The Justice, November 23, 2010 issue

ARTS Page 21

SPORTS Bruins fall to the L.A. Kings 16

‘SUNDAY’ SHINES

FORUM Don’t counterprotest Westboro 12 The Independent Student Newspaper

the

of

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

Justice

Volume LXIII, Number 14

www.thejustice.org

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

Waltham, Mass.

campus activism

Students organize response to protest ■ Students plan to

emphasize University values in response to the Westboro Baptist Church protest.

By fiona lockyer JUSTICE editor

Approximately 150 students gathered in the Castle Commons Sunday night to discuss a student response to the Westboro Baptist Church, which plans to protest Brandeis Hillel here on Friday, Dec. 3.

According to the Westboro Baptist Church’s website, the group plans to “picket the Hillel at Brandeis University to remind these Jews that they bear the curse of their forefather’s [sic] murder of Christ.

Further these college students of doomed america [sic] live for the devil himself, spending their energies on drunkeness [sic], lust, sloth and greed rather than serving the Lord Almighty.”

Multiple student leaders, including Student Union President Daniel Acheampong ’11, Senator-at-Large Aziz Sohail ’13, Hillel President

YOSEF SCHAFFEL/the Justice

Andrea Wexler ’11 and Hillel Campus Relations Coordinator Erica Shaps ’13 were present at the planning meeting.

The meeting was led primarily by Sahar Massachi ’11, Queer Resource Center Coordinator Megan Straughan ’11, Jason Henry Simon-Bierenbaum ’11 and Morgan Gross ’14.

At the meeting, students introduced themselves and discussed why they chose to come to the meeting, and then Massachi, Simon-Bierenbaum, Straughan and Gross explained plans that were the result of brainstorming from a preliminary meeting the night before between them and members of Brandeis Hillel.

Their proposed idea is for students to meet together before the church protesters arrive and, once they do, turn their backs on the protesters and partake in activities throughout the day that celebrate Brandeis’ diversity, including fundraising money for Keshit—an advocacy group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Jews.

A Student Union Executive Board press release from yesterday supports the proposed plans that will “celebrate

See PROTEST, 5 ☛

DISCUSSING CHANGES: Acheampong spoke about future plans for student life on campus during his address last Thursday.

Acheampong speaks about Union and Univ proposals ■ In his State of the Union

Address, Union President Daniel Acheampong stressed student unity as a necessity.

By SARA DEJENE JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Student Union President Daniel Acheampong ’11 delivered the semiannual State of the Union Address last Thursday in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall, during which he announced that the University will serve exclusively cage-free eggs starting next fall, form a Student Life Committee to “improve” social life on campus and is considering adding a second Provisions On Demand Market in the Village.

In his address, which was hosted

by the Student Union, Acheampong also announced proposals to expand dining services on campus, including adding hot soups and hot breakfast sandwiches to Einstein Bros. Bagels and building another P.O.D. Market.

Acheampong said these expansions would be in addition to changes already made in dining halls on campus, including extended weekend hours at the P.O.D, Market and an express checkout line and an additional coffee station in Einstein.

According to Acheampong, all eggs served here will be cage-free starting next semester. Dining Services currently obtains eggs from hens raised in battery cages, which supply each hen about 67 square inches of space for that hen’s life. Cage-free eggs are eggs laid by hens with enough space to move and spread their wings.

When explaining the implementation of this policy, Acheampong said, “We

DINING SERVICES

Several dining changes are under consideration ■ Dining facilities on

campus will only offer cagefree eggs beginning with the fall semester 2011.

have heard that you will not tolerate the purchase of food that requires the suffering of animals.” He stated that over 870 students participated in a survey created by the Student Union in partnership with the Brandeis Real Food Coalition.

Acheampong also touched upon Brandeis’ social atmosphere in his speech. He referenced the night of Oct. 23, when two students were arrested and nine were hospitalized.

Acheampong said that a Student Life Committee, made up of “a diverse group of community members,” will be formed to consult with both campus officials and student club leaders in order to better Brandeis’ “social atmosphere.”

“As a community, we must look at the mistake as times to grow as individuals and as a community,”

By ALANA ABRAMSON JUSTICE EDITOR

The University is considering an additional convenience store, which would be located in the Village, and adding hot food options to Einstein Bros. Bagels, Student Union President Daniel Acheampong ’11 announced in his State of the Union address Nov. 18. Acheampong additionally announced that beginning in fall 2011, the University will only offer cage-free eggs.

In a phone interview with the Justice, Acheampong said that although there is a strong chance of implementing these proposals, nothing has been finalized.

See ADDRESS, 5 ☛

See DINING, 5 ☛

Women scientists

Triple victory

Political activism

Brandeis fosters female involvement of more women in the sciences in academia.

 The men’s basketball team got off to a strong start, winning its first three games of the season.

 Student groups have joined together to work to repeal “don’t ask don’t tell.”

FEATURES 9 For tips or info call (781) 736-6397

“These are very, very strong proposals, and the administration has taken a very serious tone to make it happen, so I’ll say …. the likelihood is very strong,” he said.

While he said he hoped that the second convenience store would be up and running by spring 2011, he emphasized that nothing had been officially confirmed by the administration.

“Everything is not finalized because there are some logistical things being discussed, but it is a very strong proposal,” Acheampong explained.

Acheampong said that the Student Union would not be funding the changes and that “it is up to the administration to decide where the funding is coming from.”

When asked about the timeline for the discussion and implementation of changes pertaining to Dining

Let your voice be heard!

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

INDEX

SPORTS 16 ARTS SPORTS

17 16

EDITORIAL FEATURES

10 7

OPINION POLICE LOG

10 2

COMMENTARY 11

News 3 COPYRIGHT 2010 FREE AT BRANDEIS. Email managing@thejustice.org for home delivery.

2

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2010

●

THE JUSTICE

NEWS POLICE LOG

AP BRIEF Massachusetts court orders shake-up of probation dept BOSTON—Massachusetts’ highest court ordered a massive shake-up of the state’s Probation Department on Thursday after an independent review revealed what the justices called the “systemic abuse and corruption” of hiring and promotion practices in the agency.

The Supreme Judicial Court justices immediately ordered Chief Justice for Administration and Management Robert Mulligan to begin steps to remove those senior officials in the department most responsible for the alleged abuses.

Mulligan told the court he will seek to oust Probation Commissioner John O’Brien, who was suspended in May after a series of Boston Globe articles alleged the department had become a patronage haven for lawmakers.

Mulligan said he is putting other top probation officials on leave pending disciplinary proceedings.

The court said the report, compiled by independent counsel Paul Ware, “describes in careful detail a systemic abuse and corruption of the hiring and promotion processes of the Probation Department.’’

In the report, Ware concludes that “the hiring and promotion process in the Probation Department is corrupt and has disproportionately favored politically connected candidates.’’

“The evidence demonstrates that an understanding existed among certain legislators and O’Brien that generous appropriations for the Probation Department were linked to O’Brien’s willingness to perpetuate and systematize fraudulent hiring and promotion on a pervasive scale,’’ the report said.

Ware said two key legislators involved in budgeting for the Probation department and who sponsored candidates for hiring and promotion, former House Speaker Thomas Finneran and state Rep. Thomas Petrolati, refused to cooperate with his investigation.

The report also said some of the state’s most powerful lawmakers—including former House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi and former Senate President Robert Travaglini —were among those who most frequently recommended individuals for probation jobs.

Ware detailed some specific instances of alleged abuse, including efforts he said O’Brien undertook in 2005 to get his wife a job in the state treasurer’s office by soliciting contributions to Treasurer Timothy Cahill from O’Brien’s Probation department employees.

O’Brien also refused to cooperate with the investigation, Ware said. He said the system of political hires was most unfair to qualified candidates “who, but for the rigged system, could have advanced to subsequent rounds of interviews’’ for jobs. The court said it is forwarding copies of the report to the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts, the state attorney general and the state inspector general for their review.

The court also said it is appointing former State Attorney General Scott Harshbarger to lead a review of the hiring and promotion procedures in the judicial branch to make sure “the qualifications of an applicant are the sole criterion in hiring and promotion.’’

The justices said that while elected or appointed public officials may recommend constituents for positions within the department, problems arise when probation officials “base their hiring decisions on personal connections rather than on qualifications of candidates.”

Medical Emergency

Nov. 16—BEMCo and University Police responded to a report of a student not feeling well in Ziv Quad. The party was treated on-scene with a signed refusal for further care.

Nov. 18—An ambulance responded to a request for a psychological patient transport from the Mailman House. The party was taken by ambulance to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital for evaluation.

Nov. 18—BEMCo responded to a report of a student feeling nauseous after being struck by a second student while playing Frisbee outside Usen Hall. BEMCo treated the party on-scene with a signed refusal for further care.

Nov. 19—BEMCo responded to a report of a party having a reaction after ingesting nuts.

BEMCo treated the party onscene with a signed refusal for further care.

Nov. 20—University Police and BEMCo responded to a report of an intoxicated male vomiting in a bathroom in Hassenfeld Residence Hall. The party was treated on-scene by BEMCo and transported to the Newton-Wellesley hospital for further care.

Nov. 20—Waltham Fire Department, University Police, BEMCo and an ambulance responded to a Waltham Police report that a student in Hassenfeld Residence Hall reported another student’s mouth injury, requesting an ambulance.

The party was transported by ambulance to the hospital for further care.

Nov. 20—BEMCo responded to a report of a Sherman Dining Hall staff member suffering a hand injury. BEMCo treated the party on-scene with a signed refusal for further care.

Nov. 21—University Police

and BEMCo responded to a report from Waltham Police that a party in the Charles River Apartments was suffering an asthma attack. The party was treated and transported byambulance to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Nov. 21—BEMCo responded to a report that a male in Hassenfeld Residence Hall not feeling well and possibly having an asthma attack. The patient was transported via ambulance to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Nov. 20—University Police received a report from a taxi driver who said he gave a ride to a student whose credit card did not work and that he needed the fare money. The University Police will contact the party via e-mail.

Disturbance

Miscellaneous

Nov. 20—University Police responded to a report of three males yelling obscene comments at a woman getting off the train at Brandeis. University Police checked the area but the parties were gone upon arrival.

Nov. 20—University Police received a complaint about loud yelling outside the Foster

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

Justice

the

www.thejustice.org

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

Editor News Forum Features Sports Arts Ads Photos Managing

editor@thejustice.org news@thejustice.org forum@thejustice.org features@thejustice.org sports@thejustice.org arts@thejustice.org ads@thejustice.org photos@thejustice.org managing@thejustice.org

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

Larceny

Nov. 19—University Police received a report of a suspicious motor vehicle near the Foster Mods and a party going through trash. The vehicle left the area prior to the arrival of University Police.

—compiled by Sara Dejene

SENATE LOG Senate explores new van stop at Riverside

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS  An article in Forum gave the incomplete name of an organization. It is Brandeis Jewish Voice for Peace, not Jewish Voice for Peace. (Nov. 16, pg. 11)  An article in Forum incorrectly referred to Israeli settlers’ uprooting of Daoud Nassar’s trees as “unwarranted action.” The original term should have read “violence.” (Nov. 16, pg. 19)  An article in Arts misstated a character’s occupation.

Franz is a coachman, not a soldier. (Nov. 16, pg. 19)  An article in News incorrectly stated that the Supreme Court decided to hear an amicus brief. The article should read that the Court decided to grant a writ of certiorari, meaning that the court will hear the case. (Nov. 16, pg. 3)  An article in News gave the incorrect name of a themed week. Noam Chomsky’s presentation was a part of Israeli Occupation Awareness Week, not Israeli Occupation Week. (Nov. 16, pg. 1)

Mods from a reporting party who believed that a fight might break out. The reported party left towards South Street upon University Police’s arrival.

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

Going organic Students eat at Students for Environmental Actions’s Local and Organic Banquet, at which a fall themed cuisine was served and speakers such as restuarant founder Didi Emmons talked to students.

At the Nov. 21 Student Union Senate meeting, the Senate unanimously agreed to support a letter in response to the upcoming protest by the Westboro Baptist Church.

Members of the church are scheduled to protest Brandeis Hillel on Dec. 3. Sahar Massachi ’11 said at the meeting that he is coordinating with many student leaders to organize a day of activities that will unite the community. Events such as a fundraiser and a Harry Potter-themed Hillel dinner will focus on the theme of building a united campus.

The open letter supported by the Senate said, “The soul of Brandeis is found in our common values, including the need to stand strong against hatred and bigotry. ... These values compel us to affirm our support for Hillel and all of the Brandeis family under attack from the intolerant.”

Union President Daniel Acheampong ’11 added that the protestors from the Westboro Baptist Church will not be allowed on campus. Acheampong said he is coordinating protest efforts with the Department of Public Safety.

The Senate tabled a Senate Money Resolution proposed by Off Campus Senator Evyn Rabinowitz ’12 that requested $218.45 for a meet-and-greet event for students who live off campus.

The senators also reported that they are busy preparing for the Midnight Buffet and selling Turkey Shuttle tickets.

Senator for the Class of 2011 Michael Newborn said that he explored the possibility of having the BranVan make stops at Riverside but that this will not be possible at the moment because of BranVan contract issues. Additionally, Newborn met with Rabbi Levy Zirkind, the Supervisor of Kashrut, and was informed that Einstein Bros.

Bagels cannot receive kosher certification because the Asiago bagel that the store is contractually obligated to sell is not kosher.

—Andrew Wingens

ANNOUNCEMENTS Development discussion

The Heller School’s David Boyer will discuss his work with the Aga Khan Development Network and the International Development Agency’s focus on making longterm investments in developing countries with the aim of promoting entrepreneurial activity and building profitable enterprises.

Today from 12:15 to 1:45 p.m. in Schneider G2.

Trisk general meeting Triskelion’s weekly general meeting will be held today. The topic/event is changed week to week. E-mail rhapsody@brandeis. edu to join the mailing list. Today from 8 to 9:10 p.m. in Shapiro Campus Center 328.

Sex And Sexualities Symposium meeting A discussion about sex, sexuality and other related issues will be held at SASS. Thursday from 3 to 4 p.m. in the ICC Swig Lounge.

Holiday shopping with Volunteer Vacations

Volunteer Vacations will be running a van service to the Natick Collection this Saturday, and Saturday, Dec. 4 for $10. Sign up for shuttle times outside the Waltham Group office on the third floor of Shapiro Campus Center. Shuttle departures to Natick Collection are every hour. Saturday, Nov. 27, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center 311.

Study abroad regional departure meetings

There will be a series of predeparture meetings during the week following Thanksgiving break. These meetings will be led by Office of Study Abroad staff and peer student workers. Predeparture meetings are also attended by returnees from the region who offer peer advice, stories and commentary about the abroad experience and different programs. Monday, Nov. 29, from 4 to 5 p.m.; Tuesday, Nov. 30, from 4 to 5 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 1, from 4 to 5 p.m. in

the Village TV Lounge and the South Campus Commons.

When We Were Seniors

Presented by the Senior Class Gift Committee, When We Were Seniors will feature University President Jehuda Reinharz and President-elect Frederick Lawrence talk informally with the senior class about the challenges of senior year and share their memories of when they were seniors.

This event is only open to members of the Class of 2011. Thursday, Dec. 2, from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Rose Art Museum Foster Gallery.

Community advisor information session

There will be three information sessions for students interested in becoming community advisors. Wednesday, Dec. 1, from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Village TV Lounge; Tuesday, Dec. 6, from 3 to 4 p.m. in Polaris Lounge; Wednesday, Dec. 8, from 3 to 4 p.m. in Shapiro Lounge.

THE JUSTICE

STUDENT LIFE

Alcohol policy committee to finalize town hall meeting date ■ The town hall meeting for the ad-hoc committee is tentatively scheduled to take place on Dec. 6.

By Nashrah Rahman JUSTICE EDITOR

The ad-hoc Alcohol and Drug Policy Committee intends gain feedback from students by holding a town hall meeting, forming focus groups and providing the option for online feedback on its website, according to a Nov. 18 campuswide e-mail from Prof. Len Saxe (Heller), the committee’s chair.

According to its website, “The Alcohol and Drug Committee’s goal is to ensure that Brandeis, consistent with its value-based mission, has policies to assure the safety of all students and an environment that promotes

learning and growth.” The website also says the committee will ensure “the health and safety of our students and the entire university community.” In his e-mail to the Brandeis community, Saxe wrote that seeking student input is the “next phase” in the committee’s work, and that the committee aims to present its final report by the end of this semester.

Saxe wrote in his campuswide e-mail that the committee is consulting the Student Union regarding the town hall meeting.

In an interview with the Justice, Student Union Director of Community Advocacy Sarah Geller ’13 said that the tentative date and location for the town hall meeting is Dec. 6 in Salzberg Lounge. Geller described the basic premise of the meeting as “a forum to discuss … progress and … a [question and answer session] for the students

about what’s going on.”

In an interview with the Justice, committee member Heddy BenAtar ’11, senior representative to the Board of Trustees, said that the town hall meeting is going to be held “because the committee is really interested in hearing student feedback about any kind of proposals that they’ll put forth.

The committee definitely feels like student participation in this process is crucial to any kind of successful outcome.”

Committee members who are affiliated with the Heller School for Social Policy and Management will conduct the focus groups, according to Saxe’s campuswide e-mail. “All information from the groups will be shared with the committee confidentially and individual anonymity will be assured,” he wrote in his e-mail.

In an e-mail to the Justice,

Saxe wrote, “Our goal is to collect student data [from focus groups] and hold the Town Hall before the end of the semester.”

The committee’s website has the option for providing feedback. Regarding the online feedback option, Saxe wrote in his campuswide e-mail, “We are particularly interested in your perceptions of drug and alcohol issues on campus and your thoughts about University policy.

Again, all information will be shared anonymously.”

“It’s clearly not enough student participation in this process, but the committee is really working hard to kind of like get as much student participation as they feel comfortable with,” Ben-Atar said.

—Fiona Lockyer contributed reporting.

HILARY HEYISON/the Justice

Primping for a cause Students beautified their nails as part of the effort to help cancer research at “Manicure for a Cure.” Manicure for a Cure, which was sponsored by the Brandeis Orthodox Organization, took place last Wednesday in the International Lounge in the Usdan Student Center. The proceeds benefitted Sharsheret, a breast cancer research foundation.

STudent activism

Students advocate to repeal DADT law ■ Students made over

600 calls urging state represenatives to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

By SARA DEJENE JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

In an effort to urge the repeal of the United States’ military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, several Brandeis student groups held phone banks last week to call veterans in favor of the repeal and to connect them to Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown.

The phone bank, or student-created call center, was the third held since September. Brandeis Democrats, Triskelion and Democracy for America held the phone banks to encourage students and veterans to call U.S. senators like Brown to urge them to vote to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

The policy, which was issued by former President Bill Clinton in 1993, mandates that military personnel not be questioned about their sexual orientation and that members of armed services will be discharged if they are found to be homosexual.

In an e-mail to the Justice, presi-

dent of Brandeis Democrats Amber Kornreich ’12 wrote that 398 calls were made to veterans on Wednesday night. The veterans, who were already confirmed to be supporters of repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell,” were connected directly to Brown’s office to request a repeal of the policy.

They used an online program provided by the Human Rights Campaign-the nation’s largest grassroots lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer civil rights organizationwhich assisted with organizing the Brandeis phone banks. In addition, the organizations have also been receiving support from MassEquality, a Massachusetts grassroots organization for LGBTQ rights.

An earlier phone bank was held on Nov. 16 to generate support from students. In an interview with the Justice, Chase Hiller ’12, a member of both the Brandeis Democrats and Triskelion, said that students were stopped and asked to call Brown’s office from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center. According to Kornreich, 225 calls were made that Monday.

Kornreich and Hiller both explained to the Justice that the oncampus effort to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell” began this past September

when the issue was receiving a high amount of national press coverage.

Hiller organized a last-minute flash phone bank outside the Usdan student center, and, according to Kornreich, over 200 students were asked to make phone calls to their respective representatives urging them to pass the National Defense Authorization Act, which would have repealed “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

“It was absolutely inspirational to see the overwhelming support for the repeal on campus,” said Kornreich.

“We’ve had really positive support,” said Hiller. “A lot of people have thanked us. It’s been such a rewarding experience just to interact with people. ... A huge majority of people are really supportive of [repealing the policy].”

Despite support, according to a Sept. 21 New York Times article, a majority of senators ended up voting against debate of the bill that would have repealed “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

Hiller stated that a pentagon study to be released Dec. 1 will detail the results of a survey taken by 40,000 servicemen and women. Leaked results of the survey indicate that a majority of members of the Army believe that repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell” would not negatively affect

morale or cohesion among troops, according to Hiller. Hiller said that a vote on the policy would be more likely to occur once the survey, indicating support for the repeal, was released, as opposed to before the results are officially released.

According to a Nov. 18 CBS News article, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that a vote to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell” would be held in the near future.

Hiller and Kornreich stated that they would be holding more phone banks to continue pushing senators to repeal the policy.

In addition, Hiller expressed that he would like to involve more groups on campus in their efforts.

“We would love to have the Brandeis Republicans involved. We would love to have the Brandeis Tea Party Chapter involved. We would love to have all groups from different religions, races, ethnicities ... everyone.”

Hiller said he hopes that “don’t ask, don’t tell” will be repealed before the end of the year.

Said Kornreich, “We hope our 500 calls to Scott Brown’s office help send a message loud and clear: We want [“don’t ask, don’t tell”] repealed not next year, not tomorrow: now.”

●

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2010

3

AWARDS

University reinstates grants with global aim ■ The fund, which was not

administered last academic year, will reopen to all faculty, staff and students this year.

By Harry shipps JUSTICE senior WRITER

The Office of Global Affairs recently announced that it will be accepting applications for a round of “small seed grants” to support projects focused on the “global dimensions of teaching and learning at Brandeis,” according to a Nov. 17 on BrandeisNOW press release.

The Office of Global Affairs awarded an initial round of grants in 2007 to 10 projects, according to Bryan Mcallister-Grande, the associate director of the Office of Global Affairs and the coordinator of the global fund.

The projects, which received grants in 2007, were put into practice in academic year 2008, McAllisterGrande said.

Those projects included the “Global Affairs Table,” a forum for students and faculty to talk together about global topics, according to the BrandeisNOW article.

Both Daniel Terris, director of the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life and McAllister-Grande said tha although no grants were given in 2009, the program was not deactivated.

According to McAllister-Grande. now that people involved in the initial round of projects may have moved on from Brandeis, the Office of Global Affairs thought it was an appropriate time to provide more funding for the grants.

Applications for the grants are due Jan. 31, 2011, according to the BrandeisNOW press release.

Terris said in an interview with the Justice that the grants are available to any faculty member, full-time administrator or full-time graduate or undergraduate student.

He said team applications are encouraged, adding that preference is given to applicants applying “on behalf of a department, unit, office, school club or program.” Grants will be given to projects that will take place next academic year.

Funding for the grants is provided through the budget of the Office of Global Affairs.

McAllister-Grande said that the new round of grants coincides with the development of global learning goals for Brandeis students.

A small committee of students and faculty, according to McAllisterGrande, is working to develop a set of learning goals that focus on world culture as part of a larger effort by the University to set overall learning goals for students.

McAllister-Grande said that the focus of the grants this year will be on projects that address teaching and learning at Brandeis.

“This focus comes from wanting to connect to these learning goals so that we’re really focusing on the curriculum and the cocurriculum at Brandeis, and we’re not worrying this year so much about overseas partnerships,” said McAllisterGrande.

Grant winners will be chosen by a small committee of faculty and staff, according to McAllister-Grande.

Terris said that the Global Brandeis Fund is unique because it has a focus on global issuesspecifically on bringing together international students and elements of Brandeis’ curriculum.

McAllister-Grande said that the fund is focused on building partnerships on campus and oversees which “enhance Brandeis’ connections to the world.”

—Nashrah Rahman contributed reporting.

Have an opinion?

Write for the Forum section of theJustice.

Contact Hillel Buechler for more information at forum@thejustice.org.

Do typos, misspellings and grammar mistakes make you crazy?

If so, join the Copy section of theJustice!

Contact Emily Kraus at copy@thejustice.org for more information.

THE JUSTICE

ADDRESS: Acheampong discusses campus life CONTINUED FROM 1 said Acheampong. “The events of that night do not reflect Brandeis, and it has not changed our culture of care and support.”

In addition to a social atmosphere, Acheampong highlighted the importance of general life outside the classroom, in residence halls and athletics, for example. Acheampong demanded that the renovation of the Linsey pool and the residence halls in poor condition be a priority for the Board of Trustees.

“We need the facilities and infrastructures to support this community and to put the University on the right track,” said Acheampong. “Our students expect better, our community expects better, and our history demands nothing less.”

Acheampong also recognized student activities on campus, including the blood drive, through which community members donated 203 units of blood, and Halloween for the Hungry, which was organized by several student groups to donate nonperishable items to Waltham residents, both of which were organized by the Waltham Group. He also mentioned Girl Effect’s Hope Infected Virus, an event that aimed to analyze the stigma of those living with HIV/AIDS, and the Brandeis Pakistan Relief effort that, with the effort of multiple organizations on campus, worked to raise $25,000 to $30,000 for the 20 million affected by the floods.

To encouragestudent-faculty interaction, Acheampong announced that next semester, 240 vouchers will be provided as part of the Take Your Professor to Lunch program, up from the 120 previously provided per semester.

Acheampong explained that results from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education indicated that a need for improvement of non-classroom interaction between students and faculty.

In regard to academics, Acheampong said that the Student Union will advocate a “pass/fail plus option,” which would allow students to fulfill a University requirement with a class taken as pass/fail as long as the student achieves a C+ or higher. Acheampong said that the option would remove students’ concern about courses they wish to take negatively affecting their grade point averages.

According to an April 27 issue of the Justice, the measure to implement a pass/fail plus option was supported by the Faculty Senate, but the proposal was tabled by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee until the following year because of concerns about how it would be implemented.

Acheampong also spoke about upgrades in Brandeis’ transportation. In addition to the magnetic signs recently added to the sides of campus and Waltham BranVans to distinguish between the two, Acheampong announced that the Student Union and Escort Safety Services will install GPS

tracking systems in Crystal Waltham, Campus, and Boston/Cambridge shuttles. Acheampong said that the systems will enable students to track the buses to see their locations and receive programming alerts on mobile devices or computers using their Brandeis UNet IDs. Acheampong concluded his speech by calling for members of the Brandeis community to work together “[n]ot as students, staff, faculty, administrators, or trustees, but as Brandeisians.”

“Years from now, when we come back to visit our university, the Brandeis that we know will be different,” said Acheampong. “But the direction of that change is up to us to determine.”

Students who attended the address spoke positively of Acheampong’s speech.

“I think that he did a great job of highlighting what we’re doing really well and also made it a point to push us to take that next step as both students and administration,” said Nicole Izbicky ’11.

University President-elect Fredrick Lawrence also attended the address and spoke with the Justice about Acheampong’s speech.

“The whole tone is set that we can solve problems and work together.

Without failing to recognize the seriousness of issues that we face, he still looks at [issues] positively and from a sense of what we can overcome,” he said after Acheampong’s address.

●

TUESDAY, november 23, 2010

5

DINING: New campus convenience store is under discussion CONTINUED FROM 1 Services, Acheampong said that these changes had been under discussion for quite some time because they are fundamental issues for students. Acheampong noted, however, that no changes would affect the cost of student meal plans.

“Dining has always been an important issue for students, so the discussion has been going on for a while,” he said, explaining that the Union issued a survey last year about student concerns and that Dining Services surfaced as the top issue.

Acheampong said that this issue was extremely important to former Vice President of Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy and that Senior Vice President of Administration Mark Collins has also been involved in the discussion.

Neither Collins nor Director of Dining Services Aaron Bennos could be reached for comment by press time.

Acheampong also announced in his address that, beginning next fall, the University will only offer cage-free eggs, or eggs from hens raised in more humane conditions than battery-caged eggs, in campus dining facilities.

In October, the Real Food Coalition circulated a petition requesting that Dining Services implement this policy, and the

Student Union issued a survey soliciting students’ opinions on the matter.

Seth Grande ’12, one of the coordinators of the campaign to solely use cage-free eggs, wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that members of the administration made the decision “a few weeks ago.”

Grande also wrote that the change would cause meal plans to increase by $7.50 per semester, however, he said he does not think the changes would affect the prices of meal plans.

He explained that this price increase is “consistent with the cost increases at other schools who have implemented the switch [to cage-free eggs].”

“During the campaign we did our best to make clear that the switch would entail a price increase between $5-10.We are working to put out an official announcement about the change right now with Dining Services and the Administration, and we are working to make sure that this switch is made with as much transparency as possible,” Grande wrote.

Grande said that student feedback had been very positive.

“Students don’t like that their money is being used to purchase food that is produced so cruelly, and when we decided to do something to change some of those practices, it really resonated,” he wrote.

PROTEST: Students plan to respond on Dec 3 CONTINUED FROM 1 the values that make Brandeis great.”

According to Massachi, proposed plans will come to a vote at a Nov. 30 meeting in the Castle Commons to create a finalized plan of what will happen on Dec. 3.

“We’re trying something new in this in that we’re being as grassroots as possible and as democratic as possible,” said Massachi in an interview with the Justice. So far, the response efforts have been entirely student-driven, he explained.

In an e-mail to the Hillel listserv, Wexler stated that the day of the protests “will be a day of celebration of the values we at Brandeis cherish: inclusion, mutual respect, social justice, academic inquiry, and pursuit of knowledge. To unite our community, we are planning activities that exemplify all that Brandeis represents.”

At the planning meeting, Wexler emphasized that the whole campus is invited to attend a Harry Potterthemed Hillel dinner on the night of the protests to bring the campus together.

Mark Hajjar ’13 heard about the protests from a friend and began to spread the word.

“They’re a very hateful group, they preach a very destructive message about just about everybody on campus,” he said in an interview with the Justice. “I made it my Facebook status, I talked to a lot of other people that I knew, and I e-mailed the administration about it.”

According to Hajjar, the students planning response events have been in close contact with Hillel to create an appropriate response. “We have plans for this to be a very large event to bring us together as a community, but for that to work, it’s really important that everyone is on the same page and everyone is willing to come together as a community,” he explained.

Rabbi Elyse Winnick ’86, the University’s Jewish chaplain, said in an interview with the Justice that faculty will provide guidance for the students, but she was extremely impressed with their organization, Winnick added, “They will deemphasize the values of the Westboro Baptist Church and focus on the values of our community, which I contend are a much more sacred word of God’s intent than anything we will be confronted with next week,” she said.

The Brandeis Catholic Chaplain,

ROBYN SPECOR/the Justice

ACTIVELY REACTING: Students gathered in the Castle Commons last Sunday to discuss methods of responding to the Westboro Baptist Church it protests on campus.

Rev. Walter Cuenin, said in the interview with the Justice, “It’s up to the students to formulate what they want to do, and [the Chaplaincy will] support them and be there.”

He clarified that the chaplains will support any kind of peaceful response.

Senior Vice President for

Communications and External Affairs Andrew Gully explained in an interview with the Justice that the University is in communication with students about their plans for responding to the members of the Westboro Baptist Church, but no conclusive plan has been officially

established as of press time.

In a campuswide e-mail yesterday, University President Jehuda Reinharz wrote that he “urge[s] all members of our community to focus on the inclusive values that Brandeis stands for rather than WBC’s hateful agenda, knowing that what WBC seeks most is

attention.”

“We’ll be getting the word out to everyone we can and turning this into a very positive thing,” said Hajjar.

—Alana Abramson contributed reporting.

Subscribe to the Justice! $35 per semester, $55 per year.

Mail a check to: The Justice—Subscriptions Mailstop 214, Brandeis University 415 South St. Waltham, MA 02454-9110

Read

Justice online!

the

www.thejustice.org

For more information, contact Rebecca Blady at managing@thejustice.org.

Marjory Collins/Library of Congress

just

features

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2010

7

VERBATIM | WINSTON CHURCHILL Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.

ON THIS DAY…

FUN FACT

In 1889, the first jukebox went into operation at the Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco.

When Heinz ketchup leaves the bottle, it travels at a rate of 25 miles per year.

Chatting with the

chaplain The Rev. Walter Cuenin talks about religion on campus and serving as the Catholic chaplain

By ARIELLE SCHWARTZ JUSTICE Contributing writer

The Reverend Walter Cuenin, the University’s Catholic chaplain, sat down with justFeatures this week to discuss his career as a priest and his experience at Brandeis. Cuenin holds services in the Catholic chapel and works to enhance the Catholic community at Brandeis.

JustFeatures: What is your background like, and what inspired you to become a priest?

Walter Cuenin: I grew up in a fairly traditional Catholic family, though my father was in the military, so we traveled around the world. I had always thought about being a priest. I was accepted to Georgetown [University] but opted to go to St. John’s Seminary instead.

After that, I went to Rome to finish my studies for 4 years and was ordained a priest in Rome at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. I was led to the priesthood because I wanted to serve other people, and I was connected to the Church through my Catholic family.

JF: What do you enjoy most about the priesthood?

WC: I like the fact that as a priest I can connect almost immediately with people on the deepest aspects of their lives. I know that once people know that you are a priest, they open up to you. I also like the spiritual tradition of the Catholic faith.

JF: Why did you choose to come to Brandeis specifically? How many years have you been here?

WC: I have been at Brandeis for 4 years and I love it! It is the best thing that ever happened to me! Before this, I was pastor at one of the largest Catholic churches in the Boston area, Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Newton, [Mass.] I was forced out of the parish by the archbishop because I was a strong supporter of women in the Church and gay rights. I saw a position open for a Catholic chaplain at Brandeis, applied and got the job. I always joke that the Church got rid of me, but the Jews took me in!

JF: What are some of your fa-

vorite aspects of the Brandeis community?

WC: My favorite aspect of the Brandeis community is the students because they are bright, energetic, questioning and self-motivated. I also like that religion is a big deal here, whether you are for it or against it.

JF: What do you think of the religious atmosphere at Brandeis?

What do you do to bring the religious groups together?

WC: I think religion is a big issue at Brandeis, and it’s a respected issue. Although most students might not be connected to religion or they are searching to understand it more, university life is a time to explore your heritage and determine where you will go with your spirituality.

As a chaplain, I try to work with other chaplains to promote interfaith dialogue and a better understanding among religions in the world. Every Friday, the chaplains and I sponsor a peace vigil, and kids come together from all different backgrounds to engage in this activity. I occasionally go to the Friday prayers for the Muslim community, and tonight [Nov. 19] I am speaking at the Shabbat oneg [a Jewish social gathering]. These are ways in which I try to express my hope for better interfaith understanding. The religious atmosphere here is very positive.

JF: How often do students utilize your services, and what specific issues do they talk about with you?

WC: Lots of students come to see me about personal issues in their life, and they are not just Catholic students. I have services every Sunday in the morning and evening. I connect by being involved in different aspects of the campus, meeting students in Shapiro Campus Center [and] attending campuswide events.

I deal with gay/lesbian issues, struggles at Brandeis, confession, illness and loss of loved ones.

JF: What are some things you hope you have contributed to this community? What do you want to contribute in the future?

JOSHUA LINTON/Justice File Photo

PASSIONATE PRIEST: Cuenin speaks in the Bethlehem Chapel at its rededication ceremony at the begining of the semster.

JULIAN AGIN-LIEBES/Justice File Photo

OPEN DOOR: Cuenin is available for students to stop by and discuss various religious issues both in the chapel and in his office.

WC: I’ve brought a warmth and friendliness to this community that students respect. Whatever religion you are, you can come and talk to me. I like the collaboration among all the chaplains that we have built to make an interfaith chaplaincy. I am looking forward to working with the new [University] president Fred Lawrence in being involved in the student community. I also hope to branch out to students that are not part of the three main religions—Ju-

daism, Christianity and Islam—so that they feel better served.

the difficulties is that only men can be priests, women can’t.

JF: What’s the biggest reward you gain from being a priest?

Would you encourage students to pursue this profession?

WC: The biggest reward is the joy I get in serving other people and being there for them in important parts of their life’s journey. I don’t feel like it’s my role to direct students to become priests, but one of

JF: What do you think has been your most successful achievement at Brandeis, and why?

WC: My most successful achievement was the Interfaith Chaplaincy.

It was a unit together, not just different chaplains together. I think it has succeeded in showing the unity of religious leadership and creating a welcoming atmosphere.

8

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2010

●

THE JUSTICE

beats New beats beats

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUPA DUPA ENTERTAINMENT

MUSIC EMPIRE: Abdul Aziz Dieng ’14 models the style and charisma he brings to his music videos, which have been watched by thousands, as well as his performances at countless concerts.

at B-deis

Rapper Abdul Aziz Dieng ’14 is building a music business By rEBECCA kLEIN JUSTICE eDITOR

When he was nine, Abdul Aziz Dieng ’14 penned his first song, called “I’m A Slave.”

The song, which has undergone several revisions and is currently featured on his most recent mixtape, Point of You, talks about race relations and is told through the eyes of a young slave boy. Dieng raps, “Hundreds of years ago is when the bulls--t started / fury between races/ couldn’t be chartered.”

For Dieng, a rapper whose stage name is simply Aziz, telling such stories is what his music is all about. He says, “I rap about real-life things that are going on around me, things I see other people having; it’s not just my story.”

Now, 11 years after Dieng first sat down to write his first rap, the New Hampshire native has put out a mixtape and shot two music videos, which have over 45,000 views on YouTube combined. He has a sponsorship from the clothing line vitaminTHICK, has opened for the rapper Curren$y and also has performed at a Kid Cudi after party.

On Dec. 11, he will be performing in Springfield, Mass. at his biggest show to date, opening for the rapper J.Cole, a member of Jay-Z’s record label, Roc Nation. In fact, Dieng says he has not spent a single weekend of his first semester at Brandeis on campus. Instead, he has spent his weekends performing at countless colleges, and working in the studio on his next mixtape, Leave Me Az Iz which will be released Dec. 13.

To top it all off, the 20-year-old says he’s just getting started.

Dieng was first introduced to rap by his older brother. He started rapping in poetry form without beats at 9 years old, and by the age of 13 he was rapping over beats and had recorded 16 songs. In junior high school, he performed at parties, and although he says, “Everybody was like, ‘Why is there a 13-year-old here?’” he eventually got people to take him seriously based on his creative rhymes. In college preparatory school, which he attended for 2 years after high school, he formed a rap group with two other members that was called Most Anticipated Crew, or M.A.C., of which he is still a member.

Dieng, who was born to a Senegalese father and a German mother, says that starting from a young age, he drew inspiration for his

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUPA DUPA ENTERTAINMENT

DYNAMIC DUO: Zotz and Dieng work together to run their business and promote Dieng’s music. raps from his surroundings.

“In middle school and high school, being the only black kid in homeroom and that kind of stuff, the racism ... seeing a lot of adversity through my home, that was a lot of subject matter for a lot of my songs I wrote early on,” says Dieng, who speaks with such a natural flow and command of words that if put over a beat, any one of his sentences could be turned into a song.

“There were a lot of things growing up that I didn’t have to see that I saw; things you may not expect. ... A lot of evils found their way around my way. [I had to be able] to turn certain things away, see peoples’ mistakes and be wise enough to not make them. This was all fuel for writing.”

Now, Dieng says the main message of his music is honesty. “Be yourself, be creative,” he says. In terms of how I portray myself, it’s just how I am. The wittiness, the punch line, the world play, telling stories that people can relate to, and can get people through a day.”

Dieng eventually came to Brandeis as he was recruited by the men’s basketball team, of which he is still a member, and because he was impressed by the quality of Brandeis

academics.

Soon after Dieng arrived at school he met Maxwell Zotz ’11, who would become his manager. The pair bonded over their favorite rap album, Illmatic, by Nas. Zotz says he is now contracted through June to “book shows, market Aziz and to do all the logistics outside of creating the music.” However, he adds, “Aziz helps with everything [and] has hands in everything.”

Music has become a full-time job for both Zotz and Dieng. On top of being a student and a varsity athlete, Dieng spends a lot of his time working on his music. Even when he goes to parties, Dieng says his main goal is to promote his music and network. He brings his iPod and CD wherever he goes.

Zotz has extensive experience in promotion and was the concert coordinator for Student Events last year. He says that one of his and Dieng’s main hopes is to get the Brandeis community behind Dieng’s music.

“For Mike Posner with Duke [University] and Sam Adams with Trinity [College], their popularity stemmed from the pride that other students had in the music. My hope is that students will take pride in Aziz’s music,

as we’re fellow students and we’re trying to make Aziz’s music on a national scale,” says Zotz.

Zotz and Dieng say they’re working hard to perfect the business aspect of Dieng’s music, and in conversation with Zotz and Dieng, it is clear that they certainly take the business side of Dieng’s music seriously. The two choose their words carefully, as if they have been interviewed hundreds of times before.

They give off an air of expertise far beyond their years.

“You gotta have all the tools. You must be able to present yourself right, not lose a step, present yourself professionally, relate to everyone and your music has got to be right,” Dieng says.

One aspect of business that Zotz acknowledges as crucial to Dieng’s success is social media outlets, such as Facebook and Twitter.

He also recognizes the importance of music blogs, which he says have already shown support for Dieng.

In sum, Zotz says, “The music industry is online now, it’s a totally different game.”

However, Dieng and Zotz recognize that in order to be successful, Dieng needs to distinguish himself from other rappers. Zotz says what makes Dieng unique is that he “is an athlete, a student [who] goes to [a] great school, and he’s charismatic. That’s what’s making the difference. Once you meet Aziz, he sells you.”

Zotz says he also hopes that Dieng will inspire others to pursue their goals. He wants Dieng to show the Brandeis community “that this is possible. You don’t have to stop what you’re doing to pursue something else: going to class, being a musician, playing basketball, all go hand in hand.”

Dieng says that while he is at Brandeis, he would like to “study Business as either a major or minor.” However, upon graduation he may like to go to Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. Zotz adds, “[Dieng] aspires to be more than just a musician. He speaks about owning a business, his own clothing line or being an actor, more than just rapping on stage. There’s a career there.”

However, Dieng’s immediate goal is to perfect his craft. “My goal is to bring the music to the highest length it can go, with no limit.

There’s no reason my full potential can’t be realized,” Dieng said.

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2010

9

SCIENCE SPEAKS: Women were able to discuss different ways to foster their involvement and work in the sciences at the “Art of Science ... Science of Art.”

Women the sciences in

SCIENTIST: Women showed support for the initative.

Brandeis works to foster a larger science community for women

By Gabi Santoro JUSTICE Staff WRITER

Thinking of the word science commonly stirs up mental images of laboratories, measuring beakers, microscopes, test tubes and intricate formulas stretched out on a massive chalkboard. The sciences have developed a reputation for being no-nonsense and straightforward. Objectivity is held in the highest respect.

With such a reputation, where can women, who have struggled with their place in the sciences, turn to improve their environment?

Women in the sciences have, in the past, faced obstacles in their academic and professional careers. They have dealt with opinions like former Harvard University President Lawrence Summers’, as stated at a conference which suggested there were “innate differences” between men and women that made it harder for women to find success. How, then, are women able to collaborate to pave a path to success in this field? Professors at Brandeis have been able to create a solution to this problem.

The Women in Science Initiative is a program “to create a community of graduate students, post docs and faculty to foster the development of women in the sciences,” according to its website. The program began in fall 2008 and was launched by Prof. Jim Mandrell (ROMS), the chair of the Women and Gender Studies Program. Mandrell developed the Women in Science Initiative with Prof. Ruth Charney, the chair of the Mathematics department, and Prof. Bulbul Chukulburdy, the chair of the Physics department. Mandrell explains that “the idea was to create a group that would help foster community among women in the sciences at Brandeis.”

The program was not necessarily developed to resolve specific issues in the science community at Brandeis. The initiative, instead, is a proactive way to improve women’s experiences studying the sciences. It operates by using a combination of meetings for anyone interested in participating and events that are related to the initiative’s mission.

“It just seemed to me that it would be a good idea to form an opportunity for women in the sciences to come together and talk about issues of importance,” Mandrell says.

However, the program acknowledges that female scienctists face struggles in the environment of their studies, from balancing work with motherhood to interacting with colleagues.

“There had been a lot of discussion in the media and in the academic community of the challenges for women in the scientific community,” Mandrell continues. He references Summer’s 2005 comment as an example for why a program like the Initiative needed to be created.

Additionally, the initiative highlights the lack of camaraderie that women are able to find in science fields where they are a minority. The program offers a place where these women can find a sense of assurance and sisterhood. “Frankly, coming from the mathematics side of this, there aren’t that many women [in the field]. We have women graduate

CAPTIVATED AUDEIENCE: Members of the Women in Science Initiative listen to a panel of scientists speak. students and women faculty, but the numbers are small. There isn’t such a natural place for them to meet up with others, and I thought it would be nice to have a fairly informal setting in which they could meet some of the other women in science who are also junior level or grad students,” Charney says.

Mandrell mentions more issues like the “work-family balance” and “different types of careers that would be available in the sciences, not just academic careers” as possible topics of discussion. During discussion sessions, participants are able to unpack such topics of concern. These discussions are part of meetings held throughout the academic year where people can talk about different issues.

An important component of the program is the formation of a place and time for participants to discuss their questions, issues and problems related to working in the sciences.

The informal nature of these meetings is highly valued, since the initiative looks to promote a safe space and a close-knit community.

“If the point is to form community, you want a certain amount of talking and socializing.

You don’t want it to all be a formal lecture,” Charney adds. In the program’s inaugural year, members focused on how to administer its goals through arranging meetings and hosting events pertinent to women in science fields.

“The first year, it was trying to get the organization off the ground and get people together to see what types of events they wanted to have, or how they wanted the group to evolve and develop. The program administrator in Women’s and Gender Studies, Katie Dalton, was instrumental in many of those discussions and provided administrative and logistical support to the group,” Mandrell says. Dalton, who has since left Brandeis, worked to put on events for

the Women in Science Initiative like the spring gala, “Art of Science ... Science of Art,” which was a collaborative event between the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts and the Women’s Studies Research Center.

Another great contributor to the initiative is Mareshia Donald, a Ph.D. student in neuroscience. “[Donald]’s been incredibly active.

She has all kinds of ideas for great discussions that she wanted to have,” Charney says. In the Women and Gender Studies’ spring 2010 newsletter, Donald reviewed the initiative’s successes through the year, including the fall kickoff event, which included an address by Prof. Eve Marder (BIOL) called “Myths, Musings, and History in the Makings of a Neuroscientist” and other events like a group discussion about Motherhood, the Elephant in the Laboratory with the book’s editor, Dr. Emily Monosson.

Donald highlights the positive outcome of the latter event. “Graduate students and posdoctoral fellows in the sciences raised concerns over issues that continue to dog graduate and postoctoral trainees in the sciences, including the lack of readily accessible child care on campus, poorly defined policies regarding maternity and paternity leave and the lack of a designated space for breast pumping,” she says.

One unintended result of these events is that these issues have since been raised in front of a broader audience. “Originally, we were thinking in terms of serving faculty, postdocs and graduate students in the sciences, primarily women, but the people who come now come from different parts of the University. There are men as well as women. It’s just become a kind of a community or an entity unto itself,” Mandrell explains.

The program runs events that are open to any interested individuals in the Brandeis community. This raises the important point that the issues of women in the sciences should be everyone’s issues. Not only do outsiders to the female science community have the opportunity to hear and understand these issues, but also, women in the sciences can see the challenges that fellow females face in other departments. “I’ve been very interested to hear the issues that the Biology department members deal with versus what the issues of people in the physical sciences are. In fields like biology, what often is required is a lot of lab time. But in mathematics, you can work from anywhere.

If you have a kid, [this type of work] makes parenting easier, comparatively. There are issues [in the Biology department] that we just don’t have,” Charney says.

The issues that are brought up in the Women in Science Initiative bring together women in all of the science departments and connect women in science with the rest of the academic community.

Charney shares that the program looks to continue fostering a sense of community and improving the efficacy of their discussions about females in the science fields in the future. “I hope to work more on our goals of forming community, mentoring and bringing the discussion into awareness and into the open,” Charney says.

Photos courtesy of Dharia McGrew

10

TUESDAY, November 23, 2010

●

THE JUSTICE

Justice Justice

the the

Established 1949, Brandeis University

Brandeis University

Established 1949

Brian Fromm, Editor in Chief Rebecca Blady, Managing Editor Brian N. Blumenthal, Production Editor Ian Cutler, Rebecca Klein, Nashrah Rahman and Jillian Wagner, Associate Editors Alana Abramson, News Editor Fiona Lockyer, Acting News Editor Tess Raser, Features Editor Hillel Buechler, Forum Editor Jeffrey Boxer, Acting Sports Editor Bryan Flatt, Arts Editor Wei-Huan Chen, Acting Arts Editor Asher Krell and Robyn Spector, Photography Editors Debra Friedmann, Layout Editor Emily Kraus, Copy Editor Cody Yudkoff, Advertising Editor

Union initiatives are constructive

In his State of the Union address last Thursday, Student Union President Daniel Acheampong ’11 announced a number of new Union initiatives, including the expansion of the Take Your Professor to Lunch program, the installation of GPS tracking systems in certain transport services and the formation of the Student Life Committee.

This board approves of these initiatives. At the same time, we encourage the Union to follow through in its advocacy for the expansion of the dining program as announced in Mr. Acheampong’s speech.

We also note an important step taken by the Union to increase transparency regarding the University’s finances. Mr. Acheampong announced in his speech that the Union and the Office of Budget and Planning will hold the State of the University’s Finance at the beginning of next semester “to give students an analysis of our financial position and goals.” This editorial board hopes that Mr. Acheampong will make such an address a regular tradition, as stated in his speech, in order to ensure that students are kept informed about the University’s finances.

The number of vouchers offered for the Take Your Professor to Lunch program, which provides students with the opportunity to share a meal with a professor at the Faculty Club, will be doubled next semester.

We recognize the expansion of this program as a valuable step toward improving the student-faculty relationship, especially because, as Mr. Acheampong pointed out, the recent Wabash survey results conclude that the quality of students’ non-classroom interactions with faculty needs to be improved at Brandeis.

This board believes that providing GPS tracking systems in Crystal Waltham, Campus and Boston/Cambridge buses will be extremely helpful

Changes hold potential

for students in estimating the wait time for these transport services.

Furthermore, allowing students to access the tracking systems both via cell phone and computer is an efficient way of ensuring that important updates about transport services are widely communicated.

The formation of the Student Life Committee in light of recent campus incidents is a productive Union-led initiative toward improving students’ social life at Brandeis. Mr. Acheampong said in his address that the committee aims to “provide the highest level of communication between campus and club leaders to consolidate resources and possibly administer parties and events.” We appreciate the Union’s effort to ensure that the on-campus social scene is safe and welcoming.

Mr. Acheampong also announced in his address that the University is considering the expansion of Einstein Bros.

Bagels in order to include hot soup and hot breakfast sandwich options as well as the creation of a second Provisions On Demand Market, to be located in the Village.

This editorial board believes that students who live in Lower Campus, in particular, will welcome a wider variety of more conveniently located dining options.

We especially encourage the opening of a second P.O.D. Market in the Village in order to accommodate an increasing student population. The addition of another P.O.D. Market will ensure that lines are shorter across both stores, which will benefit the entire student body.

This editorial board commends the Union for making a proactive effort to implement concrete changes that hold the potential to better all aspects of student life.

Support University athletic teams Recently, the University’s athletic teams have displayed that they increasingly deserve our respect and close attention.

The men’s cross country team placed 16th at the NCAA Division III National Championship, the second-highest ranking among New England schools. Our women’s soccer team reached the NCAA Tournament, hosting an opening round game for the first time in school history, while the men’s soccer team won the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship.

While soccer may not be your sport of choice, the student support and awareness of the women’s soccer tournament poorly reflected on our student body and our school’s brand.

In the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Tournament games that Brandeis hosted, the majority of the crowd either consisted of parents of our own players or families and students from other universities. Aside from President-elect Frederick Lawrence and his family, the Brandeis crowd was, for the most part, quiet and not representative of the student body.

We encourage University administra-

Publicize sporting events tors and the Student Union to keep up with recent efforts, such as communitywide e-mails to publicize athletic events.

But still, it is ultimately up to us to take interest in our teams. The basketball season is about to commence, and we have the chance to show our support.

Both the men’s and women’s teams have had historic success in the last five seasons and are, again, bound for exciting seasons over the next few months. They need our backing. The energy and spirit that can arise from an electric crowd can be enough to lift our athletic peers to victory.

Over 1,750 Brandeis students stormed the court after our men’s team defeated No. 1 Amherst College in December 2007, and students packed our gym in two of the last three seasons when both the men’s and women’s teams hosted opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

At a time when our campus disagrees on many issues ranging from national politics to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to University policy, we can and should come together and express support for our sports teams.

A. ELI TUKACHINSKY/the Justice

Stay away from labels; embrace those who may appear different

By Ryan KuHEL JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The hipster’s skinny jeans were so uncomfortably tight that it looked like someone had taken denim-colored spray paint and covered his legs. As he walked, a campus onlooker wondered if jeans that tight could give the hipster’s butt cheeks cleavage.

The hipster took out a pipe, sat on the bench next to Usdan and started smoking for all to see. Hearing the hipster talk about vinyl records, the genius that is Elliot Smith and how Ra Ra Riot and Vampire Weekend sound nothing alike was like street theater.

Those who had the pleasure of walking by were tempted to throw coins into the hipster’s coffee mug and thank him for falling into every category of the subculture we know as “nonconformist.” Students took pleasure in being able to label the hipster a “hipster;” the act of labeling was a blistering ad hominem attack.

The reality is that whenever we are able to label and categorize an individual, we have (or perhaps think we have) a certain power over them. It is almost as if we have a greater understanding of them than they do of themselves.

By categorizing individuals we also disarm them. Whenever our social status or dignity is compromised, we can always use the weapon of categorizing those around us to give us leverage in the exchange.

A recent New York Times article about the sociology of hipsters mentioned this phenomenon, saying, “Taste is social currency.” This means that we use our personal tastes—specifically music and clothing, according to the Times article—to elevate our social status and warrant our entitlement to certain privileges.

I’d like to think about it this way: When two people are sharing an iPod, and the hipster of the two comments, “You listen to this crap music?” the individual who listens to “crap music” is compromised because the hipster used his distinguished taste to elevate the other’s own social status.

In reality, though, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Musical preference is as arbitrary as preferences one has in regard to soft drinks.

Clothing offers another obvious example of taste we use to reinforce our sense of entitlement and superiority.

Brandeis students wearing a sorority or fraternity sweater have a certain stigma that follows them. The same is true of people who wear Birkenstocks in cold weather. We have built identities around a clothing item to compensate for when we fail to connect with a particular group.

I highlight this point to address the way we use clothing to identify others in order to categorize them. When a person is threatened in the social hierarchy, he or she can easily point to how the person threatening them is acting like a typical frat guy or sorority girl.

While this defense mechanism seems effective in the short run, it in fact only reinforces social class structure and strengthens the schisms between groups. A social hierarchy exists, and while we cannot dismantle it, we must find a way to view and understand it.

While tastes are ways of expressing individuality, they do not, in fact, define the individual. College students experiment with different masks and identities through music, clothing and groups with which they affiliate. It is more than fair to say that these forms of expression can be used as a lens to understand other students. It is not fair to use these forms of expression as a rubric for judging or categorizing an individual.

Accept people’s choices and allow them to grow and develop a better understanding of themselves. Too many times, we understand these brief moments of experimentation as concrete decisions that speak to the fabric of one’s core identity.

Instead, allow people to make mistakes, learn, grow and foster a stronger sense of identity. I once heard an adage that described human beings as “human becomings.” This addresses the constant state of fluctuation that is our identity.

So the next time you see a hipster, a hippie or a frat guy being a typical XYZ, make sure to remember that people are experimenting. Remember that college is a time for growth and not for stagnation. We all categorize people to put the world in order. Let’s not let this exercise impede our ability to appreciate people’s growth.

OP-BOX Quote of the Week “I always joke that the Church got rid of me, but the Jews took me in!”

—The Rev. Walter Cuenin on being forced out of his parish and coming to work at Brandeis (See Features, page 7).

Brandeis Talks Back What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving?

Justin Muschel ’12 “Football.”

Jenny Goltser ’12 “Spending time with my family.”

Sophie Golomb ’13 “Carving the turkey”

Daniel Feldman ’12

“Food and football.”

—Compiled by Eitan Cooper Photos by Yosef Schaffel/ the Justice

THE JUSTICE

READER COMMENTARY Cartoon was inappropriate In response to your article “Don’t ban Four Loko; leave the decision to us” (Forum, Nov. 16): While I make no judgment on the content of this article, I am extremely disappointed at the cartoon the Justice chose to run next to it. It depicts a devilish male student pouring Four Loko into the drink of a female student in an effort to get her “BEMCo-ed.” Considering the epidemic of date rape on college campuses, it seems wholly inappropriate to use the idea of young men poisoning young women as a topic for humor. It belittles the traumatic experiences many young women­­­— even at Brandeis—have had to go through. Moreover, as far as I can tell, neither the article nor the incidents to which it refer ever indicate that anyone consumed Four Loko involuntarily. Rather than poking fun at a real incident, this cartoon goes out of its way to make sexual assault a gag.

Rape culture works by making violence against women laughable. I sincerely hope that the Justice will take serious steps to avoid the perception that it promotes this attitude.

—Jonathan Sussman ’11

State of Zionism is acceptable In response to your article “Lamenting the fractured state of Zionism at Brandeis” (Forum, Nov. 16): There is an extremely disconcerting tendency to equate Zionism with full support for every policy of the Israeli state. Many of those who oppose Israeli occupation and colonization support the people of Israel and consider ourselves Zionists.

Why does Zionism equal full support for every policy of the Israeli state? If you support the interests of the people of Israel, you would have to oppose Israeli policies of occupation and colonization, as they sacrifice peace and security for territorial expansion. This week seems to have shown that the Zionist dream is alive and well, and many people care so deeply about the Israeli people that they do not want to see them suffer for the sake of Israel’s territorial expansion.

—Matt Gabrenya ’13

Appreciate disabilities services In response to your article “Disabilities services goes above and beyond” (Forum, Nov. 16): Fifty years ago there was no Brandeis Office of Disabilities Services and Support; there was no Americans with Disabilities Act, and there was no specific office on the campus that dealt with accommodating the unique requirements of my fellow students. And while there was an office of student affairs, there was certainly no one like Director of Disabilities Services and Support Beth Rodgers-Kay, who you speak so positively about. Your column and description of RodgersKay’s enthusiasm for her critical assistance gives this old alum an incredibly positive feeling about Brandeis. Kudos to Rodgers-Kay and kudos to you for being very public and upfront in saluting the services that she has offered you and other students in need. And additional praise is given to those Brandeis faculty and staff who understand and do what needs to be done.

—Martin Zelnik ’61

●

TUESDAY, November 23, 2010

11

Political correctness is unhelpful

By Shafaq Hasan JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Unlike high school, where teachers cling to the belief that students are chronically impressionable to others’ opinions, college offers a platform for students and professors alike to discuss their ideas and opinions openly. However, the growing fad of excessive political correctness on college campuses is threatening the candidness of this platform and effectively muzzling academic voices. By threatening free speech at universities, we also eliminate the possibility of ever actually understanding the issues we’re avoiding.

Political correctness forms a dual reality that nurtures the gap between what we mean and what we say. Never have our words been so carefully chosen as to avoid controversy and discontent while encouraging artificial dispositions.

According to a survey conducted in 176 colleges by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, 76 schools restrict speech that would otherwise be unrestrained off campus. Among those 76 is the University of California, Santa Cruz, which prohibits any speech that is disrespectful to others, like the disparagement of one’s political views. Intellectual discussions should not be hampered by the possibility of offending someone. True, we should always follow normal rules of social decorum and common sense. But when talking about delicate issues, the classroom is the ideal place to have such discussions.

Some universities, such as UC Santa Cruz, have wrongly instituted “speech codes.” FIRE defines a speech code as any type of campus policy that punishes, regulates or represses speech that would be protected by the government. They consider the suppression of these fundamental rights on college campuses, usually as a result of extreme political correctness, as a violation of professors’ and students’ civil liberties.

In fall 2007, Brandeis encountered one such violation with regards to an incident surrounding Prof. Donald Hindley (POL). In a course about Latin American politics, Hindley allegedly described to his class that Mexican immigrants are sometimes referred to as “wetbacks.” An offended student complained and consequently the University responded with a letter notifying Hindley that he had violated the school’s “NonDiscrimination and Harassment Policy.”

According to the policy available online, the school strives to “be free from discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religious creed, gender identity and expression, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, [and] disability.”

In the end, the Committee on Faculty Rights and Responsibilities determined that the administration abused its power and violated Hindley’s academic freedom (Though Provost Marty Krauss overturned the decision and closed the case).

While the intention of this policy is commendable, its execution in Hindley’s case shows a gross miscalculation of the administration’s interpretation of harassment. For these actions, the University has been put on FIRE’s Red Alert List.

According to the organization’s website, the Red

RISHIKA ASSOMULL/the Justice

Alert List is a compilation of schools with “severe and ongoing disregard for the fundamental rights of their students or faculty members.” Although FIRE claims on its website that it contacted University President Jehuda Reinharz multiple times, Reinharz has supposedly yet to reply once to its pleas to acknowledge the wrongful violations against Hindley.

Taking a statement out of context where the professor was clearly attempting to educate the students of a historical fact and then proceeding to use that statement to penalize the individual indicates that extreme political correctness is unfortunately penetrating the membrane of this university. If Hindley had chosen to avoid using the word or any ethnic slur, the students’ education would have been hindered, and the very real issues of nativism and racism would not have been discussed.

That being said, our school shouldn’t be written off so rashly for this one faltering incident of political correctness gone awry. Despite the reputation of being ideologically homogeneous, the invitations from various on-campus groups to Prof.

Noam Chomsky, Prof. Bill Ayers and Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren show that the University is dedicated to upholding the academic rights of its faculty and student bodies.

Knowing that Chomsky’s speech would create

controversy and that Oren’s commencement address would cause tension but still allowing the discussions to take place indicates that we’re not afraid to talk about these provocative and sensitive issues.

When Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia University in 2007, he caused the entire country to turn and glare at the school for inviting the bigot, anti-Zionist and known Holocaust denier to speak. However, the purpose of inviting the Iranian president wasn’t to create controversy or to ridicule him, as Lee Bollinger, current president of Columbia University, did in his frank opening remarks at the event. The purpose was to ask the difficult questions and challenge Ahmadinejad about why he believes what he believes.

Inviting the president of Iran is certainly an extreme example in rejecting excessive political correctness. However, the essential idea of having a discussion is the crux of a college classroom experience. Being politically correct doesn’t eliminate the offensive mistakes we’re trying so desperately to avoid; it merely masks them. By opening up the forum to discuss controversial issues of race, religion, nationality, gender, etc. in an intellectual environment, we eradicate the fear of offending each other and really begin to understand the issues at stake.

Foster an academic climate that will discourage plagiarism

By Naomi Volk JUSTICE Staff WRITER

According to a recent New York Times article, students in college are increasingly plagiarizing because they see nothing wrong with it. Many students in our generation assume that online sources are at their disposal as stores of information, ripe for the picking.

However, the article also says that the majority of recent plagiarism cases at the University of California, Davis, were not because students were unaware that they were cheating, but they occurred instead because those students were too lazy to try to write well themselves.

The Times article seems to me to be an oversimplification. It’s true that students don’t come to college fully aware of what constitutes plagiarism and what the consequences are. But I think the underlying factor is much closer to a recent interpretation offered in the Huffington Post by David Callahan, editor of cheatingculture.com.

In the article, Callahan writes, “Surveys find that between two-thirds and three-quarters of students admit to some cheating in the previous year.” The article also claims that small colleges at which students may focus more on learning for the sake of learning, think about grades as a way of measuring how much students are learn-

Write to us

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

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

Op-ed submissions of general interest to the University community­—that do not respond explicitly to articles printed in the Justice—are also welcome and should be limited to 800 words.

All submissions are due Friday at 5 p.m.

ing and thus experience less cheating. Larger schools, at which students may view college more as a step toward getting a job, may experience more cheating.

Perhaps Callahan’s interpretation can also be understood as saying that students in small schools are valued more as individual entities and thus feel worse about violating that trust and breaking their academic integrity. Students at large schools, though, may be viewed merely as numbers and thus lack the close relationship with faculty that would perhaps deter them from cheating.

Now, Brandeis is not a large school and is definitely no UC Davis, but that doesn’t mean we should be ignorant of the temptation to cheat.

As a small research university, Brandeis has to make sure it distances itself from the cheating culture found at large universities and emulates the academic integrity of small liberal arts colleges.

However, the University is in an awkward position when it comes to this. By all accounts, we are a small to medium-sized school, a far cry from the large schools Callahan references.

But just like the large schools to which Callahan refers to, this university certainly has its share of majors designed to prepare students for the workplace. A large number of students

Fine Print

The opinions stated in the editorial(s) under the masthead on the opposing page represent the opinion of a majority of the voting members of the editorial board; all other articles, columns, comics and advertisements do not necessarily. For the Brandeis Talks Back feature on the opposite page, staff interview four randomly selected students each week and print only those four answers.

The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. Operated, written, produced and published entirely by students, the Justice includes news, features, arts, opinion and sports articles of interest to approximately 3,300 undergraduates, 1,700 graduate students, 500 faculty and 1,000 administrative staff.

In addition, the Justice is mailed weekly to paid subscribers and distributed throughout Waltham, Mass. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods.

Advertising deadlines: All insertion orders and advertising copy must be received by the Justice no later than 5 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the date of publication.

All advertising copy is subject to approval of the editor in chief and the man- aging and advertising editors. A publication schedule and rate card is available upon request.

Subscription rate: $35 per semester, $55 per year.

who major in Business or Economics have clear professional aspirations. Additionally, there are many students at Brandeis who choose to major in sciences—especially Biology. These students likely view their majors as steps in the professional ladder, and many plan on applying to medical school.

Perhaps the environment that promotes cheating can easily be found here, too—not as a result of our numbers, but because of the academic climate. Do we do enough to promote, as a small liberal arts school would, learning for learning’s sake? Or is this university simply one of the steps to making money after graduation?

There are a few things we can do to make sure that the former is true. One possibility is to foster faculty-student interactions. The recent Wabash report informed us that many students do not feel they have formed close relationships with professors. By encouraging such relationships, we can make sure that students don’t get an experience similar to that of a large school. Just as the faculty strives to develop relationships with students, students would benefit from seeking relationships with professors. This, perhaps, would create a climate in which students don’t want to cheat because they feel obligated to maintain the trust of their professors.

Additionally, the analysis of studies concern-

The Staff

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

ing the patterns of cheating in colleges across the country can help our university understand the larger context of our academic community. Perhaps it would be beneficial for the University to conduct its own anonymous study inspecting just how many students here have cheated on assignments or exams and then compare the results to patterns at other universities. If we find a disproportionate number of instances of cheating at Brandeis, maybe it’s because we are—whether we realize it or not—trying to emulate the large schools where students show up and professors don’t even know their names.

This all being said, it is still very possible that we don’t actually have a problem with cheating.

However, we should still strive to check our academic climate so that with our dual position as a pre-professional school and small liberal arts college, we don’t fall off to the wrong side. Understanding that we have the potential to foster an atmosphere of academic integrity should help us to avoid the trap of unwittingly fostering the opposite.

We should take heed of small liberal arts schools. We should make the academic climate centered around learning and not about a career so that when students are tempted to cheat, they’ll feel guilty for going against their academic principles.

Editorial Assistants News: Sara Dejene Features: Dafna Fine Forum: Eitan Cooper Arts: Aaron Berke Photos: Yosef Schaffel, Tali Smookler Copy: Marielle Temkin Staff

Senior Writers: Harry Shipps, Melissa Siegel Senior Illustrators: Rishika Assomull, A. Eli Tukachinsky News: Tyler Belanga, Andrew Wingens Features: Sarah Gilson, Claire Gohorel, Rocky Reichman, Deborah Salmon, Gabi Santoro Forum: Hannah Goldberg, Shafaq Hasan, Rebecca Kellogg, Ryan Kuhel, Ethan Mermelstein, Liz Posner, Leah Smith, Avi Snyder, Elizabeth Stoker, Naomi Volk

Sports: Josh Asen, Julian Cardillo, Jonathan Epstein, Max Goldstein, Jacob Lurie, Adam Rabinowitz, Jonathan Steinberg, Arts: Taylor Baker, Eric Chow, Alex DeSilva, Julia Jerusalmi, Elly Kalfus, Morgan Manley, Amy Melser, Douglas Moore, Alex Pagan, Bryan Prywes, Emily Salloway, Sujin Shin, Shelly Shore Photography: Genevieve Armstrong, Amy Bissaillon, Lydia Emmanouilidou, Nathan Feldman, Morgan Fine, Nathaniel Freedman, Hilary Heyison, Davida Judelson, Rozi Levi, Joshua Linton, Mansi Luo, Alex Margolis Copy: Taylor Baker, Rebecca Brooks, Allyson Cartter, Jacob Chatinover, Hilary Cheney, Erica Cooperberg, Philip Gallagher, Ariel Glickman, Patricia Greene, Celine Hacobian, Jeff Herman, Rachel Herman, Liana Johnson, Rachel Mayo, Mailinh PhanNguyen, Zane Relethford, Maya Riser-Kositsky, Mara Sassoon, Dan Willey, Amanda Winn Layout: Nadav Havivi, Nan Pang, Denny Poliferno Illustrations: Ari Tretin Ads: Alex Fischler

12

TUESDAY, November 23, 2010

●

THE JUSTICE

FORUM

Use of Facebook in class is disrespectful Liz

POSNER bUT i dIGRESS

I really was trying to concentrate in “Introduction to Economics” the other day. I swear. But I was distracted.

My eyes were drawn away from Prof.

Michael Coiner’s (ECON) very useful graphs on the blackboard and fixed on the computer screen in front of me as my fellow student clicked his way through some girl’s hundred-something tagged Facebook pictures.

“Does he have no shame?” I wondered. Yet I too was glued to the screen, helpless as precious information about the gross domestic product deflator formula passed me by, never to offer me valuable insight into macroeconomic principles again.

I can imagine the student’s thought process. Every day, he walks into class and asks himself, “Do I feel like paying attention today or looking at pictures of vintage cars?” Almost the instant our professor begins introducing the day’s lecture, the student logs onto Facebook, skims headlines on CNN.com and checks his e-mail.

Forty minutes into the class, he’s finally exhausted all his go-to websites and blogs. By the time he’s reached StumbleUpon.com, I’ve realized something interesting: My neighbor would rather be taken on a wild goose chase to remote corners of the Internet than pay attention to the professor for another 10 minutes.

I have even seen people walk into class, take their seats and immediately log onto Facebook before the professor even says a word. A strange, subconscious rationale operates behind the mindset of these students. Such people automatically assume that the class they are about to sit through will

not be worth their full attention, and they utilize their various Internet resources to pass the hour.

Surfing the net in class is no new phenomenon, of course. We’re all guilty of looking through friend’s pictures, checking sports stats, reading blogs or browsing The New York Times on those days when class just seems to drag on.

I don’t know why, but based on my own observation, it feels as though Brandeis students are opting out of paying attention in class and are spending more class time on the Internet. It might be that last year my classmates were mostly first-years, who seem to be somewhat more humbled in the presence of their professors than the more-jaded upperclassmen and are more eager to stay engaged. Whatever the reason, the basic problems are obvious: Laptop use in class is a distraction to you and to other people around you. It’s also disrespectful to the professor, even if it doesn’t seem like they notice, and it is a waste of the tuition money you are paying to attend that class.

It’s not just about Facebook. Our generation largely considers the Internet a means of entertainment. It’s almost impossible not to—who can resist a link to a YouTube video of some kittens riding on a vacuum cleaner, even in the middle of a crucial lecture?

Nonetheless, there remains something about Facebook use in class that strikes me as particularly disrespectful beyond the obvious fact that most people use Facebook for what can only be described as nonacademic discourse. It sends the message that the student in question is not only bored by this class but also considers his or her social life to be more important than whatever the professor is trying to discuss.

Though most people don’t intend to be disrespectful, I think there is an inadvertent arrogance that comes with Facebook use during class. Factually speaking, it is pretty unlikely that whatever your former best friend

MARA SASSOON/the Justice

from middle school did last weekend is genuinely more interesting than your professor’s lecture. The professor has studied this material for years. He’s probably written a book on the topic.

Even if the subject covers the most esoteric, seemingly useless information you think you’ll ever come across during your academic career, professors deserve students’ attention simply because they are smart people who want to share their knowledge with you.

Really, it’s kind of an honor. And to avoid sounding like a genuine nerd, I think as students we should pay some respect to the field of knowledge itself.

Some of the strongest minds of the

past decades, or even centuries, have dedicated their lives to exploring the material we study in class. Even if the material is going straight over your head, why not show tribute to these greats by sitting up a little straighter and closing Facebook chat? I cringe with guilt at the thought that Socrates willingly drank hemlock to defend the same ideas that I half-listened to in class last semester because I was busy reading Gawker. It may not feel this way at times on a modern college campus, but as Brandeis students, we are all part of the centuries-old Western tradition of academia. We belong to an establishment that has acted as a safe-

guard in the pursuit of knowledge and truth for ages. It may just be because I never really participated in group sports in high school, but this makes me feel like I am part of something.

I don’t think professors should ban laptops in class. Laptops are a great resource for finding information provide an easier way to take notes. But I think that as students we should bear in mind the ethics of intentionally diverting our attention away from classwork during class time. I have all day to surf around Facebook but only 50 or 80 minutes of golden face time with my professor, and I’d like to make the most of that.

WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH: CONSIDERING A COUNTERPROTEST

Disregard church’s protest Elizabeth

STOKER Brevity

The protests of the Westboro Baptist Church, a Kansas-based Christian group, are as notorious as they are ubiquitous.

For 20 years, vibrantly colored signs with black block letters telling of God’s hatred have appeared at theater events, funerals, universities and synagogues all over the United States in picket-style protests numbering over 44,000.

In anticipation of the upcoming picket at Brandeis, Shirley PhelpsRoper, an attorney and one of the leading figures in the Church, answered a few questions for me by phone last Sunday afternoon.

Phelps-Roper said that Brandeis “has been lurking around in the back of [her] mind” for some time and that she and the other Church members selected it as a protest site due to its association with the Jewish community.

She elaborated on the content of the upcoming pickets, calling them “love fests” and explaining that they are intended to communicate to “our Jewish brothers and sisters that we ... are in the last minutes of the last hours,” saying that there will be “mercy for a remnant.”

According to Phelps-Roper, the earth is presently on the verge of apocalypse, and certain Jewish people will be “saved” before the remaining Jews, along with the majority of humanity, will be eternally condemned to hell. The “remnant” described by Phelps-Roper will, she

says, become a “restored house of Jacob, ... a nation born in a day.”

This language is typical of the Westboro Baptist Church. Its teachings are apocalyptic, extreme and in many cases, difficult to stomach.

Phelps-Roper says that she prefers “great plainness of speech” as opposed to “politically correct” terms.

Judged on vocabulary alone, one could easily say that the church is, on some level, looking for a reaction from its audience. And already, numerous groups have come together on campus to plan potential responses or counterprotests, none of which will surprise the Westboro Baptist Church.

“

The group considers counterprotests to have only “stiffened [its] resolve.”

Yet I wonder if a counterprotest is the best course of action in response to the church, especially in some of the more extreme forms that have arisen for consideration online and in discussion.

Typically, protests are, in some sense, political. Yet Phelps-Roper denies that she or her group is political at all. When asked if the outcome of the pickets is hoped to affect voting, Phelps-Roper answered, “No.” Therefore, the act of counterprotesting in order to shift democratic outcomes is, in this case, inapplicable. The goals of the church are spiritual, noncorporeal and difficult to define. They are impossible to

protest effectively.

More importantly, though, the group considers counterprotests to have only “stiffened [its] resolve.”

Phelps-Roper described to me an early protest, during which gay activists approached the church picketers “talking horrible and trying to make [the picket] so painful that we’ll shut up and go away” as a “horrible miscalculation on their part.”

Laws made to limit the church’s proximity to funerals have also been largely ineffective, according to Phelps-Roper, who noted that “laws ... haven’t done one thing to stop us.”

Evidently so.

I am also concerned by the content of the counterprotests presently in the planning stages. In the past, gay and lesbian groups have held “Kissa-thons” before the group, ostensibly to display their sexuality proudly and turn the picketers away.

Yet I wonder if it is appropriate to allow oneself to be objectified in such a way, to turn one’s sexuality into something of a spectacle intended to disgust the Church members.

The point at which we allow ourselves to be consumed with anger and respond with such behavior is the point at which we have had our integrity stolen by a picket, and we cannot allow that to happen.

Nonetheless, if counterprotests do occur, I would encourage protesters to keep in mind that despite the extreme, infuriating content of the Westboro Baptist Church’s signs and words, they are, in fact, fellow human beings with rights and dignity.

Responding to them with respect and courtesy will speak more of our integrity as a community than any amount of showy counterprotest and will result on less liability on our part to boot.

Don’t fall for picketers’ trap; avoid a response

By Emily Diamond Special to the Justice

Many of us know by now that a group from the Westboro Baptist Church, led by Fred Phelps, is coming to Brandeis on Dec. 3. I know that many are considering ways in which we could counter the group’s protest. However, I suggest we do nothing.

I say this from experience. I am a Jew from Kansas. I can assure you that if you ask anyone in the Jewish community of Kansas City who Phelps is, he or she will have a story to tell you. Phelps and his followers at the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas have been picketing funerals, Jewish community centers and synagogues since 1955.

Phelps and his church members live about 40 minutes from the main Jewish community of Kansas City.

Two summers ago, they decided to increase the amount that they picket around that area. They went to daily Jewish prayer services, Jewish preschools, Jewish funerals and the JCC. I happened to be working at the JCC that summer, where they were picketing at every entrance.

The community was distraught.

Everyone was talking about it and trying to figure out what to do. One Jewish preschool decided to cancel on the day the church group was scheduled to picket. The employees of the JCC, though, decided to go about work as usual. One synagogue grouped together and rallied against the group by making its own signs.

The latter response is quite a common one. The next day’s newspaper, though, was a horrific sight. There was a huge picture of a synagogue member holding a sign in retali-

ation to the Westboro group. The picture wrongly portrayed the synagogue and its members as violent.

I am sure that Phelps has seen every sign against him that can exist. He has heard every rude remark in the book. People have danced around him in a circle, shouted things back and stood in silence watching, among many more creative counterprotests.

But this is what he and the members of his group desire. They want a huge gathering of people with signs. They want people shouting catchy remarks. They want a scene.

And they are prepared for all of that. On their website; they post where they are going to protest and why they are going there. They call the police of the area ahead of time to cover their bases. They call the media in case local journalists want to cover an event.

Some might say we are letting them win if we do nothing. In actuality, they lose. By not showing up, we show that we do not care about them enough to wake up early. We do not care enough about their signs or what they have to say. If we do not show up, the media will have less to cover, and it might not end up on the news. If everyone stopped caring about the church, its actions would have no significance.

What we can do is write letters to the news media stations asking them not to cover this event and others just like it (they plan on picketing at Harvard University on the same day). People need to be aware of who the group is and what it does.

Showing up on Dec. 3 does not accomplish this; it only adds fuel to the Westboro Baptist Church’s fire.

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, november 23, 2010

13

SPORTS FENCING

TAKING IT TO THE HOOP

Judges fight their way to a 9-2 record ■ The men’s and women’s

fencing teams had just one loss apiece in the Northeast Conference Meet at MIT. By adam rabinowitz JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The men’s and women’s fencing teams traveled to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology last weekend to compete in their first official matches of the season, and both teams performed well. The men’s team earned a 4-1 record while the women’s team left with a winning record of 5-1.

The men’s team first dueled against the University of New Hampshire, winning by a margin of 20-7.

Brandeis then faced its two toughest opponents of the tournament, Division III MIT and Division I Sacred Heart University. The Judges fought well in both matches and defeated host MIT by a score of 189. However, despite a well-played match against SHU, Brandeis ended up losing by a score of 11-10.

Adam Austin ’11 led the team all tournament, and nearly brought the team back against SHU. Austin, the saber-wielding captain, was 3-0 against Sacred Heart and posted a perfect 9-0 record throughout the day.

The team cruised through the rest of the tournament, topping the University of Massachusetts Amherst by a score of 20-7 and rounding out the action with an 18-9 win over Boston University.

Seth Dworman ’14 said that the team was very happy with the results.

“Going 4-1 was absolutely huge for our team and it’s a great way to start the season,” he said. “This was due in large part to our team spirit–everyone was extremely supportive of each other, and that sense of chemistry definitely was a factor in our win.”

Coach William Shipman agreed that it was a great tournament for the men’s team.

“Our men had a good overall day, with a good win over MIT after a disappointing loss last year,” he

said. “All of our foil guys showed progress, winning 7-2 and our more experienced saber and epee squads were solid as well.”

Shipman also was impressed with many of the rookie fencers on the men’s team.

“First-years Julian Cardillo and Mark Borreliz, who showed flashes of excellence, as well as all our new fencers, looked really good,” he said.

The women turned out a dominating performance as well. Following largely the same schedule as the men, the women handily defeated UNH by a score of 22-5.

However, the women were unable to sneak past MIT, as they lost a well-played match by a score of 15-12. After that, the women had no problem with the rest of the field, defeating SHU 20-7 and Wellesley College 14-13. Their final two matches resulted in 19-8 triumphs over both UMass Amherst and BU. Vikki Nunley ’13 led the women’s team with 12 victories in her 15 bouts in the foil division. Alex Turner ’11 notched an 11-7 record despite using a foil weapon instead of her usual saber. Shipman said that he was pleased with the women’s results, especially in light of the recent roster shake ups. “[I] was very encouraged by the progress of women’s fencing, given our number of new fencers and amount of injuries and absences we have had lately,” he said.

Despite their great outing on Saturday, Dworman said that the team still has room for improvement.

“Point control and staying relaxed in light of intimidating matchups are crucial if we want to attain total success.”

Shipman also acknowledged that both teams have some things to work on. “[We need to work on] making fewer mistakes, showing better tactics (especially épée) and ... performing better overall as a team,” he said.

For their next competition, the Judges will host the Brandeis Invitational on Sunday, Dec. 5, their last action of 2010.

Editor’s note: Julian Cardillo ’14 is a Sports staff writer for the Justice.

XCOUNTRY: Team has highest finish at NCAAs since 1998

CONTINUED FROM 16

third among University Athletic Association teams, as Washington University in St. Louis and New York University placed ninth and 10th, respectively.

Haverford senior Anders Hulleberg won the individual championship with a time of 24:22.2 in a tight finish, as he defeated University of Saint Thomas junior Ben Sathre.

Evans said that the team’s seniors were a key part of the squad’s success this season. “Our seniors have done a great job the past few years,” he said. “[Norton]’s had a great 4 years of running cross country and he’s really stepped up.

When he came here we were, 16th in the region, and now we’ve gone to two NCAAs, we’re one of two

teams to do that in the last 2 years.”

Despite losing Norton, Anastos and the rest of the senior class, Evans said that he expects more from next year’s team. “We have one of the top teams in the country,” he said. “Hopefully we can build on that over the next few years. We expect to go back [to NCAAs] and be even better. … We’ve got two really good freshmen, Colvin, who ran this weekend, and Taylor Dundas ’14.” Dundas has been sick the last few weeks, and was unable to compete.

Despite qualifying for the race, Grayce Selig ’11 was unable to compete.

The indoor track season begins Dec. 4 at the Northeastern Husky Invitational.

ALEX MARGOLIS/the Justice

AGGRESSIVE MOVE: Guard Morgan Kendrew ’12 drives past a WPI defender during the Judges’ Nov. 15 win to open the season.

WBBALL: Up-and-down week for women’s basketball team CONTINUED FROM 16

down 27-20 at halftime, were able to keep the game close thanks to 10 firsthalf points from sophomore center Sarah Collins.

Brandeis was able to maintain the lead throughout the second half, and found themselves up 8 points with just 4:30 remaining. Senior guard Becky Bowman began the comeback for Babson, drilling a 3-pointer and drawing a foul on the play. She completed the 4-point play, cutting the lead in half on just one possession. With 29 seconds left, Collins stole the ball and hit Bowman, who was fouled on the shot and went to the line for a 3-point play.

Bowman hit the foul shot, putting the Judges behind 57-54. With time winding down, Kendrew used a top of the key screen from Strodthoff to nail a 3-ponter with just 2.8 seconds left to send the game to overtime.

In overtime, neither team scored until the Beavers capitalized on two free throws to go up by two with 1:57 left. Ethier tied the game at 59, but Babson junior Kathleen King hit the game winner with 1:15 left, putting the Beavers up 61-59. After an intentional foul, the Judges looked to hit a gametying 3-pointer as time expired, but Ethier’s 23-footer bounced off the rim.

The team was again led by Kend-

rew, who finished with 21 points, including 16 in the second half.

“She is an unbelievably talented all-around player, so she’s hard to stop,” Ness said. “Team’s will be gunning for her all season, but so far, she done a great job continuing to step up.”

Simon said that the team needs to work on controlling the tempo of the game. “We just need to get back to what we do,” Simon said. “We need to learn from our mistakes, focus on taking care of the ball and not letting other teams dictate how we play.”

The Judges (2-2) host Wellesley College tonight at 7:30 p.m.

MBBALL: Squad starts the year off strong with three double-digit wins CONTINUED FROM 16 player with 9 points (Alex Schmidt ’14) and another with 8 (Hughes).

Kriskus led the way with 19 points, including 5-8 from downtown.

Three rookies also cracked double figures for the Judges. Starting guard Ben Bartoldus ’14 scored 14, which included the first 8 points of the game on back to back 3-pointers and a breakaway layup. Anthony Trapasso ’14 added 13 points in just 15 minutes of action, while Retos chipped in 12 in just 11 minutes. The three first-years also shot a combined 9-for-13 from 3-point range, as the Judges as a team shot 16-for-28 from beyond the arc. Youri Dascy ’14 and Christian Yemga ’11 tied for the team lead with five rebounds apiece.

Against Lasell on Tuesday,

Brandeis was led by Kriskus and Schmidt, who both recorded doubledoubles. Kriskus scored a gamehigh 22 and grabbed 10 boards for his first career double-double, while Schmidt, in his first collegiate game, had 11 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. Retos also cracked double figures for the Judges.

“Playing at Lasell, with the tough atmosphere, I think the freshmen handled the excitement and emotions really well,” Meehan said.

Though he was pleased with the team’s early success, Meehan noted that the players still have work to do, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

“Defensively, we still need to get better,” he said. “There’s a lot of things we have to work on, and we haven’t really needed to press yet.

… What we do know is that it’s a talented team. The returning guys have done an excellent job teaching these guys and integrating them to the system.”

The men will play again this evening as they host the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth at 5:30 p.m. The game will be the fourth in a span of eight days for the Judges, who will not play again until taking on Clark University on Nov. 30.

“We have four games before Thanksgiving, then we [regroup], then another four before winter break.” Meehan said, adding that, “If we can get through Tuesday playing well, we’ll be a quarter of the way through already.”

—Max Goldstein contributed reporting.

Attention Brandeis clubs and local businesses:

This could be your ad!

Advertise in

Justice today.

the

Special low rates for local businesses and on-campus groups.

Contact Cody Yudkoff at ads@thejustice.org for a rate card and more information.

Join the Arts section of

Justice!

the

Write reviews for theater, movies, dance and music.

Contact Bryan Flatt or Wei-Huan Chen at arts@thejustice.org for more information.

Knoxvillearts/Wikimedia Commons

THE JUSTICE

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Judging numbers

9 35 16 3 31

combined wins for the men’s and women’s fencing teams last weekend. The teams finished 4-1 and 5-1, respectively.

Chris Brown ’12 was Brandeis’ second place runner and placed 94th with a time of 25 minutes and 25.3 seconds.

Brown said that the team was happy with their result. “We all did really well … It was a good final meet, he said.”

Marc Boutin ’12 finished third on the team with a time of 25:29.2 and came in 107th overall. Boutin ran 80 seconds faster than in 2009.

Kerwin Vega ’11 and Devon Holgate ’11 finished 138th and 152nd, respectively.

Vega improved his time by over 120 seconds from last year, while Holgate sliced 40 seconds off his time.

Ed Colvin ’14 and Dan Anastos ’11 finished in 161st and 197th place, respectively.

Boutin said that he thinks that the runners’ individual placements were not nec-

essarily indicative of how well they ran.

“The thing about Nationals is …

[Brown] was in 94th place and I literally was 4 seconds behind him in what I thought was a few places but there was actually 13 people in between the two of us,” he said. “So I thought I did better than 107th but then I looked at the results and it said that I was farther back than I thought I was.”

When asked about the team’s performance, Boutin said that he was pleased with the meet.

“I think we all ran really well as a team.

We just ran together and we were able to put together a performance that was one of our best in the past three years that we’ve gone to Nationals,” he said. ­—Jacob Lurie

UAA STANDINGS Men’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball

UAA Conference Overall

W L W L Pct. JUDGES 0 0 3 0 1.000 Emory 0 0 3 0 1.000 New York 0 0 2 0 1.000 Carnegie 0 0 2 1 .667 WashU 0 0 2 1 .667 Rochester 0 0 1 1 .500 Case 0 0 1 2 .333 Chicago 0 0 1 2 .333

UAA Conference

W L Case 0 0 New York 0 0 Chicago 0 0 Emory 0 0 Rochester 0 0 WashU 0 0 JUDGES 0 0 Carnegie 0 0

Not including Monday’s games

th-place finish for the men’s cross country team at the NCAA Division III Championships, its highest finish since 1998.

straight wins to start the season for the men’s basketball team.

turnovers by the women’s basketball team during its loss to Rhode Island College on Sunday.

Not including Monday’s games Overall W L Pct. 3 0 1.000 3 0 1.000 2 1 .667 2 1 .667 2 1 .667 2 1 .667 2 2 .500 1 2 .333

Men’s BBall (points per game)

Women’s BBall (points per game)

Vytas Kriskus ’12 leads the team with a 25.3 points-per-game average.

Morgan Kendrew ’12 leads the team with a 16.7 points-per-game average.

Player PPG Vytas Kriskus 25.3 Derek Retos 13.0 Tyrone Hughes 8.3 Alex Schmidt 8.0 Ben Bartoldus 7.7

Player PPG Morgan Kendrew 16.7 Amber Strodthoff 8.3 Mia DePalo 7.0 Julia Scanlon 6.7 Kasey Dean 6.0

Men’s BBall (rebounds)

Women’s BBall (rebounds)

Christian Yemga ’11 leads the team with 7.3 rebounds per game.

Brighid Courtney ’12 leads the team with 5.3 rebounds per game.

Player RPG Christian Yemga 7.3 Alex Schmidt 6.7 Vytas Kriskus 6.3 Youri Dascy 3.7 two tied with...

2.7

Player RPG Brighid Courtney 5.3 Amber Strodthoff 5.3 Shannon Hassan 4.0 Samantha Anderson 3.8 Kelly Ethier 3.8

UPCOMING GAME OF THE WEEK Men’s basketball vs UMass Dartmouth The Judges host the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs tonight at 5:30 p.m.

The men’s basketball team will play it’s fourth game in an 8-day span tonight, as it takes on the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth at 5:30 p.m.

The Corsairs hosted the Judges last season, and defeated them 92-82 in Brandeis’ third game of the season.

Kenny Small ’10 led the Judges with 38

On a weekend filled with sunny, 70-degree weather, the men’s ultimate frisbee team, Tron, put on a shining performance at the UOA National Championships in Greenville, N.C.. The team finished the tournament with a 2-6 record, good for seventh out of eight competing teams.

With a seventh place ranking and low expectations, Sean Petterson ’11 was proud of the team’s overall performance.

“The teams we played against were much more athletic,” he said. “We went into the tournament knowing that we would have a tough time holding against these teams, but we ended up doing so in every single game. And that’s something we are all happy about.”

Tron first played the Dartmouth College Pain Train, and stumbled out of the gate. They fell behind 4-1 early but stayed within 3 points for most of the game. The Pain Train eventually capitalized on this lead, finishing 15-11.

Tron played the University of Virginia Night Train next, losing 12-9. Despite the loss, Petterson was proud of how the team played. “Virginia’s ultimate team consistently ranks in the top 10 ultimate teams in the country,” he said. “But we were still able to play well against them.” Tron also played the University of Connecticut and the Virginia Polytechnical Institute Burn on Saturday. They lost 15-11 to the UConn Grind and 15-3 to the Burn.

Tron’s first game on Sunday was against the University of Pittsburgh, the team that finished fourth in the UOA 2009 National Championships. Pittsburgh beat Tron 15-9.

Again, Petterson was proud of the team’s ability to match up against such a strong team. “Pittsburgh is one of the top teams in the country, he said. “15-9 is a phenomenal score against them. In the past, they would beat us 15-1 or 15-2. The fact that we scored 9 points against the fourth-best team in the nation is something we’re very proud of.”

Tron won its last two games to end the weekend, beating James Madison University 16-14 and the University of Tennessee 9-7. Brandeis was losing 14-12 against James Madison but then scored 4 consecutive points to win the game. In the game against Tennessee, Petterson said the team played well both offensively and defensively. “After playing seven games, we were exhausted, but we pushed through. We wanted it more than them,” he said.

Petterson said that Tron had a very successful fall season and that the UOA Nationals tournament was a great way to finish it. “Going into the fall season, we did not expect to do much better than we did last year,” he said. “After winning our first three tournaments, we ... knew we had much bigger hopes this season. Making it to Nationals is our crowning achievement,” Petterson said. “This weekend, we definitely put Brandeis ultimate on the map.” ­—Sam Liang

TEAM LEADERS points for forward Vytas Kriskus ’12 during the men’s basketball team’s victory over Curry College in the title game of the Brandeis Judges Classic, a career high.

15

Men’s ultimate finishes seventh at UOA Nationals in Greenville, N.C.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLIE ANASTOS P ’11

Last Saturday, the men’s cross country team placed 16th out of 32 teams and third among five UAA schools at the NCAA Division III Championships at Wartburg College.

The Judges’ effort was spearheaded by Paul Norton ’11, who came in 70th overall. Norton finished less than a second behind the three runners ahead of him and cut his time from last year down by 20 seconds, though he did finish seventh at last year’s meet.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2010

CLUB SPORTS BRIEF

The men’s cross country team

■ The men’s cross country team finished 16th at the NCAA Division III Championships last Saturday, their best finish at the meet since finishing eighth in 1998.

●

points in the game.

“We’re [going to] have to defend against [them],” Coach Brian Meehan said. “They’re gonna play a lot of shooters, take a lot of threes. ... They really like to run and gun. Our young guys will have to post up and score; it’ll be a completely different game.”

BOSTON BRUINS BEAT Bruins drop to the Los Angeles Kings to fall to 11-5-2 on the year For the 2010 to 2011 season, justSports has been given a press pass to attend Boston Bruins home games. We will cover these games periodically throughout the year.

Just under 3 minutes into the second period of their Saturday-night game against the Los Angeles Kings, the Boston Bruins found themselves down 3-0. The Bruins had a 1-5 record in games in which they trailed by two or more, while the Kings were 9-2-0 when scoring first this season. It did not look good for the men in black and gold.

Somehow, the Bruins were able to climb back into it, scoring the next three goals to tie it at three and force an unlikely overtime. The game ultimately went to a shootout, and the Bruins lost 1-0 in six rounds. Boston’s record on the season is now 11-5-2 after the team’s victories earlier this week against the New York Rangers and the Florida Panthers.

Neither team was able to score to start the shootout, and it wasn’t until Boston center David Krejci missed his chance in the sixth round that Los Angeles center Michael Handzus got the puck past Boston goalie Tim Thomas to win the game for the Kings. “When I go in, I just decide what I see and what my options are,” Handzus said of his shootout strategy. “I saw a couple of guys trying to make a move and [Thomas] was pretty deep in the net, so I just tried to shoot it.”

The Kings struck first in the game just under a minute in on right wing Brad Richardon’s fourth goal of the season.

Handzus then got the second goal of the period at 11 minutes, 17 seconds, just after a Boston power play ended. Defender Davis Drewiske earned an assist on the play. The Kings’ third and final goal then came just under three minutes into the second period off the stick of center Jarret Stoll, making it Stoll’s 100th career goal.

“The first one [goal], I just lost my angle a little bit, and he [Richardson] was moving his feet,” Thomas said. “The other two were kind of fluky, one went behind two guys and I didn’t even see the rebound, and the third one, I stayed with the passes, I knew [he] had a shot at it, and it deflected off of something.”

The Bruins then scored twice in the second period and once in the third to tie up the score. Wheeler scored the first goal 4 1/2 minutes into the second period off of assists from center Tyler Seguin and defenseman Zdeno Chara. The second goal came 7 minutes later when center Gregory Campbell hit the puck past Kings goalie Jonathan Quick after he saved the initial shot from left winger Shaun Thornton. Both Thornton and center Brad Marchand got assists on the play.

The goal came with the Bruins having an extra attacker on the ice in a delayed penalty situation. Boston center Patrice Bergeron then scored the third goal on a power play. Wheeler and right wing Mark Recchi got assists on the play.

Last Thursday night, the Bruins won their third straight game with a 4-0 win at the Florida Panthers. The Bruins also won last Wednesday night, defeating the Rangers 3-2.

The Bruins are next in action tomorrow night on the road against the Panthers at 7:30 p.m. before playing two more games on the weekend. Friday they return home to face the Carolina Hurricanes at noon, and on Sunday they go back on the road to face the Atlanta Thrashers at 5 p.m.

—Melissa Siegel

just

Sports

Page 16

DISARMED

The men’s and women’s fencing teams dominated local competition at the Northeast Conference Meet, p. 13.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Women’s basketball

AT THE RIM

Team splits four to start off the year ■ The women’s basketball

team won two of its first three before dropping to RIC in the Judges Classic finale.

By JONATHAN STEINBERG JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

In last Sunday’s game against the Rhode Island College Anchorwomen, the Judges averaged nearly a turnover per minute in the first half, an issue that plagued the team all week long. The Judges fell to the Anchorwomen 66-49 in the championship game of the Brandeis Judges Classic after beating the Connecticut College Camels in the opening round.

On Wednesday, the Judges dropped to 13th-ranked Babson College in overtime by a score of 62-59.

In Sunday’s championship match, the Judges were pitted against an RIC team that had won its last two matchups by 61 and 16 points, respectively.

The Judges were aggressive early on, but the Anchorwomen used a 15-0 run 5 minutes in to take a 19-9 lead.

The Judges fought back again, but too many turnovers left them down 9 points at halftime.

In the first half, the team racked up an astonishing 19 miscues. Coach Carol Simon said that her team did a poor job of dealing with Rhode Island’s pressure. “We didn’t handle the pressure early at all,” she said.

“The first half we had 19 turnovers and we really didn’t handle their zone very well. We were pretty much on our heels the whole time.”

In the second half, the Judges opened with an 8-2 run, cutting the lead to 3, but that was as close as it would get, as the Anchorwomen would push the lead to 19 points and win the game by a 17-point margin.

The Judges finished the game with 31 turnovers and gave up 35 points off turnovers.

Center/forward Courtney Ness ’13 agreed that turnovers are something that the team needs to work on. “We need to just settle down and play our game and not let other teams take us out of our element, she said.” Guard

Kelly Ethier ’12 added, “turnovers are something we are working on, learning how to take care of the ball.”

The team was led by guard Morgan Kendrew ’12 who scored 16 points and Ethier, who had 12. Forward Amber Strodthoff ’11 had 4 points and led the team with nine rebounds, but she also had a team-high seven turnovers.

The women were much more in-control during their first round matchup against Connecticut College on Saturday. The Judges never trailed during the game and defeated the Camels 68-36.

The Camels kept it close through the first 9 minutes, but the Judges started to find their shot and reeled off 12 unanswered points to blow the game open. The women were ahead by double digits the rest of the way, and went into halftime with a commanding 34-13 lead.

Leading the Judges in scoring for the third straight game was Kendrew, who notched 11 points on the game. Rookie guard Janelle Rodriguez ’14 added 9 points and had team highs with six rebounds and four steals. Strodthoff and Ethier each added 8 points for the Judges and rookie guard Julia Scanlon ’14 led the team with seven assists off the bench and contributed three of the Judges’ 36 total bench points, as many points as Conn College scored the entire game.

The Judges’ defense held the Camels to just 24-percent shooting and forced 22 turnovers, while committing only 15, leading to a 21-2 scoring edge for Brandeis in points off of turnovers. The Judges also finished the game with more second-chance points, points in the paint and assists than Conn College.

The Judges began the week facing their first-ranked opponent of the year, no. 13 Babson College. The Judges led most of the way, but the Beavers forced overtime, and were able to pull out the win. For the first 39 1/2 minutes, the Judges never trailed, thanks to 9 first-half points from Strodthoff. The Beavers, though

See WBBBALL, 13 ☛

JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

cROSS COUNTRY

Squad races to 16th at NCAA Championships ■ The men’s cross country

team had its best finish since 1998 at the NCAA Division III Championships.

By JONATHAN EPSTEIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Despite not having a runner finish in the top 50, the men’s cross country team finished 16th out of 32 teams at the NCAA Division III Championships at Wartburg College in Iowa on Saturday. It was the team’s best finish since 1998, after finishing 24th the previous year.

Coach John Evans was happy with his team’s performance.

“We’re pleased with the way we finished up,” he said.

On a sunny but chilly day, captain Paul Norton ’11 finished in 25 minutes, 17.3 seconds, good for 70th place. Norton, who finished seventh at last season’s NCAA Championship, was disappointed with his result. “Individually, it couldn’t have

Waltham, Mass.

been much worse, but the training just hasn’t been there,” he said.

Evans blamed Norton’s performance on his Achilles heel injury, which has been nagging him all year. “Obviously Norton [has] had trouble in the beginning of this year, so he wasn’t 100 percent,” he said, adding that despite the injury, “he got out of bed and ran with the team.”

Chris Brown ’12 finished in 25:25.3, good for 94th place, while Marc Boutin ’12 ran a 25:29.2 to grab 107th. Kerwin Vega ’11 ran in 25:41.4, with Devon Holgate ’11 finishing 6.6 seconds later, good for 138th and 152nd places. Ed Colvin ’14 finished 1.2 seconds and nine places after Holgate, and Dan Anastos ’11 ended his career with a time of 26:08.0, finishing in 197th.

Haverford College won with 87 points and an average time of 24:43.5 North Central College of Illinois was second, followed by Saint Lawrence University. Brandeis was

See XCOUNTRY, 13 ☛

CLOSING IN: Forward Alex Stoyle ’14 looks to finish over two Newbury College defenders during Brandeis’ victory last Friday.

Judges grab first three games to begin the season ■ The men’s basketball team

won its first three games, including two last weekend to win the Judges Classic.

By Jeffrey boxer JUSTICE editor

Led by sharpshooting forward Vytas Kriskus ’12, the men’s basketball team cruised to three straight double-digit wins to open the season.

The Judges defeated Lasell College 73-51 last Tuesday before defeating both Newbury College 89-60 and Curry College 81-69 last weekend to win the Brandeis Judges Classic.

Coach Brian Meehan said that though the team still has room to improve, he’s been impressed with the team’s offense, especially with so many new faces.

“I think for the most part, we’ve had periods of time where we stop

running the offense and get complacent, but overall, for this time of the year [and] with this many new guys, we’ve done a good job of executing on the offense,” Meehan said. “With this few [experienced] guys I would’ve expected a little less execution, but we’ve done a really good job so far.”

Kriskus led the team in scoring in all three of their matches, including a career-high 35-point outburst against Curry last Sunday. Kriskus, who was named the tournament’s most valuable player for his efforts, exploded for a 22-point second half against the Colonels. On the game he shot 9-20 from the field, 6-11 from the 3-point line and 12-13 from the free-throw line. Kriskus also had eight rebounds, which tied a game high. “[Kriskus] is scoring, but more importantly, [he] has defended much better than the past two years and he has rebounded,” Meehan

said. “Scoring is one thing, but when you can stop the other team, that makes him a complete player. It helps us; I don’t have to take him out at crucial times of the game because he is a liability. He is not, and that’s why he’s getting more minutes.”

Also contributing for the Judges was Derek Retos ’14, who had 11 points off the bench, including 3-for4 from behind the arc. The rookie point guard has shot a combined 11-for-20 from deep in his first three games for the Judges. Guard Tyrone Hughes ’12 chipped in with 8 points, seven assists, five rebounds and just one turnover. The assist total tied a career high for Hughes and was more than the entire Curry team. “[Hughes] running the offense, keeping them focused has been key,” Meehan said.

Against Newbury, Brandeis had four players in double figures, a

See MBBALL, 13 ☛

just

November 23, 2010

ARTS

HTG explores comical side of

BLACK & WHITE

p. 21

Photos: Asher Krell/the Justice. Design: Robyn Spector and Debra Friedmann/the Justice.

18

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2010 ● THE JUSTICE

POP CULTURE

INSIDE ON CAMPUS

18-22

■ Hillel Theater Group review

The Hillel Theater Group put on its production of Peter Shaffer’s The White Liars and Black Comedy at the Carl J. Shapiro Theater last weekend.

19

■ Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra 19

Students from Brandeis University and Wellesley College performed three outstanding pieces of classical music last Sunday at the Slosberg Recital Hall.

■ Mela 2010

20

The South Asian Students Association hosted its annual cultural arts festival, titled “Mela 2010: My Life is Desi,” in the Levin Ballroom last Saturday.

■ ‘Sunday in the Park’ review 21

Brandeis Theater Group’s production of the Steven Sondheim musical Sunday in the Park with George explored painter George Seurat’s frustrations in creating a new artistic process, called pointillism.

■ Mixed Monologues

The Mixed Heritage Club hosted music, rap and spoken word performances in Cholmondeley’s last Wednesday.

OFF CAMPUS

22

23-24

■ ‘Harry Potter’ review

23

The main characters in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 leave Hogwarts and embark on a long, harrowing journey to defeat Lord Voldemort.

CALENDAR

Interview

Interviewing the director of ‘White Liars’

by Taylor Baker

Another celebrity divorce? Can it be true? Unfortunately (and not so surprisingly), yes. Eva Longoria, star of ABC’s Desperate Housewives, filed for divorce this past Friday from her soonto-be-ex-husband Tony Parker, point guard for the San Antonio Spurs, citing the reason for the split as due to “irreconcilable differences.”

After days of speculation, Parker announced via Twitter that she is divorcing her husband of a mere 3 years. Even after previous confirmation from her publicist that there would be no divorce, Longoria officially filed papers in Los Angeles Superior Court, and a couple days later, Parker filed divorce papers in the Bexar County Courthouse in Texas.

Why did she divorce her partner of 3 years?

Infidelity. It seems to be a common home wrecker among celebrities these days, afflicting everyone from the now-infamous Tiger Woods to Shania Twain, who found out her now ex-husband Robert John “Mutt” Lange cheated on her with Twain’s personal assistant and close friend.

Parker allegedly cheated on Longoria with Erin Barry, wife of former teammate Brent Barry—the couple is also going through a divorce.

Longoria found hundreds of texts that clearly showed Parker’s infidelity. Oddly, Parker saved these texts on his computer, and he even downloaded a program to keep them hidden on his computer. Longoria found the texts because Parker didn’t properly close the program.

It’s really quite sad that Parker would go to such lengths to hide the texts—it makes it seem as if he was perfectly fine with keeping the charade going. But, unfortunately, it’s not surprising. That marriage has been plagued with rumors of infidelity from the beginning.

In December 2007, only 6 months after Longoria and Parker’s wedding in a French castle, model Alexandra Paressant told the press she had an affair with Parker. The couple denied it, and

 After finishing the final production of ‘The White Liars and Black Comedy,’ Michelle Kuchinsky ’12 was able to e-mail with justArts and reflect on the process of putting on Peter Shaffer’s comedic play.

FUUU/Flickr Creative Commons

HOUSEWIFE NO LONGER: Eva Longoria will be parting ways with NBA star Tony Parker.

Longoria even filed a lawsuit against the website that first reported it, stating that Paressant used the Parkers to climb the social ladder; the model certainly had an interesting way to do it. While Parker may not have cheated in that instance, it can only feel seem a bad omen now with the knowledge of their pending divorce.

It’s naïve to think, but it’s sad to hear about couples like Longoria and Parker ending their relationship on such a sorrowful note. Is it so wrong to believe that everyone can be in it for the long haul? Possibly.

What’s happening in Arts on and off campus

ON CAMPUS EVENTS

In the Field 2010: Perspectives of a composer and a visual artist

Speakers Mary Hamill and Ruth Lomon will address Brandeis community members about the work commissioned by the Abiquiu Music Festival in New Mexico. Hamill, a visual artist, and Lomon, a composer, have created works for this ceremony featuring Native American influences, including a performance by flutist R.C. Nakai. The two speakers will follow the performance with discussions about their individual field work in women’s research.

Nov. 30 at 12:30 p.m. in the Epstein Women’s Studies Research Center lecture hall. The event is open to the public.

Too Cheap For Instruments semester show

Too Cheap For Instruments, a folk/folk-pop, all-female a capella group that focuses on musicianship and novelty acts, will put on its annual fall performance.

Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. in the South Campus Commons.

Brandeis University Early Music Ensemble concert

This performance centers around the Italian madrigal “La Mantovana,” now worldrenowned as Israel’s national anthem, “Hatikvah.” The Brandeis Early Music Ensemble consists of singers and instrumentalists who explore the musical identity of the Renaissance and Baroque period Europe through recorders, krumhorns, sackbuts, curtals, viols, lutes, harps and harpsichords. Directed by Prof. Sarah Mead (MUS).

Dec. 4 at 8 p.m. in the Slosberg Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

Boris’ Kitchen’s annual sketch comedy festival

This 2-night sketch comedy act presents Brandeis’ premier improv troupe performing along with two professional guest troupes, Chicago’s The Miserables performing with Boris’ Kitchen on Friday, and New York City’s Two Fun Men performing on Saturday. The event will include new material from Boris’ Kitchen along with old favorites.

Dec. 3 and Dec. 4 at 8 p.m. in the Carl J. Shapiro Theater. There will be a $2 minimum donation to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Brandeis University Jazz Ensemble

This performance will include music by the Thelonious Monk Big Band of the 1960s arranged by Oliver Nelson. The Brandeis University Jazz Ensemble is composed of 15 to 20 musicians led by one of Boston’s more well-known jazz performers, Prof. Robert Nieske (MUS).

The ensemble performs well-known jazz pieces along with original compositional works by Nieske.

Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. in the Slosberg Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

VoiceMale’s “Steamy Winter” concert

Brandeis’ all-male a cappella group performs in this special annual event. VoiceMale, founded in 1994, travels across the United States performing a mix of rock, pop, R & B and oldies at a variety of high schools, colleges and private functions. The group has released several award-winning albums, including Propeller,

ASHER KRELL/Justice File Photo

RENAISSANCE MEN: The Brandeis University Early Music Ensemble will perform songs that center around the Italian madrigal “La Mantovana” on Dec. 4 at the Slosberg Recital Hall.

Ain’t Done Overnight and Suit Up. Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Golding Auditorium.

Tickets are $3 presale in Usdan, $5 at the door.

Dec. 3 through Dec. 23 at the North Shore Music Theatre, 62 Dunham Rd., Beverly, Mass.

Tickets range from $40 to $55.

Brandeis University Improv Collective

“The art and technique of the American commercial”

The Brandeis University Improv Collective, led by saxophonist Tom Hall, features a group of Brandeis students who love to improvise music on the spot. Open to instrumentalists, vocalists and other performers alike, the group engages students in learning to speak to each other through the medium of music.

The Improv Collective’s performance will bring two groups of improvisers to the stage in a spontaneously wonderful concert.

Dec. 7 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Slosberg Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

This exhibit celebrates the innovative and exceptional commercials honored by the Association of Independent Commercial Producers.

The awarded commercials will be on display at the Institute of Contemporary Art’s Film Archives, celebrating the artistic craft of these filmic advertising ventures.

Month-long exhibition begins Dec. 2 at the Institute of Contemporary Art, 100 Northern Ave, Boston. Admission is $10 for nonmembers, $8 for members and students.

OFF CAMPUS EVENTS

‘Total Badass’ film screening with Chad Holt and Bob Ray

‘Clara’s Dream­—A Nutcracker’s Story’ This hybrid performance of arts and multimedia is a modern take on the classic Nutcracker’s tale, featuring aerial dance performances for the first time in American theater history.

Based on the classic Nutcracker story written in 1816 by E.T.A. Hoffman, in which the young Clara Stalhbaum’s Christmas nutcracker toy comes alive and, after doing battle with the evil Mouse King, whisks her away to the magical land of dolls..

Dec. 4 at 3 p.m. in the Hanover Theatre, located on 2 Southbridge St., Worcester, Mass. Tickets range from $15 to $20. A 10-percent discount is available to students.

‘A Christmas Carol’

This musical production of Charles Dickens’ classic tale features new and original songs, colorful costumes and great special effects. The classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his journey of redemption through the Ghosts of Past, Present and Future is a world-renowned tale presented at the North Shore Music Theatre, written and directed by Jon Kimbell.

Texas filmmaker Bob Ray creates a documentary exploring his native Austin, Texas’ subculture. The film, titled Total Badass, is an outrageous, daring and comedic documentary centering around real local maniac, father, writer-publisher and drug dealer Chad Holt and his deviant exploits within the Texas underground music and arts scene. The film chronicles his final year of felony probation as he struggles to leave his own creative “scar” on the world.

Dec. 2 at the Regent Theater, 7 Medford St., Arlington, Mass. $10 general admission.

Schumann, Harbison and Wagner at Boston Symphony Orchestra

James Levine leads the “Symphony No. 3, Rhenish,” which was inspired by the composer’s travels in Northern Germany. Levine continues the two-season cycle of complete John Harbison symphonies at the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The program also contains orchestral works from Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde.

Friday through Nov. 30 at Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave., Boston. Tickets range from $29 to $103.

This presentation of two one-act plays by Peter Shaffer tells two tales of intrigue and comedy. The White Liars tells the story of a psychic and two clients, one of whom conspires to read the other a false future; but the psychic gets more than she bargained for when she discovers the information she was given is not quite what it seems. Black Comedy is a satirical piece about a starving artist who steals furniture from his neighbor in order to impress his fiancée’s father; events turn chaotic when a blackout interrupts the visit.

Michelle Kuchinsky ’12, who directed both performances, was able to e-mail justArts about the successes and challenges of putting on the production. After a well-received opening show on Thursday, a solid Saturday night performance and a tiring yet rewarding Sunday consisting of both a matinee and evening performance, the cast and crew are relieved to be done and glad that they could participate in this experience.

JustArts: The White Liars and Black Comedy just finished its fourth and final show on Sunday. What’s the first thought that comes to your mind?

Michelle Kuchinsky: I’m sort of still running on the high that came with the final show. I think the last performance was actually the perfect culmination of the project on every end. The audience seemed really into it and the actors fed off of that energy to make it their best performance.

JA: What is your role in the production?

What do you do and who do you work with?

MK: Originally, I chose the show and the production staff. But throughout the process, I ran rehearsals, worked with the actors on developing their characters, and met with the various designers to make sure everyone’s visions were cohesive.

JA: How long has everyone been working on the play? What has the rehearsal process been like?

MK: The designers have been working since this summer. The actors have started rehearsing since the second week of school. The rehearsal process has been a great one. As both of the shows are a bit silly, sometimes the actors would break into fits of laughter or song, but the show must go on!

JA: Can you talk a little about setting up the stage and collaborating with the light and set designers?

MK: I met with the designers periodically to collaborate all of the individual designs. The set designer, Meryl Feinstein ’12, and I met more toward the beginning, because a lot of the blocking (stage movement) was dependant on the setup of the stage.

The lighting designer, Robbie Steinberg ’13, and I met a couple of times but solidified things more towards the end when the actual lighting would be incorporated into the show.

The reversed lighting scheme was clearly an unorthodox approach, but I think it was appreciated.

When it came time for tech week, they each took turns putting their designs in place for the show.

JA: What are some challenges you have come across as director of The White Liars and Black Comedy?

MK: Arranging the actors on the stage in a way that would collaborate with the specific blocking and lines that the author had delineated was sometimes a challenge. This was especially true due to some of the changes we had to make to the stunts outlined in the script as well as changes in the nuances of the set.

For example, the actors might not have always been in the exact places that the author had outlined, and therefore certain lines would not have worked. We did have to take some time to rearrange blocking and ensure a cohesive piece.

The production staff also encountered a number of difficulties with the set as we were sometimes afraid our expectations were set too high.

JA: What was your favorite aspect of directing a play like this?

MK: I loved working with the actors to create some of the priceless moments that ultimately were solidified on stage. I also loved working on such an upbeat show to create what, for me, was a very fun, enjoyable process. The best part, though, was definitely all of the wonderful members of the cast and crew with whom I had the tremendous pleasure to work!

—Wei-Huan Chen

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, november 23, 2010

19

ON CAMPUS THEATER

Lots of laughs in the two-show ‘Comedy’ ■ Hillel Theater Group’s fall play combines funny accents with unique lighting and goofy, erratic characters.

By ARIEL KAY JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

This past weekend, the Hillel Theater Group presented its fall play: The White Liars and Black Comedy. The production is split into two shows— first The White Liars, then Black Comedy, presented back-to-back in a nearly 3-hour block. The writer, Peter Shaffer (Amadeus and Equus), published both works together in one book, and they are almost always performed as one piece. Director Michelle Kuchinsky ’12, who helmed both shows, commented on this decision, saying, “Shaffer wanted to approach the same theme from two different angles. Specifically, is it always right to tell the truth? Or can deception be the right thing to do?”

The White Liars is the story of a manager, Frank (Levi Squire ’14) who pays fortune-teller Sophie (Yoanna Freedman ’11) to give a false reading to his friend Tom (Aaron Berke ’12). From this fairly simple beginning, many unforeseeable secrets are confessed, creating a web of lies that becomes trickier and more comical than I had first suspected the play could produce.

Both Freedman and Berke put on convincing accents as an Austrian and an Englishman, respectively. Berke, in particular, had his Cockney voice down pat, though I found his character more believable when he returned to his natural American pronunciations.

All three actors worked well with one another, though I wish their timing had been faster and more fluid. Despite this criticism, I give them all a lot of credit for their performances.

The dialogue consisted of several long monologues delivered by each character. It is in these speeches that Frank, Sophie and Tom reveal the duplicitous nature of their actions to one another and the viewers. It is not the most natural or the easiest way for characters to express themselves, but I found these speeches funny and absorbing.

Black Comedy differs from the first half of the show in both tone and plotline. When the lights dimmed after intermission and the second play began, the energy exuded by the performers was immediately higher. It had to be, because Black Comedy has an “experimental theater” twist to it: When the lights are dim, the characters can see.

LYDIA EMMANOUILIDOU/the Justice

CAUGHT IN THE DARK: Herbie Rosen ’12, Hilary Sager ’12, Lenny Schnier ’13 and Sarah Pace ’13 act out a scene during the inverted lighting play “Black Comedy” last week.

When the lights are bright, the scene is played as though it was taking place in the dark.

The characters had to have bigger personas, or they would have faded away. I took this choice by Shaffer to be metaphorical; it is when the characters cannot see each other that they feel comfortable enough to be honest.

Oscar Wilde famously said, “Give a man a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” Kuchinsky explained, “When the lights are on [meaning the characters cannot see], we get a glimpse into [main character] Brinsley’s [Herbie Rosen ’12] world. Most people feel more comfortable in the light. But, because Brinsley is dishonest, he feels the opposite.” I had another interpretation: Maybe the lighting design was created to continually remind the audience that what they are watching is a performance, just as the characters give “performances” by pretending to be other than what they truly are.

I admire the intent behind the lighting design, but when it was actually

executed I found it distracting, and watching a darkened stage for so long hurt my eyes.

Apart from the lighting, however, Black Comedy was highly entertaining. It had a cast almost triple the size of The White Liars, but Kuchinsky managed to keep the various personas in line and the action moving.

The plot begins with Brinsely Miller, a sculptor who is expecting a very wealthy potential buyer to appraise his work. His prissy fiancée Carol’s (Hilary Sager ’12) father (Marc Eder ’12) is also coming to meet him for the first time this same evening. The couple seems to have everything prepared, including “borrowing” their neighbor’s exquisite furniture for the occasion, when the lights go out.

Thus begins a production filled with physical gaffes and cases of mistaken identity as the characters fumble around in the “dark.” Each actor brings a further complicating persona into the mix, until, at the finale, two neighbors (Lenny Schnier ’13 and

Sarah Pace ’13), Carol’s father, Miller’s ex-girlfriend (Leila Stricker ’13), an electrician (Dave Benger ’14) and the millionaire collector (played by Jeff Horrowitz ’10 on Thursday, Alex Davidson ’10 on Saturday, Jeremy Weinberg ’12 for the Sunday matinee and Evan Delgaudio for Sunday evening) are all milling about onstage, trying not to trip over one another or the furniture. The resulting chaos is funny, though the jokes get old by the end of the play.

As in The White Liars, most of the actors performed some sort of accent or unnatural voice. Sager’s ditzy whine and Pace’s portrayal of an elderly neighbor were the two examples that I found funniest. Both performers were outlandish caricatures and provided some of the biggest laughs of the night.

However, it seemed odd that some of the characters were portrayed as British (the plays take place in England) and some as American, particularly when British phrases, such as “had a fuse” instead of the American “blown a

fuse” are used by non-European characters. It could be that not all the actors could manage an accent, but then why not have them all be American? It would have made more sense logically and would have been less distracting.

Kuchinsky explained that, “Some people had a knack for accents, and others met with acting coaches. I thought it would have been distracting to the audience to have all the characters perform in a British accent. I wanted them to focus on the plot and fully understand the dialogue, so I only emphasized accents that would make a difference in the storyline.”

Ultimately, The White Liars and Black Comedy brought up some engaging quandaries about the difficult nature of honesty while still being a fairly enjoyable, if formulaic, production. However, if you want to see an excellent example of Shaffer’s writing, I suggest you see one of his betterknown works.

Editor’s note: Aaron Berke ’12 is a Justice Arts editorial assistant.

MUSIC

Two schools share a mastery of classical music ■ For its fall show, the

Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra expertly performed three classical music pieces.

By REBECCA BROOKS JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The fall recital of the BrandeisWellesley Orchestra showcased the exceptional musical talent of the students from Wellesley College and our university. The program consisted the three pieces: “Der Schwanendreher” by Paul Hindemith, “Hungarian Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra” by Franz Liszt and “Symphony No. 1 op. 39 in E minor” by Jean Sibelius. Under the tutelage of conductor Neal Hampton, the orchestra as a whole kept the audience enthralled while performing like a professional orchestra.

The BWO began its night by playing Paul Hindemith’s “Der Schwanendreher,” which translates to “The Swan-turner,” or a person who rotates a swan roasting on a spit. According to the program, Hindemith originally composed the concerto for a small orchestra of woodwinds and brass with no violins or violas except for a viola soloist. Throughout the piece, Hannah

JONATHAN WEXLER/the Justice

PACKED STAGE: The Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra performs in Slosberg Recital Hall.

Saltman ’12 performed the solo with confidence and precision. Saltman began the movement and was soon joined by the horns and trombone.

A trombone solo was also present in the piece, and the musician who performed it played wonderfully. Throughout the song, I was reminded of many of the tunes from the Disney movie Bambi. At times, the concerto was light and happy, reminiscent of animals traipsing

through the woods, but suddenly, the percussion and brass sections interrupted the song with deep, heavy beats, reminding the audience that there are dangerous hunters in the woods.

Liszt’s “Hungarian Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra” was the next movement performed, and it was by far my favorite of the night. The program explains that Liszt wrote this piece, which is an orchestra-

tion of his “14th Rhapsody,” as a reminder of his homeland. The main soloist for this song was Wellesley senior Sang-Hee Min, and her talent with the piano was unbelievable. She had no music in front of her, but she played the music as if it were engraved on her soul. Her performance was my favorite part of the night, and while listening to her, I literally had chills race down my spine. A soloist, however, is nothing without the support of her orchestra, and this holds true for Min as well. Throughout the piece, the melody oscillated between the different sections and the solo pianist until eventually they played together. The inclusion of the drums and symbols created an impressive, vibrating effect that helped provide a powerful ending to the fantastically performed piece.

The final song of the night was “Symphony No. 1 op. 39 in E Minor” by the Finnish composer Sibelius, which consisted of four movements.

“Andante ma non troppo­—Allegro energico” was the first movement, and it began with a melodic clarinet solo by Jared Field ’11. The song was very smooth and light at times with a lot of talented plucking by the string sections. Although the strings sometimes overpowered the brass and woodwind solos, the song was very well done. Next, the

orchestra played “Andante (ma non troppo lento),” a much slower and more lyrical song. The piece started light and soft, turning darker as it wore on and then finally returned to softer tones in the end.

The third movement was “Scherzo: Allegro,” which as the program described, was a “rollicking” addition to the symphony. This was probably my favorite movement of the song because of the back-andforth between all the different sections. The brass would call, and the strings would answer. Then, the winds would start, and the percussions would finish. The orchestra made a complicated set of movements look effortless. The final movement of the night was the “Andante—Allegro molto,” a much more romantic tune. The first violin section played with fierceness and accuracy, but they were easily able to soften the mood later on in the piece. The wind sections had a few nice solos, and the percussions made the ending forceful and strong.

The Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra gave an amazing performance Sunday night. They played enjoyable, lively music, and their soloists were a huge asset to the orchestra. I look forward to attending its spring concert and hearing what Hampton has in store for the audience.

20

TUESDAY, november 23, 2010

THE JUSTICE

Cultures come to life at ●

Mela

CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS: An array of colorful decorations and costumes combined to form a cultural potpourri at Mela in the Levin Ballroom last Saturday. The artwork portrayed Indian culture across borders.

The South Asian Student Association wowed the community last Saturday at its annual show, “Mela 2010: My Life is Desi” By emily salloway JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

“Mela 2010: My Life is Desi,” which took place in the Levin Ballroom last Saturday, was a multicultural explosion. With performances reflecting the traditions of many South Asian countries and the United States, it would be easy to become overwhelmed. But the South Asian Student Association, which ran and organized the show, did something simple that worked brilliantly: The acts in Mela were tied together by a set of skits that guided the audience through a story, making the event flow instead of providing a variety show-like experience.

The skit featured a character named Rajgopal “Raj” Sharma, an international student from South India entering his first year at Brandeis, who was humorously portrayed by Jay Dev ’13.

His new roommate, American-born Sameer “Sam,” played by Sharan Shah ’14, had completely forgotten his South Asian roots. The boys’ friend Maya (Bharvi Patel ’14) fell somewhere between the two extremes. With these three levels of connection to South Asian culture apparent, the audience was able to view and reflect on Mela more fully through the eyes of others.

The show opened with a powerful slideshow created by Wajida Syed ’12 that listed the countries of South Asia and supplied vivid National Geographic-quality photographs of each

destination and its inhabitants. The slides, which featured Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, all elicited cheers from the audience and participants, instantly creating a sense of community between the differing nations.

There was a dance from the firstyears in SASA followed later on by the sophomores, juniors and seniors.

There were also two performances by a group of South Asian graduate students in which they parodied Bollywood dancing. All six dances were student-choreographed, and they blended skill and comedy to create an entertaining scene into which our hosts, Raj, Sam and Maya, entered. Each dance was traditionally costumed and performed to a medley of South Asian songs, some of which were blended with hip-hop tracks.

The “STUDS Express” short film and dance, a Brandeis Mela staple, was as goofy and endearing as ever. It followed a group of junior and senior boys who were searching for ways to appeal to women and eventually sought advice from the Associate Dean of Student Life Jamele Adams, who told them to dance. The film ended with a dance number choreographed by Sidak Pannu ’12 and Usman Hameedi ’12.

Chak de Deis, Brandeis’ Bhangra group, was fantastic. The dancers creatively used film, prerecorded voices and dance to form a Bollywood-esque

routine. In Chak de’s story, twin brothers Vijay Setty ’12 and Vinay Setty ’12 battled over the girl of Vinay’s dreams, Natasha Vadera ’11. The Setty brothers’ movements were so fluid and beautiful, it was no surprise that they were chosen for the lead parts in this dance. The entire group, consisting of 10 dancers, added stage presence and ability to what was one of the best performances of the night.

There were also some impressive performances from Ethan GeringerSameth ’12 on the tabla with sitar accompaniment and Bharatanatyam, four dancers who performed a classical Indian dance. Ashni Davé ’12, Danielle Zipkin ’12 and Kayla Dinces ’12 also danced a gorgeous piece that combined Western and classical Indian styles.

Davé’s choreography successfully showed an emotional movement from fear toward a state of happiness.

The night ended with an introduction to SASA’s executive board: Divya Kanneganti ’11, Akash Vadalia ’12, Jasnam Sachathep ’12, Sriya Srikrishnan ’12, Pannu, Neelanjana Gupta ’13 and Deepti Kanneganti ’14. The audience erupted with applause for this team of students who had worked so hard to make Mela successful.

Proceeds and donations from the event are being given to Unite for Sight, an organization that supports eye clinics around the world, with special outreach services for people who live in remote locations.

REACHING HIGH: Ashni Davé ’12 stands tall during a thrilling dance performance.

MUSICAL EXPRESSION: Bharvi Patel ‘14 (top) dances to South Asian music; Alex Geringer-Sameth (above) plays the sitar, a traditional South Asian instrument; and Ramya Kuchibhatla ’12 (below) dances as a part of the Mela celebration this past Saturday night in the Levin Ballroom.

INDIA THROUGH THE AGES: Graduate students (above and below) performed both traditional and modern South Asian dances that showed off a variety costumes and styles.

Photos by Robyn Spector and Hilary Heyison  the Justice

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2010

21

THEATER

BTC gives life to Seurat’s classic painting ■ Last week’s performances of

‘Sunday in the Park with George’ filled the Spingold stage with vibrant color.

By ROBYN SPECTOR JUSTICE editor

A white backdrop creates a two-dimensional sensation in the Spingold’s Mainstage. Overlapping, heart-shaped spotlights cast dramatic shadows over the two solitary objects on stage: a splintered wooden easel and a stool. Panels of white-painted wood frame the usual drape for curtains. And the 10-piece orchestra, under the leadership of musical director Todd C. Gordon, tooted behind the words of Postimpressionist painter Georges Seurat.

“White: a blank page or canvas,” Robert St. Laurence ’11, as Seurat, projects to the audience of Brandeis Theater Company’s production of Sunday in the Park with George. “His favorite— so many possibilities.”

Sixty-five singers, actors and dancers crowded the stage this weekend to paint the life and legacy of Seurat, who riled up the 1880s Parisian art world with his pointillist expression. The show, originally a musical collaboration between composer Stephen Sondheim and librettist James Lapine, examines the bilateral expression of minute dots of color that collectively form a larger image and meaning.

Highlighted by unequivocal scenery and choreography, Brandeis Theater Collective’s Sunday in the Park with George, directed by the Office of the Arts Director Scott Edmiston, immersed community members in a story of misunderstanding and the reconciliation of desires with reality.

The storyline, which captures the conversations of 19th-century Parisian bourgeois—Seurat’s unsuspecting subjects—enjoying their day off along the Seine evokes the artist’s personal struggle between observation and interaction.

Caught between his passion for art and his relationship with his mistress, Dot, played by McCaela Donovan (GRAD), Seurat ultimately isolates himself, dying at the age of 31 and leaving but a faint lineage represented with the small white splotch of a baby blanket in his most notable painting, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.”

At the end of the first act, a breathtaking, framed silkscreen version of the painting lowers at the trigger of Laurence’s sweeping hand gestures. Gasps heard throughout the theater signal the striking beauty and unquestionable correlations between the figures in the painting drawn by Seurat and the characters onstage.

The scene, enhanced by the University Chorus singing on the middle platforms of the theater wings, provided surround sound for the finales of both acts and created an aura of endless possibility.

The artist’s ability to create, erase and manipulate the scene is one of the highlights of the production, and much of the magic is thanks to set designer Carlos Anguilar (GRAD).

Complementing Anguilar’s scenery, the precise and subtle choreography of Julie Judson ’11 emphasizes the detail in Seurat’s work and rides on the syncopation of Sondheim’s musical composition. In the second act’s opening song, “It’s Hot Up Here,” the characters’ randomization of movement and sudden twitching illuminate the unbearable nature of posing for Seurat in the summer heat.

The light design by Ben Williams (GRAD) accentuates skillful staging, as seen in “Putting it Together,” when the ensemble strikes poses shadowed with pink-tinted lights around Blair, Samantha Richert (GRAD), an art collector with attitude who comes to view the museum showing of “Chromolume #7.” The piece, the creation of Seurat’s great-grandson George (Ben Rosenblatt (GRAD)), is a 12-screen multimedia projection of varying colors and lights and serves as a sculptural adaptation of Seurat’s “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.”

MIKE LOVETT/Brandeis University

ARTISTIC BARRIER: “White: a blank page or canvas,” Robert St. Laurence ’11, as Seurat, projects to the audience of ‘Sunday in the Park with George.’

The second act, set in 1984, revolves around the two remaining members of Seurat’s family tree—Seurat’s great-grandson, George, and Marie, Seurat’s unclaimed child played by Prof.

Pamela Wolfe (MUS). The modern-day scenes in contrast to the traditional Parisian atmosphere of the painting are dark and lonely without the animate chatter of townspeople.

Watching George regain inspiration in his art is an interesting exploration of personal ambition; but overall, the second act is complex and difficult to access. When Rosenblatt performs “Move On” with Donovan and Laurence near the end of the show, audience members are easily confused by the multidimensional interaction between the characters that transcends generations.

The chemistry between Seurat and Dot begins to wane at certain points in the show, but it is challenging to evaluate how much the painter’s frustrating incapacity to connect with people generally contributes to such interactions.

One vibrant, breathtaking scene is “Color and Light,” when Dot sits by her vanity dabbing herself with a powder puff as George stands on a scaffold behind his silkscreen canvas, dabbing at the painting with his brush. The parallels in motion and the lyrics of the song illustrate the tension between the lovers.

St. Laurence’s performance was generally indistinguishable from those of the graduate student actors. Donovan, with her captivating vocals and emotion-sated performance, was the topic of chatter among audience members during intermission. Her range of talent was exemplified in “Everybody Loves Louis,” when she alternated between a melodramatic appeal to George’s affection and jovial mockery of her future husband, Louis the baker, played by Sam Fuchs ’11.

From the boatman (Robert McFadden (GRAD)) to the soldiers (Jared Greenberg ’12 and Aidan Horowitz ’12) and shop girls (Ellyn Getz ’13 and Meg Evans ’12), the ensemble in this production

MIKE LOVETT/Brandeis University

COLORFUL DANCE: Dot, played by McCaela Donovan (GRAD), performs with Louis, played by Sam Fuchs ’11. was central to the plot due to Seurat’s connection with the subjects in his paintings.

The critical art connoisseurs Jules and Yvonne, played by Levi Rion (GRAD) and Tanya Dougherty (GRAD), seem to represent the public reaction to Seurat’s work in 19thcentury France. In oddly interspersed dialogues throughout the plot, the two scoff at the simplicity of Seurat’s pointillism—producing millions of minute colorful dots—and neglect to understand the larger meaning.

The comical out-of-town wanderers, Mister, played by Johnnie McQuarley (GRAD) and Missus, played by (Rebecca Miller ’13), at first appear irrelevant to the overall plot and are not included in ensemble pieces when all of Seurat’s

subjects unite on stage.

However, they provide an important yet slightly too subtle transition into the second act, contrasting Seurat’s reaction to wealth and publicity to that of the younger George, who sings about the importance of financing art and adhering to the guidelines of reality.

Ultimately, BTC’s luminous production of Sunday in the Park with George presented a unique and skillful adaptation of the musical.

The musical’s underlying artistic meaning colors the alternating plots of one family’s past and present, and while the lyrics acknowledge that “Art isn’t easy,” the show as a whole provides audience members with a preliminary avenue for interpretation.

FILM

Exploring foreign takes on classic Shakespeare

■ ‘Omkara,’ a Hindi version of

Shakespeare’s ‘Othello,’ screened in the Mandel Center last Thursday.

By ALEX DeSILVA JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

If you sat down members of the of German, Russian and Asian Languages and Literature department, what do you think they’d find in common?

A 400-year-old Englishman probably isn’t too high on that list. But, as it turns out, that’s just what happened. The professors found that whether it was Russian, German, Hindi or Japanese, William Shakespeare’s influence could be found in some way, shape or form.

“Almost every country and culture and language that is taught in my department … has an adaptation of Shakespeare,” said Prof. Harleen Singh (GRALL). This realization would lay the

foundation for the yearlong film series “Shakespeare in World Cinema,” co-sponsored by the Mandel Center for the Humanities and the Center for German and European Studies. The most recent of these screenings, held just last Thursday in the Mandel Center, was of the film Omkara, a Hindi adaptation of Othello. While not a straight adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic, Omkara follows Othello’s overall plot closely. Set in modernday India, Omkara follows its titular character, a half-caste “political enforcer” for a local parliamentary candidate who plans to marry the high-caste Dolly. Meanwhile, Langda, Omkara’s disgruntled and power- hungry lieutenant, plans to bring Omkara down by spreading false rumors of Dolly being unfaithful.

After the screening, the audience was invited to a discussion about the movie led by Singh.

There, it was explained that director Vishal Bhardwaj uses this story as a launchpad for an exploration of India’s current society. Omkara is

no longer a general like Othello but a bahubali, a cross between political aide and gangster. The bahubali are actually common in India, where corruption is rampant in every level of government.

Likewise, the issue of race, prominent in Othello, is replaced by that of caste. Omkara is the son of a high-caste man and a low-caste woman, and Dolly’s family is disgusted with the thought of the daughter marrying someone of a lower class than her.

In the tradition of Bollywood, there are a few scattered musical numbers; but in an interesting break with tradition, Omkara is decidedly not family-friendly. Bhardwaj uses Shakespeare to look at the gritty truth of lower-class life with language and violence unseen in mainstream Indian cinema. Also discussed was the film’s use of Hindu motifs, with characters filling roles common in Hinduism but unheard of in both Shakespeare and the West in general.

This mixing of traditional Shakespearean

stories with another culture’s ideology and values encapsulates what “Shakespeare in World Cinema” is all about. Plays that were very much products of their time, in this case 17th-century England, are taken up by people from around the world. Singh explained that this is due to the universality of the plays’ themes. She said Shakespeare’s plays have themes “about family, about power, about love, about racial, ethnic and religious conflict. … It strikes a nerve all over the world.”

Looking at the lineup for the rest of the year, it becomes obvious how global Shakespeare has become. On Feb. 16, The Banquet, a Chinese adaptation of Hamlet, will be screened. On March 17, Kurosawa’s Japanese-language Kumonosu-jo, based on Macbeth, will be shown. Finally, The Kebab Connection, a German version of Romeo and Juliet, is scheduled to screen March 31. The shows will be in Mandel G03 and admission will be free for everyone. All you’ll need is an open mind.

22

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2010

●

THE JUSTICE

CULTURE

Monologues unite students’ experiences ■ The Mixed Heritage

Club’s coffeehouse at Cholmondeley’s last Wednesday allowed many students to express their unique identities

By JULIA JERUSALMI JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The woeful and clichéd question, “Who am I?” is woeful and clichéd for a reason: Everyone struggles with personal identity. Though it is common for people of all ages to examine their selfhoods, college students in particular have their fair share of uncertainties about who they are and where they belong.

Mixed Monologues, the annual slam poetry and spoken word event held last Wednesday night at Cholmondeley’s, lent talented Brandeis students a creative outlet to express their frustrations about defining identity. The event was hosted by the Mixed Heritage Club; according to its website the club’s purpose is “to bring together the mixed-heritage community at Brandeis, acknowledge the diversity within the mixed heritage community, create a safe space for sharing and learning about issues relevant to the mixedheritage community, and raise awareness about mixed-heritage people in the broader community.”

Throughout the night, around 16 Brandeis students rapped, spoke, sang and slammed about diversity and belonging. Some acts caused the packed room to erupt in loud bouts of laughter, while others triggered deep breaths of awe. If the MHC wanted to create an event that would generate excitement about diversity and identity, their goal was certainly met.

Jillian Rexford ’13 kicked off the night with two moving spoken-word pieces about her parents’ mixed race and the difficulties that arise when the world “insists I choose.”

The feeling of being forced to choose a single race was a theme that many performers touched upon.

MHC founders Christina Luo ’11 and Kaamila Mohamed ’11 both read poetry expressing their conflicting identities and emotions; Luo spoke beautifully about how she would like to affirm her mixed identity as “not fraction by fraction but as a

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

RHYTHMIC RHYMES: Abdul Aziz Dieng ’14 closed the night of Mixed Monologues with an original rap that blew away the crowd. whole,” and Mohamed delivered a tremendously powerful piece about growing to love her diverse race and religion. Though most performers were racially and religiously diverse, students without a varied

heritage were encouraged to contribute. Before reading his spoken word piece, David Wayne ’12 introduced himself to the crowd, stating, “I’m only one race. I’m through and through [an] Eastern European

Jew, 100 percent.” Wayne spoke about how faith impacted his identity, and the strength of his words left the audience with chills.

Though many performers stressed a desire to belong, several

students spoke about denying labels and celebrating strangeness.

Marissa Linzi ’11 read a fiery piece about how she can’t stand people who “take one sticker and make it my entire identity,” and Nathan Hakimi ’11 discussed his Middle Eastern-American parentage, stating, “So what am I? I’m nothing. …

There’s unity. No I, no me, just we.”

While many students chose to communicate their ideas through spoken word and poetry, music was another key element brought out in the event. Raymond Persaud ’12 entertained the crowd with capoeira, an Afro-Brazaillian art form that combines song, dance and martial arts.

Though he didn’t perform any back flips, Persaud’s Portuguese song and foreign instrument undoubtedly held the audience’s attention. Other crowd favorites were the incredibly profound Osaze Akerejah ’14 (also known as “Size A”), who rapped about how ego can change identity, and Mathew Urbach ’11, who transformed the room’s relaxed vibe by having the crowd stand up and enthusiastically rock to his rhythms.

Abdul Aziz Dieng ’14 was the night’s final act, and his performance completely blew the crowd away. Born to a Senegalese father and a German mother, Dieng is familiar with conflicting identities and addressed some of the issues that come with them in his rap.

With his quick rhymes, confident stage presence and great swagger, Dieng made a Wednesday night at Chum’s feel more like a Flo Rida concert.

Beside his energy, Dieng’s rap lyrics were so fun and catchy that I even found myself, a loyal rap hater, tapping my foot to the beat.

As Dieng began his second rap, the question, “Who is this guy?” started to circulate around the room. “He’s a freshman!” I overheard one girl say to her friend. “At Brandeis?” the other exclaimed.

Though many in people in Chums were in disbelief, Dieng really does go here.

The night ended with an enormous round of applause and plenty of hugs and congratulations to go around. If Brandeis students did not know it before, Mixed Monologues only further proved how diverse, unique and creative our community truly is.

FILM

Exploring the ‘tides’ of WaterWays through film

■ William Kentridge’s unique

artistic short film deals with South African identity with haunting yet mystifying imagery and symbolism.

By REBECCA BLADY JUSTICE EDITOR

Prior to this past October, I had never set foot in the Lee Gallery. Its entrance nearly hidden in the corner of the museum’s ground floor, the Lee Gallery is completely empty. It boasts no artwork other than William Kentridge’s 8-minute, 50-second animated film “Tide Table,” a progression of charcoal and pastel drawings projected in massive digital images onto a plain white wall. The imagery develops to the ominous sound of crashing waves juxtaposed against the gentle guitar and Congolese lyrics of Franco/TP O.K. Jazz.

In all frankness, a crowd in pursuit of free food compelled my attention to the Lee Gallery for the first time at the “WaterWays” exhibition’s official opening at the Rose Art Museum Oct. 7. Despite the crowd that had turned out that evening, the room’s nakedness struck me. So I returned to the museum to get the full impact of Kentridge’s huge grayscale images, which evidently required enough attention of their viewers to merit their own room.

As it turns out, “Tide Table” does not require its viewers’ attention as much as it steals it. As the center-

piece of the Rose’s current “WaterWays” exhibit, “Tide Table” makes a powerful statement through an emotion-laden flow of images, appearing and disappearing as if Kentridge were still in the process of sketching and erasing. In fact, this is precisely what Kentridge is doing; he has filmed his drawings in progress, leaving the natural traces and smudges as he revises and adjusts his art to reflect new impressions. The effect is personal, conveying the artist’s own thought process as it transpires over time.

As Kentridge adds to and takes away from his drawings, viewers themselves must determine what the artist intends for them to notice.

What carries more weight: the beach chair occupied by a well-dressed white man leisurely reading his newspaper or the beach chair sitting empty on the shore? Are the identical wooden structures lined up on the sand cabanas? Sheds? Barracks?

And who’s inside them—a group of happy vacationers visiting the African continent in an elite Western cultural practice or patients—who could easily be taken for prisoners—of the AIDS and HIV pandemic that claims too many lives on the continent of Africa?

The scenes do not necessarily reflect a coherent plot. Kentridge seems more focused on the use of motifs in his work. Aside from the ambiguous, uniform wooden structures and the lounging, well-dressed white man— who Kentridge introduced previously in his first animated film, Johan-

nesburg, Second Greatest City After Paris in 1989 as greedy industrialist and real-estate developer Soho Eckstein—cows appear regularly in the film, at times in logical context and at other times with no apparent rationale. The cows are drawn spontaneously into the shoreline as the waves crash on the beach; they are erased just as spontaneously as the waves recede. The cows appear equally as spontaneously inside the wooden shed-like buildings beneath a lamp, which more often than not morphs into a showerhead and begins spouting water that devours everything inside—be it a cow, a person or even a group of people. But before disappearing from the image, the cow’s body becomes emaciated, as if diseased. These pictures of painful, sudden death serve as a commentary on the collective suffering of Kentridge’s country—socially, politically and physiologically.

Viewers derive the story behind the disturbing cow metaphor from images of newspapers, which appear frequently in and between Kentridge’s other scenes. Eckstein spends a good deal of time reading (and sleeping beneath) his newspaper on the beach, showing how knowledge of current events is a rarefied privilege. But while Kentridge illustrates his characters reading newspapers, he has them trample piles of them just as often, usually as one scene transitions into another. This simultaneous ability to know and to ignore is haunting.

Kentridge shows the broken pieces of the South African identity and the

ARTWORK BY WILLIAM KENTRIDGE

INTERESTING ART: William Kentridge’s short firm uses overlapping artwork for effect. major gap between the white, privileged elite and the larger black population. It is frustrating as anything.

But it certainly made me think.

I encourage you to pay a visit to Eckstein and the other figures in “Tide Table.” Absorb the emptiness of the Lee Gallery; use the space to channel all of your mental capacities

on the film, as you inevitably must once you set foot inside the room. Let the images move you into a state of shock and uncertainty, for they will surely stir something within your conscience. It is this type of art that forces its viewers to question injustice and—I would hope—to do something about it.

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, november 23, 2010

23

OFF CAMPUS MAGICAL ADVENTURE

FOOD

American takes on British beer Douglas

MOORE INNERMOST BREW

PHOTO COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. STUDIOS

AWAY FROM HOGWARTS: Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermoine Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) leave Hogwarts’ grounds in ‘Hallows.’

Seventh Potter film is a visual treat ■ The first part of the final

Harry Potter film impresses fans but leaves the series’ newcomers confused.

By EMILY SALLOWAY JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

It’s hard to judge the merit of a book-based adaptation without thinking about its literary predecessor.

With Harry Potter movies, it’s next to impossible. And if you are one of those who can separate the two effectively, there’s a large chance it’s because you’ve never read the books to begin with. For that small group of people, the second-to-last installment in the Harry Potter film saga is not going to make much sense.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is beautifully photographed, and the computer-generated imagery is flawless. The story, if solely judged by its merit as a movie, is where the film falls a bit flat. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), who just turned 17, must continue his search for Lord Voldemort’s Horcruxes with the help of his friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). Don’t know what

a Horcrux is? Unless you saw the previous movie or read the book, you won’t. That’s just one of the examples of where the movie fails to clue readers in to author J.K. Rowling’s complex plot.

But there is a good explanation for this lack of information. Whereas in the other films much of the story was cut out to focus in on certain vital plot lines, this film stays very close to the entirety of the book. Because screenwriter Steve Kloves had so much time within which to tell the story—the film is being released in two parts, with the second coming out next summer—he tried to put in as much of the book as possible. As a result, he did not leave time to explain many details, such as the two-way mirror that Sirius Black, Harry’s godfather, gave to him that will play a large role in the next film. In Part 1, we see Harry look into a shard of the mirror over the course of the movie, but we never know its significance, nor are we even reminded of its purpose within the previous film.

For those of us who have read the books, this film has many, many redeeming qualities. First of all, there is the set. Escaping the walls of our beloved Hogwarts, we are taken across the English countryside, which

brings a strong sense of place to the film. This is one of the differences between the seventh book and the others in the series: we travel with the characters, never settling down for too long, and this constant change gives a feeling of urgency and darkness to the plot. Shot on location at Freshwater West, a gorgeous beach in England; the city streets of London; and Swinley Forest, a property of the Crown Estate, the constant feeling of hiding from the Ministry of Magic’s snatchers forces the audience to invest a lot of emotion in the film.

This invested emotion plays a huge part in the scare factor of the movie.

The film, rated PG-13 for some dark, frightening scenes, brings the characters’ fears to life. The computerenhanced scenes take the more magically horrific moments of the film to the next level of believability. Segments of the film where a Voldemortcontrolled Ministry begins to form an anti-Muggle (someone who is nonmagical) campaign appear to be heavily influenced by the Salem Witch Trials and also by fascist Germany, which adds to our personal investment in the well-being of Harry, Ron and Hermione.

The film is also at times very funny.

Grint provides constant comic relief,

as do Harry’s sarcastic quips regarding the group’s exceedingly grave situation. The return of the house elf Dobby is also quite humorous, and his character’s involvement in the film is simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking. Watson’s acting, in particular, is spot-on. Grint and Radcliffe serve their purposes, but it is our know-it-all heroine who steals the show. She has grown as an actress since the first Harry Potter film, a fact made evident by her ability to portray a range of emotions, from tortured to enamored. Meanwhile, her character still remains the slightly smart-alecky Hermione from the books while remaining quite likeable at the same time. Other notable performances include newcomer Rhys Ifans as Xenophilius Lovegood and veterans Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge and Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange.

The best part of the film is definitely the final scene, which I won’t give away. However, I will say that after expecting an annoying cliff hanger to entice viewers into returning to theaters next summer, I was pleasantly surprised. The final scene, beautifully shot, ends the film on a darker note than viewers have become accustomed to seeing from Harry Potter.

music

The Boss is back on his album of rarities ■ ‘The Promise’ gives rock

and roll fans a look at some of Bruce Springsteen’s classic recorded songs.

By DOUGLAS MOORE JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Bruce Springsteen is most widely known for the release of Born to Run, a record that gave him national acclaim and saved him from the obscurity that were the swamps of New Jersey in 1975. After the record, which deals with the hopes and dreams of a better life that come at the end of childhood, the ‘Boss’ spent 3 years entangled in court battles over the rights to his music. He emerged from the battle bitter, cynical and a different man. In 1978, he released Darkness on the Edge of Town. This was a far darker album that highlighted where dreams go once they lose the mystique they had on Born to Run. The result was a critical success.

While this album didn’t see much mainstream acclaim, many Springsteen fans consider it his best work.

The Darkness on the Edge of Town box set, released last Tuesday, commemorates this album and includes a documentary, several recordings of concerts, a written notebook and The Promise—a two-disk set of B-sides from the album. The Promise features many tracks never released to the public that were woven into the Boss’ live sets. Many of these songs have become very popular through bootleg recordings of shows.

A lot of the B-side songs are similar to songs on Darkness. You can hear the tune of “Factory” set to different lyrics on “Come On (Lets Go Out Tonight).” Lyrics in “Candy’s Boy” remind listeners of “Candy’s Room” on the main album. The opening song is an alternate version of “Racing in the Street,” one of the most powerful and somber songs on the original album.

The song is a much more jazzed-up version of the original, still with a sad feeling to the music but with much more of a kick in its bitterness.

Included in the box set are the original Springstein songs he recorded for other artists. “Fire” was eventually recorded by the Pointer Sisters and “Because the Night” by Patti Smith. Both

of these songs highlight the original nature of these tunes and showcase their interesting progressions from creation to cover. Springsteen had his highest charted hits with these songs, and it’s interesting to hear what they could have been.

Although there is no brand-new material on the album, a lot of the songs seem original. “Rendezvous” is a classic live song from the Boss’ catalogue, and the recorded version does it justice. There’s a lot of power in the song and the lyrics inspire the feeling of finding love. It is a great song, but it didn’t fit the album.

That’s true with many of these songs. A lot of them make you want to get on your feet and dance. Some of these songs, including “Outside Looking In” and “Talk to Me,” really do bring you back to the olden days in which people didn’t care for autotune and choreography. This is not a bad thing, but it doesn’t fit the ideas of Darkness. It’s not a dancing album; it’s a much more serious and somber album.

At the same time, Darkness on the Edge of Town is a hopeful album. It shows that life has taken everything

from Springsteen, but there are still some things to be happy about. There is still a bit of optimism from Springsteen in the message of the album: he says that while life isn’t perfect, we can still find comfort in the things that define us. This is why the title track, “The Promise,” did not fit in any of his early work. This song was written as a B-side for Born to Run as a response to the optimistic anthem of fleeting youth, “Thunder Road.” It is a bitter song about how our personal sins ruin even our most well-thoughtout hopes and dreams. The song is one of my favorites of all time, as it paints life for what it sometimes can be. But even in the tone of Darkness—never mind “Born to Run”—it just doesn’t fit the album. It’s a powerful song and one of the Boss’ best, but I can see why it never made it to a real album.

Overall, The Promise is a real gem.

It’s a shame it has taken this long for these songs to be released. While it makes sense that none of these songs would have fit on Darkness on the Edge of Town, there are still some great tracks on here. It’s a definite must- have for even the most casual fan of rock ’n’ roll.

In the aftermath of Belgian Beer Fest, this week I decided to enjoy various American brews that derive from the British tradition of brewing. The beers I had were not clear-cut British ales but instead put a twist on traditions of India Pale Ale, stout and porter. British brews rely less on yeast and more on malt and hops to define their styles. American breweries have taken on these s customs and expanded the hops and the alcohol to make these beers much more interesting.

First was Oskar Blues’ Gubna. This was an imperial IPA that came all the way from Colorado. Oskar Blues is notable for being one of the few craft breweries that sells its drinks in a can.

I poured this beer into a snifter from the can, and it unleashed an amberhued body with a medium head. Upon sniffing, I was overwhelmed by a bomb of herbal hops that produced a slight buzz to the nose, a tribute to the high 9.5-percent alcohol by volume.

The taste had a surprisingly prevalent syrupy sweet maltiness that finished with the massive amount of hops I got in the nose. All the while, there was this strong taste of alcohol in the background that made it a bit challenging to get more than a tiny sip. The feel was heavy but creamy. This was a tasty brew, but I could never have more than one in a sitting—it was very strong and sugary. I give Gubna an 8.5 out of 10.

Next was Oskar Blues’ Ten Fiddy, an imperial stout named for its 10.50 percent alcohol. This beer poured out of the can pitch black with a darkbrown head. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a beer this dark—most stouts have a bit of a red tint. This beer was just black. Upon sniffing, I got notes of chocolate, coffee and maybe a bit of alcohol. This beer tasted amazing; I got an explosion of sweet but roasted chocolate finishing with coffee. Most amazing was the fact that it had such high alcohol content, as the burn from the booze wasn’t even detectable. I have never had a beer that strong that was also balanced to the point that it hid the alcohol. The mouthfeel was pretty heavy but not in an overpowering sense. The flavors in the beer made this insanely drinkable. I could have easily kept drinking this all night, which, given its alcohol content, is probably not a good thing. It tasted like drinking chocolate syrup without the risk of getting diabetes. I give Ten Fiddy a 9.5 out of 10.

Finally I had Pretty Things’ November 15th, 1901 London, England KK. This beer was created by Massachusetts’ own Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project, an up-and-coming business that is getting a lot of attention for its quality. This brew is a re-creation of English hoppy dark beer using a recipe created at the beginning of the 20th century. The beer poured out a dark brownish-black color with a dirty white head. The smell was of bitter hops and roasted barley; I would hesitate to say there was coffee or chocolate, as this beer was a lot less darkened than most porters or stouts.

The taste started off with a wonderful blend of sweet maltiness, toastiness and herbal yet bitter hops. This was all very good, but sadly, a few moments after drinking, there came this cloying, astringent bitterness. It had a very off quality to it, and it took a while to dissipate, making drinking the beer very unpleasant. I appreciate what Pretty Things was going for here, as I understand they followed the recipe exactly as it was written a century ago, but the quality is just not passable. I give this beer a 6 out of 10.

That’s it for this week. Stay tuned for my final article of the semester in 2 weeks, on Dogfish Head and Brewmasters, the Discovery Channel documentary about the brewery.

24

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2010

●

THE JUSTICE

TOP of the

ARTS ON VIEW

TRIVIA TIME 1. What is a more common name for the patella?

2. For which film did Sally Field win an Oscar in 1984?

3. What basic unit is used to measure the flow of electrical current?

4. Who was the Roman goddess of youth?

5. Which body of water lies east of Athens, Greece?

6. Who composed the operas Madame Butterfly and Tosca?

7. What was the name of the patriarch in the family saga Bonanza?

8. What color is the gemstone called the peridot?

9. Who wrote and performed the song “Dear Abby?”

10. Who authored the King Arthur legend poems “Idylls of the King?”

CHARTS Top 10s for the week ending Nov. 21 BOX OFFICE

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ­­­— Part 1 2. Megamind 3. Unstoppable 4. Due Date 5. The Next Three Days 6. Morning Glory 7. Skyline 8. Red 9. For Colored Girls 10. Fair Game

WBRS

ANSWERS 1. Kneecap 2. Places in the Heart 3. Ampere 4. Juventas 5. Aegean Sea 6. Puccini 7. Ben Cartwright 8. Green, ranging from yellowgreen to olive green 9. John Prine 10. Alfred Lord Tennyson

SHOWTIMES 11/24–12/2

Love and Other Drugs Weds - Sun: 1:40, 4:25, 7:10, 9:45 Mon- Thurs: 2:30, 5:00, 7:40 Burlesque Weds-Sun: 1:30, 4:15, 7:00, 9:40 Mon-Thurs: 2:20, 5:00, 8:00 The Town Weds - Sun: 1:10 Mon-Thurs: 2:00 Morning Glory Weds - Sun: 3:55, 6:40, 9:25 Mon-Thurs: 5:10, 8:10 The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest Weds - Sun: 1:00, 9:30 Mon-Thurs: 4:50 The Social Network Weds - Sun: 4:05, 6:50 Mon-Thurs: 2:10, 7:50 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Weds - Sun: 1:20, 4:35, 8:00 Mon-Thurs: 2:50, 7:30 127 Hours Weds - Sun: 1:50, 4:45, 7:20, 9:35 Mon-Thurs: 2:40, 5:10, 8:20

The Embassy is located at 18 Pine Street in Waltham

PHOTO COURTESY OF BERNARD McCANN

GOBBLE, GOBBLE: Turkeys explore the fields on campus last week. The traditional Thanksgiving birds were spotted strolling around the grass outside the Carl J. Shapiro Science Complex.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Resistance unit 4. Low range 8. Terrible guy?

12. Pair with an air 13. Met melody 14. Mature 15. Freddy’s street 16. Sample of signage 18. Impudent 20. Heavy weight 21. Greek peak 24. London newspaper 28. Montana city 32. Bear lair 33. Yoko — 34. Frat party garb 36. Feminine principle 37. Garbage barge 39. Wallet 41. Red River capital 43. — out (supplemented) 44. Eggs 46. Leaves at the library?

50. Kid’s pop 55. “The Seven Faces of Dr. —” 56. Garfield’s pal 57. Hindu princess 58. Doctrine 59. Enter 60. Related 61. Spell-down DOWN 1. Poetic tributes 2. Luau entertainment 3. Mid-May honorees 4. Watch Junior 5. Entourage character 6. Part of RSVP 7. Sodium chloride 8. Kinda funny 9. By way of 10. Spring mo.

11. Homer’s neighbor 17. Automaton, for short 19. Scale member 22. Uppity one 23. One majoring in farming 25. BLT enhancer

1. Francis and the Lights – “For Days” 2. Janelle Monáe – “Tightrope” 3. Mountain Man – “White Heron” 4. Arcade Fire – “Sprawl II” 5. Cloud Nothings – “Can’t Stay Awake” 6. Hey Marseilles – “To Travels & Trunks” 7. Small Black – “Camouflage” 8. Fake Problems – “ADT” 9. Gold Panda – “Vanilla Minus” 10. Jaill – “How’s The Grave”

COLLEGE RADIO

1. Belle & Sebastian – Write About Love 2. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest 3. Eskmo – Eskmo 4. Tom Zé – Estuando a Bossa: Nordeste Plaza 5. Tu Fawning – Hearts on Hold 6. Marnie Stern – Marnie Stern 7. Junior Wells & the Aces – Live in Boston 1966 8. Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone 9. Sharon Van Etten – Epic 10. No Age – Everything in Between

BILLBOARD

26. Satan’s specialty 27. Transmit 28. “Poppycock!”

29. Bygone Peruvian 30. Crazy sort 31. Polio vaccine discoverer 35. Ignored the alarm 38. Fleecy 40. HHS division 42. Wall climber 45. Taj Mahal city 47. Smooth-talking 48. Facility 49. A few 50. Cranberry territory 51. Altar affirmative 52. Roman 52 53. Acorn creator 54. Blackbird

1. Susan Boyle – The Gift 2. Taylor Swift – Speak Now 3. Kid Cudi– Man on the Moon II 4. Various Artists – Now 36 5. Bon Jovi – Greatest Hits 6. Jason Aldean – My Kinda Party 7. Reba – All The Women I Am 8. Sugarland – The Incredible Machine 9. Cee Lo Green – The Lady Killer 10. Lil Wayne – I Am Not A Human Being

Album information provided by Billboard Magazine. Box office information provided

by Yahoo! Movies. Radio charts provided

by CMJ.

STAFF PLAYLIST Solution to last week’s crossword

King Crossword Copyright 2010 King Features Synd, Inc.

STRANGE BUT TRUE  It was comedian-turned-U.S. Senator Al Franken who made the following sage observation: “Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it’s a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from.”  Those who study such things say that 1 percent of the world’s lizard species have no males. The females reproduce by parthenogenesis, which produces offspring that are clones of their mothers.  Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes and Noble’s Nook, Sony’s eReader—it seems that everywhere you look these days, people are reading on screens. You may not realize, however, just how long digital books have been around. The first e-book was manually typed into a computer way back in 1971, when Michael S. Hart, the founder of Project Gutenberg, chose the Declaration of Independence to be the first literature so digitized.  A woman in Tennessee was once arrested for biking

while intoxicated—and she was on a stationary bike at the gym at the time.  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, if you’re like the average American, you drink 22.7 gallons of coffee every year. The surprising thing about that statistic isn’t how much it is, though—it’s how little. It seems that in the 1940s, Americans were drinking twice that amount of java.  If you look at the innards of a Boeing 747 airplane, you’ll find a whopping 171 miles of wiring.  If you consider surface area covered rather than population, the world’s largest city is in Inner Mongolia, where Hulunbuir covers more than 160,000 square miles.

Thought for the Day: “Human beings are perhaps never more frightening than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right.”

—Laurens Van der Post

“World Rhythms”

By EMILY SALLOWAY Justice staff writer

I have always been fascinated by language: the sounds of the syllables, the sometimesunusual English translations and the way phrases are used in everyday speech.

Foreign music takes the beauty of linguistics and gives it rhythm and meaning outside of its literal meaning. These are some of my favorite “auditory poems.”

THE LIST 1. Subliminal – “Tikva” 2. Jay Chou – “Luan Wu Chun Qiu” 3. Rizzle Kicks – “Down with the Trumpets” 4. MC Solaar – “Solaar Pleure” 5. Bdmix – “Tumi Jano Ki” 6. A. R. Rahman – “O ... Saya” 7. Avi Mesika – “T’ni Li Ahavah” 8. Hadag Nachash– “Shirat Hasticker” 9. Sukhwinder Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan – “Marjani Marjani” 10. Deserts Xuan – “Bao Bei”