The Justice, April 5, 2011 issue by The Justice

ARTS Page 20

SPORTS Baseball wins three games 16

ADAGIO SHOW

FORUM Athletic scholarship debate 12 The Independent Student Newspaper

the

B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9

Justice

Volume LXIII, Number 25

www.thejustice.org

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Waltham, Mass.

TRUSTEES APPROVE $10 MILLION LOAN FOR REPAIRS

Linsey Pool to reopen ■ The repairs to the pool as

well as the electrical and mechanical systems will be completed by early 2012. By andrew wingens JUSTICE editorial assistant

The Board of Trustees unanimously approved a plan to renovate the Linsey Pool for $3 million on Thursday, said Senior Vice President for Administration Mark Collins in an April 1 interview with the Justice. Collins said the renovation project includes repairs to the mechanical and electrical systems, repairs to the pool and the pool deck, new lighting in the facility, new team locker rooms, a new lobby and a refurbished entryway. The renovations will begin later this spring with an expected completion date of early 2012, according to a BrandeisNOW press release. The Linsey Pool opened in 1966

and was closed in fall 2008 due to infrastructure problems such as the broken pool heating systems, which the University decided not to immediately repair primarily because of financial constraints, according to Collins.

☛ For more information about the University swimming and diving team’s reinstitution, see Sports, page 16. In 2008, then-Senior Vice President for Communications Lorna Miles estimated in an interview with the Justice that repairing of the broken aspects of the pool would cost about $2 million and a complete renovation of the pool facility would cost $10 to $12 million, Collins said while the Linsey Pool is one of several campus facilities that have experienced “deferred

Univ network to undergo upgrades

maintenance,” such as the residence halls in East Quad, the Usen Castle and the Foster Mods, the pool is the only building that is closed. The pool renovations will be funded through a $10-million capital lease finance agreement, wrote Senior Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer Frances Drolette in an e-mail to the Justice. The term for the lease will be 7 years with an annual interest expense of about $150,000 per year. The annual principle payments on the lease will be $1.3 million and will be funded through the capital budget, according to Drolette. There are no plans to reduce other parts of the budget as a result of the lease, and “the University is in a comfortable position to adequately cover the costs of the capital lease,” wrote Drolette in an e-mail to the Justice. Student Union President Daniel Acheampong ’11 said in an interview with the Justice that

■ The network upgrades,

which will strengthen the wireless signal on campus, will begin over the summer and be completed by the end of summer 2012. By nashrah rahman JUSTICE editor

The Board of Trustees approved a $6 million capital project to upgrade the campus technology network at last its meeting last Thursday, according to a March 31 BrandeisNOW article. In an interview with the Justice, Director of Networks and Systems John Turner said that the plan consists of strengthening the technology signal rather than extending the network’s

See POOL, 3 ☛

coverage. The network currently covers all University buildings and residence halls, Turner said. Turner said that the upgrade will revamp both the wireless and non-wireless networks. “What our studies have shown is that the biggest impact will be on wireless, because we have just way more people connecting via wireless,” he said. The upgrade, which will begin in residence halls over the summer, is expected to be completed by the end of summer 2012, Turner said. “We will complete the dorm upgrades before the students come back, and as soon as we’re done with the dorms, we’re going to start on the [Shapiro] Campus Center, the library, basically all

See TECH, 3 ☛

panel

Israeli Knesset members speak at town hall-style meeting

■ Six members of the Israeli

Parliament house spoke as part of the first year of the Ruderman Fellows Program. By ALLYSON CARTTER JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Six members from three opposing parties of the Israeli Knesset spoke yesterday evening at a town hall meeting in the Levin Ballroom about Israel’s relationship with the American Jewish community and Israel’s role in the world and in global politics as part of the inaugural Ruderman Fellows Program. The six members in attendance represented three of the parties of which the Knesset, the legislative branch of the Israeli government, is comprised. Eitan Cabel and Daniel Ben-Simon represented the Labor Party. Avi Dichter and Ronit Tirosh represented the Kadima Party. Tzipi Hotovely and Carmel Shama were present for the Likud Party. Shama is also the chairperson of the Finance Committee, and Hoto-

vely is the chairperson of the Committee on the Status of Women. The Ruderman Family Foundation and the Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program cosponsored the event. This is the first year of the Ruderman Fellows Program, which as described in the program distributed at the event, “brings members of the Israeli Knesset to America to learn about American Jewish life and to deepen the bonds of understanding between Israeli leaders and the American Jewish community.” The six Knesset members are the first fellows in the program. Prof. Ilan Troen (NEJS), the moderator of the event, said the goal of the program is for Israelis to learn about America and to determine on which lessons from American life the six Knesset members will focus. “Small countries in particular … often seek models in larger and more powerful countries. What is worth taking back to Israel, and no less important, what is not?” Troen said. Troen explained at the beginning of the event that, to maintain a bal-

See KNESSET, 7 ☛

JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

FOREIGN DIPLOMACY: Israeli MK Ben-Simon answered questions posed by students as part of a Ruderman Fellows program.

Your brother’s keeper

Hoops for Haiti

Union race begins

 Clare Gohorel ’12 finds care and hospitality in Ghana's culture while studying abroad.

 The annual student vs. faculty/ staff game was held last night to fundraise for Haiti and Japan.

 The Student Union will begin the race for executive board elections tomorrow.

FEATURES 8 For tips or info e-mail editor@thejustice.org

Let your voice be heard! Submit letters to the editor online at www.thejustice.org

INDEX

SPORTS 13 ARTS SPORTS

17 16

EDITORIAL FEATURES

10 8

OPINION POLICE LOG

10 2

COMMENTARY

TUESDAY, April 5, 2011

●

THE JUSTICE

NEWS SENATE LOG Ben-Atar and Hughes report to Senate on Board of Trustees There are no immediate plans to expand housing options at the University because the University would need a new parking structure in order to construct a new building, reported Senior Representative to the Board of Trustees Heddy Ben-Atar ’11 and Junior Representative to the Board of Trustees Adam Hughes ’12. Hughes also reported that there would be about 100 total lofted triples in first-year dorms for the Class of 2015. Ben-Atar and Hughes said that they met with Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer and Senior Vice President for Administration Mark Collins prior to the Board of Trustees meeting Thursday. Hughes said that the Board of Trustees took out a $10 million loan in order to finance the Linsey Pool renovations and the network upgrades. Hughes also reported that the Board of Trustees approved a new Master of Biological Sciences/Master of Business Administration program to be conducted with Tufts University Medical School. The Senate unanimously chartered Project Nur. According to its constitution, “Project Nur is a student-led initiative of the American Islamic Congress. … The AIC provides a platform for moderate Muslim human rights and civil rights activists and empowers them to raise their voices in the hopes of creating a better understanding of the Muslim world.” The Senate also unanimously chartered the Piano Club. The club will aim to “inspire creation for piano music, and to provide an outlet for appreciation of piano music,” according to the club’s constitution. Senator for East Quad Andrew Hayes ’13 presented Senate Money Resolution S11-07, which requested $50 for a water event in East Quad. The event would emphasize the “deliciousness of tap water and lack of need for bottled water,” according to the SMR. The SMR passed unanimously. Senator for North Quad Shekelya Caldwell ’14 presented SMR S11-08, which requested $1,399.28 for a North Quad barbeque. The Senate unanimously approved the SMR. Executive Senator Abraham Berin ’11 reported that the Senate currently has approximately $8,000 in unused funds. Caldwell said she would run for the position of vice president of the Student Union. Senator for the Class of 2014 Mitchell Schwartz said that he would pursue a write-in campaign for Student Union President. Berin, Student Union Vice President Shirel Guez ’12 and Director of Executive Affairs Ryan Fanning ’11 will be election commissioners, according to Berin.

POLICE LOG Medical Emergency

Mar. 29—University Police received a report that a person in the Charles River Apartments was threatening to harm herself. The party was transported to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Mar. 31—A student injured his shoulder on Chapel’s Field. BEMCo treated the party onscene, and the party was then transported to the NewtonWellesley Hospital. Apr. 1—A party requested BEMCo assistance for a student who sprained her ankle. BEMCo treated the student on-scene with a signed refusal for further care. Apr. 2—University Police received a report of an intoxicated male at a party in the Charles River Apartments. BEMCo treated the party on-scene

with a signed refusal for further care. Apr. 3—BEMCo treated a party who fell while riding the Branvan, with a signed refusal for further care near the Charles River Apartments.

Disturbance

Mar. 29—University Police advised occupants of a Charles River Apartment to quiet down after receiving complaints of loud music. Apr. 2—University Police dispersed a large party at the Charles River Apartments, and judicial charges will be filed.

Larceny

Mar. 28—A student in the Usdan Student Center reported that her cell phone, money and iPod were stolen from a parked car.

Traffic

Mar. 30—A reporting party hit a parked car when driving in Library Lot. No injuries were involved, and a report was composed. Mar. 31—A student notified University Police that the mirror on his car in Castle Lot had been struck. University Police composed a report on the hitand-run. Apr. 1—A minor traffic accident in Theater Lot took place, resulting in no injuries but two citations. University Police composed a report. Apr. 2—University Police responded to a motor vehicle accident in the Athletics Lot. No injuries were sustained, and University Police composed a report.

AP BRIEFS

Amherst college urges students to disconnect AMHERST, Mass.—Amherst College is asking students to give up their laptops, smart phones and iPods, even if it’s just for a few minutes. The liberal arts college is holding Amherst Unplugged on Friday to raise awareness about the potentially harmful effects of excessive technology use. Assistant Dean of Students Debra Krumholz, a career adviser and work-life balance consultant, came up with the idea after seeing how stressed out students were and the pressure they were under to keep connected. She says students are “overscheduled, overprogrammed and overwhelmed.” The goal is to get undergraduates away from their screens and keyboards and the associated information overload and experience the benefits of “down time” in their day. Students can unplug for 15 minutes, an hour or more if they wish.

BRIEF Professor of Arab politics Eva Bellin (POL) receives tenure At last Thursday’s Board of Trustees meeting, the Board voted to grant Myra and Robert Kraft Professor of Arab Politics Prof. Eva Bellin (POL) with tenure, according to Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe in an interview with the Justice. Bellin, who teaches at the Crown Center for Middle East Studies, graduated with a B.A. from Harvard University and an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Princeton University. She started teaching at Brandeis this past January. According to the Faculty Handbook, “The qualifications of a candidate for appointment, reappointment, promotion and/or the award of tenure consist of his or her scholarship, research, and/or creative activity; teaching; and professional activities, including service to the university.” Jaffe explained that “tenured faculty have, essentially, a permanent appointment as faculty and cannot be removed from the University except under very extreme conditions.”

Pelosi to speak at Tufts

—Fiona Lockyer RACHEL GORDON/the Justice

n An article in Features misstated the surname of a student. She is Iyvon Edebiri, not Iyvon Gaga-Edebiri. (March 29, pg. 7) n An article in Features misstated the given name of a student. He is Napoleon Lherisson, not Napolean Lherisson. (March 29, pg. 7) n A photo caption in Arts misspelled the name of a building on campus. It is Hassenfeld Conference Center, not the Hassenfield Conference Center. (March 29, pg. 19) The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. E-mail 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 in chief office hours are held Mondays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Justice office. Editor News Forum Features Sports Arts Ads Photos Managing

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

The Justice Brandeis University Mailstop 214 P.O. Box 549110 Waltham, MA 02454-9110 Phone: (781) 736-3750

Mar. 28—University Police received a report that a party was being followed on Charles River Road. University Police responded to the location of the incident and composed a report. Mar. 29—University Police received complaints about the smell of marijuana in Ridgewood Quad. University Police checked the area but found no problems to report. Mar. 30—University Police composed a report about unknown and unauthorized parties tampering with audio and video equipment in the Sachar International Center. Apr. 1—A non-student was arrested for trespassing after notice on Charles River Road. —compiled by Fiona Lockyer

—Andrew Wingens

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

Miscellaneous

Sexuality and Jewish literature

Naomi Seidman, the Koret professor of Jewish culture and the director for Jewish studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, spoke about Jewish literature last Wednesday at a luncheon.

MEDFORD, Mass.—Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is slated to reflect on her career during a scheduled speech at Tufts University. The current House minority leader is scheduled to speak Friday as part of the 10th anniversary celebration of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts. School officials say Pelosi will offer a view of her experiences as the highest-ranking female elected official in the nation’s history and her thoughts about the importance of public service. A brief question-and-answer session will follow her speech. Later, she will kick off a national conference in Boston on the media. Pelosi served as speaker of the House from 2007 to 2011. She was succeeded by Ohio Rep. John Boehner after Republicans took control of the House in January.

ANNOUNCEMENTS The role of the Federal Reserve

Jeffrey C. Fuhrer, executive vice president and senior policy advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, will speak about the country’s economic outlook and the Fed’s role in the recovery. His talk will focus on labor market developments, housing market developments, the recovery to date and the Fed’s role in providing stimulus to the economy, with a particular focus on the recent QE2 program, which has generated considerable controversy. Co-sponsored by the Economics Club, the Hiatt Career Center and the Business and Economics Departments. Tomorrow 7 to 9 p.m. in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall.

Sociology colloqium

Prof. Alya Guseva received her doctorate from the University of California San Diego. She is the author of Into the Red: The Birth of the Credit Card Market in Postcommunist Russia (2008), which explores the emergence of an entirely new market for credit cards and the making of a mass consumer in Russia during the two decades of 1988 to 2007. Her work also appeared among other venues, such as the American Sociological Review,

Social Science Research, Socio-Economic Review and Genesis. While she continues to pursue research on consumer credit markets in transitional economies, she also has a long-standing interest in biomedical markets. Her new project explores the market for commercial surrogacy in the U.S. Prof. Guseva teaches classes on economic sociology, health and society, biomedical markets and post-communist market transitions. Thursday from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Pearlman 113.

Career advice from R. Scott Morris

The Brandeis Economics and Finance Review, Business Club and Economics Club are pleased to announce that R. Scott Morris, author of Polished, former CEO of Boston Options Exchange, and former Managing Director at Goldman Sachs, will be at Brandeis to discuss very useful tips for your résumés, cover letters and interview process. Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Sachar International Center.

Public health forum

What do policy, clinical care, science research, community programs and consulting have in common? What are the different

types of changes facing domestic and international health efforts? How does policy affect access to health care and medical resources? Speak with 20 professionals across the health care sector. Sponsored by the Hiatt Career Center and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Thursday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center.

Medicine and culture symposium

This symposium will feature a 45-minute poster session highlighting undergraduate and graduate research in the fields of medicine and culture followed by brief presentations by Brandeis faculty members about their current research. Co-sponsored by the Anthropology Club and the Anthropology department. Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Mandel Center for the Humanities Atrium.

Text study with Rabbi Leonard Gordon

Text study with Rabbi Leonard Gordon on pluralism: Is there a contradiction between pluralism and a commitment to your own position? We will address this question through classic rabbinic texts. Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. in Polaris Lounge.

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011

BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING ACADEMICS

MBS/MBA program launches ■ Students enrolled in the

program can receive an MBS from Tufts University Medical School and an MBA from the Heller School. By ANDREW WINGENS JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

The Board of Trustees approved a new dual degree program on Thursday, according to Prof. Jon Chilingerian (Heller), the director of the new program, in an interview with the Justice. Chilingerian said the program will allow students to receive a Master of Biomedical Sciences from Tufts University Medical School and a Master of Business Administration from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management in six semesters. Students first must be accepted into the MBS track at Tufts Medical School, and then students can apply

to receive an MBA from the Heller School. Students can apply for the Heller School MBA program any time after acceptance to Tufts. According to Chilingerian, the dual MBS/MBA program will admit six to 10 students annually, and it will begin in fall 2011. Students accepted into the dual program must complete a total of six semesters of courses. The first two semesters are devoted to the MBS program, the third semester consists of classes for both the MBS and the MBA, and the final three semesters are entirely devoted to the MBA. This allows for the normal four semesters required to receive an MBA from the Heller School. The curriculum for an MBS student is similar to that of an MD student, explained Chilingerian. For example, MBS students take courses in molecular biology, biochemistry, immunology, clinical medicine, genetics and other science subjects, ac-

cording to the proposed curriculum. According to Chilingerian, students in the MBS/MBA program often go on to medical school and become doctors. Chilingerian said that the program is significant because physicians “need to know health policy, they need to understand what fair process leadership is, they need strategic thinking, [and they need an] understanding [of] the physics of the hospital. … They need to think about what is the theory of medical decision making [and] how do we define best practices.” “This is an ideal program if, for example, you will be attending medical school and starting your own practice, or if you will not attend medical school but will assume a health management position in a healthcare or biotech organization,” according to a Tufts memorandum about the program provided to the Justice by Joe Jabre, the Tufts director of MD/MBA and

MBS/MBA programs. Brandeis and Tufts also run a joint, 4-year dual MD/MBA program that began in 1995. Chilingerian said the MD/MBA was the first “of its kind” to offer both an MD and an MBA in the same four calendar years. According to the Tufts Medical School website, the management and health policy courses for the MD/MBA are “limited during the medical school year. Two-thirds of the MBA coursework is done in the summers before the student’s first and second years in medical school.” “Our partnership with the Tufts Medical School goes back to 1995 when we first began offering courses in their dual MD/MBA program, and this new MBS/MBA is a natural extension of this successful collaboration,” explained Dean of the Heller School Lisa Lynch in an e-mail to the Justice.

GOING SWIMMING SOON

ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice

BROKEN POOL: The Linsey Pool will undergo a series of renovations, which are set to include a new pool deck, new locker rooms and new mechanical and electrical systems.

POOL: All renovations are expected to be completed by spring of 2012 CONTINUED FROM 1 “the pool has been an important concern for students since it closed and in a lot of the meetings I had with [University] President [Frederick] Lawrence, … [the Student Union] made sure the pool was an important concern, we kept on pushing for it.” Acheampong explained that the Student Union presented a video that voiced student concerns about the pool to the Board of Trustees. “I went around asking students what were their concerns about the pool, … and we recorded what students were saying and we gave a presentation to the Board of Trustees,” he said. According to Senior Representative to the Board of Trustees Heddy BenAtar ’11 in an interview with the Justice, “We started being more aggressive about [the Linsey Pool] as a concern in October, where we

presented the Board of Trustees a video of students talking about how they want a pool. … Then we worked really closely with the administration, and the administration worked on our side.” Acheampong noted that student reaction to the news has been positive and that the pool would be an important factor for admissions and retention. “Having those kind[s] of facilities to support our programs on campus, it really helps with the development and the growth of an institution. … Students are really happy about [the pool], they are really excited about the decision. … I think [the Board of Trustees and President Lawrence] made a great step really moving Brandeis forward,” said Acheampong. —Brian Fromm and Robyn Spector contributed reporting.

ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice

TOUR: Mark Collins examined the pool and surveyed the disrepair yesterday.

TECH: LTS is aware of network problems CONTINUED FROM 1 high-profile areas where a lot of students gather and study,” Turner said. A $10-million capital lease agreement will finance both the technology network upgrade and the renovation of Linsey Pool, Senior Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer Frances Drolette wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. The term of the lease is 7 years, and the annual interest expense for it is expected to be $150,000 per year, she wrote. Drolette also wrote that the annual principal payments of about $1.3 million will be funded through the capital budget. “The University is in a comfortable position to adequately cover the costs of the capital lease,” Drolette wrote. Turner said that LTS has been aware of technology network coverage issues in residence halls. “That’s an area that we heavily hear [complaints about] weekly, and we try to do as much as we can with the limited budget that we have, but we really can’t expand it much beyond what it is today,” he said. In an interview with the Justice, Senior Vice President for Administration Mark Collins said that it is also necessary to upgrade the network because “the numbers of mobile devices that people are carrying, whether they’re iPads, laptops, phones, videos, all of that stuff has just grown enormously over the past few years.” “For us to provide what we feel is the appropriate level of service that we need to provide to our students, our faculty, our staff, our business operations, our academic operations, it was time to upgrade this network,” Collins said. The network was last upgraded in 2004, according to the BrandeisNOW article. Turner said that the demand for network resources is likely to double in the next 5 to 6 years. For example, “Predictions show that the smartphone market is expected to grow by as much as 50 percent over the next year,” according to a March 29 article in The New York Times. The Times notes that International Data Corporation wrote, smartphone makers expect to “ship more than 450 million smartphones in 2011 compared to the 303.4 million units shipped in 2010.” If the campus network is upgraded, in the future Library and Technology Services “can handle even more [demand for network coverage] by adding small incremental changes to the network,” he said. Turner said that LTS is “more concerned” about the functionality of equipment used to connect a computer to the campus network. “The network isn’t just that wireless access point or the port that you plug your computer to in the wired; it’s all the electronics that go between there and the Internet. And we’ve seen increased failures in those, going from very few a year up to as high as 30 a year,” he said. —Brian Fromm, Fiona Lockyer and Andrew Wingens contributed reporting.

CLASSIFIED AD Large apartments—close to Brandeis, perfect for you and all your friends. 7 bedroom, 2 full bath apartment—parking, laundry, great location, large bedrooms. $3,500 per month (or $525 per person). Available June 1. 6 bedroom, 3 full baths—very spacious apartment, laundry, eat-in kitchen, parking, $3,300 per month (or $550 per person). Available September 1. Close to Moody Street, shops, transportation. Call for details. Won’t last long. (978) 501-2632

Attention seniors: Subscribe to theJustice and keep up-to-date on the latest news at Brandeis. $35 per semester, $55 per year. To subscribe, mail a check to: The Justice—Subscriptions Mailstop 214, Brandeis University 415 South St. Waltham, MA 02454-9110

A COurSe FOr everyOne

summer2011 Summer plans? Look no further. TUFTS SUMMER SESSION 2011

First Session

May 25–July 1, 2011

Second Session

July 5–August 12, 2011

Twelve-Week Session May 25–August 12, 2011

For more information, contact Nashrah Rahman at managing@thejustice.org

> Over 250 day and evening classes >Affordable Tuition >Outstanding Faculty >Convenient Subway Access

Your summer starts here.

http://ase.tufts.edu/summer

Waltham Group Blood Drive Donate blood When: Tuesday, April 5 through Thursday, April 7 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Where: Sherman Function Hall Sign up online: www.redcrossblood.org and use sponsor code (965). For donating guidelines, go to http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/eligibility-requirements. Questions? E-mail Jenna Rubin at jenrubin@brandeis.edu.

Drink water, eat foods with iron, donate blood and help the American Red Cross save lives!

THE JUSTICE

offer a course this fall for determined students that explores economic themes and concepts as they apply throughout history. By ERICA COOPERBERG JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

LYDIA EMMANOUILIDOU/the Justice

SHARING STORIES: Amer Shurrab from the We Divest! tour recounted his personal experiences living in the West Bank.

JVP lecture endorses BDS

Israeli Defense Forces set up checkpoints and arrested students for participation in political activism. By SARA DEJENE JUSTICE EDITOR

Last Thursday in Pearlman Hall, the Jewish Voice for Peace hosted Palestinian speakers Amer Shurrab and Mira Dabit as part of the We Divest! tour which promotes the boycott and divestment of as well as sanctions against the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association-College Retirement Equities Fund—a financial service that includes a retirement system. According to the tour’s website, the purpose of the movement is to stop TIAA-CREF from investing in large companies that profit from the Israeli occupation. Dabit and Shurrab spoke about their personal perspectives as Palestinian students in the West Bank, which according to the speaker is currently under Israeli occupation. Dabit, who studied Psychology and Sociology at Birzeit University in the West Bank, said that her experience going to school in the West Bank “has not been an easy one.” Dabit said that the amount of Palestinian students studying in the West Bank has dropped from 35 percent of the total student population to about

New fall class will be taught by Prof Solman ■ Paul Solman ’66 will

15 students per school. According to Dabit and Shurrab, many schools and universities have either been damaged or destroyed by Israeli artillery. In addition, Dabit said “from the year 2000 to about the year 2005, there was a checkpoint. … It was a ditch in the ground for about 2 kilometers. … This checkpoint blocked the way of 38 villages.” Dabit said that anyone who came to Ramallah had to walk the 2-kilometer checkpoint. Dabit said that this checkpoint was replaced by others that were “army jeeps that literally blocked the way and stopped the cars from passing, and this actually took more time [for students to] come and go to the university.” “The army would often, when students were passing by in the street, basically find someone, stop them from a distance, ask them to show their bodies … and show that [they] have no weapons or explosives on [them]. … [They] are being watched by everyone passing by,” Dabit said. According to Dabit, who is currently a political and youth worker, activists in the area are often punished with detention for meeting to discuss political issues. “Students are so afraid of being arrested that they go into hiding,” Dabit said. According to Shurrab, who grew up in Gaza and attended Middlebury College, about 98 percent of Gazan children have suffered psychological trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, as a result of attacks from Is-

TUESDAY, April 5, 2011

FACULTY

PALESTINIAN EXPERIENCES

■ Mira Dabit said that the

●

raeli soldiers. “I’ve never experienced what freedom means,” said Dabit. “I have no idea what it means to be a free person. I have no idea what it means to have rights as a human being.” Shurrab suggested joining the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement in order to support Palestinian students and residents of the West Bank. “[BDS] is not about taking sides. It’s not about supporting one or the other,” said Shurrab. “It’s about human rights. It’s about equality.” JVP circulated a petition among the audience that was in support of the BDS movement against TIAA-CREF. “[The event] was good because it was very personal,” said Paraska Tolan ’11. “I already know a lot [about the situation] and it’s easy to go into broad generalizations but when it’s about a personal story, it’s a lot more effective.” “I feel that whenever something is very emotional based, it’s hard to garner my support for it unless I gather other sources,” said Caitlin Fay ’12, who did not sign a petition in support of BDS. “There was that initial shock and horror,” Shurrab said about the audience’s reception of his personal experiences in an interview with the Justice. “Everyone wanted to know what they can do. People wanted to get involved, to do something about it.” “That’s why we’re not only talking about our personal experiences,” he later said. “We’re offering something that people can actually do.”

Paul Solman ’66, a Business and Economics correspondent for the PBS NewsHour and an Emmyaward-winning television reporter, will teach an Economics course in fall 2011 as the Richman Distinguished Visiting Professor, wrote Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe in an April 3 e-mail to to the student body. According to Jaffe’s e-mail, the course is titled “Economic Grand Strategies: from chimps to champs? Or chumps?” The course will focus on the dynamic tension between the conflicting human impulses to cooperate and compete, and it will explore this theme all the way from our primate past to the present, according to Solman in an interview with the Justice. The course will be a weekly three-hour seminar and will be capped at 35 students. Solman attributed the class size to his desire for students to participate in class. “I’m going to coerce students to be actively involved. … I don’t want to be standing up there and lecturing for 3 hours,” he said. Solman plans to focus each week’s lecture on a different time period, beginning with the economics of the Stone Age. According to Solman, each class meeting will allot roughly the first 2 hours to historical and cultural elements of the period, and the last third of the class will be a time for “students [to] actively debate a contemporary topic that mirrors the particular [economic] theme for that week’s class.” Solman hopes the course will provide students with a “fundamental understanding of the important concepts of economics, as opposed to an overemphasis on the math and graphs of economics.” He said he wants to show students how “deep economic theme[s] play … out throughout history.”

Additional plans for the course include involving other Brandeis faculty, according to Solman. Although he said he has not yet chosen whom, he would like “experts from the different periods [to] be involved.” Solman also added that students will be required to participate in an online discussion each week leading up to that week’s class. Enrollment for the course is by waitlist only, Jaffe wrote in his email, and “students must submit a one-page essay of no more than two paragraphs on his/her favorite or least favorite concept in economics or in the history of economic thought.” Solman said, “I want really motivated students, and I figured this was one way of determining who would want to be in the course so much that they would bother writing an essay.” Solman will be debuting the full course at Brandeis next semester, but he has already taught some of the classes from the course this past year during his time as a professor at Yale University as a Brady-Johnson distinguished practitioner in grand strategy. An alum of Brandeis, this will not be Solman’s first time on campus. A member of the class of 1966, Solman was an Art History major during his time at Brandeis and was heavily involved in journalism, serving as a co-editor in chief of the Justice. Solman began his career as an economic journalist in 1976 when he was exposed to a story about how cities in Boston and Cambridge raised money through bonds. Solman realized he knew virtually nothing on the matter and he decided to “learn [economics] from the ground up.” Solman has been a business and economics correspondent for the PBS NewsHour since 1985, according to his biography on PBS’ website. “Mr. Solman brings more than 30 years of business and economics journalistic experience to the course,” Jaffe wrote in his e-mail, adding that he is “delighted” that Solman will be coming to campus. Solman echoed these positive sentiments and said that he intends for the course to be “extremely enjoyable for [himself] and the students.”

STUDENT UNION

Students plan to run in upcoming Student Union elections ■ About 15 students have

unofficially informed Union Secretary Herbie Rosen ’12 of their candidacies. By FIONA LOCKYER JUSTICE EDITOR

Tomorrow, students will finalize their plans to campaign for positions on the Student Union Executive Board in the elections that will take place on April 14. The available positions on the Student Union E-Board are president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, Finance Board members, junior representative to the Board of Trustees, junior representative to the Alumni Association and junior representative to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. According to Union Secretary Herbie Rosen ’12, at press time approximately 15 students had unofficially informed him that they plan to campaign for positions on the

Union E-Board. All prospective candidates were contacted for comment but some did not respond by press time. By press time, Rosen, Union Treasurer Akash Vadalia ’12 and President of the College Democrats Amber Kornreich ’12 had expressed interest in running for Student Union president. In an interview with the Justice, Rosen said, “there’s a lot of great things that the Student Union can do,” and suggested that the format of the Student Union and communication among Union members and between Union members and students as areas that can be improved. Kornreich said in an interview with the Justice that she would “listen to the concerns of students, advocate plurality of opinions … and bring [her] passion for activism to the Student Union.” Senator at Large Beneva Davies ’13, who plans to run for the junior representative to the Board of Trustees, said in an interview with the Justice, “Some schools have a football team to bring them togeth-

er; we have social justice.” In addition to wanting to embrace student activism, she expressed a desire to work with the Board of Trustees to “make influential decisions” concerning housing and dining. Joshua Kaye ’13, the current treasurer of SPECTRUM and member of the Future Alumni of Brandeis, said in an interview with the Justice that he plans to run for the junior representative to the Alumni Association in order to make students more aware of the Future Alumni of Brandeis and to work more closely with first-years and sophomores. Todd Kirkland ’13, an employee at the Library and Technology Services Help Desk, said in an interview with the Justice that he plans to run for secretary. “I feel like Herbie has done a great job with the communication aspect, and I really want to enhance that further. ... with my technological background ... to make it more systematized and create better delivery for students.” Gloria Park ’13, who is still in the

process of deciding for which position to run, currently works for the Office of Communications. In an interview with the Justice, she said that she wanted to look into expanding transportation opportunities for students, increasing study areas and expanding the role of communication between students and the Student Union. “I just feel like I have to keep listening [to students] ... and listening to what they have to say,” she said. In an interview with the Justice, Jacob Agi ’12 said that he plans to run for a spot on F-Board. Agi, who has served as both treasurer and president of the Brandeis Orthodox Organization, said that he has had to work with F-Board about eight times so far to acquire money and understands how the process works. He said, “Even though I may not totally understand what the Anime Club does, … I still value what they do as very important and I’d want to give them funding.” Agi also added that he would stress to clubs that they request

only necessary amounts in order to better distribute F-Board funds. Two-year member of F-Board Gabriel Weingrod-Nemzow ’12 is running for reelection. In an interview with the Justice, he said that his campaign for reelection would be based on the fact that he knows how the current FBoard system works. This knowledge would be important because “the F-Board is in the middle of changing things on the administrative level.” This includes “reduc[ing] costs to students and streamlin[ing] all of the processes from getting a room to custodial fees to actually running an event that is effective and getting students to come.” In an interview with the Justice, Executive Senator Abraham Berin ’11 said that he, Shirel Guez ’12 and Ryan Fanning ’11 would serve as election commissioners. The position is normally assumed by the Union Secretary. However, Rosen cannot fulfill that office because he is running for a position.

THE JUSTICE

EVENT

●

TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011

AWARDS

Ethics Prof receives academy honor Center hosts e-event ■ Professor Emeritus Martin

Boykan will be inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in mid-May. By ALLYSON CARTTER JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

■ The Center encouraged discourse through an online venue to connect people from across long distances. By DANIEL HEINRICH JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

March 28 marked the last day that the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life held an open dialogue online through EthicsTalk. The online discussion was a continuation of a symposium held on March 14, titled “Religion and the Quest to Control Violence” with novelist James Carroll and Prof. Bernadette Brooten (NEJS). Through the website, attendees and the speakers themselves were encouraged to engage in discourse regarding religion and violence. Carroll, a writer for the Boston Globe, has written 17 books. His most recent, Jerusalem, Jerusalem: How the Ancient City Ignited Our Modern World, was the subject for the event and was used as the starting point for the ethical discussion, according to a press release from the Center. Brooten joined Carroll at the original symposium and throughout the online discussion. The EthicsTalk website allows participants to engage in direct dialogue with each other regarding the issues at hand. Participants discussed Carroll’s book in addition to religion’s role in preventing violence. The website also allowed people to track how their opinions changed throughout the dialogue. On the discussion page, the Center describes the forum as “a place for the Brandeis community and beyond to explore some of the most vexing questions of our time in the areas of peacebuilding and the arts, international justice and human rights, and ethics and public life.” Participants were able to discuss the various questions in an open forum through seven discussion topics. The questions addressed religion’s role in violent conflict. The questions included “Religion or nationalism: which poses a greater threat to peace?” and “Does religion have a place in eliminating violence? If so, how? What is our role?” The participants were able to discuss these questions and five others directly with James Carroll and each other. In an interview with the Justice, David Weinstein, a staff member of the Center, said that participants in the online discussion were primarily Brandeis students, faculty, staff and a few representatives from the Brandeis Interfaith Group. According to the forum website, there were participants from places as far away as Nepal, Pakistan, Ukraine and Egypt. The International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life is located in the Abraham Shapiro Academic Complex. The Center says on its website that its mission is to develop effective responses to conflict and injustice by offering innovative approaches to coexistence, strengthening the work of international courts, and encouraging ethical practice in civic and professional life. According to Weinstein, the Center has posted another question for discussion through EthicsTalk: “How should the arts at Brandeis be linked to social justice? (Or should they?)” This question is connected to an upcoming screening of a new documentary called Acting Together on the World Stage at the Shapiro Campus Center on April 12.

Professor Emeritus Martin Boykan (MUS) will be inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters at its annual awards and inductions ceremony in mid-May, according to a press release from the Academy. According to its website, the Academy, which was founded in 1898, consists of 250 members. Membership is lifelong, and new members are inducted only upon the death of another member. The 250 members are divided among the branches of Art,

Literature and Music. The purpose of the Academy is to foster interest in the three areas of Art, Literature and Music. According to its website, this is accomplished by “administering awards and prizes, exhibiting art and manuscripts, funding stage readings and performances of new works, and purchasing works of art to be donated to museums.” Members nominate candidates and vote to determine which artists will receive the awards according to the website. Boykan said that he has been accepted into the Music Department. In a phone interview with the Justice, Boykan said that he “was pleased” upon receiving the news of his induction into the Academy. “I look forward to meeting some people in the other arts, … some of whom I admire and I haven’t met,” he said.

According to the Brandeis Faculty Guide website, Boykan received the Academy’s Recording Award in 1986 and the Academy’s Walter Hinrichsen Publication Award in 1988. The same website shows that he has also been the recipient of the Fulbright Fellowship, the McDowell Fellowship and the Guggenheim Fellowship. According to his official website, in 1956, at the beginning of his 54 years at Brandeis, Boykan founded the Brandeis Chamber Ensemble. Additionally, from 1964 to 1965, he was the official pianist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In a phone interview with the Justice, Professor Emeritus Yehudi Wyner (MUS) said that Boykan has composed a “vast catalogue [of musical pieces] of highest quality of workmanship, craftsmanship and elegance,” including chamber music and pieces for solo instruments and for orchestra.

As stated on the Academy’s website, new members are nominated and elected by other Academy members. Due to the organization’s exclusivity, acceptance into the Academy is an “extraordinary honor,” said Wyner, who was inducted into the Academy in 1999. For Boykan, Wyner continued, this induction is “a badge of recognition and support and admiration from the highest level of his colleagues in all disciplines throughout the United States.” “This is something long overdue,” said Wyner. “[Boykan] has deserved … this honor for very many years.” When asked about his future plans, Boykan said that he will continue to compose. “For me, music has been my life all my life, and I am happy to have had the opportunity, to have had the time, to write music, … and I think that’s really what matters most,” he said.

PARLIAMENTARY DISCUSSION

JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

POLITICAL DISCOURSE: Members of the Israeli Knesset answered prescreened questions from students in the audience as part of their town hall-style discussion last night.

KNESSET: Students cause disturbance at event CONTINUED FROM 1

anced event, questions were submitted beforehand via the Internet and that students were selected to ask questions representative of the most common submissions. Troen asked the Knesset members to speak about what they hope Americans understand about Israel. Hotovely said that because Americans and Israelis “live in totally different worlds,” she believes it is important for American Jews to experience life in Israel rather than learn about Israel through the media. She encouraged the American Jewish community to legitimize Israel as a Jewish state by “speak[ing] about Israel’s historical and Biblical roots.” Tirosh said that she wanted Americans to know that “Israel is seeking … peace [and] a quiet life like you have here” and that Israelis are “sick of bombs, terror, wars, threats,” emphasizing the shared democratic values that Israel and the United States share. She noted that despite supporting the United States’ intentions to bring democracy to other states in the Middle East, she is “not sure that [these states] are prepared to bear democracy.” Ben-Simon added that “Israelis agree on the principle of peace but

not on price,” encouraging the U.S. to continue to understand and support Israel’s “divisions” within its own legislation and among its own political parties. Aaron Weinberg ’14 asked about the role of J Street in the AmericanIsrael relationship. According to its website, J Street is an organization that “gives political voice to mainstream American Jews and other supporters of Israel who, informed by their progressive and Jewish values, believe that a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is essential to Israel’s survival as the national home of the Jewish people and as a vibrant democracy.” Ben-Simon said that he “think[s] J Street is totally kosher” and that the group’s “voice should be heard.” Ben-Simon continued by saying that the organization represents a concern for the future for Israel and that “it is better to care than to be indifferent; indifference is death.” Tirosh and Hotovely responded by saying that they are against J Street’s policy because J Street supports measures that “delegitimiz[e] the most basic rights that Israel has to defend itself,” Hotovely said. Liza Behrendt ’11 then posed a question regarding Israel’s ability to balance its role as both a Jewish and

a democratic state. Ben-Simon responded by saying that Israel strives “to allow the Other to be part of the society” and that he hopes the Israeli Supreme Court will be able to “safeguard this kind of democracy.” Jonah Cohen ’13 asked how Israel would respond to the United Nations declaration of Palestinian statehood. Approximately 10 members of the Brandeis Students for Justice in Palestine then stood and accused Dichter, in English and Hebrew, of war crimes. According to a press release from BSJP, the protesters yelled in Hebrew, “Don’t worry Avi Dichter, we’ll meet you in The Hague.” The students were escorted from the room by security. In an e-mail to the Justice, BSJP member Elisha Baskin (GRAD), who participated in the interruption, said, “The disruption of the town hall meeting was to send a clear message to the [Knesset members] and the Brandeis community that war-criminals will be not welcomed on campus.” The disruption was directed at Dichter because he “is wanted for crimes against humanity and violations of the Geneva Convention,” Baskin wrote. Noam Lekach ’14, who also par-

ticipated in the protest, wrote in the press release from BSJP that, “Brandeis claims to promote social justice, but today they invited legislators who openly espouse racist attitudes towards Palestinians.” Dichter then addressed Cohen’s question about Israel’s response to the prospect of Palestinian statehood. He remarked on the difficulty of determining which territory should be assigned to each state and saying that, despite both the United States’ and Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu’s support of a Palestinian state, “it will take more details” to work out an arrangement. Following the event, Dan Tassone ’13 said in an interview with the Justice that he was “as disappointed by the walkout by the group at this event as [he was] by the walkout at [the November talk given by] Noam Chomsky” because it indicates that “neither side is willing to listen to the other.” Avi Fuld ’14, who was present at the event, said in an interview with the Justice that he felt the event was important because it showed the varying opinions among the Knesset members of different parties, reflecting that “Israel’s democracy is very complex … [and] constantly in progress.”

features

TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011

just

●

THE JUSTICE

VERBATIM | RAYMOND HOLLIWELL The inner thought coming from the heart represents the real motives and desires. These are the cause of action.

ON THIS DAY…

FUN FACT

In 1879, Chile declared war on Bolivia and Peru, starting the War of the Pacific.

Candles will burn longer if they are placed in the freezer a few hours before using.

Reuniting relatives

CATCHING UP ON THE YEARS: Relatives Rolf Hess and Ruth Hess spend time catching up together at Ruth’s house where they reunited for the first time after being separated at young ages during the Holocaust.

Amanda Dryer ’13 helped reunite two Holocaust survivors By rachel miller JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

January 26, 1939—Nazi Germany. The last boat leaves to America. On board: Therese “Terry” Hess. Left behind: family, including cousins Ruth and Rolf Hess. Some family members perished, while some survived. Some were missing, assumed dead. About 2 years ago, a month before Amanda Dryer’s ’13 grandmother, Terry Hess, passed away, Dryer inquired about a white box containing old photos, which had resided in her grandmother’s closet for many years. Her grandmother, however, said that all of the people in the pictures had died, and she didn’t want to talk about it. Dryer decided not to pry. Last semester, Dryer took Prof. Anthony Polonsky’s (NEJS) “The Destruction of European Jewry” course. One of the class assignments was to interview a Holocaust survivor, and Dryer decided to interview her grandmother’s cousin Ruth Hess. Ruth, who was born in 1931 in Malsch, Germany, was transported to Camp Gurs, a concentration camp in France, at the tender age of 10 along with her mother, father, maternal grandparents and other relatives. A few months later, Quakers arrived at the concentration camp to save young prisoners, knowing what could potentially happen to them. Ruth and her cousin Rolf Hess, who was born in 1935 in Malsch, were among the lucky ones who were taken to a French orphanage called Maison des Pupilles de la Nation. Ruth eventually came to America in 1947, while Rolf came in 1942. After hearing Ruth’s history, Dryer decided to look at the pictures that her grandmother had kept with her throughout the years. Dryer mentioned to Ruth that her grandmother

“often spoke about a little boy who m she babysat for 10 cents a day.” Ruth identified the little boy in the photos as her cousin Rolf. “The last time [Ruth] heard, he came over on a refugee boat and stayed with his uncle in Ohio, but [she] hadn’t spoken to him and didn’t know what happened [to him],” Dryer said. Rolf and Ruth hadn’t tried getting in contact with each other because the Holocaust was something they didn’t speak about, according to Dryer. Their lives continued on in America without much talk about their pasts. “I went home and said, ‘I’m going to find Rolf, because I have all these baby pictures of him and pictures of his mother and his family,’” Dryer explained. To start, Dryer simply typed “Rolf Hess” into Google and unexpectedly found an article written in summer 2010 by the Holocaust Memorial Center in Michigan, telling of a Holocaust survivor named Rolf Hess who had come to the museum to find out more about his past. Until then, Rolf had never spoken about his past or about escaping the terrors of the Holocaust. “I was in the closet. What got me out of the closet was about 2 years ago; my granddaughter at school was asked if she knew of any immigrants who came over to the U.S. Up to that point, the only thing my family knew was that I was a survivor,” Rolf said in a phone interview with the Justice. Opening up to his family pushed Rolf forward into an investigation of his past, as well as sharing it with others. “About 6 months or so ago, I went to the Holocaust [Memorial Center] in Michigan, and I had letters translated. … The name Ruth came up, as well as other names, and of course I had no idea who Ruth or anyone else in the letters were,” Rolf said.

He had only a few specific memories from the first 7 years of his life before he came to America, including the catastrophic light from the fires on the night of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, and his mother comforting him in his room. However, he did not remember Ruth. After reading the article, Dryer contacted the museum, which put her in contact with Rolf. Despite not remembering Ruth, Rolf agreed to meet her and Dryer. “So about 2 weeks ago Rolf and Ruth reunited. … I was really nervous all day. … I don’t know why, it was a great thing to be doing,” Dryer said. “I went there without any expectations. … I had no idea what to expect as to what [Ruth] looked like,” Rolf said. Dryer showed him the photos her grandmother had held on to. Prior to this rendezvous, he only possessed a few pictures of himself as a baby with his grandfather and mother. “I couldn’t believe it,” he said. Rolf, his wife and three children visited Ruth and her husband at their apartment along with Dryer. “At the beginning of the reunion, it was as if two strangers were meeting,” Dryer said. The two reminisced about their life in Malsch, in Camp Gurs and in the French orphanage. “Rolf asked Ruth questions; since Rolf was so young in the orphanage he didn’t remember that much,” Dryer explained. They talked about how they held on to their Jewish identities, even throughout their tumultuous childhoods. “It was difficult at the beginning, but once they talked about their childhood more and more, they were comfortable with each other. They cried and hugged, [and] it was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen,” Dryer said.

FAMILY REUNION: Amanda Dryer ’13 (middle) attended the reunion after arranging for Rolf and Ruth Hess to meet up.

PHOTOS FROM HIS PAST: Amanda Dryer ’13 found an old photo of Rolf Hess.

UNCOVERING A HISTORY: Rolf Hess has recently begun piecing together his past.

♦ Photos courtesy of Amanda Dryer

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011

WORLDVIEW: GHANA

In Ghana,

be your brother’s keeper AFRICAN DANCE MOVES: The locals of Tamale, the capital of the northern region of Ghana, show Claire Gohorel ’12 how to move by teaching her a traditional and upbeat dance that is often performed in that area.

Claire Gohorel ’12 finds care and hospitality in Ghana’s culture By CLAIRE Gohorel SPECIAL TO THE JUSTICE

Night sets in quickly along the equator. Before I even arrived at Zongo junction, the bruised purple sky had turned to black. I hesitantly hopped out of the car and jumped into the tangle of bodies at the market. Searching for the van that would take me home, I had to sidestep motorbikes, taxis and feet. I marveled at the women selling oranges and fried plantains from bowls and baskets balanced on their heads while I strained to hear the call for my tro-tro, a popular form of public transportation in Ghana. I could not find it. The map my host mother had drawn me that morning was no help—all she had written was “Botwe tro-tro.” A thin, young banana vendor saw my fearful eyes and asked me where I was going. I told her, and she nodded knowingly and beckoned me to follow. In the near darkness, we wound our way through the market. A little light emanated from cooking fires while cheap bulbs buzzed in barbershop windows. I finally heard the call I was looking for—“Botwe, Botwe!” I boarded the van, paid my fare to the mate and turned to the window to thank the little banana seller, but she had already gone. Following my map, I exited the bus at Babayara junction. It was then that I realized I didn’t know where to go from there. I had just arrived in Ghana the night before, and I had never traveled alone at night to my house. I didn’t remember which way to turn or how to ask for directions. Adding to my problems, there isn’t much in the way of city plan-

ning here—most streets here have no names and houses are numberless. Frantically searching through my bag for my phone to call my host mom, I realized that it was gone. My eyes started to get wet with fear, but I knew that I had to find a way to get home. I saw a few children in front of a store and asked them for help. Suley, a boy of about 12, calmed me down. He walked with me to all the houses in the neighborhood, but in the dark I couldn’t see the difference between the painted gates and cinder-block walls. I poured the contents of my bag onto the steps of an unfamiliar house, and a slip of paper fell out. On it was the telephone number for Dr. Yemi, my academic director here at the University of Legon. Suley passed me his phone, and I was able to connect with my director who called my host family. Thankfully, cellphones have become an enormous trend here in Ghana. That night at home, tucked into my mosquito net with my stomach full, I felt grateful to be alive and indebted to the kindness of people like Suley. Since that night, I have gotten lost countless times in many different cities in Ghana, but people have always recognized my troubled expression and come to my aid. I believe that people here are so helpful because they live according to the maxim “Be your brother’s keeper.” In Ghana, anyone can be your sister or brother, or even your father. One of my supervisors insists that we call him Papa. Ghana is a communal and interdependent society with a strong value on family. People rely on each other, and they care for one another.

RECESS IN KUMASI: Students enjoy themselves while playing together in a schoolyard in the city of Kumasi.

There is no such thing as daycare here because there is no need for it. If you can’t strap a baby to your back, ask your mother or your auntie. If you can’t find your way, someone will gladly guide you. “Be your brother’s keeper” has been very helpful to me to keep in mind as a foreigner with a bad sense of direction. However, the degree to which a foreigner or obruni is looked after can be overwhelming at times. For example, a host father imposed a strict 7 p.m. curfew on my friend. One day, she lingered too long at a nearby Internet café to finish a school assignment and received a call promptly at 7 p.m. “ERICAWHEREAREYOU?” he shouted in a single breath. I study with the School for International Training, and the program requires that we relocate every 2 weeks. I have come to know many regions of Ghana and many kind people. In Accra, I lived with a family of five and an old grandma who loved to watch Oprah. In Kumasi, I roomed with Auntie Ama, a former nurse who spent 40 years in England. We drank tea every night before bed. During my village stay, I lived with a cocoa seller named Nana Opoku, and soon I will move to the east to study with a bead maker called Emmanuel. These are just some of the people I have come to know. As a foreigner, your movements are monitored at all times. I spent 2 weeks living in a rural cocoa-farming village in the fertile Asante region where I was watched all day and night, particularly by curious children. During the blazing afternoons, I would sit and read in the living room with the windows open for venti-

lation. Looking up from my book, I’d see little hands creeping over the edge of the windowsill, followed by sets of wide, brown eyes. In the village I was asked “Woko hen?” (Where are you going?) so many times that I just wanted to laugh—or maybe scream. There were only two possible answers to their question, anyway: to farm or home. I am no great speaker of Twi—a prominent language in Ghana—but I have mastered this basic exchange because it never changes: You say, “Maakye, wo ho te sen? Me ho ye” (Good morning, how is your health? My health is fine). Most importantly, you must end with “Ye da nyame ase” (We thank God). Ghana is a country known for its hospitality, and Ghanaians will welcome you with enthusiasm that may overwhelm both you and your stomach. It seems that the answer to any ailment is a heaping plate of boiled yams or any kind of sticky starch. One evening in the city of Kumasi, I returned to my home with soaking wet clothes from a torrential rainstorm. My host mom took one look at me, shook her head and ran to the kitchen to prepare me a big plate of rice and stew. It was nearly 10 p.m. and I had already eaten a large supper, but I was pushed to “eat all.” In Ghana, I have encountered a lot of discomfort, be it from the extreme heat or lack of Western conveniences. I have chipped a tooth and cut my hand on a ceiling fan. I’ve gotten lost in the bush and in the cities. But I’ve always had a brother or sister here to look after me, to clean my wounds and tell me I will be all right. In a place so unknown, I have never felt alone.

HANDS-ON WORK: Gohorel mixes shea butter at a women’s cooperative in a village outside of Tamale.

♦ Photos courtesy of Claire Gohorel

TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011

●

THE JUSTICE

Justice Justice

the the

Established 1949, Brandeis University

Brandeis University

Established 1949

Brian Fromm, Editor in Chief Nashrah Rahman, Managing Editor Brian N. Blumenthal, Production Editor Emily Kraus, Deputy Editor Ian Cutler, Asher Krell, Robyn Spector and Jillian Wagner, Associate Editors Fiona Lockyer, News Editor Sara Dejene, Acting News Editor Dafna Fine, Features Editor Eitan Cooper, Forum Editor Jeffrey Boxer, Sports Editor Wei-Huan Chen, Arts Editor Yosef Schaffel and Tali Smookler, Photography Editors Debra Friedmann, Layout Editor Marielle Temkin, Copy Editor Cody Yudkoff, Advertising Editor

Capital projects hold promise On March 31, the Board of Trustees announced two new capital projects: the renovation of the Linsey Pool and a campuswide network update. This editorial board applauds these expenditures, as they reflect the trustees’ desire to address issues of great importance to the student body. The Linsey Pool closed indefinitely 2 1/2 years ago due to heating and maintenance problems. Since then, current members and alumni of the swimming club, which was formerly the Brandeis Swimming and Diving Team, and the Student Union have called on University President Lawrence and the trustees to place the pool as one of their top priorities. The effort of these students involved in the process is praiseworthy. Without strong student input, it is possible that this project would not have been seriously considered as soon as it was by the Board. This board also appreciates the trustees’ serious treatment of an issue important to students. When the pool originally closed, few expected it to reopen anytime soon. The relatively fast turnaround from the time the pool was closed to the time a renovation was announced is impressive. As this editorial board has mentioned previously, the importance of having a working pool on campus cannot be overstated. The reopening of the facility will allow the swim team to be reinstated as well as provide an incredibly valuable resource for the student body. This board encourages those responsible for upkeep of the Linsey Pool to be diligent in ensuring the maintenance of the facility. The repairs, which will cost $3 million, mark a significant investment for the University. Considering that the pool originally deteriorated due to maintenance issues, it would be more than regrettable if the pool and the important facilities in the complex were to fall into disrepair once again.

Showcase pool and network This board also eagerly awaits the much-needed network upgrades. A more powerful network is high in demand, and the current outdated network is not capable of meeting our future needs. The network is used by every single member of the campus community and is thus a core aspect of campus operations. Currently, there are numerous locations— including classrooms and student residences—that receive poor wireless network reception, if any at all. More importantly, the current network is in danger of not producing reliable results for the amount of community members accessing the Internet. These updates come with a hefty price tag of $6 million but promise to improve student life in a very practical way as well as to ensure that the network remains reliable in the future. Additionally, the benefits of renovating the pool will allow the Office of Admissions to point out an attractive facility on campus to prospective students. Moving forward, we encourage Admissions to emphasize both projects when presenting Brandeis to those visiting on tours. A stronger network will not only appeal to current students, faculty and staff, but it also holds the potential to draw a greater amount of applicants to the University. Showcasing these capital projects to those interested in the University is in our best interest. The past 3 years have been economically tumultuous; the Board of Trustees has voted to close the Rose Art Museum in order to save money and has cut academic programs. The recent capital projects mark an upward trend for the University. While we should remain hopeful for the future, it is important to realize that campus improvements cannot happen all at once. This board encourages the student body to exercise patience and to appreciate the current changes as important steps in a long process.

Hoops for Haiti still a success Yesterday, the second annual Hoops for Haiti, sponsored by the Brandeis Haiti Initiative, took place in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. This board commends the efforts of the BHI for continuing to advocate its mission and bring its important goals to the forefront of the student body’s consciousness. While last year’s event was a direct response to the earthquake that devastated Haiti, this year the BHI is donating the funds raised to the Empowering Through Education Camp, Partners in Health and Hope for Haiti; a portion of the proceeds will also be donated to earthquake and tsunami relief efforts in Japan. The BHI is setting an excellent example for disaster relief efforts on campus by continuing to support Haiti even after the cause has largely moved beyond the public’s attention. Instead of disbanding after the immediate danger from the earthquake passed, the BHI has demonstrated its ability to adapt its mission to work toward improving conditions in Haiti through education. Other relief efforts would do well to follow suit by remaining conscious of the

Continued advocacy needed fact that, even after the initial shock of a tragedy passes, relief work is still necessary. Additionally, this board congratulates the students, staff and faculty who came together to support this important cause. There are few events on campus that create a fun, relaxed atmosphere in which students, staff and faculty can interact so freely. In that same vein, it is unfortunate that the event did not receive the same level of attendance that it did last year—with a higher level of participation and attendees, it could serve to bring the community together and demonstrate our continued commitment to social justice. The BHI’s decision to donate its funds in part to ETE Camp, which was founded by Brandeis alumna Shaina Gilbert ’10, also proves Brandeis’ continued support for our community members. By demonstrating our dedication both to important causes and to each other, students stay true to our university’s core values and are able to effect lasting change.

A. ELI TUKACHINSKY/the Justice

Rutgers errs in overpaying Snooki By AARON FRIED JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Recently, Rutgers University took a good deal of flak for paying Toni Morrison $30,000 to speak at its commencement ceremony, as such speakers are traditionally paid with only an honorary degree. Morrison is a world-renowned Nobel Laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, known particularly for speaking out on the issue of race. Rutgers is also attempting to increase the scale of the event as a likely result of bringing such a high-profile figure to speak at its graduation. It has moved the ceremony to its football stadium, which seats approximately 56,000 people, and has invited all undergraduates to attend. To me, this expense is justifiable, as the money to pay for the speaker comes from PepsiCo rather than from tuition or tax dollars. The enlargement of the ceremony, too, shows that Rutgers is willing to make an investment to improve its graduation. However, in an unjustifiable move, the Rutgers University Programming Association, a student activities organization, wasted a whopping $32,000 to bring Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, a star on MTV’s reality television show Jersey Shore, to campus to conduct a question-and-answer session. To add insult to injury, Polizzi was paid from activity fees mandatory with Rutgers tuition, unlike the esteemed Toni Morrison. While the fact that a reality star was paid more to speak at a major university than a prize-winning author is certainly shocking, it is not the main grievance I take with this issue. Schools pay exorbitant sums for entertainment; comedians and musicians have been known to charge much more than what Snooki did to appear on a college campus. These entertainers, however, are in national demand and are usually talented and quite popular among students. For the most part, they have worked for and achieved success in the field of entertainment, and their hard-earned success is something that university students should emulate. While Snooki is undoubtedly quite popular, she lacks any semblance of talent or merit. In fact, it is quite obvious to anyone who has seen even a snippet of Jersey Shore that she and the rest of the cast are essentially professional morons—clowns, if you will. This type of entertainment is not the type that ought to be featured at an establishment of higher learning. While college campuses are hotbeds of drinking, sex and drugs, schools should not pay people to speak if they conduct a lifestyle that revolves purely around these. Students attend college in order to learn skills that will give them legitimate jobs in the future, not to be told about how they can make millions with no such skills if they act stupidly enough to be put on a MTV reality show. The fact that MTV pays people for the behavior in which Snooki and the rest of the cast of Jersey Shore engage in is, in my eyes, no more than petty prostitution. After all, what are they earning their money for other than sex and being idiotic inebriates? In bringing Snooki to Rutgers and paying her such a large sum for speaking about her less-than-exemplary career, the students in RUPA and the university as a whole have given an implicit endorsement to such behavior. This is not the sort of thing that should be espoused at a major university. There are those who will say that I should lighten up because this was only a “comedy” show for entertainment purposes. I, however, feel that we should view this through a broader lens and re-evaluate our sources of entertainment. Over the past decade or so, we have all noticed the rise of reality television and the subsequent dumbing-down of the programs that we watch. Rather than laughing at those devoid of both intellect and talent, like the stars of Jersey Shore, simply for the amusement of their drunken antics, we ought to be enriching ourselves. I am not preaching that people stop watching television and instead build boats in glass bottles, but we should at least watch shows that do not glorify stupidity. As funny as a bunch of juiced-up Guidos in fistcuffs and spoiled Guidettes bickering may be to watch, we should remember that in doing so we provide viewership to the actors involved and are encouraging MTV to continue the series. The solution to cut the influence people like this have on America’s youth is simple: If we stop watching these shows, their popularity will fade.

OP-BOX

Quote of the Week “I will miss all of it, but with the wonderful feeling that I know I experienced it from the top of my head to the tips of my toes, and with my heart and soul.” —Julie Judson ’11 on remembering Adagio after she graduates (See Arts, page 20).

Brandeis Talks Back What are your thoughts on the planned renovations of the Linsey Pool and the network upgrades? New! Brandeis Talks Back is now online in video format at www.thejustice.org

Asya Bashina ’12 “I think the pool needed to be fixed a while ago. Having a college without a pool is kind of strange.”

Raviv Lengmann ’11 “I transferred here, and I didn’t even know there was a pool to start with.”

Matt Gabrenya ’13 “I like free stuff.”

Dorian Williams ’13 “I am not aware of either.” —Compiled by Yosef Schaffel Photos by Tali Smookler/ the Justice

THE JUSTICE

READER COMMENTARY In response to your article “Hillel must act boldly by reversing its decision” (Forum, March 29): Most of the nations of the world have never offered an “inclusive environment” for the Jewish people. There is even a plant called a Wandering Jew. Even here, in the supposed safe haven of the United States, I hear people using the idiom “Don’t Jew me down” as if it conjured a happy image. When I visited the Jewish Museum in Berlin, I saw a wall delineating a feculent river of anti-Semitic epithets used by most nations over the last five centuries. The 1941 Nazi Wannsee Conference featured a “Judenrein” (Jew-free continent) inventory list that called for the murder of every Jew on earth. From Haman to Hamas, we Jews have been critically set apart. It starts with being disenfranchised, proceeds to being dispossessed and ends with being dismembered. So, if the choice is between those two modalities of thought, I am, without doubt, one of the uncritical ones. One cannot negotiate with one’s destroyers. —Paul Trusten, R.Ph.’73

Stigma is not the problem at Brandeis In response to your article “Greek organizations should focus more on community service” (Forum, March 29): The stigma of Greek life, both at Brandeis and at other schools, is not the problem when it comes to Brandeis Greek life engaging in community service efforts. Because of the Brandeis constitution, we are simply not allowed to hold community service or philanthropy events on campus. We also do not (and have never, and probably will never) claim to be service-oriented clubs, in which case your argument would be completely valid. In fact, in a recent meeting with the deans, the presidents of each Greek organization and of the Greek Awareness Council were asked why our founding members had chosen not to affiliate themselves with service-oriented fraternities and sororities (which do exist). Our answer was very simple: At Brandeis, a campus with a strong focus on community service, there are countless clubs available for students looking to give back to their community. Had we been looking for service-oriented clubs, we would have joined one of them. However, we were looking for a different kind of organization. The eight organizations we as a group have chosen to join do put an emphasis on community service, but we joined knowing that there was much more involved. I don’t feel a need to go into an in-depth monologue about why I joined Delta Phi Epsilon, but I assure you that while I love that the sorority counts service as one of its main tenets, it is not our primary goal. We have found other ways to engage in community service and philanthropy. Yes, it is discouraging that we are not able to use Brandeis facilities and resources to promote our philanthropies, but we understand the administration’s reasoning and have worked hard over the years to find ways to still support our nationally recognized philanthropies and other organizations. For Delta Phi Epsilon, this means fundraising for the National Association for Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Delta Phi Epsilon Education Fund. We also participate in the Boston-area Strides Against Breast Cancer walk and fundraise and participate in Brandeis’ Relay For Life. In the future, I suggest you discuss your views with someone who is a part of Greek life to get a full, balanced view before you draw conclusions. While I understand that it appears to nonGreeks that we don’t do much, a brother or sister would have been able to tell you otherwise. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments. —Leah Finkelman ’13 The writer is co-president of the Greek Awareness Council and vice president of programming for Delta Phi Epsilon

Greek life has social focus In response to your article “Greek organizations should focus more on community service” (Forum, March 29): You seem to suggest that Greek life should make philanthropy the central focus of their organization in order to improve their image on campus. While this would probably work, it would also transform the organizations into yet another philanthropic group.

Write to us

TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011

PIECING TOGETHER THE EVIDENCE

Jewish people are disenfranchised

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 oped 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 12 p.m.

●

Our social fraternities and sororities are groups of people who have chosen to forge formal social connections among themselves. And yes, this does involve partying and having fun. It also involves philanthropy, as well as academic and psychological aid, not to mention all of the networking possibilities. These organizations are groups of friends. That’s the central focus of the organization. I agree that philanthropy is important, but so is hanging out and letting loose. Also, for the most part I don’t believe that the Greek organizations are participating and sponsoring these events just to “better the image of Greek life,” but to actually help out because it’s the right thing to do. And ultimately, does it really matter if they are doing it with that motive? People are still receiving aid, with no downside to themselves. The only ulterior motive is that the organization gets some press for what it’s doing. —Ross Benar ’13 The writer is a member of Alpha Delta Phi

Fight cancer aggressively In response to your article “An all-night fight against cancer” (Features, March 29): Thank you so much for all of the work you have done! Last weekend was a chemo weekend for me but I look forward to joining you in the survivor’s lap next year! It is so important to not only raise money but also awareness about cancer—particularly in regard to young adults. About 70,000 people between the ages of 15 and 40 are diagnosed with cancer every year in the United States. Two months ago, I became one of them at the age of 23. While there have been great strides in increasing the survival rate of cancer patients of all ages, the rates among young adults have not improved much in the past 10 years. Young adults are commonly diagnosed with late-stage cancer (I am a Stage IV Hodgkins lymphoma patient myself) because of lack of screening, lack of adequate health insurance and ignoring of seemingly benign, vague symptoms. I encourage everyone to start monthly self breast and testicular exams now—you aren’t too young for either. Get a yearly pap exam starting at 18, even if you are not sexually active. Take swollen lymph nodes seriously. If you feel tired and run-down for more than a week with obvious cause, see a doctor. Catching cancer early can save lives. Please check out http://stupidcancer.com/ and http://www.15-40.org/, two organizations specifically geared toward supporting young adults with cancer and educating all young adults about their risks —Allie Morse ’10 The writer is the University’s Alumni Relations Coordinator

Beit midrash should be set apart

In response to your article “Hillel must act boldly by reversing its decision” (Forum, March 29): I was an Orthodox Jewish Brandeis student (Class of 2004). I was not given the impression at that time that the Brandeis Orthodox Organization needed or wanted a new or larger beit midrash at all. I always thought that the beit midrash was perfect just the way it was: quaint and inviting. In fact, the most inviting aspect of the BOO beit midrash while I was at Brandeis was specifically the fact that it was under the auspices of the Orthodox community, and that it therefore conformed to Jewish law (specifically it is understood by Orthodox Jews). While the beit midrash was always open to everyone, and invited everyone in, regardless of their affiliations (especially Thursday night Mishmar with cholent), it nonetheless was a safe haven for religiously Orthodox Jews in the context of a secular campus. Forcing the beit midrash to become “pluralistic” would not make it more inviting in terms of that—its central purpose. It would make it less inviting in that it would be yet another place on the Brandeis campus where the values of Torah Judaism were regarded as merely parochial, and therefore capable of simply being dismissed by more secular minds. It is important that each student at Brandeis (Jewish and otherwise) feels that their views are not under assault—at the very least—when those students are in their home base (for lack of a better term). For me, and for many of my classmates, the beit midrash was our home base. (The picture featured with your article brings back many good memories.) Hillel is a wonderful organization. But its purpose is different from BOO’s. That specifically is why it is important that the beit midrash, our home base, especially be independent from nonOrthodox auspices.

Fine Print

—Jonathan Lublin ’04

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 opposite page, 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 3,200 undergraduates, 800 graduate students, 500 faculty and 1,000 administrative staff. In addition, the Justice is mailed weekly to paid subscribers and distributed throughout Waltham, Mass. 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. A publication schedule and rate card is available upon request. Subscription rate: $35 per semester, $55 per year.

MARA SASSOON/the Justice

Improve investigation of sexual assault on campus Shafaq

HASAN INTO THE FIRE

There is usually little evidence in sexual assault cases other than an accusation. If the alleged victim was drugged, the chemicals quickly dissolve, rendering toxicological screens useless, and the amnesiac effects of the drug would provide, at best, a hazy recollection of the attack. Even if the victim wasn’t drugged, the situation usually disintegrates into a “he said, she said” cesspool of counteraccusations. The difficulty of navigating the labyrinth of rape allegations often prevents college administrators from properly prosecuting individuals, according an extensive 12-month study conducted last year by the Center for Public Integrity. The investigative report exposes the continual mishandlings of sexual assault cases on college campuses and blames the mishandlings of these cases on the culture of indifference found at these universities. The report also includes numerous stories of botched investigations due to the schools’ vague or absent assault policies and insufficient punishments of the accused. Over the years, the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has been investigating schools to ensure proper protocol is followed and that the rights of both accuser and accused are respected. However, according to the study by the Center for Public Integrity, while the OCR oversees the actions of colleges, they have never once punished a school for violating Title IX, the law which requires schools to respond to sexual assault allegations. The OCR’s lax enforcement can be seen in their investigation of the University of Notre Dame earlier this year for any faults in their sexual assault policies after two rape allegations were made within days of each other in September 2010. The first sexual assault accusation caught national attention after the accuser, 19-year-old Elizabeth Seeberg, tragically committed suicide 9 days after reporting the alleged attack. Though Seeberg filed a police report 24 hours after the attack allegedly occurred, as is ideal, the Notre Dame campus police department didn’t attempt to interview the accused until 11 days later, 2 days after the alleged victim had committed suicide. Not only did the university fail to reach out to Seeberg after she filed the report, they did not interview her friends or potential wit-

The Staff

For information on joining the Justice, write to editor@ thejustice.org.

nesses until after an inexplicable 5 weeks had passed. Those who were with her that night would later say in an interview that they saw blood running down Seeberg’s shorts the night she was allegedly attacked. By November, the individual accused in the case was exonerated of all charges and continues to play football for Notre Dame. Further, considering the OCR has yet to levy punishment against a school found guilty of violating the law, it is also dubious whether the university will be reprimanded for its poorly executed investigation. Notre Dame’s atrociously conducted investigation illustrates the numerous possible mistakes colleges can make when handling sexual assault cases. For instance, the timeliness of the police department’s response is crucial, as delays allow evidence to be compromised. Considering that an alleged rape is an extremely serious offense, one would question why campus police would delay an investigation. Moreover, the addition of alcohol would inhibit the progression of an investigation because intoxication impugns the character and credibility of both individuals involved, as in the case of Seeberg. After looking at the evidence, the police departments must piece together a coherent timeline of events of the attack. This is often made very different when at the time both parties were under the influence. Certainly the introduction of alcohol in the already complicated process of understanding an assault only muddles the facts further. As an investigator, how can one determine whether he really gave her a drink or if she initiated the conversation when both were inebriated at the time? To determine the guilt of the accused, most colleges hold judicial hearings with the accuser; the accused; and a panel of students, administrators or both. According to the study conducted by the Center for Public Integrity, over half of the students interviewed were forbidden from discussing their assault with others and some were even involved in completely inappropriate mediation proceedings with the accused. By putting up these roadblocks and inviting secrecy, victims are further traumatized by a process that has no accountability for the accused or support for the survivor. These barriers will only deter others from coming forward with their assault accusations. Instead, administrators and investigators should direct and guide the victims in a manner they feel their allegation is being investigated as thoroughly as possible. Only with the implementation of fair, transparent hearings and thorough investigations can administrators begin to address the epidemic of sexual assaults on college campuses.

Editorial Assistants News: Andrew Wingens Arts: Ariel Kay, Emily Salloway Layout: Nan Pang Staff Senior Writer: Josh Asen Senior Illustrators: Rishika Assomull, A. Eli Tukachinsky News: Shani Abramowitz, Tyler Belanga, Daniel Heinrich Features: Dave Benger, Rocky Reichman, Deborah Salmon Forum: Rebecca Blady, Hannah Goldberg, Shafaq Hasan, Rebecca Kellogg, Diego Medrano, Liz Posner, Sara Shahanaghi, Leah Smith, Avi Snyder, Elizabeth Stoker, Naomi Volk Sports: Julian Cardillo, Jonathan Epstein, Max Goldstein, Sam Liang, Jacob Lurie, Adam Rabinowitz, Natalie Shushan, Jonathan Steinberg

Arts: Aaron Berke, Eric Chow, Alex DeSilva, Leah Igdalsky, Elly Kalfus, Olivia Leiter, Morgan Manley, Amy Melser, Douglas Moore, Leanne Ortbals, Alex Pagan, Bryan Prywes, Mara Sassoon, Sujin Shin, Shelly Shore Photography: Amy Bisaillon, Jenny Cheng, Lydia Emmanouilidou, Morgan Fine, Nathaniel Freedman, Rachel Gordon, Hilary Heyison, Davida Judelson, Joshua Linton, Alex Margolis, Maya Shemtov, Josh Spiro, Diana Wang, David Yun, Janey Zitomer Copy: Rebecca Brooks, Allyson Cartter, Hilary Cheney, Erica Cooperberg, Philip Gallagher, Patricia Greene, Celine Hacobian, Rachel Herman, Liana Johnson, Mailinh Phan-Nguyen, Maya Riser-Kositsky, Mara Sassoon, Dan Willey, Amanda Winn Layout: Rachel Burkhoff, Nadav Havivi, Denny Poliferno, Lenny Schnier, Michelle Yi Illustrations: Stacy Handler, Ari Tretin Ads: Nicholas Violette

TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011

●

THE JUSTICE

FORUM

End corporal punishment in high schools Naomi

VOLK ET CETERA

Did you know that school teachers across the nation are still allowed to hit their pupils? I certainly didn’t until The New York Times reported that 20 states still allow corporal punishment in schools. That’s right—even with all of the progressive reforms regarding child abuse, teachers are still allowed to hit children, while parental hitting is generally considered a warning sign for child abuse. According to The New York Times, Tyler Anastopoulos of Wichita Falls, Texas, was paddled so hard by his high school principal that he had to go to the hospital. Anastopoulos told his story in an attempt to persuade the Texas legislature to ban corporal punishment in schools. Why is it okay for schools to hit children when their parents can’t? I’m certainly not arguing for parental corporal punishment, but allowing paddling in one setting and forbidding it in another seems pretty hypocritical—particularly in public schools, which the state government can control. Jimmy Dunne, the founder of People Opposed to Paddling Students, told The New York Times that “hitting children in our schools with boards is child abuse, and it promotes child abuse at home. … Parents see it’s legal in schools and think it’s OK to do at home.” Spanking at home is not technically illegal in the United States, but hitting a child hard enough to necessitate hospitalization would be sure to raise some red flags. The Center for Effective Discipline reported that the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse reported, “The use of corporal punishment in schools is intrinsically related to child maltreatment. It contributes to a climate of violence, it implies that society approves of the physical violation of children, it establishes an unhealthy norm. … Its outright abolition throughout the nation must occur immediately.” That was in 1991. What have we done since then? According to National Public Radio, 24 countries around the world have banned corporal punishment at home, while

SARA WEININGER/the Justice

over 100 have banned it at school. However, the U.S. is not on either list. And why isn’t it? People have an odd misconception that corporal punishment is an effective means of disciplinary control. Some are clearly under the mistaken impression that corporal punishment would have no effect on academic performance. The Center for Effective Discipline reports that students that take the ACT in states with corporal punishment actually perform worse than do students in states without corporal punishment. While 75 percent of states without corporal punishment scored above average on the ACT, 75 percent of states with corporal punishment scored below average on the ACT.

The Center quotes the legendary psychologist B.F. Skinner as saying, “I believe that there is no longer any use for corporal punishment in schools and much to be gained by suppressing it.” This makes sense. Punishment, psychologists have found, is not very effective—its effects are extremely temporary because it only creates negative feelings around a specific event without providing a good model of behavior for the child to follow instead. The fact of the matter is that corporal punishment doesn’t work. Then why are schools so hung up on its use? New Mexico Senator Vernon D. Asbill said that he thought corporal punishment was helpful in establishing “control” over students.

The New York Times quoted him as saying, “The threat of it keeps many of our kids in line so they can learn.” But where is this notion coming from? Certainly not from academic scores or studies of psychology. It may just come down to tradition. Jacob Washington, a student at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans who recently protested the ban of corporal punishment in the school, told The New York Times, “This is a tradition for the school. … It’s how the school has been run for 60 years.” Carolyn McCarthy, a congresswoman from New York, introduced a bill within the last year to make corporal punishment illegal in U.S. schools. Maybe it’s time for us to

more seriously consider the bill. If studies have shown that academic performance can be hindered by corporal punishment, maybe it’s possible that schools are holding on to their traditions for the sake of resisting change. If corporal punishment clearly doesn’t work, schools should get together and get a new game plan—one that actually helps control students’ behavior and enhances, rather than hinders, students’ academic performance. Isn’t it possible that if corporal punishment has been proven ineffective, maybe the best solution is reinforcement of good behavior and creating strategies to reward those who act appropriately without resorting to violence? After all, what are schools for?

Reform the current athletic scholarship system Liz

POSNER BUT I DIGRESS

Four-time presidential candidate Ralph Nader earned widespread media attention last week when he called for the termination of athletic scholarships given to college student athletes. Nader’s comments coincided with the end of March Madness, the popular name for the NCAA Basketball Championships. Nader explained his promotion of need-based scholarships to replace those that are explicitly athletic, stating, “It’s time we step back and finally address the myth of amateurism surrounding big-time college football and basketball in this country.” Nader’s reasoning revolves around his concern that the hypercompetitive nature surrounding the institution of college athletics manipulates American families. “An entire industry has developed in the youth sports arena—club teams, personal trainers, etc.— to prey on families’ dreams of an athletic scholarship,” he said. His concern for the negative impact ath-

letic scholarships have on American society as a whole is certainly commendable, though I think these scholarships may do even greater damage to the structure and legacy of the American university. The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, an organization that works to promote academic integrity and priority within university sports, found that 10 of the 68 men’s basketball teams that participated March Madness this year were ineligible for play under the academic benchmark recommended by the Commission and backed by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. The benchmark requires that teams graduate at least 50 percent of their players. More statistics show the dismal relationship between academics and upper-tier athletics. According to the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, 66 percent of Division I male basketball players graduated in 2010. What kind of standard is this? We should not have such low expectations for student athletes. To think of them as professional players with full course loads in addition to their all-consuming jobs explains this low figure for graduation. But technically, Division I athletes are supposed to be college students who participate in a normal—albeit intense—extracurricular activity while studying

at their university. We should stop pretending academics are the priority for these athletes and admit that, to them and the industry created around them, their sport comes first. Of course, failure to maintain a high-enough grade point average is not the only reason Division I athletes frequently fail to graduate. Many transfer and some drop out early to join professional teams. Either way, the low graduation rate is a testament to the low priority of academics. The university shouldn’t be a pool where athletes wait it out until they can join the big leagues. Viewing the university as a mere stepping stone to a professional athletic career devalues the entire academic system, and students who see college in this way take the spaces of potential students who truly want to study and learn. Besides concern for the academic standing of student athletes who prioritize their sport, Nader’s proposal calls for a re-evaluation of university athletics. The nature of amateur athletics is undoubtedly integral to the American university life and experience. College sports were first introduced and promoted over a century ago as a way to develop student life. It was supposed to enrich the overall experience of attending a university; it wasn’t

intended to be a mimicry of professional sports adapted to the university level. It grew out of the university, not into it. Nader and other critics of the current system have suggested removing the false label of amateurism from Division I sports by revamping the system and allowing it to become a fully professional organization. I think there is a lot of merit to this idea. The number of games, the abilities of the players and the culture surrounding the league could remain the same. The changes associated with the shift toward professionalism would remain unseen by fans, though the impact on players would be significant. Logistically, student athletes would receive need-based aid and then join their university’s athletic teams as paid players. This would require an alternative source of funding to athletics, most likely sponsored by alumni and fans. These athletes would essentially play for their teams as any student works a part-time job while living on campus. Need-based scholarships would allow athletes to do what athletic scholarships in theory should be allowing them to do. Athletes could train harder for their sport without having to worry about living up to the parameters of their scholarship, and they could juggle

activities and priorities to maintain their grades just as normal college students do. As the athletic scholarships stand now, athletes are required to maintain a minimum GPA in addition to being forced to achieve a certain standard of play in their sport. As Nader points out in his criticism, athletic scholarships take advantage of student athletes in this way by requiring them to do too much. A need-based scholarship would support their education without putting pressure on the students to pass their classes just so they can play. By separating schoolwork from sports, athletes may be able to give each the attention it deserves without fear of losing their scholarship. Separating college athletics from academia is, of course, a far-fetched and probably unrealistic move. But it would mean that students, administrators, athletes and fans could stop lying to themselves about who these athletes really are to their schools. Fans would no longer have to look at the low graduation rates of Division I basketball players, sigh and shake their heads in shame, as such statistics would become irrelevant. Forging a clean split between athletics and academics might be the most honest solution to restoring academic integrity to college sports and preserving two crucial aspects of university life.

THE JUSTICE

●

Tuesday, april 5, 2011

Slam dunk for charity Students, faculty and staff faced off in the annual game for Haiti relief By josh asen JUSTICE senior WRITER

After suffering a 37-31 defeat to the faculty/staff team in the first annual Hoops for Haiti basketball fundraiser last year, the student team got its revenge this year by going on a 13-6 run in the final 8 minutes of yesterday’s game to win 49-42. “This year, we made sure we were going to win,” Student Union President Daniel Acheampong ’11 said. “We had a great team. We always have a good team, so we wanted to step it up a little bit and show the staff we are not playing [around]. We come ready and we are ready to win.” Despite losing to the student team, which had members from both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, Director of Class-Based Academic Advising and Coordinator of First Year Academic Programming PJ Dickson believes that the game was rigged this year after the faculty/staff team won last year’s game. “There [was] a conspiracy, I think, this year to make sure the staff and faculty team could not win,” Dickson said. “We faced an exceedingly large number of large and talented players. But I think all in all, we handled ourselves very well and played with an appropriate amount of good sportsmanship and hard work.” Although there was a winner and a loser in the game, everyone involved thought the event was a tremendous success. “It was an amazing event,” Brandeis Haiti Initiative Co-President Napoleon Lherisson ’11, who played for the student team, said. “It was a great turnout. … Overall, it was a great experience to see faculty members, students and staff all come together to play a great game of bas-

ketball.” “We raised a lot of good money for Haiti, and last year, they raised a lot of money also,” starting center for the student team Rachel Nelson ’13 said. “Hopefully, this is something we can continue to do every year.” “It was an incredible event,” Associate Dean of Student Life Jamele Adams said. “I’m glad it’s become an annual event. … Any event that the students put together that is [for] a good cause and in the name of social justice, civility and treating people like humans is always a great thing. We do that well here at Brandeis.” After Brandeis VoiceMale sang the national anthem and Senior Postal Clerk Bill Bowen gave his rendition of “God Bless America,” the faculty/ staff team jumped out to a 14-7 lead with 10 minutes, 8 seconds remaining in the first half. A few moments later, Adams, sporting No. 125 with “Human Torch” on the back of his jersey, stepped onto the court for the first time. After he dribbled the ball up the court, Adams suffered what at first seemed to be a devastating knee injury. In the process, women’s basketball coach Carol Simon, who was watching the game from the stands with the rest of the crowd, replaced Adams, who was helped off the court by faculty/staff coach and Senior Vice President for Communications and External Affairs Andrew Gully. Adams did his best impression of Paul Pierce in the 2008 NBA Finals, and just minutes after being carried off the court he was back in the action. Still, he believes that the injury will need to be looked at by doctors. “The knee is going to take a whole lot of [physical therapy],” he said. “I’ll be in PT, the doctors say, for about 2

months. It’ll go smooth because we have some of the best doctors in the world. Remember, our doctors made ButterSmart [sic], so we’ll easily fix my knee.” Whenever the student team shot free throws, Adams went behind the basket to distract them. His antics, which included throwing his hands and legs in the air, worked satisfactorily, according to Adams. “It worked two-thirds of the time,” Adams said, “That one-third, by that point, they got used to me. I need to develop a strategy. Next year, what I may do is try and get some indoor fireworks that are non-fire but still are still fireworks.” Despite trailing for much of the first half, the student team cut the faculty/staff lead to 3 points at halftime. Men’s basketball forward Vytas Kriskus ’12 scored the first 5 points for the students to give them the lead, which they held until the faculty/ staff team tied the game at 36 with just under 8 minutes left in the game. From there, the student team pulled ahead despite aggressive play from their opponents in the final minutes of the game. Hoops for Haiti was created last year by the Brandeis Haiti Initiative to raise money for Haiti, which was devastated by an earthquake on January 12, 2010. The proceeds from the event this year, which came from selling tickets for $5 apiece, will go to the Education Through Education Camp, a free summer day camp for children in Haiti founded by Shaina Gilbert ’10; Partners in Health; Hope for Haiti; and the Japan Relief Effort. According to Lherisson, BHI will also hold A Night for Haiti on May 9, where a silent auction will be held to raise money for Haiti.

ALEX MARGOLIS/the Justice

FLAGRANT FOUL: Dean of Student Life Jamele Adams goes to the ground grabbing his knee while being guarded by women’s basketball guard Kelly Ethier ’12.

ASHER KRELLthe Justice

EL PRESIDENTE: Student Union President Daniel Achaempong ’11 strikes a pose.

ASHER KRELL/the Justice ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice

FIGHT FOR POSITION: Students and faculty battled for a rebound during the students’ 49-42 victory yesterday evening.

AIRBORNE: Men’s basketball forward Vytas Kriskus ’12 flies past two faculty/ staff defenders on his way to the hoop for two of his points in last night’s game.

TUESDAY, April 5, 2011

●

THE JUSTICE

SPORTS tennis

Men earn upset against Bates ■ The men’s tennis team

defeated No. 21 Bates before dropping to BC, while the women’s team lost twice. By max goldstein JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Both the men’s and women’s tennis teams faced some of the toughest competition they had seen all year, as the women’s team faced No. 1 Tufts University and No. 5 Amherst College, while the men faced off against No. 21 Bates University and Division I Boston College. The women’s team dropped both of its matches, while the men dropped to BC after an impressive victory over rival Bates. The women’s team began its tough stretch with disappointing back-toback losses. Just a week after dominating Bates, New York University and Babson College, the Judges had no answers against tougher competition from Tufts and Amherst. “It was a tough weekend for the women,” coach Ben Lamanna said. “They played two very highly ranked teams. We battled hard, and we had chances to win.” On Sunday, the No. 30 Judges faced off against the first-ranked team in the country, Tufts, and fell 8-1. Tufts swept the doubles competitions, as senior Julia Browne and rookie Shelci Bowman defeated Rachel Rosman ’11 and Faith Broderick ’13 8-5. Nina Levine ’12 and Mackenzie Gallegos ’11 fell to sophomore Lindsay Katz and rookie Eliza Flynn 8-4, while Alexa Katz ’14 and Roberta Bergstein ’14 lost to sophomore Janice Lam and freshman Samantha Gann 8-2. In the singles matchups, the Judges earned their only win when Allyson Bernstein ’14 beat Flynn 5-7, 6-4 and 10-5. Rosman gave Browne a run for her money, but ultimately fell in three sets with scores of 2-6, 6-4 and 10-3. Katz defeated Broderick 6-4, 6-1; Bowman beat Gallegos 6-0, 6-1; and Bergstein dropped to Gann 6-0, 6-3 to round out last Sunday’s match. The women were not much better last Saturday and fell 8-1 to Amherst. Katz and Bergstein picked up Brandeis’ only win in the doubles competition, defeating junior Kim Snyder and senior Charlotte Wilin-

sky 8-5 in the third doubles slot. “Alexa Katz and Roberta Bergstein brought home a solid win,” Lamanna said of the match. In Brandeis’ losing doubles matches, rookies Jordan Brewer and Gabby Devlin beat Broderick and Rosman 8-6 in a close match, and seniors Mimi Bell and Carlissa King defeated Gallegos and Levine 8-6. Amherst swept Brandeis in the singles matches, as Brewer beat Rosman 6-0, 6-4 in the first seed, Devlin beat Broderick 6-0, 6-4 in the second seed, King beat Gallegos 6-4, 0-6 and 6-4 in the third seed, Bell beat Bernstein 6-1, 6-3, and Snyder beat Levine 6-0, 6-1 to round out a losing day for the Judges. The men’s squad started the week strongly, defeating archrivals Bates 6-3. Dave Yovanoff ’13 and Steven Nieman ’11 defeated freshman Tim Berg and senior Samuel Woods 8-4, and Ezra Bernstein ’11 and Josh Jordan ’13 beat junior Jeffrey Beaton and freshman Ben Bogard 8-3 for Brandeis’ two wins in doubles. Sophomores Matt Bettles and Robert Crampton defeated Simon Miller ’11 and Nick White ’11 8-5 in the first doubles slot. However, despite their loss in doubles, both Miller and White had huge wins in singles competition. Miller defeated No. 3 Bettles 6-3, 7-5 and White defeated No. 19 Crampton 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. “The big momentum switch was Nick [White] and Simon [Miller] winning their singles matches against two nationally ranked opponents,” Lamanna said. “Just another case of a senior wanting it badly. My guys just wanted to win it badly.” Jordan beat Peter Yanofsky 6-4, 6-2 in the fourth singles spot to clinch the win for the Judges, and Nieman beat Bogard 2-6, 6-2, 11-9 for Brandeis’ sixth win. “I was really proud of my guys,” Lamanna said. “The [University Athletic Association] has six nationally ranked teams out of eight, and we were at the bottom of the national rankings, and we’ve talked about a win against Bates. ... We set ourselves up to still be in the hunt for an NCAA berth.” The men struggled, however, against Boston College, losing 9-0 to the Division I powerhouse.

CONTINUED FROM 16

ALEX MARGOLIS/the Justice

SWAT TEAM: The women’s varsity tennis team fell to two top-5-ranked teams. The men’s team will face the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Thursday, while both the men and women will face Trinity on Sunday. Yovanoff said that if the team continues to play consistently, it will repeat results like it had against Bates. “To be more consistent and repeat our result against teams like Bates, we simply have to have that same high intensity and calm, cool but

collected type of focus both mentally and physically,” he said. “Saturday was one of our better team efforts collectively and we simply need to take this momentum into our matches Thursday and Sunday against similar caliber teams [like] MIT and Trinity.” —Jonathan Steinberg contributed reporting.

SWIMMING: Varsity swim will return CONTINUED FROM 16 other current juniors and seniors were still disappointed that their varsity careers were cut short. “I am disappointed that I’m missing out on half of my career in college and that there was a break in this team’s history,” Eder said in an interview with the Justice. “Classes 2011 to 2014 all missed out on eligibility. I’m glad that I made the most of my years and others will say the same, and I’m happy that others will get the chance to compete. I’m ex-

cited that they are bringing it back, and I’d like to think it’s the result of the hard work of [former swim coach Jim] Zotz, alumni and former varsity, and that it shows that there are a lot of people who care about the team.” Sousa said that she is unsure if Zotz, who currently serves as an assistant director of athletics overseeing the strength and conditioning program, will return as head coach of the team when it returns. She said that the goal was to have a

coach in place by this summer and to start recruiting new swimmers thereafter. “[Zotz] has done an excellent job with [his current responsibilities], and he’s really enjoying it, but in the same respect he’s an amazing swim coach,” she explained. “So, honestly, for us it’s a win-win in whatever role he’s in. Either way the plan is for him to be here. We hope that he’s here and he and I will need to talk and figure out what’s best.” Bennett said that he was confi-

dent that current underclassmen would step up for the team regardless of who coaches the program. “We just handed over the club to sophomores and juniors,” he said. “They’ll be ready and willing to hop back in the water when the pool reopens. Hopefully the pool reopening will attract a new batch of great recruits, and the team will be ready to go without missing a beat.” —Ian Cutler contributed reporting.

BASEBALL: Squad wins three more at home CONTINUED FROM 16 ’11 on the mound, the Judges thought that they had locked up the victory. However, Nicholson ceded a grand slam, and suddenly the game was within reach for WPI. However, Nicholson calmed down and secured the last two outs to secure an 8-7 win. Schwartz said that the Judges should have been able to avoid such a close call. “This proved to us we need to be competitive in every match, not only at the start but also in the bottom of the seventh inning, regardless of the outcome,” he said. Earlier in the day, Brandeis’ offense was even more prolific, pouring in 12 runs to take the game by a score of 12-5. Dylan Britton ’13 pitched 4 1/3

innings, allowing four earned runs on the day. Nicholson, McGrath, and pitcher Alex Tynan ’12 all put forth scoreless efforts to keep the game out of reach for WPI. The Judges began their run-scoring binge with a two-run homer by Ferro in the first and a crushing three-run long ball by Deshler to give the team a lead it would never relinquish. After three more runs with the small ball, the Judges ended the game with an explosive four-run sixth. Nicholson ripped a single to left field, which brought in Cortese and Deshler, Ferro bashed an RBI triple and Rosenberg belted a sacrifice fly to ensure a 12-5 Brandeis win. The Judges started the week against Suffolk University last Wednesday with a 6-4 win. John Mc-

SOFTBALL: Team wins three more games on the road

Grath ’11 earned his fourth victory of the season, giving up three runs and striking out five in 7 and a 1/3 innings of work. Nicholson went the rest of the way, pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings to notch his first save of the season. Suffolk held on to a 2-0 lead going into the fourth inning before Brandeis’ bats finally awoke. After back-to-back singles, Ferro dropped a perfect bunt single, driving Cortese home. O’Hare then drilled a grounder right to the pitcher, but the ball was mishandled, allowing Nicholson and Ferro to race home to give Brandeis a 3-2 lead. In the fifth inning, the Judges capitalized on more poor defense from Suffolk. After Britton reached first on an error by the shortstop, he moved to

third on a sacrifice bunt by Schwartz and a ground out by Deshler. Cortese then smacked a grounder to short which was mishandled, giving Britton the opportunity to race home. Ferro then put the game away with a 2-run double, giving the Judges a 6-2 lead. The four run lead was all the Brandeis pitching staff needed, and the team won 6-4. Overall, Schwartz was positive about the team’s direction at this point of the season. “We’re heading in the right direction, but there are still a lot of things we can improve on at the plate, on the bases and in the field,” he said. “Once we cut down on some of the little mistakes, we will be a really tough team to beat.” Brandeis will host Tufts University this afternoon at 3 p.m.

to find any rhythm, Brandeis took the victory, 9-0. Pitcher Melissa Nolan ’14 was brilliant in her five innings of work, surrendering no runs on three hits while striking out eight batters. She earned her sixth win of the year. Despite the weather turning foul, the Brandeis offense stayed hot for the second game against Lasell. The Judges scored two runs in the first inning on an RBI single by Grimm and an RBI double from Gajewski. In the second, Porcaro singled home first baseman Megan DeNubila ’12 and Specker doubled to right field, scoring Porcaro and putting the Judges up by four. Grimm singled home Schmand later in the inning, pushing Brandeis’ lead to five. Lasell battled back, scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut the Judges’ lead to one run. However, Brandeis cemented the win in the top of the seventh.With Specker and Schmand on second and third, a wild pitch allowed Specker to score and Grimm doubled Schmand in. Kelley added a single to left field, scoring Grimm. Kelley then advanced to second on a wild pitch, and DeNubila and Miller, who pinch hit for Hirschler, both walked to load the bases. However, Brandeis was unable to take advantage of the opportunity, as the Lasers got two outs to keep the gap at four runs. In the bottom of the seventh, Lasell scored one run, but was unable to claw back from their four-run deficit. Last Wednesday, Brandeis had a doubleheader against Wellesley and split the two-game series. Brandeis won the first game 8-6 and dropped the second 2-1. Pitcher Casey Ducinski ’13 was impressed by the team’s effort despite strong winds and rain. “The team overall stepped up hitting, especially considering the conditions,” she said. In the first game, Brandeis scored in all but two of the innings, yet still headed into the seventh inning trailing by a run. Grimm walked to start the inning, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, and reached third base on a passed ball. Kelley walked and Miller pinch ran for her and subsequently stole second. Outfielder Maxie Hirschler ’12 then smacked a double into left field to plate Grimm and Miller and give Brandeis a lead it would never relinquish. In the second game, Brandeis trailed 1-0 in the top of the fourth inning. Gajewski doubled to left center with two outs, and, after a Kelley walk, Hirschler singled to right field to score Gajewski and tie the game. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Wellesley Blue were able to retake the lead, this time for good. After Nolan struck out the first two batters in the inning, a fielding error permitted senior outfielder Megan Townsend to reach base. Senior outfielder Brittany Bakacs then doubled her home, giving Wellesley the win. The three victories came after a the Judges came from seven runs down 2 weeks ago to defeat Salem State University 8-7. Ducinski said that the team, which started slowly this season, viewed the game as a turning point. “The game [against Salem State] was a turning point,” she said. “We came from behind against Salem State and that was the perfect time for us to realize that we have the heart to come from behind and since then we’ve had a lot more confidence. ... That should be helpful going forward the rest of the season.” The softball team will play a doubleheader at Suffolk University tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. —Jeffrey Boxer contributed reporting.

THE JUSTICE

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Chris Ferro ’13

6 4 13 3 10

times this season that baseball outfielder Nick Cortese ’13 has been hit by a pitch.

ALEX MARGOLIS/The Justice

Ferro has also been a strong road player, batting .433 in eight games away from home, compared to .373 in 15 games at Stein Diamond. Ferro credited his success so far this season to his teammates.

“I guess I owe it to my teammates, because when things are going bad, they pick me up and help me to do what I need to do, whether we are up or down.” —Jonathan Epstein

UAA STANDINGS Baseball

Softball

UAA Conference Overall W L W L Pct. Emory 5 1 21 10 .677 Case 4 2 19 10 .655 WashU 3 3 19 11 .633 JUDGES 2 4 13 10 .565 Rochester 1 5 6 10 .375 Chicago 0 0 8 5 .615

UAA Conference W L Emory 8 0 WashU 6 2 Rochester 3 5 JUDGES 3 5 Chicago 0 0 Case 0 8

Not including Monday’s games

Not including Monday’s games Overall W L T Pct. 26 1 1 .946 19 6 1 .750 10 8 0 .556 11 12 0 .478 11 5 0 .688 8 20 0 .286

TEAM LEADERS years since the men’s tennis team defeated Bates College before last Saturday’s 6-3 victory. Head coach Ben Lamanna graduated from Bates in 2002.

wins for the baseball team so far this season, already surpassing last season’s total of 11 wins.

shutouts pitched this year by softball pitcher Melissa Nolan ’14. Nolan and the Judges beat Lasell College 9-0 last Thursday.

out of 12 innings in which the Brandeis baseball team scored against WPI last Sunday. The Judges swept the Engineers in a doubleheader at home.

Bruins clinch Northeast Division title with two wins in three games

.500 and added seven RBIs in three games last week, continuing his hot start to his second season at Brandeis.

Judging numbers

TUESDAY, april 5, 2011

Boston bruins beat

■ The sophomore catcher hit

Catcher Chris Ferro ’13 led the Judges to two wins in a doubleheader against Worcester Polytechnic Institute last Sunday, hitting a two-run homer in his first at bat of the day and his first career triple later in the game. Ferro finished the day with three hits, four RBIs and four runs in six at bats. In three games last week, Ferro batted .500 and added seven RBIs Last year, Ferro split his time between left field, where he started 22 games, and catcher, where he played nine games. He batted .355 on the season and added 25 RBIs. Ferro was also named to the second team for the University Athletic Association. He led Brandeis to its only win in the University Athletic Association Tournament last season, going 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs during its win over Washington University in St. Louis. Through 23 games this season, Ferro has a .395 batting average, a .467 on-base percentage, 13 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. His 13 RBIs tie him for fourth on the team, while his 10 steals are more than any other player on the team. His stolen base total accounts for a full 25 percent of the team’s total stolen bases so far this season. His 26 runs scored easily leads the team, as no other player has reached 20 this season. Ferro also has committed just four errors on the season despite being second on the team in putouts with 141. His fielding percentage of .975 is one of the top on the team, surpassing the team’s .944 total fielding percentage.

●

Baseball (batting average)

Softball (batting average)

Pat Nicholson ’11 leads the team with a .417 batting average.

Marianne Specker ’12 leads the team with a .367 batting average.

Player AVG Pat Nicholson .417 Chris Ferro .395 Nick Cortese .354 Tony Deshler .345 Zach Malis .310 Eric Rosenberg .286 Dominic Schwartz .275

Player AVG Marianne Specker .367 Brittany Grimm .366 Melissa Nolan .348 Courtney Kelley .311 Samantha Gajewski .297 Maxie Hirschler .293 Lauren Porcaro .286

Baseball (earned run average)

Softball (runs scored)

Colin Markel ’14 leads the team with a 3.00 ERA this season.

Brittany Grimm ’12 leads the team with 17 runs scored this season.

Player ERA Colin Markel 3.00 John McGrath 3.08 Brian Ing 3.86 Pat Nicholson 4.05 Mike Swerdloff 4.28 Stefan Weiss 4.70

Player Runs Brittany Grimm 17 Carly Schmand 16 Lauren Porcaro 15 Maxie Hirschler 12 Samantha Gajewski 10 Courtney Kelley 10

UPCOMING GAMES TO WATCH Baseball doubleheader vs UMass Dartmouth The baseball team hosts UMass Dartmouth for two games on Sunday afternoon. The baseball team will play six games over the next 6 days, finishing off a busy week with a doubleheader against the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth on Sunday on Stein Diamond at Brandeis. The Judges defeated the Corsairs during the teams’ only meeting last

season, winning 11-6 in a game that was shortened to five innings due to rain. John McGrath ’11 pitched a complete game to earn the win for the Judges. UMass Dartmouth is 6-8 on the season but has struggled as of late, losing seven of their last eight games.

For the 2010 to 2011 season, justSports has been given a press pass to attend Boston Bruins home games. We will cover these games periodically throughout the year. Bruins right wing Michael Ryder entered last Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Thrashers having not scored a goal in his last 12 games. However, Ryder broke his scoreless streak with a successful penalty shot with 7 minutes, 29 seconds remaining in the third period to give the Bruins a 3-2 win and a division crown. “I knew if I could score, it would get the team going,” Ryder said. “We have a few games left, and we’re hoping we can move up even further.” The win allowed the Bruins—who lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in a shoot-out last Thursday and defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-0 last Tuesday to clinch the Northeast Division title. With the win over the Thrashers, the Bruins are now 44-23-11 and can finish no worse than the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. “[The division is] what a lot of teams battle for,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “I’m just glad that’s out of the way. We’ve got to keep winning games and see where we end up.” Ryder was awarded a penalty shot after being tripped by Thrashers defenseman Johnny Oduya while he was on a breakaway. Ryder put the penalty above Thrashers goalie Ondrej Pavelec’s left shoulder, giving Ryder his 18th goal of the season and the Bruins a one-goal advantage they would keep for the rest of the game. “It’s nice to see him score that goal,” Julien said. “It’s a step in the right direction. When he starts getting his confidence out there and allowing things to happen and not thinking about things, he’s going to be a good player again.” The Bruins were on the attack from the start of the game and struck first when right wing Mark Recchi scored 4:34 into the game. Bruins center Brad Marchand backhanded the puck past Pavelec, leaving Recchi an open net to score on. However, with 8:49 left in the first period, the Thrashers answered back to tie the game with a power-play goal from Thrashers defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, who scored after Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask could not secure a slap shot by Atlanta defender Zach Bogosian. The Thrashers took a 2-1 lead 1:37 into the start of the second period on a goal from left wing Evander Kane. Bruins left wing Milan Lucic blocked a shot, which also caused Rask to go down to the ice to save the shot. The puck rebounded right in front of the net, where Kane was able to get it past the reach of Rask for his 19th goal of the season. Bruins defenseman Daniel Paille drew Boston level just minutes later on a shorthanded goal, and the game remained tied until Ryder’s goal clinched the win for the Bruins. Prior to the game, Marchand was awarded the Seventh Player Award, which is voted on by Bruins fans on NESN.com to the player who best exceeds expectations. Marchand, a rookie who has 21 goals and 20 assists, will receive $5,000 to donate to the charity of his choice. “It was a question mark if I was even going to be on the team this year,’’ Marchand said. “It’s an honor to win that award; it’s special.’’ Against the Maple Leafs last Thursday, the Bruins lost 4-3 in shoot-outs. At 7:06 in the first period, Leafs defenseman Luke Schenn crossed a pass through the middle of the crease. Bruins defenseman Tomas Kaberle sprinted to the puck in a bid to break up the pass, but instead he deflected it into his own net. Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas’ shutout was snapped at 122 minutes. In the second period, the Bruins got off to a hot start, scoring on a shorthanded goal. Marchand stole a lazy Toronto pass in the neutral zone, broke to the net and deked to his left, causing Leafs goaltender James Reimer to lunge for the puck. Marchand then brought the puck to his right and easily backhanded the puck into the net. One minute later, Lucic moved to the left of the net and passed the puck in front of the net to center David Krejci, who flipped the puck into the right side of the net, giving the Bruins a 2-1 lead. The lead wouldn’t last long though, as Toronto left wing Joffrey Lupul added a shorthanded goal of his own a few minutes later. Just 1:25 later, defenseman Andrew Ference reclaimed the lead for Boston. At 7:53 in the third, Lupul snapped the puck past Thomas to tie the game at 3-3, precipitating overtime. During overtime, a controversial penalty shot was awarded to the Maple Leafs, but center Mikhail Grabovski was denied at the low right side of the net by Thomas. Thomas’ save prompted loud chants of “U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A..” Neither team converted on multiple opportunities. This lead to shoot-outs, which the Leafs handled without much drama. To open up the week, the Bruins squared off against the defending-champion Blackhawks. Due to flawless goaltending by Thomas and an offense outburst in the last two periods, Boston blanked the Blackhawks 3-0. “We played well and brought our best,” Thomas said. “Our players were in the right places position-wide, and we battled through until we were able to break out [with the goals].” The first period, a defensive battle, ended in a 0-0 stalemate. The goalies for both teams were impenetrable in the crease, especially Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford, who saved 12 Bruins shots. At the start of the second period, Bruins left wing Shawn Thornton took a skate to the face, causing a massive gash that required more than 40 stitches. The scene caused several fights in the next few minutes and seemed to wake up the Bruins. Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara finally broke through at 12:02 in the period with a slicing goal—his 14th of the season lead. Centers Patrice Bergeron and Marchand came up with the assists. Defenseman Johnny Boychuk soon followed with a well-placed shot past Crawford, increasing Boston’s lead to 2-0. Lucic and Recchi each earned assists. With the assist, Recchi earned his 1532nd point, passing defenseman Paul Coffey for the 12th-most points all time. The Bruins’ offensive onslaught continued into the third period. At 5:20, right wing Nathan Horton tapped in the puck past Crawford’s weak side. Paille and center Gregory Campbell each came up with the assists. The Bruins’ next game takes place tomorrow night at home against the New York Islanders. They will then face the Ottawa Senators Saturday night in Boston and will conclude the regular season Sunday on the road against the New Jersey Devils. —Josh Asen, Jonathan Epstein and Adam Rabinowitz

just

Sports

Page 16

HOOPS FOR A CAUSE

The annual Hoops for Haiti fundraiser was held yesterday, benefitting charities from Japan and Haiti, p. 13.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Waltham, Mass.

swimming

Varsity Swimming and Diving to return ■ With the Linsey Pool

being renovated, the varsity swimming team will return for the 2012-2013 season. By jeffrey boxer JUSTICE editor

As part of the announcement that the Linsey pool will be opened in time for the spring 2012 semester, the University announced in a March 31 BrandeisNOW press release that it will be reinstating the varsity swimming and diving team in time for the 2012-2013 season.

“We’re thrilled, we couldn’t be happier,” Director of Athletics Sheryl Sousa ’90 said. “I knew that the pool would reopen, I knew we’d have swimming again. I’m pleasantly surprised by how quickly this happened. So to do this project next year and to get the team the year after, I think it’s great, and we’re all really excited.” Current Co-president of the Swimming and Diving Club and former varsity swimmer Aaron Bennett ’11 said he was shocked when he read the March 31 e-mail from Student Union President Daniel Acheampong ’11 to the student body. “[I was] surprised and excited,” he

said in an interview with the Justice. “We’d been waiting a long time for this, and to finally have it come without any warning was a good e-mail to wake up to.” Both the varsity swimming and varsity golf teams were cut after the 2009-2010 season. However, according to a Sept. 1, 2009 Justice article, golf was cut for budgetary reasons, while the swimming team was dropped for logistical reasons due to the difficulty of running a program without a functioning pool. “If the pool were still operating in a proper way, we would not be looking to suspend our swimming pro-

SOFTBALL

continued its hot streak by going 3-1 in two doubleheaders last week. By jacob lurie JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Last Thursday, the softball team handily defeated Lasell College in a doubleheader. Brandeis cruised to a 9-0 victory in the first game and held on to win 9-6 in the second. Brandeis’ record on the season is now 11-12 after the team split a doubleheader against Wellesley College last Wednesday. In the top of the fourth inning of its first game against Lasell, Brandeis scored six runs on seven hits, including five doubles, to pull away from the Lasers. Shortstop Brittany

they did as far as championing for the program. They did an excellent job of communicating how important it was to them that they were varsity swimmers, and that was a part in what made this happen. So they played a big role in getting the pool back and getting the program back. So hopefully, though they won’t benefit, they’ll feel good knowing that there will be swimming here again.” Former varsity swimmer and current Treasurer of the Brandeis Swimming Club Marc Eder ’12 said that, while he was thrilled that the swim team was returning, he and

See SWIMMING, 14 ☛

IN MOTION

Softball wins twice against Lasell, splits two versus Wellesley ■ The softball team

gram,” Sousa said in the article. Sousa said that the return of the varsity swimming and diving team does not mean that the University has plans to reinstate the varsity golf program. Sousa also said that she felt badly for current athletes who will have lost two seasons of varsity swimming, especially for upperclassmen who will miss their final seasons. “Obviously, the students who are here now, I feel really badly that they had to experience all of this, and that they were the ones who have suffered the most from this,” she said. “I wish none of it happened, but hopefully they will focus on the good work that

Grimm ’12, outfielder Samantha Gajewski ’12 and first baseman Courtney Kelley ’11 all doubled to start the inning. After third baseman Danielle Lavallee ’11 walked, outfielder Lauren Porcaro ’12 doubled to center field and drove in two more runs. Marianne Specker ’12 hit a fifth double for Brandeis later in the inning, and outfielder Carly Schmand finished off the inning with a single to drive in Specker. Brandeis added even more insurance in the sixth inning. With one out, Specker and Schmand both singled. Leah McWilliams ’14 pinch ran for Specker and was driven home by a Grimm single. Gajewski then doubled down the right field line, bringing home Schmand. Gajewski scored later in the inning on a passed ball, and with the Lasell bats unable

See SOFTBALL, 14 ☛

ALUMNI BRIEF

Eleena Zhelezov ’95 inducted into the Division III Hall of Fame Eleena Zhelezov ’95, a Brandeis track and field alumna, was selected by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association to be inducted into the Division III Athlete Hall of Fame. Zhelezov, one of the most successful athletes in Brandeis history, was a nine-time national champion, including eight times in the triple jump. Mark Reytblat, the assistant track and field coach at Brandeis who coached Zhelezov, said that it was only a question of when, not if, Zhelezov would be inducted. “I was pleased because she is just the best,” he said. “She was a fantastic athlete and it was definitely deserving. She would have made it eventually, it was just a matter of time.” Zhelezov is one of just two athletes in NCAA track and field history, male or female and in any division, to sweep an event in both indoors and outdoors 4 years in a row, winning the triple jump eight times between 1992 and 1995. She also won the national long jump crown as a first-year during the

indoor season. During her senior season, Zhelezov was named the NCAA Division III Athlete of the Year and was also the Eastern College Athletic Conference Robbins Scholar-Athlete for that year. She was a 15-time All-American, 14-time University Athletic Association Champion and 13-time New England Division III champion. Reytblat said that in addition to being a phenomenal athlete, Zhelezov was a hard worker and a great teammate. “She was a really nice person to deal with and she was a great member of the team,” he said. “She would do anything to help the team, and she was always on time to practice and always worked hard.” Zhelezov and the other members of the 2011 class will be inducted during a ceremony at the Division III Outdoor Championships this year, which will take place May 25 in Delaware, Ohio. Zhelezov could not be reached by press time. —Jeffrey Boxer

ALEX MARGOLIS/the Justice

SOUTHPAW: Brandeis lefthander Mike Swerdloff ’13 fires a pitch during the team’s first of two victories against WPI last Sunday.

Judges bounce back, move above .500 with three wins

■ The baseball team picked

up three more home victories last week, finishing with an improved 13-10 record. By ADAM RABINOWITZ JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The baseball team looked sharp as it continued its homestand last week, winning all three of its games to improve to 13-10 on the season. Brandeis easily defeated Suffolk University and then proceeded to score 19 runs en route to sweeping a doubleheader

against Worcester Polytechnic Institute last Sunday afternoon. Rookie shortstop Dominic Schwartz ’14 was proud of the team’s effort. “We’re getting much better and that shows based on our wins this week,” he said. In the second game against WPI, the Judges were able to hold on for an 8-7 win after a furious comeback by WPI in the ninth inning. Pitcher Michael Swerdloff ’13 turned in a dominant performance for his second win of the season, giving up two runs over six innings while striking out a season-high 11 batters. Brandeis scattered eight runs

throughout the game, beginning with back-to-back RBI doubles from catcher Chris Ferro ’12 and first baseman Eric Rosenberg ’11 in the first inning. Following a sacrifice fly in the second inning, Sean O’Hare ’12 and Brian Ing ’14 contributed consecutive RBI singles in the third inning to stretch the lead to 5-0. In the sixth inning, Brandeis continued its offensive outburst, with an RBI triple from outfielder Tony Deshler ’11 and then a final RBI single from outfielder Nick Cortese ’13. With an 8-2 lead in the seventh inning and star pitcher Pat Nicholson

See BASEBALL, 14 ☛

just

ARTS

April 5, 2011

Free Play senior paints â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Portraits of Madnessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; p. 23 Photo and design: Asher Krell/the Justice.

TUESDAY, april 5, 2011 ● THE JUSTICE

POP CULTURE

INSIDE ON CAMPUS

19-21

■ ‘Crips and Bloods’

A film depicting the birth and rise of the two most notorious gangs in the United States screened last Tuesday.

■ VOCAL charity performance 19

Members of the Brandeis slam poetry team presented their work to raise money for Waltham schools’ creative writing programs.

■ Adagio Springfest

■ HTP presents ‘Othello’

■ ‘Prometheus in the Flesh’

The Adagio Dance Company performed fiery different dance styles at its Annual Spring Showcase last Thursday and Saturday. The tale of betrayal and jealousy was reimagined in a futuristic style complete with mechanically advanced humans.

Jason Simon-Bierenebaum ’11 wrote 10 original monologues discussing Greek mythology from the view of one of its most famous characters, Prometheus.

■ Peacebuilding and the Arts 22 Participants in the seminar discussed ways art can aid in resolving conflicts.

■ ‘Spring Awakening’

■ ‘Portraits of Madness’

The play, about teenagers coming to terms with their emerging sexual identities, took place in Schwartz Auditorium.

Various depictions of insanity throughout theater history were staged as Lily NagyDeak’s ’11 senior thesis.

CALENDAR

Interview

‘Forum’ premieres on Thursday

by Shelly Shore

This week, Natalie Portman’s Black Swan body double Sarah Lane spoke out to E! Online, proclaiming that Portman had done far less of the film’s dancing than director Darren Aronofsky let on. According to E!, Lane blames her own naïveté for the lack of credit she received for her work. “It was all my fault really because I didn’t have a manager,” Lane, a professional ballet dancer who was used for the more complex dancing sequences in Black Swan, told E! Online. “I thought they would kind of take care of me because they were really encouraging and really sweet and always saying how amazing I was. They were kind of rooting for me when I would have to do shots that were really hard and almost impossible even for a professional ballet dancer.” Fox Searchlight and Aronofsky have denied Lane’s suggestions that she was exploited, claiming that Portman herself performed 90 percent of the dancing on film. Lane’s accusations are still spiking controversy around the internet—mostly about how much credit a stuntwoman or body double should receive for her work on a film. As always, no online community was more up in arms than my favorite hangout, LiveJournal blog OhNoTheyDidn’t. “Bitter much?” One user wrote, “She needs to get over the fact that she wasn’t the star of the movie.” Another user ranted, “We know Natalie had a stunt double, why should that double get credit for doing her job?” “Most other stunt doubles in other movies do way more complicated things than some of the dancing in this movie and you don’t see them crying and making a big deal out of it. How annoying.” Some bloggers, however, took Lane’s side. “I think her point is that most of the prase

 JustArts exchanged emails with director Lizzy Benway ’14 and producer Patrick Mullen ’11 of ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.’

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

DANCING DIVA: Sarah Lane wants credit for performing the most difficult moves in ‘Black Swan.’

[sic] that Natalie is getting for the movie is for the fact that she learned to dance so well in only a year. Which is untrue.” The poster, Modern Toilet (I don’t make these usernames up, I promise) makes a decent point. We don’t watch Indiana Jones and think, “Wow, Harrison Ford, you should get an Oscar for that jump out of a helicopter!” On the flip side, however, one could argue that Natalie got more praise for making herself look like a ballerina, not dancing like one. What do you think, Brandeis pop culture lovers? Should stunt and body doubles get a little more credit for doing the heavy lifting?

What’s happening in Arts on and off campus

ON-CAMPUS EVENTS Japan relief event

Katsumi Yanagimoto, a Japanese calligraphy and theater expert, demonstrates kyogen, or comic theater. Food from Baan Thai will be served afterward. All proceeds benefit the American Red Cross relief effort in Japan. Tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the Mandel Center for the Humanities Atrium. $3 at the door, donations encouraged.

‘Back to the Future’ laser tag

Student Events creates a laser tag obstacle course inside the Levin Ballroom as part of Bronstein Week. Equipment will be provided. Tomorrow at 6 p.m. in the Levin Ballroom. Free admission.

Sexual Violence Film Festival

Hillel and the Women’s and Gender Studies Department presents a series of films and TV shows about sexual violence throughout history. The festival begins with a screening of REDLIGHT, a documentary about Cambodian child prostitutes, and continues Wednesday with a screening of Xena: Warrior Princess. Tuesday and Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Pearlman Lounge. Free admission.

“GOLEM AND DYBBUK: New Works”

Multimedia artist Jessica Riva Cooper introduces her latest project, a site-specific drawing and ceremics installation that focusses on Jewish mythology from a femininst point of view. The artist will give a talk at the show’s opening. Thursday at 12:30 p.m. in the Kniznick Gallery of the Women’s Studies Research Center. Free admission.

‘Freedom Riders’ documentary screening

The American Studies program presents a screening of Freedom Riders, which is about civil rights activists who fought against Jim Crow laws in the early 1960s. A question-andanswer session will follow after the film. Thursday at 7 p.m. in Lown 002. Free admission.

‘Bordertown’ screening

Brandeis Democrats and Girl Effect co-sponsor a screening of this affecting documentary about the murders and rapes of Mexican women that are covered up at the behest of American corporations. There will be a discussion after the viewing, and Mexican food will be provided. Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Mandel Center for the Humanities auditorium. Free admission.

’70s drive-in Movie

Kick back and watch Cameron Crowe’s teenage classic Dazed and Confused outside. Thursday at 8 p.m. on the Great Lawn. Free admission. The first 50 viewers will recieve a complementary Bronstein blanket.

HTG presents ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’

This comedic musical featuring songs by Stephen Sondheim takes place in ancient

AHSER KRELL/the Justice

X-CEPTIONAL: A group of dancers perfoms at Culture X 2010. The show gives students, both individually and in groups, a change to share their native cultures with others through various forms of art. Rome. Thursday at 10 p.m., Saturday at 9 p.m., Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. $3 for students and faculty, $5 for others.

Jewish and Israeli music, as well as a mystery to solve. Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Foster Wing of the Rose Art Museum. Free admission.

’80s block party

Top Score semester concert

Eat barbeque food and ice cream (with Kosher options), play on a bouncy castle, listen to music and and watch a breakdance performance by YAK. Friday at 2 p.m. on the Great Lawn. Free admission.

Brandeis’ only student-run orchestra plays a variety of tunes from TV shows, movies, Broadway and popular music. Monday at 8 p.m. in Schwartz Hall. Free admission, refreshments provided.

South by South Brandeis

OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS

Punk, Rock N’ Roll Club, WBRS and BTV present Das Racist, Autre Ne Veut, Oberhofer and Velvet Davenport over two nights this week. Friday and Saturday at 9 p.m. in Cholmondeley’s. Free admission.

Culture X 2011: Up, Up and Away!

This annual show features individuals and groups expressing their cultural diversity through their art. The show includes dance, poetry, music and other performance pieces. Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Levin Ballroom. Free admission.

MusicFest

Brandeis’ music ensembles, including the University Chorus and Chamber Choir, Early Music Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Improv Collective and Jazz Band will participate in this marathon event. There will be on-campus previews leading up to the event. Sunday at noon in the Slosberg Recital Hall. Free admission.

Manginah’s whodunit? mystery

The Jewish a cappella group will present its 17th annual spring concert. The event features

KT Tunstall

The Scottish singer-songwriter of such hits as “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” and “Suddenly I See” performs songs from her upcoming album. Saturday at 8 p.m. Advance box office tickets are $25 and up. Paradise Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Ave., Boston.

Boston Ballet’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

The Shakespearean work is the basis for this ethereal and beautiful ballet, choreographed by George Balanchine. Thursday through April 17 at the Boston Ballet, 19 Clarendon St., Boston. Showtimes and ticket prices vary.

New Repertory Theatre ‘The Last Five Years’

Jason Robert’s award-winning musical follows a young couple’s 5-year relationship and the troubles they face from its inception. Brandeis Ensemble Theater put on this moving show at the beginning of March as part of Julie Stein’s ’11 senior thesis project. Through April 17 at the New Repertory Theatre’s Black Box Theater, Arsenal Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown, Mass. Showtimes and ticket prices vary.

The Tony-award winning show A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum premeried on Broadway in 1962. World-famous composer Stephen Sondheim wrote the musical’s songs, while Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart wrote the book. The plot was inspired by the farcical works of the Roman playwright Plautus. The lead character, Pseudolus, is a slave who attempts to woo a woman for his master in return for his freedom. JustArts: Why did you choose this show to put on? What is unique/cool about A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum? Lizzy Benway: As of this semester, the Hillel Theater Group has implemented a new proposal system to select the show season. This proposal system allows club members to submit possible shows without necessarily being attached to the production team. HTG club members then come together to vote on the titles proposed for the semester. This is how Forum was chosen. After being asked if I was interested in directing, I applied and interviewed for the position of director for Forum and was accepted. Forum is unique because it combines a wide variety of comedic talent and characters to produce the ultimate comedy that has “something for everyone.” JA: Have you seen a production of Forum before? How are you making it your own? LB: I, unfortunately, have not seen Forum before, but as a director I’m glad I haven’t. By having never seen Forum, I have a fresh perspective on things, so the image of the show is my own rather than that of another director. Patrick Mullen: I had never seen the show before joining this production staff. I watched the movie version recently with [actor] Zero Mostel and it was really fun to see, but the film cut out a lot of the musical numbers, which I think are some of the highest points of the show. [Benway] mentioned that she specifically asked the cast not to watch the movie so that it wouldn’t affect the way they play their characters, which I think is a great idea. I’m really excited to see David Frederick’s ’11 interpretation of Mostel’s role. I haven’t been at as many rehearsals as the rest of our production staff, but what I have seen has been hilarious. JA:What has been the best part about working on this show? LB: How do I pick one part? Everything about this show is wonderful: It makes me laugh, the people are wonderful and enthusiastic, and I am always looking forward to our rehearsals! In all seriousness, I think the best part about working on this show is the great deal that I’ve learned from everyone who is a part of this production, and, whether they know it or not, I’m truly grateful to everyone who has worked on this show. PM: The best part of working on this show has definitely been working with the cast, crew and designers. It’s a great group of people and they’ve made it a lot of fun. People come up with the strangest games during late night rehearsals and meetings ... We had our Coffeehouse last week and every group that performed had members involved in Forum somehow. A cappella, dancing, improv comedy, everyone is involved in a lot of other things in addition to Forum and it made the Coffeehouse a very energetic night. JA:What are you most excited for the audience to see/experience at Forum? LB: The reason I enjoy Forum is because it ultimately makes me laugh. I’m just hoping that the audience will have the same appreciation for its humor and enjoy it just as much as I have. JA: Have you directed/produced previously? How has that experience helped you to create this show? LB: I have directed previously, but my experience comes from dramatic plays rather than comedic musicals. I have learned that dramatic pieces are founded in the interactions on stage, the relationships and emotions shared between characters whereas comedic pieces extend beyond the stage, especially in Forum. The interactions between the characters and the audience are just as important as the interactions between characters. PM: I had never produced before Forum or even worked on any kind of production staff for a show this large. It has been a huge learning experience. My Co-producer Viktoria [Lange ’13] has been extremely helpful and we’ve both been able to lean on each other at times to get things done. But we’ve also gotten a lot of great advice from some of our theater friends. Herbie Rosen ’12, who produced RENT and Lonesome West this semester, has been an amazing help with that. JA: Where are you right now in the rehearsal process? LB: Currently we’re in a really great place in the rehearsal process. We are in tech week, the final week before the show opens on the 7th of April. The show has really come together and the cast brings more energy each and every day. —Ariel Kay

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, april 5, 2011

ON CAMPUS performance

Poets speak out on young writers’ behalf ■ VOCAL’s annual fundraising

performance raised $460 for JFK Middle School’s creative writing program this year. By fiona lockyer JUSTICE editor

Right now, the members of the Brandeis slam team are on a plane to Michigan and preparing for their competition in the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational. Before they left, however, they took part in Sunday night’s VOCAL Presents..., the proceeds from which helped to maintain the after-school creative writing program at the John F. Kennedy Middle School in Waltham. Joined by headliner freelance poets Joshua Bennet, James Caroline and Caroline Harvey, slam team members Rawda Aljawhary ’13, Usman Hameedi ’12, Jordan Hinahara ’12, Sara Kass Levy ’12 and Ashley Lynette ’13 gathered together to discuss love, race, religion and art using a very specific art form: slam poetry. When asked what characteristics define slam poetry, Levy explained that by performing slam poetry, “You’re putting yourself in a very vulnerable position” relying not only on the words of the poems but the physical aspects of the delivery to convey meaning to the audience, most often through movement and vocal delivery. The emcees of the night, slam team veterans Jason Simon-Bierenbaum ’11 and Rachel Parkin ’11, started off the event with an explanation of the event’s fundraising goal. Following this, Simon-Bierenbaum recited a guest poem. The poets, both on an individual level and as a group, both shared personal moments through their words in addition to their desire to, above all, “take our words and put them into action,” as Parkin noted. Lynette was the first to perform from the slam team. She began with a love poem framed with Candyland-inspired images of “molasses monsters” hiding in “jelly-bean jungles.” Her fast-paced slam style, accented with the staccato syllables of her words, led the audience on a rollercoaster ride through her candy-constructed world, showing off her mastery of imagery. While many of the poets chose to use their arms to define their space and connection with the audience, Hinahara changed the volume of her voice to accentuate her best lines. Her first poem began with a jarring, abrupt start: five pieces of advice she learned from her mother, spoken as if her voice was programmed in caps lock—leading to not only laughter, but to thoughtful contemplation on the nature of a mother as well. After strong performances from Aljawhary and Hameedi (the latter’s line

“I write because I have fallen in love with human perseverance,” garnering snaps of approval from the crowd), Aljawhary, Hinahara and Lynette took the floor together for a unique group poem. The three females, who represented the Muslim, Christian and Jewish religions, used their poetry to extol the virtues and disprove the misconceptions of their religions—their closeness with God, their religious culture and their community and religious dress, for example. Of the slam team performances, however, Levy’s “Cuddlemonster” stood out from the rest. Her poem, describing a mystical creature capable of cheering bad moods and curing illnesses alike, was difficult to listen to, knowing that as soon as her poem ended, so would the existence of the Cuddlemonster. Her descriptions of the Cuddlemonster, from his purple claws to his hiding place beneath the bed, elicited a bittersweet longing for this creature, finding the perfect balance between humor and sentimentality delivered with great ease by Levy. The second half of the evening was dominated by the headlining poets known on the slam-poetry circuit and started off with New York-native Joshua Bennet. His poetry, inspired by his outreach work with children of lowerincome neighborhoods and his own family, expressed humble ideas about life and family, although with less memorable imagery than some of the other poets. He made up for this with the intensity of his delivery, displaying a mastery of both using his physical space and vocal dynamics. James Caroline and Caroline Harvey, the last two poets to perform, are local to the Boston area and have previously toured together. During the last portion of the event, they traded the floor; Caroline read two poems and then Harvey did the same, which balanced the other’s theme and style. Caroline started with two stark and sobering poems. “I’m a little bit of a buzzkill,” he admitted to the audience, walking them through the depression of a breakup, and then, a shiver-inducing dialogue about a boy who had been killed by another boy after asking him on a date. Caroline walked off the stage looking emotionally shaken by the delivery. Harvey followed with two delightfully heartfelt poems of love, the first a lament and a plea for another to open up their heart and share their story with her, the second a visceral explanation of her love for another. For example, she expressed finding solace in the fact that “I pressed my face against your shoulder, and it pressed back,” a startling honest admission of vulnerability with another. Any sort of review of the night would be remiss not to mention the youth present at the event, however. Waltham public school students who

JENNY CHENG/the Justice

PASSIONATE POET: Guest artist Joshua Bennet’s poetry reflects his passion for helping children in low-income neighborhoods. had participated in the after-school creative writing program presented some of their best poetry, ranging from a seventh grader’s envisioning of a couple escaping from Vietnam to a ninth grader’s open complaint against the importance of popularity and instead lauding the importance of education. The performance garnered a standing ovation from members of the audience. Kaytie Dowcett ’99, the teacher at JFK Middle School who has been coordinating the after-school creative writing program, said in an interview with the Justice that she and a teacher from Waltham High School are considering bridging this program to the high school so that students can continue with their poetry. “When I get most excited is when kids who are not necessarily the most successful students, not necessarily excited about their classroom environment, somehow find a point of access here,” Dowcett said. At the end of the night, the event raised $460 for the after-school program.

JENNY CHENG/the Justice

LOVE SONGS: Caroline Harvey, a local slam poet, gave honest accounts of past loves.

film

Student groups foster discussion through documentary ■ After viewing a film on

gang violence, SOAR and SPA led students in a talk about their personal experiences. By sujin shin JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Last Tuesday, the Student Peace Alliance and Students Organized Against Racism held a screening in the Golding Auditorium of Crips and Bloods: Made in America, a documentary by Stacy Peralta about the two rivaling Los Angeles gangs. It is a film that brings to light the gang violence and consequential structural problems that citizens of southern L.A. face every day, which, though very interesting, is not without its problems. Afterward, SPA and SOAR held a discussion with attendees about their thoughts on the documentary. The film begins by explaining how the gangs in L.A. actually started. Born out of the civil rights movement, the gangs we know to-

day as the Crips and the Bloods had predecessors in the ’50s and ’60s. Excluded from other groups like the Boy Scouts of America, black youth were forced to cabal within their own communities to provide a sense of inclusion in an otherwise hostile, anti-black environment. The groups fought among themselves, creating tension that would foreshadow the all-out war between the Bloods and Crips today. Though the film chronologically follows the evolution of the modern gangs of today, it is by no means an extensive look at all the structures of the gang movement. It does not mention the presence of women and their impact on gang society, though Peralta does show that there is some female presence in the gangs. She also neglects to develop the gun culture that is so integral to the gang’s terrorization of L.A. Despite its faults, Crips and Bloods is an in-depth look at the evolution of the modern gangs as well as at the cyclical internal issues that arise because of the pervasiveness of guns, drugs and broken homes in

ROZI LEVI/the Justice

JUST TALK IT OUT: Students discussed the violence they had encountered in the past. the gangs’ communities. After the film, SPA and SOAR members hosted a large group activity, asking members to stand if they agreed with various statements. One such statement was “I was affected or I know someone who was

affected by gang violence.” Nearly everyone stood up. After splitting into discussion groups, it became apparent that these issues aren’t just contained within the sphere of Los Angeles; they are the concerns of people across the nation and

within the Brandeis community as well. The discussions proved this, as attendees passionately debated and commented on the issues brought up in the documentary. One of the final statements in the large group activity was “After seeing this film, I would like to do something to help end this crisis.” Again, nearly everyone stood up. After the event, SPA member Matt Zunitch ’13 commented on why this might have been the case. “The discussion afterward helped people identify what’s wrong, and now they can go searching for ways to fix it,” he explained. “This is a revelation of, ‘Here is the problem.’ Having the discussion and breaking it apart like that, makes it so much easier to fix.” The crux of this event was to bring about awareness of gang issues. SPA member Cecelia Watkins ’11 said, “This is our problem, these are our stories. It’s so key to make that connection. Students at even a privileged university [like Brandeis] also feel these problems. These are human things.”

TUESDAY, april 5, 2011

●

THE JUSTICE

Adagio

electrifies crowds

TALI SMOOKLER/the Justice

MOVING IT: Heather Stoloff ’13, who choreographed a steamy number titled “Hideous and Sexy,” puts her whole body into dancing to Ludo’s “Love Me Dead” at last Thursday’s Adagio performance.

Adagio’s Annual Spring Show heated up the Levin Ballroom By wei-huan chen JUSTICE editor

TALI SMOOKLER/the Justice

FINAL POSE: This impressive piece showcased dancing on tables to Miley Cyrus’ “Can’t Be Tamed.”

TALI SMOOKLER/the Justice

ARTISTIC MOVEMENT: Each Adagio performer put his or her interpretation of the music into the dances.

JANEY ZITOMER/the Justice

BREAKING IT DOWN: Dancers from Adagio showcased their ferocity in this energetic modern number.

Adagio treasurer Taylor Lombard ’13 got it right when she quoted Austrian writer Vicki Baum on the joys of dance. “There are shortcuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them,” Lombard wrote on the Facebook page advertising Adagio’s Annual Spring Show. It was an apt description of the passion that nearly 100 performers displayed at the Levin Ballroom that night. And while the attendees gladly displayed their happiness—with shout-outs and cheers from the crowd, hugs and roses from friends after the show—the dominant emotions exhibited by the performers were less indulgent and primarily derived from hard work. With 15 energetic pieces, the members of Adagio took no shortcuts in putting together, on both Thursday and Sunday, the most popular dance performance of the semester. More than anything else, the Annual Spring Show was a celebration of the Adagio community. This was shown in the first piece, “Circle of Life,” which was choreographed by Adagio Co-president Julie Judson ’11. Nearly 70 dancers filled the stage and aisles of Levin while Jordan Warsoff ’11, playing The Lion King’s Simba figure, summoned an orange spotlight on the wall that resembled a sun. When all the dancers raised their hands in unison, the effect was powerful and dramatic. The emcee for the night, an animated Marc Eder ’12, moved things along to introduce modern and jazz offerings like the colorful “Bass Down Low,” choreographed by Emily Zoller ’14; and “Who Do You Think You Are,” choreographed by Lombard. The latter piece featured the scorned expressions of its dancers interpreting singer Christina Perri’s “Jar of Hearts,” which concluded with Camille Dolfen ’12 defiantly shoving off another dancer’s arms and jumping off the middle of the stage—a stunning ending. Adagio Co-president Greg Storella’s ’11 “Foley Room” presented abstract interpretations of the drum and bass of Brazilian musician Amon Tobin in what must have been an artistically and physically challenging piece for the dancers—each, however, moved along to the zips and zoops of the music with the individualistic confidence of a violin maestro following his conductor. One of my favorites of the night was choreographer Sam Cortez’s ’13 “Smooth,” a humorous all-male dance that starred the jaw-dropping, hip-hop skills of Shaquan Per-

kins ’13 and an adorable, charismatic Rocky Reichman ’13 dancing to Justin Bieber’s “Baby.” Even without the technical caliber of the modern dances, the dancers’ attitude and vigor made the performance a blast. The most imaginative piece of the night was Storella’s “Conversations about Dance,” during which instead of music, dancers moved along to their own sound bites about dance. “It takes all my stress away,” a contemplative Melanie Shapiro ’12 said as part of the prerecorded dialogue that played over the sound system as Shapiro herself spun these words into movement. There were exceptional bits of discourse by all dancers here: “‘I didn’t think of myself as a dancer at first.’ … ‘It’s how I met my best friend.’ … ‘I’m so much happier because of it.’ … ‘Who am I if not a dancer?’ … ‘If you choose to dance, you have to do it for nobody but yourself.’” The sentiment expressed in that last sentence is something, I think, most students deeply involved in extracurricular activities at Brandeis understand. When barely keeping up with the constant flurry of midterms and papers, it’s not unusual for a student club leader to ask if the hours spent organizing this performance or event a worthy sacrifice. For Dance Ensemble Coordinator Danielle Gurr ’11, involvement with Adagio has been a privilege. “Adagio has allowed me to push my boundaries, try new things, work hard at something I love and take the support I was given and give it to others,” she said. “Its been amazing.” Judson, also a graduating senior, spoke about how Adagio was an opportunity to grow, make lasting friendships, appreciate her body and understand the creative process of dance. The Annual Spring Show was the final stage of an experience that “has given [her] more than [she] ever expected it would.” Something Judson will always remember about Adagio after she graduates is the visceral feeling of “standing at the edge of the stage and looking out at the people who are watching and supporting us,” she said. “I will miss all of it, but with the wonderful feeling that I know I experienced it from the top of my head to the tips of my toes, and with my heart and soul.” It was precisely this packaging of physical and emotional feeling that made for such a successful show. Editor’s note: Rocky Reichman ’13 is a Features staff writer for the Justice.

HILARY HEYISON/the Justice

SAY CHEESE: Julie Judson ’11, co-president of Adagio, smiles confidently during an energetic dance.

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011

THEATER

Senior breathes life into ‘Prometheus’ ■ Jason Simon-Bierenbaum

’11 explored the many sides of the myth of Prometheus in his one-man show on Friday. By EMILY SALLOWAY JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

According to Greek mythology, Prometheus created humans and tried to help them to survive in a world in which they were illequipped. The most prominent version of the legend involves Prometheus’ attempt to educate his creations by stealing fire from Zeus and giving it to them for protection. In the story, he was punished by Zeus for this crime and chained to a rock for eternity, where birds would come and eat his liver every day only to have it grow back and be eaten again. In a moment that exemplified the magical possibilities of the theater, Jason Simon-Bierenbaum ’11, his eyes ablaze with the reflection of his fiery staff—carefully crafted out of a lamp stand and tissue paper—said, “I believe Prometheus did not give the world fire. He showed the world we’ve always been burning and it’s time we do something about it.” After these wise words of SimonBierenbaum during the concluding monologue of his senior thesis performance, Prometheus in the Flesh, the audience simultaneously erupted into applause. Simon-Bierenbaum, who in 45 minutes had portrayed 10 different versions of the demi god Prometheus, finally broke from his character and thanked his friends

JENNY CHENG/the Justice

UNTOUCHABLE BEAUTY: Jason Simon-Bierenbaum ’11 portraying Prometheus the child admires the beauty of the fire’s flames. and professors for supporting him in his endeavor to create the show. And it had been quite an endeavor. Simon-Bierenbaum, in the final lines of the play, confessed to having written and rehearsed the show within only the past week. This explained his use of a script for assistance, and it made the moments he tore his gaze away from the paper and moved crisply across the stage even more impressive. Simon-Bierenbaum, ac-

cording to his program notes, had been “writing a Creative Writing thesis around the theme of the humanity in monsters and the monstrousness within humans” when he decided that he really related to Prometheus and had a lot of questions for him and situations in which he wanted to place him. The one-man show, which took place in the Merrick Theater in the Spingold Theater Center Friday

night, indirectly told about Prometheus, who was, as Simon-Bierenbaum described in his program, “a Titan … brother to Atlas … a champion of mankind, known for his wily intelligence.” Simon-Bierenbaum’s play consisted of nine scenes in which he personified Prometheus the punk, actor, prisoner, comedian, child, poet, scientist, revolutionary, human and, lastly, the day-worker.

Most memorable among these sides of Prometheus was Prometheus the child, in which Simon-Bierenbaum, holding a book filled with tissue-paper fire, exclaimed at its beauty and admitted that he could never dance the way fire does, as he proceeded to stomp and leap across the stage with abandon. But Simon-Bierenbaum was able to change seamlessly into all of the different interpretations of Prometheus—from feigning an interview with Oprah to accepting a Lifetime Achievement award in science. He used these personas to make comments about life’s greater truths; as he portrayed Prometheus the poet, he snuck in a beautiful insight about the symbolism of fire, “We grab onto what we can—breasts, guns, dollars—because the most beautiful things cannot be held.” The simplicity of the stage complemented this feeling of having many characters in one; the only props were a black wooden box, a rusted music stand, a small desk, the book and his fiery staff. He used his entire body to perform—tearing at his clothes, shouting from deep within his diaphragm and running back and forth with his glowing flame. SimonBierenbaum’s words and movements easily filled the space and no other materials were necessary. It was in the last scene that Prometheus and Simon-Bierenbaum merged. In fact, he hypothesized that in each of us there is a Prometheus, trying to make do with what we have been given. “It’s all right to believe in myth,” Simon-Bierenbaum said. “It sustained the Greeks for centuries.”

THEATER

Futuristic ‘Othello’ downplays racial discussion ■ HTP’s actors shined in

Shakespeare’s play, but the premise detracted from the major theme of “the other.” By ARIEL KAY JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Many theater companies and film directors have reinterpreted Shakespeare’s plays—the Bard’s work has been set in many time periods from the 1500s to the modern day and everywhere from Miami to Japan. Jane Becker ’11 and Emily Dunning ’11, the co-directors of Hold Thy Peace and the Brandeis Pluralism Alliance’s production of Othello, decided to follow in this tradition when developing their version of the classic tragedy. They brought the Moor of Venice to a steampunk-inspired future world inhabited by mechanically-enhanced humans. Styling Othello with steampunk elements is quite an original take on the play. Originally coined in the 1980s, the term steampunk refers to a genre of science-fiction literature that portrays the future the way people of the Victorian era would have envisioned it. Steam-powered machinery and futuristic gadgets are mainstays of the genre, and its plots typically include societal breakdowns and the formation of anarchistic or totalitarian governments. Steampunk has also come to include styles of clothing, design and architecture, which often feature leather, brass and wooden elements. The theme of otherness is central to the plot of Othello. The titular character (Jonathon Plesser ’12), a Moor who comes to reside in Venice, is different in physical appearance, religion and heritage from those who surround him. Originally, and still in most productions, Othello is cast as a black man, though the term Moor refers to anyone of Arab descent. However, in HTP’s production, Othello is not black. Instead, he is the only human being residing in a community of cyborgs, or humans who have had mechanical parts implanted into their bodies. Because visuals are so important to the play, it was necessary to clearly demonstrate the characters’ robotic amplifications. Makeup designer Rachel Feldman ’11 and costume designer Marissa Linzi ’11 created each character’s look to correspond

JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

CYBORG SWORDPLAY: Hold Thy Peace’s production of ‘Othello’ depicted the famous Moor as a human in a world of cyborgs Thursday night in Carl J. Shapiro Theater. to his or her profession and status. Higher-class individuals, including Othello’s bride Desdemona (Caitlin Partridge ’13), were painted with decorative headgear. Soldiers and workers, on the other hand, received apparatuses that aided them in their professions, such as jet packs and goggle-like monocles. These physical additions made for a unique look on-stage, and I applaud Feldman and Linzi’s creativity and craftsmanship. However, the visual difference between Plesser and the rest of the cast was not striking enough to truly demonstrate Othello’s otherness. Much of the characters’ makeup was only visible from one side, so if they were facing the opposite direction from the audi-

ence, it wasn’t clear that they were electronically altered. Additionally, a lot of the characters’ mechanical elements were too refined to make a strong visual impact. Iago (Lenny Somervell ’13), the villain of the play, had only a few small circles painted on one cheek to signify his non-human status. Because race is so central to the plot of Othello, the physical differences between the Venetians and Othello should have been more apparent to stress this point. Despite these issues, the play was put together well and entertaining overall. Partridge and Somervell, in particular, acted quite well, playing their characters’ expressions of tenderness and deceit, respectively,

with intense sincerity. Though the play is titled Othello, it is Iago who serves as the audience’s guide, sharing his plot to drive Othello mad with jealousy and narrating the events of the play through multiple long monologues. There was no mention of the reversed-gender casting in the play itself, and after the initial scene it was generally possible to forget that a woman was playing Iago, though at times it proved somewhat distracting. In past productions, Hold Thy Peace has presented Shakespeare’s works with new and alternative interpretations. In this instance, they chose to portray a “different kind of otherness” than race, according to Becker in a talkback after the perfor-

mance. Producer Kiernan Bagge ’12 added, “Today, if there is someone who is an other, they can be admired for a skill or talent. But if they ever mess up, they can be very quickly turned on [by the majority].” Such is the plot of Othello. Becker said that she has been met with negative comments about portraying Othello as anything other than black. I have to say that, ultimately, I agree with these criticisms. Though Plesser did a fine job in the role, the play didn’t have as much resonance with me as a traditional production would have. I didn’t care about discrimination against cyborgs. I care about racial tensions that exist, not in a mythical world of the future, but in our own today.

TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011

●

THE JUSTICE

EVENTS

Program works with art to create peace ■ The Peacebuilding and

the Arts Program organized a seminar to address art’s ability to solve problems in the international community. By OLIVIA LEITER JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The artist does not have to produce his work in isolation; instead of being confined to the walls of his studio, the artist can place his work in a more global, social context. Students and community development professionals came together from April 1 to April 3 to discuss the role of art in a global context and how it can raise questions about conflict for the Peacebuilding and the Arts Program’s first-ever weekend intensive. The program is directed by Cynthia Cohen, who works at the International Center for Ethics. The Peacebuilding and the Arts program is one of the Center’s three main programs. The Center’s publication, Ethics Central, stated that the goal of the Peacebuilding and the Arts Program is to “explore the nature of the moral imagination and how the arts can be mobilized in support of non-violent resistance, to strengthen understanding across differences, and to facilitate reconciliation after mass violence.” On Saturday, Brandeis students, faculty and staff gathered around a table at the Abraham Shapiro Academic Complex while Polly Walker and Cohen facilitated discussion about the core values and concepts of arts and peacebuilding. Participants watched a slide show which centered on the moral imagination, or the capacity required for conflict resolution. Participants then broke up into small groups and discussed the four main aspects of the moral imagination: the centrality of relationships and acknowledgement of interdependence, the practice of paradoxical curiosity, space for the creative act and the willingness to take risks. One woman talked about her experiences with this last aspect when she courageously traveled to Northern Ireland for a peacemaking workshop. Many people there feared the world of academia, think-

DAVID YUN/the Justice

CREATIVE SOLUTIONS: Artists and students come together to discuss how art can effect change after incidents of violence by looking at the four types of moral imagination. ing that academics merely pose solutions for peacebuilding but fail to see the change through. Similarly, one student talked about her risktaking in theater. In class, her theater professor explained to students that the actor should take in a deep breath right before he is about to say his lines. Then, right before the actor is about to exhale, he should imagine that he is being pushed out onto the stage. While it is usually the audience members who watch a show in anticipation, the professor’s point is that both the actor and the audience should feel a sense of apprehension during the show, as this will

strengthen the connection between the artist and the spectator. This is a small-scale example of the risktaking that is needed to resolve an international conflict. This segment of the program introduced the basic concepts of peacemaking and the informal, personal setup allowed participants to engage in discussion comfortably. After this group work, participants were able to ask questions about the slide show and voice their concerns. This led to a discussion about impartiality and whether one’s personal moral judgments should play a role in peacemaking. Usually one is not supposed to share

personal experiences when mediating a conflict—one should remain objective. Yet participants came to the conclusion that it is unnatural to not have moral judgments. In fact, sharing one’s personal stories can be powerful, and it is important that one stands by what one believes is right. Ultimately, this led to further discussion about the role that respect plays in conflict mediation. Participants decided that respect is crucial whether one remains subjective or objective. There is a need for respect whenever one is their sharing experiences, as this opens up space for narrative complexity.

Join the Arts section of

More activities took place during the weekend intensive, including a visit to the Rose Art Museum and a closing ritual. Participants also watched Acting Together, a documentary project that began in 2005 as a partnership between Brandeis and Theater Without Borders. The documentary focuses on the peacebuilding work done in 15 different conflict regions. Overall, there was something powerful and inspiring about the entire event. People of different ages and backgrounds were able to come together and talk about peacebuilding freely in a respectful, tolerant environment.

Justice!

the

Write reviews for theater, movies, dance and music. Contact Wei-Huan Chen at arts@thejustice.org for more information. AMY BISAILLON/the Justice

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, april 5, 2011

theater

Free Play ‘awakens’ adolescent feelings ■ The ‘Spring Awakening’

show addressed the topics of sexuality and loss on Saturday in the Schwartz Auditorium. By sujin shin JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Spring Awakening is a show that is wrapped in a straitjacket of controversy. Written by Frank Wedekind at the turn of the 20th century, it covers subjects that theatergoers of a prim and uptight 1890s Germany would have found heinously shocking. These subjects range from abortion, rape and suicide to sexual abuse, homosexuality and masturbation. Even more abhorrent to such a conservative audience would have been the fact that actors playing 14-year-old children perform all these behaviors on stage. Last Saturday, the Free Play Theater Cooperative presented their take on this seminal coming-of-age story at the Schwartz Auditorium. The story centers on the lives and sexual evolution of three 14-yearolds, Melchior Gabor (Yoni Bronstein ’13), Moritz Stiefel (Dave Benger ’14) and Wendla Bergmann (Corrie Legge ’14). Melchior is atheistic, philosophical, intelligent and knowledgeable about sexual intercourse and reproduction, whereas his best friend Moritz is none of these. Moritz complains about sexual dreams that are hindering his already close-to-disastrous school performance. His ignorance of his sexual awakenings prompts Melchior to write him an essay explaining sexual processes—complete with illustrations. Meanwhile, Wendla attempts to get her mother to tell her about where babies come from, but her mother refuses to tell her the truth, which leaves Wendla wondering. Things take a quick turn after the beginning of the show. Wendla and Melchior have an exchange where Wendla taunts Melchior until he beats her savagely with a switch. Meanwhile, a disgraced Moritz fails to bring up his grades and sends Melchior’s mother a letter asking for money to run away. Wendla meets Melchior in a hayloft during a storm and, completely overcome by his desire, Melchior rapes and unknowingly impregnates her. Moritz, receiving a negative reply from Melchior’s mother, goes out into a field and shoots himself. The play becomes a whirlwind of unbelievable events, both disturbing and fascinating at the same time. The story is a difficult one to portray convincingly because of the sensitive subjects, but the actors of Free Play perform them with heart. Legge is a sweet and coy Wendla, un-

ALEX MARGOLIS/the Justice

LOSS OF INNOCENCE: Leads Wendla Bergmann (Corrie Legge ’14) and Melchior Gabor (Yoni Bronstein ’13) share a kiss that starts the play’s sequence of dramatic events. changing in her innocence throughout the play. Bronstein interpreted the role of Melchior with the idea of a pained philosopher driving only in two speeds: matter-of-fact and passionate. Benger is the most versatile actor in the play; his Moritz is naïve, struggling with both his self-worth and fervent religious principles. His soliloquies are subtle yet full of character. All three exuded confidence on the stage, a quality shared by many of the supporting characters. My issues with Spring Awakening lie perhaps a bit outside of what the producers and actors of Free Play can change. The pace of the show felt inconsistent and volatile. Perhaps one can attribute this to the 19th-century German style of playwriting. The show was a constant series of shocking plot twists intermixed with long, spoken treatises on philosophy. Sometimes the air surged

with the energy of the actors’ performance. But at other times, the philosophical monologues created a lull on stage and dragged the show by the toes. It was a didactic and long-winded affair, spanning over 2 hours—a quintessentially 19th-century German piece of philosophy. Though I felt that the script of Spring Awakening was anachronistic and long, the story is one that is relatable to all. It is a journey of sexual flowering, self-discovery and the pain one suffers during the transitional period before adulthood. The Free Play actors portrayed the characters well, understanding the play’s themes in ways that only young players who have recently experienced them can. It is a fascinating and shocking piece of theater; I went for the controversy but stayed for the quality of the acting.

ALEX MARGOLIS/the Justice

UNHAPPILY EVER AFTER: Moritz Stiefel (Dave Benger ’14) regrets his recent choices.

theater

‘Portraits of Madness’ drives audience wild with its breadth ■ With the help of Free Play,

Lily Nagy-Deak ’11 directed a series of scenes depicting insanity on Wednesday night at the Merrick Theater. By elly kalfus JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The ticking of a clock. Moans of pain and ecstasy. Screams and laughter. Enter a world of madness. Lily Nagy-Deak’s ’11 senior thesis, Portraits of Madness, presented by Free Play Theater Cooperative, debuted last Wednesday in the Merrick Theater in the Spingold Theater Center. Focusing on the depiction of madness from the dramas of the ancient Greeks to present-day musical theater, Nagy-Deak chose 12 of the most poignant scenes from 10 different shows spanning this vast time period. Each excerpt, though taken out of its original context, worked well within the show to demonstrate the shift in the portrayal of mental illness on stage over time. Typical of Free Play, the show

was thought-provoking and intense. From the moment viewers stepped inside the theater, they were submerged in a feeling of discomfort and other-worldliness. Center stage, Emily Bunker Peterson ’13 sat perfectly still, confined to a chair and restrained by a straitjacket. Her eyes were covered and she didn’t react to the sounds of the audience entering. This was the setup for the first scene from The Insanity of Mary Girard by Lanie Robertson, in which Peterson played Mary Girard, a woman sent to an insane asylum by her husband. Mary questions whether the voices inside of her head, played beautifully by the entire ensemble, are real or not, and the audience is thrown directly into the conflict. The choreography and sound were particularly amazing, especially in the aforementioned scenes. The choreography by Greg Storella ’11 was key throughout the play, and the actors nailed it, circling Peterson and snapping their heads or arms in the same direction in perfect synchronization. As they tormented Peterson,

it seemed that the entire cast of six people was moving as one cohesive unit, embodying the fear that existed inside of her. The sound, designed by Cynthia Simonoff ’12, was amazing as well, involving a mix of prerecorded, eerie voices that contrasted with Peterson’s live, more human voice. The sound didn’t reach its high point within scenes, but during the transitions between scenes, the ticking of a clock was played in slowly increasing increments, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere. Unlike the usual protocol for scene changes, when the actors abandon their characters in order to make the necessary prop adjustments, in this production, the actors maintained their character motivations even during set changes, with mini-dramas going on in the seconds between scenes when the stage was dimly lit. This stood out because there was no break from the show, no time to sit back and relax or discuss what just happened with a friend. Rather, the action continued throughout, getting increasingly more and more

intense. Another inspired scene was from one of the more familiar shows, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Alex Cadena ’14 shone as the so-called sociopathic, McMurphy, who is forced to sit in on a communal therapy session with fellow patients, played by Aaron Berke ’12, Alia Goldfarb ’13 and Cathy Messier ’13. While Dr. Spivey, played by Aidan Horowitz ’12, and the menacing Nurse Ratched, played by Peterson, made the scene disturbing, the patients brought a note of comic relief to the drama with their blunt dialogue and strange physicality. Although the show was stimulating and intriguing, one of the challenges it faced was covering such a vast span of time (2,417 years) in such a short show. One of the solutions was the costuming, designed by Shana Burstyn ’12, which matched the characters with their time periods to avoid confusion. Even so, the jump from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and King Lear to The Insanity of Mary Girard (1979) and then back in time to The Shrike (1950) was somewhat jarring. Since

most of the scenes dealt with the era from 1950 to 2009, the inclusion of Shakespeare and the Greek Orestes, while significant to the theme, seemed discordant with the rest of the show. Portraits of Madness ended on a note of hope, concluding with two upbeat musical numbers from Next to Normal. A talkback followed, giving audience members the opportunity to ask the performers and production staff questions about the show and the artistic choices that went into it, a smart way to end a show that was so thought-provoking and challenging. The actors and production staff, including lighting designer Elana Friedland ’11, props designer Tess Suchoff ’12 and stage manager Hannah Roth ’14 did a great job of bringing the fantastic concept of the show to life in its execution, leaving the audience pondering the nature of madness as they left the theater and returned to the insanity of their everyday lives. Editor’s Note: Aaron Berke ’12 is an Arts staff writer for the Justice.

TUESday, April 5, 2011 ● THE JUSTICE

TOP of the

ARTS ON VIEW

TRIVIA TIME 1. Who wrote the novel Catch-22? 2. For what crime did country singer Merle Haggard spend time in prison? 3. What was the name of Space Ghost’s chimp in the television cartoons? 4. What country did Haile Selassie rule for more than 30 years? 5. Who is credited with discovering a vaccination against smallpox? 6. What is Luke Skywalker’s relation to Princess Leia in the Star Wars movies? 7. What characteristic is the Whippet dog breed known for? 8. Who were the French Huguenots and why were they persecuted? 9. What is the minimum number of musicians needed to make up a “big band”? Answers 1. Joseph Heller 2. Attempted robbery 3. Blip 4. Ethiopia 5. Edward Jenner 6. Her brother 7. Speed 8. Protestants persecuted in Catholic-dominated France because of their beliefs 9. 10

SHOWTIMES 4/8 – 4/14 Super Fri-Sun: 1:50, 4:35, 7:20, 9:30 Mon-Thurs: 2:50, 5:10, 8:10 Your Highness Fri-Sun: 1:40, 4:25, 7:10, 9:25 Mon-Thurs: 2:40, 5:10, 8:00 The King’s Speech Fri-Sun: 1:00, 6:30 Mon-Thurs: 2:00, 4:50 Cedar Rapids Fri-Sun: 4:15, 9:35 Mon-Thurs: 8:20 Limitless Fri-Sun: 1:20, 3:55, 6:50, 9:15 Mon-Thurs: 2:20, 5:00, 7:40 Hanna Fri-Sun: 1:10, 3:45, 6:40, 9:10 Mon-Thurs: 2:10, 4:50, 7:30 Source Code Fri-Sun: 1:30, 4:05, 7:00, 9:20 Mon-Thurs: 2:30, 5:00, 7:50

The Embassy is located at 18 Pine Street in Waltham

CHARTS Top 10s for the week ending April 3 BOX OFFICE

1. Hop 2. Source Code 3. Insidious 4. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules 5. Limitless 6. The Lincoln Lawyer 7. Sucker Punch 8. Rango 9. Paul 10. Battle: Los Angeles

NYT BESTSELLERS

TALI SMOOKLER/the Justice

DON’T GO CHASING WATERFALLS: Justice Photo Editor Tali Smookler ’13 took this picture on a family trip from the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, showing both the Canadian horseshoe falls and the U.S. falls.

ACROSS 1. Uncomplicated 5. Spring mo. 8. Malay prince 12. Albacore, e.g. 13. Tall tale 14. Unendingly 15. Made into a ball, as paper 17. Appear 18. Crone 19. Succor 20. Dwight’s predecessor 21. Sermon subject 22. Kipling lad 23. Become established 26. Having dents, as a golf ball 30. Mosque VIP 31. Enjoyment 32. Turner of Hollywood 33. In need of ironing 35. Rushmore figure 36. Depressed 37. Foundation 38. Paint ingredient 41. Raw rock 42. Fuss 45. Settled down 46. Trod on 48. Director Preminger 49. Pale 50. Scandinavian city 51. Any day now 52. Antiquated 53. Active one DOWN 1. Engrave 2. Atmosphere 3. Like a bug in a rug 4. Sweet potato 5. Exhausted 6. The ___ Piper 7. Scarlet 8. Tasted again 9. State with certainty 10. Razz 11. Group of soldiers 16. Analgesic’s target 20. That guy 21. Fool 22. Family 23. Round Table address

CROSSWORD

Fiction 1. Liver Wire – Harlan Coben 2. Toys – James Patterson and Neil McMahon 3. The Saturday Night Big Tent Wedding Party – Alexander McCall Smith 4. Sing You Home – Jodi Picoult 5. Night Road – Kristin Hannah Nonfiction 1. Heaven is for Real – Todd Burpo 2. Unbroken – Laura Hillenbrand 3. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – Rebecca Skloot 4. The Social Animal – David Brooks 5. Moonwalking with Einstein – Joshua Foer

iTUNES

1.Katy Perry feat. Kanye West – “E.T.” 2.The Black Eyed Peas – “Just Can’t Get Enough” 3. Rihanna – “S&M” 4. Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull – “On the Floor” 5. Adele – “Rolling in the Deep” 6. Katy Perry – “E.T.” 7. Lady Gaga – “Born this Way” 8. Britney Spears –“Till the World Ends” 9. Ke$ha – “Blow” 10. Jeremih & 50 Cent – “Down on Me”

BILLBOARD

24. Ostrich’s cousin 25. Highlander’s hat 26. Flop 27. Young fellow 28. Conclusion 29. 24 hours 31. Not many 34. Bagel topping 35. Abound 37. Stigmatize 38. Neighbor of Cambodia 39. Choir member 40. Puente of mambo music 41. Exam format 42. As well 43. Drop a letter? 44. Smell 46. Pair 47. Pea holder

1. Chris Brown – F.A.M.E. 2. Jennifer Hudson – I Remember Me 3. Adele – 21 4. The Strokes – Angles 5. Kirk Franklin – Hello Fear 6. Various Artists – Songs For Japan 7. Panic! At The Disco – Vices and Virtures 8. Mumford and Sons -- Sigh No More 9. Bobby V – Fly on the Wall 10. Lupe Fiasco -- Lasers Album information provided by Billboard Magazine. Box office information provided by Fandango. iTunes top sellers provided by Apple.com. Bestellers list provided by The New York Times.

Solution to last week’s crossword

STRANGE BUT TRUE  It was French novelist, essayist and critic Marcel Proust who made the following sage observation: “There is nothing like desire for preventing the things one says from bearing any resemblance to what one has in one’s mind.”  The city of Denver, Colo. holds the distinction of being the first major metropolitan area to allow women to vote in elections, back in 1893.  Connectivity may finally be going too far. Beyond death, even. It seems that someone has now invented the solarpowered eTomb, a headstone that stores information from the deceased’s social networking sites. Visitors to the grave can use a laptop or a smartphone to download photos, blog posts and even videos via a Bluetooth connection.  Famed screenwriter and director Woody Allen started his career in show business in the 1960s as a writer for the TV series Candid Camera.  In a traditional Moroccan wedding, the bride must be purified in a milk bath and have her hands and feet painted

with henna before the ceremony.  A man named Stephen Burns holds a rather odd world record: He managed to hitchhike through all of the contiguous 48 states in less time than anyone else —26 days and 6 hours.  You might be surprised to learn that the largest supplier of foreign oil to the United States isn’t Saudi Arabia, Libya, Iraq or Kuwait. In fact, we buy more of our oil much closer to home: from Canada.  Between 70 and 80 percent of all the world’s freshwater is frozen and is stored in Arctic and Antarctic glaciers.  Not all black bears are black; individuals in some populations around the world can be brown, white, cinnamon or even blue. Thought for the Day: “I envy people who drink. At least they have something to blame everything on.” —Oscar Levant

STAFF PLAYLIST

“Heteroglossia” By WEI-HUAN CHEN Justice EDITOR

One popular hobby among college students is showing off one’s wide range of musical taste. Accordingly, here are my top songs that come from a variety of musical languages. THE LIST 1. “Soledad” – Jorge Drexler 2. “Ghost View” – Billions and Billions 3. “On the Fly” – Thunderball 4. “Woo Boost” – Rusko 5. “Erase Me” – Kid Cudi 6. “Never Stop” – The Bad Plus 7. “Amarain” – Amr Diab 8. “Al Hizam Al Dhahbi” – Anouar Brahem 9. “Fantastic Planet” – Soil & “Pimp” Sessions 10. “Cai Hong” – Jay Chou