The Justice, March 21, 2023

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

SUSTAINABILITY

Brandeis begins shift to organic land management

■ The Office of Sustainability plans to implement a newlyimproved irrigation system to cut down water waste.

By SOPHIA DE LISI

This year, the University’s Facilities, Services, and Grounds Offices worked closely with the Office of Sustainability to transition from inorganic land products, gas-powered equipment, and outdated irrigation systems.

In a March 20 interview conducted over email, Mary Fischer, associate director of the University’s sustainability programs, told the Justice that these changes come from a successful Brandeis Sustainability Fund Proposal by Herbicide Free Brandeis and were completed in partnership with Chris Gould and Lori Kabel from Facilities Services and Campus Operations.

Herbicide Free Brandeis’ proposal was approved for a trial last spring, and after a successful run in the lower campus, the Sustainability Committee intended to expand the new land management program over the west side of campus, from the

BRIEF

RICHMAN FELLOW

Faculty Club area through the North Quad, according to Fischer.

In a March 20 email interview with the Justice, Chris Gould, the Facilities Grounds and Fleet manager, explained that this expansion comes from a need for more data before the project moves toward the center of campus. He said, “We, however, wanted to make sure we still expanded the program so [we] looked towards the adjacent west-side to move to next.”

The pilot introduced a successful set of changes that are to come to these areas of campus within this season. Some of these changes include: replacing the use of the inorganic herbicide Roundup with organic herbicidal soap FinalSan; replacing an inorganic pesticide with organic Grubgone G, adding new fertilizers and grass seed, and introducing a new team of electrically powered appliances. The University is also beginning to upgrade its irrigation system to include controllers manufactured by BaseLine in an effort to reduce water consumption on campus.

Replacing the use of Roundup as the lands’ herbicide was a significant change because it contains glypho-

Faculty to host seminar on gender-based violence

Throughout the 2023-2024 academic year, Brandeis will host a seminar titled “Imperiled Bodies: Slavery, Colonialism, Citizenship and The Logics of Gender-Based Violence.” The seminar aims to study the origins of gender-based violence in the Americas, Mexico, Jamaica, India, Israel/Palestine, South Korea, and Trinidad. In addition, the seminar will feature academic research about resistance to gender-based violence in different countries in different historical contexts.

Brandeis profs. Anita Hill (Heller), Harleen Singh (SAS, WGS), and ChaeRan Freeze (NEJS, WGS) led the application process for the seminar through the Sawyer Seminar grant from the Mellon Foundation. The Sawyer Seminars Program provides support for historical topics of major scholarly significance. Each session of the seminar will be hosted by a Brandeis faculty member.

Throughout the nine sessions of the seminar, faculty will seek to understand how society can break down the power structure that gender-based violence thrives in.

“Our global, interdisciplinary approach seeks to make sense of how we continue to view and experience but not really ‘see’ the gen-

Martin Baron defends objectivity as the ultimate standard for journalism

der-based violence that pervades our lives,” Singh said in the March 6 article in BrandeisNow.

The seminar’s purpose is to showcase faculty research about violence in different parts of the world in order to compare, contrast, and find common themes. In the long run, the seminar aims to identify ways that institutions, cultures, and nations can detach themselves from gender based violence.

For the first time, the Women’s Studies Research Center and the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies are collaborating to put on the seminar. Many centers are involved in the seminar, including the Mandel Center for the Humanities, the Hadassah Brandeis Institute and the Rose Art Museum. Additionally, for students attending, the Gender Sexuality Center and the Prevention, Advocacy and Resource Center will provide support on the content of the seminar.

■ The former editor of the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and Miami Herald is the 2023 Richman Distinguished Fellow in Public Life.

By ANIKA JAIN JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

“Everybody has an opinion. With social media, everyone is expressing their opinion. We [journalists] have to offer more value than that,” said Martin Baron, who is Brandeis’ 2023 Richman Distinguished Fellow in Public Life.

From March 15 to 17, Baron participated in multiple forums, in which he engaged in discussions with Brandeis students, faculty, and the greater community about his experiences in newsrooms such as the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Miami Herald. During his residence at Brandeis, Baron emphasized one main message to student journalists: prioritize objectivity.

The Richman Fellowship website defines the recipient as someone “whose contributions have had a significant impact on improving American society, strengthening democratic institutions, advancing social justice or increasing opportunities for all citizens to realize and share in the benefits of

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By ARIELLA WEISS

this nation.” Throughout Baron’s career as a journalist, he has led newsrooms to 18 Pulitzer Prizes for groundbreaking journalism, including the Boston Globe’s Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2003 for uncovering the extent of sexual abuse by priests in the Roman Catholic Church. That coverage became even more renowned following its depiction in the 2015 award-winning movie “Spotlight,” named after the Spotlight team at the Globe — a group of investigative journalists that consisted of editor Walter “Robby” Robinson and reporters Michael Rezendnes, Matt Carroll, and Sacha Pfeiffer. “Spotlight” won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.

Along with Baron, Brandeis welcomed back Prof. Emerita Eileen McNamara (JOUR), winner of the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. On March 15, Brandeis hosted a screening of “Spotlight” followed by a Q&A with Baron and McNamara in Levin Ballroom. In response to a question about the accuracy of the movie, Baron and McNamara confirmed that writers Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy researched thoroughly into the Spotlight team’s coverage process and accurately depicted the journalists’ efforts into investigating the priests.

“Spotlight” begins with Baron’s first day as executive editor at The Globe in 2001. Prior to The Globe, Baron was the executive editor of

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By GIANNI STORTI

the Miami Herald. Not only was he the first editor hired from outside the Globe, but he was also the first Jewish editor there. During the Q&A, McNamara claimed she could name the three other Jewish writers who worked there at the time, thus highlighting the significance of Baron’s leadership role. His first goal as editor was to pursue an investigation into whether the clergy intentionally concealed the sexual abuse perpetrated by Father John Geoghan, a priest accused of molesting more than 80 children. Baron’s leadership and commitment to objectivity shines through in his characterization in the movie, specifically during a scene where he refuses to cooperate with Cardinal Bernard Francis Law, who repeatedly relocated priests accused of sexual abuse to different parishes rather than administering justice to the survivors. When Cardinal Law’s character claims that Boston “flourishes when institutions work together,” Baron, played by Liev Schreiber in the film, dissents, insisting that the media must operate independently from the agendas of other institutions — a philosophy he reiterated throughout his residence at Brandeis.

Although Baron has seen the movie multiple times around the time of its release in 2015, this was the first time he has seen it in the past eight years. He shared that he

International Women’s Day

By DALYA KOLLER AND SOPHIA DE LISI Board pushes for better counseling

By

THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Winter sport photo recap

By ANNA MARTIN

JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice

Sophia Stewart

Q&A : Prof. Neil Swidey (JOUR) moderated the discussion and Q&A session with Pulitzer-winning journalist Baron.

Student Union Senate debates letter condemning Brandeis Leftist Union

On March 19, the Student Union Senate struck down Senate Resolution 6, which would have condemned an unrecognized student group, the Brandeis Leftist Union. The resolution, which Senators Tako Mikhelashvili ’26 and Tyler Johnson ’26 proposed, targeted the BLU both for alleged acts of harassment against students and for content that the group has posted on their social media accounts, among other issues. A resolution is a statement which all of its signatories agree to. It does not change any policies or necessarily result in any further action.

Mikhelashvili said that the BLU’s support of the Soviet Union, China, and its actions at recent protests were grounds for condemnation. Mikhelashvili, who is from the country of Georgia, said that the BLU’s use of Soviet imagery was insensitive. “Russia occupies more than 20% of my country,” Mikhelashvili said. “[Russia has] committed countless atrocities against my people and others.” Johnson said that the resolution was “not about politics or censoring opinions,” and that it was not targeting specific students.

Sen. Erica Hwang ’25 repeatedly asked Mikhelashvili to define what she hoped would result from the condemnation, which Mikhelashvili responded to by saying that she would take it to the Office of Equal Opportunity and let them decide what action to take.

Chief Justice Noah Risley ’24 said that the judiciary reviewed the resolution and recommended the authors remove references to specific students, which would have been a violation of the Union Code of Conduct.

Risley also said that although they find some of the BLU’s actions “deplorable,” passing the resolution would mean setting a “problematic precedent” regarding the Union’s response to student speech. Vice President Nicholas Kanan ’23 added that approving the resolution would give the Union a “published, official opinion” on the BLU and its actions.

POLICE LOG

MEDICAL EMERGENCY

Mar. 12—A student hit their head in North Quad. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and refused further care.

Mar. 13—There was a medical emergency in the Usdan Student Center. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and refused further care.

Mar. 14—A caller reported that a staff member had fallen and injured their leg on Loop Road. The party was transported to a local hospital via ambulance.

Mar. 15—There was a medical emergency in East Quad. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance.

Mar. 17—There was a report of a student not feeling well in North Quad. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance.

Mar. 18—There was a report of a party passed out in Levin Ballroom. The party was transported to a local hospital via ambulance.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

■ A features article incorrectly stated that the Brandeis Climate Justice presented at a Trustees meeting for the first time in January 2018. It was corrected to clarify that a specific member had presented at the Board of Trustees in 2018 for the first time, not the whole group (Feb. 7, pg. 8-9).

The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Send an email to editor@thejustice.org.

Kanan also showed the Senate a letter of opposition to the resolution which Director of Accessibility Hana Klempnauer Miller ’25, Director of Academic Affairs Bonnie Chen ’23, Director of Sexual Assault Awareness Monica Aponte ’23, Diversity and Inclusion Officer Rani Balakrishna ’25, and Director of Sustainability Ana Delfina Mejía Cerdas ’24 wrote. The letter’s writers expressed disagreement with what they saw as the resolution going beyond the University’s and the Union’s previous response to the BLU’s activities. Specifically, the letter opposed Section II of the resolution, which condemns the BLU for displaying Soviet flags and making a post on Instagram in honor of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong’s birthday.

Many senators that spoke during the meeting expressed similar sentiments. The senators said that though they may personally disagree with the BLU, condemning a small group of students based on their beliefs was not the Union’s responsibility.

“It doesn’t feel appropriate for [us] to be speaking against fellow students even if we disagree,” Sen. Zev Carlyle ’23 said.

Sen. Sherry Tao ’25 recommended that the senators who proposed the resolution remove the section about Mao Zedong given the potential negative impact it could have on Chinese international students.

Johnson said that he understood but disagreed with the concerns that the senators expressed. “When you know something is wrong, the right thing to do is call it out,” Johnson said. Speaking to his personal experiences with the BLU, who Johnson said were “taunting” him at his dorm building, Johnson said, “What are you supposed to do when someone goes to your building and yells at you through the window?” Kanan also said that recently, many students have come up to him asking “what the Student Union is going to do about the BLU.”

Senators who supported the resolution also emphasized what they believed was their responsibility as Union members to take

DRUG VIOLATIONS

Mar. 13—An area coordinator on call reported finding drug paraphernalia in the Charles River Apartments. An officer was sent to secure the paraphernalia, and it was secured at the station.

Mar. 15—An area coordinator on call reported that they observed illegal substances in the Foster Mod Apartments during a health and safety check and requested police assistance. The evidence was seized and secured at the station, and a report is to follow.

Mar. 15—An area coordinator on call reported that they observed an illegal substance in Rosenthal Quad during a health and safety check and requested police assistance. The substance was seized and secured at the station. A report is to follow.

MISCELLANEOUS

Mar. 12—There was a report of a loud party in Ridgewood

action. “We are the Student Union, we were elected to represent students,” said Sen. Tyler Hupart ’26, who was in support of the resolution.

Hwang disagreed and said that a resolution alone would not help students who have been hurt by the BLU’s actions. She said that it is “more important to focus on how to make students feel safe rather than focusing on condemning.”

After a short executive session, the Senate voted by secret ballot on the resolution. Five senators voted in favor, eight voted against, and three abstained. The resolution was not adopted.

Samantha Atlas ’25 and Diana Atlas ’25 requested that the Senate charter the Pilates Club, which they said aims to “improve mental and physical health of Brandeis students and faculty.” The Senate chartered the club by acclamation.

Lyric Siragusa ’24 requested that the Senate charter the Disabled Students’ Network. Siragusa said that the club “provides a space for disabled students to cultivate disability pride and culture and to learn and practice advocacy.” The Senate chartered DSN by acclamation.

Jacob Gehtman ’24 and Annetta Venford ’25 requested that the Senate give probationary status to their group, Prometheus, which they said will be an undergraduate and graduate research journal. Gehtman said that the journal will collect submissions from researchers of all disciplines and edit them so that they are accessible to people who are unfamiliar with the field of study. The Senate voted by acclamation in favor of giving probationary status to Prometheus.

— Editor’s note: Justice Production Assistant Noah Risley ’24 is the chief justice of the Student Union and did not contribute to the reporting or editing of this article.

Max Feigelson

Quad. The community advisor on call was notified.

Mar. 12—There was a report of a suspicious person in the Usdan Student Center.

Mar. 12—There was a report of a speaker that was stolen from Village Quad. An investigation is to follow.

Mar. 12—There was a disturbance in North Quad.

Mar. 16—There was a multiple vehicle accident with an unoccupied parked vehicle in the Tower Lot. A report was filed.

Mar. 18—There was a report of a loud group in North Quad. Campus police located the group and advised them to quiet down.

Mar. 18—Waltham police department called the Brandeis police department regarding a student in the Foster Mod Apartments who did not want to give registration to someone following a vehicle accident. An officer checked the area and found both parties within the Athletics Lot.

Compiled by Leah Breakstone

Massell Quad’s resident heron, pictured above, is often found lingering around the pond at various times during the week.

NATALIE BRACKEN/the Justice

Students protest gender-based violence in Latin America

By DALYA KOLLER AND SOPHIA DE LISI JUSTICE EDITOR AND EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Content warning: This article discusses instances of violence and sexual assault.

For some, International Women’s Day is a day for the celebration of the social, cultural, and professional achievements of women. Many others, on the other hand, believe that we are not yet at the point of celebration, arguing that with gender inequality and gender-based violence rampant worldwide, celebrations are not what International Women’s Day should be about. In many countries, women take the holiday as an opportunity to fight for their rights and draw awareness to a variety of global issues related to women. Brandeis students from such countries drew inspiration from their communities and brought their own versions of activism to Brandeis’ campus.

Around 90,000 women gathered in the streets of Mexico City this year on International Women’s Day, according to Mexico News Daily, to march in solidarity and protest gender-based violence. The next day, they held a different kind of protest called Un Día Sin Mujeres (A Day Without Women). The aim of this protest is to simulate a world in which women do not exist. Thousands of women and girls stayed home, not just abstaining from work and school, but also refusing to leave their homes for any reason. They stayed out of stores and off the streets, away from social media, and even refrained from making online purchases. Camila Cano ’23, a Brandeis student from Mexico City, spoke to the Justice on March 13, explaining that “the idea [of the protest] is to say: If you keep on killing, if you keep making us disappear, this is what your world will look like.”

Violence against women in Mexico has been on the rise in recent years. According to a 2022 study done by Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography, 70% of all women ages 15 and older have experienced some kind of violence in their lives, with 49% of women reporting that they have experienced sexual violence. A major issue that protesters in Mexico are focusing on is the sharp increase in femicides, the murder of a woman on account of her gender, typically by a man. Femicides are a subset of homicides; all femicides are included in figures related to female homicides but not all female homicides are considered femicides. The Associated Press writes that on average,

10 women or girls are killed on a daily basis in Mexico. In 2015, 427 of the 2,161 female homicides in Mexico were considered femicides. That figure increased by 135 percent in 2021, with 1,004 of the 3,750 female homicides being classified as femicides, according to data from the Secretariado Ejecutivo del Sistema Nacional de Seguridad Pública (Executive Secretary of the National System for Public Security).

For Brandeis students from Mexico who spend International Women’s Day on campus, the lack of attention given to International Women’s Day in the United States can be jarring: “Nobody even talks about it here,” Cano said. “So we wanted to do something.” Ana Loza Pérez ’25, who also lives in Mexico City, explained in a March 16 interview with the Justice that “March 8 is a painful day to be far from home, since the narrative on that day is ‘happy’ and ‘celebrating women’ here in the U.S. Why would anyone congratulate me on being a woman when there are so many like me being raped, harassed, abused, and killed every single day around the world?”

Drawing inspiration from the protests taking place across Mexico, Cano and Pérez decided to work together and create their own form of activism on Brandeis’ campus. In the lobby of the Shapiro Campus Center, a vibrant, colorful, tendedero (clothesline) of posters hangs on the wall. Pérez explained that in Mexico, tendederos are an “important art form in the movement”: Activists often use tendederos to publicly denounce perpetrators of sexual assault and violence by writing their names and hanging them on a tendedero for all to see. Pérez and Cano were inspired by this form of activism, but instead of writing the names of perpetrators, they created a tendedero with messages and art that would raise awareness about gender violence in Latin America.

Creating the art for the tendedero was a collaborative effort amongst the Brandeis community according to Cano, and was a “way to bring the Brandeis community together” in honor of International Women’s Day. After applying for and receiving money from the Brenda Meehan Social Justice-In-Action Grant, they gathered materials and informational resources. They then dedicated a space for people to come together to create their own posters, surrounded by Mexican feminist art and with feminist music in the background. Pérez added that the space “allowed people to discuss gender violence, machismo, and the seriousness of this situation as they created the art.” The posters displayed on the tendedero in the SCC include many typical slogans from the feminist movement in Mexico, such as la revolution es un acto de amor (the revolution is an act of love) and queremos vivir no sobrevivir (we want to live, not survive).

Living as a woman in Mexico, Cano ex-

plained, feels vastly different than in the United States. According to another study from INEGI on urban public safety, 70% of women living in Mexico consider their city to be unsafe to live in. Cano reflected on her upbringing in such an environment: “I grew [up] knowing I could never be out on my own. I cannot walk on the streets, I never take an Uber or a cab on my own, if I go out, there have to be guys with me.” Growing up in this kind of environment, “you learn how to take care of yourself,” Cano said. “You don’t go to places that you know are not safe, you don’t go out at certain times to certain streets or whatever, but you do live with this constant fear. Especially coming here and then going back home, because I don’t have that here, so when I go home, I’m hyper-aware of that.”

The concept of using International Women’s Day as an opportunity to bring attention to injustices towards women is common around the world, making the day one of international protest rather than celebration. Numerous foreign ministers of over two dozen countries commemorated the day by releasing a joint statement criticizing the Taliban’s injustices towards women and publicly denouncing the treatment of women in Afghanistan. In this joint statement, the ministers recognized that these encroachments on women’s rights will create harmful impacts that will “be devastating and irreparable for Afghanistan’s economy and society — effects that will be felt by every Afghan.” Roza Otunbayeva, special representative of the U.N. secretary-general and head of the U.N. political mission in Afghanistan elaborated on these impacts in a statement, as reported by AP, saying that “half the country’s potential doctors, scientists, journalists, and politicians are shut away in their homes, their dreams crushed and their talents confiscated.”

On International Women’s Day, 140 activists rallied in Islamabad to protest the Taliban’s rule and demand the international community take action to support women in Afghanistan.

There were protests across many European countries on International Women’s Day as well. AP reports that this year in Spain, which consistently has one of the highest turnouts for Women’s Day, thousands of protesters rallied across the country, invigorated by a new consent law loophole that inadvertently caused the reduction of hundreds of sex offenders’ sentences in Spain. This consent law is officially called the Guarantee of Sexual Freedom Law, also known as the “only yes is yes” law. It allows survivors of sexual assault to assert that they were subjected to abuse, equating the lack of clear consent to having explicit evidence of physical violence or threats. However, The Washington Post describes that this “new crime of sexual aggression — combining elements of abuse and assault — resulted in the automatic widening

of both minimum and maximum jail sentences,” and defense lawyers can now use this law to reduce more than 700 sentences and release 74 sex offenders early. The content of this law is a loophole for perpetrators because sexual “abuse” is removed from the penal code,and is now “assault.” Sexual violence is now redefined to cover a number of offenses including but not limited to harassment, street stalking, exploitation, forced marriage, and extortion. However, some of these crimes that now fall under sexual violence have shorter sentencing terms than others, providing perpetrators with a means to shorten their sentences because of these re-definitions. Protesters rallied to urge the government to fix this loophole since the law’s outcome is not matching the intent of its passing, but Spain’s congress’s two major parties have been unable to settle on a solution.

On March 7, millions of protesters in France rallied against a new pension system that they deem unjust toward working mothers. An article in Reuters explains that President Macron intends to raise the retirement age by two years — to 64 — in order to ensure that the pension system is making enough money. The same article explains that the president has promised a minimum pension of 1,200 euros — $1,300 — per month after an individual completes a fulltime career. However, many working parents are concerned that raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, as well as the number of years a worker needs to pay from 42 to 43 years, will make it more challenging for women to qualify for this pension. Many women are worried that they will have to work longer than men in order to receive the full pension proposed by Macron, as many mothers take months off of work for maternity leave and work part-time to take care of their children. The president has insisted that extending this pay-in period would bring an additional 17.7 billion euros — $19.1 billion — of extra pension contributions, according to Reuters.

The global fight for gender equality and women’s safety has been long and difficult and is far from over. As the fight continues, International Women’s Day will remain a day for women to come together in solidarity and raise awareness about issues worldwide. Brandeis students, especially those from countries that take Women’s Day as an opportunity to protest, will continue to find ways to make their voices heard. FOCA will be hosting another event in honor of Women’s Month on Thursday, March 23, on machismo and marianismo in the ICC Swig Lounge at 8 p.m.. More information and other events for Women’s Month can be found on the Brandeis Campus Calendar.

■ To replicate the protests in their home city, students from Mexico City created their own artistic activism on Brandeis’ campus.

GOING GREEN : Univ. begins shift to organic land processes

CONTINUED FROM 1 sate, a chemical that Environmental Health News describes as the most widely-used herbicide in the world. It’s a non-selective chemical that kills most plants. Glyphosate-based herbicides are commonly used on lawns, gardens, parks, and school grounds to control unruly weeds and create a manicured space. Beyond Pesticides details that the herbicide works by disrupting a pathway for manufacturing amino acids in plants. While it is not intended to have detrimental effects on animals and humans, it has been associated with a number of illnesses, such as non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, genetic damage, liver and kidney damage, endocrine disruption. Beyond Pesticides even describes that the antibiotic property of glyphosate destroys bacteria that lives in the human gut and causes disease and destruction within soil’s microbiota, which then contributes to cancer, obesity, asthma, celiac disease and many other “21st century diseases.” Glyphosate also has harmful effects on the environment — it contaminates water sources and is toxic to microorganisms and aquatic organisms. However, a study by South Dakota State University explains that organic herbicides are safer for both humans and the environment because of their natural and faster breakdown. On the other hand, inorganic herbicides tend to linger in water sources and soil because the chemicals cannot be broken down by natural processes. Thus, the decision to switch to FinalSan, an organic and non-selective weed killer — and only opt to use it on a need-basis — is a much healthier alternative than previously using Roundup. Moreover, inorganic pesticides, much like inorganic herbicides, contaminate their ecosystems because many of them are complex compounds that do not dissolve in water. Organic pesticides, like Grubgone G, generally come from natural sources, such as minerals, plants, or animals, making them easy to break down by weather or soil. These organic pesticides tend to be safer than their inorganic counterparts, but this distinction is not always

the case. Virginia State University specifies that some organic pesticides can be dangerous. However, Grubgone states that the pesticide’s active ingredient, Bt — bacillus thuringiensis — comes from a “naturally occurring soil bacterium.” Gould clarified that the University uses this organic pesticide to control white grubs, which are immature forms of scarab beetles. White grubs prune plants’ roots, killing them.

“As for using organic [products], there is always a discussion within Facilities Services and the Office of Sustainability evaluating environmental impacts and budgetary constraints. These discussions will continue to happen as we move forward with a reduction in synthetic products,” Gould said. “We analyze every problem and product and look into products that work best to solve the issue and are best for Brandeis and our environment.”

Gould also explained that the employment of new fertilizer and grass seed varies depending on the location, but he clarified that the fertilizer from last year was a Nature Safe 10-2-8 fertilizer that worked well and will likely be used again this year. According to the website, this fertilizer is a sulfate of potash — potassium carbonate — mixture which also includes feather meal, meat and bone meal, and blood meal.

In respect to grass seed, Gould wrote, “Most of the campus has Kentucky BlueGrass grass seed blend with perennial ryegrass and fescues. This is an approved A-list variety. This has shown to need lower inputs, such as water, fertilizer and pesticides, in order to thrive through trials making this attractive to Brandeis.”

Another part of the new land management practices is the new electric-powered leaf blower and electric trimmer, in addition to the electric chainsaw and hedge trimmers that the University already has. Gould outlined some of the benefits of transitioning from traditionally gas-powered appliances, “Reducing our dependence on gas and oil is one of the most important reasons; not to mention the reduction of risk in leaking any oil or gas. In addition,

MARTY BARON : Pulitzerwinning editor speaks on experiences in the newsroom

CONTINUED FROM 1

always tears up during the scene where Pfieffer, played by Rachel McAdams, shows the article to her grandmother, a devout Catholic. After reading the article, her grandmother asks for a glass of water, signifying how overwhelmed and betrayed she felt by the church for “not living up to the principles of the faith,” Baron said.

McNamara also contributed to the coverage of the sex abuse scandal as a metro columnist at the Globe. In fact, two of her July 2001 columns, “A Familiar Pattern” and “Passing the Buck,” were what sparked the investigation into the clergy. She wrote many pieces about Cardinal Law that led to strong backlash due to the Church’s significant presence in Boston. Spotlight’s investigation into the Church ultimately revealed that over 1,000 people had accused 249 priests and brothers of sexual assault in the Archdiosce of Boston. After Spotlight’s initial articles about the scandal, which were published on Jan. 6 and Jan. 7, 2002, The Globe published 600 follow-up articles as survivors came forth to share their stories. McNamara shared that the same people who initially wrote “incendiary letters” to her mailed her their rosary beads, Baltimore Catechisms, booklets from First Communions, and apology letters. Although the Globe expected protests from faithful supporters of the Church, they instead received gratitude. In the movie, Baron’s character said, “For me, this kind of story is why we do this.”

During the Q&A, one student asked Baron whether people questioned his motives for investigating the Catholic Church as a Jewish man.

Baron responded that although people expressed concern that the coverage of sexual abuse in the Archdiocse of Boston could lead to antisemitism, he could not control that response; he felt a larger obligation as a journalist to covering the survivors’ stories and reveal the systemic issue.

Baron also emphasized that journalists have to pursue stories based on evidence and not advocacy. “Use your own independent judgment,” he said, once again demonstrating his commitment to objectivity.

Prior to the Richman Fellow award ceremony on March 16 in Rapaporte Treasure Hall, Baron joined Prof. Neil Swidey’s (JOUR) journalism ethics course along with other students and other journalism classes to discuss the ethical challenges that the media faces today. When Swidey, director of the Journalism program, introduced Baron at the ceremony, he reflected on the discussion: “The students put Marty through the paces, but he held up well.” Swidey, who nominated Baron for the award, is also his longtime colleague and friend. He shared humorous anecdotes about Baron and described him as “all business but supportive and kind and very funny.” He welcomed Baron to the stage to deliver his lecture titled, “In Defense of Objectivity.”

In addition to McNamara, many of Baron’s colleagues were in attendance at the ceremony. Stephen Kurkjian, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner for Local Investigative Specialized Reporting, and Ben Bradlee, Jr., the editor who supervised the Spotlight team during their coverage of the sex abuse scandal in the Church, were among the acclaimed journalists in the room.

In his speech, Baron presented an argument on why journalists should continue to uphold

the traditional standard of objectivity in spite of mainstream media moving away from it in recent years. He identified himself as “part of a diminishing minority” who still view objectivity as their utmost priority and claimed that modern media is headed in a “misguided and self-destructive direction” as they lose the public’s trust.

Baron suggested thinking about objectivity in the context of other professions. Not only do journalists expect objectivity from judges, police officers, prosecutors, doctors, and bankers, but they also hold them accountable when their lack of objectivity creates injustice, he noted.

“We want justice to be equitably administered,” Baron said. “Objectivity, which is to say, a fair, honest, honorable, accurate, rigorous, impartial, open-minded evaluation of the evidence is at the very heart of equity and law enforcement.”

“Objectivity has to stay,” Baron said. He believes that journalists should not be activists or partisans or partake in political tribalism. In response to modern journalists who view objectivity as too lofty a goal, Baron stated, “The failure to achieve standards does not obviate the need,” and labeled the defiance of objectivity as “an act of arrogance.”

Defined as “the ultimate old-school editor” in a 2020 article by The New York Times, Baron demonstrated why he might have earned that title by steadfastly standing by the traditional standard of objectivity. However, during the Spotlight Q&A, he also said that he does not care for the romanticism of print journalism and openly accepts the digital age of journalism and the benefits it has brought to the industry’s scope and impact.

However, during the “era of misinformation, disinformation, and crackpot conspiracies” that has now erupted due to social media, Baron believes that journalists ought to stand by objectivity more than ever before. He explained how objectivity first became a standard 100 years ago, when people felt that journalism was failing as World War I propaganda gained influence in the 1920s. Reporters have to “fight for truth, not our theories,” Baron said.

He acknowledged that critics of objectivity view it as unreliable and unattainable. Some also believe it leads to false equivalence, or “bothsidesism” — the phenomenon that occurs when the media equally covers both sides of an issue and creates the false impression that each side has equal amounts of evidence to support it. Last but not least, certain critics align objectivity with the white male perspective because of how journalists historically invalidated the experiences of people of color.

Baron responded to these criticisms, stating that real objectivity is not neutrality or bothsidesism. “Journalists are full of bias,” Baron said. He emphasized that journalists’ methods have to be objective, not the journalists themselves.

Journalists have to be “scientific, careful, conscientious researchers,” Baron said, “with a willingness to listen and eagerness to learn.” This can be achieved, he suggests, through a rigorous approach to evidence. He defined reporting as starting with more questions than answers and then setting out to discover and learn what we do not yet know or understand. Ultimately, journalism requires a moral core, and that is valuing the truth, he said. By recommitting to the principles of objectivity, Baron feels that democracy and the press can better serve the public.

these pieces of equipment also don’t need oil changes which are labor intensive and costs additional money. Another benefit is these tools and equipment are often quieter and this benefits not only the [operators] but also the surrounding community. Although we can’t switch over entirely, we will continue to move forward with changes as much over as we can.”

In addition to these new land practices, the University is also upgrading its irrigation system to include BaseLine controllers. “This upgrade will not only identify areas we have leaks but gives us centralized software allowing us more control over water conservation,” Gould said. “This irrigation system/program will ensure we are not overwatering and will identify and shut off the system during rain events.”

According to Gould, irrigation locations are dispersed throughout campus and its athletic fields, with most of the areas on Loop Road being irrigated as well. He clarified that the University has no plans to add new irrigation sites and is looking for more ways to conserve water and create areas that do not require water to survive. The Office of Sustainability estimates that this upgrade will reduce the use of 1.5 million gallons of water annually. These improvements to land management come after a series of improvements that have taken place over the past years. Gould mentioned the University’s recent Master Grounds Plan that outlines its standards for land practices, the first tree replacement program, and compost use. He explained that under the tree replacement policy, 15 trees were planted last year, and now Facilities Services and Grounds can look forward to planting more as well as and using compost in organic areas provides soil with nutrients. “We look forward to in the future using our own leaf compost from the leaves taken off of Brandeis as compost in these areas,” said Gould. “Our goal is for a campus that not only is inviting to the students but one that is sustainable and continues to improve our environment.”

GROUP PHOTO: Baron posed with his colleagues who came to support him.

JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice

TALK : Baron addressed the audience during his lecture, "In Defense of Objectivity."

MOVIE : Brandeis hosted a screening of the movie "Spotlight," based on Baron's work.

JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice

SMILEY HUYNH/the Justice

features

Choices.

ON THIS DAY…

In 1970, the first Earth Day proclamation was issued by Joseph Alioto, Mayor of San Francisco.

FUN FACT

Navigating the complexities of pet death as a college student

Many of us struggle to identify and name the stigma and grief that occurs in mourning the loss of a close, furry friend.

By JESSIE GABEL JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

JESSIE GABEL/the Justice

Content warning: This article discusses issues pertaining to depression, pet death, and grief.

Throughout childhood and adolescence, our pets are there for us. From curling up on our laps after we bomb the SAT to licking our fingers after gobbling down buffalo wings from Wingstop, the unconditional love that they provide can be a grounding force. They are a blessing. And like any other kind of grief, it can feel insurmountable to move on from their passing.

I’ve had my mini-goldendoodle, Buddy, for 12 years now. He has anxiety, a picky appetite, and an unfathomable love for my father, whom he refuses to separate from. Though he’s attached to my dad at the hip, Buddy is my lifeline. I spent years cutting chunks of his hair for fun, applying blue eye shadow to his bushy eyebrows, and forcing him into my lap during dinner so I could feed him some of my leftover chicken. Buddy is the reason I look forward to going home during breaks and the reason I sob on my ride back to school.

Buddy turns 13 in April. To my family and I’s despair, he was also recently diagnosed with cancer. My parents and I have been told that he will likely die within the next few months. I am the fifth person of my close friends to endure this experience while at Brandeis. Pet death is tough — it’s a phenomenon that even the most mentally-well struggle to cope with. The death of a pup who has been your best friend and most reliable companion is quite an unique experience, yet sadly, one many of us have faced.

The average lifespan of a dog is 10 to 13 years. Though there’s a wide range of flexibility with those numbers considering the breed and size of each dog, that’s not so long in human years. Additionally, since the COVID-19 pandemic, one third of college students are depressed, compared to seven percent of all adults. These statistics indicate that college students are more prone to emotional and mental difficulties than the general population of adults and might take the death of a dog or close pet particularly hard.

Lexi Lazar ’24 recently lost her beloved dog, Molli, in the middle of the busy semester: “She was my best friend in the entire world. She lived to be 15, and she passed away two weeks ago today,” Lazar told the Justice in a March 18 interview.

Stigma surrounding pet deaths

Psychology Today discussed the challenges that emerge from pet deaths in comparison to the loss of a human connection, one being that grieving the loss of a pet publically and emotionally is generally taboo, promoting the harmful idea that pet losses are not very important.

It’s evident that pet losses have serious impacts. Lazar described herself as “catatonic” while grieving Molli: crying every day for a week and unable to complete her schoolwork on time. Though some of Lazar’s professors were accommodating to her need for extensions and extra academic support, others were not. Lazar explains that she was planning to travel home to Philadelphia after her dog’s death to mourn with her family, but when she asked one of her professors for a midterm extension, they insisted she take it on the assigned date. She did so, but felt hurt and frustrated. “When professors show that much of a lack of compassion, I feel like that just really shows a lack of understanding for what’s going on with people,” she said. She also emphasized that not being granted accommodations for the space she needed to process Molli’s passing “was very detrimental to my grieving process.”

Psychology Today reminds us that “grief is a natural response to the loss of a valued relationship, whether with humans or animals” and that “validat[ing] and honor[ing]” grief allows one to get through the overwhelming pessimism and depression over time. By ignoring pleas for accommodations following the loss of a pet, professors devalue the significance and impact of students’ relationships with their pets and do not show a respect for the students’ well-being outside of class. As Lazar said, “not allow[ing] yourself to grieve … is not healthy.”

Other extremities of pet deaths

Some individuals fear the death of their pet so much that they avoid the death completely. Lazar said her father has a hard time dealing with pet deaths because in his childhood, his mother sold their dogs before they got extremely old in order to avoid their inevitable deaths. Lazar believes “that really hurt him,” as he wasn’t able to stay connected with his animals “every step of the way.” Now, with the loss of Molli, her dad is dealing with grieving a pet for the first time.

This is another reason why allowing the process of grief is so important: experiencing grief earlier in life can help you understand your feelings toward and after other deaths later on. Lazar’s dad is still impacted today by his family’s fear of dealing with a pet’s death. This continues to affect the family as they decide whether it’s worth it to adopt another dog and deal with the emotional ramifications of replacing Molli, potentially dealing with another dog loss in the future.

Sometimes, pets die with little notice to the owners, provoking more extreme sadness and confusion. Bridget Niemeyer ’24 explained in a March 18 interview with the Justice that, while at college, she received a call from her family explaining that they would have to put her dog, Georgie, down that day. They told her that Georgie was unable to stand up that morning, so her parents took him to the vet, who found a sudden abundance of tumors in Georgie’s body. Niemeyer described the shock she was in and said she “couldn’t do schoolwork for days.”

Georgie was Neimeyer’s “bud,” though she said he “wasn’t the most loving pet” and “would bite people who he felt bad energies about.” But Neimeyer admired this about him: Georgie’s sense about people was “right every time.”

An absence in the home and the

heart

Neimeyer said losing a pet created a huge hole in her life. “My pets are my favorite members of the house. I look forward to seeing them more than seeing anyone else.” When she went home during academic breaks after Georgie died and before her family got a new pup, her house felt much emptier.

Every day, I think about how I’ll react to Buddy’s death. I’m sure I’ll cry and ignore my work and look at silly photos in my phone that I’ve taken of him over the years. I know I’ll grieve, and while it saddens me that so many of my friends have also gone through such a tragic experience that I will soon endure, I’m also so fortunate to have people around me who understand the pain of losing a childhood dog.

“I’m not mad about the grief,” Lazar said. “If I can start my day with such intense emotions about [Molli], it just shows me how much love there is in me for her … I’ve moved out of the house, and in a way, she’s moving out too.”

Photo courtesy of LEXI LAZAR

Lexi Lazar with her beloved dog, who passed away this month.

Design: Hedy Yang/the Justice

Rodenticide threatens local birds of prey

Beloved Waltham-born bald eagle “MK” was killed by rat poison, raising concerns among the community about rodenticide use.

By ARIELLA WEISS JUSTICE EDITOR

On March 3, upwards of 300 Arlington, Massachusetts residents took to the streets to mourn the death of a beloved member of the local ecosystem: a bald eagle named MK, who died after ingesting rat poison. MK, who was born in Waltham and is the protagonist of a children’s book, is only the latest fatality in a slew of rat-poison-related predator deaths. And as Waltham’s rat population continues to grow alongside the 65,000 person community, debate has ensued on how to control growing rodent numbers while also prioritizing the health of local ecosystems.

In 2018, the Waltham Board of Health declared the rat population in the area to be a public health emergency.

And on Feb. 6 of this year, Ward 8 Councilor Cathyann Harris brought a resolution before the city’s Economic and Community Development Committee on the issue. “I’ve been receiving … an influx of pictures of dead rats on snowbanks, on playgrounds, near the [Charles] River in Ward 8,” she said.

Waltham’s 8th Ward is located in the city’s South Side. The South Side is home to many Brandeis students, and is where the rat problem is the greatest, according to Assistant Director of Public Health for the Waltham Health Department Thomas Creonte who spoke at the Feb. 6 meeting. Creonte suggested that the large number of food establishments on Moody Street caused the higher concentration of rats in the area. However, he explained, there are rats all over the city. The Health Department gets about 20 calls a week reporting rats, dispersed throughout different neighborhoods.

At the same meeting, Councilor Harris posed ContraPest as a method for controlling the city’s rat population. One male and one female rat produce 15,000 offspring per year. ContraPest renders them sterile after ingestion.

Creonte said that as of Feb. 6, the Health Department had not been allocated the necessary budget to use ContraPest. Harris requested that Creonte look into ContraPest as part of a “multi-pronged approach” that includes rodenticides.

Currently, according to Creonte, the city primarily uses two methods to control the rat population: rodenticide, also known as rat poison, and snap traps. The traps are more expensive because they only kill two rats at a time, and the traps have to be cleared of the rats every week. Rodenticide can kill up to 20 rats per dose, and dead rats are picked up by the Health Department when a report is made. The city places snap traps in parks, playgrounds, and school areas, where they don’t want dead rats on the premises, according to Creonte, but uses rodenticide elsewhere. Creonte explained in the Feb. 6 meeting that the Health Department plans to continue using rodenticide.

“It’s the trash,” Creonte said to the Committee on Feb.

6. He explained that if people placed their trash in bins

rather than left them out in bags, the rats wouldn’t have food to eat. The city does have an ordinance requiring people to place their trash in airtight bins with lids. Residents aren’t held to this, though, as their trash is picked up regardless of whether it’s in a bin or not, Creonte said. Rodenticides are anticoagulants, which means they prevent blood from clotting and leads to internal bleeding until the rodent dies. It’s a slow death; it can take up to 10 days for a rodent to die after ingesting the poison.

The method is considered inhumane according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Conversely, snap traps deliver a rapid, heavy blow to the rodents’ heads and kill them instantly.

But it’s not only rats that have been killed. The poison also kills the local ecosystem’s natural predators, such as hawks, owls, and foxes, who prey on and ingest the poisoned and dying rats. In June 2022, a great horned owl and her owlets — federally protected under the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act — died in Arlington after consuming a poisoned rat.

During the Feb. 6 meeting, City Councilor Jonathan Paz, who recently announced his campaign to run for mayor of Waltham, raised a concern about this method’s impact on the local food chain. “I witnessed a dead owl on the path by the Charles River and have gotten pictures of dead cats,” he said.

According to the Boston Herald, March 2021 was the first time in Massachusetts’ recorded wildlife history that a bald eagle died from ingesting rat poison. In July 2021, another eagle, named C25, died.

On the night of Feb. 28, C25’s mom, known as MK, died the same way, according to the New England Wildlife Center. MK was born to parents “Ozzie” and “Harriet,” who used to reside in the trees of Waltham’s Mt. Feake Cemetery, according to Diane Gaskill, a Waltham resident who monitors eagles for MassWildlife.

MK flew the nest in 2016, and nested with her mate, “KZ,” on the Mystic Lakes — the first occurrence of a bald eagle nest there since the population was decimated by the use of DDT, an insecticide that caused eggshell thinning and other reproductive issues in birds. DDT was banned in the 1970s, and the bald eagle was designated an endangered species from 1978 to 2007 by the federal government. MK and KZ were cited as a sign of hope — a living example of the bald eagle population’s rebound. MK was beloved by the local community. “She was funny. At Mt. Feake she used to take the flowers off headstones,” Gaskill told the Justice during a March

10 phone interview. Gaskill and her husband Bob have monitored eagles for MassWildlife for over seven years. On Feb. 27, MK was found by passerby lying on the ground in Arlington’s Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. She was then brought to the New England Wildlife Center hospital in Barnstable. The Wildlife Center posted on Feb. 27 that they strongly suspected MK had been poisoned due to her “delayed blood clotting time.” The Wildlife Center began treatment to counteract the blood thinning, and MK made it through the night with staff monitoring her.

On March 1, she began “spontaneously hemorrhag[ing] and began bleeding internally,” a March 1 Facebook post by the Wildlife Center said. “With the poison in her system she did not have the ability to clot and the bleeding … began to occlude her airway … she was gone in a matter of minutes,” they wrote. “Her presence inspired [people] to connect with our natural environments and the wildlife in them,” the Wildlife Center said in the announcement. The Wildlife Center also called for the restricting of anticoagulant rodent poisons: “Rodent control does not need to come at the expense of our natural heritage and ecosystem.”

Phil Moser, the head of the Waltham Conservation Commission, described in a March 19 correspondence with the Justice that he shared a statement addressing concerns about rodenticide that was expressed at their March 2 Commission meeting: “Anticoagulant rat poison is a well-documented, frequent cause of death for hawks, owls, foxes, and other predators … The predator mortality caused by ingestion of poisoned rats reduces the ability of ecosystems to naturally control rodent populations.”

Bald eagles mitigate rat populations by eating them — and using rodenticides eliminates a natural source of rat control.

Beyond Waltham, there have been some legislative pushes to limit the use of rodenticides in Massachusetts. In February of this year, Representative James K. Hawkins and State Sen. Paul R. Feeney put forth HD. 577 and SD. 1144 in the Massachusetts Legislature, bills that would mandate reporting of public use of anticoagulant rodenticides and encourage non-toxic alternatives.

The bill would be welcome to mourning community members, such as Gaskill. “We watched them [the eagles] for seven years,” she said to the Justice as she stood in Mt. Feake cemetery and wiped away tears. “They were like our family.”

Photo courtesy of DIANE GASKILL MK THE EAGLE: MK was a beloved community figure, and was born in Waltham.

Photo courtesy of DIANE GASKILL BALD EAGLES: Ozzie and Harriet pose in the Mt. Feake area.

Engaging the Department of Student Engagement

Jen Crystal, Editor in Chief

Jane Flautt, Managing Editor

Cameron Cushing and Sofia Gonzalez, Senior Editors

Lauryn Williams, Deputy Editor

Juliana Giacone, Samantha Goldman, Megan Liao, Natalie Kahn, Jack Yuanwei Cheng, and Ariella Weiss, Associate Editors

Dalya Koller, Leah Breakstone, News Editors

Cayenn Landau, Features Editor

Tibria Brown, Forum Editor

Aiden Guthro, Sports Editor

Smiley Huynh, Owen Chan, Photography Editors

Julia Hardy, Isabel Roseth, Copy Editor

Anna Martin, Layout Editor

Maddy Dulong, Ads Editor

Zachary Goldstein, Eden Osiason, Online Editors

EDITORIALS

Brandeis counseling, we need better help

Brandeis purports itself to be a supportive place for those struggling with mental health issues; however, students on this campus lack trust in the Brandeis Counseling Center due to a wide range of issues. The University should be obligated to inform any and all current and prospective students of the limitations of its resources. The University offers a large number of publicized mental health events such as therapy dogs and destressing events such as Sleep Week, but they are not vigilant in terms of individual personalized care even though they claim to be. The University administration prides itself on offering these resources without acknowledging the shortage of the ones that students really need, which is misleading and potentially dangerous.

The Brandeis Counseling Center does not offer long-term care and only provides “a short-term stabilization model” to support students through short-term individual therapy, group therapy, and community therapy,” as per their website. The BCC has a list of outside therapists for students to transition to; however, these lists are limited and not always up to date. This shifts the challenge of selecting a new therapist onto students, which can seem like an impossible task, especially to those who are struggling. Because the Counseling Center must shift this responsibility onto the students, they should follow up with the students to make sure that they are making sufficient progress, and offer additional support if needed.

The degree to which the Counseling Center is understaffed is not only making therapy for students inaccessible, but is also unfair to the BCC therapists. We urge the University to increase the number of therapists available on this campus; a resource that is promised to students. This would lighten the burden on the existing therapists, allowing them to focus more directly on their patients and allow more students to use this resource. In addition to an increase of therapists, the Counseling Center should increase the number of support groups offered.

The small capacity and number of oncampus support groups makes them inaccessible to many students that would benefit from them, yet they are advertised as a resource available to all. An increased

number of therapists would allow the number of these groups to increase, permitting more students to connect with and gain support from their peers and certified mental health professionals.

The consultation process for entering the BCC should be reevaluated as the list of required questions asked can make students feel uncomfortable. Asking for students to divulge very personal information in such a direct and blunt manner leaves them little room to navigate the idea of sharing said information on their own terms.

We also urge the BCC to make changes to the survey required before every therapy appointment, as it implies the possibility of hospitalization just based on a few multiple choice questions, which can be scary for a student trying to reach out for help. A negative experience with the BCC could dissuade students from reaching out or pursuing further therapy and mental health assistance in the future, ultimately creating a negative perception of mental health resources in general. This is counterproductive, as the University should be creating a safe and supportive environment for all students.

The editorial board urges the University to implement additional training to all therapists hired within the BCC, especially regarding the topics of gender and sexuality. We believe that these topics are something that every therapist at the BCC should feel comfortable talking about. An increase in training would allow students to feel more comfortable at the Counseling Center, having faith that their therapist is qualified to help with a wide range of issues and questions.

We as an editorial board agree with the Student Union’s condemnation of University administration for failing to act on their stated goals of accessibility. Their failure to build a ramp to the Counseling Center due to it being “too expensive and not necessary” prevents students with disabilities from being able to enter the BCC, a place that is advertised as being safe and accessible for all members of the community.

If Brandeis is going to advertise itself as an institution that is safe for and supportive of all of its students, then the mental health resources offered need to be significantly improved moving forward.

Brandeis prides itself on its studentdriven clubs and organizations, but this board believes that the Department of Student Engagement struggles to facilitate the infrastructure necessary to aid student organizations. The department has set goals for the 2022-2023 academic year, with items such as “Establish itself as a new department” and “prioritize efficiency in operations, program, policy, technology, and budget management.” This board is very conscious of the fact that the Department of Student Engagement is a newlyreconfigured department and requires some time to create effective infrastructure. With that being said, there continues to be a severe disconnect between the department and students.

The University has approximately 200 student-led organizations, who all have to navigate the limited space on campus. Booking rooms for club meetings and events has become a source of anxiety and stress for club leaders. This board has members who have experienced many room complications, including triple-booked spaces and room assignments that are inaccessible due to construction.

Furthermore, under the requesting space page on the Brandeis website, there is a form for only a set number of spaces on campus. Most of these spaces, such as the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium and the Great Lawn, are not conducive to the vast majority of weekly club meetings. If a club wants to reserve another room they must go to yet another link, bringing them to a new page with a list of numbers and forms. While this in itself is not overwhelming, members of this board have had experiences where the desired room is unavailable, so students may have to go through the process multiple times. The uncertainty that comes with booking a room makes it more challenging for clubs and organizations to publicize their meetings and events. This board believes there needs to be a more streamlined way for clubs to book rooms so clubs can focus on creating a fun out-of-class environment for

students. Although this board is specifically highlighting room reservations, there are many other facets of event and club planning that need to be streamlined, such as receiving packages for events and the details of club finances.

There are board members who have gone through various training for student leaders offered by the Department of Student Engagement, and the general consensus among these members was that it was largely ineffective. Club leaders were required to complete multiple hours of training and were still left with questions. Since many students are required to juggle coursework, run their club, and possibly work a job, spending an exorbitant amount of time on training adds unnecessary strain. The Department of Student Engagement offers many trainings aimed at developing leadership skills, but they fail to discuss the nuances of truly implementing student leadership duties, such as booking a room. Instead, these trainings include delegation, goal setting, and motivation. This board acknowledges the efforts made by the department, but there continues to be a need for administrators to support student leaders. Not only are student leaders left to learn club organization techniques on their own, but they are often required to do the labor of training the other rising student leaders. This board believes that there needs to be more effective guidance and training from the Department of Student Engagement so clubs can reach their full potential without being bogged down by complicated logistics.

Brandeis students are dedicated to their clubs. They find purpose and community within these organizations, but there are obstacles put in place that make it difficult for clubs to operate smoothly. This board understands that the new Department of Student Engagement is still trying to find the best system to support students, but it’s clear that there needs to be better and easier modes of communication between administration and students.

Asking for a friend

If you are interested in submitting advice for the upcoming column, follow our Instagram: @thejusticenewspaper.

Q: A:

What are your recommendations on how to get through the mid semester hump while students navigate midterms and prep for housing selection?

“Midterm season can feel like most of the semester at Brandeis, so it’s important to pace yourself and attend to your basic needs like sleeping and eating. Review sessions or office hours can be helpful to prepare and get feedback before the deadline. Remember that one grade does not reflect your worth as a person!”

— Katie Julian Dunn, Assistant Director of Academic Advising

“We encourage you to have open conversations with potential roommates about your personal boundaries, styles of communication, and ways you manage conflict. It’s also important to discuss how each of you prioritizes self-care practices and what you need to take care of your physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Healthy relationships extend beyond just sexual and romantic relationships. The relationships you have with the people you live with should be ones of respect, trust, communication, kindness and safety.

Some students may be considering living with a romantic or sexual partner, and these students will want to pay extra attention to how additional stress from living together may impact communication and conflict. Dating violence is an issue that impacts students of all backgrounds and identities, and support is available. Students worried about the health of their relationship or of a friend’s relationship can reach out to PARC for confidential support.”

— Leah Berkenwald, Director of Health Promotion & Wellness Initiatives

Content Warning: Metions of sexual assult, self harm and suicide

After reading the recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, I feel compelled as a Health: Science, Society, and Policy Program major to respond to the alarm that they have sounded and some of the innovative early intervention work I have been involved with. I came to work with the national organization SafeBAE in high school after my own assault and want for all survivors to find their voice and strength through programs like this, especially in high school. Without authentic, student-led programs, more young adults will be assaulted and face thoughts of suicide. SafeBAE’s work saves lives. My work with them has been a part of finding my way back and making sure that what happened to me doesn’t happen to another person. I am sharing the piece that myself and the other board of directors for SafeBAE released in response to the CDC report in hopes that other students at Brandeis might want to join me and get involved and bring SafeBAE’s programs to the greater Waltham community

— Abbie Brier ’24

“If you think about every 10 teen girls that you know, at least one and possibly more has been raped, and that is the highest level we’ve ever seen,” said Kathleen Ethier, director of the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health who said the rise of sexual violence almost certainly contributed to the glaring spike of depressive symptoms. “We are really alarmed,” she said.

SafeBAE set out from our inception to entirely change the way sexual violence was addressed, or rather not addressed, among teens. Founded in 2015 by high school sexual assault survivors, we began with the vision that students be empowered to lead this work and eliminate the taboo surrounding sexual violence prevention education in secondary school.

Historically, if students received any curriculum regarding healthy relationships it has been a short presentation in health class by a teacher or a local direct service provider. There has been no significant national coordinated effort to provide ongoing, age appropriate, and relevant consent and healthy relationship lessons throughout secondary education, including student engagement and empowerment as leaders of change on the local and national level.

SafeBAE exists to disrupt this approach and re-envision dating violence and sexual violence as a mental health crisis, providing a framework for all school and community stakeholders to contribute to change. We seek to empower students as culture change leaders and active bystanders, while simultaneously engaging school leaders to enact trauma informed and culturally responsive policies, curriculum, staff prevention and response training, parent education, and Title IX best practices.

“engulfed in a growing wave of violence and trauma”22% of lesbian, gay, bisexual and questioning students, 13% female students, 7% male students, attempted suicide in the past year.

SafeBAE is leading the nation in programming that directly addresses the crisis issues reported in the 2023 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) report. With unprecedented engagement on social media, we have harnessed students’ desperate want for access to edu -

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

cation across these issues with a suite of free, authentic, and youth-created resources specifically targeting middle and high school age groups. We know that young people need help and support in safe reporting and access to healing resources, but very few school administrators are trained in how to respond to or investigate reports of sexual violence; our work with schools and youth leaders fills that gap.

“Nearly 1 in 3 high school girls reported in 2021, that they seriously considered suicide, up nearly 60% from a decade ago.”

Our comprehensive dating violence and sexual violence prevention program, SafeBAE 360° Schools, enlists schools as partners to approach violence prevention as a mental health crisis in need of a full spectrum of prevention and response solutions. In implementation of our pilot programs, SafeBAE 360° has four key components: prevention education curriculum, youth peer educator leadership, school staff trauma informed training, and school policy reform/best response practices guidance.

SafeBAE’s success is measured by the ability of secondary students and their school communities to (1) recognize the attitudes and beliefs associated with dating violence and sexual violence, (2) create agency and influence to take leadership action for shifting cultural norms, (3) support teen survivors as well as their network of adult allies and friends to receive the help services they need for healthy trauma recovery, and (4) understand Title IX rights and compliance in school investigations and accommodations.

Our approach towards these goals is to comprehensively engage school communities in a synergistic series of targeted activities, including: (1) a systematic recruitment of peer leaders through social media and school-based awareness campaigns, (2) establishment of a SafeBAE school club chapter with a faculty advisor, (3) the training of certified peer educators to facilitate learning opportunities throughout school, (4) training school faculty and staff in consent/bystander intervention and trauma-informed practices, (5) building a coordinated community response team that addresses cultural barriers and builds best practices to serve student victims of dating violence and sexual assault, (6) reforming district sexual misconduct policies to be trauma-informed and best practice, including implementation and transparency, and (7) collecting data of our efficacy with leading researchers.

“More than 1 in 10 teen girls reported they had ever been forced to have sex—up 27% since 2019 and the first increase since CDC began monitoring this measure.”

In schools that have integrated our programs, students reported drastically improved student culture and awareness, as well as improved response from their school administrators and Title IX investigation improvements. We have both quantitative and qualitative data to support improved understanding of consent, bystander intervention, survivor care, and mental health awareness among students. According to our survey of high school students — ages 14-18 — who have participated in SafeBAE programming, the following percentages of participants indicated their increased knowledge of the following topics:

40% increase in understanding of active bystander intervention methods

• 31% increase in the likelihood that they will use bystander intervention tools they learned

• 44% increase in understanding of how to best re -

spond to a survivor

• 41% increase in understanding how to avoid victim blaming

• 32% increase in student knowledge of how/where to report abuse in school

42% increase in how to avoid perpetuating rape myths

42% increase in their understanding of Title IX rights

Each of these elements of relationship safety reflects the improvements to mental health of the students in our programs as well as their peers.

Each of SafeBAE’s programs and all materials are created with an evidence-based approach. We measure knowledge acquisition, shifts in beliefs, attitudes, and positive behavior change in students connected directly with National Health Education Standards. SafeBAE has partnered with several researchers to collect and analyze data to inform our work, resulting in multiple reports confirming our program efficacy.

SafeBAE 360° Schools addresses the concerns that youth have shared for years, which have been further solidified by data from the CDC report.

This model contributes to the need for connectedness, which is a proven health benefit approach mentioned in the CDC report, and offers a strategic school-based approach to supporting teen survivors and aiding in reducing negative effects on mental health. Only through harnessing the power of youth voices in partnership with adult allies within the school community, can we respond to the clear call for action that the CDC report has lifted. SafeBAE is equipped with the resources to make profound and lasting change, and ultimately save lives.

—SafeBAE co-founders, board of directors, and staff –March 2023

PRESENTATION: University students Abbie Brier ’25 (on the right) and Elye Robinovits ’23 (on the left) present for SafeBae at a school in Lawrence, Massachusetts along with Aela Mansnann Manhattancille College ’26 (in the middle).

Photo Courtesy of ABBIE BRIER

NCAA: March Madness living up to the name

seconds left. That set the tone for the rest of the tournament, which saw a comeback and game-winner from six-seed Texas Christian University and nine-seed Florida Atlantic University, respectively.

The drama, Cinderellas, gamewinners, and comebacks are what

BUSTED BRACKETS

this tournament is all about. Most of the players are 18-22 year olds experiencing the best moment of their lives, and giving it their all as long as they are on the court. March Madness is always a rollercoaster, and no one can be sure who will go all the way, but we can be sure it will be filled with all the emotions.

BADMINTON: Li shocks the badminton world with unexpected win

CONTINUED FROM 12

was neck-in-neck until the score reached 15-15. Losing his steadiness, Axelson’s defense dropped in the backcourt, giving Ng the advantage of higher-angled smashes from the sides and finishing the game 21-15. However, in the following game, Axelsen took advantage of the delayed pace of Ng, resorting to a more pressuring style of play with diverse offensive tactics. The young Malaysian seemed to have given up the game when Axelsen scored his 19th game point with a cross-court drop shot. Dominating the match with 10 consecutive points, Axelsen took the game 21-9. In the third game, Ng regained his attention and fought back hard. While he remained ahead of Axelsen for most of the game, Ng played cautiously while receiving shots. For net shots, Axelsen had the upper hand, allowing him to shrink the score differences — drawing at 19-19. The last rallies were played with extreme intensity on both sides, each trying to win two rallies in a row. After an out-of-bounds shot by Axelsen, Ng took the match, winning the final game 23-21. Coming off an unbelievable victory against the toughest competitor in the sport, Ng could not recreate the same miracle against Shifeng Li in the quarterfinals, losing the match in two straight sets. Nevertheless, the battle against Axelsen had granted Ng a nickname that he will cherish and enjoy for at least the remainder of the season — “Dragon Slayer.”

The championship match saw the confrontation between two Chinese players, Yuqi Shi and Shifeng Li. In the semifinals, Shi had defeated Zii Jia Lee in two straight sets. While the whole game lasted only 43 minutes, Shi could not once afford to lose focus countering the Malaysian player who is physically taller and more athletic than him. Li, on the other hand, faced Danish shuttler Anders Antonsen in the semifinals. The last encounter between the two occurred at the Sudirman Cup with Li taking the victory. In Birmingham, Li was unable to maintain an upper hand against Antonsen during the first game. The last set was captured by Li due to the consecutive misjudgment made by Antonsen. The final score was settled 21-11, 19-21, and 21-18.

The All England championship was Li’s first time playing against Shi in a Badminton World Federation tournament. At his peak, Shi ranked No. 2 in the BWF World Ranking. Looking at his competitor, Li only made his international debut in 2018, entering the All England 2023 with limited experience playing against the top badminton players. Physique wise, Shi does not seem to have much advantage over Li, but the accumulated experiences over the years in international tournaments had made Shi an intimidating opponent for young challengers.

In the first set, Shi cleverly set up plays which forced Li to counter with back-hand shots and ended rallies with aggressive cross-court net shots. Nonetheless, Li remained stable in defense — tying up the score 17-17.

Shi continued to strand Li in the front court, actively trying to create dead corners in Li’s defense. Conversely, Li held on with superior athleticism, tactically returning shots that prevented Shi from finding an ideal chance to smash. At 26-24, Li took the match. The second set, in comparison, was controlled predominantly by Li. Most likely overcome by fatigue, Li played the backcourt, attempting to end rallies with fast and aggressive plays. Li continued to set the pace slow and dragged on with the rallies, tiring out Shi. With long rallies and tough serves, Li annihilated Shi’s every chance at returning, finishing the game handley 21-5.

Li’s victory will bring him a boost in ranked points in the Race to Copenhagen, the site of the 2023 BWF World Championships. “For me,” Li said in his post match interview, “to win this title, is a huge achievement for my commitment and hard work in the past.” The All England 2023 saw the unexpected success of young players. There is no doubt that as the season proceeds, we should anticipate more prominent performances by the young, athletic shuttlers with promising potential. Coming up next in the European leg of the BWF series is the Super 300 Swiss Open, welcoming players and audiences from all over the world to the St. Jakobshalle Area in Basel, Switzerland.

CINDERELLA: The 2023 Men’s March Madness tournament has been full of upsets, game-winners, and great storylines.

BASKETBALL: Star college players changing the game for the better

CONTINUED FROM 12

were also done with 30-point scoring records, putting Clark, a college freshman, next to Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Luka Doncic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only players with that accomplishment since 2000.

Clark’s excellent handles, court vision, and famous long-range shooting abilities have drawn comparisons to the great Stephen Curry of the National Basketball Association. She has the ability and the audacity to shoot from everywhere past the half-court line and is also successful as a playmaker and a decent rebounder. The Hawkeyes’ style of basketball revolves around Clark’s brilliance — Clark has not yet failed to deliver.

Clark’s talent and game-changing brand of basketball deserves its own article, but this article has two other superstars to introduce.

Aliyah Boston, University of South Carolina

Aliyah Boston is another generational talent in NCAA basketball. From the reigning NCAA champions, the University of South Carolina Gamecocks, Boston is a double-double machine in the paint equipped with elite footwork and rebounding capabilities. If I had to compare Boston to an NBA legend, Tim Duncan would be a clear candidate, as both are humble and quiet on the court but excel by mastering the fundamentals. Also planning to finish college before

the draft like Duncan did, Boston has now become a three-time AllAmerican honoree — just the 10th member of the club. She was also the first player, male or female, to be named the Naismith College Player and Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.

Boston picked up basketball as part of her parents’ plan to afford college, but her talent has made her the top prospect of the upcoming Women’s National Basketball Association draft. Her success from 2022 has carried through this season, and Boston has led her team to a current 40-game winning streak. It remains exciting to see where Boston and the Gamecocks will end up in this year’s March Madness.

Angel Reese, Louisiana State University

Placing Angel Reese at the third is bold as I go against ESPN’s rankings and my personal favorite, Cameron Brink. However, I believe this is the correct move and Reese definitely deserves the respect. This is her first season with the Louisiana State University Tigers after transferring out of the University of Maryland.

Reese now averages 23.4 points with 15.5 rebounds per game and leads the country with 30 double-double performances.

At this point, I feel obligated to explain my decision to put Reese over Brink. It is quite evident that Reese has a great habit of crashing the glass and making second-chance buckets.

While Brink is a terrific shot blocker

and a defensive menace overall, I see Reese’s skill set as more valuable than Brink’s significance in the paint. Rebounds matter a ton in basketball, especially in the increasingly physical playoff games of the NCAA tournament. Reese’s rebounding ability is what concludes defensive stops and gives her team extra possessions, while her abilities to push the ball with pace at her size and to finish with both hands in different fashions persuaded me to rank her over Brink on this list. Reese has led LSU to one of the best seasons in the program’s history as they continue to march on in the tournament.

Women’s basketball was not included under the brand of March Madness until 2022. The longforgotten side of college basketball and competitive sports in general deserves more attention and fascination from you during the sports seasons. In addition to the names on this list, Cameron Brink (Stanford University), McKenzie Holmes (Indiana University), Azzi Fudd (University of Connecticut), and other stars are uplifting our generation of women’s basketball. Clark’s leadership, Boston’s hard work, and Reese’s enthusiasm have all brought their teams great success in the 2022–23 season. Tune into the “Sweet Sixteen” starting next Friday to witness the excitement, the attention to details, and the greatness that is March Madness.

Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Angel Reese have shown their talent and dominance all season.

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

Sports just

Shifeng Li defeats Yuqi Shi in tense All England Open

■ The All England Open victory for 23-year-old Shifeng Li shocked the badminton world and gave him his second major tournament title.

By

The All England Open 2023 surprised its audience since the first day of the tournament. Previous championship title holder and world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen was defeated in the preliminaries by young Malaysian player Tze Yong Ng. World No. 5 Tien Chen Chou and world No. 2 Jonatan Christie were eliminated in the first round. Young shuttler Shifeng Li, who had never won a title above the Super 100 level, capturing the decisive victory against his fellow compatriot Yuqi Shi — world No. 13 — was by far the most jaw-dropping event that occurred at the All England Open.

Approaching spring, the 2023 Badminton World Federation season had begun its European tournaments of the Super Series, beginning with the Super 300 German Open which occurred March 7-12. Over the past week, the All England Open took place at Utilita Arena in Birmingham. This Super 1000 tournament saw top shuttlers flocking to England

to compete in the oldest badminton tournament. From high-seeded players to new challengers, the competition was fierce. In the Men’s Single Division, the top four seeded players — Axelsen, Christie, Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, and Zii Jia Lee — were expected to defend their positions.

One of the reasons for the poor performances of top players was fatigue. In the European leg, highscoring tournaments are scheduled back-to-back. Under the point system, players will be penalized if they withdraw from the tournament they were seeded in — the number of points that are deducted are in accordance with the level of the tournament. In order to earn more points and prevent any deduction from the World Tour Ranking, top shuttlers have to participate in as many tournaments as possible. Prior to All England, Kento Momota made it to the semifinals after defeating Shi and Canadian player Brian Yang in the German Open. However, exhaustion from the previous tournament, accompanied with the traveling fatigue, cost him a game in the preliminaries and a chance to reclaim the title of All England champion.

The defeat of Axelsen by Tze Yong Ng, a 22-year-old shuttler from Malaysia without any Super Series titles, was bewildering news in the men’s single division. The first game

Clark, Boston, Reece help usher in a new era of athletics

■ Women’s college basketball has a serious surplus of talent this year; these are some of the most prolific players entering this year's NCAA tournament.

By JACKSON WU JUSTICE SENIOR STAFF WRITER

We have entered the prime time of college basketball in 2023. The National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament matchups have resulted in upset after upset, echoing the brand “March Madness” in its unpredictability. Every single bracket placed in the men’s basketball tournament was busted as Fairleigh Dickinson University historically defeated the first-seed Purdue University. With numerous unexpected victories — headlined by Florida Gulf Coast University and Toledo University

WINTER SPORT PHOTO RECAP

As spring sports are set to get underway, the Justice wants to show appreciation for the winter sports and athletes, pg. 11.

2023 March Madness showcases college basketball’s best talents

and late drama.

— there are now only seven perfect brackets left in women’s basketball playoffs. As women’s basketball has seen a steady rise in popularity, I present my personal take on the top three women’s basketball players in this year’s March Madness tournament.

Caitlin Clark, the University of Iowa

Whether you are a fan of women’s basketball or not, Caitlin Clark is a name you have probably heard of. The sophomore guard is arguably the most exciting player to watch in all of college basketball, men’s or women’s, and for good reason. Playing for the University of Iowa, which was not known as a successful basketball program before her arrival, Clark has made her talent shine since her debut. As a freshman last year, she led the Iowa Hawkeyes to their first Big Ten regular-season and Big Ten tournament champions in the school’s history. The Iowa native also registered back-to-back triple doubles in January of her freshman season, becoming the first college basketball player, male or female, to do so. Those two triple-double performances

■ It is only four days into the men’s NCAA basketball tournament and the madness is already on full display.

By JOSH GANS JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

What is the appeal of this tournament? To some, it’s the bracket culture. Whether selecting based on strategic matchups or the funniest mascots, everybody suddenly becomes a professional “bracketologist” on that second Sunday of March. To others, it's the school spirit and the energy with which these players play — talented athletes that give it their all, knowing this could be the last game of their lives. Every play is tense with college-aged kids diving for loose balls in front of millions, taking advantage of their “one shining moment.” To some, it's about the Cinderella stories, comebacks,

The Cinderella stories are in full effect, busting brackets this year like no other. The last of the 20,056,273 men’s tournament brackets were busted in game 25, following the upset of all upsets — 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson knocked off one-seed Purdue, becoming just the second team in men’s NCAA history to do so. The record-longest-ever perfect bracket was set in 2019, when the last one standing fell in game 50.

Though it may be surprising that it happened this early, it comes as no surprise that all brackets were busted at some point, considering there never has been a perfect bracket, and the weighted odds of achieving a perfect bracket is one in 120 billion. You have a better chance of being struck by lightning twice than you do of making a perfect bracket — so if you do the impossible and achieve a perfect bracket, beware of thunderstorms.

This was also the first time ever that a 15 and 16-seed both advanced past the first round, with 15-seed Princeton shocking 1-seed Arizona to join FDU in the second round. They followed this up by annihilating seven-seed Missouri in a “battle of

the tigers” — 78-63. This is the fourth time in tournament history that a 15-seed has made the Sweet 16 and the third consecutive season it has happened. They will look to replicate Saint Peters’ magical run last year to the Elite Eight, when they face off with six-seed Creighton. Other second round upsets include eightseed Arkansas knocking off one-seed and reigning champion Kansas in a thrilling game, 72-71. Also shocking fans was seven-seed Michigan State ending two-seed Marquette’s fairytale season, 69-60.

The late drama certainly has not lacked either, with some incredible comebacks and unforgettable moments. The biggest highlight of the tournament so far has to be the collapse of powerhouse Virginia in the second game. Having led by as many as 12, and up by two with 12 seconds left, all they had to do was get fouled and hit their free throws. Virginia’s Kihei Clark did anything but that, and inexplicably chucked the ball into the air to avoid a double team, leading to Furman’s Garret Hien intercepting his pass. JP Pegues made him pay, burying a three pointer to win it with two

UNDERDOG: Shifeng Li defeated Yuqi Shi to claim the All England Open championship, shocking the badminton world.

MEGAN LIAO JUSTICE ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Photos: Smiley Huynh/the Justice. Design: Ceci Chen/the Justice.

Waltham, Mass.

Cheem’s pop rock genre is not ‘Clueless’: An interview with the New England band

By MINA ROWLAND JUSTICE EDITOR

“Everyone in our band is so talented [...] we all deserve a solo” Cheem

If you know me, you know that I love musical theater, hiphop, and classical music. Rock music? Not so much. But since I have been at Brandeis, my friends have slowly convinced me that rock, and specifically pop-rock, are genres worth listening to. Pop rock is considered to be an intersection of pop and rock music, which often uses instruments such as piano in conjunction with various guitars, drums, and synthesizers.

On a chilly Friday afternoon, I ran up the stairs in the Shapiro Campus Center to my virtual interview with Cheem, a pop-rock band that creates a genre-bending style. The March 10 interview consisted of me getting to know the band’s members and learning more about their story while they joined me from their tour van in Georgia. They were clear that they are very intentional about subverting expectations within the music industry and particularly the pop-rock music scene. This 5-member band declares their genre to be ‘nu pop,’ and while they have been around for some years, they truly feel at home with their own voice as a band and as artists.

Skye, with long hair wearing an adidas tracksuit, and Sam, wearing glasses, are the band’s vocalists, while Sean, wearing an entire khaki fit, is their head drummer. Both Gabe, in a simple blue shirt, and Nate, rocking locks and wearing a tee and jeans, are guitarists. When

SPEEDROUND Q & A

Favorite artist/singer/band?

Sam: Frank Ocean

Skye: 311

Nate: Primus

Gabe: Tool

Sean: D’Angelo

MOVIE REVIEW

By GIANNI STORTI JUSTIC CONTRIBUTING WRITER

With DreamWorks’ latest romp into the highly successful Shrek franchise came a movie that surely almost no one was expecting. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” is a sequel that seemingly came out of nowhere, coming more than 11 years after the original “Puss in Boots,” which in and of itself is a rather unremarkable movie. So I, as well as many others, were under the assumption that this movie would be nothing more than a mediocre cash grab, or an attempt to garner interest in the potentially soon to be released “Shrek 5.” So when reviews for “The Last Wish” started coming back overwhelmingly positive, my interest was piqued. Now having seen the film I can say with confidence that this film is easily my favorite animated movie of 2022.

One of the first things that stands out about this movie is just how eye-catching the animation is. Right away, it is clear that inspiration is taken from the 2018 film “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” which was groundbreaking at the time for its unique animation. The film features techniques like two-dimensional effects over three-dimensional models, as

asked about their musical influences, they explained alternative rock music — particularly from the 90s and early 2000s — is their main inspiration. They try to incorporate that nostalgia into their own music style while balancing that with finding their own voice. “Cheem has been going through many forms over the years,” Gabe explained. The band was initially started in 2013 in high school by Gabe and Skye, Cheem’s founding members. They eventually grew as they found more talent through college friendships. Several of the members went to music school or had been playing music since they were young. “I think we were all very much playing music by any means necessary,” Skye said. He also shared that despite not receiving approval from his parents or his neighbors for playing guitar and drums in his house and garage, he loved it anyway.

The band explained that finding their voice and artistic style was very challenging. Skye took the lead, saying, “We try to combine new metal and pop-music,” while Sam added, “We come from an emo background.” The process was gradual to learn how to lean into other influences and not necessarily follow what everyone else is doing. Something I really enjoyed while listening to their music before the interview was seeing how unique they were in highlighting each other. Their songs often incorporated each member’s style, whether that was more light pop, heavy metal, rap, or hip-hop.

Cheem admitted that they are extremely interested in genrebending work; while their influences are strong in 2000s pop rock, they generally like to take inspiration from modern mu-

Favorite Cheem song:

sic. “Even if one person writes a song, it’s kind of writing with the rest of the band in mind and then the parts get brought to the other members and they put their own sound on everything,” Skye said. This allows for each member of the band to express their individual talent and style with instruments and vocals.

Beaming with pride, Sam added on, “I feel like every member of the band is so talented [...] like we all deserve a solo!”

I transitioned our interview into looking at the meaning behind their songs and music. As I mentioned before, I had listened to some of Cheem’s songs from their latest album titled “Guilty Pleasure.” Specifically, one song from that album that stood out the most to me was called “Clueless,” so I shifted the conversation toward their music and particularly the meaning behind the lyrics in “Clueless.” Skye said, “I mean [the song is] about being upset at the music industry … [and] the people who work on the business side and their attempts to appeal to the general public.” Two of my favorite lines are “Tell me who you know from here or why your Soundcloud disappeared” and “How’s it feel to make-believe that you earned all you achieved?” The chorus includes a double entendre “get the picture, turn the other cheek,” which is not only about a metaphorical wake-up call or getting hit with reality, but it is also a reference to literally being imprisoned and having your mugshot taken. The band explained the meaning behind the metaphor in a separate interview with Flood, saying the song exposes the music industry as the ones “keeping artists as prisoners by getting them to sign terrible contracts.” The

Sam: “Fashion Valley,” “Smooth brain,” and “Snag” (“I have multiple favorite children.”)

Skye: “Worldstar” (“It’s like picking a favorite child”)

Nate: “Fashion Valley”

Gabe: “Pay2Play”

Sean: “Pay2Play”

band explained that the music industry often pushes artists in a way that is not genuine, and the music that is created in this environment is very alienating to avid listeners. The song itself is a very transparent look at this inauthenticity, contrasted with their passion for making music. Luckily for Cheem, they have found their voice and they don’t plan on changing it for anyone.

Talking to each of the members of the band was powerful, and

I was able to hear their stories and learn where they draw musical inspiration. Cheem may not be the most well-known band (yet), but they always put their best work in everything they do. They are all excited to keep making music, to expand their fan base, and hopefully to play in a festival like Coachella in the near future.

I can’t wait to see what lies ahead for this amazing band in the next few years!

Favorite song (not including Cheem)?

Sam: “When it’s over” by Sugar Ray

Skye: “Prisoner” by 311 and “Pop” by NSYNC ( “That song changed my life”)

Nate: “Primus” by John the Fisherman

Gabe: “Oblivion” by Mastodon

Sean: “This must be the place LIVE” by Talking Heads

Advice for artists and musicians:

Sam: Take your time to build your audience.

Skye: Rehearse a lot before you ever play your first show!

Nate: Be mindful about meeting people; try to create organic connections.

Gabe: Don’t pull inspiration from only music; look everywhere for inspiration.

Apaw-sitively purrfect film: ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’

well as alternating frame rates to make characters and scenes pop. While both films shares similarities, it never felt like “Puss in Boots” was copying the work of “Into the Spider-Verse” because it still had its own style and identity. The characters and environments are adorned with vibrant, storybook-esqe colors and designs, presenting a look that stands out not only from the other movies in the franchise,but from DreamWorks’ entire catalog. And nowhere is this style more apparent than in the movie’s action sequences. By utilizing 2D visual effects through decreasing the frame rate from 24 frames per second to only 12 frames per second during high intensity fights, these scenes become visually distinct and stunning, with impressive choreography and flair. Every move, from the characters to the background paintings, feel exhilarating to watch almost as if it is jumping right off of the page of a comic book. Aside from the animation, one of the strongest qualities of this movie comes from just how entertaining and engaging each of the characters are, as well as their motivations and relationships with other characters. Vocal performances from Antonio Banderas, Florence Pugh, John Mulaney, and a slew of other talented actors breathe

so much life into the characters, making them even more alluring. Our main hero, Puss in Boots, must come to terms with his mortality as he realizes that he is on the last of his nine lives. His fear and anxiety about death — as well as how he deals with it throughout the course of the film — feels not only genuine, but also creates a captivating character as he attempts to maintain his “fearless hero” persona. He and the other main characters are used to convey a subtle yet thought-provoking message about anxiety, fear, and trust. However, while the heroes serve as great protagonists for the movie, the antagonists are, in my opinion, some of the best DreamWorks has ever seen.

This film has not one, not two, but three different parties of villains fighting against the heroes. The first is Goldilocks and the Three Bears, who form a crime family and hunt down the same thing that both the heroes and other villains are after: the wishing star, which can grant any one person a wish. The family serves as not only a source of comedy throughout the film through their interactions with each other, but also offer much in the way of sincere, heartfelt moments. The second party of villains is based on the nursery rhyme, “Little Jack Horner,” where Jack Horner himself is the owner of a pie corpora-

tion, and is also after the wishing star. Jack Horner is so sadistically evil and heartless to the point where it’s comical; he is truly one of the most entertaining parts of the movie, as he carelessly commits murder and acts of animal cruelty, but poses a real threat for the heroes. The last villain is the one that stands out to me the most; when Puss realizes that he has only one life left, the manifestation of death appears in the form of a wolf. While the other villains present as more lighthearted and comically evil, Death is a menacing, scary, and serious antagonist who literally had me jump out of my seat while watching. It is the character of Death who gets the plot moving in the first place and is responsible for much of Puss in Boots’ character development throughout the film. Animation is often touted as “for kids,” and while I think this is definitely a movie that kids can enjoy, characters like Death show that they are not the only target demographic. Both from a visual and character standpoint, his final fight with Puss in Boots offers a scene that I think is worthy of a watch from anyone.

As an avid animated movie enjoyer, I would say that it has been a long time since I have had as much fun watching a movie as I did with “Puss In Boots: The Last Wish.” If I had to make a complaint about the film, I would

PUSS IN BOOTS: Puss discovers his passion for life as he comes to the conclusion of his ninth

say it does take a little while for the adventure to get started, but even that feels a little nitpicky. I was wholeheartedly engaged and impressed during the entire runtime, and I feel that many others will be too. I’m sure by now many have received countless recommendations for this film, but that is for good reason. If you have any interest or just have the free time, and want to watch a fun movie, I cannot recommend it enough. I look forward to seeing what DreamWorks does next, and if it’s anything like this project, then I know I’m in for a good time. 9/10, would definitely watch again.

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

life.

Photo courtesy of CHEEM THE BAND

PICTURE: Members of Cheem: Sam, Skye, Sean, Gabe and Nate all strive to create a new scene within pop rock.

NOSTALGIA 2023 BRANDEIS VIETNAMESE STUDENT ASSOCIATION

By MINA ROWLAND JUSTICE EDITOR

Design: Anna Martin/the Justice.

The Brandeis Vietnamese Student Association celebrated the Brandeis by Night event on March 18 in the Levin Ballroom. The The culture show presented the idea of nostalgia and childhood memories, as it is the foundation of life and learning. Several Brandeis dance groups such as Bo Xi Bo performed alongside student music clubs from Tufts University, Harvard University, and Berklee College of Music.

Photos: Smiley Huynh/the Justice.

By ANIKA JAIN JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Top 10 fonts

As a writer, typing in the same font time and time again can get a little boring. Over the years, I have played a lot with different fonts (even going as far as to create my own) and wanted to share some underrated recommendations through this tier list.

STUDENT ART SPOTLIGHT

SUDOKU

Megan Liao is an illustrator and photographer. She likes birds, flowers, traveling, books, and coffee, which are all frequent motifs in her works. If you can’t find her in the Justice office battling her thesis, she’s probably taking photos in the gym. Her favorite color is cobalt blue.

1. Franklin Gothic

2. Georgia

3. EB Garamond, Semi Bold

4. Helvetica Neue, Light

5. PT Serif

6. Roboto Slab

7. Josefin Sans

8. Rajdhani, Semi Bold

9. Libre Baskerville

10. Montserrat

Honorable Mentions: Times New Roman and Arial (your reign is over)

MEGAN LIAO/the Justice

ANIKA JAIN/the Justice