The Justice, November 1, 2022

Antiracism initiatives in School of Arts and Sciences

partments as well.

By RANI BALAKRISHNA JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Two weeks ago, the School of Arts and Sciences published sev eral new initiatives prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Brandeis faculty. These initiatives prioritize retaining faculty of color, increasing diver sity within the Brandeis faculty, developing an equity liaison role in departments, adding endowed chairs, and establishing programs to support and mentor faculty.

Dorothy Hodgson, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, noted that although work is still ongoing to increase the number of faculty of color, the School of Arts and Sciences has doubled the number of faculty of color in the past five years.

The School of Arts and Sciences and the Office for Diversity, Eq uity & Inclusion worked with the Sociology Department to pilot a two-year faculty position of equity liaison, held by Prof. Sarah May orga (SOC). This equity liaison is expected to be expanded to other departments. Currently, Mayorga implements anti-racist values into the curriculum, “brings BIPOC sociologists to campus,” and “[as sesses] their classroom culture,” according to an article published by the School of Arts and Sciences on Oct. 14. Mayorga said that she has been very grateful for the sup port from the University for this innovative pilot program, as it has been successful thus far. Hodgson noted that this pilot program will hopefully be expanded to other de

The School of Arts and Sciences also now requires reports on di versity, equity, and inclusion, and faculty can “address ‘invisible labor’” in reports, “highlighting important work that used to go unrecognized,” according to the same article. Faculty of color of ten support and advise students outside of the classroom, so this space now allows them to be rec ognized.

The aforementioned article talk ed about academic programs at the University that have changed curricula to “provide a more ho listic, less Eurocentric approach to their field,” such as the Art History department. The program “expanded geographical and tem poral boundaries” to have less of a traditional emphasis on Euro pean material and “move toward a more global approach.” The Fine Arts department is also searching for an expert in Latin American, Latin X, and/or Afro-Latin art this year.

Endowed chairs allow the fac ulty to be recognized and awarded for their achievements and retain faculty while investing in the de partment. Over the summer, Mar ta Kauffman ’78, the co-creator of the TV show “Friends,” pledged $4 million to create an endowed chair in African and AfricanAmerican Studies.

The African American and African Studies department, de spite being established in 1969 in response to the protests at Ford Hall, has not previously had an endowed chair, and the Presi dent’s Office will be releasing the recipient of the position shortly.

Additionally, in 2020, “the School [of Arts and Sciences] established its first minor in Asian Ameri can and Pacific Islander Studies

DINING

University admin. present at protest held in support of dining workers

■ Students and dining staff gathered to protest a variety of concerns; Harvest Table management and University admin stood nearby.

By ARIELLA WEISS, ANNA MARTIN, AND NATALIE SALTZMAN JUSTICE EDITOR, STAFF WRITER, AND CONTRIBUT ING WRITER

When do we want it? Now!” On Oct. 28, students and dining workers gath ered in Upper Usdan for the second time this year to protest “in response to consistent disrespect and mistreat ment from Harvest Table,” as stated by the BLU.

Students and dining workers marched down to the Harvest Table offices in Lower Usdan, chanting and holding signs. The demonstration started much like the BLU-organized march on Usdan on Sept. 22, when Brandeis police were called on the petitioners.

“Our requests are very simple,”

said dining worker Lucia Hsiung said on Oct. 28, who was addressing the students eating in Lower Usdan. “We only want the company’s respect to us.” As the demonstrators arrived at the Harvest Table offices, they discov ered that Clayton Hargrove, director of Hospitality, like last time, was not there.

Lois Stanley, vice president of Campus Operations, was present along with Stew Uretsky, vice presi dent of Finance and Administration, and two representatives from Student Affairs. This was a marked differ

Carol Anderson presents her work on voter suppression

■ Anderson was awarded the Gittler Prize and spoke to students about her research and books at a variety of events.

By AMANDA CHEN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

On Oct. 26, Provost Carol A. Fierke presented Dr. Carol An derson the Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize.

Anderson, the Charles Howard Candler professor of African American Studies at Emory University, was in residence at Brandeis from Oct. 24-26 to share her work. She has written numerous books, including: “One Person, No Vote: How Vot er Suppression is Destroying our Democracy”; “White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of our Racial Divide”; and “The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America.” Anderson was elected into the Society of American Historians as well as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Anderson was also named a W.E.B. Du Bois fellow of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences.

Professor Joseph B. Gittler created the Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize in 2007 “to recognize outstanding and lasting scholarly contributions to racial, ethnic and/or religious rela tions,” according to the University’s website on the prize. The award consists of a cash prize of $25,000 and a medal.

On Oct. 24, there was a screening of the documentary “I, Too,” a film that showcases the life and work of Anderson in a racially divided United States. Director of the Women's Studies Research Center Harleen Singh and Director of the non-profit organization Humanity in Action Judith Goldstein introduced Anderson and the film. Anderson’s work investigates social, political, and economic structures that reproduce discrimi nation against Black people. She emphasizes the parallels be tween current events, like the Black Lives Matter movement and the Jan. 6 Insurrection, and the historical record of Amer ica’s treatment of Black people. Moreover, the film explored many historical events like the Wilmington coup of 1898 in North Carolina, the Hamburg Massacre in South Carolina, and the Ocoee Massacre in Florida. After the film, there was a dis cussion between Anderson and Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson, direc

Halloween movies

tor of the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy at University of Massachusetts, Boston. Brandeis Women's Stud ies Research Center Resident Scholar K. Melchor Quick Hall moderated the discussion.

On Oct. 25, Anderson visited the joint class meeting of "In troduction to African and African American Studies," taught by Prof. Chad Williams (AAAS/HIST), and "Civil Liberties in America," taught by Prof. Jeffrey Lenowitz (POL). Later in the day, Anderson met with the class "Power and Violence," taught by Prof. Elizabeth Ferry (ANTH).

On the same day, there was a discussion on Anderson’s book, “One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression is Destroying our Democracy.” Profs. Zachary Albert (POL) and Jill Green lee (POL) gave the opening remarks. Both thanked David Wein stein, the assistant director of the Educational Network for Ac tive Civic Transformation and Communications and Academic Administrator Rosanne Colocouris for organizing the event. Mandy Feuerman ’25 and Maia Lefferman ’25 managed the Vot eDeis Campus Coalition table at the event. Anderson examined

Brandeis hosts Family Weekend

By ANNA MARTIN

The problems with parasocial relationships

By TIBRIA BROWN

HEDY YANG

By CRAIG DISKIN

Controversy strikes Patriots’ quarterback room

By ZACHARY GOLDSTEINARTS AND CULTURE

ANNA MARTIN/the

■ The School of Arts and Sciences recently rolled out several new initiatives to retain faculty of color and increase faculty diversity.

Student Union meets, charters three new clubs

Union

Oct. 30 meeting, all of which the Senate had

ing the last academic

Senate also voted

the

which they had originally voted against at last week’s meeting.

The CSSA returned to the Senate this week to ask to receive probationary status again. Last week, Associate Justice Maxwell Lerner ’23 expressed concerns that the CSSA would be one of two Chinese cultural clubs that already exist. Joey Zhang ’23, co-president of CSSA, said that one of the main purposes of the club is to help interna tional students make connec tions outside of Brandeis with former CSSA members.

Immediately after the club finished its presentation, the Senate entered a 20-minute executive session to further

SENATE LOG POLICE

discuss the club. After the executive session ended, the Senators voted by roll call on the club’s probationary sta tus. Of the 15 senators pres ent, 10 voted in favor, two abstained, and three voted against. Since 10 “yeses” were required for the vote to carry, the CSSA received probation ary status.

Skye Liu ’23 came to the Senate to present her club, Mood Psychology. Liu said that the purpose of the club, which is a chapter of an American NGO, is to provide Chinese international stu dents with adequate mental health resources, specifically in Mandarin. Liu also said that the Brandeis Counseling Center hired its first Manda rin-speaking counselor as a result of her organization’s work. The Senate chartered Mood Psychology by acclama tion.

Ofri Levinson ’25 and Ben Bar Zvi ’23, co-presidents of Mishelanu, came to ask that

the Senate charter their club. They explained that Mishela nu is an Israeli cultural club that primarily focuses on sharing Israeli food and mu sic with interested students. The Senate chartered Mishel anu by acclamation.

Jolecia Saunderson ’24 came to present the Multicul tural Hair Art and Empower ment Club. Saunderson said that the club’s purpose is to “celebrate Black artists and Black hair.” Saunderson also said that the club has held nu merous events related to hair care and art. The Senate char tered the Multicultural Hair Art and Empowerment Club by acclamation.

Union Vice President Lia Bergen ’25 said at the meeting that the results of the recent elections were in and that the Union would be announcing them soon.

Univ. announces Rosenstiel Award recipients

The 52nd Rosenstiel Award, given an nually to honor distinguished work in medical research, will go to Christine Holt and Erin Schuman.

According to the award’s page on the Brandeis website, in 1971, “the Lewis S. Rosenstiel Award for Distinguished Work in Basic Medical Research was es tablished as an expression of the convic tion that educational institutions have an important role to play in the encourage ment and development of basic science as it applies to medicine.” The medals are presented annually on the basis of recom mendations made by Boston-area scien tists who are appointed by the director of the Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center. Awards are given to sci entists for recent discoveries of particular originality.

This year’s 52nd Rosenstiel Award has been awarded to Christine Holt, profes sor of developmental neuroscience at the University of Cambridge; and Erin Schuman, professor of neurobiology at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research. According to an article in BrandeisNOW, they were chosen for their “pioneering work shedding light on the role of local protein synthesis in neuronal develop ment and function.” They also “provided important insights about the way nerve cells are guided over long distances, from the eye to the brain, and how specific re

gions of nerve cells may change during learning and memory.”

More specifically, their work has devel oped imaginative cellular and molecular approaches to study how the translation of messenger RNA into protein can be local ized to specific regions of a nerve cell. This type of research will allow researchers to further understand many neurodevelop mental disorders, such as Fragile X syn drome, which causes mild to severe intel lectual disability since birth, and severe autism disorders.

The Rosenstiel Award has had a wellknown record of identifying scientists who are subsequently honored with the Lasker and Nobel Prizes. According to the award’s webpage, 38 of 93 Rosenstiel Award winners have later won the No bel Prize in Medicine or Physiology or in Chemistry, which shows the Univer sity’s commitment to recognizing worldclass research. Schuman and Holt will present their Rosenstiel Award lectures at Brandeis on April 24, 2023 and will be given a cash prize and a medallion to ac company the award.

Max Feigelson

— Maria Antonio

JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice

Brandeis welcomes families to campus for Family Weekend

By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Campus was bustling this past weekend with over 1,300 families from 42 different states and 11 countries flocking to the University for Brandeis Family Weekend, according to the Brandeis Family Weekend webpage. The pro gramming of Family Weekend consisted of a wide variety of activities including various sporting events, student performances, aca demic lectures from faculty members, campus tours, support staff-based information sessions, and family gatherings. The University worked to make this programming accessible to all, including Shabbat observant families, by offer ing guided walks with volunteer escorts from Usdan Student Center to the Boston Marriott Newton.

Festivities began on Friday, Sept. 28 with the Brandeis Family Weekend 2022 Welcome Re ception held on the Great Lawn. Many Univer sity administrators present at this event met with family and friends. There were also live musical performances by students, family pho to opportunities, refreshments, and welcoming remarks.

Other programming on Friday afternoon in

cluded campus tours and panels, the women’s soccer game vs. Washington University, Late Night Trivia, and “Proscreamium” — a perfor mance of Halloween-themed music by the a cap pella group Proscenium. The audience was full of students and families listening to popular medlies and compositions of songs from popu lar culture such as “Mean Girls” and “Phineas and Ferb.” The departments of Student Accessi bility Support, Student Engagement, Academic Advising, and the Hiatt Career Center also held open houses.

The packed programming schedule on Sat urday kept students, families, and friends con stantly busy. The Department of Community Living, Gender and Sexuality Center, and the Undergraduate Research and Creative Col laborations Offices hosted open houses. There were various panels — such as “Creative Arts at Brandeis” and “Archaeology and Me,” which featured a panel of archeologists — that allowed community members to learn more about dif ferent programs and initiatives on campus.

There were also many information sessions offered for parents and students covering a multitude of topics, including student safety and wellness, studying abroad, and social jus tice. Other events that took place on Saturday included tours, faculty presentations, and “Class Coffee” — an event allowing students and families from the same class year to come together and connect with one another. The “Create@Brandeis Craft Market” took place at the Fellows Garden, where visitors and com

munity members shopped for handmade goods including jewelry, ceramics, and more, all of which were made by Brandeis students and faculty.

On Saturday night, the “Student Perfor mance Showcase” took place in the Levin Ballroom. This Brandeis Family Weekend event highlighted performances by MAD Band, Brandeis Klezmer Band, Rather Be Giraffes, Up the Octave, Emma Fiesinger Does StandUp, Manginah, Proscenium A Cappella, the Nintendo Bros, Hooked on Tap, Brandeis Ball room Formation Team, Omer Barash, Brandeis Voicemale, and Starving Artists. This two-hour performance captured the diversity of perform ing arts on campus and allowed many family members and friends to show support for their students. Audience member Emily Hou ’26 stated in an interview with the Justice at the event that she loved the performance: “The Stu dent Performance Showcase was a great blend of performing arts at Brandeis! I really enjoyed being able to support my friends in MAD Band and Proscenium, and it was cool to see what a lot of the performing arts clubs have been working on this semester.”

To conclude the Saturday activities, the Cam pus Activities Board hosted the “Halloweekend Extravaganza” in the Shapiro Campus Center. The CAB event had refreshments, pumpkin and cookie decorating, tarot reading, face painting, a movie, a photo booth, a costume contest, car nival games, mini golf, and an escape room.

Family weekend wrapped up on Sunday

with another full day of programming. Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams faced off against the University of Chicago, and Brandeis hosted the “Family Weekend Soccer Tailgate Experience” with a food truck, lawn games and other competitions, and giveaways. The Student Union hosted the “Student Union Pumpkin Fest,” an event featuring pumpkin carving and painting and a contest with prizes for all ages of the Brandeis community. The “Create@Brandeis Craft Market” was set up again in Fellows Garden, and presentations in cluded “Behind the Scenes with Undergraduate Theater Collective” and “Faculty Presentation: White Supremacy and Antisemitism: Lessons from the January 6th Capitol Attack,” with Prof. Jonathan Sarna (NEJS).

Through Brandeis Family Weekend, many campus facilities were open for use. Gosman Sports and Convocation Center was free for all visitors, and group fitness classes such as Pilates were offered. The Chapels hosted open houses and a wide variety of religious services were held. The Brandeis Bookstore was open, selling University merchandise, and atten dance was popular at the Rose Art Museum.

Family Weekend allowed Brandeis fam ily members and friends to participate in fun events on campus, spend time with their stu dents, and preview a sampling of Brandeis life. This weekend also provided a space and an opportunity for the diverse members of the Brandeis community to connect with and learn from one another.

Photos: Jack Yuanwei Cheng/the Justice. Design: Hedy Yang/the Justice

SWAG: The Univ. gave away a multitude of Brandeis freebies including lunch bags, pins, and frisbees.

DINING: Students and dining staff came together to protest working conditions

ence from the last demonstration, where no University administrators were present. When asked by the Justice to comment, administrators declined to speak regarding Harvest Table, but stated that they were present at the delegation to protect the students right to protest.

In an email correspondence on Oct. 31, Stanley said, “I would have called Clay[ton Hargrove] to join the protest when I heard the group asking for him, but one of his col leagues had already done so.” The students and dining workers marched back to the entrance of Lower Usdan from the Harvest Table offices to meet Hargrove as he re turned to the dining hall. Several other people in Harvest Table’s management came to stand behind Hargrove as well.

A dining worker named Mily, who has worked as a cashier in Upper Usdan and at Starbucks, addressed her concerns directly to Hargrove, saying, “People are very tired.” She described how workers will be assigned a shift in one dining area and then be asked to switch loca tions. “It has to stop,” she said. “You pick the schedule, you should be able to keep the schedule,” Mily contested. Hargrove, who had been silent up until that point, said, “I understand.”

Mily also said that she had worked several shifts at the Starbucks in Farber completely alone. She added that the same situation was happening that same day, and an em ployee at Starbucks named Jemy would work until clos ing by herself. “We never take our 10-minute breaks in the morning or the afternoon,” Mily added. She also has worked alone as a cashier in Upper. “They give people overtime,” she said. “No student workers, where are the students?”

Mily suggested that “if we want this business to work, we [dining workers and Harvest Table] need to work to gether, or we’re not gonna get anywhere.”

Then, Hsiung, the union steward for unionized din

ing workers through Boston’s Local 26, said, “we are not Harvest Table slaves. We are human beings.” A worker named Marilyn talked about the power imbalance at play: “If the management is strong enough, you have to listen.”

Jemy, a dining worker at the Starbucks, talked about what drives her work. “We are here to work as a team for the students,” she said. “I get so tired. It’s way too much work … you are saying we aren’t working hard enough.” She added that her managers’ frustrations impact her experience with students: “I don’t wanna be mad at my students and crying.”

At that point, Marilyn, a dining worker in Louis’ Deli, stood up for Hsiung. “People think she’s a troublemak er. She’s not. She’s just on her own [as union steward],” Marilyn said, putting an arm around Hsiung. Hargrove clapped for Hsiung along with the demonstrators and dining workers.

Jaiden Wolfman ’23 from the BLU stated, “We will continue to protest until the workers feel safe.” Later, Hsiung mentioned that a Harvest Table manager told workers that they would have to go to the demonstration on their own break time and asked, “Am I nice to you?

Am I respectful to you?” Josh Benson ’23 from the BLU said, “That’s anti-labor shit, and we will not have it on our campus.” When the Justice asked Hargrove about worker intimidation, he said, “I don’t know anything about it.”

Addressing the crowd, Hargrove said, “I support the workers as much as you do.” He continued, “401(k)s, ben efits that haven’t happened, that’s all gonna happen.” He declined to speak on Kevintz Merisier when the Justice asked. Hargrove said he was not permitted to talk about Merisier, because the “collective bargaining agreement” with the Union prevented him from doing so. He insisted that “we follow the contract to the letter.”

Wolfman repeated that the BLU and dining workers would be back to demonstrate again, to which Hargrove

ANTIRACISM : School of Arts and Sciences has taken many initiatives to combat racism

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after a rush of student activism inspired by the Ford Hall 2015 pro tests,” as written in the same arti cle from the School of Arts and Sci ences. The School is also searching for funding for an endowed chair in Women’s, Gender, and Sexual ity Studies to “further diversify the faculty.”

Alongside the Office of the Pro vost, the School of Arts and Sci ences launched a Faculty of Color Collective, formerly led by former faculty member Carina Ray, and now led by Prof. Ulka Anjaria (ENG), director of the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Center for the Humanities. The Collective builds community among faculty of color through a sponsored meal and “virtual writing and research ac countability groups” to “foster peer mentorships,” per the same School

of Arts and Sciences article. The program was primarily designed so that younger faculty members can have a faculty mentor that is outside of their department. Dean Hodgson noted in the same article that “the Faculty Mentoring Pro gram is not just about professional development opportunities—it is intended to create a sense of be longing for faculty at all stages of their careers.” The two-year pro gram pairs faculty with a mentor and initiates connections across disciplines.

The support from University ad ministration and the collaborative work with the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion has allowed these projects to be successful in continuing the recruitment and re tention of faculty of color and the ongoing work of maintaining fac ulty diversity in the School of Arts and Sciences.

GITTLER PRIZE: Dr. Carol Anderson spent her residency on campus speaking about her research on voter suppression

pression, such as poll taxes, literacy tests, weakening of the Voting Rights Act, significant court cases like “Shelby County v. Holder,” voter ID laws, and voter roll purges.

One example of discriminatory voter ID laws Anderson mentioned was in Alabama. Alabama required voters to have a government issued photo ID to vote; however, public hous ing IDs did not count, and 71% of inhabitants in public hous ing in Alabama are Black. Former Governor Robert Bentley shut down the Department of Motor Vehicles in Black Belt counties for fiscal reasons to decrease the budget’s deficit. The result was people needed to travel 50 miles to obtain a driver’s license even though they could not drive the distance them selves. Moreover, Alabama is ranked 48th in the country in terms of public transportation.

On Oct. 26, Dr. Anderson led a discussion titled, “Pursuing Racial Justice: A Conversation about Freedom, Democracy, and Human Rights” at the Heller School. There were intro ductory speeches by Heller School Interim Dean Maria Madi son and Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Le Manuel “Lee” Bitsóí. Anderson then gave a talk, followed by a Q&A session and discussion of some quotes from her book “White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of our Racial Divide.” She first addressed the relationship between voter fraud and the criminalization of Black people. She highlighted how cities with large Black populations such as Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee were accused of voter fraud when there was no evidence of massive voter fraud. Additionally, she dis cussed how the foundation of the Second Amendment was anti-Blackness and the identification of Black people as inher ently criminal, violent, and dangerous to the white commu nity. “As a nation, we have been willing to accept being unsafe in our schools, our children having to do shooter drills…” she said, “because of this anti-Blackness [and] our unwillingness to begin to rethink what real security looks like, what real safety feels like.”

On the day of the award presentation, Provost Fierke gave the opening remarks, thanking the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life, which administers the prize on behalf of the Office of the President and the Office of the Provost; Director of Programs in International Justice and So

ciety Leigh Swigart, Ethics Center administrator Pyunghwa Lee, and Event Manager Catherine Doyle for organizing the event; and the Gittler selection committee.

Professor Williams then gave an introduction on Anderson. He stated that “American democracy is in crisis” and asked, “what responsibility do we as scholars … and more important ly as citizens have to address these issues?” Anderson and her work serves as a model for ways to save democracy.

Afterwards, Fierke presented the Gittler Prize to Anderson. In Anderson’s lecture, “White Rage: From Reconstruction to the January 6th Insurrection,” she talked about the origins of her idea to address the topic of white rage. She observed that footage of Ferguson, Missouri focused on “Black rage.” She argued that media coverage like this pushes a “consistent nar rative of the pathology of Black people. This nation needs that narrative to say, ‘America would be fine except those Black people don’t believe in education … law and order … [and] strong families. There’s just something wrong with Black people.’” Anderson flipped the script and instead emphasized “white rage,” and how white people created discriminatory structures designed to eliminate Black people’s rights. She de scribed white rage as “invisible violence. And so I set out to make white rage visible. To basically blow graphite on white rage’s fingerprints through history.” She explained that the trigger for white rage is not the presence of Black people; in stead, Black people who are ambitious, refuse to be subjugat ed, and demand their rights, are seen as a threat.

Anderson mentioned barriers to voting and education in Missouri for Black people, as well as racially motivated po licing tactics. For example, police officers would give Black people traffic tickets for minor violations and fine them. The police increased economic burdens on working class Black people by imposing fines and requiring attendance at court dates, which meant less time to work and earn wages. If they missed their court dates, warrants for their arrest were put out, and they went to jail. Anderson stated that white people received more lenient treatment than Black people. 25 percent of the city’s budget was funded by these policing practices.

Anderson provided other historical examples of the denial of quality education for Black people, as well as racially mo tivated policies on crime. For instance, in 1951 in Prince Ed ward County, Virginia, 16 year-old Barbara Johns organized

a school walk-out to demand for better schools for Black chil dren. People threatened her life, and she was sent to Alabama for her safety.

The county shut down the public school system after the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision, arguing that technically everybody had equal access now because no body had access. However, they offered white people publicly funded vouchers to send their children to segregated acad emies. It took five years of court cases to open up the public school system again, which resulted in Black children having a five year gap in their education. The lack of education for Black people put them at a disadvantage since America was transforming from an industrial economy to a knowledgebased one.

Anderson also discussed the war on drugs and its dispro portionate effects on Black people. According to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Crimi nal Justice Fact Sheet, the incarceration rate of African Americans for drug charges is almost 6 times that of whites even though both groups use drugs at similar rates. The result is many Black people with felony convictions are at risk of losing the right to vote. A felony conviction also negatively impacts their chances of obtaining suitable education, hous ing, and employment. She explained how it is more expensive to imprison someone than educate them and revealed the losses people incur when the government devotes money to in carceration rather than intellectual achievement. Anderson highlighted the fact that there were over 6 million Americans who could not vote because of a felony conviction in 2018, and 1.7 million of them were in Florida alone. 40% of Black men could not vote in Florida because of a felony conviction.

After Anderson’s lecture, Professor Williams moderated a Q&A session. One of the questions touched on reasons why Anderson pursued scholarship on discrimination against Af rican Americans. She engaged in this type of scholarship be cause her father “raised [her] to know that this was a nation worth fighting for'' and to intervene when injustice is happen ing. Anderson watched what happened in Ferguson and was compelled to respond to it because of the values her father instilled in her. Ultimately, she wants to ensure that African American history is accessible to everyone.

features

Countering Columbus and colonization: Indigenous Peoples’ Day at Brandeis

By HEDY YANG JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, he discovered the Americas and gave European settlers access to the bountiful lands overseas — or so the old, whitewashed tale goes. But Indigenous leaders like JeanLuc Pierite are working to change this nar rative.

On Oct. 10, Pierite joined Brandeis’ In tercultural Center and a group of about 70 participants for an Indigenous Peoples’ Day event held on the ICC patio. Former ICC di rector Madeliene Lopez started this event six years ago “as a way to recognize and honor Indigenous communities,” current ICC di rector Habiba Braimah Ph.D. ’23 said in an email interview with the Justice on Oct. 21. This year’s event, which is part of the Year of Climate Action and was co-sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Office of Sustainability, and the Department of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, featured a panel discussion with Pierite, a traditional Round Dance led by Prof. Evan gelina Macias (WGS), and concluded with an Indigenous-inspired meal.

Pierite is a member of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana. Since 2017, he has served as the president of the North American Indi an Center of Boston. He began his discussion at the event with a reflection on the impor tance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, especially in its replacement of Columbus Day. Over the past decade, over a dozen states and many cities have adopted Indigenous Peoples’ Day. More than 100 of the cities that celebrate the holiday, including Boston, no longer recog nize Columbus Day. President Biden issued a proclamation on Oct. 7 to designate Oct. 10, 2022 as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. This marks only the second time the holiday has been federally recognized.

For Pierite, replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day is important because it empowers Indigenous people to share the truth about the violence and ex ploitation their communities faced as a re sult of European colonization. By doing so, Pierite hopes to rectify the glorification of colonization that happens too often in the U.S. “I know it’s very important for us to hold onto that myth because it makes us feel nice about what’s going on today … but it’s a very thin veneer,” he warned.

The City of Waltham acknowledges both Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day, putting it among the more than 20 Massachu setts localities that acknowledge Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The Commonwealth currently only recognizes Columbus Day. A bill intro duced in the Massachusetts state legislature in March 2021 would have replaced Colum bus Day with the newer holiday statewide. Multiple committees voted in favor of the legislation, but it did not get brought to a vote on the state House or Senate floor before the legislative session ended July 31, 2022.

Pierite spoke in support of the bill at a July 20 rally at the State House, according to Wicked Local. “In 2022, Indigenous Peoples’ Day means much more than correcting the historical record,” he said at the event. “This is an act of racial justice, economic justice, and climate justice … Columbus Day is poi son; Indigenous Peoples’ Day is the medi cine.” He spoke about the dangers of uplift ing Columbus and similarly problematic historical figures and said the effects of this can be seen in recent events such as “roll backs of civil rights and white nationalists marching in city streets.”

At the event on campus, Pierite drew atten tion to various issues impacting Indigenous communities today that mirror what has happened in the past. “We’re not just talking about what happened to Indigenous peoples, we’re talking about what’s happening,” he said.

Among several of the issues discussed, Pierite highlighted the persistent trend of the exploitation of Indigenous lands, initial ly at the hands of colonizers who continuous ly encroached on and stole tribal lands and now by corporate and government entities.

He recalled hearing stories from his ances tors about the wreckage of their lands that resulted from the extraction of minerals and natural resources for trade and said there are unsettling parallels with what is happen ing today on Indigenous lands — the drilling of natural gas, construction of pipelines, and mining for lithium for use in batteries and other sources of so-called “clean” energy.

Many Indigenous groups have called for an end to these practices and to “keep what’s in the ground in the ground,” as Pierite put it.

He also discussed how formal Eurocen tric education has been weaponized against Indigenous peoples to impose specific ways of being upon those “who have lived sustain ably on these lands for millennia.” He point ed to the recent interest among academics in “Traditional Ecological Knowledge.” The Yale School of Environment defines this con cept as “deep knowledge of a place that has been painstakingly discovered by those who have adapted to it over thousands of years.”

Pierite said for him and other Indigenous people, it is frustrating that after so many years of being forced to “put ourselves away,” their traditional knowledge is now being coopted and intellectualized by the very indi viduals and systems that compelled them to abandon it in the first place.

Pierite also shared with attendees the plight of the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw tribe in southeast Louisiana, who has lost over 98% of its land to erosion and land sub sidence — the sinking of Earth’s surface due to human activities and natural causes — is sues that have been further exacerbated by climate change. According to the nonprofit National Resources Defense Council, the community has spent years fighting to move their community inland with no success. They are widely considered the first U.S. cli mate change refugees and are an example of how Indigenous peoples are disproportion ately impacted by the climate crisis. Of this, Pierite demanded, “Why is this not headline news every day?”

In light of these issues, it is no surprise that Pierite and Indigenous community members in the greater Boston area are frustrated with the recent decision by Mayor of Boston Michelle Wu to designate ItalianAmerican Heritage Day the same day as In digenous Peoples’ Day.

In October 2021, former acting Mayor of Boston Kim Janey signed an executive order designating the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead of Co lumbus Day. On Oct. 7 of this year, Wu took to Twitter to announce her administration’s decision to also designate this day as ItalianAmerican Heritage Day. Italian-American Heritage Month is celebrated in October, the original reason being to coincide with Co lumbus Day.

“What was the purpose?” Pierite asked in regard to the mayor’s decision when the topic came up during the panel discussion. He con tinued, “We have people that are so hooked on the mythology … that they have to bend over backward … do mental gymnastics to be able to hold onto whatever scrap they can [of political power].” Days earlier, at an Oct. 8 march in Boston to demand that Mas sachusetts abolish Columbus Day and recog nize Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Pierite spoke to the gathered media outlets and shared a message for lawmakers: “Sign the bill that says Indigenous Peoples Day replaces Chris topher Columbus Day, repeal any form of Italian-American Heritage Day that is on

our day.”

During the panel discussion on campus, an attendee asked how non-Native people can express their solidarity with Indigenous communities in response to events such as Mayor Wu’s recent decision. Pierite encour aged attendees to write to their mayors, city councils, and other government officials, to ask them to stand with Indigenous peoples. Pierite and Vice President of Diversity, Eq uity, and Inclusion LeManuel Bitsóí also shared resources with attendees about legis lation that Indigenous groups in Massachu setts have been working to pass, as well as the websites of national and local advocacy groups.

“It was said that Indigenous Peoples’ Day was the canary in the coal mine,” Pierite said. “If our political leaders cannot stand with Indigenous peoples for one day … when we really need it, what’s going to happen?”

Community connection through dance

Following Pierite’s discussion, Prof. Evan gelina Macias, who is a member of the Black feet Aamskapipikuni Nation in Montana, led the attendees in an interactive Round Dance.

Round Dance is a form of Indigenous dance that is practiced by tribes across the U.S. and Canada, often during powwow or other social settings. Different tribes have unique knowledge of and relationships to dance. The particular dance Macias led at the event was influenced by her own tribal knowledge, she explained in an Oct. 24 interview with the Justice.

In many Indigenous practices, Round Dances are meant to embody themes of uni ty, inclusivity, and community. These ideas were represented through the shapes the dance took — most notably, as its name im plies, a circular formation with movement in the clockwise, or “sunwise,” direction. “That circle shape is a way of bringing everyone together in a space where we all fit,” Macias said, “We can also look beyond the backs of people in front of us … so in a way that’s a form of protecting and keeping an eye out for each other.”

Round Dances incorporate hand drum ming to set the beat as dancers move in the circular formation. Many Indigenous tribes describe the drum as a living being that has a spirit. As such, drummers will sprinkle to bacco on their drums as an offering before setting the beat, which attendees bore wit ness to at the event. “We make offerings with tobacco before we engage with the drum to make sure we are … giving thanks for the drum that is providing for us that day,” Ma cias explained.

Before dancing commenced, the drummer Roaming, whom Macias asked to share their drum beats for the event, walked around in the circle hitting the drum to set the connection to the beat. Many tribes, in cluding the Blackfeet Nation, follow the idea that drum beats are representative of heartbeats. It is thus important to feel its resonance before dancing.

For Macias, who has witnessed and participated in Indigenous dance in a variety of contexts, it was deeply mov ing and empowering to see so many people engage with the dance during the event: “I was thankful to see … the level of participation in the Round Dance … [and to see] people maybe [being] will ing to move in a way they haven’t moved before, or to move with knowledge that might be new to them.”

For the Blackfeet Nation and certain Indigenous tribes, Round Dance is a practice non-Indigenous people are wel come to participate in. However, Macias encouraged participants to be aware of the context of their engagement in the

I am pretty fearless, and you know why? Because I don’t handle fear very well; I’m not a good terrified person.

ON THIS DAY…

In 1997, James Cameron’s “Titanic” was screened publicly for the first time at the Tokyo International Film Festival. It went on to become the highest grossing film of all time and remains the third highest today.

FUN FACT

An intense and persistent fear of Halloween is called Samhainophobia, named after Samhain, the ancient Celtic holiday the modern tradition comes from.

practice, especially in terms of who is facili tating the dance and the ancient knowledge it embodies. Recognizing oral histories and lineages is especially important: “Without lineages, there is a disconnect in some sense to the Indigenous peoples who have those sto ries,” she explained.

This awareness is especially important considering how Indigenous peoples have re peatedly been stripped of their ability to en gage in their cultural practices. In 1883, the U.S. passed a body of legislation called the Code of Indian Offenses that banned many Indigenous religious and spiritual practices, including dance. It was not until 1978 that ceremonies gained some level of legal protec tion on a federal level through the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. Macias spoke of the persistence of Indigenous peoples in upholding their cultural practices and keep ing knowledge alive despite the process of colonization: “Things might have changed, but there are still stories and deep meanings behind each dance, behind each outfit, be hind each song, ceremony, etc.”

Macias was encouraged by the turnout at the event and urged Brandeis to continue to take action to support Indigenous students and faculty. “It speaks a lot to the commu nity at Brandeis and the willingness to show up for these events and to learn,” she said.

“There is a strong potential for Brandeis to put action behind land acknowledgments, to support Indigenous peoples, to support cur rent and prospective students and faculty who are Indigenous, and to sustain connec tions to local Indigenous communities.”

“We [the ICC] plan to continue doing the work to support our Indigenous community and invite all ICC community members to join us in amplifying the work that Indig enous peoples are already rooted in,” ICC di rector Habiba Braimah told the Justice.

The ICC hopes to work with the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion to “develop a strategic plan to increase Indigenous rep resentation within the student and faculty population,” Braimah said, as well as to “[re vise] our land acknowledgment statement in collaboration with members of local Indig enous tribes.”

Braimah echoed Macia’s sentiments about the event turnout and the potential of Brandeis community members to make a difference. “Some participants even stayed past the allotted time to continue the con versation and learn more about how they can take action to better support Indigenous communities,” she said. “At the ICC, it is our hope that the conversation continues beyond Indigenous Peoples’ Day … As settlers of this land, it is important that we stand in solidar ity with our Indigenous family to prevent the silencing of their voices.”

Design: Anna Martin/the Justice

Photo courtesy of BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY

SPEAKER: Jean-Luc Pierite led a panel discussion on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Oct. 10.

Photo courtesy of BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY

DANCE: Prof. Evangelina Macias led attendees in a Round Dance, an indigenous tradition.

With LARP cAmP documentARy, ALum cAPtuRe cReAtivity on cAmeRA

By ARIELLA WEISS JUSTICE EDITOR

When Sam Ho ’20 started col lege, he barely knew what LARP ing was. Now, he’s directing a documentary about it. Ho began conceptualizing his now featurelength film, “Hero Camp!”, while he was still a student at Brandeis. By July 2022, Ho was living in Providence, Rhode Island, editing over 120 hours of footage with his Brandeis classmate, Colin Hodg son ’20.

Ho spent the summer of 2018 as a videography intern at Wizards & Warriors Summer Camp. Located in Burlington, Massachusetts, Wizards & Warriors is a “live ac tion roleplay” camp — “LARP,” for short. Live action roleplay players portray their game char acters in real time. Following the character’s “rules” in the imagi nary world, LARP-ing is partgame, part-performance. Campers create their own characters who serve specific roles in the shared fantasy world.

Ho’s summer internship was the first time he had encountered LARP-ing — and professional film making. Returning to Wizards & Warriors to make a documentary after his internship was over felt “really natural,” Ho said. “I was able to hone that craft [of film making] and be inspired by the creativity of these kids, and that culminated in me wanting to be a filmmaker. It just felt right to want to do it at this camp.”

Filming for “Hero Camp!” be gan the first week of March 2020, but the pandemic derailed Ho’s plans to film in person. He spent the duration of the pandemic do ing Zoom interviews with campers and staff. He eventually returned to the camp, once in 2021 and four times in 2022, to film in person. “Through that process [of Zoom interviewing], I gained a much stronger understanding of what this camp means to people,” Ho reflected. “There was definitely a silver lining there — the pandemic forced me to be patient with [the film] and figure out where the sto ry could go.”

Ho worked alone during the filming process, until Brandeis’ re-Commencement in May 2022. “I didn’t quite realize how strong my connections at Brandeis were, especially in SIMS [Sound, and

Image Media Studios] … since the world kind of paused for a while.”

Ho and Colin Hodgson worked to gether on various projects in these media studios while they were stu dents at Brandeis.

“SIMS was really the place … where I became part of a film com munity,” Hodgson said. “Mark Dellelo [director of SIMS] was by far the most responsible for me honing my editing and filmmaking skills.”

Claire Ogden ’21 also spent time in SIMS while at Brandeis. While she hadn’t worked with Ho direct ly during her time at Brandeis, she said, “My appreciation of Sam as an artist and a filmmaker is re ally what brought me into this.”

Ho helped Alyssa Fagin ’20 create her senior thesis, a documentary film. “It’s cool that it’s coming full circle and [I can] be on Sam’s team and help out as much as I can.”

All four of them have been work ing in video media since graduat ing. Hodgson was creating pro motional content even before his involvement in “Hero Camp!” He quit his former job to join the team as the film’s lead editor. Hodgson and Ho lived and worked together in Providence from July to August 2022. “Living together definitely helps,” Hodgson said. “It’s super easy to brainstorm when you’re together in person; it’s a lot harder to do over Zoom. That alone has made it worth it.” Ho added, “And it’s just fun to share ... It’s nice to have a sense of camaraderie.”

Ogden, one of the film’s produc ers, describes herself as an “inde pendent filmmaker.” She said the filmmaking process can be “really lonely and really hard” and said that with “Hero Camp!” it has been “really rejuvenating and inspiring to be able to be in that act of mutu ally creating something.”

One of the first big decisions Hodgson said he had to make as ed itor was narrowing the documen tary down to focus primarily on just a few people. “The goal is for it to be as condensed as possible while still conveying the emotions … You could make something that will end up looking really amateur and mediocre, or you can put in more effort and energy and cre ativity and bring it up to the next level.”

Hodgson and Ho have pared down a rough cut of Ho’s footage.

“I think a major theme in this film

is change, and I think our hope is to convey the passage of time in a cohesive way,” Ho said. “And hopefully, it’s entertaining.”

None of the collaborators knew much about LARP before this project. “It was pretty much what I expected when I heard about LARP-ing,” Fagin said. “What did surprise me was the refuge it so clearly provided to many of these campers.”

Despite LARP being new to the filmmakers, they feel there is a relatability to the campers’ stories, even for audiences unfa miliar with LARP. “They’re selfdescribed nerds,” Ho said of the campers, “but at the end of the day, they’re being creative togeth er. I think those types of spaces should be spotlighted.”

“All documentaries come back to the fact that we are human, and any human act is going to be relat able if you portray it correctly,” Fagin said, drawing on her ex periences as a documentarian at Brandeis and her work in the pro fessional setting.

Ho feels “Hero Camp!” has dual responsibilities of portraying a story for an audience and uplifting the campers while sharing their stories. “My hope was I [would be] able to build connections with the people I was following and treat them respectfully … These people I’m following are very creative, and I’m learning from them how to build a story,” Ho said. “I’m hum bling myself, where it can be a mu tually beneficial relationship.”

Ogden added that working in nonfiction moviemaking has changed her understanding of sto rytelling. “You only have so much agency over the content,” she ex plained, “You have to figure out ways to convey the points … with the pieces you have. You’re kind of creating the puzzle pieces as you’re putting them together.”

Since “Hero Camp!” is an inde pendent production, “money is the perennial problem,” Ogden said. Ogden, chiefly responsible for the film’s funding, created a Kick starter for the production and set the funding goal to $10,000. If the fundraising campaign didn’t reach this goal by the Aug. 16, 2022 “due date,” all donors would get their money back — as per Kickstart er’s policy — and the filmmakers would have to find a way to get the $10,000 themselves. They ended up

Sam Ho ’20, Colin Hodgson ’20, Alyssa Fagin ’20, and Claire Ogden ’21 speak about their upcoming documentary film, “Hero Camp!”, which follows campers at a live action roleplay camp in Burlington, Massachusetts.

raising $11,015 by their due date.

The “Hero Camp!” team is using the money to score the film and hire another editor. Scoring for “Hero Camp!” will be composed by Cassidy Ames and Giuseppe Desiato Ph.D. ’22, a candidate in Composition and Music Theory at Brandeis. According to Ho, “Hero Camp!” is set to be complete by

summer 2023, and it will be sub mitted for candidacy in indepen dent film festivals this upcoming summer.

Design: Ceci Chen/the Justice

Photos courtesy of SAM HO

SETTING UP: “The goal is for it to be as condensed as possible while still conveying the emotions,” Hodgson (left) said of the documentary.

GETTING THE SHOT: Ho visited Wizards & Warriors Summer Camp four times over the last year to film.

CREATIVE PARTNERS: Ho (left) and Colin Hodgson ’20 met while they were students at Brandeis and are now collaborating on “Hero Camp!”

PASSION PROJECT: Sam Ho ’20 started working on his feature-length documentary “Hero Camp!” in March 2020.

Jen Crystal, Editor in Chief

Jane Flautt, Managing Editor

Cameron Cushing and Sofia Gonzalez, Senior Editors

Leeza Barstein, Juliana Giacone, Hannah Taylor, and Jack Yuanwei Cheng Associate Editors

Dalya Koller, Leah Breakstone, News Editors

Natalie Kahn, Features Editor

Lauryn Williams, Forum Editor

Aiden Guthro, Acting Sports Editor

Megan liao, Arts & Culture Editor

Smiley Huynh and Owen Chan, Acting Photography Editors

Ariella Weiss, Isabel roseth, Copy Editors

Eden Osiason, Acting Online Editor

Samantha Goldman, Devon Sandler, Online Editors

How to handle burnout during the end of the semester

The window between late October and Thanksgiving is now upon us, and although midterms are nearly over, students remain prone to burnout. This past month, students rarely had a full week of classes due to various holidays, but from here on until Thanksgiving, students do not have any extra days off from their classes. This period of time is one where students often start to feel burnt out, whether it’s due to a second wave of midterms, multitudes of homework, or just simply not having any time to themselves. This board would like to offer advice to students on how to stay sane and take care of themselves until our next break.

Your sleep is very important, and you will not function well without it. Try to avoid pulling all nighters to get your homework done the night before and focus on evenly distributing your work. If you’re well-rested, it will be much easier to focus. For those who are planners, it can be a good strategy to map out when you will get work done when so you have an idea of how much work you should do each day. You do not need to stick to the plan exactly, but keep in mind that working on something over time will require less energy than putting an assignment together the night before it is due.

When the increase in homework feels exponential and there is no end in sight, it can be difficult for students to make sure they live a life outside of their academics. Although it is important to put effort into your work, try to take some time off every now and then to socialize. Take advantage of your Friday and Saturday nights; work during the day and give yourself a break in the evening.

Whether you’re going out with friends or staying in, avoid locking yourself in your dorm and not speaking to anyone until that paper is finished.

And if you have to force yourself to partake in some intensive study sessions, make sure that you are nourished and well rested.

What is most important during this time is that you take care of yourself. Academics are important, but they are not everything, and your mental health should remain a priority.

Give yourself breaks when you need them, but avoid falling into cycles of procrastination.

Look forward to your next break — while it seems ages away, it will be here eventually. Until then, this board wishes students luck in getting through these next few weeks until Thanksgiving break.

faculty

As we near the end of the semester, this editorial board would like to thank our professors for all of their hard work. We appreciate all you have done in persevering through the unusual educational environment brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, working hard to give individualized attention to your students, and showing up to each class with enthusiasm and energy. It is especially important to note that faculty of color face even more challenges than their co-workers, such as racism and providing unpaid labor in the form of sitting on Diversity Equity and Inclusion committees, hosting events and panels on topics such as anti-racism and diversity, and supporting students of color who face similar issues.

Within the past year, the number of faculty members and administrators has dwindled: Many administrators left in the spring of 2022, the Computer Science department has lost many professors, and half of the Women and Gender Studies department faculty are on leave for the fall 2022 semester, per the WGS website. That being said, this board raises the question of where the faculty and administrators have gone and, more importantly, what caused them to want to leave Brandeis.

As an institution that is widely known for its value of social justice and impact, there is a disparity between what is

advertised and what is the reality. Per a Sept. 13 editorial, “a student told the Justice that she tried to get involved with the Department of Psychology’s antiracism committee in April 2022 only to be informed that the committee had not met since fall 2020 and was unofficially disbanded.” A similar action plan was approved by the Department of Biology where they committed to “increase the diversity of our faculty.” The department has hired several new professors since the approval of the plan, and yet the department still does not have a single Black professor.

It is vital to the success and well-being of the University to advocate for the safety of its faculty members, regardless of their race, gender, or ethnicity. A good place to start would be to reinvigorate the action plans that were previously in place to prevent such discrimination, which includes the Anti-Racism Plan and the Black Action Plan.

This board calls on the University to uphold their promise of social justice and to take action to ensure all faculty are treated fairly, regardless of race and sex, and compensated equally. This board hopes that the University’s faculty members recognize how grateful we are for you; we see you, we hear you, and we will advocate for you to get the work environment you deserve.

“Asking

Asking for a friend

How can students remain active in campus activ ites during this time? What campus resources are available for students to cope with stress?

A:

Take a walk around campus, attend events as a break from studying or working on midterms, and make time to get perspective and to give yourself more motiva tion and time to breathe.

Read the news sources on campus, participate in their writing if you have time, attend a senate commit tee meeting, look at the Student Union website, and ask questions to your union members!

Save the Student Union events calendar, and check out the SU instagram as we try to post as many events on there as possible, follow clubs you’re interested in on In stagram so you can see when they’re hosting events. The union calendar is not open to the public at the moment, but monthly calendar events are on our website.

Culture shows are always ongoing during midterms and finals. Look into Intercultural Center events and culture shows, participate in them, and help the ICC out by volunteering for the culture X committee —there’s so many things to do through the ICC!

Look for events that have food at them! I know dur ing stressful periods I can forget to eat, but keeping my eye out for events that have food gets me both out of my door and a meal. Plus, its a great way to spend time with friends!

Exercise is great for mental and physical health. Join a club sport at Brandeis that you find interesting and try to attend a few times a week. Competing in ca sual sports is perfect for getting your heart-rate up while also having fun during stressful exam seasons!

Club sports are an awesome way to relax and get your mind off the stress of classes while fitting in some exercise and meeting new people! I’m personally part of the Squash club, and I know there are a host of other groups from our Quadball —formerly Quidditch— team to the climbing club!

Make a list of what you need to get done and keep track as you study/complete tasks. Maybe a fun reward is getting to grab food with a friend off campus! Try to make sure you are getting what you need to get done, but be sure that you are doing other things beyond studying, whether it be a club, seeing friends, etc.

Go to events held by clubs and organizations (al though events are usually not promoted well enough, whether because they don’t seem as appealing, no one knows about it, or students don’t value balancing study ing and leisure time enough to go.

Student Union

Parasocial relationships: putting trust in the wrong places

By TIBRIA BROWN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

It’s been a hard couple of months for fans in parasocial relationships. As we’ve seen, fans of the Try Guys and Kanye West continue to be let down time and time again by their favorite creators. I think now is a perfect opportunity to examine parasocial relationships that have led to a staggering amount of young people defending someone like Kanye West, despite his anti-Semitic comments on Twitter.

This is also an opportunity to talk about pop culture and how the celebrity system rewards parasocial relationships and fans interacting with celebrities’ opinions and content uncritically.

Especially in the case of West, who now goes by Ye, his loyal fans still go to bat for him because they feel a personal connection with his message and his music.

Ye is an artist that talks openly about hardships in his life, including mental illness. This, in combination with Ye’s arrogant personality, has led fans to see him as one of the few transparent celebrities.

Over the years of his career, as he’s gotten more famous, he has also become increasingly controversial.

Ye also has the ability to heavily influence his audience, while convincing them that they know his true intentions behind controversial statements. A lot of fans claim Ye is a misunderstood genius or that he has altruistic plans to improve the music industry and the world at large.

The following are examples of fans’ reactions to Ye’s anti-Semitic comments over Twitter:

#1: “u dont get it, this was part of the plan, hes finally free. Yes, granted he did give adidas sole ownership, lost all of his partnerships, had his bank, lawyer, & booking agency cut ties, got his movie shelved n more importantly Lost his

family but theres something greater at play here.”

#2: “If Kanye has a million fans, I am one of them. If Kanye has ten fans, I am one of them. If Kanye has only one fan, I’m that lone fan. If Kanye has no fans, that means I am no longer on this earth. If the world is against Kanye, I am against the world.”

However, this process of convincing fans that they intimately know a celebrity is not limited to Ye. In fact, most other celebrities do things like this. Some examples are famous YouTubers, K-pop stars, or even TikTokers.

Their job is to mine the parasocial relationship to develop some sort of misplaced adulation from fans that feel connected to them so those fans fund their lifestyle further.

Using Ye as an example of this, he constantly shares his opinions no matter how controversial or polarizing. In doing this, he attracts loyal people that agree with him unconditionally, and this works even more because these fans aren’t used to hearing their opinions vocalized by celebrities. With vloggers on YouTube and TikTok, fans feel connected to these creators, like they are the influencers’ friends.

They see the ins and outs of their lives almost every day, and influencers share their personal concerns with their fans. Though these influencers may not be creating parasocial relationships maliciously or intentionally, these fans genuinely feel connected to them, and those connections fuel their popularity and profits.

For celebrities, this seems to be a lucrative way of connecting with fans, as it makes a very loyal and uncritical follower base.

These fans are typically young and feel a deep connection with their favorite celebrities.

They rarely point out their flaws because they see these celebrities as friends. Due

to this perceived closeness, fans are more lenient with the outlandish antics of their favorite celebrities.

The Try Guys, who are YouTubers, also benefit from this closeness with fans. They sell merchandise, cookbooks, and upload videos about some of the most personal aspects of their lives.

They’ve branded themselves as unproblematic and kind, and for the most part, they have lived up to that image for seven years. So, their fans feel that they can trust them. For many of their viewers, especially younger fans, the Try Guys have been a significant part of their lives.

However, when Try Guy Ned Fulmer was reported to have cheated on his wife, fans felt personally betrayed as well.

The fanbase immediately piled on him and the other Try Guys. Most of the responses could be considered harmless jokes, but they’ve had very real repercussions on the other Try Guys, as they have had large opportunities postponed, such as their Food Network show. Fans also became increasingly invasive, demanding more information from the people involved.

However, for Ye, his relationship with his fans has given him a lot of support, even while he is being dropped from several of his largest contract deals with JP Morgan Chase, Balenciaga, Adidas, GAP, Skechers, and more, per the New York Times. His fans are bending the truth of what has happened regarding Ye’s antisemitic statements, and they have tried to further excuse Kanye’s intentions, even though they don’t know him personally.

So what is the real harm of these parasocial relationships? Aren’t people allowed to have a connection with celebrities and public figures they look up to? Well, in the case of Ye, parasocial relationships are leading to an increasingly anti-Semitic and conspiracy based fanbase. He’s influencing young people to deny the truth and support bigoted behavior and

ideas. These fans perceive themselves to be in a relationship with Ye, which leads them to trust and ultimately agree with his hateful rhetoric. And in terms of the Try Guys, a lot of people felt personally lied to and emotionally distressed over Fulmer’s actions.

The harm is that when people feel so attached to strangers they don’t know, it’s hard to see how much they are influencing individual opinions or thought processes until it’s too late.

Because of the nature of a parasocial relationship, in which an admirer of a famous person expends emotional energy, time, and money to support a celebrity, there’s a sense of entitlement from that fan that this celebrity owes them things.

In the most extreme cases, a lot of K-pop idols have dealt with a type of fan called a “sasaeng.” These fans will stalk celebrities, show up to their homes and hotel rooms, and even try to feed singers parts of their body such as their hair and blood.

Some will even go as far as trying to kill the celebrity, because they feel a sense of ownership over their life.

Parasocial relationships lead certain kinds of fans to cross social boundaries because they feel they are so close to these celebrities that they are entitled to invade their private lives. Parasocial relationships with K-pop stars and YouTubers put the content creators in the position of victim.

However, the closeness of Ye’s fans leads them to defend him at his most harmful and problematic, like with his anti-Semtic statements of late.

So, it’s important to keep in mind that these people are strangers and that we are not entitled to know anything about their personal lives or the people they interact with.

In addition, people should remain critical of celebrities like Ye who feed into bigotry and encourage their fans to support their hateful ideas.

Photo courtsey of Creative Commons

CELTICS: New year, new coach

Brown shared after the openingnight victory. “Even in the midst of everything, all the turmoil, you could look into his eyes [and] see he was ready.” As the youngest Head Coach in the NBA, Mazzulla has gained total trust and support from his fellow Celtics. “You could always see that Joe had all the makings of becoming a head coach someday,” All-Star small forward Jayson Tatum said. Joe Mazzulla has undoubtedly started his 2022-23 in a successful fashion. Reports from credible sources including Adrian “Woj” Wojnarowski have indicated the possibility of Mazzulla becoming

the official, long-term head coach for the Boston Celtics. Only time will tell whether such rumors will eventually come to fruition or not.

Life is like basketball in a lot of ways. No one can turn back the clock and correct the mistakes they have made. It takes constant reflection and improvement to stay in the game, and it takes a significant amount of trust in everyone you work with to make things work.

Challenged by setbacks during the offseason and expected to top the league, Mazzulla and the Celtics will look to heal from the past and grow into a stronger team.

PATRIOTS: Zappe challenges Jones for starting spot

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interception on the third drive was the final straw for fans. After the thrown pick, “Zappe'' chants began to fill the air at Gillette Stadium. Patriots’ fans received their wish, as Jones was benched in favor of Zappe for their fourth drive. For his first two drives, Zappe was lightning in a bottle, throwing a touchdown on his first drive and leading the team down the field to score another on his second. Unfortunately, that would be the best of his performance, as the rookie threw for two interceptions and lost his momentum. As a result, the

Patriots suffered a 33-14 defeat.

For the Patriots' week eight matchup this past Sunday against the New York Jets, Jones was given the start. He finished the game throwing for 194 yards and a touchdown, while also throwing an interception. Their game script relied heavily on their

rushing attack, spearheaded by the two-headed monster of Rhamondre Stevenson and Damien Harris. The Jones-led offense was sluggish — they couldn’t punch the ball in the endzone on multiple drives, resulting in a stellar day for kicker Nick Folk, who went 5/5 on field goals. Despite the offensive struggles, the defense showed up in monstrous fashion, leading the Pats to a crucial 22-17 victory against their AFC East foe.

Head coach Bill Belichick, in typical fashion, has kept questions pertaining to the two quarterbacks very cryptic. At most, all the public knows is that Belichick is fond of both and will play whoever he feels gives the team the best chance to win. This quarterback controversy will be an ongoing development as the season advances.

WORLD SERIES: Bryce Harper headlines star-studded series

FROM

time games, struck out 11 hitters in game one of the ALCS. Pena batted .353 and drove in two home runs during the series. While the World Series has just started, it is clear that the remainder of the games will be nail biters. Both teams are clearly the most dominant in their respective leagues. The Astros hold a slightly better winning percentage at .654 compared to the

Phillies at .537, but the talent on each roster is stacked. In the first few games of the World Series, the Astros and the Phillies have been evenly matched. In game one, Tucker, one of the Astros’ outfielders, hit two home runs, but ultimately fell short to the Phillies as they came back from being down 0-5. Game two was not particularly close, as the Astros moved ahead of the Phillies early and

stayed ahead at 5-2. There is still more to come for the World Series this year. MLB fans across the country are waiting in anticipation of who will be crowned as the World Champions this year. Regardless of who wins, this year's World Series will certainly be one to remember for all baseball fans.

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

BEASTS FROM THE EAST: As the NBA season begins, the Celtics look like frontrunners to win the Eastern Conference title.

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

PHILLY PHANATIC: Bryce Harper, former number one overall draft pick, is playing in his first World Series after ten seasons.

Brandeis Volleyball gets

By AKI YAMAGUCHI JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The Brandeis Volleyball team entered their Oct. 27 game against the Wellesley College Blue 10-13 overall, looking to put away a win for their last home match of the season. Before the game started, the Judges took time to honor five seniors and graduate students playing in their final match at Auerbach Arena: setter Talia Freund ’23, right-side Emerson White ’23, outside hitter Amelia Oppenheimer ’23, outside/rightside hitter Sydney Bent MA ’23, and defensive specialist Stephanie Borr ’23. The team led for almost the whole match and won the sets 25-16, 25-17, and 25-15.

In the first set, the two teams kept the match close for the first few points, staying at 5-5. However, the Judges found their rhythm and started to pull ahead. Although Wellesley found some answers, the Judges scored four points in a row to pull ahead to a 15-8 lead. However, the game got close again when Wellesley scored seven points to bring the match to 16-15. Bent shut down the Blue’s — or Wellesley’s — offensive push with a few stellar serves and helped finish off the set in a 9-1 run.

Wellesley’s only lead came in the second set when they scored the opening point against the Judges. Although the set went back and forth, the Judges were able to keep the Blue at bay, finishing off the set 15-17. Bent led the Judges to an early lead in the third set by pounding eight consecutive serves to start the final set, thwarting any chance for Wellesley to gain control over the set. Bent would finish with three kills and five

service aces, and she tied a team high with 11 digs on the night. White, in her last home match, registered a career-high 11 kills with a hitting percentage of .611. The Brandeis defense held Wellesley to a .000 hitting percentage — 20 kills, 20 errors, and 90 total attacks — with Borr having 11 digs. Arianna Jackson ’25 aided the team’s victory with seven kills and three blocks, two of which were solo. Setter Ines Grom-Mansencal ’24 had 29 assists during her time on the court.

The Judges went on to sweep Springfield College this past Saturday for their last regular season game. These two matches bring them to 12-13 overall as they prepare to travel to New York to face New York University on Friday, Nov. 4 at the University Athletic Association tournament.

The Judges enter 0-7 into the UAA conference, but coming off of a two-win streak, they look to keep their winning momentum.

SMILEY HUYNH/the Justice

over the court for the Judges for their final home match of the season.

Large controversy strikes Patriots quaterback room

a high ankle sprain which caused him to miss some time.

BRANDEIS VOLLEYBALL SENIOR NIGHT

By ZACHARY GOLDSTEIN JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

As many fans, analysts, and players can agree, the quarterback is the most crucial position on a football team. Not only are they the leader of the offense, but they are the face of the team. A phenomenal quarterback is essential to winning games, including the illustrious Super Bowl, an accomplishment every player and fan aspires to achieve. What would you do if you had two outstanding quarterbacks? Who would you give the starting nod to?

The New England Patriots currently face this dilemma between sophomore sensation Mac Jones and the remarkable rookie Bailey Zappe.

Jones, the Patriots’ 2021 firstround pick, has had a slow start to the season. After finishing last season as a pro bowler and runner-up for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, he has failed to live up to expectations. Through the first three weeks, Jones had an abysmal 2:5 touchdown to interception ratio. During the week three loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Jones suffered

Veteran backup Brian Hoyer started week four against the Green Bay Packers in Jones’ absence. However, Hoyer sustained an injury in the first quarter of the game and was quickly replaced by Zappe.

Zappe, this year's fourthround pick by the Pats, played a solid game in relief despite a 27-24 overtime loss, earning him the opportunity to start for the remainder of Jones’ absence. In his starting debut in week five against the Detroit Lions, Zappe led the Patriots to a 29-0 shutout win, throwing for 188 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Following this impressive performance, Zappe was the talk of the football world. During the week six matchup against the Cleveland Browns, Zappe threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns, torching the Browns for a 38-15 victory. This win made Zappe the first rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era to win his first two starts while recording a 100+ passer rating in each game.

In the Patriots’ week seven matchup vs. the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football, Jones returned to the lineup as the starter. Through his first two drives, Jones went threeand-out in both campaigns. An

MLB World Series begins

By PRATEEK KANMADIKAR JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

After a long and strenuous season for Major League Baseball, the World Series is finally upon us. The Philadelphia Phillies will take on the Houston Astros in a best-of-seven series. The Phillies took game one 6-5 after a remarkable comeback win. After going down five runs after the third inning, the Phillies rallied back to win the game Oct. 28. Game two favored the Astros, who won 5-2.

The Phillies defeated the San Diego Padres 4--1 to claim the National League Championship Series and advance to the World Series. Led by their superstar player Bryce Harper, the Phillies moved past the Padres quite easily. Harper was voted NLCS most valuable player for his heroic performance during the series. The missing presence of star shortstop

Fernando Tatis Jr. was felt strongly throughout the series by the Padres. Tatis Jr. was suspended earlier this year for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. The Padres tried to bounce back from the suspension by signing Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals. Although the Padres played well throughout the season and postseason without Tatis Jr., they were no match for the Phillies. Phillies star Harper batted .400, with five runs batted in and two home runs.

On the other side of the World Series, the Astros swept the New York Yankees 4-0 to claim the American League Championship Series and advance to baseball's biggest stage. This comes at the disappointment of Yankees All-Star outfielder Aaron Judge. Judge recently broke the American League record for most home runs in a single season with a total of 62. Roger Maris was the previous holder of this record, and held it for 61 years until Judge broke it this past season. The Astros, led by right fielder Kyle Tucker, pitcher Justin Verlander, and ALCS most valuable player shortstop Jeremy Pena, proved to be the better team.

to big-

who is no

Mazzulla leads Celtics with lessons from

By JACKSON WU JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Joe Mazzulla, the interim head coach of the Boston Celtics, has been the talk of the town since the start of the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. He led the Celtics to an impressive 3-0 record in the first week and has been credited for his bold and unique coaching decisions. Being a head coach for a notable franchise like the Celtics can lead to greater attention in the public eye. Mazzulla has been no exception, and his controversial past has been a topic of major discussion leading into the season.

On April 25, 2009, the West Virginia University basketball team announced an indefinite suspension of guard Joe Mazzulla. Mazzulla was charged with domestic battery after allegedly assaulting a women

he lived with. In August of 2010, not long after his return to basketballrelated activities, Mazzulla was cited for public urination. Combined with another case of underage drinking and scuffling with police, Joe Mazzulla was involved in a total of three arrests during his college basketball career. It has been twelve years since Mazzulla graduated, but he has constantly reflected upon and learned from these incidents.

“I’ve made mistakes; I’m not perfect,” Mazzulla said on the Celtics’ media day earlier this month. He answered questions regarding his past with a firm tone, taking accountability for his behavior and looking forward to his new endeavors. Now playing a very different role as the head coach of one of the most competitive teams in the NBA, Mazzulla admitted that he “didn’t have an identity at a certain point of [his] life” but has since found his identity through “his faith” and “his purpose.” Shaping a newfound “identity” has become Mazzulla’s answer to setbacks and controversies. According to Mazzulla, it is time for him and his fellow Celtics to figure out “what worked well, what didn’t,” and how to move forward as they face

past

complex challenges this season, both on and off the court. For Mazzulla, this season is less about winning and more about “healing” and “growth.” The Celtics, unfortunately, need a lot of space to grow, and they have many frustrations to heal from. However, they are lucky to have Mazzulla and his experience, moving on from his past troubles, on their side.

Despite Mazzulla’s troublesome past, Wyc Grousbeck, co-owner of the Boston Celtics, found that the selection of the interim head coach was an easy choice to make. The mastermind behind such a successful decision was Brad Stevens the current general manager, and former Celtics’ head coach. Stevens recruited Mazzulla in 2019 after witnessing his obsession with basketball. Having previous experience working together, Stevens described Mazzulla as “an exceptionally sharp and talented person” during a press conference this September. Wyc trusted Stevens when he suggested Mazzulla, and Stevens trusts Mazzulla’s leadership during this crucial period for the Celtics.

“I think he’s been great. Joe is tough as nails,” Celtics star Jaylen

Brandeis

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

Waltham, Mass.

Five iconic Halloween movies (that won’t give you nightmares)

By CRAIG DISKIN JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

There are a lot of things to love about Halloween — the costumes, the parties, and the discounted candy available the day after. But one aspect of Halloween has nev er really resonated with me: hor ror movies. I’m not a big fan of guts and gore, and I am admitted ly a bit of a coward. I’ve come to realize, however, that you don’t have to be brave to enjoy iconic Halloween movies. I’ve compiled this list to give my fellow scaredy cats some ideas for their next Halloween movie night.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975)

Despite its title, you won’t find much horror in this film — unless you’re a conservative who hates fun. This incredibly queer and campy film is a delightful parody of 1950s B movies. It tells the sto ry of two bland teenagers — Brad and Janet. After a flat tire, the two end up crashing a party at an old, dusky castle. The pair quick ly realize that they are in for quite the ride when they meet the owner: mad scientist Dr. FrankN-Furter, a self-described “sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania.” They arrive just as he is about to showcase his newest creation — a muscular blonde named Rocky whom he has brought to life. The bulk of

the movie explores Frank’s at tempt to control his creature and staff as well as Brad and Janet’s exposure to queer and erotic de sire. The film is boosted by a fun, rock-based score and an iconic performance by Tim Curry. Its explicit queerness did not appeal to a mass audience when it was released, but it has since become the ultimate cult film. Its legacy carries on through midnight showings, featuring a live shad ow cast and audience participa tion. Check it out at home or, if you want the full experience, find a midnight showing near you.

“Hocus Pocus” (1993) I think we all knew this movie would make it onto this list.

Much like “Rocky Horror,” the film has only grown in popular ity since its release and is now a Halloween classic. The movie tells the story of three witch sis ters who harvest children’s en ergy for youth and beauty. They were executed in Salem in 1693 but brought back by an unwitting teenager 300 years later. The film follows the sisters as they try to kidnap the children of Salem to ensure that they can live past the morning and the teenager’s ef forts to stop them. I know what you’re thinking: this sounds creepy. There are some mildly intense moments. However, the incredible performances of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the three

witches make the film entertain ing and loads of fun. These ac tresses make the children-eating villains so funny and whimsical that I often forget I’m supposed to be rooting against them. The release of a sequel 20 years later and the crazy amount of “Hocus Pocus”related memorabilia in Sa lem itself serve as evidence that this movie only grows more be loved. It is a must-watch. “Scooby-Doo and the Witch’s Ghost” (1999)

For me, “Scooby-Doo” is the ultimate nostalgia vehicle. I en joyed it as a child and appreciate it even more as an adult. This in stallment follows the gang as they travel to the fictional Oakhaven, Massachusetts, a clear Salem knock-off, to investigate haunt ings by the ghost of an accused witch. This film is standard “Scooby-Doo” fare, and, believe me, I do not mean that as an in sult. However, it is elevated by its supporting characters. There is the opportunistic mayor who speaks like a Kennedy. There is horror writer Ben Ravencroft, voiced to perfection by the only actor to appear twice on this list — Tim Curry. And, most impor tantly, this film introduces the Hex Girls: a fictional pop punk band composed of “eco-goths” who sing about being witches and wear vampire fangs. Every thing about this group is perfect — from their genuinely good mu

sic to their impeccable aesthetic, to their rude and sarcastic man ner. They are icons of the “Scoo by-Doo” canon, and I 1000% wish they were a real band. Plus, the story has a surprising twist end ing.

“Little Shop of Horrors” (1986)

This film tells the story of Sey mour Krelborn, a dopey, downon-his-luck flower store clerk who makes the acquaintance of a man-eating plant. As the plant be comes a local sensation, Seymour gets the fame, fortune, family, and love he’s always craved. But he quickly realizes that it all comes at a significant price. Again, this sounds kind of upsetting. How ever, the film is filled with a lot of sarcastic and absurd humor and has a wonderful, Motowninspired score. The film is an adaptation of a musical by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, the composers behind Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Aladdin” — so as expected, it is filled with bops. It’s impossible not to dance or sing along to every number.

Plus, the film features standout performances from Ellen Greene as Audrey, Seymour’s love inter est and co-worker, who is the lov able heart of this story, and Steve Martin as Dr. Orin Scrivello, a sadistic dentist and bad boy, in addition to Tichina Arnold, Mi chelle Weeks, and Tisha Camp bell, who sing their butts off as

the story’s Supremes-inspired narrators.

“Beetlejuice” (1988) This list wouldn’t be complete without at least one Tim Burton film. “Beetlejuice” tells the story of a recently deceased couple who employ the services of Betel geuse, an exorcist, who gets rid of the living, to drive a snooty New York couple out of their home. The film is filled to the brim with Burton’s weird, dark humor. While not all the jokes land, the film is unquestionably a great time. Plus, it features Catherine O’Hara as Delia Deetz — an ar rogant housewife with bizarre taste. The performance echoes O’Hara’s iconic “Schitt’s Creek” character, Moira Rose. Seriously, she wears a glove as a headband — tell me that isn’t a look Moira would rock. Winona Ryder as De lia’s emo, paranormal-interested stepdaughter, puts on a great per formance as always. She manages to bring joy, humor, and genuine sadness to her performance all at once. There’s no question why

2022: Year in Horror

fantastic fifth installment in the Scream franchise. “Scream,” was directed by “Ready or Not” cre ators Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. The fifth Scream movie breathed new life into the series, far outpacing the funny but not remotely scary “Scream

4.” Moving into March, Ti West stepped back into the horror scene with his slasher “X.” Sur prisingly great on a small budget, “X” brought Mia Goth into the spotlight, cementing her status as a modern-day scream queen. The film was immensely profit able, making $14.5 million on a $1 million budget.

We now turn to something atro cious. Sony Pictures decided to try its hand at a horror superhero flick in April with “Morbius,” a film about a dying man choosing to combine himself with a vam pire bat to stay alive. Starring Jared Leto and “Doctor Who” alum Matt Smith, the film deserv

edly received perhaps the worst reviews of 2022. As it should, the movie bombed at the box office, making a paltry $164 million off an $83 million dollar budget. Giv en that films need to double their budget to break even, the film barely generated a profit. Marvel Studios also decided to put a hor ror spin on its conventional film style with “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.” This film was not as bad as “Morbius” by any stretch of the imagination.

Kevin Feige, the lead director of Marvel Studios, hired acclaimed horror auteur Sam Raimi for this production, which saw middling results. The horror in this movie, while well constructed, was not as frequent as it probably should have been. Perhaps Marvel con strained what Raimi could do, but regardless, the result was a very mediocre film. It was maybe the most violent and scary Mar vel film in the last decade, but it just needed more. The box office results, however, were not nearly as bad as “Morbius.” It made al most a billion dollars on a $200 million budget, proving the Mar vel formula for success true once again. The dearth of good horror

films from March to June contin ued with the Stephen King adap tation “Firestarter.” Just as bad as the original film, “Firestarter” flopped at the box office, got ter rible reviews, and overall made for a weak remake of an already weak story.

After the train-wreck that was “Firestarter,” independent horror went on an unblemished streak of success that continues today. Alex Garland, a British director and writer behind the critically acclaimed films “Ex Machina,” “Annihilation,” “28 Days Later,” and “Devs” released his new horror-thriller “Men’’ in mid-May. The film centers around a woman named Jessie Buckley who is harassed by strange men in the village she travels to for her vacation. All the men are played by British actor Rory Kinnear, who gives a careerbest performance. June gives us the wonderful Scott Derrickson adaptation of Joe Hill’s novel “The Black Phone.” The film follows an abducted teenager, named Mason Thames, and his struggles against The Grabber played by Ethan Hawke. With strong performances coupled with

a satisfying ending, “The Black Phone” was highly successful among critics and popular with audiences, garnering high reviews while multiplying its budget almost nine times at the box office.

Jordan Peele’s new film “Nope” exploded onto the scene. His new film was very strong, driven by powerful performances from Keke Palmer, Daniel Kaluuya, and Steven Yeun, but the film was not nearly as good as his previous two entries “Get Out” and “Us.”

He veered more toward a StevenSpielberg horror/sci-fi style with this film, abandoning much of the horror elements along the way.

This is not to say the film was not plenty scary, it just was less focused on scaring the audience as it was on delivering an eerie mood. “Nope” was moderately successful at the box office, making $170.8 million on a $68 million budget.

This September brought some real thrills to the film world. Zach Cregger’s “Barbarian” generated intense critical buzz and made a tidy sum at the box office. My review of that film can be found on the Justice website. Following

“Barbarian,” Ti West released his second film of 2022, “Pearl,” which also showcased lead actress Mia Goth. A prequel for “X,” the film was just as good, if not better, than its predecessor. While both films were very violent slashers, “Pearl” definitely outpaced “X” by every measure, with the second film being perhaps the most violent of the year. Mia Goth’s performance was fantastic and Ti West’s direction was similarly strong.

I will finish my year in horror discussion with “Smile,” Parker Finn’s directorial debut. “Smile” was a robust end to September. It had strong jumpscares, an intriguing plot, and a deeply unsettling depiction of the combination of mental illness and the supernatural. Actress Sosie Bacon gave a great performance as the protagonist, a therapist under the grips of a murderous ghostly force intent on destroying her life and her personal relationships. It was well-crafted and a nice addition to the 2022 horror collection. Given what horror fans have received this year, we can only hope that 2023 matches up.

Megan Liao/the Justice

By CAYENN LANDAU

Illustration courtesy of SHLOMO FRISHBERG

SMILEY HUYNH/the Justice