ARTS Page 15
SPORTS Women’s tennis excels 12
MUSIC BY CHANTS
FORUM SAT requires reevaluation 7 The Independent Student Newspaper
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B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9
Justice
Volume LXIV, Number 6
www.thejustice.org
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
STUDENT LIFE
BRANDEIS-INDIA INITIATIVE
Awaited alcohol report released ■ The Ad-hoc Committee
on Alcohol and Drug Policy completed its report by the end of the fall 2010. By ANDREW WINGENS JUSTICE EDITOR
University President Frederick Lawrence released the report of the Ad-hoc Committee on Alcohol and Drug Policy last week, almost a year after then-University President Jehuda Reinharz formed the committee. The report makes a series of recommendations designed to enhance university policies in a variety of areas and protect students from the negative effects of drug and alcohol use and misuse. The committee, however, “did not assess the extent of the alcohol and drug use at Brandeis, nor even the effectiveness of the multiple programs that exist to deal with substance misuse,” according to the report. The committee was formed following the weekend of Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010, during which two students were arrested, several were hospitalized due to intoxication and another was found selling fraudulent wrist-
band tickets to the Pachanga dance hosted by the International Club. Then-President Reinharz—only two months away from handing the reins of the University to current President Lawrence—subsequently sent an email that chastised the behavior of Brandeis students. He then formed an ad-hoc committee on alcohol and drug policy. Reinharz named Prof. Len Saxe (Heller) chair of the committee. According to his faculty profile, Saxe “focuses on human behavior and social policy” and his “research includes studies of community substance abuse programs and development of Jewish identity.” Saxe said in an interview with the Justice that although he no longer studies issues of substance abuse, he spent two decades studying the topic and it has been a “long-standing interest” of his. The committee took the last six weeks of the fall 2010 semester to complete its report, said Saxe. The findings of the report focused on prevention. “As part of this prevention focus, our goal is ‘harm reduction’; that is, what can be done to reduce the number and severity of problems associated with alcohol
See ALCOHOL, 3 ☛
ASHER KRELL/the Justice
Interest in India David Wilkerson ’12, an inaugural fellow of the Brandeis-India Initiative, spoke at the Brandeis-India reception in the Mandel Center for the Humanities Atrium yesterday.
STUDENT UNION
F-Board allocates fall funds ■ Many clubs received
STUDENT ACTIVISM
Alum arrested during Wall Street protests ■ Liza Behrendt ’11, along
with several members of the Class of 2012, attended the Occupy Wall Street protest. By TESS RASER JUSTICE EDITOR
Liza Behrendt ’11 and about 700 protesters from the Occupy Wall Street protest movement were arrested this past Saturday while protesting on the Brooklyn Bridge, according to Behrendt in a phone interview with the Justice. According to The New York Times City Room blog, over 700 protesters were arrested for blocking traffic,
blocking the road and disobeying the police. Behrendt, who had been “popping in and out” of the demonstration since Sept. 17, noticed that the movement was picking up more momentum and decided that she wanted to be more involved this past weekend. The Occupy Wall Street movement—lacking specific rules or leadership—has been going on for two weeks and has steadily gained supporters. It has climbed from about 100 protesters to more than 2,000 this weekend, according to The New York Times. The movement has also spread to other cities such as Chicago; Albuquerque, N.M.; and Boston. “On Saturday there was a march,
See ARREST, 3 ☛
fewer funds because of an increase in the number of chartered clubs. By SARA DEJENE JUSTICE EDITOR
The Finance Board granted a little over 50 percent of requested funds for the regular fall 2011 marathon, said Student Union Treasurer Daniel Lee ’12 in an interview with the Justice. The amount of money distributed came to $195,647.96, while the total amount requested at marathon was $460,410.64, according to Budget Analyst Steven Costa in an interview with the Justice. This is a slight decrease from the $463,000 requested during marathon funding for the fall 2010 semester; a total of $196,893 was distributed for both early and regular marathon fund requests, according to a Sept. 21, 2010 Justice article. According to Lee, the decrease is a result of past over-allocations of funds, late transaction forms from clubs, an increase of chartered clubs requesting funds and projects funded
by the F-Board. Lee said that although the F-Board attempted to keep funding distribution low enough to remain within their budget, they still over-allocated some funds. According to Lee, rollover funds, which are collected when clubs have not spent as much money as they were granted, will help offset the effect of the over-allocated funds. Lee also said that many clubs were not able to receive as much money as they had in the past due to an increase in the number of chartered clubs requesting funds. Coupled with the lesser amount of funds available to distribute, this was a factor in a smaller amount of money given to clubs. In addition, the F-Board is funding a few projects, which affects the amount of money available to clubs. According to Lee, these projects include providing a new truck for the Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps and updating the Student Union Management System. “It’s important for BEMCo to have a truck because they provide safety to our student body,” said Lee. In regards to the SUMS update, he said that the site, which he hopes will be operating by next year or as early as
next semester, will be easier to use and will organize all financial transaction information into one place. In addition, clubs requesting payments for unpaid transactions well into the summer also affected the budget. “When we finalized numbers, people, in the summer, would be like, ‘Hey, my contractor wasn’t paid $800.’ Sometimes, it would be as ridiculous as a couple thousand [dollars],” said Lee. Costa said there was an increase in the total amount of money in the Student Activities Fund this semester as a result of the larger student body, since each student pays an individual Student Activities Fee. According to Lee, despite the increase in students, it was not enough to cover all the projects, over-allocation of funds and late transaction forms received from clubs. In general, money is distributed to clubs based on an evaluation of past use of F-Board funding and a decision of whether clubs had “effectively” used the funds given to them, according to Lee. “It was very tough because a lot of clubs had events and activities that were very popular and also well-
See FUNDS, 3 ☛
Holocaust studies
Men draw Rochester
Executive pay
Aaron Weinberg ’14 attended the first Holocaust conference in the Arab world.
After two 4-0 wins, the Judges earned a 1-1 draw in their UAA opener.
A Tellus Institiute report examined executive compensation.
FEATURES 4 For tips or info e-mail editor@thejustice.org
Waltham, Mass.
Let your voice be heard! Submit letters to the editor online at www.thejustice.org
INDEX
SPORTS 12 ARTS SPORTS
13 12
EDITORIAL FEATURES
6 4
OPINION POLICE LOG
6 2
COMMENTARY
News 3 7
COPYRIGHT 2011 FREE AT BRANDEIS. Email managing@thejustice.org for home delivery.
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011
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THE JUSTICE
NEWS BRIEF
POLICE LOG
Professors win the 2011 Horwitz Prize from Columbia University
Medical Emergency
Columbia University will award the 2011 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize to Professor Emeritus Jeffrey C. Hall (BIOL) and Prof. Michael Rosbash (BIOL) and Michael W. Young, a researcher at Rockefeller University, for their studies conducted on the molecular basis of the circadian rhythm, according to Newswise.com. The circadian rhythm is an intrinsically driven, roughly 24-hour cycle in biochemical, physiological and behavioral processes synchronized to the period of the day. This cycle is a fundamental aspect of behavior in humans and all other animals. The molecular cloning of the gene, which is required to maintain circadian rhythms in the brain of the fruit fly Drosophila, was first achieved independently in 1984 at Brandeis by Hall and Rosbash, and by Young who was then working at Rockefeller University, wrote Newswise.com. Subsequent collaborative research conducted at the Hall and Rosbash laboratories, and the separate research of the Young laboratory, made additional discoveries crucial to understanding the comprehensive molecular mechanism by which the 24-hour clock is maintained and adjusted in response to artificially altered lengths of day, according to the website. This mechanism was later found to be applicable to both insects and mammals. “This year’s Horwitz Prize,” said Wayne A. Hendrickson, professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics at Columbia University, “recognizes profound and far-reaching discoveries in molecular genetics. This work impacts physiology fundamentally, and it has medical implications as well,” according to Newswise.com. The understanding of the intrinsic biological clock has direct implications for several human disorders. Hereditary sleep disorders, for example, map directly to the human gene of the Drosophila gene, providing a solid basis for the development of treatments for sleep and rhythm disorders, according to the website. “One of the best things about this research,” said Hall on Newswise.com, “was that the results came out better than we, or at least I, intended. Taking a semi-major step toward elucidating the molecular basis of circadian rhythms in drosophila was rewarding enough. “Little did we know,” he said, “back then in the 1980s, that our findings had the potential to apply to an appreciable proportion of the biological writ at large—beyond a matter of the ‘first clock gene cloned,’ proceeding to how this gene functions in Drosophila. This, too, turned out to have broader than insect-bound significance.” According to Newswise.com, Lee Goldman, M.D., executive vice president of Columbia University and dean of the faculties of health sciences and medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, said “It’s not often that researchers make discoveries that so quickly change our basic understanding of the biological world. This work by Hall, Rosbash, and Young did exactly that.”
Sept. 26—A party at the boiler plant suffered from a severe diabetic reaction and was transferred to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital via ambulance. Sept. 26—University Police received a call from a student who requested to speak with BEMCo. The student was off campus and suffering from an allergic reaction. BEMCo and an ambulance were notified for transport. Sept. 27—University Police received a report of a female in the Shiffman Humanities Center suffering from severe abdominal pains. BEMCo requested an ambulance to the scene, a fire engine also responded. The party was transported to the NewtonWellesley Hospital via ambulance, and the CDC on call was notified. Sept. 28—A caller on heart medication in the Charles River Apartments reported feeling light-headed and dizzy.
University Police units were dispatched to the location; the party was treated by BEMCo and transported via police cruiser to the Health Center. Sept. 28—A student cut her hand while woodworking in the Goldman-Schwartz art studio. An ambulance was notified for transport to a hospital. Sept. 29—A party reported she had been throwing up for a few hours; she was transported via ambulance to the NewtonWellesley Hospital.
Larceny
Sept. 26—A Sherman Dining Hall staff member reported that her wallet was stolen from the locker room. Sept. 28—A student in the Pomerantz Residence Hall left his cell phone on a bench and returned to find it missing. A report was composed. Sept. 28—A student in the Farber Library reported that her laptop was stolen. A report was composed.
Miscellaneous
Vandalism
Sept. 25—A student in Massell Quad reported that parts of his bicycle were removed and left next to the bike, which sustained damage. A report was composed. Sept. 25—A father of a student called University Police reporting that BB gun bullets struck his daughter’s car, which was parked in the Charles River lot. Photos were taken, and a report was composed.
Sept. 27—A caller reported that a person inside a suspicious motor vehicle parked in front of the staircase at East Quad was staring at people. A University Police officer spoke with the individual; he was the father of a student. Sept. 27—A reporting party stated that a dog had been left in a car for over an hour. University Police checked the area and found nothing. The reporting party was called
Senate elects Caldwell next executive senator
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS n An article in News describing an on-campus robbery incorrectly stated that the robbery occurred at midnight of Sept. 24. It occurred at approximately midnight of that day. (Sept. 27, pg. 1) n An article in News about renovations to the Beit Midrash incorrectly stated that the Brandeis Orthodox Organization hosted the event celebrating the renovations. Hillel at Brandeis, the Brandeis University Conservative Organization, the Brandeis Reform Chavurah and the Brandeis Reconstructionist Organization all co-hosted the event with BOO. (Sept. 27, pg. 5)
n An article in News about election data included a quotation from Claire Sinai ’15 that inaccurately reflected her reaction to the Justice analysis the data. The online version of the article has been updated to include a quotation that reflects her views. (Sept. 27, pg. 6) n A photo caption in Arts misspelled the name of a photographer’s given name. She is Madeleine Stix, not Madeline. (Sept. 27, pg. 21) 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 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Justice office. Editor News Forum Features Sports Arts Ads Photos Managing
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The Justice Brandeis University Mailstop 214 P.O. Box 549110 Waltham, MA 02454-9110 Phone: (781) 736-3750
—compiled by Marielle Temkin
SENATE LOG
—Shani Abramowitz
n An article in News about renovations to the Beit Midrash incorrectly implied that the Beit Midrash in the basement of the Shapiro Residence Hall is affiliated with the Brandeis Beit Midrash Research Project. The two are not formally affiliated. (Sept. 27, pg. 5)
back to meet the officer, but no one answered the phone. Sept. 29—A caller reported a fight in progress in the Rosenthal Quad with a party possibly bleeding from the face. There was no location given to University Police other than the building. Police units investigated, and the CDC on call was advised. Police reported that it was not a fight, just a loud argument. Sept. 29—One liter of nitric acid was spilled in the Shapiro Campus Center. The Waltham Fire Department was notified and responded. Brandeis safety units also responded. University Police stated that the incident had been cleared. Oct. 2—A CA in Ridgewood Quad reported that there was drug paraphernalia in a suite. A University Police officer took custody of one bong. The quad director on call was notified and student conduct board charges will follow.
Senate talks jazz
HILARY HEYISON/the Justice
Eran Alpern ’12 (left) and Alex Bargar ’12 requested that the Jazz Standard club be chartered at Sunday’s Union Senate meeting. The senate chartered the club by a vote of 11 in favor and 3 against.
At the Oct. 2 senate meeting, the Union Senate elected Shekeyla Caldwell ’14 to the post of executive senator. The executive senator serves as the president pro-tempore of the senate as well as the official liaison between the senate and the executive office of the Union. Union President Herbie Rosen ’12 suggested senate involvement with an organization called Boston Intercollegiate Leadership Council, which brings together student body representatives from local universities. Rosen also proposed the implementation of a series of student surveys called “The Pulse,” to be carried out over one week during the school year. “The Pulse” would cover transportation, dining, living spaces, classes and other aspects of life at Brandeis. Caldwell announced that the senate was looking for two senate secretaries and proposed using some of the senate budget for snacks for meetings. The Jazz Standard club approached the senate to become a chartered club. According to the club’s constitution, “The club’s goal is to create an environment in which jazz enthusiasts can share music, as well as develop their improvisational prowess.” The Jazz Standard club was chartered by a vote of 11 to 3. The senate also filled several senatorial committees including the Diversity Committee, the Services Committee, the Social Justice Committee, the Ways and Means Committee, the Club Support Committee and the Outreach Committee. Several senators mentioned transportation to and from the Riverside T station as an ongoing issue that they wished to address. A group of first-year senators also proposed publicizing the Student Union website and getting first-year students more involved with the Student Union. —Sam Mintz
ANNOUNCEMENTS Why do Americans do that?
All international students are cordially invited to join the International Students and Scholars Office for light refreshments, a discussion about American culture and how to make the most of their time at Brandeis. Guest speakers include a panel of fellow international undergraduate and graduate students who will share their stories of experiencing American culture for the first time and discuss the challenges of adjusting to a new social and academic environment. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and share experiences in a small group discussion. Today from 6 to 8:10 p.m. in the Usdan Student Center International Lounge.
Babi Yar in History and Memory
Babi Yar was the name of a ravine on the outskirts of Kiev where the single largest mass murder of Soviet Jews occurred from Sept. 29 to 30, 1941. This symposium explores four aspects of the event through different lenses: Babi Yar in history, Soviet responses to Babi Yar after the reoccupation of Kiev by the Red Army, representations of Babi Yar in Jewish literature and its symbolic meaning for the Russian intelligentsia. Presenters include Prof. ChaeRan Freeze
(NEJS), Karel C. Berkhoff of the University of Amsterdam, Gennady Estraikh of New York University, Olga Litvak of Clark University and Alice Nakhimovsky of Colgate University. This symposium is presented by the Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry and co-sponsored by the Sarnat Center for the Study of Anti-Jewishness, the Brandeis-Genesis Institute for Russian Jewry and the Brandeis Russian Club. Tomorrow from 2 to 6 p.m. in the Usdan Student Center International Lounge.
An Apple for the Teacher
Enjoy apple cider, pie and other apple treats while getting to know students and faculty in the Education program. Find out about courses; student teaching in elementary, middle and high school and Education Studies. Join the Ed Program UDRs and faculty, Ed Studies majors, and Teacher Ed minors for an informal hour of chitchat, questions and answers. Tomorrow from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Abraham Shapiro Academic Complex Atrium.
Fashion Design scholarship info session
Learn about the application process and have questions answered before the applica-
tion deadline on Oct. 24. The YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund is a national non-profit association consisting of influential members of the fashion community dedicated to promoting the education of fashion arts and business by granting scholarships to talented students and facilitating internships, mentorships and career programs. FSF’s goal is to advance the fashion industry by encouraging gifted and enterprising young people to pursue careers in design, merchandising, retailing and business so the industry will continue to attract dedicated, capable and creative individuals. FSF awards a total of 80 scholarships, each worth $5,000, every year and also administers the Geoffrey Beene National Scholarships, which hands out four $25,000 scholarships annually. This information session is sponsored by the Hiatt Career Center. Tomorrow from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. in the Hiatt Career Center.
Harvard Law School info session
The director of admissions at Harvard Law School will be on campus to discuss the application process generally and explain what qualities are sought in strong candidates. Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. in the Hiatt Career Center.
THE JUSTICE
CONTINUED FROM 1
JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice
Bloodlands Timothy Snyder, professor of history at Yale University, spoke about his most recent book, ‘Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin,’ yesterday. The book is scheduled to be published in February 2012. Visit thejustice.org/news for the full story.
FINANCES
Tellus Institute publishes report on executive pay By allyson cartter JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Brandeis has ranked seventh out of 20 private universities in average disclosed compensation of its top eight employees in 2008 and fifth in combined compensation of its four highest-paid employees reported in 2008, according to a recent report from the Tellus Institute, a Boston-based nonprofit research organization. The report examines the pay packages received by upper-level college executives at the wealthiest 20 private universities in Massachusetts, revealing information about income differences between top officials, lower-level employees and third-party corporate compensation within these schools. It lists former University President Jehuda Reinharz as Brandeis’ highest compensated employee in 2008 with a compensation of $830,643. The Tellus Institute and its Center for Social Philanthropy compiled the report, titled “Academic Excess: Executive Compensation at Leading Private Colleges and Universi-
ties in Massachusetts.” According to its website, the Institute “works to advance a global civilization of sustainability, equity and well-being through research, education, and action.” Because the Institute did not have access to universities’ most recent tax forms, the report draws from the schools’ 2009 federal tax filings, according to Joshua Humphreys, senior associate at the Tellus Institute and founding director of the Center for Social Philanthropy, in an interview with the Justice. The report looks not only at annual employee salaries but at total compensation, said Humphreys. Humphreys said that the “big takeaway” of the report is that, though news stories about college presidents making over $1 million were rare 15 years ago, they’re now “nearly the average.” “I was very surprised in the course of this research,” said Humphreys. The excessive executive compensation examined in the report represents “a more structural problem” with private universities and how they choose to allocate funds, he continued. Referring to the University specifically, Humphreys said that there is “still a lot of confusion about Brandeis during the financial cri-
sis.” Humphreys said that Brandeis’ decision to enact layoffs and program cuts while executive compensation continued to rise “at a time when the economy [had] not really recovered at a really robust rate” represents a “bigger issue” in the University’s priorities. Humphreys also referred to the now-reversed 2009 decision to close the Rose Art Museum, saying that the fact that the administration would “fathom” selling some of the museum’s art is “indicative … of misplaced priorities.” In an email to the Justice, Senior Vice President of Communications and External Affairs Andrew Gully wrote in response to the report that “one main emphasis point [of the report] was that chief investment officers and others who manage university endowments were highly compensated at some schools. That does not apply at Brandeis, and our Form 990 clearly demonstrates that fact.” The goals of the report, Humphreys said, are to “help the public of the Commonwealth [of Massachusetts] to understand more fully” how universities spend their money and the importance of transparency and to provide “momentum” to pass currently proposed legislation that calls for fuller disclosure in outside compensation and conflicts of interest.
FUNDS: Fall funds distributed CONTINUED FROM 1
known throughout the past years,” said Lee. “Historically, these clubs were funded, but at the same time, we just weren’t in the position to give them that amount just because we didn’t have [enough funds].” However, despite obstacles in allocating funds, Lee said he feels that many of the clubs received fair time and effort from F-Board members during the allocation process and that although he has heard from clubs who were not satisfied with the amount of funds they received, club members were also “understanding” of the F-Board’s limited funds and the increase of chartered clubs on campus. President of both the Arab Cul-
ture Club and Brandeis Students for Justice in Palestine Ashraf Hussein ’12 said in a phone interview with the Justice that both of his clubs will have to scale back on their plans for this upcoming semester, but he also said he understands that several clubs are in similar situations. The Arab Culture Club received about 68 percent of the funds it requested, while BSJP received about 54 percent. President and Treasurer of the Ballroom Dance Club Tyler Roberts ’13 said in a phone interview with the Justice that he felt his club did not receive adequate funding, partially because the group feels pressured to combine with the Ballroom Dance Team.
TUESDAY, october 4, 2011
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ALCOHOL: Report calls for more prevention
BOOK PREVIEW
■ Joshua Humphreys said that the report reveals a “structural problem” within private universities.
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The Ballroom Dance Club received about 57 percent of the total funds it requested. As a result, Roberts said that the club will not be having any performances this semester and will cut some of its classes. Lee stated that if club members determine that they still need more funding, they can request emergency funding later on this semester once Costa has determined the exact amount of money available from rollover funds. Lee said that information would be available either at the end of October, or mid-November, at the latest. —Nashrah Rahman and Hillel Buechler contributed reporting.
and drug use,” according to the report. The report is broken into four dimensions “that follow from a model developed by the U.S. Department of Education’s Higher Education Center for Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Violence Prevention and NIAAA,” according to the report. These four elements are health and safety, treatment, prevention and awareness and environment/ culture. Saxe explained that this organization is based on the “best practices” model recommended by the U.S. government. The six recommendations in the health and safety section focus on ensuring that students are not “afraid” to call BEMCo or University Police “during emergency situations for fear of judicial repercussions.” In the treatment section, “the committee is satisfied that Brandeis offers excellent treatment services for students who are identified as being at-risk for alcohol and drug problems,” according to the report. One of the five recommendations calls for Health Center medical personnel to “consider adding a standard assessment tool for screening individuals for drug and alcohol use during routine annual physical exams and other appropriate encounters,” according to the report. For prevention and awareness, the committee recommended that the “emphasis be on proactive alcohol and drug use prevention, rather than a reactive one.” This section of the report also calls for additional resources for prevention, awareness and education and an annual survey to collect data about social norms from students. The final section of the report, environment and community, contains 13 recommendations that suggest that “more attention be paid to the environment that promotes positive Brandeis values and reduces harmful alcohol and drug use.” Among the recommendations are suggestions to expand weekend social opportunities, enhance student presence at athletics games and increase weekend availability of both the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center and the library to “provide additional options for social gathering.”
The report also recommends that the University “consider the relationship of currently unrecognized fraternities and sororities to the student body” and “explore the possibility of serving alcohol at large campus events in a way that models expectations for responsible use.” Graduate students and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management are also mentioned several times in the report. Saxe said that graduate students are an increasingly large population at Brandeis and their needs and interests should be considered as well. In his role as committee chair, Saxe said it was important to him that the committee “heard as many voices as possible.” “My hope is that the committee, both by pointing to some specific things that can be done and also by putting together this framework, helps everybody enhance what they are doing [and] how they are thinking about it,” said Saxe in an interview with the Justice. Lawrence, in an interview with the Justice, said, “I think the most important thing to me that comes out of the report is that the focus is not punitive but rather the focus is in terms of helping and ... making information available to people. … I think that’s the framework.” Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel will be responsible for assessing the report’s recommendations and finding ways to implement them. “The [nature of the] recommendation will [help determine] whether it is an implementation or further exploration of what the next steps might be,” said Flagel in a phone interview with the Justice. Flagel will “examine the committee’s recommendations and determine how best to integrate them into the life of the University. In the near future, he will assemble working groups to help him conduct that assessment,” wrote Lawrence in a Sept. 27 campuswide email. Saxe added that the committee was not intended as an investigation of Pachanga. Rather, Pachanga was a stimulus that “simply made faculty, staff and administrators more aware of some of the issues,” said Saxe. “Looking at policies across the board is important to do all the time,” added Saxe.
ARREST: Univ students join New York protests CONTINUED FROM 1
and we spontaneously [decided to go] onto the causeway [of the Brooklyn Bridge],” said Behrendt. At first the protesters were allowed to walk on the bridge, but at some point in the middle of the bridge the police stopped them. “It was at [this] point where we could no longer climb up to the pedestrian bridge. Then they stopped people, people were like sitting down, pushing forward. No one really quite knew what was happening,” explained Behrendt. While the police started to arrest people, Behrendt said she moved to the front of the crowd where she was then arrested along with another nearby protester. After the arrest, Behrendt and the others arrested waited on the bridge for two hours before police officers drove them around the city for two or three hours in search of the right precinct. Behrendt and the others were ultimately taken to the Midtown South precinct until about 4 a.m., at which point they were able to leave with court summons. While Behrendt found the situa-
tion “frustrating,” she also noted that the experience was much easier than an arrest might be for someone who was alone. According to Behrendt, the approximately 700 protesters all left with the same charges. Some protesters have criticized police officers for using “heavy-handed tactics,” according to an Oct. 1 article by Reuters, but Behrendt, who spent 12 hours in their custody, found the officers to be generally civil and respectful. “I think there was a mutual understanding that we the protesters didn’t really want to be there, and [the officers] didn’t want to be there because they were working way over time,” she said. Behrendt is currently serving in AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps by working at the Gay Men’s Health Crisis in New York as a community organizer. She said that the most prominent reason for her to protest is “that there is gross inequality in this country, and a lot of it [can] be traced to the power that corporations have.” Shea Riester ’12, Hannah Wellish ’12 and Scott Oglesby ’12 were among the students attending the Occupy Wall Street this past weekend.
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features
TUESDAY, october 4, 2011
just
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THE JUSTICE
VERBATIM | NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.
ON THIS DAY…
FUN FACT
In 1957, Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, was launched.
The tentacles of the giant Arctic jellyfish can reach 120 feet in length.
Jewish studies in the Arab world PHOTO COURTESY OF AARON WEINBERG
NOTABLE SPEAKERS: André Azoulay (left), senior adviser to the King of Morocco, and Dr. Driss Ouaouicha (second from left), president of Al Akhawayn University, were among the guests at the Holocaust conference.
Aaron Weinberg ’14 attended a Holocaust conference in Morocco By Celine Hacobian JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
While Holocaust studies occur regularly in classrooms and places where the tragedy is recognized and accepted as part of history, Morocco is not the first place one would imagine a group of JewishAmerican students gathering to discuss the topic. For the first time in the history of the Arab world, college students and experts from all corners of the United States flew to the mountainous west coast of Africa, bringing Holocaust awareness to a new region of the world. From Sept. 20 to 22, Aaron Weinberg ’14 attended the first Holocaust conference in the Arab world, which was held in Morocco. The conference, which took place at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane and the Museum of Moroccan Judaism in Casablanca, joined together those who have studied and experienced the Holocaust, as well as students from both Morocco and the United States. The goal of the conference was to discuss Jewish education in Morocco. It was co-sponsored by Al Akhawayn University and Kivunim, a gap-year program that provides students with opportunities to study in and travel to Jewish communities around the world. Weinberg, who participated in Kivunim during his gap-year before college, learned about the conference through an email from Peter Geffen, founding director of the program. Weinberg was chosen for the conference through an application process, which required applicants to submit a two-page essay explaining why they wanted to attend the conference. As a student with double majors in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and Sociology, Weinberg became interested in Moroccan Jewish History through the NEJS department and is taking a course this semester called “Jews in the World of Islam.” And so, he chose to attend the conference because he would be able to travel to an Arab Muslim
country and act as a student delegate on the topic of the Holocaust. The first day of the conference took place at Al Akhawayn University, an English-speaking university where Weinberg was impressed by “all these kids ... coming together and not speaking French or Arabic,” but English. The conference began with a welcome from the university’s president, Dr. Driss Ouaouicha, followed by a welcome by Geffen. While the number of Moroccan Jews at Al Akhawayn University is relatively few, a small group of students chose to join their American peers at the conference held at their school. “There’s a group of about 15 students [that] have come together and created a club dedicated to Jewish heritage [at Al Akhawayn University]. ... They dedicate time to bringing Jewish culture to campus in a place where there are no Jews on campus,” Weinberg said. The conference consisted of lecturers and their accounts and opinions on various subjects concerning the Holocaust and the fact that the conference was taking place in an Arab country. Speakers included André Azoulay, senior advisor to the king of Morocco, and a Jewish professor, Michael Berenbaum from the American Jewish University in Los Angeles who spoke and “gave a ... very poignant, insightful and articulate account of the horrific tragedy that was the Holocaust in Europe without sparing any details” and Elisabeth Citron, “an 80-year old survivor [of the concentration camps] who was 12 [during] the Holocaust.” Weinberg found that hearing the juxtaposition of the different types of narratives was particularly interesting. “It was really quite meaningful because while they are ... not common narratives and they are not the same narrative, putting them side-by-side, I think, really demonstrates the power of the story. It’s sort of a mirroring,” he said of the lectures. On the second day of the conference, the students traveled to the Moroccan Jewish Heritage Museum in Casablanca, where
they heard a lecture by Brandeis alumnus Forsan Hussein ’00, CEO of the Jerusalem International YMCA. Hussein spoke of the lack of and subsequent need for Holocaust education in the Arab world. In addition to the notable speakers, Weinberg and other students attending the conference had time to meet and discuss the Holocaust and Jewish education in Morocco with one other. “These people were some of the most brilliant, most humble leaders, peace builders and human beings that I’d ever met,” he said of those he met during his time in Morocco. Weinberg took part in a discussion with other students from across the U.S. about the lack of a Holocaust curriculum in Moroccan schools, one of the main topics the conference was held to address. The students spoke about whether the Holocaust should be taught in public schools and what the curriculum would consist of, as well as whether the story of the Moroccan Jews should be taught in America, and if so, in what way. “By asking these questions about Morocco, we’re sort of fooling ourselves,” Weinberg pointed out. “[The Holocaust] is being taught in the Arab world whether we like it or not, whether it’s a part of our curriculum or not,” Weinberg said. “So the question that we have to ask ourselves is, ‘Do we want to engage ourselves with it or not?” Weinberg said. Though the conference lasted only a few days and participants have returned to the U.S., Weinberg walked away feeling that the discussions that began in Morocco are ones that need to be continued. “It’s also about us, here in America ... and Jews around the world,” Weinberg said of increasing Holocaust education among different groups of people. “In the face of extremism, in the face of pure evil, there is good. … There are many forces in our communities that are trying to build bridges between people,” Weinberg said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF AARON WEINBERG
MEETING IN MOROCCO: Weinberg met and spoke with André Azoulay at the conference.
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WORLDVIEW: CAMEROON
EYES ON THE CHIEF: Lockyer (second from left) listens to the chief of Batoufam speak about his position.
Discovering
Cameroon
PHOTOS COURTESY OF FIONA LOCKYER
A NATIVE WARDROBE: Fiona Lockyer ’13 wears a caba, a traditional outfit in Cameroon, to meet the chief.
PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS: Students wait together outside the palace of the Bamileke chief of Batoufam.
Fiona Lockyer ’13 explores the diverse characteristics of Africa By Fiona Lockyer special to the Justice
I am curled into a ball within the cocoon of my mesh mosquito sleeping net that nearly took my eye out the first time I assembled it. I sleep like a baby alongside vivid dreams fueled by my prophylactic malaria regimen. The sun isn’t quite awake yet when I am rudely called to task by a rooster, cock-a-doodle-dooing so loudly that his voice comes in as a hoarse cry through my window. It’s 5 a.m. in Cameroon, and it’s time to wake up. Walking out of my room, I greet the goat who is tethered to a pole in the backyard area. She looks at me without bleating. It’s even too early for the goats to respond. After drawing water from the well, I grab the washrag and walk into the living room. It’s 5:10 a.m. in Cameroon, and it’s time to wash the floor. I hear upbeat music and happy singing coming from the next room over, and I join in the singing. By the time I finish washing the floor, my younger brothers and sisters are milling about, washing dishes, doing laundry and getting ready for school. A neighbor down the street has the radio blaring Rihanna, a welcome import from home. I listen as my four sisters sing along while scrubbing their laundry. I can only watch as all of this activity occurs, like watching a game of double Dutch when I can’t seem to find the right time to jump in. By about 7 a.m., we are ready for the 45-minute walk to our respective schools. The walk to get to the university is down a dirt road and up two steep hills, and it’s the road I trek every day. I dodge motos—motorcycles that can carry anywhere from one to five people depending on size and baggage—and school-age children that crowd the roadway as I make my way. I can scarcely believe the optimism that I see
and hear here in Cameroon. After its massive economic downturn in the ’80s, Cameroon went from being an African success story to joining other countries in a very slow development hampered by massive government corruption and the setbacks that multiculturalism can create. This is what I learn in class. Then I get to go home and learn something entirely new. I am part of a family here. A family of one husband, three wives and 25 children, of which I am the 26th under one roof during my homestay here in Dschang, an agriculturally based city in the western region of the country. My family is Bamileke, part of one of the major Cameroonian ethnic groups. They are polygamist and Catholic, mixing their Bamileke roots and Western religion together. They eat traditional dishes such as koki, a spongy starch made primarily of beans and reminiscent of cornbread in texture, and speak Yemba, the language patois (maternal language). I have five brothers who show me the ropes around the house and the neighborhood. They quiz me on my French to make sure I’m learning and make sure I’m keeping a list of new words I pick up. They ask me to describe past events to them so I can work on my tenses. In return, I help with English homework and teach them American slang—how to “holler” at ladies when they’re walking down the street or what a “jam session” is. The family prides itself on being bilingual— and for some of my siblings, even trilingual— and extremely dedicated to academics in spite of not being very affluent. The kids study from 6 to 9 p.m. each night, and many of the older ones have gone to university—something the younger ones are also expected to do. In the other host families, the story is much the same. Our brothers and sisters ask us what we think about Libya, what we think about
President Barack Obama and whether or not the financial crisis will be over soon. They are questions many of my classmates, myself included, cannot give them answers to with our tenuous grasp of the French language. My family points out that I am seeing a reality that doesn’t often get covered by the international media: the reality of a normal day in a Cameroonian family. They ask me why the international news seems to only show pictures of Africans struggling to live, starving and helpless. I instead see my host mother go to her “reunions,” where each woman donates a certain amount of money each month to a community fund that goes to benefit one of the members. I see the neighborhood women, and even the eldest children in the neighborhood, working together to raise the children, asking how they’re doing in school and disciplining them when they do something incorrect on the street or in town. I am amazed that, while living with so few creature comforts, the community thrives in such a strong way. Everyone seems to be working here all of the time, whether it’s fixing a bike, selling small items or studying. On the way to school, I observe the older lady on the corner making sandwiches, the women grilling plantains on the side of the road and others selling their fresh vegetables. As I ascend the hill closest to the University of Dschang, where I am studying Social Pluralism and Development and French, I look to my left and see a huge farm area built into a valley, full of varying shades of green. It’s 7:40 a.m. in Cameroon, and my younger brother Marco, who hopes to be the next international soccer star out of this country, is accompanying me to school, making sure that I walk on the inside of the road so I don’t get taken out by a moto while I’m checking out the
scenery. I have been more or less raised in cities. Trees in large quantities tend to scare me. I don’t know how to deal with the overwhelming clarity of a rural night sky. I find the sound of crickets to be unnerving. I’d much rather hear beeping horns and neighborhood cats fighting than someone laughing from their porch a few houses away. I was shocked the first time I saw cows walking through campus here in Dschang, which straddles the classification line between rural area and city center. Now, the cows get a hello as I head to my French class and a nod as I walk to the ladies’ room. What I’m learning here is to accept a different kind of normal. Hearing two roosters have a conversation in the morning is now normal. Every day is a new project in learning a different culture’s family dynamics, observing my own role in the communities that I’ve joined here and trying to understand what is going on before it passes me by. This has become my most difficult assignment thus far. An assignment far more difficult than learning the names of my 25 siblings, going without Internet for a week or avoiding falling into puddles of mud along the dirt roads during the rainy season here, which has become a daily activity. Creating context for Cameroon—describing a developing nation without discrediting its current development, underlining the beauty of the countryside and the kindness of the people here while recognizing its differences from the western world—has become one of my major goals as I live, study and observe life here. For now, though, I am not quite ready to create that context. For now I will live and observe, looking forward to what the country will show to me next. Editor’s note: Fiona Lockyer ’13 is a former Associate editor for the Justice.
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TUESDAY, October 4, 2011
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THE JUSTICE
Justice Justice
the the
Established 1949, Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Established 1949
Emily Kraus, Editor in Chief Nashrah Rahman, Managing Editor Brian N. Blumenthal, Production Editor Hillel Buechler, Deputy Editor Alana Abramson, Rebecca Blady, Bryan Flatt, Rebecca Klein, Asher Krell, Tess Raser and Robyn Spector, Associate Editors Sara Dejene and Andrew Wingens, News Editors Dafna Fine, Features Editor Eitan Cooper, Forum Editor Jeffrey Boxer, Sports Editor Wei-Huan Chen and Ariel Kay, Arts Editors Yosef Schaffel and Tali Smookler, Photography Editors Nan Pang, Layout Editor Marielle Temkin, Copy Editor Cody Yudkoff, Advertising Editor
Unhelpful recommendations This past week, University President Frederick Lawrence released the ad hoc Committee on Alcohol and Drug Policy’s report and recommendations. The committee, which was formed after the events that occurred on the night of the Pachanga dance in October 2010 by then-University President Jehuda Reinharz, was asked to “review current Brandeis University policy with respect to student use of alcohol and drugs.” We understand that Mr. Reinharz felt the need to address this issue, as it may have been important to the administration from a public relations perspective. That being said, the events that occurred on Oct. 23, 2010 reflect the actions of about 12 students, not the actions of the entire student body. As this board argued nearly a year ago, the administration cannot evaluate the actions of an extreme minority of students and view them as representative of the entire student body. Moreover, as we have previously noted, the release of the report was long overdue. While the recommendations were completed by the conclusion of the fall 2010 semester, the report was only released this past week. More importantly, though, the recommendations made in the report are largely vague and unhelpful. The suggestion of extending the weekend hours of the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center and the Goldfarb Library, for example, is a welcome idea, but we fail to see how it would affect students’ alcohol consumption. The recommendations targeted toward graduate students at the University are most puzzling. Because most graduate students are older than 21 and have had ample time to adjust to a college drinking culture, it’s difficult to see why the committee felt the need to address them in this report.
Committee report ineffective Additionally, the only mention of Greek life in the report was to “consider the relationship of the currently unrecognized fraternities and sororities to the student body.” Since Greek life is a major source of off-campus alcohol consumption at Brandeis, the committee should have devoted time to better addressing this situation. If the administration truly intended to review issues with students drinking, they should have fully taken into consideration the effects of Greek life. The ineffectiveness of most of the suggestions is disheartening, as the time and resources of many people went into forming this report. It seems irresponsible to have used the time of volunteers, professors, and outside experts for a report that did not have many substantive or meaningful recommendations. Using an outside expert for a more extended period of time to look more in-depth into general student drinking habits would have been much more beneficial than a largely superficial report that only takes into account the actions of a small percentage of students. The few useful suggestions in the report, particularly the ideas to “expand transportation to off-campus events to protect the safety of students returning to campus” and “explore the possibility of serving alcohol at large campus events in a way that models expectations for responsible use” are heavily outweighed by the impractical recommendations. These useful suggestions would certainly benefit students. Moving forward, it is imperative that any committees the University forms will produce proposals that are more relevant and constructive.
Expand campus parking options Among the most pressing issues University President Frederick Lawrence will have to tackle as he develops his strategic plan for the University is the conflict between the need to create a greener, car-free campus and a convenient and accessible one. This issue merits a serious conversation within the University community, and it should certainly begin soon. According to the Campus Master Planning Project, whose website was last updated in March 2001, the total projected capacity for cars on campus is 3,228. The Master Planning Team and Steering Committee based this statistic on the potential construction of new parking garages, built on either new or existing spaces. 10 years later, the demand for the additional space that parking garages could provide remains. While this goal makes sense environmentally and aesthetically—and certainly should not be wholly abandoned—this dated master plan did not take into account the recent and significant increase in the number of students
Consider parking garages that need reliable access to the main campus on a daily basis. Now that the community understands first-hand the impact of a larger student body, the administration must reevaluate whether it can prioritize the reduction of cars as much as it would have liked to have done in years past. There has been a chronic overcrowding of cars on campus. More underclassmen are living on campus, pushing more upperclassmen off campus. This means that more upperclassmen will choose to commute to campus in their cars. Mr. Lawrence and the administration must realize that this campus will soon no longer be able to comfortably hold the entire student body. We hope that Mr. Lawrence and the administration will place value on both the accessibility and pedestrian-friendly nature of the campus and recognize that these issues will not prove to be mutually exclusive in our strategic plan.
RISHIKA ASSOMULL/the Justice
New jobs encourage versatile thinking By Sara Shahanaghi JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
As the U.S. unemployment rate remains high at 9.1 percent as of August 2011, many college students worry, and rightfully so, about being able to find a job after they graduate. But perhaps there’s something else they need to be worrying about: maintaining a job for years to come. With a consistently high unemployment rate, a shortage of jobs is only part of the equation. Another factor is that many job seekers may simply not be qualified for the jobs of today, mostly in technology and science. Cathy Davidson, a board member of the MacArthur Foundation, estimates that at the current rate of advancement, about 65 percent of students now entering elementary school will take jobs that have not yet been invented. By the same logic, college students may be preparing for careers that will be obsolete years later. But if nobody knows what the jobs of the future will be, how can universities be expected to prepare students for them? If technological advancement continues at its current, rapid pace, such situations may become commonplace. In that case, the ability to think critically, rather than a grasp of specific knowledge, will be the most important skill required for employees to perform their tasks effectively. What college programs need to do is focus more on preparing students not only for a specific career, but also to be efficient learners and versatile thinkers. Many universities, Brandeis included, have distribution requirements to ensure that students are exposed to varying subject matter. But what’s being done to ensure that students are versatile thinkers? Being a well-rounded thinker or somebody who can approach and efficiently solve a problem from multiple perspectives solve problems is invaluable for almost any job. Changes should be made to the college education system to complement the evolution in desired workplace skills. Teaching students to become multifaceted thinkers does not require a complete overhaul of the college education system or perhaps even a significant change in curriculum. While college courses do, generally speaking, require students to think critically, their goal should be for students to also be comfortable reasoning in multiple ways. Engineering students, for example, deal for the most part with specific, case-by-case problem solving in their classes. To become well-rounded thinkers would require that engineering students learn to think in terms of broader concepts as well. That way, if as part of a future job they are required to solve problems that require macro-level thinking, they will have prior experience. Similarly, students who choose classes that rely primarily on creative thinking lack exposure to more structured, logical thought. In my opinion, to make college students multifaceted thinkers requires changes on two levels. First there needs to be a reexamination of our university requirements. Brandeis’ distribution requirements are divided into five categories: foreign language, non-western and comparative studies, oral communication, quantitative reasoning and writing. While these categories help maintain the liberal arts quality of Brandeis’ education, it is important that either additional categories be introduced or the current ones modified to account for various types of thinking. Distribution requirements can become too suffocating if they severely restrict course choice, but this could be avoided by having individual classes fulfill multiple requirements. Course syllabi could be modified to incorporate different channels of thought. Under such a system, there would be more hybrid classes where the subject matter of the courses could be comprehended in different ways. Such hybrid classes aren’t unheard of: Social policy courses regularly require students to both analyze data and come up with creative solutions to problems. The same concept could be applied to courses that approach content in a particular way. For example, a chemistry class could include projects where students would have to devise original solutions to a given problem, therefore cultivating creative thinking. Not only would this make students better thinkers, but they would learn to approach a single subject from multiple angles. While not an immediate problem, the impending issue of people who are not trained for the jobs at hand should not be ignored. With many of the jobs in highest demand requiring a college education, graduates should be better prepared for rapidly changing job markets. This means they ought to be capable of thinking in different ways and adapting quickly to new concepts. Being able to approach problems from multiple perspectives would go beyond just helping students in their future careers. It may also be a valuable skill for everyday life.
OP-BOX Quote of the Week “Everything is a learning experience. I’m still trying to figure out how my body moves, the way I want it to move.” —Kaos Kids Vice President Jeralyn Hawes ’12 on how she dances (Arts, page 15)
Brandeis Talks Back What are your thoughts about the Occupy Wall Street protests?
Margaret Goldberg ’12 “Good luck with that.”
Barbara Stark ’12 “I think it’s really great to see young people being so socially conscious and aware. ”
Lucas Gelwarg ’13 “I don’t know as much about it as I should. I think what they’re doing is admirable.”
Clair Weatherby ’12 “I really like it, because no one protests in America anymore.” —Compiled by Rebecca Klein Photos by Tess Raser/ the Justice
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TUESDAY, October 4, 2011
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Reassess SAT system’s fairness and bias Leah
Smith In a Word
Applying to college during my senior year of high school was one of the most stressful times of my life. Rumors were flying about who was applying where, who had the best GPA and whose good side you should get on because they worked in the college counseling office and might sabotage your application. The whole school was a circus. To make matters worse, I had to worry about the SAT. Although I had done well on all of my Advanced Placement exams, my first SAT score was mediocre relative to the caliber of the schools I was applying to. I was in the top 25 percent of my high school class, and my extracurriculars were excellent, but I couldn’t get into the school of my dreams because I didn’t do well enough on the SAT. It was maddening. Luckily, my parents were able to get a tutor who helped me boost my score by 200 points the second time around, and ultimately I get into Brandeis. But where would I be without that tutor? I would have likely ended up at a state university in New York. I would still be getting a great education, but I doubt I would ever get over the bitterness of knowing that it was just one stupid test that prevented me from getting into my dream school. Now, four years out, I still feel a panicked tightening in my chest whenever I think about the SAT. So when I read about the alleged SAT cheating ring in Great Neck, N.Y., I was incredibly sympathetic toward the six students who were recently arrested for paying Sam Eshagoff upwards of $1,500 to take the test for them. Of course, I don’t condone the cheating, but I completely understand where these students were coming from and why they did it. If I had had the nerve to ask someone to take the test for me, the news story might have been me. And perhaps this so-called cheating ring is the wakeup call we need to seriously reevaluate the SAT system. The SAT was first introduced in 1926 in order to eliminate test bias between people from different socioeconomic backgrounds. In the first year the test was given, about 8,000 people took it, most of whom were from private schools and most of whom were applying to Smith College or Yale University. Today, well over two million students take the SAT every year, from public and private high schools alike, in order to get accepted into many different institutions.
SARA WEININGER/the Justice
The test was originally developed to eliminate socioeconomic test bias, but the test takers were largely homogenous. What does that mean for the SAT today, when students from almost every background imaginable are taking the exam? It’s hardly possible for there not to be test bias. I was able to do very well on the SAT the second time around, but I also went to one of the best public schools in New York City, and my parents were able to pay for a private tutor. Thus, my socioeconomic status gave me an unfair advantage over my counterparts at schools that were not as well funded. The SAT is supposed to be a baseline, a fair evaluator of intelligence that determines how prepared a student is to succeed in college. That should mean that any high school student could
walk in off the street, take the test and get a score that is an accurate reflection of his intelligence. Instead, students are spending months and hundreds of dollars preparing for the SAT because an average high school education isn’t good enough preparation anymore. And some individuals who don’t have the time and money to invest in SAT prep are suffering as a result. In his op-ed in The Huffington Post, Daniel Luzer, the author of Washington Monthly’s blog College Guide, explains that the falling scores on the SAT in recent years are not a reflection of a failing education system but rather a reflection of the College Board’s superior advertising skills. And he’s right. Rather than focusing on who is actually ready to take the SAT and go to college, the College Board, with help from
high schools, pushes everyone to take the test. And inevitably, many of those students will do poorly on it. But the falling SAT scores are also a reminder that the SAT is not a fair test. As more and more students take the test because they have to in order to get into college, more and more of those students will be from lower socioeconomic classes. They will come from underfunded schools, and they will not be able to afford private tutors. As a result, they will not be able to do as well on the test. The SAT system is designed for some students to fail for reasons that are out of their control. Standardized testing is no longer a viable or fair way to determine a student’s preparedness for college. It’s time for higher education to come up with something new.
Wall Street protests allow much-needed catharsis Liz
Posner but I digress
Across the country, Americans are rallying to express their growing frustration with their political leaders. Thanks to social media, they have gathered to protest in several major cities, most recently Boston. Young people in particular have made up the bulk of these protests, for obvious reasons. The stunted state of the economy has hit college-aged Americans hard, even if most of us do not hold full-time jobs or pay taxes. Middle-class family incomes are dwindling as layoffs spread and the basic cost of living in the U.S. is skyrocketing, making it even harder for most parents to pay for college. Over 20 percent of Americans live in poverty while colleges and universities continue to raise tuition—Brandeis included. Going to graduate school has become a “safe” option for those who can afford it—a place to wait it out until we think we can find work. Others give up career dreams and are forced to choose more secure options. We hear that law school has become obsolete, that
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decent law jobs barely exist anymore if you don’t have good connections. Professional work is increasingly outsourced to India and China, and the new federal healthcare plan may make the medical profession less enticing. As a result, young people feel angry and frustrated, and we may be more deserving of these feelings than our parents are because the burden of fixing these problems lies on us. Judging from recent media, it seems like these angry young people are channeling their frustration into constructive protests. Thousands of liberal Americans in their 20s have joined with older progressive generations to counter the kind of sweeping populist anger we have seen in the growth of the Tea Party. Former aide to President Barack Obama Van Jones made headlines last week when he spoke on MSNBC’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell and said that “October is going to be the turning point when it comes to the progressive fight back. You can see it coming.” In an article in the Sept. 30 issue of The Huffington Post, Jones praised the wave of protests that have spread in the past few weeks, beginning with Occupy Wall Street in New York. He wrote that “the hundreds of young people,” the “majority of whom are under 25 and have never before engaged in activism, … contain the spark to grow into a movement
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The opinions stated in the editorial(s) under the masthead on the opposing page represent the opinion of a majority of the voting members of the editorial board; all other articles, columns, comics and advertisements do not necessarily. For the Brandeis Talks Back feature on the opposite page, staff interview four randomly selected students each week and print only those four answers. The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. Operated, written, produced and published entirely by students, the Justice includes news, features, arts, opinion and sports articles of interest to approximately 3,200 undergraduates, 800 graduate students, 500 faculty and 1,000 administrative staff. In addition, the Justice is mailed weekly to paid subscribers and distributed throughout Waltham, Mass. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods. Advertising deadlines: All insertion orders and advertising copy must be received by the Justice no later than 5 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the date of publication. All advertising copy is subject to approval of the editor in chief and the managing and advertising editors. A publication schedule and rate card is available upon request. Subscription rate: $35 per semester, $55 per year.
that can be transformative. They are the first, small step in the creation of a movement that can restore American Democracy, and renew the American Dream.” Jones’ description of this progressive youth movement for change certainly seems to fit what I saw at Occupy Wall Street when I went to Zuccotti Park last weekend, where the protest has centered. In only a few weeks, Occupy Wall Street has already won a reputation as a mishmash of characters and causes. There certainly was something for everyone there— at least, every progressive liberal. While the rally began to promote transparency in the finance industry and protest corruption and the enormous wealth gap between rich and poor Americans that the greed of the Wall Street hegemony has come to symbolize, its meaning has diversified over the past few weeks. The protest as a whole was pretty overwhelming, but it was definitely cool to see this amount of diversity of opinion in one place. There is no one agenda or definitive goal, but that’s the way the protesters want it. They have been incorrectly criticized for their lack of organization, with some saying that this hurts their cause. But these critics are wrong. Even though the protests may have started to denounce corruption and the outrageous bonuses on Wall Street, this has ceased to be the main point. The spirit of the
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protest is now its mission. It lives for the sake of attracting more people and new causes. It has become a place where you can bring your pet project—environmental, political or conspiratorial—and ride on the energy of other young, angry people. Moreover, this kind of organization seems to fit the feelings of young Americans today. Our anger stems from many causes and is targeted at different sources, and this lack of a central figure to blame is the source of our frustration. We’re not foolish enough to simply blame the Tea Party, the Obama administration or Wall Street alone. These protests lay a large share of blame that is somehow more constructive than if it had been targeted at a few specific culprits, and because of this, they are starting to get the national attention these protesters want and deserve. We are sick of having limited options, watching federal education funding decline and stewing in a stalled economy while our leaders seem to care more about party politics and partisanship. Time will reveal how effective these protests will prove to be in bringing about tangible change through new legislation and change in government leadership, but in the mean time, grabbing a picket and sign and screaming about something—maybe anything is, I think, the kind of catharsis we need.
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Forum: Shafaq Hasan Sports: Adam Rabinowitz Staff Senior Writers: Josh Asen, Max Goldstein Senior Illustrator: Rishika Assomull News: Shani Abramowitz, Jonathan Epstein Features: Dave Benger, Claire Gohorel, Rachel Miller Forum: Aaron Fried, Philip Gallagher, Hannah Goldberg, Tien Le, Diego Medrano, Liz Posner, Sara Shahanaghi, Leah Smith, Elizabeth Stoker, Naomi Volk Sports: Julian Cardillo, Jacob Lurie, Adam Rabinowitz, Natalie Shushan Arts: Aaron Berke, Alex DeSilva, Leah Igdalsky, Olivia Leiter, Amy Melser, Leanne Ortbals, Louis Polisson, Mara Sassoon,
Dan Willey Photography: Amy Bisaillon, Jenny Cheng, Lydia Emmanouilidou, Morgan Fine, Nathaniel Freedman, Rachel Gordon, Hilary Heyison, Davida Judelson, Joshua Linton, Alex Margolis, Maya Shemtov, Josh Spiro, Diana Wang, David Yun, Janey Zitomer Copy: Aliza Braverman, Rebecca Brooks, Allyson Cartter, Hilary Cheney, Erica Cooperberg, Patricia Greene, Celine Hacobian, Rachel Herman, Liana Johnson, Lauren Katz, Eunice Ko, Felicia Kuperwaser, Tarini Nalwa, Mailinh Phan-Nguyen, Maya Riser-Kositsky, Mara Sassoon, Holly Spicer, Dan Willey, Amanda Winn Layout: Rachel Burkhoff, Nadav Havivi, Denny Poliferno, Michelle Yi Illustrations: Stacy Handler, Arielle Shorr, Ari Tretin, Sara Weininger
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TUESDAY, October 4, 2011
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THE JUSTICE
FORUM
What Irvine means for Deis protesters Rebecca BLADY
Maelström
Dore Gold, Noam Chomsky, Avi Dichter: ambassador, scholar, member of Parliament. Each came to Brandeis to share a new perspective on some element of Israeli politics or the Arab-Israeli conflict. However, none of these prominent figures left our campus unaffected by the spirit of several impassioned, opinionated members of the Brandeis student body. In the middle of all three of these lectures, we stood up. We were provocative. We carried signs. We dressed identically. We shouted. We? I’d certainly be curious to see the results if someone took the time to gather statistics of how many people actually attended these lectures and of that group, how many people actually chose to stand up and interrupt and how many people who did not choose to stand up actually felt affected by the protest. But, in reality, college campus protests serve another purpose. At Brandeis, where students and professors alike have torn the issue to pieces in classrooms, dorm rooms and public spaces, everyone knows that nobody will ever entirely agree. Nobody will give any “side” full credence; nobody will give up his or her personal attachments to any particular narrative, no matter how intense the dispute. So what is the point, then, if no one seems to be changing his or her mind? Making noise, of course. You knew that already. If you’ve been reading the pages of this newspaper over the past two years, you certainly know just how much disorder as few as 10 students can create. A semester can hardly pass without some group exploding on behalf of some larger cause. So why make a big deal now? Heard the news coming out of University of California lately? Just over a week ago, 10 students—seven from UC Irvine, three from UC Riverside— were found guilty of two misdemeanors, one for conspiring to interrupt Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren’s speech at UC Irvine in February 2010, and one for actually doing it. In my opinion, the fact that this case got the District Attorney’s attention merits some congratulations. These guys really did it. Forget the UC system, let’s talk about getting some national visibility. In this case, the Orange County D.A. found reasonable cause to criminally prosecute 10 students with more or less the same thought processes as every student at Brandeis who has ever risen in opposition to one or more of the prominent figures our university has agreed to host. Somehow, formal discipline and the temporary suspension of the Muslim Student Union didn’t seem like punishment enough to the California Supreme Court. These students were deemed to need more
MAX BREITSTEIN MATZA/Justice File Photo
PROTEST: In November 2009, members of Brandeis Students for Justice in Palestine stood up in silence, protesting a speech by former Ambassador Dore Gold. punishment and in turn, more visibility in the public realm. And now everybody knows about their outburst, because taking this case to the state level was the best possible thing to happen in this saga. The students’ affiliation with the MSU no longer matters. Now, the nation has zeroed in on the action itself, not the action’s affiliation. Individuals all over the country, on college campuses or not, are debating whether the right to free speech should side with Oren or with his dissenters. This seems like a much more worthful and less risky discussion than whether all Muslims in the UC system have an active vendetta against Israel. A significant group within the MSU may have organized and overseen the protest against Oren’s presentation, but the D.A. ensured that the specific students—and not the organization—received punishment, which helped everyone hold the proper individuals accountable. But Brandeis does not have the luxury of a solution to the problem of whom to hold ac-
countable. All those planning future uprisings against Arab-, Palestine- or Israel-related speakers, small or large, must bear this in mind. Inevitably, a significant popular outside Brandeis will hear about your protest, large or small, radical or silent—they will associate it with Brandeis as an institution, as they have in the past, because Brandeis has been handed a difficult legacy. While criticizing Israel is easy on the inside, the outside will always perceive even the slightest critical demonstration as a threat to some extent. At UC Irvine, the administration could blame the MSU; at Brandeis, however, with such a large Jewish student body already known to embrace controversy, the individual groups won’t matter. The reputation of Brandeis as a whole will sway with each protest. The difference is accountability. At Brandeis, if six students make enough noise, it is “we” who must understand the issues being contested. Unlike UC Irvine, and prob-
ably every other school in this country, we at Brandeis will come under scrutiny every time a divisive speaker arrives to present a perspective on Israel. And we need to handle this properly. Much of that responsibility will fall on those who intend to protest, but it also wouldn’t hurt the average student to read a little and learn about our legacy and why Israel often surfaces as such a big part of it. We may not have asked for it, but this controversy follows us as long as we call this campus home. Let’s face it. The California trial won’t deter active Brandeis students. And that’s a good thing—college is the place to exude passion and fight (within reasonable limits) for an issue. But Brandeis is unique. To those who protest, keep your demonstrations civil and informative. And to those who watch, don’t simply cast aside the ideas your peers set forth. Remember, no one intends to change your mind; they are simply making noise.
Oppose environmentally hazardous oil pipeline By Lisa Purdy Special to the justice
You may have heard of the Keystone XL pipeline, a project proposed by TransCanada to extend an oil pipeline from Alberta, Canada through the American Midwest, ending in Houston. TransCanada is currently seeking the zoning authority to build the pipeline. Those who support the pipeline give two main reasons for their support: The pipeline would create jobs during its construction, and if we buy our oil from a country like Canada, which is friendly to the United States, the partnership provides greater national security than purchasing oil from a country such as Saudi Arabia. As far as the first reason is concerned, the clamor for construction jobs is a shortsighted one. The benefits from building the infrastructure for this project can only last so long, and then those same men and women will again be without a job, as the pipeline does not have any sustainable employment. Additionally, should proper training be provided, those same people could easily be the construction workers on building the much-needed infrastructure for clean energy. Retrofitting old homes by sealing leaks and adding insulation, constructing windmills, installing solar panels, even demarcating bike lanes—all of these require labor. Considering the intense energy demand in the United States, these projects would provide many jobs
just as well. On another economic front, let’s talk disaster relief. A year after 843,000 gallons of tar sands spilled in Marshall, Mich., a full 35 miles of the Kalamazoo River are still closed off. The initial project cleanup was estimated at $585 million, but it’s expected to increase by 20 percent. That’s a lot of stress on a frail economy. Logically, why would we want to build a pipeline that can increase the risk for more spills? The second reason, in favor of greater national security, is seemingly sound. However, the argument that we might as well just get oil from Canada relies completely on the status quo of our energy economy. The epitome of thinking inside the box is not knowing that you are even in a box. Before we start planning how we can get more oil, shouldn’t we stop and ask if getting more oil is actually the best option? There are so many opportunities in green jobs—beyond just construction— that are waiting to be subsidized as widely as fossil fuel industries have been. There are careers in developing better batteries, improving commuter bicycle feasibility and advising people on how to make their homes more energy efficient, just to name a few. To say that the United States should buy its oil from Canada closes the door on the conversation about new industries. Aside from the tangible concerns noted above, there are some environmental risks to consider. For starters, this oil pipeline is not carrying your average barrel of oil. Keystone
XL will carry unconventional oil, called “tar sands,” which are extracted from oil-rich sands in a costly process. The first issue I have with this is that burning these tar sands emits more greenhouse gases than extracting conventional oil. Secondly, there are the aquifers. Aquifers are massive underground wells; the ones that the proposed pipeline’s path cuts through provide fresh-water for two million Americans. I don’t think the utter injustice of consciously endangering a person’s access to fresh water can be overstated. Thirdly, not only are these tar sands worse for the environment than conventional oil when burned, but cleaning them up after a spill is tougher as well. The icing on the cake is that the State Department reviewed the plan and decided that there would be minimal environmental damage if TransCanada follows strict regulations. Right, because unexpected spills never happen. Now, this might not come as a surprise, but I’ve been called an “environmentalist” before, typically by “non-environmentalists.” Why create such a divide? Do you mean to tell me that there are people out there who don’t live on the planet? The earth is our environment, and it belongs to everyone, whether they use a reusable mug or not. Some would argue that “environmental idealists” are trying to stop progress by opposing fossil fuels like the tar sands. Quite the opposite. We as a species have been using fossil fu-
els for a while now. I’m using them right now to write this article, so I cannot ignore their presence or the very real demand for them that exists. However, there are alternatives. Realizing that the future lies in renewable energy (that doesn’t kill people)—that is progress. If alternative energy had as much support as Big Oil and King Coal, we’d be swimming in solar panels. As I mentioned at the outset, this pipeline has gotten a lot of attention. This is largely due to President Barack Obama’s ability to veto the pipeline completely—a decision he will make before the end of this year. Protesters of the pipeline, from all walks of life, gathered in Washington, D.C. from the end of August to the beginning of September. Over a two-week period of organized civil disobedience, 1,253 people were arrested. Ottawa, Canada saw similar civil protests on Sept. 26. Public figures making a stand against the pipeline included nine Nobel Peace laureates, head of NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies James Hansen and the Dalai Lama. We have an unalienable right, and a patriotic duty, to hold our government responsible for things we find unjust. Hold your government responsible: Educate yourself and get involved. Hold yourself responsible, too—consume less energy so that the national energy demand, and TransCanada’s subsequent sway, is decreased. Editor’s note: The writer is a Brandeis Sustainability Fund Representative.
THE JUSTICE
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011
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SPORTS VOLLEYBALL
CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE
Team falls at the UAA tourney ■ The volleyball team extended its losing streak to eight games at the UAA round robin last weekend. By ADAM RABINOWITZ and JACOB MOSKOWITZ JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT AND CONTRIBUTING WRITER
JOSH HOROWITZ/the Justice
IN A PICKLE: Women’s soccer forward Hilary Andrews ’14 takes on two Wellesley College defenders during the Judges’ 2-0 victory over the Blue at home last Tuesday night.
WSOCCER: Judges split two games CONTINUED FROM 12 the game quicker; not force play but play smart, making better choices with the ball.” The Judges started off the week last Tuesday with a 2-0 victory over Wellesley on its home field. The Judges outshot the Blue 24-11, with 15 of those shots on goal. Kofinas made four saves to earn her first shutout of the season. The Judges broke through early in the game with a goal in the 10th minute. Coming off a corner kick,
forward Madeline Stein ’14 nailed a shot right at the Wellesley goalie, who was able to make the initial save. However, senior back Ali Maresca ’12 was able to slam the rebound right in the net at the 9:50 mark, putting the Judges up 1-0 with her second goal of the season. Brandeis made a statement early in the second half, tacking on another goal. Forward Sapir Edalati ’15 broke out on the left side of the field and played the ball through
MSOCCER: Men go 2-1 on week CONTINUED FROM 12 “Rochester is a very, very good team,” added coach Mike Coven. “They’re probably going to be top20 nationally ranked by the end of the season. It was a bittersweet game.” Last Wednesday afternoon, the Judges traveled to New Hampshire to face Colby-Sawyer. Though Brandeis outshot the host Chargers 12-5 in the first half, the seemingly elusive goal didn’t arrive until there was 16:20 left. Forward Tyler Savonen ’15 fed midfielder Theo Terris ’12, who buried his effort to break the deadlock. Savonen added a goal of his own less than five minutes later, notching an unassisted tally. Forward Tudor Livadru ’14 and strike partner Alex Farr ’12 killed the game off with strikes in the 84th minute. The two goals came a mere 40 seconds apart, capping the team’s 4-0 win. One day earlier, the Judges hosted Wentworth in a non-conference battle. Only 27 minutes into the
match, the Judges were awarded an indirect free kick inside the penalty box after junior goalie John Longo illegally picked up a pass back to the keeper. Ocel tapped the ball to Terris, who nailed it home for the opening goal. Terris, whom Russo said “really helps control the midfield,” would turn from beneficiary to benefactor in the second half as he set up Ocel in the 56th minute. Ocel then added an assist of his own, directing a pass to forward Kyle Feather ’14 three minutes later, who then put the game to bed. Farr would add an insurance goal with seven minutes left, finishing a feed from Savonen that resulted in the 4-0 decision. The Judges will next look to end their 13-year long losing streak against Wheaton College when they travel to face the Lyons Wednesday at 4 p.m. They travel to Case Western Reserve University on Sunday for their second UAA match of the young season.
the box to midfielder Alanna Torre ’12. Torre fired the ball home for her first goal of the season, giving the Judges an extra goal to put the match away at 2-0. Edalati notched her team-leading fifth point of the season. Dallamora felt that the team was more aggressive on offense and made fewer mistakes on the defensive side of the ball, things the Judges failed to do against Rochester. “Against Wellesley, we started to
mount an attack, getting good possessions and combinations to move forward,” she said. “We also played a little better defense—utilizing pressure and cover more efficiently, and we did not get punished for our mistakes.” The Judges head on the road this week, first taking on Babson College this Thursday at 4:00 p.m. They will then travel to Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday for a match against UAA rival Case Western Reserve University at 11 a.m.
TENNIS: Squad posts solid results at the ITA Tournament CONTINUED FROM 12
singles play and matched up against Wellesley College freshman Melissa Clark. Bernstein was able to easily advance, posting 6-2 victories in both sets. “I just went out there and started off being very consistent, hitting the ball deep,” Bernstein said of the match. “And that worked very well because it was very windy. Then they moved that match over to the high school, and the wind came up, and the ball started carrying a lot more. I started hitting the ball deep, and she started missing, so I just stuck to that game plan since it was working.” Bernstein was then knocked out in the next round by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology sophomore Lauren Quisenberry 6-2, 6-2. Roberta Bergstein ’14 won her opening match against Nichols College freshman Lindsay Benoit, 7-6(4), 5-7 and 7-6(4) but then fell to Williams College sophomore Kathleen Elkins 6-3, 6-0.
Overall, Bernstein was optimistic that the team’s performance would allow for a greater representation of Judges at the ITA Tournament in the future and set the tone for the rest of the season. “Gaining acceptance into the ITA Tournament depends on seating and rankings as a team,” she said. “Williams and Amherst are very high up, and they go to the NCAA tournament every year, so they have five or six players in the singles draw, while we only had three in this year.” “Hopefully, [the wins] are just the start to our season, and we’ll win more matches,” she added. [The team] is a little more offensive and has a strong second serve. We just need to be offensive and play our game when we go out there. … We’ve got to fight hard.” The women’s tennis squad next plays this weekend at the Middlebury Doubles Tournament. The men’s squad will play at the Wallach Invitational at Bates this weekend as well.
After starting the season off strong, the volleyball squad has faltered lately, falling below .500 for the first time this season. Last weekend, it was a similar story, as the Judges were swept by both New York University and Washington University in St. Louis last Saturday before falling to Carnegie Mellon University 3-1 last Sunday at the University Athletic Association round-robin tournament. After failing to notch a set last Saturday, Brandeis, now 7-10 on the season, ended the weekend with a loss to the Carnegie Mellon Tartans by scores of 25-15, 23-25, 25-12 and 25-20. The Judges fell quickly in the first set, but in the second set, they regrouped and took the Tartans to the brink before pulling out with a 25-23 win. However, Carnegie Mellon blew out the Judges in the third set before winning a tightly fought fourth set to clinch the match. “Carnegie Mellon [is] a very good team,” setter Yael Einhorn ’14 said. “We played our best in the last set, and if we had played like that the entire game, we would have been able to win.” “We were able to match our offense and our defense with the team across the net, which we hadn’t been able to do before,” middle blocker Becca Fischer ’13 added. “There was a lot more talking on the court during the Carnegie game than versus WashU and NYU. And we were finally able to put everything together and make the offense work.” Outside hitter Liz Hood ’15 nailed a team-leading 15 kills while outside hitter Si-Si Hensley ’14 chipped in 11 kills along with 12 digs. Libero Elsie Bernaiche ’15 notched 15 digs and Einhorn had 29 assists. In the second match of the round robin last Saturday, the Judges fell to the nationally ranked No. 2 WashU 25-12, 25-12 and 25-19. The Judges struggled offensively, recording just 15 kills against 13 errors in 89 attempts. Hood had six kills while Hensley chipped in with four of her own. Bernaiche led the team with 12 digs, and Fischer added two solo blocks. The Judges kicked off the tournament with a tough loss to NYU. It was a close affair in the first two sets, as Brandeis matched the Violets point-for-point before dropping both sets, 25-22 and 25-20. NYU quickly pulled away in the final set, notching a 25-13 victory to seal the match. Despite losing all three of its matches, Fischer said that the tournament was an important test for the team and will help them in the long run. “This weekend gave us an opportunity to see what we’ll be facing in the upcoming weeks, at our next round robin and at the UAA Championships,” she said. “It took us two matches to get our bearings, but when we played Carnegie, we finally started playing at the pace that we need to be playing in order to compete with the UAA schools.” Einhorn agreed, adding that team morale was still high despite the recent slump. “We are all having a lot of fun playing together regardless of what the scores show,” she said. “Since we are a young team, it’s really great that we are all bonding so well and so quickly.” The Judges’ next play a non-conference match Thursday at 7 p.m. at Emerson College. —Jeffrey Boxer contributed reporting.
Waltham Group Blood Drive Where: Sherman Function Hall When: TODAY, Tuesday, Oct. 4 to Thursday, Oct. 6 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sign up online: www.redcrossblood.org (sponsor code 965) When you donate: • Bring your ID • Don’t forget to drink lots of water and eat iron-rich foods • Not interested in donating but want to help out? Let us know and you can volunteer!
Questions? Contact Jess at jessf13@brandeis.edu.
THE JUSTICE
jUDGES BY THE NUMBERS Men’s Soccer UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS Goals
Not including Monday’s games UAA Conference Overall W L D W L D Pct. WashU 1 0 0 9 1 0 .900 NYU 1 0 0 5 3 1 .611 Emory 1 0 0 5 4 0 .556 JUDGES 0 0 1 6 2 1 .722 Rochester 0 0 1 6 2 1 .722 Case 0 1 0 7 3 0 .700 Chicago 0 1 0 5 2 2 .667 Carnegie 0 1 0 4 4 1 .500
Lee Russo ’13 leads the team in goals so far this year with 5. Player Goals Lee Russo 5 Kyle Feather 4 Theo Terris 4 two tied with 3
Assists
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TUESDAY, october 4, 2011
11
ATHLETE OF THE MONTH
Minchoff a force in net to start the year
Steve Keuchkarian ’12 and Tyler Savonen ’15 lead in assists. Player Assists Steve Keuchkarian 4 Tyler Savonen 4 Sam Ocel 3 Theo Terris 3
UPCOMING GAMES Wednesday at Wheaton; Sunday at Case Western; Friday, Oct. 14 vs. Chicago
WOMen’s Soccer UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS
Not including Monday’s games
Points
UAA Conference W L D W L WashU 1 0 0 10 1 Case 1 0 0 7 1 Rochester 1 0 0 6 2 Emory 0 0 1 8 0 Chicago 0 0 1 5 3 NYU 0 1 0 7 3 Carnegie 0 1 0 6 4 JUDGES 0 1 0 4 6
Sapir Edalati ’15 leads the team in points so far with five. Player Pts Sapir Edalati 5 Allison Maresca 4 Mary Shimko 4 four tied with 3
Overall D Pct. 0 .909 2 .800 0 .750 2 .900 1 .611 1 .700 0 .600 0 .400
UPCOMING GAMES Thursday at Babson; Sunday at Case Western; Friday, Oct. 14 vs. Chicago
Shots Alanna Torre ’12 leads the team in shots taken with 39. Player Shots Alanna Torre 39 Mimi Theodore 20 Hilary Andrews 19 Sapir Edalati 18
VOLLEYBALL UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS Kills
Not including Monday’s games UAA Conference Overall W L W L Pct. WashU 3 0 17 0 1.000 Emory 3 0 20 1 .952 Chicago 2 1 18 2 .900 Carnegie 2 1 12 7 .632 Case 1 2 12 6 .667 NYU 1 2 13 8 .619 Rochester 0 3 12 9 .571 JUDGES 0 3 7 10 .415
UPCOMING GAMES Thursday at Emerson; UAA Round Robin at Rochester; Saturday vs. Chicago and Case
Liz Hood ’15 leads the team in kills so far this year with 189. Player Kills Liz Hood 189 Si-Si Hensley 113 Becca Fischer 84 Lauren Berens 72
Digs Elsie Bernaiche ’15 leads the team in digs this year with 262. Player Digs Elsie Bernaiche 262 Susan Sun 109 Si-Si Hensley 108 Yael Einhorn 92
cross cOuntry Results from Sept. 17 meet at UMass-Dartmouth
TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)
TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)
RUNNER TIME Chris Brown 24:56.74 Marc Boutin 25:11.99 Taylor Dundas 25:19.73 Alex Kramer 25:43.70
RUNNER TIME Kate Warwick 17:58.39 Amelia Lundkvist 19:20.58 Miriam Stulin 19:23.45 Victoria Sanford 19:44.04
UPCOMING EVENTS Saturday, Oct. 8 at the Open New England Championships at Franklin Park; Saturday, Oct. 15 at the University of Albany Invitational
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY YOSEF SCHAFFEL
BRICK WALL: Goalie Blake Minchoff ’13 has allowed just four goals in nine games, helping the Judges notch a 6-2-1 record.
■ Blake Minchoff ’13 has
had a solid beginning to his first season as a starter for the men’s soccer team. By max goldstein JUSTICE senior WRITER
Goalie Blake Minchoff ’13 has led the Brandeis men’s soccer team to a stellar 6-2-1 record with impressive shutouts in six of the Judges’ first nine games. Minchoff is in his first season as a starter and feels that he has improved with every game. “Experience is very important as a goalkeeper, and I feel like I am getting better with every game. The key to getting better for myself and my team is staying focused,” said Minchoff. In his first year starting in the net, Minchoff has allowed just four goals in nine games. Minchoff, however, was arguably most impressive in his first -ever University Athletic Association game against the University
of Rochester. “I am most proud of the game versus Rochester this past Saturday,” Minchoff explained. “It was my first UAA game as a starter and we were able to get a tie against one of the country’s perennial powerhouses.” The Judges fought Rochester to a 1-1 tie, with Minchoff recording seven saves in a heartbreaking overtime loss. Minchoff was selected as the UAA Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending on Sept. 20, when he had the best goals against average in the conference. Minchoff, however, attributed much of his recent form to his teammates, especially those on the defensive side of the field. “The defense does a great job of keeping the ball away from me and making my job pretty easy,” he explained. “One of the most important parts of being a goalkeeper that people do not realize is communication. By communicating with my defense, I limit the amount of saves that I need
to make, which is really helping our team succeed this year.” Minchoff understood he would step in as starting goalie this season and believes that his hard training over the summer to prepare for his role has gone a long way so far this season. “I think my game management and communication are something that I worked on a lot this summer. I played on two different teams this summer and trained a lot with one of the best goalie trainers in the area,” he said. As an upperclassman and team leader, Minchoff has taken it upon himself to lead by example. “I look to motivate my teammates by being focused and hardworking at practice,” he said. “It’s all about helping each other reach their individual potential so the team performs to its potential. If someone is slacking in practice, you have to find a way to motivate them. I would expect any of my teammates to do the same for me.”
boston BRUINS beat Bruins preview: With a target on their backs, the Bruins look to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions Cold nights. Colored trees. Shorter days. While each is rightly a depiction that fall is coming, they all also signal the arrival of something else: the start of the National Hockey League season. On the back of a thrilling ride to their first Stanley Cup triumph in 39 years, fans of the Boston Bruins will be optimistic entering this season. While supporters said goodbye to retired right winger Mark Recchi, whose reliability will be missed, the Bs return the core of their championship squad. Offensively, the Bruins have a potent and varied attack. Having scored 246 goals last season, the team has proved that they can light the lamp. Despite some criticism that the team lacks a true frontman—with co-leading scorers Milan Lucic and David Krecji only having 62 points apiece—fans
should not be concerned, as right wing Nathan Horton and center Patrice Bergeron can score as well. Add in 19-year-old forward Tyler Seguin, who came on during the playoffs last year with three goals and four assists, and Boston combines potential with an already established offensive corps. Boston’s prowess in front of net, which ranked second in the league last year, wouldn’t have been possible without a solid rearguard. Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg are two defenders who will send shivers down the spine of even the most composed forwards. Johnny Boychuk and Andrew Ference are more-than-capable back-liners in their own right, as well. And while the aforementioned players are certainly integral to the team’s watertight defense, it would be remiss to forget about goalkeeper Tim Thom-
as. The 37-year-old goalie broke the NHL record for save percentages last season, stopping 93.81 percent of the shots he faced in the regular season while blocking 94 percent in the postseason. Needless to say, Boston’s backline is both fearsome and effective. Of course the team’s quest to defend its Stanley Cup won’t come easily. Bitter rival Montreal pushed Boston to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, with the Canadiens losing to an overtime strike from Horton. However, Montreal’s second-leading scorer, leftwing Mike Cammalleri, is ever-dangerous, especially against the Bs, racking up three goals and seven assists during his team’s playoff series against Boston. Regardless of their early dismissal, the rivalry is as strong as ever. Don’t count out the Canadiens; they’ll be back with a vengeance.
In addition to the hated foes from the north, there is another rival who could dent the Bs’ Cup hopes: the Philadelphia Flyers. The Bruins also enjoyed postseason success against the men from the City of Brotherly Love, dismissing the Flyers in four games in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. Despite the humiliation at the hands of its enemies, Philadelphia had a strong regular season last year, largely thanks to rightwing Claude Giroux, who amassed 88 points, 12 of which came in the playoffs. As the 23-year-old Giroux continues to adjust to the NHL, fans should watch out. He’s done a lot already, and he’ll do whatever he can to help derail Boston’s title defense. The Buffalo Sabres finished third in the Northeast Division standings, and possess a capable scorer in leftwing Thomas Vanek, who scored 78
points last season. Defenseman Tyler Myers also proved himself as a veritable offensive contributor, racking up 10 goals and 27 assists. After winning the Stanley Cup, the Bruins will have a target on their back. The Canadiens will be back for revenge. The Flyers will want some, too, as will the Canucks. And don’t forget about the Sabres, who have been playing the role of dark horse all too well, as well as the Tampa Bay Lightning, who the Bruins faced in the conference finals. Though questions are already being raised in regard to Boston’s ability to win backto-back championships, only time will tell if the Bruins have what it takes. Buckle up; it’s going to be an icy ride. It all starts this Thursday, when the Bruins will take on the Flyers.
—Henry Loughlin
just
Sports
Page 12
CLEAN SHEETS Goalie Blake Minchoff ’13 has had six shutouts so far in his first year as a starter on the men’s soccer team, p. 11.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Waltham, Mass.
FAST BREAK
Judges fall in UAA opener ■ The women’s soccer team defeated Wellesley 2-0 before falling to Rochester at home. By ADAM RABINOWITZ JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
The women’s soccer team rebounded from its double-overtime defeat against Lasell College on Sept. 22 with a 2-0 win over Wellesley College last Tuesday. However, the Judges could not build upon this momentum last Saturday, losing 2-0 to the University of Rochester in the team’s first University Athletic Association match of the season, leaving the team with a 4-6 record on the season. Entering last Saturday, the team was on a mission to even its record at .500 after the victory over Wellesley. Despite notching 13 shots overall, the Judges could not find the net and the defense eventually collapsed, coughing up two second-half scores. The YellowJackets played lock-down defense throughout the match and were able to put the game away 2-0. Both teams started out strongly on defense, with each team allowing only one shot on goal, making for a very low-key start to the match. At the start of the second half, the Judges began to slowly unravel. After allowing one shot on goal for the entire first half, the YellowJackets fired off two shots in the opening minutes of the second half at Brandeis goaltender Francine Kofinas ’13, who was able to deflect both. But Rochester finally broke through in the 54th minute for the first goal of the match and the eventual game-winner. Junior forward Rachel Wesley sent a cross through the box, which senior forward Ellen Coleman slammed into the top right corner to give the YellowJackets a 1-0 lead. Rochester added an insurance goal 10 minutes later. Coleman, seeing senior midfielder Elizabeth Martens in the right corner of the box, fired a ball across the field. Martens was then able to relay a tough shot just under of the crossbar and past the outstretched hands of goalie Michelle Savuto ’15 to increase the lead. The Judges had some scoring opportunities to climb back into the game with a few corner kicks and near-misses, but ultimately could not get on the scoreboard against Rochester. Coach Denise Dallamora was proud of the team’s effort, but pointed out the team needs to be more consistent on the attack and make sound decisions in the game. “We need to go hard to the ball and play a little more physical,” she said. “Also, we should read
See WSOCCER, 9 ☛
JENNY CHENG/the Justice
SHOOTING FOR THE GOAL: Midfielder Theo Terris ’12 breaks past Wentworth Institute of Technology defenders, racing down the field for a scoring opportunity on Sept. 27.
Squad notches tie vs Rochester ■ The men’s soccer team
earned two 4-0 wins before earning a draw in its UAA opener against Rochester. By henry loughlin JUSTICE contributing writer
After scoring just five minutes into the second half against the University of Rochester last Saturday, men’s soccer forward Lee Russo ’13 seemed to have put the Judges ahead for good in the team’s first University Athletic Association contest of the year.
Even though the junior striker had seemingly written a nice ending to the game, his team’s opponents had other ideas. Just four minutes, 19 seconds after Russo’s go-ahead tally, YellowJacket freshman forward Alex Swanger knotted things up with a goal. Despite plenty of chances the rest of the way, the Judges failed to break through for the remainder of the match, as Rochester held Brandeis, who earlier in the week defeated ColbySawyer College and the Wentworth Institute of Technology by identical 4-0 margins, to a 1-1 draw. The team is now 6-2-1 on the year. Despite early pressure from
Rochester, it was Brandeis who almost took the lead at the 15-minute mark, as striker Sam Ocel ’13 nailed the crossbar with a left-footed strike following a corner. Though the Judges would have a couple more opportunities to get on the board toward the end of the half, the teams went into the break at a 0-0 stalemate. With 50:17 gone, Brandeis grabbed the upper hand. As forward Steve Keuchkarian ’12 sprinted down the right flank, Russo moved into the middle of the field. Keuchkarian sent a cross from the byline, which Russo buried to give the Judges a 1-0 advantage.
However, the Judges’ lead would not last for long. Rochester senior midfielder Josh Richards sent a cross in to the waiting Swanger, who made no mistake in sending the ball home. Though the YellowJackets outshot their hosts 17-13 for the rest of the match, they were unable to notch the game-winner, as the match ended in a 1-1 tie. “If you had told me before the season that we’d tie Rochester and be 6-2, I would have been okay with that,” Russo said. “Obviously, we would’ve liked to have won, but no complaints.”
See MSOCCER, 9 ☛
TENNIS
Women advance past the first round at ITAs ■ The women’s tennis team
had a solid weekend at the ITA New England Regionals last weekend at Bates. By JACOB LURIE JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Last weekend, the women’s tennis team excelled at the 2011 Intercollegiate Tennis Association New England Regionals held at Bates College, advancing to the second round in both the singles and doubles brackets. “I thought we played really well,”
Nina Levine ’12 said of the team’s performance. “This was my first year going, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. It was everyone’s first year going, and we didn’t let everyone’s names and rankings intimidate [us] at all. We played to win.” “We all won our first-round matches, which was a very good start for us,” Allyson Bernstein ’14 added. “We don’t always get a bunch of players in the ITA Tournament, so hopefully next year we’ll be able to get some more singles and doubles teams into that tournament.” Levine and Carly Cooke ’15,
Brandeis’ only qualifying doubles team, opened against a duo from Wesleyan University, sophomore Grace Smith and freshman Lauren Jacobs. Taking the match to extra points, the Judges were able to put away their opponents 9-7, advancing to the next round. In their second match, Levine and Cooke were paired up against Middlebury College freshman LokSze Leung and senior Sally Wilkey. Levine and Cooke put up a solid fight but eventually lost the match 8-4. Leung and Wilkey, meanwhile, advanced to the semifinals, where they lost to the No. 2 seed, which featured Amherst College sopho-
more Jordan Brewer and senior Laura Danzig. In the singles bracket, Brandeis was able to advance all three of its players past the initial round. Cooke started off play with a match against Bowdoin College freshman Emma Chow. After pulling out a close 7-5 win in the first set, Cooke was able to pull away from Chow in the second set, taking it by a score of 6-1. However, she could not carry this momentum over into the next round, losing against Brewer, the No. 1 seed, by margins of 6-3, 6-1. Bernstein also participated in
See TENNIS, 9 ☛
just
ARTS
October 4, 2011
plays Four f e ree jazz k s e i N Bob p. 15
Photos: Joshua Linton/the Justice. Design: Robyn Spector/the Justice.
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TUESDAY, October 4, 2011 ● THE JUSTICE
POP CULTURE
INSIDE ON CAMPUS
15-16
■ “Music by Chants”
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The Bob Nieske quartet performed jazz standards, free jazz improv and original tunes last week at the Slosberg Recital Hall.
■ Boris’ Kitchen preview
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■ DesiFest
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On Thursday, sketch comedy group Boris’ Kitchen will perform its annual “Old Sh*t Show” at the Alumni Lounge.
The South Asian Student Association hosted its biannual festival with traditional music, ethnic snacks, henna and cricket.
OFF CAMPUS
17-19
■ ‘Porgy & Bess’ review
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Diane Paulus’ take on the classic American folk opera has been the talk of the town for quite a while. JustArts delivers the final verdict on the theater adaptation.
■ tUnE-YarDs concert
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Merrill Garbus, mastermind of the electronic music project, played a wild set at the Paradise Rock Club last weekend.
■ ‘50/50’ review
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■ Lake Street Dive
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The new “cancer comedy” starring Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a rare example of how humor can help us cope with the most difficult events in our lives.
The feeling of hearing Lake Street Dive play at Club Passim last week was much like seeing Santa on your doorstep on Christmas Eve—pure, unexpected bliss.
CALENDAR
Interview
Kaos Kids share memories, skills
by Shelly Shore
Two weeks ago, 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer killed himself in Buffalo, N.Y. after months of torment and bullying. And yet, even after his suicide, Rodemeyer is still being bullied: In an exclusive interview with Ann Curry, Rodemeyer’s parents reported that his sister, who attended a dance the week following Jamey’s funeral, witnessed something awful when a song by Lady Gaga, Jamey’s favorite artist, began to play. “She was having a great time, and all of a sudden a Lady Gaga song came on, and they all started chanting for Jamey, all of his friends,’’ Rodemeyer’s mother, Tracy, told Curry.“Then the bullies that put him into this situation started chanting, ‘You’re better off dead!’ and ‘We’re glad you’re dead!’ and things like that.” These are high school students. It’s one thing for bullying to take place in middle and elementary school. At those ages, you can argue that kids don’t yet really know the difference between right and wrong (which isn’t true, by the way, but let a psychologist argue that point, not a pop culture article). But in high school, there is no excuse for bullying of this extent to be accepted. But who do we punish? The kids who do the bullying? The teachers and administrators who fail to respond? The parents who don’t teach their children to be kind—or worse, who teach their children to hate? Celebrities are crying out against bullying. When Rodemeyer dedicated his last tweet and Tumblr post to Lady Gaga, Lady Gaga took to the Web to protest the daily horror that kids like Rodemeyer see every day. “Bullying must become illegal,” she said on Twitter. “It is a hate crime.” There’s no doubt that in Rodemeyer’s case, the bullying was motivated by hate over Rodemeyer’s gay identity. But where do we draw the line between “hate crime,” “teasing” and “bullying”? I was a dorky Jewish kid in elementary school. I got made fun of, but so did
Members Samantha Cortez ’13 and Jeralyn Hawes ’12 coordinate performances, choreograph moves and teach open classes with the Kids.
PHOTO COURTESY OF INTERSCOPE RECORDS
LADY ALLY: Lady Gaga protested Rodemeyer’s suicide by tweeting, “Bullying must become illegal.”
everyone else. No one is exempt from being teased about something, but not everyone is bullied. I know that this isn’t my usual light-hearted column, and hopefully next week someone from Glee will do something ridiculous and put us back on track, but as someone with the opportunity to reach people, I urge my readers: If you know someone who is being bullied—or someone who bullies—reach out to them. Offer your support; you might save a life. National Coming Out Day is just around the corner, on October 11th. Are you prepared to be an ally?
What’s happening in Arts on and off campus
ON-CAMPUS EVENTS Jane’s Grant presentations
Ieva Jusionyte and MaryCate Brower, two Anthropology graduate students, will give presentations on their fieldwork, which focuses on cultural practices and taboos in South America. Wednesday from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Brown Social Science Center Room 224.
Starving Artists semester debut
Starving Artists, a staple a cappella group at Brandeis, will be singing their hearts out for their semester debut at this coffeehouse. Part of the excitement of these coffeehouses comes from seeing the new members of the group. After all, first-years are the future of Brandeis, are they not? Leila Pascual ’15, Elan Wong ’15 and Marlee Rosenthal ’14 will show off their warbling in what will likely be a packed venue. Wednesday from 11:30 p.m. to midnight in the South Campus Commons.
Boris’ Kitchen’s “Old Sh*t Show”
Boris’ Kitchen, Brandeis’ only sketch-comedy troupe, will put on its annual “Old Sh*t Show,” a compilation of sketches from the group’s 25-year history. New members will perform for the first time. Thursday from 8 to 9:30 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge of the Usdan Student Center.
BINGO!
Student Events presents this monthly event, featuring free food and fun prizes. Come join your friends and play the game your grandparents love. Thursday from 10 p.m. to midnight at Ollie’s Eatery in the Hassenfeld Conference Center.
Cake decorating
Try your hand at this Top Chef-style activity. You can make your cake and eat it too. Sponsored by the Department of Student Activities. Friday from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Attrium.
Jenin Freedom Theater performance
Jenin Refugee Camp, located in the West Bank, is the site of the only venue for professional theater in the territory. Brandeis Students for Justice in Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace and the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life bring this important group to campus. Tuesday, Oct. 11 from 7 to 10:30 p.m. in the Mandel Center Atrium.
BAASA presents Epic Ramen Time
Ramen, a staple of college life, is no plebeian’s dish. Nay, just like any form of Asianinfluenced cuisine, ramen can be as sophisticated as they can be. So throw away those cheap convenience store instant noodle packages and dine instead on gourmet offerings of noodles, vegetables and chicken broth. The cook-off will be held in an Iron-Chef style where people compete to produce the
LIZA VOLL/Company One
FUSED BY BLOOD: From left: Johnnie McQuarley, Miranda Craigwell and Chris Leon star in “The Brother/Sister Plays,” a series of riveting family dramas written by Tarell Alvin McCraney and presented by Company One. best-tasting and best-looking ramen. After the sign-ups, contestants will be put into teams and will have to work together to create a team name as well as to send the judges a list of ingredients before the cooking begins. Students will have an opportunity to be judges. The winning team will receive T-shirts as well as coupons to cut in line at the Brandeis Asian American Students Association’s future free food events. Oct. 14 at the Intercultural Center Swig Lounge. For contest entries and more information, please email baasa1112@gmail.com.
OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’
Wheelock Family Theater celebrates The Phantom Tollbooth’s 50th anniversary by putting on a musical adaptation of the classic children’s novel. Protagonist Milo journeys through the Kingdom of Wisdom searching for the Princesses of Rhyme and Reason. Running Friday, Oct. 22 to Friday, Nov. 4 at Wheelock College’s Wheelock Family Theater, located at 180 Riverway, Boston.
before going their separate ways for ten years. When the three reconvened in their hometown in 2000, the combination of their eccentric beats and melodious improvisations produced what The New York Times called one of the top releases in 2001. The Bad Plus’ two day stay at the Regattabar will feature pieces from its recent albums, including 2009’s For All I Care and 2010’s NEVER STOP. Oct. 27 and 28 at the Regattabar, located in the Charles Hotel in Cambridge.
Company One’s “The Brother/Sister Plays”
Tarell Alvin McCraney wrote “The Brother/Sister Plays,” three modern-day works about discovering love and life through the closest members of one’s family. In Red and Brown Water, The Brothers Size and Marcus; Or the Secret of Sweet are gritty and lyric, urban and mythical. One of the most startling new American theatrical voices of the 21st century, McCraney redefines the boundaries of language, form, race and sexuality. Oct. 28 to Dec. 3 at 539 Tremont St. in Boston. For ticketing information and a full schedule, visit www.companyone.org.
‘Degas and the Nude’ at the MFA, Boston
The Bad Plus at Regattabar
Since its inception 10 years ago, hard-hitting acoustic jazz trio The Bad Plus have shattered musical convention by melding, nay, smashing jazz with genres such as indie rock, electronica and acid jazz. It’s true-to-roots, sophisticated jazz but also hard, loud music that will get your head rocking at the same time. The threesome has been exchanging musical ideas since the late ’80s, when Anderson and King were two fledgling rock musicians listening to records by Coltrane and The Police. Anderson met Iverson in 1989. All three played together on one occasion a year later
The nude figure was an important part of Edgar Degas’ art, from the beginning of his career as a painter in the 1850s until near the end of his life. However this subject regarding Degas has never before been explored in a Museum exhibition. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris bring “Degas and the Nude” to town, featuring paintings, pastels, drawings, prints and sculpture. On display Oct. 9 through Feb. 2, 2012 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. For more information, visit www.mfa.org.
Hip-hop crew Kaos Kids are known on campus for their impressive moves and stunning choreography. JustArts spoke to artistic director Cortez and vice president Hawes about their best experiences as part of the group and how dance has affected their lives at Brandeis. JustArts: What are your specific responsibilities as artistic director and vice president? Samantha Cortez: I’ve been artistic director since last year, but now Shaquan Perkins ’13 is also an artistic director. Basically, I envision what I want Kaos Kids to look like for the semester in regard to performances. I come up with ideas and themes for our performances, and I choreograph and critique other’s pieces because we are student-based. Everyone in Kaos Kids choreographs, so it’s not just me and it’s not just Shaquan. I make sure that the choreography goes along with the idea of the piece. Jeralyn Hawes: Playing off of Sam’s position, I pull our gears and make sure we’re pushing people in the right direction. I come up with calendars for us. I help a little bit with the artistic direction side by putting a different flavor on music choices, or helping with transitions or the way we want to look onstage. I do a lot of our videography for documenting what we’re doing as a crew, as well as editing our videos and putting them online. JA: How did the idea to teach open classes come about, and how are they going? JH: Classes are going really well. They’re a lot of fun. I know that in the dance community in general, a lot of companies do open classes to promote their company, to promote different styles of dance and to get the community involved in general. Brandeis is so small, and I feel like we have a really big fan base here. We have regulars who come to every class. It’s also a chance for kids who are a bit shy about choreographing a big piece for, say, Culture X—they can experiment with different choreography and work on it through open classes. It’s a great learning environment for everyone. SC: I think one of the reasons why we wanted open classes in the first place was to make Kaos Kids more open to the Brandeis community. We have a lot of people come up to us and say, “I can’t dance, but I love to dance,” so it’s a safe space for them to come. It’s no pressure; you just learn the piece and have fun. JA: How does Kaos Kids develop its routines? SC: If you want to choreograph, you can. This semester we’ve gotten new people who want to come choreograph. Basically they show us the choreography they’ve come up with and we decide whether or not it would fit into the piece we’re doing, or if it needs to be reworked, or if it’s really good and we want to automatically put it into our piece. JH: Our executive board ultimately decides. For the most part, people are really good about sticking to our themes and choosing really good music, current music or music that’s good for the set that we’re doing. We haven’t had any problems with that yet. JA: What does Kaos Kids have coming up this semester? SC: We have an AHORA! event that’s on Oct. 15. We also have Fall Fest. We’re in the Adagio Dancefest, and we’re in Brandeis Dancing with the Stars, which is new. We’ve gotten invitations to multiple other shows and to a lot of charity events and coffeehouses. JH: We try to say yes as much as possible, but it’s a hectic schedule. SC: Every semester more invitations come, and you can’t say yes to everyone, but we try to do our best. JA: What have been your best experiences as members of Kaos Kids? JH: There have been so many! I feel like there are so many that don’t even pertain to dance. We spend so much time with each other outside of dance. We do dinners; we have “study parties” together. I can’t even think of one particular moment. SC: Well, I’ve been a part of Kaos since second semester freshman year, and it’s been this whole new experience. Something that I didn’t think would happen at my time at Brandeis, but it has. … I love to dance, and I love hip-hop above anything else, and I wanted a place where I could find that. I’m from Harlem, so hip-hop is all I really knew. ... When I came to Brandeis, I wanted a piece of that, and for me that’s what Kaos is. Just being a part of the group in general is the experience. JH: I’m on the complete other side of the spectrum. I barely started dancing last year. I tried out for Kaos just to see what it was about, and it was so much more than I expected. Dance in general has been so new and exciting. Being in Kaos and growing in this whole world is amazing. Everything is a learning experience. I’m still trying to figure out how my body moves, the way I want it to move. Learning from everybody is amazing and so much fun. —Ariel Kay
THE JUSTICE
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011
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ON CAMPUS Music
Bob Nieske 4 explore unique side of jazz ■ Prof. Robert Nieske (MUS)
doesn’t play it safe with his experimental interpretations of classic sounds. By AYAN SANYAL JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Short bursts of staccato Africaninfluenced guitar, a blistering muted trumpet and off-tempo drums sounded through the Slosberg Recital Hall this Saturday. This was not your usual jazz concert; conventions regarding swing and form were abandoned as the band pushed itself on each song. Prof. Robert Nieske’s (MUS) quartet of jazz veterans that includes Phil Grenadier on trumpet, Jon Hazilla on drums and Dave Tronzo on guitar played its ambitious set, “Music By Chants,” to an eager, closeknit audience this weekend. The Bob Nieske Four’s repertoire consisted of unique interpretations of jazz standards, free jazz improvisation and original tunes composed by Nieske. A highlight of the show was the quartet’s rendition of Wayne Shorter’s classic piece, “Footprints.” Rather than playing the normal bass line, Nieske modified it just enough to keep it familiar but creative. With the band playing behind the beat and the trumpet melody sounding out proudly through the hall, the musicians created an airy vibe that stayed with me through the night. These ephemeral moments of sheer beauty were shared many times between the band and the audience during the performance. When I occasionally looked around, the rest of the audience members was doing the same as me: closing their eyes and enjoying the music. The band also played “Sets of Four” of free jazz music, a style of jazz without structure or melody. Nieske introduced the concept as “free playing with direction” and cited the ever-popular problem of never being able to finish a song in the style of free jazz. These “Sets of Four” free songs solved that problem by using a simultaneously coordinated ending. In between each song, the band members would change their instruments, discover a new timbre and play something quite like nothing before. These included a wide arrange-
ment of percussion instruments including a clay Hadgini hand drum and various guitar effects including delay, distortion and even playing with a plastic cup. On one song, the guitarist looped a radio announcement through his amplifier, and as the drum and bass played a frantic fast-paced groove, I immediately imagined an airport with people hustling to catch their flights. Of course, the main part of the show was Nieske’s own compositions. He described the composition process as “sitting in front of a TV with [his] bass and writing tunes between the innings of the Red Sox games.” These tunes differed from the other compositions and usually started with a mesmerizing, repetitive bass line that Nieske would play while the band joined in one at a time. The band also made sure that the song would fit on a little piece of paper, as it gave them more time to improvise and spend less time rehearsing it. These songs were when the band sounded most confident; not only did the musicians each push their own limits, but they also challenged each other to play daringly. Tronzo would play a rhythmic motif and as Hazilla picked up on it, they would slowly transform the entire song and take it somewhere else entirely. However far they went out of the original song, they would always somehow bring it back to the chorus and end at the same place. Nieske explained that he and Grenadier, the trumpeter, had been playing together for some 15 years. He equated the performance as a conversation between the four musicians, in which everyone got his say and knew when to play—or, more importantly, when to not play. “We all love playing to that point where we don’t know what’s coming next,” Nieske said. “That’s when you have to really let go.” Grenadier agrees. “We make things out of these set of finite materials, our instruments and tones, … but the combination of those set things can sometimes be infinite.” Nieske summed up the night’s ambitious performance in a couple words: “You have to be somewhat fearless.” With a band of this caliber and chemistry, being fearless was all it took to create an outstanding jazz performance.
YIFAN HE/the Justice
BASS CLEF: The Bob Nieske 4 play off one another’s improvisations during the show.
BACK TO THE “KITCHEN”
ASHER KRELL/Justice File Photo
SUPRISE!: Last year’s “Old Sh*t Show” was a big hit. Here, Amy Thompson ’11 (left) and Erin Roper ’13 perform a classic sketch.
Boris’ Kitchen prepares for its biggest show this fall ■ This Thursday, Boris’
Kitchen will perform pratfalls and silly scenes as part of its classic “Old Sh*t Show.” By olivia leiter JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Get ready, because it’s that time of the year again! Boris’ Kitchen will be performing its infamous “Old Sh*t Show” on Thursday from 8 to 9:30 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge in the Usdan Student Center. Boris’ Kitchen is Brandeis’ only all-sketch comedy group and is currently in its 25th year, making it Brandeis’ second-oldest existing performance group (after Company B). JustArts emailed with Boris’ Kitchen President Briana Bensenouci ’12, Treasurer Yoni Bronstein ’13 and Vice President Paul Gale ’12 about the group’s history and upcoming performance. JustArts: Can you tell me more about Boris’ Kitchen and its origins? Yoni Bronstein: It started as a Monty Python tribute club that performed Monty Python sketches, and then after a couple of years they began to write original sketches and perform improv. At some point in the early 90’s the group split into two groups, one that did sketch [comedy] and one that did improv. The sketch group retained the existing name Boris’ Kitchen, and the improv group became False Advertising. Ever since, Boris’ Kitchen has continued to evolve and become more professional. Briana Bensenouci: We have two kinds of members: writers and performers. There is a lot of overlap between the two groups. JA: What is the “Old Sh*t Show?” YB: The show is called the “Old Sh*t Show” because it is comprised of entirely recycled material written in the past. This includes sketches that are a couple of years old and ones that are 20 years old, and everything in between. BB: The focus of the “Old Sh*t Show” is to show off our newest members and to pay respects to our history. Paul Gale: The show is put on in the very intimate Alumni Lounge (above Levin Ballroom), as opposed to our two other shows, which are in the [Carl J. Shapiro] theater. JA: On a more personal note, what got you interested in sketch comedy
and BK specifically? YB: I personally, came into Brandeis pumped up and ready to try out for sketch comedy, especially BK. It is a troupe that is about both sketch comedy and about being part of something special. I learned about Boris’ Kitchen from a friend of mine who was an alumni [sic] of the troupe, and even before I got here he got me interested. I was already planning to audition for theater, but sketch comedy was a different side of theater that I hadn’t considered. It sparked my imagination and I have been very passionate about it ever since. PG: I’ve been interested in sketch comedy since I can remember. Sesame Street, my favorite show as a kid, is essentially a sketch show. All That, The Amanda Show, Zoom. I really loved that stuff. I tried out for Boris’ my first week of freshman year, and I co-directed the Old Sh*t Show last year with Lydia Flier ’11. The show is transitional. It’s training ground for our new members (Karen Lengler ’15, Michelle Wexler ’15 and Michael Frederikse ’15), as well as first-time directors/producers. We start off with a casting, where we read through all of the scripts the directors [Bensenouci and Secretary Talya Davidoff ’12] have chosen for the show. Everyone reads for all of the parts their [sic] interested in, and, after the directors have some time to reflect on the readings, the cast list is sent out later that night. Then we go into a rehearsal process about two to three days per week, until the last two weeks, when we meet every night. Those are the best two weeks, because you really get on a roll, and you start realize what’s going to be on stage the night of the show. JA: What makes Boris’ Kitchen different from other comedy groups at Brandeis? YB: What makes Boris’ Kitchen unique among Brandeis’ performance groups is that it has somewhat of a vague place among the other groups. At Brandeis there are theater groups, comedy groups and a cappella groups. Boris’ Kitchen has a weird little spot as both a comedy group and a theater group as a member of the UTC, and you’ll see us both laughing along with the improv groups and working to live up to the performance standards of the other UTC groups. JA: What elements are essential to a
great comedic performance? What is your favorite part of performing? YB: BK is at its best when its members are truly collaborating and throwing in the best of all of our talents. We have a wide variety of talents in the troupe; some are at their best onstage, others are brilliant writers, and others again contribute their best talents to production. On a deeper level, we all have our own senses of humor, some of which are very different from each other. As young writers and actors we have an incredible opportunity to learn from one another and grow. PG: A great comedic performance has no idea that it’s a comedic performance. The spring show last year was really fun for me. I had a large hand in the writing process, and to see a lot of things I wrote/helped promote was very fulfilling. My favorite part of performing is making the audience laugh at something that they wouldn’t normally find funny. BB: I’m of the opinion that the more fun the performers are having on stage, the more fun the audience will have. I love the Old Sh*t Show because it is a very simple show, technically, with a focus on the sketches themselves. One of the challenges of the comedic collaborative processes is trying to combine upwards of 10 different opinions on what’s funny. But, somehow, we manage. JA: What is your favorite Boris’ Kitchen memory? PG: My favorite Boris’ Kitchen memory is definitely the hangouts we used to have at Sam Roo’s [’09] and Mike Martin’s [’09] house my first year. Because we perform together, we grow to trust one another in a very cool way. YB: My personal favorite memory from any BK show is our spring show in my freshman year, on which I was the assistant director. One of the sketches was the first sketch I had ever written, and I was also a principle part in the sketch. I had never before performed in something I had written, and when I walked offstage I was happier than I’ve ever been after performing. A senior member of the troupe who was the director and one of my closest friends gave me a hug and told me he was proud of me. To me that support and friendship is what BK is all about. It is a group of friends that works together, that loves having fun and loves one another.
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011
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THE JUSTICE
culture
DesiFest explores Eastern traditions ■ The South Asian Students Association’s biannual cultural festival included foreign food and henna. By DAMIANA ANDONOVA JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
DesiFest, the South Asian Students Association’s biannual welcome back to Brandeis festival, took place Wednesday afternoon on the Great Lawn. The festival consisted of traditional music, ethnic snacks, popcorn, henna and cricket. As I approached the Great Lawn, I heard the sounds of traditional, upbeat South Asian music. At the event, boys played cricket in the field, girls painted their hands with henna and people chatted it up around the snack table. Though the festival wasn’t heavily crowded, it was lively, intimate and well organized. At the food table, I spoke with Deepti Kanneganti ’14, event co-coordinator of SASA, who discussed DesiFest and SASA’s future events. Kanneganti is in charge of planning the logistics for SASA cultural events. When asked about what it is like to coordinate an event like DesiFest, she said, “If [the event co-coordinators] have an event like DesiFest, we would book the Great Lawn. For our major event, Mela, in November, we would book [Student Production Services], book the locations, practice rooms and segue between choreographers and our e-board.” She hopes that events like DesiFest and Mela welcome and create connections between fellow Brandeisians through cultural celebration and hopes to increase cultural awareness. In the past, she says, “We participated in Pan-Asian fest and [collaborated] with other clubs. Last year, we participated [in] Relay for Life.” During our chat, she described the activities and snacks at DesiFest and explained the origins of the food served. Badapav and balpri were both served at the festival. Badapav is a traditional food native to Bombay. It is a type of vegetarian burger consisting of potatoes and peas which is put in bread and served with sweet or spicy chutneys. Balpri is a mélange of thinner and thicker grains, onions, potatoes, spices and chutneys to give it more flavor. Mango juice and popcorn were also served.
JOSH HOROWITZ/the Justice
TEMPORARY TATTOO: Chaitanya Sambangi ’15 (left) and Sriya Srikrishnan ’12 paint each other with henna. Henna is traditionally incorporated into wedding festivals in India. The steps leading up to the Shapiro Campus Center were crowded with girls chatting while the two henna artists painted beautiful designs on their hands. When I was trying the henna, I spoke to the henna artist and Co-president, Sriya Srikrishnan ’12. While she painted both sides of my hand with paisley designs, flowers and vines, we discussed how henna has developed into an art form in America, where it is essentially a temporary body art alternative to tattoos. In India, however, it is still a very traditional practice. Its use remains mostly in religious and traditional festivities. “Henna’s been associated with
weddings the most. It’s the most important part. The bride usually gets henna from her fingers up to her arms, so that’s bridal henna, and even the groom [is] supposed to get it,” explains Srikrishnan. When asked to elaborate on the designs themselves, she describes, “Mangoes, lotuses, peacocks and paisleys are ‘henna-y’ designs. The designs signify many things. Some superstitions say that [the hue of henna] symbolizes the luck and the fortune of the bride going into the wedding. And they also put it on the [groom]— it takes away the evil eye because a lot of people see you at the wedding.” The evil eye in many cultures
is the idea that people’s looks can cause harm or injury to the subject due to feelings of envy, jealousy or dislike. A person can protect themselves against the evil eye with various cultural symbols such as garlic, henna or art. But henna is not all about the wedding day, Srikrishnan further elaborated. “[Henna is] also a social thing because two days before the wedding, all the women are invited to put on henna, and it’s like a social gathering called mandhi and the sungeep.” Sungeep means music. Nowadays, I think henna has become very commercial, like body art and people get it all over.” Another student, Chaitanya Sambangi ’15, who
had her hand painted, said, “it’s just like a really nice bonding time. A lot of girls put it on, and they will spend the night eating good food [and doing each other’s henna].” Sambangi added, “So putting on henna in the United States when you are not always exposed to that kind of stuff is really nice, you get to connect [to] back home.” And that’s exactly what SASA’s DesiFest hoped to do—to connect people through a cultural celebration and welcome new members to a new home at Brandeis. Kanneganti stated that in addition to DesiFest this semester, the club is busy planning for Mela, which is on Nov. 19.
Write restaurant reviews the for Justice! For more information, contact Wei-Huan Chen and Ariel Kay at arts@thejustice.org. Mefusbren69/Wikimedia Commons
THE JUSTICE
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011
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OFF CAMPUS theater
Revamped ‘Porgy’ is a modern success ■ Diane Paulus’ reimagining
of the classic opera features stellar leads, breathtaking duets and jazzy music. By mindy cimini JUSTICE contributing WRITER
Adaptation is a tricky thing. Any time a theater production is revived or re-imagined, it invites comparison to the original, as well as criticism should the new incarnation not do justice to the original. The American Repertory Theater’s recent production of Porgy and Bess— or, as the theater billed it, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess—received more than its fair share of scrutiny. New York Times theater critic Ben Brantley came to Cambridge to review the show, a rare occurrence for a regional production. Before Porgy and Bess even opened, noted composer Stephen Sondheim chastised its creative team in an open letter published in the Times. Auteur-director Diane Paulus shifted the piece from a classic American folk opera to a streamlined piece of musical theater, and The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess was water-cooler conversation before most Boston audiences even had the chance to experience it for themselves. If only for its stellar leads, this adaptation of Porgy and Bess was an experience. Four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald was the biggest star-draw to the show, and she could be well on her way to earning Tony number five with her character, Bess. McDonald embodied Bess completely, giving her an initially bristling edge as the lady in red, but slowly revealing the vulnerable, world-weary woman beneath. Her voice is incomparable, and her majestic tone and emotional nuance made for a riveting performance. As the crippled Porgy, a greybearded Norm Lewis held his own opposite McDonald; indeed, his performance was the beating heart of the production. His Porgy was genuine, brimming with resonance and earnest strength in “Bess, You Is My Woman Now,” a breathtaking duet with McDonald that stopped the show. He held quiet command of the stage, captivating the audience simply by dragging his bum leg and— dare I say it—stealing my heart be-
MICHAEL J. LUTCH/American Repertory Theater
PLAYING WITH FATE: The cast of ‘Porgy and Bess’ engages in a craps game in this American tale set in the 1930s in Catfish Row, a neighborhood in Charleston, South Carolina. fore McDonald could grab hold of it. The entire ensemble sang well, filling out the Catfish Row community with individualized characters who came alive in a craps game or a picnic day. David Alan Grier offered a slimy, snazzy “Sportin’ Life,” while Phillip Boykin played the brutal Crown as an archetypal antagonist. Boykin was the focal point of the most visually stunning moment in the show as he returned to Catfish Row in the middle of a hurricane, appearing in the pouring rain out of Riccardo Hernandez’s simple but versatile striated set. A large wall, reminiscent of the peeling hull of a boat, curved across the stage, capturing the actors’ shadows as they danced with period-appropriate choreography from Ronald K.
Brown. The entire effect was an abstraction of a 1930s South Carolina shantytown, grounding the production while still allowing the actors to bring the setting to life. Casting and production values aside, however, the ART’s The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess deserved the controversial dialogue it provoked. Paulus and her creative team—Suzan-Lori Parks and Diedre L. Murray, adapting the book and score, respectively—ensured that their production would stand on its own, but they had no qualms about changing the original piece. Many lines that had been sung became straight dialogue, and Parks added additional dialogue to give some characters more back story. Murray changed the key on several numbers to make
them more accessible in today’s musical theater appeal. The iconic “Summertime,” usually a soaring soprano lullaby which opens the show, was delivered down an octave by a jazzy alto (Nikki Renee Daniels) who added a slight R&B-inspired riff to the last note. Daniels sang beautifully, but she came across like a cabaret singer opening her act with a classic Gershwin cover rather than a mother rocking her baby to sleep along southern Catfish Row. I grew up listening to the opera, so despite my praise for McDonald and Lewis, much of this production had a similar feel to me: It “fixed” something that I didn’t think was broken. But I saw this show next to people who were experiencing the story for the first time, and their connection
to the piece was honest and undeniable. Had I brought no prior knowledge to the theater, maybe I would have felt the same way. Paulus displayed stunning audacity in attempting to reinvent Porgy and Bess as musical theater, but I don’t think she succeeded. Porgy and Bess, for me, will always be the original Gershwin opera. Diane Paulus’ The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, however, is exactly how it sounds: Paulus’ own interpretation to introduce modern audiences to this classic show. In that, I think she succeeds. The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess will transfer to Broadway this winter, beginning previews Dec. 17, followed by an official opening Jan. 12, 2012.
music
tUnE-YarDs’ Garbus fills Paradise with enchanting vocals ■ tUnE-YarDs blended
African beats, drum loops, ukelele and impressive vocal performances last week. By hannah kirsch JUSTICE contributing WRITER
Merrill Garbus, the lead singer, musician and mastermind of tUnEYarDs, proved within the first three minutes of the band’s show at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston that her voice has an indescribable power. As Garbus began her set, the energy in the audience quickly changed from excited and loud to completely entranced. Garbus introduced her voice by stretching it across octaves from high to low. Her wordless tones were accompanied by facial expressions that translated exactly how she was feeling. Garbus’ voice is her most powerful instrument, and one that is uniquely hers. Although tUnEYarDs has only released two albums, Garbus has been involved in music and performing for years. Born and raised in Connecticut, she then attended Smith College in Northampton, Mass. During this time, she studied abroad in East Africa and accredits much of her musical influence to her study of music there. After graduating, she performed as
a back-up singer for friends’ bands, starred in a musical reinterpretation of “A Modest Proposal” and become a puppeteer in Vermont. She teamed up with band member Nate Brenner, who plays bass, for her first album, BiRd-BrAiNs, which was released in 2009. It was recorded using a handheld voice recorder and a Dell laptop and was self-released on recycled cassettes. After its release, she moved to Oakland, Calif. and continued to make music that blends African beats, ukulele, drum loops and her powerful voice to create what is often described as strikingly original. At the show, I looked around at the crowd in awe. Surrounding me stood at least 10 people from Brandeis, equally as mesmerized as I was, and this was before she even began playing songs from her albums. Her set began with “My Country,” the first song off of its latest album, w h o k i l l, which I felt was a great choice. It is not one of the most popular songs off of the album, but the fast pace, great beat and catchy lyrics started the show the right way. The crowd was instantly dancing and singing along, still reeling from her vocal opener. W h o k i l l, released last May, became a quick favorite for reviewers. It was her first album recorded in a traditional studio setting. From the start of the show, Garbus set a tone that said, “This is my incredible
GORDON BALLANTYNE/Flickr Creative Commons
SONGBIRD: tUnE-YarDs played songs from ‘w h o k i l l’ and ‘BiRd-BrAiNs’ last week. voice, and this is the first song off of my excellent album.” tUnE-YarDs’ set continued with crowd favorites such as “Gangsta” and “Powa,” the latter of which was preferred by the Brandeis attendees I spoke to, probably because it is one of her strongest songs vocally. On stage along with her and Brenner was a two-member brass section that added a wonderful jazz element to the performance. Her set was fairly short; I would have liked to hear significantly more from BiRd-BrAiNs. I think it is fair to say the crowd would have happily stayed another half an hour to hear older songs,
although I rarely heard anyone call out requests. This performance at the Paradise was my fourth tUnE-YarDs show, but it was special because this was the same venue where I saw her for the first time, in 2009, when she was an opener for the Dirty Projectors. At that time she was relatively unknown and played to a small crowd. Memories of that show contrast startlingly to last Wednesday’s performance, as this time around, tUnE-YarDs sold out the venue. There were so many people there genuinely excited to see a performer they loved that it made the show
feel like much more than someone singing at a crowd. For first-timers, seeing tUnE-YarDs live is a great way to understand how she builds her songs: Starting with a beat or a ukulele strum, she loops the sounds until suddenly the crowd recognizes the song and explodes in accordance with her voice. Seeing so many Brandeis students in the crowd was a pleasant surprise, as the Punk, Rock n’ Roll Club brought tUnE-YarDs to Cholmondeley’s in 2010, but few people showed up. She still put on a great show, but it is always disheartening to see a performer you admire not receiving the attention deserved. However, this time around, Brandeis students were clearly loving the performance along with the rest of the crowd. Garbus was both humble and appreciative of her audience, and explained that she used to perform as a back-up singer in the lounge of the Paradise, and that seeing her name on the sign out front with “SOLD OUT” below was unbelievable for her. Her energetic encore was a great end to the show, and no one would argue that she didn’t give the crowd exactly what they had asked for. The show proved to Garbus that there are many people in Boston who support her and are huge fans of tUnEYarDs, and she proved to them that, simply put, she is an extremely powerful performer.
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THE JUSTICE
HELPING TO HEAL
By TESS RASER JUSTICE editor
PHOTO COURTESY OF SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT
FRIENDS TO THE END: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (left) plays a young man diagnosed with cancer. Seth Rogen steps up to help him out.
Bittersweet comedy ‘50/50’ stars Rogen and Gordon-Levitt experiences of writer Will Reiser, is a touching look at friendship and loss. By ARIEL KAY JUSTICE EDITOR
There are plenty of over-done comedic sub-genres out there. There’s the raunchy comedy, the romantic comedy, the buddy comedy, the female-centric comedy. But the tearjerker comedy, the cancer comedy? That’s one I haven’t heard before. 50/50, a new film starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen, tackles this rather macabre subject. What’s funny in a film about cancer? Well, a whole lot, actually. Levitt plays Adam, a 27-year-old yuppy working for public radio who is diagnosed with a rare form of spinal cancer. His chances of recovery? 50/50. Adam is completely blindsided by his sudden illness but is helped along by his brash, unapologetic best friend Kyle (Rogen). Though Kyle’s primary objective seems to be helping Adam use the sympathy card to get laid, his honest, forthright personality is endearing. Kyle’s shining moment comes when he snags a photo of Adam’s girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) kissing another man and goes on a hilarious tirade against her. Rogen provides most of the film’s comedic moments, including his many jokes about Adam’s diseased appearance.
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Lake Street Dive soars at Passim of four accomplished musicians, played an eclectic mix of favorites and covers.
On the other hand, Adam goes through much of the film in a numb, drowsy fog, a state that he refers to as “fine” and that his therapist Katherine (Anna Kendrick) terms as “shock.” It is clear from the first scene between Adam and Katherine that the two will become more than friends by the end of the film, despite the fact that their initial interaction is so awkward it’s painful. Kendrick doesn’t seem to be much more than a placeholder for the requisite romantic interest that all Hollywood movies must contain. An actress with stronger comedic chops would have been more suited to the role. Instead, Kendrick falls flat next to Gordon-Levitt and Rogen. Veteran film actress Anjelica Huston, as Adam’s mother, on the other hand, is wonderful in her role as a silently grieving matriarch. Gordon-Levitt, the star of the film, gives a terrific performance as well. Adam’s disbelief slowly turns to acceptance, then rage and fear as his situation worsens. A scene late in the film, in which Adam admits that he believes he will die, is beautiful in its willingness to confront the audience. 50/50 doesn’t back down from its premise that Adam could very well succumb to his cancer, and Gordon-Levitt, though he is as charming and adorable as ever, doesn’t back down either. Adam is very believable. At the film’s climax, the movie’s most powerful scene, he locks himself in his car and lets out a primal scream, hitting the wheel and dashboard savagely. His fury appears
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011
MUSIC
■ The band, composed
■ This film, based on the
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real, and when he later says he thinks he may have “broken his larynx,” I believed that Gordon-Levitt meant it. One other moment that is equally touching is Adam’s relationship with two elderly chemotherapy patients, Mitch and Alan (Matt Frewer and Philip Baker Hall, respectively). Together, these three men share the hardest aspects of their diseases. Their scenes are also some of the funniest in the entire film. 50/50’s realism is due in large part to its writer, Will Reiser (Da Ali G Show). 50/50 is Reiser’s semi-autobiographical account of his own battle with spinal cancer, for which he underwent chemotherapy and, eventually, surgery in 2005 when he was 25 years old. Rogen is actually one of Reiser’s good friends and essentially plays a larger-than-life version of himself in 50/50. Though there are elements of the film that are fictional, some of its funniest scenes, such as Adam’s going-away party from work, are taken from Reiser’s actual experiences. 50/50 is more than just a funny film. It strikes the perfect balance between poignancy and comedy. It may make you cry, and it will definitely make you laugh. Cancer touches the lives of most people. It is, sadly, a fact of life. Reiser’s choice to use his experiences to create a comedy, however, is a rare example of how humor can help us cope with the most difficult events in our lives. 50/50 may just put the cancer comedy on the map.
“This is the best Christmas I ever had,” a fan sitting at the table to my left yelled at the Lake Street Dive show last Tuesday night. His comment was in response to the evening’s ongoing joke initiated by trumpeter and guitarist Mike Olson, who commented on the sold-out Tuesday night show as feeling like Christmas. In many ways, the concert at Club Passim in Cambridge was a lot like Christmas, making the opener, Billy Wylder, the Christmas Eve of the night. According to Lake Street Dive singer Rachael Price, the fourpiece band had only played three or four times prior to this show. It warmed up the crowd in the small, homey club with its upbeat rhythms on the guitar, mandolin, bass, fiddle and harmonica. The band’s music was reminiscent of country music from another time with a bluegrass twang. My favorite song of the band’s set was about a lost love and the lead singer’s reflection of that love, lying in the grass with his “feet in the sky.” Billy Wylder’s set was short but exciting in the way that Christmas Eve often is with the promise of Santa’s visit. As I waited for Lake Street Dive to step onto the small stage a few feet from my table, I noticed familiar faces in the room. We were all regular Lake Street Dive concertgoers—essentially groupies. The band has gained a following in the Boston area due to their strong live performances. The band opened its set with “Neighbor Song.” The slow song is a fitting introduction to lead singer Rachael Price’s powerful, sultry voice. She started off the song as if she was telling her close friend a story, and as the song progressed, decided she needs everyone to hear the story as she belts out, “I can hear my neighbors making love upstairs.” Along the way, Olson responded to Price’s story with caressing trumpet solos. This is only the first Christmas morning gift. The night’s second song, “Hello? Goodbye!” offered swinging drum beats by Mike Calabrese, Bridgett Kearney’s moving bass, Olson’s trumpet solos and Price’s scatting. In between songs, Price made the audience laugh with jokes and anecdotes. She talked about the sexual tension between the characters Mulder and Scully on the 1990s television show The X Files as the inspiration for the song “Don’t Make Me Hold Your Hand,” written by Olson. In this song, he played guitar with the same talent he had on the trumpet. At that point in the evening, I felt restricted by the table covered in delights from Veggie Planet, a vegetarian restaurant in Harvard Square, in front of me. I could not help but move, even if that just meant bopping my head up and down and swaying my shoulders, and I noticed that the rest of the audience felt similarly.
Price’s music is something that should be experienced live. Her voice commands attention, and, as clichéd as it sounds, it gives you chills. In the middle of the song “Don’t Make Me Hold Your Hand,” the instruments stopped and Price sang, accompanied by Calabrese’s backing vocals as they belted out, “Why won’t you let me love you?” The instruments paused, allowing the small audience to hear the power and precision in Price’s voice. The group went on to sing “Henrietta,” “My Heart’s in Its Right Place” and “Elijah,” among others, from its self-titled third album and songs from their second album, Promises, Promises. Lake Street Dive also played a few covers: “Faith,” by George Michael and Roy Orbison’s “This Magic Moment.” Sadly, Christmas always has to end. The show finally closed with the encore performance of the song “Got Me Fooled,” which calls for group participation during the line, “tapes and some Thai food.” The song reminds me of an Aretha Franklin, “Respect”-esque Motown song. Hearing Lake Street Dive perform, it is clear that Price, Olson, Kearney and Calabrese’s strength as a group is their musicality. Coming from the New England Conservatory, all four are fine-tuned musicians. Yet what distinguishes them even more is that, while it is clear that they take their music seriously, they have fun while playing it. They are interactive with the crowd but dance onstage as if no one is watching them and as if they are completely immersed in their music. The band’s sound is unique in its combination of elements from genres that are completely familiar—classic Americana, pop music and soul, along with unique elements of country and jazz. The group will release an EP of covers sometime in December when they return to play at the Lizard Lounge. In an interview with justArts, the band said that they will be playing some Fleetwood Mac covers when they return. The band has played covers at every live show I have seen them. Calabrese says that the ideas of which songs to cover often come to them on tour when they are driving from city to city, and that, although oftentimes they just stumble onto them, the songs are hard to choose. “[Price] is definitely instrumental in making that call,” Olson says, explaining that the decision is heavily based on music as opposed to which songs are, for example, the most fun or will provoke the biggest responses. This band is really one that needs to be seen live. Although I do also recommend their albums, the band’s live show is fantastic. Lake Street Dive performs around Boston frequently; as Price says, “Boston is the band’s home.” But for those of you bogged down with books, theses, clubs, etc., I encourage you to get the band’s newest live release of their performance at the Lizard Lounge. Of course, I also encourage everyone to see them live. Dive shows, for me, are a staple of my Boston experience, and it was great to start this semester off with them at Passim.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAKE STREET DIVE
DIVE ON IN: The members of Lake Street Dive met at the New England Conservatory.
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TUESday, October 4, 2011 ● THE JUSTICE
TOP of the
ARTS ON VIEW
TRIVIA TIME 1. What famous Hollywood couple starred in the 1967 movie Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? 2. What was Lurch’s job on The Addams Family? 3. What is Jo Jo’s hometown in the Beatles’ song “Get Back”? 4. On what date is All Saints Day celebrated in Western Christianity? 5. Who is known as “the father of the hydrogen bomb”? 6. Who won the 1939 Pulitzer Prize for history with his biography Abraham Lincoln: The War Years? 7. When did the first Yankee Stadium open? 8. Who invented the electric battery? 9. Where does Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet take place?
ANSWERS 1. Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn 2. Manservant 3. Tuscon, Ariz. 4. Nov. 1 5. Edward Teller 6. Carl Sandburg 7. 1923 8. Alessandro Volta 9. Verona, Italy
SHOWTIMES 10/7-10/13 The Help Fri-Mon: 1:15, 8:00 Tues-Thurs: 2:40, 7:20 Contagion Fri-Mon: 4:30 Tues-Thurs: 4:50 50/50 Fri-Mon: 1:25, 4:10, 7:10, 9:30 Tues-Thurs: 2:20, 5:00, 8:00 Midnight in Paris Fri-Mon: 1:35, 4:20, 6:40, 9:10 Tues-Thurs: 2:30, 5:10, 8:10 Drive Fri-Mon: 12:25, 3:50, 6:50, 9:15 Tues-Thurs: 2:10, 5:00, 7:50 The Ides of March Fri-Mon: 1:05, 4:00, 7:00, 9:25 Tues-Thurs: 2:00, 4:50, 7:40 Moneyball Fri-Mon:12:45, 3:40, 6:30, 9:20 Tues-Thurs: 2:50, 7:30 The Embassy is located at 18 Pine Street in Waltham
CHARTS Top 10s for the week ending October 2 BOX OFFICE
1. Dolphin Tale 3D 2. Moneyball 3. The Lion King 3D 4. 50/50 5. Courageous 6. Dream House 7. Abduction 8. What’s Your Number 9. Contagion 10. Killer Elite
NYT BESTSELLERS
Fiction 1. Heat Rises — Richard Castle 2. Lethal — Sandra Brown 3. The Night Circus — Erin Morgenstern 4. Reamde — Neal Stephenson 5. Son of Stone — Stuart Woods ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice
HOLY RIVER: Justice Associate Editor Robyn Spector ’13 took this photo in her travels to Varanasi, India. It depicts traditional paddle boats on the Ganges at sunrise as people cleanse themselves.
CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1. Disarray 5. Drunkard 8. MacDonald’s place 12. Year-end celebration 13. Lawyers’ org. 14. Dunkable treat 15. Hiker’s energy source 17. Bellow 18. Mingle (with) 19. Sequentially 21. Pitching stat 22. Replaces divots 23. Fool 26. Wet wriggler 28. Handle skillfully 31. Comestibles 33. Lair 35. Inside picture? 36. Potato, for one 38. Have a bug 40. That woman 41. Harvest 43. Mai — (cocktail) 45. Asian capital 47. Buccaneer 51. Brewery products 52. Temporary solution 54. French meat entree 55. Trojans’ sch. 56. Sea eagle 57. Charon’s river 58. “A mouse!” 59. Iditarod team
Nonfiction 1. Jaqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy — Caroline Kennedy and Michael Beschloss 2. Confidence Men — Ron Suskind 3.Unbroken — Laura Hillenbrand 4. Quest — Daniel Yergin 5. In My Time — Dick Cheney with Liz Cheney
iTUNES
1. Adele — “Someone Like You” 2. Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera — “Moves like Jagger (Studio Recording from The Voice)” 3. Foster the People — “Pumped Up Kicks” 4. LMFAO — “Sexy and I Know It” 5. Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine — “Stereo Hearts” 6. Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris — “We Found Love” 7. David Guetta feat. Usher — “Without You” 8. LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett and GoonRock — “Party Rock Anthem” 9. Rihanna — “Cheers (Drink to That)” 10. Cobra Starship feat. Sabi — “You Make Me Feel...”
BILLBOARD
DOWN 1. Legend 2. Modern money 3. Thick chunk 4. River through Paris 5. Did a springy Brazilian dance 6. Japanese sash 7. Urban fleet 8. New Jersey base 9. Wake-up calls 10. Caboose’s place 11. Early hours 16. Traditional tales 20. Promptly 23. Astern
24. Not worth a — 25. AA goal 27. Meadow 29. — di-dah 30. Coloring agent 32. Discard 34. Argue over trifles 37. “Norma —” 39. Secular 42. Irritate 44. Annoyed 45. Sailors 46. Greatly 48. Roundish do 49. Chime sound 50. Former partners 53. Work with
1. Tony Bennett — Duets II 2. Lady Antebellum — Own the Night 3. Adele — 21 4. Demi Lovato — Unbroken 5. Lil Wayne — Tha Carter IV 6. Needtobreathe — The Reckoning 7. Mindless Behavior — #1 Girl 8. Gavin Degraw — Sweeter 9. Jay Z and Kanye West — Watch the Throne 10. Pearl Jam — Pearl Jam 20 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Solution to last week’s crossword
King Crossword Copyright 2011 King Features Synd, Inc.
STRANGE BUT TRUE It was American artist and illustrator Florence Scovel Shinn who made the following observation: “The game of life is the game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds and words return to us sooner or later with astounding accuracy.” In 1811 and again in 1812, earthquakes caused the Mississippi River to temporarily reverse course. You might be surprised to learn that about one million Americans say they drink Coca-Cola for breakfast.
with every breath. The United States isn’t the only country that has an accolade to recognize excellence in the film industry. Here the awards are known as the Academy Awards, but other nations have their own names for the awards: In Canada they’re known as Genies, in France they’re Cesars, in Russia they’re called Nikas, in Mexico they’re Golden Ariels, in Spain they’re known as Goyas, and in the United Kingdom they’re called Orange British Academy Film Awards.
Dominique Bouhours, a Frenchman who lived in the 17th century, was a priest, an essayist and a grammarian. The love of language may have been closest to his heart, though; it’s been reported that the final words he uttered on his deathbed were “I am about to—or I am going to—die; either expression is used.”
Those who study such things say that millions of trees are planted accidentally when absent-minded squirrels forget where they buried their nuts.
The beaver is a rodent.
Thought for the Day: “Four-fifths of all our troubles would disappear, if we would only sit down and keep still.” —Calvin Coolidge
If you’re like the average adult, when you’re sitting in a relaxed position, you inhale about one pint of air
In ancient Rome, if you had a hooked nose you were considered to be a born leader.
Top of the Charts information provided by Fandango, the New York Times, BillBoard.com, and Apple.com.
STAFF PLAYLIST
“Relaxing Classics” By BRYAN FLATT Justice EDITor
These are 10 classic songs that cheer me up and chill me out. THE LIST 1.f“God Only Knows” — Beach Boys 2. “One More Day” — Les Misérables 3. “Body and Soul” — John Coltrane 4. “The Great Gig in the Sky” — Pink Floyd 5. “Dancin’ in the Moonlight” — King Harvest 6. “Best of My Love” — The Emotions 7. “Livin’ Thing” — Electric Light Orchestra 8. “Ole Miss Blues” — Louis Armstrong 9. “Our House” — Crosby Stills Nash and Young 10. “I’ve Got the World on a String” — Frank Sinatra