The Justice, February 1, 2011

ARTS Page 19

FORUM Should campuses ban smoking? 12

LUNAR NEW YEAR

SPORTS Women’s basketball splits UAA games 16 The Independent Student Newspaper

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

Justice

Volume LXIII, Number 18

www.thejustice.org

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

JOURNEY THROUGH LEADERSHIP

Waltham, Mass.

NEW UNIVERSITY APPOINTMENTS

Lawrence chooses his chief of staff ■ A Brandeis alum will serve

as the first-ever chief of staff under University President Frederick Lawrence.

By SARA DEJENE JUSTICE editorial assistant

David A. Bunis ’83 starts today as the University’s chief of staff, according to Jan. 25 campuswide e-mail from University President Frederick Lawrence.

In a phone interview with the Justice, Senior Vice President of Communication and External Affairs Andrew Gully said that, to his knowledge, no one has formally served under the title Chief of Staff in the University’s history, although administrators such as Ex-

ecutive Assistant to the President and Assistant Secretary of the Corporation John Hose serve similar positions.

Gully said that the responsibilities of the chief of staff position will generally be “coordinating and managing the president’s agenda.”

When asked how the position would differ from other executive administrative positions, Gully said he could not specifically comment on Bunis’ role without information from Lawrence or Bunis himself.

Lawrence could not be reached for comment by press time.

In an e-mail to the Justice, Bunis declined to give an interview but said that he was very “excited to be back at Brandeis” and looking for-

See CHIEF, 5 ☛

Chief investment officer selected ■ After a two-year-long

vacancy for the post, Nicholas Warren is the new chief investment officer.

By ANDREW WINGENS JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

Nicholas Warren was appointed the new chief investment officer of the University, and began his duties on Jan. 3, wrote Senior Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer Frances Drolette in an e-mail to the Justice.

The responsibilities of the chief investment officer include assessing and recommending different investment strategies, monitoring investment managers and consultants and communicating to the Investment Committee and senior administrators the performance and positioning of the endowment.

Prior to Warren’s appointment, Alison Svizzero served as interim chief investment officer.

Svizzero was appointed after the post was vacated in February 2009 when former Chief Investment

CASUAL DISCUSSION: Lawrence speaks to students at the last event of the first-annual Leadership Celebration Week.

Lawrence speaks to students about campus leadership, his experiences ■ The intimate gathering allowed students to ask President Frederick Lawrence their questions.

By ALLYSON CARTTER and ERICA cooperberg JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

University President Frederick Lawrence gave a speech titled

“My Journey Through Leadership” last Friday in which he discussed the importance of student leadership at the University.

The discussion was the culminating event of Leadership in Celebration Week, which was co-hosted by the Department of Student Activities and the Department of Community Living. Other events included the Winter Involvement Fair; student

focus groups to share feedback on campus leadership; and a talk given by Andrea Dine, associate director of the Hiatt Career Center, titled “Never Leaving Campus: Careers in Higher Education.” Iyvon Edebiri ’13, the Student Activities leadership intern, was the primary student coordinator for the events, along

See LEADERSHIP, 5 ☛

See CIO, 5 ☛

Recognizing research

Mixed results

New amicus brief

Prof. Lizbeth Hedstrom (BIOL) became a recent AAAS Fellow for her scientific research.

 The men’s basketball team defeated Emory last Friday but faltered against Rochester 2 days later.

 The University signed a new amicus brief on behalf of Stanford University.

FEATURES 7 For tips or info call (781) 736-6397

Officer Deborah Kuenstner left Brandeis to become CIO of Wellesley College.

Svizzero has left Brandeis to become a director of investments for Children’s Hospital Boston, Drolette wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.

Spencer Stuart, a professional search firm, coordinated the recruitment and interview process that ultimately chose Warren, explained Drolette.

Additionally, the co-chairs of the Trustee Investment Committee, Daniel Jick, CCEO of High Vista Strategies, and Perry Traquina, CEO of Wellington Management, led the selection process while Drolette and several trustees and senior staff members were also involved in the interview process.

In an e-mail to the Justice, Drollete wrote that according to Jick, “Nick Warren was chosen as CIO because of his qualifications for the job, which includes roles as consultant to other endowments and foundations, an investment specialist in the alternatives investment area, and his prior

Let your voice be heard!

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

INDEX

SPORTS 16

ARTS SPORTS

17 16

EDITORIAL FEATURES

10 7

OPINION POLICE LOG

10 2

News 2 COPYRIGHT 2011 FREE AT BRANDEIS. Email managing@thejustice.org for home delivery.

2

TUESDAY, February 1, 2011

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THE JUSTICE

NEWS AP BRIEF

POLICE LOG

NAEP exams results indicate strong student performance

Medical Emergency

BOSTON—Massachusetts students continue to perform well on national standardized tests.

Gov. Deval Patrick announced Jan. 25 that Bay State fourth graders tied for first and eighth graders finished second, in the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress science exams.

“These results continue our record of nation-leading student achievement here in Massachusetts,” Patrick said in a statement issued as he visited the Jireh Swift Elementary School in New Bedford. The fourth graders tied with states including New Hampshire, Virginia, Maine and North Dakota. The eighth graders were one notch below North Dakota. The tests were administered in fall 2009, along with similar NAEP tests in math and reading. Their results were announced last year.

The fourth graders were first in reading and tied for first in math; the eighth graders were first in math and tied for first in reading. In 2007 and 2005, respectively, Massachusetts students finished first or tied for first in all tests. However, the test was updated in 2009 and the results cannot be directly compared.

In Massachusetts, about 7,400 students were randomly selected to take the exams.

On the 2009 science exam, Massachusetts fourth graders had an average scaled score of 160, above the national average of 149.

At grade eight, they also averaged 160, again above the respective national average of 149.

SENATE LOG

Jan. 23—University Police were informed of a female in a Usdan Student Center women’s bathroom who may have been drunk. BEMCo was dispatched, and the party was transported to the NewtonWellesley Hospital.

Jan. 23—A party stated that an intoxicated male in Renfield Hall was requesting BEMCo. BEMCo was dispatched, and the student was transported to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Jan. 24—An 18-year-old male sustained a head injury while playing squash in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. BEMCo treated the party on-scene with a signed refusal for further care.

Jan. 26—A reporting party stated that a 19-year-old in Usen Castle was having a re-

action to medication and was having difficulty breathing.

The party was transported to the hospital, and a community development coordinator was contacted.

Jan. 29—University Police were informed of an intoxicated 18-year-old female in Usen Residence Hall. The party was transported to the hospital for further care.

Traffic

Jan. 23—An Aramark box truck driver informed University police that he struck another vehicle in Castle Lot, knocking off the other vehicle’s mirror. University Police reported that the vehicle has extensive damage on the driver’s side Pictures of the vehicle’s damage will be taken.

Jan. 27—University Police reported finding a damaged vehicle in Charles River Lot.

Senate recognizes Jewish Voice for Peace

The officer reported that the vehicle appeared as if it had been struck by a plow. The vehicle owner and the plow operator will be responding. Paperwork has been exchanged, and a report will be compiled

Disturbance

Jan. 30—University Police were informed of a noise complaint in Ziv Quad.

Jan. 30—University police received a noise complaint for music playing too loudly in Ziv Quad. The music was turned off for the night.

Vandalism

Jan. 26—A police officer has taken pictures and compiled a report of graffiti under the Squire Bridge.

—compiled by Sara Dejene

BRIEF University signs amicus brief in favor of Stanford University In December, the University signed onto the Association of American Universities amicus brief, which argued that the United States Supreme Court should rule in favor of Stanford University and overturn an appeals court decision in the case of Stanford v. Roche.

The appeals court decision granted Roche Molecular Systems rights to federally funded research that was conducted at Stanford.

The amicus brief filed by Brandeis and the AAU on Dec. 23, 2010, takes Stanford’s side and argues that if the appeals court decision is not reversed, there will be significant negative consequences for federally funded research at universities.

Brandeis filed an earlier amicus brief on April 26, 2010 that petitioned the Supreme Court to hear the case of Stanford v. Roche, regarding patent ownership of federally funded research at universities.

On Nov. 1, the United States Supreme Court decided to grant a writ of certiorari, meaning the court would review the case and hear oral arguments.

Brandeis General Counsel Judith Sizer said that the argument will be held on Feb. 28.

Director of the Office of Technology Licensing Irene Abrams said in a November 2010 interview with the Justice that if the Federal Circuit court decision stands, this case could create a problem for the University.

“The concern is that it will put a chill over investment in early stage research which is an issue for Brandeis as a university,” she said.

—Andrew Wingens

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS n An article in Forum incorrectly stated a student’s position. Lauren Grewal ’13 is the co-founder of SPECTRUM, not the founder. Jacob Lawrence Crosby ’11 is the other co-founder of the group. (Jan. 25, pg. 11) n An article in Forum misspelled the name of a website.

The address of the website is WebMD.com, not WedMD.com. (Jan. 25, pg. 11) n A photo credit in Forum incompletely stated the source of a photo. The credit should say that the photo is from SearchnetMedia/FlickrCreativeCommons, not SearchnetMedia. (Jan. 25, pg. 12) n An article in Arts misidentified the writer. The writer of the article is Taylor Baker, not Ariel Kay. (Jan. 25, pg.

19) n An article in Arts misidentified the writer. The writer of the article is Ariel Kay, not Elly Kalfus. (Jan. 25, pg. 23) n An article in Arts did not state the name of the writer.

The writer’s name is Emily Salloway. (Jan. 25, pg. 18) The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. E-mail editor@ thejustice.org.

Justice

the

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The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods. Editor in chief office hours are held Mondays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Justice office.

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TALI SMOOKLER/the Justice

Being eco-friendly Eco-reps from the Village speak to a student at a meet-and-greet event for midyears, at which students were informed about green room certification and other environmental practices on campus.

Student Union President Daniel Acheampong ’11 updated the Senate on various items, including the new Provisions on Demand Market in the Village, which he said will open between the middle and end of February, and the University’s hiring of Chief of Staff David Bunis ’83.

Acheampong said he plans to organize a Union lunch or dinner with Bunis and University President Frederick Lawrence.

Student Union Director of Community Advocacy Sarah Geller ’13 announced a Union effort to engage in more community service.

Geller asked members of the Senate to sign up to volunteer for Cradles to Crayons (C2C).

C2C is a “nonprofit organization that equips homeless and in-need children with the basic essentials they need to feel safe, warm, ready to learn and valued,” according to the C2C website.

Geller said she hopes the Union members will serve as role models for the rest of the student body so that members of other clubs will sign up to volunteer.

The Entrepreneur Club requested a charter.

According to the club’s representatives, the club’s purpose is to help students start their own businesses.

The representatives explained that they would like to provide several grants of $40 to $50 to help students with start their own businesses.

The Senate unanimously voted to recognize the club.

The Senate agreed to allow the representatives to request a charter at next week’s meeting after they add to their constitution a procedure for determining who would receive a grant.

Jewish Voice for Peace requested recognition.

The Senate had voted at the previous meeting not to recognize the club due to duality of purpose with Students for Justice in Palestine.

Prior to this meeting, Jewish Voice for Peace edited its proposed constitution to clarify its unique purpose.

The Senate debated whether the new constitution still exhibited too similar a purpose to that of Students for Justice in Palestine.

The Senate recognized Jewish Voice for Peace by a vote of 12 in favor and two against.

Campus Operations Working Group chair Beau Bonness ’11 requested to meet with quad senators later this week to discuss any facilities-related issues their quad may have.

Senator for the Class of 2011 Michael Newborn proposed a bylaw amendment that would allow the executive senator “to deny an individual or group admittance to the Senate agenda.”

The Senate could overrule the denial by a two-thirds vote, according to the original proposal.

Following discussion, Newborn edited the proposed bylaw to require the executive senator to inform the Senate of any such denials.

In addition, he lowered the threshold for overruling denials to a simple majority.

The Senate will vote on the bylaw next week.

—Brian Fromm

ANNOUNCEMENTS Grassroots Campaigns information session

Grassroots Campaign, Inc. will be on campus conducting several information sessions followed by interviews for interested candidates. The event is sponsored by the Hiatt Career Center. For more details and to RSVP for the event, visit Hiatt NACElink. Today from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Hiatt Career Center.

Climate change lecture

Join Jon Krosnick, a Frederic O. Glover Professor in Humanities and Social Sciences and Professor of Communication, Political Science and Psychology at Stanford University, in a lecture titled “What Massachusetts Residents and Other Americans Think about Climate Change.”

Contact Prof. Eric Olson (Heller) with any questions at eolson@brandeis.edu.

Tomorrow from 5 to 6 p.m. in Heller G3.

Waltham Group blood drive

Give the gift of life by participating in the Waltham Group’s annual winter blood drive.

Visit the American Red Cross website for donating guidelines and contact jenrubin@

brandeis.edu with any questions. Drink your water, eat your iron and donate blood!

Today, tomorrow and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Sherman Function Hall.

Crown Center brown bag seminar

Prof. Eva Bellin (IBS) will explore the dynamics of the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia, the first popular uprising ever to bring down an authoritarian ruler in the Arab world. Contact crowncenter@ brandeis.edu for more information.

Tomorrow from 12:15 to 1:45 p.m. in Heller 163.

Justice Brandeis Semester presentation

Join Prof. Laura Goldin (AMST) and Alyssa Grinberg of academic services in an information session about the Justice Brandeis Semester on Environmental Health and Justice program running in fall 2011. The event is open to all students; those interested in applying are highly encouraged to attend. RSVP to agrin@ brandeis.edu. Tomorrow from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Mandel 228.

Summer study abroad information session

The summer study abroad information sessions are designed to give an overview of the summer off-campus study process at Brandeis including tips for researching programs and destinations, the application process, getting credit for work completed off-campus, financial aid and resources and services that our office provides. Attending an information session is mandatory for students wishing to study off-campus.

Thursday from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge in the Usdan Student Center.

Careers in Jewish day schools

Come learn more about the Brandeis education and Delet graduate programs and enjoy a free dinner from Rami’s. Meet and speak with Prof. Marc Brettler (NEJS), Prof. Vardit Ringvald (NEJS), Prof. Marya Levenson (ED) and Faculty Leader Noreen Leibson (ED), as well as alumni currently working in nearby day schools. Get all your questions answered. Thursday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Abraham Shapiro Academic Complex 209.

THE JUSTICE

TECHNOLOGY

RIAA violations see increase ■ Several media copyright

holders notified Library and Technology Services about copyright infringement.

By SARA DEJENE JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Library and Technology Services received 419 copyright infringement notices from the Recording Industry Association of America, the Motion Picture Association of America and other major copyright holders for 2010, Chief Information Security Officer Dennis Devlin said in a phone interview with the Justice.

According to Devlin, that number indicates an increasing trend in copyright infringement notices: LTS received 311 notices in 2009, 241 notices in 2008 and 110 notices in 2007.

Devlin attributed the increasing number of notices to the larger amount of media available on the Internet and the fact that students are more active online.

“Internet usage has definitely gone up tremendously,” said Devlin. “Within the past couple of years, [there has been] social network usage and streaming of audio and visual material, things that are available now that just weren’t a few years ago.”

Devlin explained that these notices from copyright holders were takedown, or cease and desist, notices. According to Devlin, takedown notices are the most common

notices sent to LTS from copyright holders.

When LTS is given a takedown notice, the offending user’s access to the Brandeis Internet server is cut off and the student is required to remove the copyrighted material and notify LTS that he or she did so before he or she can regain Internet access on the Brandeis network.

Offenders can also be served a settlement or presettlement notice, in which they can be fined up to $3,000, wrote Devlin in the e-mail.

He further explained that in the worst-case scenario, the copyright holder can actually take the offender to court to settle the infringement, although it has not happened to any student at Brandeis.

In a follow-up e-mail to the Justice, Devlin explained that over the years there have been a number of students who received a takedown notice who also received a presettlement letter.

Those students were given the choice to either pay a $3,000 fine or be sued in a court of law. The majority of students opted to pay the fine.

According to Devlin, the majority of copyright material addressed in the notices was, and has consistently been, music MP3 files but also includes movies, games, software and e-books.

Devlin explained that all members on the Brandeis network are assigned a temporary IP address.

When a user of the network illegally shares or downloads a file, the copyright holder of the material of that file is notified and then serves

a notice to LTS in order to cooperate with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. Because the IP address of a user is temporary, the copyright holder cannot contact the user directly. LTS matches the IP address to a user on the Brandeis network and usually notifies that user within one to two days.

Since the University operates as an Internet Service Provider in accordance with the DMCA, users of the network who commit copyright infringement are personally responsible.

According to Devlin, copyright infringement usually occurs with file sharing programs such as BitTorrent and LimeWire—when a user has to download a program in order to illegally obtain files. The file-sharing program may also have access to files on the user’s computer, which it can upload to the Internet, sometimes without the user being aware of the program doing so.

This type of file sharing is called peer-to-peer or P2P sharing.

While P2P sharing is the most common type of copyright infringement, Devlin said that infringement occurs when any type of copyrighted material is shared though digital files. In a phone interview with the Justice, Director of Student Rights and Community Standards Dean Gendron explained that many students are under an incorrect impression they may distribute files if they have paid for them.

“The legal language around the purchase of a DVD or the download of a movie is complicated,” said

Gendron, using visual media as an example. “You’re really only buying the right to use the file for your own use and your own devices, not in a public setting.”

Devlin explained that once more users have access to the digital files, or once there are multiple copies of the file, their copyright of the file has been violated.

Devlin said that the vast majority of the copyright infringement notices were served to students, although sometimes faculty and staff may be served notices not for entertainment media, but for other copyrighted materials such as e-books.

Gendron and Devlin emphasized that when students are served a copyright infringement notice, the goal of LTS is to educate students on acceptable Internet usage and file sharing, not to penalize students.

“We very deliberately try to adopt a philosophy of freedom and responsibility,” said Devlin. Rather than disabling or blocking P2P sites on the Brandeis network, Devlin explained that LTS tries to use the notices as teaching moments so students can learn legitimate uses of file sharing.

Devlin said that students can find a link to LTS Security Information website in a recent e-mail sent by him and Gendron to the recent Brandeis community, which lists legal alternatives for obtaining online media. The e-mail also contains links to a government information website about copyright and the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.

EVENT

Visiting prof explains new book in lecture ■ Prof. Frederick E. Hoxie discusses the role of Native Americans in American society throughout history.

By DANIEL HEINRICH and LIZZY KLEIN JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Prof. Frederick E. Hoxie Ph.D. ’77 of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne gave a lecture titled “Word Warriors: Native American Political Activists and the American State 1776-2000” last Thursday, focusing on his book of a similar name.

The event, which was sponsored by the History Department, was organized by Profs. David Engerman (HIST) and Karen Hansen (SOC).

During the lecture, Hoxie spoke about his next book This Indian Country: Native American Political Activists and the American State 1776-2000, which is due to be published in the summer 2012.

The talk focused on the Native American activists’ desire to gain “[the] autonomy and visibility of their communities” by engaging in the outside world throughout the centuries.

Hoxie explained that the goal of his research and scholarship is to break the “lens” through which Americans view Indians, dispel the Jeffersonian notion that “Indians have no place in American Society,” and highlight the work of numerous activists, lawyers and authors such as James McDonald, Thomas Sloan and Sarah Winnemucca.

Hoxie said he investigated the role of these and other activists in order to create a detailed narrative of Indian self-determinism.

In his talk, he spoke of a “continuous conversation” between those in favor of assimilation or those in favor of resistance.

Hoxie’s work has illuminated 225 years of Native American struggle into American society, and he said in his conclusion that Indians are no longer a separate community and that they “don’t exist ‘out there’ or ‘back there.’”

Hoxie received his undergraduate degree from Amherst College in 1969, then received his Ph.D. in History from Brandeis in 1977.

He said, before his lecture began, that he was excited to return

RACHEL GORDON/the Justice

WORD WARRIORS: Hoxie addressed the long-standing issue of Native American assimilation in his lecture last Thursday. to campus. Before going to UIUC he taught at both Antioch College and Northwestern University.

In an interview with the Justice, Hansen said that, “[Hoxie’s] books … still define how people in the field think about Federal-Indian policy.”

She said that it is important for students at Brandeis to understand “the intimate relationship between

immigration to North America and Native American dispossession.”

Drew Flanagan (GRAD), who attended the lecture, said in an interview with the Justice that it was a “skillful handling of a complex subject.”

Hansen said that the History department has not brought any speakers on the subject of Native American issues to Brandeis since

2001, when they brought Louis Garcia, Honorary Tribal Historian for the Spirit Lake Dakota.

She also said that, although no plans have been made, she hopes to collaborate with the History Department in the future to bring Historian Jean O’Brien-Kehoe, Chair of Indigenous Studies at the University of Minnesota, to Brandeis in the near future.

●

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2010

3

ADMINISTRATION

Search to fill Eddy’s position starts

■ The committee will seek to fill the position left open by Jean Eddy after her departure at the end of last September.

By EMILY KRAUS JUSTICE EDITOR

The search committee for the next senior vice president for Students and Enrollment has been formed and will begin the process of searching for someone to fill that position, according to a Jan. 28 campuswide e-mail from University President Frederick Lawrence.

The position has been vacant since former Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy’s departure at the end of Sept. 2010. According to a Dec. 7, 2010 Justice article, the ad-hoc Administrative Structure Advisory Committee, which was formed last September, redefined the position as “an administrator who will ‘focus on the recruitment, retention, quality of life and post graduation outcomes for the entire student body,’ and … ‘establish and execute the priorities and objectives related to undergraduate student enrollments.’”

According to Lawrence, the University has retained Witt/Kieffer, an executive search firm, to aid the process of filling the position. According to Witt/Kieffer’s website, it is “the preeminent executive search firm that identifies outstanding leadership solutions for organizations committed to improving the quality of life.”

Lawrence wrote in his campuswide e-mail that “the 14-member committee is comprised of students, faculty, administrators, a member of the chaplaincy and a university trustee.”

Two undergraduates, Student Union President Daniel Acheampong ’11 and Rebecca Bachman ’13, are serving on the committee. In an e-mail to the Justice yesterday, Bachman wrote that her role on the committee is to “listen to the student body’s ideas, and present the Brandeis student perspective.”

Senior Vice President for Administration Mark Collins, who is the chair of the search committee, wrote in an e-mail to the Justice yesterday that the committee will begin its work this week. Regarding the duration of the search, he wrote, “There is no set time. … The important thing is to find the right candidate.”

An ideal candidate, according to Collins, would be “a visionary leader who loves working in a collegial, team-oriented environment and deliver an outstanding student experience in a rigorous academic community.”

The Student Advisory Committee to the Administrative Structure Advisory Committee, formed last semester, surveyed students about what qualities the new Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment should have, and made recommendations to the administration, according to an Oct. 12, 2010 Justice article.

Bachman wrote in her e-mail to the Justice that the information from the surveys will guide the search committee’s recommendations.

Bachman wrote that it is important for the new senior vice president “to be an active advocate for the students, understand what Brandeis stands for and be open to hearing student perspective on any issue that arises.”

—Sara Dejene contributed reporting.

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Innovations in Philanthropy on College Campuses

Submit your innovative, creative and original business plan to increase philanthropic behavior, attitudes and practices on college campuses. Application deadline is Friday, March 11, 2011.

A $5,000 prize will be awarded for the best plan.

Visit sillermancenter.brandeis.edu, email cjacobs@brandeis.edu or call (781) 736-3806.

FIND YOURSELF ABROAD Internships> Liberal Arts> Language> Science> Engineering

the 2011 philanthropy business plan The Sillerman Prize for Innovations in Philanthropy on College Campuses

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for more information visit sillermancenter.brandeis.edu

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THE JUSTICE

EVENT

OGA hosts eco-event ■ The Office of Global Affairs hosted an event in which institutions could discuss their long-term sustainability.

By SHANI ABRAMOWITZ and RITA TOBIAS JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

The University hosted a number of small liberal-arts colleges to discuss international sustainability initiatives and their implications at the One Size Does Not Fit All event that took place in the Shapiro Campus Center this past Friday and Saturday.

Through a grant given by the Association of International Education Administrators, the Brandeis Office of Global Affairs was able to coordinate the One Size Does Not Fit All event, which emphasized the impact that small-scale institutions can have despite limited resources and financial commitments.

According to the AIEA website, the organization was formed in 1982 to promote international sustainability, higher education administration on a global level and to establish and maintain international networks between forerunners of higher learning.

Representatives from institutions such as Princeton University, Boston College and Vanderbilt University, came together Friday

morning in an opening convocation titled “Understanding Sustained Global Commitments,” to begin discussions on international sustainability and efficiency. In addition, sessions such as, “The Special Role of the Liberal Arts in Sustained Global Commitments” and “Partnering With Overseas Institutions,” encompassed discussions about effective study abroad programs, building international relationships and faculty involvement.

Bryan McAllister-Grande, the assistant director of the OGA and one of the coordinators of the event, said in a phone interview with the Justice that the purpose of One Size Does Not Fit All was to encourage question and dialogue between faculty members of various institutions on methods of promoting constructive international initiatives.

In addition, McAllister-Grande commented that since Brandeis is a small-scale institution, it makes having conversations regarding such issues fairly easy. Additionally, McAllister-Grande noted that the Brandeis environment is extremely conducive to internationalization and global engagement because of the faculty involvement and history of the school itself.

Daniel Terris, vice president of the OGA, said, “One thing that we would like to do at Brandeis is to find more opportunities for

students who study abroad to integrate their experiences into their academic work when they return.”

Additionally, “we would also like to help and encourage the undergraduate students to take advantage of the experience and expertise of the graduate population here at Brandeis, particularly in the International Business School and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management,” Terris said.

Terris also explained that despite the strong relationships Brandeis has fostered between its student population and its faculty on an international level, there is still much to be done.

“Within the next 10 years we hope to develop more sustained commitments in places of particular importance to Brandeis, such as Israel, India and other key countries,” that will in turn strengthen the faculty-student bond, Terris said.

Overall, “the AIEA Forum was a terrific success because it is a rare opportunity to be able to really sit down with colleagues who have similar concerns over two days and really explore in depth the ideas and best practices that are at the heart of international higher education,” said Terris.

—Dina Kapengut contributed reporting.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2011

5

CHIEF: Bunis to begin his term at Univ today CONTINUED FROM 1 ward to be working with Lawrence.

“Fred and I have worked together in the past and I know the energy and enthusiasm that he will bring to Brandeis,” wrote Bunis.

“I feel very lucky to be working with him and the terrific staff and students that make Brandeis so special.”

According to Lawrence’s campuswide e-mail, Lawrence and Bunis previously worked together for the Civil Rights Committee of the Anti-Defamation League.

Bunis also served as an ADL National Commissioner.

Currently, Bunis volunteers as a judge of administrative appeals for the Massachusetts Office of Minority and Women’s Business Affairs.

In an additional Jan. 31 e-mail to the Justice, Bunis said, “As an alum, I am especially excited about meeting students and learning your perspective about what makes

Brandeis tick in 2011.”

Bunis graduated from the Boston University School of Law in 1987 and was a partner at Dwyer & Collora, LLP., which is a Boston law firm that deals with issues such as business litigation, healthcare advocacy, appeals, administrative advocacy and employment matters, according to the firm’s website.

In addition, Bunis has served as an attorney dealing with housing matters, such as eviction, at Greater Boston Legal Services.

In 2006, Bunis was named one of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s Lawyers of the Year.

Bunis also co-founded the Jewish Repertory Theatre with Saul Elkin and received one of the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies’ 2010 Community Leadership Awards.

Additionally, Bunis is the vice president and a member of the board of directors of Temple Emanuel of Newton, Mass.

CIO: Warren steps into new position CONTINUED FROM 1

TALI SMOOKLER/the Justice

Learning to study abroad Senator-at-Large Beneva Davies ’13 speaks to a study abroad representative about a variety of programs at the Mini Study Abroad Fair, an event that was a part of the first-annual Leadership Week, which was capped with a lecture by University President Frederick Lawrence on the subject of leadership.

LEADERSHIP: Students engage Lawrence in Q-and-A CONTINUED FROM 1 with Associate Director of Student Activities Nicole Chabot-Wieferich and Community Development Coordinator of Massell Quad Caitlin Capozzi.

“My Journey Through Leadership,” which was held in the South Campus Commons, gave the approximately 20 students and faculty members in attendance the opportunity to have a conversation with Lawrence. The president noted the intimate size saying, “It is the irony of ironies that people can’t come to an event on leadership because they’re too busy being leaders.” He commented that “most students have a sense that they’re not just here to take from the environment but to contribute to it” and, as such, “‘I’m going to belong, not lead’ is not a very Brandesian thing to say.”

Lawrence related his own undergraduate experience to those of current Brandeis leaders.

He spoke of the challenges and responsibilities of being a student leader, specifically by recounting his experience organizing a speaker in his first year at Williams College.

He acknowledged the dedication that student leaders have for their efforts. “If you care about [your cause],” he said, “you want to build it.”

During a question-and-answer session following the lecture, the president shared his belief that “the essence of leadership is service.”

He said that “leaders lead [their] communities, but I think they are also led by [their] communities.” An admirable trait of Brandeis student leadership, Lawrence continued, is that it is “less résumé-driven” and more driven by students’ love for the cause. “Suppose every student

said ‘my job is [just] academics,’” he said. “[This] place would be unrecognizable to what it is now.” He commented on Brandeis students’ “earnestness,” calling the University a “smug-free zone” in which no one is “too cool for school” to admit their passion for a cause.

Leah Carnow ’12, who attended the event, said in an interview with the Justice that she enjoyed the opportunity to “sit down and have an informal chat about leadership” with Lawrence. “I think it would be hard to be president of Brandeis and ignore student leadership,” she said. “Most everyone at Brandeis at some point at their 4 years here will be a leader of something.”

“I really like the fact that it became an intimate conversation, … because that made it more effective,” said Siddhi Krishna ’12, another attendee, in an interview with the Justice. Krishna, an undergrad-

uate departmental representative for the Mathematics department, said that she and other student leaders appreciated the events of Leadership in Celebration Week as a “thank you” and that the week’s events will “probably encourage [undergraduate students] to take on leadership roles … that they maybe weren’t as strongly considering beforehand.”

Lawrence noted that for graduating seniors who consider themselves leaders, the prospect of beginning another “freshman … stage in life” may be intimidating.

He acknowledged that he himself is in this same position. “I’m 55 years old, and I’ve got butterflies in my stomach. How cool is this?” he asked. We are always “growing and … taking on other challenges,” Lawrence continued, and despite new surroundings, leadership never ends.

experience in a university investment office.”

Warren wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that he is “proud to have the opportunity to work for a prestigious university with a strong academic reputation, a commitment to social justice, and a talented and committed group of Trustees.

“It is exciting to participate and help support a community of scholars and students united by their commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and its transmission from generation to generation,” Warren added.

Warren wrote that he believes that the Brandeis endowment is in “excellent shape.”

According to an Oct. 19, 2010 Justice article, the endowment was valued at $620 million at the end of fiscal 2010, which meant the endowment showed a 13.8-percent return.

This was a significant turnaround from fiscal 2009, when the endowment experienced a 17-percent decline in returns.

He wrote that, “The challenge is to continue the excellent stewardship of the Endowment” and that “discovering, retaining, and monitoring a group of world class investment managers is the focus of our office.”

Warren also has experience with university endowments, since prior to studying at the University of Chicago business school, he was an analyst in the Office of Investment Management at Northwestern University.

The staff of the Investment Management Office currently includes two professionals, two students and one intern.

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THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, february 1, 2011

VERBATIM | ANTHONY D’ANGELO The people who oppose your ideas are inevitably those who represent the established order that your ideas will upset.

ON THIS DAY…

FUN FACT

In 1790, the Supreme Court of the United States attempted to convene for the first time in New York City.

The watermelon seedspitting world record is about 70 feet.

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

RADICAL RESEARCHER: Prof. Lizbeth Hedstrom (BIOL) conducts research in her lab studying enzymes, for which she was recently named a fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Recognizing important research Prof. Lizbeth Hedstrom (BIOL) became a recent AAAS Fellow

By MUSTAPHA ISA justice contributing writer

Enter the long and confusing maze within the science complex. Amid the high-tech corridors, the hum of the busy laboratories, the organized chaos of wires and complicated machinery, Prof. Lizbeth Hedstrom (BIOL) can be found conducting research, tucked away in a place where many never venture.

In December 2010, The American Association for the Advancement of Science Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing science around the world, selected a new group of AAAS fellows. Included in the group of fellows is Hedstrom, chosen for her scientific research that could have an important influence on greener chemistry and new ways to make antibiotics.

Individuals will be awarded special rosettes and certificates at the Fellows Forum, which will be held on Feb. 19 during the AAAS annual meeting in Washington, D.C., as a form of recognition for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to science.

“I’m interested in how enzymes work,” Hedstrom says of her research. Hedstrom’s focus on enzymes, biological catalysts that influence the rate of reactions, is due to the fact that biochemistry is so largely dependent on enzymes, according to Hedstrom.

Hedstrom’s team researches the way in which enzymes function, how other small molecules interact with them and how scientists could engineer better and more useful enzymes.

While Hedstrom says that there is no specific part of the research that is unique, she says it is the entirety of her research that is being recognized by the AAAS. Comparing the honor to a lifetime achievement award, Hedstrom describes the award as a recognition of all her work, spanning from her research and work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California, San Francisco to all of her contributions to science and technology that have secured her place as a fellow of the AAAS. Nevertheless, she says that she and her team of researchers have done some fundamental studies on what determines specificity, which consists of understanding how an enzyme chooses what it acts upon.

“We are really doing a good job in designing some inhibitors, molecules that prevent other molecules from functioning properly,” Hedstrom explains.

The applications of Hedstrom’s work “are limited by your imaginations,” as she puts it. Her research aims to design compounds that could serve as both anti-bacterial and anti-parasitic drugs. Stressing research on a particularly puzzling protein whose mutation causes inherited blindness, Hedstrom and her team are devoting specific attention to studying the protein.

“We are really excited about that,” Hedstrom comments, hinting subtly at her optimism of the outcome.

Hedstrom’s research may also have important applications in green chemistry, she says. Her work has the potential to be used in the design of chemical products and processes that are not only safer but also more eco-friendly and cost-efficient. This can be achieved by building better proteins, an area in which she has focused much of her research.

Despite being personally named an AAAS fellow, Hedstrom is quick to acknowledge how fortunate she is for her large research team, composed of talented undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral fellows from Brandeis.

“I didn’t do any of this with my own two hands,” she says, “All I do is sit back and type, [and] other people do the exciting experiments.”

A graduate of the University of Virginia, with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Hedstrom, who brands herself the prototypical undecided undergraduate, says she was interested in a myriad of topics in school, not only in chemistry.

Although the teaching in the chemistry department of the University of Virgina wasn’t perfect, she says she still ended up in chemistry because she enjoyed it.

“It was May of my senior year and I had nothing to do. I was walking in the hallway of my chemistry department and my favorite professor asked me what I was going to do and I said I didn’t know,” she admits.

“He took me into his office, and he made two phone calls for me—one to Brandeis and the other to Penn State [University]. If that hadn’t happened I would never had heard of Brandeis and would have never ended up

7

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

LEAVING THE LAB: Hedstrom (BIOL) conducts important areas of her research outside the lab as well. here,” she says.

Hedstrom received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at Brandeis in 1985. She then went on to MIT and UC, San Francisco for her postdoctoral work.

In 1992, Hedstrom returned to Brandeis as a faculty member because it was “the best offer I had,” she says.

Affable, direct and obviously passionate about what she does, it is no surprise that Hedstrom was presented with the Louis D. Brandeis Teaching Award in 2007 for her oustanding teaching.

When asked what she likes most about

Brandeis, Hedstrom immediately recognizes the students.

“The students are very talented, eager and ambitious,” she says, mentioning her colleagues as well. “[Brandeis] is really interactive; you have people who will help you achieve your wackiest ideas.”

While being named an AAAS fellow was unexpected for Hedstrom, her work is well deserving.

“It’s wonderful to be recognized by your peers and it’s also a great way to start the new year,” she says.

Waltham Group’s

Annual Winter Blood Drive When: February 1st, 2nd and 3rd from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. each day.

Where: Sherman Function Hall • Sign up online at www.redcrossblood.org and use sponsor code (965) • Check out http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/eligibility-requirements for donating guidelines.

• Drink your water, eat your iron and sign up to donate blood!!

Contact Jenna Rubin at jenrubin@brandeis.edu with questions.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, February 1, 2011

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BREAKING BARRIERS: Shira Moskowitz ’13 teamed up with a Nicaraguian contractor to build an oven.

Building up RUSTIC TRAVELS: Shira Moskowitz ’13 (right) rode in the back of a truck filled with dirt on the way to work.

Shira Moskowitz ’13 built ovens in Nicaragua over winter break

Nicaragua

By DAFNA FINE JUSTICE EDITOR

Malaria pills: check. Typhoid pills: check.

Underwear and socks: check. Cell phones and iPods: tossed aside to leave room for squeezing in the bare necessities. Preparing for seven days in Nicaragua with only a small bag for luggage leaves a packing list with only musthaves.

Over break, Shira Moskowitz ’13 traveled to Nicaragua as part of a trip with the American Jewish World Service, a nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among the people of the developing world, according to its mission statement.

After seeking a winter break trip through Brandeis and being disappointed by the limited options, Moskowitz applied to trips through various other universities, including New York University, Columbia University, Barnard College and Washington University.

Initially rejected by every school as an outside student, Moskowitz was surprised by a last-minute offer from a Cornell University AJWS trip.

“The night before the deadline, I received a phone call that I was accepted and I had to give them an answer on the spot. I had no idea about the cost of trip and it sounded out of my comfort zone, but I jumped right in,” Moskowitz says.

Knowing little about the details of the trip, Moskowitz canceled her original plans to spend her vacation in the tourist-based Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park in Orlando, Fla., opting instead for malaria and typhoid pills in preparation for her new trip.

“I realized I could go to Harry Potter World whenever I feel like it. Who goes to Nicaragua?

Who builds ovens?” she says.

Eight Cornell students were immersed in preparation for the upcoming trip, and Moskowitz called in to listen to hours of orientation from 322 miles away.

“I kind of started questioning when people asked about running water and pills. The week before [the trip] I realized I didn’t really know what was going on [or] where Nicaragua is on the map. So I started doing research,” she says.

Carrying the bare necessities, the group of 12 Americans arrived in Managua, Nicaragua on Jan. 9. “We get off, there are these two guys playing ukuleles, and I’m thinking, ‘Welcome to Nicaragua.’ I’m wondering if I was supposed to know Spanish,” Moskowitz recalls.

The week was spent building cement ovens for homes in Nicaragua; a simple manufactured luxury in America which turned into an intense physical challenge due to a lack of proper equipment and processing capabilities.

“They don’t have electricity there, so we built foundations and filled them with the dirt.

All the work was tedious because they have no

STARTING FROM SCRATCH: The team of nine students spent the week in Nicaragua manually building multiple cement ovens that will be used in various homes. electrical equipment. If you have a pile of dirt, there’s no tractor. You fill up a bucket, pick it up and carry it three feet, and that takes a whole day,” Moskowitz says.

“AJWS’s mission is to go and find the root of the situation. … Take it to that starting point. … You would think if they don’t have bread, we should give them money, but by creating ovens, they can feed their families and they can start a bread industry for the community,” Moskowitz says.

With little running water, mattresses thin enough to feel the floor below and the simplest of accommodations, the group learned to rough it during their short time away.

“Take a squeeze water bottle and squeeze it, [and] that was what the shower was like.

They would run out of water all the time, so we didn’t all get to shower. … It was pretty much rice and beans every meal. Vegetables, some more beans, beans with sauce, plain beans, beans with rice and bean soup,” Moskowitz jokes.

On the first trip to the work site, the group encountered their first challenge when their car got stuck in a ditch and wouldn’t move.

Moskowitz and the group spent nearly two hours shoveling dirt, surrounded by animals roaming the road with a carefree ease. “[The] oxen and pigs are fine, but our car [couldn’t] get over. We walked through rocks and streams to get to the workplace.”

Though the trip lacked the usual luxury of a winter vacation in a warm climate, the group embraced the experience.

“On one type of service mission you can stay at nice hotels, order Pizza Hut, watch American Idol and go to your community and shovel some dirt. That’s an amazing thing, but you’re not putting yourself in the culture.

You’re making a separation,” Moskowitz says.

On Friday night during the trip, the group spent time teaching the Nicaraguans American songs and dances and learning the Nicaraguans’ in return.

“They put on music for classic Nicaraguan dances and performed for us. Everyone started dancing, [and] we made a conga line. … It was an eye-opening experience that everyone has a culture and no one has a culture more rich than another. … We saw them in the market on Saturday, and we were all screaming

our songs,” she says.

Despite the run-down conditions of homes and hospitals they visited, Moskowitz feels that pity is no solution. “We have all these stereotypes that these people can’t be happy. …

Once you form relationships and see what life is like, you feel stupid that you have this concept of us and them, that we are so different than them,” Moskowitz explains.

“I’m happy with my culture, they’re happy with theirs. I know I’m American and they’re Nicaraguan, but it doesn’t really matter,” she says.

While Moskowitz has returned to running water and heating on campus, she is focused on continuing the work of her trip in a different capacity.

Feeling a need for Brandeis to run similar trips, she hopes to work with AJWS, Brandeis and other organizations to provide options for such experiences during future breaks.

“We have social justice and a large community; there’s no reason if we work hard we can’t make it happen,” Moskowitz says. “If any university can rock global social justice, Brandeis is the place.”

Photos courtesy of Shira Moskowitz

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TUESDAY, February 1, 2011

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THE JUSTICE

Justice Justice

the the

Established 1949, Brandeis University

Brandeis University

Established 1949

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

Handling of snow deserves praise This semester’s midyear class was welcomed to Brandeis by an unusually large accumulation of snowfall, with even more snow in the forecast this week. In light of this weather that is strange even by New England standards, this board would like to commend the Brandeis staff and administration for minimizing the impact of the storms on the normal operations of the University.

The Department of Public Safety, Dining Services, the Office of the Registrar and the Department of Facilities Services all ensured that the University functions that ease students’ day-to-day lives were carried out despite the snow with measures that extended far beyond shoveling walks and plowing the roads.

The Office of the Registrar’s decision to extend this semester’s add/drop period by one day—and by a week for classes that meet exclusively on Fridays—was particularly welcome. After storms canceled classes starting before 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 21, those students who wanted to shop classes that meet Tuesday and Friday mornings would not have had the opportunity to attend a full 2 weeks of classes before having to make their decisions of whether or not to take the class.

Extending the shopping period allows these students to attend one last class before making important final decisions.

It is to the University’s credit that on both Jan. 21 and 27, only classes before 11 a.m. were canceled, and on no other days did the University need to officially cancel classes. This was largely due to the diligence and speed of the Office of Facilities Services in clearing away the snow as it accumulated, which came as a pleasant surprise.

While more attention could have been beneficial in areas such as the Foster Mods, where ice and snow made transit difficult for resident students, over-

all the speed with which the snow was cleared was extremely helpful.

On these days, campus dining locations remained open or experienced only minor reductions in service rather than choosing to operate under a heavily limited snow-day schedule. The availability of a variety of dining options throughout these days was helpful, and the fact that Dining Services was able to function so ably despite the inclement weather was important to students, especially considering that we were largely unable to go off campus because of the snow and ice.

On several occasions this month, the Department of Public Safety extended campus and Waltham Crystal Shuttle bus service from their normal end times of 4:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively, to midnight due to the weather, including one occasion simply because of “extreme cold temperatures,” according to an e-mail Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan sent to the community on Jan. 24. Such seemingly minor weather-related changes help protect student health and safety, allowing us to continue to go about our lives as normal, despite icy road conditions off campus.

As students, we pay hefty tuitions and fees to attend classes and take advantage of the opportunities available to us on campus and appreciate the University’s apparent mindfulness of this fact in its decision to remain open on potential snow days.

Additionally, this board would like to express its gratitude to all of the staff and faculty members who traveled in difficult conditions in order to get to campus—their adaptability enabled the University to go beyond maintaining its core functions, keeping its various offices and departments open and running.

Start semester with SYE events While sophomores have access to a vast amount of academic resources on campus, programming geared toward academic advising for sophomores should be moved to the start of the spring semester in order to aid those still undecided about a major.

There are many resources on campus designed to help sophomores make this significant academic decision. The “Sophomore Year Experience” provides a number of important services to sophomores including advice on topics relating to community living, academic services and financial aid. One of the highlights of SYE is the Passport to Sophomore Success fair, which aims to help students decide which majors to declare.

However, with the add/drop deadline 2 weeks after the start of the term, sophomores must start restricting the classes they choose based on what they plan on majoring in. It is vital that sophomores who are still unsure about their major choose classes that help them make progress toward completing degree requirements.

Additionally, with the Feb. 15 study abroad application deadline quickly approaching, sophomores who remain undeclared but still plan on going abroad must decide on a major at the outset of the semester.

A. ELI TUKACHINSKY/the Justice

Univ services remained open

Advise undeclared majors On top of that, the study abroad application does not only ask for a decision about a major. It also requires many different requirements, including guidance from the Office of Study Abroad, the Office of Academic Services and the Hiatt Career Center.

Certain positive changes have been made in some of these offices. Specifically, this board applauds the new ability to have résumés checked online through Hiatt. However, while this change has been beneficial, the incredibly early study abroad deadline at the beginning of the spring semester creates a very stressful time for sophomores.

In light of the stress produced by the many components of the study abroad application, as well as the pressing need for sophomores to reach a decision about class choices and a major at the start of the spring semester, this board feels that another “Passport to Sophomore Success” program, where students could meet the various undergraduate departmental representatives and get help deciding about majors, should be moved to the first week of the semester.

An earlier date for the program would allow sophomores to receive crucial advice and reach a decision before both deadlines.

Academic, career goals can be fused Liz

POSNER But I Digress

A recently released study, titled Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses, has ignited various responses within academia. The study reveals that 45 percent of students “did not demonstrate any significant improvement in learning” in the first 2 years of college. The study asserts that universities more concerned with enrolling more students and maintaining high graduation rates than with preserving the quality of the education they provide. The authors claim that universities have dumbed-down their curricula so as to allow students to pass through their college years more easily.

University professors, researchers and administrators have been particularly outspoken regarding the study’s accusation. To explore this subject, the New York Times featured sociology professor Gaye Tuchman from the University of Connecticut in its “Room for Debate” section. The basic point of her commentary is that the systemization of universities is reflective of a larger economic machine that caters to students who are primarily concerned with finding jobs after college and repaying debt. Tuchman writes that throughout the course of her teaching career she has had to shorten reading assignments and the lengths of the essays she assigns in order to keep up with her students’ lack of interest.

As a student, I resent the idea of college students as fundamentally uninterested in school. For one, just because students prioritize employment does not mean we view college as a waste of time. I don’t know why this dichotomy exists between academia and the career world. They don’t have to be mutually exclusive—there must be a way to stimulate interest in theory and also provide students with career exploration and training. The release of Academically Adrift should inspire professors like Tuchman to get creative, not pessimistic.

This issue seems to be linked to the relatively new phenomenon of universities that are beginning to view students as “customers” and themselves as providers of an economic service. This opinion has been voiced numerous times in the New York Times and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Universities that run like corporations, churning out students who come for a degree and then move on without much concern for fostering a productive and meaningful academic experience, perpetuate this attitude of career-centricity in students.

I believe that Brandeis students do not represent the norm of American college students in this sense. Most of us are not here because we are rigidly career-oriented. We chose to attend a rigorous university with a sophisticated academic climate because we want to enjoy our classes and form close relationships with professors. Still, even here it is not uncommon to hear an occasional disgruntled “why do I have to know this?” in response to a highbrow and highly theoretical assigned reading. Students are, for the most part, grounded in the real world, and I don’t think we should have to apologize for our concern for securing future employment.

Instead of catering to students by making classes easier, universities can give them what they want by allowing college to become a more integrated route into the working world.

Brandeis already offers students plenty of chances to explore career options. Internship and job shadowing opportunities are practically thrown at us in every Hiatt Career Center email. Research opportunities are available in both the social and hard sciences.

To counter the trend of disinterest among students, American universities could extend these opportunities to career-focused students by offering internships at the start of freshman year. Champlain College in Burlington, Vt., offers a program like this—students can choose to delve directly into studies tied to their desired careers by taking classes for their majors in their first semester of college. No doubt some Brandeis students could benefit from such a program.

Still, there will always be those students who will want to breeze through college by taking as many easy classes as possible, while maintaining a respectable grade point average and graduate ready to hunt down a job. For these students, universities can do little besides try to make their time at college worthwhile. If professors give up on students just because they are focused on finding jobs, then college courses truly lose their value.

OP-BOX Quote of the Week “I was brought up with my grandmother telling me that because I was a girl, I was inferior, so my main objective in life was to find a good husband.”

—Li-Ming Pan ’13 responding to the debate on strict parenting spurred

by Amy Chua. (See Arts, p. 20)

Brandeis Talks Back What are your thoughts on the abundance of snow this semester?

Brett Torres ’12 “It’s crazy. I live in Massachusetts and I’ve never seen this much snow before. The banks are almost as tall as people.”

Asaf Reich ’12 “It’s exciting for a while but it’s gotten inconvenient.”

Kelsey Lafer ’14 “There’s a lot of it. It’s making life really scary and dangerous. I’ve been slipping on a lot of black ice.”

Frishta Abawi ’13

“I blame mother nature for it. But Brandeis has done a good job in canceling morning classes. ” —Compiled by Eitan Cooper Photos by Tali Smookler/ the Justice

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, February 1, 2011

New AP tests require additional support

By Sara Shahanaghi JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Advanced Placement Exams today just aren’t what they used to be. In previous years, the tests were looked upon as one of the most important parts of an elite program for students who could start taking college-level classes in high school and even earn college credit. However, increased scrutiny of the test may cause many colleges to reconsider offering those credits. According to a Jan. 9 New York Times article on the issue, AP exams have lost credibility in the eyes of some colleges and universities because AP classes do not adequately prepare students for the level of critical thinking necessary to perform well in higherlevel classes.

This recent reasoning has resulted in an overhaul of the former AP system. In the coming years, the test will be restructured to require less rote memorization from students and more critical thinking and intellectual analysis.

The restructured tests will include a new breed of multiple choice, open response and short answer questions that will test students on techniques and overarching themes rather than mere facts. According to the article, high school teachers and college professors are commending the College Board for the changes.

The changes made in the AP curriculum pose a very important question: is high school education adequately preparing students for the work necessary in college? When students enter college, especially more academically rigorous ones, they are expected to possess the necessary critical reasoning skills to succeed. High school grades and standardized test scores are supposed to reflect both knowledge and critical reasoning, but which of these is more important in higher education?

Based on my own experiences, possessing solid analytical and critical reasoning skills is more helpful in college than entering with a vast expanse of knowledge. Professors don’t generally require any background knowledge for students in introductory classes. Therefore

MARA SASSOON/the Justice

the “new AP” is certainly important, not only because it may help students successfully move past an introductory course. Difficulties making logical connections and performing analyses is a common challenge faced by college students.

The fact that the AP exam needed to be changed indicates that perhaps there is a greater weakness in the public education system that is get-

ting in the way of students bridging the gap between high school and college.

First, I must note that the connection between high school and college was not always as relevant an issue as it is today. In our society, education’s fundamental goal has been to teach the information necessary to be informed citizens and voters.

In the past, when a college education was not very common or particularly advantageous, this central goal made sense. However, our society, more specifically our economy, has changed enormously since that time. We have become much more information-based, and for this reason a college education is more relevant today than ever before. Steadily increasing college en-

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rollment rates attest to this. According to data released by the National Center for Education Statistics, college enrollment has more than doubled since 1970.

In response to this increase, the public school system should theoretically be putting more effort into preparing students to continue their educations at the college level.

But with many high schools struggling with federal standards, it is easy to see why meeting college standards is taking a backseat. The college admissions exams, namely the SAT, and the AP program are not administered by a governmental institution. Instead, they are coordinated by the College Board, a third-party organization.

At the current time, it is not the government’s responsibility to provide students with a college education, and this may cause education reformers to overlook tailoring high school curriculums to prospective college students.

The benefits of adopting a more analysis-and skills-based public education system are not limited to college preparation. In our increasing information economy, analytical skills are becoming more important.

Few information-based jobs require mere regurgitation of facts and data, as such tasks can normally be outsourced to a computer.

Instead, employers are looking for people who can apply information and skills, which requires critical thinking.

Therefore, a more analytical focus in public education would also benefit all in the information industry. The new AP is the first major step in acknowledging the benefits of such analytical skills. And while its intent is to better prepare students for college, its implications could reach much further.

So, the restructuring of the AP system is great, but it will only minimally improve the lack of analytical focus in the precollege education.

AP tests are not the bread and butter of a high school curriculum, so any further improvements must be made by high schools themselves.

It’s up to the public education system to continue these changes and outdo the College Board in reform.

Midyear orientation proves a powerful experience

By Mustapha Isa JUSTICE contributing WRITER

On the first day in a new school or environment, I am usually a bundle of nerves. Amid this angst, I am supposed to be able to perform—to learn, to behave, to think and respond —at my best. I am required to quickly navigate an institution and use its resources. I am expected to adapt with ease. Despite all of this, most of my first days usually end up fine, even with the tumbling and rumbling of my insides at the beginning.

But this year is different. This is the first time I have ever been branded ‘international’ and, on top of that, a midyear, estranged even before stepping on campus.

Although Brandeis is known for its really welcoming and friendly community, I still felt a sort of disconnect as I stepped out of the car onto the snowy fields of Brandeis University.

I had endured a 12-hour flight and an additional 7-hour wait in transit all the way from Nigeria, West Africa. But seeing all that snow and feeling all that cold was a different story. I decided to apply to Brandeis when I was at home, where it almost

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never falls below 55-degrees Fahrenheit. I had hoped to get accepted and wanted to come here desperately but hadn’t expected this much difference. With my bulky suitcase, I left the safety of the car and was motioned toward a building in Ziv Quad for my dorm keys. My stomach clenched. I deposited my belongings in the convoluted, gaudy, yet clean and new Village dormitory. I was confused and irritated by its winding corridors and spiral staircases, only to realize that it was apparently the best dorm on campus.

After nodding acknowledgements to some of the midyears and meeting my roommate, I walked awkwardly (mostly because of the cold) toward the then-unfamiliar Usdan Student Center for the welcome reception and “Brandeis Beginnings.” After one of the most interesting speeches I have ever heard from Kim Godsoe, the dean of Academic Services, I left the hall with her last words “Find your genius.” And then orientation officially began.

There were a lot of events and seminars and, in between these, there was a sort of chemical reaction among the midyears. People formed bonds and then broke off and combined with other people to form

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other bonds. But most of these relationships were temporary because, after a few days, most of the people that seemed to hit it off at orientation reshuffled into new groups. The midyears were trying to find their niche, trying to find out where they fit in this big jigsaw puzzle that is Brandeis.

“

There was a sort of chemical reaction among the midyears.

The other international students and I found it twice as hard to integrate; it was exhausting. First of all, there were the language and social barriers; some of the time we really didn’t understand what was going on. We just followed the crowd, did what everybody else did and smiled a lot or not at all.

Secondly, unlike the fall semester, the only orientation for internationals was held in the second week of the semester, which meant that we generally had no idea what was re-

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quired of us the whole first week.

In addition, there really wasn’t any flexibility to the program, as we were kept occupied (most of the time in redundant discussion and icebreaker sessions) until late at night.

This didn’t really give time for most of us to recuperate from long journeys from other countries, which resulted in people skipping events. In a general sense, one could say it was a little rushed­—for us at least.

However, there were some really exciting and positive aspects to the experience. The orientation leaders really lived up to Brandeis’ welcoming reputation. We were received with open arms and, in some cases, warm hugs; it was truly friendly and welcoming. And orientation altogether was really fun! From the helpful resource workshops, the hilarious Health and Wellness seminar with Dawn Skop, through the craziness of karaoke on Stein Night to the jaw-dropping “Sex Trek” and enjoyable Casino Night, I, along with numerous other midyears, will attest to the success of the Midyear Orientation. We also saw “Shear Madness,” an interactive show in Boston that was really funny and interactive.

Editorial Assistants News: Sara Dejene Arts: Aaron Berke, Emily Salloway Photos: Yosef Schaffel, Tali Smookler Staff Senior Illustrators: Rishika Assomull, A. Eli Tukachinsky News: Tyler Belanga, Andrew Wingens Features: Rocky Reichman, Deborah Salmon Forum: Hannah Goldberg, Shafaq Hasan, Rebecca Kellogg, Ethan Mermelstein, Liz Posner, Sara Shahanaghi Leah Smith, Avi Snyder, Elizabeth Stoker, Naomi Volk Sports: Josh Asen, Julian Cardillo, Jonathan Epstein, Max Goldstein, Sam Liang, Jacob Lurie, Adam Rabinowitz, Jonathan Steinberg Arts: Taylor Baker, Eric Chow, Alex DeSilva, Julia Jerusalmi,

Even when the rest of the firstyear class came back to campus, we did not encounter the overwhelming feeling of being lost that everyone expected. On the contrary, it was a blessing being a part of the midyear class. Our small, yet incredibly talented, community allows one to genuinely get to know another person without any falsity and pretense. I was able to come out of my shell and participate in all of the activities; it really did help me get settled in to a certain degree.

In the end, it was the wondrous mix of the excitement of the midyears, the enthusiasm of the orientation leaders and the dedication of administration that really made the experience transcend baseness of any kind. It was truly a success.

Finally, even though I haven’t completely acclimated to the culture and the community yet, I feel quite at ease. There is no more queasiness or nerves. I daresay it is a feeling that all Internationals and midyears share—that everyone who’s a part of the Brandeis community shares: a feeling of release and freedom, of casting aside every inhibition, throwing oneself into the experience and ultimately transforming into a true Brandeisian.

Elly Kalfus, Morgan Manley, Amy Melser, Douglas Moore, Alex Pagan, Bryan Prywes, Sujin Shin, Shelly Shore Photography: Genevieve Armstrong, Amy Bissaillon, Lydia Emmanouilidou, Nathan Feldman, Morgan Fine, Nathaniel Freedman, Hilary Heyison, Davida Judelson, Joshua Linton, Mansi Luo, Alex Margolis, Janey Zitomer Copy: Taylor Baker, Rebecca Brooks, Allyson Cartter, Jacob Chatinover, Hilary Cheney, Erica Cooperberg, Philip Gallagher, Ariel Glickman, Patricia Greene, Celine Hacobian, Rachel Herman, Liana Johnson, Mailinh PhanNguyen, Maya Riser-Kositsky, Mara Sassoon, Dan Willey, Amanda Winn Layout: Nadav Havivi, Nan Pang, Denny Poliferno Illustrations: Stacy Handler, Ari Tretin

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TUESDAY, February 1, 2011

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THE JUSTICE

FORUM

Cigarette bans promise to be ineffective Shafaq

Hasan Into The Fire

The litter of cigarette butts in the crevices of sidewalks is a common site at nearly every college campus. Most people are unperturbed by the souls cowering on the doorsteps of public buildings, indulging in cylindrically rolled tobacco leaves. We can hardly be surprised by the significant number of smokers on campus when one out of five college students admits to smoking cigarettes regularly, according to a 2008 report by the American Lung Association.

Despite all this, a new smoke-free campus initiative sets out to eradicate the ever prevalent cigarette smoker from college environments, citing the general public’s health as its main motivation for the movement.

While the intent of the initiative is commendable, the idea of completely prohibiting smoking completely on a college campus is questionable, given the impracticality and unenforceability of the resolution. Rather, schools should adopt reasonable smoking policies that, while restricting how close one can smoke near a building, are conscious that they cannot confine someone’s choice to smoke.

According to the American Nonsmokers’ Right Foundation, the smoke-free campus initiative calls for a ban on smoking on school premises and in all residential housing buildings and facilities. The organization currently lists 466 schools as being completely smokefree, including Washington University in St. Louis, Stanford University Medical School and Towson University.

One of the schools currently in the process of becoming smoke-free is the University of Michigan, whose ban will go into effect starting July 1. All on-campus buildings, athletic facilities and parking lots are under the jurisdiction of the smoking ban. Although the committee proposed the initiative in 2009, the proposal hasn’t come to fruition until now.

The university’s 40,000 students have been left to wonder how the administration will implement and enforce the ban.

The impracticality of the ban is articulated in the subsequent questions that arise. At the most fundamental level, which pathways are prohibited from smoking and which aren’t?

What are the consequences of refusing to obey the restrictions? How is the administration planning on accounting for each and every smoker of the more than 40,000 person student body?

Whether the restrictions will be effectively enforced at all should be a prime concern for administrators of these schools and demonstrates the futility of the ban itself. Oklahoma State University has been a smoke-free campus since July 1, 2008. Striving to be one of “America’s Healthiest Campuses,” Oklahoma has been awarded numerous certificates by the BACCHUS Network, a health education organization, for their dedication in maintaining a smoke-free campus. However, assuming

ARIELLE SHORR/the Justice

the identity of a smoke-free campus and actually implementing the changes are two very different ideas.

A recent article, written in July 2010 in the university’s newspaper, the Oklahoma State University Ledger, questions the integrity of the college’s commitment to being a tobaccofree campus. The potentially lax enforcement of the policy undermines the purpose and goal of the ban: to reduce secondhand smoke.

Though some impetus for the initiative surely lies surely with the annoying smell of cigarette smoke, the greater rationale for the ban, according to various university administrations behind the movement, is to reduce secondhand smoke. A study of 4,223 college students from 10 North Carolina universities conducted by Wake Forest University School of Medicine found that 83 percent said they had been exposed to secondhand smoke at least once in the past seven days. The dangers of secondhand smoke are most clearly seen by

the 3,000 deaths that the Centers for Disease Control reported were caused by inhaling “passive smoke.”

But will the all-out ban on smoking actually prevent secondhand smoke when it’s unenforceable? While the ANRF has listed these schools as being smoke-free, they have not provided any information on the current smoking rates at the schools or how strictly the policies are being followed.

Moreover, do any of these universities even have the right to prohibit adults from smoking in the open air when they are the appropriate amount of feet away from school buildings?

Students and faculty can reserve the right to smoke cigarettes within the reasonable distance restrictions. At the City University of New York, a completely smoke-free school, the administration hopes that by disallowing smoking, students will be encouraged to abandon the habit. But, restricting a substance that is available for legal purchase by the majority

of the student body because of its negative health consequences is unduly abusive of the school’s administrative powers. These individuals are undoubtedly aware of the effects of smoking tobacco and forcing them to adopt healthier lifestyles is absurd.

At CUNY and University of Michigan, a large reason for the initiative is a concern for the well-being of those around the smokers.

Secondhand smoke is a very real and pertinent problem that needs to be addressed, but through means that will actually reduce passive smoke. Implementing a policy similar to Brandeis’ of mandating individuals to smoke a certain distance from campus buildings provides a realistic compromise. Schools can fulfill their responsibility in creating healthy environments by encouraging students to give up the habit through the same educational programs proposed through the initiatives.

The decision to smoke should remain in the students’ and faculty’s hands.

Idea to expand congress would yield poor results

By Tien Le JUSTICE Contributing WRITER

The existing gap between what Americans want and what our politicians deem best appears to be growing larger. The methods by which students have been directly involved in political issues is probably limited to protests, ballots and Facebook. It seems that our only personal connection with those in Congress is through our favorite pundits on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. Most of us are fed up with conflicts that have been going on between politicians.

Sometimes, we feel as though we’re out of the picture. That is not to say, however, that we don’t have a voice. We’re witnesses to our politicians’ plunders and are often their biggest critics.

As we begin the 112th congress, many people are hoping to close the gap between regular Americans and uptight cronies in Washington. According to a New York Times op-ed

by Dalton Conley and Jacqueline Stevens, the constinuents’ importance in the government’s agenda seems to be dwindling. In the article, they ask if Congress is big enough to address the needs of our generation. According to Conley and Stevens, representation in the House is severely underestimated and not up-to-date with America’s huge population. For this reason, there are claims that the

House has fallen out of touch with its younger voters and is more attentive to the interests of lobbyists and corporations rather than the public.

Some of the statistics behind these claims are pretty scary.

If we take a step back to 1787, when the Constitution was first written, representation in the House was determined by state population. There would be one representative for every 60,000 individuals within a state. A census would be taken every 10 years, in which representation would be re-evaluated to accommodate the nation’s increasing population.

U.S. population spiked in the early 1900s.

New states were added to the map. During this wave of immigration, Congress suddenly placed a cap on the number of representatives in the House. Nativists were afraid that immigrants would take political power. In the 1920s, 433 members represented a U.S. population of 30 million. In 2011, 435 members represent a population of 300 million.

Despite huge discrepancies between representation and population, is a bigger Congress necessarily better?

At first glance, the answer may seem to be yes. The task of appeasing America’s young and diverse communities is a daunting one, where the problems of our nation’s economy override the needs of the average blue-collar

American. Although every problem has its importance, some must be addressed first.

However, an overpopulated House presents more negative consequences than valid solutions. Congress simply can not handle more representatives. Even with a bigger congress, everyone’s specific interests cannot realistically be fulfilled. We would certainly have more members, yet this would result in a bunch of representatives with very different views and very different causes.

An increase in representation may, in fact, divide congressional parties, leading to inefficiency. Although diversity is very important in political viewpoints, when it comes to creating a productive agenda, we must be realistic about the potential of our goals and the ability to put aside our differences. Not all ideas for legislative reform will take hold within a fortnight. The strategy and labor required to put these ideas into effect requires collective effort from our politicians. Already, getting our politicians to work together is like pulling teeth.

We always hope that issues within small communities will be brought to national attention. While these issues remain important in a House with better representation, they will still be put aside once the budget and other large pieces of legislation start rolling in.

Additionally, a considerable amount of money will be needed to fund the campaigns

of the many additional representatives who will run for office. Just because the number of Congresspeople is increasing doesn’t mean that the amount of money in our pockets will increase too. Will people actually be willing to donate for these campaigns? Running these elections would also be time consuming. Additionally, the money used for the salaries of these extra representatives could be invested in other programs that demand attention, such as increasing the affordability of college education.

I also can’t see how having more representatives could positively affect our voter participation. Elections will become more complex as more candidates feel the incentive to fill supposed vacancies within the House.

The 200 or so representatives that Congress acquires from these elections can result in a shortage in the seating available within Congress’s chamber. We would need to rebuild the U.S. Capitol to fit everyone in one building. Once again, this requires time and more money. Neither of which we have in excess.

Not all bodies of government are perfect, yet isn’t that the reason we have democratic representation? An equal distribution of representatives would give political opportunities to minorities, worthy causes, and aspiring youth such as ourselves. It is not wrong to be hopeful, but it’s an irresponsibility to let our Congress fail.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, February 1, 2011

13

SPORTS

MBBALL: Team splits weekend UAA contests

LAYING IT IN

CONTINUED FROM 16

Novosel was the clear offensive spearhead of the group, but Dende, sophomore John DiBartolomeo and freshman Nate Vernon all scored a combined 43 points. Senior Mike Labanowski had 10 points and three steals, tying himself with DiBartolomeo for game-high honors. In addition, Rochester was able to translate 19 Brandeis turnovers into 25 points, while Brandeis scored just 9 points off of 11 Rochester errors.

“It was just guys making bad decisions,” Meehan said. “Sometimes it’s guys making mistakes running plays. A lot of our turnovers are when we just lose patience running the offense. When we start dribbling too much we’re not a very good offensive team.”

The Judges also played Emory University at home last Friday.

Brandeis defeated the Emory Eagles 86-82 in overtime. Hughes had a career game, scoring 22 points and adding three rebounds and

four assists. Dascy led the team with 10 rebounds, while Yemga tied for the game high with six assists. Brandeis went into the half wtih a 43-24 lead, but Emory turned the match around and outscored Brandeis 46-27 in the second half.

Brandeis was able to pull together and outscore Emory 17-12 in overtime for the victory.

“We got to the point late in the game where we stopped running our offense,” Meehan said. “We were using time up off the clock, but we weren’t getting good shots, so going into overtime we just said, ‘let’s stop being so tight out here and just play and if we get an open shot, just take it.’ We did a much better job for those 5 minutes of [overtime] running our offense.”

The Judges will face both the Eagles and the YellowJackets again this weekend. They will travel to Emory on Friday and Rochester on Sunday.

—Jeffrey Boxer contributed reporting.

Bartoldus and Kriskus to miss time after weekend injuries

JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

TO THE BASKET: Forward Samantha Anderson ’14 converts a layup during the team’s victory over Emory University last Friday.

WBBALL: Judges fall after Friday night win vs Emory CONTINUED FROM 16 the ball off to the people who are on,” DePalo said. “I think everyone worked the ball really well today and found me when I was open.”

Simon also praised DePalo’s strong performance.

“Mia [DePalo] had a tremendous weekend both on the offensive and defensive end,” Simon said. “I thought she showed excellent composure in both games and it was nice to see she had a strong offensive showing versus Rochester.”

The Judges and YellowJackets were close in most statistical categories, but Rochester held a key 16-4 advantage in bench points.

“Obviously you don’t want to be outscored in bench points,” Simon said. “We expect the same production from the players coming off the bench as the players who start.”

On Friday night, the women’s squad took on the Emory Eagles.

The Judges were able to overcome a comeback by the Eagles in the second half to win the game 76-67. The win ended the Judges three-game skid against UAA opponents.

After 6 minutes of back-and-forth play, Brandeis went on an 11-0 run

thanks to baskets by five different Judges to take a 22-11 lead. The Judges were able to maintain the lead and headed into halftime leading 36-25. Kendrew paced the Judges in the first half, tallying 11 of the team’s points.

Early in the second half, the Judges jumped out to a 14-point lead, their largest lead of the game.

Over the next 10 minutes, however, the Eagles outscored the Judges 24-9 and took a 51-50 lead with 8:04 left, their first lead since early in the first half. With the game tied at 53 apiece with 7 minutes left, the Judges went on a 12-1 run to push the lead back 11. The Eagles would briefly close the gap to 4 points with just over a minute remaining, but the Judges were able to hold them off down the stretch, making seven out of eight free throws in the last minute of the game.

Despite having 24 turnovers compared to just 11 for Emory, the Judges led the Eagles in almost all major categories, including assists, points in the paint and second chance points. The Judges also dominated in rebounding, outrebounding the Eagles 53-29.

“The key to the Emory game was

to make sure we took care of the ball,” Simon said. “They are a team that scored off the mistakes of the opposing team. They are a very athletic and quick team, and we knew we would have to be extremely composed versus their style of play.”

The Judges also showed significant improvement in shooting percentage from the first to the second half. The Judges shot just 37.5 percent in the first half, but improved to 57.1 percent in the second half, as well as improving from 22.2 percent to 60.0 percent in 3-point shooting.

The Judges defense also played strongly, holding the Eagles to just 35.2 percent from the field.

Kendrew led all scorers and set a career high with 26 points. Forward Amber Strodhoff ’11 added 13 points and 14 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Guard Kelly Ethier ’12 also added 12 points and two steals, and rookie guard Kasey Dean ’14 contributed a solid 7 points, seven rebounds and a gamehigh eight assists.

The Judges will face both the Eagles and the YellowJackets again this weekend, traveling to Emory on Friday and Rochester on Sunday.

Starting guard Ben Bartoldus ’14 and the team’s leading scorer, Vytas Kriskus ’12 were both injured during last Friday night’s game against Emory. Bartoldus suffered an injured tailbone and missed last Sunday’s game against Rochester. He was fouled on a layup attempt and landed hard on his backside.

Kriskus was injured in the same game, and Meehan described

him simply as “banged up,” adding that the injuries were to Kriskus’ back and knee. Asked about the players’ status for the weekend games, Meehan said that there was no timetable for either of them, but that he hoped to have them both back for Sunday’s game at Rochester, if not

by Friday’s game at Emory.

— Jeffrey Boxer and Ian Cutler

TRACK: Selig, Holgate pace track team at BU CONTINUED FROM 16 Lemay added.

On the men’s side, Devon Holgate ’11 led the pack of men’s runners in the one mile run at 4:14.57 and 25th place. Holgate’s time was just under the NCAA provisional qualifying time, making him the first member of the team to qualify this season.

Holgate also qualified last season, but his time was not high enough on the rankings for him to be selected to compete.

Chris Brown ’12 was next in the mile at 4:17.62 and 36th place, and Taylor Dundas ’14 followed 1.02 seconds and four spots later. Marc Boutin ’12 finished in 76th place and 4:26.91.

Vincent Asante ’14 finished in 15th place in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.27 seconds. He was the only Division III runner to qualify for the final heat.

Asante was 39th in the 200-meter dash, in 22.74 seconds. Teammate Charlie Pino ’12 finished 0.32 seconds later and in the 200, good for 55th place. Stanley Xuelin ’12 finished in 24.06 seconds and 93rd place.

In the 400-meter dash, Mingkai

Lin ’12 finished 69th with a time of 52.13 seconds, and Josh HoffmanSenn ’13 came in 83rd place, in 54.07 seconds.

Mik Kern ’13 ran the 800-meter in 1:58.82, good for 48th place. Sam Donovan ’11 was 27 places behind, with a time of 2:02.38.

Ben Bray ’11 finished in 15th place in the 1,000-meter run, in 2:32.56.

Paul Norton ’11 finished in 23rd place in the 3,000-meter run, in 8:31.81, and Alex Kramer ’13 was right behind him, 0.36 seconds later.

They were the top two Division III runners in the event.

In the field, Steve Melnik ’13 finished in 44th place, with a distance of 10.25 meters in the shot put.

Norton and Kramer said that it was the team’s best meet so far this season.

“Most of the team ran season bests, and a few ran their best times ever,” Kramer said.

“It was a really solid day for us throughout the team,” Norton added. “Everybody is nicely rounding into form but still has room to improve for the bigger meets later on.”

The Judges’ next competition on Saturday, Feb. 5, at the Tufts Invitational in Medford.

Attention Brandeis Clubs and Local Businesses:

This could be your ad!

Submit your ads to theJustice by Feb. 15 and receive a 15-percent discount!

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

THE JUSTICE

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Mia DePalo ’11

3 1 2 3 26

rd-place finish in the mile by Grayce Selig ’11 last weekend, the highest finish of any Division III runner.

Brandeis track and field member qualified for the NCAA Championships.

Devon Holgate ’11 qualified in the mile run last weekend.

career double-doubles for center Youri Dascy ’11 after he scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against Emory University.

University Athletic Association wins for the men’s basketball team.

The team is 3-4 in UAA play, good for fifth in the conference.

points for guard Morgan Kendrew ’12 during the team’s victory against Emory last Friday.

15

Celtics prove too much for Kobe, Lakers in NBA Finals rematch

career-high 21 points against Rochester last Sunday, eclipsing the 13 points she scored against Carnegie Mellon two weeks ago.

Judging numbers

TUESDAY, February 1, 2011

AP BRIEFS

■ The senior guard scored a

Mia DePalo ’11 accounted for nearly half of the women’s basketball team’s points last Sunday, scoring a careerhigh 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting and an impressive 5-of-7 from beyond the arc in a 61-50 loss to the University of Rochester.

The senior guard has had a strong season so far, as she posted her previous career best just two weeks ago on Jan. 14, when she scored 13 points in a win against Carnegie Mellon University.

“I’m not that big of a scorer, and I had a hard defensive task yesterday. I took two shots early and they went in, and I just kept shooting and scoring, and I kept getting open. Lucky day, I think,” DePalo said.

DePalo’s career effort could not lift the Judges past No. 12 Rochester.

Brandeis has now dropped four of its last five games.

“It wasn’t enough to get the win. We made a few mistakes. I’m happy that my shots went in, but I wish we could have had the win,” said DePalo.

DePalo and forward Amber Strodthoff ’11 are the only two seniors on the team and their leadership will be crucial in the coming weeks as the Judges look to turn around their midseason funk.

“As the only two seniors, we have to lead,” DePalo said. “Amber [Strodthoff] is more physical [than me], but we both try to lead by example. I really try to lead on the court. If the younger players see someone older giving it their

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JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

all, the younger players will follow.”

Despite its recent losing streak, DePalo is confidant that the team can turn it around. She noted that practice has intensified, and the team’s mindset is in the right place.

“Everyone knew what we have to do.

We [have] a different attitude now and we know that a lot can change from week to week,” she said. ­—Max Goldstein

UAA STANDINGS Men’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball

UAA Conference Overall

W L W L Pct. Rochester 6 1 14 4 .778 Emory 5 2 14 4 .778 WashU 4 3 10 8 .556 Chicago 4 3 7 11 .389 JUDGES 3 4 13 4 .765 Case 3 4 7 11 .389 Carnegie 2 5 5 12 .294 New York 1 6 12 6 .667

UAA Conference Overall

W L W L Pct. Chicago 7 0 15 3 .833 WashU 6 1 15 3 .833 Rochester 4 3 14 4 .778 Case 4 3 10 8 .556 New York 4 3 10 8 .556 JUDGES 2 5 10 8 .556 Emory 1 6 8 10 .444 Carnegie 0 7 2 16 .111

Not including Monday’s games

Not including Monday’s games

TEAM LEADERS Men’s BBall (points per game)

Women’s BBall (points per game)

Vytas Kriskus ’12 leads the team with a 11.6 points-per-game average.

Morgan Kendrew ’12 leads the team with a 13.8 points-per-game average.

Player PPG Vytas Kriskus 11.6 Youri Dascy 8.9 Tyrone Hughes 8.1 Derek Retos 7.9 Ben Bartoldus 6.9

Player PPG Morgan Kendrew 13.8 Amber Strodthoff 9.1 Mia DePalo 6.9 Kelly Ethier 5.7 Janelle Rodriguez 4.3

Men’s BBall (rebounds per game)

Women’s BBall (rebounds per game)

Christian Yemga ’11 leads the team with 5.5 rebounds per game.

Amber Strodthoff ’11 leads the team with 6.8 rebounds per game.

Player RPG Christian Yemga 5.5 Youri Dascy 5.1 Vytas Kriskus 4.6 Tyrone Hughes 3.4 Alex Schmidt 3.3

Player RPG Amber Strodthoff 6.8 Samantha Anderson 4.6 Mia DePalo 4.3 Brighid Courtney 4.0 Kasey Dean 3.1

UPCOMING GAME TO WATCH Women’s fencing vs Wellesley College The Judges will face the Wellesley College Blue tomorrow at 7 p.m.

The women’s fencing team was scheduled to face the Wellesley team last Wednesday at the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. However, because of the snow, the meet was rescheduled, and it will instead be held tomorrow night.

The two teams already faced each

other once this season—at the Northeast Conference Meet at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Nov. 20, 2010. The Judges edged out the Blue 14-13 in the match. Wellesley held the edge in both foil and épée, but Brandeis won in saber 7-2 to win the match.

Forward Paul Pierce says the Boston Celtics had no reason to discuss their heartbreaking loss in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last summer before they returned to Staples Center on Sunday.

With a spectacularly fluid performance on offense against the outclassed Lakers, Pierce and the Celtics showed some things just don’t need to be said out loud.

Pierce scored 32 points, forward Kevin Garnett had 18 points and 13 rebounds with a large bandage over a fivestitch cut on his head, and the Celtics overcame guard Kobe Bryant’s 41 points in a 109-96 victory over Los Angeles.

Guard Ray Allen scored 21 points for the Celtics in the longtime rivals’ first meeting since Los Angeles rallied from a late 13-point deficit for an 83-79 win in the deciding game last June, ending an exhausting series in dramatic fashion.

“It’s another game, but it was definitely an emotional game, especially because we lost Game 7 here,” said Pierce, who dueled down the second-half stretch with Bryant. “It feels good to come back in this building and get a win.”

The Celtics overwhelmed the Lakers in the rematch, with guard Rajon Rondo catalyzing the offense by racking up 15 of his 16 assists after halftime. Boston showed off its enviably complete game, outrebounding the Lakers 43-30—a big problem for Boston in last season’s finale—while hitting nine 3-pointers and getting 34 assists to Los Angeles’ 10.

With his every assist against the defense of Bryant and guard Derek Fisher, Rondo also made a matter-of-fact statement about the Celtics’ prowess in areas the Lakers can’t match right now.

“We knew we could run on L.A.,” Rondo said. “Given the personnel that we have, we thought we could outrun them.”

This victory also put the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics (36-11) well ahead of the Lakers (33-15) in the overall NBA standings.

You know, just in case.

“If we had home court last year, who knows ... what [could have happened] in Game 7?” Pierce asked. “We’re not looking ahead, but maybe if it comes down to another Game 7, maybe we’ll have it at home.”

Bryant scored his 27,000th career point but couldn’t spark his Lakers teammates, who followed up their Christmas home loss to Miami with another flop against the best of the East, disappointing a home crowd pulsing with energy for the annual rivalry game.

“I think guys are upset, and they should be,” Bryant said.

“We’re not playing very well against these top teams, so we need to elevate our level and need to get better if we’re to defend our throne. There’s no other option but that.”

Forward Pau Gasol had 12 points in a quiet game for Los Angeles, which has lost four of seven. The two-time champions are doing nothing to counter the perception that they don’t get excited about anything until the playoffs.

Bryant became the youngest player to reach 27,000 points on a 3-pointer late in the third quarter, but he frequently was a one-man show on offense. Forward Ron Artest went one for 10, center Andrew Bynum had 11 points while struggling with soreness in his left knee, and forward Lamar Odom had 15 points and five rebounds.

Center Shaquille O’Neal didn’t score and received mostly boos when introduced as the Celtics’ starting center. Shaq won three titles and three NBA finals Most Valuable Player awards during eight seasons with Los Angeles, but he has returned to Staples Center since with four teams—although this choice stung a bit to the isolated fans who shouted, “Traitor!”

Pacers fire head coach and former Celtics coach Jim O’Brien Jim O’Brien’s future as the Indiana Pacers’ coach was in question heading into a four-game trip, and team president Larry Bird didn’t get the answers he wanted.

Bird fired O’Brien on Sunday after the team squandered a promising start to the season by losing seven of its past eight games.

Bird had discussed the team’s coaching options with owner Herb Simon, saying he wanted to see how the team performed on a western swing against the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets.

The Pacers lost all four games.

“We were in three of the games, and the Denver game; we didn’t really have a chance,” Bird said.

Assistant Coach Frank Vogel will take over for the rest of the season. He has been a scout for the Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards, and he served as an assistant coach for O’Brien in Philadelphia and Boston.

Bird was bothered by O’Brien’s refusal to give more minutes to the team’s young players. Bird said he’d like to see rookie Paul George play more, and he was frustrated with how little forward Tyler Hansbrough played early in the season. He felt that O’Brien’s public berating of center Roy Hibbert damaged the 7-foot, 2-inch center’s confidence.

Bird and Vogel agreed that Hibbert is an important piece of the team’s future.

Many fans criticized O’Brien because he constantly changed lineups, at times, leaving players inactive, then suddenly making them starters and sometimes leaving players who were performing well on the bench for long stretches.

Vogel said continuity is important, but he’ll be careful.

“You want to have a steady rotation, but if you’re losing games, how do you stick with a steady rotation?” Vogel said. “We’re trying to find combinations that work, and you’ll see that play out over the next few weeks.”

The 37-year-old Vogel hasn’t been a head coach in the league. Bird doesn’t think that will hinder his relationship with the players.

“They will respond,” Bird said. “I’ve already talked to a couple of them, and they’re going to do everything they can to help Frank out. The players will react.”

Bird said the team’s overall plan is on track. He said the team already has a solid group of young players and will have significant salary cap space in the off-season.

“We have a 3-year plan, and we’re right on it,” he said. “I looked the other day, and we’re going to have more money than anybody in the summer to go out and either trade one of our expiring contracts or go into the free agency market and get the pieces we need.”

just

Sports

Page 16

RAIN CHECK

The women’s fencing team’s match against Wellesley was snowed out and rescheduled for Wednesday, p. 15.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Waltham, Mass.

men’s basketball

Squad soars past Emory University ■ The men’s team lost to

Rochester last Sunday afternoon after defeating Emory in overtime last Friday.

By JULIAN CARDILLO JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The bugs may be gone until summer, but the Brandeis men’s basketball team still managed to get stung.

The Judges fell 77-64 to the University of Rochester YellowJackets last Sunday afternoon at the Red Auerbach Arena after defeating Emory University last Friday night.

Brandeis is now 13-4 overall this season and 3-4 in University Athletic Association play.

Last Sunday, the Judges started the game on top but could not deliver a victory. Rochester, now the UAA leader with a 6-1 record, evaporated the Judges’ 10-4 lead with a 7-0 run after 10 minutes.

“We played poorly on Sunday,” coach Brian Meehan said. “Sundays have been a real problem for us. We played pretty well for the first 6 minutes of the game. [Center Youri] Dascy ’14 came out strong, but once he went out of the game it just kind of unraveled offensively. Then we started turning the ball over.”

Rochester junior Nate Novosel, who entered the match shooting 65 percent from the field to lead the YellowJackets, finished with a game-high 16 points. But Brandeis was able to keep Novosel quiet for the opening 10 minutes of the match, and Dascy scored 7 points in the first 2 1/2 minutes, 5 of which came from the free-throw line.

However, Rochester shored up its defense for the remainder of the period and only allowed two more foul shots following Dascy’s run.

Rochester then picked up the offensive pace. The YellowJackets scored 14 points in a 4-minute span, half of which came off the hands of junior Chris Dende.

Brandeis was able to come up with a response with 7:19 remaining in the first period. With the score 28-19, the Judges went on a 6-2 streak led by forward Alex Stoyle ’14 and guard Anthony Trapasso ’13, but the team was unable to keep its feet on the gas pedal. Rochester followed up with a 9-0 run off of four Brandeis turnovers, giving the YellowJackets a half-time advantage of 39-25.

Brandeis was unable to get shots off or keep the ball effectively in the first period, as Rochester capitalized on the Judges’ 15 turnovers and 33-percent scoring. The Judges came out with more energy in the second half and proved it on the scoreboard too. But even though Brandeis led second-period scoring 39-38, the effort was still not enough to overcome a 14-point first-half deficit.

By JONATHAN STEINBERG JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

finished 11th with a distance of 4.95 meters. She also finished eighth in the triple jump, at 11.00 meters. Kim Farrington ’13 finished 0.46 meters behind, in the triple jump, good for 14th place.

Selig said that she was pleased with the team’s performance.

“The meet went well on Friday, even though we only had four girls running from the distance team,” Selig said. “We had some pretty strong performances all around.”

“We’re on track for a good season,”

Having lost two games the previous weekend to ranked opponents, the women’s basketball team was hoping for a better result against their 12th-ranked University Athletic Association rival Rochester YellowJackets.

Unfortunately, early foul trouble doomed the Judges, and they fell to Rochester 61-50. The Judges, now 10-8 overall and 2-5 in the UAA, split the weekend of UAA action with a win against the Emory Eagles last Friday.

Last Sunday, the YellowJackets got off to a quick start with a 9-2 run. Guard Mia DePalo ’11, who scored just 3 points in the game against Emory, got hot early on and tallied 5 of Brandeis’ first 7 points. The YellowJackets maintained their lead 10 minutes into the half, spreading the ball around much better than the Judges, who received baskets from just three players compared to Rochester’s six. The Judges fought back, going on an 8-2 run, and the team went into halftime with the game tied at 24.

DePalo accounted for 10 of the Judges’ first-half points.

The second half started off quickly, with each team tallying 5 points in the first minute. DePalo added her third 3-pointer of the game to give the Judges their first lead of the game early in the half.

The game remained close until 7 minutes, 5 seconds in, when the YellowJackets went on a 10-0 run over the next 5 1/2 minutes. The Judges were unable to get themselves back into the game, getting no closer than 7 points. Rochester hit their free throws down the stretch to clinch the game.

The Judges were forced to foul more often than they normally would in the end to try to get back into the game.

“At the end of the game, … we were intentionally fouling to stop the clock and get more possessions on the offensive end,” coach Carol Simon said.

The YellowJackets were paced by senior guard Melissa Alwardt, who scored all 22 of her points in the second half. DePalo added 21 points for the Judges, a career high for her. Rookie guard Julia Scanlon ’14 stuffed the stat sheet, coming away with with 2 points, one block, one steal, four assists and four rebounds. Guard Morgan Kendrew ’11 also contributed 13 points and five rebounds.

DePalo said that she was feeling it against the YellowJackets.

“When I’m on, I shoot more, and when I’m not, I try to dish

See TRACK, 13 ☛

See WBBALL, 13 ☛

JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

TAKING THE HIGH ROAD: Forward Alex Stoyle ’14 throws down a thunderous dunk. He was called for an offensive foul on the play.

Rochester also failed to miss a beat to start of the second period, scoring six of its first nine shots to extend its lead to 21 points. Guard Derek Retos ’14 was Brandeis’ offensive spearhead through the entire game, leading the Judges with 15 points, including four 3-point shots.

Dascy had a strong performance at center, finishing the afternoon with 14 points and a game-high six rebounds. Guard Tyrone Hughes ’12 led the Judges with three assists.

But going point-for-point with Rochester in the second period was not enough. Rochester outscored

Brandeis by 1 point in the second half, but had a high output from most of their players. Rochester had five different players scoring in double figures, four of whom tallied at least 14 points on the game.

See MBBALL, 13 ☛

Seniors propel track team to top finishes at BU and Devon Holgate ’11, the track team fared well at the BU Invitational last weekend.

By JONATHAN EPSTEIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The Brandeis men’s and women’s track teams had several individuals finish with personal bests at the Boston University Terrier Invitation last weekend. The meet featured runners from Division I, II and III schools, as

Judges nearly win two against UAA foes

■ The women’s basketball team defeated Emory before fading down the stretch against Rochester.

track and field

■ Led by Grayce Selig ’11

women’s basketball

well as many sponsored and unaffiliated runners.

In the women’s events, Grayce Selig ’11 ran the mile in 4 minutes, 54.82 seconds, finishing only 2.62 seconds out of first place. Selig grabbed third in the event, the highest of any collegiate competitor in the event.

It would be the closest the Judges would come to victory all afternoon.

Selig was named the UAA women’s indoor track and field athlete of the week for her efforts. Selig was also selected as the University Athletic Association Runner of the Week for her performance at the Greater Boston

Track Club invitational on Jan. 23.

Marie Lemay ’11 came in 25th, place in the mile, finishing in 5:10.97.

Annifreed Sinjour ’13 ran to 28th place in the 400-meter dash, with a time of 1:01.20, and Casey McGown ’13 finished 0.64 seconds and eight spots later.

Victoria Sanford ’14 ran the 800-meter in 2:26.33, finishing in 36th place.

In the 3,000-meter run, Hannah Lindholm ’11 finished in 47th place with a time of 10:50.55.

“Pretty much everyone ran faster than last week,” Lemay said.

In the long jump, Lucia Capano ’11

just

February 1, 2011

ARTS

Celebrating the Chinese New Year p. 19

Photos: David Yun and Tali Smookler/the Justice. Design: Robyn Spector/the Justice.

18

TUESDAY, february 1, 2011 ● THE JUSTICE

POP CULTURE

INSIDE ON CAMPUS

19, 22

■ Year of the Metal Rabbit

19

Brandeis Chinese Cultural Connection hosted the 2011 Lunar New Year celebration last Saturday night, giving students an outside performers a chance to share their traditions.

■ Daniel Stepner performs

22

Prof. Daniel Stepner (MUS) collaborated with other artists in his violin recital to play a variety of chamber pieces.

■ Fun with Game Knight

22

The first ever no-holds-barred Nerf gun battle at Brandeis took place in Shapiro Campus Center last Friday.

OFF CAMPUS

20-21, 23

■ ‘Tiger Mother’ talkback

20-21

Students respond to the firestorm set off by Amy Chua’s article in the Wall Street Journal on strict parenting, titled “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior.”

■ 2011 Oscar Predictions

23

The King’s Speech and The Social Network are the top contenders at this year’s awards ceremony, to be hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway.

■ Innermost Brew

23

JustArts’ in-house beer columnist highlights the latest in homebrewed offerings and rates a variety of tangy and fruity.

CALENDAR

Interview

Books for Bangladesh

by Shelly Shore

Well, kids, I hate to disappoint, but this was a pretty dull week in celebrity news. Half of this week’s tabloid cover stories were about either The Bachelor or Teen Mom. No one was making ludicrous claims about Jen, Brad and Angelina, and even Lindsay Lohan (once my go-to girl for stories) kept herself tame this week. What is the world coming to?

So instead of a big “oh my goodness!” article, I give you instead the best tidbits of a rather mediocre week of celebrity baby and not-baby news.

This week, Penelope Cruz and husband Javier Bardem welcomed their first child together, a baby boy born Jan. 26 at the Cedar-Sinai Medical Center in Hollywood. This has been a doubly great week for Bardem, who on Tuesday received an Oscar nomination for his role in the Mexican drama Biutiful.

In other baby news, Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi is currently engaged in a custody battle over her 11-month-old daughter, Krishna.

Baby daddy Adam Dell is demanding more time with Krishna and reporting every detail of the case to the press—even though Padma would rather keep things in the courts. A rep for Padma did, however, report that Padma has encouraged Dell to be a part of Krishna’s life, but because she is nursing her daughter it is necessary for Krishna to spend the majority of her time with her mother. Padma’s lawyer, Jay D. Silverstein, has disputed the “facts” laid out by Dell’s court papers, which state that Padma is forcibly keeping Dell away from Krishna. “Ms. Lakshmi looks forward to correcting the record in the courts, not the press,” Silverstein told People Magazine in an official statement. “She is saddened and gravely disappointed that Mr. Dell has chosen a very public means of filing his petition with the court rather than doing so in a confidential or sealed manner, which is customary in cases involving a very young child.”

 After a recent visit to his homeland, Nafiz “Fizz” Ahmed ’13 started a foundation to support kids in need.

LORD_HENRY/Flickr Creative Commons

ADOPTION BENEFITS: Jen can drink! Too bad Star got its adoption story completely wrong.

I can’t tell if Hollywood would like this Dell guy better if he kept his baby out of the news, or if we just want to see more cute baby pictures in the press.

Finally, if you saw the cover of this week’s Star magazine, you noticed that apparently Jennifer Aniston is adopting! At last! The baby she’s always wanted! She’s even using BFF Courteney Cox’s nanny! Or, actually, she’s not—a rep for Jen told People on Wednesday that, while Jen loves kids and sees them in her future, she’s not even actively looking into adoption yet. Star—0, People—1.

What’s happening in Arts on and off campus

ON-CAMPUS EVENTS Under the Shadow: A workshop of a new play

by Aida Nasrallah

Free Play Theatre Cooperative is hosting this event with help from Hybrid Theatre Works, a New York based theatre group that seeks to build and spread peace through theatrical performances. The play follows the romantic relationship between an Israeli man and a Palestinian woman whose love is threatened by their divided state. There will be a talkback at the end of the performance.

Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Merrick Theater in Spingold. Admission is free. Refreshments will be served.

Brandeis’ First Dance Marathon

Adagio, the largest student-run dance group at Brandeis, is partnering up with the Children’s Miracle Network, an organization that raises funds for 170 children’s hospitals across North America. The event will raise money for Children’s Hospital Boston, one of the largest, most distinguished pediatric medical centers in the U.S. Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Levin Ballroom.

Registration fee is $5 and you can enter the marathon as an individual or as part of a team.

Close Looking: Natalie Frank’s ‘The Czech Bride’

The first installment in a series of talks by interdisciplinary professors has been moved to this week. Profs. David Sherman (ENG) and Ellen Schattschneider (ANTH) will be leading an in-depth discussion on “The Czech Bride,” a painting by artist Natalie Frank, that is currently in the Rose galleries.

Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. in Rose Art Museum.

Free admission. Tea and cakes will be served.

Insatiable: Our Rapacious Appetite for More

There will be an opening reception for the new art installation in the Women’s Studies Research Center. Earlier in the day, at 12:30 p.m., artist Anne Percoco will discuss her new painting, “Indra’s Cloud,” a piece inspired by her work on an environmental non-government organization in Vrindavan, India. She will also discuss how the connection between Hinduism and ecology influenced her. The exhibition, featuring work from more than 42 artists will be on display until March 10.

Thursday at 5 p.m. in the Women’s Studies Research Center.

TALI SMOOKLER/Justice File Photo

SPRING IN THEIR STEP: This Saturday, Brandeis’ tap dance ensemble will have their semester show, including a repertoire of nine dances, Hooked on Tap alumni performances and several invited outside groups. from groups from outside of Brandeis.

Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Theatre. Admission is free.

‘Little Monsters’

This new play from Maria Alexandria Beech tells the story of a poet named Sarah who lives with a hypochondriac mother in a small studio apartment in New York. Feeling isolated by their small and relatively solitary existence, Sarah attempts to find a significant other through Internet dating sites.

Throughout this journey, she learns that she is looking for much more than a mate; she is looking to find herself and a way to express herself through writing. This workshopstyle production will be presented along with post show discussions with the playwright and members of the creative team, giving audiences an opportunity to contribute to the play’s continuing development.

Thursday, Feb. 17 through Saturday, Feb. 20 at the Spingold Laurie Theater. Tickets are $10 general admission.

‘Race to Nowhere’

Musicologists make music

A documentary exploring the public education system, featuring young people’s stories of the negative effects of highpressure schooling. Directed by a mother turned filmmaker, the film challenges the way we look at our country’s preparation of children for the real world.

Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Carl J. Shapiro Theater. The event is free and open to Brandeis students, faculty and staff. Watch for notices on how to reserve a seat.

Hot & Spicy: Hooked on Tap Semester Show

OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS

Graduate students from the musicology program will be performing chamber and solo works at this fourth annual recital event.

Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Slosberg Recital Hall.

Hooked on Tap, Brandeis’ co-ed tap ensemble, will have their semester show, featuring nine dances, ranging in style from Lady Gaga to country music. There will be an alumni performance, as well as performances

‘Mary Poppins’

Broadway Across America is bringing the hit show Mary Poppins, to Boston. The musical follows the story of the classic Disney

film, with additional songs and theatrical magic. The story follows the Banks family and their employment of a new nanny who brings fun and joy to their daily routine.

Thursday, Feb. 17 through Sunday, March 20 at The Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St., Boston. Ticket prices and times vary.

‘Neighborhood 3’

In this new show, put on by the A.R.T. Institute at the American Reperatory Theatre, an educational theatre program for young theatre professionals, an entire neighborhood of suburban teenagers become trapped inside a multiplayer internet video game.

Marcus Stern (Donnie Darko) directs this new play that explores the consequences of Internet actions.

Thursday to Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday 2 p.m. matinee at the Agassiz Theatre, 14 Mason Street, Cambridge. Tickets are $10.

‘The Secret Garden’

This revival of the play based on a classic book written by Frances Hodgson Burnett will take to the stage at the Wheelock Family Theatre. This new production is being headed by author and lyricist Jane Kosoff and composer Jane Staab, whose original ideas breathe new life into this enchanting classic.

The story revolves around British orphan, Mary Lenox who must move in with her uncle, Archibald Craven, who is consumed with grief over his deceased wife, Lily. Craven’s constant absences from his Yorkshire estate leave Mary alone, surrounded by confining castle walls and an empty road in front of her. Her life is mysteriously reinvigorated when the chatters of a secret garden begin to call to her. Mary enlists the help of Colin, Archibald’s ill and bedridden son, and together the two of them set out to find the garden, and bring meaning back into their lives.

Monthlong run at 7:30 p.m. at the Wheelock Family Theatre, 200 The Riverway, Boston.

Tickets range from $20 to $30.

The Fizz Foundation’s founder e-mailed with justArts about his mission to improve literacy and the quality of education in one of the world’s poorest and most densely populated countries by selling T-shirts printed with his own design.

JustArts: When did you start doing graphic design?

Nafiz Ahmed: This is actually my first “graphic design.” I’ve never produced art for purposes of sale before and have also never made T-shirts or commercial items with my art. However, creating the design for The Fizz Foundation T-shirt has been a great experience. It’s great when I walk into a class or walk through the Shapiro Campus Center and I see Brandeis students wearing the shirt that I designed. It goes beyond pride for myself. It’s pride for my fellow Brandeisians who are supporting my cause and are a huge part of making The Fizz Foundation come to life.

JA: What inspired you to help children in Bangladesh in particular?

NA: I am originally from Bangladesh. Even though I spent my high school years in the US, I have spent more than enough years of my childhood in Bangladesh to call it my home away from home. However, after spending quite a few years in the US, now when I go back and visit my birth nation, I notice the stark differences in livelihood. Students at Medford High School and even Brandeis complain about the food, the living arrangements and so on, but compared to where I come from, everything I see here is magnificent.

When I visit Bangladesh and I see a young child, merely ten years of age, trying to sell flowers by the street so that she can eat food to survive, I ask myself—what did she do to deserve this? Nothing. She was born to an impoverished household.

I created The Fizz Foundation so I could reach out to these children who are otherwise ignored by society.

JA: To which organization does the money from The Fizz Foundation go?

NA: Money from The Fizz Foundation goes to The Notre Dame Literacy School which is run

by Notre Dame College, one of the top colleges in Bangladesh. This school is a part of the College’s social outreach program. Children from poor households come to the school and receive free education, something which is very hard to find in a place like Bangladesh.

JA: What is the meaning behind the design you chose for the T-shirts?

NA: The design itself holds a lot of meaning to it.

It is a tree that bears books. I personally believe that in an ideal world knowledge should be free flowing. In the United States, public schooling is available to all and is mandatory, but in many other parts of the world, such as Bangladesh, only the rich can afford to be educated. Every child has the right to be educated regardless of wealth and social status. What I am trying to do with The Fizz Foundation is to plant a tree that produces books for the ignored children who cannot afford an education. In an ideal world, there would be book-bearing trees growing all over the world providing children with books to learn from.

When someone purchases the shirt and wears it, it symbolizes the fact that he/she is a contributor to the tree.

JA: Can you talk a bit about your most recent trip to Bangladesh?

NA: When I flew to Bangladesh this past summer, I went there with the intention of searching for an ideal institution to donate to. I spent several weeks networking among my local contacts in Dhaka and found a good bargain for manufacturing the shirts, which can be a challenge sometimes considering the need to keep the costs low.

I also talked to many people to find a legitimate institution to donate money to. My cousin who attends Notre Dame College brought the Notre Dame Literacy School to my attention. I visited the school, met the people who ran it and spent recess with the children. It was a great experience.

For many of them it was the first time they saw a camera. It was also one of the rare occasions in which someone approached these children and showed interest in them. They were very excited, as was I. JA: How can people purchase your Fizz Foundation T-shirts or help your cause in another way?

NA: The Fizz Foundation is very young. This is the first time I am doing something like this and if all goes well I hope to do this on a yearly basis with a new design every year. With each T-shirt someone purchases, I will send money to the Literacy School to buy a school book for each child. If anyone wants to purchase a T-shirt they can get in touch with me at nafeez.rubayet@ gmail.com and join the Facebook group: The Fizz Foundation. I send messages to the group members informing them on what is happening and update them on my progress. I also set up events on Facebook for times and locations regarding when and where I sell the shirts on campus. They are only $10 each. I would also love any amount of additional donations to support the cause. With the ridiculously low exchange rate, every dollar counts!

—Emily Salloway

THE JUSTICE

TALI SMOOKLER/the Justice

LADIES’ MAN: Max Xu ’13 (front) sings an endearing Chinese song with his BC3 executive board.

●

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2011

DIANA WANG/the Justice

SPINNING COLORS: Emily Chen ’13 performs an entrancing dance featuring twirling ribbons.

Performances mark the

year

of the

rabbit DIANA WANG/the Justice

MAIDEN DANCE: The American Chinese Art Society, a Boston-based Chinese performance arts organization, brought traditional dancers to the Levin Ballroom at the request of Brandeis organizers.

BC3 celebrated the Lunar New Year in the Levin Ballroom

By EMILY SALLOWAY JUSTICE EDITOrial assistant

When asked about Chinese New Year, Lisa Qi ’11, co-president of the Brandeis Chinese Cultural Connection (BC3), told justArts, “It’s very similar to American Thanksgiving. It only happens once in a year where everyone in your family gets together to celebrate one of the most joyous holidays in Chinese culture.”

Although the new lunar year officially begins on Feb. 3, BC3 helped the community start the celebration a bit early by holding an event last Saturday night in Levin Ballroom.

This year is the year of the metal rabbit, and according to the Chinese Zodiac Calendar, it will contrast greatly in tone with 2010, the year of the tiger. Because the tiger and rabbit are considered opposite in their attributes and symbolism, the year of the rabbit will bring peace and tranquility, a relief from the many struggles the tiger was supposed to have brought last year. Metal, according to Chinese horoscopes, is said to give the rab-

bit resilience and strength in its harmony.

This year will be an auspicious year for most people, with 11 months favorable out of 12; it is predicted that the year of the rabbit will be full of harmony and leisure.

The evening began with a hypnotic drum performance by a group of students from The Chinese Folk Art Workshop, a nonprofit organization based in Boston that teaches children ages 12 to 18 various traditional Chinese performance arts. The boys who drummed were about 12 and 13, but they held themselves like professional adult musicians, using their bodies, drumsticks and voices to create a wonderfully visual and synchronized piece. The drummers beat upon huge red drums, which are traditionally used in Taiwan as an important part of all of their festivals. It was a great opening to a captivating show.

Dancers from Calvin Chin’s Martial Arts Academy later performed the customary lion dance, in which two people wore a costumed lion head and body and danced to the sounds of a drum, cymbals and gong. The lion dance

DIANA WANG/the Justice

CHINESE ORCHESTRA: A performer plays the guzheng (above), a traditional Chinese instrument.

is considered essential at Lunar New Year celebrations to ensure prosperity in the coming year. The evening’s lion danced beautifully to the music, with the dancers inside acting as puppeteers and moving its ears, eyes and tail. The lion even came into the audience, allowing for a closer inspection of the detail and beauty of the fierce-looking costume.

At intermission, Miriam Halimi ’13 talked about the club she started last year called China Care, which is a chapter of a larger nationwide organization that originally started at Harvard University. The organization’s goal is to raise money to pay for reconstructive surgeries for children in China who are abandoned at birth because of physical deformities. After participating in last year’s Lunar New Year celebration, Halimi was inspired to help out the people in whose culture she had become so interested.

A noteworthy moment of the night was during the second act when David Deng ’12, Ziman “Kay” Zhou ’13 and Jamie Fleishman ’11 performed a song originally by Jay Chou,

one of China’s most beloved pop stars. Deng and Zhou both sang beautifully while accompanying themselves on guitar and keyboard, respectively, while Fleishman played saxophone. The blend of the voices and instruments was smooth and easy to listen to, pleasing Jay Chou fans while creating some new ones among audience members.

Qi was full of gratitude at the end of the night, emphasizing how “everybody worked so hard to put this together.” This year’s Lunar New Year celebration was bigger than ever, with about 450 students, family members and outside performers in attendance.

“We’ve received help from members of Brandeis Asian American Student Association and Southeast Asian Club, in addition to partnering with several outside performing organizations and the East Asian Studies program,” BC3 co-president Max Xu ’13 told justArts. “This was all done in order to expand Lunar New Year beyond previous years, and we can’t thank everyone who helped out enough for supporting our venture.”

TALI SMOOKLER/the Justice

RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR: A Taiwanese drum performance began the 2-hour event last Saturday.

19

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TUESDAY, fEbrUArY 1, 2010

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THE JUSTICE

Talking back to t

Three writers share their experiences with parenting as a respon

Chua raise

by JEnnIfEr wAng special to the justice

RISHIKA ASSOMULL/the Justice

Roar of the Tiger Grandma

by LI-MIng pAn justice contributing Writer

While there has been uproar with how Amy Chua restricts her children’s freedom, my grandmother trumps Chua in this aspect any day. Sure, like Chua’s children, I was never allowed to go to sleepovers, to go out after sunset, to skip out on practicing the piano, to get bad grades or to talk back. But my grandmother took the Tiger Mother mentality a step further, stressing personal, as well as academic, discipline. I was brought up with my grandmother telling me that because I was a girl, I was inferior, so my main objective in life was to find a good husband. The only reason I was required to work hard academically was to get into a good college and therefore be able to find myself a good husband. That was my grandmother’s vision of success for a girl.

Obviously, not any old man would do. My sister, my female cousins and I can repeat the list of requirements without thinking twice. The requirements for a husband are as follows: • He needs to be Taiwanese • He needs a college degree • He needs a stable job, preferably a doctor or lawyer • His parents cannot be divorced • He needs to have a Blood Type O (according to her, blood type determines personality) • We cannot have an age difference of 3, 6 or 9 years (it is bad luck) • Most importantly: He has to be approved by the grandmother herself I feel like I am listing a personal advertisement here in the Justice, but I’m sure this entire list cannot be satisfied. However, my grandmother assures me that my uncle or a matchmaker will find me a good husband. I really hope she is joking, but to be honest, she isn’t the joking type. My grandmother is a formidable woman who is almost 85 years old, yet she still jogs 3 miles every morning before she goes to an 8-to-5 job.

She has never missed a day at work and only takes two breaks during the year for Christmas and the Chinese New Year.

The only conversations I have with her are when she tells me the story of her life, which almost always results in what she expects of me: “Li-Ming, when I was young, I didn’t listen to my own mother when she told me to get married as soon as possible.

So I’m helping you now, since you’re 18 and it’s time you go look for a husband before it’s too late.”

It is difficult coming from a traditional family and living in America, as I am exposed to freedom of choice, but I can’t exercise this freedom to its full extent. I want to be able to choose what my future life will be

How do you feel about the way your parents raised you? This has been a question I have asked many of my Asian friends in the aftermath of Amy Chua’s recent Wall Street Journal article on the supposed superiority of Asian mothers and their parenting skills.

When I first read her article, I was conflicted in my own emotions as to how I felt in relation to my parents and my upbringing.

Though Chua admits to making a few generalizations within her article, she illuminates the theme of sublimating worries about children’s self-esteem in favor of academic success, thus embracing the stereotype of the model minority and how it is made. Her article is an excerpt from her just-released book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, where Chua outlines her edict that “nothing is fun until you’re good at it,” and lauds her iron grip on her children; she brags of her “mean me” persona when describing how she monitors her daughters’ practice schedules and day-today routines. Through the media uproar created by Chua’s article, a prominent stage has been established to discuss ideas of culture and the formation of the model minority.

My reaction to Chua’s article was visceral. I sunk into a nostalgia of a childhood punctuated by piano lessons, math exercises and lengthy reprimands. I remembered that I was often curious how some of my friends could vehemently overshare their personal life with their parents, and how my nonAsian friends felt about their parents. I was angered by her tone; she touts the strictness of her parenting style to be the formulaic way to produce members of the supposed model minority. Sure, there were similarities between my experiences and the way Chua describes the way she raised her children, but there were, and always will be, discrepancies between the ‘normal’ trajectory and personal experience.

I know many Chinese family friends who attend Ivy League schools; my older sister attended Harvard University for her undergraduate degree and is there yet again for graduate school, but there is no methodic way akin to Chua in which my parents raised my sister and me. The expectations placed on my sister and I always tried to be realistic, and I believe that my parents’ acknowledgment of my sister and me as distinct people is a defining element that differs

Do not oversi Rebecca PHOTO COURTESY OF LI-MING PAN

FAMILY FIRST: li-Ming pan ’13 (left) stands next to her grandmother, who is from taiwan. like. I want to choose to play the piano for myself and not as my grandmother wants me to—so I can entertain my future husband with my instrumental abilities. Perhaps my grandmother does know what is right for me considering her 85 years of experience in life, since she married too late at the age of 26 and felt she had no choice but to marry whomever came along first.

My grandmother has been telling me ever since I turned 18 that it was time I got married before it gets too late. But I’d like the freedom to make decisions in my life without her being my cheat sheet and showing me the shortcuts to the end. Chua may dwell on the academic well-being of her children, but my grandmother’s strict rules dig even deeper beyond my academic life and into my personal life. I don’t feel

that the perfect spouse comes from ticking off a grocery list of qualifications as if we’re interviewing them for a job. My sister, cousin and I may mock her old-fashioned ways, but at the back of our minds we know that as we get older this list will become a reality, and we will have to challenge it, which will risk her getting upset.

I know that if Amy Chua was brought up the traditional way that she says she was, then she would know that marrying someone who is not Chinese is a disgrace to the family. However, Chua has contradicted my grandmother’s traditional ways by marrying an American. I believe there are different ways in disciplining a child for their own well-being and, clearly, following different methods of discipline have their own potential for a successful future.

Kellog Sound and Fury

Amy Chua’s recently published book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, set off a firestorm of both criticism and praise even before the book was released. This should not really come as a surprise to anyone who has read the memoir’s rather pugilistic title, but the source of the controversy becomes clearer upon learning the even more provocative subject matter: the “correct” way of raising a child. I’ve been reading the responses to and the debates started

by Chua’s book with a great deal of interest, but with even more amusement, as I am the result of the lax parenting which Chua excoriates so thoroughly in her writings.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, fEbrUArY 1, 2010

the Tiger Mother

nse to Amy Chua’s recent book ‘Battle Hymn of of the Tiger’

es controversial but important cultural issues from Chua’s militant assignment of talents to her daughters. My parents are multidimensional people with their own ethics and ideals; they’re Chinese immigrants and have instilled a pride in my older sister and me about our family and our heritage. Of course, there are still congruencies within Chua’s parenting in some of my Asian friends’ childhoods; one of my friends remembers going through multiple math programs and being pressured into becoming some sort of math prodigy early on in middle school. My own experience being raised under a household of ‘Asian parenting’ is unique and in no way emblematic of whatever Chua is trying to promote; my parents cannot be summarized to be the iron-willed Asian stereotype that the media will no doubt make Chua out to be.

The implications of Chua’s article have caused many Asian-American children produced under this school of parenting to come out of the woodwork and share their own personal experiences; it’s been amazing to see the cause and effect of Chua’s described push for excellence. Chua’s evaluation of the blunt attitudes towards children’s selfesteem contrasts the supposedly Asian approach against that of Western parents. She argues that “Chinese mothers can say to their daughters, ‘Hey, fatty—lose some weight,’” and that, “by contrast, Western parents have to tiptoe around the issue ... and their kids still end up in therapy for eating disorders and negative self-image.” Just because Chinese mothers can do this does not imply that it is completely fine to do so; many online commenters on the article have expressed sentiments such as, “parents like Amy Chua are the reason why Asian-Americans like me are in therapy” and have reflected upon mutual feelings of academic pressure and social isolation.

In this way, Chua’s article has touched upon many cultural themes and emotional experiences relevant to many Asian and Asian-American youth. Her piece has become a touchstone for many others to connect their own experiences being raised under the so-called “tiger-mother” school of parenting. Perhaps the reason why Chua’s article has generated so much controversy is because of its power to be both incendiary and observational—the discourse that has emerged illuminates a lot of pertinent issues about parenthood and cultural differences.

Editor’s note: The writer is a member of the Brandeis Chinese Cultural Connection.

LARRY D. MOORE/Wikimedia Commons

YEAR OF THE TIGER: tomorrow ushers in the Year of the rabbit, but due to the cultural phenomenon surrounding amy chua’s new book, 2011 will also be the Year of the “tiger Mother.” the phrase stems from chua’s strict parenting style for her two daughters, who are not allowed to get any grade lower than an a.

implify Chua’s message or the challenges of parenting

, a n d e y n d , e -

I would feel comfortable in venturing that my upbringing provides the direct antithesis to that of Chua’s own daughters, the subjects of her parenting experiment: help with homework was willingly given if my siblings or I asked for it, but my parents were not the type to hover while we worked and check that every answer was correct— or even check that we did the work at all. It was certainly expected that we would help to keep the house clean and that we would participate in at least one extracurricular activity, but we were never given formal chore lists and were free to choose how to spend our own time (as long as our plans didn’t involve simply zoning out in front of the television). Most would concede that this laissez-faire “Western” style of parenting, which most of the literary critics who take issue with Chua’s book advocate, does have some benefits. At the very least, it is definitely the in-vogue, politically correct method of parenting right now. I would say that I am a successful product of more lax

parenting, and as such I feel as if I should easily be able to place myself on the strictparents-like-Chua-are-oppressive-monsters-who-only-want-to-control-and-crushthe-dreams-of-their-offspring team, but I simply cannot.

This does not mean, however, that I can say that I fully support what Chua preaches in her writing. There are definitely a few anecdotes related in the memoir that are a little too extreme for my admittedly touchyfeely, Western-influenced sensibilities and made me raise an eyebrow, yet there are for me redemptive qualities in Chua’s memoir which make it very hard for me to completely discount what she teaches.

Foremost among these is that underneath all her bluster about the benefits of strict parenting, Chua does realize the need for flexibility when raising a child. Indeed, according to Chua, part of her motivation for writing this book was the realization that her parenting methods weren’t working with her youngest daughter, a humble

acknowledgment often unfairly ignored by those reactively criticizing her. Even though they are young, children are still people with their own distinct personalities that need to be accounted for, and what works for one child may be disastrous for another.

For example, I do believe that a lesscontrolling style of parenting makes selfmotivation easier later in life for the child, yet I’ll be the first one to say that that isn’t always true. I grew up knowing many children who were very carefully watched over and groomed for success by very strict parents, yet the vast majority of them are far from the parent-dependent, passionless automatons that fierce advocates of lessinvolved parenting would predict them to become. Surely there are general principles which every good parent lives by—which I would summarize as “act lovingly but don’t be stupid about it,” an aphorism applicable for life in general and parenting in particular—but you’d have to be insane to serious-

ly suggest that there is one true way to raise a child or one foolproof path to success.

Underlying all of this admittedly simplistic talk is the fact that parenting is, at best, hard. This is perhaps the most gratifying aspect of the book: Chua does not try to simplify the awesome, awful task of raising a child “successfully.” Even though my own mother semi-jokingly praises her relatively hands-off approach to parenting with regards to me and my siblings (“If they swim, then they can take pride in knowing that they did it on their own, and if they sink, well then at least it isn’t my fault!”), every caring mother and father feels a great deal of anxiety over their children’s future and over whether they are damaging those children—as all parents are bound to do—in irreparable ways. Rather than reflexively expressing horror at the principles underlying Chua’s parenting philosophy, there needs to be a greater respect for the diversity of personalities and perspectives in the world.

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TUESDAY, february, 1 2011 ● THE JUSTICE

GAMES

Nerf guns fire away in ultimate battle ■ Last Friday’s Nerf Gun War,

sponsored by Game Knight, had a great turnout, with students showing up early at the Shapiro Campus Center to start the competition.

By ELLY KALFUS JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

“Penguins don’t die!” exclaimed Avital Percher, a student from the University of MassachussettsAmherst. Kendrick Gores ’12 and Justin Alvin ’12, each dressed in penguin costumes provided by the Animal Appreciation Club, proceeded to prove this point as they dodged bullets and bodies, mainly trying to avoid getting tackled to the ground.

Such was the amped mood in the Shapiro Campus Center last Friday, when Game Knight, Brandeis’ resident game club, hosted the first Nerf Gun War in as far back as anyone can remember. Game Knight president Jesse Appell ’12 said the penguin costumes were “a last-minute addition” to the Nerf Gun War. “They did, however, make me think up the idea of an even better event … an absurdist Nerf gun war. Perhaps next year.”

The event, which ran from 9 p.m. to midnight, had students lining up to check in and pick up guns as early as 20 minutes before it started.

“I was a bit worried that we’d get to 9 p.m. and people would arrive stylishly late and not give us the big boost of energy I wanted in the beginning. When I saw we had about 90 people waiting in line before 9 p.m. hit, I realized it would be an epic event,” Appell said.

Students from Brandeis and other schools in the area, including Harvard University and UMass Amherst, came to the event ready for action, many with their own Nerf guns in tow, or else looking to borrow one of the 35 guns Game Knight had in stock. One of the big draws was that the event was free, compared to the cost of laser tag and similar games off campus. Overall,

about 130 students participated in the festivities, with about 50 people on the floor at a time.

The night was divided into rounds in order to give everyone a chance to play, with the first two being freefor-alls followed by one round of capture the flag. The first round was pretty chaotic, with people shooting all over the place and taking cover behind couches, garbage cans or anything else they could find. Some, including myself, had trouble shooting their guns, which made the madness around them even more intense. However, even in the midst of all of the craziness—trying to reload my gun and figure out why it was jammed—it was just plain fun.

All around people were bonding, helping one another pick up ammunition or apologizing for hitting each other in the face. Everyone was good natured about the “fighting,” and anyone could participate.

Even better, there were no “outs,” so it was just about getting into the game and shooting your friends, rather than showing off or trying to be the best. With each subsequent round the madness increased, until at a certain point, people’s stamina had started to drain and they began to trickle out of the building. The hard-core gamers stayed on until midnight, however, and enthusiasm ran high.

Game Knight, which meets every Friday night in the Castle Commons, often partakes in activities of this sort, playing games ranging from Lap Tag to ones that members have created themselves, including “Crazy Hat Game,” a variation on charades; and “Sock Wars.” “[It’s] just like when we were kids and didn’t need video games or board games to have fun,” said Appell, who wanted to host a Nerf Gun War to give students an opportunity to experience what Game Knight is all about.

A unique facet of the club is that it gives students an alternative to going to parties or going to sleep on Friday nights, offering a tightknit community based around games instead. Up until this point, the club has existed mainly on a word-of-mouth basis, without doing

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

‘NERF’ SAID: A Brandeis student gives his battle cry at the Nerf Gun War, an event held in the Shapiro Campus Center. much recruiting for new members.

The Nerf Gun War was the biggest event Game Knight has ever held.

However, due to Friday’s turnout, it seems that many more students may be interested in joining. Appell

encourages them to do so and promises that the group will put on more big events on campus. “We’re going to be organizing a massive game of manhunt in the spring, and possibly the second annual campuswide

Glow in the Dark Capture the Flag event when the weather gets warmer.” So, if you missed the madness of Nerf Gun War 2011, stay on the lookout for the next wild and fun time Game Knight puts on.

music

“Dan Stepner and Friends” perform in concert ■ Prof. Daniel Stepner (MUS)

and his talented colleagues performed a variety of modern and classical pieces.

By AARON BERKE JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

“Daniel Stepner and Friends” was the title of the Brandeis composer/ performer’s concert last Saturday, and its meaning is quite literal.

Comprised of works by Prof. Stepner (MUS) and a variety of his collaborators, the evening also consisted of a variety of classical compositions.

This combination of old and new material served to bring together a night that was both memorable and surprisingly diverse.

The concert was divided into two halves, with three primary performers. Most prominent of these was Stepner, playing on his trademark violin. I will not pretend to be a huge fan of violin music, especially of solo pieces. Indeed, I had expected Stepner’s works to be runof-the-mill, and I believed it would be difficult for such a relatively contained instrument to emanate anything memorable. But Stepner’s skill with the violin was impressive, as he showed a ranged ability with the string instrument, going from slow, emotional chords to faster, dissonant and energetic strikes of the bow. Stepner’s fortitude with the instrument was clear from the start with his first set of pieces, comprised of a suite of his original works entitled “Short Suite,” proving to be quite exciting. Stepner said the piece was partially “an improvisation on some favorite musical motifs.” These included “a jazz-tinted tribute to the violin fugues of Bach

YOSEF SCHAFFEL/the Justice

MASTER VIOLINIST: Dan Stepner plays his trademark violin with skillful precision. and Bartok.” One segment of the suite was originally intended for one of Stepner’s violin classes but it was interestingly presented here for the first time.

Stepner took on the first piece solo but was joined by tenor singer Frank Kelley for the second piece.

Kelley, a veteran performer with

the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Symphony and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, among others, brought a truly operatic air to the music. His baritone voice was passionate and moving as he sang along with Stepner’s melancholic melodies in an eight-movement piece titled “Eight Houseman

Songs.” A classical piece from 1927, the songs comprised the common themes of love, happiness, loss and solitude, with journeys both private and public, and these themes were performed with great emotion by Kelley. His heart was clearly in his performance, and it really showed.

Stepner and Kelley were joined for the third piece by piano player Donald Berman, a talented performer whose piano was perfectly in tune with Stepner’s violin and Kelley’s voice. Unfortunately, the three of them were only on stage together for one piece titled “Mr. and Mrs. Discobbolos,” so their collaboration, while strong, felt a little incomplete.

Stepner returned to a solo piece with “Scuffle and Snap,” a unique combination of Stepner’s violin and prerecorded electronic sounds that played in conjunction with his strokes of the violin. It created a fascinating sound and was pleasing to the ears.

After a brief intermission, Stepner and Berman returned for three more pieces. The first, titled “Mood: Prelude to an Imaginary Tragedy,” was another solo for Stepner and sounded exactly as the title describes. Tragic music abounded, but the result felt a little flat. Nothing new or diverse happened with this piece but the mood was rejuvenated for the next one: Stepner and Berman performed a three-movement suite titled “Worries Just as Real” from 2008. These movements were lively and witty— particularly the last movement, which was my absolute favorite piece of the night. Titled “The Thrill and Unease Towards the Unknown,” this piece was exciting and exuded fantastic jazz riffs. It reminded me of a 1940s-style nightclub scene and

even contained some vivid film noir elements. The piece was phenomenally exciting, calling to mind vivid images of a swinging urban lifestyle but tinged with an aura of mystery and excitement that noir typically brings to the scene.

The night ended with another three-movement piece titled “Sonata No. 2.” Performed to perfection by Stepner and Berman, the piece was another upbeat variation, although this time, rather than teasing urban sounds as the previous piece did, it emanated a distinct folksy-village setting. The concept of a thriving, rural farm community came to mind, and the music was played with great energy.

If there’s one complaint I have, it’s that the ending of the piece was a bit jarring and incomplete. The piece ended in a relatively low-key fashion, and there was an odd pause when Stepner and Berman stopped playing for about five seconds but then performed about seven extra notes that didn’t seem to contain any real purpose, and the result was that the concert felt a little inconclusive.

Nevertheless, the crowd didn’t seem to mind, as “Stepner and Friends” received a standing ovation.

Indeed, the crowd continued to applaud wildly, and Stepner was called back on the stage to give his final bows no fewer than four times.

Despite the concert’s somewhat unsatisfying conclusion, it was a highly exciting night, full of wonderfully performed concert music. I had never thought of myself as a fan of low-key music played with very few instruments. I’ve always gone for big orchestral sounds, and a piece centered around violins was never a major attraction for me. Nevertheless, Dan Stepner has made me a true believer.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2011

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film

A close race for 2011 Oscar nominees

■ The nominees for this year’s Academy Awards have been released, and justArts discusses the merits of each.

By ARIEL KAY JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The 2011 Academy Award nominations were released on Jan. 25, signaling the beginning of the final round of the 2010 awards season. As of 2007, there were 5,835 members of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, split into 15 different branches—these include writers, directors, cinematographers and animators. Each branch is allowed to vote only for nominees in its own category—for example, directors are only allowed to vote in the Best Director category. All members are allowed to vote for best picture.

Since 2009, there have been 10 nominees in the Best Picture category, though most categories remain at five. This year the nominees for Best Picture are Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The King’s Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit and Winter’s Bone. The real competition, however, is between The King’s Speech and The Social Network, the two films that have been doing the best at other award shows this season. These two films are drastically different, highlighting the division in the Academy between older and younger voters.

The King’s Speech is classic Oscar bait, featuring actors who have won or been nominated before, including Colin Firth, who was nominated last year for A Single Man. It is also a period piece set in England directly before World War II and features a protagonist overcoming a handicap—in this case, a stutter. All of these factors make it a classic “Oscar movie.”

It is also nominated for Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay and more.

The Social Network details the creation of Facebook, giving a vicious account of its founder, Mark Zuckerberg. None of the actors are big stars—discounting Justin Timberlake—though director David Fincher was previously nominated in 2008 for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and writer Aaron Sorkin has found acclaim both in film (A Few Good Men) and television (The West Wing). The Social Network is appealing to younger voters, and many in the AMPAS see it as a way to lure a new generation of viewers to the ceremony, which is currently not as popular an event as it was in the 1990s and early 2000s.

In the Best Director race, the nominees are responsible for the top five Best Picture Nominees: Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan, David O. Russell for The Fighter, Tom Hooper for The King’s Speech, David Fincher for The Social Network and Joel and Ethan Coen for True Grit. Russell and Hooper are the only two in this category who have not been previ-

MERRICK MORTON/Sony Pictures

MAKING IT BIG: One of the front-runners for this year’s Oscars is ‘The Social Network’ due in part to the acting chops of lead Jesse Eisenberg (right) who is up for Best Actor. ously nominated. I would like to see Aronofsky win this award because his Black Swan is dark, violent and sexual, and I think it is the nominated film in which the director’s view is clearest. Aronofsky guided what could have been a tacky and obscene picture and instead made it artistic, beautiful and terrifying.

The nominees for Best Actress are Natalie Portman for Black Swan, Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right, Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole, Jennifer Lawrence for Winter’s Bone and Michelle Williams for Blue Valentine. I think Annette Bening has the best chance of winning this award, as she has already won best actress at the Golden Globes and was nominated for a Screen Actor’s Guild Award and an Independent Spirit Award. Bening has received a lot of acclaim for her role as Nic, one half of a lesbian couple whose children bring their sperm-donor father into the family’s lives. She was previously nominated for an Oscar in 2004 for

Being Julia and in 1999 for American Beauty.

The Best Actor race is again between The Social Network’s Jesse Eisenberg and The King’s Speech’s Colin Firth. The other nominees are Javier Bardem for Biutiful, Jeff Bridges for True Grit and James Franco for 127 Hours. Firth is most likely to win this award, as he plays a man dealing with and overcoming disability; this type of storyline is famous for attracting Oscar votes.

Some recent nominees and winners who played disabled heroes include Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind, Sean Penn in I Am Sam, Jamie Foxx in Ray, Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby and Julie Christie in Away from Her. This category is more interesting this year, however, because Franco is both nominated for Best Actor and hosting the awards with Anne Hathaway. It will be interesting to see how the producers of the show display Franco winning or losing.

Best Supporting Actress is similar to most of the categories of this year’s awards in that the probable winner is already known. Melissa Leo, as Alice Ward, the strong, selfish mother of two boxing contenders in The Fighter has already won the Golden Globe and New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress and will most likely pick up a statue at the Oscars. Other nominees in this category include Amy Adams also for The Fighter; Helena Bonham Carter for The King’s Speech; Hailee Steinfeld for True Grit; and Jacki Weaver for Animal Kingdom. Though Leo will in all probability win the Oscar, I would like to see 14-year-old Steinfeld receive recognition for her remarkable portrayal of a young girl searching the uncivilized U.S. territories for her father’s killer. Young actors and actresses rarely win awards, as most Academy voters consider older, more experienced nominees to be more deserving. However, Steinfeld impressed me as the true star of this

film, keeping up with fellow actors Matt Damon, Jeff Bridges and Josh Brolin. She also showed a range of emotions more vividly than either Carter or Adams.

In some ways, the Best Supporting Actor race is the most heated of all the acting categories this year.

Nominees Christian Bale for The Fighter and Geoffrey Rush for The King’s Speech are thought to lead the pack, though Jeremy Renner is a close third for Ben Affleck’s The Town, and John Hawkes and Mark Ruffalo also give great performances in Winter’s Bone and The Kids Are All Right, respectively. I think Christian Bale will win for his performance as the real life crack-addicted former boxing champion Dicky Eklund, particularly as producers of the film have publicized Bale’s commitment to the role, including losing weight. It would not be surprising, however, to see Geoffrey Rush win, as The King’s Speech momentum is likely to carry over into this category as well.

food

Season’s fruity beers offer vibrant tangy flavor Douglas

MOORE INNERMOST BREW

Another week, another set of beer reviews. Since I’ve been back at school, I’ve had some tremendous opportunities to try some fantastic beers.

Founders Nemesis 2009 This beer, made once by the Founders of Grand Rapids, Mich. in 2009, is a high-alcohol wheatwine aged in oak barrels that were previously used for maple syrup.

This was a very rare release when it came out and is nearly impossible to find today. However, Todd and Jason Alstrom, owners of BeerAdvo-

cate, had an extra keg and brought it to their Taco Night at Green Street restaurant in Cambridge.

The beer, poured into an oversized wine glass, came out an orange amber color, almost rosy in hue. The white head was light but remained for a sizeable length of time. The scent was fruity, and coconuts and banana shined through. I also got a little scent of maple in the nose, but not a very noticeable amount.

The taste of the beer was more fruity. It started as coconut but moved to banana as the beer warmed up—I didn’t get a lot of hop profile in here. The real disappointment was the maple, which was almost nonexistent. The maple would have provided a lot of depth and balance to the fruitiness. The beer was thick in mouth-texture, and the 12-percent alcohol by volume was hardly noticeable. The beer was paired with a tamarind-marinated pork belly taco with pickled jalapenos and carrots.

The sweetness of the pork mixed with the hot spice of the pepper really enhanced the fruity sweetness of the beer. Green Street should be commended for their excellent pairing of beer and food.

Overall it was a decent beer, but for its rarity and hype it missed the mark a bit. I give Founders Nemesis 8.5 out of 10.

Ayinger Celebrator This is a dopplebock, a German lager known for its darker color and higher alcohol content. To be honest, I’ve had a few of this variety in the past, and I’ve never truly enjoyed them. It always seemed that they were overpowering in their malt flavor. This beer, however, changed my view on the type.

The beer poured out a dark brown with a thick, light-brown head that remained for quite some time. Upon smelling, I was treated to roasted malts, coffee and some whiffs of

bread. Tasting brought a bitter coffee flavor offset by some sweet chocolate tinges, finishing with a slight, crisp lager finish. The beer was insanely drinkable. At a nice level of thickness, it was really, really well done.

This beer has changed my perception of dopplebocks. It’s definitely a worthwhile German import to check out, especially if you like darker beers. I give Ayinger Celebrator 9 out of 10.

Sierra Nevada Hoptimum This new yearly release from California’s Sierra Nevada is an imperial Indian Pale Ale with several hops, including a few of new proprietary value. This golden red beer poured into a snifter with a full white head.

The aroma was amazing; it smelled of sweet pineapples, garden herbs and bitter pines. It was probably one of the best-smelling beers I have ever had.

In tasting, I got some great citrus notes in this one. I also sensed some great fruity vibes from the hops but not the malt. There wasn’t a lot of malt in this, instead it was bombed out with hops. The beer warmed, and I had more and more. The cloying bitterness in some ways did get to be too much, so I would say this is not a beer for a beginner or anyone who doesn’t like hops. It is bitter, strong and somewhat overpowering. The mouthfeel is also overly filling, making it a chore to drink this beer.

Overall, Hoptimum is a delicioussmelling beer that becomes too much after awhile. I give it 8 out of 10.

Coming next week, I’ll have a discussion of vintages (aging beers over several years), while also reviewing the Cambridge Brewing Company Barleywine Festival, so stay tuned for that.

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TUESday, February 1, 2011

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THE JUSTICE

TOP of the

ARTS ON VIEW

TRIVIA TIME 1. How many strings does a ukulele have?

2. What is the equivalent of the Roman numeral D? 3. Who is the patron saint of physicians?

4. Who wrote the play “Timon of Athens”?

5. What does the Geneva cross symbolize?

6. When did the Erie Canal open?

7. What does a lux measure?

8. What is the meaning of the Latin word “veto”?

9. Who is the Greek goddess of love?

10. Which state’s nickname is the Pelican State?

CHARTS Top 10s for the week ending Jan. 29 BOX OFFICE

1. The Rite 2. No Strings Attached 3. The Mechanic 4. The Green Hornet 5. The King’s Speech 6. True Grit 7. The Dilemma 8. Black Swan 9. The Fighter 10. Yogi Bear

WBRS

ANSWERS 1. Four 2. 500 3. Saint Luke 4. Shakespeare 5. Neutrality 6. 1825 7. Light intensity 8. “I forbid” 9. Aphrodite 10. Louisiana

SHOWTIMES 2/1–2/3 The Fighter Tues-Thurs: 2:20, 5:10 7:50, The Illusionist Tues-Thurs: 2:40, 5:30 8:20 127 Hours Tues-Thurs: 2:30, 5:20, 8:10 The Social Network Tues-Thurs: 2:10, 5:00, 7:40 The King’s Speech Tues-Thurs: 2:00, 4:50, 7:00, 8:00 The Way Back Tues-Thurs: 2:50

Coming Soon: The Eagle 2/11

The Embassy is located at 18 Pine Street in Waltham

NATHANIEL FREEDMAN/the Justice

FROZEN RIVER: Staff Photographer Nathaniel Freedman (GRAD) shot this picture of the cascading waterfalls at the Moody Street bridge on the night of Jan. 15.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Put one’s foot down?

5. Level 9. Boston — Party 12. Tittle 13. Staffer 14. Massage 15. Suburban parent, maybe 17. Exist 18. Elbow counterpart 19. Loop in lace 21. Superhero garments 24. Work station 25. Oodles 26. Not to be tossed aside?

30. Chum 31. Bed cover 32. Summertime mo.

33. Cast members 35. As well 36. Covered walkway 37. Sword handles 38. Wan 40. Canaanite’s deity 42. Mainlander’s memento 43. Wife of a links nut 48. Bobby of hockey 49. Always 50. Protuberance 51. Dine on 52. Pedestal feature 53. Leaves DOWN 1. A sib 2. Excessively 3. List-ending abbr.

4. Small bundle 5. Passenger’s payment 6. Rickey flavoring 7. Commotion 8. Storm 9. Part of a mouse, maybe 10. Franc replacement 11. Help in crime 16. Navy rank (abbr.)

20. “Life — cabaret, ...”

21. Team leader (abbr.)

22. Winged 23. Pullover garment

1. Rihanna – “Only Girl (In the World)” 2. The Radio Dept. – “Never Follow Suit” 3. Cloud Nothings – “Hey Cool Kid” 4. Crocodiles – “About A Month Ago” 5. Daft Punk – “Derezzed” 6. Diamond Rings – “All Yr Songs” 7. Dom – “Living In America” 8. First Aid Kit – “Heavy Storm” 9. Orange Juice – “Rip It Up” 10. Robyn – “Call Your Girlfriend”

iTUNES

1. Bruno Mars – “Grenade” 2. Pitbull & T-Pain – “Hey Baby (Drop it to the Floor)” 3. Katy Perry – “Firework” 4. Far East Movement – “Rocketeer” 5. Diddy-Dirty Money – “Coming Home” 6. Enrique Iglesias –“Tonight (I’m Lovin You)” 7. The Black Eyed Peas – “The Time (Dirty Bit)” 8. Britney Spears – “Hold it Against Me” 9. Avril Lavigne – “What the Hell” 10. Christina Perri – “Jar of Hearts”

BILLBOARD

24. Union fees 26. Comical Caroline 27. Ending for musket or market 28. Insatiable desire 29. Vanity cases?

31. Mooched 34. Multipurpose truck 35. Under the weather 37. “Hee —” 38. Lotion additive 39. Antitoxins 40. Wasn’t colorfast 41. Frizzy hairstyle 44. Eggs 45. “Cock-a-doodle —!”

46. Rhyming tribute 47. Film director Craven

1. The Decemberists – The King is Dead 2. Kidz Bop Kids – Kidz Bop 19 3. The Script – Science & Faith 4. Social Distortion – Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes 5. Gregg Allman – Low Country Blues 6. Bruno Mars – Doo Wops & Hooligans 7. Katy Perry – Teenage Dream 8. Taylor Swift – Speak Now 9. Nicki Minaj – Pink Friday 10. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More Album information provided by Billboard Magazine. Box office information provided

by Fandango. iTunes top sellers provided

by Apple.com.

STAFF PLAYLIST

“Hip hop to Pop’” Solution to last week’s crossword

King Crossword Copyright 2011 King Features Synd, Inc.

STRANGE BUT TRUE  It was legendary American crime novelist Rex Stout who made the following sage observation: “Nothing is more admirable than the fortitude with which millionaires tolerate the disadvantages of their wealth.”

 Between 70 percent and 80 percent of the world’s fresh water is stored in glaciers, and all but 1 percent of the world’s glaciers are found in the Arctic or Antarctic.

 If you have an aversion to bugs, you might not want to take a vacation in Borneo anytime soon. The world’s third largest island is home to a particular stick insect that, measuring in at 14 inches, is the longest insect in the world.

 You’ve probably heard of solar-powered cars (even if they’re not in common use), but you may not realize that there have also been examples of solar-powered airplanes, motor scooters and boats.

 You might be surprised to learn that the earliest recorded reference to a vending machine dates back to the first century. It seems that a mathematician and engineer named Hero of Alexandria invented a mechanism that dispensed a fixed amount of holy water when a patron deposited a coin.  In the African nation of Somalia, a man is permitted to have as many as four wives—but only if he can support them all.

 Those who study such things say that of the 785 million adults in the world who are unable to read, twothirds are women.

Thought for the Day: “Moderate giftedness has been made worthless by the printing press and radio and television and satellites and all that. A moderately gifted person who would have been a community treasure a thousand years ago has to give up, has to go into some other line of work, since modern communications put him or her into daily competition with nothing but world’s champions.” — Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

By SUJIN SHIN

Justice STAFF WRITER

Sometimes I want to listen to a song that gets me dancing. Or I want to sit back and enjoy a good melody. Or even listen to some complicated classical music. Whichever mood I’m in, I can always turn to this playlist to keep my head bobbing to my iPod all day.

THE LIST 1. T.O.P. – “Turn It Up” 2. Wiz Khalifa – “Black and Yellow” 3. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – “Home” 4. Lykke Li – “Little Bit” 5. Jack Peñate – “Have I Been a Fool” 6. Ella Fitzgerald – “Ship Without a Sail” 7. Tony Bennett – “If I Ruled the World” 8. Sumi Jo – “O Zittre Nicht! Mein Lieber Sohn” 9. Paul Elliott – “Comfort Ye/Every Valley” 10. Angela Gheorghiu – “Follie! Follie!”