back to the Senate for a new vote, or remaining a probationary club like the Senate voted, as an acknowledgment of the Senate’s miscalculation. Instead, IfNotNow dropped its application to become a probationary club,
and will not come up for chartering in the coming weeks. Club Support Committee Chair Joseph Coles ’22 said that he would meet with IfNotNow to discuss their options, because he was unsure if IfNotNow understood the disadvantage of their current status. There was a lot of confusion about the vote miscalculation, with senators arguing about the number of senators present during the vote and whether the club’s recognition passed. Caballero pulled up the voting log to recheck the vote another time, and confirmed that the motion did not pass, with 13 in favor and seven against giving probationary status to IfNotNow.
that there is a lack of diversity in the Union’s branches. There had also been allegations of “not woke things” happening in the Union, Caballero said, but did not specify any allegations because he was unsure of what they were and was confused about the exact nature of the problems. Senator-at-Large Josh Hoffman ’21 looked around the room and asked, “Where is the diversity problem?” and seemed equally confused about the issues the #StillConcernedStudents had with the Senate. Caballero encouraged senators to take the diversity and inclusion training to eliminate any underlying problems with diversity and inclusion in the Union.
Pride Deis
Caballero announced Pride Deis, an event sponsored by the Student Union, the Gender and Sexuality Center and the Prevention, Advocacy, and Resource Center. Pride Deis will take place on Oct. 11 and will include pride flags hung around campus, tabling and speeches by members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies.
Executive officer reports
Caballero brought up the Union’s diversity and inclusion training initiative, which was postponed after low attendance. The idea for the training came in response to the #StillConcernedStudents’ allegations that accused the Union of racism and
Committee chair reports
Dining Committee Chair Nancy Zhai ’22 reported that the price labeling initiative in the Hoot Market is complete. The list price of all items in the Hoot Market is now the price students will be charged at checkout. She also said that workers at Einstein Brothers Bagels will receive training to reduce the number of wrong orders. Hoffman, also the chair of the Health and Safety Committee, reported that his co-chair, Union Director of Accessibility Sasha Manus ’21, met with the Health Center for four hours and discussed rebranding its public image, promoting the Student Health Advisory Committee and addressing acces-
sibility issues at the Health Center and Brandeis Counseling Center. Hoffman also reported that he spoke with Dean of Students Jamele Adams about creating a mandatory sex education program for students because many students arrive at the University having only learned about abstinence. Dining workers were not allergy trained until very recently, Hoffman told the Senate, a fact which apparently “annoyed” Administrative Director Diana Denning, according to Manus. There is also an ongoing investigation of racism and ableism in General Chemistry, Hoffman said, noting the high dropout rates of students with accommodations. Facilities and Housing Committee Chair Trevor Filseth ’20 said he wants to address collective punishment by the Department of Community Living for damages to residence halls. Services and Outreach Chair Alison Leibowitz ’20 reported that she met with Union Director of Outreach Kendal Chapman ’22, who previously chaired the committee, and spoke with her about Midnight Buffet, which will be on Dec. 10.
Amendments
After returning from an Executive Session, Class of 2020 Senator Scott Halper proposed an amendment granting senators the power to enforce the Union Code of Conduct. As it is written, the Code of Conduct does not outline how a Union member can be
punished for a violation. Under the new amendment, if someone believes another Union member is in violation of the Code of Conduct, they should submit a complaint to Executive Senator Jake Rong ’21, and the Senate will deliberate on the complaint to determine who is at fault and which consequences are necessary. The Senate decides punishments for violations of the Code of Conduct by a two-thirds majority, and appeals go to the Judiciary. Punishments can range from revocation of access to the romper room to a referral to the Dean of Students for more severe punishment, Halper said. “I’ve been on the Senate for three years. We should have had this on day one,” Hoffman said of the Code of Conduct. The amendment passed by a vote of acclamation. —Emily Blumenthal —Editor’s Notes: Editor Gilda Geist and Editorial Assistant Sarah Katz are members of IfNotNow and did not edit parts of this article related to the club. Editor Jen Geller is an Undergraduate Departmental Representative for and is employed by the Brandeis Chemistry Department and did not edit part of this article related to the department. Senator-at-Large Nancy Zhai and Trevor Filseth are Staff Writers. Editor Eliana Padwa is a member of Masorti, and did not contribute to this article.
AMERICAN JEWS AND ISRAEL
SENATE LOG Senate decharters clubs, passes amendments for office hours and attendance at Sunday’s meeting At its meeting on Sunday, the Senate dechartered 23 clubs that failed to complete the necessary mandatory anti-hazing forms and passed two amendments to Senate office hours and attendance requirements.
Club dechartering
Before the Senate moved to decharter those clubs that did not complete anti-hazing forms, it heard from the Brandeis Quidditch Club, which did not complete the form but allegedly did not receive adequate warning about its pending dechartering. Tess Kowalski ’21, the captain of the Quidditch team, told the Senate that if the team had received more communication about the form, its leadership would have promptly submitted it. The team was at a tournament Saturday and did not have access to the warning email about being dechartered because there was no service where the tournament took place. As soon as Quidditch leadership had access to a computer, they filled out the form, but it was past the final deadline, Kowalski explained. There is no hazing in quidditch, and the team puts up “barriers against anyone who wants to haze,” Kowalski said. She also emphasized the team’s growth as a sign that the club is active; last year, the Quidditch team had 11 active members, and this year there are over 25. If the club were dechartered, the team could not have access to critical funding that would enable it to participate in travel tournaments that they participate in, such as the Quidditch Nationals in Texas, which the team attended last year. “Pulling any funding … could kill any of the possibilities of us being a competitive team for the remainder of this year, and we have worked really hard for this, and we don’t want this to be something that happens because of this miscommunication,” Kowalski said. If a club is dechartered, it cannot get funding for the remainder of that semester, but can reapply for the next semester to be rechartered. Massachusetts state law requires that all university clubs fill out anti-hazing materials to eliminate liability for universities in hazing incidents. During the Senate’s discussion about whether or not to decharter the Quidditch Club, Club Support Committee Chair Joseph Coles ’22 said he sent out emails on Sept. 29 and Oct. 2 to clubs at risk of being
dechartered and then granted them a grace period because of the Rosh Hashanah break. Some recipients of the email, however, were no longer on those clubs’ E-Boards or had graduated. Most of the incorrect recipients reached out to Coles, and he sent the emails to the correct people. The anti-hazing form was originally due at the end of last semester. This year’s anti-hazing form will usher in the University’s transition to Presence; the form includes space for contact information and eases the process of setting up a Presence page. Senator-at-Large Josh Hoffman ’21 suggested extending the grace period for another week to give the remaining 23 clubs a chance to fill out the form, but Coles was opposed because it would extend the University’s liability of hazing if it were to occur during that time period. The Senate unanimously voted not to decharter the Quidditch Club pending Student Activities’ confirmation Monday if the team had filled out the anti-hazing form. While discussing whether to decharter the other 23 clubs, the Senate agreed that if a club filled out the form later than the final deadline, it could reapply for rechartering and funding this semester. Class of 2020 Senator Scott Halper suggested not sending another warning to these clubs via email because people may not check their emails, and instead to put it in the MyDeis Facebook groups. Coles said that after he sent the first warning email on Sept. 29, the number of clubs missing their forms shrank from 40 to 30, and then after the second email, it was down to 24, including the Quidditch Club. Class of 2020 Senator Dane Leoniak mentioned that the Quidditch Club only knew about their dechartering because Leoniak warned a member of the team during a chance encounter on campus. Leoniak was opposed to dechartering the other clubs immediately because he felt they were not given the same chance to protest their dechartering that the Senate gave to the Quidditch Club. The Senate voted by acclamation to decharter the remaining 23 clubs, but Senator-at-Large Nancy Zhai ’22 and Leoniak were opposed. The motion dechartered the Association of Latino Professionals for America, BrandeisBaRuCH: Brandeis Reform Chavurah, Brandeis Brewing Society, Brandeis Cupcake Obsession, Brandeis Farmer’s Club, Brandeis
Film Collective, Brandeis German Club, Brandeis Global Brigades, Brandeis Interfaith Group, Brandeis Juggling Society, Brandeis Squash Club, Brandeis Swimming Club, Brandeis Traditional Music Club, Common Ground, Deis Robotics, J Street U Brandeis, Judges for Israel, Net Impact: Brandeis Undergraduate Chapter, Pokemon Club, Stop Motion Dance Crew, Trading Card Game Club, Women’s Lacrosse and Work in Progress. The Senate voted by acclamation to change the name of Students to End Alzheimer’s Disease to Brandeis Youth Movement Against Alzheimer’s.
Office hours amendment
Halper reintroduced an amendment from last week to change the office hours requirement from three set office hours to scheduling them by appointment with individuals. Coles was opposed to the amendment because it could create the perception that the Union is inaccessible and more closed off to constituents. Leoniak expressed his opinion that the change would not affect people’s perception of the Union because meetings would be at the convenience of people who want to meet instead of at the convenience of the senators’ established schedules. Huang said that changing office hours to being scheduled by appointment gives the perception that the senators are working for their constituents instead of the other way around. Hoffman spoke for many senators when he said that office hours are useless for everyone with the exception of certain committee chairs like club support because usually no one comes to most office hours. Chapman pointed out that because the Union’s website has not been updated, the schedule of office hours is not accurate, which could explain the low attendance at office hours. The amendment passed with 14 of 20 senators present in favor; office hours will now be scheduled by appointment. This amendment only applies to the Senate.
Attendance amendment
Halper reintroduced another amendment from last week — decreasing the number of allowed absences from Senate meetings or committee meetings from three to two. The new attendance policy would serve as a replacement for the decrease in time commitment
MEGAN GELLER/the Justice
Director of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies Jonathan D. Sarna sat down with Senior Vice President and Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College Daniel Gordis. Their conversation on Thursday was about Gordis’ new book, “We Stand Divided: The Rift Between American Jews and Israel” and the recent publication of the second edition of his book “American Judaism: A History.”
from the elimination of set office hours. If a senator missed one Senate meeting and one committee meeting, or two Senate meetings and two committee meetings, that would be allowed under the amendment, but if that senator missed three of either meeting, then that would be an impeachable offense, Halper clarified. Senators expressed concern that the wording of the amendment was unclear, and that excused absences would count in the absence count. Halper reworded the amendment to reflect that only unexcused absences would count. The amendment passed by a vote of acclamation.
Bathroom Senate Money Resolution
North Quad Senator Krupa Sourirajan ’23 introduced a Senate Money Resolution to purchase shower caddies and hooks for the North Quad
bathrooms. Sourirajan explained that she has heard a lot of complaints from constituents about a lack of caddies and hooks in the showers and bathrooms, which causes them to put toiletries on the dirty floor and results in flooding. It would cost around $500 to put hooks and caddies in every other shower, and up to $900 to put them in every single shower. The Senate voted by acclamation to pass the $500 version of the SMR. Caballero dismissed Racial Minority Senator Rajan Vohra ’21 because he has missed multiple Senate meetings. There will not be a new election for this seat. —Emily Blumenthal —Editor’s Note: Senator-at-Large Nancy Zhai is a News Staff Writer. Foster Mods Senator Trevor Filseth is a Forum Staff Writer.
THE JUSTICE
GABBAY AWARD WINNER
●
NEWS
●
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019
BRIEF
Professor Emerita receives award for achievements in narrative studies
THU LE/the Justice
Michel Sadelain of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center received the University’s Jacob Heskel Gabbay Award in Biotechnology and Medicine on Wednesday.
Recordings reveal new insight into life of Univ. alum Abbie Hoffman ■ The University Archives
received a collection of recorded interviews with the famed social activist. By JACKIE TOKAYER JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
University alumnus Abbie Hoffman ’59 was a radical social activist, political organizer, drug dealer, conspiracist, rioter, author, FBI suspect and 1960s counterculture icon. Additionally, he was the first male cheerleader on the Brandeis cheerleading team, a fact only recently brought to light in a series of audio recordings that were donated to the Robert D. Farber University Archives and Special Collections by documentarian Keith Armonaitis. In an interview with the Justice, University Archivist Maggie McNeely said that the donation consists of recordings created by Armonaitis’ friend Stuart Hutchinson, a radio broadcaster with an interest in 1960s counterculture figures. McNeely explained that Hutchinson conducted and recorded a series of interviews with Hoffman back in the 1980s, most of which remained completely hidden from the public. Hutchinson also produced and recorded “Dear Abbie,” a radio special that aired shortly after Hoffman’s suicide in 1989. In “Dear Abbie,” prominent figures reminisce about memories of Hoffman. These materials arrived at the University in August 2018 as part of the Stuart Hutchinson Collection, McNeely said. Prior to his death in 2012, Hutchinson set aside his audio material on Hoffman in boxes bearing Armonaitis’ name, apparently believing that Armonaitis himself would find the best use for these unique materials, McNeely said.
Armonaitis’ decision to donate the collection to Brandeis was inspired by a statement Hoffman made in one of the recordings that Armonaitis listened to. In the recording, Hoffman explains that he wanted his personal materials to go to Brandeis after his death because he credited the school with providing the foundation that led to his activism. McNeely said that making the tapes fully available to the public requires a lot of work by her and her student assistant, Lucy PughSellers ’20. The process of preparing and cataloguing donated material for public use can be labor intensive, and since the collection is audio-based rather than document-based, it is much more timeconsuming than normal. Before McNeely and Pugh-Sellers could even begin their work of listening to the material, the recordings had to be sent to an audiovisual vendor for digitization, a process that began in April 2019, according to McNeely. Once they received the results back this summer, the work of data gathering and background research began. “Part of the service that archivists provide is to be knowledgeable enough about what we have to be able to direct people to what they might be most interested in,” McNeely said. As of press time, Pugh-Sellers had listened to and gathered information on 11 hours worth of interviews between Hutchinson and Hoffman, while McNeely had listened to and recorded information on eight hours worth of the “Dear Abbie” tapes. They are about 70% through all the material. Still, McNeely admits, it is “a mystery to us as to what the collection speaks to.” Over the course of her 14 years working at the archives, McNeely said that she has received countless questions about Hoffman.
Have an eye for design? Join layout! Send an email to Yael Hanadari-Levy at layout@thejustice.org.
However, prior to this donation, the archives had little material on him. With the high level of interest about the subject in mind, McNeely began publicizing the donation almost immediately. “Normally we wait until we know more about the material,” McNeely said, but the cutting edge nature of this particular collection prompted her share the news early. Since publicity began in December 2018, mostly in the form of newsletters and blog posts, McNeely has received two noteworthy inquiries from sources outside of the Brandeis community. The first from a researcher working on a Kurt Vonnegut biography, who discovered that Vonnegut was featured on one of the “Dear Abbie” segments. Another inquiry came from a researcher of Jerry Rubin, a friend and co-conspirator of Hoffman’s. McNeely said she expects more requests from outside researchers as news of the tapes reaches a wider audience. McNeely envisions using the recordings as a means of engaging alumni, who have “really interesting stories from different time periods,” she explained. In fact, it was an alumna, Letty Cottin Pogreben ’59, a co-founder of Ms. Magazine, who shared the detail of Hoffman having joined her on the Brandeis cheerleading team in the fall of 1957. Were it not for alumni sharing their memories of Hoffman, “this is a tidbit we never would have known,” McNeely said. Because the Archives department is still in the process of gathering information about the recordings, the collection is not yet available online. But, McNeely said, “if someone wanted to listen to them today, they could. We’re very access friendly.” All who are interested are invited to stop by the Archives offices to listen to or inquire about the new collection.
Images Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
The International Society for the Study of Narrative recognized Prof. Emerita Susan Lanser (ENG, WGS, COML) with the Wayne C. Booth Lifetime Achievement Award for her “sustained contributions to narrative studies,” according to a Sept. 20 BrandeisNOW article. In the International Society for the Study of Narrative’s announcement of the award, Lanser was praised for advocating for “the importance of extending the corpus of narratology and of developing a historical narratology.” Lanser received her PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “The Narrative Act: Point of View in Prose Fiction” (1981) and “Fictions of Authority: Women Writers and Narrative Voice” (1992) are among her first articles. Besides Lanser’s expertise in narratology, the study of narrative structure and comparison of narratives, she is also interested in 18th-century European Studies and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies per the Brandeis faculty guide. Lanser has co-edited two books entitled “Narrative Theory Un-
bound: Queer and Feminist Interventions” (2015) and “Letters Written in France” (2001). Additionally, Lanser wrote “The Sexuality of History: Modernity and the Sapphic 1565-1803,” which was published in 2014. Lanser won the Joan Kelly Memorial Prize for this book in 2015, a prize “awarded annually for the book in women’s history and/or feminist theory that best reflects the high intellectual and scholarly ideals exemplified by the life and work of Joan Kelly,” according to the American Historical Association. Kelly was a feminist historian and author, known for her article “Did Women Have Renaissance?” Lanser was president of the American Society for EighteenthCentury Studies in 2015 and was the president of the International Society for the Study of Narrative from 2017-2018. Lanser has taught a variety of courses at Brandeis, including “Jane Austen’s Eighteenth Century,” “How Fiction Works: Narrative in Theory and Practice” and “Gender and the Genealogy of the Novel.” —Samantha Goldman
Images Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
Do you have a nose for news?
Want the scoop? Contact Emily Blumenthal and Gilda Geist at news@thejustice.org
BRIEF
Brandeis prof. named distinguished alumnus by Boston University Boston University’s College of Fine Arts recognized Brandeis Prof. Joe Wardwell (FA) as a distinguished alumnus, according to a Sept. 20 BrandeisNOW article. One of Wardwell’s most notable projects is the mural “Hello America: 40 Hits from the 50 States,” which will be on display at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art until 2022. Inspired by J.G Ballard’s 1981 novel “Hello America,” Wardwell describes a dictator who named himself President Charles Manson, suggesting that the unrealistic and distant “American Dream” has been prevalent in the current political climate. The mural displays the work of his team members alongside several contemporary artists such as Laurie Anderson, Jenny Holzer and James Turrell. Denise Markonish ’97, a curator at the Museum of Science and a Brandeis alumna, commended Wardwell’s skill to integrate American popular culture and landscape into the portrayal “landscape and politics,” according to the article. She thus com-
missioned him to create the installation at MassMoCA. Having never previously painted on such a large scale, Wardwell acknowledged the challenge of creating the mural, mainly because it’s hard for the “enormous size of the wall” to fit the limited available space, in an interview with BrandeisNow. His crew started the project by examining the available spaces, taking photographs of the gallery and the enormous blank wall, and the project culminated in a 22-day-long installation. During the award ceremony, which took place on Sept. 19 at BU, Wardwell attributed his success to his time at BU, which he said played a “pivotal” role in his professional development as an artist, per the BrandeisNOW article. Wardwell also founded the Brandeis in Siena study abroad program, which combines studio art and art history studies in an intensive summer program in Siena, Italy. —Nancy Zhai
5
Capture the best parts of campus
Meeting: Tuesdays at 8:15 p.m.
Join Photos! Email Noah Zeitlin at photos@thejustice.org Illustration by MORGAN MAYBACK/the JUSTICE; Photos by THU LE/the Justice, NATALIA WIATER/the Justice, YURAN SHI/the Justice, YVETTE SEI/the Justice, CHELSEA MADERA/the Justice.
PHOTOS NEWS
ADS
Image Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
FORUM
FEATURES LAYOUT RE
ULTU C & S T R A
Are you our missing piece?
COPY
SPOR
TS
JOIN THE JUSTICE! For more information, contact Jocelyn Gould at editor@thejustice.org.
THE JUSTICE
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
Illustation by NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
SUSTAINABILITY: Univ. to reduce carbon footprint CONTINUED FROM 1 community consumes on campus is meat, but meat makes up 49.9% of the food's carbon footprint. On the other hand, chicken makes up 39.3% of the food consumed and only 28.3% of the school’s food contribution to its carbon footprint. Grains make up 8.0% of food consumed, but only 1.0% of the school’s food contribution to its carbon footprint. Beyond what was mentioned in the State Of Sustainability, there are other initiatives taking place. To lower energy costs and aid in the progress of greener power is a project being lead by Eversource, according to a Waltham Wicked Local article. The article said that the project is a “Tesla 780-Kilowatt lithium-ion battery-based storage system.” According to a BrandeisNow article, this operating battery-based system will connect to a regional power grid and be rechargeable — ultimately saving the University about $50,000 per year. The battery will charge overnight when energy demand is low, so the University can “buy less electricity at the most expensive times,” particularly the summer months when the demand is greatest. Additional sustainability initiatives are also directly targeting clubs and offices by rewarding them with Green Certifications based off of sustainable practices. Club leaders are provided with a checklist, where they can record what kind of food they order for events, how well they ensure food does not go to waste, limit the use of single-use plastics and how they reserve spaces and equipment on campus. Club leaders are also encouraged to sign a “Sustainable SWAG” pledge, under which clubs would only purchase giveaways if they are useful and needed, according to the same Google form. By signing, club leaders also agree to not purchase “useless swag” that will end up in the trash, such as pens and lanyards, nor will they purchase t-shirts unless “absolutely necessary” for the
club to function, the pledge continues. The pledge encourages clubs to instead focus on other wearable items that have a smaller environmental impact. Once the checklist is submitted and a green club certification interest form filled out, Brandeis Sustainability Ambassadors will then review the club’s application, meet with its members and award the club a silver, gold or platinum certification, which will be posted on the Office of Sustainability’s website. All students are also encouraged to take the green pledge, agreeing to go meat-free at least once a week, not waste food, advocate for sustainability policies at least once a month and discuss climate change with friends and family, according to its website, which also provides resources and information on sustainable practices. The Green Office certification seeks to eliminate a reliance on plastic bottles, transition to a compostable coffee service and place compost bins in offices, according to the certification’s website. As part of the initiative, Student Ambassadors will meet with office representatives and go through a sustainability checklist that focuses on reducing energy consumption by turning off the lights or computer monitors, using electronic or reusable materials rather than paper and plastic ones and participating in virtual meetings to reduce air travel, among others. So far, only the offices of the Provost and Study Abroad have received a platinum certification, with seven other offices earning gold and silver certifications, per the same website. In the event, Fisher added that green room certifications will become available, for which BSA will work with the Department of Community Living to offer room certifications as programs to Community Advisors. The BSA will work on checklists with groups of room occupants, answer questions and teach occupants green practices.
NEWS
●
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019
7
ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES: Director’s retirement not announced to students CONTINUED FROM 1
AN UNEXPLAINED DEPARTURE: Director of Student Accessibility Support Beth Rodgers-Kay officially retired on Sept. 23, but she was out of the office for much of the beginning of the semester.
●
cording to Jette, this notification went out to all graduate and undergraduate students registered with SAS. Neither the University nor SAS has announced her retirement to the general University community. Jette said that the decision to notify the student body at large about the departure of a staff member is up to each department, per a Sept. 21 email to the Justice. Rogers wrote that Rodgers-Kay “helped us through this transition by providing lists of the students she was working with,” per a Sept. 24 email to the Justice. The remaining SAS team members emailed those students “as soon as we could,” inviting them to make appointments with Rogers, Lapinski or Undergraduate Student Accessibility Specialist Elizabeth Nako. Rogers wrote in the Sept. 24 email that “due to last-minute changes in Beth’s schedule, some students made appointments during a time we originally thought she would still be on campus.” She explained that Lapinski took Rodgers-Kay’s appointments for the week of Sept. 2. SAS Program Administrator Jaspreet Mahal wrote in a Sept. 16 email to the Justice, “We read from your previous story that there was some confusion for a small number of Beth’s students at the very beginning of the academic year. We regret that that was their experience and continue to work on connecting with additional students as the transition is a process.” Mahal said in the same email that students who had met “with Beth on a regular basis” had been contacted. Rogers said that the job description for Rodgers-Kay’s former position, director of SAS, was posted on the Brandeis Workday website on Sept. 16. Neither the remaining SAS staff, nor the Department of Academic Services, nor the President’s Office offered a reason for Rodgers-Kay’s retirement in their communications with the Justice, despite being asked. No reasoning for the retirement was included in any of the official communications to students in SAS or to the staff.
Student confusion amid Rodgers-Kay’s absence
Elian Wiseblatt ’21, who had Rodgers-Kay as their case manager, told the Justice in a Sept. 18 interview that they were disappointed when they learned that Rodgers-Kay was leaving the department. They said they and their mother had joked that the SAS office “lost the only good thing they had going for them.” Learning that Rodgers-Kay was leaving was a drawn-out process for
Wiseblatt and their family, Wiseblatt said. “My mom figured out that it wasn’t just a few days off,” Wiseblatt said, explaining that their mother, concerned about Wiseblatt’s accommodations, made calls to the school to find out more about Rodgers-Kay’s absence. “Finally, after a long time on the phone, they gave her some information,” Wiseblatt said. “They told her that Beth was out on a health leave.” Wiseblatt later found out from Harrison, who also had Rodgers-Kay as his case manager, that RodgersKay was actually retiring. “[SAS] wouldn’t even say that to my mom,” Wiseblatt said, emphasizing that they were displeased at the lack of transparency regarding Rodgers-Kay’s retirement. Wiseblatt said the first time they received an automated email reply from Rodgers-Kay that she would be out of the office was on Aug. 29. The email said she was out of the office, and did not specify a return date. After that, Wiseblatt called and scheduled an appointment with Rodgers-Kay for the week of Sept. 2. Later, when Wiseblatt arrived for their appointment, they were told that Rodgers-Kay was still out of the office. “I waited like three or four minutes for my meeting and they were like, ‘Oh, Beth isn’t here,’” Wiseblatt recalled. Wiseblatt said they were referred to Lapinski for their meeting instead. While Wiseblatt said they thought Lapinski was helpful, they said that because Lapinski is a graduate student specialist, he did not specialize in what they needed help with as an undergraduate. Wiseblatt said they were grateful for Lapinski’s help, but that it was “not the same” as when RodgersKay was their case manager. Wiseblatt noted that with Lapinski, the rapport they had with Rodgers-Kay had to be reestablished. Wiseblatt said that Rodgers-Kay told them at the end of the Spring 2019 semester that she would be available all summer via email if Wiseblatt needed her help. “She obviously didn’t know that she wasn’t coming back,” they said. “I’m not upset with her, but I’m upset with the way that Accessibilities decided to go about not doing anything about it. They definitely were scrambling.” Wiseblatt added that their roommate also said she had an appointment with Rodgers-Kay for Sept. 6 and had not been notified that RodgersKay would be out that day. Harrison said he also had trouble getting in touch with Rodgers-Kay starting in August. After reaching out to her in August, he received an automated out-of-office email from Rodgers-Kay on Aug. 28. In the auto-reply, she listed the emails of other SAS employees and also provided a phone
number where “appointments can be scheduled via reception.” The Justice reached out to Rodgers-Kay on Sept. 11 and received the same email. Harrison emailed Rogers on Aug. 28 to see if she could help him. Rogers replied the same day, writing, “Thank you for reaching out! Beth will communicate with you about making a meeting with her once she returns to the office.” Harrison called to make an appointment, and on the day of his appointment, he sent Rodgers-Kay an email to notify her that he was running late. He got the same automated email response. When Harrison arrived for his appointment, SAS staff told him that Rodgers-Kay was out for the day. “I was here for the appointment. No one had told me,” Harrison said. “To this day there’s no email notification” about his appointment with RodgersKay being cancelled, he said. Harrison, too, was handed off to Lapinski, who told him that Rodgers-Kay had retired and that SAS had been caught by surprise.
Effects of an unexpected departure
Mahal told the Justice that despite Rodgers-Kay’s sudden departure, staff members were not experiencing an increase in their workloads. “We have been able to adjust, rather than significantly increase, workloads of the team so that during this interim period, students will be able to receive prompt support from the unit,” she said. Lapinski — one of the recipients of part of Rodgers-Kay’s caseload — noted in a Sept. 5 email to the Justice that he could not meet with the Justice for an interview because he had “a lot of student meetings.” He continues, “As you can imagine, it’s been a busy start to the semester.”
No more questions
After a month of back-and-forth communication, Jette told the Justice that SAS had revealed all that it could disclose about Rodgers-Kay’s retirement, and would not be giving out more information. “I understand that The Justice is very interested in Ms. Rogers-Kay’s [sic] departure, and I believe members of the SAS office have been very responsive ... please understand that at this point they have shared the information that they can make available without violating privacy,” she wrote in an email to the Justice on Sept. 27. Rogers and Rodgers-Kay did not respond to requests for comment on why Rodgers-Kay retired. Lapinski declined to meet with the Justice for an interview, citing his workload, as noted above. Smith did not reply to requests for comment on when they knew Rodgers-Kay would be retiring or when she last came into the SAS office.
GRAD UNIONS: Rule would prevent graduate students from unionizing CONTINUED FROM 1 Knowles’ reaction to the proposed change was “generally fear,” they said. “We worked so, so hard to get where we are, and we’re still only at the initial stages of organizing. A setback this large would be a real challenge to overcome.” Knowles said they were deeply involved with the union’s contract negotiation, which took close to a year. It is also unclear whether the rule change could prompt legal pushback. In an interview with Science Magazine, William Herbert, the executive director of the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions at Hunter College, said that the right to determine who is or is not an employee under labor law is reserved for Congress. “This rule seems to be usurping that congressional prerogative,” Herbert said, and predicted legal action. Opponents of graduate student unionization argue that the relationship between graduate students and universities is educational rather than economic, and that students
should not be considered workers in the context of labor relations. According to Knowles, making such a distinction creates “a false binary.” Graduate students, who received stipends to take courses and wages to teach and work as TAs even before unionization, are both students and workers, and “perform the exact same work as an adjunct or professor, both of whom are considered employees,” Knowles said. According to the Harvard Crimson, many of their graduate students are “often” or “always” worried about finances, with rent, savings and healthcare prompting the most concern. A separate Harvard study found that 18 percent of graduate students suffer from depression and anxiety, more than three times the average of the general population. The standardization of pay and increased access to mental health services outlined in the Brandeis union contract helps to address these concerns. The union also “opens up professional development opportunities in a frankly quite bleak job market,” Knowles said. Labor regulations differ between public and private colleges. Gradu-
ate students have long been able to unionize at public institutions, where, depending on the state, they are considered state employees and are protected by state labor laws. Private universities, however, are governed by federal labor law under the National Labor Relations Act. Yet strikes are prohibited under state law, but are protected under the NLRA. Similarly, graduate student unions at public universities are subject to state restrictions on what can be negotiated in contracts, which do not apply to private institutions. In 2016, New York University became the first private university to establish a graduate student union, followed by Brandeis, as well as The New School, American University and Tufts University. Brown University and Columbia University are among several institutions currently negotiating collective bargaining agreements. The NLRB will be receiving comments on the proposed rule through the Federal Register page until Nov. 29. Knowles said that “comments supporting our status as workers would be incredibly helpful.”
8
features
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019 ● FEATURES ● THE JUSTICE
just
VERBATIM | STEVIE NICKS I am pretty fearless, and you know why? Because I don’t handle fear very well; I’m not a good terrified person.
ON THIS DAY…
FUN FACT
In 1966, the U.S. declared LSD an illegal and dangerous substance.
Waltham has over 1,000 acres of parks and recreation land, and 19 parks.
A Chat With Your Chocolate? Brandeis Climate Justice sparked conversation with their annual food delivery.
By TALIA ZITNER JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
The pavement shone from the recent rain as two members of Brandeis Climate Justice embarked on their shift for their yearly free food delivery event, which took place on Oct. 3. The annual event is a way for the group to raise awareness for their cause and start dialogue on campus about climate-related issues. Both club members were armed with scripts explaining BCJ’s position on divestment and their campaign goals, as well as containers of handmade chocolate-covered pretzels. They were on a mission: to deliver the pretzels — along with information about climate change. They ventured through campus, stopping at dorms to deliver their bittersweet message. Some students they spoke with were excited by the prospect of the University divesting completely from fossil
CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS: Pretzel delivery was an opening for BCJ to engage students in discussions about climate change.
fuels, while others expressed skepticism, which prompted more discussion. The club is in their seventh year of attempting to get the Brandeis Board of Trustees to divest in fossil fuel related investments, and has been doing the pretzel drive for years. Brandeis Climate Justice’s mission, according to their Presence page, is to “empower members of the Brandeis community to bring their unique perspectives to a community of independent social justice activists working in solidarity & love in the multi-issue struggle for climate justice.” Students interested in learning more about the group’s efforts could order a free chocolate pretzel delivery in exchange for a conversation about divestment. The event was advertised on BCJ’s Facebook page and on Brandeis class pages, and the club received 26 orders — a number considered respectable by the group. “That’s around the same number as my [first] year,” said Isabelle Graj ’21, who’s been a member of the club since starting as a midyear three years ago. She added, “That’s a really good number, we are happy with that.” Per BCJ’s Facebook page, other efforts to raise awareness about the group’s divestment goals have included events such as a banner drop and phone call campaigns in the spring of 2019, and a march to the Board of Trustees meeting. The annual pretzel delivery event follows on the heels of the International Climate Strike this past September, which left many people newly impassioned about climate change and youth activism. The goal of the Oct. 3 event was to start conversations with students around campus about climate change and to allow BCJ
Design: Grace Sun/the Justice
to explain their divestment campaign. “It’s really just a way to build more communication to students on campus about this club and about this campaign and just to get people to talk about these issues,” Graj explained. “This semester we really want to focus on building our base and training people so that more people can know divestment is a thing on campus and that our university is investing climate change,” she said. Last December, University President Ron Liebowitz shared with students that the University will no longer invest directly in groups that profit from fossil fuels, per a Dec. 4, 2018 Justice article. “Last semester, we had our first headway in the campaign where the University had a vote on divestment and what came from that vote was a freeze on the investment for the next three years, and that just means that they will not put any more investments into the fossil fuel industry for
Photos by NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
HANDMADE: Brandeis Climate Justice hand-dipped the pretzels they gave out, creating a unique treat.
three years, but they are not going to sell any of the ones that they already have,” explained Graj. Three years was a strategic choice for the Board in that “three years is a tricky number because a lot of numbers of BCJ will flip,” Graj said. BCJ has not yet had luck in convincing the Board to accept all of their demands. “For most of the campaign, the Board and the University have been very reluctant to talk about divestment or make any leeway on it,” Graj explained. However, the progress they made last semester was “a good push in the right direction because they are thinking and considering it. University President Ron Liebowitz was a key player in that because he really pushed the board to give us something so that it was not just a flat out ‘no,’” Graj said. “We understand it’s not our full ask and we still have to push. But we want to recognize that it’s something to celebrate. It gives us
hope that we are going in a direction towards divestment. It’s not an impossible thing that is never going to happen. We believe it’ll happen really soon,” Graj said. Despite the difficult task ahead, Graj is still hopeful that this event and others will push Brandeis in the direction of their goal. “The conversations are not just gonna end there, we’re hoping that these conversations will build with those people’s friends, those people’s social networks,” she said. “If the University came out and said that we don’t want to support an industry that is ruining our students’ chances at their future and they are coming here to invest in our future. If they would make a statement like that, that would mean a lot.” The club, which meets every Wednesday from 5-6 p.m. in the Village TV Lounge, has other events planned for the rest of the year, but none which they would share as of press time.
STUDY BREAK: BCJ met students where they were — even in Farber Library!
THE JUSTICE ● FEATURES ● TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019
9
Life in a Suitcase “Life in a Suitcase” is a new series focused on sharing the stories of immigrant students, staff and faculty members at Brandeis, with the author’s hope that it will encourage people to adopt a different perspective on a controversial issue.
Yakov has worked at Brandeis since 1992 — the year after he moved to the US from Soviet Russia. Hear his story.
By SOFIA GONZALEZ JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
In 1991, Yakov moved to the United States from present-day Russia in search of a more rewarding life and a safe and better place for his wife and two children, then five and 10 years old. In an interview with the Justice, he said his departure had been prompted by the devastating events and unfair policies that dominated Eastern Europe before, during and after the Cold War. Throughout that period, Russia was part of the USSR and faced extreme political tension and discontent, leading to its 1991 collapse. In the midst of this strained social and political era, Yakov worked as a construction worker to help provide for his family. He faced significant religious persecution as a Jewish man in a predominantly Orthodox Christian society, an issue that pushed him to consider moving to the United States.
“
“Be honest, don’t engage in illegal processes and respect the country.”
Name: Yakov Current position: Facilities worker and Union Shop Steward Year of immigration: 1991 Country of origin: Russia Languages spoken: Russian and English
Yakov’s life in Eastern Europe took a turn for the worse in 1986, he said, because of the nuclear reactor disaster at Chernobyl, a nuclear power plant near Ukraine. Many died when the reactor’s cooling system and emergency safety systems failed, leading to its explosion. The Soviet government tried to deny that the explosion had occurred, endangering the lives of people living in surrounding locations. Yakov blames the Soviet government for their lack of immediate action, noting that their attempts at concealing what had happened is the reason why records on what happened at the site (including how many people truly died) are inconsistent and mostly inaccurate. Yakov also mentioned that the government’s failure (or refusal, he said) to respond worsened the situation because by the time they began the cleanup process, the grand majority of the material had already percolated into the soil, entered the water systems and been transferred by wind to other areas. As a result, crops and forests were contaminated, animals were born with severe deformities and many people that didn’t die within the first few days from poisoning developed life-threatening diseases later on. Because of Yakov’s proximity to the disaster, he experienced the devastating consequences that followed. Many of his friends and acquaintances developed cancer and other serious conditions later in life as a result of prolonged exposure to radioactive
material. Crop contamination, furthermore, severely affected Yakov. Eastern Europe had a long history of food insufficiency and famine, with the Chernobyl incident further intensifying these problems. Even after the immediately affected crops were discarded, traces of radioactive substances remained in the soil, hindering the production of food for years. Trying to escape the political tension and division, the ongoing religious persecution and discrimination and the health issues that now threatened his family, Yakov and his wife decided to immigrate to the United States. He knew only very basic English, and started out working as part of the janitorial staff in a hospital. In 1992, he started working as a member of the Brandeis Facilities Services and later gained a position within the Brandeis Facilities workers’ union. Yakov continues to work in several buildings here at Brandeis, making sure that dorm halls and bathrooms are clean, and that all students feel comfortable in their living spaces. While Yakov struggled at first, especially given the language barrier, he adjusted to his new lifestyle and to American culture. He was shocked, initially, by the amount of religious, political and personal freedom he encountered upon arrival, especially after his experiences with religious persecution in his home country. His oldest son is a member of the Brandeis class of 2003, according to Yakov, and currently has a successful career. Now, decades later, Yakov continues to thrive here in the United States, and offers the following advice to new immigrants: “Be honest, don’t engage in illegal processes and respect the country.” — Author’s Note: I first met Yakov on international student move-in day. I was leaving my dorm building, still overwhelmed by the many contradictory emotions that accompany the moving process, when he introduced himself to my aunt and me. He told us a bit about himself, asked us where we were from, and immediately offered to help with whatever I needed during my stay at the dorms. That short, kind introduction eased my nerves and made me realize that, no matter what, I had a friend on campus. From then on I have seenYakov almost every morning as I am getting ready for class. We began our rapport by exchanging brief remarks as I hurried from the bathroom to my room attempting to make up for the time I wasted hitting the snooze button. He was always there, saying hello to everyone that was awake at that time, making a huge effort to leave our bathrooms clean, and spreading this radiant energy that truly kickstarted my day. Eventually, we started to have short conversations about the best, natural products to fight the flu, discussed the situations in our home countries and even created our own inside jokes. When I decided to start this series, I immediately thought of him, and asked him if he was willing to share his story in the hopes that it would give everyone a glimpse of the struggles and changes that accompany immigration. — Editor’s Note: Yakov’s last name and photo were not provided for privacy purposes.
Design: Yael Hanadari-Levy/the Justice
10 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019 ● FORUM ● THE JUSTICE
Justice
the
Established 1949
Brandeis University
Jocelyn Gould, Editor in Chief Jen Geller, Managing Editor Avraham Penso and Natalia Wiater, Senior Editors Andrew Baxter, Hannah Kressel, Yvette Sei, Judah Weinerman and Maya Zanger-Nadis, Associate Editors Emily Blumenthal and Gilda Geist, News Editors Eliana Padwa, Interim Features Editor Gabriel Frank, Forum Editor, Megan Geller, Sports Editor Luke Liu, Arts & Culture Editor, Noah Zeitlin, Photography Editor Yael Hanadari-Levy, Layout Editor River Hayes, Copy Editor, Lily Schmidt-Swartz, Interim Copy Editor
EDITORIALS
Advising improvements for President’s office hours On Oct. 2, University President Ron Liebowitz emailed the Brandeis community inviting students, faculty and staff to his open office hours on Oct. 10, Nov. 6 and Nov. 14. The President’s availability lasts for two hours on each day, and each individual can sign up for one 15 minute slot. More office hours will be available in the future, though specific dates are not mentioned in the email. As of press time, one time slot dedicated to students was available, and two slots for faculty are still available. This board commends the administration’s efforts to ensure that the voices of the Brandeis community are heard. It is important for the community to directly communicate with the administration about issues that concern them, and office hours are one of the most accessible ways for students to accomplish that. Compared to previous years, the total amount of office hours available this semester has increased from three hours in two days to six hours in three days. The division of time slots have also changed so that students, faculty and staff are each given two hours, ensuring no one group overwhelms the office hour slots. At the same time, this board encourages the administration to improve upon the current program. While equal representation is important, it is also true that there are more students than
faculty and staff and students may struggle to access the administration in other ways. The open office hours only have eight fifteen-minute slots for each group. The students’ slots were filled up almost immediately after the email was sent out, although one of them reopened, This shows that there is a clear demand for more opportunities like these from students, and the University should consider increasing the hours available for students in the next series of office hours. Even assuming that the eight students or groups who got slots would present on different topics, this would still mean only a small number of issues can be brought up to the administration. While there are other opportunities that students can communicate with the University, these availabilities should be advertised more by the school, as office hours are. This board has two other recommendations for the University to improve upon the current program. Considering President Liebowitz has a busy schedule, having other members of the administration participate in similar programs would greatly increase the chance for students to be heard. This board also recommends the administration send out the next series of office hours soon and that it strives to make this a monthly or bimonthly practice.
On Sept. 26, the Office of Sustainability, the Senate Sustainability Committee and the Brandeis Sustainability Ambassadors sponsored the State of Sustainability presentation. At this event, various new environmental initiatives were announced. Upcoming campus sustainability initiatives include the elimination of approximately 10,000 plastic bottles annually from many oncampus vendors, the addition of about 40 more compost bins around campus and the investment in renewable energy efforts around the country to compensate for Brandeis’ carbon footprint. These are outstanding steps toward making the University more sustainable. This board commends the offices that sponsored this event for their ideas to improve sustainability on campus, but also hopes that the University will continue to expand on these projects and search for long-term solutions. The elimination of plastic water bottles will have an important impact; however, this board recommends that the University go further by adding more Coca-Cola soda fountains, complete with recyclable cups, at retail locations to ensure the number of bottles used for drinks other than water is reduced as well. This board also suggests that the University explore the possibility of adding compost bins to residence halls and offices around campus. Per the State of Sustainability event, compost bins will be added to 567 and the Charles River Apartments soon, which is a step in the right direction of allowing students to compost without leaving their dorms. As the University takes steps to promote campus sustainability, this board would also like to remind University community members of the importance and impact of individual action. For instance, now that the cost of doing laundry is included in tuition, students in residence halls are able to wash and dry unlimited loads without worrying about extra
costs. While this system is undeniably beneficial for students, unchecked, this could lead to people using the machines more frequently than necessary. Students should keep in mind the amount of energy needed for the use of laundry machines, and to consider washing their clothes in cold water when possible. Community members can also make efforts to reduce their food waste by taking only as much food as they know they will eat in the dining halls. Also, when disposing of food, containers, cutlery and other waste, people should pay careful attention to make sure that they are disposing of items in the correct bins. According to Mary Fischer’s speech at the “Let’s Talk Trash” event on Jan. 25, 2019, many people tend to recycle nonrecyclable items because they feel guilty about throwing them away. Enough nonrecyclable items in a batch of recycling will contaminate the entire batch, and it will be thrown away. This applies to composting bins as well. There are several potential projects that this board suggests in order to encourage individual action in regard to campus sustainability. The University should provide more comprehensive descriptions of what type of waste can be placed into each waste bin, such as the display cases above the bins in the Upper Usdan Food Court, which could be replicated in other places on campus. Another effective way of reminding community members to live sustainably would be to implement environmental-consciousness education into more mandatory events, such as orientation and beginning-of-the-year hall meetings. This board approves of the efforts made by the University to minimize the carbon footprint on campus.
Progress made on campus sustainability efforts
— Editors Jen Geller and Natalia Wiater covered this topic for News and did not contribute to this editorial.
NOAH ZEITLIN/ the Justice
Views the News on
Last week, an anonymous member of the Trump administration alleged that the President, in a phone call with Ukranian President Vlodymyr Zelensky, asked Zelensky to investigate the business dealings of 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden. Many historians and politicians have called this action an apparent abuse of power warranting President Trump’s impeachment. On Sept. 24, the House of Representatives announced that it was moving forward with impeachment proceedings. Given how complicated this issue is and how quickly the story is developing, do you think that the American public can keep track of all of the facets of this issue and form their own opinions? How should Democrats and Republicans frame this story to try to convince Americans of their party’s interpretation?
Prof. Mark Hulliung (HIST) My view is that the public will not understand. Very likely this matter will be viewed as purely partisan, and Trump will again escape unscathed. In the meantime Trump will inflict untold damage upon constitutional government. The Democrats, in my opinion, should swiftly call for a motion of censure rather than impeachment and be done with it. Then they can try to focus the public on issues that may carry them to victory in 2020, such as health care. Mark Hulliung is Richard Koret Professor of the History of Ideas specializing in American and European intellectual, cultural and political history.
Judah Weinerman ’20 If Democrats are smart, they’ll cut the Joe Biden-eqsue “but we can work with moderate conservatives” shtick and realize that impeachment will rest entirely on them. Despite being openly corrupt and one of the few proconcentration camp U.S. Presidents, Trump appears to be safe from any resistance in his own party. Republican politicians are likely out of a job if they go after Trump, who over 90% of Repulican voters approve of. Instead, House Democrats should hunker down and investigate whether or Trump has offered this kind of quid pro quo offer targeting his domestic opponents to foreign leaders besides Zelensky. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is scared of her own shadow, let alone a serious impeachment inquiry, so expect the job of investigative leader to fall to Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler. In any case, whether Trump will actually be removed from office has no bearing on the contents of this inquiry. Clearly, Trump is hiding something far worse than any Rachel Maddow Russia conspiracy theory could muster, and it is the legal and moral responsibility of Congress to fully investigate a president who has no regard for the rule of law and has a closet full of skeletons bursting at the seams to come out. Judah Weinerman ‘20 is an Associate Editor for the Justice majoring in History and Sociology.
Leah Timpson ’22
The current impeachment discourse is one that is advancing rapidly, and even as someone who follows politics, I find it hard to grasp. Just among my circle of friends, I have noticed that most people do not believe that anything substantial will come of these proceedings, they have taken on an “if he actually gets impeached, call me” attitude. With American society becoming more and more politically divisive, it is hard to make impeachment a bipartisan issue. Democrats and Republicans should frame this story around their beliefs — regardless of whether or not they truly believe Trump should be impeached. While some people feel targeted for their political ideologies, it is important that people are able to believe what they want without persecution. After all, this is America, a country that was founded on this exact concept. Leah Timpson ’22 is a Sociology major and Anthropology minor and an outreach coordinator for Brandeis Pro-Choice.
Mehmet Zorluoglu ’21
In President Trump the American public have an idea as well as an individual to contend with, who so thrives off of chaos and the ever looming threat of antagonists, real or constructed, as to be seemingly impenetrable to appeals to reason and constitutionality. The same proponents of impeachment on the issue of Ukraine — and Ukraine alone, as opposed to, say, violation of the Emoluments Clause — have the question of what constituted a crossing of a proverbial line in this case specifically, to answer for. Speaker Pelosi’s official reasoning for not entertaining calls for impeachment until now, which was that it would simply be too divisive, has not simply vanished, unless the expectation is that our legislators as well as citizenry will not pick teams and will act in a bipartisan fashion to decide fair mindedly. Color me skeptical as to whether the issue of Ukraine will be the downfall of Trump the man — considering the Republicans control the Senate — let alone Trump the idea, the latter of which is of greater significance to his political opponents. Mehmet Zorluoglu ’21 is a Politics and Philosophy double major and is a staff writer for the Justice. Photos: Noah Zeitlin/the Justice; Jen Geller/the Justice; Sarah Katz/the Justice
THE JUSTICE ● FORUM ● TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019
Greta Thunberg is a moral exemplar under attack
11
By GABRIEL FRANK JUSTICE EDITOR
If you have been paying attention to the news recently, you’ve likely seen numerous headlines from numerous major news outlet regarding 16-year-old Greta Thunberg and her international protest movement, which is centered around combating climate change and its effects on a global scale. Thunberg, who hails from Stockholm, Sweden, rose to international prominence in 2018. Then, she spent her days outside of the Swedish Parliament demanding stronger action on global warming, holding a sign which declared, “School strike for climate.” Depictions of Thunberg’s valiant protests went viral, and her address to the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference sparked worldwide protests against inaction on the part of world leaders in the face of an unprecedented existential threat. Those protests were primarily led by students seeking to emulate Thunberg’s actions — many walked out of school in a similar fashion. The zenith of Thunberg’s influence occurred when she sailed to New York City on a carbonfree electric yacht to address the U.N. Climate Action Summit, which hapened around the same time as the Global Climate Strike, a massive series of protests from millions of students in nearly every major city across the globe. In a concise, heartfelt and emotionally charged display of public elocution, Thunberg lambasted world leaders for their inaction in combating climate change — saying that her mere presence, i.e. that of a 16-year old girl, at the assembly is an aberration, and a testament to the gravity of the situation. Thunberg’s speech, her rapidly expanding influence and her platform of advocacy have naturally been the subject of both widespread praise and criticism. It’s unsurprising that such a highly influential figure at such a young age advocating for one specific side of what is (and in my opinion, should really not be) a controversial political issue is naturally drawing criticism. But the nature of both sides’ feelings towards Thunberg and her ideas that particularly intrigue me, namely, her neurological differences and her ability to overcome them and address what is essentially a global audience. At the age of 11, Thunberg was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder and selective mutism. These numerous neurological differences can impede an individual’s ability to interact with others and control their own thoughts, emotions, desires and physical activities. In the face of this internal adversity, one would likely be expected to live a difficult, stressful and solitary life. Thunberg, however, has overcome all these struggles to do
SARAH KATZ/the Justice
what most people cannot, and then some. Rather than letting the stress that learning about climate change and its effects depress her into oblivion, Greta chose to overcome all that would have held her back. This, namely her exemplary courage, is her defining trait, has put her on the shortlist for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize and is a major reason for the praise directed towards her. Whether or not one even accepts or agrees with the scientific consensus on climate change is irrelevant here; to observe and understand Thunberg’s bravery is to see a person who has ascended beyond what would otherwise be seen as crippling neurological and social disorders. Understanding this, an argument can be made saying that Thunberg’s differences are the source of her strength.Without them,the argument goes, she likely wouldn’t be able to find the motivation to do something about the source of her inner turmoil. I find this argument to be particularly appealing and resonant; someone very close to my heart who happens to be one of the finest people I know, has some things in common with Thunberg and is all the more amazing a person because of it. Unfortunately, Thunberg’s critics do not see eye to eye with her promoters and have instead taken a more nefarious approach to addressing
Thunberg’s platform, influence and (frankly, unsurprisingly coming from the right) her character. In one cringe-worthy segment of the Fox News talk show “The Story with Martha McCallum,” conservative political commentator Michael Knowles rebutted claims Thunberg and other climate change activists have made, saying that “None of that matters because the climate hysteria movement is not about science. … If it were about science, it would be led by scientists rather than by politicians and a mentally ill Swedish child who is being exploited by her parents and by the international left.” Following the airing of this segment and displaying Knowles’ disgraceful language on national television, Fox News rightfully issued a public apology to Thunberg and her family. Fox News said that it had no plans to interview or book Knowles in the future. It is upsetting to me that Knowles equates social and neurological differences with mental illnesses, and is exploiting them to label Thunberg as a pawn in the game of liberals and — dog wistle warning— the “international left.” Neurological differences, such as those Thunberg has been diagnosed with, may be difficult to manage on a day-to-day basis but do not require interventionist treatments, extensive medication or lifelong inhibitions.
To equate the two for nothing other than a political agenda is not only wrong, but disgraceful. There is a difference between criticising Thunberg’s platform on the basis of her ideas and her rhetoric, as Emmanuel Macron and Vladmir Putin have done, as opposed to her personality and internal struggles. Sadly, most of the “criticism” of Thunberg that I’ve seen isn’t on the basis of the science of climate change or the cause of her inner turmoil; rather, they are usually bad-faith, ableist personal attacks. It is upsetting to see what can otherwise be a deeply cerebral discussion over the nature of the human condition and overcoming hardship be turned into a series of petty personal attacks and partisan finger-pointing. However, I have not lost hope. I see the personal attacks against Thunberg as an attempt to delegitimize both her movement and her ideas. In fact, they are nothing more than attempts to divide us on the basis of our respective neurological makeup — the very essence of being that makes every person truly unique. To me, anyone who can go from literally not speaking for days on end to speaking in front of the United Nations and millions of people worldwide is the very type of person we need on the front lines in humanity’s last stand against a very angry and damaged environment.
Backpacks play an important, yet controversial role By VANDITA WILSON JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Backpacks are everywhere. Everywhere except on the actual back of the person carrying said backpack. On and off campus I see the latest trends of how not to wear a backpack. By now we all know that onestrapping (i.e. carrying the backpack using one strap on only one shoulder) the backpack is the wrong way to go, if you want to keep both your balance and your posture. But twostrapping the backpack and then wearing it low on the back is also the wrong way to go. Backpacks weren’t always the cool thing to carry around. There were cross body bags, shoulder totes and the dreaded briefcase. But now backpacks are ubiquitous, and the brands are no less obvious. Is the wearer cool and street smart if they are wearing a Herschel or Fjallraven? Perhaps they’re into designer duds like Kate Spade and Valentino. Certainly the varieties and styles available make backpacks an easy purchase for all genders and all generations. I own several styles, sizes and brands myself. Age seems not to be a barrier either, so the students of yesteryear now carry backpacks too, even though they went to school when “Saved By the Bell” was still on the air during prime time. They too wear these packs low slung. It’s fantastic when the use of a utilitarian item turns the fashion industry on its head. There is indeed a backpack for every season and every reason. On the trains, I hear the announcement
imploring people to take that pack and stow it on the floor, between their legs. But these entreaties fall on deaf ears; the backpack extends the person’s back well into the next car. These folks don’t exactly have the turn radius of a ballerina. Just because I can’t see my own backpack doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Perhaps these superheroes think their backpack is slim like a wallet, or that the rules of proper transit etiquette don’t apply to them. I just don’t think proper consideration is given for backpack collateral damage. If a classmate turns too quickly, their keychainsized Build-a-Bear adornment takes its own flight of fancy, taunting me like tether balls used to in grade school. The extra straps found on many backpacks have oftentimes ensnared one of my feet as I’ve taken a seat in class. I’m not even sure what purpose all those straps serve anyway. In the summer months, I’ve seen beads of sweat emanating out from under those two straps on the Red Line. I can only imagine the sweaty cesspool underneath the actual backpack. I often wonder what’s in those things that are so massive. Maps of the Appalachian Trail? Surely they’re not going directly from class to a three day hike? I’ve seen two water bottles, an umbrella, and full winter coats (in the middle of summer) and I think to myself: how long are these people going to be away from home that they feel it is so necessary to display their lives like this? It’s as if the
wearer doesn’t realize that their side profile extends beyond their back. The mini versions also boggle the mind. I can’t imagine anything useful is in there. Don’t get me wrong, I have at least one of each of the above. And they’re great as a fashion trend. But a lot of people who eschew fashion trends and brands still wear them exactly the way a fashionista would: as a shoulder bag. The trendier the brand, the heavier the bag is, given all the metal zippers and bling, even before bag overstuffing begins. How many sports do they play? How many books must they be carrying to classes?How big is their lunch pail? Isn’t theft a concern? What if someone goes through their bags on a crowded train? (This happened to me and my friend on a train in Europe. We could feel hands and fingers deftly unclasping and unzipping our rucksacks, as we looked at each other helplessly.) Sure, cameras nowadays act as a huge deterrent, but that’s all they are, deterrents. Surely the multiple devices weighing down the inside of the backpack are costly and worth protecting with something more than a bedazzled zipper. And there is always the option of a buttpack, a.k.a. fanny pack, which is achieving a resurgence. I actually Googled “buttpack,” and turns out it’s a thing, but it’s a thing more for military operations, and has little to do with carrying devices from place to place. This gauche accessory of the 1980s and 1990s is making a
comeback (along with “Friends” and pleated pants) and is now reborn as an outsized cross body of hellish proportions. I don’t even know how one finds an item out of the 500 or so “must have” things they traipse from one location to another. Don’t even get me started on the zippers. You would need a decoder ring just to figure out what’s what. I get that backpacks are an effective way to carry things, and they can hold a lot, but honestly they get in the way of proper public transiting and public decorum, and I really do wonder what’s inside that must be in there at all times. It’s the purse of the moment. I do understand the need not to carry too many bags, and to be environmentally conscious and to save time, which none of us seem to have, between destinations. I still have to wonder what is everyone doing with all that free time — binge watching another must-see series on Netflix? Perhaps a fall cleaning is in order? And while you’re at it, would you please tighten those straps? I’m sure your overprotective parents didn’t let you out of the house like that. It’s certainly not that there’s an age limit to wearing backpacks. I just struggle with the thought that they are so heavy and bulky, they ought to buy their own plane tickets and subway passes. Doesn’t anyone ever purge their contents? At the end of the day, I have to ask, with apologies to Capital One: What’s in your backpack?
The opinions expressed on this page are those of each article’s respective author and do not reflect the viewpoint of the Justice.
Write to us
The Justice welcomes letters to the editor responding to published material. Please submit letters through our Web site at www. thejustice.org. Anonymous submissions cannot be accepted. Letters should not exceed 300 words, and may be edited for space, style, grammar, spelling, libel and clarity, and must relate to material published in the Justice. Letters from off-campus sources should include location. The Justice does not print letters to the editor and op-ed submissions that have been submitted to other publications. Op-ed submissions of general interest to the University community— that do not respond explicitly to articles printed in the Justice — are also welcome and should be limited to 800 words. All submissions are due Friday at noon.
Fine Print
The opinions stated in the editorial(s) under the masthead on the opposing page represent the opinion of a majority of the voting members of the editorial board; all other articles, columns, comics and advertisements do not necessarily. For the Brandeis Talks Back feature on the last page of the newspaper, staff interview four randomly selected students each week and print only those four answers. The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. Operated, written, produced and published entirely by students, the Justice includes news, features, arts, opinion and sports articles of interest to approximately 3,500 undergraduates, 900 graduate students, 500 faculty and 1,000 administrative staff. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods. Advertising deadlines: All insertion orders and advertising copy must be received by the Justice no later than 5 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the date of publication. All advertising copy is subject to approval of the editor in chief and the managing and advertising editors.
The Staff
For information on joining the Justice, write to editor@ thejustice.org.
Editorial Assistants
Paek*, Vandita Wilson, Mehmet Zorluoglu
Photography: Sarah Katz
Sports: Albert Gutierrez, Brian Inker
Ads: Frances Hoffen, Yona Splaver
Arts: Mendel Weintraub, Shoshana Finkel, Vicente Cayuela
Online: Samantha Goldman
Photography: Zoe Brodsky, Zach Katz
Copy: Hannah O’Koon
Copy: Cameron Cushing, Jane Flautt, Lizzy Freeman. Ashley
Production Assistant Features: Victor Feldman Photography: Thu Le
Friedman, Gabriel Friedman, Sara Fulton, Sofia Gonzalez, Ellie Hulan, Ora Rogovin, Emily Shen, Ellie Whisenant Layout: Sara Fulton, Shinji Rho * denotes a senior staff member.
Staff News: Ari Albertson, Jason Frank, Chaiel Schaffel, Maya RubinWish, Ella Russell, Nancy Zhai Features: Michelle Saylor, Hannah Shumel, Huining Xia Forum: Violet Fearon, Trevor Filseth*, Renee Nakkab, Harrison
12
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019● FORUM ● THE JUSTICE
FORUM
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: LOCAL ELECTION INVOLVEMENT I am a class of 1991 alum who student-taught at Waltham High, and became engaged in Waltham civic life through the Waltham Group and other university-community partnerships. Through Brandeis, Waltham became my new hometown, and then Brandeis became a second home for my daughter, Marisa Diamond, whose childhood as a Waltham Public School student was enhanced greatly by her regular visits to Brandeis for cultural events. Marisa went on to earn a B.F.A. at University of Michigan in 2017, and is now a teaching artist, union member and city-wide candidate for Waltham School Committee on Nov. 5. We both continue to be involved in building youth civic and community engagement and community partnerships, and want to support Brandeis student, staff and faculty participation in local community life, including local elections. Brandeis community members who have a Waltham address, on or off campus, and would like to vote in Waltham, MA, can register until Oct. 16 to vote in the local Mayoral, City Council and School Committee elections online here: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ovr/ or at the City Clerk’s office in Waltham City Hall. For those already registered Waltham, information on how and where to vote on or before Nov. 5 can be found here: https:// www.city.waltham.ma.us/elections/pages/2019-election-information.
Union representative reports on Trustees’ Sept. meeting By ZOSIA BUSÉ SPECIAL TO THE JUSTICE
The board is both excited and engaged for the new school year. Prominent topics for this year’s opening meeting included improving student life, enhancing campus culture and advancing the institution. In his “Framework for Our Future” report, President Liebowitz highlights three main strategic areas that Brandeis’ senior team will be working on this fall. These strategies include creating a more inclusive and vibrant oncampus community, fostering a culture of intellectual rigor and advancing both national and worldly knowledge of community. The trustees have expressed interest in engaging more actively with students on campus. Both Trustees and Senior Administration expressed commitment to the continued efforts to bridge the gap between academic and on-campus life for students. The dinner on Monday evening was a facilitated dialogue between students, the board and staff members to discuss and understand pressing matters on campus. The main topics highlighted during the dinner included dining, residence halls and the campus culture in terms of school spirit and community. The trustees were able to garner a better understanding and modern perspective on how students felt about their on-campus lives. Overall sentiments expressed during the dinner by students involved how Brandeis fuels a remarkable amount of academic excellence. Yet, students crave community and a spirit of affiliation. Strategies to mitigate feelings of disjointedness were discussed and put on the table for all members of the board. Issues present at the plenary session included dining, residence halls, institutional advancement, diversifying the board and the school’s national ranking. The Academy committee received an update from Dean Hodgson, College of Arts and Sciences, Dean Weil, Heller School, Dean Grady, International Business School, and Lynne Rosansky, Rabb School of Continuing Studies, Provost Lynch and Admissions Director Jen Walker on results from the 2018-2019 Admission results and spoke about issues facing our international student population, on both undergraduate and graduate levels. It was reiterated in this conversation that Brandeis is dedicated to supporting our international student population and will be working diligently to do so. Dean Dorothy Hodgson gave an update on the Brandeis CORE and discussed the “Critical Conversations” program that will be implemented this semester. Our new Vice Provost of Student Affairs, Raymond Ou, gave an update about his plans to evaluate and support the BCC, Hiatt Career Center and Student Accessibility Services. Provost Lynch added that the climate survey, administered in Spring 2019, will have
its results released to the community later this fall. The Resources committee received a report from CIO Jim La Creta regarding Workday and its success so far. Workday Student is slated to be rolled out this semester. The Workday@Brandeis Project brought Brandeis’ administrative services in line with its excellence in teaching, research and practice. In July 2019, the team launched the first phase of the Workday@Brandeis Project, focusing on HR, Payroll and finance processes. The transition to Workday provides our University community with realtime reporting, standardized business processes and optimized administrative functions. Moreover, the committee was briefed on the dining contract with Sodexo. Student concerns with quality, pricing and dietary accessibility were large factors in Brandeis’ pursuit to reevaluate the contract and appreciate students’ insight. In the meantime, the Senate Dining Committee is a great resource for students to provide feedback on current needs. More information will be made available to students on how they can provide input on the process. Nominating and Governance discussed in detail the focused attention being paid to diversity regarding recruitment of future trustees and strategies to do so. Risk Management and Audit discussed the success of Duo Double Authentication and how it has increased security for the community. The committee is assessing the current state of overall campus safety and areas of improvement. Stewart Uretsky reported that special secure locks have been installed in every single classroom on campus, and that the campus security camera system is in the process of updates while more strategies are in the works. The Investment Committee gave an update on the endowment. Institutional Advancement reported on the FY 19 results and FY 20 projections, as well as strategized about alumni relations and overall engagement. We welcome the opportunity to meet with students to discuss the Board and our roles. If you are interested, please reach out to us at busezosia@brandeis. edu and zfort@brandeis.edu to schedule a time to meet. We will be holding open office hours this coming week (10/6). Zosia will be available from 5-6 p.m. on Monday, and 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, at the Starbucks in the Library. Zoë will be available from 3-4 p.m. on Monday at Farber Library Starbucks and 9-11 a.m. on Thursday in the Skyline Commons. Finally, opportunities often arise to meet with Board of Trustees members when they come to campus. If you are interested in meeting with a Trustee(s), please sign up for the waitlist and you will be contacted when these opportunities arise here: https:// docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQL Se4sD1HnYHTg9T2meXKka6FAWSjCI UA-9daHl0DrtBQBca1SA/viewform.
A love letter to affirmative action Harrison PAEK
INKTANK
When I read the takeaways from Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard, I stepped out onto the top of the Rabb Steps the next day and took a good hard look at a 2:00 p.m. rush, a hundred strong. I felt two things. The first was immediate relief. Affirmative action is safe for now, and the diversity I saw only stands to grow from here. The second feeling I had, however, was more malignant. Would this campus be better with less people like me? Anyone who didn’t read my last article on Harvard’s swampy affirmative action situation might be surprised to hear that I almost did a backflip reading Monday’s District Court decision on the matter. By blood I’m 100% Korean American, which means it’s still harder for people who look like me to get into college in America compared to people of Latinx or Black descent. However, I firmly believe it’s still harder for people in these racial and ethnic backgrounds to put things on their applications because of their systematically marginalized position in American society. This is why my glee seems to betray my interests as an Asian American — raceblind college admission is not the way to achieve greater equity in higher education. A very brief background is in order. Students for Fair Admission is an organization created in 2015 by a group of parents, students and sympathizers to bring a suit against Harvard for alleged race-based discrimination against Asians in their admissions process. SFFA advocates for race-blind admissions. I asked Professor Daniel Breen (LGLS) to help me decode what exactly SFFA had to prove to get their way. Even though Harvard is a private institution, in deciding whether or not the Civil Rights Act was violated, it is held to standards that would be applied in an equal protection case under the 14th Amendment. Professor Breen explained that “if Harvard is shown to take race into account … that decision must be evaluated by a federal court under the strict scrutiny standard — and those are the keywords, scrutiny. What that means is Harvard has got to show that they have a compelling interest to take race into account in admissions decisions.” All this is to say, Harvard must show that it is using race specifically as a means of promoting diversity — which was found to be a compelling enough state interest in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke. In all cases, race must be a factor that only helps rather than hurts a student’s chances of getting into school. In the most recent Sept. 30 ruling, Judge Allison D. Burroughs found Harvard not guilty of race-based discrimination in their admission process. “I think it’s a good opinion,” said Professor Breen. “It really relied with great fidelity on [Grutter v. Bollinger], and one thing that was not good for the plaintiffs who were challenging Harvard was that former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in the Grutter case actually praised the Harvard admissions system.” The aforementioned case, Grutter v. Bollinger, was a 2003 Supreme Court case that found race considerations at the University of Michigan Law School to be lawful, relying on precedents set in previous cases; Harvard’s admissions program was used as an example in one such case, Marks v. United States, and the admissions process was found similar enough to Michigan’s to be compared. In Grutter v. Bollinger, Justice O’Connor’s statement knocks down part of SFFA’s argument in short order: “The Law School’s current admissions program considers race as one factor among many, in an effort to assemble a student body that is diverse in ways broader than race. Because a lottery would make that kind of nuanced judgment impossible, it would effectively sacrifice all other educational values, not to mention every other kind of diversity.” Race-blind admissions would be that lottery. Even so, is color just being used as a stand-in for multiple kinds of diversity? As the problem has been framed to me before, “What about the Black student fresh out of boarding school, whose parents are both doctors, with houses in the Hamptons etc.? Is that really diversity?” As it stands, the aforementioned family is much more rare, according to statistics, than an extremely well-off Asian family. The socioeconomic differences are both real and dramatic. According to the United States Census Bureau, the bottom fifth of Asian households were bringing in a mean of $16,497 in 2018, adjusted for inflation. The top fifth brought in a mean of $303,316. This is compared with Latinx households, whose bottom fifth brought in a mean income of $12,409 and top fifth $179,639. For Black families, it was $7,686 in the bottom fifth and $154,822 in the top fifth. In almost every fifth bracket since 2002, Asians have had a higher mean household income than both of these other racial demographics. All this to say, race is the unhappy mascot of socioeconomic inequality in America en masse, and race is just being used as a proxy to sift through mounds and mounds of applications. What I’m saying is not that discrimination against Asian Americans just isn’t bad, so we should all just suck it up and relinquish our spots at top universities.
The opinions expressed on this page are those of each article’s respective author and do not reflect the viewpoint of the Justice.
AMANDA PYUN/ the Justice
The Privilege Olympics are not a productive game to play in this situation. However, the question remains: is there a better proxy? This an extremely difficult question, says Professor Yuri Doolan (AAPI): “Poor kids go to poor schools in the United States … and come to school very differently prepared than students who grew up in wealthy suburbs.” From our conversation, it became clear that it would be ideal to separate socioeconomics from race, and it would be ideal if all ethnic backgrounds did enter into the world of higher education equally prepared, but raceblind admissions promotes a version of meritocracy that in aggregate only benefits the most privileged in America. The notion that Asians are presented with the same discrimination and just hitting the books harder is completely fabricated. The “model minority myth” is the idea curated post-1965 that used Asians to show that if someone studies hard enough, they can achieve success as compared with other “lazier” minorities, all supported by the numbers seen before. NPR references Janelle Wong on this subject, the director of Asian American Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. Wong says that the model minority myth acts as part of a conservative agenda by “ignoring the role that selective recruitment of highly educated Asian immigrants has played in Asian American success followed by, making a flawed comparison between Asian Americans and other groups, particularly Black Americans and to argue that racism, including more than two centuries of black enslavement, can be overcome by hard work and strong family values.” This trend of having races pitted against one another is not unusual. “Historically, Asians have been used as weapons of anti-Blackness.” says Professor Doolan. This idea of race-blind admissions buys into this racist system, and SFFA is not speaking for the many groups of Asians that need representation, rather those who can afford it. Be that as it may, because I got into an elite college, one might say I wasn’t affected, and I shouldn’t have any vested interest in this issue anymore. It’s easier for me to take the moral high ground and be woke about privilege and slam the admissions door in the face of all my fellow Asian Americans, because the precedent set in this case doesn’t affect me. To this I would draw attention back to the case. According to the New Yorker, Harvard’s Office of Institutional Research did collect findings that pointed towards the admissions process being biased against Asians in 2013: “Among the most striking findings was that Asians were admitted at lower rates than whites, even though Asian applicants were rated higher than white applicants in most of the categories used in the admissions process, including academics, extracurriculars, and test scores. One exception was the ‘personal rating.’” Harvard isn’t absolved. SFFA is on the right track, but there is still work to be done, because the facts now show that kids like me still have to appear un-Asian on their college application to get in. This is related to one more major problem. Slate says that athletes, legacies, “Dean’s interest,” and children of faculty (called ALDC’s collectively for short) are still admitted at a disproportionately high rate. Article after article confirms that caucasians are still the ones benefiting the most from higher education admissions in America. However, I am not villainizing caucasian people. I am saying that college admissions are a microcosm of the multiethnic fabric of America, and it’s a lot more wicked in a much bigger way than me or SFFA could ever imagine. So to the question of whether this still affects me: This case sets a precedent. Don’t dismantle affirmative action, but I don’t want to have to do things so that I can appear less Asian to get opportunities. I don’t want that for anyone. After all this, will I check my admissions file? I don’t want to find out whether or not I should spite my identity even more. It’s not that ignorance is bliss, because it’s not — I’ve done my reading and my research and I can live blissfully by looking forward. I’m Asian and I like it that way.
THE JUSTICE ● SPORTS ● TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019
AND RUNNIN, RUNNING
WSOCCER: Team faces UAA rivals CONTINUED FROM 16
given a yellow card for a play made by Maddy Lui. Ultimately, both teams ended with eight fouls each. In this game, the problem
13
had more to do with the Judges’ offense: they just couldn't seem to gain momentum against the Tartans’ defensive line. While Katie Hayes ’20 led the team with three shots on goal, none resulted in any points for the team.
Meeting: Wednesdays at 6 p.m.
Want to be more than just a spectator?
Write for Sports!
Contact Megan Geller at sports@thejustice.org
NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
KICKIN' IT: Brandeis' Evan Glass '21 runs briskly and with fiery focus in a game against Carnegie Mellon University last Saturday.
MSOCCER: Team defeats Carnegie and MIT CONTINUED FROM 16 at the college level, according to the Brandeis Athletics website. Forrest Shimazu ’23 was excellent all night at the back for the home team. The hosts outshot MIT 22–10 and 10–3 in shots on target as the Judges handed the Engineers their first loss of the season. The Judges won their first University Athletic Association conference game of the season over the Carnegie Mellon Tartans by another scoreline of two goals to none. There were some tense moments in a physical but goalless first half, highlighted by a pair of yellow cards. The first was shown to Panson for a foul in the
25th minute, but the Tartans were fortunate to keep 11 men on the pitch ten minutes later when Elliot Cohen ’20 was shown only a yellow card for clipping DeNight on a slide tackle from behind. After the first half ended in a stalemate, the Judges burst out of the gates in the second period and it took just a minute and a half for Elias Norris ’23 to clean up a bobbling ball inside the 18 after a Jake Warren ’20 cross. The lead was two just five minutes later when Max Breiter ’20 found the back of the net having been played in well by Noah Gans ’20. From there, the home side managed the game well and saw out the final half hour rather comfortably. The
Tartans were flagged for offside a remarkable eight times in the game which culminated in midfielder Nick Isham, responsible for a few of those seeing yellow for a frustration foul, which summed up another excellent showing by the Judges’ backline. Goalkeeper Greg Irwin ’20 kept his fourth consecutive clean sheet, making four saves as Brandeis outshot their opponents 11–8 on the afternoon. With an overall record of 6–2–3, men’s soccer is back in action next weekend at Case Western Reserve and then the following Tuesday at Mass Maritime. Their next home game is on Friday Oct. 18 against the University of Chicago.
VOLLEYBALL: An impressive play featured on ESPN SportsCenter last Wednesday CONTINUED FROM 16 set, the Engineers tried to make up for the first and began with a 10–3 lead. Although the Judges closed the scoring gap, the Engineers went on to win their only set 25–23. Following the second set, the Judges pulled through to claim the matchup. In the third, the team proved itself by scoring the set’s first four points. This was when an incredible play happened — which the ESPN SportsCenter’s rated as the tenth best play of the week. The Engineers’ sophomore Suela Miloshi made a play that got the ball over the net and appeared to hit the floor. While the Engineers celebrated, Brandeis libero Kaitlyn Oh ’22 kicked the ball over the net.
This is allowed in volleyball and the Judges scored the point. With a 5–2 lead, the Judes took the set. Although the gap was closed to 5–4, the team never lost their lead. In the final set, there was a back and forth lead, but the Judges ultimately pulled ahead to take the set 22 –21. Case Western 3, Judges 2 The Judges could not win two consecutive matchups though, as they fell to the Spartans in a match that took five sets to be decided. The first set was opened with a kill by Amelia Oppenheimer ’23 for the Judges, but the Spartans responded quickly. After an attack error by Oppenheimer made the score 4–3, the Spartans took off and scored the match’s next seven points
making the score 10–3, while the Judges would only get another point because of a handling error from Spartan Gianna Lambert. Although some more scoring took place, the Spartans did not release their set lead and won 25–16. In the second set, the Judges began with an impressive 5–1 lead until the Spartans went on a four-point run to bring the score to 6–5. Points from a Spartan error by Brianna Lemon and kills by Bartlett and Belle Scott ’21 put the team back ahead at 6–8. After this, the teams were neck and neck, and ultimately, the Judges would take one of their set wins at 23–25. In the third set, the Judges tried and failed to replicate their secondset win. What led to the Case
Western victory came after the score was tied at eleven. At this point, the Spartans plowed ahead, scoring the set’s next six points. Although the Judges scored an occasional point, the Spartans never lost their sizable lead, resulting in a 25–16 victory. In the fourth set, the Judges had their second win, but it was consistently a very close match tied at scores of six, seven, eight, 16, 17, 18 and 19, before the Judges pulled ahead to claim a 20–25 win. In the final set, the Judges once again started with the first four points, but the Spartans responded to tie the score in the next four points. Like the fourth set, there were several moments where the score tied, but this time it was the Spartans who were ahead at the right time to claim the set, and
therefore the match, at 16–14. Chicago 3, Judges 0 The University of Chicago, another UAA opponent, was truly was a force to be reckoned with. With a record of 13-1 heading into the match, they would be a challenging team to beat and ultimately, that was a goal the Judges fell short of, unable to pull off any set wins.The Judges definitely have work to do if they would like to beat the conference’s top teams, like Chicago, who have been so successful this far in the season. Looking ahead, the Judges hope to return to winning ways on Saturday where they will face both Babson College and Endicott College in a Tri-Match at Babson College in Wellesley, MA.
Meeting: Sundays at 3:30 p.m.
Everyone has a story. Help us find it.
Write for Features!
Contact Eliana Padwa at features@thejustice.org for more information. Illustration by MORGAN MAYBACK/the JUSTICE; Photos by ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice, ADAM PANN/the Justice, CLEMENTS PARK/the Justice, MORGAN BRILL/the Justice; NADIA ALAWA, IRA BORNSTEIN, CREATIVE COMMONS.
Meeting: Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m.
Write for Arts ! e r u t l u C d n a
Interested in music, theater, film, comedy or museums? Contact Luke Liu at arts@thejustice.org! Illustration by MORGAN MAYBACK/the Justice; Photos by YVETTE SEI/the Justice, CHELSEA MADERA/the Justice, NATALIA WIATER/the Justice, ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice, HEATHER SCHILLER/the Justice, SARAH KATZ/the Justice.
THE JUSTICE
JUDGES BY THE NUMBERS
● SPORTS ●
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 , 2019
15
CLUB SPORTS FEATURE
MEN’S SOCCER UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS Goals
Will DeNight ’23 leads the team with five goals. Player Goals Pct. 5 Chicago .700 Will DeNight 3 JUDGES .684 Max Breiter 2 NYU .500 Jared Panson 1 Rochester .778 Noah Gans WashU .688 Assists Emory .550 Noah Gans ’21 and Dylan HenCase .545 nesy tie with 3 assists. Carnegie .450 Player Assists Noah Gans 3 UPCOMING GAMES: Dylan Hennesy 3 2 Saturday at Case Western Reserve University Jared Panson Oct. 15 at Massachusetts Maritime Academy Overall W L D 5 1 4 6 2 3 4 4 1 7 2 0 5 2 1 5 4 1 5 4 2 4 5 1
UAA Conf. W L D 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0
WOMEN’S SOCCER UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS Goals
Chicago NYU Carnegie Rochester WashU Case JUDGES Emory
UAA Conf. Overall W L D W L D 1 0 0 7 1 1 1 0 0 8 2 0 1 0 0 7 2 1 0 0 0 7 1 0 0 0 0 9 1 1 0 1 0 9 1 0 0 1 0 8 3 0 0 1 0 6 3 0
Pct. .833 .800 .750 .875 .864 .900 .727 .667
UPCOMING GAMES: Saturday at Case Western Reserve University Oct. 18 at University of Chicago
Makenna Hunt ’22 leads the team with 7 goals. Player Goals Makenna Hunt 7 Juliette Carreiro 6 Daria Bakhtiarti 3 Jessica Herman 3
Assists Juliette Carreiro ’22 leads the team with 4 assists. Player Assists Juliette Carreiro 4 Caroline Swan 3 Daria Bakhtiarti 2
VOLLEYBALL UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS Kills
Chicago Emory Carnegie WashU NYU Case JUDGES Rochester
UAA Conf. W L 3 0 3 0 2 1 2 1 2 2 1 3 1 3 0 4
Overall W L 13 1 11 1 13 2 11 5 12 3 3 9 7 9 4 11
Pct. .933 .929 .824 .706 .789 .353 .267 .400
UPCOMING GAMES: Friday vs Joger Williams University Oct. 3 vs Worchester Polytecnic Institute
Emma Bartlett ’20 leads the team with 160 kills. Player Kills Emma Bartlett 160 Belle Scott 153 Amelia Oppenheimer 105
Digs Kaitlyn Oh ’20 leads the team with 179 digs. Player Digs Kaitlyn Oh 179 Belle Scott 149 Emma Bartlet 144
CROSS COUNTRY Results from the Keene State lnvitational on Oct. 3.
TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)
TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)
5-Mile Run RUNNER TIME Mark Murdy 26:04.4 Mathew Dribben 26:08.3 Dan Curley 26:52.1
5-Kilometer Run RUNNER TIME Danielle Bertaux 18:38.0 Erin Magill 18:44.4 Andrea Bolduc 19:09.6
Oct. 19 at Connecticut College Invitational Data Courtesy of THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION and the BRANDEIS ATHLETICS WEBSITE. Images Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS.
Photo Courtesy of BRANDEIS EQUESTRIAN CLUB
BACK IN THE SADDLE: Brandeis equestrian club walked, troted and cantored their way to success last year.
Brandeis equestrians ride into the semester ■ The Brandeis equestrian club gallops into this season and looks forward to bringing their 13 members to seven shows this year. By MEGAN GELLER JUSTICE EDITOR
The Brandeis equestrian club team is a group of students who love horses and competing. They compete in Region Four, Zone One, of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association along with 11 other Boston-area colleges. IHSA riders compete in Hunter Seat Equitation on the flat and Hunter Seat Equitation over fences. The ISHA organization now encompasses 40 Regions in eight Zones with over 400 member colleges in 45 states and Canada, representing 10,000 members. The Judges’ team is made up of 13 riders across every class year, varying academic majors and different riding backgrounds. Riders of all experience levels are welcome to join, from people who have never touched a horse all the way to people who have competed in horseback riding their whole lives, so there is no requirement or expectation of skills when a member joins the team. This year’s team captain is Stephanie Prill ’20, the Captain-inTraining is Sophie Rathmann ’21 and the coach/trainer is Katie Bobola.
The team really likes Bobola as their coach, who, according to Prill in an interview with the Justice, “is able to train the beginner as well as very experienced riders.”. The team practices at Woodridge Farms in Sherborn, MA, which is about a 45 minute van ride from campus. The team has multiple lesson times scheduled each week, but each member is only scheduled for one practice slot weekly. The lessons are group lessons with maximum of five riders, so they arrange schedules based on the team members’ and trainer’s schedules. However, members are able to take multiple lessons before a show, if a members’ and trainers’ schedules allow. This year’s competition schedule consists of seven shows spread out between October and November. Members are only required to compete in half of the competitions, but that is still three to four weekend days, during which riders are off campus from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. At the shows, competitors are placed in a division based upon their ability, which is determined at the beginning of the semester for new members. Competitors are randomly assigned a horse out of a hat and then have to figure out how to ride that horse to the best of their ability as soon as they get into the competition ring. There is no warm-up time on the assigned horse; riders just adjust the saddle, get on the horse and begin competing in the flat or jump, depending on the
division. The team’s first show of the season will be hosted by Brandeis and Tufts University on Saturday, Oct. 12, at Saddle Rowe Farms in Medway, MA. Team bonding can be hard at times, since horseback riding tends to develop more of a team spirit with your horse of the day rather than with the people around you. However, Prill explained, “we’re lucky to have very friendly people who want to get to know each other during our lessons. So back and forth in the vans, while tacking up and while cleaning everything down, people get to know each other.” Also, when the team goes to shows, they are at outdoor arenas or indoor facilities where there is no heating and it can be very cold during the many hours they are there, so team members are known to huddle up to keep each other warm while cheering on their competing teammates. Lastly, after shows, there are team dinners along with an end of the semester dinner. As a result, the Brandeis Equestrian Club has created an environment where the sport is less of an individual activity and more of a team sport. Last year, the Judges placed eighth overall in the region and Prill won two Reserve High Point Rider of the Day awards at different competitions. In addition, Prill, Rathmann and Danielle Schwartz ’20 all qualified for regionals, but only Prill and Rathmann attended, with neither qualifying to move on to the Zone show.
PRO SPORTS BRIEF
Four Major League Baseball teams approach playoffs with recent victories As the leaves begin to turn brown in beautiful New England and the brisk autumn “sweater- weather” starts to roll in, baseball enthusiasts can savor the beginning of the annual playoffs of our national pastime. This year, four mighty teams reached the milestone of more than 100 wins, suggesting the playoffs will showcase a lot of great ball clubs. National League: St. Louis Cardinals (91–71) versus Atlanta Braves (97–65) The National League Central Champion Cardinals were very successful this season through superior pitching and defense — they ranked fifth and first among all major league teams. Unfortunately, their hitting was mediocre as they ranked only 19th of 30 major league teams in batting. However, the old adage that great pitching beats great hitting bodes well for their chances to succeed in the playoffs. The NL East Champion Braves
were a more potent offensive team than Cardinals, ranking seventh in overall offense in the majors, and launching 249 home runs this season. However, their pitching and fielding were both in the top third among all major league teams, suggesting an excellent and balanced adversary. Washington Nationals (93–69) versus Los Angeles Dodgers (106– 56) The Nationals, the wild card playoff winners over the Milwaukee Brewers, have a respectable pitching staff with an Earned Run Average of 4.27. They boast a top-ten defense and an excellent offense led by Anthony Rendon (.319 batting average) and Howie Kendrick (.344 batting average). The Dodgers, owners of the best record in the National League, will be a difficult opponent for the Nationals. They were ranked first in pitching and fifth in hitting in the majors. The Dodgers have star pitchers, lefthanded Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-
Jin Ryu and right handers Walker Buehler and Kenta Maeda, all of whom won double-digit games this season. American League: Minnesota Twins (101–61) verses New York Yankees (103–59) The Twins were a top-ten ranked pitching team with a very respectable 4.18 ERA (American League teams who pitch to talented designated hitters typically have higher ERA’s than NL teams who pitch to weakhitting pitchers). However, their fielding was a weak spot, with a ranking of 26th among 30 major league teams, as demonstrated by having committed 111 errors during the season. The Twins are an offensive powerhouse who led the league in home runs andwere ranked second overall in batting. The Yankees live up to their classic nickname, the Bronx Bombers, as they were number one in batting this season. They scored 943 runs (nearly six runs per game). However, their
pitching and fielding were not nearly as impressive, with rankings of 14th and 20th among the 30 major league teams respectively. If the Yankees fail in the postseason, it will likely be due to this relative weakness. However, the Yankees have history on their side, having won 27 World Series Championships, more than twice the closest franchise, the Cardinals who have won 11. The Yankees have also beaten the Twins in all four previous playoff matchups. However, perhaps the law of averages will smile upon the Twins. Tampa Bay Rays (96–66) versus Houston Astros (107–55) The Rays beat the Oakland Athletics in the AL Wild Card. The Rays’ strength is pitching and they ranked second only to the Dodgers in this category with an impressive team ERA of 3.65. Charlie Morton led the squad with 16 wins and a 3.05 ERA. Their fielding was very good, ranked 11th of 30 major league teams, while
hitting seems to be the weakest part of their game with a ranking of 18th among major league teams. The Astros are a juggernaut, boasting the best record in the majors. They are uniformly outstanding among the three major areas of the game and ranked third in batting, pitching and fielding. The Astros have two star pitchers who have won 20 or more games this season, Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. This season, their offense was led by Alex Bregman with 41 home runs. The Astros do not appear to have any weaknesses and the Rays are in an unenviable position. The adage “good pitching beats good hitting,” suggests a Dodgers versus Rays or Dodgers versus Astros World Series. There are so many variables in sports, from weather to momentum to luck, among others. The playoffs should be a delight for true baseball fans. Get your peanuts and crackerjacks. — Megan Geller
just Sports Page 16
MAJOR LEAGUE PLAYOFF REVIEW Four Major League Baseball teams approach playoffs with recent victories, p. 15. Waltham, Mass.
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
MEN’S SOCCER
AIR BALL
Men win three of three games ■ The Brandeis men’s soccer team successfully completed all three games in eight days without conceding a single goal. By JONAH WHITE JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
The Judges’ men’s soccer team won three games in eight days without conceding a single goal. After concluding a four-game road trip with a record of 1–1–2 thanks to a comfortable 3–0 win at Mitchell College, Brandeis won at home against Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Tuesday and against Carnegie Mellon University on Saturday, with both games finishing 2–0. Against Mitchell, the result was sealed in the 31st minute when Will DeNight ’23 scored the Judges’ third goal in 16 minutes. It was preceded by a 16th minute free kick converted by Dylan Hennessy ’20, and a Max Breiter ’20 goal from a corner five minutes after that. The host Mariners, coming in it at 1–5–1, were outshot 20–2 as the match was well reflected in the scoreline. The Judges also had 11 of the game’s 12 shots on target
and six of its eight corner kicks. Taking on the previously undefeated MIT Engineers, impressive performances by freshmen at both ends of the pitch guided the Judges to a convincing 2–0 victory. After a couple of chances at either end in the opening half hour, DeNight fired the Judges into the lead in the 33rd minute. Having entered as a substitute 11 minutes prior, DeNight received a pass from Jake Davis ’22 just outside the upper left corner of the penalty area. After setting himself up nicely in space, he fired just inside the near post with pinpoint accuracy past goalkeeper Jeremy Cowham ’20. The Judges nearly doubled their lead twice in the next three minutes, first when Davis shot directly at Cowham from the top of the six yard box and again when Cowham dove to his right to deny Tim Bombelli’s ’21 effort from the top of the eighteen. DeNight reentered in the second half on the hour mark and doubled his impact on 72’. Played in by Jared Panson ’21 on a quick counter attack, he eased around a defender in the penalty area before curling his effort into the far corner of the net for his first multi-goal game
See MSOCCER, 13
☛
VOLLEYBALL
Judges win one of three total games this past week ■ The team was 3–9 going
into last week, defeating WPI but falling to Case Western Reserve University and University of Chicago. By JEN GELLER JUSTICE EDITOR
The Brandeis women’s volleyball team has had a shaky start to their season. After beginning their season in a winning match against Westfield State University, the team went on a six-match losing streak. Finally broken by a win against Worcester State University, the team won that single game before losing three more games, two of them to University Athletic Association opponents Emory University and Carnegie Mellon University. The team then conquered the University of Rochester, another UAA opponent and then lost to Roger Williams University. That brings us to this week: heading into this first week of October, the team was at an overall record of 3–9. Then on Thursday, the team faced the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Engineers where the Judges won 3–1. On Sunday, the Judges faced two UAA opponents, the Case Western Reserve University Spartans and the University of Chicago Maroons. This time, the Judges were not as
successful. In this second round robin UAA tournament that took place in Atlanta, GA, the Judges fell 2–3 and 0–3 to Case Western and Chicago, respectively. Judges 3, WPI 1 The Judges took down the Engineers in the Red Auerbach Arena in a very impressive showing. The win can be attributed largely to Emerson White ’22, who had many career-setting records. With 15 kills and six blocks, White was a key player in this victorious set of matches that ultimately had scores of 25–15, 23–25, 25–19 and 25–22, particularly because of her kills. The reason for those kills can be attributed to the 28 attempts that she made, another career best for her, which resulted in a hitting percentage of .464. Middle hitter Emma Bartlett ’20 also contributed a significant number of kills to the team’s performance with 13 kills and nine digs. Bartlett’s kill percentage was .296. The other major contribution to the team’s success came from setter Marissa Borgert ’21 who had 41 assists and a kill percentage of .286. The first set was decided when the Judges scored seven consecutive points after the team alternated the lead, which put the Judges at a score of 13–5. The Judges never looked back and were even at one point ahead by thirteen points with a score of 24–11. The Engineers closed the gap, but the Judges still won the set by nine points. In the second
See VOLLEYBALL, 13 ☛
NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
NICE CATCH: Brandeis' Katie Hayes ’20 grabs the ball in a game against Wellesley University on Sept. 9.
Women’s soccer splits October games ■ The women's soccer
team runs into October with a recent three game split. By JEN GELLER JUSTICE EDITOR
The Brandeis women’s soccer team kicked off the month of October with a split. The Judges defeated the Lesley University Lynx last Wednesday, but suffered a loss against the Carnegie Mellon Tartans on Saturday in their first University Athletic Association conference game. Continuing to compete against their UAA competitors, the Judges will next face Case Western Reserve University on Saturday. That game will be played at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. Judges 2, Lesley 0 The Judges left the Lynx scoreless in their Wednesday competition in a game that put the Judges at an impressive 8–2 overall record. In fact, this was the fourth straight game in which the Judges did not
allow the other team to score any goals, called a shutout. On Sept. 21, the Judges beat Lasell College 4–0; on Sept. 24, the Judges defeated Wellesley College 5–0; and on Sept. 28, the Judges were victorious against Emmanuel College 1–0. The game against Lesley resulted in one goal in each half, the first by rookie Caroline Swan ’20 at 25:36 and the second by Julliette Carreiro ’22 at a time of 56:03. Swan’s goal was the first of her Brandeis career. In the first half, the Judges scored all they would need to ultimately capture the victory, and also outshot the Lynx 8–1 in the first half. This first half was truly a mark of the Judges’ strong defense. In the second half of play, the Lynx tried to make a come back, and even had the first attempted shot by Lesley’s Claire Hounslow saved by goalie Victoria Richardson ’20, who made three second-half saves. It was in this half where Carreiro scored what was her sixth goal of the season with an assist from Emma Spector ’20. Carnegie Mellon 1, Judges 0 In the midst of the Brandeis
Homecoming events, the Judges played the Tartans on Saturday at home on Gordon Field. However, this home game brought an end to the Judges’ second four-game winning streak of the season. For both teams, this game was their UAA opener — the first game each team would play within the association — and while it was a close match, the Judges could not produce a victory. In fact, it was the one goal the Tartans made in the first five minutes of the game, that decided the game’s fate. This was Carnegie Mellon's Alex Adams’ eighth goal of the season. It was also the first game in five games where Richardson let any balls into the goal. Both teams made five attempts at goal in the first half, but only the Tartans were successful. The second half brought no additional goals for either team. Both goalies played a fierce second half, not allowing a single point. The game was also marked with a substantial number of fouls for both teams, and the Tartans were
See WSOCCER, 13
☛
Vol. LXXII #5 Vol. LXX #2
just
October 8, 2019
September 12, 2017
Arts & Culture
just
On Display at the Kniznick Gallery until October 10.
Waltham, Mass.
Artwork: Hannah Chalew, Daniela Rivera, Corinne Spencer. Images: Creative Commons, Noah Zeitlin/the Justice. Design: Noah Zeitlin/the Justice.
18
TUESDAY, THE JUSTICE OCTOBER | ARTS 8, 2019 | TUESDAY, I ARTS & JANUARY CULTURE 31, I THE 2017 JUSTICE
THEATER REVIEW
‘Rosencrantz & Guildenstern’ gives killer performances
Photo Courtesy of HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY
CHEMISTRY: The connection between the lead actors added a huge entertainment factor to the production.
BACKGROUND FRONT AND CENTER: The use of a simple set helped enhance the symbolism of the production. By CAYLIE JERUCHIMOWITZ JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
When you think of Shakespeare’s plays, you immediately think of tragedy and drama, like “Macbeth” and “Romeo and Juliet.” Despite the fact that he wrote some comedies, his tragedies seem to be more well-known. Walking into “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead,” written by Tom Stoppard, the vibe was the complete opposite. This play was an upbeat and funny production and all-around good time to experience. The play is based on the
original story of “Hamlet” but looks at the plot through the eyes of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet’s friends. In Shakespeare’s play, they have minor roles, so placing them front and center along with the performance troupe, the Tragedians, that performs for the royal family in a scene in the original play, was an interesting twist on the story. This play follows the same plot as Shakespeare’s original work, but the story focuses on what Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are doing behind the scenes of the story rather than on the main plot and
characters. For example, there is a scene in which Rosencrantz and Guildenstern watch the Tragedians’ rehearsal for their performance for the royal court that is seen in “Hamlet.” While this play clearly had a much lighter feeling than “Hamlet,” I enjoyed the little allusions made to Shakespeare’s work. For example, in the original play, Rozencranz and Guildenstern are pretty much the same character. “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” played off of this idea by having none of the characters know which member of the duo was which. This was such a fun element and a clear reference to include for anyone who has ever read or studied “Hamlet,” and I appreciated it. Another aspect of the show that was very impressive was the symbolism of the set and lighting. The set was very simple using just a few large wooden pieces that seemed to reflect the backstage area of a theater, which symbolizes the fact that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are often in the background of the story of Hamlet. At points during the show characters such as Hamlet, Cladius and Gertrude would cross upstage and lights representing stage lights would shine as they passed. This was used to mirror the fact that these characters are the leads in the story of “Hamlet”. This was only shown in the background of the play because the main story of “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” is on the outskirts of the main plot of Hamlet. Watching the lead actors’ chemistry on stage was also fascinating. Alex Hunt, who plays Rosencrantz, and Jeremy Webb, who plays Guildenstern, played off of each other incredibly well. There was such an easy and natural flow in the way they interacted with each other that was very fun to watch. The way they conversed was almost as if they shared
the same thoughts. Their acting also involved a lot of physical comedy, which looked very cohesive. The main criticism I have concerning this play is that some plot elements and scene transitions were a bit confusing. The play begins with Rosencranz and Guildenstern flipping coins on their way to see the king. As they journey, the Tragedians arrive and offer the two a show. Then the scene changes and Rosencranz and Guildenstern are at the king’s court and familiar scenes from “Hamlet” start to emerge. When seeing the play, I was rather perplexed about what was happening in the first scene. This scene didn’t seem to have a clear purpose other than introducing some
of the characters, so it did not feel like the best way to start the show. The transition to the king’s court was also very abrupt, creating confusion about how Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrived and what happened to the Tragedians. This made it very hard to enjoy the performance at first, but once the the play reached familiar scenes from “Hamlet,” the story became clear. Despite some confusion at the beginning of the play, it was still amusing overall. If someone is looking to watch something with a complex storyline I would suggest seeing something else, but for someone who just wants to see something funny and have a good time, this show is perfect.
MINOR ROLES SHINE: Small roles from “Hamlet” take the lead in this play, creating a new perspective on Shakespeare’s work.
FILM REVIEW
Indie movie runs home with critic’s acclaim By ALEX BENDER JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Get your sneakers ready! “Brittany Runs a Marathon” is an inspiring new comedy written and directed by Paul Downs Colaizzo. The story follows Brittany (Jillian Bell) — a lazy, alcoholic, misguided couch potato and her journey to change her life by participating in the New York Marathon. Both heartfelt and hilarious, Colaizzo assembles a slew of well-rounded, complex characters that shame traditional, onedimensional comedic stereotypes of years past. Through her new running mates, an unlikely roommate and the disposal of a selfish, long-time friend, Brittany’s new crew aids her in her journey towards self appreciation as she struggles to completely alter her way of life. Jillian Bell owns the role of Brittany as she traverses her character’s dry comedic wit and honest dramatic sentiments with great ease and maximum emotional impact. Immediately, you fall in love with Brittany as a character. She displays a joyful, sarcastic personality to liven up her day at the workplace. However, just as quickly, she breaks your heart when partaking in alcohol and drug use that, unfortunately, has become too routine. Jillian Bell completely endears the audience to Brittany’s struggle by examining her character’s fractured sense of self respect and emotional insecurities through a truly transformative performance. Similar to her character, Jillian Bell
lost 40 pounds throughout the course of production; however, the film delves deeper into the emotional mindset of the character beyond Brittany’s weight and irresponsible habits. Much of the film’s criticisms of Brittany suggest that the community she shelters herself within is the root of all her pain. Many of Brittany’s friends think of her only as an extension of their own personalities. The only solace they provide for Brittany is slight appreciation whenever Brittany promotes their social media platforms. No trust exists in Brittany’s life beyond shallow relationships that only serve to provide a false sense of security. It is over the course of the film that Brittany reevaluates her personal ambitions, social relationships, life choices and emotional frame of mind to better herself in a truly spectacular way. One of the central themes of the movie relates to Brittany’s need to lose weight. At first glance, I feared that Brittany’s motivation to become healthier was solely based on her physical image. I was disturbed by some early scenes in which Brittany glumly looks at herself in a mirror and was self-critical of her appearance, I thought to myself to myself that the movie was sending the wrong message. However, part of the beauty of this story is how it organically engages Brittany’s perspective of her body. Honest, ashamed and genuine, the film examines Brittany’s warped view of herself despite how wrong and distant it is from the truth. She half-heartedly acknowledges certain progressive ideas that current
society values, such as, “beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.” However, it is clear that her opinion of those ideas do not stretch beyond lip service. Brittany even mentions this sentiment during a conversation with her doctor in an early scene, but her delivery is so passive and drole that the viewer hardly believes it. Once Brittany starts running and thinking positively about her self-image ,she begins to build new relationships and opportunities that allow her to believe in herself again. It is not the physical weight loss that improves her life, nor the insane task of completing the New York marathon, but the ambitions she solidly upholds and the choices she makes that have positive long term impacts for herself and the people around her. Equally as awesome as the portrayal and central themes surrounding Brittany and her story are the supporting characters who do not fall prey to Jillian Bell’s excellent comedic timing. Collazio’s brilliant script expertly duel-wields the depths of Brittany’s community and the emotional roller coaster of Brittany’s arc. The characters in “Brittany Runs a Marathon” are realistic in how their personal issues reflect and impact modern millennial America. Whether it be struggling with a divorce, earning the adoration of a loved one or feeling uncertain about one’s future prospects, they naturally fit in with our society, despite being players in a one-off, Hollywood comedy. Brittany’s new friends brilliantly reflect the experiences of Brittany as their struggles are similar to hers, making their relationships
honest and bonded through trust. In regards to criticisms that I have about the movie, the camera work is a bit underwhelming and amateurish. Most scenes are shot using a hand-held method, which makes the shoot quick, easy and less technically tedious. However, the resulting effect is that many of the shots are uninteresting as the camera simply records the scene rather than attempt to convey complex ideas through its lens. The final scene is especially powerful and inspiring — not to mention cool, being they were allowed to film at the real New York marathon — but the camera hardly uses its medium to exaggerate the intensity of the moment beyond the rudimentary basics. The cinematography, acting, production and costume design are quite strong throughout, but the underused camera medium undersells the brilliance of the film and its terrific story. Fueled by passion and authenticity, “Brittany Runs a Marathon” is a crowdpleaser that blows away the competition and jolts the audience with a desire to be better versions of themselves. It is an intense, yet light-hearted character study that stays true to its words. It clearly draws lines between what it believes in and what it views as harmful to society. The characters are authentic, rich and organically flow into the framework of a story making the film truly unique and intimate. “Brittany Runs a Marathon” is in theaters now, and it will become available on Amazon Prime towards the end of 2019.
Image Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS Design: Shinji Rho/the Justice
THE JUSTICE I ARTS & CULTURE I TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019
19
MUSIC EVENT
Concert, contracts and challenges: A conversation with Janikah Brice ’20 By LUKE LIU JUSTICE EDITOR
Being a leader, specifically the president of a club is hard, and bringing off-campus guests to perform at an oncampus event is not an easy project to take on. Last week, I sat down with Janikah Brice ’20, the president of YourStory International at Brandeis. We talked about YourStory International and its expedition program in Haiti, the process and challenges faced while organizing the Haitian Kompa Concert and her suggestions for the University in the future. YourStory International at Brandeis is a chapter of an organization that provides support for Haitian communities through public health services and community development. During spring and summer breaks, eight to nine day expeditions are led in Haiti to provide health education and free clinics for the underprivileged communities. It is also an opportunity to meet students from other school’s chapters and network with health professionals. You don’t have to have a Biology or Health, Science, Society, and Policy background to be part of the trip. As Janikah said, “I think the trip is more interesting when you have a range of people who don’t have the same interests. And it is usually what it is.” On Sept. 28, YourStory International hosted its firstever Haitian Kompa Concert.
Four local and international performers, KAÏ, Rebecca Zama, Valerie Larena and DJ Super Duke, performed for the Brandeis community. Host_ Valcin hosted of the show. Knowing that this would be a large project, and that that it would be the first time they hosted an event like this, she and the rest of the organization members started planning as soon as their budget was approved last semester. They booked a space for the concert and reached out to the artists to perform. Then, they drafted their contracts with them. Even though the event was over a week ago, Janikah is still far from done with it. “I’ve been dealing with these contracts for four, five months now. And it is still an ongoing process,” Janikah said during her interview with the Justice. “I will say that working to coordinate with the people off-campus was the easiest part. Working to coordinate with Brandeis is the hardest part.” According to Janikah, while the funding application process seemed to be clear on the website, she had to frequently check in with various departments in order to have an idea of the process of the application. The documents were also lost by the offices processing them more than once, and she had to track down where they were lost and resubmit them to the department. When asked what suggestions she had for the University to make planning an event of this caliber together easier,
Janikah offered the following pieces of advice. First of all, she suggested that having an online portal for the application would help student organizers track down applications. “Every other day, I was calling the departments [tracking down the application]. And that takes a lot of time out of me being a student.” Secondly, the Student Union Management System, is an extremely outdated system that “is more confusing than helpful.” It is hard to understand, even for someone who has spent quite some time on it, and “you can have thousands of dollars in your account, but if you don’t know how to access it, then what’s the point?” When organizing an event with offcampus guests, there are a lot of expenses that are flexible and likely to be different from the estimation when submitting the budget. Every change on the budget can take over a week to fix, “and when you have a concert and an event coming and the performers are expecting to get paid, that holds up your process.” The University will be switching from SUMS to a new system, Slate, in the near future. To Janikah, a complicated and inefficient system hurts the passion of student organizers with grand ideas. “We wanted this event to be annual but I don’t even see how this event could happen next year, because how discouraging it was to have to put it on with all the offices who are constantly not supporting but making it harder.”
Photos Courtesy of YOURSTORY INTERNATIONAL
FR0M IDEAS TO REALITY: After four months of planning, the Brandeis chapter of YourStory International successfully hosted their first ever concert on Sept. 28.
LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL: From Boston to Haiti, DJ to host, the ensemble included people with diverse backgrounds and talents.
FILM REVIEW
Brad Pitt’s space movie sends critics over the moon By MENDEL WEINTRAUB JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Photo Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
WORKING AND LEARNING: After making the film, Brad Pitt visited the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology to learn about space technology.
On the heels of stellar reviews for his supporting turn as Cliff Booth in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Brad Pitt has come back to the silver screen for the second time this year in James Gray’s “Ad Astra.” The science fiction drama follows Roy McBride, an astronaut tasked with uncovering the cause of catastrophic power outages on Earth known as Surges. The catch: those sending Roy on the mission believe that the cause of the Surges has something to do with his father, Clifford (Tommy Lee Jones), who went missing on an interstellar mission around Neptune years earlier. And believe the hype; Pitt’s lead performance in this film tops off a return to form for Pitt in the acting department, after he has spent the past few years behind the camera as a producer. That paired with Gray’s patient and introspective direction and beautiful cinematography from the always-reliable Hoyte van Hoytema make for a unique trip into the stratosphere. The film is as much a space epic as it is an intimate exploration of the mysterious and tragic relationship between a father and son. When we are first introduced to Roy on a mission just above Earth’s atmosphere, he is a broken man, fatherless and estranged from his wife (Liv
Tyler, in a glorified cameo). Roy is established as a loner from the get-go. After being abandoned in his youth by his father, who favored the cosmos over family, Roy is lethargic, yet as compelled to emulate his father as he is to let the man go. By opening “Ad Astra” with Roy in this state, Gray makes the story all the more intriguing when Roy learns his father, who was presumed dead, is likely alive, and even worse, perhaps losing his mind. Gray mainly captures Pitt’s portrayal of Roy’s delicate psyche through close-ups, an unusual choice for a space epic which typically relies on elaborate wide shots to convey the weight of its story. However, Pitt’s expressive, captivating eyes perfectly impart his loss, his longing and his curiosity, which when combined with the beautifully-rendered celestial images of the film make for a grandiosity all its own. Make no mistake — despite the intimacy that Gray injects into the movie, it still has its popcorny moments. One of “Ad Astra’s” most memorable sequences features a “Mad Max”like car chase on the surface of the moon. Toward the end of the film, we even see Roy catapult himself through an asteroid field with nothing but sheet metal as a shield. But these scenes are not spectacle solely for the sake of spectacle, as Roy’s yearning to find his long-lost father is central to these moments, even when he is
attacked by a violent monkey in a space shuttle. And when (spoiler alert) Roy finally reunites with his father, the payoff is not what we expect. In fact, it is hardly a payoff at all. In his usual style, Gray takes the contemplative route over the comfortable one. His filmography, which includes recent films like “The Immigrant” and “The Lost City of Z,” has always been introspective, focusing on the consequences of his characters’ ambitions and examining the underlying darkness of their decisions in the process. And so, rather than having Clifford McBride show remorse for leaving his family, Gray presents him as symbol of toxic masculinity — a man who is more concerned about proving his manhood than about being present for his son. When all is said and done, “Ad Astra” is not a film about Roy (a surrogate for modern masculinity, which sees men more willing to be emotionally in-tune) reconciling with his father, but one about him letting his father go and ultimately reconciling with himself. Roy comes to accept his tortured side, as he leaves his father floating in the cosmos, and returns to Earth to be with his wife. It is a smart subversion of the old-Hollywood ending, which favors the feminine return to domesticity, and instead closes on the note of a man finally learning how to settle down. Design: Sara Fulton/the Justice
20
THE JUSTICE I ARTS & CULTURE I TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019
INTERVIEW
JUSTARTS SPOTLIGHT ON THE ROSE
By HUILIN LI JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITTER There’s a new exhibition in the Rose Art Museum entitled “Anarchitect,” jointly organized by The Bronx Museum of the Arts and the Rose Art Museum. The presentation was coordinated by Ruth Estevez, senior curatorat-large, with Caitlin Julia Rubin, assistant curator. All of the artwork of this exhibition was created by American contemporary artist Gordon Matta-Clark (1943-1978). Growing up in New York City, Gordon Matta-Clark developed a series of site-specific artworks repurposing his architectural training in ways that called into question the basic assumptions and premises on which the field of architecture was built. According to the introduction of the exhibition, “Matta-Clark saw the city blocks that were devalued and underserved as raw material for his interventions.” He regarded these architectures as the field of action and engagement and was keenly aware of the socioeconomic context surrounding his art. He was worried that the deterioration of the South Bronx could potentially lead to its transformation into an industrial zone, and during the last two years of his life he focused his energy on creating conditions for inner-city youth to take ownership of their neighborhoods. In my opinion, the most outstanding piece in the show is “Above & Below,” two silver prints hanging on the right corner of this exhibition created in 1967. According to the sign in the exhibition, “Above & Below” is an estate of Gordon MattaClark and David Zwirner Gallery (New York/London). As the introduction of this artwork says, “You can see the juxtaposition of an underground water tunnel with a view of a midtown cross street offers a concise visualization of Gordon Matta-Clark’s holistic understanding of architecture as an enterprise that connected to the sky above while firmly rooted in the ground.” This photograph gave the audience a strong sense of extension, just as Matta-Clark observed: “What I would love to do is [to] extend the building above [and] extend it below as much as above.” This quasi-mystical regard for architecture was paired with a heightened professional sense, which he saw at the time as failing the common citizen. For more artworks of the “Anarchitect” exhibition, please check out in the ground floor of the Rose Art Museum, or visit the museum website to learn more.
STAFF’S Top Ten
Jessica Cloer Photo Courtesy of JESSICA CLOER
This week, justArts&Culture spoke with Jessica Cloer, the Associate Registrar of the Rose Art Museum, about the Student Art The Justice could not photograph “Above & Below” because they were unable to obtain press rights.
JustArts&Culture: Tell me a bit about this program and your role in it. Jessica Cloer: The Student Art Loan Program offers current Brandeis students with the opportunity to bring art into their dorm rooms to weave art into the everyday experience. I am the associate registrar at the Rose Art Museum and currently oversee the program. Over the past year, I managed the inventory collection, worked with our curatorial intern to select the works, reframed the works with a conservator and our senior preparator, photographed the works with our collections intern, updated our files and database records, collaborated with our assistant director of communications to create a presence on the museum’s website and created new forms and documents for the program. JAC: How were the pieces selected? JC: This summer, the Rose Art Museum’s Lynn P. Warner Student Curatorial Intern, Rayelle Gardner, carefully selected the works for this year’s program. She was incredibly thoughtful about choosing a variety of works that would appeal to a diverse group of students. After her initial selection, our Assistant Curator, Caitlin Julia Rubin, narrowed the works down to 40.
VICENTE CAYUELA/the Justice
JAC: How was the turnout this year? JC: We had a wonderful turnout with students waiting at the front door of the museum before we opened. About half of the works were selected by mid-day and we ended up lending all of the works that were available. It was wonderful seeing roommates debate which work to choose and hearing why a particular selection was made. Art can speak to people in many different ways. Our two Sherman H. Starr Family Curatorial Interns, Hannah Kressel and Emma Peters, helped with that experience by creating informative labels and assisting with lending process during the pick up day. JAC: Is there plan to make it a per semester instead of per year program, so that midyear students get an opportunity to participate? JC: That is an interesting idea! At this time there is not a plan to make to make the program per semester.
NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
JAC: Is there concerns with the potential of damaging the art collections? Are the pieces lend out equipped with protections? To be continued... EMILY RIORDAN/the Justice
SUDOKU Top 10 subreddits I have wasted entire years of my life on By GABRIEL FRANK JUSTICE EDITOR
There should have been a time where I said to myself, ‘okay Gabe, that’s enough cursed images for now.’ Evidently, this internal dialogue never occurred. 1. r/animal_sanctuary 2. r/LodedDiper 3. r/LithuaniaKittens 4. r/scriptedcaucasiangifs 5. r/GTAorRussia 6. r/murderedbywords 7. r/duck 8. r/bonehurtingjuice 9. r/perfectlycutscreams 10. r/TheDepthsBelow
Loan Program, which happened on Oct. 2.
NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
JC: I have found that students are incredibly respectful of the artworks and take wonderful care of them. In the four years that I have worked with art lending collections, I have never had an issue where artwork was damaged. The museum does take measures to protect the pieces since the works are being displayed outside of the museum environment. All of the works are matted and framed and we had a conservator secure the majority of the works on all corners. We also used an impermeable corrugated plastic sheet for the backing and sealed it to the frame. JAC: Anything else you want to add or let the students know? JC: I absolutely love that over 75 percent of the students who participated are not studio art or art history majors and some had never even been in the museum before. Art is something that everyone can enjoy and I hope that more students take advantage of having such an incredible museum just steps away. If you would like to get more involved with the museum, please visit our website to check out various opportunities for students. — Luke Liu — Editor’s Note: Editor Hannah Kressel works at the Rose Art Museum.
Sudoku Courtesy of OPENSKY SUDOKU GENERATOR Solution Courtesy of OPENSKY SUDOKU GENERATOR