The Justice, October 16, 2012 issue by The Justice

ARTS Page 20

SPORTS Volleyball earns first UAA win 16

THEATER OUTSIDE

FORUM Taliban shooting highlights rights issue 11 The Independent Student Newspaper

the

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

Justice

Volume LXV, Number 6

www.thejustice.org

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

strategic plan

CLASS OF 2016 BY THE NUMBERS

Framework draws mixed reactions ■ Feedback sessions

allowing faculty, staff and student feedback have been ongoing since last Thursday. By SAM MINTZ JUSTICE EDITOR

The much-anticipated preliminary framework for the University’s strategic plan was released on Wednesday in an email to the Brandeis community from Provost Steve Goldstein ’78. The document is another step closer to the culmination of a process that began in September of last year as University President Frederick Lawrence began his first full year in office. According to Goldstein’s email, “The framework seeks to ensure that Brandeis University remains a clear first choice for exceptional students, faculty, and staff committed to making a difference in the world.” This framework will be presented to the Board of Trustees at its meeting at the end of October, and after that meeting a final plan will be produced, to be approved by the Board in January. The 14-page document discusses

strategic directions for five categories: academic experience, discovery enterprise, community, campus and technology and stewardship. Goldstein wrote in his email to the community that the plan recognizes a full realization of the “Brandeis model.” This model, he said, “is a learning experience in the finest liberal arts tradition.” Goldstein explained that it involves education in critical thinking, as well as discovery that “can be offered only by a small, research-intensive university at the leading edge of innovation.” The next step in moving toward the final plan is six feedback sessions, which are a chance for the community to share their opinions on the plan with the administration and others who have been in charge of drafting the framework. Those sessions started last Thursday and will finish tomorrow, with a discussion at 3 p.m. in the Levin Ballroom. Professors also had a chance to give feedback at the faculty meeting on Thursday, where Lawrence and Goldstein introduced the framework and led a discussion. While responses fluctuated between praise and criticism, the ma-

See FRAMEWORK, 7 ☛

obituary

Ruth Shapiro, beloved benefactor, dies at 95 ■ Along with her husband

Carl, Shapiro has helped “transform” the University over the last fifty years. By SAM MINTZ JUSTICE EDITOR

Ruth Shapiro, one of the most influential donors in Brandeis’ history, died on Sunday at the age of 95, according to a BrandeisNOW press release. Over the last 50 years, she and her husband Carl “helped transform the university into a leader in American higher education,” according to the release. Shapiro’s name is on two of the newest and most impressive buildings on campus, the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Admissions Center and the

Carl and Ruth Shapiro Campus Center, which were completed in 2009 and 2002, respectively. Her husband’s is also honored on the Carl J. Shapiro Science Center, which was also Shapiro completed in 2009. “Carl and Ruth Shapiro have been instrumental in helping Brandeis become the institution that our founders envisioned in 1948,” said University President Frederick Lawrence in the release. “May her memory ever be a blessing.” Ruth was born in Chelsea, MA. in 1917, according to an article from the Palm Beach Daily News. She gradu-

See SHAPIRO, 7 ☛

88%

Among 12% International: 48% are from China, 20% are from South Korea, 2% are from Switzerland, 2% are from Israel, 2% are from Ethiopia and 26% are from other countries.

US Residents

12%

International

SAT Range

GPA Range

1200 1250 1300 1350 1400 1450 1500 3.3

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Design by Nan Pang/the Justice

Acceptance rate falls with fewer applicants ■ A change in application

procedure resulted in a drop in applications this year compared to last year. By sara dejene JUSTICE editor

The University saw a slight drop in applications this year, from 8,917 last year to 8,380 for the Class of 2016, according to Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel during last Thursday’s faculty meeting. The numbers are as of Oct. 1 and

came from a preliminary report on admissions statistics Flagel presented to the faculty. According to the data from the report, acceptances decreased with applications, falling to 3,277, resulting in an acceptance rate of 39.11 percent. This is slightly lower than last year’s 39.99 percent, although the University’s acceptance rate has hovered around 40 percent for the past three years. In addition, the yield, or rate of students accepted who matriculate, increased to 25.1 percent. “Both of these rates are moving very much in the right direction,” said Flagel.

Flagel pointed out that although there were fewer applicants, both last and this year’s classes were the “two largest application pools for freshmen in our history.” According to Flagel, the reason for the decline was the elimination of an internal application that drew about 600 applications that “didn’t tend to enroll or be qualified.” In addition, these applications were costly to the University. For these reasons, the applications were discontinued so that students applied exclusively with the Common Application. This year’s class size, which does

See ENROLLMENT, 7 ☛

Camera view

Storied swimmers

Judiciary case

Alum Andrew Rauner ’12 spent the summer touring with Identity Fest, taking photographs of the festival’s performers.

 Brandeis reopened the Pool for the Alumni Swimming and Diving Meet this weekend.

 Dean Kaplan ’15 is pursuing charges against members of the Union.

Let your voice be heard! Submit letters to the editor online at www.thejustice.org

INDEX

4.0

FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE EARTH: Domestic students in the Class of 2016 are concentrated in New England and the Mid-Atlantic, while the majority of international students come from China and South Korea. The above data were provided by Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel in a presentation at the faculty meeting on Thursday.

FEATURES 9

For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org

Waltham, Mass.

SPORTS 16 ARTS SPORTS

17 16

EDITORIAL FEATURES

10 8

OPINION POLICE LOG

10 2

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012

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THE JUSTICE

NEWS SENATE LOG

POLICE LOG

Senate discusses bylaw amendment

Medical Emergency

The Student Union Senate this week chartered the Queer Policy Alliance and continued discussing an amendment to the Senate’s bylaws, which would alter the process for chartering and recognizing clubs. The Senate unanimously recognized and chartered the Queer Policy Alliance, which said its main goal is to advocate for LGBTQ rights by lobbying local, state and national government officials. The club is intended to be bipartisan and publish a newsletter to help inform the Brandeis community about LGBTQ political issues. The club representatives said they could not join Triskelion—an issue brought up by several senators— because of the new club’s clear political focus. The Senate then moved on to Senate committee reports, of which only one—-the Club Support Committee—met this week. The Senate passed a Senate Money Resolution totaling $66 to provide for printing supplies to post the photos of Student Union members on the bulletin board in Usdan, near the mailroom. Massell Quad Senator Jonathan Jacob ’16 proposed a SMR totaling $404 for new hammocks and picnic tables in Massell Quad. Jacob said that he consulted with his Community Development Coordinator and discovered that the University would not sponsor hammocks because they are a potential “safety hazard.” The Senate unanimously agreed to table the SMR “until further notice,” because many senators thought other methods of funding the furniture could be explored. The Senate also discussed a bylaw amendment that had been proposed at last week’s senate meeting. Executive Senator and Senator for the Class of 2014 Ricky Rosen, Senator for the Class of 2013 David Fisch and Senator at Large Charlotte Franco ’15 presented the amendment, which aims to alter the club chartering and recognition process. The amendment would consolidate the process so that all votes on recognition would occur on the first Sunday of every month, while all votes on chartering would take place on the third Sunday of every month. This week, several senators voiced opposition to this part of the amendment because they said it would make the system too rigid and make the process more inconvenient for students. The amendment also added a requirement of 100 signatures of interested students in order for a club to be recognized, while none would be needed to charter a club. Clubs currently need signatures of 10 prospective members and no student supporters to be considered for recognition. Signatures of 15 prospective members and 135 student supporters are needed to be chartered. A chartered club can request funds from the Finance Board while a recognized one cannot. The Senate bylaws do not require that a club be recognized before it is chartered, although that has been the practice of the Senate over the past year. Senators also objected to this section of the amendment, saying that chartered clubs should be required to obtain signatures because they are able to request money from the F-Board and thus should need to show continued student support. Sunny Aidasani ’14 was also sworn in as Off-Campus Senator, a position fraught with questions since Dean Kaplan ’15 was erroneously sworn into the position on Sept. 23. Kaplan has since challenged his removal from office and been denied on appeal by the student judiciary. —Andrew Wingens

Oct. 10—A female in Village A complained that her heart was racing, and she felt dizzy. BEMCo treated her with a signed refusal for further care. Oct. 11—A party in the Shapiro Campus Center reported that he was having a panic attack, which was causing a throbbing pain in his head. BEMCo was sent to assess the patient, who refused further medical treatment. He received a courtesy ride to the NewtonWellesley Hospital by a University Police officer. Oct. 11—A party on Turner Street reported that an elderly female party seemed confused. She was treated by BEMCo and transferred by ambulance to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Oct. 13—A female party went to Stoneman with a small laceration on her finger. The cut was wrapped in gauze and she was instructed to follow up with the Health Center when it opened that morning. Oct. 13—A party in the Berlin Chapel reported that a female was having an allergic reaction. She was treated on-scene by BEMCo, and she refused further medical attention. Oct. 14—A male in Ziv 129 struck his head. He was treated by BEMCo and transported via police cruiser to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Disturbance

Oct. 8—University Police received a report of an intoxicated male on the patio in front of the Farber Library. The student was interviewed and transported back to his room in Ziv. The community development coordinator interviewed the student, and he was left in the care of his roommates. Oct. 13—A party in Usen filed a noise complaint about people in the third-floor lounge. University Police officers dispersed the parties without incident.

Larceny

Oct. 14—A student reported that his vehicle was broken into while it was parked in the Theater Lot. A GPS unit and spare change was stolen. Oct. 14—A student reported that when they returned to their vehicle, they noticed it had been burglarized overnight from the Theater Lot. Thirty dollars in cash and change was stolen. Oct. 14—A student reported his motor vehicle was burglarized while it was parked overnight in the South Residence lot. He reported about 15 dollars and a GPS unit were stolen.

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

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BRIEF

GSAS awarded grants

n A photograph in News was misattributed to Joshua Linton. The photo was taken by Jenny Cheng. (Oct. 9, pg. 1)

n An article in Arts misspelled the name of two students. The director of ‘Into the Woods’ is Jessie Field ’13, not Jessie Fields, and the stage manager is Rachel Huvard ’14, not Rachel Hubbard. (Oct. 9, pg. 18)

Oct. 8—A smoke alarm in Sherman Dining Hall was activated by burned food. There was no fire, and an electrician was contacted to reset the alarm. Oct. 11—A party in Village A reported a white male with dark hair wearing jeans and a dark colored jacket had been pacing back and forth in the area between the Slosberg Recital Hall and Village Residence Halls. University Police officers made contact with the party, who is a Brandeis student who lives in Ridgewood B. He stated he was having a cigarette. Oct. 13—University Police received a report of a male in the woods near Gordon, acting suspiciously. He was described as a white male with a tan coat and a red backpack. Officers checked the area and found no one.

Oct. 10—A past motor vehicle accident was

n An article in News incorrectly stated that 80 percent of Library and Technology Services’ collection budget is used for print resources, while 20 goes toward electronic resources. In fact, 80 percent goes toward electronic and 20 percent is used for print. (Oct. 9, pg. 1)

n The “Judges by the Numbers” box in Sports misspelled the name of the men’s soccer team’s assist leader. His name is Sam Ocel ’13, not San. (Oct. 9, pg. 15)

Miscellaneous

Traffic

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

n An article in Features cited Ashraf Hussein’s year of graduation as 2013. Hussein received his undergraduate degree from Brandeis in 2012, and expects a master's degree from Brandeis International Business School in 2013. (Oct. 9, pg. 9)

reported in person. A University truck struck the overhang of the Spingold Theater Center. No injuries were reported. Oct. 11—A reporting party stated that her vehicle was struck in Theater Lot. A note was left on the victim’s vehicle, and an officer is following up with the information provided. A report was composed.

JON EDELSTEIN/the Justice

Magical weekend A graduate student mixes a witch’s brew at “Abracadabra! The Magic of Science,” an event held in the Shapiro Science Center Atrium on Friday as part of Fall Fest 2012: “Once Upon a Time at Brandeis.”

At the faculty meeting on Thursday, Provost Steve Goldstein ’78 announced that the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences has received a four-year renewal of the $1.8 million Mellon Grant. According to the GSAS website, the grant “supports doctoral students in the humanities and humanistic social sciences.” The GSAS will use the money to award as many as 30 dissertation research grants each year, in addition to 10 dissertation-year fellowships and two year-long seminars. “We are thrilled that the [Andrew W.] Mellon Foundation has agreed to renew its commitment to Brandeis’ graduate humanities programs by providing critical support to our doctoral students for another four years,” wrote Dean of GSAS Prof. Malcolm Watson (PSYC) in an email to the Justice. “The grant has provided students the opportunity to venture beyond their home department during the Mellon interdisciplinary seminars; to travel all over the world to conduct dissertation research; and to complete their doctoral degrees in a shorter amount of time,” he continued. “[It] has had a remarkable effect on our programs and the dozens of students who have directly benefited.” The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is a nonprofit that makes grants in higher education, scholarly communications, art history, performing arts and environmental conservation, according to the foundation’s website. The foundation also awarded a $175,000 grant to the University to hold a year-long seminar about the histories and effects of the American, French and Haitian revolutions, according to an Oct. 14 BrandeisNOW release. The seminar will include faculty and graduate students from Brandeis and other nearby universities. This is the first time that the University has received funding for the Foundation’s John E. Sawyer Seminar on the Comparative Study of Culture, according to the BrandeisNOW press release. The application process is extremely competitive and selective, and Brandeis’ proposal was one of only nine chosen. —Sam Mintz

ANNOUNCEMENTS IRB application preparation workshop

Are you planning a research or thesis project involving human subjects? Come learn the ins and outs of writing a protocol, completing the forms and what human subjects research protection is all about. Space is limited, so sign up now. Email irb@brandeis.edu to reserve your spot. This workshop is sponsored by the Office of Research Administration, the Institutional Review Board and Library and Technology Services. Today from 3 to 4:20 p.m. in the Gardner Jackson Room, Goldfarb Library.

Study Abroad information session

Each of the Study Abroad information sessions is designed to give you an overview of the off-campus study process at Brandeis, including tips for researching programs and destinations, the application process, getting credit for your work off campus, financial aid and resources and services the Office of Study Abroad provides. Attending a general information session is mandatory for students wishing to study

off-campus for the semester or academic year. After you have attended an information session, we welcome you to set up an appointment with a member of the study abroad staff. Today from 5 to 5:30 p.m. in the Community Living Conference Center in the Usdan Student Center.

Ecocriticism and Cultural Ecology

Professor Hubert Zapf, of the University of Augsburg, will give a lecture on the interrelationship between culture and nature. Particular attention will be paid to Melville and Henry David Thoreau. This event is cosponsored by the American Studies Department and the Martin Weiner Fund of the English Department. Today from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Lown 201.

Lewis S. Feuer conference

Lewis S. Feuer, one of the towering figures in American academic and intellectual life, made striking contributions to several fields and sub-specialties, especially sociol-

ogy and philosophy, but also the history of science, the history of the Jews and the history of Marxism. This conference will evaluate Lewis Feuer’s influence in several fields. The participants include several Brandeis faculty members, including Profs. Mark Hulliung (HIST), Chris Miller (BCHM), Jonathan Sarna (NEJS), Marion Smiley (PHIL), Steve Whitfield (AMST), and Robin Feuer Miller (RUS). Wednesday from 2 to 5:30 p.m. in Rapaporte Treasure Hall in the Goldfarb Library.

IMES open house

Are you interested in what’s going in the Middle East? Interested in finding out more about Islam? Come meet professors and other students interested in these things at the Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Open House. Find out if you would like to major or minor in this area. Refreshments will be provided. Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Ridgewood A Commons.

THE JUSTICE

STUDENT JUDICIARY

SJ to hold trial for election case ■ Dean Kaplan ’15 sued the

Student Union for his removal from the Senate following election tabulation errors. By TATE HERBERT JUSTICE EDITOR

The third time’s a charm for Dean Kaplan ’15 and his nearly month-long battle against the Student Union. After rejecting Kaplan’s first two appeals against the Student Judiciary and Student Union Secretary Carlton Shakes ’14, respectively, the Student Judiciary has agreed to hear a case regarding the constitutionality of his short-lived tenure in the Union, when Kaplan was sworn in after an errant reading of election results. The public hearing will commence sometime next week; the official date has yet to be determined. “The constitution does not detail anything about swearing-in, which is why we are granting Dean the case,” wrote Chief Justice Seth Brody ’15 in an email to the Justice. Citing Article IV, Section 1, which outlines the priorities of justices in their rulings, Brody explained that “the hearing will allow both Dean and the Union to present arguments which will help us make a decision based on relevant precedence first, and then on our good sense.” Recently-appointed public defender Scott Mishan ’13 will defend the Union in this case. Kaplan, the plaintiff, said that he plans to represent himself. Kaplan asserted in his first written appeal to the SJ that he “[intends] on filing as many charges as necessary to accomplish [his] goals.” The ideal outcome, said Kaplan, would be for him to be reinstated as “an active member of the Senate.” “This is interesting to me and I’m having fun, and I’m really not trying to knock anyone down,” said Kaplan. “I agree; it is extreme. I’m an extreme person.” However, “I’m going to be very, very picky about [the Judiciary’s written report],” he said. “If the Judiciary really wants to see this go away, they can spend hours on this report, and fill every hole that they need to. Otherwise, this semester’s going to be a nightmare.”

Details of the case

After the first round of elections were completed on Sept. 20, the offcampus senator results were Kaplan with 20 votes, Sunny Aidasani ’14 with 17 votes and the “abstain” option with 23 votes. As per the constitution, abstain is listed as an option in all Union elections. If abstain ties a student candidate, then the student is declared the winner. However, if abstain “wins” the election, the article says that the position will remain vacant until the next election, unless that office is president, in which case another election should be held five days later. Since abstain received a greater number of votes than Kaplan or any other candidate, abstain should have been declared the victor. However, Shakes announced Kaplan as the winner, and Student Union President Todd Kirkland ’13 swore him in at that Sunday’s Senate meeting. Shakes sent an email to the student body the following night apologizing for the mistake and announcing that there would be a revote later in the week, coinciding with the East Quad senator elections. “It was a no-brainer; I had no choice but to have a revote,” said Shakes in an interview with the Justice. “If abstain wins, abstain wins.” The Judiciary unanimously upheld the constitutionality of the off-campus senator revote. “Carlton … was within his rights to schedule the re-vote,” Brody wrote in an email to the Justice. In the revote, Aidasani came out on top. Abstain came in second, Haotian Shen ’15 was third, and Kaplan finished last. Article IX, Section 7 of the constitution states that the Chief of Elections (Shakes) has the power to resolve any

election disputes. The Chief’s decision can be appealed to the Judiciary. Kaplan took full advantage of this option.

Putting a plan into action

Last Wednesday, Kaplan made the first of 57 planned formal appeals (encompassing all elected and appointed Union officials) to the Judiciary. In his email to court clerk Paige Moscow ’14, he wrote that “I am officially charging the entire Brandeis Student Union Judiciary with wrongfully suspending Dean Kaplan’s position of OffCampus Senate Representative, and request they be removed from office.” “I thought it was kind of funny,” said Kaplan in an interview with the Justice. Should the trial have been approved for a hearing, an entirely new panel of justices would have had to be selected due to a conflict of interest. No justice granted certiorari on the appeal, meaning that they did not agree to hear the case. Brody reminded Kaplan that, “The case you are bringing is an impeachment trial, which cannot be held without 15 percent of the signed constituency or two thirds of the senate agreeing to it.” “Although you have been acting senator, you are in fact not off-campus senator, therefore you have not been suspended from an elected position, as you were never the elected senator,” Brody continued, meaning that since Kaplan was not legitimately elected, his swearing-in and the period during which he acted as off-campus senator were also not legitimate. While Kaplan did not expect his first charge to be approved, he said he still “definitely benefited from getting that rejection,” as he plans to use the impeachment bylaw in arguments at his upcoming hearing. He backed off from the first charge and moved on to charging Shakes with “overstepping his boundaries as Chief of Elections, by attempting to resolve a dispute” when a dispute was not officially issued. The Justice’s investigation of the election, he argued, was the only challenge to the results and did not constitute a dispute. He also filed an official challenge to the decision to hold a revote for the position. Once again, no justice issued certiorari. However, today, the Judiciary agreed to hear a case for Kaplan’s third appeal, which claims that he “was sworn in as Off-Campus Senator constitutionally, and thus was a full senator at the time in which his seat was suspended.” Kaplan said he will use witnesses from the Senate, who will support his definition of when a student becomes a senator. By his estimate, this occurs when the senator is sworn into office.

Implications for the Union

Aidasani was not sworn in at the Senate meeting on Oct. 9 because the Senate chose not to do so until the justices had decided whether or not they would hear Kaplan’s case, according to Kirkland. However, Aidasani did vote at the meeting. He was eventually sworn in at the most recent senate meeting on Sunday. “Being sworn in does not have any pull over being able to vote or not, it’s more ceremonious than anything else,” said Kirkland in an interview with the Justice. “But since there was nothing preventing him from voting, they allowed him to vote as well.” While Kirkland seemed to have a strict interpretation of the constitution and the role of an oath of office, Shakes saw it as open-ended. “The constitution is pretty vague, and the Student Union [is] having an issue with that,” admitted Shakes, “so it’s imperative that the judiciary have a more active role.” “I completely understand that [Kaplan] wants to be part of the Student Union,” said Shakes. “Unfortunately, he wasn’t elected. … We have to follow the rules.” Aidasani, the remaining justices and Mishan could not be reached for comment by press time. —Sam Mintz contributed reporting

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012

BRIEF Student mugged on late-night walk in Waltham A Brandeis student was robbed on the River Walk near Moody Street in Waltham last Sunday, according to a report from the Brandeis Department of Public Safety and Waltham Police. The robber was unarmed, said police, but came up behind the student and took “personal items” and a wallet containing an unspecified amount of money before leaving the scene. Detective Sergeant Tim King, the Waltham Police Department’s public information officer, did not respond to calls for comment by press time. In general, Waltham and the

River Walk are “very safe,” said Ed Callahan, director of public safety, in an interview with the Justice, but it’s always best to use caution. When asked how students could try to prevent something similar from happening to them, Callahan said that “Always, people should be cognizant of their surroundings.” “It’s no different in any age perspective that you should be aware of who you are and who you’re with, and obviously keep your belongings close at hand,” especially wallets and purses. One specific tip Callahan mentioned was to avoid flaunting valu-

able mobile electronic devices, such as walking in public with headphones on. “We live in a different type of economic situation today, and people are stealing iPods and iPhones and all sorts of technology devices for a quick steal,” he said. Callahan also suggested that students walk with friends, stay in lit areas at night, report anything suspicious and, if they are attacked or robbed, to try to note as much information as they can about the perpetrator so they can relay it to the police. —Tate Herbert

MEET THE SENATE

JENNY CHENG/the Justice

Write-in campaign Senators watch as their constituents write down suggestions at the Student Unionsponsored “Meet the Senate” event on Sunday in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium.

ADMINISTRATION

Lawrence addresses visiting parents ■ At a Fall Fest event,

President Lawrence spoke about tuition, admissions and preparing for the future. By allyson cartter JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

University President Frederick Lawrence addressed parents and students on the University’s past year and plans for the future as part of the Fall Fest family weekend last Sunday in Levin Ballroom. Lawrence spoke about the role of Brandeis in responding to the unique challenges that students face. Because of the current economy and competitive job market, he said, students today know that they may not immediately find a place in the workforce. According to Lawrence, students therefore view their time at school as an investment and have become “healthy consumers” of their education. Brandeis addresses this investment by providing an education that prepares them not only for their first job but

their “fifth, sixth, tenth jobs,” he continued. According to Lawrence, this longterm focus, based in part in an inability to “predict the job market in 40 years,” fosters an emphasis at Brandeis on transferrable skills that students can apply to multiple fields and positions. Included in these skills are the ability to analyze carefully, to communicate clearly, to identify and solve problems, to think creatively and to turn raw information into knowledge, he said. Brandeis aims to give students the tools to identify “the people they want to become [and] the lives that they want to live” by emphasizing the importance of social richness filled with interactions with people, Lawrence continued. In response to a parent’s question about the increase in Brandeis tuition, particularly in comparison to other private universities and in relation to the proportionally lower increase in the cost of living, Lawrence stated that the University is moving toward high-return investment projects, including renova-

tions that will make utilities such as air conditioning and heating more efficient, and toward working to collaborate with other schools and further facilitate students’ use of other universities’ resources. In response to a question from a parent about the role of Judaism at Brandeis today, Lawrence spoke of the nationwide shift in religious, racial and gender quotas since the University was founded. Though these quotas are no longer in place, Lawrence remarked on the University’s role in this historical process as a “powerful part of the Brandeis legacy.” “I am in … a highly unusual situation as a university president that I never have to apologize, ever, for any admission policy decision this University has ever had,” he said. “And that’s something we don’t take lightly.” The University’s “deep roots in the Jewish community,” Lawrence continued, are no longer “reacting to a negative thing,” such as other universities’ religious quotas for student and faculty, but “projecting a positive thing.”

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CAMPUS SPEAKER

Activist alumnus inspires students ■ Andrew Slack ’02 is the

founder of the Harry Potter Alliance, an organization influenced by the series. By Allyson cartter JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Andrew Slack ’02, co-founder and executive director of the Harry Potter Alliance, spoke in Pearlman Lounge last Thursday about the forthcoming Brandeis chapter fo the HPA, as well as the organization’s goals and initiatives in an event sponsored by the Sociology Department and the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences. According to the HPA website, the organization “work[s] for human rights, equality, and a better world” by drawing parallels to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. “Our goal is to make civic engagement exciting by channeling the entertainment-saturated facets of our culture toward mobilization for deep and lasting social change,” the website states. Slack co-founded the HPA in 2007. Though initially hesitant to read the Harry Potter series, the books “opened up this sense of childlike wonder” for him and “allow[ed him] to see the magic in the world,” he said at the event. He grew frustrated, however, because “if Harry were in our world, he would do more than talk about Harry Potter; he would fight injustice in our world the way he fought injustice in his,” he said. According to Slack, the HPA is a Dumbledore’s Army—a student activist organization from the series dedicated to fighting a tyrannical regime “despite media consolidation and government obstruction”—for “the real world.” The HPA applies the methods of Dumbledore’s Army to fight for parallel causes outside of the books. According to Slack, this connection can be made in part because Rowling incorporated elements of her past work with Amnesty International into the novels. “I am honoured and humbled that Harry’s name has been given to such an extraordinary campaign, which really does exemplify the values for which Dumbledore’s Army fought in the books,” stated Rowling on her website. Standing in Pearlman Lounge, Slack remarked, “my story starts here.” In that room, as a first-year in 1998, Slack took what is now SOC 165A “Living and Dying in America: The Sociology of Birth and Death” with now-retired Prof. Maurice Stein (SOC). From Stein, Slack said he learned about “the power of mythology and stories to change our world” and “to renew ourselves individually and to renew ourselves collectively.” “Groups that have organized around a belief and a story have been far more effective and far more deep

JON EDELSTEIN/the Justice

DUMBLEDORE’S ARMY: At Thursday’s event, Slack reveals a T-shirt reading “Nobody should be forced to live in the cupboard.” in what they can do,” Slack continued. He cited two additional factors that shaped him during his time at Brandeis: traveling to Northern Ireland with what is now the Sorensen Fellowship (formerly called the Ethics Center Student Fellowship), where he learned about “creating a space for peace by … taking [one’s] personal story and connecting it to the collective story;” and “Possibilities for Change in American Communities,” a course he took in 2001 with Prof. David Cunningham (SOC), through which Slack gained “a sense of pragmatism on how a social movement is constructed and how you can follow the patterns of a social movement and how you can actualize it.” The HPA taps into “a culture of people who grew up with Harry” and seeks to channel the energy of fandoms—subcultures of fans of cultural phenomena such as Harry Potter—into tangible activism, Slack said. According to the organization’s website, the HPA partners with other non-governmental organizations

to work on issues of global warming, poverty, genocide, equality and literacy. It “[e]ncourage[s their] members to hone the magic of their creativity in endeavoring to make the world a better place.” “Fantasy is not an escape from our world, but an invitation to go deeper into it,” said Slack. The organization incorporates elements of the novels into many of their campaigns; past and present endeavors include “Wizard Rock the Vote,” “The Deathly Hallows Campaign,” “Accio Books!” and “What Would Dumbledore Do?” The HPA has also branched out into other fandoms, Slack said. For a recent campaign, the group partnered with Oxfam for “Hunger is NOT a Game” inspired by the Hunger Games book series written by Suzanne Collins. Nina Hersher ’13 and Undergraduate Departmental Representatives for the Sociology Department Jeff Herman ’14 and Sarah Zoloth ’14 are working to institute a chapter of the HPA at Brandeis. The first meeting was held last night.

“[W]e’re excited to finally have a chapter of HPA at the school which the founder went to,” wrote Sociology UDR Tali Smookler ’13, who assisted in planning Thursday’s event, in an email to the Justice. “His model of constituent-based rather than cause-based has proven to be pretty effective in mobilizing support for important causes, and given the culture at Brandeis, where there are many Harry Potter fans as well as an emphasis on and passion for social justice, I think this will take off pretty quickly,” Smookler continued. “We are in such a unique and amazing position with Andrew as a resource,” wrote Hersher in an email to the Justice. “I cannot stress how integral this will be to the club, having the founder involved!” “It’s going to be really great to have [Slack’s] support one-on-one,” added Zoloth in an email to the Justice. Editor’s note: Tali Smookler is a senior photographer for the Justice.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012

BRIEF Board sells Newton home that housed former Univ. presidents Brandeis recently sold the Newton home that once housed former University Presidents Jehuda Reinharz and Abraham Sachar, and entertained the likes of Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt and the Dalai Lama, among other distinguished guests. The house sold for $2.06 million, $190,000 below the $2.25 million list price, according to Bill Burger, associate vice president for communications. The 66 Beaumont Ave. home was on the market for about five months, since University President Frederick Lawrence decided to make a Watch Factory apartment in Waltham his presidential residence. Lawrence, who can now walk to work, is the first Brandeis president to live in Waltham, and plans to welcome students to his home. “The Board of Trustees voted in March to authorize the university to sell the Beaumont Avenue property and hold the proceeds while the university’s long-term presidential housing needs are determined,” according to BrandeisNOW. There was no timetable set by the Board for the sale of the house, but Burger said the University is pleased with the result. “We are very happy with the speed of the sale and the sale price, particularly in this real estate market,” said Burger. The house, which was built in 1910, has six bedrooms and four bathrooms. The University first acquired the 5,500-square-foot colonial in Newton in 1948 for the University’s first president, Abraham Sachar, according to BrandeisNOW. The house was then sold in 1990, but bought again for Reinharz four years later. He lived there with his wife, Prof. Shulamit Reinharz (WGS), for most of his 16 1/2 year tenure. In terms of the money generated by the sale of the home, Burger said, “There is no specific announced use for the funds at this time.” —Andrew Wingens

campuS CLUBS

Several groups host panel, conversation on Zionism ■ BIPAC, J Street U, bView

and Hillel joined to sponsor the event, called “From A to Zionism,” on Wednesday. By marissa ditkowsky JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

On Oct. 11 at 7 p.m., members of the Brandeis community joined in the International Lounge of the Usdan Student Center to attend “From A to Zionism,” an event designed to provoke discussion on Zionism. The event, sponsored by the Brandeis Israel Public Affairs Committee, Hillel, J Street U and Brandeis Visions for Israel in an Evolving World featured three panel members, doubling as conversational facilitators in discussion on Zionism. Panelists Rachel Fish, associate director of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies; Stoll Family Chair in Israel Studies and Director of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies Prof. Ilan Troen (NEJS);

and Professor Michael Zank of Boston University Ph.D. ’94 spoke about Zionists Ze’ev (Vladimir) Jabotinsky, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and Martin Buber, respectively. They discussed their theories and endeavors to promote Zionism in a lecture format. Following the lecture, students broke up into three discussion groups with the panelists each leading one group. To conclude the event, the panelists shared their final thoughts, as well as opinions students expressed within the discussion groups. The panelists reflected on the effectiveness of the event as whole. “On the Brandeis campus there is a great diversity of views about what Zionism is and what the state of Israel means, … and it has to be a place where diversity can be expressed: in comfort, safety and without hostility,” said Troen in an interview with the Justice. “This whole event has been structured to ensure that the most cherished of Brandeis value is diversity. … Nobody cheered for one person as

OLIVIA POBIEL/the Justice

ENCOURAGING CONVERSATION: Panelists talk to participants at Wednesday’s event. opposed to another, and everybody listened to one another.” Troen also discussed the connection between Justice Louis Brandeis and Zionism and the importance of these discussions on the University campus as well as the importance of diversity in opinion. “[Brandeis] was a Zionist leader who believed

that it was absolutely American to … have ethnic identities,” said Troen. “He thought Jews who are here ought to fight for social justice, and he hoped the Jews there would create a state that represented social justice.” “This event is really trying to discover what it is to be a Zionist,” said

BIPAC Co-president Alex Thomson ’15 in an interview with the Justice. “We think that the discussion of that has been stale and we really think that it needs to be explored in different views and really test people to see what their core beliefs are and try to get the broad array of opinions on what it is to be a Zionist from everyone in the spectrum.” According to Ryan Yuffe ’15, BIPAC co-president and one of several student speakers at “A to Zionism,” the event was an attempt to provoke discussion amongst those with different perspectives on Zionism and emphasize that there is no concrete solution behind Zionism. “Zionism has always been a multi-faceted group. … You may not agree, but there has never been a model with Zionism,” said Yuffe in an interview with the Justice. “The point of today was to bring together the different beliefs, and to have them sit down and that has been something that has been lacking both at Brandeis, and I would say around the country and perhaps around the world.”

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10% Discount with your Brandeis ID Congratulations to Omar Benbarka – September Winner of Dining Services’ THRIVE Employee of the Month! Omar, Dining Driver, is being recognized for going above & beyond helping his catering team. Thank you, Omar! Q&A with Omar: How long have you worked for Brandeis Univ. Dining Services (B.U.D.S.)? -8 years What is your favorite thing about working for B.U.D.S.? -The morning time. I just love it. What is your favorite food? -Fish and anything from the ocean. Omar Benbarka (center) with Mary Grand (Food What is your favorite dish to make? Service Director for Usdan) and Aaron Bennos -I just put the fish in the oven… (Director of Dining Services). What is something we do not know about you? -In Morocco, where I am from, I played soccer for 10 years. www.BrandeisDining.com

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012

BRIEF Ridgewood A residence hall renamed for former President Reinharz Students living in Ridgewood A may have faced a sort of identity crisis this weekend; they are now living in the Jehuda Reinharz Residence Hall—proclaimed by new lettering on the front of the building facing the Shapiro Campus Center. The Board of Trustees voted in May to name the residence hall, which was built in the 2007-2008 academic year, after President Emeritus Jehuda Reinharz, the University’s seventh president, for his three decades of service to Brandeis University. “By any measure, Dr. Reinharz transformed the university,” University President Frederick Lawrence said in a press release on Monday. “During his nearly 17year tenure as president, he led an

unprecedented campus-wide expansion including 36 endowed faculty and staff positions, 29 new or renovated campus buildings, and 17 new research centers and institutes.” Reinharz served as president of the University for over 16 years until he stepped down at the end of 2010. Before succeeding Samuel O. Thier as president in 1994, Reinharz served as provost starting 1991 after teaching as a professor of modern Jewish history. “Ever since my graduate school days at Brandeis, beginning in 1968, I heard about the inadequacies of student residences,” Reinharz said in a University press release acknowledging the honor. “Ridgewood was beloved, but needed major renovations, and we were able

to raise the funds to create state-ofthe-art residence halls there. “I am proud to have my name attached to this residence hall,” he said, “and I am grateful to President Lawrence and the Board of Trustees for honoring me in this way.” Under Reinharz, the university raised $1.2 billion dollars and its endowment increased by more than fourfold, according to a University press release, although the end of his tenure was mired in controversy over the proposed sale works from the Rose Art Museum. “Jehuda was instrumental in getting Ridgewood built,” said Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer in an interview with the Justice. “His legacy includes several buildings on

this campus, and I'm very pleased to hear that his name is going on one of the Ridgewood buildings.” Reinharz graduated from Brandeis with a Ph.D. in 1972. He then returned to Brandeis in 1982 as the Richard Koret Professor of Modern Jewish History after a short time as a professor at the University of Michigan. Reinharz announced his resignation as president in September 2009 and formally relinquished the role when Lawrence began on January 1, 2011. He is currently a professor at the University, director of the Tauber Institute for the study of European Jewry and president of the Mandel Foundation in Ohio. —Andrew Wingens

OLIVIA POBIEL/the Justice

A NEW HOME: Students living in Ridgewood A have become a part of Brandeis’ history, as the dorm was renamed to honor former University President Jehuda Reinharz.

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THE JUSTICE

SHAPIRO: Generous donor to University CONTINUED FROM 1 ated from Wellesley College in 1937, where she majored in music, and “committed herself to supporting underserved communities and programs, and to helping those in need,” according to the release. “She was as wonderfully gentle, caring person," said former University President Jehuda Reinharz in an interview with the Justice. "She was ... always waiting to be helpful, always interested in every aspect of Brandeis.” “Ruth and Carl were an amazing team, and they believed in the unique mission of Brandeis and its special place among American universities,” said Nancy Winship, senior vice president of institutional advancement, in the release. “Ruth was an elegant woman who was the quiet strength of the family. She was deeply knowledgeable about the arts and music. We will all miss her.” The Shapiros made their first donation, of $10, to Brandeis in 1950. The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation has also given to numerous organizations in Boston and Palm Beach, Fla., the two cities where they were residents. The Boston organizations include hospitals, such as Brigham and Women’s, and arts institutes, such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Museum of Fine Arts and WGBH, a public television station in Boston. “[The Shapiros] are certainly among the very largest donors that Brandeis has ever had,” said Reinharz. Shapiro leaves behind her husband of 73 years, her brother, three daughters, three son-in-laws, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

ENROLLMENT: FRAMEWORK: Lawrence Graduate apps promises “inspiring” plan also decrease CONTINUED FROM 1

CONTINUED FROM 1 not yet include transfers and midyear students, is also smaller than last year, as 821 students matriculated compared to last year’s 858 students. Last year, the large size of the Class of 2015 raised concerns about housing with more first-year students in lofted triples. According to Dean of Admissions Mark Spencer in a September interview with the Justice, the University aimed to maintain an enrollment of 855 students for the Class of 2016. In terms of demographics, the University saw another geographically concentrated class enter this fall, as 34 percent of the entering class are from the New England region and 48 percent of the international students, which make up 16 percent of the whole class, are from China. In an interview with the Justice, Flagel said that these numbers are concerning. “We are concentrated in very narrow areas,” he commented, saying that the goal of the University is to broaden its profile across the United States and around the world. Flagel pointed to a decreasing gender disparity from last year with the

percentage of female students falling to 53 percent and males rising to 47 percent. Students’ average GPA “continued to hover above 3.8” while the average SAT score dropped slightly by 10 points. Flagel noted that overall, both GPA and SAT scores have improved. Flagel also presented statistics on students enrolled in graduate programs. These programs include the Graduate School of Arts and Sciencs, the Heller School of Social Policy and Management, the International Business School, the Rabb School of Continuing Studies and a joint program between the GSAS and Heller. Flagel did not provide breakdowns for the individual schools. Enrollment for graduate students dropped by four percent to 2,226 enrolled students. Flagel noted that graduate enrollment had “slipped nationally” after a few years of “significant” growth but that it was “hard to discern too much from a four-percent shift.” Out of admitted graduate students, 41 percent are from New England while 31 percent are international. —Sam Mintz and Robyn Spector contributed reporting.

jority of the assembled faculty who spoke were critical of the plan’s generality and lack of specific direction. One faculty member called the framework a “vision on a hill” with “little substance.” Another said it was “desperately uninspiring,” and a third expressed her “disappointment and dismay” at the content of the framework. Academically, the framework highlights potential new initiatives such as biomedicine and global health, engineering, integrated arts, legal and ethical studies, and a world issues forum. The framework also states the goal of making education personal and flexible, by providing a range of opportunities and mentorship. At a feedback session on Friday, Prof. Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow (CLAS) said that she was worried about the repeated mentions of “programs” and the lack of mentions of “departments,” wondering whether this kind of emphasis would reduce the power and autonomy of departments. In terms of the University community, the framework focuses on celebrating the undeniable “distinctiveness” of Brandeis, as well as extending the University’s global reach through alumni and other networks. The plan also considers the need to enhance the campus and technology used by the University, making a commitment to “create campus spaces and facilities that enable and

inspire” as well as making use of the innovative technology available for students, faculty and the global community. Jason Bernard, the assistant director of Academic Technology for the International Business School, said at one of the feedback sessions that he wanted to see more of a focus on embracing the future of technology and doing business. Finally, the framework emphasizes the need for financial strength, with an aim to invest in excellent programs, commit to financial stability and “build a strong, multifaceted community of individuals and institutions who actively support and invest in the future of Brandeis.” According to Goldstein, in an interview with the Justice last month, the framework is a work in progress and should not even be considered a draft of the final plan. “[It’s] something we can … interrogate, push against, respond to and ultimately decorate, fill out into the plan,” he said. “By December, the plan will be in draft form … and by January the Board of Trustees should be able to give us the green light to move ahead.” Student Union President Todd Kirkland ’13 said in an interview with the Justice that there will be an announcement soon about a more student-exclusive feedback session, which will be held in the Shapiro Campus Center atrium either next Wednesday or the week after and will be moderated by Kirkland and Senior Vice President for Students and En-

rollment Andrew Flagel. Some professors at the faculty meeting expressed a wish to see copies of the individual reports of the task forces involved, so as to gain some understanding of the process and of the specific ideas which were not expressed in the framework itself. Lawrence said that he and Goldstein would consider releasing the reports earlier than originally planned. Goldstein and Lawrence also defended the framework, explaining that in a strategic plan, it is important to express “strategic” ideas rather than “tactical” ones, saying that the release of specific tactical plans would cause people to get mired in extraneous debate about the details. Kirkland, who is on the Strategic Planning Steering Committee, said that he understands some of the criticisms given by faculty, but thinks that overall “it’s a good framework to start the conversation.” Flagel agreed, saying that “The framework seems to be engendering the exact kind of discussion we want at this point.” “The framework is meant to be another stage of iterative discussion and feedback,” said Goldstein in last month’s interview. “It will evolve, it will reflect all that feedback.” At the end of the faculty meeting discussion, Lawrence made a promise to the gathered faculty: “What comes out in January will be inspiring.” —Andrew Wingens and Robyn Spector contributed reporting.

features

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012

just

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THE JUSTICE

VERBATIM | THEODORE ROOSEVELT In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.

THIS WEEK…

FUN FACT

In 1923, The Walt Disney Company was founded by Walt and Roy Disney.

Abraham Lincoln is the only U.S. president who was also a licensed bartender.

Professor’s

podca od sts

Sherman makes critiques available to all on iTunes By CELINE HACOBIAN JUSTICE EDITOR

NAN PANG/the Justice

LITERARY PRESERVATION: Prof. David Sherman (ENG) does not want the work of literary scholars to go unread.

Last year, Prof. David Sherman (ENG) spent his sabbatical creating a podcast after listening to “Philosophy Bites,” a podcast featuring academic philosophers discussing “focused, curious questions or concepts in the world of philosophy,” according to Sherman. After listening to “Philosophy Bites,” he thought about how a series of podcasts could benefit the literary world. “We learn a lot from each other and that trickles down to our students in our classrooms, but mostly, readers out in the world have no idea of what we’re learning in our research,” Sherman said in an interview with the Justice. For this reason, Sherman decided to begin to conduct a series of interviews with professors and scholars on the work they were doing in the literary world and create a podcast called “Literature Lab.” Granted, he realized that there were already podcasts on literary topics, but he mostly found interviews with authors explaining characters and choices about details—Sherman was looking for something more. “What I wanted were more in-depth conversations with people about their obsessions, their intellectual obsessions, … just deeper conversations about more precise issues, that might seem very specialized or rarified but that have a lot at stake, that have really interesting consequences for anybody,” he said. Sherman explained that many shows that feature authors publicize their books for audiences, but “those conversations rarely get into larger issues of literary studies,” he said. An example he gave consisted of an author publishing a successful vampire novel, but never explaining the history of the gothic novel, its requirements or social consequences. Most of the critics Sherman has interviewed so far are local scholars. His most recent interview was with Robert Crossley, a retired professor from the University of Massachusetts Boston, who spoke about the tradition of writing about the planet Mars in literature. “As it turns out, there’s a very entrenched Mars tradition. People have imagined, people have used Mars to imagine life on earth in all sorts of very creative ways,” Sherman said. Another topic covered in one of Sherman’s podcasts is about the role of literature in prison and alternative sentencing in prison. He interviewed Robert Waxler from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, who started a program called “Changing Lives through Literature” 20 years ago. The program finds “a kind of probation where convicts of serious crimes can take intense literature classes as an alternative to going to jail, as part of a program. The point of the class is to talk through issues that make them understand behavior better,” according to

Sherman. The program has been successful and spread across the country. Sherman said he would like people outside the literary world to also experience the podcasts. He wants people to see that critical ways of considering literature are an enjoyable part of the process. A critical approach “has to do with literature being at the center of a conversation where you’re trying to figure out things together. I would hope that the consequence would be that people would take new kinds of pleasure in their reading,” he said. “I guess the corollary to that is that people who aren’t in academia get a better sense of what people in literature departments do.” Some other topics of the podcasts already on iTunes include an interview with Harvard University’s Nicholas Watson about medieval imaginative theory, concerning the mind and imagination 500 years ago; Carrie Preston at Boston University on Ezra Pound’s relationship with Japanese Noh theater; and Laura Tanners from Boston College on 9/11 fiction, especially Don DeLillo’s Falling Man. Sherman comes up with the ideas for the podcasts, which he uploads once or twice a month, from conversations with other literature professors. “It’s a mix, sometimes I suggest something or they already have something they’re really interested in and I can suggest something a little different. It’s mostly I’m going to where they are. Mostly I reach out,” he said. Sherman is planning on creating podcasts with interviews with Brandeis professors as well, now that his series has gotten off to a good start. “I didn’t want to start with all Brandeis [professors], but now I have just interviewed [William] Flesch (ENG), he’s talking about close reading, the idea of close reading, and Ulka Anjaria in the English department. She just came out with a book on the Indian novel from India, so I’m interviewing her,” he said. Sherman stresses that the podcasts can benefit anyone who enjoys reading, not only those who are directly involved in literary studies. A misfortune in the field is that historically, people do not buy books about books, literary theory, literary studies or literary history, according to Sherman. Another problem with the field is that many scholars write articles and publish them for other people in the literary world, but few others are exposed to their work. “I want to do this for a really long time. I want to do this as long as there’s interesting work going on. I want to help get it out there.”

Sherman

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012

Through a

photographer’s lens

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREW RAUNER

STAGE FRIGHT: Andrew Rauner confessed he felt intimidated standing behind Eric Prydz (center) in front of an audience of 14,000.

Rauner ’12 turns his passion for photography into a career By JAIME KAISER JUSTICE contributing WRITER

If, a few years back, you had told Brandeis alum Andrew Rauner ’12 that he would spend the summer after college touring the country as a professional photographer shooting a music festival, he might not have believed you. “Photography was always more of a hobby,” Rauner insists. This past summer, Rauner was a professional photographer for Elektro Magazine, a start-up publication based in New York City, taking promotional photographs on tour with the Identity Festival. Identity is an electronic music festival that toured North America from Aug. 11 to Sept. 10 and featured top-tier electronic artists. “Landing the job was actually a bit of a fluke,” Rauner explains. By the end of his senior year he was submitting photos fairly regularly to both the online and print editions of Elektro Magazine. “Basically, one night while I was shooting an event with [Elektro Magazine] in New York City, [Elektro] told me that they were partnering with the Identity Music Festival to offer media sponsorship,

and they thought it would be really cool to send someone as a means of getting more exclusive content,” Rauner says. “Then they asked me, ‘What do you think?’” The decision to pursue a career in photography was a radical departure for Rauner, who doublemajored in Economics and Computer Science. Other Economic majors in his classes began to plan for post-graduation finance careers, but Rauner decided to take the gig with Identity because he figured, “I would never really get another opportunity like this. I can put that life on hold and go on tour.” Rauner has been snapping shots since he was about seven years old. In high school, he took occasional photography jobs at concert venues so he could see bands for free. In his junior year at Brandeis, Rauner enrolled in an intermediate photography class to fulfill his creative art requirement, reigniting his interest in a long-standing pastime. From that point on, photography was elevated to what Rauner calls his “professional hobby.” He spent his last two years at Brandeis shooting school events, includ-

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHIARA GEREK

PRESERVING PERFORMANCE: Rauner (left) captured Dada Life at Electric Zoo.

ing SpringFest and Pachanga, and shooting promotional photos for the Kaos Kids. Eventually he started landing jobs at local nightclubs and concert halls in Boston such as House of Blues and Paradise Rock Club. Although Rauner does other kinds of photography on the side, he says that shooting music performances provides him with a stimulating and exciting work experience. “It’s challenging because every show is completely different. I don’t get to control my subject or the lighting, so I have to sort of learn as I go. It’s a little more interesting for me than working with a model in a studio where there’s opportunity to screw up,” he says. Rauner concedes that being an undergraduate at Brandeis was sheltering in some ways when it comes to the reality of working outside of the Brandeis bubble. “You don’t necessarily get the sort of worldly experience that you might get elsewhere. I was on tour for a month with a lot of 40-year-old, tattooed, middle-America ex-rock star types. I had never really talked with people like that before then.” As much as Brandeis may not

have fully prepared him for his transition into the workforce, his experiences as a Brandeisian were also helpful. “I think something people at Brandeis don’t necessarily realize while they’re at Brandeis is that it’s such an eclectic group of people. Being able to converse with someone who is completely different from me is something I definitely learned at Brandeis.” Rauner’s tour with Identity was a great match for him since he is interested in electronic music. “Don’t get we wrong, I grew up on classic rock, and I play guitar,” he clarifies. “But with the electronic music scene it is not just about a guitar and rockstar. It’s really a major production.” Rauner’s photography career keeps getting bigger and better as his talents become more recognized within the music industry. At his first job after the Identity tour, he was given special access to the backstage booth, shooting the Electric Zoo Festival for Rolling Stone magazine on Randall’s Island, N.Y. “I was standing behind the DJ booth and when I picked my head up to take pictures, I was greeted with a crowd of 50,000 people. I have

never had stage fright before in my life, but all I could do was stare at the crowd for a couple seconds and immediately duck back down. I had to take a few minutes to collect myself and realized that I was there to work,” he says. Rauner wasn’t involved in many clubs and organizations at Brandeis, but he found that he was able to involve himself in many different areas of student life through his photography. A sustained career in photography is an attractive idea for Rauner, but he remains a realist. “It’s a very fast-paced and exciting life, but it isn’t completely self-sustaining, especially in today’s environment.” Rauner is currently looking into positions in the music industry to complement his job as a freelance photographer, a search prompted by his interest in electronic music and his experience on tour. Reflecting on how he currently uses the lessons he learned as a student in his professional life, Rauner’s practicality returned. “When you’re at Brandeis, you get used to it and start to think that ‘this is what the real world is like.’ Sometimes it isn’t, but sometimes, it is.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREW RAUNER

X MARKS THE SPOT: Excision’s light projections during his performance was one of Rauner’s favorite subjects to photograph.

TUESDAY, October 16, 2012

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THE JUSTICE

Justice Justice

the the

Established 1949, Brandeis University

Brandeis University

Established 1949

Andrew Wingens, Editor in Chief Marielle Temkin, Managing Editor Eitan Cooper, Production Editor Fiona Lockyer, Deputy Editor Jeffrey Boxer, Nan Pang and Robyn Spector, Associate Editors Sam Mintz and Tate Herbert, News Editors Celine Hacobian, Features Editor Shafaq Hasan, Forum Editor Adam Rabinowitz, Sports Editor Jenny Cheng and Joshua Linton, Photography Editors Rachel Burkhoff, Acting Layout Editor Sara Dejene, Online Editor Maya Riser-Kositsky, Copy Editor David Wolkoff, Advertising Editor

Incorporate feedback into draft Last week Provost Steve Goldstein ’78 released the Strategic Planning Steering Committee’s preliminary five-year framework of the strategic plan in an email to the Brandeis community. According to Mr. Goldstein, the framework is going to set the University’s 10-to-20 year trajectory to help the administration make more informed decisions about how to best utilize new investments and resources. Given that this framework is the only opportunity for the community to give feedback before the draft of the plan is released, we hope the committee will use the responses to address several problematic areas not clearly communicated in the framework, such as managing our image as an evolving research university and relationship with our Jewish identity. The 14-page framework is divided into five categories, including continuing the University’s commitment to social justice, supporting new academic initiatives and sustaining existing ones and creating an interconnected global community, among other objectives. As students we would have liked to have seen a section outlining the proposed goals for student life on campus. While the framework does mention that the committee seeks to “[match] campus capacity to enrollment and [raise] the quality and accessibility of residential” facilities, students’ enjoyment of campus life should have been given greater attention in the framework. In order to maintain an involved and engaged network of alumni, the administration must dedicate its attention to sustaining student satisfaction. Moreover, the framework also omits any significant mention of the University’s complex relationship with our Jewish roots. While one of the initial goals on the first page of the framework says, “Brandeis will honor its Jewish roots,” this idea is absent from the five core categories the University will be focusing on. While discussing the goals for empowering academic programs, the framework could have mentioned its commitment to

Nurture Brandeis model maintaining and supporting Jewish programs like the Near Eastern Jewish Studies department. Likewise, in these initial goals the framework refers to Brandeis as a “research university with a liberal arts focus.” While the framework puts an emphasis on research, we feel our University serves an equal and dual purpose as both a liberal arts college and a research university. Although our image as a research university has attracted a new brand of students and donors, the eventual strategic plan must find a balance between these two identities. If the administration hopes to promote greater interconnectivity with alumni and cultivate a network of donors, it is vital to nurture the unique Brandeis model, which focuses equally on the humanities, social sciences, arts and the life sciences. Despite these omissions, we support the proposed creation of five new interdisciplinary programs. The engineering program as well as the biomedicine and global health program will help maintain Brandeis’ position as a top-tier research university, while the integrated arts program supports our identity as a small liberal arts school with a focus on social justice. We appreciate that these programs will help realize the University’s need to constantly differentiate itself from other similar colleges by actively helping students emerge as leaders in these competitive fields. They will allow students to evolve past our current academic structures while still maintaining the community’s core values. As the steering committee moves forward to create the draft of this plan, we hope they do not lose sight of the qualities and values that distinguish the University. The Brandeis model the framework wants to maintain inherently relies on integrating our new research-orientated image into our liberal arts history. This model depends on the preservation of our Jewish roots and an administration that values student satisfaction.

Revitalize campus venues Recently, the administration has commented in emails to the student body on the detriment of parties and drinking off-campus. This board recognizes that a simple solution to this issue does not exist. College students have and will continue to use alcohol, and, unfortunately, sometimes this happens in an irresponsible fashion. However, correcting a current lack of suitable on-campus entertainment venues offers a potential step in the right direction. The Stein, Ollie’s and Cholmondeley’s are not what they used to be. While Chum’s has a rich history, the coffee shop has since lost its draw and appeal. While various coffeehouses by campus clubs and some WBRS concerts are popular among the student body, Chum’s often struggles to draw a crowd without them. Revamped menus, furniture, service and overall atmosphere are desperately needed to effectively reestablish Chum’s as a premier on-campus location. The Stein and Ollie’s offer a restaurantstyle setting that is a unique feature on

Offer alternative to parties campus. However, slow service often deters students from returning after their first visit. It is often understaffed with cooks, yet overstaffed with waiters and waitresses, making food habitually late. Management should restructure the organization of the restaurant to help the service flow better. Most importantly, by initiating promotions such as a happy hours or more frequent “Thirsty Thursdays,” The Stein would provide students with similar opportunities as presented by off-campus parties. Students who may otherwise have abused alcohol off campus might instead spend their time in a safer, equally entertaining atmosphere. While once thriving venues, The Stein, Ollie’s and Chum’s are now unsuccessful ventures sitting on a trove of unrealized potential. But with a conscious reinvigoration of the atmosphere and changing our attitudes about these venues we can restore them to their former glory.

SHAFAQ HASAN and SARA WEININGER/the Justice

Views the News on

Last Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of Abigail Fisher, a young caucasian woman claiming she was denied admission to the University of Texas because of affirmative action. Over the past thirty years, many institutions of higher education have consciously tried, and struggled, to create a fair admissions process with a diverse student body. How do you feel about affirmative action being integrated into universities’ admission processes? Should race play a role in the decision?

Benjamin Sternberg ’14 As a student who has learned much about the Supreme Court’s decisions, I completely agree with how the Supreme Court has decided on affirmative action thus far, and I believe that Brandeis should make sure to uphold those ideas as much as possible. In Parents Involved [in community schools] vs. Seattle School District, Justice Anthony Kennedy believed in an ideal “critical mass” of the diverse student body for admittance boards to work towards, for the optimal educational benefits. I completely agree with this opinion, and I believe that Brandeis must continue allowing minority students to join our campus, but cannot fall down the slippery slope to outright race-based decision making. Benjamin Sternberg ’14 is a member of the Brandeis Orthodox Organization.

Aaron Fried ’14 Race should play absolutely no role in the judgment of a person’s character, in any situation. The pigments in a person’s skin cannot tell a college admissions board any information even remotely relevant to a student’s intelligence, work ethic or academic ability. The only diversity that should matter to an institution of learning is the diversity of ideas, not a racist diversity of flesh. If universities intend to continue these racist admission policies, I’d like to recommend that they act consistently in their obsession with appearance, and include application fields for hair color, eye color, height, weight and shoe size. Aaron Fried ’14 is the president of the Young Americans for Liberty and a columnist for the Justice.

Prof. Andreas Teuber (PHIL) Diversity matters. Not only to Brandeis but to businesses and the military. Many top Fortune 500 companies, including General Electric, Johnson & Johnson and Coca-Cola filed friend-of-the-court briefs in favor of race-sensitive admissions policies in Grutter v. Bollinger. The Marine Corps, the Army, the Navy and Air Force argued that such policies are essential to our national security. But how much diversity does a university need? That was a question asked repeatedly on Wednesday. “What is the critical mass of African-Americans and Hispanics at the university,” the Chief Justice asked, “that you are working toward?” or as Justice Sonia Sotomayor put it: “At what point do we stop deferring to the university’s judgment that race is still necessary?” How much longer does the university need to take race into account to achieve diversity? Again, Justice Sotomayor: “That’s the bottom line of this case.” Have we reached that point? Some believe we have. I believe we have not. Andreas Teuber is a professor in the Philosophy department.

Adam Rabinowitz ’14 Affirmative action is an ambitious practice to encourage diversity. However, in light of a motive to visibly promote the ethnic composition of these communities, it comes at the expense of students who are otherwise well-equipped to attend these elite colleges and universities. This is reverse affirmative action and is inimical to the motive of enhancing the quality of universities. Colleges are encouraged to compile a diverse student body — but not while inhibiting the growth of a university’s merit. Adam Rabinowitz ’14 is the president of Brandeis Democrats and the Sports editor of the Justice.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, October 16, 2012

Misconceptions of religion hinder tolerance Leah

Smith In a word

When the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which today includes most of New England, was founded in 1628, its Puritan governor John Winthrop said of the new colony: “We shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us.” This famous quote was making a reference to Jerusalem, which is indeed a “city upon a hill,” and John Winthrop’s mandate was to found a religiously pure society that would set an example for the entire world to follow. Although not all of the 13 colonies got off to such a radically religious start, religion was a contentious issue that had a lot to do with the origins of our country. Today, the legacy of those origins still resonates deeply: much of the country still shuts down on Sundays; the religious activity of our politicians, and especially the president, are paraded before the public; and some of our most polarizing political issues stem from questions of religion. Given how deeply rooted our country is in religion, I found it rather surprising to see a statistic showing that significantly fewer Americans than I expected actually affiliate with one. A recent study from the Pew Research Center shows that one in five Americans do not identify with an established religion and reported instead that their religious beliefs are “nothing in particular,” agnostic or atheist. How can it be that such a religiously oriented country is actually experiencing a decline in the religiosity of its citizens? But then I remember my friends’ reactions to my own religious persuasions and I’m not so surprised anymore. After years of believing in G-d and identifying as Jewish but not practicing at all outside of a handful of Friday night dinners per semester, I found that something was really lacking in my life. I felt absorbed in materialistic pursuits that had no real purpose or benefit, and this depressed me. Since I had always been spiritually oriented, I turned to Judaism to try and bring a little more meaning into my daily existence. I began to keep kosher (following Jewish dietary laws), observe the Jewish Sabbath and go to synagogue more regularly. I quickly discovered that religious observance brought a whole slew of positive things to the table. I became a generally happier person and I felt like I had more of a purpose.

ARIELLE SCHORR/the Justice

Yet, despite the happiness I found in Judaism, the reactions I received from my secular friends to my newfound religious observance were overwhelmingly negative. One friend asked me how I got to be such a “super Jew” and then proceeded to lambast Orthodox Jews for being crazy and for unquestioningly doing everything scripture says. Other friends would often forget about my Shabbat observance and invite me out to parties on Friday nights. When I would politely decline, I would receive eye rolls and snickers because I was off doing the “Jew thing.” The kind of intolerance I encountered toward my increased religious observance is unusual at Brandeis, and I thus found it particularly alarming. Many of my more religious friends wrote these reactions to my increased religious observance off as anti-Semitism, but I believe these reactions are representative of a different kind of problem. It’s not that my friends have anything against Jews. It’s rather that as someone who was once secular and

is known to my friends as smart and rational, my increased religious observance may have disrupted their view of what it means to be smart and rational. The reason why is that our liberal, and thus often secular society, has taught us that anyone who believes in any kind of god, force, energy, spirit, ghost or any other supernatural being that can’t be directly observed must be irrational, at least to some extent. This view is enforced by the constant barrage of religious extremists that we see in the media every day and modern science, the traditional dogma of which is that if you can’t directly observe something or the results of it, then it doesn’t exist. It was in fact these attitudes that kept me away from religious observance for so long in the first place. So then perhaps it does makes sense that one in five Americans don’t identify with any established religion. If society tells you that having belief makes you irrational, why would you ever want to turn to religion?

I am not, of course, arguing that religion is for everyone. There are plenty of people who legitimately can’t find rhyme nor reason in religious observance, and that is completely fine. In fact, that’s how it should be. We always need people who don’t agree with us to question our beliefs and actions so that we stay rational. But we should also remember that religion cannot necessarily be equated with extremism and irrationality. For me, religion is sanctity and peace. For others, it is community. And for still others it is solace. This is not a call for Americans to “come back” to religion. Just as my secular friends have no right to dictate to me whether or not I practice Judaism, I have no right to dictate to them, or any one else, whether or not they choose to be secular. However, those of us who have chosen to turn from religion, they must remember to continue to respect those of us who have not.

Taliban shooting highlights need to empower young girls Naomi

Volk Et cetera

On October 9th, the Taliban fighters came onto a school bus in Pakistan and shot 14-yearold Malala Yousafzai, an activist fighting for girls’ education in Pakistan. She remains in a military hospital in critical condition. As awful as the event was, there is a silver lining: The shooting brought together a global community dedicated to righting the wrongs done to girls in countries like Pakistan. Malala was targeted because she pushed for the education of girls in Pakistan. In 2009, the Taliban were driven out of the Swat Valley, Malala’s region, by a Pakistani military operation. That same year, Malala published a blog through the British Broadcasting Corporation, going into the details of life under Taliban control. Her main complaint? When the Taliban took over her region, they burned down schools for girls and denied girls the right to an education. To the Taliban, she became the embodiment of resistance. The Taliban claimed Malala was promoting Western ideals, yet Malala is not Western:

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She is a Pakistani girl who took it upon herself to fight for her rights as a woman. The fact that the Taliban were so threatened by her that they tried to kill her proves that they believe female education is a powerful and, to them, dangerous thing. Educated women are incredibly powerful. According to a recent article in Slate, “Studies suggest that educating girls is about the closest thing we have to a silver-bullet solution for countries suffering from poverty, instability, and general inequity.”

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People like Malala are exactly the kind of thing the world needs to bring countries like Pakistan out poverty. The Taliban were threatened by Malala because she represented a change, a refusal to accept the conditions of the Taliban’s regime. And more threatening to the Taliban, she was speaking to the global community about those struggles. Malala’s attempts to bring

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the challenges she was facing to the global forum threatened the Taliban almost as much as the right she was struggling to protect. It is through poverty, instability and inequity that groups such as the Taliban are able to grasp and maintain power. The importance of this fight is not new to me. In my senior year of high school, I was vice-president of my school’s chapter of Girls Learn International, an organization focused on the rights and needs of girls across the world, particularly in countries that deny them many of the essentials. We were asked to raise $500 for a school in Pakistan, which taught Pakistani girls just like Malala. We held bake sales every week, determined to provide the funding for a school so unlike ours. And while we felt good knowing we were making a difference, I know that our work raising money is nothing without grassroots activists on the ground. We may have felt we were working hard to create a just world, but we were nothing compared to Malala. Without the bravery of people like her, simple fundraising efforts do nothing. The cause of female education is one that must be homegrown. The effort cannot work without brave souls who, like Malala, risk their lives to bring attention to issues such as education and women’s rights.

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People like Malala are exactly the kind of thing the world needs to bring countries like Pakistan out of poverty and to bring basic human rights to girls across the world. And while the violence is atrocious, the good thing is that the world stood up and took notice. From the European Union headquarters in Brussels, to social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook, to Pakistan itself, newfound attention is being paid to this important issue. But it has also shown the seemingly insurmountable obstacles such activists face in trying to accomplish their goals. While I felt good about the money I raised for school supplies, my $500 is petty change compared to the massive amount of support needed for those like Malala. The global community’s attention is necessary because it can provide that support for on-the-ground activists, combining it with international pressure on the Pakistani government. But a global movement is nothing without grassroots organization in Pakistan. Malala is the symbol of hope for the future, not just because of the cause she stood for, but because the news of her tragedy can now be the catalyst for action to ensure that activists like her succeed. And while girls like Malala fight for their education, they are giving the world the education it needs on what is truly important.

Editorial Assistants Arts: Philip Gallagher, Jessie Miller Forum: Glen Chagi Chesir Photos: Josh Horowitz Sports: Henry Loughlin Staff Senior Writers: Josh Asen, Aaron Berke, Dafna Fine Senior Illustrator: Sara Weininger Senior Photographer: Alex Margolis, Tali Smookler, Jane Zitomer News: Shani Abramowitz, Allyson Cartter, Marissa Ditkowsky, Danielle Gross, Luke Hayslip, Raquel Kallas, Suzanne Schatz, Rachel Starr Features: Selene Campion, Rachel Miller, Gabrielle Santoro Forum: Michael Abrams, Aaron Fried, Noah M. Horwitz, Liz Posner, Sara Shahanaghi, Leah Smith,

Avi Snyder, Naomi Volk Sports: Jacob Elder, Zachary Marlin, Jacob Moskowitz Arts: Aliza Braverman, Aaron Burke, Erica Cooperberg, Alex DeSilva, Olivia Leiter, Mara Sassoon Photography: Jon Edelstein, Nathaniel Freedman, Josh Horowitz, Josh Spiro, Michelle Wang, Anna Yatskar Copy: Jennie Bromberg, Hilary Cheney, Patricia Greene, Andrew Hayes, Max Holzman, Brittany Joyce, Eunice Ko, Kinza Kukhari, Megan Paris, Christine Phan, Mailinh Phan-Nguyen, Leah Rogers, Will Schneiderman, Amanda Winn Layout: Talia Helfrick, Elana Horowitz, Rebecca Lanter, Jassen Lu, Denny Poliferno, Illustrations: Rishika Assomull, Mara Sassoon, Arielle Shorr, Tziporah Thompson

TUESDAY, October 16, 2012

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THE JUSTICE

FORUM

Rejuvenate meal plans using outside sources By Catherine rosch JUSTICE contributing WRITER

I am one of those first-years who signed up for the 14-meal plan against the advice of every single person I met during Orientation. In my defense, my parents originally put me on the 21-meal plan because they were worried about me getting enough to eat, but I rebelled and negotiated down to 14. At the time, I didn’t know about the set meal prices at Usdan, or how the majority of the drinks at Einstein Bros Bagel’s can’t be put on a meal, or the joys of getting food at the Provisions on Demand Market. I know for a fact that next semester I’m going on the 10 meals and points plan because it provides the flexibility the 14-meal plan lacks. When compared to the dining options available at other universities, it’s clear the University’s meal plans are in need of improvement. Brandeis offers several different meal plans, ranging from 21 meals a week and no points, to 100 meals and $625 in dining points a semester. While students have their favorites, all the meal plans can be improved to best accommodate the needs of the study body. Other schools have made their meal plans more efficient and flexible. Some schools have a single, campus wide plan that is included in the tuition. According to its dining services website, students at Middlebury College receive unlimited swipes per meal period so they can get dinner at one location and coffee and dessert somewhere else. There is also no strict limit on the amount that can be spent per meal. Students don’t have to worry about how much they can eat within a given period or if they want seconds. Other schools, like Carnegie Mellon University, allow students to de-

TZIPORAH THOMPSON /the Justice

sign their own meal plan and price it, according to the school’s dining website. That way, students get the most control over what they eat and can make a plan that works for their lifestyle. On the Stanford University dining

services website, there are a variety of meal and dining dollar combinations, but all of them are priced the same so students don’t have to choose a plan that doesn’t suit their needs just because it is cheaper. Given the flexibility provided by some of these meal plans, the Uni-

versity should look into these other dining options to perhaps use them as inspiration for improving on our on-campus options. For example, at Northeastern University, students can trade leftover meals for dining points at the end of the week. This is something that

Brandeis should look into because often I have a meal or two left over. It would be economical for students to be able to trade their extra meals in for dining points. The rate could be a set amount, like $6 worth of points for every traded meal. That way first-years like me who made poor dining decisions can still get points and not waste time trying to find all the meal-approved items in the P.O.D Store just to use our remaining meals. There can be more flexibility in dining hours as well. Often I’ll have dinner with friends at 6:30 p.m., but by 11 p.m. I’m hungry again, but can’t use another meal. Other times, I’ve had dinner in Cambridge with friends from high school, and may want a snack late at night. I have to use a full meal, or my own money, to buy a treat. Perhaps Brandeis could create a fourth meal period, from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. so students can get a late-night snack. Dartmouth College and Williams College, according to students and their dining websites, both have this fourth meal option, which allows students to eat while they are cramming for classes or just hanging out with friends late at night. Maybe I’m just bitter because I chose a meal plan that did not work for me my first semester, but the Brandeis meal plans can be easily improved to best fulfill the dining needs of its student body. Most of my friends from high school are happy with their school’s meal plan, while my friends at Brandeis are less than enchanted with how our system works. Brandeis University should rework its negotiations with Aramark to improve our meal plans so we are able to eat without worrying about running out of dining points or if the item we want counts as a meal.

Repercussions of a Romney administration could prove ruinous By nOAH M. HORWITZ JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

It’s January 20, 2013 at noon. Mitt Romney has just been sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts as the 45th president of the United States of America. Yes, this is the nightmare many of us have been having since the first debate, and I would like to share how I think this would play out. Romney was elected in a very close election, winning Ohio by a few thousand votes to capture a majority of the Electoral College. President Obama won the popular vote. The Republican Party’s momentum allowed for Republican candidates to win in Senate elections in Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota and Virginia, along with Senator Scott Brown’s reelection here in Massachusetts. This caused the Senate to be comprised of 50 Democratic members and 50 Republican members, meaning that the Republican party would hold control of the chamber through Vice President Paul Ryan’s tiebreaking vote. Meanwhile, Republicans maintained their control of the House of Representatives, effectively in control of all three segments of the elected government. A Democratic filibuster in the Senate might prevent President Romney from actually repealing Obamacare on “Day one,” but he would only need a simple majority in the Senate to defund the act through a process called “reconciliation,” that is, amending a previous law with just over half of the possible votes. This would allow for a Romney administration to effectively make the law moot. Through reconciliation, Republicans would also be able to enact massive tax cuts, mainly for the wealthiest individuals and largest corporations. However, without 60 Republican votes in the Senate, a Romney administration would not be able to embark on some of the other more

ambitious aspirations of the Republican Party. These include drastically increasing off-shore drilling, enacting a national Arizona-style immigration law and turning Medicare into a voucher system. A Romney presidency would also be disastrous for foreign affairs. The last time a Republican was president, under George W. Bush, the United States was heavily criticized by our allies, such as France and Germany during the Iraq War, for abiding by unilateral, destructive policies. The Obama administration has taken many steps to not only improve our image overseas but to make the world a safer place. The Obama administration touts the signing of the New START treaty with Russia, which allows for United States oversight of Russian nuclear programs, an invaluably important provision supported by presidents and presidential candidates since Reagan—until now, that is. A President Romney would withdraw from the New START treaty. This would put America at egregious risk purely for the appeasement of Romney’s political party. A President Romney would also further exacerbate tensions with Iran, and would be more likely to go to war. As we have seen in the recent vice-presidential debate, a Romney administration would be dubious of economic or diplomatic sanctions against Iran. The result would surely be military action. A Romney administration would repeal Obamacare, make permanent the Bush tax cuts, and return to the same style of diplomacy as President Bush. These are not trivial accomplishments by any means. However, they are surely not the Armageddon that many on the left are predicting from a Romney presidency. That is, unless one key event occurs. The Supreme Court is currently comprised of four liberals, four extreme conservatives and one moderate conservative. One of the liber-

KAREN SCHIELY/MCT

CAMPAIGN STOP: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney addresses a crowd on Oct. 9 in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. als, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is currently 79 years old. She has had multiple battles with cancer in the past, but is currently in remission. If Justice Ginsburg would have to retire or otherwise be replaced during a Romney presidency, it might very well be the end of the world that many are predicting. Romney has a history of being called “not conservative enough,” so he would have an added impetus to appoint an ultra-conservative to the court. Otherwise, he would risk drawing a primary challenger from the ultraConservative wing of the Republican Party for his possible re-election bid

in 2016. This new Supreme Court justice would alter many of the most important cases to come before the court. Once he or she took office, the new justice would be the deciding vote in a number of key cases including: a case overturning Roe v. Wade, a case overturning N.F.I.B. v. Sebilius (striking Obamacare) and a case that would prevent a national recognition of marriage equality for a generation. Further, I feel there is a very low chance that Romney’s nominee for the court would ever side with liberal justices. If someone claims that a Romney administration will

not be able to accomplish anything significant because they could not block a Democratic filibuster in the Senate, they would be simply wrong. With the smallest of majorities in Congress, the theoretical President Romney could, for all intent and purposes, repeal Obamacare and make the Bush tax cuts permanent. Without congressional approval, a Republican administration in the White House could severely alter foreign relations with other nations. However, most importantly, a Romney administration could destroy the integrity of our Supreme Court for a generation to come.

THE JUSTICE

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Sarita Biswas ’16 headlined a successful day to conclude the women’s tennis season. By BEN FREUDMAN JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Brandeis University women’s tennis team had a successful last weekend at the New England Women’s Intercollegiate Tennis Tournament. Facing opposition from schools like Mount Holyoke College, Trinity College, Tufts University, and Amherst College and Middlebury College, the Judges were able to get some valuable experience in concluding their fall season. “It was a good weekend and a great event for us to get some good experience,” said women’s tennis coach Ben Lamanna. “We’re looking to improve our doubles work because that is a big part of our game, but we showed some good signs this weekend.” The Judges entered five teams of two players. Each team completed a doubles match, which is one eightgame set and two individual singles matches, best two out of three. In the singles matches, athletes played two sets, and if it was split a 10-point super-tiebreaker decided the winner. The tournament was also single elimination with a consolation round. In the consolation round, the singles matches were decided by one eightgame pro set. In the first round, duo Simone Vandroff ’15 and Maya Vasser ’16 handily defeated Bayla Weick and Haruka Shimoto of Smith College: they won their doubles match 8-5, while individually, Vandroff defeated Weick 6-1 4-6 10-4, and Vasser mightily won 6-0 6-2. Alexa Katz ’14 and Sarita Biswas ’16 also made quick work of a team from Smith College: they shutout their opponents in doubles. They won both of their singles matches and Biswas conceded only one game in the second set of her 6-0 6-1 blow out. The Judges’ number one seed, Carley Cooke ’15 and Allyson Bernstein ’14, were upset by Tufts in a close and thrilling

match. Having won a tight doubles match 8-6, Cooke and Bernstein each split sets with their opponents and wound up losing in tiebreakers. “[Cooke] was the first All-American in Brandeis women’s tennis history, so the expectations for her have been pretty high coming into the season,” said Lamanna. “However, she came around towards the end of the tournament and started playing really well.” In the second round, Katz and Biswas continued their success, beating the Mount Holyoke team of Margaux Holloschutz and My-Linh Nguyen 3-0. Although their victory required more of a fight, they still pulled through, winning their doubles match 8-4 and their individual matches 6-2 7-5 and 2-6 7-5 10-8, respectively. Vandroff and Vasser played an exciting second-round match, but eventually lost to a combo from Tufts and Williams. After winning their doubles match 9-8, both Vandroff and Vassar lost their singles matches 8-3 and 8-6, respectively. Katz and Biswas were the only team to make it to the quarterfinals. There, the pair of Judges was swept by Trinity College juniors Elizabeth Gerber and Taylor Wilkins, losing the doubles match 8-2 and the singles matches 7-5 6-3 and 6-1 6-0. Meanwhile, in the consolation round, Cooke and Bernstein defeated freshmen Maddy Sung and Rebecca Pol from Amherst in doubles 8-5 and 6-1 6-3 and 7-5 6-2, respectively, after a walkover in the opening consolation round by Salve Regina. They advanced to the semifinals of the consolation round, but fell to Dorrie Paradies and Sarah Macy from Middlebury. Middlebury’s duo won the doubles match 8-5, while Cooke defeated Paradies 8-2 and Bernstein lost to Macy 8-4. Lamanna lamented the loss of captain Faith Broderick ’13, who missed the tournament due to injury. “She would have been [Cooke]’s doubles partner,” he said. “She’s a great captain and a great leader for our team.” The women’s tennis team has concluded its fall season and will resume its season at the Claremont Colleges on February 22, 2013.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012

PRECISE POINT

Team competes well in its final matches of fall ■ Duo Alexa Katz ’14 and

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JOSH HOROWITZ/Justice File Photo

KILL ZONE: Outside hitter Liz Hood ’15 (left) earns a crucial point to contribute to a 3-0 sweep over Emerson College on Oct. 8.

VBALL: Judges prevail over Violets CONTINUED FROM 16

24 by the Judges, and also had 14 more digs, 53 against 39. Hood led the Judges with 10 kills, while Bernaiche had 12 digs. The Judges fell to Carnegie in their last match, 3-1. Carnegie took the first set 25-22, but the Judges won the second set by the same score. The Tartans pulled away from the Judges using their balanced attack and won the final two sets by the same score of 25-19. Bernaiche paced the Judges with 20 digs, with Hensley just behind

her tallying 19. Hensley also had 12 kills to register her eighth doubledouble of the season. Einhorn had 41 assists and Hood added 12 kills. Despite the losses against UAA rivals, the Judges have fared well against non-division opponents this season. They swept Emerson College 25-17, 25-18 and 25-23 last Wednesday, improving their record to 13-4 in non-UAA games. The Judges took the lead early in the match and never looked back. They started the first set with an 8-0 run and cruised to a 25-17 win.

They found themselves down 7-4 in the second set, but bounced back to outscore Emerson 21-12 the rest of the way. The third set was closer, but Hood recorded kills on the final two points to win the set, 25-23, and take the match. Hood led the way with 13 kills, while Einhorn tallied 32 assists n the win. The Judges play in the Hall of Fame Invitational next weekend against Bridgewater State University, Middlebury College and host Smith College.

WSOCCER: Squad confronts stiff competition on the road CONTINUED FROM 16

second corner kick. Forward Sapir Edalati ’15 made no mistake from six yards, nodding home a high cross from midfielder Mary Shimko ’14 for her fifth goal of the season. Yet, the lead proved to be short lived, as Chicago tied the game less than two minutes later. Freshman forward Julia Ozello beat Kofinas from 12 yards away to knot things up in what had proven to be a back-and-forth affair. Chicago sophomore forward Sara Kwan then shot past Kofinas in the top left corner in the 17th minute to

give Chicago a 2-1 lead. The two goals scored by Chicago marked the first time this year that Brandeis had given up multiple goals in a half. This theme of defensive breakdowns would remain consistent throughout the game, especially following a second goal from Ozello in the 53rd minute to extend the Maroons’ lead to 3-1. By the end of the second half, Chicago had found the back of the net three more times, getting multiple goals on the day from sophomore forward Meghan Derken, as well as

multiple points from Derken, Ozello and Kwan. Defender Allyson Parziale ’16 said that the Judges are determined to not let the results get the best of them. “We’re a good team, and we happened to play good teams. We’re working to improve and do better,” she said. “We’re just trying to keep our heads up.” The Judges will look to get back in the win column at home against Lesley University on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Looking for accommodations? Are you interested in living in a house rent-free in exchange for helping as a personal assistant and/or home manager? Busy single professional Muslim from India, male, 54 with minor medical problems is offering a free room with bath, kitchen, cable TV, internet access and other facilities to student(s) willing to help in two major areas. Home manager duties include cleaning kitchen, bathroom, vacuuming and laundry twice a month, taking care of plants, yard work and snow removal. Personal assistant duties include motivate and participate in daily exercise and stretching, giving medications, eye drops and skin care. Looking for someone responsible, reliable, dependable, honest and quiet with good organizational, time management and multitasking skills. Nonsmoker, no drugs or alcohol or friends allowed. No loud music. Willing to keep two students who can divide duties. Compatibility essential. If you can eat Indian/Pakistani food, you are welcome to have free meals. Graduate student a plus. Indian/Pakistani a plus but not essential. Large house located in Brookline (close to Cleveland Circle) on a quiet, peaceful residential street but very close to Green B, C and D lines and bus stops.

Send letter of recommendation & resume to taimurazamMD@gmail.com or call 617-713-0740

LIBANA in Concert 10/20 Tremedal Coffeehouse 8p.m. $20 First Parish Unitarian Church 35 Church Street, Watertown Libana.org TremedalConcerts.org Contact: 617.782.8718

Launch your international career through Peace Corps service. OPEN OFFICE HOURS Monday, October 22 9:00am to 5:00pm Sherman Function Hall Hassenfeld Conference Center

Friday, October 26 9:00am to 5:00pm Hiatt Career Center Usdan Student Center, Room 15

Peace Corps

www.peacecorps.gov - 855.855.1961

THE JUSTICE

●

Tuesday, OCTOBER 16, 2012

SWIMMING AND DIVING

jUDGES BY THE NUMBERS Men’s Soccer UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Goals

Not including Monday’s games UAA Conference Overall W L D W L D Pct. JUDGES 2 1 0 12 1 1 .893 NYU 2 1 1 9 1 1 .808 Carnegie 2 1 1 8 1 1 .792 Emory 2 1 1 6 3 1 .571 Rochester 1 0 3 6 5 1 .708 WashU 2 2 0 6 2 2 .625 Chicago 1 2 1 7 3 3 .654 Case 0 4 0 3 10 1 .250

Lee Russo ’13 leads the team this season with 10 goals. Player Goals Lee Russo 10 Sam Ocel 6 Tyler Savonen 4 Kyle Feather 3

Assists Sam Ocel ’13 is the current team leader with seven assists. Player Sam Ocel Lee Russo Tyler Savonen Kyle Feather

UPCOMING GAMES Tomorrow vs. Springfield Tues., Oct. 23 vs. Mount Ida Fri., Oct. 26 vs. Emory

Assists 7 5 4 3

WOMen’s Soccer UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS

Not including Monday’s games

Goals

UAA Conference Overall W L D W L D Pct. Emory 3 0 1 10 0 3 .885 WashU 3 0 1 8 0 3 .885 Carnegie 3 1 0 9 1 2 .833 Chicago 3 2 0 9 4 0 .692 JUDGES 1 2 1 10 3 1 .750 Case 1 3 1 7 4 3 .607 NYU 1 3 0 9 5 0 .643 Rochester 0 4 0 3 10 0 .231

Dara Spital ’15 leads the team this season with nine goals. Player Goals Dara Spital 9 Sapir Edalati 5 Holly Szafran 5 Mary Shimko 3

UPCOMING GAMES: Thursday vs. Lesley Tues., Oct. 23 vs. Lasell Fri., Oct 26 vs. Emory

Assists Dara Spital ’15 leads the team this year with four assists. Player Assists Dara Spital 4 Alyssa Fenenbock 3 Alec Spivack 3 Holly Szafran 3

VOLLEYBALL UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Kills

Not including Monday’s games UAA Conference Overall W L W L Pct. WashU 6 1 0 24 2 0 .923 Emory 6 1 0 22 4 0 .846 Chicago 6 1 0 20 6 0 .769 Case 4 3 0 18 8 0 .692 Rochester 2 5 0 17 9 0 .654 Carnegie 2 5 0 12 14 0 .462 JUDGES 1 6 0 14 10 0 .583 NYU 1 6 0 13 11 0 .542

UPCOMING GAMES: This weekend, the Judges will take on Bridgewater State, Middlebury and Smith at Smith College.

Liz Hood ’15 leads the team in kills this year with 319. Player Kills Liz Hood 319 Si-Si Hensley 161 Lauren Berens 143 Maddie Engeler 123

Digs Elsie Bernaiche ’15 leads the team in digs this year with 430. Player Digs Elsie Bernaiche 430 Si-Si Hensley 237 Susan Sun 191 Yael Einhorn 188

cross cOuntry Results from last week’s Open New England Championships

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)

RUNNER TIME Alex Kramer 25:23.66 Mik Kern 26:18.04 Taylor Dundas 26:54.89 Greg Bray 26:55.52

RUNNER TIME Victoria Sanford 18:50.04 Ali Kirsch 19:03.06 Amelia Lundkvist 19:27.46 Kelsey Whitaker 19:39.10

UPCOMING EVENTS: Oct. 27 UAA Championships at the University of Rochester Nov. 10 New England Division III Regional Tournament

JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

OPEN FOR BUSINESS: Brandeis’ pool was home to a competitive event for the first time in three years this past Saturday.

Linsey opens after three-year hiatus ■ Following a reopening

ceremony, Brandeis’ pool hosted the Alumni Swim meet this past weekend. By ZACHARY MARLIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The pool in the Joseph M. Linsey Sports Center, which has not hosted a competitive swim meet in three years, was home to the Alumni Swimming and Diving Meet last Saturday. The event featured both past and current swimmers in timed races and diving competitions. This event is traditionally held annually to both welcome back the alumni swimmers and kick off the swimming season by introducing the current squad However, hosting the meet has proved implausible recently given the lack of a functional pool for the past three years after it was closed due to notable maintenance concerns. “The meet provides a great way for the alumni to get back on cam-

pus and meet with the current swimmers.” said coach Mike Kotch. “It’s also a good networking tool for the students to meet and interact with the alumni.” The meet featured races of all sorts — from backstroke to the individual medley, as well as some relay races. Though the races were timed, they were ultimately friendly competitions and provided a concrete way for much of the alumni to get back into competitive swimming in a relaxed environment. Following the races, the lanes were cleared for diving competitions amongst the alumni. The swimmers were of all ages, and there were several races over the course of the event, which lasted a good portion of the afternoon. In addition to having an official on location to record times in swimming events and performances in diving, the scoreboard was up and running for the racers to see their times places live. The event was relaxed and enjoyable for all, both in the stands and in the pool. When not swimming, the athletes talked to each other

and laughed while cheering on the people in the pool. After each race, the swimmers would cheer for everyone, regardless of who emerged victorious in the event. For added support, there were also family members in the pool area watching the events. Despite the nature of the atmosphere, Kotch said that he uses the event to keep an eye on his current swimmers and see where they are in their training, thereby giving them a point of reference off of which they can base their training. Overall, given what he saw this weekend, Kotch is enthusiastic about the upcoming season. “These kids are working very hard,” he said. “We’ve got a good group of swimmers. They’re good students and should represent Brandeis very well in this upcoming year.” The team opens its schedule on Saturday at home against Wheaton College. And while this weekend’s event was a nice christening of the new-and-improved pool, this weekend’s event will officially mark the return of swimming and diving at Brandeis.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL BRIEF Cardinals, Giants, Tigers and Yankees are victorious in an eventful week for America’s pastime Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig must be smiling from his office in New York City after the last week of October baseball. Eight teams played in in the divisional series round of the playoffs last week, ultimately providing fans with one of the more memorable weeks of play in baseball history. Each of the four series progressed to a decisive fifth game, and with the addition of two wild card play-in games, there were six win-or-go-home games in seven days. First, the San Francisco Giants shocked the baseball world by winning three straight games at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati to topple the Reds. After winning Game 1, Cincinnati carried that momentum into a 9-0 blowout in Game 2, meaning they

had to win just one of three games at home to advance to the National League Championship Series. The Giants reverted back to their 2010 ways, winning on a tenth-inning walk-off hit after a botched ground ball from third baseman Scott Rolen. Cincinnati failed to recover at that point, and by the time catcher Buster Posey cleared the bases with a grand slam to break open Game 5, the Reds were finished. The St. Louis Cardinals, who once again limped into the playoffs and found themselves down to their last strike, rediscovered their October magic to stun the Washington Nationals and advance to the NLCS. The Nationals earned a crucial Game 1 victory in St. Louis following a go-ahead pinch-hit single in the eighth inning. St. Louis’ bats reawakened though in Games 2 and 3 to pile on 20 runs and

send Washington to a do-or-die Game 4. Right fielder Jayson Werth, a scapegoat for the Nationals’ struggles, came through with a memorable walk off home run, which sent the Nationals crowd into a frenzy. Washington led by six runs in Game 5 and looked to cruise to the NLCS. The Cardinals fired off four runs with one strike remaining to eliminate the Nationals. In the American League, the Baltimore Orioles squared off against the New York Yankees in what looked to be a lopsided affair in favor of the Yankees. The teams exchanged wins at Camden Yards, home of the Orioles, before returning to Yankee Stadium for a best-two-out-of-three set. Right fielder Raul Ibanez sealed one of the most memorable moments in Yankees postseason history with both the game-

tying home run in the ninth inning and a walk-off home run in the 13th inning to win Game 3. Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy won Game 4 with a double in the 13th inning. The magic ended, though, with a dominating completegame performance from Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia in Game 5. The Oakland Athletics emerged fresh from a shocking three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers in the last week of the regular season to steal the American League West and face the Detroit Tigers. Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander brought Oakland back to reality with a seven-inning, 11-strikeout performance to earn Game 1 in Detroit. Oakland had a chance for victory in Game 2, but Atheltics center fielder Coco Crisp misplayed a fly ball to right field, costing the Athletics a 2-0 deficit to Oakland.

Cue Moneyball magic. Athletics starting pitcher Brett Anderson, pitching for the first time since Sept. 19, looked far from rusty in six shutout innings in the Game 3 win. The Tigers were poised to end the series at Game 4 with Tigers closer Jose Valverde and a two-run lead. Oakland ensured there was a Game 5 after a walk-off single from Crisp. Detroit, like the Yankees, turned to their ace, Verlander, and suddenly, the Athletics’ bats froze. Verlander pitched a complete-game three-hitter to knock out the Athletics. With the Tigers and Cardianls ahead in their respective series, the American League Championship Series and National League Championship Series look to be just as exciting. — Adam Rabinowitz

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DIVING INTO THE NEW SEASON The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams took to the Pool for the first time in three years with alumni, p. 15.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Waltham, Mass.

volleyball

SMOOTH STEP OVER

Team tops NYU in first UAA win ■ Though encountering

a stern test against the Violets, the Judges earned their first conference win. By JAcob MOSkOwitz JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

JON EDELSTEIN/Justice File Photo

DAZZLING DRIBBLES: Forward Steve Salazar ’14 manuevers around a Case Western defender during the Judges’ 2-0 win on Oct. 6.

Squad rebounds from first loss with victory ■ Despite losing a tough

1-0 decision for their first defeat of the season, the men's soccer team rallied to win at WashU in St. Louis. By JONAH PRICE JUSTICE Contributing WRITER

This weekend, the Brandeis men’s soccer team had an enormous challenge ahead of them: two road games against two difficult University Athletic Association opponents. Though they lost to the University of Chicago on Friday in a tight 1-0 contest, the Judges bounced back Sunday with a 2-1 victory at Washington University in St. Louis. “Away matches are definitely tougher,” said forward Tyler Savonen ’15 before the team headed out on the road trip. “We haven’t lost at home, and with Coven’s Corner supporting our team, the atmosphere is in our favor [at home].” Coven's Corner is a notable section of raucous fans who have garnered national attention. In addition to the difficulty of playing two games on the road, both of the games were important UAA games. “It was a good trip,” said coach Michael Coven. “It would have been a great trip if we had won both games, but we bounced back well after losing the first game.” The Judges, now 12-1-1 dominated the first half of Sunday’s game, outshooting WashU 13-2. However neither team was able to score. Brandeis had several chances, including a shot off the post from midfielder Tudor Livadaru ’14 and two shots from forward Sam Ocel ’13. The beginning of the second half was an even matchup, with both

teams fighting for possession of the ball. However, midfielder Kyle Feather ’14 sent a flick to Ocel, who scored the first goal of the match, giving Brandeis a 1-0 lead in the 58th minute. The goal marked Ocel’s 50th point in his career. Five minutes later Savonen sent in a well-placed cross to the far post, which forward Lee Russo ‘13 put in the back of the net for his 10th goal of the season. The goal marked point number 75 of Russo's career. With just 1:39 left in regulation, WashU got on the scoreboard with a header from junior forward Jeremy Kirkwood, off a free kick from midfield taken by sophomore back Nik Patel. However, Brandeis was able to hold out for the next two minutes and come away with the victory. It was the first time Brandeis defeated WashU since 2002. “It's been a long time,” said Coven of the historic victory. “WashU probably wasn't as good as Chicago was, but we were definitely happy to pick up the win because it's huge for our UAA standings.” The team suffered its first loss on Friday since Oct. 28, 2011, losing in a UAA game 1-0 to the University of Chicago. The early minutes of the match were a back-and-forth kicking game, a type of game that Brandeis wanted to avoid, according to Savonen. “Our game is way more based on possession,” said the forward of the Judges’ style. “We like keeping the ball on the ground and possession.” With Brandeis playing out of their comfort zone, Chicago took advantage in the 21st minute when sophomore forward Kyle Kurfirst played a through-ball to first-year midfielder Jorge Bilbao, who took a shot from just outside the 18-yard box, just get-

ting by the left side of netminder Blake Minchoff ’13. The goal was Bilbao’s eighth this season. “We made an unintelligent play, giving the ball away and letting them attack us,” said Coven. “I told the guys that we can't keep allowing UAA teams to take chances against us because they will finish them. “Against other teams in New England, you'll get nine or ten good chances to score. Against UAA teams, you'll be lucky to get five or six.” Just two minutes later, Savonen unleashed an effort on goal that Chicago freshman goalkeeper David Cohen saved. At the end of the half, Brandeis and Chicago each had seven shots, including two by Russo, which forced Cohen to make two consecutive saves. Minutes into the second half Chicago had a huge opportunity to go up 2-0 when a Maroons attacker was fouled inside the box, earning Chicago a penalty kick. Fortunately for Brandeis, Minchoff made a diving save to his left, keeping Brandeis in the game. The Judges had an opportunity to tie the game up, getting off three shots from Savonen, Russo and defender Ben Applefield ’14. However, Cohen was there to make the three saves. After that, the Chicago defense took control and shut down Brandeis for the rest of the match, only allowing one shot in the final 30 minutes of the game. Coven underlined the importance of winning the WashU contest after losing to Chicago. “The boys knew that if we lost two in a row we’d be on the outside looking in [in terms of receiving a bid]," he said. "But now, they're right back in it.” Brandeis returns to non-conference matches tomorrow when they host Springfield College at 7 p.m.

The women’s volleyball team has struggled in University Athletic Association play since 2010, failing to earn a win in their various round robin tournaments. Last weekend, the Judges lost three matches in the UAA Round Robin II at Carnegie Mellon University. They lost all three matches in the UAA Round Robin I two weeks earlier. However, their winless fortunes changed with a resounding 3-1 victory over New York University last Saturday. They began the round robin by defeating NYU, tallying their first UAA win of the season. They managed to win just one set the rest of the way, losing to No. 16 University of Chicago later Saturday and to No. 6 Emory University and Carnegie Melon on Sunday. Their record now stands at 14-10 and 1-6 in the UAA. “The UAA is a very tough conference,” said setter Yael Einhorn ’14. “I think we had a really good weekend even though our record doesn’t show it. We played with a lot of heart, but just couldn’t pull out the wins.” Against NYU, the Judges dominated the first set, 25-14. After the Violets won the second set, 25-22,

the Judges rallied and won the next two sets by scores of 25-17 and 25-20. Outside hitter Liz Hood ’15 tied a career high with 22 kills. She also made just five errors for a hitting percentage of .425, just her fifth game above .400 this year. Outside hitter Si-Si Hensley ’14 almost recorded her sixth double-double of the season with nine kills and 17 digs. Middle blocker Maddie Engeler ’16 tallied nine blocks and six solo blocks, both career-highs. Later on Saturday, the Judges fell to Chicago in straight sets. They held the match close in each of the first two sets, losing just 2521 and 25-22. However, things fell apart for the Judges in the third set, and the Maroons closed out the match with a 25-10 victory. Defensive specialist Elsie Bernaiche ’15 led the Judges with 15 digs. Hood registered 11 kills, but no other play had more than five. Einhorn lamented the loss of team cohesion after the second set, which she believed contributed to their meltdown against Chicago. “Everyone lost confidence in themselves and played as individuals instead of together as a team,” she said. In their first match on Sunday, the Judges fell to Emory in straight sets. They lost the first set 25-15, and the Judges attempted to bounce back in the second set, but Emory staved them off, 25-19. The Judges lost the third set by the same score as the first, 25-15. Emory tallied 42 kills to just

See VBALL, 13 ☛

WOMEN’s SOCCER

Judges face difficult matches in Midwest ■ Squad returns empty-

handed from its weekend trip after falling to opponents in Missouri and Illinois. By AVI GOLD JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The women’s soccer squad flew to the Midwest last weekend in the midst of the best start in program history with an opportunity to increase their lead at the top of the University Athletic Association standings. While the team hoped to keep its hot start going, the squad took a step in the wrong direction with a 6-1 loss at the University of Chicago and a 2-1 defeat to Washington University in St. Louis. The team now sits at 10-3-1 on the season. The Judges began the game against WashU with a quick firsthalf deficit, conceding a ninth minute goal to Bears freshman forward Emily Gosché, whose shot to the far corner soared past goalie Francine Kofinas ’13. The rest of the half proved to be a defensive struggle for the Judges, as the Bears rattled off seven more shots to the Judges’ three. Goalie Michelle Savuto ’15 returned in the second half, and the Judges soon rediscovered their offensive firepower. Central defender Kelly Peterson ’14 converted a 40-yard free kick in the 53rd min-

ute for her second goal of the season. Her goal complemented the strong play out of the gate by the Judges, who also drew three fouls and managed a shot on goal. After the equalizer, the game once again became a defensive struggle, as the two teams combined for seven shots during the 20 minutes between goals. The Bears buried the decisive goal against the Judges in the 71st minute. WashU senior midfielder Allie Betley sent a cross to junior forward Lauren Steimle, who converted the one-timer for the game winner. The Judges, however, wouldn’t go quietly, as forward Dara Spital ’15 nearly tied the game in the 89th minute by firing a shot that was saved by senior goalkeeper Clara Jaques. Spital, whose nine goals and four assists are team bests, was notably absent from the scoresheet, managing only three shots. Friday’s game saw the Judges picked apart by an aggressive Chicago offense. The Judges entered the match having conceded just three goals all season, but suddenly, they looked like a different squad, surrendering four second-half goals. At the outset, the game looked good for the Judges, as they scored a ninth-minute goal following successive corner kicks. Following the initial set piece, the Judges won a

See WSOCCER, 13 ☛

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October 16,7, 2012 February 2012

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Design and Photo by Josh Horowitz/the Justice.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012 ● THE JUSTICE

POP CULTURE

INSIDE ON CAMPUS

18-21

■ Fall Fest Variety Show

Students dazzled the audience with musical and theater performances in Levin Ballroom.

■ No Controversy with Dor Guez 19 Fiona Lockyer offers reasons as to why the Dor Guez exhibit has not attracted controversy on campus.

■ ‘Into the Woods’ Review

■ Goodman’s Brandeis Debut

The play, which was staged in Sachar Woods, offers a unique twist on fairy tales.

As part of WBRS’ coffeehouse series, Goodman lit up the stage at Chum’s.

21-23

OFF CAMPUS

■ Macklemore Album Review

Macklemore’s long awaited album produces great music, but also interesting topics.

■ ‘Looper’ Review

Aaron Burke ’13 compliments the film on its thoughtful plot but notes its shaky execution.

■ ‘A Golden Age’ Review

Anjulika Sahgal ’15 reads classic novel for South Asian Studies class.

■ Boston Restaurants Review

■ Last Stop This Town

Over Parents Weekend, Jessie Miller ’15 frequented several local restaurants.

American Pie screenwriter David Steinberg’s latest novel evokes Brandeisian themes.

CALENDAR

Interview

by Erica Cooperberg

Did Brad Pitt move to Los Angeles with his diploma in hand? How many Kardashians graduated from college? (Hint: only one…) Did Blake Lively graduate high school before filming The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants? What is Meryl Streep’s undergraduate alma mater? Am I testing your celeb knowledge? Yes. But I’m also making a point: celebrity status and education don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand. Working full-time—whether it’s acting in a weekly sitcom, filming a movie or recording albums—often requires celebs to choose between achieving their dream or finishing their education. That’s why Nolan Gould’s recent academic accomplishment is all the more unique. Gould, who stars as Luke Dunphy in Modern Family, is currently television’s most endearingly mindless child. Luke is a scene-stealer with his foolish one-liners and physical comedy. I have rolled many an embarrassed eye at Luke’s character in sheer disbelief that such an adorably dim-witted child truly exists. But while he plays a character who can’t recognize his own name when pronounced with an accent, in real life, 13-year-old Gould just graduated from high school. That’s right—five years early. He nonchalantly explained on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, “Over the summer, I did a lot of studying and I took an exam and tested out of high school.” He added that he plans to continue his education by taking online community college courses. I’m not sure what the rest of you were doing when you were 13, but I know I definitely wasn’t making thousands of dollars by starring in a hit ABC comedy, attending the Golden Globes and, oh yeah, having the intelligence of a high school senior. Multi-tasking, meet Nolan Gould. While Gould’s accomplishment is certainly above-and-beyond the average student—let alone celebrity—many of Hollywood’s famous faces have interestingly balanced school and their professions. Look at the unstoppable Acad-

Guez expands on Palestinian identity exhibit  His exhibit “100 Steps to the Mediterranean” has attracted both admiration and controversy

Los Angeles Times/ MCT

SMART KID: Modern Family star gets high marks. emy Award-winning Natalie Portman, Harvard University alumna of the class of 2003, who was so intent on focusing on her education that, at the time, she told the New York Post, “I don’t care if [college] ruins my career. I’d rather be smart than be a movie star.” Or, on the other hand, consider Will Smith who bragged to Reader’s Digest that, with the assistance of a family friend in admissions, he could have attended Massachusetts Institute of Techonology. He claimed, “I had pretty high SAT scores and they needed black kids, so I probably could have gotten in,” but never even applied to the university in favor of pursuing acting. So where will Gould go from here? Like Portman and Smith, will he ultimately ditch education and devote his life to acting? Or, will he choose to pursue an academic career? I guess that’s a question to consider once the lil’ guy earns his driver’s license.

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

ON-CAMPUS EVENTS

A Reading of Poetry, Prose and Nature

Eva Saulitis trained as a marine biologist and has since 1986 studied the killer whales of Prince William Sound, Kenai Fjords and the Aleutian Islands. Dissatisfied with the objective language and rigid methodology of science, she turned to creative writing—poetry and the essay—to develop another language with which to address the natural world. Elizabeth Bradfield, the current Jacob Ziskind Poet-in-Residence at Brandeis, is the author of two poetry collections, “Approaching Ice” and “Interpretive Work.” She is founder of the grassroots-distributed and guerilla-artinspired Broadsided Press. Sponsored by the Creative Writing Department and the Andrew Goldbarth Fund. Tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. in the Mandel Center for the Humanities Reading Room..

Soul of Justice: Thelton Henderson’s American Journey

Learn about a federal judge who is changing prisons throughout California and began his career as the first black attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Followed by a question-and-answer session with the film’s director, Abby Ginzberg. Sponsored by the Louis D. Brandeis Legacy Fund for Social Justice and the Film, Television and Interactive Media Program. Tomorrow at 7 p.m. in the Wasserman Cinematheque, Sachar International Center.

WBRS Coffeehouse Presents: Saz.E Come check out the second installment of WBRS’ coffeehouse series featuring student artist Osaze Akerejah ’14. He is a rising star in the music industry, having released two mixtapes entitled ‘The Little Black Boxx’ and ‘Invincible Tomorrow.’ His third release is currently in production, ‘One Hell of an Internship.’ Tomorrow at 9 p.m. in Cholmondeley’s Coffee House.

‘Escape From Happiness’

What if Quentin Tarantino directed a Sam Shepard play? In this dark comedy by George F. Walker, an outrageously dysfunctional family battles drugs, random acts of violence, hostages, arson, police corruption and (dis)organized crime in their own home. The play is directed by Doug Lockwood (founding member, Actors Shakespeare Project) and produced by the Brandeis Theater Company. Thursday at 8 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Laurie Theater, Spingold Theater Center. Tickets are $5 for students.

Lunch with Prof. Cameron Anderson (THA) There will be a brown bag lunch with Prof. Cameron Anderson (THA), the new design faculty member of the Theater Arts Department. Come and ask questions about upcoming projects that you have. Desserts and drinks will be provided. Friday from 1 to 2 p.m. in room 313 of the Shapiro Campus Center.

Zach Klein/MCT

A CLASSICAL TWIST: Songs by Björk, above, will be performed by the Boston String Players on Friday.

Coffeehouse/Jam Night at Chum’s Come to Cholmondley’s Coffee House for a delightful and delicious evening of food and performance. Jam in all senses of the word. Featuring a slam poet, a cappella, jamming and of course, we’re ending the night with a Chum’sstyle dance party.Bring your instruments and appetites because the jamming is all-inclusive. All instruments are invited including vocals, sousaphones and washboards. Drum set will be provided. No vuvuzelas though. Thursday at 9 p.m. in Cholmondeley’s Coffee House.

Liquid Latex Dance Your Clothes Off Your favorite naked performance event is hosting its annual clothing drive and dance. Donate the clothing off your back at the door to a local Waltham charity! Come in whatever state of dress or undress you want (need to be covered by as much as a bathing suit would). Cotton Candy will be served and DJ Sensation will be providing music all night. Friday from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. in Levin Ballroom. Tickets are $5, with $1 off per item of clothing, minimum cost $2.

Lecture by Carolyn Pickman Carolyn Pickman, the head of CP Casting, will be on campus Saturday to deliver a workshop about acting in film. Pickman has casted for The Departed, The Town, Good Will Hunting, 21, and others. Recommended for anyone interested in acting or film business. Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Mandel G03. To reserve a spot, email Chastity DeLorme at cdelorme@brandeis.edu.

World Music Concert: Pablo Ziegler Classical Tango Quartet

MusicUnitesUS presents the Pablo Ziegler Classical Tango Quartet, hailed by The New

York Times as “the essence of the new tango.” Latin Grammy-winning pianist Ziegler leads the group in haunting, rhythmic new compositions as well as dynamic works by tango legends. Featuring Hector Del Curto on bandoneon, Jisoo OK on cello and Pedro Giraudo on double bass. Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Slosberg Music Center. Tickets range from $5 to $20.

OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS The Price is Right

JustArts spoke with Dor Guez about his experiences interviewing relatives and designing the space for his exhibit in the Rose Art Museum. JustArts: What was the inspiration for you to focus on Israeli identity in your work? Dor Guez: On the surface, my work focuses on the Christian Palestinian identity, as I’m also a member of this community, but the outcome of experiencing the work is personal for the viewer, who can be from any nationality. It asks you to think about nationality, identity, religion and culture. JA: How do you negotiate Israeli politics and conflict when presenting your artwork to the public? DG: I’m telling a story, sharing a narrative, and it is up for the audience to think about the implication. I’m an artist, not a politician. JA: What was it like to interview your relatives about their interpretations of their Israeli identity? DG: Once I’m at the editing room, I try to disconnect myself from the personal relations I have with some of the people I film, but I guess that it is never the case with my grandparents, shown in “Sabir,” “July 13” and “Watermelons Under the Bed.” JA: Did you find any differences in viewers’ responses when displaying your art in Israel and displaying it in the United States? DG: I can answer that question better after my residence at Brandeis in October. I left right after the opening for a month. JA: We were told that you designed the exhibition in the Rose on your own. What led you to adopt that process as your own? DG: The way that the works are shown is a part of the artistic expression, so I believe it is the job of the artist to plan the architectural design. In my show “The Nation’s Groves” at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, I designed the benches, which were an important part of the exhibition. For the installation I did for the Istanbul biennial, I designed three-legged tables. JA: Do you have further plans for exhibitions in the United States? DG: Yes. I’m currently the International Artist-in-Residence at Artpace in Texas. I will launch a new project named “40 Days” as a solo show on November 15. JA: Was your exhibit “toned down” for Brandeis, as a recent article in The New York Times suggests? If so, why was it toned down? DG: My work was never “toned down” by anyone. I simply don’t work with institutes that have any kind of censorship. I can assure you it was not the case with the Rose. “100 Steps to the Mediterranean’ presents an overview of my work to date and relates directly to the issues I have an artistic interest in. — Phil Gallagher popular demand. This ensemble of Boston’s rising stars reinterprets classical and contemporary works with a newly choreographed ballet, arrangement of Björk’s “Unravel” for strings, electronics, and visuals. The program consists of Johann Sebastian Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 3; Benjamin Britten, Simple Symphony; Béla Bartók, Divertimento for Strings; and Björk, “Unravel.” Friday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street. Tickets are $15.

Experience the excitement of the hit TV game show, The Price is Right, in The Price is Right Live on stage. Hosted by Todd Newton, host of Family Game Night on Hub Network, The Price is Right Live is a 90-minute interactive stage event that gives contestants the chance to “come on down” to win up to $25,000 worth of prizes. Register at the box office up to three hours before the show for a chance to play. Today at 7 p.m. at The Hanover Theatre, Two Southbridge Street, Worcester, MA. Tickets are $26 and $36.

Fine Finds

Buika

Cape Cod Comedy Festival

Hailed as the Flamenco Queen, Concha Buika is the daughter of political refugees from the African nation of Equatorial Guinea and grew up in a Gypsy neighborhood on the Spanish island of Mallorca. Often compared to a young Nina Simone, Buika completely surrenders herself to her art, plunging deep into her emotions and emerging with a sonorous, rasping voice that reveals her inner anguish. This performance is put on by World Music/CRASHarts. Friday at 8 p.m. at Sanders Theatre, Memorial Hall, Cambridge. Tickets are $28, $32 and $40.

“Bach to Björk”

The Boston String Players are back by

Starting this Friday, 40 high-end exhibitors will be in attendance for the Ellis Boston Antiques Show at the South End’s Cyclorama.Visitors will be able to look and buy a diverse selection of antique art, jewelry, rare maps and ceramics. The event benefits the the social service agency Ellis Memorial . Friday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street, Boston. Tickets are $15.

According to its website, the Cape Cod Comedy Festival is two days of unique comedy shows hosted by actor Matty Blake from NBC’s 30 Rock and HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. The mix of acts includes song parodies, fake commercials and impressions. The show features Mike Dorval presenting the interactive “The Trials of Love,” Jon Stetson with a psychic comedy show and the World Gone Crazy comedy band. Festival proceeds benefit Cape Cod and Boston-area charities. Friday and Saturday at the Sea Crest Beach Hotel in Falmouth, Mass. $35 ticket includes all three shows.

THE JUSTICE

A NIGHT OF TALENTS

Dor Guez exhibit avoids contention despite its politics flawed reasons for why the exhibit failed to attract controversy on campus. By FIONA LOCKYER JUSTICE EDITOR

TALI SMOOKLER/the Justice

MOVING TO THE RHYTHM: Students performed belly dancing at the Fall Fest Variety Show last Friday in the Levin Ballroom.

Fall Fest Variety Show delights with diversity ■ The show featured several

musical performances and sketch comedy routines by myriad student groups. By ALIZA VIGDERMAN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

BRIANNA MUSSMAN/the Justice

HITTING THE STAGE: Jamele Adams gives elderly audience member a quick workout. The performance demonstrated the dancer’s personalities as well as their incredible step skills. The Bellydance Ensemble followed with a dance to “Houdini” by Foster the People. Perhaps the dancers could have benefitted from a more intimate venue; the subtleties of their performance did not seem to translate to a large audience. Following was Jewish a cappella group Manginah with “Ito Lanetzach,” sung by Jess Pullen ’13, “Holech Lesham” by Matt Sidell ’14 and “Ah Ah Ahava” by Coby Fleischman ’14. Fleischman’s standout performance conveyed her love and talent for singing, and the group’s clear excitement about the song translated to the audience. Next was a hilarious set of sketch comedy by Boris’ Kitchen and improvisational comedy by To Be Announced. The show ended with a passionate rendition of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by the Four Seasons and “My Girl” by the Temptations, sung by Voices of Soul. I was as enthralled as anyone when Kaos Kids began their office-themed dance to songs by Frank Ocean, Robin Thicke, Mikey J & The UK Female Allstars and Korean pop Internet sensation PSY’s

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012

OPINION

■ NY Times article offers

When I think of a talent show, I think of the movie Mean Girls—a boy singing Christina Aguilera to a chorus of boos. As I sat in the crowded Levin Ballroom on Friday, Oct. 13, I was filled with nervous anticipation for what I assumed to be amateur performances. However, the Fall Fest Variety Show proved me wrong. Instead of boos, the talented performers were met with fervent applause—and not only because much of the audience was comprised of loyal family members. The variety show is a compilation of different performance groups on campus, including a cappella groups, improv groups and dance ensembles. It is a chance for students to show their parents and peers what exactly goes into the Brandeis experience— which is, as it were, massive amounts of a cappella. This year, it was emceed by local celebrity and Associate Dean of Student Life Jamele Adams and the nearly-as-famous student emcee Shaquan Perkins ’13. The hammy duo are natural performers and interacted with the audience with an impromptu spelling bee, shout and repeats and plenty of jokes. The most memorable emcee moment by far was when Adams brought a 76-year-old audience member on stage, who did a remarkable 30 push ups, after asking if he had an oxygen tank on standby. Audience members were laughing, smiling and generally enjoying themselves. Adagio’s Dance Ensemble began with a dance to Fun’s “One Foot.” As an avid Dance Moms watcher, I am a huge fan of choreographed dances. Sadly, if this were Dance Moms, Abby Lee would have put these girls at the bottom of the pyramid. The choreography fumbled, and the dancers definitely could have benefitted from more practice with a metronome. The So Unique Step Team performance combined body percussion and dance to engage multiple senses.

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“Gangnam Style.” For me, however, when it comes to any type of performance, it is not only the talent, but also the showmanship that matters. Do the performers look excited and passionate about what they are doing? Are they projecting to the audience? Do they look comfortable on stage? Is the performer emoting using the correct facial expressions and gesticulations? One example of a group that did not engage the audience was To Be Announced. While I acknowledge how empirically difficult improv comedy is, many of the group’s members had no regard for the audience and not only did not project but were often facing the wall as they spoke. The awkward, low energy scenes made for an uncomfortable audience. Also lackluster was Voices of Praise, Brandeis’ one-andonly gospel choir. “The Way They Praise Him,” proved to be simply half-hearted swaying while singing passionlessly. Overall, the Variety Show was well received and went remarkably without a hitch. The performances overall were excellent and really captured the essence of performance art at Brandeis—diverse, interesting and, most of all, entertaining.

Upon hearing that the Rose Art Museum was providing free wine and cheese at its exhibition opening, I quickly made my way down to lower campus to avail myself of the opportunity. I had seen the posters for “100 Steps to the Mediterranean” and originally thought, based on the art featured on the poster, that it would be a series of aged photos from Israel. It’s already pretty clear: I wasn’t paying very close attention to the posters that I had been seeing, and my priorities that night clearly were not to view and analyze serious pieces of art. Yet, as I entered the exhibit after having sipped on my cup of white wine, I was taken aback by the art that I saw. Specifically, I found the videos thought-provoking. I saw the video of exhibition artist Dor Guez’s father who talked about what it meant to be a Christian in Palestine. I felt like in a way, I could kind of relate: I am a multiracial, Catholic student who finds herself, often enough, in a sea of people who look nothing like me and do not believe the same things I do. I fervently tried to explain this feeling to my friend standing nearby; she responded with a bored nod of affirmation. With a little more prodding on my part for conversation, we ended up agreeing that, overall, the exhibition touched on the IsraeliPalestinian conflict in a way that was palatable. It didn’t spark conflict; no one protested outside of the museum, no group of students arrived in shirts all bearing the same sentiment, no whispers circulated around the room about the subject matter. And why not? The New York Times informed me this past Saturday that the exhibit was, in fact, controversial. Apparently, according to the article, Guez is known for “polemical” work, and it is said that his work seeks to “deconstruct the Zionist master plan.” Not to sound pedantic, but I have seen my fair share of controversy on campus in my time here. I was around when Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Oren was the commencement speaker. I lived through the creation of Jewish Voice for Peace on campus (and when they petitioned Hillel for membership). I have seen the students on both sides of the Israel-Palestine debate voice their opinions, both in ways that were respectful and ways that were slightly shocking. And I know that generally, when a contentious issue concerning Israel arises on campus, people tend to talk about it. As a person who has no intrinsic connection to the Middle East and has only learned about the issues from being at Brandeis where the topic arises so frequently, I rely on my classmates to bring controversial points to light. So, why did my fellow students fail to inform me that Guez’s work is controversial? I suspect that there are three possible reasons why this controversial figure went unnoticed by students, the first being that we simply did not grasp the idea behind the exhibition. It took me a fair amount of time to analyze the art, and I thought about a number of different connections before I realized that it addressed both Israelis and Palestinians alike. It was a complex, multi-layered, multimedia effort that relied on a lengthy stay at the exhibit to take all of the information in. There

were seven videos in total, alongside a handful of photographs. Some information was available to explain the different pieces, but, at least when I went, employees of the Rose who were qualified to explain the art could not be found. My second idea is that we, as Brandeis students, have become desensitized to the topic of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. This might explain my friend’s bored responses to my attempts at conversation that cooled what could have been, at another time, a heated subject of debate. After all, it is, undeniably, the most polarizing topic on campus next to the debate over the role of Judaism in the University’s identity. Perhaps we simply don’t see it anymore. Perhaps we simply don’t care to discuss it anymore. As Joshua Kaye ’13 is quoted in the New York Times, the two camps of students don’t really interact with each other. What’s the point of engaging in a debate that could alienate you from classmates without solving a problem? Truthfully, I don’t think either of these reasons really explains why the controversy has been heretofore absent from discussions about the exhibition. I’d wager that Brandeisians generally have a good grasp on how to find meaning behind art, especially when the meaning has to do with a subject as sensitive and central to campus as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Perhaps students simply didn’t see the exhibit. It is in my mind, the lack of exposure that has lead to a lack of discussion. Despite what Director of Academic Programs at the Rose

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“I know that generally, when a contentious issue concerning Israel arises on campus, people tend to talk about it.” Dabney Hailey said in an interview with the Justice after the exhibit opened, I don’t think that student turnout was as high as it could have, and should have, been. According to Guez, the subject matter of the exhibit was not toned down at all for its showing at Brandeis (see Arts, 19). Interesting subject matter is in the Rose. I feel that had the exhibit been better publicized (the Times article points out that the University “carefully labeled” the event as an exploration of the existence of Christian Palestinians in the Middle East, instead of what it was, an exploration of all Palestinians, Christian and Muslim, in the Middle East) then the campus may have reacted. This is not to say that the reaction would have been loud, or bitter, or in any way news-worthy. Maybe new groups such as Brandeis Visions for Israel in an Evolving World, which works to foster conversation about different views of Israel, would have hosted an event and used this exhibit as a topic of conversation. Better promotion on the part of the Rose Art Museum would have caught more students’ attention and likely inspired more student debate. The exhibit will be open until December; I hope that, following our recent press coverage, student discussions about where Guez’s art fits in the conversation about Israel and Palestine will again be heard throughout the campus.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012

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THE JUSTICE

DELVING INTO NATURE

Fairytale comes alive ■ Despite the freezing

temperatures, ‘Into the Woods’ entertains the audience with its antics. By anita palmer JUSTICE contributing WRITER

Widely considered to be one of the most notable contributions to musical theater, Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods made its Brandeis debut last Thursday. Produced by the Free Play Theater Cooperative and directed by Jessie Field ’13, the seemingly lighthearted production focuses on beloved childhood fairy tales, but brings to light the twisted fate that follows the “happily ever after.” The musical begins with the story of the baker’s wife (Jaime Perutz ’13) and the baker, who are cursed to remain childless by an evil witch. In their journey to seek an end to their wicked curse, they cross paths with the spirited Cinderella (Sarah Hines ’15), naïve Rapunzel (Alison Thvedt ’15), fearful Jack of the Beanstalk (Jeffrey Lowenstein ’15) and the charmingly innocent Little Red Riding Hood (Aliza Sotsky ’15) who learns a lesson about strangers from the cunning Wolf (Zach Smith ’15). The production is adorned with numerous other characters as well. Ultimately, the colorful cast comes together to slay the vengeful Giantess after nearly three hours of song. The storyteller, Ross Johnston ’14, enthusiastically narrates the tale throughout the production. Perhaps taken all too literally, the production took place in Sachar Woods rather than the familiar Spingold Theater. Nestled in Sachar Woods behind the International

Business School, the risky staging choice brought a sense of intimacy to the show. The audience members sat in the forest along with the cast and the orchestra pit, which managed to collectively voice the Giantess while donning scarves, hats and even snuggies. The Giantess is the common enemy that the entire cast unites against, but is never shown throughout the show. This innovative production decision relied almost entirely on the woods themselves, but was supplemented by a small stage and tower, which was a platform placed on two tree trunks. This addition to the set proved to be all that was necessary and allowed the animated cast members to easily move throughout the stage. Although only small additions were added in terms of production, the large cast of Into the Woods captivated and warmed up their audience, while they themselves assuredly fought off shivers. Hines added another dimension to the classic fairytale princess. Her pitch-perfect harmonies and strong acting created a dynamic and interesting character far beyond a traditional Cinderella. Similarly, Sotsky as Little Red Riding Hood perfectly exemplified the very real consequences that going into the woods entail. She created a complex character that is endearing in her youth but burdened by hardship, which contrasted well with the sinister Fox played by Smith. While attempting to allure Little Red Riding Hood, Smith flawlessly balanced humor with guile. The Baker’s Wife was incredible in her role and served as strong foundation for the show in terms of both acting and singing. Though having the production outside certainly had its advantages, it was as a double-edged sword

responsible for numerous issues in sound and lighting. Sound throughout the show was regretfully unreliable and at times many of the softer voices were entirely inaudible. When large groups were singing together, some of the stronger voices seemed to have entirely swallowed those not quite as powerful. Lighting for the entire production came from a single source behind the audience and left much to be desired. Seating was also limited to a single tarp and narrow standing space behind the lighting. This limitation was unwelcoming to latecomers, many of whom left because they didn’t want to stand throughout the show. Yes, Into the Woods assuredly possessed some flaws in production, but all of which were no more than logistical fallouts. The production showcased some of the trademark theatrical talent on campus and was obviously well-rehearsed and planned. The setting did bring with it a touch of fantasy, but would have been much more pleasant had it been matched with a warmer temperature. In spite of this, the communal immersion did bring the audience together, as did the performance of the orchestra pit. Directed by Alex Faye ’15, the orchestra livened up the show and significantly added to the fairy-tale setting. All in all, Into the Woods was a very intimate story, telling the tale of what it means to be happy, in our world and in theirs. Possessing the striking juxtaposition of both childhood naïveté and adulthood tragedy, Into the Woods is compelling in its humanity. It questions ideas about consequence and responsibility and redefines childhood fables. An innovative story to its core, the actors carry on Sondheim’s tradition with their similarly inspiring talent.

Photos by JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

A FANTASTICAL EVENING: A crowd sat on the ground in the Sachar Woods to watch actors such as Isaac Rabbani ‘14 and Jeffrey Lowenstein ’15 (above) and Aliza Sotsky ’15 (below).

CONCERT

Weeknight concert worth the extra study break ■ At his Wednesday

night Chum’s show, Gabe Goodman ’15 proved his talent as a singer/songwriter. By JOE CROOK JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Who likes midterms? I know it’s bad to make generalizations, but I’m going to have to go out on a limb and say the answer to this one is nobody. If you find yourself coming to the same conclusion I just did, then come to Cholmondeley’s each Wednesday night in the near future for WBRS’ coffeehouse series. Kicking off the program this past Wednesday was none other than Her Campus deemed Campus Cutie, and good friend of mine, Gabe Goodman ’15. Goodman got his start performing on the popular 90’s TV show, Kids Say the Darndest Things, at the tender age of five. From his early and humble beginnings as a child with an acoustic guitar and a passion for music, Goodman has come a long way. “If Gavin DeGraw and Frank Ocean had a lovechild that played with synthesizers, its name would be Gabe Goodman” writes KRuel on the blog Violent Success. That’s pretty accurate, especially considering Goodman closed out his half-hour Chums

set with a cover of Frank Ocean’s hit “Novacane,” but I think I’d change Gavin DeGraw to U.K. electronic artist James Blake. Like Blake, Goodman knows the secret recipe for combining electronic sound and live instrumentation into a dish much more satiating than either could accomplish alone. With Goodman at the helm, the two seemingly disparate musical camps complement one another effortlessly. Armed with nothing but a laptop, guitar and his vocal cords, Goodman leapt onto the small Chum’s stage before a densely packed crowd of friends, supporters and fans. With his pompadour-esque hairstyle, vintage Hawaiian button-down and affable stage presence, Goodman evoked the style and charisma of rockers past. It is clear he was meant to be a performer. After a few kind words to the crowd, Goodman decided it was time to let his music do the talking. The set started off with a new song, “Malibu,” which was a display of Goodman’s soulful guitar work as well as his mastery of production, evidenced by the various sample triggers and backing tracks he utilized. The crowd was still getting warmed up when Goodman decided to lay down one of his most impressive works to date, titled “Bent Fiction,” off his most recent EP, Midnight Sour. “Bent Fiction” starts with a lone midrange squelch that immediately references

much of the evocative, heads-down electronic music that is popular in the scene today. Goodman plays the role of tour guide as he leads the crowd up his mountain of sound. Instead of the various components rushing in together, Goodman points them out layer by layer—the bass booms, the chord stabs and his own impassioned vocals—as the audience follows his ascension to the summit, where everything comes together in a way that proves the whole is in fact greater than the sum of its parts. However, the sound is not smothering. It is something exceedingly breathable, which Goodman demonstrates as he lurches back and forth on stage, losing himself in the mammoth dynamics of his sound. Sometime toward the tail end of the show, Goodman broke a string but still managed to finish the song on a high note before he hopped off stage momentarily to get his backup guitar. After playing through a healthy chunk of his own music, Goodman answered an audience request for a cover with a song by none other than contemporary R & B prodigy, Frank Ocean. The song, “Novacane,” is a risky one to perform for most people, as it is a relatively new tune and belongs to an artist who is undeniably a master at his craft. This was no karaoke affair either; Goodman radiated nothing but confi-

JOSH HOROWITZ/the Justice

COLLEGE CROONER: Brandeis student Gabe Goodman performs at the coffeehouse. dence during his rendition, and easily made the song his own. It would be foolish to try to emulate Ocean’s highregister vocals, and Goodman knew this as he transformed the song to fit his own unique breed of pop-tinged electronic R & B. Within 30 minutes, Gabe Goodman leapt onto the stage, fired through seven tracks, and then he was off. In this small window of time, Goodman

painted a vivid portrait of himself as an artist. From epic moments of catharsis during “Bent Fiction,” guitar-driven pop melodies on “Physical Education,” and his closing cover of “Novacane,” Goodman hit all his strong points and provided something beyond a study break for the students lucky enough to catch his half-hour Brandeis debut at Chum’s.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012

ALBUM REVIEW

Macklemore releases anticipated album ■ After releasing a series

of mixtapes, Macklemore releases debut album that features DJ Ryan Lewis. By ELI BOONIN-VAIL JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Ben Haggerty, who assumes the moniker Macklemore, is in many ways the ideal indie rapper. He has the troubled past and promising future that we all love in our performers. He is not afraid to inject autobiography into his rhymes, bringing truth and grit to his music. His voice is ear candy and his lyrics are close to genius. To top it all off, he’s working with Ryan Lewis, a disc jockey who intuitively knows how to elevate syntax and diction through perfect beats. The Heist, released Oct. 9, is less a debut album than it is a culmination; Macklemore has been working on the album itself for two straight years and has been releasing mixtapes and performing since 2005. The Heist doesn’t sound like the beginning of a promising career; it sounds like the fulfillment of a promise Macklemore made to himself over half a decade ago. And what a fulfillment it is. The album’s beats alone are enough to sustain an hour’s worth of listening time. Lewis’ knowledgeable navigation of hip-hop sounds gives The Heist a diverse array of tracks. “Thrift Shop,” arguably the album’s best track, hearkens back to the brash horns of the Beastie Boys with an entrancing sax riff. “Can’t Hold Us” and “White Walls” build electric anthems with Kanye-esque pulsating percussion. The humble piano of “Same Love” is reminiscent of primo Atmosphere tracks. Macklemore leaves the scene entirely in the instrumental break “Bombom,” allowing Lewis to build a luscious track of swelling piano and drum that bursts into horns. Macklemore deserves no less than Ryan Lewis as a DJ, seeing as his own musical pallet is equally diverse. No subject matter appears to be out of Macklemore’s incredible reach. He shifts frenetically from

heavy introspection to light-hearted party fodder, making seamless transitions between alternating roles as a rapper. It almost seems like there are two Macklemores battling each other for the microphone, one who’s being torn apart by inner demons and the other who just wants to get silly on the dance floor. This duality of purpose could tear a weaker album apart, but on The Heist the contrast between dance party and pity party is actually what holds the album together. “Thrift Shop,” a song about buying broken keyboards and Velcro shoes, is so undeniably self-aware that its silliness and cockiness just heighten the track to danceable perfection. “Thrift Shop” stabs at the duality of nature persistent within the core of Macklemore—a rapper who wants to have fun but knows when to be serious. Macklemore wrote “Thrift Shop,” but he also wrote “Starting Over,” in which he narrates his struggle abusing cough syrup. “Same Love” will inevitably be the centerpiece of the “Macklemore is a serious rapper who raps seriously and who should be taken seriously as a rapper” discussion. While not the darkest or most personal track on The Heist, “Same Love” is an introspective and eloquent tribute to gay rights by a rapper. “If I was gay, I would think hip hop hates me,” raps Macklemore on the track. He manages to be remorseful without being apologetic, socially critical without being arrogant and bold without being brash. “Same Love” is a significant moment in hip-hop, and hopefully it will motivate conversation about homosexuality in popular music. However, the song that cements Macklemore as a serious rapper comes six tracks after “Same Love.” It is a biting piece of social commentary on the nature of capitalist consumerism called “Wings,” in which Macklemore reflects on how basketball shoes signified social status when he was in high school. It’s an anti-rap that rails against the consumption that other rappers glorify. The agony and resentment that echoes in Macklemore’s throat when he screams “I listened to what

CHRISTOPHER DUBE/MCT

DYNAMITE DUO: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis perform together at the 2011 Sasquatch! Music Festival in George, Washington. that swoosh said” embodies the personal and social inspection that elevate The Heist in its most serious tracks. Interestingly enough, “Wings” and “Thrift Shop” are both songs about consuming clothing that

take diametrically opposed stances. “Wings” displays Macklemore’s inner feelings on the nature of consumption, which in turn means that the consumption of “Thrift Shop” was satirical. “Thrift Shop” reveals itself to be another anti-rap song

that parodies the Gucci bandanas and favorite brands of other popular artists by bragging about buying cheap coats. In this way, Macklemore’s duality of purpose elevates The Heist, making it an excellent album.

THEATer

‘Or’ reveals complex social commentary ideas ■ Set in the 17th century,

Brandeis Players’ debut production of the year balances multiple themes. By Rachel HUGHES JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Just in time for Fall Fest, the Brandeis Players readied themselves to perform a new show on campus— Liz Duffy Adams’ witty masterpiece of a play, Or. The performances took place in the Carl J. Shapiro Theater, debuting on Thursday, Oct. 11, and running through Sunday, Oct. 14. At each show, the theater filled up comfortably with students and their families, eager to see a play whose bottom line—to pursue what is important to you, even if that is unaccepted by society—greatly parallels the Brandeisian experience. Adams’ play is, on the surface, a fascinating comedy that explores the tension between personal commitment and political entanglement in the life of a charming and clever young plawright, named Aphra Behn. As much as one must pay attention to the involved plotline of the play, the mannerisms of the characters are where the true genius of this work lies. Though the play is set in the 17th century, critics have hailed it as a commentary on the social culture of the 1960s. Many details in conversation, implied social norms in the play and thematic scenarios presented in Or clearly correspond to elements of the 1960s that are familiar even to those of us who did not live through them. The play opened with a monologue by Aphra (Anneke Reich ’13,) that accounted for its oddly pithy title by pleading to the audience the dilemma of living in a sequence of “or,” following the general trend of loyalty or love?

JENNY CHENG/the Justice

VINTAGE ATTIRE: Aphra and Lady Davenant were well-dressed in 17th-century style. Choice or conformity? Perhaps the greatest theme in the play is that life gives us each only a certain amount of time and will confront us with impossible choices, and the decisions that we make determine not only what is

important to us, but what our lives become. When the lights dim and re-illuminate for the first time after Aphra’s monologue, we find her in a jail cell, perched all too comfortably at a writ-

ing desk, heckling the jailer for more ink for her elaborate quill pen. She is writing a letter to the King of England, reminding him to uphold his end of some bargain made between the two in the course of her other day job—as a government-employed spy. Once Aphra is released from jail, the next scene opens in her writing parlor, where the rest of the play takes place. Over the span of one night, Aphra remains in her room with a trifold purpose: to finish writing her newest play by the morning, to tie up loose ends left from her last spy mission and to keep under control her lovers and friends who pop in throughout the night. Judging from the audience’s response of overwhelming laughter, a favorite scene was when Lady Davenant, a patroness of the arts, it seems, who has much levity in the London theater, bursts into Aphra’s chamber barely announced. Perhaps the initial hilarity of the scene can be attributed to the fact that the actor (Christopher Knight ’14) who played the Lady is actually a young man of considerable height, towering above the petite Reich in a ghastly colored gown with a voluminous hoopskirt, a blonde wig of tightly curled hair and even high heeled shoes—not that he needed them. Lady Davenant stormed into Aphra’s parlor and blustered about, raving in a feigned British accent that required careful attention to decode. Aphra floated behind her, and the two made several hilarious turns about the room, knocking over furniture as the Lady poked at Aphra with an illustrious feathered fan while she spoke. Each character steals the show in his or her own way, and although each had an all-consuming presence, this only fueled and improved the interactions between them all. The course of the play sees an array of dynamics: Williams, Aphra’s ex-lover and current coworker as a spy, played by

Andrew Prentice ’13, bobs in and out of the writing room at the most inconvenient of times and is shut in a closet with a bottle of liquor by Aphra the rest of the time. A rising actress and friend of Aphra’s, Nell, (Corrie Legge ’14,) alternates between indulging in her attraction to Aphra, eavesdropping unsuccessfully on Aphra’s other encounters when Aphra shuts her in the bedchamber and sleeping with King Charles, who happens to be Aphra’s other lover. King Charles (Alex Karel ’14,) is utterly clueless to the happenings within Aphra’s parlor and is entirely taken with Nell. Maya Grant ’13 plays Maria, Aphra’s feisty housemaid who supplies endless sass and makes a hilarious impression on each of the other characters. Altogether, the play was harmoniously executed. Each line poured gracefully into the next, and the actors’ impeccable timing provoked many laughs from the audience. The students acting were so comfortable that they hardly seemed aware of the taboo nature of their parts, considering the time period in which the play is actually set. They explored themes of promiscuity, openness about bisexuality, the empowerment of women and used obscenities in normal conversation— all things which hearken more to the “free love” culture of the 1960s than to the tight-laced ethos of colonial-era England. I hope that those who saw Brandeis’ production of Or also picked up on the complex underlying themes in it, as this play is most enjoyable and relatable when one realizes that it is multidimensional. The thematic content of the play may compound into a different take-home message for every viewer, but perhaps that is the grandest thing to learn from Or: Everyone is different, and if we choose not to express what makes us each unique, life will certainly be one boring show.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012

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THE JUSTICE

FILM REVIEW

‘Looper’ beguiles with clever plot despite flaws ■ Rian Johnson’s film is

strengthened by strong acting from Joseph GordonLevitt and Bruce Willis. By AARON BURKE JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Time travel movies tend to come in two varieties. There’s the lighthearted Back to the Future-esque fare in which convoluted time-travel logic is used to the film’s own advantage. Then there’s the darker Terminator-type, the movies that disguise their broken time travel logic in the form of a deeper story. Looper is the first film I’ve seen that manages to use time travel to both ends. It doesn’t hide from the logic; it takes full advantage and employs it with originality and sincerity. At the same time, it maintains a strong story with which the sci-fi elements create a mostly even balance. Writer/director Rian Johnson has crafted a unique action thriller, compelling for the most part but not without its flaws. For example, the movie’s mid-section almost seems to be a bridge leveled from a Hallmark Channel movie and roughly dropped in place of what should have been Looper’s second act. By the end of the movie it makes a bit more sense, but for a while it looked like Johnson became uncertain whether he was directing Looper or a made-for-television remake of The Omen. The plot centers around a “looper” agent named Joe, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The loopers are a select group of deadly assassins working for a crime syndicate whose base exists 30 years in the future. It is apparently rather difficult to discard of bodies in the future, therefore the syndicate’s victims are sent—alive and well—30 years into the past. Here the loopers immediately gun the time travellers down, after which they claim from their bodies a nice fortune in silver bars. The catch is that no loose ends can be left, and the loopers must always “close the loop.” In other words, the loopers are tasked with killing their future selves,

with the knowledge that they’ll get a hefty pay day and an enjoyable 30 years until they’re greeted by a silver bullet from the past. This provides the ground for the coming plot, which sees Joe’s future self, played by Bruce Willis, returning to the past to face assassination by past Joe. Unfortunately for young Joe, his elder has a master plan— one that will spare himself from death and potentially undo the future he faces. Never before have I seen sheer exposition play so fascinating on film. This includes a wonderfully directed sequence that demonstrates the movie’s masterful usage of time travel. The future version of a minor character is forced to face the consequences of escaping from his self-assassinator. He experiences his own body being dismantled from the past as we witness the gruesome details through clever cross-cutting between both versions of himself. It’s among the most creative usages of time travel ever put to film—the R-rated version of the dance sequence from Back to the Future. Unfortunately, the basics of this world are so compelling that by the time the plot rolls along it’s actually less interesting than the set-up. About halfway through the film the younger Joe finds himself holed up in a farm in the middle of nowhere, owned by a headstrong single mom named Sarah (Emily Blunt) who is determined to protect her young son, Cid (Pierce Gagnon), from the carnage of future Joe. This is where the film’s problems lie. The switch in focus from the looper syndicate to the child’s personal story is rather abrupt. It segues into a (only somewhat believable) fusion between family melodrama and B-movie horror flick. Some sequences feature Cid becoming overly enraged and growing facial expressions akin to Oscar the Grouch. He also delivers complex dialogue that no five-year-old kid would comprehend unless his Dr. Seuss books were replaced with the complete collection of William Faulkner. The editing of these scenes is cheesy, and again, B-movie-ish. Cid’s role does ultimately

bring the movie full circle, it just wasn’t handled with as much subtlety as it could have been. Helping the movie along is impeccable acting from the leads. Gordon-Levitt does an uncanny Bruce Willis impression, nailing the actor’s squinty-eyed intensity and effortlessly reproducing his mannerisms. Even the way he speaks out of the corner of his mouth and elevates his vocal pitch is spot-on. Unfortunately, he also wears iffy prosthetic makeup that attempts to blend his facial features with Willis’. I assume this was done to make the aging process look more convincing, but Gordon-Levitt’s acting chops alone would have been enough. Willis, for his part, does a fine job as future Joe, acting every bit Gordon-Levitt’s battle-scarred elder, hell-bent on a single, unwavering purpose. Also of note is Blunt, who deftly portrays a limited strength, a portrait of a mother without a clear idea of how to help her child. And Jeff Daniels amusingly oils up the screen as the slimy present-day leader of the looper syndicate. These performances grip us even as the movie’s genre appears to waver. But the film satisfactorily builds to an impressive conclusion, and restores some of the ingenuity present in the film’s first half. I wouldn’t exactly call the finale mind-blowing, but it certainly throws the viewer for a loop. My take-away from Looper is a brilliant story with a somewhat flawed execution. Stellar performances and possibly the most ingenious use of time travel ever put to film create a winning formula. Johnson knows how to craft a psychological thriller with enough resources to impress the cerebral audience, yet a proper amount of action interludes to appease the adrenaline junkies. I’ll give Johnson the benefit of the doubt and say that even the film’s dips are only in service of its spikes, balancing the thrills with moments of humanity. Johnson’s plot loops around a few times, sometimes in unclear directions, but always with an end in sight. And he closes the loop with the impact of a bullet.

ALAN MARKFIELD/MCT

ATYPICAL ASSASSINS: Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the protagonist in ‘Looper,’ a deadly assassin who works for a criminal group.

PAKISTANI CULTURE

GRAY318/John Murray

LITERATURE OF WARTIME: The plot of the book is set during the Bengali War of Independence in 1971 and describes the impact of war on a South Asian family.

South Asian novel offers a glimpse of a family in crisis ■ The book, which is set

in Bangladesh, is required reading in “SAS 130A: Film and Fiction of Crisis.” By ANJULIKA SAHGAL JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“Zindagi yun bhi guzar hi jaati” in Hindi means life will go on, no matter what hardships one encounters. A compelling read, A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam transports the reader into the hardships of an independent mother in the ethnic heart of East Pakistan amid the Bengali war of independence in 1971. The focus of this novel is the mother, Rehana Haque, who was widowed early on in her life and had her children, Maya and Sohail, taken away from her by her brother-in-law and his wife because she appeared unfit to raise them by herself. She will take on the role of mother and father amidst a war that would change her perception of life forever. If not for the war, she would have taken on the traditional role of only mother. However, the war drives her to take on the role of a rebel that hardly existed for females during the 1970s. Crises often tend to expose a person’s weaknesses, strengths and, sometimes, their priorities. Maya’s priority is the war and for Bangladesh to become an independent nation, which brings out her fierce honesty. Throughout the novel, she is always curious about the intricacies of the war and expected to hear the truth from her brother, Sohail. The first-person narrative told through Rehana reflects the strengthening voice of women, and the effect of war on her children and her community. The book was assigned for my “Film and Fiction of Crisis” class, and it was hard to put it down after I started reading it. Anam’s writing style is simple, yet powerful. Not only do the gunshots of war echo in the background of the book, but also the community and family dynamics are so strong that you feel like a part of the Haque family. Rehana’s character is unique because “she spoke with fluency, the Urdu of the enemy,” and this book essentially shows us the extreme measures a mother takes because of her love for her son.

The book also captures the beauty of ethnic wear, through the materials and colors that signify the different social classes, and even food is used as a familial element to symbolize certainty and constancy. In this novel, food is a symbol of maintaining a community and a family, and empowers the term “home.” These details add to Rehanna’s character and enforce her actions as we see when she decides that she needs to redeem her position in society and becomes a nationalist. Rehana struggles with the concept of “nationalism” but contributes by reminding herself that her duty as a mother is to “[s]end my son to war with a full stomach.” Although food represents a constant force, it becomes a gesture of welcoming the refugees who find solace in Rehana’s garden and a symbol of acceptance even though there is a limited food supply in her kitchen. The mouth-watering mentions of Bengali-Indian food make the pages a compelling and irresistible read. The novel is also a story about war, religion, gender roles and family dynamics. Set in a region of religious diversity based in Dhaka, the novel struggles with the Hindu and Muslim conflict and the ways the characters choose to deal with their different ideologies. A Golden Age is a portrayal of a Muslim family and shifting gender roles because of the political turmoil created by the war between East and West Pakistan. For South Asian countries, family units mean so much more than the individual. It’s the community that keeps everyone alive through the food, love and support, as even in the darkest of times, Rehana sacrificed her time to “pour coconut oil” into her friend’s hair, and “picked out the dirt.” What makes this book compelling are the family touches Anam adds to history of Bangladesh. This book explores the journey of Rehana’s character, in the midst of war and partition in East Pakistan. A Golden Age exhibits the strengthening voice of women’s roles in the 1970s through the lives of Rehana, Maya and Sohail. The 176 pages will transport you into a damaged country, a Bangladesh that longs for its independence, through the eyes of Rehana, who was also recovering from the death of her husband.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012

FOOD

Boston restaurants serve up great food ■ Parents’ weekend proved

the perfect opportunity for Jessie Miller ’15 to explore Boston-area restaurants, from a diner-style breakfast to an upscale dinner. By JESSIE MILLER JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

What is the best part of my parents coming to town? The food. Besides spending time with two of my favorite people in the world, I can always look forward to a weekend break from Usdan and getting out into the culinary world of Boston. This past weekend, while here for Fall Festival, my parents surely fulfilled my cravings; from Friday to Sunday we ventured to a grand total of five restaurants. It’s a miracle I can even move after the massive quantities of delicious food we consumed over the three days. After their mid-morning arrival, my parents and I went to In a Pickle, a local Waltham favorite. The small restaurant wasn’t very crowded, as it tends to be at peak hours, and we immediately sat down at a table. I ordered coconut banana French toast with a side of home fries and two eggs, what they call “The Ringer.” As far as French toast goes, I consider myself pretty well informed, so I can confidently say it was damn good. The bread was coated with coconut, then cooked and topped with sliced bananas. It was the perfect combination—a little crunchy, sweet, yet hearty. 7/10. For dinner, we stepped it up a notch and went to Bistro 5, an upscale Italian restaurant located in nearby Medford that was the apex of my dining tour. After pouring over the extensive menu, we ordered appetizers—a delicious, warm golden beet salad with goat cheese on top and, my personal favorite, the crispy tuna. Wrapped in a phyllo shell, the raw tuna was incredibly fresh with a side of avocado and cilantro salad and wasabi tobiko sauce that compliments the bite-sized food perfectly. As for entrees, I chose spaghetti alla chitara—squid ink and saffron pasta with assorted seafood. I was delighted and relieved that this dish met my high hopes. My companions ordered mushroom gnocchi, scallops and tagliatelle bolognese. The gnocchi was the ideal texture, the

sauce was not too creamy, and it had the perfect amount of garlic expected from an Italian restaurant. The scallops were good, yet nothing special, but the plating was adorable— the scallops were over pumpkin risotto, some of which was served in a miniature pumpkin. Though I did not try the tagliatelle, I was told the mixture of veal, beef and pork in a savory red sauce was equally delicious, yet could have used more garlic. For dessert, we had an apple torta that was perfect for fall and a rich chocolate torte, but the true standout was the evening special– caramelized spaghetti squash in a white chocolate cup topped with ice cream. I wouldn’t think an obscure vegetable would make a good dessert, but it emerged as a savory-sweet blend of smooth and stringy textures. 8.5/10. The next morning, we ventured out to one of my favorite restaurants, The Friendly Toast. Though I have been to this Cambridge restaurant a few times in the past, I always look forward to its eclectic décor and perfect brunch fare. To start, I ordered a Pinky milkshake (vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup and fresh raspberries). For my main course, I got the classic tofu scramble–tofu, vegetarian sausage, mushrooms, corn, feta and provolone served with a side of home fries. The spicy potatoes go perfectly with a bite of the savory scramble and the proportions of the ingredients were perfect. My table also ordered a pumpkin pancake that had chocolate covered raisins cooked inside; it was good, but I definitely think some of their other pancakes are better, like the King Cakes with bananas and chocolate chips inside, and peanut butter and whipped cream on top. 8/10. On Saturday night, I went with a group of 14 people consisting of my friends and their families to Watch City Brewery in Waltham. Despite our reservation, we still waited at least 20 minutes for our table, but the manager did compensate for our wait with free appetizers. I was disappointed by my veggie burger, which I distinctly remember as having been much better prepared the last time I was there. The sweet potato fries, however, were once again perfect and the appetizer nachos were a great starter. Other highlights around the table included the lamb burger, which both people who ordered it agreed that it had to have been made in-house, and the steak

WICKEDVT/Creative Commons

MOODY STREET HANGOUT: Watch City Brewery is a great local place to grab a bite to eat or sample their crafted beers. bombers, which I understood to be a sort of Philly cheesesteak egg roll. 5/10. The last meal my parents and I shared was an impromptu Sunday lunch at Ponzu on Moody Street in Waltham. I had heard rave reviews of their sushi, so I was anxious to try it out, and Ponzu did not disappoint. Their menu truly has something for everyone, from sushi to fried rice. I ordered a shrimp tempura topped with a tuna roll, two pieces of eel nigiri and miso soup. The shrimp tempura was especially delicious because it had the perfect amount of crunch in the breading, but melted in your mouth. We also ordered an Indonesian Gado Gado salad, consisting of cucumber, jicama, bean sprouts and string beans in a peanut dressing. Not only delectable, this dish was entirely unique and something I’ve never had at other sushi restaurants. 8/10. After this weekend, I’m dreading the return to the dining halls and I don’t even have any leftovers in my mini-fridge. But I’ll be waiting for the next time my parents come for a visit, most likely armed with a handful of new restaurants I’m dying to try.

LODIGS/Creative Commons

TUNA DELIGHTS: Ponzu serves up raw tuna over an avocado puree on a rice cracker.

Book review

‘American Pie’ screenwriter pens debut novel ■ After dedicating most of

his time to screenwriting movies, David H. Steinberg has published his first book, ‘Last Stop This Town,’ a story about four teenage boys. By Adelina simpson JUSTICE contributing WRITER

It’s official: the awkward Brandeisian stereotype has made its way into fiction. If you’ve ever pondered what would happen if a Brandeis kid stumbled onto an American Pie film set, look no further than David H. Steinberg’s new book, Last Stop This Town. Meet Walker Schlossberg: He wears khakis, button-downs, has a Jew-fro, a 3.7 GPA and his friend, Dylan, admits (sarcastically or not, you pick) that he’s “super sexy.” This guy is probably your roommate. Walker, along with his pals Noah, Dylan and Pike, celebrates the last weekend before high school trying to get laid. The stakes are really high for Walker: He is a virgin and an incoming Brandeis student. But at record Brandeisian speed, Walker loses his virginity by page 160 out of 184 in the book. You go, Walker. Steinberg, who wrote the screen-

plays for several films in the American Pie series, Slacker and National Lampoon’s Barely Legal, wrote his debut novel as a kind of innocent prequel to these porn-like movies. In a moment of meta-narration, the narrator says: “Maybe deep down [the boys] knew college wasn’t really going to be like Animal House … it was the part they didn’t show you in American Pie movies and on Greek.” Like the part where the boys survive an almost-fatal car chase together, or the part where Dylan can’t hand over his friends’ yearbooks because there’s too much to write. But Last Stop This Town hardly leaves raunchiness at the curb, even though its protagonists just learned to drive. The friends skip “Beach Weekend,” a last hoorah graduation bash, opting to drive into New York City from their hometown of West Hartford, Conn. The city, besides providing a petri dish of debauchery for the boys, offers “Stark Raving Mad 2012,” a rave tellingly sponsored by Smirnoff Ices. The book, at times, reads too much like an inappropriate American Pie for the younger set, like when Dylan and Noah take a dip in a Jacuzzi at The Plaza Hotel with 12-year-olds before realizing they’re 12-year-olds. Steinberg captures that teenage dilemma: the boys are too old for ju-

nior-high schoolers, yet too young for most 20-somethings. How can Pike prove his credibility to his pseudo-intellectual crush that’s enrolled in the women’s studies department at New York University? Especially when she says things such as, “We really need to explore the unstable nexus of gender, sexuality, race and class in order to subvert the phallocentric hegemony.” Sound familiar? The biggest problem for Walker, Dylan, Pike and Noah isn’t that they have to prove themselves. It’s that they’re leaving behind friends who they never had to prove themselves to in the first place. Dylan, the one most prone to contemplative moods, screams at his wingman, Noah, “Your life as you know it is gone! Your friends. Your family. This chapter has come to an end. And spoiler alert, we’re not going to be best friends in chapter two.” It seems harsh, but it’s the reality many high school kids don’t think about as they countdown the days until graduation, and it’s what Steinberg drives at that makes his novel work. In the meantime, Dylan ensures that his buddies make memories for a lifetime. When Walker unwittingly picks up a hooker from the street, Dylan whispers knowingly to the police officer, “He’s going to Brandeis next year.”

KEETGI KOGAN

END OF AN ERA: Four friends celebrate the end of high school by making memories.

TUESday, October 16, 2012 ● THE JUSTICE

TOP of the

ARTS ON VIEW

Brandeis “

CHARTS

TALKS

Top 10s for the week ending October 14

Quote of the week

BOX OFFICE

“If the Judiciary really wants to see this go away, they can spend hours on this report, and fill every hole that they need to.” — Dean Kaplan ’15 on his decision to file charges against the Student Union (News, p. 7).

1. Taken 2 2. Argo 3. Sinister 4. Hotel Transylvania 5. Here Comes The Boom 6. Pitch Perfect 7. Frankenweenie 8. Looper 9. Seven Psychopaths 10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

NYT BESTSELLERS

How are you getting through midterms?

Fiction 1. The Casual Vacancy — J.K. Rowling 2. Mad River — John Sandford 3. Winter Of The World — Ken Follett 4. Gone Girl — Gillian Flynn 5. The Time Keeper — Mitch Albom JOSHUA LINTON/The Justice

MIDNIGHT IN ZIV: Justice Photography Editor Joshua Linton ’14 took this evening shot from Ziv Quad on Monday evening. Ridgewood B is pictured in the front, with Spingold Theater to the left.

Elise Sobotka ’15 “Eating lots of food, trail mix and coffee.”

Jacqui Dow ‘14 “By destressing with my friends as much as possible.”

Aaron Sadowsky ’13 “Day by day.”

ACROSS 1 Folder projections 5 Come-on comeuppance 9 Enterprise doctor 14 First name at Woodstock 15 Freezer cooler 16 Popped up 17 Market pessimist 18 Like Death Valley 19 All-night bar? 20 Quip, part 1 23 Bourbon barrel wood 24 Zamboni milieu 25 Thumbs-up 26 2010 Olympic skiing gold medalist Miller 28 Highly skilled 30 Coppertone letters 33 Dictation whiz 35 With precision 36 Missing in the mil. 37 Quip, part 2 40 Aesthetic to a fault 41 Milking container 42 Dadaism pioneer Max 43 Cooking choice 44 Wonderland tea party attendee 45 Environmental concern 46 Crew member 47 See 45-Down 48 VCR format 51 End of the quip 56 Yard neatener 57 Stoltz of “Pulp Fiction” 58 French 101 verb 59 Flip over 60 Longing look 61 See after 62 Plaster painting surface 63 Violin virtuoso Leopold 64 Belligerent god DOWN 1 Major no-no 2 Field of play 3 Aikido masters 4 Mad 5 Like hen’s teeth 6 “Foreign Affairs” Pulitzer author Alison 7 Slightly 8 Mani-__: spa service 9 She played Lois in “Superman” films 10 Curved piece 11 Masked scavenger 12 Greek peak 13 Still 21 Golfer’s nonplaying wife, facetiously 22 Three-nation ’90s treaty 27 “I’m __ human” 28 Motherless calf 29 __ of Gloucester: “King Lear” character 30 Fiscally conservative Democrat, say 31 “Iron Chef” supplies

CROSSWORD

iTUNES

1. Taylor Swift — “I Knew You Were Trouble” 2. PSY — “Gangham Style” 3. Adele — “Skyfall” 4. Maroon 5 — “One More Night” 5. Fun. — “Some Nights” 6. Ke$ha — “Die Young” 7. Taylor Swift— “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” 8. Rihanna — “Diamonds” 9. Alex Clare —“Too Close” 10. One Direction — “Live While We’re Young”

BILLBOARD

1. Mumford & Sons — Babel 2. Muse — The 2nd Law 3. Miguel — Kaleidoscope Dream 4. P!nk — The Truth About Love 5. Three Days Grace — Transit of Venus 6. Diana Krall — Glad Rag Doll 7. Jackie Evancho — Songs From The Silver Screen 8. Little Big Town — Tornado 9. Cher Lloyd — Sticks & Stones 10. Van Morrison — Born To Sing: No Plan B

32 Pass (by) quickly, as time 33 Booty 34 Ancient home of Irish kings 35 Unseen “Fiddler on the Roof” tyrant 36 Picked locks? 38 Separated 39 Lyons lady 44 Bob or beehive 45 With 47-Across, modern-day chauffeur 46 “Catch This!” autobiographer Terrell 47 Early American crop 49 “Stormy Weather” singer 50 RR postings 51 “Dream on!” 52 Carries a mortgage, say 53 Video game giant 54 Herr’s better half 55 Old 48-Across rival 56 Coffee holder

Top of the Charts information provided by Fandango, the New York Times, Billboard. com and Apple.com.

STAFF PLAYLIST

“Autumn”

By ROBYN SPECTOR

Justice ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Solution to last week’s crossword

Elizabeth Fields ’13 “I am exercising and getting a lot of sleep and making sure to have ‘me’ time.”

SUDOKU INSTRUCTIONS: Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Zane Relethford ’13

“Concentrate on what comes after.” —Compiled by Jane Zitomer Photos by Josh Horowitz/ the Justice

Nonfiction 1. Killing Kennedy — Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard 2. No Easy Day — Mark Owen with Kevin Maurer 3. America Again — Stephen Colbert, Richard Dahm, Paul Dinello, Barry Julien, Tom Purcell et all... 4. Total Recall — Arnold Schwarzenegger 5. Waging Heavy Peace — Neil Young

Solution to last week’s sudoku

I’ve started to run more often and while I can spend hours listening to the tranquil sound of leaves shifting in the brisk autumn air, I’ve created a playlist to complement my steps as well. Here are a few of this fall’s picks. THE LIST 1. “Sultan”—What Makes Milwaukee Famous 2. “Pack Up”—Eliza Doolittle 3. “Danza Kuduro”—Meet the Orphans 4. “New Soul”—Yael Naim 5. “All the Same to Me”—Anya Marina 6. “Smiley Faces”—Gnarles Barkely 7. “Learning to Fly”—Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 8. “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”— Paul Simon 9. “The Cave”—Mumford & Sons 10. “Keep Your Head Up”—Andy Grammer