The Justice, December 6, 2011 issue

ARTS Page 20

FORUM Accept campus conservatives 11

FINDING ‘PROOF’

SPORTS Coach Meehan scores his 300th win 16 The Independent Student Newspaper

the

of

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

Justice

Volume LXIV, Number 14

www.thejustice.org

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

STUDENT UNION

FORMER CIA OPERATIVE

Police report money missing from Union safe ■ Treasurer Daniel Lee ’12

reported that cash was missing from the Student Union’s office in the SCC.

By ANDREW WINGENS JUSTICE EDITOR

Student Union Treasurer Daniel Lee ’12 reported $650 missing from the Student Union safe on Nov. 21, said Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan last night in an interview with the Justice.

Lee said in an interview with the Justice that he counted the money and put it into the Union’s safe on Wednesday, Nov. 13. On Nov. 21, Lee said he returned to find the safe “wide open.” At first, Lee thought someone had just forgotten to close the safe, but when he counted the money, more than half, but not all, of the money was missing.

After speaking with Budget Ana-

Waltham, Mass.

lyst Stephen Costa, Lee informed University Police, who opened an investigation.

“We are trying to determine who had the combination and work with the Union people to see if anyone knows anything about this,” said Callahan.

Callahan said the case is under investigation and that University Police are in the process of interviewing Lee and individuals who have knowledge of the safe.

The safe is located behind the front desk in the Student Union office on the third floor of the Shapiro Campus Center and can be opened only after the user enters a security code. Individuals with that code are Lee, the assistant treasurers and the past treasurer, a total of 11 people.

According to Assistant Treasurer Nathan Israel ’14, the code to the safe was not changed until after the money went missing, and any previ-

See MONEY, 5 ☛ JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

PLAME AFFAIR: Plame Wilson (above) and former Ambassador Wilson spoke about their conflict with the Bush administration.

STUDENT LIFE

Riverside shuttles Couple discusses CIA leak scandal fail to gain support ■ Valerie Plame Wilson and

Joe Wilson gave accounts of the scandal involving Plame and the Bush administration.

■ Public Safety said the

number of students who used the trials does not justify a permanent shuttle.

By ANDREW WINGENS JUSTICE EDITOR

The trial shuttles to the Riverside MBTA station failed to attract a substantial number of students, challenging the Student Union’s claim that students want and need transportation to Riverside.

Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan said in an interview with the Justice that the shuttle buses

For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org

served a total of 145 students, which is about 12 percent of the total capacity of the buses and about 2.5 percent of the entire student body.

These numbers are not enough to justify a permanent shuttle.

“In viewing of those numbers, I couldn’t ask for [a shuttle] full time,” said Callahan. “I was willing to pay for the buses because I thought I would see a big return for the community. … I was very disappointed that the numbers weren’t there.”

Student Union President Herbie Rosen ’12 said in an interview

See RIVERSIDE, 5 ☛

By ALLYSON CARTTER JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Former Central Intelligence Agency Covert Operative Valerie Plame Wilson and former Ambassador Joe Wilson spoke in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall last Wednesday about their roles in investigating claims of nuclear threat leading up to the Iraq War and about how the information they uncovered was manipulated by the administration of then-U.S. President George W. Bush.

Plame spoke first about her experiences. Rather than telling her story as a political issue about Democrats versus Republicans she said, “This story is about power and the abuse of power,” she said.

Public service was considered “noble” in Plame’s family growing up and this mentality contributed to her choice to work for the CIA, she stated during the talk. “I loved my job. … I really found a great sense of satisfaction from what I was doing,” she said, noting that her time as a covert operative included recruiting foreign spies and gaining expertise in preventing the “bad guys” from acquiring nuclear weapons.

In 2002, Plame was responsible for gaining information on Iraq nuclear weapon development. This process was difficult, she said, because the United States Embassy in Iraq was shut down after the First Gulf War and because former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had expelled weapons inspectors from the country in 1998.

Plame explained that she learned about the possibility that Niger was selling yellowcake uranium, a powder that can be used in the produc-

tion of nuclear weapons, to Iraq after the Office of the Vice President contacted one of her young employees. A CIA analyst recommended that she send her husband, Wilson, to Niger to investigate the claim, Plame continued.

According to Plame, two government analysts met Wilson as soon as he returned from Niger to the Wilson’s home in Washington, D.C. He informed them that the yellowcake uranium claim was “totally bogus,” Plame said.

In January 2003, then-President Bush announced that “the British government ha[d] learned that Saddam Hussein [had] recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa,” in his State of the Union address. Plame said she thought at the time that Bush was referring to an African country other than Niger and that the assertion

See WILSON, 5 ☛

Business-savvy student

Women split matches

Usdan POD trials

 Sarah Epstein ’12 created EpSteps to sell her mother’s artwork on tote bags and shoes.

 The women’s basketball team won at home last Saturday, following a road loss earlier in the week.

 Aramark released statistics from the added hours on Sunday mornings.

FEATURES 9

SPORTS 16

Let your voice be heard!

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

INDEX

ARTS SPORTS

17 16

EDITORIAL FEATURES

10 7

OPINION POLICE LOG

10 2

News 3 COPYRIGHT 2011 FREE AT BRANDEIS. Email managing@thejustice.org for home delivery.

2

TUESDAY, December 6, 2011

●

THE JUSTICE

NEWS SENATE LOG

POLICE LOG

Senate considers adding midyear senator and approves four SMRs

Medical Emergency

At the Student Union Senate’s final meeting of the semester, Representative to the Board of Trustees Adam Hughes ’12 spoke to the Senate. He reported that the Board of Trustees had a meeting for the first time in December, and that they are going to meet again before the semester is over. He said that at its next meeting, the Board plans to discuss the strategic planning process, the population of graduate students, diversity within Brandeis and integration of students with the Board.

Student Union President Herbie Rosen ’12 spoke to the Senate next. He announced that the strategic planning process is underway and that the Steering Committee is scheduled to meet again in early February. He also told the Senate that he has formed a student advisory committee and that the first information gathering session for this committee will be on Thursday, following Rosen’s State of the Union address.

Rosen also suggested that the Senate create a new senator position to represent midyear students. The Senate would need to approve this proposal before the student body votes on it next semester. Rosen additionally reported that he was surprised by the Board of Trustees’ lack of awareness of initiatives on campus. He suggested that the Student Union make it a goal to compile a progress report at the end of every semester.

The Senate recognized and chartered two clubs. The first was the German Club, whose purpose, according to its constitution, is to promote German culture and language.

The Senate also chartered the Tie-Dye Club. The purpose of this club is to unite people who are passionate about tie-dye.

The Senate approved four Senate Money Resolutions.

The first, submitted by the Class of 2015 senators for either $961.35 or $711.35, depending on whether a police officer is required for security, is for an event called the Snow Ball Mixer. This event would allow midyear students to mingle with and meet other students. The SMR will pay for supplies, food and custodial staff.

The second SMR, for $3,500, is for the food at the Midnight Buffet event sponsored by the Senate at the end of the semester. The food will come from several Waltham restaurants.

The third SMR, for $644.71, is for care packages of school supplies that the Senate plans to pass out to students. The Senate aims to raise spirits of students during final week and to increase the Union’s visibility.

The final SMR, for $151.71, is to print and laminate pictures for the Student Union bulletin board in the Usdan Student Center.

Executive Senator Shekeyla Caldwell ’14 announced that 200 clubs have submitted their club renewal forms.

There are about 40 inactive clubs. Over the break, she will compile a list of these inactive clubs and send out emails to confirm their inactivity.

In executive session, the Senate elected Senator for the Class of 2012 Missy Skolnik executive senator and appointed Senator for the Class of 2012 Melissa Donze to be the Senate’s representation to the constitution review task force.

At the previous Senate meeting on Nov. 27, the Senate passed two SMRs. The first, for $1,438.20, was to buy T-shirts for distribution to students at the Midnight Buffet.

The second SMR, for $481, is for drinks and snacks for a toilet paper event, at which the Senate will hand out free toilet paper to students living in suite-style housing.

safe. University Police compiled a report on the theft.

Dec. 2—A shoplifter was caught at the Provisions on Demand Market. University Police removed the party from the store and the stolen items were returned. University Police compiled a report on the incident.

Nov. 21—A reporting party informed University Police that a male party fell down in Deroy. The police found a worker bleeding from the mouth and nose area. The party was transported via police cruiser to a hospital for further care.

Nov. 30—A caller in the Goldman-Schwartz art studio reported a student whose hand was cut on a tool. BEMCo responded and treated the party with a signed refusal for further care.

Dec. 4—A student called University Police from off campus, stating that he was in a car with an intoxicated friend and heading to campus. BEMCo was notified to meet the group at the main gate. University Police and BEMCo responded; BEMCo treated the party with a signed refusal for further care.

Miscellaneous

Nov. 21—University Police received a call from a reporting party who observed two males putting someone with a bag over their head into the trunk of a green, four-door older sedan. All police units checked the campus and stopped vehicles matching the description. The Waltham Police Department was notified, and the parties involved were located.

University Police discovered it was a prank being performed and the police took no further action.

Nov. 30—University Police received a report from a staff member that an older white

Larceny

Nov. 21—The Student Union treasurer reported that cash was missing from the Union

male accosted females in the library. The male party was in the library studying and female students got alarmed when he initiated conversation with them, possibly due to the difference in age. All parties resolved the incident without further action.

Dec. 3—A community development coordinator stated that students in Deroy were smoking marijuana. University Police responded, and a Bunker Hill Community College student was given a verbal trespass warning. The police confiscated the substance for evidence, and a report was compiled on the incident.

Disturbance

Nov. 27—A reporting party stated that while she was in her room, she heard what sounded like two male parties in the hallway throwing items around. When the noise quieted down, the reporting party went into the hallway and noticed that eggs and other food

Massachusetts Health Policy Forum gets grant

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

nA cartoon in Features was missing a photo credit.

The cartoon was drawn by Nan Pang. (Nov. 22, p.8) nAn article in Sports incorrectly stated the date of an fencing tournament at Brandeis. The Brandeis invitational took place on Dec. 4, not Dec. 5. (Nov. 22, p.13).

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

Justice

the

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

NATACHA BENABOU/the Justice

Noam Sienna ’11 MAT ’12 draws a henna tattoo on Leah Naghi ’14 at an event hosted by the Brandeis Sephardic Initiative. Sienna, an expert on Jewish henna, spoke to students about the art form. The Sephardic Initiative has been a recognized club for two semesters.

The Massachusetts Health Policy Forum, a unit of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, has received a $20,000 grant from the Tufts Health Plan Foundation, according to a Nov. 29 article in The Boston Globe.

The grant money is to be used for holding forums to discuss research into the improvement of Massachusetts’ health care system, though there is no further stipulation on how the grant will be spent.

The Tufts Health Plan Foundation’s focus is on improving health care for senior citizens. Its annual report states that “the foundation’s focus is healthy aging — improving the lives of adults 60 and older.”

The Tufts Health Plan Foundation gave out $2.3 million in grants in 2010, according to its annual report.

Prof. Stuart H. Altman (Heller), a member of the Forum’s board of directors, said that the Tufts Health Plan Foundation has “been very supportive. They’re particularly interested in focusing on aging and activities that can improve the life of seniors in the community and alike. They’ve been a big help to the Forum.”

Anne Marie Boursiquot King, the director of grants and policy at the Tufts Health Plan Foundation, said in an interview with the Justice, “The Massachusetts Health Policy Forum is considered to have the expertise and capacity to help with [our] type of work.” She added that the two organizations have been working together “for the last couple of years.”

The Massachusetts Health Policy Forum, according to its online mission statement, “is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving the health care system in the Commonwealth by convening forums and presenting the highest quality research to legislators, stakeholders and the public.” It was founded in 1998.

—Jonathan Epstein

ANNOUNCEMENTS Latke vs. Hamentashen Debate

A debate over which is the greater Jewish holiday food: Latkes or Hamentashen.

Sponsored by Hillel.

Today from 7 to 11 p.m. in the Mandel Center for the Humanities G03.

The Justice Brandeis University Mailstop 214 P.O. Box 549110 Waltham, MA 02454-9110

A city where over a dozen languages are spoken, Waltham is home to a fascinating array of opportunities and challenges for a substantial community of immigrants.

Join the students in the Immigration Support Services Practicum, taught by Marci McPhee, as they share their learnings from a semester of working with organizations in Waltham that support immigrants.

Lunch will be provided. This event is made possible by a grant from the Office of Global Affairs.

Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 12 :30 p.m. in the Usdan Student Center Alumni Lounge.

Phone: (781) 736-3750

‘Working Together’

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

Henna party

Immigration Support presentation

www.thejustice.org

—compiled by Marielle Temkin

BRIEF

—Sam Mintz

nAn article in Arts incorrectly stated the name of a dance performed at Brandeis Dancing With the Stars. Performers Danielle Vasserman '12 and Dima Khazanov began their performance with a jive, not a cha-cha. The article also incorrectly stated that the Ballroom Dance team taught dance moves to viewers. Professional dance instructor Zeke Sublett gave lessons, assisted by members of the Ballroom Dance Team. The article also incorrectly stated the name of the dance studio at which the Ballroom Dance Team practices. The studio is SuperShag Studios, not Dance Fever Studios. (Nov. 15, p. 19)

items had been thrown at the walls. The party believed that the male parties took her food items from the common refrigerator; she did not wish to compile a report. University Police checked the area but did not find anyone.

Nov. 29—A staffer from the administration office phoned police regarding a gentleman who would not exit the building. The male party was removed, and the Ayer Police Department was contacted for additional information, but none was available.

Nov. 30—Staff from the Goldfarb Library requested the removal of approximately 50 people. The reporting party thought they might have been sorority members participating in a pledge event, but was unsure at the time if they were associated with Brandeis. Upon the arrival of University Police, the people in question left without incident.

The complexities of balancing paid work,

family roles and community responsibilities challenge every woman, with an added dimension when women also seek to promote social change. Work groups can provide both personal support and an effective setting to explore feminist models of leadership and consider how their work can lead to progressive change. This lecture will outline ways to create a small work group within your field or across occupations. Sponsored by the Women’s Studies Research Center.

Thursday from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the Epstein Lecture Hall.

‘Embodied Resistance’

Embodied Resistance: Challenging the Norms, Breaking the Rules is a new collection of original work that engages society’s contemporary “body oustlaws” —people from many social locations who violate norms about the private, the repellent or the forbidden. Hear from co-editor Chris Bobel about how the project came to be.

Thursday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Epstein Lecture Hall.

State of the Union

Student Union President Herbie Rosen ’12 will be reflecting on the semester, explaining Union initiatives and highlighting the accomplishments of the Union, student body and Brandeis as a whole. In addition, there will be a discussion on the upcoming goals and strategies of the Student Union on issues ranging from the Strategic Planning Process to ‘Deis Impact. After a brief address, an open conversation and town hall will be held among students and a panel of Student Union Representatives.

Afterward, Student Union President Herbie Rosen, Provost Steve Goldstein ‘78 and Senior Vice President of Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel cordially invite you to join them for a reception where they will lead one of the first student Strategic Planning sessions. This is your first chance to hear more details about this exciting process and provide your input on the future of Brandeis. Light refreshments will be served.

Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Mandel Center for the Humanities Atrium.

THE JUSTICE

DREIDEL COMPETITION

By sam mintz JUSTICE editorial assistant

TALI SMOOKLER/the Justice

Festival of Lights From left, Joey Rosen ’14, Heather Stoloff ’13, Gabe Distler ’13 and Gila Heller ’13 partake in the dreidel competition held by BaRuCH in the Polaris Lounge last night.

OBITUARY

Trustee Alex Barkas passes away unexpectedly at 64 helped reform the Office of Technology Licensing and sciences at the University.

By nashrah rahman JUSTICE editor

Trustee Alex Barkas ’68, a life science venture capitalist, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 64 on Nov. 21, according to a Nov. 22 BrandeisNOW press release.

“An alumnus with special affection for students and deep interests in science, art and business, he was very helpful to me as I thought through issues during my first year as president,” wrote University President Fredrick Lawrence in an email to the Justice, continuing, “I will always be grateful for his counsel; it certainly meant a great deal to me.”

Barkas served on the University’s Board of Trustees since 2001 and as chair of the Brandeis University Science Advisory Council since 2000.

BUSAC “advocates internally and externally to sustain and grow the sciences at Brandeis,” according to the BrandeisNOW press release.

In a phone interview with the Jus-

3

Admin plans to assess POD market hours 2014 Ricky Rosen said he has met with Aramark and administrators to discuss the results and dining issues.

tice, Prof. Eve Marder (NPSY) said that she had interacted with Barkas during his chairmanship of BUSAC in her role as head of the Division of Science. “We have lost someBarkas one who cared deeply about Brandeis and science at Brandeis. His leadership of BUSAC will be sorely missed because he was a strong advocate of sciences at Brandeis,” Marder said.

Chair of the Board of Trustees Malcolm Sherman wrote in an email to the Justice that Barkas also played “a lead role in creating and supporting the revitalized Office of Technology Licensing, which illustrates another example of his imagination and leadership at Brandeis.”

Along with his wife Lynda Wijcik, Barkas also supported a number of Brandeis initiatives related to the sciences, the International Business School and the Rose Art Museum, according to the BrandeisNOW press release. His contributions established the Student Committee for the Rose Art Museum, which works with the

TUESDAY, december 6, 2011

student life

■ Senator for the Class of

■ Trustee Alex Barkas ’68

●

museum staff to organize campuswide events.

“His insight, judgment and honestly, all of his values, were outstanding and his advice was always sound, whether I agreed or disagreed. … I have a great appreciation for all he gave to Brandeis—his time, energy and creativity,” Sherman wrote.

Lawrence wrote in his email that “In the weeks before his death, he had been working with the provost to enhance the competitiveness and financial strength of the sciences at Brandeis and he was very excited about what they planned to accomplish. That work will continue in his memory.”

At the time of his death, Barkas was the managing director at Prospect Venture Partners, a life sciences venture capitalist firm that is “dedicated to building outstanding biopharmaceutical and medical device companies,” according to its website.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University and a Ph.D. in biology from New York University in 1986. Barkas conducted research in many facilities, such as the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children. Barkas is survived by his wife and two daughters, Alina and Johanna, according to the BrandeisNOW press release.

The trial runs of extended weekend hours at the Provisions on Demand Market in the Usdan Student Center were completed on Saturday, Nov. 19, and dining services has compiled transaction statistics from the extra hours.

According to Director of Dining Operations Matthew Thompson, 222 transactions were completed between midnight and 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6; 251 in the same time period on Sunday, Nov. 13; and 151 on Sunday, Nov. 19.

Student Union Senator Ricky Rosen ’14, who organized the trial as head of the Senate’s Ad-Hoc Dining Committee, said that Aramark has yet to make a decision about extending the hours for next semester.

Dining Services and Senior Vice President for Administration Mark Collins “are still weighing the data and have not yet made up their mind about the [P.O.D. Market] hours for next semester,” wrote Rosen in an email to the Justice.

Thompson and Collins both confirmed in emails to the Justice that a permanent extension of Saturday and early Sunday morning hours is under consideration.

“There had been some student interest in expanding these hours,” wrote Collins. “We have been and are continuing to gather some customer count data for student use of the POD in general but with a focus on use during the extended hours.”

“Dining Services and the University are currently in discussion about deciding whether or not to impliment [sic] a change in the regular hours of operation,” wrote Thompson.

Thompson did not respond when asked for data on the usage of the POD Market during regular hours.

Student Union President Herbie Rosen ’12 said that some of the statistics may have been enhanced by promotion of the trial.

“We experimented with publicizing it a lot and not publicizing it, just kind of seeing the natural,” he said in an interview with the Justice. “I think the third number [151 transactions] is the closest to what

it would really be if it was extended. I think there was enough that we’re still going to push for it to be extended.”

Herbie Rosen added that he would be following up with Dining Services and Mark Collins. “I know I’d use the P.O.D. Market. So we’re just going to keep pushing,” he said.

The Ad-Hoc Dining Committee has also compiled a list of other dining-related problems that they wish to pursue with Aramark.

These issues include unfilled condiment dispensers in the Usdan Student Center, service at the Stein and at Quiznos, food variety and long lines at Sherman Dining Hall, and the inconvenience of weekend hours at Einstein Bros. Bagels.

“I feel like the Ad-Hoc Dining Committee has made a lot of great strides this semester in communicating with the student population, and advocating their wants and needs to the University,” said Ricky Rosen. “We will no doubt continue to do these things throughout the rest of the year.”

Student reactions to the P.O.D. Market trials were mixed.

“It’s a good idea, but it does not really help the issue of dining on campus,” said Joe Lanoie ’15.

Jesse Appell ’12 was in favor of the hours being extended. “I think it’s something that the University should make permanent. Saturday night is a good time to have those extra two hours,” he said.

Megan Elsayed ’14 thought that the extension was a good idea, but did not want to support something that did not make sense financially for the University. “As much as I loved getting back at midnight from a debate tournament and being able to get food, I understand if it just doesn’t make sense for the University,” she said. “I don’t think the University should make stupid financial choices.”

Julian Seltzer ’15 said that he would visit the P.O.D. Market consistently during the extended hours if the change was made permanent.

“I visit the [P.O.D. Market] several times a week. Earlier in the semester when I tried to go to the [P.O.D. Market] past 12 a.m. on a weekend night, I was surprised that they weren’t open. When the [P.O.D. Market] was open for the late-night trial, I made sure to make a visit to show that I would regularly go during those later hours,” he said.

—Sara Dejene and Andrew Wingens contributed reporting.

OBITUARY

Hornstein founder Bernard Reismann dies at the age of 85 ■ Bernard Reisman was

a founding director of the Hornstein Program and helped improve professional Jewish education.

By tate herbert JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Prof. Emeritus Bernard Reisman, Ph.D. ’70, founding director of Brandeis’ Benjamin S. Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program and an inspiration and mentor to many, passed away on Nov. 21 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 85.

The Hornstein Program, which offers several master’s degree options in the field of Jewish Communal Service, is regarded as the “preeminent program of its kind” and has graduated over 600 students who now

work as leaders in Jewish communities worldwide, according to the program’s website.

Since his involvement with the Hornstein Program’s inception in 1969, Reisman built a reputation for innovation and accessibility in education. Hornstein itself was one of the first professional master’s programs at Brandeis and pioneered Jewish leadership in a broader sense than the traditional field of social work, said Larry Sternberg, executive director of Hillel at Brandeis and adjunct professor at Hornstein, in an interview with the Justice.

Reisman’s style of teaching was “incredibly accessible,” and he had “a nurturing approach to cultivating leaders,” said Sternberg. “He felt that you needed leaders who could hold their egos and their charisma in check … and, in a way self-consciously, enable other people to rise in leadership. And that kind of approach to leadership very much characterized

his approach to even [sic] teaching.”

Many echoed this sentiment on the Hornstein Alumni Facebook page, as it flooded with tributes to Reisman after the news of his passing was announced on Nov. 22. “I considered him more of a colleague, never a ‘boss,’” wrote Natalie Greene, a former Hornstein administrator.

“Bernie was not only [a] teacher and mentor, but [an] archetypical father figure to me,” said alumnus Rayzel Raphael. Others shared anecdotes of the ways in which Reisman had influenced or inspired them, and several recalled his impressive tennis skills.

“His teaching, mentoring, caring and sheer menschlikeit [sic] modeled a style of accomplished and humane Jewish leadership that shaped hundreds of students and thousands more who knew and worked with him across the world,” said Prof.

Jonathan Sarna (NEJS), chair of the Hornstein Program, in a statement

released on the alumni page.

“Every day, I am reminded of the legacy I inherited from Bernie and the responsibility to carry it forward,” said Prof. Len Saxe (Heller), the direcReisman tor of the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, in a newsletter to the Cohen Center. “By dint of Bernie Reisman’s career-long contributions, Brandeis is a better and richer institution,” said Saxe.

Outside of the Hornstein Program, these contributions include the founding of the Brandeis Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in 2002. As of 2009, BOLLI had more than 400 active members, according to its website.

Experimentation and putting new ideas into action, such as he did with the Hornstein Program and BOLLI,

was “a very Bernie thing,” according to Sternberg. Hornstein alumnus Elliot Karp also called Reisman “a true pioneer in the arena of experiential education,” while alumnus Fiona Epstein said in an email to the Justice that Reisman was “ahead of his time.” One of his more notable experiments was published in the 1977 book The Chavurah, which details his efforts of community building in large synagogues in the Greater Boston area.

Alumni who attended Reisman’s funeral on Nov. 23 reported a large turnout, reflecting Sternberg’s statement that Reisman “had a big influence on a lot of people.”

Reisman is survived by his wife, Elaine, sons Joel and Eric, daughters Sharon and Robin and eight grandchildren. Donations in Reisman’s memory may be made to BOLLI’s Bernard Reisman Fund online or by mail to the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.

Interested in journalism?

Tired of wondering what’s going on?

Want to be the rst to know the facts?

Be a reporter for theJustice!

Contact Sara Dejene and Andrew Wingens at news@thejustice.org for more information.

Marjory Collins/Library of Congress

THE JUSTICE

CAMPUS SPEAKER

Foster accepts the Gittler Prize ■ In her lecture, Frances Smith Foster of Emory University discussed her research and personal life.

By SARA DEJENE JUSTICE editor

Emory University Professor Emerita Frances Smith Foster accepted the Brandeis-funded Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize last Tuesday before sharing her own excerpts from her personal life as well as insights from her research about African-American literature and the lives of slaves in the antebellum period.

The lecture, titled “Conjuring Culture and Other Extracurricular Activities,” focused on topics in African-American Studies and Women’s Studies, such as love and relationships in early African-American culture, which is the subject of one of her books.

According to its website, the Gittler Prize is awarded every year to scholars who have made “outstanding and lasting scholarly contributions to racial, ethnic and/or religious relations.” The award consists of $25,000 and a medal, which is presented to recipients when they deliver a lecture at the University.

After receiving the medal from University President Frederick Lawrence, Foster said she was “stunned” to learn she had been selected as a corecipient and called herself an “accidental academic activist.” Launching into her life background, she said that she had learned to read at three years old and graduated college qualified to teach high school English. However, Foster said that she noticed the absence of African-American and female writers from her university’s curricula.

Foster said she grew up attending a segregated school, which took students on a field trip every two weeks to a library that included works by African Americans. Growing up, Foster said, she had read these works and grew close to literature, especially these works written by African Americans.

Foster also reflected on the life and work of Joseph B. Gittler and read an excerpt from one of his books, Man and His Prejudices. The passage, according to a Dec. 1 BrandeisNOW

●

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

MONEY: Cash reported missing from safe CONTINUED FROM 1

JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

PRIZEWINNER: Professor Frances Smith Foster accepted the Gittler Prize Thursday in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall last Tuesday. press release about the event, is about the “pervasiveness of ethnic and racial bias.”

“We live in a world increasingly divided by intransigent ethnocentrism cultured by prejudice,” said Foster, where ethnic and racial biases are more difficult to combat.

Transitioning into her own work, Foster, who wanted to “demonstrate something about the magic and power of language,” explained the title of her lecture.

She noted that many people think of the trickery of magic when they think of the word conjure, yet the etymology of the word denotes a group of individuals making a pledge together.

She also referred to the word culture as both a “refinement” of mind, taste

and the arts, as well as “distinctive aspects” of a society. She talked about consumer culture, which encourages society to “idolize [the] new when often [society has not] fully realized or utilized the old.”

Foster urged her audience to remember that “we exist simultaneously in many cultures at once, and that’s not schizophrenia, that’s reality.”

Focusing on her work, Foster mentioned examples of myths about African-American culture that she has deconstructed. For example, in a book about love and marriage in early African-American culture, Foster dispelled the notion that physical distance between couples ultimately ended relationships and that prohibition of marriage between slaves ac-

tually prevented them from forming committed romantic relationships with each other.

“You have conjured up Joseph Gittler for us, in a most moving and appropriate way, in a way that is most in tradition of this giving of this prize at Brandeis,” said Lawrence to Foster after her lecture.

Clayborne Carson of Stanford University, the other co-recipient of the Gittler Prize, will give a lecture focusing on the significance of the life and ideas of Dr. Martin Luther King, according to Carson in a Nov. 7 Justice article. He is scheduled to speak Feb. 13 and 14, 2012.

—Andrew Wingens contributed reporting.

ous treasurers or assistant treasurers who knew the code would still have had access at the time the money went missing.

Israel added that he had never seen more than $1,000 kept in the safe at one time. Israel said he was first told of the issue the day the money was noticed to be missing and has not been updated since.

The Student Union office itself, where the safe is located, is locked and accessible by key card only when no Union members are in the room.

A security camera is located in the Student Union office, and Callahan said he is still in the process of reviewing the footage.

Lee said he had issues retrieving the camera footage because the storage device only held footage for a certain period of time.

The camera company was called to help extend the time frame, but so far attempts have been unsuccessful.

Student Union President Herbie Rosen ’12 said in an interview with the Justice that the Student Union used its fundraising account to pay back the $650, and clubs will not be affected as a result.

The money that is missing included deposits that belonged to clubs, said Rosen. Lee said he could not remember which club or clubs to whom the money belonged.

RIVERSIDE: Two shuttle trials WILSON: Plame urges students to be involved served a total of 145 students CONTINUED FROM 1

CONTINUED FROM 1

with the Justice that the Student Union would stop advocating for a separate Riverside shuttle. Rather, Rosen suggested other methods of transportation to Riverside, such as adding the stop to the route of the Waltham Crystal Shuttles.

Callahan explained that the Department of Public Safety put forward the $1,500 necessary to fund the trials, but a permanent shuttle would require the University to allocate additional funds to Public Safety.

The test shuttles operated on a route from campus to the Riverside Station on Saturday, Nov. 12 and Sunday, Nov. 20, between 12:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

The Riverside Station provides public transportation to multiple destinations on the Green Line of the MBTA in Boston, including Government Center, Copley Station and Fenway Park.

On Saturday, the first bus carried 22 passengers and each consecutive bus had fewer than 10 passengers (except the 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. buses that transported 14 passengers each), according to Callahan.

The first Sunday bus transported 12 passengers and the subsequent buses carried fewer than 10 passengers each.

The Riverside shuttle trials were a project initiated by the Student Union.

Head Coordinator of Operations for the Escort Safety Service Shirel Guez ’12 explained in an email to

5

the Justice last month that “we were asked to sit in on this meeting after being approached by the Student Union. We were able to provide relevant information regarding van and shuttle usage during weekdays and weekends.”

Individuals involved with the project from the Union included Rosen, Union Vice President Gloria Park ’13, Off-Campus Senator Rachel Goutman ’12 and Senator for East Quad Jeremy Goodman ’13.

Some students have raised concerns that the timing of the trial shuttles was poorly chosen. Rosen said that the PULSE survey—which was run last month to gauge student a variety of student opinions— suggested that students would use a Riverside shuttle “every now and then” and that running the shuttle on weekdays could be more beneficial.

Callahan said that he initially offered the Union two trial days and the exact dates and times were decided upon by the Union.

The trials were run on weekends because the Crystal Shuttles to Boston are traditionally very crowded on weekends, said Rosen.

Rosen also suggested working with the Graduate Student Association next semester to coordinate another trial run of the Riverside shuttle.

Callahan said that he would consider an additional one-day trial shuttle in collaboration with both the undergraduate and graduate student representatives during the

spring semester.

“I would like to see a full bus,” said Callahan.

This is not the first time that the Student Union has advocated for a shuttle bus to Riverside only to have the trials fall flat.

In 2006, a Union-sponsored online survey suggested the student body’s support of a shuttle to a stop along the Green Line of the MBTA, according to a Justice interview with then-Senator for the Class of 2008 Michael Goldman in October 2006.

At the time, Callahan voiced many similar concerns including methods of funding and he suggested test trials on weekends.

“The shuttle has to be something feasible for students to give money to,” said Callahan in 2006. “If we can find the funding, we’ll try and take it off the ground.”

These attempts by the Student Union ultimately failed to obtain a shuttle. The Campus Life Committee, according to a November 2008 Justice article, raised the issue again in 2008.

Once again, Callahan noted the financial burden of additional shuttles.

“When it comes down to it, most of the transportation issues discussed are budgetary issues. Students are looking for more services in this time of fiscal conservatism not only in Brandeis but worldwide, so we are concentrating more on maximizing the systems we have,” he said.

must have been separate from the claim that Wilson had investigated the previous year.

According to Plame, media sources had begun attributing the claim to an unnamed former ambassador.

The Wilsons began doubting the truth of Bush’s statement, Plame said, particularly following an interview in which then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice disclosed information on the subject that the Wilsons knew to be erroneous.

“I felt that our troops [in Iraq] were in mortal peril” because the nuclear threat that had been the “central rationale” for invasion was now in doubt, Plame said.

On July 6, 2003, The New York Times printed an op-ed by Wilson titled “What I Didn’t Find in Africa” detailing how he believed that information about the sale of yellowcake uranium from Niger had been manipulated. On July 14, 2003, an article in The Washington Post by columnist Robert Novak ousted Plame Wilson as a CIA covert operative.

Plame was worried about her career and about the safety of her then-three-year-old twins, she said.

The period following Novak’s article felt like “falling down Alice’s rabbit hole, where white is black and black is white,” she added.

According to Plame, media sources referred to her as a “glorified secretary” and accused her of nepotism for sending her husband to Niger. She resigned from the CIA in 2006 and filed a civil suit against former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State

Richard Armitage, former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, former adviser to the vice president Scooter Libby and former Senior Advisor to the president and former Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove for contributing information to Novak’s article.

Plame concluded by encouraging students to become involved in public service. “You’ve got to hold your government in account for their words and deeds,” she said.

Wilson then spoke, stating that the “propaganda campaign” against him and his wife “ignored the salient facts” about the yellowcake claim. “The administration knew [the claim] was bogus,” he said, but had come to the conclusion that they “could not afford to wait” in acting on the nuclear threat.

Citizens have the responsibility to challenge the reasons for going to war, Wilson said, especially when the government has been caught in a “bald-faced lie.”

“The time to ask questions is before. … You cannot be passive in self-governance,” Wilson said.

The Wilsons have each published books about their experiences; Wilson’s The Politics of Truth: Inside the Lies that Led to War and Betrayed My Wife’s CIA Identity: A Diplomat’s Memoir was released in 2004, and Plame ’s Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House was released in 2007.

Fair Game, the film based on their memoirs starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn, was released in 2010.

The Office of the Provost sponsored the event.

Check out the Justice on Facebook: Auckland Dresden

INTERN ABROAD

Dublin

All Internship Placements Are:

Geneva

Guaranteed for each student

Haifa

Personalized for each student Project-based/academically directed

Follow us on Twitter:

London Los Angeles Madrid Paris Shanghai Sydney Washington, DC

www.facebook.com/ thejusticeonline

Common Program Features Open to all majors Offered fall and spring semesters; some also offered in the summer Full-time BU staff at each site Housing provided

@thejustice

Organized excursions and activities Financial aid available

!bu.edu/abroad An equal opportunity, affirmative action institution.

Interested in advertising?

Design?

Marketing?

Ad sales?

Layout?

Louis Rhead/Wikimedia Commons

Unknown/Wikimedia Commons

Unknown/Wikimedia Commons

Join the advertising section of

Justice!

the

E-mail Cody Yudkoff at ads@thejustice.org for more information.

just

features

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, December 6, 2011

7

VERBATIM | ARISTOTLE If happiness is activity in accordance with excellence, it is reasonable that it should be in accordance with the highest excellence.

ON THIS DAY…

FUN FACT

In 1967, Adrian Kantrowitz performed the first human heart transplant in the United States.

The first VCR was made in 1956 and was the size of a piano.

Pursuing

art abroad

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JULIAN OLIDORT

HANDS-ON WORK: Fulbright scholar Julian Olidort ’11 blows glass in Sweden, where he is living for the year while researching the country’s glassblowing industry.

SWEDISH OUTDOORS: Olidort takes a ferry home after visiting the Danish Ebeltoft Glass Museum.

Julian Olidort ’11 explores the glassblowing industry in Sweden By jessie miller JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

While most 11-year-olds spend their summers running around outdoors, swimming in the neighborhood pool and hanging out with friends, Julian Olidort ’11 spent his summers as a kid learning the art of glassblowing at Buck’s Rock Camp. Despite getting heat exhaustion on his first attempt molding glass at a temperature of about 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit, Olidort has since spent his time pursuing his passion and this year is studying glassblowing in Sweden as a Fulbright scholar.

Over the course of his undergraduate studies at Brandeis, Olidort, a triple major in Economics, European Cultural Studies and English and American Literature, became interested in the history of the Swedish glass industry and how it has evolved to the present day.

“I did this independent study that looked at the history of Swedish glass in European modernism and how it developed out of an art history,” Olidort says.

“That research was picked up by a glass museum here, the Swedish Glass Museum, and the way Fulbright works is you get an invitation from a host institution, so they were nice enough to invite me for the year to continue my research,” explains Olidort.

He then spent the next few months perfecting his personal statement, research proposal and letters of recommendation for the Fulbright Scholarship, which is designed to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries,” according to its website.

Olidort’s research proposal, which he wrote in summer 2010, introduces his idea “to study the history of the Swedish glass economy and look at how it developed and why it’s in decline right now,” he says. Following a lengthy process, Olidort was accepted as a Fulbright scholar to journey to Sweden this September.

Now he is spending the year in Sweden blowing glass in “a traditional setting, getting some hands-on experience in the glass community,” he says. He is also continuing his research, though it has evolved more to

AN ARTIST’S ARENA: Bergdala Glass Works remains one of today’s few traditional glassblowing factories. “looking at the evolution of consumer interest and consumer education and … how [glass factories] have evolved to interact with this change,” says Olidort.

As a Fulbright scholar, Olidort says he has the responsibility to “really represent our country and to give it a positive image in the world of education among students.” He regularly travels up to Stockholm and meets with the Fulbright embassy in Sweden to discuss how his research is going.

Olidort is currently living in Växjö, a forest region in the south of Sweden. “The glass community and industry have a special name here called the Kingdom of Crystal because it’s such a unique cluster of glass factories in one region,” says Olidort.

“One hundred years ago, the industry first developed here when the Swedish Council of the Arts part of the government here had a way to stimulate both supply and demand of

the designer art glass, which was kind of a revolution,” he adds. The popularity of glassblowing soon spread to other countries, and the Kingdom of Crystal became an internationally recognized center of glassblowing.

Because of the recent decline in the demand for hand-blown artistic glass, Olidort says his research “is really focused on evaluating how the companies are doing something similar today, trying to stimulate demand for their product. I’m kind of straddling the history and modern-day industrial equivalent,” explains Olidort. He spends his time blowing glass in various factories and traveling around to different areas of Sweden to experience the culture as well.

“I’m traveling around to the glass factories, and I’ve been blowing glass at a few of them as a guest. They invite me to be a guest assistant, and we hang out,” he adds.

He also has an office at the glass museum

where he talks to his supervisor, who works as the curator of glass at the museum. He also spends time traveling to different archives to conduct his research.

“The museum has an archive, and some factories have archives that have financial records that I track. I’ve been pulling out some statistics and also looking at marketing research,” says Olidort.

As another aspect of his research, Olidort conducts interviews with various people related to all different angles of the glassblowing industry, including “academics, the professors at the university here, the industry executives [and] some of the business people that are in charge of the glass companies.” He has also interviewed students who are studying at the glass school in Stockholm and owners of auction houses that sell glass.

“I’m looking at everybody’s perspective on how glass is being produced and how it’s being sold,” Olidort adds.

With glass being produced at lower costs today by machines or overseas, Western glass factories have become rare, and the glass industry has begun to decline, according to Olidort.

“It’s shrinking rapidly for very obvious reasons—the cost to produce glass is rising, and sales fall because people aren’t interested in buying glass,” Olidort says.

“Sweden is one of the last countries to have a really successful glass industry because they have one thing that others don’t: a design history. Design can’t be copied by machine,” explains Olidort.

As for his plans for the future, Olidort isn’t sure what he will do next year, though he hopes to continue glassblowing and possibly pursue a career with the skill.

Interested in “where glass artists come from [and] where they go,” Olidort explains that glass artists are “born in the glass schools that are here but don’t have a direct route to be a glass blower,” much like the situation in which he now finds himself.

For now, he is exploring ideas for further study next year, as well as various career and academic paths both back home in New York and abroad.

8

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

●

THE JUSTICE

WORLDVIEW: SWEDEN

A sports culture

in Stockholm

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RUAIRI SMITH-DEWEY

HOLIDAY SEASON: Tourists and Swedes shop at the Christmas Market in Gamla stan, which sells cheese, marzipan and a variety of Christmas gifts.

VIEW FROM ABOVE: The Skeppsbron harbor overlooks Gamla stan, Sweden.

CITY OF WONDER: A large duck pond sits outside the old medieval city of Visby.

SWEDISH SHOPPING: Smith-Dewey (left) visits IKEA’s first store.

STREETS OF SWEDEN: Smith-Dewey spent time touring shops and restaurants located outside the Slussen metro station in the district of Södermalm.

Ruairi SmithDewey ’13 finds frisbee abroad

By RUAIRI SMITH-DEWEY Special to the Justice

I was settling into my quiet routine of a Tunnelbana commute from the University of Stockholm, listening to “Teenage Dream”on my iPhone and thinking about which Disney movie I would watch with my very adorable and very blond preschool host brothers that evening, when mass chaos ensued. Hordes of people dressed in yellow and black pushed their way onto the train, chanting, banging the roof and jumping up and down. I gazed at the people and tried to determine what was happening, as the police escorted a group of people off the train.

I became quickly lost listening to the Swedish announcement of the conductor, which was nothing like the basic Swedish they teach you in the first week of class. The train started moving again as cheering and singing people drank beers and an electric feeling of excitement imbued the entire car.

The train blew by five stops without even slowing down before reaching my destination in Solna Centrum. As the doors opened, crowds of people tried to squeeze out at once to join the masses headed outside. Cell phones, beer bottles and newspapers fell to the platform floor as people pushed to the exit, cattle-style.

Suddenly, a firework was launched at the train, and I seemed to be the only one even mildly concerned that it was launched underground. I was contemplating the chaos around me when I finally noticed the escalators ahead. All three had been turned off and were filled with people pushing their way up, scaling the slippery metal area between the escalators in order to reach the outside world faster. I was shocked at how quickly my quiet afternoon routine had turned into utter chaos.

I finally reached the outside world. There were fireworks being launched to both my left and right. There were cops with batons forcefully pushing people to the side and out from under the underpass. There were echoing yells.

And then I figured it out. There was a big soccer match between Stockholm’s two rivaling teams that night, and the riot-like experience was just the Swedish anticipation of a good match, an excitement which often engulfs the soccer-centered country.

I had never considered Swedes as very sportsminded people. Before coming to Stockholm, I envisioned Stockholm University as a larger and blonder version of Brandeis. Not only is it supersized, with more than 50,000 students, but students here also don’t typically start college until their early to mid-twenties, making for a much older student population than we are used to at Brandeis.

I thought the larger size would mean more diverse clubs and different things to get involved in that aren’t available at Brandeis, but I was mistaken. The blandness at Stockholm University manifests itself with less than a third of the number of clubs offered at Brandeis, and most of the ones they do have are designed for specific majors or future career paths. I was disheartened and wondered how I would fill my free time in a country so far from my pre-med requirements.

I went to Plan B: Google. I looked up any and every interesting-looking activity I could think of that might be offered around the Stockholm area.

I searched for extracurricular activities offered in English so I wouldn’t be left in a constant state of wide-eyed incomprehension.

A member of the Brandeis’ women’s ultimate Frisbee team, I decided to Google ultimate opportunities in the area. I easily found the website for a mixed team that was based in Stockholm and had a website in English. It looked perfect, but waiting days without a response from the team captain deflated me a bit. By this time, the foreign feeling of having too much free time began wearing on me and I decided take matters into my own hands.

With practice times and locations for the Stockholm Syndromes Frisbee team listed on the website, I decided to show up and see what would happen. My confidence dulled as I wandered around lost for an hour among Swedish street signs, desperately trying to find the park. I became increasingly unsure of my decision when I finally stumbled upon a team that moved with a fluency that only comes from significant experience playing together.

I joined the team despite my apprehension. It turns out that the Stockholm Syndromes are not as polished and cohesive as they first appeared.

Rather, it is an eclectic team with players from all around the globe.

I played with the Syndromes that day, and the following I week even participated in the Swedish Nationals tournament. Although the prevalence of ultimate is much lower in Sweden than in the U.S., the “ultimate culture” is similar to that of back home. I’ve found international friends in the sport that I love.

There is a camaraderie about the ultimate players here. It makes the community a most welcoming group and has helped me find my place in Sweden.

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

Accessorizing with

art PHOTOS COURTESY OF SARAH EPSTEIN

FASHIONABLE FOOTSTEPS: EpSteps, a new business created by Sarah Epstein ’12, sells tote bags and shoes that can be purchased online and feature the work of Epstein’s mother, Tina, an artist from Dallas.

EpSteps mixes artistic designs with fashion By rebecca klein JUSTICE editor

Sarah Epstein ’12 has long admired her mother Tina Epstein’s elaborately colorful oil paintings.

As a child, she would watch her mother spend long days painting in their Dallas home and give input on what she did and did not like. Throughout the years, the artwork marked Sarah’s own development through life, and as she grew up, her mother’s artwork changed and evolved with her.

Now, as a senior in college about to embark on a new stage in life, Sarah is making sure that Tina’s artwork continues to evolve as she grows older.

Bringing Tina’s artwork to a wider array of audiences, and recognizing the ways in which art can be practically used, Sarah has recently started a website, titled “EpSteps,” that sells Tina’s artwork printed on canvas shoes and tote bags. While only launched in mid-November, the website has already received over 1,800 hits.

With an art studio built into their house, Tina’s work has always been available to Sarah. Several years ago, when she saw that her mom had printed one of her vibrantly colored paintings onto a pair of canvas shoes, she had the idea of making her mom’s artwork just as accessible to the world as it is to her. It was then that Sarah had the first idea for EpSteps, and recommended that her mother start the business.

While Sarah says Tina never had the time, the idea for EpSteps lingered as an eventual goal in Sarah’s consciousness.

“My mom was super supportive,” Sarah says. “She never had the time [to start the business], but she said I should take it and run with it.”

This summer, as the History major became more interested in business, she decided it was time to start making strides on EpSteps.

Deciding that “creating a business was a good way to learn about business,” she began searching for websites that would allow her to print her mother’s artwork on shoes.

At the same time, Sarah started building a website. Although she says she has little experience with website design, she found a userfriendly program and got plenty of help from friends.

“I started building a website and getting input,” says Sarah.

“Different friends helped me with different aspects. Some friends in

marketing helped me with marketing, Computer Science friends helped me with computer stuff, friends in art would offer suggestions for the design.”

Sarah has created an easy system of distributing the ordered shoes. Since she has already designed the shoes on a separate designer website, when customers order a shoe, it links them directly to that site. The design website takes care of printing the shoes in the right size and style and does all the manufacturing.

The website prices range based on product and style. Smaller tote bags cost $23.95 and bigger ones cost $35. Sneakers and flat shoes cost $60, while low tops and high tops are $68.95.

When the website launched, Sarah sent out an email to all of her friends and family alerting them to the development. Now she is working to contact various art and shoe blogs and relying on friends to get the word out.

Sarah says she is pleased about the positive responses she has gotten so far and is happy her mother’s artwork is receiving such encouraging feedback.

“I’ve been getting a lot of compliments on the artwork itself,” says Sarah.

“The website has an art gallery page that features some of [my mom’s] artwork. I think that’s been really cool for her, and I think she was very flattered that I felt that I could start a business based on her artwork. I think that’s a big compliment to an artist that you feel like their artwork can reach such a big market.”

However, with limited time and a small budget, Sarah says she has faced several challenges, although having access to the Brandeis community has been immensely helpful.

“People at Brandeis have helped me through the different aspects of starting a business,” Sarah says.

“People of all disciplines who know more about a specific aspect of business than I do [have helped me],” Sarah says. “Having that variety and wealth of opinions has been so helpful to me, and a network of people that’s also supportive of an idea and so supportive of trying new things.”

Sarah has no idea what the future will hold for EpSteps, although she hopes the website will continue to grow. While she plans on doing some traveling after graduation, she hopes to later get a job in business, for which EpSteps has been great preparation.

YIFAN HE/the Justice

BUSINESS IN STYLE: Epstein launched the EpSteps website this past summer to start selling her unique accessories online.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH EPSTEIN

ORIGINAL ARTWORK: Tina Epstein’s paintings are the designs for the shoes and bags that are sold on the EpSteps website.

9

10

TUESDAY, december 6, 2011

●

THE JUSTICE

Justice Justice

the the

Established 1949, Brandeis University

Brandeis University

Established 1949

Emily Kraus, Editor in Chief Nashrah Rahman, Managing Editor Brian N. Blumenthal, Production Editor Alana Abramson, Rebecca Blady, Eitan Cooper, Bryan Flatt, Rebecca Klein, Asher Krell, Tess Raser and Robyn Spector, Associate Editors Sara Dejene and Andrew Wingens, News Editors Dafna Fine, Features Editor Shafaq Hasan, Acting Forum Editor Adam Rabinowitz, Acting Sports Editor Ariel Kay, Arts Editor Yosef Schaffel and Tali Smookler, Photography Editors Nan Pang, Layout Editor Marielle Temkin, Copy Editor Cody Yudkoff, Advertising Editor

Use Union address as forum This week, Student Union President Herbie Rosen ’12 will deliver his State of the Union address to the community.

While Rosen will update the student body about any upcoming Union initiatives and discuss the process of forming the strategic plan, the Union has decided to operate the address like a town hall meeting, where students will be allowed to ask the president questions. We encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity and let their voices be heard on issues that are important to them.

The format of the event is a welcome departure from previous Union addresses. While past addresses have featured the president’s speech, this new style will allow Mr. Rosen to relay any pertinent information to students first in his speech and then open the floor for questions. Mr. Rosen will be then be joined by a panel of other Union representatives who will answer questions from the audience.

Following the question-and-answer session, the Union president, along with Provost Steve Goldstein ’78 and Andrew Flagel, the senior vice president for Students and Enrollment, will examine the strategic planning process with students. Through this new system, students are able to communicate directly with the Union and administration in an unprecedented way.

We applaud Mr. Rosen’s attempt to incorporate the strategic planning initiative into the town hall meeting. As the strategic plan is currently being assembled, allowing students to be part of the discussion on the future of the University will only help the strategic planning committee during this process. Students can lend their voices and help shape the plan that will undoubtedly affect their time at Brandeis. Further, this format creates transparency between the administration and the student body, encouraging a healthy relationship between the two communities.

This editorial board acknowledges Mr. Rosen’s dedication to creatively gathering student opinion through this new town hall format. His genuine concern for feedback from the student body is refreshing and we support him to continue his efforts.

Creating a forum for students to feel comfortable questioning the Union and administration’s initiatives will facilitate a productive conversation, that is beneficial to the entire Brandeis community. This editorial board encourages students to attend the town hall meeting with their questions and ideas. Students should take this opportunity to help steer the University toward a cohesive vision.

Expand study period As classes wrap up and the semester draws to a close, students are beginning to prepare for finals. This year, the academic calendar includes one study day between the last day of classes and the first day of examinations, a number that this board finds to be insufficient for students. Moving forward, the registrar should take students’ schedules and workloads better into consideration when determining the academic calendar.

While it is not unheard of to have just one study day before finals commence, the fact that classes end on a Monday this year combined with the shortened amount of preparation time for exams imposes difficulties on students who find their finals schedules front-loaded. Without an additional weekend to prepare for exams, it drastically reduces the amount of time that students have to write papers and study. Last fall, classes also ended on a Monday, but there were two days between that Monday and the first day of finals. While a difference of one day may not seem significant, it can have a dramatic effect on the pressure students are under toward the end of the semester. According to the PULSE survey recently taken by the Student Union, only 20 percent of students are satisfied with having one study day; 58 percent would be willing to add time to the academic calendar if it meant adding more study days.

Ideally, though, classes would end closer to the end of the week in order to build more study time into the schedule by adding a weekend between classes and finals. While it could be argued that having a class on Monday will not be significant for students who want to begin preparing for their exams earli-

TZIPORAH THOMPSON/the Justice

Meeting will engage students

More study days needed er, in reality, this is not the case. Some professors who do not schedule final exams as part of their course—and even some who do—often assign final projects, papers and presentations for the last days of classes, making it unrealistic to expect students to use the time before finals to prepare for exams when they have other work to do during that time.

Whether it means adding a couple of days to the beginning of the year or taking away the last Monday of classes in order to give students more adequate time to prepare, the University should take care to alleviate pressure on already overworked students by adding more study days in the schedule. For students who have multiple exams on Wednesday and Thursday of finals week, the quick turnaround makes pulling all-nighters and cramming for exams almost mandatory. While some students may be able to begin their work earlier in anticipation of their early exams, others do not have that luxury; demanding class schedules and the culmination of club activities take up significant amounts of time at the end of the year.

As it stands, the finals schedule adds additional pressure to an already stressful time of the year. While it is true that elongating the academic year is an unattractive proposition, adding an extra day or two to the study period can make a big difference to students who are under a great deal of duress to succeed academically while still maintaining their commitments to extracurricular activities, and we hope that the University considers students’ needs when making future schedules.

Justice needs to be in society’s best interest Diego

medrano missing link

Every country strives for justice. While that justice is defined differently depending on customs, we rely on that system to right the wrongs that occur in this world. We expect that system to act ethically, unemotionally and in the best interest of society. In day-to-day life, people are expected to show forgiveness and understanding; however, in court, people expect “an eye for an eye.” Or at least Americans do. Just look at the response to the Norway bombings versus our own response to Osama Bin Laden. Anders Behring Breivik, the accused perpetrator of the Oslo bombing and shooting spree in Norway this past summer, was recently found to be legally insane and ineligible to serve time in prison. This decision came in a pretrial ruling by the psychologists assigned to the case.

Many of the victims’ families were surprised and disappointed by the verdict because they feel justice will not be served by having Breivik spend time in a mental hospital instead of prison. Many Americans feel that the insanity defense is just a ploy to receive a less harsh sentence and that Breivik deserves to either rot in prison, or worse, be given a lethal injection, although Norway has banned capital punishment.

For the record, no one (with any reasonable sanity) would be upset if Breivik died. He killed 77 people and injured countless others. By all means, he probably deserves to die. But I am a human: I have emotions, I am at times irrational, and I can thirst for revenge. A proper justice system needs to be better than me, you or any one person. Where I see justice as revenge, courts need to see justice as taking the high road and setting the best example for society. Whether it be behind bars or behind hospital walls, Breivik is no longer a threat to society. He will spend the rest of his life unable to harm anyone else. Sure, that may not provide as much “closure” as knowing he is dead, but the justice system needs to send the message that sometimes justice is about learning to let go. Insanity is a particularly difficult defense to present in the United States, as both the public and the courts tend to see it as a way out instead of a legitimate reason behind a crime. Many have trouble seeing someone who set up a fake business to procure the materials to create and detonate a bomb, then impersonate a police officer to sneak into a summer camp to go on a shooting spree, as insane. That’s understandable. His actions were cold, calculated and completed with a thoroughness one wouldn’t expect from someone deemed “insane.”

The psychologists assigned to Breivik’s case have confirmed that his actions and the writings in his manifesto show clear signs of someone suffering from a deeply rooted case of paranoia along with schizophrenia and anti-social disorder. Insanity doesn’t mean that Breivik could not function as a person.

Instead, Breivik was a dangerous combination of intelligent and insane. Putting him on trial as a sane person may be more cathartic, but what does that say about a society at large that will overlook obvious mental illness in the pursuit of blood?

This is the same way I felt about the assassination of Osama bin Laden. When news broke over the assassination, I partook in the collective sigh of relief, followed by the feelings of morbid elation. I wasn’t cheering or running in the streets, but there was an undeniable happiness to the news. As weird and inappropriate as it felt to celebrate a death, regardless of who died, I completely understood where the public jubilation was coming from.

I realized that this event split me into two parts. The primal portion of me understood that a tinge of happiness was understandable because it came from the most guttural part of my emotions. The intellectual in me felt that a killing should never be celebrated. It also felt that the entire event was a missed opportunity to show the world how just and fair a nation we can be. My preference and the preference of an entire public reacting in a primal manner should have no bearing on our legal system. Seeing bin Laden on trial isn’t what would have felt best, but it is what should have happened. Bringing this back to Norway, accepting that Breivik is insane and proceeding with the trial knowing that he will not go to prison or be killed is not only admirable, it’s the right thing to do. If we care about progress as Americans, we need to be willing to let go of our primitive urges for revenge and commit ourselves to true justice, no matter how unsatisfying that may seem.

OP-BOX Quote of the Week “[I have] the responsibility to really represent our country and to give it a positive image in the world of education among students.”

— Julian Olidort ’11 on his Fulbright scholarship in Sweden (Features, page 7)

Brandeis Talks Back Do you feel like you have enough time to study for finals?

Jonathan Ringvald ’12 “My finals are all later, so I feel like I have enough time to study.”

Jemima Barrios ’13 “No, I didn’t manage my time and now everything is backed up.”

Daniel Kasdan ’13 “No, I think there needs to be at least 3 to 4 study days.”

Gabrielle Katz ’12 “No, there’s never enough time.”

—Compiled by Shafaq Hasan Photos by Joshua Linton/ the Justice

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY december 6, 2011

11

Embrace our campus conservatives

By Joshua nass JUSTICE contributing WRITER

On the very first day of classes this semester, one of my teachers asked that each student state “our name, where we are from and one unique fact about ourselves.” After hearing students speak about their talents in blowing bubbles out of their mouths and about how many hot dogs they could stuff into their face within a matter of minutes, I decided I’d keep my answer short and simple. After reciting my name and my hometown, I stated that the unique fact about myself was that I was a conservative.

At that point, aside from the fact that nearly everyone in the class broke out in laughter, I noticed a student sitting directly to my right begin to blush.

He seemed embarrassed, as if I had revealed something about him that he did not want disclosed. For the remainder of the class, I grew more and more inquisitive as to why this particular student became so noticeably uncomfortable upon hearing that I was a conservative.

I was so curious that after the class ended and we had both already begun walking out of the building, I approached him and asked why he had the reaction that he did.

He looked me in the eye and said that he wanted to thank me for standing up for something he has never had the guts to stand up for.

Still puzzled as to what he was referring to, I asked him whether he’d care to elaborate.

He said that he was a junior and that, although he was a lifelong, passionate conservative, he had yet to gather up the courage to let anybody, including his closest friends on campus, know this.

Unfortunately, before I had the opportunity to ask him why that was the case, he said he had to run to his next class.

But, in reality, we all know why this student and so many others are scared to reveal to their peers on campus that they are conservative.

Such fear is not healthy for our community, nor is it in the best interest of our nation.

We need to promote dialogue and allow students to comfortably acknowledge their conservatism without the fear of retribution.

Students in liberal arts universities are taught to embrace those with diverse ideas and opinions, but one particular group of views—politics—is not given the same courtesy.

Ironically, while the subjects of such mal-

MARA SASSOON/the Justice

treatment usually represent the minority’s political views on college campuses, they represent the political views of the majority of our country’s population.

Of course, I speak about the “racist, hatemongering, intolerant” conservatives—the

same hate-mongers that, according to the most recent study by the Pew Research Center, represent the views of over 60 percent of America.

Although it may shock you, over 60 percent of Americans identify as politically center-

right; yet, for some reason, conservative students are often the subjects of taunts and insults.

Although calling someone a “racist, hatemongering, intolerant” conservative may seem harsh, it is just one some of the names I have personally witnessed members of our own student body have use to describe the views espoused by either myself or other conservative students.

Brandeis prides itself on its diversity, both in terms of its students’ backgrounds as well as their wide variety of beliefs and values.

Unfortunately, conservatives are represented by a very small percentage of the student body. This percentage is so minute that few Brandeis students are even aware that there are such things as student-run conservative clubs on campus, such as the Brandeis Libertarian-Conservative Union.

There is no doubt that conservatives do not make up a majority of our student body; however, that is not to say that they don’t exist.

In my view, the issue does not lie in the fact that there are too few conservatives but rather that there are too few that are brave enough to let their political views be heard due to the backlash they know they’d have to face.

Can you really blame them? The reality is that discrimination against conservative students at Brandeis is not an anomaly. Conservative students on campuses around the country have complained about being the subjects of such unwarranted discriminatory practices.

Sometimes universities themselves discriminate against the very students they are meant to serve.

California Polytechnic State University threatened student Steve Hinkle him with expulsion because he posted a flier for a Republican event.

Discrimination manifests itself in a variety of ways.

While physical violence only makes up a small portion of such cases, absolutely no degree of discriminatory behavior should be excused.

In fact, it should be condemned by students and the administration.

Instead of haranguing students about their political views, students with differing political affiliations should engage them in debate.

At the end of the day, we all just want the best for our country, whether you’re a liberal student or a conservative one. We can all agree on one thing: that our intentions are noble—and therefore none of us deserve to be mocked for our beliefs.

Reassess Jewish National Fund’s practices

By CARMEL SANDLER SPECIAL TO THE JUSTICE

Two weeks ago in East Jerusalem, members of a Sumarian family was just a few days away from losing their home.

However, this had nothing to do with their failure to pay their mortgage: The Sumarian family was going to be evicted because of a legal maneuver by the Himnuta organization, a subsidiary of the Jewish National Fund.

Under Israel’s Absentee Property Law, a law that applies solely to Arab residents, the Israeli government was able to take legal possession of the house after the family patriarch’s death in 1991.

Although other family members were already living in the house, because his three sons were living outside the country, the government assumed the deed and transferred it to Himnuta.

Post-eviction, Himnuta plans to hand over the property to the Elad Foundation, a settler organization that operates the City of David tourist site located in the village of Silwan in East Jerusalem.

The Jewish National Fund, as the primary land trust for the country, has been known for generations as an important organization to that Jews around the world have donated and supported the growth of Israel as a Jewish homeland. In addition, it is known for plant-

Write to us

The Justice welcomes letters to the editor responding to published material. Please submit letters through our Web site at www.thejustice.org. Anonymous submissions cannot be accepted.

Letters should not exceed 300 words, and may be edited for space, style, grammar, spelling, libel and clarity, and must relate to material published in the Justice. Letters from off-campus sources should include location. The Justice does not print letters to the editor and 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.

ing millions of trees throughout Israel. This is a legacy we celebrate.

We know that without the JNF, Israel would not be what it is today. It is important to note, however, that the JNF has a policy of not operating over the Green Line, which is the line of the 1967 Israeli annexation of East Jerusalem.

“

We want the JNF to build upon its genuinely applauded and celebrated work by supporting Israel’s future.

This may well lead you to ask what exactly the JNF has to do with this at all, considering that East Jerusalem is over the Green Line.

The sad truth is that though the Himnuta organization is not officially attached to the JNF, it is a subsidiary, and the two organizations share an executive.

In other words, the JNF is operating by proxy over the Green Line.

Fine Print

The opinions stated in the editorial(s) under the masthead on the opposing page represent the opinion of a majority of the voting members of the editorial board; all other articles, columns, comics and advertisements do not necessarily. For the Brandeis Talks Back feature on the 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.

J Street U Brandeis is deeply concerned by this distressing situation.

We want the JNF to build upon its genuinely applauded and celebrated work by supporting Israel’s future rather than jeopardizing it by supporting expansion beyond the Green Line.

This act significantly threatens Israel’s democratic and Jewish future by undercutting the prospects for achieving a viable two-state solution, a solution toward which J Street U and many others are working.

As neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, which will ultimately become the capital of a Palestinian state in any two-state final status agreement, become more and more Jewish, the ability to divide the land in two becomes more and more impossible. The JNF can and should stand for values that the Jewish people strive to exemplify and should live up to its long legacy of encouraging Israel’s security and survival.

We are therefore supporting a petition put forward by Rabbis for Human Rights, that demands a permanent cancelation of the eviction. As of now, the eviction has only been postponed due to pressures from petitions like this one.

We are further saddened by this situation because it violates Jewish law, upon whose spirit Israel was built.

In their petition, Rabbis for Human Rights references the prominent Jew-

The Staff

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

ish rabbi and philosopher Rambam.

He says that Jewish law goes to great lengths to prevent any sort of evictions, especially in cases in which those evicted will end up “abandoned on the street.”

Our work as J Street U Brandeis is driven by the conviction that the fates of Israelis and Palestinians are ultimately intertwined. We work toward establishing a two-state solution where both Israelis and Palestinians exercise their deserved self-determination is an urgent necessity. It is out of our love and concern for Israel’s well being and security and our wish to see her survival as a Jewish democracy that J Street U Brandeis is critical of Israel’s actions.

J Street U Brandeis strives to bring together Jewish and progressive values, shares in a commitment to Israel, and exhibits a passion for social justice.

If you support our work or you just want to learn more about the issues we tackle, we urge you to come to our next event, a campus screening of the moving documentary Encounter Point.

The film follows the stories of both Palestinians and Israelis who have been deeply affected by this conflict.

Editor’s note: Carmel Sandler ’12 is the communications representative of Brandeis’ chapter of J Street U.

Editorial Assistants

Elizabeth Stoker, Naomi Volk

Ads: David Wolkoff Copy: Maya Riser-Kositsky Features: Celine Hacobian News: Sam Mintz Photos: Jenny Cheng, Joshua Linton

Sports: Julian Cardillo, Jacob Elder, Henry Loughlin, Jacob Lurie, Jacob

Staff

Freedman, Rachel Gordon, Yifan He, Josh Horowitz, Davida Judelson, Maya

Senior Writers: Josh Asen, Aaron Berke, Max Goldstein Senior Illustrator: Rishika Assomull Senior Photographer: Hilary Heyison, Alex Margolis, Janey Zitomer News: Shani Abramowitz, Tyler Belanga, Jonathan Epstein, Danielle Gross, Tate Herbert Features: Dave Benger, Claire Gohorel, Rachel Miller, Jessie Miller Forum: Hillel Buechler, Aaron Fried, Philip Gallagher, Hannah Goldberg, Tien Le, Diego Medrano, Liz Posner, Sara Shahanaghi, Leah Smith,

Moskowitz, Natalie Shushan Arts: Damiana Andonova, Alex DeSilva, Leah Igdalsky, Olivia Leiter, Amy Melser, Leanne Ortbals, Louis Polisson, Mara Sassoon, Ayan Sanyal, Dan Willey Photography: Jon Edelstein, Lydia Emmanouilidou, Morgan Fine, Nathaniel Shemtov, Josh Spriro, Madeleine Stix, Diana Wang, David Yun Copy: Aliza Braverman, Jennie Bromberg, Rebecca Brooks, Allyson Cartter, Hilary Cheney, Erica Cooperberg, Patricia Greene, Celine Hacobian, Max Holzman, Liana Johnson, Eunice Ko, Felicia Kuperwaser, Tarini Nalwa, Megan Paris, Christine Phan, Mailinh Phan-Nguyen, Holly Spicer, Amanda Winn Layout: Rachel Burkhoff, Denny Poliferno, Michelle Yi Illustrations: Arielle Shorr, Tziporah Thompson, Sara Weininger

12

TUESDAY, december 6, 2011

●

THE JUSTICE

FORUM

Use open dialogue, not police brutality Naomi

volk et cetera

All I can say is, thank God it’s not Kent State. This recent bout of protesting and police brutality is scarily reminiscent of the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the vast overreaction on the part of the National Guard to the protestors at Kent State University in 1970—they shot at unarmed students, eventually killing four.

Luckily, the conflicts at the University of California, Davis and Berkeley didn’t escalate to this sort of a scale, but the reactions of the police to nonviolent protestors at the campuses seems somewhat similar.

First of all, we need to understand why, exactly, students are protesting.

According to a recent Huffington Post article, the students at UC Davis were upset about a proposal to raise in-state tuition to over $22,000 by 2015. The current in-state tuition costs around $12,000. Bob Ostertag, a faculty member of UC Davis, reported that many of his students believe that if the proposal passes, their families would have to pull them out of school.

While this in itself is a disturbing thought, the real fear-inducing part of the story was the reaction on the part of the university’s administration and the campus police to the student protests.

UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi called in the police to evacuate the approximately 200 students who were peacefully protesting in the quad—sitting on the ground, linking arms.

The police’s reaction? Use pepper spray on the seated students. In a similar situation at UC Berkeley a few weeks ago, police used batons to hit non-violent protestors at Occupy Cal. What were the students doing to warrant such abuse?

While the students had continued protesting despite the warning from university administrators that the police would force an evacuation, the response was disproportionate to the situation.

If UC Davis really felt an evacuation was necessary, then why the aggressiveness? If the students were peacefully sitting down, without potential harm to themselves or others, why couldn’t the police, equally as calmly, simply arrest the students without resorting to violence?

According to Ostertag, “Many, many times, I have seen police treat protestors who sat and linked arms when told they must disperse or face arrest as a very routine matter, the police then approach the protestors individually and ask them if, upon arrest, they are going to walk of their own accord or if not, the police will have to carry them.”

What was wrong with this method? The students were not doing anything to warrant

SARA WEININGER/the Justice

such a reaction from the police.

My best guess is that if the police had peacefully, as Ostertag said, asked the students to come with them and then resorted to “carrying” the protestors—carrying, not harming— the students would have reacted accordingly.

After all, the students knew that UC Davis was sending for the police; the students understood that they had a chance of being arrested.

What they didn’t know was that they were putting themselves in harm’s way in the process.

And then why was such an evacuation necessary?

The university could just have easily attempted to sit down with some of the student leaders, tried to gauge the student reaction to the proposed tuition hikes and understood ex-

actly why the students were protesting, without resorting to the police.

According to Ostertag, this is exactly what the administration at Columbia University did three years ago in the face of a similar situation.

The university met with the students to have a dialogue about their grievances. The protest eventually disbanded peacefully without police intervention. Diplomatic negotiations are possible and a great way to avoid bringing in the police, unless absolutely necessary.

The bottom line is that the involvement of the police was used before it was justified. Bringing in the police should be a last resort—one used only if the protestors are potentially harmful to themselves or the community or if every other option has failed.

In both cases, the situation failed to deserve such a response.

It’s great that the situation didn’t deteriorate into the Kent State violence of the 1970s.

While there were blows, the situation did not reach the level of gun violence. And yet, if we’ve come so far, how is it that the police are still using brutality on peaceful, non-violent protestors?

When the students refused to move, they could have been treated civilly and arrested in a manner that recognized their rights as citizens.

The bottom line is that the escalation of the situation could have been avoided, not only if the police had restrained themselves, but also if the administration had, rather than turn to force, decided to sit down and have a dialogue with its students.

Universities must evaluate dangers of hazing By eTHAN lEVY JUSTICE contributing WRITER

This past week, a student at Florida A&M University was reported dead as a result of excessive hazing by the school’s nationally renowned marching band.

The marching band has had a persistent history of hazing, this time resulting in the death of Robert Champion, a 26-year-old drum major at the university.

Prior to this incident, in 2001, trumpeter Marcus Parker was paddled so severely he ended up in the hospital with kidney damage.

Although intense hazing within the marching band is just one instance, the issue is a serious one that needs to be addressed. Though hazing is notoriously more popular among fraternities and sororities, this incident with the marching band shows that hazing is present in even the most unlikely clubs and activities.

While hazing hasn’t openly been a problem at Brandeis, there have been many colleges that have had issues with the practice. To show some equally severe examples, we can turn to fraternities.

Last year, a pledge of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at Cornell University died after reportedly being kidnapped, tied up and then asked to answer questions about the fraternity’s history.

The consequence for a wrong answer: be-

ing forced to drink until his blood alcohol concentration eventually rose to .409. Once he passed out, he was left in the frat house’s library to die.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon has had issues in other chapters, as well. In 2006, a pledge at the University of Texas fell off a five-story building after a night of forced intoxication and other physical hazing. And even years before, a pledge of the Chi Tau fraternity at California State University, Chico passed away after the fraternity members poured cold water on him in front of powerful electric fans while forcing him to drink several gallons of cold water.

The pledge, Ryan Carrington, died from a combination of water intoxication and hypothermia. These are just a few of many examples that prove that hazing is a dangerous and inappropriate practice that can undoubtedly be detrimental to one’s physical and mental health.

Vicki Hays, the associate director for Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Michigan, has observed that people “have had a negative emotional or psychological reaction with hazing that’s happened to them or even to someone else.”

Hays also said that other reactions can include anger, confusion and both physical and emotional pain.

Sometimes, the psychological effects of haz-

ing are delayed, and people may not think they are affected by it; however, a reminder of the event may trigger an emotional reaction at any time.

“

They need to have the courage to believe that enduring physical and emotional trauma ... is not worth it.

The concept of extreme hazing is troubling.

You shouldn’t have to do something terrible just to be able to be part of a group. I understand the concept of a mandatory pledge process, but that doesn’t mean that the tasks assigned need to be detrimental to an individual’s health.

There are ways to initiate a member without crossing the line, such as throwing a party or getting to know them one-on-one through pledging interviews. Nothing inappropriate needs to occur in order for that individual to be accepted into the group.

Extreme hazing like this does not build any sort of unity, and students need to understand that they can leave the pledging process if they feel they do not want to associate with a group that makes them do terrible things.

They need to have the courage to believe that enduring physical and emotional trauma for the sake of being accepted into a group is not worth it.

Universities need to take hazing more seriously and investigate instances where students are being harmed.

The worst thing about the marching band death was that Florida A&M had been warned about incidents of excessive hazing but took no solid action other than sending a stern warning to stop it.

Of course schools should have a strict “no hazing” policy, but when there is evidence brought to the administration of extreme hazing that may potentially put students in danger, the university needs to take further action.

While there can be innocent forms of hazing and teasing, fraternities, sororities, sports teams and other groups need to ensure the safety of their members.

This should be their first priority.

Admittedly, the pledge process is supposed to be difficult and challenging; however, no member should be forced to cross his or her moral boundaries just to be part of a group.

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, december 6, 2011

13

SPORTS

WBBALL: Runners bolt to a strong finish Team breaks even again

track

■ The men’s and women’s

track teams placed well in a non-scoring meet at Northeastern last weekend.

By HENRY LOUGHLIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

While only an early season marker, the men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams showed signs of good form last Saturday at the non-scoring Jay Carisella Invitational. Held at the famed Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury, the Judges fared well against Division I competition, showing that they have every intention of making a statement on the indoor track scene this season.

However, sprinter Vincent Asante ’14 noted the meet wasn’t all business.

“It was the first meet of the season, and we weren’t looking forward to stressing ourselves out,” said Asante.

On the men’s side, Asante showed that last year wasn’t a fluke. The UAA Indoor and Outdoor rookie of the year in 2011, Asante took sixth in the 55-meter dash, clocking a time of 6.71 seconds in the small eight-man final.

Yet he did express concern about his need to be more disciplined in training as the team begins its season.

“I was surprised at my performance and I thought I wasn’t going to place at all,” said Asante.

“I am not worried about peaking right now. I am more concerned about getting stronger, because I am not in a good shape mentally and physically.”

In the preliminaries of the day’s shortest run, Charlie Pino ’12 ran at 6.87 seconds, Kensai Hughes ’14 notched a finish time of 6.91 seconds, and Stanley Ye ’12 finished at 7.39 seconds.

In the 200-meter dash, Hughes clocked a solid 23.84 en route to a 20th-place finish, before capping his day with a 16th-place showing in the long jump, where he leapt 19 feet, 7.5 inches. Pino and Viet Tran ’15 also competed in the pit, jumping 18.525 feet and 18.175 feet, respectively.

Viet also jumped 39.225 feet in the triple jump.

Jung Park ’14, who nabbed a 55.60 competing in the 400 meter, also finished 20th in the 55 hurdles (8.88), five-hundreths of a second ahead of Jeffrey Maser ’15, who took 21st. Maser also took 15th in the high jump with a height of six feet.

The women saw some success on their end as well, highlighted by Brittany Bell ’14, who finished second in the 55-meter dash, clocking in at 7.41. Bell showed her versatility in the meet, also placing 10th in the long jump, leaping 15.825 feet. She was rewarded with the UAA’s Athlete fo the Week award.

Bell was anxious, however, entering the race and did not know what to anticipate after a long off-season.

“It’s been a while since I’ve raced, so I wasn’t too sure what to expect,” Bell said.

“I went into the day just telling myself that whatever happens, happens and reminding myself this was my first time back so there was time to improve.

She was not overconfident after Saturday’s finish and acknowledges she still needs to improve.

“I do feel there is a lot more I can put into my workouts and my coach is ready to target my weak points from seeing my performance yesterday.”

Kim Farrington ’13—who notably placed third in the triple jump—took part in the event as well, jumping 15 feet, 2.75 inches. Lily Parenteau ’12 also notched a sixth-place finish in the high jump with an effort of 5 feet, 2.25 inches.

Michelle Fry ’15 and Annifreed Sinjour ’13 fared well in the 200 meter, completing the one-lap race in 27.55 and 28.20 seconds, respectively.

Casey McGown ’13 took 16th in the 400-meter race, timing in at 1:03.21, 3.23 seconds ahead of Daniela Ayala ’15 and 9.41 ticks ahead of Elizabeth Nguyen ’14.

Overall, Asante was satisfied with the sprinters’ performance against tough competition, yet acknowledged there is still work to do.

“We enjoy the competition that Division I schools bring, helping us push ourselves,” said Asante.

“To conclude, we are only looking forward to getting stronger, and once we get there, the results will speak for themselves.”

Despite racing in a field with mostly Division I schools, Bell agreed it was a worthwhile experience and will prepare the team well for future meets.

“We love the meets against Division I track colleges because they are usually held at a higher caliber, so it puts me in a mindset that I really need to bring my all,” said Bell.

While it’s still early in the season, the Judges have hit the ground running. The teams next compete at the Reggie Poyau Invitational this Saturday at 11 a.m.

FENCING: Teams end meet with winless records CONTINUED FROM 16 8-1 in épée for a total 20-7 defeat.

Brandeis suffered a loss by the same margin against Cornell.

Despite early defeats, Shipman explained the women’s effort would pay off in the long run.

“The women were a little bit outmatched,” he said. “For them, this was really preparation for later in the season, but this was a positive experience.”

The women’s team went on to face Yale and North Carolina.

The Judges failed to take any weapons from their opponents, losing 16-11 and 19-8, respectively. The women suffered a resounding 26-1 defeat against St. John’s to round out the final performance of the meet.

Saberist Deborah Rothbard ’14 was impressed with the team’s courage during the tournament.

“I think we are a good team,” she said. “Today just happens to be a conglomeration of a lot of very good teams. I think this will serve us better in the future.

Also, we can scope out the freshmen and see who’s good. But I’d say it’s a rough day.”

Foilist Vikki Nunley ’13 agreed with Rothbard.

“We had really good teams lumped into one day. Usually we have some easier teams and harder teams and it’s more even. But everyone tried their hardest, and that’s all I care about.”

The fencing teams have concluded in their competition for the semester. However, the Judges will return on Jan. 28 for the second Northeast Conference Meet of the season, which will be held at Boston College.

JENNY CHENG/the Justice

EXPOSED: Saberist Zoe Messinger ’13 looked to exploit an opening for a point against a Cornell fencer at last Sunday’s home meet.

CONTINUED FROM 16 end the game with two late buckets to seal the final 75-59 margin.

Despite excellent three-point shooting in the first half, Daniel Webster hit only three of 11 threepointers in the second half.

Cincotta scored 14 of her career-high 20 points in the second half. After shooting 2-9 overall in the first half, she hit 5-10 shots from the field and 3-7 from threepoint range after the break. The 20-point performance marked the Judges’ highest individual point total of the season. “[Cincotta] started to get on fire with her shots. It was great,” says Kendrew.

Anderson also had a career night, scoring 10 points and a career-high 15 rebounds for her first collegiate double-double. Nine of her rebounds were offensive rebounds. Brandeis dominated the boards 53-25, with 25 of those rebounds on the offensive end, contributing to a 25-2 Brandeis advantage in second chance points.

Kendrew had a strong night as well, finishing with 10 points and seven rebounds, while guard Kelly Ethier ’12 and Cain led Brandeis with six assists each.

The Judges blocked eight shots, led by three blocked shots from Courtney Ness ’13 Last Tuesday, Brandeis struggled offensively, digging itself into a huge hole against Endicott right off the bat, trailing 14-1 in the first half. At one point, the Judges were down by an alarming 22-3 score. Able to claw their way back to a 10-point deficit at the half, Brandeis was looking to rebound in the second half.

For the first five minutes, the Judges did just that, pulling within 29-24. However, after that, Emmanuel’s offense completely took over, quickly putting the game out of Brandeis’ reach. The Judges only shot 15-65 from the field and were also outrebounded 59-44 in the 55-43 loss.

The defeat marked Brandeis’ first losing streak of the season.

Forward Shannon Hassan ’12 led the team with 14 points and eight rebounds. Ethier contributed 10 points, while Anderson also picked up 12 rebounds.

Brandeis returns to action on Saturday with a non-conference game away against Roger Williams University at 1 p.m.

MBBALL: Men end their struggles with a home win CONTINUED FROM 16 “It all starts in practice,” Dascy said. We practice how we play. All we have to do is practice hard and get rid of the mental breakdowns, and we should be fine. The talent is there; we just need some fine tuning.”

In the first game of the Big 4 Challenge at Salem State, the Judges lost 65-57. Brandeis cut the lead to just three points with two minutes left, but Salem State hit five free throws to seal the game.

Brandeis started the game slowly,

falling behind 19-10 early. However, hot shooting by Retos and a big game by Bartoldus kept the Judges within reach of the lead. The sophomore guards scored all 17 points in a 17-7 run that put Brandeis up for the first time with a score of 27-26. The Judges were only down 28-27 heading into halftime.

The Judges’ comeback suffered a setback at the beginning of the second half, as Salem State bolted ahead to a 46-36 lead just six minutes into the half. Brandeis made another run, however, as Bartoldus led the way once again. His runner

brought the Judges to within three with two minutes remaining, but Salem State’s free throws clinched the semifinal match for the Vikings.

Bartoldus finished with a seasonhigh 17 points. Retos put up another 16, including four more three-pointers. Dascy scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.

“The competition was good,” said Bartoldus about the game. “The four teams in the tournament are always strong and typically have productive seasons. They are tough teams.

Games like this past weekend will

really prepare us for in conference games.”

Earlier in the week, Brandeis traveled to Clark University in a matchup with Meehan’s alma mater. The Judges found themselves down 26-16 early. They strung together a late run in the first half to pull within nine, but went into halftime down 45-33.

After a quick run by Clark to start the second half, Brandeis cut the lead to 50-38 on a three-point play by forward Alex Schmidt ’14. However, this was the closest Brandeis would get to the lead for the rest

of the game, as the Cougars dominated Brandeis’ defense. The lead ballooned to 20 and after that, Clark didn’t look back.

Retos scored another 17 points, including four three-pointers. Dascy put up 10 points, four rebounds and two blocks, while forward Ishmael Kalilou ’15 scored 11 points in his first career start.

The Judges will travel to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts for their next game tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. The team will then take on Amherst College at home on Saturday, before a three-week hiatus.

Advertise in theJustice and reach the entire Brandeis community!

Run your ad for the rest of the semester and receive a 25-percent discount.

Classified ads starting at $10 Perfect for advertising local businesses or club events

To place an ad or for more information, contact Cody Yudkoff at ads@thejustice.org.

THE JUSTICE

Men’s BASKETBALL TEAM STATS

Points Per Game

Not including Monday’s games UAA Conference

W L D W Emory 0 0 0 7 NYU 0 0 0 3 Rochester 0 0 0 6 Chicago 0 0 0 5 Wash U 0 0 0 5 Case 0 0 0 4 Carnegie 0 0 0 3 JUDGES 0 0 0 3

Overall L D Pct. 0 0 .1000 0 0 .1000 2 0 .750 2 0 .714 2 0 .714 2 0 .667 3 0 .500 5 0 .375

UPCOMING GAMES Wednesday at MCLA Saturday at Amherst Friday, Dec. 30 at Clark

TUESDAY, December 6, 2011

15

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

jUDGES BY THE NUMBERS UAA STANDINGS

●

Derek Retos ’12 leads the team with 16.4 points per game.

Player PPG Derek Retos 16.4 Youri Dascy 12.6 Ben Bartoldus 9.8 Vytas Kriskus 7.0

Retos soars as a floor leader for the Judges

Rebonds Per Game Youri Dascy ’14 leads the team with 11.3 rebounds per game.

Player RPG Youri Dascy 9.6 Alex Stoyle 7.0 Alex Schmidt 4.6 Vytas Kriskus 4.1

WOMen’s basketball UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS

Not including Monday’s games

Points Per Game

UAA Conference Overall

W L D W L D Pct. Rochester 0 0 0 7 0 0 .1000 Chicago 0 0 0 6 0 0 .1000 WashU 0 0 0 6 1 0 .857 Emory 0 0 0 5 2 0 .714 NYU 0 0 0 4 2 0 .667 Case 0 0 0 4 3 0 .571 JUDGES 0 0 0 4 4 0 .500 Carnegie 0 0 0 3 4 0 .429

Dianna Cincotta ’11 leads the team with 9.2 points per game.

Player PPG Dianna Cincotta 9.2 Hannah Cain 7.2 Shannon Hassan 6.7 Morgan Kendrew 6.7

UPCOMING GAMES Saturday at Roger Williams Dec. 31 vs. Husson Jan. 7 at NYU

Rebounds Per Game Samantha Anderson ’13 leads with 7.8 rebounds per game.

Player RPG Samantha Anderson 7.8 Kelly Ethier 4.9 Hannah Cain 4.8 Shannon Hassan 4.1

FENCING Results from the Brandeis Invitational at home last Sunday

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)

SABER RECORD Jess Ochs-Willard 7-2

SABER Zoe Messinger

RECORD 7-2

FOIL Julian Cardillo

FOIL Vikki Nunley

RECORD 8-4

ÉPÉE Alex Powell

RECORD 8-4 RECORD 4-1

ÉPÉE Emily Mandel

RECORD 3-1

UPCOMING MEET: The men’s and women’s teams will next compete at the second Northeast Conference Meet at Boston College on Jan. 28, 2012.

JOSHUA LINTON/Justice File Photo

COURT VISION: Point guard Derek Retos ’14 searches for an open defender in a home loss to Rochester last February.

■ Derek Retos ’14 has

stepped up to start off the season, leading the charge for Brandeis’ offense.

By MAX GOLDSTEIN JUSTICE SENIOR writer

TRACK AND FIELD Results from Jay Carisella Invitational at Roxbury last Saturday

NOTABLE FINISHES (Men’s)

NOTABLE FINISHES (Women’s)

50-METER DASH Vincent Asante

TIME 6.71

50-METER DASH Brittany Bell

TIME 7.41

200-METER DASH Kensai Hughes

TIME 23.84

200-METER DASH Michelle Fry

TIME 27.55

UPCOMING MEET: The men’s and women’s track teams will next compete at the Reggie Poyau Invitiational at home this Saturday.

The men’s basketball team cruised to a 7-0 start last season, defying expectations after losing their three best players in the previous season. However, this season, the tale is completely opposite. Instead of 7-0, they are 3-5, failing to meet expectations this time around.

Athlete of the month Derek Retos ’14 has been one of the bright spots of the team, averaging 16.4 points per game and shooting a lights-out 52.7 percent from the field. Retos, who averaged 7.1 points per game last season, has stepped it up as a second-year veteran. He is the team’s leading scorer and is on track to record over 1,000 points.

Retos, who is just a sophomore,

refused to take sole credit for his growth this season.

“I have been fortunate to get good looks at the basket and get open shots,” said Retos.

“My teammates have done a great job of getting me open and finding me and giving it to me in spots were I can have a chance to score points.”

However modest he may be, Retos knocks down his shots more often than not. His 16.3 points per game are good for 7th in the University Athletic Association, while also having the distinction of being one of only two underclassmen in the top 10. To round it off, Retos is the third highest scorer in the UAA this season.

While only beginning the season at 3-5, the team still has a daunting stretch ahead, including matches against their formidable UAA foes.

Retos, who has been vital in their first seven games, will be called upon even more in the next few weeks. As opposing teams notice his effectiveness from the field,

Retos may find it more difficult to get open. Yet he is confident in this squad’s ability to turn it around and end the season with a strong finish.

“I think we have a chance to be really good,” said Retos.

“We have an overall young group, but we are also really talented,” said Retos.

“We just need to continue to improve everyday and we have a chance to do something really special.”

Retos did not seem content with his performance so far. He still believes that he can play at an even higher level.

“I am always trying to improve all areas of my game,” said Retos.

“I feel there is always something I can get better at and help our team win games.”

The Judges will certainly need Retos and the team’s other main players to keep improving as Brandeis approaches the middle of the season.

Boston Bruins beat Bruins continue with their winning ways, defeating Original Six rival Maple Leafs at TD Garden If anyone thought that the Boston Bruins’ November magic, with a 120-1 record during the month, would end with a turning of the calendar, they should look no further than last Saturday’s 4-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Now five weeks without a regulation loss, the Boston Bruins appear to have more confidence than ever, playing as a unified and explosive force against every team they face.

However, Bruins coach Claude Julien noted that the team is also refraining from overconfidence. “I don’t see anybody getting comfortable in [the dressing room], and that’s great to see,” Julien said during the post-game press conference.

“This game can be a humbling game, things can turn around pretty quickly… But the mindset is one

that I like the feel of it, because certainly you’re not getting comfortable and complacent.”

The game itself was yet another display of exciting Bruins hockey, just like the previous game against the Leafs last Wednesday, in which the Bruins won 6-3. While the first period remained scoreless, both teams jumped out of the gate in the second period with great intensity.

Despite having multiple scoring opportunities on each side, both teams failed to notch a goal due to strong defensive pairings along with solid goaltending by both the Bruins’ back-up Tuukka Rask and the Leafs starter James Reimer, who returned as the Leafs’ lead netminder after missing 18 games with concussionlike symptoms.

Things started up again quickly

just 4:20 into the second period.

Center David Krejci scored in the top corner on a one-timer pass from Nathan Horton to put the Bruins ahead by one. Within a minute, the Leafs responded with a dead-on shot

by Mikhail Grabovski, beating Rask on the short side from a tough angle.

Yet this would be the one and only time the Leafs sounded the siren.

Boston’s great positioning in front of the net helped Rich Peverly shoot off a pass to Chris Kelly, who nailed the puck over Reimer’s shoulder to put the Bruins ahead 2-1.

The third period was more of the same: tight hockey, big defensive plays, big hits and more goals.

Johnny Boychuk let a rocket go from the faceoff circle, just passing

by Reimer’s glove to give the Bruins insurance. Right wing Nathan

Horton took advantage of defensive lapse by Leaf Michael Frattin to put the Bruins up by a final score of 4-1.

The 60 minutes also contained a good amount of physical play. The intensity found in both sides came to a head when Joe Corvo and Joey Crabb engaged in an intense fight.

Defenseman Joe Corvo, earning his first NHL major in 592 career games, thought it would be inevitable that he would have the first fight of his career, donning a Bruins uniform.

“I figured, yeah, after the first game when I was driving out of the parking lot and I was signing some autographs, and someone came up to the window, and they’re like: just fight one time and they’ll love you here; so I figured it was going to happen at some point.” Judging

by the “USA” chants sporadically erupting from a packed crowd, the 100th sold-out game in a row, the fans were pleased.

By shutting down the Leafs’ top line with Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul– first and third in points in the league, respectively– the Bruins were able to focus on their own offense, without having to worry about the opposing team. The Bruins can revel in the fact that, for now, they are back on top. After securing their place at the top of the Northeast Division, it does not look like they are going to give up the spot any time soon.

The Bruins will next travel to take on the Winnipeg Jets tonight at 8:30 p.m.

—Bryan Flatt

just

Sports

Page 16

READY, SET, GO The men’s and women’s track teams started their winter season with a bang at the Jay Carisella Invitational, p. 13.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Waltham, Mass.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

OPEN LOOK

Team wins at end of week to snap its losing streak ■ Coach Brian Meehan

notched his 300th win on Sunday, ending the Judges’ four-game losing streak.

By jacob moskowitz JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Men’s basketball coach Brian Meehan had a chance to earn his 300th win after a thrilling overtime win against Becker College Nov. 19.

Three weeks later, and after four unsuccessful attempts, Meehan finally earned that elusive 300th victory last Sunday. The Judges pulled away from Babson College en route to a 61-53 win in the consolation game of the Big 4 Challenge at Salem State University. The men also fell to Clark University by a score of 74-55 earlier in the week.

Center Youri Dascy ’14 did not attribute the team’s recent struggles to the distraction of the 300th win, but he acknowledged their problems have stemmed from turnovers and lack of execution on offense.

“Honestly, some of us didn’t even realize that he was going for his 300th win until yesterday,” said Dascy. “We all are happy to be part of such a historical moment, and

we are very proud of him.”

Brandeis and Babson managed to keep the score close throughout the first half. Brandeis was down 25-22 at halftime, despite 13 points from guard Derek Retos ’14. Yet, the Judges quickly jumped ahead to a 38-33 lead in the second half, the dagger coming from another Retos three-pointer.

The second half saw nine lead changes in all. The Beavers took a 43-42 lead with nine minutes remaining. However, just a few minutes later, Dascy put the Judges up for good with a three-point play.

With two minutes remaining and Brandeis up 54-51, forward Vytas Kriskus ’12 nailed a three-pointer to put the game out of reach.

Retos finished the game with 17 points and was named to the all-tournament team. Guard Ben Bartoldus ’14 had 14 points on 9-10 shooting from the free throw line, while Dascy put up his second double-double in a row and fourth of the season, scoring 12 points to go along with his 11 rebounds. Yet, the team turned the ball over 16 times.

Dascy acknowledged this will be a big concern for the team as the season moves along.

See MBBALL, 13 ☛

FENCING

Squads fail to earn a victory at home meet ■ Both fencing squads

JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

BANK SHOT: Center Samantha Anderson ’13 jumps over a Daniel Webster defender for a layup opportunity last Saturday.

Judges split matches to keep an even record ■ The women’s basketball

team remained at .500, winning at home last Saturday after a road loss.

By JACOB ELDER JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The women’s basketball team continued its roller-coaster ride of a season, splitting its two games last week. The team lost last Tuesday to Emmanuel College 55-43 before notching a notable home victory against Daniel Webster College last Saturday by a margin of 75-59. With the win, the Judges ended a twogame slide, evening their record at 4-4.

In the first quarter of Saturday’s game, the Judges were in big trouble. Daniel Webster raced to a 29-17 lead more than 11 minutes into the game, making seven of its first 10

three-point attempts. Brandeis’ offense also seemed out of sync with many sloppy passes and a failure to play lockdown defense. However, after a timeout by coach Carol Simon, Brandeis pulled itself together and bolted ahead with a 21-6 run to end the half.

“We picked up the intensity. …

We started pushing the ball more and running the plays we needed to on offense,” said guard Morgan Kendrew ’12.

The defense also turned it around, as the Judges held Daniel Webster to 2-13 shooting, including 0-5 from inside the arc and 2-8 from deep.

Led by four rebounds from Kendrew after the time-out, the Judges also owned a 13-7 rebound advantage during the rest of the half.

With two minutes, 37 seconds left, the Judges regained the lead after back-to-back three-pointers by guard Janelle Rodriguez ’14 and guard Dianna Cincotta ’11, MA ’12.

Guard Hannah Cain ’15 closed the half with a three-pointer that gave the Judges a 38-35 lead into the break. Center Samantha Anderson ’13 led the Judges at the half with eight points and eight rebounds.

Four minutes into the the second half, Daniel Webster clawed back to tie the game one last time. Then Brandeis went on a 10-1 run, led by six points from Kendrew. Her jumper after a well-timed outlet pass from sophomore Kasey Dean ’14 made it a 51-42 game. Daniel Webster didn’t give up that easily, fighting back with four straight points to pull within 51-46 with 10:29 to go. The Judges put the game out of reach, draining two field goals in the next 10 minutes. Cincotta scored eight straight Brandeis points during one stretch, pushing Brandeis to a season-high 21-point lead late in the game. Daniel Webster would

See WBBALL, 13 ☛

struggled in their first home meet, unable to pull out a win against their opponents.

By JACOB LURIE JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The men’s and women’s fencing squads went into their meet at home last Sunday looking to build upon their notable performances from their last meet at the University of New Hampshire. However, at the end of the day, it was certainly a different story. The women’s and men’s teams were both winless, going 0-5 and 0-4 on the day, respectively.

The Judges hosted Yale University, Brown University, St. John’s University, Cornell University and the University of North Carolina at the meet. The men opened up the day against Brown. Brandeis was able to defeat Brown 5-4 in saber but lost 5-4 to their opponent in foil and 7-2 in épée. The Judges also fell victim to Yale early on, getting swept 5-4 in saber, 5-4 in foil and 7-2 in épée.

Despite the two losses, captain and épéeist Alex Powell ’12 still commended the team’s perseverance and dedication against Yale and Brown.

“It didn’t go as we planned, but everyone on the team fenced very hard and we can’t fault ourselves for not getting those victories,” said Powell. “It just didn’t go our way.”

The men also took on North Carolina and St. John’s. The Judges were able to defeat UNC in saber 6-3, but lost 17-10 overall. Brandeis

lost in all three weapons against St. John’s, falling by scores of 6-3 in saber, 8-1 in foil and 6-3 in épée.

Coach Bill Shipman viewed the tournament as a way for the team to build and improve for the future.

“We need to do better in tactics, especially in foil. We were outsmarted quite a few times. But I think these guys understand what it takes to win at this level and higher. They did it, sometimes.

They can make that transition. It’ll benefit us in the long run.”

The centerpiece of the day for the men was Powell’s bout against St. John’s fencer Marat Israelian, a two-time defending NCAA champion. Powell was able to defeat Israelian 5-3 in what proved to be a thrilling match.

He was very pleased with the outcome of the bout and his overall performance throughout the day.

“He’s the two-time reigning NCAA champion and definitely the best fencer here,” Powell said. “It’s weird; one day, you could lose to a beginner fencer and then you step your game up, and you’re the big guy. But I played hard every bout, and I can’t be too upset that I did lose some bouts.”

Shipman praised Powell for his performance in the bout.

“It was a great accomplishment,” he said. “Alex is a good enough fencer to be able to get himself up and be able to fence with anyone in the country.”

The women started off their day of matches against Brown and Cornell. The Judges were unable to take any weapons from Brown, losing 5-4 in saber, 7-2 in foil and

See FENCING, 13 ☛

December 6, 2011

just

ARTS

ends semester with a laugh p. 21

Photos: Josh Horowitz/the Justice. Design: Asher Krell/the Justice.

18

TUESDAY, december 6, 2011 ● THE JUSTICE

POP CULTURE

INSIDE ON CAMPUS

18-21

■ Bernstein concert

19

■ ‘Two Rivers’ documentary

19

■ Free Play’s ‘Proof’

21

Leonard Bernstein Scholars and Fellows performed their semester recital this week.

A film about Native American reconciliation in Washington state was shown as part of this week’s Just Performance symposium.

This Tony Award-winning play with themes of uncertainty and family drama features just four undergraduate actors.

■ Boris’ Kitchen

21

The sketch-comedy troupe put on its 12th Annual Comedy Festival, featuring groups from other schools and professional comedy.

■ Thresholds and Passages

21

Scholars-in-Residence of the Women’s Studies Research Center read from their current works of poetry and prose.

22-24

OFF CAMPUS

■ Boston Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’

22

■ ‘Camp’ CD review

23

■ Critical Hit

23

Boston Ballet performs the classic winter fairy tale for the last time before the show is rechoreographed for next year.

‘Community’ actor Donald Glover a.k.a.

Childish Gambino released his first album earlier this month.

This week’s video game column features ‘Super Mario 3D Land’ by Nintendo.

CALENDAR

Interview

by Shelly Shore

There were a lot of events in the world of pop culture this week: Kourtney Kardashian announced that “Yes, she’s pregnant!” on the cover of People (I don’t know that anyone was asking, Kourtney, but congrats just the same); Anne Hathaway got engaged (I hope she checked his criminal record first this time); and HBO released new information about the Game of Thrones season one DVD (winter is coming, kids).

The most high-profile celebrity news this week was the sentencing of Conrad Murray, the doctor who administered the fatal dose of a powerful anesthetic to Michael Jackson in 2009.

Murray was convicted of manslaughter on Nov. 7, and on Tuesday, Nov. 29, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor gave him the maximum sentence of four years behind bars.

“He violated the trust of the medical community, of his colleagues and of his patient,” said Judge Pastor, “and he has absolutely no sense of remorse, absolutely no sense of fault and remains dangerous.”

The Jackson family’s attorney Brian Panish told the court, “We’re not here to seek revenge. There is nothing you can do today that will bring back Michael.” Still, the family joined the prosecution in seeking the maximum sentence.

In addition to the prison sentence, prosecutors also requested that Murray be required to pay $150 million in restitution to Jackson’s children, the amount that Jackson’s estate estimates he would have earned if he completed the concert tour he had been preparing for at the time of his death. There is no news as to whether or not Judge Pastor will tack that on to the sentencing.

While Murray was sentenced to four years, experts estimate he will only serve two at the most because of California’s chronic prison overcrowding. This overcrowding is

VOCAL “slams” into action at its championship

 Brandeis’ slam poetry team will hold its annual competition today to select the members who will compete in a national competition in Los Angeles.

GEORGES BIARD/WikiMedia Commons

TRAGIC DEATH: Michael Jackson’s doctor, Conrad Murray, was sentenced to four years in prison. the same problem that has led to shortened prison sentences for celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and many other low-risk convicts.

However, with state budget cuts slashing many programs upon which former prisoners depend, many released convicts find themselves right back in prison shortly after being released—initiating a cycle that will continue until the U.S. prison system is somehow fixed.

Still, even if he is released early, it’s unlikely that Murray, whose medical license was suspended in January pending the outcome of his case, will find another troubled pop star to pay him $150,000 per month for powerful anesthetics.

What’s happening in Arts on and off campus

ON-CAMPUS EVENTS

Brandeis Theater Company auditions

BTC will be holding auditions for its spring production, Ordinary Mind, Ordinary Day based on short stories by Viriginia Woolf. There will be several sets of auditions throughout Tuesday evening.

Today from 6:30 to 10 p.m. in the Spingold Theater Center Room 206.

Chamber Music concert

Students studying chamber music in the class “Inside the Piece: Chamber Music from the Player’s Perspective” will perform their semester recital.

Today from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Slosberg Recital Hall.

Slam Poetry Team finals

VOCAL’s Slam Poetry team members will be competeing against one another, and the top five poets will go on to the next round in the College Nationals in Los Angeles this April.

Today from 9 p.m. to midnight in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium.

“Close Looking”

This event will feature a discussion of Della trasportatione dell’obelisco vaticano et delle fabriche di Nostro Signore papa Sisto V from the Bern Dibner Collection in the History of Science. This book describes the moving of an obelisk to St. Peter’s Square and its erection before the basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican.

Profs. Charles McClendon (FA) and Mary Baine Campbell (ENG) will also speak. This event is part of a yearlong series sponsored by the Rose Art Museum, the Mandel Center for the Humanities and Library and Technology Services.

Tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall.

Senior studio midyear opening reception

Seniors studying painting, sculpture and print in the Art major will display their works from the first half of the year at this event. Food and beverages will be provided.

Tomorrow from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Dreitzer Gallery in Spingold Theater Center.

Voices of Soul semester show

Voices of Soul is a co-ed a cappella group that performs R&B and soul music. The troupe is known for their crowd favorites, including “Where is the Love” by the Black Eyed Peas and “Waterfalls” by TLC. Their strong voices and rhythms will be on full display at their final performance of 2011.

Tomorrow from 9 to 11 p.m. in the South Campus Commons.

‘Urinetown: The Musical’

Student-run Tympanium Euphorium is producing a musical about a revolution against the evil Urine Good Company. Urinetown, written

by Greg Kotis with music and lyrics by Mark Hollman, first opened on Broadway in 2001.

The musical won three Tony awards includ-

MARK S. HOWARD/Lyric Stage Company of Boston

BAD BEHAVIOR: Calvin Braxton (left) and Lori Tishfield perform in the Lyric Stage Company of Boston’s performance of ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’.’ The show is a compilation featuring comical songs from musical theater. ing Best Book (script) and Best Original Score.

Thursday to Sunday from 8 to 10:30 p.m. in the Carl J. Shapiro Theater. Tickets are priced at $5/$3.

Early Music Ensemble: “Power to the Pious!”

This show will perform music from the 16th-century Reformation in Europe on period instruments. The songs and chants featured in the show are a source for praise and reflection.

Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Slosberg Music Center.

Fafali: African music and dance ensemble

Master drummer Nani Agbeli will lead a performance of traditional music and dance from Ghana and West Africa. The ensemble will perform on bells, rattles and drums.

Sunday at 8 p.m. in the Slosberg Music Center.

OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS

From Offender to Entrepreneur: Staged Reading of ‘The Castle’

The Castle is a hard-hitting drama about life after prison, presented in a series of monologues. The play illustrates the challenges faced by ex-offenders and the societal treatment of people coming out of prison.

The performance will be followed by a panel discussion, “Working Together to Achieve Economic Independence,” which will be moderated by WBUR senior news reporter David Boeri.

Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Sorenson Center for the Arts located at Park Manor South, Babson Park. Tickets are $15 for students.

‘Arabian Nights’

This play tells the story of King Shahrayar, who brands all women unfaithful after learning of his first wife’s infidelity. He takes a new bride every night, until he weds Shahrazad who enchants him with magical stories and wins his love in the process. This play is presented by The Nora Theatre Company and Underground Railway Theater.

Running through Saturday, Dec. 31 in Central Square Theater, located at 450 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge. Tickets are $20 for those with a valid college ID.

‘Radio City Christmas Spectacular’ starring the Rockettes

The world-famous Radio City Rockettes will dance their way through brand-new scenes in an array of glamorous costumes.

Running through Wednesday, Dec. 28 at the Citi Wang Theatre located at 270 Tremont St, Boston. Tickets start at $25.

‘Imaginary Invalid’

The Boston University College of Fine Arts presents a play about the wealthy Argan, a housebound hypochondriac whose scheme to marry his daughter to a doctor is driven by one thing: free medical care. The comedy is a satire of both the French society and the medical profession.

Friday to Friday Dec. 16 in Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA located at 527 Tremont St, Boston. Tickets are $12 for the general public.

‘Ain’t Misbehavin’’

The Lyric Stage Company of Boston presents an evening of humorous songs that capture the spirit of 1930s Harlem. Numbers to be performed include, “Honeysuckle Rose,” “The Joint is Jumpin’” and “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love.”

Slam poetry is one of the most exciting forms of artisitc expression. It combines theater and writing in energized and personal performances that often leave the audience breathless. This week, JustArts spoke with Usman Hameedi ’12, a founding member and the current president of Brandeis’ Slam Poetry Team. Hameedi is also a competitor in this week’s competition, the fourth-annual event that determines which five members of the club will compete at the next level, the College Nationals, in April.

JustArts: What was your role in founding the Slam Poetry club?

Usman Hameedi: The overarching club is VOCAL, and one subset of VOCAL is the slam team. It’s not a slam poetry club. Jason [Simon Henry Birenbaum ’11] and Jamele [Adams, the Assistant Dean of Student Life] were a big part of it. Jason was very interested in creating a slam team here and talked to Jamele about it. Jason did a lot of youth poetry stuff in his time, so once I got here and some other first-years, we made a team together. We all competed and created a slam to be on the team.

JA: How was this event organized?

UH: It stems from the original way we had it, but now since I’ve taken charge of the club—what happens is during the fall, there are about six to seven open mics, and poets—any Brandeis student, grad students included—can come perform. They can either perform in the slam and compete or they can just do the open mics, and they accumulate a certain amount of points towards finals.

If you win a slam, you automatically move on to finals. But if you’re not ready to compete, you can accumulate a bunch of points by coming to the mic and just sharing your work. And then you’re invited to come to a final slam.

JA: How will the winners be selected?

UH: Its going to be a traditional slam.

There will be five judges ... selected from the audiences—randomly selected, and they also can’t know the other performers, so it’s very objective. Each poem is scored from one to 10 with one decimal point. The lowest and the highest are dropped. The top five poets are those who have the highest cumulative scores of the night. There’s an elimination between rounds.

JA: How did you get interested in poetry? When did you begin writing your own poetry?

UH: I’ve been writing for about 11 years.

I’ve been performing for about five. I’ve always just been interested in it. It’s just fun.

You can be a whole other person. There are so many personas you can take on. It’s just a great way to express yourself.

JA: How do you prepare for a competition like this?

UH: Without giving too much away [about] my secrets, I just go through all my poems and figure out different strategies and make sure my mind and body are ready for this.

JA: What would you like the audience to get out of this experience?

UH: Just to know the voices that are coming out of Brandeis and to understand that with this whole project we’re putting Brandeis on the map. Although it seems like this is just for VOCAL, this is a potential opening for every club on campus because we’re putting Brandeis’ name out there.

We’ve already done that significantly because this is our fourth year going. People know us. We have strategies against our team—like other teams know how to compete against us. And this is great. Let’s say, hypothetically, the Russian Club needed a poet to come for an event. They would be in a network, and they would be able to access that network because we laid down the groundwork for that.

JA: What is the next step for the winners of the competition?

UH: After the top five are picked, I’m the coach and the captain, so we’re going to start training. Basically, I have certain goals in mind for the team, and we’re going to move toward meeting them. Specifically for the remainder of the semester, we’re just going to have a meet and greet, fill out some questionnaires here and there, and people are expected to work on individual pieces during the winter break. Immediately when we come back in the spring, we’re going to start working on group pieces.

—Rebecca Blady

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, decemBER 6, 2011

19

ON CAMPUS FILM

FROM CLASSIC TO CONTEMPORARY

‘Two Rivers’ film spurs discussion about land rights ■ ‘Two Rivers’ was screened

by the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life in its Enacting Justice in the Wake of Violence symposium.

By OLIVIA LEITER JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

“One person can make a difference in the world. That world might be small, but it’s still a world,” said one student who participated in an open discussion on Nov. 21 after viewing Two Rivers, an award-winning film that documents the story of a Native American reconciliation group in northern Washington state. The film, screened in the Heller School for Social Policy and Management prior to the discussion, was sponsored by the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life as part of its “Just Performance” symposium.

The symposium, which took place from Dec. 1 to Dec. 2, aimed to explore the performative dimensions of justice-seeking in the aftermath of violence. There were five group sessions that discussed justice-seeking in different parts of the world. For example, one group session focused on peacebuilding in Peru, another in Cambodia and a third session focused on justice-seeking in the United States.

The last component of the symposium was titled “Continuing the Just Performance Conversation.”

After attending the various sessions in the symposium, this section was devoted to asking questions about justice-seeking in today’s society in the hopes of encouraging students to continue thinking critically after the two-day event. Dabney Hailey, the director of Academic Programs at the Rose Art Museum, led a tour and discussion and posed questions such as, “How do art museums, and the encounters with works of art they offer, contribute to a community’s quest for justice?”

The film began by depicting the European colonization of the American Northwest. Settlers believed it was their “manifest destiny” to expand across the continent and thenPresident Ulysses S. Grant argued that assimilation into white culture could solve the “Indian problem.” In an attempt to “civilize” the Native American people, American settlers presented them with a Bible and a Christian education, believing that the only redemption for the Native Americans was through education.

Settlers were motivated by the popular motto “Kill the Indian, save the man.”

Now that time has passed, we can reflect critically on our greed-driven expansionism and cruel extermination of Native American culture. The film showed images of Native Americans today. The photos were raw and unsettling, providing snapshots of everyday life—a mother holding her child, an old man sitting by a river.

Many Native Americans still feel isolated from the rest of the population. Many of them live on reservations that physically separate them from society, and many still face prejudice and discrimination. Drug abuse and alcoholism have become major problems in that population.

Each picture I saw exposed a profound sense of despair. It was the eyes of these people, those hurting, helpless eyes that went straight to my heart.

Phil and Marge Downy, a white couple living in northern Washington, recognized the atrocities committed against Native Americans and the problems these people face today, and decided to initiate a Native American reconciliation group

in their community.

The couple facilitated small meetings in their home, letting Native Americans in the area talk about the challenges of being a Native American now, and the pain they feel when they look back on the treatment of their people throughout history.

Each of these meetings was cathartic and powerful. One woman said, with tears in her eyes, “I live in a land I didn’t come from.”

The Downys explained that they wanted the group to be about listening and really getting to know the people to whom they were speaking.

They explained that in previous reconciliation attempts, people “went up to a platform and shook hands, and nothing was ever changed. People need to understand why Native Americans are weeping.”

The Downys eventually realized that they needed to turn their small meetings into a larger event, so they proceeded to hold a community powwow, a formal ceremony of reconciliation in the hopes of resolving hostilities and misunderstandings about Native Americans.

The ceremony was powerful; Native Americans shared their stories with white community members.

They explained that they felt welcomed and comforted by the larger community. Ultimately, the entire ceremony gave me hope that this reconciliation movement could inspire similar efforts for other races in the country.

Following the film, there was a small discussion led by Cynthia Cohen, the director of the Ethics Center’s program in Peace Building and the Arts. Cohen explained that there are very few universities that study the ongoing oppression of America’s indigenous people, as most of the history is taught only for nostalgic purposes.

In the discussion, one student from Uganda related the experiences of

“

Action starts from small places.

Everything was faceto-face, that’s why the emotions came out.

Native Americans to many children in Uganda who were taken to boarding schools so that they could become “civilized and reeducated.” The idea was to “get them while they’re young.”

Another student explained that she held an interview with Tibetan students about cross-cultural disharmony. In Tibet, children are encouraged to learn Chinese to adapt to another culture in the hopes of becoming “civilized,” she said. She went on to explain that, as a result, many Tibetan people today are defensive and have a deep-seated hatred of Chinese students.“I wish a similar reconciliation might happen [in Tibet],” the student said.

Many of the participants liked how the film’s reconciliation approach had an emphasis on the personal and the community. One student said, “Action starts from small places. Everything was face-to-face, that’s why the emotions came out.”

It’s a hard thing to do, to investigate the past and shatter the myths we have grown up with. Hopefully, the recognition that we as a country have committed immense atrocities will inspire actual efforts of change.

The Native American reconciliation group in this film may be a small step toward peacebuilding, but it is still a step, and that’s what counts.

JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

STRINGING ALONG: Hannah Saltman ’12, one of the Scholars, accompanies on viola at the group’s semester show at Slosberg.

Bernstein Scholars play chamber music at recital ■ This year’s Leonard

Bernstein Scholars and Fellows showcased talent at their semester recital.

By VIET TRAN JUSTICE Contributing Writer

Sometimes art mimics life, and sometimes art mimics art. In the case of the Leonard Bernstein Scholars and Fellows concert this Sunday, the latter was true, in that the classical music concert resembled a musical drama.

The cast of players was the talented members of the Bernstein Fellowship, a highly selective program for undergraduate chamber musicians. They showcased their abilities in a variety of ensemble works for piano and strings, ranging from classical Mozart to the contemporary composer Ernest Bloch.

Chamber music is neither solo nor orchestral, but something in between that lets the audience hear the individuality of the performers’ instruments, yet also features interactions between each player to form musical dialogues. The Bernstein Fellows both involve the audience’s emotions and provoke quiet reflection.

The scene opened with “Meditation” by Bloch. In the brooding, wandering work, Sarah Shin ’15 expressed struggle and resignation on viola as Anita Kao ’14 created a backdrop of despair on piano.

Contrasting that piece was the regal yet whimsical “Kegelstatt Trio”

by Mozart. In this charming piece— performed by violinist Kayley Wolf ’12, violist Hannah Saltman ’12 and pianist Kristina Yepez ’12—the players moved with the music and

demonstrated ease. This visual effect was mirrored in the tone of the piece, as the audience felt the music bounce around them. The players understood when to shine or let someone else take the stage.

The “Rumanische Melodie” by German Romantic composer Max Bruch required a similar approach.

The work evoked nocturnal scenes of intense longing. Wolf and Saltman’s strings sang through the soaring melodies as Yepez breathed sighs into her piano lines.

With each change of scene, new players offered fresh takes on the prior pieces. The audience was next transported to the raw emotion of the “Sonata in F minor, Op. 121, No. 1” by Brahms. In the sonata, Brahms gives the piano a lead voice. Thus freed from the traditional role of an accompanist, Sofiya Zaytseva ’12 took equal ground as a prominent voice alongside Saltman’s viola.

In the torrential first movement, their playing resembled a tumultuous relationship, a bad romance in which they consumed each other in passionate sound. Saltman pushed her viola to its limits, as Zaytseva displayed wide tonal and dynamic range. Despite this competition for dominance, it was clear that neither partner could survive without the other. The piece resolves, and the two finished the second movement in the quiet contemplation after the storm.

After the intermission the group played Mozart’s “Quintet in C Major, K 515.” This richly complex work was full of surprises. At times, these unexpected passages were in the traditional mode of voice and accompaniment. Then, a counterpoint followed as melodies melted into each other and over-

took the next interlude, but they were never out of balance. My eyes constantly darted back and forth, as they would while watching a tennis match, examining how they traded melodies and built on what came before.

By the end of this musical journey, I felt thoroughly satisfied, entertained and challenged by their musical exploration. The Bernstein Scholars and Fellows explored a richness found in the in-betweens of classical music. Counterpoint and harmony exist between the unison of sound and the division of particular instruments where one would expect to hear only noise.

Similarly, there is a richness in the contrast: the element of surprise that is neither random nor ordered, but a resolution of the two.

These musicians understood the functions of these juxtapositions, as well as how to execute a phrase while listening to their peers to bring life to the music. They created art.

There is also a beauty in something just short of complete control without having a loss of control.

I’m referring to expression: to lose oneself in the music, to let go of order and perfection and submit to the expression of the sounds—easier said than done because of the risk of imperfection.

Still, there is a certain middle point of comfort where technique becomes natural and the medium of expression is so clear that emotion communicates to the audience seamlessly. It is genuine magic. I saw it during the “Rumanische Melodie,” at times during the “Sonata,” and with cellist Alison Fessler ’13 and violinist Brontte Hwang ’15 in the “Quintet.” It is a rare and beautiful thing.

20

TUESDAY, december 6, 2011

●

THE JUSTICE

‘Proof’ explores psychological

depths

PHOTOS BY ASHER KRELL/the Justice

PROVE IT: ‘Proof’ follows the story of a young woman, Catherine (Jamie Perutz ’14), and her attempts to prove that she, not her father, is the author of a revolutionary mathematical proof.

Past and present combine in the play

By RACHEL GORDON JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Last weekend, the Free Play Theatre Cooperative took on the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play Proof in the Schwartz Auditorium.

Written by David Auburn and first produced in 2000, Proof later went on to Broadway, where it earned rave reviews. It was also adapted into a 2005 film starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Jake Gyllenhaal and Anthony Hopkins. Director Jessie Field ’13 put on a poignant reenactment of the play with an intimate cast of just four actors.

The play opens in Chicago, where a young woman, Catherine (Jamie Perutz ’14), is celebrating her 25th birthday with her father Robert (Dave Benger ’14). The audience soon discovers that Robert is not actually alive when Catherine states somberly, “You’re dead, aren’t you?” It is thus illuminated that this scene is actually a hallucination, a memory or some form of flashback, as the play oscillates between reality and fantasy. This feeling of uncertainty pervades the entire production, and the audience is continually asked to question the veracity of the actions they are viewing.

Once the initial confusion is untangled through Catherine’s dialogue with her father, the audience learns that Robert, a onceesteemed mathematician, has succumbed to a heart attack and his funeral is rapidly approaching.

In addition to losing her father,

Catherine must also deal with her overly exuberant sister Claire’s (Caitlin Partridge ’13) attempts to convince her to move with her to New York. In addition to that, Catherine develops a relationship with her father’s former student Hal (Jonathan Plesser ’13).

The crux of the plot becomes her struggle to convince both him and Claire that it was she, not Robert, who wrote a mathematical proof in her father’s notebook that was previously thought to be unsolvable.

Amidst tragedy and loss, and beset by doubt and confusion, Catherine half-heartedly attempts to prove herself to the other characters by questioning their mistrust of the situation, but she quickly becomes exasperated.

Proof has the smallest cast of any play I have ever seen. Although such a small ensemble cast allowed for strong character growth for each individual, it was Catherine who truly changed. Initially fragile and dejected, Catherine evolves tremendously as she deals with her father’s death and explores her passions with Hal. Perutz effortlessly embodies the depressed-yetdetermined Catherine who is the unsung rock of her broken family, being the sole caretaker of her father throughout his illness. Perutz and Benger’s father-daughter scenes were truly enchanting and managed to prove believable, even though the traditional roles of parent and child were reversed.

The difference in personalities between Catherine and Claire was

also a strong aspect of Proof. In the play’s second scene, the audience sees the first exchange between the sisters. The scene begins with Catherine and Claire eating breakfast as Catherine listens inattentively to her sister. Partridge’s portrayal of Claire’s bubbly demeanor starkly contrasted with Perutz’s depiction of Catherine’s dreary mood, and the sisters’ dissimilar dispositions were thus clearly shown. Partridge depicted Claire wonderfully through her quick wit and self-centered demeanor. Watching this conversation revealed the nature of Claire’s character, showing everything from her own selfish, small perspective. Perutz played well off of Partridge’s character, responding with short aloof statements to demonstrate her disregard for her sister.

The themes of doubt and “proof” were prominent throughout the production and the characters served as astounding mediums to express them. Catherine expresses her fears to Hal about inheriting not just her father’s mathematical abilities, but his insanity as well.

Also, Catherine has to face Claire and Hal’s skepticism of her mathematical abilities and has to simultaneously tackle her inner pain and anxiety.

Proof took place in the auditorium of Schwartz Hall without a backdrop and with very few props, mainly math notebooks and beverages. The costumes remained similar, and there was not a whole

DECEASED DAD: Despite the fact that he is dead, Catherine’s father Robert appears to his daughter in hallucinations.

YOUNG LOVE: Jonathan Plesser ’13, left, plays Hal, Catherine’s love interest. lot of movement from the characters; most of their dialogue was stationary. The simplicity let the focus fall on the actors and the plot rather than fancy backgrounds and elaborate apparel. The play ran for two hours, and the pacing worked well, giving enough time for plot development that relied on flashbacks to prior years of Cath-

erine’s life.

Proof contained an abstract compilation of advanced math, mental instability, love and family pressures. The continual question of doubt manifests itself in every aspect of the play with an air of suspense present throughout that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

SISTERLY LOVE: Caitlin Partridge ’13 stood out as Catherine’s energetic sister.

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, december 6, 2011

21

ON CAMPUS comedy

BK joins outsiders for a hilarious show ■ Boris’ Kitchen’s 12th

Annual Sketch Comedy Festival featured professional troupes.

By LOUIS POLISSON JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The Carl J. Shapiro Theater was packed on Saturday night for Boris’ Kitchen’s 12th Annual Sketch Comedy Festival. Having been to the festival before, one might say that Boris’ Kitchen has had a strong history of bringing laughs, both homegrown and from off-campus, to the Carl J. Shapiro Theater. This year’s festival brought professional and college sketch comedy troupes from the Boston area and well beyond.

Yale University’s the Fifth Humour opened up Friday night’s performance, followed by EVIL, a sketch comedy group from Chicago, that comprises of alumni Sam Roos ’09 and Amy Thompson ’11. Saturday night’s performance included Boston University’s the Callbacks, Cornell University’s the SkitsO-Phrenics, Tufts University’s Major: Undecided and the professional comedy troupe Pangea 3000. Boris’ Kitchen was the final act both nights.

Pangea 3000 returned to Brandeis on Saturday night, having performed two years ago in Boris’ Kitchen’s 10th Annual Sketch Comedy Festival. The professional troupe, whose members have written and performed for The Onion, College Humor and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, among others, stood out easily as the best of the bunch.

The group’s entire performance came together to form a cohesive plot about a sketch comedy troupe whose members hate each other and are competing to be the funniest performer. Their seamless transitions and nonstop plot and character building earned huge amounts of laughter and applause on Saturday night. The other college troupes brought a range of laughs with their mixed comedic gifts. Perhaps the most notable of the sketches from oth-

ALEX MARGOLIS/the Justice

CLASHING CULTURES: Yoni Bronstein ‘13 played a man trying to teach his friend (Talya Davidoff ’12) about American humor. er schools came from Major: Undecided. One of its sketches, starring three extremely eccentric singing women forest rangers, was both strange and hilarious. After the audience had been warmed up by the opening acts, Boris’ Kitchen took the stage.

The comedic and acting talents of Boris’ Kitchen were impressive.

Each member brought unique and strong characters to the stage. Chris-

topher Knight ’14 and Peter Charland ’14 stood out in the opening sketch, titled “Feline Nightwear,” a sketch replete with puns and audience-planted troupe members acting as hecklers.

Rachel Benjamin ’14 raised some serious laughs as a sad, underappreciated elephant in a series of sketches titled “Runner 1,” “Runner 2” and “Runner 3.” Paul Gale ’12 had a standout performance as “TJ CA,” a character all too

familiar for some: a community advisor who is just a little too interested in hanging out with his residents and plaintively playing them “Blackbird”

by The Beatles on his acoustic guitar. Michelle Wexler ’15 was a funny and convincing young resident in the sketch.

Other highlights of Boris’ Kitchen set included “Gotta Ketchum All,” starring Knight and Ben Setel ’13,

which built solid jokes off of the childhood craze of many college students, Pokémon. “Bovine” immediately followed, in which the acting gifts of Knight and Gale stood out again along with the talented Talya Davidoff ’12.

Knight and Charland continued to split sides in the twelfth sketch of the night, playing a prank on a persuasively upset and funny Sadrach Pierre ’13, in “What if We Were Married.”

Davidoff and Gale nearly stole the show in a second-act sketch. The video sketch “Temptation” (alternately titled “Lust”) also starred Knight and Yoni Bronstein ’13. The characters of Gale, Davidoff and Knight and their indefatigable love of cake that got the best of them truly made “Temptation.”

The video sketch was extremely wellreceived and was certainly one of the audience’s favorite sketches of the night for much of the audience.

The closing sketch, “Unmilk,” in which a group of lactose intolerant people in a post-zombie-apocalypse world come upon the title’s dairy drink, was a good closer for Boris’ Kitchen, though it did not earn as many laughs as “Temptation.”

Gale’s experienced and clever writing raised the bar of an already solid team of writers. The Writer’s Team, comprised primarily of Boris’ Kitchen members, includes non-Boris’ Kitchen writers such as Philip Santiano ’15 and Zoey Hart ’13, whose sketches and writing credits were a part of the festival.

The festival was certainly a success this year. The funny performances from the visiting schools and performers made both Friday and Saturday night’s audiences laugh. Pangea 3000’s uproarious performance perfectly complemented that of Boris’ Kitchen’s. Each and every member of Boris’ Kitchen crafted funny and believable characters, and their hard work paid off in hearty laughs.

Editor’s Note: Louis Polisson ’12 participated in one of EVIL’s skits during the Friday night performance.

writing

WSRC scholars-in-residence present new work ■ Seven women read their

poetry and prose pieces at an intimate event held in Epstein last Thursday.

By ARIEL KAY JUSTICE EDITOR

The Women’s Studies Research Center is one of my favorite places on campus. It’s out of the way, it’s cozy, it features a terrific art gallery, and it has a strange alcove filled with fluffy pillows on the way to the bathroom. It also hosts some of the best arts events that Brandeis offers.

One of these events was this Thursday’s “Thresholds and Passages: Readings of New Poetry and Prose,” which was staged in the WSRC’s Epstein Lecture Hall. Seven female members of the WSRC’s Scholars-inResidence program read from their recently published or in-progress works of poetry and prose at the event. Scholars-in-residence must be currently working on pieces that somehow incorporate the female experience or cover issues relating to gender.

Before the readings, Emily Corbató, a photographer, writer and musician, played six classical piano pieces in the WSRC atrium. People coming to attend the reading strolled in and gathered to listen before the event, which was attended by about 30 people, primarily women from the Brandeis and Waltham communities.

Shulamit Reinharz, the founder and director of the WSRC and wife of former University President Jehudah Reinharz, began by introducing each of the authors and sharing a bit about their professional and per-

JANEY ZITOMER/the Justice

TELLING HER STORY: Nancer Ballard’s creative nonfiction captivated the audience. sonal lives. Many of the writers have other careers, including a lawyer and a former architect. The words “multi-talented” and “reinvented” were used repeatedly.

The first woman to read from her work was Nancer Ballard, who has recently been experimenting with creative nonfiction. Ballard read two excerpts from her memoir-inprogress, titled The Odd Direction of Heaven. The stories were told from the point of view of a young woman in a psychiatric hospital recovering from a suicide attempt. The woman and her roommate at the hospital discuss their various attempts at death. One detail—the younger woman’s precise “56 pills” in answer

to how she had attempted to kill herself—was particularly horrifying.

Ballard narrated her work with the dexterity of a stage actress, subtly changing her voice’s pitch and her mannerisms depending on the character that was speaking.

The second excerpt from the memoir focused on the central character’s quest for meaning in her bleak life. She is told that what really keeps people from killing themselves is not hope or love, but rather curiosity. This was not a sentiment I’d heard or thought of before, but I found myself agreeing with it as the story progressed.

The second reading at “Thresholds” was actually a work by two

authors poets, the Colombian-born Clara Ronderos and her American writing partner Mary G. Berg. Together, the two women translated Ronderos’ poems from her collection Estaciones en exilio (Seasons in Exile) from Spanish into English.

Ronderos first read her poems, which invoked nostalgia for one’s homeland, in Spanish. Then Berg read the translation. Ronderos’ voice was strong and clear, and she dipped into a more raw tone for important lines. Berg’s speech was more familiar and less varied in tone.

It was interesting to hear the differences between the two languages, both in literal meaning and emotional content. Berg pointed out that in Spanish, the word “en” can mean both “of” and “in,” but for the English title, they had to choose which word to use.

The youngest of the authors, Rachel Munn, also read poetry, though her poems seemed to flow more like short prose pieces without a set rhyme scheme or rhythm like a traditional poem. Munn began her professional life as an architect but has since focused her interests in physical structures, time, Judaism and memorials into Winter Street, a Year, a collection of nonfiction poems about her family’s move into a rundown farmhouse in Boston. The poems were full of detail about the memorable occasions the family experienced in the house, including a birthday party and a seder.

The works were full of rich simile—Munn wrote the line “skin like an elephant” to describe the rough sand of a beach near the home, and explained that the two speakers in one poem “run together like a watercolor” into one single voice. By the end of Munn’s reading, the listeners

were left with a bittersweet sense of the love that existed in the house and the loss of the relatives who didn’t live long enough to make it there due to the family’s experience in the Holocaust.

The last author, and the one that the audience seemed to enjoy the most, was Naomi Myrvaagnes, a former writing professor. She read from her novel-in-progress about Rabbi Felice Whitman, a religious leader struggling to connect her lackluster bat-mitzvah students with their Jewish heritage. The selection Myrvaagnes read was a satirical account of one lesson the rabbi had with a 13-year-old student Rachel.

The young girl is having a difficult time with her Torah portion, and Whitman attempts to reveal the essence of the biblical story while simultaneously parsing out snarky comments such as “emotion was paralyzing [Rachel’s] prepubescent brain,” about her pupil’s attempts to connect the ancient text with her own life and “drinking might lubricate relationships, but food fortifies them,” when describing the Rabbi’s attempts to gain Rachel’s trust by sharing her chips. This story was by far the most comical of those included in “Thresholds and Passages,” and many of the event’s attendees were breathless with laughter by the end.

“Thresholds and Passages” afforded its listeners the unique opportunity to hear from authors who are still in the process of completing their projects and editing them for publication. Judging by the readings that I heard, I would recommend you pick up the works of any of these talented women. The WSRC’s Scholars-in-Residence program is clearly getting something right.

22

TUESDAY, DECEMEBER 6, 2011

●

THE JUSTICE

HOLIDAY CLASSIC

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BOSTON BALLET COMPANY

SLEIGH BELLS RINGING: Boston Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’ is being performed this year through Dec. 31 at the Boston Opera House. The show’s costumes and sets are being redesigned for next year’s performances.

‘Nutcracker’ ushers in Christmas season

■ The Boston Ballet is showing

the winter classic. This is the final year of the current show, which will be rechoreographed.

By Wei-Huan chen JUSTICE Senior WRITER

While the winter season has numerous wonders—brightly-wrapped presents, snowmen, lights, music, family gatherings—Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker proves itself year after year as the ultimate Christmasseason treat.

Based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s 19thcentury tale about a young girl, Clara, who is transported to a magical world by an enchanted nutcracker toy, the ballet premiered nearly 120 years ago in the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg in 1892. Boston Ballet moved The Nutcracker from the Wang Theatre to the Colonial Theatre in 2004 and to its current venue at the Boston Opera House in 2005.

This year marks the final glimpse of the sets designed by Herbert Senn and Helen Pond and costumes designed by David Walker, respectively. In 2012, Boston Ballet will usher in a fresh imagining of The Nutcracker, still choreographed by Mikko Nissinen, but with unannounced designers.

Its preview website, bostonballet. org/nutcracker2012, features a preliminary sketch of the ballet’s first scene—Drosselmeier at his workshop.

As much as the early hype of The Nutcracker’s redesign in 2012 excited me, it was the prospect of this year’s holiday season that lifted my spirits.

Poinsettias and wreaths, live piano music, champagne, beer and the chatter of families dressed in red and grey sweaters greeted me in the exquisite lobby of the Boston Opera House. My

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BOSTON BALLET COMPANY

ON POINT: ‘The Nutcracker’ first premiered in 1892. The show has been performed in the Boston Opera House since 2006. date and I, like many other attendees, took pictures of the Opera House’s tall ceilings, chandeliers and opulent decorations. Indeed, the organizers of The Nutcracker made sure it was, in essence, the first big Christmas party of the year.

In the theater itself, the embodiment of Christmas cheer came as the orchestra, led by Jonathan McPhee, fired its first notes into the air, introducing the audience to a fantastical, wintry world onstage.

We see Drosselmeier—Clara’s mysterious godfather—working on his prized invention, the nutcracker, before fluttering away in his long, purple, sweeping cape. He then enters a Christmas party hosted by Clara’s father and enchants the children there

with wind-up dolls, magic tricks and an unforgettable dancing bear.

With all its dancing animals and flying props, Act I is the reason why parents see The Nutcracker with their children, who tend to have little appreciation for ballet but an endless well of enthusiasm for the show’s wondrous escapism.

As Clara touches the mysterious toy nestled under the Christmas tree, things start to come to life. A remote -controlled rodent skitters across the stage and returns as a child-sized mouse. Clara’s house comes apart, piece by piece, as she enters the Battle of the Toy Soldiers and Mice. The scene, heralded by cymbal crashes, demonstrates a technical and artistic mastery of stage design. In the follow-

ing scene, Dalay Parrondo and Paulo Arrais, the Snow Queen and King, showcase Boston Ballet’s virtuosity in an effortless duet among artificial snow and smoke. Their technical prowess is a prelude to the more dance-focused Act II at the Sugar Plum Fairy’s royal court in the Kingdom of Sweets.

As Drosselmeier and Clara land in a pink-clouded candy kingdom in their hot air balloon, we are transported to a land inspired by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s most memorable compositions. With precise jumps and a trumpet call, “Spanish,” the first dance, triumphantly introduces the around-the-world dance vignettes of Act II. The slow, sultry violin lines in “Arabian” give the song’s two

dancers room for emotional expression. “Chinese” has the most memorable imagery in Act II, with children spinning bright red, blue and green parasols around a ballet duet. (The irony is probably lost on most audiences that most Chinese people consider opening an umbrella indoors to be bad luck, but you can hardly blame The Nutcracker’s designers for including these iconic props.) Children dressed as furry sheep, especially one confused black sheep, had the audience going wild in “Pastorale,” and people cheered even louder in “Russian” as soloist Isaac Akiba performed spontaneous five-foot split jumps.

For me, Lia Cirio’s performance as the Sugar Plum Fairy stole the night.

Her solos were graceful but had undeniable power in each step, complementing James Whiteside’s buoyancy as the Nutcracker/Cavalier in their final duet. After the final dance, as the brightly colored characters of The Nutcracker reentered the stage for a bow, I wondered why audiences kept coming back to the same show year after year.

My date, who has seen this version of The Nutcracker every year since she was a child, and sometimes twice or three times in one year, said that she never got bored with the show.

She could offer no explanation, but perhaps it’s the same reason that people never get bored of Christmas, either.

The Nutcracker has been a Christmas tradition for over a century, but, like waking up to the first snow of the year, its magic and wonder never fades.

Boston Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” runs through Dec. 31 at the Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St. The performance is two hours long, including one intermission. Tickets start at $35. More information at bostonballet. org, 617-695-6955.

food

Bubor Cha Cha offers top quality Malaysian fusion cuisine ■ Currently under new

management, the restaurant is an adventurous option for open-minded eaters.

By Wei-Huan Chen JUSTICE SENIOR WRITER

The predominantly Chinese clientele and staff of Bubor Cha Cha may, like other Chinatown hotspots, intimidate those who don’t speak Mandarin or Cantonese. All too often, American diners are confined to the bilingual menu of Hong Kong or Cantonese-style restaurants and miss the gems ordered only through the Chinese menu or by asking the server for a suggestion. Bubor Cha Cha, which has undergone new management over the past months and now offers top notch Malaysian fusion cuisine, escapes this cultural

barrier by offering one definitive menu with its best offerings written clearly inside, in both English and Chinese. With authentic Malaysian dishes balancing out Cantonese favorites like the 1/2 roast duck ($13), it’s an especially great choice for open-minded parties of four or more.

Instead of opting for banalities like Pad Thai ($9) or fried rice, make more adventurous choices like the Salt and Pepper Frog ($17), choppedup then deep-fried, with a crunchy, salty exterior and juicy inside—it tastes like chicken, but better. Or try the Hainanese chicken ($10 for half, $18.50 for whole), which our party of five quickly gobbled up. It is impressively tender and steamed to perfection. The skin is soft and buttery, which complements the white meat. My personal favorite, this dish is served with cucumbers, jasmine rice and two sauces—one a tangy soy sauce mix and the other a salty

and tart green chili sauce. The only mistake we made that night? Ordering half of the Hainanese chicken instead of the whole.

While competition is stiff when it comes to Cantonese roast duck in Boston, Bubor Cha Cha’s duck holds up well. As a fan of roast duck, I could immediately tell that this is great. The juicy meat and crunchy skin are superb, but the dish doesn’t shine until you’ve picked up a piece with just enough fat underneath the skin. Combined with its signature sauce and a generous mouthful of white rice, a bite of the duck rivals anything in Chinatown. You should order this instead of the Braised Duck ($17).

Being adventurous isn’t mutually exclusive with being simple.

The Plain Sautéed Spinach ($10) is savory without any nauseating MSG taste (not that a Chinatown restaurant would use this ingredi-

ent ubiquitous in Chinese take-out).

This spinach—not the kind you’d find at the grocery store, but the Chinese kind found in Super 88 or HMart—like most vegetable stir-fry, serves as a litmus test for the overall quality of the restaurant’s cooking.

Before tackling more extravagant dishes, a chef must be able to fry something as simple as spinach and garlic. The result is a delicate and refreshing dish that balances out the meats on the table.

The Grouper Filet with Vegetable ($15) is a balanced seafood dish with buttery pan-fried grouper, snow peas, carrot slices and Chinese celery. Like the spinach, the celery is found only in Chinese supermarkets. It is larger, less crunchy than the common celery and is more ideal for stir-fry, giving the dish a nice green broth at the bottom. If not a little pricey, this is a great traditional Cantonese dish that could easily

appear in the dining room of a Hong Kong household.

Bubor Cha Cha takes its name from a popular Malaysian dessert soup ($5) that is served cold with sweet potato, taro, corn and coconut milk. Not used to having corn in your dessert? Despite the milky richness of the soup, it’s actually also very refreshing. While not as light as other Asian dessert soups, it’s enough to give your hot, salty meal a sweet finish. The Malaysian iced tea ($2.50) or the light yet flavorful TsingTao beer ($4) are other good choices to round off the night. Once you leave the bamboo roofs, skyblue walls and HDTVs of Bubor Cha Cha and enter into the Chinatown bustle, make sure to walk around a bit—those frog legs take some time to digest.

Bubor Cha Cha is located on 45 Beach St. in Boston and can be reached at (617) 482-3338.

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

23

ACTOR TURNED RAPPER

ROBERT SPIEGEL/Flickr Creative Commons

FRESH LYRICS: Childish Gambino’s new album brims with the assertion of his differentness, his anger and his adolescence.

AVATUNNICLIFFE/Flickr Creative Commons

FROM GLOVER TO GAMBINO: The rapper takes his new album to the stage.

Album asserts Gambino’s uniqueness ■ Taking after Kanye West,

Childish Gambino creates an album of aggression and autobiography.

By DIEGO MEDRANO JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Have you ever seen an episode of Community? You probably remember Troy and Abed getting into some adorable adventure or Troy’s lovable childishness. Well, the actor behind Troy, Donald Glover, just released Camp, a new album under his DJ name Childish Gambino. Ignore your preconceptions as you play the album—this isn’t the Donald Glover you know.

That’s not to say that this Donald Glover isn’t funny, but his humor on the album is best when examined deeper. He isn’t “cute” and seems to have no interest in trying to seem

it. When talking about the anxiety of fitting in with his newfound fame on the track “Hold You Down,” he raps, “Culture shock at barber shops cause I ain’t hood enough./ We all look the same to the cops, ain’t that good enough?” Meaning that he isn’t as accepted by black culture since becoming successful, yet the problems he deals with are the same as those of the people who ostracize him.

On the whole, the music on the album takes a back seat to the lyrics. I get the feeling that the beats in many of the songs could be entirely swapped out from track to track without affecting the quality. This is both good and bad. For the record, I wasn’t a huge fan of Gambino’s previous albums. I found them fun, but imitations of what worked for others instead of something substantially different. I still feel that way about much of the music on this album.

Luckily for Gambino, his messages and his lyrics are poignant enough to

make up for the weakness of the music. It’s telling that Gambino saved his most pointed verses for his first major release instead of his previous free-to-download EPs. He sees the spotlight surrounding him and he’s saying as much as he can. But this album resonates most when Gambino’s storytelling, humor, anger and production work in unison.

On the opening tracks “Outside,” “Backpackers,” “L.E.S.,” “Hold You Down” and “That Power,” Gambino creates songs that are as enjoyable to listen to as they are to think about.

Other songs like “Fire Fly” aren’t bad, but have hooks that seem to be trying a bit too hard. “Heartbeat” is enjoyable enough, but you can practically see him waving to radio stations hoping for it to be played. “You See Me” feels like an attempt to appeal to the more “hardcore” rap crowd by way of misogyny and aggression and feels like a cheap waste of his talent. Gambino spends so much of the

album trying to assert his differentness, and when his songs do that, he’s refreshing and enjoyable. When he tries to make his first major album more like other popular mainstream rap, he seems stale and scared.

The entire album has a College Dropout feel to it. While Kanye and Gambino are completely different as artists, there is an autobiographical sense of immediacy to both of their albums. They both have points to make about rap, culture and life by way of personal allegory and an overt sense that this may be the only chance they’ll get to express themselves to such a large audience. Obviously that ended up not being true for Kanye, but it remains to be seen for Gambino.

Camp is an album dripping with adolescence. Gambino is angry with the state of race relations in this country. He’s angry about his love life. He’s angry about what people expect from him and the ways that

fame has changed his life for the worse. He’s also passionate, reckless and intelligent. Whereas Kanye featured other rappers who were at the top of their game to help carry Dropout, Gambino doesn’t give anyone else a chance—he has too much to say. This album is narcissistic and self-obsessed, but necessarily so.

It doesn’t matter if it’s Childish Gambino or Donald Glover; it is still a work in progress. If he could trust himself a bit more, he’d be primed to release an album with a completely original sound. But compared to his previous releases, his growing pains are an absolute treat. I would have given the album a lower rating, but his talent for writing and rapping are too undeniable. I would have given the album a higher rating, but he isn’t there yet. He hasn’t figured out how to be completely unique, but he’s on his way. This may be my lowest rated, but most recommended album. 7.5/10

GAMING

‘Super Mario 3D Land’ a strong series addition Dan

WILLEY CRITICAL HIT

Almost since its inception, Nintendo’s Mario franchise has been synonymous with video games; even non-gamers recognize the iconic character and it seems the series is almost universally beloved.

It’s no surprise that Nintendo has finally released a Mario game for its struggling new portable system, the 3DS, in order to boost its sales. This has always been a successful strategy for Nintendo in the past, all the

way back to the original Nintendo Entertainment System, and it certainly seems like it will work for the 3DS with the release of Super Mario 3D Land.

Super Mario 3D Land once again puts players in the role of the famous plumber as he tries to rescue Princess Peach from the clutches of the villainous Bowser. The structure of the game is similar to that of previous Mario games in which players visit a series of self-contained levels across eight worlds, with about five to six levels in each world. Each world ends with a boss level staged in either Bowser’s castle, a la Super Mario Bros. or on a floating pirate ship like in Super Mario Bros. 3. After completing the first eight worlds, gamers have access to an additional eight “special worlds,” which are reiterations of the original eight but with slight

changes designed to increase the difficulty.

The gameplay is also a nod to Mario games of the past, combining elements of the two-dimensional games from the NES era with the more modern three-dimensional gameplay of the N64 and Gamecube.

Throughout the game, Nintendo pays homage to the long history of the franchise borrowing concepts from nearly every entry in the series. As a gamer who has played and enjoyed every one of the main Mario games as well as too many spin-offs to count, it was an absolute joy to see these references to the game’s origins. I particularly enjoyed seeing Nintendo bring back the Tanooki Suit, a beloved powerup which appeared in 1988 with Super Mario Bros. 3. Nintendo clearly had its long-time fans in mind when it made 3D Land, and it was nice to

see that dedication.

While 3D Land is heavily indebted to the legacy of the series, it is also an incredible game in its own right and, in a way, marks the high point of the 3DS to date. Unlike previous 3D games on the system in which the 3D effects were merely employed to enhance the visuals, Super Mario 3D Land successfully incorporates the effect into the gameplay. The 3D effects create depth in the levels that greatly enhances the platforming sequences in the game. Several areas also employ optical illusions that necessitate the use of the 3D effect to get through. 3D Land successfully shows how the 3DS’ focal feature can be used to enhance gameplay and be more than just another gimmick.

Outside of its use of 3D effects, 3D Land doesn’t do much to change the formula of past Mario games. That’s

not to say that there is anything wrong with that; the franchise is enormously successful because its core gameplay is simply intuitive and fun. The game has enormous appeal for gamers of all stripes. The first eight worlds aren’t too difficult and younger generations should have plenty of fun getting through these levels. At the same time, the additional special worlds ramp up the challenge considerably and finding the three hidden star coins in each level will test even the most seasoned gamers. The references to previous Mario games should also keep veterans of the series entertained and appeal to their sense of nostalgia.

There’s truly something for everyone in 3D Land and it stands as the best non-remake on the 3DS to date. I give Super Mario 3D Land a 9/10.

24

TUESday, December 6, 2011 ● THE JUSTICE

TOP of the

ARTS ON VIEW

TRIVIA TIME

CHARTS

1. Ollivanders is the name of a shop prominently featured in which series of novels?

2. What unnatural fear is represented in disorder oneirophobia?

3. Which Alfred Hitchcock movie features a main character who is confined to a wheelchair?

4. Which rock-and-roll group had a hit song “Got to Get You into My Life”?

5. Who was the historical figure Diogenes?

6. Who wrote the words, “God’s in his heaven/ All’s right with the world”?

7. For what type of medium was the 16th-century artist Titian best known?

8. Who is the Greek goddess of love?

9. What is the name of world’s deepest lake?

1. The Harry Potter books 2. Fear of dreams 3. Rear Window 4. The Beatles 5. One of the founders of the philosphoy of Cynicism 6. Robert Browning 7. Painting 8. Aphrodite 9. Lake Baikal in Russia ANSWERS

STRANGE BUT TRUE  It was megalomaniacal French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte who made the following sage observation: “Four hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets.”  Orchids are lovely flowers, and many people dedicate years to growing them and finding rare specimens. If you’re like most people, though, you probably don’t realize that the word orchid comes from the Greek word “orchis,” which means “testicle.”  Records show that the town of Helena, Montana, had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the world—way back in 1888.  In the early 1970s, a British plumber named John Hancock replaced an antique toilet in the home of John Lennon, then kept the old toilet for the rest of his life. In 2010, after Hancock’s death, his heirs put it up for auction. Even the auction house was surprised when the former Beatle’s throne fetched a whopping $14,740.  When you’re in an unpopulated area and gaze up at the night sky, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the profusion of stars. But what’s truly overwhelming is this: All of the stars that are visible from Earth represent only 0.000000000000001 percent of all the stars in the known universe.  You may not be aware of this, but there is a new fad that is catching on among some groups across the country: tall biking.

Hobbyists construct bicycles with normal-sized front and rear wheels, but with frames and seats that extend anywhere from six to 10 feet off the ground. Some riders actually use these bikes to joust, using lances made out of PVC pipes and foam rubber. It’s unclear, however, exactly how the riders mount their steeds.

Top 10s for the week ending December 4 BOX OFFICE

1. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 2. The Muppets 3. Hugo 4. Arthur Christmas 5. Happy Feet Two 6. Jack and Jill 7. The Descendants 8. Immortals 9. Tower Heist 10. Puss in Boots

NYT BESTSELLERS

YIFAN HE/the Justice

FENCED IN: Justice photographer Yifan He ’15 took this photo in Xiamen, China. The cross is actually part of a fence. He says, “I thought it looked cool with the background since I was using a large aperture.”

ACROSS 1. Ballet skirt 5. “A pox upon thee!”

8. Sore 12. Microwave, for one 13. Praise in verse 14. Comrade of Mao 15. Clothing store section 16. Attendance check 18. Wolf in the henhouse?

20. “Yes” or “no” follower 21. Settled down 23. — generis 24. Command to Fido 28. Being, to Brutus 31. Historic time 32. Elaine’s surname on Seinfeld 34. Wire measure 35. Air outlet 37. Price reduction 39. Baseball hat 41. Actor Julia 42. Antarctic volcano 45. Now 49. Race drivers’ protectors 51. Lumber 52 Reed instrument 53. Fish eggs 54. “Do — others ...”

55. Collections 56. Do sums 57. Equal DOWN 1. Grant’s — 2. Eye layer 3. Be inclined (to) 4. Open 5. Let-bygones-be-bygones type 6. Wedding words 7. Morays and congers 8. Accumulate 9. Special appeal 10. Aperture 11. Christmas 17. Fleur-de19. Amorphous mass 22. Male voice 24. Churchly title (Abbr.)

25. Raw rock 26. Trusted knight

CROSSWORD

Nonfiction 1. Steve Jobs — Walter Isaacson 2. Killing Lincoln — Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard 3. Being George Washington — Glenn Beck and Kevin Balfe 4. Unbroken — Laura Hillenbrand 5. Jack Kennedy — Chris Matthews

iTUNES

1. LMFAO — “Sexy and I Know It” 2. Bruno Mars — “It Will Rain” 3. Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris — “We Found Love” 4. Flo Rida — “Good Feeling” 5. Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera — “Moves like Jagger (Studio Recording from The Voice Performance)” 6. Adele — “Someone Like You” 7. Katy Perry — “The One That Got Away” 8. T-Pain (feat. Wiz Khalifa & Lily Allen) — “5 O’Clock” 9. David Guetta feat. Usher — “Without You” 10. LMFAO — “Party Rock Anthem”

BILLBOARD

1. Michael Buble — Christmas 2. Nickelback — Here and Now 3. Rihanna — Talk that Talk 4. Drake — Take Care 5. Mary J. Blige — My Life II...the Journey Continues (Act 1) 6. Justin Bieber — Under the Mistletoe 7. Adele — 21 8.Daughtry — Break the Spell 9. Scotty McCreery — Clear as Day 10.Coldplay — Mylo Xyloto

27. Got sick again 29. Bracketed notation 30. Wapiti 33. Insult 36. Restaurant furniture 38. Enlarge a photo 40. Saloon 42. Love god 43. Pajama cover-up 44. Poet Teasdale 46. Zilch 47. Carry 48. Smell 50. Scepter

Top of the Charts information provided

by Fandango, the New York Times, BillBoard.com and Apple.com.

STAFF PLAYLIST

Solution to last week’s crossword

“Coldplaylist”

By AMANDA WINN Justice COpy Staff

King Crossword Copyright 2011 King Features Synd, Inc.

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

iAmerican Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first-class.

Thought for the Day: “If you wish to be loved, show more of your faults than your virtues.”

—Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Fiction 1. 11/22/63 — Stephen King 2. The Litigators — John Grisham 3. Zero Day — David Baldacci 4. The Best of Me — Nicholas Sparks 5. The Christmas Wedding — James Patteson and Richard DiLallo

Solution to last week’s sudoku

Sudoku Copyright 2011 King Features Synd, Inc.

With three recent Grammy nominations for their newest album, Mylo Xyloto, I thought it would only be appropriate to make a playlist of all the songs that made me fall in love with Coldplay. The following songs have comforted me, from rainy days to bad times. Whether it’s the lyrics or the sounds, these songs have made my day that much better.

THE LIST 1.f“Swallowed in the Sea” 2. “X&Y” 3. “In My Place” 4. “Yellow” 5. “Violet Hill” 6. “The Scientist” 7. “The World Turned Upside Down” 8. “Lovers in Japan (Osaka Sun Mix)” 9. “Cemeteries in London” 10. “Glass of Water”