The Justice, November 5, 2013

ARTS Page 19

FORUM The science of the soul 11

DIWALI LIGHTS

SPORTS Women’s soccer battles UAA opponents 13 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 LXVI, Number 10

www.thejustice.org

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

A NEW PERSPECTIVE

Waltham, Mass.

HEALTH CARE RESTRUCTURING

Report faults health service ■ Hodgkins Beckley

Consulting reviewed all health services, and made several proposals.

By ANDREW WINGENS JUSTICE EDITOR

A commissioned administrative review of health services at Brandeis University released by the Office of Students and Enrollment on Nov. 4 criticized aspects of the Health Center and Psychological Counseling Center and recommended organizational adjustments and insurance billing changes, among other modifications to University health services.

According to Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel, the University selected Hodgkins Beckley Consulting, a consulting firm specializing in higher education health care management, after a Request for Proposals to “review administrative systems for our Health and Psychological Counseling Centers.”

Hodgkins Beckley Consulting staff conducted the review by making several visits to campus and conducting followup interviews with leadership and staff over the summer. The final draft of the report is dated Oct. 14.

The report issued five major

See ASSESSMENT, 7 ☛

Sousa to lead new structure Mandel Foundation donates OLIVIA POBIEL/the Justice

Patricia Hill Collins ’69, Ph.D. ’84, who won the Gittler Prize, gave a lecture on her research on intersectionality last Tuesday. See page 3 for full coverage of the event.

DEVELOPMENT

■ The Health Center and the Psychological Counseling Center will both be under one executive director.

$5.25 million to University ■ The Mandels recently gave

a gift to help strengthen the Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education.

By PHIL GALLAGHER JUSTICE EDITOR

The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation recently gave a $5.25 million gift to the University to fund an endowed chair and strengthen the programming of the Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education, according to a Nov. 4 BrandeisNOW article. The donation was first announced at a ceremony formally dedicating the

Barbara Mandel Auditorium in the Mandel Center for the Humanities on Wednesday, according to BrandeisNOW. Prof. Jon Levisohn (NEJS), the associate academic director of the Center, commented on the donation in an email to the Justice. “We are enormously grateful that the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation has decided to deepen its partnership with the University and with the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education by creating this new chair, the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Professorship in Jewish Educational Research,” he wrote.

In an email to the Justice, Senior

By TATE HERBERT

Vice President for Institutional Advancement Nancy Winship wrote that three million dollars of the $5.25 million donation funds the new endowed chair. The remaining $2.25 million will support the Center.

The new endowed chair is called the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Professorship in Jewish Education Research, according to BrandeisNOW. Levisohn wrote in an email to the Justice that “Dean [of Arts and Sciences Susan] Birren will be organizing and empowering a search for a new faculty member to fill this new chair in the very near future, with the expectation that the person will join the faculty next fall.”

JUSTICE EDITOR

The Health Center and the Psychological Counseling Center will undergo a major shift in their reporting structures, as Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel announced this past week to the centers’ directors. They will now comprise part of a “comprehensive student health care model.” The new unit will be headed by Director of Athletics Sheryl Sousa ’90, who has been promoted to assistant vice president for health and wellness.

See MANDEL, 5 ☛

See REORGANIZE, 7 ☛

Long-time leader

Home Field Advantage

Hindu adviser

Matthew Brooks ’87 has been a political leader since he was a student.

 The men’s soccer team cruised to a 3-0 victory on Gordon Field this past Sunday.

 The University hired Vaishali Gupta after a long search process.

FEATURES 8 For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org

The Health and Psychological Counseling Centers formerly reported to the Dean of Student Life Jamele Adams.

Flagel announced the changes in an email sent to all staff in the division of students and enrollment on Monday. According to a draft of the email that Flagel sent to the Justice, reorganization into this new model was spurred by recommendations from a review of the Health Center and Psychological Counseling Center conducted by Hodgkins Beckley Consulting.

According to the email, the University also plans to hire an executive director for health and wellness, who will “oversee operations” in both centers. While the job description for this position has yet to be developed, Sousa is currently

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 8

OPINION POLICE LOG

10 2

READER COMMENTARY 11

News 3 COPYRIGHT 2013 FREE AT BRANDEIS. Email managing@thejustice.org for home delivery.

2

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013

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THE JUSTICE

NEWS SENATE LOG

Dunkin’ Donuts to open on Nov. 19 The Senate convened on Sunday to address several current issues on campus.

The first order of business included Student Union President Ricky Rosen’s ’14 report. Rosen said that open spots for Take Your Professor to Lunch, which is funded by Provost Steve Goldstein ’78, Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren and Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel, filled up within a few hours.

Rosen also announced that Nov. 19 is the day of the Dunkin’ Donuts soft-opening. Donuts and coffee will be kosher. Rosen also said that the possibility of a snack bar is being looked into at the Carl J. Shapiro Science Center. In addition, on Dec. 5, the Union will be giving out a survey in Sherman Dining Hall about Sodexo’s menu options. Senators will be present, as will Flagel and University President Frederick Lawrence.

The final point of Rosen’s discussion was regarding the parking survey, which he said received 1,000 responses in the first 24 hours, and had received 1,300 as of Sunday’s meeting. The Board of Trustees have been made aware of the parking survey.

Next, Junior Representative to the Board of Trustees Alex Thomson ’15 presented. Thomson said that the honorary degree committee is looking to increase the diversity of recipients this year, and also talked about honoring people that are more well known. Thomson also said that the Board of Trustees was informed about his gender and sexuality center proposal.

Union Vice President Charlotte Franco ’15 then delivered her report. Franco made a point about senators being absent from meetings, and said that they must give advance notice should they have to miss a meeting. Franco also emphasized that committees should be meeting weekly and people should be attending the meetings.

Executive Senator Annie Chen’s ’14 report included a reminder about the Meet the Senate event, which will be coming up this week. The Constitutional Review Task Force will also be meeting, which will review club structures and club funding.

Chen also said that the bus station, which will be built by the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Admissions Center will cost $60,000. The Student Union, upon the approval of the Finance Board and the University, are splitting the cost.

Chen said that Guy Fieri on Campus is not yet official. Chen said that if students do not want that restaurant in place of The Stein, then some sort of action or a campaign would need to be started. Regardless, Chen said that significant renovations to The Stein will be made.

Following the reports, a motion was made to add a member to the Social Justice and Diversity Committee.

The Senate unanimously voted to elect Kira Levin ’17 as a non-senate member on the committee.

At the meeting, Brandeis FaceAIDS was unanimously dechartered per a request from the club. According to Franco, the club contacted the Union explaining that they were no longer active and, therefore, should be dechartered.

Class of 2017 Senator David Heaton delivered the Senate Dining Committee Report. He reiterated that The Stein will be going through remodeling. In addition, he said that a request for more pork products on campus was made by students. Sodexo is also currently open to suggestions for names for the kosher deli that will open in the Usdan Student Center. There has also been discussion of the plausibility of moving Quizno’s to a smaller booth due to the interest in keeping it on campus. Heaton also said that the Usdan Student Center will be completely remodeled over the summer.

The Social Justice and Diversity Committee announced that it is working on organizing a poetry slam, of which Dean of Students Jamele Adams will be a part. Additionally, Senator-at-Large Naomi DePina ’16 expressed concern about recent opinion articles published in the Justice, noting that they had distressed students. DePina said she intends to reach out to the Justice and possibly the University administration. Charles River/567 Senator Michael Stein ’14 said that the articles were in the opinion section of the newspaper and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the newspaper as a whole. DePina responded that the opinion writers are affiliated with the Justice and reiterated her interest in speaking with the newspaper.

—Phil Gallagher and Marissa Ditkowsky

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

Justice

the

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The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods. Editor in chief office hours are held Mondays from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Justice office.

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POLICE LOG Medical Emergency

Oct. 29—University Police received a phone call from a concerned parent regarding her daughter’s hip injury. BEMCo responded and the student was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further treatment.

The Dean’s Office and community development coordinator were promptly notified.

Oct. 29—University Police received a report that a 65-yearold male fainted in the Usdan Student Center and rushed to address the situation. The person was eventually transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further treatment.

Oct. 31—University Police received a report that an intoxicated male student in Usen Hall failed to answer his door upon request. Officers checked the well-being of the student, and transported him to NewtonWellesley Hospital for further treatment. The CDC on call was promptly notified.

Oct. 31—A female student in

Reitman Hall phoned University Police to report that she experienced stomach cramps.

University Police responded and the student was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further treatment.

Nov. 1—University Police received a report of an intoxicated female on Angleside Road.

The female was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further treatment. The female was not a University student and a judicial referral was issued for the student who invited her to campus.

Nov. 2—University Police received a report that a female student was unresponsive in the stairwell of Hassenfeld Residence Hall. The student was then transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further treatment.

Vandalism

Oct. 31—University Police received a report that a welcome sign was destroyed on the exterior door of the Muslim Worship

Center outside of the Usdan Student Center.

Larceny

Oct. 28—A student reported that her cell phone was stolen in Hassenfeld Conference Center. The phone was discovered a short time later.

University Police compiled a report of the incident.

Oct. 29—A student reported that her bicycle was stolen outside of Shiffman Humanities Center.

University Police compiled a report of the incident.

Nov. 1—A student reported that her laptop was stolen in the Village.

University Police compiled a report of the incident, indicating that the room was left open, and forwarded the report to Information Technology Security.

Nov. 3—University Police received a report that a decorative pumpkin was stolen from outside Bethlehem Chapel.

Harassment

Oct. 29—A student notified University Police of an incident of harassment. University Police proceeded to compile a report of the incident.

Miscellaneous

Oct. 28—University Police received a phone call from a student in Scheffres Hall that a fire extinguisher had been discharged. The extinguisher was discharged by a student. University Police compiled a report of the incident.

Oct. 30—University Police dispersed a group of fraternity members that were assembled in the Theater Lot. The group vacated the lot without incident.

Oct. 31—University Police received a report that there was a fire on Angleside Road. Waltham Fire Department responded, extinguishing the fire before University Police arrived. The CDC was notified of the incident.

—compiled by Adam Rabinowitz

WIRE BRIEF

LOVE YOUR BODY

Report finds court failures

ABIGAIL ROTHSTEIN/the Justice

In the Shapiro Campus Center on Friday afternoon, students decorated posters and T-shirts, wrote letters to advertisers, and learned about body positivity and body policing as part of a day-long “Love Your Body Day.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Superior courts across the state routinely fail to report the names of mentally ill Californians to the law enforcement officials responsible for keeping guns out of their hands, according to a report released Tuesday by State Auditor Elaine Howle.

State law requires courts and mental health treatment facilities to tell the California Department of Justice when it determines that an individual can no longer possess or purchase firearms. That doesn’t always happen, the report found.

From 2010 to 2012, 34 courts failed to make those required notifications at least 2,300 times, the report said. Courts in Santa Clara, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties were flagged for not reporting specific classes of mentally ill people to officials, the report found.

In a letter, David Yamasaki, the court’s CEO, wrote to the auditor that he agrees with the findings and pledged to improve the court’s reporting of names of the mentally ill.

Republican lawmakers who have opposed new gun-control measures in California had called for the audit, arguing that the state is doing a poor job of enforcing the gun laws already in place.

Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian, R-San Luis Obispo, said the audit’s findings confirmed “our worst fears.”

The need to keep firearms away from the mentally ill is one issue in an otherwise bitterly divisive debate on gun control in California that all sides seem to agree on.

Earlier this month, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a set of bills aimed at strengthening California’s already tough gun laws.

In May, Brown signed a bill to provide $24 million to help fund the Department of Justice’s effort to confiscate guns from individuals it has identified as “armed prohibited persons.” But as of July, more than 20,800 mentally ill people, felons and other people who don’t have a right to own a weapon were still armed, according to department estimates.

The state auditor’s report recommends that justice officials correspond more frequently with courts it believes are under-reporting information about the mentally ill.

—McClatchy Newspapers

ANNOUNCEMENTS Night Owl

Make Your Own Bibimbap and Peperro Day

Enjoy all the best parts of a sleepover without actually having to sleep over. Paticipate in a pillow fight, play video games, decorate a sleep mask and eat delicious snacks.

Today from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium.

Come join Korean Student Association in celebrating this Korean Valentine’s Day with Korean-style fried rice and peperro (chocolate dipped pretzels).

Tomorrow from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Intercultural Center Swig Lounge.

Prematurity and Medicine

Lizzy’s Ice Cream Night

The March of Dimes Collegiate Council at Brandeis is putting together a week of prematurity awareness for National Prematurity Month. Dr. Adam Wolfberg, author of the book Fragile Beginnings, has generously agreed to speak with students about his experiences as a physician and father to a daughter born prematurely. This event is geared toward those interested in the medical field and those wanting to know more about prematurity and the journey that Dr. Wolfberg has taken to become a physician. The event will be open to the entire Brandeis community.

Tomorrow from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Multipurpose Room.

Need a break? Come off campus to Lizzy’s Ice Cream Night. Free ice cream will be served while supplies last. BranVan transportation will be available.

Tomorrow from 9 to 11 p.m. at Lizzy’s.

Applied Anthropology

Jessica Meissner ’05 will be giving an open lecture to Prof. Elizabeth Ferry’s (ANTH) class “Consumption, Production, Exchange.”

Meissner has a degree in economic anthropology, and she is currently on a fellowship at University of Michigan, studying global corporate structure and practice.

She will be speaking about her recent work in Washtenaw County, Mich. to study the needs of non-venture capital funded entrepreneurs.

In particular, Meissner is interested in creating meaningful employment for communities through worker-owned and multi-stakeholder cooperatives as a way to finance startups that would employ under or unemployed workers and transform traditionally low-wage work into viable long-term careers.

This event is free and open to the public.

Friday from 11 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. in the Mandel Center for Humanities Room G03.

CeleBrandeis

Come look at all the cool things Brandeis alumni have accomplished.

Snack on Crumbs cupcakes, Smart Balance treats, take a photo with the Shapiros and check out various other activities with your friends.

Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium.

THE JUSTICE

INTERFAITH OUTREACH

By SARA DEJENE JUSTICE EDITOR

Chaplaincy welcomes first Hindu adviser ■ Vaishali Gupta was hired

following a three-year search for someone to fill the position.

By RACHEL UEMOTO JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Nov. 1, the Interfaith Chaplaincy at Brandeis University began the process of welcoming Vaishali Gupta onto the staff to serve as the University’s first Hindu adviser since the Chaplaincy was founded in 1955.

Rev. Walter Cuenin, who has been actively searching for someone to fill the position for the past three years, directed the initiative in response to student requests for an expansion of religious resources and developments in the diverse religious makeup of the University. He began meeting with Gupta about a month ago.

Cuenin, the other chaplains, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel, Dean of Students Jamele Adams and student representatives from Namaskar, the Association for Hindus, Jains and Sikhs, all agreed that Gupta would make a great addition to the University community in a time when the Hindu population on campus is expanding.

“It’s not your father’s Brandeis,” Cuenin said in an interview with the Justice. “I can see that religious diversity on campus is different than it originally was. Other traditions need to be validated,” added Cuenin.

The chapels at Brandeis allow Jewish and Christian students access to places of worship, while Muslim services are available to students in the Usdan Student Center’s International Lounge. Up until recently, the only campus resource for Hindu, Jain and Sikh students has been the student-run association Namaskar.

“Non-Abrahamic religions aren’t very talked about on this campus and from what my experience has been, not a lot of people know about them,” Sharada Sanduga ’14, president of Namaskar, said in an interview with the Justice.

When asked about student awareness of Hinduism, Cuenin chuckled and responded “Low. There’s some awareness but not a great extent and I’d include myself in that.”

Adams noted that he expects Gupta to bring more multiculturalism to the community and expand students’ knowledge of different religions and cultures.

“It’s about a growing understanding,” said Adams in an interview with the Justice. “We’re all in this community together and this is an opportunity to do better together.”

With about 100 attendees at this past week’s Diwali festival and approximately 500 students present at last year’s Holi celebration, the Hindu population on campus is significant enough to warrant a staff leader, according to Sanduga.

“It was difficult for us to organize

events with the academic load …

We were a student run organization and with, I believe, an increase in Hindu students, we were getting to the point where it was necessary to bring somebody on,” she said.

In response to student demands, the administration and Cuenin began the search for a Hindu adviser.

“There were a number of students that had approached the chaplaincy about two years ago. So, this has been a work in progress,” said Adams. He also revealed the University has only acted recently to hire Gupta due to previous lack of funds.

Although she has only been on campus for a few weeks, Gupta has already involved herself in campus activities.

At last week’s Diwali festival, Gupta was present and active, introducing herself to the students, explaining the significance of the holiday and leading students in prayer.

“She’s only recently been hired so it was really wonderful that she was so willing to lend a hand,” said Sanduga.

Gupta wrote in an email to the Justice that she hopes to further involve herself with the Brandeis community and expose students to Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism through trips to temples. In particular, Cuenin said that she might plan a field trip to Sri Lakshmi Temple, a Hindu temple located in Ashland, Mass.

Additionally, Gupta will lead weekly prayer meetings with students and plans on handling the preparations for Hindu celebrations according to Cuenin. All students are welcome to attend and participate in communal prayer and discussion on the students’ religious needs.

In an email to the Justice, Gupta added “I also hope to invite speakers and scholars to raise awareness about Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhims through talks, lectures and discussions.”

In addition to working as a parttime Hindu advisor for Brandeis, “[Gupta] is also a part-time chaplain at Wellesley College and does some work with Babson and Olin colleges,” said the administration in an email to the faculty.

The email continued to explain that she grew up in a Hindu environment in Bombay, India before moving to Massachusetts in 2005.

Throughout her developmental years she was exposed to a multitude of religions and appreciates the diversity of different faiths and cultures.

On Wednesday, Nov. 6, the chaplains will host a meet and greet from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at which Gupta will introduce herself to the students. The event is to take place near the chaplains’ hallway in the Usdan Student Center.

“I would like [the students] to know that even though I might work on a regular basis with the Hindu, Jain, and Sikh students, I see myself as a pastoral support and a resource to everybody,” wrote Gupta.

3

Walker promoted to executive director post of admissions, formerly occupied by Mark Spencer, will not be filled.

ABBY KNECHT/the Justice

TUESDAY, November 5, 2013

ADMISSIONS

■ The position of dean

DIVERSITY IN THE CHAPLAINCY: Vaishali Gupta (left), the new Hindu adviser in the Interfaith Chaplaincy, stands with Rev. Walter Cuenin during a celebration of Diwali.

●

The University’s Office of Admissions will see major organizational changes immediately, including a redistribution of responsibilities, new hires and the promotion of Jennifer Walker, the office’s current director, to executive director.

Walker will head the office while some of the office’s responsibilities have been delegated to other departments, according to an email from Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel to the division of Students and Enrollment Monday evening.

“There are many, many other administrative tasks that this office handles. ... Those things take quite a lot of time and effort to be done well,” said Walker in an interview with the Justice.

The Office of Student Activities will now help organize “major” on-campus events held by Admissions, such as the two preview days and Admitted Students Day in the spring, and the Hiatt Career Center will aid in “managing and recruiting

alumni and parent volunteers.” According to the email sent by Flagel, these changes will allow Admissions to focus on expanding recruitment efforts.

“We want folks to maximize time on the road,” said Flagel in an interview with the Justice. According to the press release, Admissions has increased recruitment travel and is aiming to conduct almost twice as many high school visits and college fair appearances.

According to Walker, a staff member from Student Activities will be designated as a “point person” to manage the shared responsibilities between Admissions and Student Activities. Meanwhile, Admissions and the Hiatt Career Center are currently working together to hire a new parent and volunteer coordinator.

Walker is also leading the hiring processes for both a senior associate director, which will replace Walker’s former position of director, and a multi-cultural and transfer recruitment director, an existing position that is currently unfilled.

Walker said that in her new position, she would be “leading the new vision” of the office.

“A lot of the day-to-day big projects that I run will largely stay the same,” said Walker.

Until this past May, the office operated under former Dean of Admis-

sions Mark Spencer, who left to become the director of college advising at Deerfield Academy, a four-year college preparatory school.

When asked how Walker’s responsibilities as executive director will compare to Spencer’s as dean, Flagel responded, “I think that for Brandeis at the size institution we are and the set of goals that we’re managing, [Walker’s] set of expertise in being executive director is a great match for what we’re trying to accomplish.”

According to Flagel’s email, Walker joined the University in 2007 as the associate director of Admissions, later rising to senior associate and then director. Before coming to Brandeis, she worked in the information technology department at Sarah Lawrence College and later moved to Regis College to serve as a special assistant to the vice president for enrollment.

“I think [Walker] had a great deal of leadership within the office already and I’m very glad that she’ll be able to take on this role,” Flagel said.

“I’m really looking forward to my new role,” said Walker. “I have a fantastic team here in Admissions that does really, really great work.

I’m excited to continue in a leadership role here in the admissions office.”

—Tate Herbert contributed reporting.

awards

Collins receives Gittler prize

■ Patricia Hill Collins ’69,

Ph.D. ’84 discussed her work on intersectionality at the Gittler Prize lecture.

By PHIL GALLAGHER JUSTICE EDITOR

Last Tuesday, Patricia Hill Collins ’69, Ph.D. ’84, the distinguished university professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, was awarded the Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize.

She was the first Brandeis alumna to win the award, which was created to “recognize outstanding and lasting scholarly contributions to racial, ethnic, and/or religious relations,” according to the award’s website. As a part of the reception, Collins delivered a lecture titled “With My Mind Set on Freedom: Black Feminism, Intersectionality, and Social Justice” to a standing-room-only audience in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall in the Goldfarb Library.

Collins received her undergraduate and doctorate degrees in Sociology from Brandeis, and a master’s degree from Harvard University. She served as the 100th president of the American Sociological Association and was the first African-American woman in that position, according to a Sept. 9 BrandeisNOW article. She is widely known for her 1990 book Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment, which won the C. Wright Mills Award from the Society for the Study of Social Problems.

Provost Steve Goldstein ’78 opened the lecture by referring to Collins’ arrival as a “homecoming” and expressed his belief that the “spirit of Brandeis University is embodied by the Gittler Prize.” Goldstein intro-

duced Prof. Emeritus George Ross (SOC), Collins’ adviser during her graduate studies at Brandeis, who explained that Brandeis strives to nurture people who will “become like Pat Collins” and lauded the scholarly work that Collins produced as a graduate student.

Ross introduced Collins, who said that she was “shocked when she received the letter” informing her that she had won the Gittler Prize, mentioning that she thought it was a solicitation for a donation and almost threw it out. To begin her lecture, Collins played a video of “Ella’s Song,” performed by Sweet Honey in the Rock, which she said served as “both inspiration and text for this lecture.”

Her lecture was broken into three components: the contemporary contours of social justice work, the ethical core of black feminism and the future possibilities that social justice work holds.

Collins emphasized intersectionality in her lecture, one of her key scholarly contributions to sociology.

Specifically with intersectionality in black feminism, Collins explores how systems of oppression come together to create inequality and determine social positions in her research. Her lecture emphasized the applicability of intersectionality to social justice work.

Collins highlighted the tradition of social justice at Brandeis in her lecture and made many references to her Brandeis education: when she lived in North Quad as a first-year student at age 17 and in Usen Castle as a senior. She explained how Brandeis encouraged her to think about concepts such as social justice and inequality and was surprised to learn that the Brandeis Sociology department was “the critical voice within sociology” rather than a mainstream fit in

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the field. At Brandeis, she said, she learned to “believe in the integrity of my own arguments” and became more engaged with social justice following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Additionally, Collins described the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, her first black female professor, as one of her biggest Brandeis influences, and described her decision to leave Ford Hall with Murray when it was taken over by students in 1969.

Throughout her lecture, Collins made several informal remarks to the audience. “When it comes to learning, I have absolutely no shame.

I will make you do it,” she said at one point, and she often paused to ask if everyone was following her lecture and comfortable with the material.

“Did anybody die?” she asked.

She ended her lecture with a call to action, saying “when it comes to social justice work, I’m not ready to quit, and I hope others aren’t quite ready to rest as well.”

Prof.

Aliyyah Abdur-Rahman (ENG), who is teaching a course this semester titled “AAAS 136: Black Feminist Thought,” required her class to attend the lecture and spent the following class session discussing Collins’ ideas. Although AbdurRahman valued several different components of the lecture, she wrote in an email to the Justice that she “appreciated particularly Dr. Collins’s insistence that we understand the liberation struggles of the most vulnerable members of our—of any— society as fundamental to the rhetorics and the goals of social justice.”

The Gittler Prize was created with a bequest from the late Joseph B. Gittler, a sociologist at the Cardozo Law School of Yeshiva University, in honor of him and his mother, Toby Gittler. The award includes a medal and a $25,000 cash prize.

theJustice contact Tate Herbert at

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THE JUSTICE

MANDEL: Over $5 million to go to Center CONTINUED FROM 1 Levisohn also mentioned that his faculty position has been named for the Mandel brothers. “My faculty position, which has been supported by the Foundation, will now be named the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Professorship in Jewish Educational Thought,” wrote Levisohn. Winship indicated that Levisohn’s appointment to the chair is a “direct result” of the donation.

Winship explained in an email to the Justice that the donation was made as a pledge to be paid over time.

“The chair portion of the pledge is payable over two years,” she wrote. “[T]he remainder is part of the foundation’s ongoing support of the [C]enter it founded in 2002.”

The Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education was established in 2002, according to Winship. Prof.

Sharon Feiman-Nemser (NEJS) serves as the director of the Center

as well as the Mandel Professor of Jewish Education. Levisohn is the Center’s other faculty member. In his email to the Justice, Levisohn affirmed the mission of the Center, writing that “[w]e take our scholarship seriously and we believe that we have a responsibility to use our scholarship and our public intellectual activities to contribute to a flourishing Jewish future.”

The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation has made large donations to the University in the past, most notably the $22.5 million donation to construct the Mandel Center for the Humanities. Prof.

Jehuda Reinharz (NEJS), president emeritus of the University, is the current president of the Mandel Foundation. Furthermore, Barbara Mandel, the treasurer of the University’s Board of Trustees, is the wife of Morton Mandel, one of the namesakes of the Mandel Foundation.

CAMPUS SPEAKER

Lopatin speaks about innovative Orthodoxy ■ Rabbi Asher Lopatin

spoke about his opinions on Judaism and the push for Open Orthodoxy.

By ELIOR MOSKOWITZ JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Last Wednesday, almost 90 students attended “The Tradition of Innovation in Orthodox Judaism” to hear Rabbi Asher Lopatin speak about the integration of openness into Modern Orthodoxy.

The president of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School, a Modern and Open Orthodox rabbinical school in New York, Lopatin is a prominent figure in the Jewish Orthodox community who advocates in favor of a forward-thinking form of Modern Orthodoxy called Open Orthodoxy.

In explaining the foundation for such beliefs, Lopatin first described the struggle that Modern Orthodox Jews (and Jews of many other sects) face as they grapple with the question of how to understand the Torah, the words of which can be taken literally or understood figuratively.

Lopatin said that “everything is open to interpretation.”

“The core of Modern Open Orthodoxy is that you’re always open to people asking questions and changing the status quo,” said Lopatin. The balance Lopatin described is between having “a sense of reverence for the Torah and the sense of humility that we are only human beings and we’re … never going to get it right, but we’re trying to get as close as we can.”

To illustrate the foundation on which Modern Open Orthodoxy is built, Lopatin organizes the core ideas into the “Five Pillars of Orthodox Judaism or Open Charedism.” These five pillars are as follows: “Torah Mi’Sinai,” “Chidush Mi’Sinai,” “Halakhic Rigor and Discipline,” “Klal Yisrael” and “Menchlichkeit and Kiddush Hashem: Always Asking Yourself, Am I acting Like a Mensch?”

“Torah Mi’Sinai” (Torah from Sinai) is the “awe of the Torah and Talmud coming from God, being infinite and deserving infinite reverence,” Lopatin said. In essence, this is a sense of humbleness that venerates the Torah as something divine and worthy of worship.

“Chidush Mi’Sinai” (innovation from Sinai) are the varying interpretations that can arise once the first

pillar of reverence is adopted. According to Lopatin, “New understandings and innovative interpretations come if you really believe Torah is divine and infinite and, thus, can be interpreted in an infinite amount of ways.”

“Halakhic Rigor and Discipline” is the will to first preserve the Torah and its practices, before anything else.

Lopatin said that this secure commitment to the Torah’s practices ensures a “safe space for God’s infinite word.”

“Klal Yisrael,” or inclusivity, is respect for Israel, the Torah and God. It is the connection to every other Jewish person.

“Menchlichkeit and Kiddush Hashem” is the basic belief that one should have respect, not only for the Jewish people, but for all of God’s creatures.

This belief functions on the concept that we are all created in God’s image, and therefore we must respect others since we too contain God within us.

Furthermore, Lopatin said that all humans are extensions of God, and therefore, must be treated kindly.

Lopatin made a few final points about the meaning of the word “open” in “Open Modern Orthodoxy,” saying that, “if we want to understand Torah, we have to open up.” In congruence with this view, new people and new ideas are always welcome, and encouraged, said Lopatin. He continued to say that it is imperative for members of the Modern Orthodox community to go out into the world with the values in the Torah and make a difference, especially in places where people are in need of help.

President of Brandeis Orthodox Organization Ethan Stein ’15 said in an interview with the Justice that he chose Lopatin as this year’s speaker because of the partnering views of Lopatin and the ideals at Brandeis.

“All of the points [Lopatin] made are not specific to Orthodoxy. In order to create a strong, thriving community, we all have to be dignified and role models,” said Stein. “We should not turn away others whose views do not always align with our ideals … turning people away because of their differences defeats the whole purpose of Judaism … of being welcoming.”

Abbie Denemark ’16, who attended the event, said in an interview with the Justice that she enjoyed hearing Lopatin speak and that a lot of what he said were things that she had formerly thought but struggled to articulate. She said she thought Lopatin represented Orthodoxy well, especially for those who might not have a background in it.

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A VISION REALIZED

RAFAELLA SCHOR/the Justice

UNIFYING SPIRIT: Anna Bessendorf ’15, one of The Now Project’s founders, opened the conference on Sunday with a speech. The conference was the first of its kind, and was organized to allow for discussion between Jews of different sects.

The Now Project encourages Jewish pluralism on campus ■ The conference, which

took place on Sunday, aimed to facilitate conversation between sects of Jews.

By JAY FEINSTEIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Leaders and experts in the local Jewish community gathered to discuss Jewish pluralism and the future of Judaism at Brandeis and in America during Sunday’s conference, “The Now Project,” which was the first conference of its kind. The event consisted of speakers and discussion groups dedicated to encouraging unity among sects of Judaism.

Brandeis is a microcosm of the American Jewish community, according to Anna Bessendorf ’15, who founded the project with Sara Fried ’15 and Jessica Goldberg ’13. “It’s rich with diversity of practice and belief ... and people are truly encouraged to follow their own paths,” she said during her speech opening the conference.

However, Bessendorf’s one complaint about the Jewish community is its lack of cohesiveness between denominations. “Even though we pray in different places, use different tunes and approach texts in different ways, we could and should use those differences to grow and learn from one another,” she said.

The Now Project’s goal is to facilitate conversations and encourage collaboration between different Jewish groups in order to achieve a more pluralistic community, she said. In order to further its goal, Bessendorf said the Now Project will continue to host events throughout the school

year including a lecture with Yehuda Kurtzer of Shalom Hartman Institute of North America and the Day of Social Action at ’Deis Impact 2014.

According to Bessendorf in her speech, the Now Project is not an academic conference, only reviewing closed issues that don’t apply to the present. Instead, it is a symposium where “we can examine a living, breathing community that continues to grow and flourish,” she said.

Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel said in his speech at the event that he found a large disconnect in the Jewish community when he went to college. “I didn’t go to the same camps, I didn’t sing the same songs and I didn’t practice [Judaism] in the same way.

So, I really felt lost and walked away from participating in the Jewish community for nearly a decade.”

He stressed the importance of a pluralistic Jewish community, so that everybody feels that they have a place to belong. “Even if we’re not immediately family, the welcoming of each other [into the community] is very important,” he said.

“We share with all universities a need to constantly review how we are making our campus as welcoming and comfortable as possible to students of all backgrounds,” Flagel wrote in an email to the Justice. “While it is only one among many such issues, as the only non-sectarian university founded by the Jewish community, we have a distinctive role to play by convening our diverse Jewish community.”

Ethan Stein ’15, the president of the Brandeis Orthodox Organization, spoke at the event about how different Jewish groups do not always understand each other. “We do not always see eye to eye, nor do we have

to, but we have to be able to appreciate and understand where each side is coming from,” he said. “It is and will continue to be extremely hard to foster that unity when there is that disconnect within the denominations and communities.”

According to Bessendorf, Flagel was a big supporter of the Now Project’s creation.

Viktoria Bedo ’15 spoke at the event about growing up in Hungary, where the Jewish community didn’t suit her.

“I can’t leave every Jewish community that is not up to my standards.”

Instead, she said, “We will have to create the communities we can see ourselves in.”

She said conversations among different Jewish groups are a start to creating these communities. “Without conversations, there are no visions,” she said.

Jewish Chaplain Rabbi Elyse Winick ’86 said that she saw the Jewish community unite when she was a student at Brandeis during a Jewish activism campaign, pushing for freedom for refuseniks in the former Soviet Union.

Winick envisions a future where Jews can unite in times of peace and “not only when there’s an enemy at the door,” she said. “We will find out what it means to be part of one community, and because we’re at Brandeis, so will everyone else.”

Student Union President Ricky Rosen ’14 said in his speech that the best way to create a unified Jewish community is to realize the differences among its members. “There’s no cookie-cutter image of what a Jew is,” he said. “There are many ways to be a Jew, and the sooner we realize that, the sooner we can come together for Judaism to be a cohesive unit.”

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THE JUSTICE

HEALTH CARE RESTRUCTURING

ASSESSMENT: Report suggests change CONTINUED FROM 1 recommendations that involve changing the organizational structure of the University’s health systems, hiring a new executive director to oversee a more comprehensive health system, conducting an RFP process for the Health Center contract, expanding access and eligibility for graduate students at the Health Center and PCC and implementing an insurance billing structure.

The University announced yesterday to staff under the Division of Students and Enrollment that it is making some structural changes recommended by the report.

Director of Athletics Sheryl Sousa ’90 has been promoted to assistant vice president for health and wellness and a new division of Health and Wellness has been created under her supervision. (See accompanying article for more.) There is also a search for an executive director underway.

When asked about the impetus behind soliciting HBC’s review and making the recent changes, Flagel connected it to the strategic plan and the University’s image.

In feedback sessions and surveys surrounding the plan, he said, “a strong concern about the University’s image,” or “how well known we were, especially in other areas of the country,” came up repeatedly.

“There [were] ... concerns that were raised at different points about our health apparatus, lots of concerns expressed ... in the student feedback sessions,” he said.

“The talent of the individuals involved wasn’t a question; it was really structural questions.”

In the strategic plan, the mention of health and wellness services is listed under Strategic Goal 4 (“Build the Engaged Lifelong Community”) Objective B (“Make sustainability an integral part of the Brandeis experience”) and Action 3: “Facilitate healthy living through a community health approach that integrates health and recreation services and organizations across campus.”

Health Center Assessment

The assessment by Hodgkins Beckley provides sobering criticisms of the Health Center and PCC. A recurring analysis in the report is that there is poor communication and a lack of adherence to best practices in terms of technology and community outreach across the Health Center and PCC. Both also lack mission statements and clear, accessible policies delineated on their websites.

The Health Center, which is operated by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, “has favorable relationships with the key departments within the Students and Enrollment Division,” according to the report. However, the report

states that the Health Center does not use an electronic management system, nor does it produce annual reports or utilization reports for the University.

There is also a difference in graduate students’ ability to access the Health Center. While the student health fee, which supports the University’s health services, is mandatory for undergraduates, it is optional for graduate students.

In terms of staffing and the cost of running the Health Center, the report states: “Compared to ACHA [American College Health Association] medians for private universities, the [Health Center] clinical staffing is high and productivity is low. … Costs are also higher than would be expected for a health center that is outsourced to a local health care provider.”

In an interview with the Justice, Medical Director of the Health Center Debra Poaster said that she is excited about working with Sousa, but that in her view, the report is not perfect.

“I don’t want to speak for the whole organization I work for, BIDMC, but I think that we felt that there were some things that were very positive … [but] that there were some distortions and some misinformation in the report,” said Poaster.

PCC Assessment

The report also notes key flaws in the PCC. Similar to the Health Center, the report noted that the PCC does not produce regular administrative or utilization reports.

The report states there are barriers to access for students, and students are not necessarily seen within one week of requesting an appointment: “In HBC’s opinion, the PCC [Psychological Counseling Center] data showing that 80 percent of students are seen within one week of requesting an intake appointment are not credible.”

The assessment also states that “wait times for intake appointments can be a serious concern.”

The PCC also does not provide training to other University departments, conduct outreach efforts, nor is it involved with student support groups. In comparison, the report states that most peer institutions have dedicated staff to oversee outreach coordination.

Another major criticism from the report is the PCC’s policy of providing 12 free visits to the counseling center for undergraduate students.

While the student health fee covers a student’s first 12 counseling visits, “there is no mention of the 12 visit maximum on the PCC website.” Moreover, the PCC’s Psychotherapist-Patient Services Agreement is inconsistent with the official policy, “by stating that after two consecutive years, the student

can continue with the therapist on a private basis or be referred out,” according to the report.

Access to the PCC for graduate students is also a concern, according to the report.

“There may also be substantial number of graduate students who are underserved for counseling services. … All ... peer institutions automatically provide eligibility for counseling services to graduate students,” the report said.

Currently, the health fee is optional; however, if graduate students do not ay the fee, then they will be charged for the first 12 counseling visits, but graduate students not paying the fee are often not charged for the visits, according to the report’s analysis: “The eligibility and fee policies are inconsistent, confusing, and may be arbitrarily applied.”

The report also criticizes the staffing model of the PCC. Currently, “the PCC is staffed by over 20 part-time psychologists and social workers, three half-time psychiatrists, and six unpaid interns.”

The use of a large number of part-time staff has significant drawbacks, including a lack of coordination and integration, and more difficulty with quality assurance, according to the report.

“The administrative burden and cost is high. There is no justifiable reason the [sic] keep this system.

Counseling positions in a university setting are very desirable, especially at a university as prestigious as Brandeis. Brandeis would have no problem in recruiting excellent full-time staff for the PCC.” The report also states that the PCC has “insufficient administrative staff” and its physical facility is “lacking in a number of ways,” including a lack of handicap access and a generally unwelcoming and outdated facility.

Senior Director of the PCC Robert Berlin declined to comment and referred all questions to Flagel. When asked to comment on the assessment by phone, Berlin said he had been instructed not to respond to questions from the Justice.

Recommendations

The report’s major recommendations include the creation of a “comprehensive health system” with several new staff positions, including an executive director, a student health insurance plan coordinator, a case manager and an additional administrator for the counseling center.

The comprehensive system would “consolidate all health-related services and benefits under a single department.”

The report also recommends that the University transition the PCC away from long-term care, referring to students who are visiting the PCC more than 10 or

12 times. For example, the report recommends that the University “limit availability of PCC services to eight to twelve visits per year and refer students to community resources for care.” “[S]urveys report that the average number of visits per student user is between five and six. The average number of visits per student at the PCC is over nine, or 49 to 82 percent greater than benchmark,” the report reads. “All of the UAA peer institutions and the selected Boston area colleges and universities, with the possible exception of Harvard University, are providing short-term counseling services.”

While the report notes that “there could be strong resistance to this change among current PCC staff, students, and Students and Enrollment Division stakeholders,” it argues that the recommendation “appropriately emphasizes key organizational objectives and facilitates compliance with best practices for the operation of college counseling centers.”

The report also recommends that the University conduct an RFP process for the Health Center contract. “Concomitant with this RFP process should be consideration of returning the [Health Center] to an internal department of the University.”

Regarding graduate students, the report notes differences in the treatment of graduates and undergraduates.

The report recommends that the same services be available to graduates as are available to undergraduates.

Currently, the health fee, which funds health services on campus, is mandatory for undergraduates and optional for graduate students. “This would mean discontinuing the optional health fee and could include assessing a health fee to all students and/or initiating charges to graduate students and their insurers for services.”

According to the Health Center website, “All undergraduate students have unlimited access to the on-campus resources at Brandeis Health Center.” Graduate students, however, only have access to immunization services unless they purchase access to the Health Center.

Insurance Billing

The final aspect of the proposal recommends implementing an insurance billing structure. Currently, students’ health insurance plans are not billed when they go to the Health Center. All undergraduates pay a mandatory health services fee, which covers visits to the Health Center and some counseling services.

According to its website, “The Health Center does not offer feefor-service medical care nor does it bill insurers for services. Ac-

cess to the Health Center is not to be confused with the Qualifying Student Health Insurance Plan (QSHIP). This is the student health insurance plan offered by the University to meet state regulations mandating insurance coverage for all full and 3/4 time students.”

The report recommends two new models for insurance billing: a “secondary [payer] system” and the other is a “longer term three tier system.”

“Both offer significant revenue and/or savings potential, potentially as soon as the next fiscal year,” according to the report.

Under the secondary payer system, the Health Center would bill students’ insurance, but the University would use Health Center fees to cover students’ out-ofpocket costs such as copays and deductibles.

“Following the passage of the ACA [Affordable Care Act], the question is increasingly asked as to why health fees and other institutional funding allocations should continue to pay for or subsidize services and supplies that are covered at 100 percent, regardless of the deductible, under the new preventive care benefits,” the report states.

The report also recommends considering a “Triple Option Program.” The three options would be insurance through personal platinum, gold or silver plans or Medicaid, insurance through a Bronze plan with purchase of a health fee or enrollment in the Comprehensive Student Health Insurance Program.

“The key difference between a Triple Option Program and the strategic option for secondary payer status is that the health fee at Brandeis would be reduced to funding health education and wellness programs, which cannot be effectively funded from insurance reimbursements, and an overall subsidy for the availability of services when there are almost no students on the campus and the facilities have to remain open,” according to the report.

Implementation

“The first order of business will be getting an executive director on board,” Sousa said in an interview.

The first steps of consolidating health services and hiring an executive director are already underway. The other recommendations will be evaluated once a director is in place, according to Sousa.

“You don’t immediately leap into changes that could put what’s best about our structures at risk,” said Flagel in an interview with the Justice.

—Tate Herbert, Marissa Ditkowsky and Sam Mintz contributed reporting

REORGANIZE: Director search to begin CONTINUED FROM 1 gathering a team to compose it and search for candidates.

“That will be one of the first things that I’ll be looking to do ... to work with folks in the Health Center, the counseling center to develop a job description and then be launching that search,” said Sousa in an interview with the Justice. Sousa said she hoped to have an executive director in place before the end of the spring semester.

Sousa, who will retain her current duties as director of Athletics, said that she was offered the promotion at the end of October, and that the report was shared with her, along with other relevant parties, around the same time.

“The new structure takes effect immediately,” said Sousa.

The review process was initiated earlier this year when requests for proposal were sent out to several consulting companies.

HBC was chosen to review the structures at the Health Center and Psychological Counseling Center, beginning their research in the late spring to early summer, said Flagel in an interview with the Justice.

HBC collected data and conducted interviews on campus during the summer, and “we began to get feedback reports this fall,” he said.

While several other members of senior management were briefed on the consultation throughout the process, said Flagel, the decision to restructure was solely his.

Flagel did not give the Justice specific dates for the decision-making process, but said that “this was all crystallized by the end of the summer.”

In an interview with the Justice, Sousa described the change in mentality that she felt the new model would bring. “The idea of this model which works together [with] all of these offices that deal with student health and wellness in some capacity,” said Sousa, would “bring them together in a more focused way so that, so my role would be to look at it in a more broad, university-wide perspective from a strategic planning perspective.”

When asked about the decision to promote Sousa to this role, Flagel said that “one of the key aspects was the talent and the

background that [Sousa] brings to a role like this,” and that there seemed to be a strong alignment with health services and athletics.

However, he also noted that, specifically in regard to the shift in oversight from the Dean of Students’ office, “There’s not a particular set of qualifications in any one of those offices for aligning or managing the health of our students. ... Is athletics or the chaplaincy more or less aligned with health care? I don’t know that there’s an easy answer to that question.”

When asked about the new model in an interview with the Justice, Dr. Debra Poaster, medical director of the health center, said “[t]his is a pretty new thing for us. I think that it was actually in the strategic framework [and]

I’m hopeful that it will be a great plan.”

Poaster said she did not know whether she or other representatives from the Health Center would be involved in the search for an executive director but added that “we’re excited about the possibility of working with Sheryl Sousa.”

Dr. Robert Berlin, senior director of the Psychological Counseling Center, declined to comment and said that Flagel instructed him not to answer the Justice’s questions. Berlin directed the Justice to Flagel’s office.

Adams was unable to be reached for comment by press time.

—Marissa Ditkowsky, Sam Mintz and Andrew Wingens contributed reporting

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features

TUESDAY, novembER 5, 2013

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THE JUSTICE

VERBATIM | BILL COSBY I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.

ON THIS DAY…

FUN FACT

In 1831, American slave leader Nat Turner was tried, convicted and sentenced to death for leading a rebellion.

A raw oyster is very likely still alive when you eat it.

A political powerhouse

COLLEGE NOSTALGIA: A college-age Matthew Brooks sports the letters of AEPi, a fraternity that he brought to campus 25 years ago.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MATTHEW BROOKS

POLITICAL CHAMPION: Matthew Brooks ’87 is a conservative politician and the Executive Director of the Republican Jewish Coalition.

Matthew Brooks ’87 remains a leader in conservative circles

By ADITI SHAH JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

When Matthew Brooks ’87 was a student at Brandeis, he was highly involved in the college political scene. Yet even with this early political interest, who knew he would go on to meet with every Republican president since Reagan, among other accomplishments.

Working on Jack Kemp’s presidential campaign in the 1988 elections and bringing Greek life to Brandeis are just two of the accomplishments of alumnus Brooks, who is the executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition and the Jewish Policy Center.

While he says it was challenging being in the Republican minority at Brandeis, Brooks was not without opportunities.

“I remember at my first meeting for the Brandeis College Republicans, there were about six or 10 people, but [we] were able to build the College Republicans chapter into the third largest in Massachusetts,” Brooks said.

Brandeis, according to Brooks, is unique because, unlike the apathy towards politics present on many other campuses at that time, Brooks said a concern for politics “seems to be ingrained in the DNA” of the University. He also said that at Brandeis, “whatever your views are, there are ways to be active and immerse yourself, [and] that kind of energy fueled my interests in politics.”

Brooks rose to the position of state chairman of the Massachusetts College Republicans while at Brandeis. In this role, he learned “valuable lessons about building something with challenging conditions.

You have to work hard at it. Brandeis served as the perfect launching pad,” he said.

The opportunity to assume such leadership roles as an undergraduate helped him to learn responsibilities. In addition to his political involvement, Brooks sparked the

unrecognized Greek system at Brandeis as he founded the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity chapter at Brandeis.

“I thought there was a need for it,” he said. “My friends at other schools told me how the Greek system really added to the campus spirit, build friendships, brotherhoods, and so I felt that was lacking at the time.” It all began when the national AEPi fraternity realized that Greek life was not technically banned in the Brandeis Charter. They contacted the Brandeis College Republicans, and their president, Brooks, responded by working with the student senate to start an AEPi chapter at Brandeis.

The initial chapter of AEPi was temporarily disbanded by the national chapter in fall 2011 due to the unstable relationship it held with the national chapter. It was brought back recently with the goal of starting new and reinstating many of the values that Brooks hoped to instill with the organization.

There was no shortage of classes and professors that Brooks found exciting.

His favorite classes included “U.S. Government and Congress” with Prof. Peter Woll (POL), “American Government” with John Anderson, a visiting professor who ran against President Ronald Reagan in the 1980 election as independent, and Prof.

Jerry Cohen’s (AMST) classes.

Brooks was actually on the pre-med track at Brandeis and had planned on going to medical school after graduation.

Although he enjoyed his science courses, he ultimately chose politics because of his experience working because of a special internship experience.

He went to work in Washington, D.C. in the summer of 1986 as a congressional intern for Kemp, who ran for president in 1988 against President George H.W. Bush.

He felt as though this was an opportunity he could not let pass. Kemp served as a good friend and mentor. He recalls his time in Washington as an “eye-opening experience [that had a] dramatic impact [on me].

Working on a presidential campaign left [me] smitten with politics. There was no going back after this.”

His experience working with Kemp, as well as field work in New Hampshire, helped to spark his interest in politics. His growing passion for politics allowed him to attain the position of political director of RJC in 1988, and he became the executive director two years later.

Although Brook’s role involves working for the betterment of the Jewish community and solidifying its ties with the re-

publican community, he says his religious views are separate from his political decisions. “I don’t know that my religion really has [influenced my politics],” he said.

Brooks feels fortunate for having sat in meetings with prime ministers from Israel and feels inspired by his colleagues at the RJC. “I have learned from my mentors, philanthropists and an incredible string of people that it is worth spending time to support a cause that you believe in and hopefully give back to the community,” he said.

ISRAEL CONNECTION: Matthew Brooks has met with many foreign leaders throughout the course of his political career. Here he is pictured with Ron Dermer, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, november 5, 2013

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Uniting religious segments Kehilat Sha’ar represents a dynamic student collective promoting inclusion

By REBECCA HELLER JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Brandeis has a vibrant religious life and Jewish community, with a number of on-campus Jewish organizations. This year, several students came together to create a new egalitarian, nondenominational community called Kehilat Sha’ar, with the mission of providing a “cohesive Jewish experience,” according to member Yaakov Malomet ’17.

Malomet along with Shulamit Ornstein ’16, Viktoria Bedo ’15, Hannah Kober ’16, and Zachary Anziska ’16 are among the organizers of the group. Though there are nine students acting as leaders of the movement now, they stress that Kehilat Sha’ar is a grassroots group without a strong leadership hierarchy and anyone who would like to get involved is welcome to do so.

The goal of Kehilat Sha’ar is to provide a “vibrant, independent, egalitarian” place where “religion and community overlap” and everyone is “sharing in the entire experience together,” Malomet said. Literally translated from Hebrew, Kehilat Sha’ar means “community gate.” The phrase is an excerpt from a psalm in the Bible that says ‘open the gates of justice,’ The community part is simple: “there are Jewish organizations that fill a lot of religious institutional needs of the community with a prayer service connected to it. However, we wanted to make sure that the two are together ... the idea behind a gate is that there is something behind it. However, the gates are open so that people can enter,” Bedo says.

Kehilat Sha’ar is in its early stages and consists of Shabbat events that include prayer services and a dinner afterward. So far the group has held two Shabbat events, the most recent of which was held on Nov. 1.

“Those are the two programs right now, but we are thinking of expanding to Jewish learning events or maybe a weekday prayer service,” Malomet explains.

Kehilat Sha’ar is open to anyone on campus. It seeks to provide a religious outlet for people who “have found that the community or services they have gone to have not been something they can connect with,” says Malomet.

Brandeis already has many Jewish groups on campus. This includes Hillel, a broad organization that has various branches that cater to specific denominations of Judaism, and Chabad, a group with roots in the Chassidic tradition. Kehilat Sha’ar differs in that it does not cater to a specific denomination, which its members see as positive. The members consider their services to be egalitarian. “The biggest thing that defines us from the rest of the community is that we have no denomination. We’re just Jews,” Ornstein said.

“We’re singing songs that are [from] each denomina-

tion and things that are universal to Jews. We sing in English too.”

The other thing that sets them apart is the intimacy of these joint prayer and meal experiences. The Kehilat Sha’ar dinners are “very intimate—the way we set the table is so everyone is seated together and can see each other. It’s a very communal meal,” Ornstein says. The reason that this intimacy is so important is that “it enhances the experience if you can actually get to know the people that you’re praying with rather than just seeing them,” Kober explains.

Right now, most Jewish services on campus are just that—only services, with no events directly corresponding. Kehilat Sha’ar wants to make services an event that also include interaction with other members of the community by combining prayer with communal meals and events.

Hillel, a major on-campus Jewish group, is an “umbrella organization; we take a similar form to the religious groups. It’s not a difference between us and Hillel, it’s that we’re trying to fill a void that wasn’t filled by other religious groups,” Kober notes. Bedo notes that Kehilat Sha’ar is “trying to expand the options rather than splinter off and be something else.”

Kehilat Sha’ar serves as a melting pot for different types of Judaism. It is “both traditional and egalitarian, but one of the things that’s distinctive between the preexisting egalitarian unions is that this is a place where people who haven’t experienced an egalitarian service can dabble in that and people who haven’t experienced a traditional service can do the same,” Kober says.

The goal of Kehilat Sha’ar is to bring these people together so that individual Jews are not separated by their individual denominations.

Kehilat Sha’ar is “drawing from the entire Hillel and Jewish community and people who are maybe not affiliated with the Hillel community—people who are maybe just not affiliated right now no matter what denomination they associate themselves with,” explains Ornstein.

Though Kehilat Sha’ar is a new organization, its founders hope that it will remain dynamic as it grows.

“We hope this is a sustainable community where there are always going to be people here who feel like they don’t have/identify with a particular religious community and we’re really trying to serve that in any way that we can,” Anziska said. “[We] welcome those who just want to come and be who they are and partake in a spiritual experience as part of a group or community as well.”

Editor’s Note: Hannah Kober is a staff illustrator for the Justice.

Sheila McMahon Sexual Assault Services and Prevention Specialist JOSH HOROWITZ/the Justice

The Justice spoke with the recently hired sexual assault and prevention services specialist about her past experiences and goals for a safe and informed campus community.

Just Features: Where did you go to college and what did you major in?

Sheila McMahon: I did my first year at Trinity College in Washington, D.C. but then I transferred to Boston College because they gave me a great scholarship and it was back being in New England, closer to a lot of my family and friends. I changed to an English major. I read a lot during a period when Toni Morrison had started writing a lot of really good books ... so reading a lot of literature by women, particularly African-American women was just really rich and compelling and powerful. I think that in some ways was my first sort of exposure to really thinking more deeply about feminism.

JF: What kinds of activities did you take part in as a student?

SM: When I was an undergrad at Boston College, I worked at the Women’s Center on campus. When I was in graduate school ... I was on the women’s action caucus, at Harvard Divinity School.

It was the body that did a lot of looking at women’s issues on campus ... It partnered with other activists from other parts of Harvard and other private schools and undergrads as well to address women’s issues on campus.

JF: When did you decide you wanted to go into sexual assault prevention?

SM: I wouldn’t even say it was a decision, it just sort of happened. When I was a college student someone very close to me was sexually assaulted. It happened around the time when I was really involved in the Women’s Center on the campus. I had been getting some training as part of a group to be able to participate in a peer sexual assault prevention network hotline.

I really care about issues around violence against women and power-based violence ... when that happened it became really relevant in a very personal way for me.

JF: What do students need to know about your position?

SM: I hope that students will feel comfortable being able to come and talk to me about whatever their thoughts and concerns are.

I’m someone who they can have a confidential conversation with.

JF: How do you see your role on the Brandeis campus?

SM: I really hope my role will be being an advocate for students who are in various places of recovery ... and also being able to advocate for students more generally. I think another huge part is partnering with students. I’m excited to be able to partner with student groups to integrate conversations around issues of consent. We have not yet reached a point in history where we can prevent sexual assault from happening all the time, everywhere, but we know enough to know that we can prevent it some of the time in some places, and I think college campuses are really important places. College campuses present unique problems, but they also present unique opportunities. Doing things like engaging students as activists, as leaders, as people who are pro-social, bystanders who are willing to in small ways intervene in situations that look like they could be dangerous before they get to a point where they’re really serious.

JF: What do you think sets Brandeis students apart from what you’ve seen at the other institutions?

SM: For some people [a degree] is solely pragmatic ... whereas I feel like with Brandeis students, there is this real sense of deep interest in the subject matter that students study and deeper interest in other people and really taking to heart the University’s mission and vision and commitment to both having a really full and rich intellectual life and then also pursuing justice and being kind to one another.

JF: What is most exciting to you about this new position?

JAIME KAISER/the Justice

PRE-SHABBAT PREP: Cooper Boyar-Borochov ’17 (left), Shulamit Ornstein ’16 (center) and Naomi Hornstein ’15 (right) prepare a Sha’ar shabbat meal.

SM: I think Brandeis is really uniquely situated to lead other colleges and universities on [sexual assault issues]. I really feel like Brandeis could be a place that develops a really strong model that other places will want to also implement, so I’m really excited to be part of that.

— Brianna Majsiak

10 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013 ● THE JUSTICE

Justice Justice

the the

Established 1949, Brandeis University

Brandeis University

Established 1949

Tate Herbert, Editor in Chief Andrew Wingens, Senior Editor Adam Rabinowitz, Managing Editor Sam Mintz, Production Editor Phil Gallagher, Deputy Editor Rachel Burkhoff, Sara Dejene, Shafaq Hasan, Joshua Linton and Jessie Miller Associate Editors Marissa Ditkowsky, News Editor Jaime Kaiser, Features Editor Glen Chagi Chesir, Forum Editor Henry Loughlin, Sports Editor Rachel Hughes, Arts Editor Emily Wishingrad, Acting Arts Editor Josh Horowitz and Olivia Pobiel, Photography Editors Rebecca Lantner, Layout Editor Celine Hacobian, Online Editor Brittany Joyce, Copy Editor Schuyler Brass, Advertising Editor

Health services need overhaul Yesterday, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel announced a significant change to the organization of health services at Brandeis University.

Following a critical review by an external consulting agency, the University will implement a “comprehensive student health care model” that will encompass the Health Center, the Psychological Counseling Center and other services on campus such as the dietician and the new sexual assault services and prevention specialist. Director of Athletics Sheryl Sousa ’90 has been promoted to the position of assistant vice president for health and wellness, and her first task will be to lead the search for an executive director for health and wellness to oversee both the Health Center and Psychological Counseling Center, who will then report directly to Sousa.

This board agrees with the report’s statement that both centers are staffed by “dedicated and skilled professionals” and we thank them for their service to our community. Furthermore, we believe that the changes suggested by the report can have a positive effect on health services on campus.

However, as students, we feel obligated to bring to light some serious issues revealed in the report, which must be prioritized by the administration. Moreover, it is imperative to the success of the restructuring plan that all relevant staff members are on the same page; something that surely contributed to the current flaws.

We urge the University to concentrate on finding solutions to these concerns.

Among the biggest problems mentioned is a lack of functional organization and management at both the Health Center and the Psychological Counseling Center.

According to the executive summary of the report from Hodgkins Beckley Consulting, LLC, “neither … produces monthly usage or annual reports, and both lack policy documents, mission statements, and typical management structures.”

Without this sort of basic guiding structure and information, no organization, let alone one as complex as a university health center, can function at optimal efficiency. We are encouraged by the fact that the University is taking steps, through its reorganization, to remedy this problem.

Additionally, at the Psychological Counseling Center, the report states that “fewer patients are being seen than would be typically expected for current staffing levels. At the same time, little outreach, training, and prevention are being conducted on campus … Significant evidence exists that portions of the student population are not being served to levels consistent with peer institutions.” This substantial criticism of the Psychological Counseling Center should also be prioritized in the restructuring. Action must be taken to address the Center’s inability to provide adequate services to students. As this board has expressed several times in the past, addressing mental health issues is vitally important to the well-being of the student body.

Other issues mentioned in the report include a lack of collaboration with student groups such as the Brandeis Counseling and Rape Crisis Hotline, an absence of integration of health and counseling services, and a lack of constant desk coverage at the PCC.

Progress on restructuring There are also several small but important details that should be clarified. For example, the report states that “internal documents at the PCC [such as] … the Student Intake Form and website communications … are antiquated in their use of terminology and do not speak in a language that is familiar and welcoming to students.” Furthermore, the report concludes that the documents themselves are both confusing and in fact contradict each other with their details.

The report also includes many substantive recommendations to solve these problems, and based on Flagel’s announcement, it appears that at least several of them are being implemented. We commend the University for reacting to the criticisms accordingly, and taking efforts to change the organizational structure in an attempt to rectify the multitude of issues.

The level of disorganization revealed by the report is unacceptable and this can be a time for the University to take responsibility for its mismanagement. Hiring the consulting company and publishing its report was an excellent first step, but this accountability must be maintained through implementation and beyond.

Health services must be continually reviewed, especially in the short term, until a comprehensive, and hopefully effective, system is in place.

However, while we approve of the changes in theory, we worry that the process of the decision may have been pushed through without receiving the necessary input from relevant administrators.

The decision appears to have been made through a top-down process, especially as key people were not informed or consulted until late in the development. Sousa, who will lead the unit’s efforts, said that she was not shown the final report or asked to take on the position until “the end of October.” Health Center Medical Director Dr. Debra Poaster said that she did not receive the consulting report until “about a week ago” and was not familiar with the detailed structure of the reorganization. The University’s inability to be communicative and transparent among its own administration members should worry all members of the Brandeis community.

Moreover, while Sousa is a respected figure on campus and has performed well in her capacity as director of Athletics, her athletics qualifications do not intuitively align with the duties of the Centers.

We hope that she will be able to use her administrative skills to reform the management practices of health services and also work closely with the yet-to-be hired executive director, who will presumably possess skills and experience in the medical and counseling sectors.

Brandeis has a responsibility to prioritize the health of its students, and in the future, should avoid the kinds of egregious oversights detailed in the consulting report. Furthermore, the administration must be sure to properly communicate with the key staff members who will be involved in the restructuring. We urge the University to move forward on this project with a renewed focus on the welfare of individual students and the greater campus community.

HANNAH KOBER /the Justice

Views the News on

A recent study published by Lancet Global Health found that out of the 850 new drugs and vaccines approved in the last 12 years, only four percent were for one of the 49 “neglected” diseases. Neglected diseases are those such as tuberculosis and malaria, as well as other obscure ailments that specifically impact poor, developing regions of the world.

Why do you believe minimal attention is paid to these neglected diseases and how should the medical community address this statistic?

Prof. Donald S. Shepard (Heller)

The recent paper in Lancet Global Health pointed out that only four percent of registered clinical trials were related to neglected tropical diseasees. This limited share largely reflects the fact that clinical development of drugs and vaccines, including expensive field testing, is largely funded by the pharmaceutical industry. With some exceptions, that industry seeks profit, which generally means developing products that promise high sales in high-income countries. To interpret the findings, it is worth recalling that clinical trials are but one component of a cycle that includes basic research, clinical trials, operations research and financing and support for implementaiton.

Donor agencies, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation or the World Bank, fund technical support and incentives. This support contributed to the fact that the share for neglected tropical diseases, while small, has quadrupled since a comparable study a decade ago.

Donald S. Shepard is a Professor at the Schneider Institutes for Health Policy at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

Flora Wang ’15 The neglected or orphan diseases of society are often overlooked for more profitable research industries such as makeup or accessory medication like Viagra. Although diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria have greater implications for human mortality, they often affect more third-world countries because of the poor living conditions that are conducive to these diseases. In order to correct this social injustice, large research companies must be incentivized to focus on these diseases with financial incentives such as subsidies from the government or other interested parties. In addition, there should be more public awareness campaigns to have more individuals become incentivized to care about these diseases to raise money for further research. With increased incentives for better venture capital investments, legislation and collaboration between different industries with a better culture of sharing information, these diseases will surely have the medical breakthrough we have hoped for.

Flora Wang ’15 is a double major in Biochemistry and Health: Science, Society and Policy.

Bharvi Marsha Patel ’14 In the modern society efficiency dictates many of our actions. In the health care field for example, diseases that can be cured, contained and even eradicated with minimal efforts are the ones to get attention and funds. The reason that such minimal attention is given to neglected diseases is because these diseases are most prevalent in communities that have low resources, political turmoil and little access to health care. Investing money in finding vaccines for these diseases will not be efficient even if such vaccinations are created because the implementation of the medication proves to be a bigger struggle. On the other hand, developed countries have already controlled these diseases and can afford to invest in rare conditions because they have the resources and the means to provide access to the vaccinations. The medical community needs to work better to collaborate with different sectors within these developing countries to ensure that political, transportation and cultural barriers do not hinder combatting neglected diseases.

Bharvi Patel ’14 is the chair of the Brandeis Global Brigades.

Michael Kahnowitz ’14 I am not surprised by this statistic at all. Massachusetts has experienced a resurgence of these “neglected” diseases like Tuberculosis and Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus. In fact last year there was a reported TB case on the Brandeis campus! Last sumer I visited the Massachusetts State House to educate lawmakers about these increased occurrences and to inform them of the potentially significant harm they could cause to a community. Most legislators were unaware of these public health hazards because until recently, the infections were relatively non-existent. While that is a testament to how successful we have been in combating various infections, we are not immune and should not relent on fighting these diseases. Contacting lawmakers about these issues is an incredibly good way to support the institutions that combat these ailments, such as the Hinton State Laboratory Institute, which is responsible for monitoring the frequency of various infectious diseases like TB, EEE, rabies and HIV. Michael Kahnowitz is currently enrolled in the dual HSSP-MPP graduate program at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

THE JUSTICE

READER COMMENTARY Support social justice community In response to your article “Concept of social justice actually perpetuates societal injustice” (Oct. 22): We should be angry about the article, but we should be even angrier if we don’t use it to get leverage, become empowered and unite to create change. As Dr. Patricia Hill Collins, renowned black feminist, said at the Brandeis luncheon last Tuesday “Anger is energy. Find out how you are networked and who your allies are. You don’t have to be the lone leader.”

Currently, we don’t have a real network.

Many of us feel like lone leaders, or just alone.

But the amount of backlash in response to this article shows that we are not alone, that we want Brandeis to be the social justice hub that it claims to be in the rhetoric of its admission flyers and the namesake of the very newspaper this article was published in, the Justice. Nelson Gilliat’s ’14 Brandeis is not our Brandeis.

We demand that Brandeis fulfill its promises and give us a communal space to house a social justice network, so we can support each other and share information, resources and ideas.

The term “social justice” is a vague one, but we are unifying out of our desire to end oppression and make the world better for all of us. Gilliat writes that “the unit of concern in ‘social justice’ is always the group, be it racial, religious or socioeconomic—never the individual.” On the contrary, individuals are oppressed because of the groups they are in. To ignore their groups is to ignore their struggles and devalue their experiences. Social justice does not mean punishing oppressors, but rather feeling empathy for everyone and solidarity with the oppressed. And social justice cannot happen without the strength of all of us together. Whatever your cause, it has to come from a place of caring for each other. This article alienated many of us by denying racial injustice and refusing to welcome all students as rightful members of our community.

When 70 members of the Brandeis AfricanAmerican Society made demands at Ford Hall in 1969, Brandeis responded. If we unite from our own isolated personal projects and take action, Brandeis will respond. We will create the Brandeis that we need.

This is a call for action not just for us students, but for professors. Just as former Sociology Professor Neil Friedman supported and mentored BAAS in their tactics, we need professors to empower us.

We need Brandeis to be a microcosm of empathy. Our social justice groups must be supportive of each other so we don’t feel so entirely alone. We are not alone in our fear of isolation or in our desire for community. We feel the weight of our oppressive system, and if we come together, we do not have to carry the weight on our own. In our shared space, we can have these discussions, we can learn from one another, we can make connections, we can listen to each other—and in this way, we can create the Brandeis that we need.

—Abbie Goldberg ’16 & Joy Brenner- Letich ’16

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Investigate the metaphysical with science Shafaq

hasan Into the fire

In 1907, Dr. Duncan MacDougall recruited six terminally ill individuals to scientifically determine if souls had measurable weight. They were placed on a bed of highly sensitive scales that would be able to record any changes in their mass the exact moment they died. On average, MacDougall documented a difference of 21 grams between the weight when the patient was alive and when they died. In his report, he concluded this was the mass of a soul. With this conclusion, MacDougall asks us to question if it’s possible for the soul to physically exist.

Not only was MacDougall’s sample size too small, his methodology was flawed. According to his report, out of the six patients, the results from two had to be discarded because the patients died before MacDougall could weigh them, two more experienced a loss of weight only to regain the loss within a few minutes and another two experienced a loss of mass that continued to increase. In addition to the number of variables that could account for the changes in mass such as the involuntary movements the body makes, MacDougall and his team also had difficulties detecting the exact moment of death. While at this time it may not be possible for us to be able to determine to a degree of scientific certainty if a soul exists—physically or otherwise—it’s still important for science to continue permeating the barrier to investigate the metaphysical.

MacDougall’s disqualifying junk science has not discouraged others from pursuing the same line of questioning. Others have been equally mystified by the idea of using science and logic to prove the soul has a tangible existence. Some claim they have pictures depicting the soul as it departs while others theorize souls are comprised of the same dark matter particles that compose much of the mass in the universe. All believe they can scientifically prove the soul is more than a compilation of interactions between our neurons.

But why is the weight of a soul significant?

If we can prove the soul has weight, it then has mass and, therefore, it must obey the Earth’s gravitational forces. Perhaps more importantly, it would work to illustrate that the spiritual world after death may exist parallel to our own.

Across religions, souls have a uniquely universal significance. While each religion has a different ideology concerning spirituality, souls are seen as the essence of a person that gives us meaning. Even to some of the nonreligious, a soul is believed to make us who we are. To separate the soul from the body would corrupt this

OLIVE POBIEL/the Justice

connection within an individual. Yet, Judaism, Islam and Christianity, among others, believe the soul can continue to exist even after death.

More recently in 1988, Dr. Becker Mertens, along with other Eastern German scientists as part of the Institute of Noetic Sciences that examines the human consciousness, conducted a series of experiments weighing more than 200 terminally ill patients. In each case, the weight loss was exactly .01 grams. Mertens told the German science journal Horizon that he and his team believe they discovered the soul was a form of unidentified energy. If the soul is energy, it then must be subject to the law of thermodynamics, which mandates that energy cannot be lost or destroyed and it can only change from one form to another. Theoretically, this would allow a soul to continue to exist after death.

I’m not a scientist and I don’t particularly ascribe to the idea of a soul, but even with my own limited knowledge I find it hard to believe any of these theories could explain its existence. But even if the soul could be measured with an instrument, science here invariably encroaches into the realm of mysticism and religion. From our current capabilities, it does not appear that it’s possible to distinguish whether a soul exists in a tangible form or it is merely a construct by our brain of our personality, morals and behavior.

As noetic science grows in popularity, individuals continue to be intrigued by the human consciousness. We want to believe that after our deaths some part of us continues to occupy space in the world. Perhaps this desire energizes the discussion of the physical presence of the soul, assuming that it exists. It would be the preferred truth to a soul only being a manifestation of our brains that exists while we are alive rather than an immortal entity that moves us into another world.

From my research, it does not appear anyone has recently undertaken significant attempts to determine the weight of a soul. It seems as if its one of those elusive truths that we are not supposed to know.

However, science inherently needs to seek answers to questions, while the metaphysical often does not have answers to offer. It is possible that a soul may exist without having weight or mass, and perhaps it would be futile to continue determining the truth of this possibility.

But science would be doing society a disservice to shy away from exploring these extraordinary and new avenues. By continuing to examine the plausibility of the soul, the ability of the body to spontaneously heal itself or the existence of heaven, science would be furthering our own understanding of the world. And maybe one day they’ll tip the scales.

Business prosperity flows naturally from the betterment of society Glen

Chesir Chagi’s chop

“God helps those that help themselves,” says Benjamin Franklin in his feature work Poor Richard’s Almanac. Franklin continuously preaches that we all should strive for personal financial success, and naturally society will be benefited as a result.

This constant quest for financial growth leading to the betterment of society is an underlying theme of capitalism in general—but is financial success the end game? How does one even obtain that monetary success in the first place?

Steve Jobs, founder of Apple and Sergey Brin and Larry Page, founders of Google, can certainly answer the question of how to amass wealth. In the summer of 2012, the two tech companies were succeeding at remarkable rates, with stock prices soaring. Google was trading at around $750, its android smartphone software was continuing to gain market share, and ad revenue—its greatest source of revenue—was soaring. Apple was sharing similar financial triumph at the time. Trad-

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ing at more then $700 a share, Apple was continuing to see remarkable profit margins in the industries it virtually created: the modern day smartphone with the iPhone and tablet industry with the iPad. Jobs, Brin and Page had most certainly achieved financial success.

Since that summer the two companies have gone in opposite directions. Apple’s stock price has since fallen to $520—almost a $200 dip—while Google is trading at around $1020 a share—nearly a $300 gain—as of Monday. Furthermore, Apple has since started paying—albeit a small—cash dividend to its shareholders. While intuitively this seems like a sign of profitability, releasing dividends is usually a sign of a stock changing from a growth stock, a stock constantly trying to grow its profits, to a value stock, a stock trying to sustain its current profits. So what happened to Apple that caused the decline? How has Google been able to continue its impressive growth?

It all comes back to the intuitive nature of the companies. Steve Jobs, the mastermind behind Apple, passed away, and with him, his business model. Products can be replicated and improved upon; that was never the issue. Apple has continued to push out updates to their current products.

Rather, it was the fundamental goals of Jobs that were stripped from the company with his passing.

Jobs wanted to create products that people don’t even know they want, hence the new industries they created. People didn’t know they wanted a

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touch screen smartphone until the iPhone hit shelves. No one saw the purpose of a tablet computer until the iPad was sold to the masses. Jobs created products for society to adapt to, and they did. He was helping society progress through technology. Society then paid for the products, and Apple, behind Jobs’ leadership, made a profit. The capitalist society was improved as a positive externality of the personal financial gain.

The same holds true with Google. Google continues to create products that they feel contribute to the betterment of society. The company thinks Google Glass, the yet-to-be released glasses that run on the Android software and include GPS, webcam and other Android features, will ease the lives of all who wear it, despite the fact that everyone is just fine without it. The driverless car, another Google beta project, has applications that range from military operations to preventing drunk driving. Evidently, companies that contribute to the betterment of society are the ones that make money.

This concept can be applied on a more macro scale as well. Take the big-bank industry. At its purest state, banks are an essential part of the capitalist society. Banks hold the keys to the lending that promote growth in the economy. Without them, there would be no way for businesses to obtain the capital necessary to expand, and by extension continue to make profit. Banks hold a necessary piece to the betterment of a capitalist

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society, and the large profit margins follow.

The reverse trend is true as well. When individuals or corporations don’t positively contribute to society, their profits take a downward turn, either naturally or by government intervention.

Take the recent events regarding JPMorgan Chase. Earlier this month, the bank and the government entered a preliminary $13 billion settlement to end investigations into whether the bank misled investors when it bundled subprime mortgages into bonds before the financial crisis. The day after the deal was announced, Chase’s stock price went up, for they took accountability for their actions. Yet, a few days ago when rumors of the deal falling apart broke, the stock price dropped. The market recognized the stability that comes with following the rules, and in turn recognized the instability with avoiding them. Accepting responsibility for their actions and paying for their mistakes leads to future financial gain; running from their mistakes does not.

Big business must accept this fundamental aspect of a capitalist society: contributions to society foster profits and the reverse breeds internal financial ruin. Corporations should not be asking how to increase profits; they should be asking how their product or service helps society progress. Once the company discovers a way to improve society, the profits will naturally follow.

The end of being rich is not important; how you got there is.

Editorial Assistants Photos: Morgan Brill, Rafaella Schor Sports: Avi Gold Staff Senior Writers: Jacob Moskowitz News: Jay Feinstein, Danielle Gross, Luke Hayslip, Ilana Kruger, Sarah Rontal, Scarlett Reynoso, Samantha Topper Features: Selene Campion, Aditi Shah Forum: Jennie Bromberg, Daniel Koas, Aaron Fried, Noah M. Horwitz, Max Moran, Kahlil Oppenheimer, Catherine Rosch, Naomi Volk Sports: Ben Freudman, Elan Kane, Daniel Kanovich, Dan Rozel Arts: Aliza Gans, Kiran Gill, Arielle Gordon, Zachary Marlin, Alexandra Zelle Rettman, Mara Sassoon, Nate Shaffer, Aliza

Vigderman Photography: Zach Anziska, Jenny Cheng, Annie Fortnow, Wit Gan, Annie Kim, Abby Knecht, Bri Mussman, Adam Stern, Olivia Wang, Xiaoyu Yang Copy: Aliza Braverman, Kathryn Brody, Melanie Cytron, Eliza Kopelman, Mara Nussbaum Layout: Ashley Hebard, Elana Horowitz, Jassen Lu, Maya RiserKositsky, Lilah Zohar Illustrations: Hannah Kober, Tziporah Thompson

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FORUM

Neither party presents legitimate health care reform Noah M.

Horwitz Civil affairs

The two political parties in this country offer two poor options on the topic of health care reform, best exemplified by two seemingly similar pastries. The first pastry, representing the Democratic Party and its health care reform law, was ostensibly created with good intentions, though the unparalleled incompetence of its handlers caused it to become riddled with bacteria and mold. The second pastry, representing the Republican Party’s “no-solution” solution, is simply filled with little shards of glass.

While Democratic politicians are satisfied with this boondoggle of the Affordable Care Act (hereafter “Obamacare”), Republicans simply want to repeal the law and replace it with nothing. This reactionary position assumes unbelievable short-term memory, unable to recall the massive injustice caused in the pre-Obamacare world. In this marketplace, premiums were skyrocketing for the most vulnerable among us. Those same individuals often had their health insurance dropped when they became sick, branded with the scarlet letter of pre-existing condition, wherein they became a leper in the world of health insurance, unable to purchase protection when they needed it most. Simply put, the unregulated health insurance market was unsustainable.

The Democratic option has been prominently featured in recent weeks, as Obamacare has seen a series of setbacks causing nothing less than unmitigated disaster ranging from online glitches rendering enrollment nearly impossible to long standing promises involving “keeping your own insurance” by the president that have been broken. A few months ago, almost prophetically, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., warned that the law was on the express track to becoming a train wreck, citing long standing confusions over the law’s components and mismanagement. However, despite the mediocre provisions of the law and its marvelously inept handlers, Obamacare beats its repeal and replacement with nothing, which was the Republican solution to the problem.

Obamacare first works to improve quality by raising minimum standards for health care insurance and prohibiting discrimination against patients with pre-existing conditions.

This is done by boosting enrollment—forcefully—through the individual mandate, in which all financially able individuals are legally required to purchase health insurance. This much makes sense, with an excess of healthy participants financing coverage for the sick, and has been working decently well thus far.

The way these provisions are able to function, however, is the insurance exchanges, highly regulated marketplaces where most Americans will receive subsidized premiums. These subsidies in the exchanges would theoretically keep price down. The exchanges —though not the insurance policies themselves—are run by the government, and began

MARISA RUBEL/the Justice

offering open enrollment on Oct. 1.

This is where the problems began. The website that is so important for individuals to sign up for the insurance is a calamity. The failure of whoever was tasked to create a functional website casts serious doubts on the viability of the other components of the legislation, including the management of the exchanges themselves. Further, a recent article on Ezra Klein’s blog at the Washington Post, a normally left-of-center opinion, lamented the rising premiums and cancelled policies many will face under the law now, flying in the face of long-held promises even by the president that “you can keep your current insurance.”

Promises that, in fact, turned out to be false.

This is because the component of the law that requires higher standards of care is compelling many providers to drop the minimum coverage option or raise its premiums. Millions of individuals could lose their current care, insurance they like and were told they could keep. While there is something to be said for such changes, it is wrong that those affected were lied to and assured this would never happen. The problem was foreseeable, though

President Barack Obama continued pontificating incorrect reassurances.

Without a functional website, people are not signing up for the exchanges and are unable to do so elsewhere. Without functional exchanges, the program fails as those urgently needing affordable care are unable to receive it. Add that to growing hostility over the aforementioned broken promises involving “keeping your current insurance” by the law’s architects such as costs and health insurance plan security and you have a recipe for disaster.

The sad truth, however, is that this is the best solution we have.

In the reality-based world, a much simpler solution could be achieved by allowing most Americans (those not covered by Medicaid) to opt into a Medicare-style service for a fee.

Under this plan, the government would pay for the vast majority of health care services without deductibles or co-pays. This would ensure the biggest benefit of Medicare—low costs— would be achieved without the downside of most other nations’ universal health care program. However, as any casual observer of contemporary American politics will note, our

politicians do not live in the “reality based” world, so this idea is functionally impossible to achieve in the foreseeable future.

At this time, Americans are faced with a dearth of leadership from Congress and the White House.

The Democrats, obsessed with saving face, are unable to admit the health care reform law has become a calamity, enraging everyone from unions through taxes on high-value plans, to small businesses by requiring employers to offer health insurance. The Republicans, intent upon reaching only a political victory, rather than a total victory for the American people, simply want to do everything in their power to see Obama fail. They have offered absolutely no alternative, nor even any constructive criticism in good faith.

The only decent solution to this issue eludes us as long as our politics are dominated by such ideologues more interested in scoring political points than making hard choices.

That being said, Obamacare makes incremental progress toward a noble goal, and should not be weakened without a better alternative.

Vine creates platform for racial stereotypes to perpetuate

By Nicole Bunis special to the justice

Whether you’re an active participant or simply a curious follower, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to go a full 24 hours without checking up on some form of social media. The new app Vine has earned a spot at the social media “cool kid’s table” alongside Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram. Owned and operated by the same folks who created Twitter, Vine is “a mobile service that lets you capture and share short looping videos. Like Tweets, the brevity of videos on Vine (6 seconds or less) inspires creativity,” according to the Vine website. Vine allows individuals to share personal experiences whenever they want for free and aims to highlight the universality of these common events.

The result is usually a hilariously relatable six-second clip with a built-in repeat button—operating on the assumption that you’ll want to rewatch the clip again and again …and again. Popular Vines range from cats jumping into toilets to videos of friends slapping each other in surprising ways. However, mixed into this world of funny pet videos and public humiliation is a genre of videos that is totally founded on racial stereotypes. I’m all for inspiring creativity, but I have a hard time ignoring the resurgence of racism that the Vine community seems to be fostering.

Some of the most popular Vines harp on common stereotypes, such as Asians being good at math, African-Americans preferring fried chicken and

Kool-Aid to other snacks and ethnic minorities running away any time they hear a police siren.

In fact, there’s an entire channel of Vines devoted to “Black People vs. White People,” and these videos often rank in the most viewed Vines on the app. Monthly compilations of the “Best Vines” highlight Vines entitled, “White Moms vs. Black Moms” and “How Asian kids wake up” as well as “white girlfriends be like..” It’s also true that these popular videos capitalize on sexist tropes, but I’ll focus on racism here. Vine provides a forum for viewers to post, comment, like, “re-vine” and popularize negative stereotypes along racial lines. This new platform, coupled with modern Internet culture, blurs the line between Internet success and traditional celebrity. People will do whatever it takes to acquire followers and “likes.” And apparently, easy-to-recognize stereotypes are the key to instant Vine popularity.

Some people might argue that Vine is the perfect platform to laugh at harmless stereotypes.

Vine users might protest that these short clips aren’t hurting anyone and that individuals who take offense are just overly politically correct.

It’s true that these Vines can be funny—because many of the creators are talented, or at least enthusiastic. But something more complicated is at play here. As a white, American and middleclass woman, do I have the right to laugh at a Vine displaying African-American stereotypes?

Furthermore, does anyone have the right to laugh at these controversial depictions of ethnic identity? My gut reaction is no. In my mind,

laughing at this category of Vines perpetuates age-old stereotypes. It’s also worth noting that Vine isn’t a novel example of racism penetrating the Internet. But there’s something about the nature of these looping videos that sets Vine apart from racist memes, derogatory Facebook pages, hateful YouTube videos and other examples of racially charged social media. Vine is different because its format is especially created for sharing short bursts of creativity—some are improvised and casual, others clearly painstakingly planned.

No matter how much thought went into them, as soon as Vines enter the world, they repeat endlessly for anyone to see. This is the Internet at the height of its creative potential—an infinite number of people can get an endless six seconds of fame.

Part of Vine’s mass appeal is this accessibility.

Anyone can post a video to Vine, regardless of race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. But the democratic nature of the medium makes it hard to differentiate between individual representations of identity and racialized generalizations about entire groups of people designed to solicit “re-vines.” Are these old stereotypes so popular on Vine because they resonate as somehow truthful for people in their own lives? Or are these short reminders of racist boundaries popular because people can instantly recognize them, laugh and move on in the narrow time frame?

Scholars suggest that the definition of ethnic identity reinvents itself in response to different eras of American history. Negative stereotypes

thrust upon African-Americans correspond historically with a complete disregard for the development of African-American identity. Modern ethnic and racial identity is no longer confined to historically assigned stereotypes. For the most part, individuals have the opportunity to pick and choose which aspects of their ethnicity they wish to flaunt or hide. However, this reinvention of ethnic identity as a voluntary self-representation does not correspond with the continued use of inflammatory racial tropes showcased on Vine.

Wouldn’t it be great if Americans took advantage of Vine and used it as a tool to push past age-old stereotypes and produce Vines that don’t revolve around reductive conversations on race?

Vine offers individuals the chance to share personal and accurate representations of culture in an easy-to-digest way. And most of all, Vine is fun.

But just because it’s fun doesn’t mean it has to be lazy and ignorant.

Americans should take a closer look at Vine if they ever think that racism in this country has disappeared. In this sea of looping videos, we can all see an endless repetition of old racist ideas.

Instead of just adding to the chorus of reinforced stereotypes, some of us should add different voices to the mix. Maybe our voices can shift the conversation on race to something that deserves repeating.

Editor’s note: This article was originally written for “AMST 55: Race, Ethnicity and Immigration in American Culture.”

THE JUSTICE

X-COUNTRY: Team posts fast times at conference race

CONTINUED FROM 16

“[Head coach John Evans] told us to go out [in the top 20 places], but we were in the 40s at the mile. That was not a good start. We should’ve been further up, but we passed people well.”

On the men’s side, the Judges were led by Jarret Harrigan ’15, who placed 47th, running the eightkilometer course in 26:53. He was followed closely after by Quinton Hoey ’17, who was 50th with a time of 26:58.

Grady Ward ’16, the team’s third runner, took 61st in 27:19. Michael Rosenbach ’15 and Daniel Leon ’17 completed the Judges’ team scoring, finishing 67th (27:30) and 74th

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TUESDAY, November 5, 2013

13

SPLITTING THE DEFENSE

(29:53) overall.

Brandeis will next compete on Saturday, Nov. 17 at the New England Division III Regional meet, held at the University of Southern Maine. And though both teams are ready to compete, Lundkvist believes that the women in particular are poised to succeed.

“We're definitely getting more and more excited, but still focusing on training well and making sure we make the most of these two weeks,” she said. “We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves or anything but we are very excited for [Regionals]. We have shown how good we are as a team and I think we're ready to show some more people in a couple weeks.”

FENCING: Individuals excel at early season meeting with victories CONTINUED FROM 16 umphs over Middlebury College, Rhode Island College and Boston College. She even pulled off a stunning 15-10 upset over Dartmouth College senior Gabrielle Stern to advance to the semifinals. However, she ultimately ran into trouble against AllAmerican junior Kathryn Hawrot from Brown, falling in a close match to earn the bronze.

Foilist Noah Berman ’15 also made his way to the semifinals before dropping a close match against Holmes.

Foilist Vikki Nunley ’14 allowed just two touches from opponents in the first two rounds of the tournament, and from there, secured a key 15-8 win over Boston College sophomore Grace Lisius.

Dartmouth freshman Phoebe Liang stood in her way in the quarterfinals, escaping with a last-second win over Nunley and advancing into the next round.

Coach Shipman later stated that he was impressed with the squads’ overall performance in such a competitive field.

“Overall, our fencers exceeded expectations,” he said. “We knew we had people in the finals that had a chance to win and our first-year fencers did incredibly well.”

The impressive performances did not end there for the Judges.

Several saberists ended up competing against one another in what proved to be an all-Brandeis affair.

Ochs-Willard advanced to the quarterfinals, but at a cost, securing a

15-14 win over fellow saberist Ben Loft ’15. Loft, before that match, had knocked out Eric Shen ’16 in a 15-11 win.

The épée squads also featured a pair of successes. Ari Feingersch ’16 won his first five matches, including a 15-14 win over a Massachusetts Institute of Technology foe. However, the Engineers were able to top Feingersch the second time around, resulting in a sixth-place finish for the sophomore.

Kristin Ha ’14 proved to be one of the biggest surprises in the field, knocking off the No. 7 and No. 10 seeds in the tournament to reach the quarterfinals.

While Shipman certainly had a lot to be proud of after a successful first meet, he believes that there is room for tactical improvements moving forward.

“As we prepare for our next meet, we want to have each fencer make his or her own individual improvements,” he explained. “However, we also will look for tactical and technical improvements in our next few matches.”

Shipman has set his sights on topping Brown, MIT and Sacred Heart— three of the best squads in the region.

“Brown and Sacred Heart particularly are very strong from top to bottom but I think we can pull off some key upsets and step up to the challenge,” he said.

The squads will have the opportunity to do just that at the Northeast Conference Meet at Brown University on Friday, Nov. 16.

Want to get in the game?

Write for Sports!

Contact Henry Loughlin at sports@thejustice.org

LESLIE KAMEL/the Justice

DELICATE DRIBBLING: Forward Melissa Darling ’16 maneuevers around a University of Chicago player in the teams’ 1-1 tie.

Women endure grueling matches against top foes ■ The Judges were defeated

by top-ranked Washington University at home but tied with the University of Chicago.

By DAN ROZEL JUSTICE Staff WRITER

Friday’s matchup against No. 1 Washington University in St. Louis represented an opportunity for the women’s soccer team to test itself against the top team in the nation.

While the squad was able to keep the Bears scoreless for 40 minutes, the visitors ultimately scored just before half-time to go up 1-0, before notching two further goals after the break en route to a 3-0 win.

Later in the weekend, the Judges tied the University of Chicago on Sunday in a dramatic 1-1 game.

The team is now winless in six straight games, with only two goals scored over that span and with contention for a spot in postseason tournaments all but over.

As a result, the loss and subsequent tie push the Judges’ season record to 9-6-2 overall and a 1-3-2 record in UAA play.

Sunday’s game still yielded some positive results, though, in framing the future of this team. The lack of offense may be attributed to the season-ending injuries of team-leading forward and co-captains, forward Dara Spital ’15 and midfielder Mary Shimko ’14. However, the injuries opened up opportunities for a slew of first-years to start and they made sure to capitalize on the opportunity.

The group is led by defender Julia McDermott ’17, who made her second appearance of the season on Sunday and registered an effort in overtime that flew just over the Chicago cross-

bar. She is joined by forward Cidney Moscovitch ’17 and midfielder Jessica Morana ’17, who also received significant playing time in the Judges’ match against the visiting Maroons.

Though it can be tough for a new player to step into a pressure environment, right-back Emma Eddy ’15 was impressed with the performance of these three players.

“I thought they were awesome,” she said of the trio who saw significant action in Sunday’s close matchup. “They’ve been playing this whole season and we’ve got a lot of new [first-years] that will help the team a lot.”

Sunday’s game ended up being a very tightly fought defensive battle.

Most of the play took place around the middle of the field, with chances coming few and far between for both teams in the first half, which ended in a scoreless draw.

The second half was a different story, however. After the break, Chicago opened the scoring, capitalizing off a rare defensive lapse from an otherwise strong Judges defense. Chicago senior midfielder Micaela Harms rang a shot off the crossbar in the 59th minute, which bounced straight down into the goal box.

Though it appeared initially that the Judges had been given a let-off, they were ultimately made to pay.

Chicago junior midfielder Sara Kwan was the first to react to the shot, putting the ball into the net to give the Maroons a 1-0 lead.

Incidentally, it was also a misplay by the Chicago defense that allowed the Judges to score the equalizer less than 10 minutes after conceding the opening goal.

A botched Maroons goal kick came straight to forward Sapir Edalati ’15.

Edalati showed quick reflexes, as she had the presence of mind to head the

ball down to fellow forward Melissa Darling ’16, who took a touch before slamming a hard, low shot behind Chicago junior goalkeeper Jacinda Reid to tie the game.

Despite the fact that the team was unable to achieve the victory that it sought, Eddy was ultimately able to draw on some positives that came from the tie. “[Offensively] we did better than we have the last couple of games. We got a lot more going and we’re starting to figure out our new formation a lot better,” she said.

Sunday’s game, though, was an improvement in all areas from Friday’s defeat against WashU. In an initially tight game, WashU broke away with two late goals within 68 seconds —just before the 80th minute —to take a 3-0 victory.

The Judges were not able to capitalize on early free kicks, as WashU sophomore goalkeeper Amy French stopped shots from Morana and forward Sara Isaacson ’16.

Midfielder Corinne Bortniker ’15 was sent on net in the 81st minute but could not put the ball past French, who notched the Bears’ 12th shutout of the season.

While the scoring woes were at least temporarily mitigated in Sunday’s game, Friday was a real embodiment of the frustration and adversity that the women are currently facing in light of injuries to key players.

The result was ultimately not the one that the team wanted, especially given its winless run. However, despite the number of injuries, the women played a tight defensive game against the top-ranked Division III squad in the country.

The team returns to action next Saturday at home in their regular season finale, against UAA opponent New York University at 2:30 p.m.

THE JUSTICE

jUDGES BY THE NUMBERS

●

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

15

VOLLEYBALL

Men’s Soccer UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Goals

2013-2014 Statistics Overall W L D Pct. 12 2 2 .812 11 2 2 .800 11 5 1 .676 9 5 2 .625 9 4 3 .656 13 4 1 .750 6 6 4 .500 6 7 3 .469

UAA Conf.

W L D Rochester 4 1 1 Carnegie 4 1 1 Emory 4 1 1 Chicago 3 3 0 WashU 2 2 2 JUDGES 2 3 1 Case 1 4 1 NYU 0 5 1

EDITOR’S NOTE: The men will conclude the regular season in a home match versus NYU on Saturday.

Tyler Savonen ’15 leads the team with nine goals.

Player Goals Tyler Savonen 9 Kyle Feather 9 Michael Soboff 5 Tudor Livadaru 4

Assists Ben Applefield ’14 leads the team with eight assists.

Player Assists Ben Applefield 8 Michael Soboff 8 Kyle Feather 5

WOMen’s Soccer UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS

2013-2014 Statistics

Goals

UAA Conf.

W L D WashU 6 0 0 Emory 5 1 0 Chicago 3 1 2 Carnegie 3 2 1 JUDGES 1 3 2 Rochester 1 3 2 NYU 0 4 2 Case 0 5 1

Overall W L D Pct. 16 1 0 .941 13 3 1 .794 11 3 3 .735 9 3 2 .714 9 6 2 .588 6 6 4 .500 7 7 3 .500 8 9 1 .472

EDITOR’S NOTE: The women will conclude their season in a home match versus NYU on Saturday.

Dara Spital ’15 leads the team with nine goals.

Player Goals Dara Spital 9 Sapir Edalati 8 Melissa Darling 3 Holly Szafran 3

Assists Dara Spital ’15 leads the team with six assists.

Player Assists Dara Spital 6 Holly Szafran 3 Sapir Edalati 2

VOLLEYBALL UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Kills

2013-2014 Statistics UAA Conf.

W L WashU 6 1 Chicago 6 1 Emory 5 2 NYU 4 3 Carnegie 4 3 Case 2 5 JUDGES 1 6 Rochester 0 7

W L 25 5 23 10 28 3 25 5 23 8 15 15 10 22 8 25

Overall Pct. .833 .697 .903 .833 .742 .500 .312 .242

UPCOMING GAMES: Friday vs. Emory/Case winner Friday vs. WashU Saturday vs. TBA

Liz Hood ’15 leads the team in kills with 401.

Player Kills Liz Hood 401 Si-Si Hensley 198 Carly Gutner-Davis 170 Rachael Dye 121

Digs Elsie Bernaiche ’15 leads the team in digs with 475.

Player Digs Elsie Bernaiche 475 Si-Si Hensley 346 Liz Hood 305 Amaris Brown 219

cross cOuntry Results from the UAA Cross Country Championships held on Nov. 2.

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)

RUNNER TIME Jarret Harrigan 26:53.5 Quinton Hoey 26:58.9 Grady Ward 27:19.1 Michael Rosenbach 27:30.0

RUNNER TIME 22:02.5 Amelia Lundkvist Maddie Dolins 22:35.4 Victoria Sanford 22:43.0 Kelsey Whitaker 23:18.9

UPCOMING EVENTS: Saturday, Nov. 16 at the New England Division III Regional Championships

ADAM STERN/the Justice

IN THE HUDDLE: The women’s volleyball team gathers during a break in action in their 3-2 loss to Connecticut College.

Judges honor seniors amid pair of defeats ■ The squad topped Lassell College 3-1 before dropping two close matches to tough opponents on Senior Day.

By HENRY LOUGHLIN JUSTICE EDITOR

With next weekend’s University Athletic Association Championships on the horizon, the volleyball team hoped to secure some momentumboosting wins on their home court this past Saturday.

A pair of tough losses to Connecticut College and Endicott College on Senior Day, by 3-2 and 3-0 margins respectively, overshadowed a 3-1 win at Lasell College earlier in the week, leaving the Judges with a 9-22 record heading into the UAA competition.

“To be honest, even in the sets we lost, overall I thought our defensive effort was impressive,” said head coach Michelle Kim, who was able to take a number of positive notes from the defeats.

“We touched a lot of balls and kept them alive [when they looked like they were going out of play]. We wouldn’t have won those points unless we were aggressive on defense.

We had great hustle.”

Brandeis rallied to win the second

set, 25-20, after dropping the first set by a 25-21 margin to the Camels. Despite taking a five-point lead at the beginning of the third set, the visitors took the third set with a 25-18 win, the match’s largest margin of victory.

Not to be outdone, the Judges responded with a fourth-set victory of their own, coming back to win 25-22, which seemingly paved the way for the hosts to win the final set.

Though they set themselves up for a potential win, the Judges ultimately fell 15-12 in the tiebreaker, giving Conn. College the victory.

Outside hitter Liz Hood ’15 had a team-leading 21 kills. Outside hitter Si-Si Hensley ’14 achieved a doubledouble—the 25th of her career—recording 14 kills and 11 digs. Setter Maggie Swenson ’16 had an impressive 50 assists to tie her career best, while libero Elsie Bernaiche ’15 had 26 digs, one shy of a season-best effort.

In the match versus Endicott, the Gulls came out the quickest, taking the first set by a slender 25-21 margin to go 1-0 up in the match. That motivated the hosts to turn in a stronger effort in the second set, jumping out to a 17-6 lead. At that point, the Judges seemingly wrapped up the set.

However, the tables would quickly be turned on the Judges. Endicott

stormed back to steal a win, outscoring Brandeis 20-7 to take the set by two points, 26-24.

The Gulls then downed the Judges 25-17 in the third set to secure the match victory.

Hood led the Judges with 12 kills, Hensley led all players with 21 digs and Yael Einhorn ’14 recorded a team-high 25 assists.

Earlier in the week, the Judges broke a 21-21 first-set tie to win by a 25-23 margin. Even though Lasell jumped out to an early lead in the second set, Brandeis made sure to recapture the edge, taking the second set by a decisive 25-17 margin.

Lasell wasn’t done though. The Lasers built a nine-point lead midway through the third set and ultimately took that round by a 25-22 score.

Despite the spirited effort of its opponents, Brandeis closed out the match with a dominant 25-18 victory in the fourth set.

Hood led the team with 13 kills.

Libero Amaris Brown ’16 converted a team-high 15 digs for the Judges while Einhorn collected a team-high 34 assists.

The Judges will host their first game of the UAA Championships in Gosman Recreation and Convocation Center against Washington University in St. Louis on Friday at 12 p.m.

BOSTON Red Sox BRIEF Red Sox win first World Series championship in Fenway Park since 1918 with victories over St. Louis Boston Red Sox closing pitcher Koji Uehara’s seven-year-old son, Kaz, stated that he was going to “[party like] crazy” in celebration of his father helping the Sox win the World Series title. The Red Sox, with a crazy win in Game 6 of the World Series on Oct. 30 over the St. Louis Cardinals, clinched both their third title in the last 10 years and their first in Fenway Park since 1918.

After the Red Sox stole a win in Game 4 in St. Louis to tie the series at two games apiece, the team was just two wins away from World Series success. However, two of the year’s best postseason pitchers—Cardinals’ aces Adam Wainwright and Michael Wacha—stood in the way. Wainwright and Wacha gave up just six runs over six previous starts in the postseason.

However, the duo was rattled for six

runs over their next two starts.

Wainwright worked through early troubles in Game 5, surrendering back-to-back doubles to Red Sox second-baseman Dustin Pedroia and designated hitter —and eventual MVP— David Ortiz that staked Boston to a 1-0 first inning lead. He would settle down to strike out 10 Red Sox over seven innings pitched, but was outdueled by Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester, who worked seven and two-thirds innings, striking out seven batters and giving up just one run on a Cardinals leftfielder Matt Holliday solo home run in the fourth inning.

The Red Sox were once again beneficiaries of late inning heroics in Game 5, though, as two runners crossed the plate in the top of the seventh inning. Backup catcher David Ross hit a screaming line drive down

the left field foul line with runners on first and second that bounced over the wall for a ground rule double. Center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury then knocked in an RBI single that brought home the third and final run of the night for the Sox. Boston could have stretched their lead to 4-1 on Ellsbury’s RBI single, but Ross was thrown out trying to score from second base.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Lester ran into trouble when he surrendered a one out double. However, he then retired Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma before handing the ball off to Uehara for a five out save.

Uehara needed just 15 pitches, 11 of which were strikes, to record the five outs. Two of Uehara’s five outs came via strikeout.

The win in Game 5 allowed the Red

Sox to return to Boston with a 3-1 series lead and the chance to make history at home.

The Red Sox faced quite the obstacle in Cardinals rookie Wacha in Game 6.

Wacha had given up just three runs in four starts and 27 innings during the postseason, additionally limiting Boston to just two runs over six innings in Game 3.

The Red Sox, in a surprising offensive outburst, jumped all over Wacha and the Cardinals in Game 6, bringing in six runs to clinch the Fall Classic.

Boston scored three runs in the third inning on a three-run, bases loaded double by Shane Victorino.

The Sox added on three more runs in the fourth inning courtesy of a 400-foot home run from shortstop Stephen Drew. John Lackey, meanwhile, displayed his veteran experience for

the Red Sox, scattering nine hits and one run over six and a third innings.

The bullpen took care of business from there and the Red Sox were on their way to a championship.

Uehara, who had statistically the best postseason of all time, sealed the deal by working a perfect ninth inning to preserve the lead. He needed just 13 pitches, 10 of which were strikes, to record two flyouts and a strikeout in a dominant ninth.

The Sox are once again World Champions—just one year after a last-place finish in the American League East. After some of the most memorable single game endings in World Series history, the Sox had every right to party like crazy at Fenway Park.

— Avi Gold

just

Sports

Page 16

TEAM FALLS ON SENIOR DAY The volleyball team lost to Connecticut College and Endicott College on Saturday, offsetting a win earlier in the week, p. 15.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Waltham, Mass.

cROSS-cOUNTRY

SCORING HIS SECOND

Judges earn third place at UAA meet ■ Amelia Lundkvist ’14 led

the women to their best finish at the conference championships since 2002.

By henry loughlin JUSTICE editor

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

IN FOCUS: Forward Tyler Savonen ’15 nets his second goal in Sunday’s 3-0 win over the University of Chicago on Gordon Field.

Men pick up vital UAA home win over Chicago

■ The men battled against

conference opponents on Gordon Field, securing a much-needed win on Sunday.

By Avi gold JUSTICE editorial assistant

The men’s soccer team completed an impressive weekend on Gordon Field against tough University Athletic Association opponents, gutting out a 0-0 tie versus Washington University in St. Louis on Friday afternoon and defeating the University of Chicago 3-0 on Sunday afternoon. The Judges move to 13-4-1 with the weekend results and improve to 2-3-1 in UAA play.

On Sunday, Brandeis used strong performances throughout their lineup to cruise to a 3-0 victory over the visiting Maroons.

“It was unfinished business after Friday and we said we weren’t losing today,” forward Tyler Savonen ’15 said after Sunday's win. “It’s shown because everyone played their hearts out.”

In the 22nd minute, Tudor Livadaru ’14 converted a free kick from right outside the box to stake the Judges to a 1-0 lead. Livadaru sent a left-footed shot with the outside of his foot around a wall of Chicago defenders, off the post, and past Chicago sophomore goalkeeper Brett Wiesen.

The Judges doubled their lead in the 32nd minute with a solo effort from Savonen, who raced past three Chicago defenders and found himself in a one on one with Wiesen.

Savonen ripped a shot that Wiesen was able to stop, but Savonen then controlled the rebound and

put the ball into an open net for a 2-0 Judges lead.

While the Maroons were able to outshoot the Judges 7-5 in the second half—part of an 11-9 shot advantage on the day—they were not able to mount sustained pressure on the Judges at any point over the course of the game.

“Especially in the second half, we had to match their intensity,” Savonen said. “They came out strong, but we came out even stronger and that was the key to our win.”

Brandeis put the game away in the 57th minute following Savonen’s second goal of the day. Forward Michael Soboff ’15 sent a corner kick into the box where it found midfielder Jake Picard ’16. Picard flicked the ball off his back heel to Savonen, who stood alone in front of Wiesen. Savonen finished off the effort with a one-timer for his teamleading ninth goal of the season.

Savonen credited his teammates for setting him up with a prime opportunity for a goal. “Soboff played a great ball and Jake just played it perfectly,” he explained. “My eyes lit up as it just appeared in front of the goal.”

Head coach Michael Coven stated he was impressed with the victory, pointing to a strong defense that anchored the Judges.

“I think that was our best game of the year,” he said. “I think defensively, we played team defense, we shut them down. We limited the number of opportunities that they had, and when we had opportunities we finished up.”

Although the team failed to produce a win in Friday’s match versus WashU, the Judges had multiple chances to secure the victory.

Soboff took a corner kick in the 81st

minute that center back Conor Lanahan ’16 headed just wide of the goal. The Judges again had an opportunity to steal a victory with 70 seconds remaining in the game as Livadaru sent a cross to Savonen.

Savonen was unable to corral the pass because of heavy pressure from the WashU defense and the pass then sailed wide of the net.

WashU had their own opportunities to walk away with the victory, and Brandeis was also fortunate not to lose the contest. The Judges were heavily reliant on their impeccable defense to preserve the scoreless tie.

Neither team had a better opportunity to break the deadlock than the Bears’ chance just moments before the 74th minute. A through ball sent Bears senior forward Jeremy Kirkwood on net, who then dribbled the ball around goalkeeper Joe Graffy ’15 to find himself alone in front of a wide-open net.

However, just as Kirkwood prepared to shoot into the open goal, Lanahan chased him down from behind and made a tackle to divert the ball away from the goal and keep the Bears off the scoreboard.

Coven said he was again proud of Lanahan’s game-saving effort against WashU and his strong play in Sunday’s victory over Chicago. “[Lanahan’s play was] unbelievable. I think player of the match against WashU was Conor,” he said. “He gives us something we haven’t had in years—a legitimate target on set pieces. He gives us a different dimension.”

Brandeis finishes the regular season at home on Saturday versus New York University, a win that would figure prominently in a berth in the upcoming NCAA tournament.

Despite putting together solid performances all season, the No. 33 women’s cross-country team has flown under the radar.

The Judges may finally be getting their due after a third place finish at the University Athletic Association Championships this past Saturday.

Led by a third-place finish from Amelia Lundkvist ’14, who earned First Team All-UAA Honors, the team achieved its best finish since 2002. No. 9 University of Chicago won the competition with 54 points, six points better than No. 6 New York University, which finished second with 60.

“I think we all believe in ourselves a little bit more and are even more excited for the next couple weeks,” said Lundkvist. “We all ran our hearts out together and that really brought us together even more.

Not only was it a big boost for us mentally, but it'll also be a boost for us in the [New England Division III Regional] rankings, and hopefully the [NCAA Division III] Rankings. ” The men, competing without top runner Ed Colvin ’14, who has struggled with injury this season, placed eighth with 243 points.

Washington University in St. Louis took the men’s crown with an impressive total of 26 points.

The women, though, have proved that their success should not have been a surprise. At Connecticut College on Oct. 19, the Judges made

a statement to their competitors, finishing just 11 points behind No. 11 Tufts University.

While that performance was impressive, this weekend’s result was perhaps even more emphatic. The Judges were defeated by UChicago and NYU; however, they finished ahead of three ranked teams—No. 10 WashU, No. 20 Case Western Reserve University and 34th ranked the University of Rochester, who took home fourth, fifth and sixth places, respectively.

Lundkvist was the top finisher for the Judges, running the sixkilometer course in 22 minutes and two seconds for third place. She was not the only runner for the Judges to earn conference honors, however. Maddie Dolins ’17 took ninth in 22:35 and Victoria Sanford ’14 placed 12th in 22:43 to earn Second Team All-UAA distinction.

At the end of the meet, Dolins was named UAA Rookie of the Year, the first female runner for the Judges to earn the distinction in Brandeis history.

“It was awesome for [Dolins] to be recognized,” Lundkvist said.

“She has really stepped up big for us. I keep forgetting she’s just a freshman; she’s jumped right into big training and big mileage and she’s doing so well. She absolutely deserves [the honor] because she works so hard and it shows.”

The Judges’ fourth runner, Kelsey Whitaker ’16, placed 29th in 23:18. Ashley Piccirillo ’17 rounded out Brandeis’ scoring, earning 35th place in 23:33.

Lundkvist said that, while the team started the race a bit slower than they would have liked, the Judges rebounded well and ultimately finished strong.

“We got out a bit slow,” she said.

See X-COUNTRY, 13 ☛

Fencing

Squads shine at first match of young season ■ The teams took home

four individual medals at “The Big One,” a prestigious early season tournament.

By Adam Rabinowitz JUSTICE Editor

While some coaches are cautious before the beginning of a new campaign, fencing coach William Shipman said that he had high hopes for the men’s and women’s teams this year at the New England Intercollegiate Fencing Conference Fall Invitational this past Saturday.

“Our fencing squads will look to make headlines… we have a long and successful tradition that we try to keep going,” he wrote in an email to the Justice.

After sending 12 fencers to the final eight and accumulating five medals in the NEIFC on Saturday— better known as “The Big One” in fencing circles—the Judges have made their first headline.

Saberist Adam Mandel ’15, followed his All-American campaign— the first such honor for a Brandeis fencer since 2008—by picking up right where he left off, going undefeated in pool play. He topped saberist Jess Ochs-Willard ’15 in

the quarterfinals before defeating Brown University freshman Alex Palabrica and Sacred Heart University junior Tom Gerrity by respective 15-14 and 15-6 margins for the gold medal.

The other saberist to earn a medal, Annabel Sharahy ’17, turned heads in her collegiate debut, outscoring her first three opponents by a combined 30-7 margin. She knocked off Brown sophomore Lauren Altman in the final eight, but ultimately failed to hold her own in a close 15-13 loss to Brown senior Caitlin Taylor, the tournament’s eventual champion.

The foilists, though, stole the show this weekend, earning three medals at “The Big One.” Julian Cardillo ’14 and Caroline Mattos ’16, the other two Brandeis fencers to make a statement last April at the NCAA Championships, continued to build upon their successes with silver and bronze medals, respectively, in pool play.

Cardillo edged Boston College sophomore Hanmin Lee by a 15-13 score in the semifinals, before suffering a tight 15-10 defeat to Sacred Heart sophomore Andrew Holmes in the final.

Mattos cruised through her first three rounds of play, only ceding more than 10 points once in tri-

See FENCING, 13 ☛

JustArts Volume LXVI, Number 10

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Your weekly guide to arts, movies, music and everything cultural at Brandeis and beyond

Waltham, Mass.

‘Almost, Maine’ Romantic comedy production warms up the weekend p. 20

In this issue:

Diwali

Festival of lights shares culture on campus P. 19

‘Bad Grandpa’

Newest ‘Jackass’ film proves hilarious P. 23

Defining Modern Art MoMA curator gives historical lecture P. 21

Back to the classics

Slosberg concert features prestigious musicians P. 19

Mozart, Handel and Haydn Classical composers revisited in Boston P. 21

‘The Counselor’

Cormac McCarthy’s first original film premieres P. 23

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justARTS

TUESDAY, november 5, 2013 | THE JUSTICE

CALENDAR

INTERVIEW

$

What’s happening in Arts on and off campus this week

ON-CAMPUS EVENTS Opening Reception—‘Dimensions 3’

View a selection of photography and sculpture works by students in the Fine Arts program.

Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. in Dreitzer Gallery, Spingold Theater Center. Exhibition is on view during Spingold’s normal hours through Nov. 26.

Turning the Wheel: The Emergence of Women Artists

This panel places Vivian Maier (whose work is on view in the Kniznick Gallery) in the context of other women artists, many of whom also faced prejudice and exclusion in their lifetimes.

From painters and sculptors during the Spanish-American War to 20th century photographers—including those in the concurrent Museum of Fine Arts exhibition She Who Tells a Story —panelists will illuminate some common threads among emerging women artists from different perspectives and time frames.

With Kristen Gresh, Laura Prieto and Francine Weiss, moderated by Parrish Dobson, organized by New England Women in Photography at Simmons College.

Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Women’s Studies Research Center. This event is free and open to the public.

Nicole Carlson ’14 and Samantha Gordon ’14 Duo stars in ‘Matt and Ben’ for their senior project RACHEL HUGHES/the Justice

JustArts sat down with Samantha Gordon ’14 and Nicole Carlson ’14 to talk about their senior project, a production of the play Matt and Ben, which will be showing this weekend.

JustArts: Would you tell us a bit about how you chose Matt and Ben to be your senior project?

Nicole Carlson: I looked through two-woman shows, and all of the sudden I found this one, and I was like, “Oh my god, Mindy Kaling wrote this! Oh my god, it’s about Matt Damon and Ben Affleck! Oh my god, it’s girls playing Matt Damon and Ben Affleck!” So I sent that information to Sam.

‘Matt and Ben’

This production is the senior show of Nicole Carlson ’14 and Samantha Gordon ’14. Matt and Ben, by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers, depicts the Hollywood golden boys before J-Lo, before Gwyneth, before Project Greenlight, before Oscar ... before anyone knew who they were. When the screenplay for Good Will Hunting drops mysteriously from the heavens, the boys realize they’re being tested by a higher power.

Friday and Saturday from 8 to 10 p.m. at Spingold Theater Center room 104. This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited.

Samantha Gordon: And I was abroad when this was happening. I read the scripts and I really liked Matt and Ben the most.

JA: For those who are unfamiliar, would you give us a brief synopsis of the play?

SG: It’s basically Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, pre-fame, in the late 1990’s, in Somerville, Mass. And the script of Good Will Hunting just falls into their laps. It’s this sort of fantasy take on them writing this script, and instead of them actually writing it, they just get handed it, and [the rest is] what happens and how their friendship is affected by it.

NC: And then they go through a re-hashing of their friendship in high school, up to this point, and what they want to do with the script.

JA: So how long have you guys been working on this project and what has that process been like for you?

SG: We’ve been working on it since like April. We had to apply to the [Theater] department … and we wanted it to count for a class, so we had to go through that whole process.

NC: We were memorizing, looking at the script over the summer. … Our first read-throughs and table reads were over Skype. … We’ve really had it on its feet since the beginning of October, and the rest of that has really just been building our relationship. We’re playing these two people who really are best friends and know everything about each other and have had years of experience together. … Before this process, we weren’t incredibly close, but now she’s one of my best friends.

JA: Are there any other challenges in bringing the production to the stage that you’ve faced?

SG: Finding pants for me as Matt Damon was very trying. I usually cry when I have to put on pants.

NC: What’s going to stress me out right now … is fitting people in our room. We really can’t do it on a stage.

SG: We perform so much better in front of people, we interact with the audience a lot, too.

NC: We wanted it to be really intimate, like you’re hanging out with us in our apartment, because that’s what it is. This is my post-college apartment.

SG: Memorizing was really difficult. For the two of us to memorize each half the show, and then a lot of her lines are just little words, and a lot of my lines are big monologues.

JA: Are you hoping to continue to stay active in theater after graduation?

SG: That’s a difficult question, because you’re talking to two people who are going into different fields than theater, but two people who love theater. I do improv also, so I know I’ll definitely be involved.

NC: I am probably going to graduate and be an elementary school teacher, and I would really like to either be the elementary school teacher who runs the drama program, or if a school has an elementary school drama teacher, I would love to be that person.

JA: What do you hope your audiences will take away from the play?

SG: I hope they’ll be grateful for their friends and have had a fun time laughing for an hour.

— Rachel Hughes

Kennedy’s Children Kennedy’s Children is an evocative drama of American idealism and consequences of the 1960s as five lost souls gather in a bar on Valentine’s Day in 1974. This production is sponsored by Brandeis’ Free Play Theater Cooperative.

Friday through Sunday at 10:00 p.m. in Cholmondeley’s Coffeehouse.

Admission is free and this play is open to the public.

SCRAM JAM

Dress to impress for a night at the Rose Art Museum, and party while viewing the current exhibitions. Free beer and wine for will be provided for those who are 21 or older (with two forms of identification).

The night will feature DJ King Pleasure, a photobooth and a jazz band.

The event is co-sponsored by Sudent Events and the Student Committee for the Rose Art Museum.

Thursday from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at the Rose Art Museum. This event is free and open to the public although the number of guests is limited.

HTP’s ‘Hamlet’

On a dark winter night, a ghost walks the ramparts of Elsinore Castle in Denmark. Join the student theater club Hold Thy Peace to find out what happens next in their production of Hamlet.

Showing at Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Shapiro Campus Center Theater.

This show is free and open to the public.

March of Dimes Variety Show

March of Dimes Collegiate Council at Brandeis will be hosting a variety show to raise awareness for National Prematurity Month, which occurs every November. Come and see your favorite Brandeis performance groups, while supporting prematurity research, education and advocacy.

Thursday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the International Center Swig Lounge.

This event is open to the public.

Concert: Prof. Evan Hirsch (MUS)

Come to Slosberg Music Center to see a concert performance from one of the Brandeis Faculty pianists, Evan Hirsch. Hirsch will present a recital of works by Schubert, Messiaen and Prokofiev. Featuring the Sonata in B-flat Op. post. by Schubert and Prokofiev Sonata No. 9.

Sunday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Slosberg Music Center. This event is free and open to the public.

OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS

Adele Myers and Dancers: ‘Einstein’s Happiest Thought’

Insired in part by Adele Myers’ attemt to get over her fear of heights by enrolling in trapeze school, Einstein’s Happiest Thought is a multidisciplinary work that delves into the charged physical states of risk and anticipation. Directed and choreographed by Myers for her company of four,the work features collaborating composer Josh Quillen.

Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Institue of Contemporary Art in Boston. Tickets are available at http://icaboston.org/ and are $10 for members and students and $20 for nonmembers.

Broadway: ‘Shear Madness’

This unique comedy-who-dunnit takes place today in the “Shear Madness” hairstyling salon and is chock full of up-to-the-minute spontaneous humor and laughs.

During the course of the action, a murderer is committed and the audience gets to spot the clues, question the suspects and solve the funniest mystery in the annals of crime. The outcome is never the same, which is why many audience members return again and again to the scene of all of the mayhem.

Showing daily through December at the Charles Playhouse in Boston.

Tickets are available at http://shearmadness.com/ and are $56 each.

Pop Culture n

ww Where has the semester gone, pop culture people? November brings us some bizarre Tinseltown news. From the arrest of a high-profile star to the split of one of Hollywood’s oddest couples, here’s this week’s fill of celebrity gossip news.

Well, it’s the name nobody wanted to see in headlines ever again: Chris Brown. On Oct. 27, the rapper was arrested on a felony assault charge, pulling him back into the Hollywood buzz.

Brown, 24, and his bodyguard apparently got into a heated fight with a third party outside the W Hotel in Washington, D.C. in the wee hours of the morning. The rapper was in D.C. to host a homecoming after party at Howard University. After they traded punches, Brown’s sparring partner was treated for injuries at a hospital and subsequently released. Brown’s attorney maintains that his client did not commit a crime.

The thing is, Brown is currently on probation for his infamous assault on his then-girlfriend, pop star Rihanna, back in 2009. What’s more, reports surfaced last Tuesday revealing that Brown has elected to undergo treatment at a rehabilitation facility in Malibu, Calif.

Sources claim that the singer was not under the influence of any substances during his altercation in D.C. Rather, TMZ reports that his rehab treatment will be for anger management.

On Friday, he met with the Los Angeles County Probation Department.

Brown could face up to four years in prison if found guilty of violating his probation sentence.

Also in pop culture news, R&B singer Ciara announced on Oct. 27 that she is engaged to her boyfriend, rapper-producer Future. Future, 29, took the same approach as Kanye West took in his proposal to Kim Kardashian, electing to pop the question on Ciara’s birthday weekend. This is the first marriage for both of them and so far, no wedding date has been set. Ciara, 28, proudly flashed her 15-carat emerald-cut diamond ring during an event she hosted in Hous-

By Mara Sassoon

CREATIVE COMMONS

PERSONAL FOUL: Rapper Chris Brown may be facing jail time after recent violent behavior. ton, Tex. last Monday. That’s quite the birthday present, I’d say.

Now, on to two other names you might not have wanted to see in headlines again. Media outlets broke the news on Friday that Doug Hutchison and his infamous teen bride Courtney Stodden have split. If you’re wondering, “who are these people?”, back in May 2011, Green Mile actor Hutchison married then-16-year-old Stodden after receiving permission from the girl’s parents. Hutchison is 53. Yes, you read that right. Their marriage brought the notion of a May-December romance to a whole new level.

Adding to the creepiness of the marriage, Stodden, now 19, went on to make

even more of a name for herself by parading around in barely-there outfits along with her decades-older hubby and landing roles on couple reality shows.

This summer, she appeared on the British Celebrity Big Brother (who knew this girl’s “fame” could extend across the pond?).

The couple had also appeared on the second season of the VH1 television series Couples Therapy. Sources reveal that, at the end of the day, it was Stodden who initiated the split.

So, Brandeis, it’s rather apparent that it’s been a slow week for pop culture. Look back next week for some more updates on all of the crazy goingson in the celebrity world!

ARTS COVER PHOTOS: ABBY KNECHT and RAFAELLA SCHOR/the Justice and Creative Commons. DESIGN: MORGAN BRILL/the Justice.

ON CAMPUS

THE JUSTICE | TUESDAY, november 5, 2013

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FESTIVAL

ABBY KNECHT/the Justice

CELEBRATION TIME: Members of Namaskar, the association for Hindus, Jains and Sikhs on campus, sponsored Friday night’s festival.

Namaskar invites community to Diwali

By CATHERINE ROSCH justice Staff writer

On Friday, approximately 50 students joined Namaskar, Brandeis’ Association for Hindu, Jain and Sikh students, to celebrate the festival of Diwali in Ridgewood A Commons. Those in attendance included members of Namaskar, students and other members of the Brandeis community.

Diwali is a major holiday celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs around the world. Translated as “row of lamps” in Hindi, Diwali holds a different significance for each religion observing, according to an email sent to the Brandeis Community by the Interfaith Chaplaincy.

Sikhs celebrate Diwali on the anniversary of the day the sixth Sikh Guru Hargobind ji was freed from imprisonment. For Jains, Diwali marks the Nirvana, or spiritual awakening, of Mahavira, a major spiritual leader. In the Hindu tradition, Diwali represents the return of Ram, a form of the god Vishnu, after he defeats the demon Ravana, who had kidnapped his wife. More broadly, Hindus celebrate Diwali as a triumph of good over evil and light over darkness.

At Brandeis, Namaskar celebrated Diwali with food and festivity. Ridgewood A Commons was decorated

with strings of lights and fabric artfully draped over the walls. A small shrine with candles and photos of various religious figures from the different traditions was prominently displayed in the center of the room.

Before dinner, there were two different crafts offered. The first was a station where students and community members could decorate white paper with patterns made of glue and rice. Students drew on the paper with glue and then sprinkled colored rice over the top. The other craft option was lamp decorating. Lighting lamps is a significant part of Diwali and everyone was invited to paint on simple clay lamp holders. Some designs were simple with dots and stripes but other lamps had intricate drawings of plants or flames.

The Indian dinner was one of the highlights of the evening. According to Shruti Vaidyanathan ’16, the Namaskar public relations coordinator, the dishes served were aloo sabzi, a spicy potato dish, and paneer makhani, a buttery dish with chunks of Indian cheese, rice, mango juice and naan, Indian flatbread. For dessert, students could choose from an array of options including gulab jamun, a sweet dumpling, peda, a sweet made out of milk, sugar and flavorings like cardamom, and jaggery, a brightly colored hard sugar treat.

During dinner, coordinator of the

ABBY KNECHT/the Justice

RICE CREATIONS: One of the activities featured at the Diwali celebration was rice art—gluing rice to paper in different designs.

Interfaith Chaplaincy and the University’s Catholic Chaplain Rev. Walter Cuenin said a few words on behalf of the Interfaith Chaplaincy and formally introduced the University’s new Hindu adviser, Vaishali Gupta.

Cuenin told the group that “almost all religions have a sense of light in a world of darkness.” This marked the first year that Brandeis has had a spiritual adviser for the Hindu, Jain and Sikh community. In years past, students ran the prayers and

explained the holidays themselves.

When discussing Diwali, Gupta expanded upon the theme of openness to many faiths and cultures when she spoke about Diwali. She said that regardless of faith, everyone has “inner spiritual light.”

Following the delicious dinner, members of Namaskar and Gupta led the group in two rounds of prayers, or aarti. The first was a traditional Jain prayer done in honor of Mahavira, while the second was a Hindu

aarti. During the prayers, Hindu, Jain and Sikh members of the community approached the altar and partook in traditional ceremonies with candles. Every student who so desired was blessed by Gupta.

To end the spiritual occasion, Namaskar President Sharada Sanduga ’14 invited all the guests to light ceremonial lamps that symbolized the triumph of light over darkness. It was a fitting end to a beautiful ceremony.

CONCERT

Talented trio performs classical works at Slosberg

By EMILY WISHINGRAD justice EDITOR

In the midst of all the new, modernist music that tends to be played at Brandeis, sometimes it’s nice to revisit the musical classics and remember why they have remained so influential and popular for centuries. Saturday night’s concert, as part of the Marquee Series in Slosberg Music Center, featuring works

by Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, gave the Brandeis community an opportunity to appreciate the genius of these composers and the absolute beauty of their pieces that have shaped music history.

The concert featured three extremely distinguished musicians.

Pianist Naoko Sugiyama played solo piano for the first half of the concert, after which she was joined by violinist Susanna Ogata and cellist Jacques Lee Wood. Sugiyama is an accomplished soloist and chamber musician who has played throughout Japan and the northeastern United States.

Ogata has played in numerous ensembles and has served on the violin faculty at the Longy School of Music. Wood has taught chamber music at the Yale University Department of Music and the Yale School of Music since 2011 and is currently a musician-in-residence at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. He also serves on the faculty at the Korea Philharmonic Summer Research Institute.

The first piece of the night was Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 3 in B

XIAOYU YANG/the Justice

MAKING MELODIES: From left, Ogata, Sugiyara and Wood performed many pieces by Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert on Friday. flat major, performed by Sugiyama.

The first movement of the piece, the Allegro, composed of fast, fleeting notes, was light and had an uplifting and airy quality to it and ended with a high, delicate note that faded into nothing. The Andante, which came next, was slower and richer in tone, and contained ascending notes that crescendoed beautifully.

Throughout the piece, Sugiyama was able to accomplish a wide range of musical dynamics, from piano to forte with an extreme amount of

precision and control, a much harder feat on the piano than on string or wind instruments.

Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53, “Waldstein” was spectacular. The Allegro con brio contained some of the fastest and most complex passages that I have ever heard on a piano. It seemed impossible that two hands could derive that level of complexity and rapidity out of an instrument. The piece ranged from passages brimming with emotion and anger, to

meditative-sounding passages that transitioned into tangential sections, signifying mind wanderings.

In the second half of the concert, the trio—piano, violin and cello— provided a nice change from the piano solos. Sugiyama, Ogata and Wood performed Schubert’s Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat major, Op.99.

The piece was absolutely beautiful, as is to be expected when talented musicians come together to play.

The musicians seemed truly dedicated to creating a piece of music

together as opposed to being recognized for their own talents, which was admirable.

In the Allegro Moderato, the instruments each stood out, but they worked with one another to create beautifully complex sounds and interweaving melodies. In some parts, the instruments seemed to be in conversation with one another— taking turns playing the melodies and accompanying the melodies. At other moments, the cello and violin played a melody together while the piano provided the accompaniment.

After the sections in which instruments played in sync, the instruments branched off into different but intertwining melodies.

Recurring themes wove the whole piece together and created a sense of cohesion.

I really enjoyed the ending of the Andante un poco mosso: a single soft, clear and drawn-out note on the violin. The piece was long—almost an hour—but the musicians did not seem to fatigue and played each movement with energy and grace. At one point, Wood broke a bow hair, and was not even fazed.

He kept playing until he had a long enough rest to break it off.

Saturday’s event was well attended but the concert hall wasn’t full to bursting, as a concert of this caliber deserved. I would like to encourage Brandeis students to take advantage of these amazing opportunities as out in the real world, we will not be given the opportunity to experience this kind of talent for little as five dollars right at our doorstep.

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013 | THE JUSTICE

theater

Love stories draw laughs from audience PHOTOS BY ABBY KNECHT/the Justice

I’LL DRINK TO THAT: Two young men complain about their dating mishaps and, by the end of their conversation, fall in love with each other.

MISSED CONNECTION: A couple talks about how they are drifting apart and could either be very close or very far away as their relationship goes on.

By Alexandra Zelle Rettman justice Staff writer

On the eve of Halloween, Brandeis Ensemble Theater premiered Almost, Maine: A New Romantic Comedy to an audience of around 40 people. Eventhough the performance wrestled with a few technical difficulties, it ultimately had the crowd giggling and cooing.

Almost, Maine, written by American actor John Cariani, does not have the rise and fall of a typical play. Rather, each scene tells a love story of a different couple, totaling 11 scenes altogether. Though this is not the usual format of a play, the montage of different stories made it seem as though the running time passed very quickly, and before I knew it, the show was over.

There were many comedic highlights that were a result of witty writing and fun acting. Jimmy (Ryan Millis ’15) got the word

“villain” tattooed onto his hand after a breakup to warn girls that he will only drive them away. However, the tattoo artist spelled it “villian,” and, staying true to the form of romantic comedies, at the end of the scene, Jimmy did in fact meet a girl named Villian (Rachel Liff ’16).

Another funny moment was when Chad (also played by Millis) informs Randy (Joseph Tinianow ’17) that he has fallen in love with him by physically falling backward onto the ground, which was initially quite startling. Randy also fell backward upon realizing he is in love with Chad. The two men, who were now on the floor, tried to move toward each other, but fell every time they tried to get up, a stunt which brougt the crowd to hysterics.

One of my favorite lines of the play came in the second to last scene. Dave (Millis) kissed Rhonda (Jamie Semel, ’17) and she did not know how to respond, but Dave does.

“I just gave you a kiss. Maybe you should give me one back. It is the polite thing to do, Rhonda.” The two then shared the longest kissing session of the production, which led to them taking all of their clothes off, a process that includes shedding over 15 layers of ridiculous outfits until they are both down to their fuzzy red onesies, and run into the house to engage in “what comes next.”

Though Almost, Maine featured many hilarious lines complemented by skillful acting, there were also some predictable points. One of these included the sketch “Story of Hope,” during which Hope (Liff) returns to her small town in search of her long lost love. However, she discovers that he no longer lives at his old house. Instead an older gentleman resides there.

Hope spills her heart to this older fellow only to realize when he takes off his glasses and ruffles his hair, that he is in fact her long lost love.

The cast consisted of six people, each playing at least three roles, some playing four. The crew was also small, with a grand total of 10. This small production resulted in some technical difficulties between scenes—With each new scene—the set had to be altered.

The crew had trouble shifting the props on stage, especially the house, which at one point hit a hanging window. Although they provided some complications, the sets were quite lovely. Each set was minimalistic; one simply had a wooden bench with piles of white fluff to serve as snow.

Despite the difficulties the cast had in changing the set between scenes, the audience greatly enjoyed the performance. Audience member Gabriella Feingold ’14 said her favorite part of the play was that “each scene had a surreal element that lifted you into an escape, another world, where love is something magical.”

THE END IS NIGH: Yuval Yossefy ’17’s character forgets his wedding anniversary and the couple takes a moment to lament their mutual emotional disconnect and reconsider their relationship.

HEARTBREAKER: A young woman comes to Maine to honor her late husband’s memory, and falls for a man who lovingly says he can fix her broken heart.

THE JUSTICE | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013

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ART talk

Lecture explains the modern art problem By kiran gill justice Staff writer

Esther Adler, a Brandeis alumna and assistant curator of the Department of Prints and Drawings at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City came to campus on Friday to discuss how and when American art came to the Museum of Modern Art. Adler’s talk ocurred on the heels of her co-curatorship of the MoMA’s current exhibition, American Modern: Hopper to O’Keeffe.

Her talk focused on what she calls

“institution history” and explored how museums tell stories and create narratives through the works they collect and the exhibitions they show. She elaborated on the disconnect present at the MoMA as, at the beginning of the museum’s history, it had focused its attention on collecting American art—but currently, the museum’s core collection is largely celebrated for its European works.

The first work to enter the museum’s collection was Edward Hopper’s oil on canvas painting “House

by the Railroad.” And though the museum’s first exhibition actually displayed the works of four European artists—Cézanne, Gauguin, Seurat and van Gogh, who were at the forefront of European art—the second exhibition displayed the American counterparts to the first.

The museum’s second exhibition was entitled Paintings by 19 Living Americans, and this exhibition stemmed from issues in the art world that are no longer relevant.

During the museum’s inception there was a real need and desire for

CREATIVE COMMONS

MUSEUM EXPERIENCE: The Museum of Modern Art in New York City is a hub of both modern and older works of American art.

Americans to stake their place in the art world. American artists had to prove that they were creating work that was different but still a retrograde or derivative product of European works. Though this paradigm was a large part of the historical establishment of the museum’s collection, these discussions are no longer relevant in the 21st century as we recognize the interconnected nature of the art world.

Thus, at the onset of the museum’s history, there was a real need to establish and recognize an American presence and narrative— and as such, the museum collected works from American artists such as Alfred Stieglitz, Charles Burchfield and Georgia O’Keeffe.

The Museum of Modern Art, established in 1929, was faced with a real conundrum because it was an institution founded on modern art, but the museum’s management was concerned with what to do with the its collection once the works were no longer considered “modern.” Adler said the MoMA, in addition to the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, entered into a formalized agreement in 1947 called the Tri-Museum Agreement. The agreement established the Met as the resting point for all the works in the MoMA’s and Whitney’s collection once the holdings were not considered modern any more. This agreement, which highlights how interconnected the museums were, was ultimately broken once the MoMA and Whitney realized that their collections would be heavily weakened by giving the Met all the outdated works.

The Tri-Museum Agreement highlighted how New York’s greatest museums began working together. But, as Adler added, it also highlighted why the MoMA would have turned its back to its holdings on American art as the Whitney Museum became the institution that gave its undivided attention to American art. At the MoMA, the great American masters have been relegated to

RAFAELLA SCHOR/the Justice

TALK TIME: Adler, who is an assistant curator at the MoMA, spoke at Brandeis about the struggles that curators face in defining and collecting “modern” works. transitional places at the museum.

The American masters, though they are still being shown at the MoMA, have not been given the same attention that the European holdings of the museum are given.

Adler explains this by saying that museums organize exhibitions based on their holdings and the MoMA is not able to tell the complete, chronological story of American art. They can, however, offer a nuanced narrative of other art movements like American abstract expressionism.

Adler said that by curating the current exhibition, she hopes to bring to light once again some of the great modern American works of art at the museum. Not only does this exhibition reveal to the public the hidden treasures of the museum’s holding but also to the curatorial staff at the museum. She adds, “hopefully this exhibition will remind the museum of what it has,” so that future exhibitions will include more works from the American modern period. The exhibition will be on view until Jan. 26.

concert

Handel and Haydn Society presents classic works

By NATE SHAFFER justice Staff writer

On Friday evening, the Handel and Haydn Society held a concert at Boston’s famed Symphony Hall in memory of late benefactor Ruth Shapiro. If her name sounds familiar, that’s because it is: Ruth and her husband, Carl J. Shapiro, have donated millions to Brandeis, most recently $25 million to build the Shapiro Campus Center. In addition, the Shapiros have contributed to numerous other causes, many of them in the fine arts.

The Handel and Haydn Society is one such nonprofit, dedicated to performing and preserving the music of the Classical and Baroque eras. It’s named after Frederick Handel and Joseph Haydn, two well-celebrated composers of the late Baroque and early Classical eras, respectively.

Despite being named after these two composers, the group performs the music of many different composers from those eras. This performance featured orchestral works of Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven.

The program began with Mozart’s “Haffner” Symphony, No. 35 in D major, K385. The symphony’s first movement had highly contrasting melodious string playing and the rapturous polyphonic sounds of the full orchestra. The second movement was more placid and melodic, and the third felt even more calm, if not overly polite. However, the last movement brought the return of the energy and orchestral force of the first.

Next on the program was Haydn’s Sinfonia Concertante in B flat major. Overall the piece

was very pleasant, though less adventurous and energetic than the preceding Mozart. Its beauty and intrigue came from the exquisite solo lines exchanged between the four featured instruments: violin, oboe, bassoon and cello.

The first violinist had an especially remarkable stage presence (in addition to her passionate and nearly perfect playing). She swayed and swooned elegantly with the phrasing of her music, embracing the attention of hundreds as her as her fingers danced along the neck of the violin. Her presence was as flamboyant as her hair: spiked and dyed crimson red.

After this piece, there was a short intermission.

The programming for the second half of the evening ostensibly attempted to ensure that no one fell asleep beginning with a stark contrast from the calm and melodious Haydn piece was Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D major.

You could hear how classical music had progressed from teacher (Haydn) to pupil (Beethoven).

There were differences in orchestral effects, motivic development and a general movement away from long melodic passages for a single instrument. Within the first few seconds, it became very obvious why Beethoven’s name is embossed in gold leafed letters at the center of the ceiling above the stage.

Despite how breathtaking the first few minutes were, the music dragged. Even though I’m incredibly invested in classical music, I found my mind wandering, drifting away from the series of sounds.

I wasn’t compelled to pay attention by a clear narrative; despite the

swirling and changing cacophony of sounds, I had to force myself to stay engaged. By the end of the symphony, however, I likened my experience to the way I feel when I watch an N.B.A. game: a lot of intrigue occurs during the first 46 minutes (with some stoppages between the quarters), but the most exciting plays happen in the last two minutes.

There is something very special and timeless about this sort of performance. Ignore the microphones tethered on wires around the stage

(and first violinist with dyed hair); these musicians have brought the music of Mozart, Beethoven and Haydn to life, in a manner very similar to how these composers must have heard it themselves—or at least as well as they could communicate their sentiment through their transcribed music.

Whether or not you are intellectually engaged in classical music, listening for artistic choices of composers or for just the beautiful series of sounds, if you are at all interested in listening to classical

music, you must visit Symphony Hall. The acoustics, setting and performers are world class and there are lots of opportunities to support the arts and engage with beauty of the past—and present.

People under 40 receive discounts on tickets for the Boston Symphony Orchestra; other groups performing there have different prices of tickets, all relatively affordable.

Put it on your Brandeis bucket list.

Regardless of how much you enjoy the wonderful music, it will be an experience to remember.

CREATIVE COMMONS

HALL OF FAME: The Boston Symphony Hall is a site of musical excellence, as well as the venue for the Handel and Haydn Society’s latest concert.

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THE JUSTICE | TUESDAY, november 5, 2013

23

film REVIEW

‘Bad Grandpa’ serves up slapstick humor By hENRY lOUGHLIN justice EDITOR

Sean Cliver for MTV Films/MCT CAMPUS

THE JOKERS: The Jackass series’ new film Bad Grandpa filmed its scenes in public, in front of innocent bystanders and captured their candid reactions.

As a long-time Jackass enthusiast, I had been looking forward to the Oct. 25 release of Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, the latest in the Jackass series, which is known for physical comedy, crude humor and spontaneity.

The series uses scenes that are filmed off set with lay bystanders who are not privy to the film’s plot. This filming style makes the movie all the more humorous as the reactions to the gags are candid. Produced by MTV Films and Dickhouse Productions and directed

by Jeff Tremaine, Bad Grandpa was the highest-grossing movie its opening weekend at the box office. In the movie, Johnny Knoxville, arguably the face of the Jackass franchise, plays 86-yearold Irving Zisman, who originated in the Jackass series as a recurring character known for his inappropriate behavior in public settings. While Zisman makes brief appearances in previous films, Bad Grandpa is dedicated to the trials and tribulations of this eclectic elderly man.

After losing his wife Ellie (Catherine Keener), Zisman finds out that his daughter Kimmie (Georgina Cates) is headed to jail for violating her parole.

With no one to take care of his grandson, eight-year-old Billy (Jackson Nicoll), Zisman is tasked with bringing Billy to his father Chuck (Greg Harris) in North Carolina from Zisman’s Lincoln, Neb. home. Having moved on quickly from his wife’s death, Zisman doesn’t want to have to be constantly responsible for Billy, as he believes that the boy will act as an impediment to his pursuit of young, attractive women. Unfortunately for him, he doesn’t have a choice.

Bad Grandpa is not crafted to impress critics with a complex storyline, amazing imagery or top-quality acting.

Rather, the plot is simply a device for duping average citizens into partaking in ridiculous pre-designed scenarios.

During the open-casket funeral for his wife, Zisman gets into a physical altercation with Kimmie, which results in Ellie falling out of the casket and onto the floor. The onlookers—composed of unwitting caterers, singers and religious officials who were hired for the

Sean Cliver/MCT CAMPUS

SHOP ’TIL YOU DROP: Irving Zisman, played by Johnny Knoxville, and his grandson Billy, played by Jackson Nicoll, reversed the typical adult and child roles in scenes. funeral—are horrified, believing that an actual corpse is on the floor.

After getting tired of dealing with his grandson, Zisman attempts to mail the child to North Carolina. He puts the boy in a box and brings him to the post office, where two unsuspecting middle-aged female employees notice that the object inside the box is talking.

Zisman brushes off their skepticism, saying that the life-sized, animated doll that he is shipping inside the box is simply short-circuiting. Eventually, Billy pops out of the box, startling the two women. Amazingly, Billy and Zisman were able to leave the post office without incident. While Nicoll isn’t incredibly captivating or convincing with his acting, he doesn’t need to be— he is simply an accomplice to the bumbling Zisman.

Destruction is a recurring theme in Bad Grandpa. From shattering the front window of a store to destroying wine glasses and a wedding cake, Zisman uses his stature as a confused elderly man as an excuse for breaking things. His stunts may not have been entirely convincing, but he managed to keep from getting arrested, which, given his behavior, is a feat in itself.

Having seen previous Jackass films, I was expecting a production full of constant amusement. However, while Knoxville certainly provided entertainment in bursts, the film failed to produce sustained humor. Instead, hilarity was isolated to certain segments—there were long stretches that possessed little entertainment value.

Though Knoxville made up for this by ensuring that scenes such as the funeral and the post office produced a lot of laughs, the aggregate amount of humor was a bit below what I expected.

This film certainly is not for the faint of heart, as many of the stunts were cringe-worthy. much like its predecessors in the Jackass series, Bad Grandpa’s plot is virtually non-existent; it is a mere backdrop for the two characters to cause mayhem. Yet, those who view Bad Grandpa are likely not watching it for its symbolic complexity but rather for the obvious, yet hilarious, humor.

As is the norm with the Jackass series, there is no word on whether Zisman will make further film appearances.

However, if you happen to see an unfamiliar elderly man stumbling around at a wedding, you should ensure that your wine and cake are safe.

FILM REVIEW

McCarthy’s film leaves viewers feeling ambivalent

By RACHEL HUGHES justice EDITOR

The Oct. 25 release of a highly anticipated collaboration between American author Cormac McCarthy and director Ridley Scott has already excited audiences. The gritty thriller film, The Counselor, was directed by Scott, born from McCarthy’s first original screenplay and distributed by the powerhouse production company 20th Century Fox. With a gold mine of A-list celebrities comprising its cast and an impressive budget of $25 million, the film was produced in a decisively successful manner, bringing in almost $17 million at the box office during its first weekend of playing.

But even with all of the creature comforts and industry connections that the production benefitted from, the finished film did have moments of weakness. The media hype and publicity around the film gave me an inexact set of expectations—what I thought would be a clever action thriller akin to The Bourne Identity franchise was actually a more subversive flick. The Counselor’s brand of violence was much more grisly and less sensational than is characteristic for the sort of film it was marketed to be.

Michael Fassbender plays a lawyer known only as “the counselor,” who breaks into the dangerous drug trafficking world along the Texas-Mexico border, given an “in” with business partner Reiner (Javier Bardem), that is negotiated by another drug king-

pin, Westray (Brad Pitt). The cast is rounded out by the counselor’s beautiful but tragically innocent fiancée Laura (Penelope Cruz) and Reiner’s dangerously intelligent and cunning girlfriend Malkina (Cameron Diaz). The dynamics between characters serve as a reminder that McCarthy’s acclaim first came from writing novels: the storyline bumps between the two pairs of foil characters, Reiner and Westray, and Laura and Malkina, and finds the counselor caught in the middle of moral dilemmas on their behalves.

The characters were developed carefully through episodes of both love and violence, each serving to further morally corrupt them, and the viewer’s entertainment came from the way that they dealt with their own disintegrating morality.

The contrast between love and immorality is artfully done here.

The first scene, for example, shows the counselor and Laura playfully holding and kissing each other in their bed under a crisp white sheet. From the first scene to the second, the camera’s point of view shifts from above the sheet to underneath, where the two smile and touch lovingly—and then the scene abruptly transitions to the trafficking of cocaine as it is welded into metal barrels in a sewage truck across the border.

Perhaps the most entertaining aspect of the film was how highly stylized and strange the characters were in contrast to one another. Reiner’s highlighted hair is perpetually spiked up in all direc-

tions, framing his purple-tinted eyeglasses that clash with his brightly colored, mismatched outfits and gaudy gold necklaces and watches. Malkina’s getup isn’t much better. Her increasingly revealing series of outfits is complimented by sky-high heels and flashy jewelry, offsetting a shiny gold manicure, a gold tooth, dark eye makeup and cheetah print tattoos that climb from her back to the top of her neck. That being said, Diaz still gives a stellar and highly developed performance as the sociopathic and overly sexual Malkina, and at one point, even acts out a sex scene with Reiner’s Ferrari in order to impress him.

By the end of the film, the decline of morality had bested the counselor, and the series of decisions he made that entered him into the drug business—starting with giving in to Westray’s proposition of a buy-in that promised a 4,000 percent return—ultimately robbed him of everything he loved. I can’t say that I didn’t see this coming, and as the viewer, it was a bit anticlimactic of an ending but nonetheless actionpacked.

The Counselor would have been, in my opinion, a much more interesting novel than film, but it was still a visually stunning final product, and I don’t at all regret seeing it. For your next action film fix, give The Counselor a try, but in case the twisty character development doesn’t sate your need for excitement, don’t forget the extra large popcorn and some Milk Duds.

Kerry Brown/MCT CAMPUS

RUNNING LINES: Director Ridley Scott (left) discusses a scene with Michael Fassbender (center), who plays the counselor, and Javier Bardem, who plays Reiner.

24

TUESDAY, november 5, 2013 | THE JUSTICE

Brandeis TALKS

TOPof the

ARTS ON VIEW: HALLOWEEN

CHARTS

Quote of the week

Top 10s for the week ending November 3

“I would like [the students] to know that even though I might work on a regular basis with the Hindu, Jain and Sikh students, I see myself as a pastoral support and a resource to everybody,”

BOX OFFICE

1. Ender’s Game 2. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa 3. Last Vegas 4. Free Birds in 3D 5. Gravity 3D 6. Captain Phillips 7. Twelve Years a Slave 8. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 9. Carrie (2013) 10. The Counselor

— Vaishali Gupta, the Hindu adviser with the Interfaith Chaplaincy, (News, p. 3)

If you got to name the new kosher deli, what would you name it?

NYT BESTSELLERS

XIAOYU YANG/the Justice

Eric Moyal ’17 “‘Deis Chops.’ Like pork chops? Because you can’t eat them! ‘Deis Chops.’ It’s hard being this funny all the time.”

SKELETON KEY: Justice photographer Xiaoyu Yang ’15 took this photo on a trip to Salem, Mass. with friends on the weekend before Halloween. They had their faces painted and had a psychic predict their futures.

NEXT Issue’s PHOTO CONTEST THEME: nap time

Submit your creative photo to photos@thejustice.org to be featured in the Justice!

CROSSWORD Leah Weingast ’17 “I would name the deli something with the word ‘nosh’ in it. I think that would be cute.”

Judy Nam ’16 “I personally don’t like sandwiches and don’t think I’d really go there at all. It could be called ‘Deis Subs’ or ‘The Sub Shop.’ You could call it anything really.”

Ayshia Coletrane ’17 ‘The Kosher Cafe?’ Isn’t that what it’s called? Oh! I thought that was what it was called already! I think that’s a good name!”

ACROSS 1 Finders’ shouts 5 Maternity ward event 10 Formal title 13 Destroy 14 Legend automaker 15 1988 Cy Young winner Hershiser 17 1978 hit for the Commodores 20 Microbe 21 Minnesota Wild’s org.

22 Status __ 23 Safety feature at a dangerous intersection 28 Boxer played by Will Smith 29 __ the finish 30 Give one’s word 31 Business bigwig 33 Olympics sled 35 Mideast sultanate 39 English : John :: Welsh : __ 40 High male voice 41 Pro __: in proportion 42 Like the night 43 Seek prey 44 Agriculture goddess on the New Jersey state seal 45 Bigger than med.

47 Multinational coin 49 Scintilla 50 False start punishment, in football 55 Hush-hush maritime org.

56 AAAsuggestion 57 Just hanging out 58 As expected, or, golfwise, a hint to numbers found in 17-, 23- and 50- Across 64 Work on the deck 65 Steamed 66 The stuff of legends 67 25-Down student 68 Shows up 69 Gets the picture DOWN 1 Museum display 2 “How’s that again?”

3 Instrument “played” for a hairbrush microphone user 4 Scornful look 5 Role for Keaton and Kilmer 6 “Here,” on Metro maps 7 Mojito liquor 8 Former Senator Lott 9 Discuss in detail 10 Note after fa 11 Kirkuk native 12 Excavated anew 16 France’s third most populous cité 18 “Desert Fox” Rommel 19 Dog food brand

Nonfiction

1. Killing Jesus—Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard 2. David and Goliath—Malcolm Gladwell 3.I Am Malala—Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb 4. Things That Matter—Charles Krauthammer 5. 40 Chances—Howard G. Buffett and Howard W. Buffett

iTUNES

1. Lorde—“Royals” 2. Katy Perry—“Roar” 3. Avicii— “Wake Me Up” 4. Passenger—“Let Her Go” 5. One Direction—“Story of My Life”

BILLBOARD

1. Katy Perry—Prism 2. Pearl Jam—Lightning Bolt 3. Drake—Nothing Was the Same 4. Miley Cyrus—Bangerz 5. Lorde—Pure Heroine 6. Fifth Harmony—Better Together (EP) 7. DJ Kahled—Suffering From Success 8. Justin Timberlake—The 20/20 Experience 9. AFI—Burials 10. Luke Bryan—Crash My Party 23 Meant to happen 24 Tony whose #6 was retired by the Twins 25 New Haven sch.

26 Dumbfounded 27 Gave one’s word 32 Oft-sprained joint 34 Hopped out of bed 36 Bread with swirls stolen by Jerry in a classic “Seinfeld” episode 37 What the dog did with the homework?

38 Foul, as weather 40 Showy 44 Time-share unit 46 Greek street food 48 Treats again, as a sprain 50 Dandy fellows 51 Blown away 52 Like YouTube videos gone wild 53 Nostalgiainducing 54 Homecoming group 59 “Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity” org.

60 Nonkosher meat 61 Printemps follower Solution to last issue’s crossword 62 Holy mlle.

Crossword Copyright 2012 MCT Campus, 63 Puzzled comments

Top of the Charts information provided

by Fandango, the New York Times, Billboard.com and Apple.com.

STAFF’S TOP TEN

YouTube Favorites

By AVI GOLD

justice editorial assistant

Inc.

SUDOKU INSTRUCTIONS: Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Jake Altholz ’15 “What’s a good play on the word meat? ‘Eat Meat.’

What about ‘Ich fergessen delicatessen.’ Ich fergessen means “I forget” in Yiddish, so I think that would be good.”

—Compiled by Morgan Brill and Rafaella Schor/the Justice

Fiction 1. Sycamore Row—John Grisham 2. The Goldfinch—Donna Tartt 3. Doctor Sleep—Stephen King 4. We Are Water— Wally Lamb 5. The Longest Ride—Nicholas Sparks

Solution to last issue’s sudoku

Sudoku Copyright 2012 MCT Campus, Inc.

I think there’s no better way to spend a lazy Sunday than to spend hours upon end on YouTube. In the depths of midterm season, it’s always great to have a YouTube channel to fall back on for a quick study break. These are some that never fail to make me laugh, between pop culture references and farout material.

1. TheEllenShow 2. Screen Junkies 3. The Slow Mo Guys 4. How it Should Have Ended 5. latenight 6. OK Go 7. Team Coco 8. CinemaSins 9. Epic Rap Battles of History 10. CollegeHumor