The Justice, October 6, 2009

ARTS PAGE 23

SPORTS Women’s soccer drops UAA opener 20

‘A SERIOUS MAN’

FORUM The importance of student input 16 THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

the

OF

BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY SINCE 1949

Justice www.theJusticeOnline.com

Volume LXII, Number 6

Waltham, Mass.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

BUDGET

ADMINISTRATION

Univ projects increased deficit

Search to begin for new president

■ Uncertainty over the

University’s ability to reach fundraising goals makes budget projections unclear.

By MIRANDA NEUBAUER JUSTICE SENIOR WRITER

The University is projecting a $9 million deficit instead of a $7 million deficit for fiscal 2011, in part because the rate of faculty retirements, which are part of the University’s academic restructuring plan, has been slower than expected, Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration Jeffrey Apfel said at a faculty meeting last Thursday.

In addition, the financial projections for fiscal 2010 and onward are uncertain as senior administrators are not sure that fundraising goals can be met, in part due to the announcement of University President Jehuda Reinharz’s resignation the night of Sept. 24.

The main factor in projecting a higher deficit for fiscal 2011, Apfel said in an interview, was that implementation of the University’s curricular restructuring plans relies not only on “the retirement of 35 faculty, but you have to make certain assumptions in your budget planning, … based upon the rate at which those retirements take place.”

Last May, Provost Marty Krauss e-mailed faculty with options for either reducing their workload and remaining at the University or agreeing to retire at a fixed date after at most five years as part of the University’s Curriculum and Academic Restructuring Steering committee’s plan, which proposes a decrease in faculty over five years by 10 percent, or 35 positions.

Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam

■ Board of Trustees

members and faculty, among others, will make up search committee.

By NASHRAH RAHMAN JUSTICE EDITOR

JAXSON DERMER/the Justice

RISING DEFICIT: Incoming Senior Vice President Jeff Apfel talked about the financial situation at the recent faculty meeting.

Jaffe added that historically, the average rate of retirements has been about five faculty members per year.

“The theory was that we would either keep that historic average or maybe even increase it because we’re announcing a [retirement] program, … but actually the number has dropped,” Apfel said. He attributed this decrease to the sus-

pension of the University’s retirement contributions.

At the faculty meeting, Reinharz stated that “right now we have two people who have signed up [for the retirement plan].” However, Jaffe declined to confirm this statement.

“The original estimate was really just a guess; we had no way of knowing how quickly people would be departing,” Jaffe said. He added

that faculty have until December to sign up for the retirement plan.

“So, in the first week of October, I think it’s frankly premature to conclude that the response hasn’t been a good response.”

Apfel said that the expectation now was that the 35-member faculty reduction might occur by 2016 instead of 2014.

See BUDGET, 7 ☛

ROSE ART MUSEUM

Rose operating budget increased for fiscal 2010 ■ The extra money will help

to support the proposals of the Committee on the Future of the Rose Art Museum.

By ALANA ABRAMSON JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The operating budget for the Rose Art Museum was increased by $200,000 for fiscal 2010 over the summer in an effort to implement the recommendations from the Committee on the Future of the

Rose Art Museum’s final report, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Peter French wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.

“The administration increased the budget to assure the Committee there would be some additional resources to support their recommendations,” French wrote. He added that President Reinharz supported the increase and that it was not met with any opposition.

The Committee on the Future of the Rose Art Museum was formed on March 3 by Provost Marty Krauss with the intention of pro-

viding recommendations to the administration on the integration of the Rose Art Museum into the educational and cultural mission of the University. Chaired by Prof.

Jerry Samet (PHIL), the committee also includes a representative from the Board of Trustees, the Rose Art Museum Board of Overseers, Fine Arts faculty and two members of the student body. The committee’s final report, released on Sept. 22, recommended that the museum remain open as a public art museum while simultaneously increasing its integration into the

University.

Samet wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that the administration made this commitment to increase the budget when the financial situation for fiscal 2010 became clear.

“By the time we asked the finance people to make a presentation about the Rose’s past and future budgets, the commitment was already in place,” he explained.

Samet wrote that the committee would have recommended an increase in the budget even if the

See ROSE, 7☛

The University Board of Trustees is creating a presidential search committee in light of University President Jehuda Reinharz’s Sept. 24 announcement to resign.

“Certainly there will be Board members [on the committee]; certainly there will be some faculty.

What other constituencies will be represented, I don’t know yet,” said Chairman of the Board of Trustees Malcolm Sherman in an interview with the Justice. He added that he is meeting with Student Union representatives this week to discuss student involvement in the search process.

Reinharz Reinharz will remain president until a new president has been selected or until June 30, 2011, according to a Sept. 24 University press release.

Reinharz told the Justice Sept.

24 that his decision to resign is based on “the realization that I’ve completed most of the things that I want to complete [at Brandeis]. ... I have an opportunity to do something different. ... I decided this was a good time.”

The search committee will interview students, faculty and administrators to obtain their opinions of how the University should develop over the next 10 years and what qualities the next president should possess, Sherman explained. The results will be presented to the Board, and after the Board’s approval on how the committee should proceed, a personal consultant will be hired to assist the committee in reviewing résumé of potential

See SEARCH, 7 ☛

Making sandwiches

Judges snap long skid

Position filled

■ Students divulge their favorite sandwich recipes.

■ The men’s soccer team won its first UAA game since 2006 last Saturday at Case Western Reserve University.

■ A new senior vice president of Communications and External Affairs has been announced.

SPORTS 20

FEATURES 9 For tips or info call Let your voice be heard!

Submit letters to the editor online (781) 736-6397 at www.thejusticeonline.com

INDEX

ARTS

21

EDITORIAL FEATURES

14 9

OPINION POLICE LOG

14 2

SPORTS 20 COMMENTARY 15

NEWS 3

COPYRIGHT 2009 FREE AT BRANDEIS. Call for home delivery.

2

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

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THE JUSTICE

NEWS POLICE LOG

AP BRIEF Swine flu outbreak could fill up hospitals in fifteen states WASHINGTON—If a third of people wind up catching swine flu, 15 states could run out of hospital beds around the time the outbreak peaks, a new report warns Thursday.

The nonprofit Trust for America’s Health estimates the number of people hospitalized could range from a high of 168,000 in California to just under 2,500 in Wyoming.

The public health advocacy group used government flu computer models to study how quickly hospitals would fill up during a mild pandemic, like the kind the swine flu—what doctors prefer to call the 2009 H1N1 strain—is shaping up to be. It based its estimates on the mild 1968 pandemic, suggesting up to 35 percent of the population could fall ill.

Even though only a fraction would be sick enough to be hospitalized, health officials are bracing: When H1N1 first appeared in the spring, more than 44,000 people visited emergency rooms in hard-hit New York City, the report noted. Just sorting out which patients are sick enough to be admitted from the vast majority who need to go home is a big job.

And hospital capacity varies widely.

By the outbreak’s peak, the new report suggests, Delaware and Connecticut hospitals would fill up soonest. Also on that list: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

To deal with overcrowding, hospitals are supposed to have “surge” plans detailing when they would postpone elective surgeries to free up beds, for instance, and when they might even need to call in government help for mobile hospital units.

Those are among the options in New Jersey hospitals’ surge plans, as well as doubling-up single rooms and even using nursing-home beds as necessary, says the state health department, which deems its hospitals ready to meet the challenge.

Medical Emergency Sept. 28—A party in East Quad requested BEMCo because she had a fever and stomach pain.

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

Oct. 1—A female party walked into the University Police station in Stoneman complaining of chest pains. BEMCo responded and medical staff from the Golding Health Center were on-scene.

The party was released to the care of the on-call doctor at the Golding Health Center.

Oct. 2—A female party in East Quad reported a shoulder injury.

The patient was cleared for transport and was taken to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital by ambulance.

Oct. 2—University Police received a call about two students injured at the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. BEMCo was on-scene and requested an ambulance. Both parties were

transported to the Wellesley Hospital.

Newton-

Larceny Sept. 30—Within the last two weeks, three flags with an approximate combined value of $150 have been stolen from the Sachar International Center.

University Police compiled a report.

Oct. 2—A party in North Quad reported that his laptop, iPod and iPod speakers had been stolen.

University Police compiled a report.

Oct. 4—A University Police dispatcher observed three individuals walking across the lawn at the Main Gate to the University carrying a bench. University Police responded and made contact with the individuals at the Main Gate. The suspects admitted taking the property, and University Police escorted the parties while they returned the property.

Disturbance Sept. 29—University Police received a call about fireworks in the area of Rosenthal Quad. University Police responded and were unable to locate any fireworks; they were also unable to secure the roof hatch of Rosenthal South because the lock was broken. The campus operations department was advised.

Miscellaneous Sept. 30—A caller from Theater Lot reported three teenagers atop the catwalk of the Spingold Theater who were throwing apples at passing cars. University Police responded and stopped the three individuals and will issue them a trespassing citation.

Oct. 1—A male party in the Shapiro Campus Center stated that he had come upon a male party passed out with a possible cut over his eye. When awoken, the party ran away toward the Usdan Student Center. Univer-

Constitutional Task Force to be formed by next week

BOSTON—President Barack Obama is coming to Massachusetts to raise money for Gov. Deval Patrick.

A White House aide confirms the president will attend an Oct. 23 luncheon on behalf of the governor, who is running for re-election next year but has been slow to collect campaign donations.

Later in the day, he will attend a dinner in Connecticut for Sen. Chris Dodd, who is also up for reelection in 2010.

The visit will come less than a month after Patrick helped Obama by pressing the Legislature to create an interim senator to replace the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.

The appointment of Paul Kirk restored a filibusterproof margin in the Senate Obama might need if he hopes to pass a health care overhaul.

By visiting before the end of 2009, Obama can help Patrick raise the maximum $500 from donors in this calendar year.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS An article in News last week misstated the number of credits associated with a proposed Justice Brandeis Semester program. “Environmental Health and Justice” is a 12-credit program, not a 10-credit program. (Sept. 22, p. 3) An article in Features last week misspelled the name of a character in the upcoming production of Bare. The characters name is Sister Chantelle, not Sister Chantall.

(Sept. 22, p. 9) An article in Features last week misstated the number of actors in the upcoming production of Bare. The production has 15 actors, not 13. (Sept. 22, p. 9)

A photo in Arts last week misrepresented the layout of the photo’s subject. The photo is of two separate spreads in the Brandeis Admissions viewbook, not one cohesive page. (Sept. 22, p. 20) The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. E-mail justeditor@ brandeis.edu.

theJustice 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 every Wednesday from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Justice office.

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—compiled by Harry Shipps

SENATE LOG

Obama will come to Massachusetts in support of Gov Deval Patrick

An article in Features last week misstated the position of Lauren Elias ’10 in the production of Bare. Elias is the assistant producer, not the assistant director.

(Sept. 22, p. 9)

sity Police checked the area and located the party. BEMCo was requested to check on the party.

Oct. 1—University Police in East Quad attempted to escort a party back to his dorm. The party could not remember where he lived. The shift supervisor requested that the individual be transported to the NewtonWellesley Hospital for intoxication. The party became combative and was placed in protective custody by University Police and transported to the Waltham Police Station.

Oct. 3—University Police received a call from the community development coordinator in Ridgewood Quad that there was an odor of marijuana within a room. University Police confiscated a small amount of marijuana and paraphernalia.

University Judicial charges will be filed.

JAXSON DERMER/the Justice

Looking for work At the Fall Career Fair, organized by the Hiatt Career Center, students were able to meet over 70 employers in fields ranging from biotech to finance. The fair was held Sept. 24 in the Levin Ballroom.

Student Union President Andy Hogan ’11 swore in new Senators from the Class of 2013 Ruben Abergel and Jonah Cohen and Massell Quad Senator Linda Li ’13.

Hogan reported the timely revision of the Union Constitution involving the Constitutional Review Task Force.

Hogan also recommended that the Senate choose its representative to the task force within the next week. He advised an executive session of the Senate to appoint a member from within.

He also announced plans to work with the Faculty Senate on overcrowding of the University, a problem the Justice Brandeis Semester will hopefully resolve, Hogan said.

Hogan also announced the progress of a new privately run Union Web site.

Hogan further reported the success of a Union initiative to expand business hours at Einstein Bros. Bagels on campus. The dining location will now be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.

Supreetha Gubbala ’12 , director of academic affairs for the Union, reported open positions and projects in the department. She announced the goal to bridge the gap between the University administrative officials of the student life and academics divisions.

Gubbala also discussed the JBS and the future of Brandeis academics.

Director of Student Rights and Advocacy Lev Hirschorn ’11 announced a goal for spreading awareness of OSRA. His plan involves pamphlets and informational sessions.

Jenna Brofsky ’10, director of community advocacy, reported an event named “Clubs in Service Info Session” for community service to be held on Oct. 19.

The Senate unanimously passed a Senate Money Resolution of $67 for a “Chasing Your Dream: Pursuit to Higher Education” event to be held Oct. 8 in Pearlman Lounge. The event will highlight underprivileged achievers.

The Senate confirmed Usman Hameedi ’12 as Club Support Committee non-Senate chair.

—Nathan Koskella

ANNOUNCEMENTS Sun Life Financial On-Campus Info Session A representative from Sun Life Financial will be on campus to discuss their new Leadership Development Program, which is a three year rotational program for entry-level graduates. The deadline to apply for the program is Oct. 10, and oncampus interviews will be conducted Oct. 16. Students interested in this program are encouraged to attend the information session. Today from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Hiatt Career Center.

Government Careers Forum The Hiatt Career Center will host the Brandeis University Government Careers Forum and Networking Event to showcase careers in federal, state and local government and provide an opportunity for students/alumni to connect with agency representatives. This event will feature a keynote presentation by Kim Ainsworth,

executive director of the Greater Boston Federal Executive Board, which will be followed by an open networking session where students/alumni may connect with over 20 employers and alumni about their agencies. Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Hassenfeld Conference Center.

tural Center are sponsoring an event focusing on the challenges facing racial minorities as they pursue higher education.

Student may join Brandeis professors and a Harvard Law School student in a discussion about these obstacles. Thursday, Oct. 8 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Pearlman Lounge.

Working Through a Nazi Childhood Lecture by Hank Klibanoff Hank Klibanoff, former managing editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, will discuss the book The Race Beat: Then and Now, which won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for History and which he co-authored. Thursday, Oct. 8 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in Pollack Auditorium. For more information, speak to Prof. Maura Jane Farrelly (JOUR)

Chasing Your Dreams: Pursuit to Higher Education The Student Union, Hillel and Intercul-

Ursula Mahlendorf, a professor emerita of German, Slavic and Semitic Studies at the German department and Women’s Studies Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara, will discuss her latest work, The Shame of Survival: Working through a Nazi Childhood, a book drawing upon the author’s own experiences as well as research, as it explores what it was like growing up in Nazi Germany, and how Germans and German writers deal with their Nazi past. Monday, Oct. 12, from noon to 2 p.m. in the Faculty Club Lounge. For more information, e-mail cgees@brandeis.edu.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

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ADMINISTRATION

Senior VP for Communications chosen ■ Andrew Gully will be the

senior vice president for Communications and External Affairs from Nov. 2.

By NASHRAH RAHMAN JUSTICE EDITOR

A new senior vice president for Communications and External Affairs will join the University Nov. 2, announced University President Jehuda Reinharz in a campuswide e-mail yesterday.

Andrew Gully, currently the senior vice president and managing director of corporate affairs for Sovereign Bank, part of the international financial services company Santander Group, was selected from three finalists for the position, said Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Peter French in an e-mail to the Justice.

Former Senior Vice President of Communications Lorna Miles left the position in July to work for the United

States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.

The three finalists were interviewed

by Reinharz, members of the University Board of Trustees, the Faculty Senate Council, senior administrators and a student committee, French wrote. More than 20 applications were received for the post, he added.

French is acting as the interim senior vice president for Communications and External Affairs until Gully joins the University. French wrote that publicity firm Rasky-Baerlein Strategic Communications, Inc., which was reengaged in light of Reinharz’s Sept. 24 announcement to resign, will “continue through an appropriate transition period.”

Gully was a vice president at the marketing and branding firm Kelley Habib John, “where he led the communications practice and worked with clients on reputation management, media and community relations,” according to a University press release sent to the campus media publications.

He was also a former managing editor and reporter for the Boston Herald, the press release states.

“Having gone through the interview process, it’s a pretty remarkable place, and what clearly came through during that interview process was the passion and commitment that students and faculty and administrators and members of the board have for the University that I’ll be joining, and that’s pretty exciting,” Gully said.

“We wanted the new Senior VP to have an exceptional ability to build relationships and collaborate with all relevant constituencies, and to have shown excellent judgment in dealing with complex and challenging communications issues,” wrote French.

Gully will be responsible for creating a “comprehensive communications program” that “supports efforts and builds on opportunities in all areas of the University,” French wrote.

“What I’m looking forward to doing is to help … all facets of the University community, to help tell their story and to improve communications efforts across the board,” Gully said. He added that he will begin by establishing relations with the rest of the communications staff, as well as with faculty, administration and

ACADEMICS

level programs have increased in all four of the graduate schools.

By HARRY SHIPPS JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

The graduate schools at Brandeis have been successful in increasing admissions in an effort to counteract the effects of the current financial crisis and pre-existing budgetary concerns within the graduate schools, according to information presented at a faculty meeting last Thursday.

Applications for the master’s program at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences have increased by 30 percent, and applications for doctoral programs have increased by 5.8 percent, said Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Prof.

Gregory Freeze (HIST) at the meeting. He stated that that the school aimed to increase the number of applicants for the master’s program as a way of generating more revenue, an idea presented in the Curriculum and Academic Restructuring Steering committee’s plan for the University.

Revenue is created by adding master’s students because they are required to pay tuition. Ph.D. students, on the other hand, are paid stipends by the University. In an e-mail to the Justice, Freeze said that applications for master’s and certificate programs within GSAS had jumped an “astronomical 36 percent” over last year.

The entering class of master’s and certificate students rose from 200 last year to 255 this year, according to Freeze. Because of the jump in applications, Freeze wrote, “GSAS became more, not less, selective in admissions, with a substantial improvement in quantitative markers such as GPA and GRE scores.”

Freeze said that this jump in admissions of master’s and certificate students accounted for about twothirds of the improvement in the GSAS budget, which “went from a deficit of $1.7 million last year to a positive $300,000 this year,” wrote Freeze. At the faculty meeting, Freeze said that, in keeping with the recommendations of the CARS committee, the number of admitted Ph.D. students had been cut, but the stipends paid to those students increased, which increased the percentage of students offered admission who accepted.

F. Trenery Dolbear, associate dean and professor emeritus of Economics at the International Business School, and Dean of IBS Bruce

Magid said in an interview with the Justice that admissions for master’s programs within IBS have increased from 176 last year to 206 this year.

Dolbear said that the school admitted more students than it had expected to but that the increase in tuition revenue helped the school pay its expenses. “We are coming close to our capacity; however, … we couldn’t keep doing this year after year,” he added. IBS’ capacity is 500 students, and the school currently has 485 enrollees, according to information presented at the meeting.

When asked if they had been able to maintain the quality of admitted students through this increase, Magid said in the interview that the school had admitted 13 Fulbright Scholars this year, bringing the total number of Fulbright Scholars in IBS to 27, a number he called “remarkable … for any business school or any program.”

Dolbear said that along with the increase in tuition revenue, IBS cut its operating cost 10 to 15 percent last year in hopes of overcoming the mounting financial challenges.

Also at the meeting, Lisa Lynch, dean of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management said that the incoming class for the school is 25 percent larger than last year. In an e-mail to the Justice, she wrote that the incoming class increased by 60 students, from 180 incoming students last year, to 240 this year. She added that after a decrease in applications for the previous three years, there was a 19 percent jump in applications over last year.

Lynch said that this increase in applications is the result of a concerted effort to do “more aggressive outreach,” including college fair visits, e-mails to prospective students and organizations that might send students and utilization of the extensive alumni network. In her e-mail she wrote, “Financially this growth has added to our ability to contribute to the University as a whole as well.”

Michaele Whelan, dean of the Rabb School of Continuing Studies, said in an interview with the Justice that because of the rolling admissions system of the Graduate Professional Studies program, which allows students to enroll for semesterlong courses in the spring, fall or summer, it is difficult to tell what the exact number of students is at any one point, but she said that enrollment seemed robust and she thought that it was a good sign in these difficult economic times.

She continued “I think the Rabb School is unique. When you think about only 10 staff producing gross revenue of four-and-a-half million dollars, … and we don’t have a lot of costs, … it’s a very lean operation.”

“

“[Andrew] Gully will have his work cut out for him.”

PROF. SABINE VON MERING

Chair of Faculty Senate Prof. Sabine von Mering (GRALL) wrote in an email to the Justice, “Mr. Gully will have his work cut out for him. I hope he will begin by getting to know the faculty to learn what Brandeis is really about so he can help improve our web presence and internal and external communications.”

Von Mering emphasized that Gully should revamp the University Web site

so that more people are aware of the opportunities available at Brandeis.

“I’m confident that the person chosen will work well,” Student Union President Andy Hogan ’11 said. He added that the Union will meet Gully “and as the Student Union gets to know him, we’ll be thinking of new projects.”

Student Union Director of Communications Sydney Reuben ’10, one of the six members of the student committee, said that she felt students were involved in the selection process.

“It’s nice to know that the student body can be in the know. … All of the candidates were open to student involvement,” Reuben said.

“I am pleased with the choice; he was a strong candidate and I think he is a good fit for Brandeis’ needs. He has a lot of experience with Boston based media which I believe will help him in this position,” wrote Union Executive Senator Jenna Rubin ’11, another member of the student committee, in an e-mail to the Justice.

—Nathan Koskella contributed reporting.

GREEN TALK

Graduate school admissions rise ■ Admissions to master’s-

student groups.

“There’s a lot of good things going on at Brandeis, and I just want to help bring those out so that it really improves the standards of the school and the brand,” Gully said.

REBECCA NEY/the Justice

SUSTAINABILITY: Univ Pres. Jehuda Reinharz and Student Union Pres. Andy Hogan ’11 listen to Prof. Sabine von Mering (GRALL).

Solar panels to be put on Gosman ■ Installation of the array, which will be one of the largest in Massachusetts, will begin in November.

By LIZ POSNER JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

University President Jehuda Reinharz revealed plans to install 1,383 individual solar panels on the roof of the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center that will help avoid 122 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year at the Great Green Ideas for Brandeis and Beyond event last Wednesday.

The announcement coincided with the introduction of the Brandeis University Climate Action Plan. The plan was released and submitted to the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment Sept. 15.

The Climate Action Plan was compiled by the Brandeis Environmental Sustainability Team, the advisory committee of the Campus Sustainability Initiative, which consists of members of the Brandeis faculty, staff and student body. Highlights from the plan include a goal to reduce carbon emissions by 15 percent by 2015 and to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions on campus completely by 2050. Other components of the Climate Action Plan stress the University’s goal to promote energy efficiency on campus.

The University will work with the renewable energy company Alteris Renewables to build the 277-kilowatt solar panel array and will begin installation

in November 2009. After its completion, the solar panel array will be one of the largest in Massachusetts. The University has signed a contract with EOS Ventures, a renewable energy company that will finance the up-front cost of the installation. The University will then buy the electricity produced by the solar panels and use it as an alternative source of energy.

“The system didn’t cost us anything,” said Sustainability Coordinator Janna Cohen-Rosenthal ’03. “We are using a power purchase agreement, where another company owns the system. We just pay for the power. I believe that the solar panels could cost $1.5 to $2.5 million dollars.”

“This development is highly worthwhile both for its energy production and for its educational value,” Reinharz said at the presentation.

Reinharz also stressed individual action and student education in his speech. “We are committed to educating Brandeis students to be sustainability leaders,” he said.

Prof. Sabine von Mering (GRALL), who also spoke at the event, introduced the new Web site affiliated with the Brandeis Forum on Environmental Crisis.

“The number-one goal of the site is very simple: We want to better educate the campus and each other about climate change, including the basic issues, the threats to biodiversity and to clean food and water,” von Mering said.

Student Union President Andy Hogan ’11 reviewed past campus involvement in promoting environmental sustainability at the event.

He discussed the new course “Greening the Ivory Tower: Improving Environmental Sustainability of Brandeis and Community,” which helps initiate student-led sustainability projects on campus.

Under the Climate Action Plan, students will be able to receive a “Green Room Certification” from the Eco-Rep in their quad by following a list of ecofriendly guidelines, Hogan said. The Eco-Rep program seeks to encourage environmental education in residence halls and has been adopted by over 30 colleges and universities, according to the Office of Facilities Services.

“We as a community are committed to this green movement, and I know that through our cooperation with each facet of the Brandeis community, we can move mountains,” Hogan said.

“I am proud of the success that we have achieved so far, but I also readily acknowledge that there is much more that can be done [to promote environmental sustainability on campus],” Reinharz said.

He added, “It is through such efforts that we maintain our university’s proud traditions of social consciousness and responsibility.”

“I thought the event was really exciting,” Ellen Abramowitz ’11 told the Justice after the event. “I thought there was a really good turnout. If everything goes well, Brandeis will be ahead of the curve [in promoting environmental sustainability projects],” she said.

“I think the thing that really stood out to me was the Web site. I think it’s a great way to get students involved.”

Yale Spector ’11 told the Justice.

4

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

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THE JUSTICE

ACADEMICS

JBS manager search expected to end soon ■ The post of the Justice

Brandeis Semester manager may be filled within the next three weeks.

By HARRY SHIPPS JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

The Justice Brandeis Semester committee expects to fill the position of JBS manager within the next three weeks to coincide with the approval process for summer 2010 JBS proposals, which were due last Thursday, according to Director of Study Abroad and JBS committee member J. Scott Van Der Meid.

According to the JBS Web site, four proposals for summer 2010 have been submitted by the deadline: “Collaborative Theater and the Theatrical Essay,” “Environmental Health and Justice,” “Ethnographic Fieldwork” and “Web and Mobile Application Development.”

“All JBS proposals will be submitted first to a subcommittee for ‘preapproval,’ before submission to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and dean of arts and sciences for final approval,” according to the JBS Web site. Criteria for proposals include academic coherence, excellence and feasibility, expected appeal to undergraduates, and financial viability, as stated on the Web site

“[The proposals] should be going through, so by the end of the month we should know more concretely what the product is and our hope is to have a program manager on board at a similar time,” Van Der Meid said.

The Brandeis employment Web site lists the responsibilities of the JBS manager, which include “managing the logistics of the program, including developing publicity, the application process, budget monitoring, logistical arrangements for students and faculty, and the implementation of the program evaluation rubric.”

Van Der Meid said that the JBS committee had conducted phone interviews with a large number of candidates two weeks ago and then invited a smaller number of applicants to interview on-campus throughout the past week. He was unwilling to comment on the number of candidates interviewed, a policy he said was in keeping with similar situations in the past.

Applicants for the position of JBS manager who interviewed on campus talked with several different groups, including a “subset of the larger JBS committee,” students, faculty and staff, according to Van Der Meid. Most of the applicants for the post had previous experience with experiential learning either in their professional or academic careers, he said.

Member of the JBS committee Prof. Laura Goldin (AMST) said that faculty who had submitted proposals for JBS programs held a forum for other faculty members and certain students on Thursday, Sept. 24.

The forum aimed to generate discussion about the JBS programs and to inform other faculty members who might submit proposals.

The forum was attended by faculty members and invited members of the Student Union, including Union President Andy Hogan ’11, Vice President Amanda Hecker ’10 and the two student members of the JBS overview committee, Sofya Bronshvayg ’11 and Danielle Wolfson ’11.

Hogan said that at the meeting, “We spoke about students’ needs in the JBS process. … Those were student life concerns as well as definitely encouraging the faculty to follow through with the proposals because the JBS is a good solution for overcrowding.” Hogan said that he does not expect there to be any more programs for summer 2010 because the deadline for proposals has already passed.

“I think [the forum] was instructive; I think people got a chance to see what [the proposed JBS programs] might look like. … I’ve heard some ideas around the table that I had not heard before, … and it was very exciting to hear that,” said Goldin.

DISCOUNT CLOTHING

REBECCA NEY/the Justice

Sample Sale A student looks at an item of clothing that was on sale at an event Wednesday, Sept. 30. The event was sponsored by the Department of Student Activities and College Sample Sales.

STUDENT UNION ADMINISTRATION

Search for Health Center director has been postponed ■ The position was

expected to be filled by August, but the search has been postponed while Brandeis handles flu cases.

By ANYA BERGMAN JUSTICE EDITOR

The search for a new Health Center director has been delayed temporarily while the University and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, which operates the Health Center and employs its staff, remain busy treating students for the flu, according to Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer.

There have been a total of 81 cases of the flu so far, and Sawyer said the treatment for these students has “just been really time-consuming.”

Health Center Nursing Director and Co-Administrator Kathleen Maloney retired in the early summer after working at the Health Center for 11 years, Health Center Medical Director Dr. Debra Poaster wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.

Sawyer said the University expected a new director by August to help with what it anticipated to be a semi-crisis concerning the H1N1 virus.

He added that while it is disappointing to not yet have a new director, the school and Health Center were “well prepared” to deal with flu cases and that the situation “doesn’t feel like a crisis.”

Student Union President Andy Hogan ’11 said he is facilitating the committee by communicating with the Department of Stduent Life but will not interview the candidates.

He said that the first interview was supposed to take place last week but did not happen as coordination between the University and Beth Israel did not follow through.

Sawyer said that Beth Israel will screen the medical experience and skills of the candidates.

The candidates will then come to the University for an interview to see how they get along with members of the Brandeis community and

to see if the fit is right.

“I am certain, via conversations over the summer, that there has been interest by candidates, and initial screening. There was a candidate scheduled to come to campus a couple of weeks ago, but the visit was cancelled,” Sawyer wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.

“It is possible we could have a candidate to meet any time,” he wrote.

“Everyone at the Health Center has pitched in to extend themselves so that students remain well cared for,” wrote

“

It is possible we could have a candidate to meet any time.

RICK SAWYER

Poaster in an e-mail to the Justice.

Sawyer said that the new director will ideally have clinical and management experience like Maloney, who managed the Health Center and served as a nurse practitioner.

“We were blessed to have Kathleen Maloney with us for so long,” Sawyer said.

Poaster and Maloney served as codirectors in the past, and now Poaster is in charge and filling in some of Maloney’s roles, such as attending meetings and spending more time in the Health Center, Sawyer said.

Hogan said he selected a student search committee for the new director and gave priority to those who serve on the Health Center advisory committee.

The students on the committee are: Julia Rabkin ’11, Jordan Caruso ’11 and Alexandra Kriss ’11. Student Union Treasurer Daniel Acheampong ’11 and Daniel Litwok ’10, the Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps’ director of operations, are also on the committee.

Litwok said that he works with

Poaster who is also the medical director for BEMCo, and did that he did not have much interaction with Maloney.

“I hope that the individual selected as director will serve as an effective and compassionate manager who is sensitive to student needs, just as [Maloney] did in her time at Brandeis,” Litwok wrote in an email to the Justice.

“In terms of the specifics of the position, I do not have any comments, since this position does not directly interact with my organization,” Litwok wrote.

The students on the search committee should determine the candidates’ commitment and energy, what it would be like to interact with them on health issues and the candidates’ level of understanding about Brandeis and college life, Sawyer said.

Acheampong said he wanted to be on the committee after reading about the spread of H1N1 in countries with cold climates.

He added that was also concerned about how the Health Center would handle the situation and therefore wanted to involved in the selection process.

Acheampong said that he spoke to Hogan over the summer about preventative measures the school could take with regard to the flu.

“It is important for students to have a voice in any selection process,” Acheampong said. He added that it is especially important to interview administrators who students will work with in the long run.

Sawyer added that an H1N1 vaccine should arrive in the next two weeks, and students will be instructed on how it will be administered.

He said the University will receive the vaccine free from the United States government but that there might be an associated charge if the University has to pay additional people to administer it.

“I hope enough people get the vaccine that it will at least knock out the spreadability [of the flu],” Sawyer said.

Second-round Union election winners sworn in ■ No candidates signed up

for seats representing the Foster Mods, Charles River Apartments and East Quad.

By EMILY KRAUS JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Candidates who won the second round of the Student Union elections for Rosenthal Quad, North Quad and the Class of 2013 senator seats were announced in an e-mail sent to successful candidates by Union Secretary Diana Aronin ’11 Sept. 24. Ruben Abergel and Jonah Cohen won the final round of voting for the position of senator for the Class of 2013.

Yakov Israel ’12, Andrea Ortega ’13 and Linda Li ’13 will represent Rosenthal Quad, North Quad and Massell Quad, respectively.

The second round of voting was held to settle elections in which no candidate in the first round received a majority of votes or in which technical difficulties prevented the first round from taking place. The first round of the elections was postponed due to technical difficulties with the polling system, according to Aronin in a Sept. 18 e-mail to the Justice.

No candidates signed up to run for the open positions representing the Foster Mods, Charles River Quad or East Quad. Students were unable to write in votes for these elections during the first round because of such technical issues. “[No one] had signed up to run for these quads and no one came forth from these quads with any complaints. … The way that we chose to run the elections for them is in no way unconstitutional,” wrote Arorin in an e-mail to the Justice.

Senators for those quads, though, were not elected because more students abstained than voted for any one candidate. “Candidates that received more than 10 percent of the vote with a write-in (in the polls that had no candidates running) were contacted to see if they were interested in progressing to a final round,” Aronin wrote in her e-mail.

Amy Mandel will run unopposed for the position of Foster Mods sena-

tor today.

“For East and Charles River, those seats will remain vacant until January. That is when the constitution states we can hold special elections for empty seats,” Arorin wrote.

The Student Union Constitution states in Article IX, Section 4, Clause 2, “Fall Inaugurations shall take place at the first regularly scheduled Senate meeting following the official certification of election results.” The candidates from the first round, however, were sworn in before the second round of voting was completed.

In response to a question about the inauguration’s constitutionality, Aronin wrote, “It does not state explicitly in the constitution that all candidates need to be sworn in at one meeting.” She added that it is not her decision to choose when to swear in new senators.

“I think that what we just did [swearing in the new senators] was constitutional,” Union President Andy Hogan ’11 said.

Winners of the second-round elections were sworn in at a Senate meeting Sept. 27.

Senators elected in the first round of elections on Monday, Sept. 21 were sworn in at the Student Union meeting Sept. 23. Beneva Davis ’13 was sworn in as senator-at-large, Jackie Saffir as senator for the Class of 2010 and Brendan Fradkin as senator for the Class of 2012. Ryan Fanning ’11, Leigh Nusbaum ’11, Mark Trilling ’12 and Beau Bonness ’11 were sworn in as the senators for Ziv Quad, Village Quad, the Castle and Ridgewood Quad, respectively.

Hogan urged the new senators to “shake things up this year,” saying at the meeting, “If you ran on something, make it happen.”

Fradkin and Trilling discussed issues in sophomore housing, which included pest problems and a need for more trash cans within the various residence halls at the meeting.

Saffir, meanwhile, expressed her desire to lessen the “stigma and lack of knowledge about the counseling center at Brandeis.”

“Mental health problems are a big deal. … People shouldn’t be turning [treatment] options away,” she said at the meeting.

THE JUSTICE

STUDENT LIFE

●

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

BRANDEIS REMEMBERS ITS NAMESAKE

Facilities to provide paper products ■ A change in the paper

product policy allows students living in suitestyle residences to obtain unlimited free toilet paper and paper towels.

By NATHAN KOSKELLA JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Ziv Quad and Rosenthal Quad residents will be able to pick up unlimited free toilet paper and paper towels from Facilities Services after a revision of the paper product policy for the suite-style residence halls, according to the Department of Community Living and the Office of Facilities Services.

Jeremy Leiferman, senior director of DCL, credited Facilities with organizing the change in paper product policy.

Under the new policy, pickups can be made from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Facilities Services in the Epstein building.

The DCL made the decision not to deliver paper products in early spring for a variety of reasons, Leiferman told the Justice last February.

Leiferman stressed that the original change was not made in response to the financial crisis faced by the University.

“The change came about not as a financial change—just in order to be more efficient. This plan is not quite as convenient as dropping [paper products] off, but the major issue was efficiency for Facilities,” Student Union President Andy Hogan ’11 responded when asked why pickup of the materials will now be provided.

The revision to the policy was advocated by the Student Union after receiving student complaints.

“During the first few weeks, students came to me and said that they had no toilet paper, so we bridged the gap between [the DCL] and Facilities,” Hogan said.

“We stepped up because it’s our job to take on issues that students are advocating for. I’m very happy with [the program]; we’re saving more paper while fitting the need for the products,” said Jenna Brofsky ’10, the Union’s director of community advocacy.

Brofsky also said it was a good indication for the increasing role of student input in Brandeis policy decisions.

Janna Cohen-Rosenthal ’03, the University’s sustainability coordinator, said that the revised policy is environmentally friendly.

When the policy of delivering the products was in place, the administration “could never know how much students would use,” Cohen-Rosenthal said.

This led to oversupplying paper products in residence halls and quads, and the hope is that students will now watch their usage more carefully, she said.

Some students voiced their agreement with the new revised policy.

“I’m fully in support of this more efficient and environmental policy,” Adam Cohen ’12 said.

“Going down to Epstein [for free paper products] is a lot better than going down to Hannaford’s,” Hogan said, referring to the local supermarket.

Other students are ambivalent about the change in the paper product policy. “[Having to pick up the paper products] is very annoying,” Dan Neal ’10 said, “[though] it’s good that it helps the University.”

“The service was useful, but splitting toilet paper costs amongst six people is not bad at all,” Kar Ravji ’11 said.

SHAEFALI SHANDILYA/the Justice

COMMEMORATING BRANDEIS: Boston Postmaster James J. Holland, Jehuda Reinharz, Frank Gilbert, and Alice Brandeis Popkin stand near the newly unveiled stamp.

New Brandeis stamp unveiled ■ The stamp is part of the

2009 Commemorative Stamp Program, which features famous justices.

By LIZ POSNER JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

A United States Postal Service stamp commemorating Justice Louis D. Brandeis was revealed by Boston Postmaster James J. Holland at a dedication ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 24.

The ceremony took place at the base of the on-campus statue of Justice Brandeis and included short speeches by University President Jehuda Reinharz, Holland and Brandeis’ grandson, Frank Brandeis Gilbert. William Bowen, the “singing postman” who works in the Brandeis post office and performs in the greater Boston area, closed the event with a song in honor of the stamp ded-

ication, “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter.”

The Brandeis stamp is one of the four stamps in the the 2009 Commemorative Stamp Program featuring former U.S. Supreme Court justices.

Also featured are Felix Frankfurter, William J. Brennan Jr. and Joseph Story.

Louis D. Brandeis was the first Jewish Supreme Court justice and served from 1916 to 1939.

He was a public opponent of corruption, monopolies and powerful corporations and supported individual rights to free speech and privacy.

Justice Brandeis was also an active proponent for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine and was active in the Federation of American Zionists, according to the University Web site.

The stamp ceremony, sponsored by The Louis D. Brandeis Legacy Fund for Social Justice, was the first part of the “Brandeis Celebrates Brandeis” salute intended to pay tribute to Jus-

tice Brandeis’ life and achievements.

The event series also includes a “Meet the Author” program Sept. 29, which featured Melvin Urofsky, author of the biography Louis D. Brandeis: A Life.

In his speech, Reinharz stressed the ways in which Justice Brandeis personified the University’s four pillars: dedication to academic excellence, nonsectarianism, commitment to social justice and a relationship with the Jewish community.

“Anyone who doubts that a single man can have a real impact on an entire culture and an entire people should really examine Louis Brandeis’ career,” said Reinharz in his speech.

Reinharz stressed Brandeis’ open mindedness. “He was a nonelitist who sat in one of the most elite seats in this country,” Reinharz said. He also spoke about Brandeis’ advocacy for the rights of individuals against corporations and expansive government.

Holland spoke about Brandeis’ contributions to the judicial system and to legal thought in the U.S. “Brandeis was a progressive and champion of reform who devoted his life to social justice,” Holland said in his speech. “He was the associate justice most responsible for helping the Supreme Court shape the tools it needed to interpret the Constitution.”

Gilbert spoke about the role of the University in carrying on Justice Brandeis’ commitment to social justice. “[He] had faith in the future, and that faith is carried on in the school named for him,” Gilbert said.

“It was wonderful to honor Justice Brandeis, who is our namesake and who stands for our four pillars,” Reinharz told the Justice in an interview after the ceremony. He continued, “It was also very nice to have his grandchildren here.”

“I’m so pleased the ceremony took place at Brandeis University, because this place is very close to the heart of our family,” Gilbert told the Justice.

CAMPUS EVENT

Urofsky talks about the life of Brandeis ■ The professor at Virgina

Commonwealth University has written seven volumes about the famous justice.

By ERIN DONIGER JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Melvin I. Urofsky discussed his latest biography, Louis D. Brandeis: A Life, as part of a “Meet the Author” event Sept. 29.

The event was sponsored by the Louis D. Brandeis Legacy Fund for Social Justice as a part of the “Brandeis Celebrates Brandeis” series in September, during which the University paid tribute to its namesake.

It followed a celebration on Sept. 24 that launched a new U.S. postage stamp featuring Justice Brandeis.

Urofsky is a professor of law and public policy and a professor emeritus of history at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has written and edited 52 books, including seven volumes about Brandeis’ life.

“Brandeis essentially had four lives,” said Urofsky. Urofsky explained that Brandeis was a lawyer, reformer, Zionist and Supreme Court justice, though he did not necessarily hold these roles simultaneously.

MAX BREITSTEIN MATZA/the Justice

FOUR LIVES: Urofsky said Brandeis was a lawyer, reformer, Zionist, and Justice.

Brandeis did significantly better financially than other lawyers for his time, Urofsky said.

“Doing well, [Justice Brandeis] now decided to do good,” he said.

Although Brandeis left a very large written record, he was a very private person who “took the right to privacy very seriously,” Urofsky said. Since Brandeis burned many of his private letters, Urofsky said that his job as a historian was made much harder.

“Everything he did was very rigorously thought out,” said Urofsky.

“He never wasted time. He never chitchat[ted].”

At nearly 1,000 pages, Louis D. Brandeis: A Life took only about one year to write, “though everything else took 40 years,” said Urofsky, referring to the research in preparation for the book.

“The book has been good to me,” said Urofsky. “I now know what heaven is like for scholars.”

“The ‘Meet the Author’ with Melvin Urofsky was an incredible success. We had a strong turnout of Brandeis students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the broader community, including some local judges,” said Director of the Louis D. Brandeis Legacy Fund for Social Justice Raquel Rosenblatt in an interview with the Justice after the event.

“Dr. Urofsky is a dynamic and engaging speaker and scholar,” she said. “Through stories and examples, he gave the guests a wonderful feel for Louis D. Brandeis as a man, an acclaimed lawyer and distinguished Supreme Court justice.”

Prof. Stephen Whitfield (AMST), who introduced Urofsy, told the Justice, “Prof. Urofsky, whom I have known for a third of a century, is the world’s most authoritative scholar of the life and thought of Louis D. Brandeis, and his presentation was masterful under the auspices of ‘Meet the Author.’”

Julie Goodman ’11, a Legacy Fund intern working for American Jewish World Service, said, “It was really interesting to hear about all different aspects of his [Brandeis’] life and career. We go to this University that is named after him and a lot of times, people don’t think about [who he really was].”

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PHOTO COURTESY OF HAY KRANEN OF WIKIPEDIA CREATIVE COMMONS

THE JUSTICE

ROSE: Budget raised to implement proposals

●

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

7

ADDRESSING THE DEFICIT

CONTINUED FROM 1 administration had not stated its intention to do so to ensure proper implementation of its recommendations.

When asked what the committee planned to recommend as a use for the extra money, Samet wrote that the committee had finished its work with the release of its final report but that it had recommended in the final report that the Rose prioritize rebuilding its staff.

“We [the committee] believe that this hiring will be possible with the funds available (including the $200K commitment of the administration),” he wrote.

French wrote that the administration has not decided upon specific use of the Rose budget but that the recommendations will be discussed at the Board of Trustees meeting on Oct. 28.

The trustees seemed pleased with the recommendations proposed in the final report at a meeting of the Executive Board of Trustees Sept. 24, according to Krauss.

Krauss added, however, that the report was not discussed at great length.

“They thought it was extremely well written, thoughtful and visionary. It was very complimentary to the work of the committee,” said Krauss.

Stephen Reiner, trustee and committee member, wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that the report would be discussed in much greater length at the Oct. 29 trustee meeting.

At Thursday’s faculty meeting, Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration Jeffrey Apfel explained that while the University was expecting a balanced budget this year, the budget was slightly worse than had been anticipated.

One of the potential options for improving the deficit is selling or monetizing assets, he said.

“To some extent, that’s a reference to the Rose,” Apfel said at the meeting.

Reinharz also referred to the Rose Art Museum lawsuit, explaining that the first hearing is scheduled for Oct. 3, at which point there would be a better idea of how the University will proceed.

The lawsuit was filed by Rose overseers Jonathan Lee, Meryl Rose and Lois Foster on July 27 in the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts.

The lawsuit was subsequently transferred to the Suffolk Probate Court.

The lawsuit seeks to maintain the Rose collection intact by stating that the University’s decision to close it and sell paintings would violate the museum’s ethical codes.

The University’s commitment to the Rose family to maintain the museum solely as a public museum will also be violated, according to the lawsuit.

“Everybody talks about the sale. There are other solutions, and we had to stop exploring them, but it doesn’t mean we can’t restart,” Reinharz said.

In addition to the hearing on Oct. 13, the deadline to file a memorandum in opposition to dismissing the case regarding the lawsuit is Oct. 6.

The University has already filed a motion to dismiss the case, and the opposing counsel has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction.

JAXSON DERMER/the Justice

INCREASING DEFICIT: At the lastest faculty meeting, held last Thursday in Oling-Sang auditorium, those present were informed that the projected budget deficit has grown.

BUDGET: Projected deficit has increased CONTINUED FROM 1 At the meeting, Faculty Senate Chair Prof. Sabine von Mering (GRALL) addressed any faculty considering retirement. “Why don’t you lead the way and suggest how we could meet the retirement goals?” she asked.

She added that faculty should consider “What would you like to see happen with your legacy at Brandeis?” and think about how emeritus faculty could be honored and still contribute by writing the history of Brandeis or archiving institutional memory.

This approach, she said, would be a sign of cooperation between faculty and administration, showing “that this is something the faculty can direct from within us, and not be told from above.”

In an interview with the Justice, von Mering added that “many people, including myself, lost a lot of money in the retirement plan last year, and so … the faculty need to guide this process and they need to say, ‘Here are the conditions that have to be met.’” Von Mering also said that the Faculty Senate was considering ways that there could be more faculty oversight of the CARS implementation to ensure its success.

In a presentation at the faculty meeting, Apfel said that under the assumption that the goals from CARS were met, the University had estimated a $7 million deficit for

fiscal 2011. In addition, those estimates projected a $6 million deficit for fiscal 2012, $4 million for fiscal 2013 and $2 million for fiscal 2014.

The revised estimates foresee a $9 million deficit for fiscal 2011, $8 million for fiscal 2012, $5 million for fiscal 2013 and $2 million for fiscal 2014.

The deficit for fiscal 2011 could also go as high as $12 million, both Reinharz and Apfel stated at the meeting.

The financial situation “has deteriorated some from an already difficult situation,” Apfel said, referring to the earlier $7 million projection which was already challenging.

Both Reinharz and Apfel said the University would consider multiple options to close the gap, after onetime measures taken for fiscal 2009 and 2010 in consultations within the administration, as well as faculty and the Brandeis community.

The University plans to present options at the October Board of Trustees meeting so that a decision can be reached at a special Board of Trustees meeting in late December or January.

Reinharz added that Provost Marty Krauss would put together a committee of faculty to consider entrepreneurial ideas to help improve Brandeis’ situation.

To help faculty gain a sense of the magnitude of the financial situation, Apfel said the budget office had put together a list of examples

to help faculty understand “what any given [dollar amount] is equivalent to in terms of actions” the University could theoretically take to adjust the budget. He emphasized strongly that these did not represent options the University was considering.

For instance, a 1.5-percent pay reduction for faculty and staff, additional reduction of seven faculty members or an additional 0.8percent tuition increase are among the actions that would yield a $1 million gain for the University.

At the meeting, Apfel stated with regard to the option of selling or monetizing assets, “to some extent, that’s a reference to the Rose.”

Apfel emphasized at the meeting and in the interview that the University’s reserves should not be thought of as the main answer to the budget problems.

Apfel stated that the University currently has about $70 million in reserves, which are unrestricted funds in the endowment that the University can access. The total endowment is about $580 million, the largest portion of which is restricted toward specific purposes and so most of it cannot be used for closing the budget gap, Apfel explained.

Taking money out of the reserves to solve the budgetary problems would negatively affect the cash flow of the University, Apfel explained. That money would add to the University’s yearly 5-per-

cent draw from the endowment as a whole for operations, a situation exacerbated by the fact many funds in the endowment have fallen below their original value and cannot be legally accessed.

Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement Nancy Winship said that the expected fiscal 2010 target for unrestricted funds going from fundraising to the operating budget has been lowered from $11 million to $8 million, in part due to the realization that fundraising always slightly decreases during presidential transitions at any institution.

Since 1994, she said, Reinharz has been successful in bringing “people to Brandeis to learn about Brandeis and to support us,” emphasizing that unlike other institutions, a larger portion of money comes from friends of the University than from alumni.

Many of them, she said, “were dismayed about [Reinharz’s] resignation because they expected him to be here through 2014.”

“If you were thinking of making a gift and being able to watch that gift be executed, you might want to wait now because you’re not sure of Brandeis’ direction,” she said to describe donors’ potential reactions.

Winship added, however, that she remained optimistic, and that both she and Reinharz had heavy travel schedules planned to raise money, mainly for financial aid.

SEARCH: Sherman will select committee candidates.

“Hopefully when [the search committee] narrow[s] it down to a reasonable number, [the Board of Trustees] will extend the interviews to both students, faculty and administration, out of which we will then chose a new president,” Sherman said.

The number of members on the search committee is still under discussion, Sherman said.

He added that he hopes the committee will be formed in time for the next Board meeting at the end of October.

Reinharz will be a “highly valuable resource” in the search process, Sherman said.

“Certainly we would like to talk with him on what his ideas are for the future since he’s molded the past, and he knows many people and he is a highly regarded person,” he said.

Reinharz wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that he will not play a formal role in the search committee but will be pleased to offer his views to the chair of the committee

if asked.

Two seats for faculty members have been reserved on the search committee, said Chair of the Faculty Senate Prof. Sabine von Mering (GRALL) at a faculty meeting last Thursday.

She also said at the meeting that the Senate has received 18 nominations for these seats as of last Thursday.

“All faculty are invited to submit nominations at this point,” wrote von Mering in an e-mail to the Justice.

The Senate will select the successful candidates through an election or caucus, she wrote.

“We know that the search committee’s main job will be to convince a stellar candidate to take the job. Therefore, our representatives on the committee need to be people with whom Brandeis can show off. ... They need to know Brandeis really well and be able to articulate our strengths,” von Mering wrote in her e-mail.

In an interview with Justice, von Mering did not disclose the names

of the nominees but said that the deadline for nominations is this week.

The Senate is pushing for more faculty representation on the search committee, von Mering told the Justice.

“Ultimately the Board of Trustees decides what to do, but the faculty are very important voice in this, … so we are speaking with [Sherman] and conveying to him our sense of urgency that the faculty need to have a very strong representation on the search committee, because that will help bring the best person to Brandeis,” von Mering said.

The Senate is looking at how past presidential searches have been conducted at Brandeis and at other educational institutions in order to convince the Board to increase the faculty ratio on the search committee, according to von Mering.

Additionally, open faculty hearings were held last week to discuss the next president’s ideal qualities.

“The faculty needs to, first of all, have a chance to think collectively

about our vision and about our sense of what it is that we do. …

The faculty is what the students come to [the] University for; we do work that makes Brandeis Brandeis,” von Mering said.

The Senate has also been charged by the Board to put together a faculty advisory committee, which will not be a part of the presidential search committee but will help inform the search committee about faculty concerns, von Mering said.

Union President Andy Hogan ’11 confirmed that he is meeting with Board members this week to discuss student input in the process.

“The role of students is still being negotiated in this whole process.

My hope is that there will be student representation on the search committee in addition to a student advisory committee,” Hogan said.

He elaborated that a student advisory committee would represent more views of the student body and provide student feedback to the search committee.

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THE JUSTICE

just

features

●

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

VERBATIM | John Russell Sanity calms, but madness is more interesting.

ON THIS DAY...

FUN FACT

In 1902, Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald’s, was born.

Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married.

Sandwich smorgasbord Students share their favorite Usdan sandwich creations

By SHANA D. LEBOWITZ JUSTICE EDITOR

At the sandwich counter, the pressure is palpable. Some students falter, stutter, repeat part of their order and then start all over again.

Mishaps are inevitable. The boy before you took the last wheat wrap; they’ve just doled out the final scoop of hummus. It’s in these moments of panic, of the urgent need to modify an old favorite or concoct something completely new on the spot, that the imagination emerges.

Suddenly the tired display of congealed egg salad and watery tomatoes becomes an opportunity for spontaneous culinary creativity.

Today it might be sprouts on a bagel; tomorrow could bring the urge for tofu and mustard in a grilled spinach wrap.

I conducted a series of interviews with customers in Usdan Café and Usdan Boulevard between noon and 2 p.m. on weekdays. In the line at Montague’s (the sandwich station in Usdan Boulevard) and sitting at tables with friends, students divulged the recipes for their signature sandwiches. Below are some of the best.

Vegetable wrap I Just one person stands between Siddhi Krishna ’12 and the vegetable wrap she’s arranged to near perfection. “I’m a strict vegetarian,” she tells me. The sandwich begins, she says with surprising enthusiasm for someone who’s just been asked what they’re having for lunch, with a wrap. “Either plain or wheat: I think the tomato and spinach are weird.” Inside the wrap is an eclectic mix of cheese (“depending on what they have”), hummus and a smattering of vegetables that generally includes cucumbers, olives and peppers. Everything except tomatoes, she adds: “They’re watery” and make the sandwich sloppy. Always, she requests the sandwich grilled. “I like it melty,” she says and giggles. “It’s a grilled cheese in pocket form!”

Vegetable wrap II A backpack slung over his shoulders, fellow vegetarian Logan Uretsky ’11 waits patiently for his turn at the counter. “Oh, yeah!” he responds when I approach him for the recipe of his yet unmade sandwich. “Sure!” The wheat wrap is slathered with a generous helping of hummus, followed by lettuce, pepper jack and cheddar cheese, cucumbers, sprouts and Caesar dressing. “How’d you come up with it?” I ask him. “I don’t know,” he shrugs. “I just did.”

Grilled? He shakes his head. “I don’t like grilled hummus.”

Tofurkey Now that she lives off campus, it’s been a while since Alana Tilman ’10 has ordered her favorite Usdan sandwich. (“I like to get it upstairs because they can grill it,” she tells me, and is shocked when I mention that the sand-

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

SANDWICH SHOWCASE: In Usdan Boulevard, Murtaza Jafferji ’12 shows off his grilled turkey, lettuce, cucumber and cheese sandwich. wich station in lower Usdan now boasts grilling capabilities too.) Seated at a round table in Usdan, reaching periodically into a plastic bag of carrots she’s brought from home, she recalls with nostalgia the recipe for the perfect kosher sandwich. A few slices of tofurkey (across the table, someone makes a face like they’re about to vomit) inside a whole wheat wrap are topped with Dijon mustard, Muenster and provolone cheeses, lettuce and tomato. “I used to get it very frequently on Sunday nights when there were limited options for dinner,” she adds.

Tuna melt I Amelia Rey ’12 is about to make a decision.

“I’m not sure yet,” she says, when I ask her what she’s ordering. “Usually I get turkey, hummus, tomato. But today I took a bite of someone else’s tuna.” By the end of our conversation, Rey has settled on the tuna, which she prefers on bread (she only likes wraps for turkey), with American cheese and tomatoes.

“And maybe honey mustard,” she adds. The sandwich tastes best grilled, she says.

Tuna melt II At first, Avi Mendelson, a first-year English Ph.D. candidate, is reluctant to give me the recipe for the sandwich he’s just ordered. It’s really not that strange, he says dejectedly. I tell him I’m sure it’s a wonderfully tasty tuna sandwich, which seems to temporarily bolster his confidence. He’s requested the sandwich

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

TRYING SOME TUNA: After much deliberation, Amelia Rey ’12 decided to get a grilled tuna sandwich with American cheese, tomatoes and honey mustard on the side from Usdan Boulevard. grilled on wheat bread, replete with sprouts and pepper jack cheese. “That’s one of the more exciting cheeses,” he offers. And Dijon mustard. “Always an excess of Dijon mustard,” he says seriously, “which I’m told is the very posh mustard to eat because it’s French.”

Turkey As for classics, Ilon Osei ’13 is sticking to the basics today. He’s having turkey and mustard on white bread. “Sometimes grilled,” he adds.

Same sandwich every time? “I usually decide when I get up there,” he says. “There’s a lot of stuff going on in my mind.”

Q & A with Marie Martin, expert on Usdan sandwiches

MAX BREITSTEIN-MATZA/the Justice

Next March marks Aramark employee Marie Martin’s 22nd year at Split Personalities, the sandwich station in Lower Usdan. As the 1 p.m. lunchtime rush last Thursday slowed to a lazy trickle, I stood behind the counter and consulted her for her sandwichmaking expertise.

JustFeatures: What’s your typical day like?

Marie Martin: Hectic! No, I have a fun day here. I love my job. Oh, I love my job. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t love it. If you don’t like your job, why do you do it?

JF: When do you get here?

MM: I get here at 6 in the morning and then I leave at 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

JF: So when does Usdan officially open?

MM: We open at 11:30 a.m., the stations. I’m in the back of the house from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m..

JF: What do you do between 6 and 9?

MM: I make sandwiches for the [Provisions

9

On Demand] store, over there [Kosher To Go] and the Boulevard. Then I come out here and set this up.

JF: What’s your favorite part of the day?

MM: No favorite part. Every day’s a favorite part.

JF: What’s the weirdest sandwich someone’s ever ordered?

MM: Weirdest! Oh my god, the weirdest sandwich. People get some weird sandwiches.

Some people come in and say can I have an egg and tuna sandwich. Now I don’t do eggs and tuna. That just doesn’t work for me. … And then the dressing they put on sandwiches— Caesar dressing on egg.

JF: Is it the same person who gets the weird sandwich?

MM: There’s always one student that has weird, weird [sandwiches].

JF: How many sandwiches do you think you

make in one day?

MM: I count ’em every day. Yesterday I did 100.

JF: How do you count them?

MM: Well see, there’s 12 [slices] a bag. If you count the bags, [you can count the sandwiches]. Last week, remember, we had the baguettes? I did 108 last Thursday. We’re never busy on Thursday.

JF: What’s the most common sandwich people get?

MM: Chicken. Everybody loves chicken.

JF: What’s your favorite sandwich?

MM: My favorite sandwich is smoked turkey. I like smoked turkey—mine is weird— with lettuce, tomato, Swiss cheese, Granny Smith apples and walnuts. I wish they did it here. The apples, you’d have to put in lemon juice or else they’d turn.

—Shana D. Lebowitz

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

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INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN

MAX BREITSTEIN MATZA/the Justice

EXPLAINING DEDICATION: Padma Venkataraman, director of the microfinance program Rising Star Outreach and daughter of the former president of India, spoke about her work with leprosy communities.

T

he fight to treat leprosy

Padma Venkataraman talks about leprosy in India and what she’s doing to help alleviate it

By SARAH GILSON JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In biblical times, leprosy victims were sent away to live in their own, isolated communities and cast to the outermost limits of normal society.

Today, some places still deal with leprosy victims in similar ways, leaving them with little support and viewing them as inherently “unclean.”

On Sept. 21, Padma Venkataraman, director of the microfinance program Rising Star Outreach said, “Leprosy-affected people are the poorest of the poor and they live in the most socially oppressed societies.

Clinically they say they are cured, ... but when they have the deformities in the hands, ... nobody says they are cured, ... and to the public they are leprosy people.”

Venkataraman talked about the effects of leprosy during her presentation “Small Changes the World: Micro-Finance and Leprosy” at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management’s Glynn Ampitheater.

The talk was a special edition of Prof.

Sarita Bhalotra’s class “Global Perspectives on Health,” held during Bhalotra’s normal class time from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The event was co-sponsored by the Psychology Department, the Heller School, Health: Science, Society Policy and and the Peace

MAX BREITSTEIN MATZA/the Justice

NEW PERSPECTIVES: Padma Venkataraman came to speak during Prof. Sarita Bhalotra’s class “Global Perspectives on Health” at the Heller School.

Studies Program.

Venkataraman, a former representative of the All India Women’s Conference to the United Nations and the daughter of former president of India Ramaswamy Venkataraman, has been one of the premiere leaders in the struggle against leprosy. For the past 15 years, she has done a tremendous amount of grassroots work in leprosy rehabilitation.

Leprosy is a disease with a history that dates back thousands of years; it is even mentioned several times in older versions of the Bible. It is identified by skin sores, nerve damage and a general weakening of the body.

The most distinctive symptoms of leprosy are lesions on the skin that are lighter than the actual skin color, numbness in parts of the body, ulcers, eyesight and hearing impairment, deformities and muscle weakness. However, the most difficult part of the disease, Venkataraman said, is the deep-rooted stigma that follows infected people.

There has long been a negative connotation associated with leprosy; in certain societies, people shun victims of the disease. To make matters worse, the living conditions of people with leprosy are typically less than favorable. Often, they are relegated to living in isolated communities called “leprosy colonies” (most commonly found in India) and subsist with a basic lack of amenities. According to the World Health Organization, there were 212,802 cases of leprosy reported globally in 2008, a startling number, albeit a 4-percent decrease in cases detected from the previous year. Leprosy is caused by

infection of the bacteria mycobacterium leprae. Although the exact cause of leprosy transmission is unclear, research points to transmission occurring between people through infected respiratory droplets.

Treatment for leprosy is available in the form of antibiotics and multidrug therapy, which, if taken early enough, kill the bacteria that cause leprosy. Ironically, many of the people in India who are inflicted with the disease fail to seek treatment because of the fear and prejudice associated with medication. A statistic from the Rising Star Outreach web site, the nonprofit organization Venkataraman works for, says “The mortality rate among lepromatous (leprosy) patients can be four times higher than the general population, although leprosy itself is rarely the direct cause of death.”

Venkataraman, who has a history of leprosy activism, teamed up with President and co-founder of Rising Star Outreach, Becky Douglas, in 2003 to work for the charity. According to Rising Star Outreach’s Web site, the group’s mission is “to help the Leprosy colonies become thriving, self-sufficient communities.”

Venkataraman’s central mission is to help victims of leprosy get their lives back. One way she believes people can help victims of leprosy is through providing microcredit, something she refers to as “a whiff” of hope. Microcredit is based on microfinancing, in which small loans are given to highly impoverished people in an effort to stimulate entrepreneurship. During the talk,

MAX BREITSTEIN MATZA/the Justice

LIFE OF ACTIVISM: President and co-founder of Rising Star Outreach, Becky Douglas, introduced Padma Venkataraman before her presentation.

Venkataraman clarifired that Rising Star Outreach’s micro-credit is not “money lending,” but rather a “humanitarian service.”

Venkataraman is adamantly against simply giving money to beggars with leprosy. Her belief is, “Nothing should be given free. Anything that is given free has no value.”

Still, her plan was inititally met with much hesitation. Many victims of leprosy that Venkataraman approached were skeptical about the notion that they could someday be successful. Venkataraman said people feel this way because most of the people in leprosy colonies are “untouchables” under the Indian caste system and spend their days begging.

Venkataraman dedicated herself to building a relationship with these people and slowly convincing them that they were capable of rising above the negative stigma attached to leprosy.

To do this, Venkataraman said in a DVD that was distributed at the talk, “I spent a lot of time talking to

them, and, you know, you have to win their confidence and build a relationship with them. That’s very important.”

Among Venkataraman’s accomplishments is the creation of an art school for victims of leprosy, which inspires hope and provides a form of therapy.

Prof. Malcolm Watson (PSYC) said that Venkataraman’s model of microfinancing is something that should be applied to other communities, as well.

“I would love to see this approach spread even beyond work with those suffering from leprosy,” said Watson.

Danielle Gurr ’11, who was at the presentation, said that despite taking a lot of HSSP classes, she knew relatively little about leprosy.

“I was very interested in learning about the improvements in health in each generation of leprosy-affected people in India and hope that this trend continues, and was surprised to learn that the cause of the disease remains unknown,” Gurr said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GEORGE GRANTHAM BAIN COLLECTION

Do you like music? Theater? Dance?

Write for the Arts section of

the

Justice!

E-mail Sarah Bayer at artseditors@yahoo.com for more information.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

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Beating Arthritis PHOTO COURTESY OF BECKY MILLER

Becky Miller ’10 deals with juvenille rheumatoid arthritis

By GABRIELLE KAPLAN JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

It was a seemingly normal, warm, sunny day at the beach during a family vacation in 1996 when Becky Miller ’10 suddenly spiked a high fever. Becky was just eight years old, and the fever marked the start of her lifelong journey with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

Thirteen years later, Miller served as a Walk Ambassador for the 13th Annual Boston Arthritis Walk on Sunday, Sept. 13. Ambassadors work throughout the year, advocating and spreading the Arthritis Foundation’s messages.

They participate in education initiatives, attend events (Miller most recently participated in one at Harvard) and tell personal stories.

The Boston Arthritis Walk has enabled Miller to meet others with her condition. She became involved with the walk a few years ago, after she participated in the Walk against Chron’s disease with a friend. After the walk, Miller felt inspired to contribute to the fight against arthritis as well. At Brandeis, she discovered the Boston Arthritis Walk and began fundraising for it. During her sophomore year she organized a team of her friends, Fighting ArthriDeis, and saw the ambassadors at the walk. Knowing that she’d want to be an ambassador someday, she continued volunteering and became more involved in the Arthritis Foundation.

Through walking to fight JRA, Miller said she participates in “competition against myself to be the best I can be.”

Although the word “arthritis” is generally associated with senior citizens, nearly 300,000 of the millions of Americans suffering from the condition are children. Fifty thousand of those children suffer from JRA. According to the Arthritis Foundation, JRA typically appears in children between six months and 16 years old, and symptoms include swollen joints, stiffness in the neck, sudden rashes and high fevers.

Miller’s arthritis affects all of her joints except her back and neck, and she often wakes up feeling stiff in the morning. While exercise is often painful, doctors have told her that she can take part in whatever physical activities she chooses.

“It hurts when I lie in bed, and it hurts when I go have fun—I might as well!” Miller says.

When Miller was diagnosed, she was vigorously involved in competitive gymnastics, an activity that would be difficult to continue with her condition. But Miller decided

that she would not let her arthritis get in her way.

“This is not okay. I will not quit gymnastics because of this,” she remembers thinking. Although she switched to rhythmic gymnastics, a style a bit less physically intense, she stuck with the sport, continuing to compete for years.

Because physical activity serves as a form of physical therapy for those suffering from JRA, Miller’s participation in gymnastics actually allowed her to undergo less physical therapy.

Miller is currently applying to physical therapy schools for next year. She has spent summers interning for physical therapists and hopes to make that her career as well. Throughout the course of her experience so far in the physical therapy world, she has come in contact with other children suffering from JRA and will probably continue to do so in the future. Miller wants to work with kids, although her future clients may have an entire range of various conditions, not only arthritis. Physical therapy is a physically demanding career, so Miller hopes that she will be able to supplement her clinical work with educating.

While JRA is not degenerative and her condition should not get worse, Becky said it is difficult for her to find effective medications.

Her current treatment involves a four-hour infusion every eight weeks, as opposed to her old treatment of one shot per week. There are not that many medications for JRA on the market, and since she has tried most of them, she is now just waiting for new ones to come out.

It is this same optimistic spirit that has allowed Becky to thrive during her college years. Miller is the secretary of Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps, a teaching assistant for a biology lab and an active member of the Brandeis Ski Team.

“She just joined the ski team last year as a junior. ... She has one of the most positive personalities I’ve ever met and is a really positive asset to the team,” says Wei-Sum Li ’10.

Miller requires few changes in living accommodations; she lives in a regular second-floor suite in Ziv Quad and uses the elevator when necessary.

Miller was also one of 30 students recently awarded a scholarship for overcoming the boundaries of arthritis and will take part in award ceremony in October.

As Mary Halpin, the vice presi-

PHOTO COURTESY OF BECKY MILLER

WALKING FOR A CAUSE: At the the 13th Annual Boston Arthritis Walk on Sunday, Sept. 13, Becky Miller ’09 served as a Walk Ambassador. As an Ambassador Miller advocated the mission of the Walk, participated in education initiatives, told personal stories to increase awareness and attended events. Miller hopes to become a physical therapist in the future. dent of development at the Arthritis Foundation who has worked closely with Miller, explains, “Rebecca is determined to manage her disease and not be managed by it!”

Becky strives to convey a number of messages and does so passion-

ately. The Arthritis Foundation has an initiative called “Let’s Move Together,” which promotes the importance of exercise as the best treatment for arthritis. It is also important to Becky that people understand that children, and not just the

elderly, suffer seriously from arthritis.

Arthritis is the nation’s numberone cause of disability. Miller, however, considers her condition less a disability than simply a part of who she is.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

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THE JUSTICE

the Justice Established 1949

Brandeis University

HANNAH L. KIRSCH, Editor-in-Chief J OANNA SCHORR, Senior Editor ANDREA FINEMAN, Managing Editor ANYA B ERGMAN and SHANA D. LEBOWITZ, Associate Editors NASHRAH RAHMAN, News Editor REBECCA KLEIN, Features Editor REBECCA B LADY, Forum Editor IAN CUTLER, Sports Editor JUSTINE ROOT, Arts Editor SARAH BAYER, Acting Arts Editor JULIAN AGIN -LIEBES and MAX B REITSTEIN MATZA, Photography Editors B RIAN N. B LUMENTHAL, Layout Editor B RIAN FROMM, Copy Editor B RAD STERN, Acting Advertising Editor

Thank you, President Reinharz To begin to comprehend the enormous changes that seventh Univesity President Jehuda Reinharz has overseen as president of Brandeis, one must imagine the campus at the time of his ascension to the presidency after the resignation of sixth University President Samuel O. Thier: a campus void of the new Ridgewood Quad, the Village, the Lois Foster Wing of the Rose, the Carl J. Shapiro Science Center, the Schneider Building, the International Business School, the Mandel Center for Humanities and the Shapiro Campus Center.

The expansion of Brandeis’ physical plant is only one example of the considerable progress made under Reinharz’s auspices with the help of money raised by his administration.

In his talent for fundraising and the sheer duration of his presidency—16 years as opposed to the typical six— Reinharz’s service to the University has far outstripped what is expected of administrators in American higher education.

We sincerely thank President Reinharz for securing a broad foundation of resources that will continue to profit the community after his departure. Since 1994, President Reinharz has accomplished a great deal at the University, including increasing the endowment from $194 million to $559 million, decreasing the acceptance rate from 68 percent to 32 percent and doubling the percentage of students of color to 22 percent.

What Brandeis needs now is a president to whom students can address their concerns as the University grows and seeks to adapt to the current economic climate. A president with a keen grasp of how to communicate with undergraduates will succeed at winning support for his or her own goals and ensuring that Brandeis

Find more visible successor develops in a direction that reflects the needs, interests and values of its student body.

Even on a practical level, community engagement may well prove a more valuable trait in Reinharz’s successor than his or her business acumen. Last semester’s decision to close the Rose Art Museum represented a miscalculation of student sentiment that resulted in a preventable expenditure of resources both in the form of money spent on public relations costs and in the extra time that faculty, staff and students devoted to investigating alternatives. The community can’t afford a repeat of that mistake.

For the next president of Brandeis, then, an ability to appeal directly to undergraduates will matter just as much as forging relationships with potential donors. When the official welcoming receptions are over, students must feel comfortable engaging with their president on a regular basis.

This effort will require the next president to be highly visible on campus and accessible to students by holding office hours and attending smallerscale community events.

To this end, we urge Board of Trustees chairman Malcolm Sherman to invite student input on candidates for the position. Students representing a variety of backgrounds and interests on campus should be able to speak directly to the candidates to learn more about their qualifications and convey the unique requirements of the Brandeis presidency. This will ensure that the importance of dialogue between administration and students is thoroughly impressed upon potential presidents before they can be entrusted with the task of building upon Reinharz’s legacy.

Increased Rose budget needless The administration’s choice to add $200,000 to the operating budget of the Rose Art Museum is not the positive move it may appear to be on first consideration. The Rose will eventually be able to put the money to use, but the University’s shaky financial footing combined with the uncertain destination of the money lead this board to question the decision.

In April, the University offered reemployment to four of the six Rose employees, three of whom accepted their offers. The Committee on the Future of the Rose Art Museum recommended in part that the Rose rebuild its staff, a move that will surely help the museum and its plans for increased educational programming.

However, this editorial board questions why extra funds are necessary to do so, given that the Rose’s budget was actually less taxed after the reduction of the staff. Additionally, it must be pointed out that this rebuild should never have been necessary: If the administration had properly handled the Rose situation from the beginning and offered re-employment to all Rose employees, the staff would not be so sparse.

This week’s news that Brandeis is not as solvent as was predicted earlier

Resources sufficient for now in the semester makes the $200,000 addition to the Rose budget more troubling. The choice to give the additional money to the Rose was finalized before the more pessimistic projections were released, but the fact remains that the University predicted upcoming deficits all along. The University should have considered this, particularly in light of the fact that the Committee on the Future of the Rose Art Museum’s recommendations have yet to be reviewed and are an age from being acted upon.

Ideologically, the $200,000 gift seems like a concession, an attempt to support sparkling new programming that is in fact still nebulous in its conception and an untold number of months away from its implementation. The addition of this money to the operating budget does not increase our faith in the University’s management of the situation.

Rather, on the heels of a series of administrative missteps regarding the museum, the $200,000 addition is neither a necessary nor a sufficient move to convince this editorial board that the Rose Art Museum is a University priority.

A. ELI TUKACHINSKY/the Justice

J Street U opens doors for Israel conversation

By JEREMY SHERER SPECIAL TO THE JUSTICE

Since my first year here in Waltham, I’ve always felt that there was a void in the pro-Israel debate on campus. It seemed that no organization spoke to my own personal brand of Zionism, which advocates an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and subsequent creation of two states for two peoples. It holds that the eventual boundaries of the state of Israel must respect the Green Line (Israel’s pre-1967 borders) and that both Israelis and Palestinians and the Jews, Muslims and Christians among them must enjoy equal access to the holy city of Jerusalem.

While I haven’t heard many students advocate these views at Brandeis, I have, meanwhile, heard the steady drumbeat of the movement supporting other policies. I saw the protests when President Jimmy Carter came to speak and flyers for meetings of the “Israel, right or wrong” organizations on campus. I certainly felt the presence of a community uncritically supporting right-wing Israeli policies with the implication that there is only one way to be pro-Israel. I often found myself wondering: Is there no one here who shares my views?

This summer, I was fortunate enough to intern with the Government Affairs Division of J Street, the political arm of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement. J Street was founded in order to promote meaningful American leadership to end the Arab-Israeli and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts peacefully and diplomatically. I built strong relationships with staff members, explored the world of progressive Israel advocacy in Washington and observed how lobbying really works from behind the scenes.

Because of this experience I felt it was time for J Street’s voice to be heard on the Brandeis campus. It’s with that thought in mind that a few friends and I started the Brandeis Chapter of J Street U, the new college-campus movement sponsored by J Street. From Brandeis, we will support the nationwide movement that is lobbying effectively on this issue in Washington and supporting the president’s approach to enact positive change in the region. We are committed to creating an alternative approach to Israel advocacy that embraces open dialogue and constructive activism and that warrants critical analysis of governmental policies, be they Israeli, Palestinian, American or other nations.

We are starting the Brandeis chapter of J Street U because the Brandeis Jewish community, along with the rest of American Jewish population, needs to start a civil conversation about what it really means to be pro-Israel and to recognize that maintenance of the status quo is against everyone’s best interests. Meaningful progress in the fight to realize two states can only come about through solid American Jewish support. It’s our job to provide the political backing so our elected officials can be politically courageous.

Moreover, Israelis value our contributions in bringing about a lasting peace and security and in helping to deliver true legitimacy to the Jewish state in the eyes of the international community. Why, then, have we as American Jews become scared to question Israeli policies? Won’t true friends, or family members for that matter, want only what’s in the best interest of those they love?

Until we build the space for an open and safe debate, we run the risk of ostracizing members of our community, of making them feel as though their opinions—even those mirrored by huge numbers of Israelis—are somehow naïve or misguided.

The fact is that a vibrant debate exists in Israel, where positions that are shamefully labeled anti-Israel over here in the States, are accepted and commonplace over there. Yet we have failed to replicate this debate in North America, where freedom of speech is a prominent theme of our citizenship. And debate is an intrinsically Jewish concept omnipresent throughout Jewish literature.

In starting J Street U, we’re not trying to work against the other pro-Israel organizations on campus. We aren’t trying to steal their membership, either. All we want is a seat at the table. We want Brandeis students to have a choice in how they express their pro-Israel sentiments. We want them to know that they don’t need to support all of Israel’s policies to call themselves Zionists or to consider themselves pro-Israel.

We envision a state of Israel that no longer has to worry about its survival or its very existence, a proud Jewish democracy that can live a normal life among the community of nations. Supporting policies that contribute to the establishment of internationally recognized borders, of true security for the Jewish state—to support the ultimate realization of the Zionist dream—is, to us, the most profound expression of what it means to be pro-Israel.

OP-BOX Quote of the Week “Doing well, [Brandeis] now decided to do good.”

—Melvin Urofsky, author of ‘Louis D. Brandeis: A Life,’ at the meet-the-author event last week (See News, page 5).

Brandeis Talks Back What do you expect from the next University president?

MARC EDER ’12 “More emphasis on student life.”

MICKY WAKS ’13 “To make the right decisions.”

ARIEL GOMBERG ’13 “To accomplish as much as President Reinharz did.”

ROSMEL HERNANDEZ ’13 “To not reduce the budget for club and team sports.”

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

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RESIGNATIONS: BEHIND THE SCENES

READER COMMENTARY Students find niche in Greek life After reading two articles on the course that the University should take in regard to Greek life (Forum, Sept. 22), I felt compelled to respond.

First, let me introduce who I am as it is pertinent to this issue. I am a proud brother of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. I also have visible cerebral palsy, which affects both my speech and walk.

The issue of Greek life here has been exhausted and void of the voice of Greek life itself. I find remarkable the number of people I hear vehemently criticizing the Greek system that would probably have nothing to do on weekends without it. It’s easy to hold us up as an example of depravity, but we do not hurt anyone. With friends in all seven of Brandeis’ organizations, I can safely say that if someone would benefit from being involved in Greek life, he or she is able to enter. The exclusivity of our organizations has been unfairly demonized. It is the nature of groups to accept complementary people.

I felt an obligation to write this because I feel that I am a prime example of the depth our Greek system has. Will everyone fit in? No. But that is the nature of human social practices. There are social groups on campus where I would not fit in and might be excluded from because of my beliefs and interests. I have found a group of people I share the connection of social norms with, and I think it is unfair that we are under attack for that. In a school that prides itself on accepting students that come from all walks of life, people should not be insulting and accusing institutions that provide a number of students a safe and comfortable zone to be themselves.

—David Wayne ’12

Efficiency needed in dining halls In response to your article “University expands dining halls to offset overcrowding” (News, Sept. 22): I am a staff member and not a student; however, I am constantly on line in Usdan Café to purchase chocolate chip cookies, the best around. Standing on line on a consistent basis, I can give you my take on what is causing the long lunch lines at the cashier.

Basically, it is a minority of transactions that go smoothly, quickly and without the need for verbal interaction between student and cashier.

More often than not, a simple transaction of paying for lunch becomes a game akin to “20 Questions.” It should be simple, however, as Gen. George Patton once observed, “Everything in war is simple, the problem is that even the simple things are complex.”

Students run out of points, so they then have to rifle through their pockets for some cash. I cannot tell you how many times I felt badly and paid for the student’s balance (I put two children through college years ago, and I like to think that someone would have done the same thing for them). Then there is always the discussion between cashier and student about “meal or points.” Why this is a difficult decision sometimes is beyond me; however, it takes time. Then there is the situation where the student pays; however, he or she has not taken all that they are entitled to for the meal fee, so the cashier suggests they take a piece of fruit, a bag of chips, etc., causing more delay, discussion and deliberation.

Today, the young man in front of me presented his card for swiping, and for some reason it wasn’t accepted. The cashier said something like, “It is too early in the year for this type of card; you need to get a new card.” She tried to load points onto it, but that just took up time and was unsuccessful.

I am sure there are myriad other time-consuming problem scenarios that I have not seen.

Suffice it to say, however, that the system must be more streamlined and each transaction simpler. Clearly, a better, less deliberative system at the cashier will alleviate the long-lines problem.

—Walter Goldstein Director of Development, Campus Master Planning Project

Inviting change as Reinharz leaves In response to your article “University President Jehuda Reinharz resigns” (Breaking News, Sept. 22): While I am sure that this comes a shock and a disappointment to many, I believe that a large-enough group is overjoyed and welcomes change. Reinharz was a polarizing figure in many ways, often out of touch with student needs, campus issues and the overall university community. In his absence, Brandeis can continue to elevate its stature, student makeup, and overall breadth. In fact, as Phonathon veterans well know, a large contingent of alumni that have been withholding donations from Reinharz’s Brandeis may now find themselves being more generous.

—Jason Levine ’06

Write to us

The Justice welcomes letters to the editor responding to published material. Please submit letters through our Web site at www.thejusticeonline.com. Anonymous submissions cannot be accepted. Letters should not exceed 300 words, and may be edited for space, style, grammar, spelling, libel and clarity, and must relate to material published in the Justice.

Letters from off-campus sources should include location. The Justice does not print letters to the editor and op-ed submissions that have been submitted to other publications. Op-ed submissions of general interest to the University community—that do not respond explicitly to articles printed in the Justice—are also welcome and should be limited to 800 words.

All submissions are due Friday at 5 p.m.

STACY HANDLER/the Justice

History of presidential ends reveals no clear explanations Hillel

BUECHLER AND SO ON

There’s been a lot of speculation about why University President Jehuda Reinharz is resigning. Plenty of it, if not most of it, leads back to the Rose Art Museum media calamity. But is that really justifiable?

Brandeis had six presidents before Reinharz, and each of them eventually resigned. When looking at the reigns of those past presidents, especially those who encountered or created controversy, it becomes increasingly clear just how unclear the reasons behind a presidential resignation can be.

The founding president of the University, Abram L. Sachar, is largely credited with crafting Brandeis as a leading academic institution.

But there were certainly many on campus who had rather negative opinions of Sachar toward the end of his presidency.

An article printed in Time magazine soon after Sachar announced his intention to resign cited the sense that many Brandeisians considered Sachar to be “an academic dictator.” In 1964, Sachar threatened to expel a group of students for picketing outside of the Gryzmish administrative building, and just months before his resignation announcement, students organized a widespread and very short boycott of classes because of complaints of overcrowdedness in the classroom.

Prof. Gordon Fellman (SOC) has worked under each Brandeis president, and, in an interview with the Justice last week, said, “Sachar was the most hated president we’ve ever had.”

Yet then-Chairman of the Board of Trustees Lawrence A. Wien told the Justice in 1967 that accepting Sachar’s resignation amounted to “the most painful decision it [the Board] has had to make since Brandeis was founded 19 years ago.”

So Sachar’s incontrovertible contributions and perhaps bombastic presence on campus certainly don’t expose obvious resignation causes, especially after 19 years as the founding president—a length that since

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Fine Print

then only Reinharz has come close to matching.

Our second president, Morris B. Abram, served for less than two years at the end of the 1960s and into 1970. Abram’s short presidency was marked almost exclusively by the Ford Hall takeover in the winter of 1969, a rather tense moment in University history by all accounts.

And just a few weeks before Abram’s resignation in February 1970, he promoted his idea of a establishing a law school at Brandeis, to more fully complete the University’s namesake. Accounts in the Justice from that time indicate that professors and students alike were largely unhappy with such a proposal, and especially with the $2.75 million that a donor had conditionally pledged toward it.

So Abram’s resignation in 1970, again, could not be so easily connected to any one incident, even with all that had occurred during his presidency. Judging Abram’s reasons for leaving are pretty difficult, especially for someone trying to prove that presidents leave only upon being pressured to do so. He left in order to seek the Democratic nomination for a Senate seat for New York—his campaign failed.

Charles I. Schottland served as University president on an interim arrangement. His term was ended after only two years, as was generally expected.

Fourth University President Marver Bernstein’s resignation announcement, which arrived after roughly 11 years as president, was spun more in the direction of a retirement. This, too, can hardly be characterized as a forced resignation, especially considering the lack of any major incident near the end of his presidency.

Evelyn Hander’s presidency, however, could be an example of a forced resignation.

An article in the issue of the Justice printed right after she presented the Board with her letter of resignation says it best: “Evelyn Handler angered a lot of different people for a lot of different reasons.”

That article in the Justice lists some of the major controversies that riddled her presidency. Perhaps Handler’s most egregious decision was to be the only University President to call in outside police forces to break up a student sit-in inside her office.

Several students were arrested. This action was met with great dissatisfaction, which is

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unsurprising since even Abram didn’t call in the local authorities, and he was dealing with Ford Hall.

Handler was also made rather infamous by her attempts to change the Jewish character of the University. Apparently, removing the “Jewish” from “Jewish-sponsored non-sectarian” is not as easy as one might think.

Handler’s decision to introduce pork products and shellfish on campus (in the Usdan Student Center only) for the first time in 1987 sparked outrage in Jewish communities across the United States. Handler claimed that this was an attempt to attract a more diverse student body. Handler also attempted to remove the Hebrew letters from the University emblem. Needless actions such as these angered Jewish donors who support the University.

Her resignation announcement in 1990 wasn’t too surprising.

After a long search and Prof. Stuart Altman’s (Heller) interim presidency, the University finally appointed its sixth president, Samuel O. Thier, a former medical school professor at Harvard and Yale.

According to Fellman, who thinks every past University president was essentially asked to leave, “Thier was an exception.”

Fellman feels that Thier was very well respected and had the potential to be an excellent long-term president. Thier resigned after only several years as president in order to accept the position of head of Massachusetts General Hospital—not exactly a bad next step.

And then, of course, the University soon decided to do an internal search for its next president and selected a popular provost in order fill the seat as seventh president of the University, who continues to serve today.

So is it really that easy to pin down the cause of Reinharz’s resignation?

Definitely not.

University presidencies are complicated and sometimes very difficult. The last year or so was a very difficult period for the University, and Reinharz was president during that time, but that doesn’t undo all that he has done over the last many years.

He may have been involved in questionable decisions over the last few months, but his decision to leave the University cannot be as simple as some have to tried to make it seem.

STAFF Senior Writers: Miranda Neubauer, Melissa Siegel Senior Illustrator: A. Eli Tukachinsky News/Features Staff: Alana Abramson, Destiny Aquino, Sam Datlof, Irina Finkel, Reina Guerrero, Ruth Orbach Forum: David Litvak, Zachary Matusheski, Ethan Mermelstein, Eileen Smolyar Arts: Wei-Huan Chen, Marianna Faynshteyn, Emily Leifer, Daniel Orkin, Alex Pagan, Bryan Prywes, Ben Serby, Shelley Shore Photography: Genevieve Armstrong, Maegan Bautista, Jaxson Dermer, Nathaniel Freedman, Paula Hoekstra, Asher Krell, Amy Mesler, Rebecca Ney, Shaefali Shandilya, Robyn Spector Sports: Sean Petterson, Jonathan Steinberg Copy: Ariel Adams, Danielle Berger, Jacob Chatinover, Lauren Paris, Joyce Wang Illustrations: Stacy Handler Layout: Karen Hu, Kathryn Marable

16

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

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THE JUSTICE

FORUM

Effective way needed to get student input Ethan

MERMELSTEIN MIND OVER MADNESS

Generally speaking, when I’m kicked out of somewhere, I can see it coming. Examples: Just this past week, probably for the first time in human history, each stall in the men’s room was occupied. When my bladder forced me to explore the option of vacating myself in the ladies’ room, I was neither shocked nor surprised that I was asked to leave forthwith. Or last year, whenever my roommate had a romantically fortuitous evening with one of his peers—though he may have been disciplined at Tufts for it—his request for me to vacate the premises was almost expected. But this Saturday, sitting in the library at 5:50 p.m., I was caught entirely off guard.

“The library’s closing in 10 minutes,” said the student working at the library.

“But its only 5:50 on a Saturday!”

“Exactly.”

As I made my way to my room, I recalled an article I read in the Sept. 1 edition of the Justice about the reduction of library hours. “The Goldfarb Library and Gerstanzang Science Library have reduced their hours by eight and 62 hours, respectively, in light of recent surveys conducted by Library and Technology Services.”

When I read the article shortly after it was published, I didn’t think anything of that opening sentence, but after rereading it once I got back to my room, I became concerned for my health. I didn’t remember taking any survey or even being invited to participate in one regarding library hours.

The article explains how through the survey, LTS gleaned that funds would be better allocated toward more techoriented things like laptop stations and increased hours of operation of the LTS Help Desk, rather than keeping the library open longer.

I began to sweat, thinking that perhaps the way I’ve been spending my weekends this semester has caught up with me. Then I took an extremely unscientific poll, asking anyone I passed during the next hour if they took an LTS survey last year. Nobody did. In fact, not a single person I spoke with thought the new library hours, even considering the gains in technology, were a good thing. Students (even a grad student or two) have found the cuts to be a major inconvenience and feel that they have seriously interfered with late-night studying, especially during midterm season. With this year’s substantial increase in on-campus student population, it seems counterintuitive to make the Shapiro Campus Center the only available study space after 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and after midnight on Sundays through Thursdays. (For those of us who don’t remember or who weren’t here during the Golden

Age of library hours, Farber Library, aka the Green Room, used to be a staple of student studying, staying open until 2 a.m. on weekdays after the first week of school.)

Searching my Bmail inbox, I found an old email from LTS, providing some evidence suggesting that this survey actually was conducted. “Please be on the lookout for emails inviting you to participate [in the survey]—your feedback is important! ... LTS takes the results very seriously! Please take the time to fill out each survey if you are invited to participate.”

Many a time have I felt left out of an exclusive, invite-only party, but never have I felt that way about not being invited to take a survey. Though it is slightly comforting to my ego to know that nobody I spoke with seems to have been invited to provide their opinions either, it’s also deeply disturbing.

I highly doubt that the LTS staff nefariously conspired to produce fake results about students’ hours of library use just so they could spend some extra cash on techie stuff. It seems that LTS sincerely sought out the voice of the general Brandeis population but in doing so made a very dangerous mistake. Counter to many closed-door and executive decisions that have been made here during this time of financial crisis, LTS is one of the few entities in this school that actually reached out to the students for their opinion. When University decisions are made unilaterally, there is often protest over the lack of student

involvement. The reason the LTS cutbacks are so scary is because they were enacted under the pretense that they were based on the interest of the greater student population when they were actually based on a small, inviteonly sampling.

It seems that the Student Union may be going in a similarly misguided direction in its sincere attempts to hear the voice of the general Brandeis population. The newly introduced involved_students listserv attempts to help better advocate for student interest by sending out weekly questionnaires about issues on campus. This is a theoretically terrific idea, but in an attempt to be ultra-considerate to students, the Union made a similar mistake—the questionnaires are only sent out to those who have signed themselves up for the listserv. By making the listserv self-selective, it currently only has 416 students subscribed to it— just 13 percent of our school.

There are many things on this campus that don’t run smoothly and don’t work well. More often than not, however, the University tries to make improvements and has the right idea to ask students what works best. The problem is that students don’t realize the impact that their filling out of a survey could have on changes in the school. Even if I had been invited to take the LTS survey, there is a good chance that I may have deleted it along with some of the other dozens of mass mailings I get on a daily basis. I had no idea that the results could be used to

eliminate my favorite midnight to 2 a.m. study space.

Students here can be pretty pathetic when it comes to making their voices heard by pressing a button; we saw that in the embarrassingly low voter numbers for Student Union elections.

This isn’t a Brandeis-specific problem: Just look at the super-low numbers of people who participate in the U.S. Census. We don’t even know exactly how low they are because so many Census forms have been neglected.

Students need to know just how important their contributions are.

There is, however, one example of when student survey-filling-out turnout is relatively higher, and that is in the Student Union-conducted ratings of classes. With these surveys, students see the immediate impact of their voice because they use the responses of other students to determine which classes they enroll in. The Union should take a cue from their one successful survey and make students realize the immediate impact of the humble act of filling out a form.

Brandeis will soon undergo a search for President Jehuda Reinharz’s successor. Student Union President Andy Hogan ‘11 e-mailed us, promising “deep student input and involvement” in the selection process, which will lead up to one of the more important moments in this University’s history.

Let’s hope that the Union figures out a way to involve both deep and broad student input, and is sure that it is more than just invite-only.

Poor parking plans disadvantage students regularly Matt

LAWRENCE MODEST PROPOSALS

The people who planned Brandeis cared more about cars than they did about students. There was no formal manifesto made to this effect, but it is clear to anyone who looks hard enough. This has terrible consequences on our environment, in that having cars throughout campus contributes to carbon emission and all those other nasty things. However, it also destroys environment in the more traditional sense: Having so many cars around makes Brandeis an unpleasant place to be a pedestrian, and that is inexcusable for a college campus.

One of the more flagrant examples is plain to anyone who tries to walk up the Loop Road hill. Let’s recount the many obstacles a student faces walking from the Main Gate up the hill: Our imaginary student must weave around the cars that frequently park on the path by the Shapiro Science Center. After rounding the curve beneath the science complex, she will notice the sidewalk, which is now considerably more uneven and has been reduced to be just wide enough for one person. Farther up the hill, the sidewalk vanishes altogether and she must now join the car traffic inching along nervously behind her. She may, at this point, notice the row of cars parallel parked next to her. She should, if she is not already sufficiently inured, feel outraged. The University is telling her that empty cars are more important than students. Until a plan to replace the disgraceful sidewalk is made, I propose abolishing the parking spots on Loop Road and dedicating the space for students to walk safely instead.

The indignities do not yet cease.

When she reaches the plateau between the Usdan Student Center and the Rabb Steps, there is still no path; she must now navigate between two rows of parked cars and one line of moving cars. When she reaches the crosswalk, a police officer may likely tell her to stop and wait for cars to clear the road. In a letter published on student blog Innermost Parts, Brandeis Director of Public Safety Ed

Callahan claims that the Brandeis Police “do try to balance all of the needs of pedestrians and vehicle operators.” To a student waiting for cars to get past, this cannot seem true. When I complained about the apparent preference given to vehicles, an officer directing traffic told me that cars, in fact, had the priority, despite their unwise timing.

Furthermore, Callahan says “a good percentage of the vehicles in question are operated by faculty who are arriving to teach classes, both undergraduate and graduate students who drive onto campus, as well as BranVans and buses which are deployed to transport students to class.” To me it seems that all of these people should know better than to arrive at campus when students are moving between classes during those crucial first 10 minutes of the hour.

Instead, students are made to feel like they are crossing a busy city street; it should feel like cars are being inconvenienced for driving through a college.

A recent exhibit in the University Archives makes it quite clear that Brandeis has had a long love affair with the automobile. In 1948, Brandeis was merely a heavily wooded hill, dotted only with some small halls, a library, and a rather conspicuous castle. Compare this vision with Picture 1, Brandeis in 1965. Bare asphalt replaces the dark green woods; parked cars replace the trees.

It is hard to find any paths reserved for pedestrians. In Picture 2, from 1975, one can see just how many of our precious few acres are given to parking. Admittedly, this is made clearer since the lots are all empty.

Picture 3, from 1982 shows how Brandeis has moved toward the worst of both worlds—vast expanses, which could be wooded, are given away to flat, soulless patches of pavement. However, many of the main roads and pathways are still dotted by cars: Then, as now, students can’t walk to the Slosberg Music Center without traversing a parking lot, and students can’t leave the front of the Castle without negotiating a small piece of pavement shared with both parked and moving cars.

The University does recognize the problem. Callahan claims to support a “car-free campus.” Picture 4, the 2001 Master Planning document, suggests the Office of the Executive Vice President for Capital Projects would

COURTESY OF MAGGIE MCNEELY/UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

PICTURE 4: The 2001 Master Planning document, which suggests an intention to move toward a more car-free campus.

COURTESY OF MAGGIE MCNEELY, UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

PICTURE 1: An aerial view of the Brandeis campus with its new roads in 1965. also like to move in this direction.

Note how cars would not be allowed to travel further than the turn for North Parking Lot; the piece of land between Usdan and the Rabb Steps would be returned to pedestrians.

The most obvious solution to this problem would be the creation of a multi-story parking deck; they’re unsightly, to be sure, but would make much less of a footprint and could lead to the partial reforestation of campus. I still think Loop Road parking should be abolished entirely, so

students can have a safe place to walk. Until capital projects can alleviate the problem, though, cars and drivers should be made to feel more inconvenienced: Have more people park in Charles River Lot or somehow convince people who roll into campus at 12:04 p.m. that they may have to wait more than three minutes to make it through the Rabb crossing.

Everything should be done to make students, and all pedestrians feel like campus space belongs to them and not cars.

COURTESY OF MAGGIE MCNEELY, UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

PICTURE 3: 1982 brings more pavement.

COURTESY OF MAGGIE MCNEELY, UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

PICTURE 2: The 1975 view of campus shows further parking inconvenience.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

FORUM THE GREAT ROOMMATE DEBATE

RISHIKA ASSOMULL/the Justice

IN FAVOR

Tufts’ dorm room policy benefits students

By AVI SNYDER JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When my roommate and I first discussed what rules we would establish for our room, we agreed on one simple rule: Don’t have sex while the other person is in the room.

The rule seems basic enough; it is really just common courtesy to refrain from engaging in sexual activity while someone else is present.

Yet at nearby Tufts University, students were apparently not practicing this basic respect for other people’s comfort levels. In fact, the Office of Residential Life and Learning at Tufts received enough complaints about students’ sexual activity interfering with their roommates’ comfort and privacy that they put a new rule on the books at the university. The school’s new guest policy officially prohibits students from engaging in sexual activity while their roommate is present in the room. The policy further states that a student’s sexual activity may not “interfere with a roommate’s privacy, study habits, or sleep,” effectively prohibiting the practice of “sexiling” one’s roommate.

Now that Tufts has taken firm steps to address the problems related to sexual conduct in dorms, I think that Brandeis ought follow its lead and adopt the same policies for the University.

First of all, it is important to mention that the Tufts policy does not establish some sex-

“

This would allow concrete action to be taken, like stripping the offending roommate of his or her guest privileges for a period of time, before the situation gets out of hand.

stopping patrol to roam the halls and enforce the rule, and no Brandeis policy ought to do such a thing. Roommates would still be able to make their own arrangements with regard to the issue and speak with each other should the issue become a problem.

What creating such a policy would do is give students who are perpetually made to feel uncomfortable by their roommate’s sexual conduct an effective method of putting a stop to the problem.

When I approached my own community advisor to ask him what steps he would take should I come to him with a complaint about my roommate’s sexual conduct in our room, he told me that his primary action would be to mediate a discussion between the two of us. Only if the situation became exceptionally grievous and persistent could we seek advice from our community advisors or the DCL and possibly have a roommate change.

By officially prohibiting sex while others are in the room and “sexiling,” CAs would more immediately be able to report frequent violators to the Department of Community Living should a complaint

arise. This would allow concrete action to be taken, like stripping the offending roommate of his or her guest privileges for a period of time before the situation gets out of hand.

Furthermore, it is in keeping with Brandeis’ commitment to creating a living community in which students feel as if they are at home to take as many steps as we can to ensure that every student feels comfortable with his or her living situation. The University should not simply speak about the importance of respecting the privacy and comfort levels of others; it must take concrete action to ensure that people’s comfort levels are respected in the University, especially when dealing with an issue as sensitive as sex.

True, such a policy would infringe on a student’s right to have sex in his or her own room. But it is a well-established principle in our society that our rights only extend to the point where they don’t violate the rights of others.

It is a basic right of a student living on campus to feel a basic level of comfort in his or her own room. It is a basic right of a student on campus not to get kicked out of his

or her room at two in the morning so that a roommate can have some alone time with his or her significant other. If Brandeis really takes every student’s right to privacy and comfort seriously, then it ought to turn that belief into an official policy by establishing basic rules for sexual conduct in its dormitories.

I understand that new policies on the books at Tufts may seem a bit silly and superfluous. You may ask, “Shouldn’t roommates just be able to work this issue out for themselves? Why should Brandeis adopt such a silly policy?”

In an ideal world, yes, people would just be courteous and respect each other.

Unfortunately, we don’t live in such a world. Sometimes people do things that may seem offensive and impolite to most of us, and when that happens, the offended parties ought to have some concrete means to put a stop to the problematic behavior.

Sometimes, especially in situations like these, it is necessary to mandate a basic level of decency. If Brandeis takes seriously its commitment to making sure all students feel comfortable on campus, it ought to do just that.

IN OPPOSITION

Roommates can compromise without policy Zachary

MATUSHESKI COMMENT IS FREE

This past week, Tufts University released a codified prohibition of sex while a roommate is in the room. The new rule states that students “may not engage in sexual activity while your roommate is present in the room. Any sexual activity within your assigned room should not ever deprive your roommate(s) of privacy, study, or sleep time.”

There are three problems with this rule: how it was constructed, what it means and what kind of message it sends. The University would be wise not to follow Tufts’ example.

The origination of the rule is odious. In its annual review of problems, the Tufts Office of Residential Life and Learning noticed that there were complaints about students having sex in dorm rooms with their roommates present. Seeing this trend, the Office of Residential Life and Learning chose to amend the student handbook unilaterally.

According to the Tufts Daily, Tufts’ student newspaper, the chairman of the Tufts Community Union Senate Committee on

“

There are no rules in life that deal with awkwardness. Giving students rules about roommate behavior creates a certain dependency and conception of the world that isn’t realistic.

Administration and Policy was not asked for input. Decisions affecting student life shouldn’t be made this way.

Student involvement in decision making of this sort is crucial. Rules on sex in the dorm touch on the right to privacy and directly influence the everyday lives of individual students. And, ultimately, students will decide whether the rule works or not because it will be up to them to bring complaints.

The next problem is what the rule actually means. On first glance, it looks like a good one that will both protect students’ privacy and hopefully do away with an annoying and invasive practice. But in reality, this rule cheats students out of a learning opportunity.

Every adult needs to have stressful, uncomfortable conversations at some point in his or her life. College roommate relations acclimate soon-to-be adults to that stress.

Hopefully, this practice gained in college matures students. Students learn how to take a stand and, more importantly, how to compromise. It’s instructive for both sides.

It demonstrates to the offending roommate that all people in the room have rights and needs.

The enforcement of this rule is another problem. Codification hampers a community advisor’s ability to use discretion in deciding a case.

In the current Brandeis system, students can bring problems they cannot resolve themselves to a community advisor. The CA investigates and weighs the complaint.

Under a system without a policy like Tufts’, the CA can more freely determine whether or not the roommate is looking to manipulate the system for his own benefit and choose whether to refer the alleged offending party to the Department of Community Living. When the rules are written down, they can be quickly misused or misinterpreted, leading to hasty and often unnecessary punishment.

The message the rule sends is a harmful one. There are no rules in life that deal with awkwardness. Giving students rules about roommate behavior creates a certain dependency and conception of the world that isn’t realistic.

When you leave the comfort of on-campus housing, there is little that can be done beyond talk to your roommate if he or she has crazy sex that interrupts your ability to sleep or study. The key to learning how to get along in the world outside of the dorm is to learn how to deal with confrontation and to be flexible.

Brandeis is facing many complicated decisions, and it would be good for the University not to look to Tufts’ behavior as a positive example. Brandeis should involve students in the rule-making process. The University should shy away from not informing student representatives or getting student opinion before making a decision.

Brandeis should also leave issues like this up to the discretion of CAs and the Department of Community Living. Students need to practice compromise and communication. Finally, the deans and students should look at this whole affair as a misappropriation of efforts. Brandeis’ governing bodies should leave the private lives of students alone and focus on important issues specific to the University.

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18

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

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THE JUSTICE

SPORTS GOLF

Team finishes eighth at ECACs ■ The golf team struggled

with difficult weather conditions at the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship in Somers, Conn. last weekend.

By MAX GOLDSTEIN JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The golf team had a rain-soaked outing last weekend, and the weather drained the momentum right out of the squad. The Judges finished in eighth place with a total score of 643 at the Eastern College Athletic Conference Men’s Division III Championships in Somers, Conn.

The team finished 32 strokes behind first-place Endicott College.

University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth finished in second place with a 615, and Castleton State and Johnson and Wales University tied for third place with 619.

Brandeis shot a 334 in the first round, which started last Saturday but was cut short midway through and postponed until Sunday because of the inclement weather. Coach Bill Shipman did not think the bad weather was a legitimate excuse for his team to not play as well as he thought they should have.

“The conditions weren’t good, but a lot of teams played better [in the first round]”, he said. “It wasn’t a very good round.”

Charles Sacks ’11 led the Judges in round one with a 78 and again in the second round with a 76, bringing his total to 154. He finished 10th overall, seven strokes behind the leader, senior Pat Pio from Nichols College.

Sacks was happy with his performance but noted that he was just focusing on playing “better bad golf” because of the poor conditions.

Despite his team-leading low score, Sacks had his struggles, especially on the fourth hole, where he doublebogeyed twice in his only attempts at the hole.”I was four-over[-par] for the

tournament on that hole and nineunder[-par] overall, so a lot of my strokes were lost from there.” “[Sacks] played really well for the conditions on Saturday, and he played even better on Sunday,” Shipman said. “It was a very good, solid score.”

Sacks’ teammates also noted his contribution to the squad’s efforts last weekend. “[Sacks] held the team together because in the first round we all played terribly,” Aaron Cusato ’12 said.

Cusato shot a 84 in the first round but then improved by six strokes to shoot a 78 the next day.

“I’m looking to bounce back, because I haven’t played very well in the last few weeks,” Cusato said. “I saw some progress in my game on Sunday, so hopefully I can build from that.”

The Judges shot significantly better in the second round of the Championships as conditions improved. On day one, the team was also without Scott Beaulas ’12, who

was ill. Beaulas returned and played well the second day, shooting a 79. Lee Bloom ’10 also improved from a 84 on Saturday to a 75 on Sunday.

Shipman recognized that even despite these improvements, the event did not contain some of the best competition and the Judges should have had a better outing.

“Some strong teams were there, but not the best for sure,” he said.

The team struggled at its previous tournament as well, finishing a disappointing 16th at the Duke Nelson Invitational at Middlebury College Sept. 26. The team said it knows it has work to do in order to improve. “We really support each other during practice, but it’s the individual things that we really need to work on,” Cusato said.

“We really need to focus on everybody getting four good consistent scores every tournament,” Sacks added.

The Judges are next in action Friday at the Rhode Island College Invitational.

GOAL SCORERS

ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice

SCORING SPREE: Forward Noah Bass ’12 dribbles the ball in on net against Newbury College last Wednesday in the Judges’ 6-1 victory. Bass assisted on the go-ahead goal.

MSOCCER: Team clicks on offense in wins CONTINUED FROM 20 Coven said.

The team started out slowly against Newbury, as the visitors struck first with their only goal of the game in the fourth minute. The Judges struck right back, though, as forward Matt Peabody ’13 knotted the score 16 minutes later off of a strong through ball by Bradley.

Midfielder Sam Ocel ’13 put the Judges ahead for good in the 40th minute off of a feed from forward Noah Bass ’12.

Peabody’s quick start in the second half helped the Judges pull away.

Peabody found forward Alexander Farr ’12 in the 52nd minute to put the

Judges up 3-1. The goal was Farr’s third of the season, tying him with Peabody for the team lead.

But Peabody knocked in his fourth goal of the year just three minutes later off a deflection off of the Newbury goalkeeper. Midfielders Steve Keuchkarian ’11 and Ed Senibaldi ’12 rounded out the Brandeis scoring spree in the 74th and 87th minutes, respectively.

The Brandeis netkeepers were untested for most of the night, as the hosts managed to outshoot Newbury 36-1. Lynch allowed the lone goal in the first half, while Blake Minchoff ’13 wasn’t tested in his first collegiate appearance.

After struggling out of the gate, the

team has picked it up in its last few games. After starting the season 0-3-1 the Judges have now won three of their past four games, including their only conference match thus far.

“We knew from the start that we had a good team and that we had a lot of talent, but we just weren’t pulling games out,” Lynch said.

Despite the newfound success, the team isn’t letting the victories get to their heads. Though the results have begun to look promising, the players still know there is room for improvement.

“We start four or five freshmen and a couple of sophomores, so we are a very young team and we are still making some of the mistakes

that young teams tend to make,” Coven said. “We are maturing, though, as the younger players start to learn what college soccer is all about.”

“We really came together and played very hard these past two games, but we still have a lot of work to do,” Lynch added. “Right now we are just taking it one game at a time.”

The Judges’ next test will come Thursday when they travel to ColbySawyer College at 4 p.m. Their UAA home opener is Saturday night against the University of Rochester at 5 p.m.

—Jonathan Steinberg contributed reporting

VOLLEYBALL: Squad loses to Case and No. 5 Washington CONTINUED FROM 20 Setter and captain Abby Blasco ’11 had 38 assists in the match, combined with six kills, nine digs and three block assists.

“Without [Abby Blasco], I don’t think we would do as well,” Smith said. “She is a big presence on the court and a great setter. There are balls that it looks like nobody will get,

but somehow she gets there, and it [becomes] a playable ball. She sets us hitters with perfect sets. She is an allaround great player.”

In their opening game last Saturday, the Judges lost 3-0 to the fifth-ranked Bears of WashU. Brandeis lost by a close score of 25-23 in the first set but fell by scores 25-11 and 25-19 in the next two sets.

Kim knew the difficulty in facing

the talented Bears team.

“They are a very good and athletic team,” she said. “They are the type of team that won’t let up. If you give them an inch, they are going to take advantage of it.”

Paige Blasco led the team with eight kills in the loss. Smith added seven kills and three blocks in the losing effort, while Abby Blasco registered 23 assists and nine digs.

Kim said that she thought the loss would be beneficial for the team.

“I am hoping it is something we can learn from and know that we have to pressure teams [like WashU] all the time to have a chance against them,” she said.

Brandeis continues its season Saturday when it hosts both the United States Coast Guard Academy and Keene State College.

WSOCCER: Judges shut out in UAA opener CONTINUED FROM 20 ance or injury.

The win was the first for the Spartans in UAA play in 19 games since 2006. This year, however, they have gotten off to a strong start with a record of 53-2.

During the game, the Judges outshot Case Western 14-4, including three shots in the last 5:01 of the first half. Forward Melissa Gorenkoff’s ’10 shot in the 40th minute was saved by Case Western sophomore goalie Anna Kennedy, and Pacheco had another shot go high in the 43rd minute.

Brandeis had chances in the second half as well to even the score, but Kennedy had another save while other shots were either off target or blocked by the defense.

Last year at home, the Judges also outshot Case Western by a wide margin of 22-6 but were able to convert four of those shots for an easy 4-0 win.

“They’re a little better team [this year],” Dallamora said of Case Western. “Their goalkeeper was a little bit better, stronger. They defended us a little better, so they did a better job and we just didn’t find our way into the net.”

The Judges faced tough challenges in the UAA last season.

They finished 8-4-1 outside of conference play last year, including a 6-2-1 start, but in the UAA they went only 3-3-1 and finished fourth in the conference.

“When we get to UAA [opponents], they’re a lot more physical, faster, and I think we just have to stay focused, just work on what we’ve been working on throughout the whole year with every other team and just kind of go into each game knowing that we have a chance to win,” Theodore said.

Last Wednesday night, the Judges faced similar defeat and fell to Wellesley in overtime.

Brandeis outshot the Blue 12-2 in the first half but only could put one goal on the board, a shot from Pacheco off an assist from midfielder Mimi Theodore in the third minute.

Wellesley tied the game in the second half on a header from sophomore back Erin Simmons.

The game remained tied until just 15 seconds into the first overtime period when Blue rookie midfielder Megan Turchi hit a shot from 25 yards out just over Rosenzweig and under the crossbar for the game-winning goal.

“I think the teams [this week] played us what they call low pressure, which means they just drop into the box when they lose possession, … and it’s not very easy to find opportunities.

Although we did find some, we just didn’t finish well,” Dallamora said.

The Judges will look to bounce back tomorrow at Tufts University at 4 p.m. before their UAA home opener Saturday night against the University of Rochester at 7:30 p.m.

The team will not play again at home until Oct. 30, when it hosts Washington University in St. Louis as part of three straight UAA games to close out the season.

THE JUSTICE ● TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

VARSITY BRIEF

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Women’s tennis top player sidelined with injured right ankle

Corey Bradley ’10 ■ The men’s soccer player snapped two major slumps by scoring his first goal in two years and securing the team’s first conference win since 2006.

Men’s soccer midfielder Corey Bradley ’10 hadn’t scored a goal since his sophomore season in 2007 until last Saturday when his goal at Case Western Reserve University made all the difference.

Bradley’s blast from the edge of the 18yard box secured a 1-0 victory for the Judges in their first University Athletic Association game of the season. Bradley’s goal ended another drought as the team earned its first victory over a UAA opponent since 2006.

Coach Mike Coven commended Bradley and his goal.

“It was one of the best goals I have [seen] here in a number of years,” Coven said.

Aside from Bradley’s difference-making offensive input last Saturday, Coven also mentioned Bradley’s important presence on the defensive side of the ball as the game wound down.

“To me, that was almost as important as his offensive play,” Coven said. “The way he defended against Case in the closing minutes of the game [was vital].”

Bradley, one of the senior members of the team, tries to be a role model for the younger players on the squad.

“I’d like to think they look up to me,” Bradley said. “I just try to set a good example on the field: Play hard and play smart.”

Bradley added that he finds is able to “make good decisions on the field” that allow him to be set a good example for his teammates.

Bradley’s strong play comes largely from his consistency and experience. A four-year starter and all-UAA selection in

Judging numbers

19

straight games without a win in conference play for the Case Western Reserve University women’s soccer team before the Spartans defeated Brandeis at home 1-0 last Saturday.

7

goals scored by the men’s soccer team in the squad’s last two games in wins over Newbury College and Case Western. The Judges had scored just five goals in its previous six games.

2

goals and one assist for men’s soccer forward Matt Peabody ’13 in the Judges’ 6-1 win over Newbury last Wednesday. The rookie leads the Judges with four goals and nine points this season.

4

sets won by the volleyball team in three matches last weekend in the squad’s first UAA roundrobin of the season. The Judges went 1-2 with their only win coming in straight sets over the University of Rochester.

36

shots but just one goal for the women’s soccer team in its last two games. The Judges have lost two straight and outshot their opponents in those games by 20 shots.

The women’s tennis team’s top singles and doubles player Rachel Rosman ’11 suffered an ankle injury last week while practicing at the team’s off-campus training facility in Needham, Mass.

While running a team drill, Rosman came down hard on her right ankle. X-rays showed the injury to be an avulsion fracture in her right ankle.

According to orthopedics.about.com, an avulsion fracture is an injury to the bone at a place where a ligament or tendon attaches to the bone, causing a piece of the bone to break off.

Rosman said she will most likely not be able to play for the rest of the fall season, but she hopes to return in time for the spring.

“From what I have heard from other people who have had it like this, and from what I have heard from the trainers, I don’t think there is any chance that I won’t be back for the spring,” she said.

As for the team, both Rosman and Coach Ben Lamanna agreed that the team has plenty of resources to maintain a strong lineup.

“I think there are a lot of girls on the team who are definitely going to step up,” Rosman said. “I am really confident in my teammates to take it to the next level.”

Rosman met with an orthopedist yesterday evening and will know more about the state of her injury and availability for this year at a later date.

—Jonathan Steinberg

AP BRIEFS Figueroa pitches first career shutout in Mets’ season finale ASHER KRELL/the Justice

SLUMP BREAKER: Midfielder Corey Bradley ’10 dribbles past a defender Sept. 26 in a loss.

2008, Bradley exemplifies the qualities of a good captain and team leader. Coven praised Bradley’s “presence of mind” and knowledge of the game.

Bradley has four points this season to go along with a team-high 18 shots.

—Jonathan Steinberg

UAA STANDINGS Men’s Soccer

Women’s Soccer

Not including Monday’s games

Not including Monday’s games

UAA Conference WL T Carnegie 1 0 0 Rochester 1 0 0 Washington 1 0 0 JUDGES 1 0 0 Emory 0 1 0 Chicago 0 1 0 Case 0 1 0 New York 0 1 0

UAA Conference W LT Rochester 1 00 Case 1 00 Chicago 0 01 Washington 0 0 1 Emory 0 01 Carnegie 0 01 New York 0 10 JUDGES 0 10

W 10 7 6 3 7 6 5 4

L 1 0 1 4 2 2 4 6

Overall T Pct. 0 .909 2 .889 3 .750 1 .438 0 .778 2 .700 2 .545 0 .400

W 6 5 8 7 4 4 7 5

L 1 3 1 2 1 4 3 3

T 2 2 1 1 4 1 0 2

Overall Pct. .778 .600 .850 .750 .667 .500 .700 .600

TEAM LEADERS MSoccer (points)

WSoccer (points)

Forward Matt Peabody ’13 leads the Judges with nine points this season.

Forward Tiffany Pacheco ’11 leads the team with 15 points this year.

Player Matt Peabody Alex Farr Sam Ocel Corey Bradley Five tied with...

Player Tiffany Pacheco Mimi Theodore Melissa Gorenkoff Sofia Vallone Two tied with...

Points 9 6 5 4 2

Points 15 11 9 6 5

Volleyball (kills)

Volleyball (digs)

Outside hitter Paige Blasco ’11 leads the Judges with 220 kills.

Libero Anna Homitsky ’13 and setter Abby Blasco ’11 each have 184 digs.

Player Paige Blasco Piera Carfagno Nicole Smith Bridget McAllister Becca Fischer

Player Anna Homitsky Abby Blasco Paige Blasco Bridget McAllister Piera Carfagno

Kills 220 147 129 115 88

Digs 184 184 182 169 167

UPCOMING GAME OF THE WEEK Cross Country at Open New England The nationally ranked cross country teams will run Saturday at 10 a.m.

36

shots on goal for the men’s soccer team in a 6-1 victory over Newbury last Wednesday. The Judges held Newbury to only one shot on goal.

19

For the second season in a row, both the men’s and women’s cross country teams are ranked nationally in the top 25. The men’s team is 22nd in the country while the women’s team is 15th.

On Saturday, both squads will run in the Open New England Championships at Franklin Park in Boston, starting at 10 a.m.

Both squads last competed at the Connecticut College Invitational and did very well. The men’s team finished third out of 16 teams while the women’s team won the event with five of its runners completing the course in the top 20.

Marie Lemay ’11 paced the women’s team in the event, finishing fifth overall with a time of 22 minutes, 47 seconds.

NEW YORK—Just one week before his collegiate jersey will be retired by his alma mater, Brandeis University, New York Mets pitcher Nelson Figueroa ’98 accomplished another momentous feat in his journeyman career.

Figueroa pitched a four-hit shutout for his first major league, complete-game shutout. Angel Pagan keyed the offense and the New York Mets wrapped up a miserable season last Sunday by completing a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros with a 4-0 victory.

Figueroa retired 13 of his final 14 batters. Pagan went 4for-4 with a triple and two doubles from the leadoff spot.

He also scored twice.

New York was a National League favorite back in April.

But long-term injuries to Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and Johan Santana decimated the roster and sent the team into a tailspin.

Many of the replacements got hurt, too, and the fourthplace Mets played mistake-filled baseball in sliding from 89-73 last year to a 70-92 record, their worst since finishing 66-95 in 2003.

Mets players spent more than 1,480 days on the disabled list this year, more than any other major league team, according to STATS LLC. Also beset by injuries, Houston slogged through a disappointing season, as well. One game out of first place after games of July 22, the Astros then lost two of three at home to the Mets and soon fell out of the race.

Houston (74-88) finished fifth in the six-team NL Central, losing five of its final six to drop to 4-9 under interim manager Dave Clark, who took over when Cecil Cooper was fired Sept. 21.

The Mets went 41-40 in the first season at their spacious new home, Citi Field. With a crowd of 38,135 on Sunday, they drew 3,154,262 for the season.

The finale was much different than the previous two years, when the Mets completed September collapses with home losses to Florida on the final day that knocked them out of playoff contention each time.

Figueroa (3-8) snapped a five-start losing streak, though he had pitched pretty well in four of those outings. He struck out seven and walked none.

It was a nice moment for the 35-year-old journeyman, who grew up in Brooklyn rooting for the Mets. He often has plenty of family and friends in attendance at his home starts. The right-hander threw 76 of 113 pitches for strikes.

Rookie catcher Josh Thole had three hits, including an RBI single off rookie starter Wilton Lopez (0-2) in a tworun fourth. The other run scored on a throwing error by shortstop Miguel Tejada.

Luis Castillo and David Wright each hit a sacrifice fly that drove in Pagan.

Tejada doubled in the fourth to extend his hitting streak to 21 games, the longest by an Astros player since Willy Taveras set a club record with a 30-game hitting streak in 2006.

Aaron Boone played third base for Houston and went 0for-3 in his second start since returning from open-heart surgery. The other came Sept. 2 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Rio de Janeiro wins Olympic bid Finally, South America gets an Olympics. The 2016 Games are going to Rio de Janeiro.

In a vote of high drama, the bustling Brazilian carnival city of beaches, mountains and samba beat surprise finalist Madrid, which got a big helping hand from a very influential friend.

Chicago was knocked out in the first round. Even Tokyo, which had trailed throughout the race, did better, eliminated after Chicago in the second round.

Rio spoke to IOC members’ consciences: The city argued that it was simply unfair that South America has never hosted the games, while Europe, Asia and North America have done so repeatedly.

“It is a time to address this imbalance,” Brazil’s charismatic president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, told the IOC’s members before they voted. “It is time to light the Olympic cauldron in a tropical country.”

The bearded former union leader disappeared into a huge group hug with the joyous Rio team after IOC president Jacques Rogge announced that the city won.

Football great Pele had tears in his eyes.

just

Sports

Page 20

TENNIS STAR INJURED Women’s tennis No. 1 singles player Rachel Rosman ’11 hurt her ankle while practicing, p. 19.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Waltham, Mass.

UAA SHUTOUT

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Judges lack clutch scoring ■ The women’s soccer team

outshot its opponents last week but lost two one-goal games, including a 1-0 loss at Case Western Reserve University last Saturday.

By MELISSA SIEGEL JUSTICE SENIOR WRITER

high mark with six saves. It was his fourth career shutout but his first in UAA action.

The victory was even more significant given that Case Western had just tied Ohio Wesleyan University, the No. 2-ranked team in the country.

“They tied the second-ranked team, so the fact that we beat them really shows that we have a lot of potential to do well,” Coach Mike

With 21 seconds left in the first half of the women’s soccer team’s University Athletic Association opener at Case Western Reserve University last Saturday, forward Tiffany Pacheco ’11 fired the team’s ninth shot of the half wide of the net, failing to break the scoreless tie.

The Judges outshot the Spartans 9-2 in the first half but were unable to score a goal.

Then, just under 10 minutes into the second half, Case Western scored what would be the deciding goal in a 1-0 Spartan victory.

The goal capped an 0-2 week for Brandeis, which also lost 2-1 to Wellesley College in overtime last Wednesday. The losses drop the Judges to 5-3-2 on the season.

“Honestly, I think it was just us not being able to finish [against Case Western]. It wasn’t really anything that Case did,” midfielder Mimi Theodore ’12 said. “I think they were physical and they obviously worked hard, but I think it was pretty much us just not being able to finish. … We definitely had our opportunities; we just couldn’t capitalize on them.”

The game-winning goal for the Spartans came off the foot of senior midfielder Caroline Garber from 10 yards out.

The ball got past goalie Jaclyn Weinstein ’12, who started the second half in net in place of starting goalie Hillary Rosenzweig ’10, who had one save in the first half.

Coach Denise Dellamora said she simply wanted to get Weinstein some playing time in the game and that the substitution was not based on either goalie’s previous perform-

See MSOCCER, 18 ☛

See WSOCCER, 18 ☛

NATHAN FREEDMAN/the Justice

BRICK WALL: Goalie Matt Lynch ’11 shut out Case Western Reserve University last Saturday. Here, he punts the ball in a home loss against Wheaton College Sept. 26.

Team beats Case for UAA win ■ The men’s soccer team

won its first conference game since 2006 last Saturday by a 1-0 margin.

By JEFFREY BOXER JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The last time the men’s soccer team won a conference game was in 2006, when the Judges defeated then-No. 21 New York University 2-

1 on a neutral field. Last Saturday, the squad earned its first University Athletic Association win in three years with a 1-0 win at Case Western Reserve University.

The triumph concluded the Judges’ best week of the season after a resounding 6-1 home win over Newbury College last Wednesday.

The Judges now stand at 3-4-1 on the season and are 1-0 in UAA play.

The combined efforts of midfielder Corey Bradley ’10 and goalie Matt Lynch ’11 helped lead Brandeis

against the Spartans in its UAA opener last Saturday. Bradley scored the lone goal and his first of the season in the 43rd minute on a brilliant strike. He launched a shot from 35 yards out that just dipped under the crossbar in the top right corner. “[It was] one of the best goals I’ve seen in my career,” Lynch said.

Case attempted to come back in the second half, striking 10 shots, including four on target. Yet Lynch was up to the task, tying his season-

VOLLEYBALL

Squad rebounds in final match of conference round-robin ■ The volleyball team went

1-2 against three conference opponents at the University of Rochester last weekend.

By JOSH ASEN JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

After losing its first two games to University Athletic Association opponents, No. 5 Washington University in St. Louis and Case Western Reserve University, in the Rochester Invitational last weekend, the volleyball team defeated the host team in straight sets to end the weekend on a

high note.

The Judges defeated the Yellowjackets last Sunday by a score of 25-16, 25-22, 25-15 and now sit at 11-7 overall and 1-2 in UAA play.

The offensive attack was spread out for the Judges as outside hitter and captain Piera Carfagno ’10, outside hitter Paige Blasco ’11 and middle blocker Nicole Smith ’11 each had six kills in the victory.

Coach Michelle Kim said she was pleased with how her team performed against Rochester.

“We took charge right from the start and controlled the tempo of the game,” Kim said. “Because we were in system for most of the time against Rochester,

we were able to run our offense and spread the ball.”

“We were more consistent in our play, smarter with our hits, better with our serve receives,” Carafagno added.

On the defensive side, middle blocker Becca Fischer ’13 and Smith both had six blocks. Outside hitter/middle blocker Bridget McCallister ’10 had a team-leading ten digs.

“We did a good job blocking,” Kim said. “That helped the defense around in the back. We were able to slow down their defense and run something of our own.”

Smith echoed her coach’s sentiments regarding the team’s defense.

“We played as a team and played great defense,” she said. “We played really well.”

Before their victory against Rochester, the Judges lost to Case Western, which is coached by Brandeis alum Kimberly Chambers Farrell ’93, in four sets. After losing the first set 25-23, Brandeis defeated the Spartans 25-18 in the second set.

Brandeis could not maintain the momentum, though, and lost the remaining two sets by scores of 25-18 and 25-21.

In the loss, Carfagno had a seasonhigh 18 kills, resulting in a .348 hitting percentage. “[Carfagno] had a good weekend

offensively,” Kim said. “We had been working on our offense this week, and we made some of her sets a little bit lower so that it’s a little bit faster for her. That’s the tempo she likes, and that’s the tempo she falls into rhythm with.”

Despite her performance, Carafagno was not pleased with her team’s loss.

“It was a bit of a rough game for us,” Carafagno said. “We never got our momentum going. It was one of those games where it was hard to pinpoint what exactly was causing the problem for us not to win like we should have.

It was a game that we should not have lost.”

See VOLLEYBALL, 18 ☛

just

October 6, 2009

ARTS

Lydians continue their musical journey p. 23 Photo: Nathaniel Freedman/the Justice. Design: Max Breitstein Matza/the Justice.

22

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

●

THE JUSTICE

POP CULTURE

INSIDE ON CAMPUS

22-24

■ Lydian String Quartet 23 The classical ensemble performed Saturday.

23 ■ ‘A Serious Man’ The Coen brothers’ newest film was screened in the Wassermann Cinematheque.

■ Art and the Economy 23 One justArts writer explores art auctions.

■ Campus Fashion 24 Brandeis students are donning vests this fall.

OFF CAMPUS

25-28

25 ■ ‘The Donkey Show’ The American Repertory Theater’s show is a send-up of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

■ ‘Waiting for Godot’ 25 This form was inspired by Hurricane Katrina.

25 ■ ‘Bash’ The play comprises three dark one-acts.

26 ■ Mission of Burma The band played a free outdoor concert at MIT on Sunday celebrating their own holiday.

26 ■ Monsters of Folk The band’s debut work is mildly forgettable 26 ■ ‘Year of the Flood’ Margaret Atwood’s new novel is a vivid work.

27 ■ ‘Modern Family’ The comedy is in the mockumentary style.

■ ‘Fame’ Naturi Naughton stars in this remake.

CALENDAR

27

INTERVIEW

by Shelly Shore

Last week, Hollywood’s legal troubles took a drastic turn from the usual DUI to a question that is making a lot of celebrities very uncomfortable: does a person’s artistic record put him above the law?

Obviously, the answer is no—as director Roman Polanski learned when he was arrested at the Zurich Film Festival in Switzerland on the basis of a 1978 arrest warrant.

In 1977, Polanski pled guilty to the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl. Polanski, now 76, left the U.S. before his sentencing and is considered a fugitive here. In recent years, he has tried to have the rape case dismissed, claiming the judge, who is now dead, arranged a plea bargain but later reneged. Polanski has been to Switzerland before, but this time U.S. authorities knew of his trip in advance. That gave them time to send an arrest warrant to Swiss authorities, judicial officials said.

Zurich Film Festival jury president Debra Winger demanded Polanski’s release from jail. “We hope today this latest [arrest] order will be dropped. It is based on a three-decadesold case that is dead but for minor technicalities,” she said. “We came to Zurich to honor Roman Polanski as a great artist, but under these sad and arcane circumstances we can only think of him today as a human being uncertain of the year ahead.”

Hollywood celebrities have rallied around Polanski, starting a “Free Polanski” petition.

Signers include Woody Allen, Diane von Furstenberg, Wes Anderson and hundreds more. The backlash has been immediate, calling the signers “rape defenders,” and many online communities have started petitions to boycott Polanski’s work.

Samantha Geimer, who identified herself as Polanski’s victim long ago, is asking that the case be dismissed. If Polanski is brought

Engelstein on ‘Everything’ ■ The senior discusses how he prepared for his role as Everything in the Garden’s Chuck, his interest in theater and postgraduation plans.

CZAREK SOKOLOWSK/The Associated Press

POLARIZING POLANSKI: Several celebrities have started a petition to free the imprisoned director. to an American court, Geimer, who now lives with her husband in Hawaii, cannot be forced to testify. What she really wants, she says, is for the case to be over. She has already sued Polanski and reached an undisclosed settlement.

Whether Polanski will be tried or not, the entire affair brings up a scary question—do people really think that a person’s artistic achievements excuse him from the consequences of his actions? Hopefully not—but this case is still unfolding.

What’s happening in Arts on campus

‘Everything in the Garden’ The Brandeis Theater Company presents Director Prof. Eric Hill’s (THA) production of Everything in the Garden, which details the lives of suburbanites Jenny and Richard as they strive for financial security. Tickets for Thursday night shows and the Saturday matinee are $18, while tickets for shows taking place on Friday, Saturday evening and Sunday are $20. Brandeis students are eligible for half-price tickets.

Oct. 8, 9, 10, 15, 16 and 17 at 8 p.m. and Oct.17 and 18 at 2 p.m. in Spingold’s Laurie Theater.

Status Quo in Concert Come see Status Quo and hear which artist is coming to Brandeis for the fall concert! Don't miss the chance to see a performance by the runner-up from season one of America's Best Dance Crew. The fall concert will be revealed right after the performance.

Thursday at 8 p.m. in Sherman Function Hall.

Master Class: The Story of Recorded Blues The developing blues genre enjoyed immense commercial success at the time of the advent of recording. The first blues records sold in the hundreds of thousands and gave rise to a rapidly growing industry whose need for fresh talent was boundless. As recording and marketing technologies progressed, specific artists rose to unprecedented fame; Bessie Smith, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Leroy Carr were among the first wave of blues recording stars, and their popularity continues to influence and nurture successive generations of highly original artists. This class, led by blues artists Paul Rishell and Annie Raines, explores through live and recorded performances the story of the blues, the tragic and heroic figures who shaped it and its lasting appeal. Those looking to participate should send an e-mail to slos bergconcerts@brandeis.edu to reserve a seat.

Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. in Slosberg Music Center.

Marquee Series: Paul Rishell and Annie Raines The Brandeis Marquee Series helps bring to campus some of the country’s finest professional musicians for concerts that celebrate various musical genres. This week, W.C. Handy Award winners Paul Rishell and Annie Raines will present their rousing interpretation of what Scott Alarik of the Boston Globe describes as “country blues, the original acoustic style that gave birth to electric blues, R&B, and rock.

WHAT’S ON?

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHAWNA KELLEY

BLUES AT BRANDEIS: Paul Rishell and Annie Raines will teach a master class Friday on the history of recorded blues and will put on a concert featuring their interpretation of the musical genre.

While their guitar, harmonica, and vocals are roiling, muscular, and masterful, their shows are down home-friendly and fun-loving.”

Advance tickets are $10 for students; tickets bought at the door will cost $15.

Friday from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Slosberg Recital Hall.

Unpacking Our Bags: How to Share Stories of Trauma and Shame The Brandeis Playback Theater Society invites members of the community to participate in a workshop on using theater to explore stories of trauma and shame. The workshop will provide some practical background on the topics of conflict mediation, communication and PostTraumatic Stress Disorder. Using Playback Theater as a medium, attendees will discuss the stories that people share which could be considered “unplayable.” Those who partake in the workshop will also learn some strategies for creating a safe space to share unplayable stories and for holding stories that can be difficult or upsetting, as well as advice on depicting such stories without creating further trauma.

Undergraduates, graduates, faculty and staff are all welcome to this free workshop, at which refreshments will be served.

Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Abraham Shapiro Academic Complex Atrium.

Jewish-German Dialogue Mahlendorf

with

Ursula

Author Ursula Mahlendorf will discuss her latest work, The Shame of Survival: Working through a Nazi Childhood. In writing the novel, Mahlendorf drew upon on her own experiences as well as her research in teaching students about how Germans and German writers deal with their Nazi past. Anna Kuhn of the University of California, Davis, describes Mahlendorf’s book as “a compelling memoir of a girl’s experiences growing up in Nazi Germany that analyzes the lifelong implications of Nazi indoctrination on a sensitive, thoughtful young woman.” Those wishing to attend this event, which will include lunch, are asked to RSVP to cgees@brandeis.edu.

Monday from noon to 2 p.m. in the Faculty Club Lounge.

Eric Engelstein ’10, who is currently majoring in Psychology and Theater and minoring in Classical Studies, was recently cast to play Chuck in this semester’s Brandeis Theater Company production of Everything in the Garden. The play is directed by Prof. Eric Hill (THA) and will take place on Oct. 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 and 18 (see calendar for details).

Engelstein has also appeared in the Brandeis Ensemble Theatre’s performance of Eric Bogosian’s subUrbia, which was staged in spring 2008.

JustArts: You’re a senior, and you’ve been doing theater here at Brandeis for more than three years now. How do you plan to continue with theater after you graduate? Or are you going to do something completely different?

Eric Engelstein: As of now, I’m still unsure if I want to get into theater or film. I’m most likely going to do a combination of both of them but after last year I started leaning more towards film. A group of Theater major seniors are putting on a showcase in [New York] at the end of the semester to see if we can get some agents. Hopefully it will prove successful. Sadly, the Theater department will not support us in this endeavor, but the Theater teachers are there for us and helping us get ready for it. Depending on how that does, I am planning on either moving to [New York] or [Los Angeles] after I graduate. I also want to become a bartender and have already obtained a degree in mixology.

JA: Did you always have an interest in theater, or did you discover it at Brandeis?

EE: I’ve always had a interest in theater.

One of my earliest memories is me with my fake guitar set and microphone rocking out in the middle of the living room.

JA: Did Brandeis’ theater instruction and culture influence your decision to come to Brandeis?

EE: Truthfully, I still wonder why I ever applied to Brandeis. Not that I don’t like it, and I think it’s a great school, with major flaws, of course. But thinking back, I remember applying but not having any reason to. I had never looked into anything about ’Deis; I guess it called out to me. I have come to really enjoy the theater community at ’Deis.

When talking about the Theater department, I think they need to open up more to the undergrads.

JA: What can you tell us about your role in Everything in the Garden? Is it similar/different to your previous roles? Have you done any special preparations for it?

EE: Have you ever been to one of those parties where every couple is trying to outdo the other and show how they are better? All fake, all smiles, all buddy-buddy. In the play there are four married couples, and I play Chuck, one of the husbands. The role is a stereotypical role, as are the other married couples, not including the main characters. But this doesn’t mean we can play them as their stereotypes; rather, we have to find a deeper meaning for our characters.

My role as Chuck is considerably different than the roles I usually get. I usually play more serious characters that are in my age range. Have I done any special preparations?

No, not really, nothing out of the ordinary.

Actually, I’ve done less for this role than I usually do. That doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about the role and tried to figure out the mind and characteristics of my character.

JA: Are you in any other productions this year?

EE: As of yet I am not. I decided to take a light semester for once and did not try out for any other shows. Actually, I might jump on an opportunity to be in another production if it comes up this semester.

—Andrea Fineman

Top 10s for the week ending October 6

Box Office

College Radio

Billboard

WBRS

1. Zombieland 2. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 3. The Invention of Lying 4. Surrogates 5. Whip It 6. Capitalism: A Love Story 7. Fame 8. The Informant!

9. Love Happens 10. Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself

1. Arctic Monkeys – Humbug 2. Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs 3. Fruit Bats – The Ruminant Band 4. Jay Reatard – Watch Me Fall 5. Dead Weather – Horehound 6. Wilco – Wilco (The Album) 7. Dodos – Time To Die 8. Blitzen Trapper – Black River Killer (EP) 9. Modest Mouse – No One’s First And You’re Next 10. Health – Get Color

1. Pearl Jam – Backspacer 2. Jay-Z – The Blueprint 3 3. Three Days Grace – Life Starts Now 4. Whitney Houston – I Look To You 5. Miley Cyrus – The Time Of Our Lives (EP) 6. Brand New – Daisy 7. Five Finger Death Punch – War Is The Answer 8. Harry Conick, Jr. – Your Songs 9. Drake – So Far Gone (EP) 10. Muse – The Resistance

1. Yo La Tengo – “Here To Fall” 2. Chick Willis – “Today I Started Loving You Again” 3. Monsters of Folk – “His Master's Voice” 4. Ndidi Onukwulu – “Things About Comin’ My Way” 5. A Place to Bury Strangers – “In Your Heart” 6. The Mighty Ficus – “Let Them Know” 7. Papercuts – “Future Primitive” 8. Kid Cudi – “Pursuit of Happiness” 9. The Antlers – “Sylvia” 10. Walter Trout – “They Call Us The Working Class”

Album information provided by Billboard Magazine. Box office information provided by Yahoo!Movies. Radio charts provided by CMJ.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

23

ON CAMPUS FILM

MUSIC

‘Serious Man’ seeks religion

Lydians journey on

■ The National Center for Jewish Film screened the Coen brothers’ latest movie.

■ The quartet performed the latest “Around the World” installment.

By ALEX DESILVA

By WEI HUAN CHEN

JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

As the new Coen brothers’ movie, A Serious Man, was introduced at the Wassermann Cinematheque, it was pointed out that Judaism was a central part of the movie. As a Catholic, my first thought was that much of the movie would go right over my head. My second was the realization that I would have to review something that went right over my head. But as it turns out, despite the obvious role that Judaism plays in the film, it can be understood and enjoyed by anyone.

The movie opens with a short, folktale-like story about a couple’s encounter with what could be a “dybbuk,” or an evil spirit that possesses a dead body. The entire scene is strange, with an air of doubt and confusion throughout as what could either be a dybbuk or a mortally wounded man walks out of the couple’s home, with no solid explanation given for what the two have witnessed. The Coens have said that the short is unconnected to the film itself, but the battle between logic and spirituality and the lingering questions it gives to the audience sets them up for the rest of the movie.

The film is about Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a college professor living in a Minneapolis suburb in 1969, a setting that is said to be based on the Coen brothers’ childhood hometown of St. Louis Park, a middle-class largely Jewish suburb. Gopnik suddenly finds problems piled onto him. A student bribes him to get a passing grade and subsequently sues him for defamation while he is up for tenure.

His wife (Sari Wagner Lennick) announces that she wants a divorce, his son Danny (Aaron Wolff) has his bar mitzvah coming up, his daughter (Jessica McManus) wants a nose job, and his brother (Richard Kind) is living on his couch. In the face of these misfortunes, he seeks help from three rabbis in an attempt to find out what he should do and to become a spiritual “serious man.”

His meetings with the rabbis leave

NATHAN FREEDMAN/the Justice

ACTING CHAT: Michael Stuhlbarg (left) and Aaron Wolff were on hand to discuss their roles in ‘A Serious Man’ on Sunday night. him more frustrated than comforted, having received advice that seems either useless or unrelated to his problems. The audience can sympathize with Gopnik as he responds to each problem with a panicking, exasperated “I didn’t do anything.” This mantra is repeated throughout the film, highlighting just how unwilling he is to take his problems into his own hands. He never tries to stop and solve his problems, only making them worse. He looks to the rabbis for solutions, searching for what life could mean and ignoring his own advice to his brother that God might want him to help himself.

The Coens’ signature dark humor is here in full force. A standout is Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed), Gopnik’s wife’s boyfriend and a character that I can only compare to Will Ferrell’s take on James Lipton. Also great is Danny’s attempt at completing his bar mitzvah while high. There are some shocking and disturbing scenes that are made funny, but if you are a fan of the Coens’ movies you’ll probably know what to expect. By the end of the movie, it earns

its disclaimer that “No Jews were harmed in the making of this film.”

Stuhlbarg and Wolff, whose characters are the most fleshed-out and who are given the most screen time, are great. Certain characters come off as unrelatable, but this lets the audience see them as Gopnik sees them: as people who appear to only either add to his confusion by giving no explanation for their actions or add to his problems.

The movie leaves you with an uncertain ending that has you thinking about religion, spirituality, the consequences of our actions and the amount of power we have over certain events. It can be a lot to take in, and one could probably benefit from more than one viewing.

But even if you do see it more than once, you probably shouldn’t expect a completely clear answer to many of the film’s lingering questions, as much of the movie is about how hard it can sometimes be to get answers.

The National Center for Jewish Film sponsored a question-and-answer session after the screening featurnig Stuhlbarg and Wolff, a 15-year-old who

was cast out of about 400 people in the Minneapolis area in a process Wolff described as seeing “if we were Jewish enough.” Wolff answered the questions exactly how you’d think a 15-year-old would answer them. It reminded me that he really is still 15, despite his role in a major movie and the fact that he is just starting out on his acting career.

The interview led to some surprising stories about how the Coens worked as they shot the film on location in Minnesota. Stuhlbarg noted that the people seen at the synagogue were an actual congregation.

A Serious Man is a deep, thoughtful movie, combining misfortune and humor in a way that the Coen brothers have mastered. You can see how personal it is, from the setting based on their childhood to their Jewish heritage and tradition; it is clear how much influence Judaism has had on both them and the film. One audience member asked how non-Jewish audience members felt about the movie, and as one, I loved it. No matter what your religion, you can and should see this film.

ART

Arthouse auctions affected by rocky economy ■ There are some bright spots in the art market even in the midst of the recession.

By MORGAN MANLEY JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

For almost two years, the world has endured incessant headlines announcing the latest industry that has been crushed by the current world recession. In the midst of all of this commotion lies the art market, which has traditionally been an indicator of the health of the economy. Since even before the recession was clearly in effect, trends within the market foretold that such a weakening would occur.

Today, the art world stands under visible strain as works of art have sold much less in both quantity and cost.

This microcosm of the greater economy, however, may hold positive insight into what is to come.

Just as in the greater economy, art dealers use price as an indicator of inflation and of what may be called the “bubble effect.” This effect materializes when dealers and collectors make predictions about when such events will occur and begin to sell at fast and high rates. This is exactly what happened before May 2008; many people bought art pieces at ridiculous prices, inflating the market.

At both Christie’s and Sotheby’s auction houses, contemporary artists realized prices much higher than their estimated value. In fact, 14 of the most expensive works ever sold at

auction were sold between 2004 and 2008. For example, Andy Warhol went from realizing figures in the low millions climbing to $71.72 million on May 16, 2007 at Christie’s New York Post War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale when a bidder offered over twice the estimated worth for “Green Car Crash-Green Burning Car I” (1963). At one of the last major sales on May 14, 2008, Sotheby’s New York Contemporary Part I sold Francis Bacon’s “Triptych (In Three Parts)” (1976) for $86.281 million.

Dealers, as well as the auction houses, felt the benefits of the market.

Amy Wolf of Amy Wolf Fine Art in New York recalls that up until just after May 2008, dealers felt it was a very good time to buy and sell for a higher profit at extremely fast rates because they did not “want to be the last person with the musical chairs.”

Those that were left behind faced their greatest fear and have been left with works that have insecure values.

When the market declined, many were shocked at how badly, especially in America, it was affected despite predictions. Charlie Conkright of Adler & Conkright Fine Art in New York City accounted for this astonishment due to the false assumption that the risk was spread out more than it had been previously to countries such as India and Russia. The problem, he says, is that “the world is far more globalized. If it hits one [country], it’s going to hit another one.”

Today, auction houses in England and the United States have seen limited activity. There are far fewer lots

offered at auction and of those, fewer are of the fantastic quality that had been almost commonplace before the recession. Contemporary art is the most affected by the recession, as auctions have struggled to even meet estimation values, let alone surpass them. Modern art, Impressionist art and that of the old masters, however, have not done as badly. As Susan Shulman of Susan Shulman Printseller in Manhattan said, “The truly fine and the truly rare … will continue to bring high prices.” Thus, works by artists such as Van Gogh, Brancusi, Degas and Miro will continue to sell at high prices.

For the most part, nonetheless, prices have been speculative and current values continue to be erratic. In an interview with David Klein of David Klein Gallery in Detroit, Michigan, Klein recalled recently having a client who was interested in paying between one and two million dollars for a work by Jeff Koons. In this economy, Klein had expected to have little trouble finding one at this price. In searching, however, he found sellers unwilling to negotiate. “It’s like an extortion racket,” Klein said; “Sellers are still thinking it’s 2007, and buyers want to pay 50 percent less. The gap is huge, and it’s almost impossible to make a deal.”

Not all art markets have been hit as badly as those in the United States and England. France and Germany still see a strong market where collectors buy art at high prices. According to Jane Roberts of Jane Roberts Fine Arts in Paris, the Germans and

French have “a tradition of buying art and property for cash and don’t invest in the [stock] markets as much as Americans.”

Perhaps due to the interconnectivity of the global economy, the art market is not as grim as it appears. Many are guarded, however, to believe that improvement in the art world is near.

Steve Schlesinger of Gallery Schlesinger in New York, for example, remembers the recession of 1989 when it took three years for the market to get better. Unfortunately, in 1989 connoisseurs were most interested in having art for “a reason other than that they could make money on it.

Today, connoisseurship is on the bottom and speculation is on top.”

On the other hand, the art market works much like the economy; in time, it will reverse itself. Klein believes improvements may be seen as early as spring of 2010. Conkright specifies even further that the show to keep an eye on will be The Armory Show in New York from March 4 to 7, 2010, as the coordinators of the show have added a modern component which promises to attract many collectors.

No matter when the economy improves, we can expect to see predictions of it in the art market. The United States has already begun to see stabilization in both the art and general market. As the new year approaches, the art world may be the true gauge for how soon to expect recovery in other facets of the economy and will continue to be an indication of economic strength.

The Lydian String Quartet kicked off its fall 2009 concert season last Saturday with the latest installment of its program “Around the World in a String Quartet.” As part of a five-year ongoing series that began in 2007, Saturday’s episode of “Around the World” featured compositions by Beethoven, Shostakovich and Schoenberg, representing Germany, Russia and Austria, respectively.

Performing were Lydian String Quartet members Profs. Daniel Stepner (MUS) and Judith Eissenberg (MUS), violin; Prof. Mary Ruth Ray (MUS), viola; and Prof.

Joshua Gordon (MUS), cello, along with guest vocalist Dominique Labelle, soprano.

The Lydians, who have been Brandeis’ premiere resident string quartet since 1980, are not only renowned performers but are wellestablished educators in music, as well. Eissenberg is a founding member of the quartet and teaches at Brandeis as a professor of practice. Ray, also an original member of the Lydian String Quartet, is the chair of the Music department. Gordon has played cello as a soloist and chamber musician all over the world, and Stepner, besides being on the faculty at Brandeis, is also a member of the Boston Museum Trio and concertmaster of the Handel and Haydn Society.

The Lydians opened the concert with the four movements of Beethoven’s Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 127. The more traditional harmonies in the piece resonated brightly, showing off the impressive acoustics of Slosberg Recital Hall.

The quartet then gave the program its “Around the World” slant with Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich’s Unfinished Quartet. The piece, which ends after 225 bars, was unfinished for unknown reasons. One speculation is that Shostakovich disliked the “naïve” style of the quartet, which he described as “a children’s piece, about toys and going out to play.” According to the extended program notes provided by Stepner, the composer criticized the overly simple conventions of popular music and “their puerile melodies, trite rhythms and generally vulgar tone.”

The final performance was Arnold Schoenberg’s Quartet No. 2 in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 10, which featured vocalist Dominique Labelle in its third and fourth movements. Labelle had previously collaborated with the Lydians, recording John Harbison’s String Quartet No. 3 and The Rewaking, which was chosen by The New York Times and Boston Globe as “one of the best recordings of 2001.”

With the quartet’s dark, atonal harmonies and the piercing clarity of Labelle’s soprano, the Schoenberg was my favorite composition of the night.

“Around the World in a String Quartet” is proving to be another successful series by the Lydian String Quartet. Labelle and the quartet were treated to a standing ovation by the audience of over 150 people. What keeps this 29-year-old chamber tradition exciting every year?

“We try to program a balance of new and old, standard and off-beat,” explained Stepner in an interview.

“We have programmed composers from Azerbaijan, Iran, Cuba and many other less-than-likely places.”

For their second concert of “Around the World,” the Lydians will feature Costa Rica with compositions by Alejandro Cardona.

The concert will be on Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. in the Slosberg Recital Hall, with a lecture at 7 p.m.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

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THE JUSTICE

FASHION

Falling for fashion BUTTON-DOWN BAND: From top, Jonathan Lopez ’11, Prof. Tom King (ENG), Ida Chelengar ’12 and Kanya Marcelin ’10 offer their own takes on how to wear the vest this fall, ranging from traditional takes to edgier interpretations.

VEST-ED INTEREST: From top, Ari Salinger ’12, Kasey Gieschen ’10, Jared Hite ’10 and Nathan J. Robinson ’11 sport vests, the latest Brandeis fashion.

Vests: the perfect fall layer

By AMY MELSER JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Instead of looking to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Bryant Park, which was hosted from Sept. 10 to 17 in New York City, or the recent and more local Boston Fashion Week held from Sept. 25 to Oct. 2, all the fashion insight you seek this fall may be right in front of your eyes. Whether it is on your way up the Rabb steps, in the Usdan Student Center for lunch or passing through the Shapiro Campus Center, fashionable students thrive at Brandeis.

After purchasing a latte from Einstein Bros. Bagels and taking a seat, I was temporarily distracted from my newspaper by the plethora of vests on campus. Vests are traditionally worn in menswear; the three-piece suit consists of a jacket, vest and trousers. Prof. Tom King (ENG) and Jared Hite ’10 embrace the traditional look, while Kanya Marcelin ’10 looks chic in a menswear-inspired fashion statement sans jacket, which makes the vest a true statement piece. Jonathan Lopez ’11 adds a ca-

sual spin on the once-serious attire with Converse sneakers and a cheerful attitude.

Kasey Gieschen ’10, however, feminizes her look with a denim miniskirt, while Ida Chelengar ’12 adds a punk edge to a once conservative look. The sweater vest is exemplified in a bright purple ensemble on Nathan J. Robinson ’11, while Ari Salinger ’12 proves sweater vests can also look great in a neutral color scheme reminiscent of Meryl Streep’s wardrobe collection in the 1985 film Out of Africa. Students and professors on campus are inventing unique ways to dress up and add dimension to their outfits with vests. Next time you go shopping, consider investing in a vest.

Fashion is not always about function. Yes, your North Face jacket and sweatpants may be comfortable, but you may get some double takes when you roll up to class in a ballerina skirt, body-hugging long-sleeved shirt and vest. Not only will your confidence soar, but you may not be so inclined to fall asleep in class as when you’re wearing those oversized garments you rolled out of bed in.

Photos by

Amy Melser

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

25

OFF CAMPUS THEATER

‘Donkey Show’ a primal performance ■ The American Repertory Theater’s production is an enjoyable, off-beat romp that may prompt gasps.

By MARIANNA FAYNSHTEYN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Glitter has the capacity and the utmost intention to be seen—but also to be worn, to be thrown and to stir fears of blindness into unsuspecting bystanders. But little did I know that the sparkle ointment/oil/cream also held the power of odor. This I learned standing on the dance floor of American Repertory Theater’s The Donkey Show, thinking as I awkwardly hustled (meaning dancing, not rushing), “Am I—am I smelling glitter?”

On Cambridge’s Arrow Street stands a bouncer with a velvet rope dangling by his side, though the entrance to a club seems unlikely to be lurking behind him. Out of the unmarked door, two afroed, polyesterclothed, Italian-New Yorker pseudo twins—self-proclaimed “Kings from Queens”—walk out toward the patrons outside “the club.” They are both named Vinny. They are both women. They are both hitting on me and my female companion. As they shrug off our shy refusals, they move on to the lone gray-haired woman behind us. They pass judgment on her lack of an escort, prompting her to respond, “I’m rather ambivalent about it myself.”

ART’s The Donkey Show is not simply a disco-dancing throwback packed with chest hair and hot pants—Shakespeare is involved. The show is a loose interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, putting aside the language and providing the play’s themes alongside ’70s era pop music. Donkey Show retains the lovers’ conflicts and quarrels, short-

PHOTO BY MARCUS STERN/American Repertory Theater

MOTLEY CREW: The cast of “The Donkey Show,” including Samson Kohanski ’08 (third from right) harkens back to disco days. ening names for modernity’s sake (Hermia becomes Mia, Demetrius is renamed Dimitri, and so on) and using period tunes to dictate the progression of the tale. To describe the cast’s singing as anything more than karaoke sing-along would be generous, but the ensemble’s conviction (demonstrated as early as the Vinny duo’s preshow antics) compensates for any lack of proper notes hit.

Also, the standards of acrobatics and flexibility (which, in retrospect,

put a rather fitting spin on “loose” Shakespearian interpretation), prompted dropped jaws and gasps.

Rebecca Whitehurst, playing both Tytania, club owner Oberon’s butterflypastied girlfriend, and Sander, Mia’s bell-bottomed beloved (yes, gender bending was a theme), at one point hung several feet above the audience’s head—unsuspended—holding on to two pieces of fabric attached to the ceiling. Not only did she manage to lower herself, a feat in its own

right, but the half-naked fairy queen was in a full split throughout the stunt.

Speaking of fairies, throughout, before and even after the show, a foursome of glistening, bare-chested men danced around the floor, blowing kisses from their green-painted lips and prodding audience members to participate. Initially their dance skills seemed limited to spins and semi-voguing, but once the show began, each fairy (Tom Fish,

Cameron Oro, Eric Johnson and Mike Heslin) provided solos that exhibited the impressive range of their dancing abilities.

Though The Donkey Show managed to maintain a high level of entertainment throughout, like the roller coaster nature of the 1970s, it wasn’t without some slight stomachturning moments. The mock titular scene of The Donkey Show consisted of drug-induced Vinnys whose state of inebriation caused them to act like donkeys (actual donkeys, that is, not just the asses they already were). Cue drug-induced Tytania, whose stupor was provided by Oberon’s giant crack pipe dose of some illicit substance, two ropes, a distorted vocal track and strobe lights. I daresay the show’s Spinal Tap-like “huh?” dial was turned to an unprecedented 11.

In addition, Dr. Wheelgood, or “Puck on roller skates,” at one point briefly donned assless chaps. The reason why can be found on the same page as the statistics of Studio 54’s monthly patron cocaine consumption.

Though love via disco arrives not without the risk of near-rape, tight synthetic pants and large quantities of white powder, love it is—at least according to Mia and Sander, Dimitri and Helen. Looking around the dance floor of The Donkey Show, it was clear another kind of love was also being showcased. The range of ages, shapes, sizes and grasp of public decency was astounding. Initially it was difficult to gauge the number of hired performers because so many dance floor attendees seemed so involved and entranced with the show’s theme. Euphoria is rare to encounter, and that kind of sensation is hardly expected to be provided by Shakespeare. But, for my money, if Shakespeare were around during the ’70s, he’d probably interpret love as a drug-induced night at the disco, too.

THEATER

THEATER

‘Waiting for Godot’ not a hopeless act at Institute of Contemporary Art

‘Bash’ boasts bent

■ The version of this work that was recently performed in Boston featured unusual, inconsistent references to Hurricane Katrina and an intense, sincere cast.

By SUJIN SHIN JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When one walks into the thirdfloor theater of the Institute of Contemporary Arts in Boston, two things are immediately noticeable.

First is the music that pierces through the average-sized theater, bright and expressive jazz with high-flying trumpet solos dominating all other sounds. A passionate New Orleans selection, the regional sound is fitting since this particular production of Waiting for Godot, directed by Christopher McElroen in a touring production by the Classical Theatre of Harlem, was inspired by the horrors and despair rampant during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The second unavoidably striking feature is that the stage is a complete and horrifying mess. It is New Orleans, a snapshot of the videos that played on CNN in September 2005. But just like the carefully organized angles and lines of the exterior of the theater and the building, this chaos is also premeditated. And maybe that’s why the atmosphere doesn’t feel existential outright. Existential works of art are associated with bleakness and of nothingness; there is nothing orderly or sensible in the world. But in this case, the

metaphysical despair is portrayed through the sheer excessiveness of disaster rather than the destitution of the staging.

The backdrop lights up. The characters step out. And they are charming. Their performances are markedly honest and sincere.

Vladimir’s character is wholly embraced by Billy Eugene Jones, and he captures the despair of that man so well. Estragon, played by J. Kyle Manzay, is charismatic and funny, and Lucky, played by Glenn Gordon, is endearing in a drooling, creepy way. But of a cast of four characters, the above-mentioned three are portrayed by black actors: Only one, the pompous and unsavory slave driver Pozzo, played by Christian Rummel, is white. The commentary on racism here is quite perceptible, almost to the point of being uncomfortably frank. But since there is no attempt at veiling the subtext, the raw intensity of the black actors is electrifying, and they are more engaging when Pozzo is onstage.

A notable aspect of the actors’ performances was that there was almost no New Orleans flavor in their acting—no attempt at an accent or at fudging the lines to resemble a regional slang. The dialogue remained as it always had been: an anachronistic high-brow English translated from an anachronistic high-brow French. The only connection to New Orleans was the disaster-zone stage and a little machine in the back of the mind making connections between the aftermath of Katrina and the events unfolding on the ground. Perhaps it was the director’s intention to keep the classical and contemporary

apart so neither version is bastardized, but the formal diction in such an informal setting was offputting.

But though the spoken words sometimes felt awkward, the long stretches of silence in between created a tense beauty in the aural parts of the play. The silence, during the audience didn’t dare to make a sound, was laden with what makes this play so emotionally heavy. They are waiting. Absurdly waiting for a man called Godot.

Waiting unrelentingly for someone who might not even show up.

Along with exquisite aural composition, there were striking visual snapshots, as well. The masterfully arranged images on stage were perfectly balanced and breathtakingly beautiful. The simple gray and horizonless backdrop provided a sense of uncertainty and suggested storms ahead or storms past. The illusion of endlessness and continuousness plays well into the existential theme. And when it is night and the streetlamp is on, the images created by the actors and the light are indescribably sad yet stunning.

This interpretation of Waiting for Godot had a few faults but on the whole was an incredible experience, unable to be found anywhere else. Is it reasonable to ask for a finely wrought play with incredibly talented actors filling each scene up with their talents and ask for them to incorporate black jokes, white jokes, penis jokes, slapstick, audience participation, beatboxing, rapping and a five-minute Michael Jackson tribute at the same time? I think it is, and The Classical Theatre of Harlem provides and provides it with gusto.

■ This series of three one-act plays by Neil LaBute is an excellent, dark instance of fringe theater.

By BRYAN PRYWES JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

In the depths of Charlestown, there is a small building reminiscent of an old abandoned firehouse. If you step inside, you’ll find something rather surreal—the Charlestown Working Theatre. I suppose that’s the beauty of fringe theater: You never know just where you’ll find it. In the rather small quarters of this makeshift theater, there is a performance of an incredible play to be found.

Bash, by Neil LaBute, is a series of three dark one-act plays. When LaBute first wrote Bash, also known as Bash: Latter-Day Plays, it was considered so controversial that he was disfellowshipped from the Church of Latter-Day Saints. Any theater company, Theatre on Fire in this case, deserves serious kudos for attempting to stage this show.

As you wait for the show to begin, all that can be heard is the chiming of toybox music in the distance, setting an eerie tone for the show to come. The show begins with “Iphigenia in Orem,” a father’s testimony to a stranger in a Las Vegas hotel room of the events that changed his life forever. Marc Harpin’s portrayal of Young Man is perfect from start to finish. He makes the audience feel compassion for this neurotic salesman one moment and despise him the next. In a one-man one-act play it can be extremely hard to maintain the audience’s focus, especially when it is the first of the evening. Harpin does so with impeccable grace and flawless talent that makes him an absolute pleasure to love and to hate.

“Iphigenia in Orem” is followed by the two-person one-act “A Gaggle of

Saints,” which follows two Boston College students, John (Michael Underhill) and Sue (Emma Goodman), who return home to New York City for a swanky party with their old high school buddies. Each describes his or her perspective on the events of the evening, beginning with fairly similar views. As time goes on, John’s outlook on the evening changes more and more as Sue maintains her innocence. This act had so much potential to carry over the heat and vengeance of the first act into an even more powerful second act.

However, it seemed that Underhill and Goodman did not have the acting experience to accept such a challenge, as their characters came off as two-dimensional and plastic. Granted, John and Sue are very complex characters, and Underhill and Goodman were the youngest in the cast, so it was still a valiant effort on both their parts. I also believe that part of the fault of the scene rests with director Darren Evans. The staging was such that Underhill and Goodman’s eyes kept crossing paths, making it appear that they were telling the story together rather than giving separate perspectives.

The final act of the evening is “Medea Redux,” in which a middleaged woman sits at a table in what appears to be an interrogation room or courthouse, giving her testimony.

Woman (Kate Donnelly) tells her story of how she was seduced and impregnated in junior high school by her teacher. Her testimony is gripping and chilling from beginning to end. Donnelly successfully picks up any slack left by the previous act. Her nervous twitches of emotional distress were perfection, making hers the most memorable performance of the evening.

All in all, this performance was an interesting evening of theater to say the least. A small audience gathering to watch a few actors relish in a play wrought with murder, deceit and guilt —now that’s what I call fringe theater.

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THE JUSTICE

BURMA’S DAY

LITERATURE

Apocalyptic ‘Year of the Flood’ steeped in foreboding ■ Margaret Atwood’s new novel

follows up on the earlier success of Oryx and Crake with a horrific but satirical envisioning of the U.S. after a natural catastrophe.

By HANNAH L. KIRSCH JUSTICE EDITOR

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOB WESTON

MISSION MEN: Roger Miller, Clint Conley, Peter Prescott and Bob Weston formed the band Mission of Burma in 1979, creating an innovative noise-rock sound.

MUSIC

Burma makes Boston proud ■ ‘The Sound the Speed the Light,’

the newest album from reunited noise-rock pioneers Mission of Burma, inspires some nostalgia for the band’s earlier, rawer work.

By DANIEL ORKIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Sunday, Oct. 4 was officially Mission of Burma day in the city of Boston. City Councilor John Tobin drafted a resolution calling for recognition of the “legendary and influential post-punk rock group” as a way to “celebrate the institutions that have consistently provided their city with art and entertainment.”

Agreeing with an elected official may not seem very punk-rock, but in this case, I think the right honorable Mr. Tobin is spot-on. Mission of Burma really the reigning elder of the Boston music scene, and short of a bronze statue in Copley Square, I think this pleasant autumn Sunday was a fine testament.

The band celebrated its day with a free out-

door show at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, ushering in the release of its new album The Sound the Speed the Light, its fifth as a band and third since reuniting in 2004.

The Sound the Speed the Light gives us a Burma we know well; the brooding chants, the turbulent drumming, Roger Miller’s angular guitar work full of discord and tremolo, it’s all there. Songs like the snarling “So Fuck It” reveal a Burma as mean as ever, and the subtle “Forget Yourself” offers a dirge to follow the classic “Trem Two.” While it may lack the presence and fervor of their earliest releases, The Sound the Speed the Light is still chock-full of the crescendos and sonic onslaughts that have defined the band’s style since its formation in 1979. Burma experimented with sounds and dissonances decades before elaborate guitar effects had become the expectation and noise-rock was a genre onto itself. There were plenty of other influential bands to come out of Massachusetts in the ’80s, but before Black Francis was squealing with the Pixies and even before Dinosaur Jr. had actualized the full potential of distortion, there was Burma, pushing the envelope and practically inventing on-stage looping in the process.

In 1983, Burma disbanded with hardly anyone noticing just how far ahead of the curve they had been. Its breakup was largely due to guitarist Roger Miller’s horrific tinnitus, which caused unrelenting ringing in his ears, and made the very process of making music painful. But no less a factor must have been that MOB was simply too far ahead of its time to find a real audience. It wasn’t until Cliff, Pete, Roger and Martin had called it quits and gotten day jobs that people finally stopped to think, “Hey, maybe there really is something to this whole noise thing.”

With the release of ONoffon in 2004 followed

by The Obliterati in 2006, we finally got an answer to what might have if the band had lasted through the rest of the ’80s with the rise of the underground music scene and the growth of a noise-happy audience to support it. For those already well-versed in the Burma canon, The Sound the Speed the Light offers a mature iteration of the style and technique that has earned them their place as one of the most important bands of the post-punk era. And for those who have never shared the experience of Mission of Burma before, you should probably stop reading this paper right now and go find a copy of the band’s 1982 album Vs.

MUSIC

Quartet of ‘Monsters’ shows softer side ■ The collaborative effort by four

indie music celebrities resulted in vivid songs interspersed with some less than successful numbers.

By BEN SERBY JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Jim James, Conor Oberst, M. Ward and Mike Mogis: last Friday, these four stars (of a sort), now playing together under the mockingly self-important name Monsters of Folk, released their eponymous debut album. Each member is a highly established musician (or a “monster of folk”) in his own right. Just to recap, Jim James is the frontman of alt-country/classic-rock outfit My Morning Jacket, who recently assumed the pseudonym Yim Yames when he released an album of acoustic George Harrison covers. His friend, Matt Ward—aka M. Ward (or, for those who love Zooey Deschanel, “Him” from She and Him)—has made a name for himself over the last five years as one of the standard-bearers of the roots/Americana revivalist trend that has emerged in the mainstream indie music world. His friend, a certain Conor Oberst, happily submerged himself in that trend and has in recent albums largely shed his identity as the prophet of tear-drenched adolescent self-pity, opting instead for a radically different image as a campfire folkie who actually likes to enjoy himself. Mike Mogis, for-

mer collaborator with Oberst in Bright Eyes, also offered his prodigious gifts as a producer and multi-instrumentalist in the service of the project.

Given this enormous aggregation of talent, it would be difficult to overstate the height of expectations for the new album. So far, the critical reception has been extremely polarized—a fact that almost certainly has to do with the “supergroup” status of the band.

Bright Eyes fans, for example, who chose to expect something surpassing the most inspired work of Conor Oberst, are bound to be disappointed. On the other hand, anyone who takes the project with a grain of salt—that is to say, recognizes that this was more a chance for these musicians to have fun together in the studio than it was a chance for them to put concentrated effort toward something monumental—will probably enjoy it.

The record is in some ways every bit what one would expect: unchallenging (though certainly not boring), tuneful and poppy. The one major surprise is the first track, titled “Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.),” a highly produced (thus not very “folk”) set of theological musings sung to a hip-hop beat. Opener aside, the album consists of a consistent blend of folk, gospel, country, blues and straight-up rock. There are highlights, of course. When M. Ward takes the lead with a bedtime folk ballad, “Sandman, the Brakeman and Me,” a reverberant Johnny Mathisesque background chorus, like a faded postcard, evokes a sense of 1950s America.

Mogis’ sweet pedal-steel riffs on “The Right Place” coupled with alcoholic ragtime piano, are on par with the best instrumental moments on the 2005 Bright Eyes album I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning. Oberst tends to crowd out the other performers, but his gifts as a singer-songwriter are confirmed by “Temazcal.” And though he seems to have held back the most, Jim James gives a rousing peek at his vocal capabilities in “Losin Yo Head.”

But the songs in which all three singers share the microphone present the most memorable moments of the album. On “Baby Boomer”—which is, by the way, a tune that is guaranteed to stay in your head all week—James, Ward and Oberst trade lyrics and guitar licks to magical effect. You can almost hear the smiles in the room as they sing together, “And I will die a happy man ’cause I did the best that I could do.” This moment, with its combination of competitive and collaborative dynamics, seemingly bears out the promise of the “supergroup” idea. Each voice retains its distinctive personality, but all three flow together in unison without discord or discomfort.

If Monsters of Folk contains too many forgettable moments, too many songs that will go straight into the dustbin, the album certainly has its gems. Given that these four excellent musicians teamed up for a short series of hasty recording sessions, who knows what a more focused, long-term effort might yield?

This is the plot of Margaret Atwood’s newest novel, The Year of the Flood: Ren and Toby, survivors of a massive plague, tell how they ended up in the situations that saved their lives. They were once members of the God’s Gardeners, a religious cult led by Adam One that merges aspects of Christianity with fanatical respect for the natural world and green science. The God’s Gardeners predicted a natural disaster of epic proportions that has apparently come to pass.

What’s going to happen to these pathetic remnants of humanity now? The fate of individual characters and of the species is as much up to the reader at the end of The Year of the Flood as it is at the end of its companion novel, Oryx and Crake.

The latter should be read before the former, since it’s hard to imagine reading The Year of the Flood without already knowing that the Waterless Flood isn’t the natural disaster the Gardeners predicted. And readers unfamiliar with Oryx and Crake will miss many an oblique reference and a clever intertwining of character and plot. This isn’t a flaw, per se: Atwood’s novel flourishes because it provides a groundlevel look at a prior narrative of what happens when the corporate powers that be clench an iron fist powered by science and technology.

In Oryx and Crake, we have front-row seats to the creation and dissemination of the grotesquely fatal plague the Gardeners call the Waterless Flood, but in The Year of the Flood, we see a totally different and in many ways more painful perspective. Oryx and Crake portrayed the horrifically efficient—or sometimes just horrific—bioengineering innovations to recycle used-up bodies or products, deliver nutriment, alter the body or provide unthinkable pain or pleasure as the misused innovations of some overly enthusiastic scientists.

The Year of the Flood shows us the lust for power and the staggering greed that underlie every invention and that dragged the Corporations and their CorpSeCorps henchmen into power. We meet Amanda, a coldly capable girl forced to age too quickly when she escapes a Texan refugee camp that the corporate government can’t be bothered with; we meet Toby, whose mother became a victim of HelthWyzer’s machinations and who ended up the sex slave of Blanco, the manager of a salmonella-ridden, mystery meat-peddling SecretBurger chain.

It’s a sad state of affairs when the best-treated character in what the Gardeners call the Exfernal World is Ren, a trapeze artist for the sex palace Scales and Tails. Still, we learn that Scales treats its star girls like gold but leaves its diseased temps crumpled in back alleys when they’re drained of use.

The terror of this book arrives in a barrage of ways in which people and objects and philosophies are valued only for their power to generate profit. The fun of this book arrives in a barrage of satirical corporate wordplay. Atwood has always delighted in sending up the very evil masterminds who torment her protagonists by imposing upon them the most ridiculous possible catchphrases, even in the otherwise bleak A Handmaid’s Tale. We still have the product names of Oryx and Crake— Happicuppa coffee, BlyssPluss, AnooYoo—and we’re treated to some meta-major-like course names such as “Yoga for Middle Management” and “Dance Calisthenics.” The inclusion of some of Adam One’s sermons and prosaically trite hymns from the God’s Gardeners’ hymnbook rounds off the surreality of what would otherwise be an overwhelmingly brutal existence. One would hope that Atwood’s endnote reminding us that we can use these hymns and sermons for our own meditation is yet another aspect of her satire rather than actual encouragement, as the God’s Gardeners are as cartoonish as the staff of the state-regulated bordello consortium Seksmart.

In the end, the intensification of both the clownish and the terrifying aspects of today’s corporate society are what make The Year of the Flood so vivid. If environmentalism were still the most popular issue of today’s news, the novel might have come off as trite, pandering to the front pages. But it isn’t, and it’s not. Instead, The Year of the Flood is an honest intimation of what Atwood does not want us to become.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

27

TELEVISION

ABC’s ‘Family’ happy in own way ■ The new show—which could be described as a cross between ‘Arrested Development’ and ‘The Office’—follows three couples as they tackle the trials of parenthood.

By MARIANNA FAYNSHTEYN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

For me, the marker of a good comedy is the inability to describe it: Actors’ phrasing is too exact and their facial expressions too slight to properly replicate their effects. Naturally, that guideline is in no way complete; after all, jokes make a comedy, too. So to find myself excited about a new comedy—a sitcom, no less—is a rare sensation, especially in the current network lineup.

This is by no means another variety of “Remember when” or “Isn’t it a shame that.” After all, we have to deal with the TV Guide that we are dealt. But, just to momentarily indulge in sulking, today’s viewer animosity seems somewhat justified. As fledgling Arrested Development left the airwaves, many felt that good television was destined to leave and forever be considered for a movie. However, it finally seems time for the feelings of loss to be put aside—hasn’t it been long enough? The Office, 30 Rock and How I Met Your Mother took the helm left abandoned by their departed comrade, and adjustment proved easy enough.

Granted, viewership for these shows has never been especially high, but fears of cancellation seem more or less gone.

This past week, I tuned into ABC Comedy Wednesdays, which promised to host a night of entertainment. But from the two minutes I caught of its start—the 8 p.m. slot belonging to Kelsey Grammer’s new show, Hank—and the two minutes of the end of its second act—Patricia Heaton’s The Middle—I realized why I was indeed excited, at least for ABC Comedy Wednesdays’ 9 p.m. presentation. Within two minutes, I could grasp from the overzealous laugh track of Hank and the unnecessary voiceover featured in The Middle that these shows were depending on the tropes that mainstream TV comedies had sustained itself with for seasons, delivering jokes with little thought of proper execution and devising plots with no push for a story.

The show I had tuned in for was nothing like the ones that had preceded it. Modern Family, which graces ABC Wednesdays at 9 p.m., strays from the pack precisely because it is a model of the new TV comedy genre, bursting forth in a mockumentary format, sans laugh track and reveling in awkward silences and subtle stares. A description of the show may be conceived by tying two shows of similar variety together (say Arrested Development plus The Office); but with enough maturity, Mod-

PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC MEDIANET

FAMILY OUTING: (From left) Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell and Nolan Gould take their bikes out for a spin in the second episode of the comedy ‘Modern Family.’ ern Family could be more than a hybrid.

Granted, the pilot pulled more punches than its second episode, but an opening number is generally slated to do worse than what follows, so with such a strong beginning, it makes sense to pull back and leave something for the rest of the season.

The show is centered around three related families who provide commentary on parenting and adulthood. Jay (Ed O’Neil) is the wealthy elder-statesman of the family tree, assuming the role of father to the two other branches while playing husband to young, attractive Latina mother, Gloria (Sofia Vergara). Their age gap is significant, but their language barrier is minimal; even so, the show enjoys capitalizing on the amusing moments a lack of a common native tongue provides.

When describing her small, beautiful hometown in Colombia, Gloria turns to her husband to provide the English word with which her birthplace is associated—“Murders,” he somberly says as she continues smiling. The concept—even the joke—is not new, but the

combination of the pair’s delivery and commitment supports the basis of comedic performance. A good joke can go wrong and a bad joke can be well received, and it’s the way in which it is served that determines the outcome.

Claire (Julie Bowen) is Jay’s daughter, a wild child turned mother of three, and wife of oblivious and hapless Phil (Ty Burrell), whom she continuously pushes to apply parental authority in dealing with the pair’s children. The first episode demonstrates Claire’s mild success in doing so when Phil reluctantly agrees to punish his son, as per prior agreement, by shooting him if the son shot anyone—with his BB gun, of course. And once the punishment has been penciled into the communal calendar and given the slot of 4:15 p.m., neither participant can avoid the terms to which they agreed.

The other branch of the tree belongs to Jay’s other child, Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), a gay lawyer who, with his overweight partner Cameron (Eric Stonestreet), adopts a Vietnamese baby, Lily. As he announces to the

family, “As you may have guessed, we did not only go to Vietnam for pleasure,” the family jumps to a series of wrong conclusions and opinions against adoption, only for Mitchell’s partner to walk in to the tune of The Lion King’s “Circle of Life,” holding out Lily in the style of baby Simba, coinciding with the declaration, “Cameron is not that dramatic!”

The scene marked the closing of the first episode (Phil’s remark on Lily’s name, “Won’t she have trouble saying that?” managing to provide extra laughs without shifting into overkill), but once it moved to the “final thoughts,” segment, I grew worried. An initially unseen Jay began to be heard through images of the family gathered round Lily, his words seemingly sincere and reflective—disappointment activated—until, as the camera panned to him in his confessional mode, it appeared that Jay was reading the letter of the hapless romantic efforts of Gloria’s nine-yearold son, Manny (Rico Rodriguez II). At which he, once finished, scoffed. What a relief—there is hope.

FILM

A new generation of stars gets a shot at ‘Fame’ ■ The remake of the 1980 film

caters to a younger audience than the original, and contains performances by familiar faces as well as unknown talent.

By BRYAN PRYWES JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

In an age when Broadway shows like Chicago and Sweeney Todd are making the move to Hollywood, when Glee is one of the highest-rated shows on television and High School Musical has revived the musical genre for the next generation, there is a new kid on the block. Okay, perhaps not “new”—an old story with a facelift.

When Fame first debuted in 1980, it became the anthem of a generation, leading to a subsequent television show and stage adaptation.

Now, almost 30 years later, influenced by the surge of Disney music genres sweeping the teenage nation, Fame attempts to reinvent the original movie to make it more suitable for the teenyboppers singing Hannah Montana into their hairbrushes.

While the original Fame was rated R for sexual topics, language and drug use, this newer version lacks these more risqué subjects in order to attract with a PG rating the young audience that Disney has so kindly prepared for them. However, in doing so, Fame cheapens the true high school experience. The biggest problems these kids face are boy drama and their parents not believing in them. If only life were so easy.

Additionally, by stripping the plot of such topics, the movie was left with very little plot at all.

PETER KRAMER/The Associated Press

NATURAL NAUGHTON: Naturi Naughton demonstrates significant talent in her turn as Denise in ‘Fame.’

In fact, had it not been for the chapter-like markers throughout the movie telling me what grade the characters were in, I would have been lost.

The movie’s saving grace, however, is its impeccable handpicked talented ensemble of unknown actors. While no one sings the “Body

Electric” in this version and the “Hot Lunch Jam” has been replaced with “This is My Life,” a soulful combination of strings, drums, electronica, rap, R&B, tap and other genres and instruments, one song did make the 30-year transfer between films. Naturi Naughton’s

(Denise) version of “Out Here on My Own” was heartfelt and vocally stunning. It was a pleasure to watch this piano virtuoso steal the spotlight with vocals reminiscent of a Jennifer HudsonStephanie Mills hybrid.

Another actor worth mentioning is Asher Brook for his portrayal of Marco. While I found the character to be a charming answer to his alltoo-similar predecessor, High School Musical’s Troy Bolton, his version of John Legend’s “Ordinary People” for his audition into the high school was beautifully sung in a light and smooth tenor voice. He later follows this audition song with the classic “Someone to Watch over Me” later in the movie with the same elegance.

It was also a pleasure to see familiar faces mixed within the ensemble of fairly unknown talent. Bebe Neuwirth held her own as dance instructor Ms. Kraft. Kelsey Grammer played the lovable yet stern music teacher Mr. Cranston.

However, out of the cameos in the movie, Megan Mullally truly stole the spotlight. Her rendition of “You Took Advantage of Me” was beautiful, and her performance as vocal coach Fran Rowan was both caring and perfectly symbolic of how dreams of stardom do not always come true.

While I do believe this newer recreation of the 1980s classic has been severely watered down when compared to its predecessor, the fact remains: this movie was fun. Yes, it has its technical problems, and the plot is flawed. But, what it does achieve is what many movies that are technically perfect and have flawless plots fail to do: It is entertaining from start to finish.

Whether it was the dancing or the singing or anything else found in this movie, I enjoyed the hour and a half I spent watching this film … and that’s the point, right?

28

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009

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THE JUSTICE

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) You could be caught in a torrent of advice from well-meaning friends and colleagues this week. But remember, Lamb, you are at your best when you are your own inimitable self.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Expect strong efforts to get you to accept things as they are and not question them. But ignore all that and continue your inquiries until you’re sure you have all the answers you need.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Heavier-thanusual family and workplace duties compete for your time this week. Try to strike a balance so that you’re not overwhelmed by either.

Pressures ease by week’s end.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) It’s a good time for the Moon Child to show off your uniquely inspired approach to the culinary skills, especially if they’re directed toward impressing someone special.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) You might be happy about the re-emergence of a long-deferred deal. But don’t pounce on it quite yet. Time can change things. Be sure the values you looked for before are still there.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Try to rein in your supercritical attitude, even if things aren’t being done quite as you would prefer. Remember: What you say now could create an awkward situation later on.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Although you can expect on-the-job cooperation from most of your colleagues this week, some people might insist on knowing more about your plans before they can accept them.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Creating another way to do things is commendable. But you could find some resistance this ACROSS 1. “The loneliest number” 4. “Danny Boy” musicmakers 9. Definite article 12. Supporting 13. Lifeless, old-style 14. Tier 15. Happen 17. Gorilla 18. Can. neighbor 19. First game of the season 21. Denim, e.g.

24. Fishing equipment 25. Bobby of hockey 26. Fresh 28. Fleet-related 31. Harvest 33. Legislation 35. Long skirt 36. Forbidden acts 38. Speck 40. Every last bit 41. Totals 43. Multicolored 45. Stratagem 47. Jackie’s second mate 48. Blackjack component 49. Change from one language to another 54. Coffee vessel 55. Greeting 56. Meadow 57. Danson or Kennedy 58. Convinces 59. Vanna’s cohort DOWN 1. Frequently 2. Neither partner 3. Historic time 4. Relay 5. Put on a jury

week from folks who would rather stick with the tried-and-true than try something new.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) You usually stay focused on your goal, but you might need to make adjustments to cope with unsteadiness factors that could arise over the course of the week.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) News arrives about a projected move. Be prepared to deal with a series of possible shifts, including starting and finishing times, and how much the budget will actually cover.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A new relationship needs time to develop. Let things flow naturally. It could be a different story with a workplace situation, which might require faster and more focused attention.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Accept a compliment without trying to troll for any hidden reason beyond what was said. After all, don’t you deserve to be praised every now and then? Of course you do.

BORN THIS WEEK: You like to weigh all possibilities before making a decision. You would be a fine judge, or even be a star in a jury room.

BRANDEIS

Through the Lens

Solution to last issue’s crossword.

MAX BREITSTEIN MATZA/the Justice

Playful Pup Director of Development Nancy Winship’s dog Ivette frolics in front of the Louis Brandeis statue as Amby Ghebretinsae of the Office of

Sudoku

6. Hawaiian side dish 7. Mistake 8. Squelch, in a way 9. Pretoria’s region 10. Optimist’s feeling 11. Basin accessory 16. Pecan or almond 20. Dutch cheese 21. Old, stale jokes 22. Sandwich cookie 23. Exceed 27. Bankroll 29. Wheel holder 30. Easter flower 32. Sulk

34. Feminine 37. Metal workers 39. Human trunks 42. Threaded nail 44. Up to 45. Tense 46. Farm fraction 50. Carte lead-in 51. Matterhorn, for one 52. Afternoon social 53. Have a bite

King Crossword Copyright 2007 King Features Synd., Inc.

■ It was Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge who made the following sage observation: “The man’s desire is for the woman, but the woman’s desire is rarely other than for the desire of the man.”

Rough and Ready.

■ The lens of your eye will continue to grow throughout your lifetime.

■ Everyone knows that ballerinas endure rigorous training that can wreak havoc on their feet, but you may not have known that their shoes endure their own hardships. It’s not uncommon for dancers to break in their toe shoes by crushing them in doors, steaming them over a kettle, slamming them against a concrete floor or beating them with a hammer.

■ You might be surprised to learn that famed British author Aldous Huxley, best known for his dystopian novel Brave New World, was a consultant on Disney’s 1951 animated film version of Alice in Wonderland.

■ Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States, didn’t learn to read until he was 17 years old.

■ Before he became a famous actor and director in his own right, Clint Eastwood was fired from bit parts in several films.

■ Those who study such things claim that eventually the oceans will dry up—in about a billion years or so.

■ For reasons that are unclear in the present day, lawmakers in North Carolina once saw fit to forbid racing a rabbit down a public street.

■ During the Middle Ages, French toast was a delicacy enjoyed only by the very wealthy.

■ In 1850, the northern portion of the state of California declared itself to be an independent country to be known as the Great Republic of

Thought for the Day: “There’s no secret about success. Did you ever know a successful man who didn't tell you about it?”—Kin Hubbard

Enter digits from 1 to 9 into each blank space so that every row, column and 3x3 square contains one of each digit.

Sudoku Copyright 2007 King Features Synd., Inc.

Development looks on. Ivette recently won first place in a pet contest sponsored by the newspaper The Jewish Advocate.