The Justice, September 20, 2022

DINING WORKER FIRED

ENVIRONMENTALISM

Brandeis kicks off the Year of Climate Action

■ Brandeis devoted this year to deepening the community’s understanding of climate change as a social justice issue.

By HEDY YANG JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Caterpillars, puppets, and decarbonization: Brandeis’ 2022-2023

Year of Climate Action is now in full swing, with several events that took place last week and many more events planned for the future.

According to the Office of Sustainability website, the Year of Climate Action is a year devoted to deepening the Brandeis community’s “understanding of climate change as a social justice issue” through a variety of curricular and co-curricular activities, as well as institutional projects designed to reduce Brandeis’ carbon footprint.

Led by current Associate Director of Sustainability Programs Mary Fischer, the President’s Task Force on Campus Sustainability

Dining staff and students rally over abrupt firing of worker

■ The firing of a beloved caterer sparked outrage and uproar, and prompted a petition.

BY ELLIOT BACHRACH JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Catering Lead Kevin Merisier showed up to work early on Wednesday, Aug. 31 in a good mood. Though there had been struggles with the transition to Brandeis’ new dining vendor, Harvest Table, Merisier still loved his job. He had worked as a caterer at Brandeis, including two and a half years working for Brandeis through a temp agency, since February 2014. In the eight years Merisier has worked here, he has never been disciplined, according to Michaela McCormack '23. But by the next week, Merisier no longer held his position on the catering team.

At approximately 4:45 p.m. on Aug. 31, an alleged altercation between Merisier and Director of Catering Julie Verrier occurred. According to Merisier, the conversation between Verrier and himself related to what time Merisier and the other catering leads, Seda Ghazaryan and Hugo Mansilla, could come into work the following morning. Harvest Table officially fired Merisier on Sept. 7, exactly one week after the alleged incident.

Gabriel Bayard, the Internal Organizer for UNITE HERE Local 26, a workers' union that represents hospitality workers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, also represents dining workers at over 11 universities in the Boston area, including Brandeis. Bayard, along with the two Brandeis Union Stewards elected by the dining worker body, submitted a grievance to Harvest Table on Sept. 8, one day after Merisier’s official termination.

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“As somebody who has examined all of the documents provided by [Harvest Table], as I have a right to under the union contract, I haven’t seen anything that rises to the level of immediate termination,” Bayard said. “That’s why the Union grieved this termination and that’s why we think it’s unfair.”

The main thing that UNITE HERE Local 26 workers demand is for any security camera footage relevant to the Aug. 31 incident to be released to the Union. At the time of publication, Harvest Table has not relinquished the footage to the Union. Their reasoning has not been expressed to workers or the worker’s Union.

Merisier was heavily involved in a March 11, 2022 demonstration on Brandeis’ campus that was organized by both dining employees and students in the Brandeis Leftist Union. The main purpose of the

See

first proposed the Year of Climate Action in Aug. 2020. In an address to President Ron Liebowitz and their comprehensive report “Vision 2030," the Task Force drew the administration’s attention to climate change as the “greatest threat to public health and social justice in the history of our planet.” The initiative had its roots in part due to the COVID-19 crisis: The authors cited “the failure of our health systems, justice systems and public policies” as impetus to listen to science and to fulfill Brandeis’ “social justice mission more holistically than ever before.”

One of the initiatives proposed, among many listed on the Office of Sustainability’s website, was to “improve climate change and sustainability education,” under which the authors suggested Brandeis make the 2021-2022 academic year a “Year of Climate Change.” The name has since been changed to the Year of Climate Action. In an email interview on Sept. 15, Fischer explained that See CLIMATE, 7 ☛

Deis-secting dining, part 1: ‘The jury is out’

■ The Justice asked students what they think of the transition to Harvest Table. Here are some of the responses.

By ARIELLA WEISS, ANNA MARTIN, AND NATALIE SALTZMAN JUSTICE EDITOR AND CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

In April 2022, the Response for Feedback Committee unanimously selected Harvest Table as the new dining vendor on campus after 10 years with Sodexo. Students were asked for feedback during this process, and many were anticipating drastic changes to dining prior to the fall 2022 semester. However, the massive undertaking of transitioning to campus, coupled with the largest first-year class in Brandeis history, has created complications for Harvest Table. The vendor, however, has been working to address these concerns, through “Napkin Talk” in the dining halls, a feedback form titled “Your Feedback Matters,” and the “Contact Us” page on the Hospitality website.

***

From vegetarian to Kosher to gluten-free, students with dietary restrictions have struggled to find

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consistent and healthy options. At the time that many of these interviews were conducted, which occured both in-person and over Instagram, there were concerns about signage regarding allergens throughout the dining hall, although the issue has recently been changed. Here is a non-exhaustive sampling of those comments.

Megan Stander ’25: “Overall I've enjoyed it. I think I usually find something to eat. I wish there were more vegetarian options. There was more variety with Sodexo, I miss the pho station and the vegetarian station in Usdan. I've had one night where the only thing that was offered was pizza, but I usually like the pasta dishes and grilled chicken.”

Ligia Helena ’25: “[There are fewer] vegetarian protein options.”

Meli Jackson ’25: “Absolute worst. No allergen options. Forced veganism? Bad.”

Eitan Marks ’24: “Kosher dining has been a mess. The management is willing to learn, but they simply don't understand. It will take time. The chefs in the kitchen are still doing great, but they are limited with what ingredients and information they are given by management.”

Natanya Greenfield ’26: “I have two documented disabilities … Part of my highly formulated and

See HARVEST TABLE, 5 ☛

Student Union releases election results

By DALYA KOLLER

The Editorial Board addresses unsafe, ineffecient housing

BOARD

By EDITORIAL

Suns owner suspended over racist comments

By

PRATEEK KANMADIKAR

ELLIOT BACHRACH/the Justice

PROTEST: Students and dining hall workers gathered together to voice concerns over the treatment of dining staff.

Student Union meets to hold hearings and vote for new executive board members

For the first time in more than two years, the Student Union Senate met in person, once again on the third floor of the Shapiro Campus Center. At the first meeting of the semester, the Senate confirmed numerous executive board candidates for their positions and voted to confirm a new executive senator.

Each e-board candidate spoke for two minutes before the Senate, then left the room so that the senators could discuss and vote. Union President Peyton Gillespie ’25 and Vice President Lia Bergen ’25 appointed all of the candidates, but it is the job of the Senate to confirm or deny each one.

The first candidate to come before the senate was Hana Miller ’25, the acting director of accessibility seeking to be confirmed in that role. Miller said that she is the first person to fill the position, which she said she created “based on conversations with the Disabled Students Network” during the presidential campaign last year.

Miller said her experience in pushing to correct ADA violations in her high school would help her to address disabled students’ concerns regarding accessibility on campus. “Accessibility isn’t just building ramps, it’s building bridges,” Miller said.

Clay Napurano ’24, director of health and wellness, then spoke on why the Senate should confirm him again for that position

POLICE LOG

MEDICAL EMERGENCY

Sept. 12—There was a medical emergency in Massell Quad. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and refused further care.

Sept. 12—There was a medical emergency in North Quad. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance.

Sept. 15—There was a medical emergency in Skyline Residence Hall. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and refused further care.

Sept. 15—There was a medical emergency in the Carl J. Shapiro Science Center. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and refused further care.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

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this school year. Napurano said that his position is a challenging one that requires two years to do properly, and that he is “incredibly passionate about mental health and mental health initatives on campus.” Napurano also said that the Brandeis Counseling Center used to be physically inaccessible, but that Student Accessibility Services secured funding for a ramp.

Carol Kornworcel ’26, the acting director of media and outreach, then made the case for her confirmation. Kornworcel said that she has been working on creating group chats for the leaders of related student organizations so that they can communicate and coordinate events.

Director of Academic Affairs Bonnie Chen ’23 came to the senate seeking reconfirmation for her position. Chen told the senate about the widely-attended “Take Your Professor to Coffee” initiative which she started last year, which attracted over 500 participants.

Tyler Carruth ’23 made the case for his confirmation as chief of staff. Carruth said that he met “an amazing chief of staff in D.C., and fell in love with the position.” He also said his experience working for Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and in various other political roles prepared him for the chief of staff position.

Carruth then spoke on behalf of Sophia Reiss ’23, who could

not attend the meeting but was seeking confirmation as the inhouse counsel for the Student Union. This is also a new position for this year that the Union created after past incidents in which judiciary members recused themselves from cases because of advice they gave to individuals involved, Carruth said.

Sen. Eamonn Golden ’24 spoke out in support of Reiss. “I was chief justice last year,” Golden said. “She is incredible, if anyone is going to be the first in-house counsel, it should be Sophia Reiss.”

The Senate voted after each candidate, and unanimously supported each confirmation.

Senators Nicholas Kanan ’23, Eamonn Golden, and Sherry Tao ’25 were seeking the executive senator position and gave brief pitches to the Senate on their qualifications.

The Senate voted by secret ballot and confirmed Kanan as executive senator.

Bergen also assigned senators to their committees based on what each senator requested.

— Max Feigelson

Sept. 15—There was a medical emergency in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and refused further care.

Sept. 16—There was a medical emergency in the Usdan Student Center. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance.

Sept. 18—There was a medical emergency in North Quad. The party was treated by BEMCo staff and refused further care.

ACCIDENTS

Sept. 12—There was a motor vehicle accident in Massell Quad. There were no injuries. A report was composed.

Sept. 15—There was a motor vehicle accident in Foster Mods involving one car hitting the curb. There were no injuries. A report was composed.

MISCELLANEOUS

Sept. 13—There was a deceased animal on the sidewalk at the Charles River Apartments. The grounds crew was contacted for pickup.

Compiled by Leah Breakstone

Univ. threatens “community damage” charges over Ziv dumpsters

The dumpsters near Ziv Quad have recently become a topic of contention between students and administration. On Tuesday, Sept. 6, residents of Ziv Quad, Ridgewood Quad, and Village received an email from Montana Epps, Area Coordinator of 567 South Street, Village, Ziv, and Ridgewood, with the subject reading: “Please Read: Dumpsters & Water Station Survey.” In the email, Epps expressed her frustration that students had left bags of garbage and recycling on the ground around the dumpsters rather than putting them in the dumpsters. “Rain, snow or shine, you are expected to place your trash inside the dumpsters and maintain a healthy living environment for yourself and your community,” she said, after noting that she was “deeply disappointed and frustrated.”

The dumpsters in question sit behind Ziv 128; one is for garbage and the other is for recycling. Residents of Ziv, Ridgewood, and Village are expected to dispose of their trash and recycling in those two dumpsters; the nearest dumpsters after those are in the Theater Lot and by the Slosberg Music Center, but signs are hung up in the dorms instructing students to take their trash behind Ziv 128. The Department of Community Living declined to tell the Justice how many students live in those residence quads, but the dumpsters are designated for ten buildings in total: four in Ziv, three in Ridgewood, and three in Village.

In many buildings on campus, there are designated trash rooms for students to dispose of their trash, but they have all

been locked since the pandemic began and have not been reopened. This has caused some students to assert that the Ziv dumpsters would not be constantly overflowing with trash bags if the trash rooms in each building were in use again.

Epps warned the residents that individual residents will be charged by Community Living “for ‘community damages’ if trash and/or cleanliness become an issue,” which she informed students of at the beginning of the semester, according to the Sept. 6 email. DCL is currently monitoring the cleanliness of the area and will post “charges to individual accounts” if the problem persists.

Dumpsters on campus are emptied a couple of times a week, but they tend to fill very quickly due to the number of students residing on campus during the school year. Some students have pointed out that trash ends up on the ground surrounding the dumpsters when there is no more room for additional trash. Because the Ziv dumpsters in particular collect the trash from several different buildings, residents of those buildings are unsure of where to put their trash when the dumpsters get full.

— Isabel Roseth

— Editor’s note, Editor Cameron Cushing ’23 is a Community Advisor. He did not contribute to or edit this article.

The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods.

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Student Union election results

■ Students voted in the fall elections on Sept. 14.

By DALYA KOLLER JUSTICE EDITOR

Student Union Secretary Ashna Kelkar announced the results of the fall 2022 Union elections on Sept. 17 in an email to Brandeis students. The senate positions open to students in this round were senators for the Classes of 2024, 2025, and 2026, as well as racial minority senator, international student senator, allocations board, North Quad senator, Massell Quad senator, East Quad senator, Skyline/ Rosenthal senator, 567/Village senator, off-campus senator, and Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program senator. There are still a few vacancies left, and Kelkar wrote in the email that the Union would hold a special election in the next few weeks to fill the remaining spots.

SENATORS

Class of 2026

Fiona Wang ’26 secured one of the seats for the class of 2026 senator. In her bio, Wang wrote about creating more community-building events for Brandeis students as well as joint events with surrounding universities. Wang also mentioned fighting for air conditioning in all residence halls and improving the dining system, and wrote that students’ complaints are her top priority.

Tyler Hupart ’26 of the New Frontiers Party secured one of the seats for the class of 2026 senator. Hupart wrote in his bio that the “small, tight-knit community” at Brandeis is its greatest strength, and emphasized his willingness to have open discussions to “move forward together.”

Class of 2025

Erica Hwang ’25 secured one of the positions for the class of 2025 senator. She wrote in her bio about pushing for more dininghall options for students with dietary restrictions, advocating for higher wages for BranVan drivers, making menstrual products more available on campus, and promoting campus accessibility.

James Brosgol ’25 secured one of the positions for the class of 2025 senator. He wrote in his bio that if elected he will serve with an “unwavering commitment to the truth and to integrity.” He also wrote about working with the dining staff as well as leading the Senate

Chabad’s Mega Shabbat attracts hundreds of students

in researching UV lamp options to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Class of 2024

Sahil Muthuswami ’24 secured the position of the class of 2024 senator, after serving as East Quad senator last year. Muthuswami wrote about building campus spirit through activities like “Midnight Buffet” and addressing accessibility concerns across campus.

International Student

Koby Gottlieb ’26 secured the seat of international student senator. Gottlieb discussed his plans to create a safety network around campus and Waltham, and improve the BranVan system in his bio.

Racial Minority

Rachel Gao ’25 secured one of the positions of racial minority senator. She wrote in her bio about her goals “to be a voice and advocate for students of color on the Brandeis campus” and her plans to have safe spaces accessible to various groups on campus.

Divam Gupta ’26 secured one of the positions of racial minority senator. Gupta wrote in his bio that he aims to serve as a “connection between minority students and the Brandeis administration” and aims for “complete equality on campus.”

Skyline/Rosie

Chana Thomas ’25 secured the position of Skyline/Rosie senator and wrote in her bio about how her experience as a midyear student prompted her to care deeply about ensuring a smooth transition for other midyear students.

Charles River Apartments

Nicholas Kanan ’23 secured the position of Charles River senator. He wrote in his bio about working with Brandeis Transportation to improve and increase transportation from the Charles River Apartments.

Massell Quad

Zachary Moskovits ’26 of the New Frontiers Party secured the position of Massell Quad senator. Moskovits wrote in his bio that he is willing to use his “loud voice” whenever a classmate needs help.

North Quad

Eve Begelman ’26 secured the position of North Quad senator. She wrote in her bio that she is looking to make North Quad a “friendly and comfortable environment for all.”

Ziv/Ridgewood

Eamonn Golden ’26 secured the position of the Ziv/Ridgewood senator. He wrote about advocating for free menstrual products, even for those who live in suitestyle dorms without common bathrooms. He also wrote about amending the constitution to “better reflect the needs and circumstances of our current Student Union.”

Village/567

Kai Kibilko ’25 secured the position of Village/567 senator. Kibilko said in their bio that they want to increase transparency and “democratize the process by which decisions regarding the students are made.”

Off-campus

Kelly Lei ’24 secured the position of Off-campus senator. She wrote in her bio that she wants to strengthen the off-campus student community, with a particular focus on helping students find carpools to campus, as well as making parking more convenient for students who live off campus.

Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program

Jahkhi Waters ’26 secured the position of MKYTP senator, emphasizing in his bio that he is “very outspoken … If I need to address an issue, I will speak on it with no hesitation.”

ASSOCIATE JUSTICES

Farishta Ali ’24 was elected to be one of the associate justices. In her bio, Ali wrote about her goals to “uphold the standards of the Student Union’s constitution,” and the importance of building a friendly environment in the Brandeis community.

Alyssa Golden ’26 secured another associate justice position. Golden wrote in her bio that she prioritizes providing “accountability and transparency” from the Union so that Brandeis students can cooperatively work together.

Zachary Miller ’25 secured the last associate justice position. Miller wrote about his past experience in a variety of legal and governmental positions and how they will help him do his best in this position.

ALLOCATIONS BOARD

Cameron Sherman ’26 secured a position on Allocations Board. Sherman wrote in his bio about his knowledge of saving and spending money and how his experiences will help him in this position.

Renowed journalist Marty Baron named 2023 Richman Fellow BRIEF

Earlier this month, Martin Baron was named the 2023 Richman Distinguished Fellow in Public Life. Baron is most well known for his positions as executive editor of the Washington Post from 2013 until his retirement in 2021 and editor of the Boston Globe from 2001-2012.

During his time at the Post, the publication won 11 Pulitzer Prizes, including for coverage about Donald Trump and the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. In his tenure at the Globe, the paper conducted an investigation about sexual abuse within the Catholic church, which won a Pulitzer Prize and was portrayed in the 2015 hit film “Spotlight.”

The Richman Fellowship “recognizes an individual who has improved American society, strengthened democratic institutions, advanced social justice or increased opportunities for all Americans to share in the benefits of the United States,” according to its website page.

The fellowship was created in 2014 by Brandeis alumna Dr. Carol Richman Saivetz ’69 and her children Michael Saivetz ’97 and Aliza Saivetz Glasser ’01 to honor Carol’s parents.

Baron was nominated by Neil Swidey, professor of the practice and director of the

■ The highly-anticipated event brought together students from all backgrounds to take part in the spirit of Shabbat.

By LEAH BREAKSTONE JUSTICE EDITOR

A gathering of almost 500 students is still a somewhat surreal site even two years after the pandemic began. This past Friday night, hundreds of students trekked to the Chabad House on Turner Street to participate in Mega Shabbat, an event that started back in 2019.

Each week, the Chabad House hosts around 150 students for Shabbat dinner with the goal to “pause, reflect, and connect,” the Chabad couple at Brandeis, Rabbi Peretz and Chanie Chein said. “Mega Shabbat is intended to create this experience on a much larger scale, which invites an extraordinary diversity of participants,” they continued.

Mega Shabbat was planned and executed in under two weeks. Once the club got the event approved through the University, they started promoting it by posting flyers, tabling, and through word of mouth. “I remember Chanie saying ‘Okay, we want 400 people here’ and thinking…How are we possibly going to make that happen?’” Sara Shapiro ’24, treasurer of the club, said in a Sept. 18 email interview with the Justice. By the end of the first week, there were already over 250 people signed up: “that’s when I realized the magnitude of this event,” Shapiro said. The board quickly got to work planning all of the logistics, ordering tents, planning menus, and more.

With such a big crowd, it is not unrealistic to think that the event might have turned out to be chaotic. However, that could not have been further from the truth, according to the board. “The feelings described by our guests were those of comfort accompanied by shared laughs and meaningful connections with the students across from them,” Davina Goodman ’23 and Spencer Clark ’23, co-presidents of the club, said in a Sept. 18 email to the Justice.

The number of people was a marker of success for Chabad. “By hosting such a big event, you are helping more people take a break from their

week to relax and celebrate Shabbat,” Goodman and Clark wrote. The energy levels among participants were high at points as well, with mosh pits and singing throughout the night. However, the downside of the large turnout was the inability to get to know everyone who attended individually, which the co-presidents drew attention to: “We wish we could have the ability to sit down with each and every one of our guests and get to know them as individuals.”

The Cheins noted that after greeting all their guests, “hearing 500 students respond with a resounding ‘Shabbat Shalom’ was exhilarating.”

The Cheins and the Chabad Board also hoped to share the traditions of Shabbat that they experience every week on a much larger scale than usual and that students took away “the values of Shabbat to heart, and will infuse their weeks with moments to meaningfully rest and reflect,” Goodman and Clark said. Mega Shabbat also served as a way to spread the meaning of Shabbat to many students who do not celebrate Shabbat or go to Chabad regularly.

Seeing all of the hard work come together on Friday was an incredible feeling for the Chabad Board and the Cheins. Shapiro described walking around clearing people’s plates and feeling pride on behalf of the board and all of their hard work to make the night possible. “I took a step back from the people and took a deep breath in. I opened my eyes and saw all the people talking and laughing and having a great time and as cliche as it may sound, I almost started crying … finally just seeing it come together was really emotional,” she said.

The Cheins reflected that “we knew it would be special, though we were concerned whether we would succeed in bringing everyone together in a unified and spirited way. Remarkably, we did.”

The mass of students enjoyed the evening full of spirit, dancing — often on chairs — singing, and food, and the Chabad House and Board plan on continuing this event in future years. “It was clear that students desire experiences which offer connection, depth and joy. The Chabad Board, with the support of the Chabad House, was able to create this for so many, and it was a very special and sacred experience to be nurturing this,” the Cheins concluded.

Journalism Program at Brandeis. Baron will be coming to campus from March 15-17, 2023 for an award ceremony and a talk, among other events. Additionally, as part of the fellowship, Baron will receive a prize of $25,000.

“The ambitious works of journalism that Marty Baron has nurtured and defended have advanced social justice in the timehonored tradition of journalism: through illumination, accountability and humanity,” Swidey said in a Sept. 8 BrandeisNow article about the fellowship.

Univ. President Ron Liebowitz expressed his excitement about Baron being selected as the Fellow in the same BrandeisNow article. “Brandeis’ motto is ‘Truth, even unto its innermost parts,’ and there are few people who exemplify that better than Martin Baron, who has dedicated his life to a steadfast pursuit of truth,” he said.

SHABBAT: Chabad’s Mega Shabbat was planned and executed in a mere two weeks.

MEGA SHABBAT

Photo courtesy of CHANIE CHEIN

— Leah Breakstone

Students reflect on Univ.’s recent COVID-19 response

■ Students expressed frustration about the lack of transparency of COVID-19 cases, among other concerns.

By SYDNEY DUNCAN JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Sept. 9, the University administration sent an email to inform the Brandeis community of the University’s shift from a yellow to a green COVID-19 Status Level. This email was sent by Carol Fierke, Stew Uretsky, and Andrea Dine, who hold the positions of provost and executive vice president of Academic Affairs, executive vice president of Finance and Administration, and interim vice president for Student Affairs, respectively.

For the 2022-2023 academic year, the University has adopted a color-coded COVID-19 Status Level system which sets restrictions of varying intensity on campus life by classifying the community’s status as either green, yellow, orange, or red based on the severity of the institution’s COVID-19 numbers. The University began the year with a yellow status, meaning that campus was relatively open with a few key restrictions. Masks were mostly optional, with the exception of classrooms, indoor performances, University transportation, and gatherings of more than twenty attendees, where masking was required. The yellow status placed no restrictions on gathering size, travel, dining, or work, and

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rapid testing was available free of cost at the Health Center for students who had symptoms or were exposed to COVID-19. The University’s shift to a green status allows for slightly fewer masking restrictions, with masking required in classes, unless the professor states otherwise, on Brandeis transportation, and in any location where a masking requirement is posted.

Fierke, Uretsky, and Dine indicated in their email that they do not take the shift to a green COVID-19 Status lightly. While they do recognize that the pandemic remains a significant characteristic of campus life, they state in the same email that “our community’s near total vaccination rate and low rates of community transmission have given us the confidence to make this adjustment at this time.”

Fierke, Uretsky, and Dine acknowledge that this change is likely not permanent, as travel increases during holiday breaks and a decrease in temperature will probably increase the spread of disease. “Our community should be prepared to see a return to more precautions if case rates follow previous trends,” they wrote in the email. But for now, the severity of COVID-19 at the University appears to have remained largely the same since Sept. 9, since the COVID-19 status has remained green.

The administration’s decision to change from a yellow to green status seems to have received mixed reactions from University students. Lily Roth ’25 feels that this shift makes sense, as an increased vaccination rate is causing fewer students to be at risk of getting se-

verely ill from COVID-19. Rachel Batsevitsky ’25, however, feels differently about the change. “I think the reason numbers are going down is because we aren’t required to test anymore,” she said. While students do not necessarily share feelings about the status change, they seem to share the observation that despite the shift, they don’t feel as though case numbers have changed since the beginning of the semester. “Because the status change didn’t change very many restrictions, I don’t think [it] made much of a difference,” Julianna Schweitzer ’25 said.

Despite a general feeling among students that COVID-19 numbers have remained relatively steady this semester, most students share that they are unsure of the University’s exact COVID-19 numbers, and they call on administration to make these numbers more accessible to the public. “I don’t feel like Brandeis adequately reports COVID-19 numbers. I am a data-oriented person, so I wish that the COVID-19 numbers given were solid,” said Keren Bobilev ’24. Schweitzer shared a similar frustration, and also raised the point that “if people test positive and don’t report it, which I’m sure people have done, that also skews the numbers. Last year it automatically went into the system, but now it doesn’t.” This lack of knowledge may also contribute to students’ mixed feelings on the status change. When the facts are unclear, it can be difficult to form an opinion about the administration’s response.

While students are frustrated by this lack of

information, they do report that the administration has successfully made them aware of its COVID-19 policies. Both Roth and Bobilev shared that the University’s emails after each policy update have been particularly helpful in keeping them informed. In addition to their emails, administration required all students to complete a COVID-19 training prior to the start of the year and keeps up-to-date information about all of the statuses and what each of them mean readily available on its website.

Overall, the administration’s response to the pandemic has caused varying feelings of safety among students. Roth states that the University’s COVID-19 policies do make her feel safer. After having contracted COVID-19 toward the beginning of the semester, she shared, “I feel like they [provide] help with COVID-19 when needed.” Bobilev, however, feels quite differently. “When I go to my classes that have over 200 members, I see lots of people without masks, without the safety net of having solid numbers and consistent testing to show Brandeis’ COVID-19 numbers. Even though COVID-19 testing was inconvenient most of the time, it still provided a comfort in the solid statistics and what to look out for,” they shared. Students hope that going forward, administration can continue keeping the Brandeis community updated on COVID-19 policies while also making both numbers and testing more accessible to create a safer community for all.

HARVEST TABLE: Students react to new dining vendor

specific treatment plan requires that I eat no gluten and sugar. On top of this, I am a vegetarian (personal reasons). The amount of non-meat, non-gluten, non-sugar options in the dining hall has greatly limited my dining choices and in many cases left me without viable protein or carbohydrate options.”

Riley Mayberry ’25: “The quality of the food is better, but they got rid of a lot of safe foods and a lot of friends in my group that are more picky are having a hard time finding foods to eat.”

Lauren Barkley ’24: “They have very few vegetarian or gluten-free options which limits options for many students. Additionally, their food has been detrimental to my physical health, and perishable items are often undercooked.”

Gianna Everette ’25: “Too much chicken. Fish please.”

Since adding completely different options to Upper Usdan, students have been dismayed by the lack of consistency with regard to dietary

restrictions. Several students expressed concern after receiving orders that they couldn’t eat. Students are also concerned about price gouging in Upper, compared to Sodexo’s prices.

Mandy Feuerman ’25: “Lower Usdan and Sherman are good, but Upper Usdan has been a disaster.”

Ariana Rich ’25: “They don’t have allergens listed for anything. Half the time they don’t list gluten-free. They really said survival of the fittest.”

Madeleine Reck ’25: “Upper is good, except we were promised a lot that we didn’t end up getting. It’s also extremely expensive – a tiny salad costs 14 points.”

Anthony Ruiz ’25: “I’m a little disappointed that Upper has very [few] meal swipe options (or at least it’s not consistent), and I feel the prices disproportionately increased. I thought there was going to be a more significant change.”

Brandie Garcia ’25: “There aren’t as many options, AND the Starship app barely works. I have tried multiple times to order food only to be told my meal exchanges are rejected. I have gone hungry at certain points because of this.

Very displeasing.”

Alexander Wicken ’23: “The workers in Upper are … not reading any comments on mobile orders which is a huge issue for people with allergies.” ***

Although students have expressed frustrations regarding Harvest Table, not all feedback was critical. They provided suggestions in addition to positive feedback, as seen below.

Carolina Jacobs ’25: “I like Harvest Table so much better than Sodexo. All the food is healthier and less greasy.”

Facundo Roitman ’25: “Much fresher and healthier. I stan.”

Moses Gordon ’26: “I had low expectations, but it was better than I expected.”

Penelope Llibre ’26: “[To be fair] they always have one good thing, especially in Usdan but sometimes it’s bland, which I’m fine with because it means it’s not bad.”

Brandie Garcia ’25: “From what I’ve observed, one thing that Harvest Table is lacking that they maybe haven’t planned yet, is the spe-

cial/themed food nights that Sodexo would put on.”

Ariana Rich ’25: “They said on the suggestion board that they’d do pho again. But where is it?”

Elizabeth Liu ’26: “Sometimes the food is good. Sometimes it looks bad. Very unpredictable. It would be cool if we could see the menu a week ahead so I could plan out if I want to swipe or use points. It’s definitely edible but I’m not [eating] it enthusiastically, it’s just there if that makes sense.”

Editorial note — This was the first in a series of articles called “Deis-secting Dining.” The Justice would like to highlight student opinions and experiences with Harvest Table. The Justice welcomes any comments, news tips, or photos regarding Harvest Table for future editions. Email news@thejustice.org.

DINING: Brandeis Leftist Union creates petition to support worker

rally was to object to a change that catering for on-campus events was no longer exclusive to the Brandeis catering staff. There was also a focus on preserving the workers’ jobs, hours, and benefits.

A more recent demonstration took place on Tuesday, Sept. 13. After clocking out for a break that day about three dozen workers, along with five members of BLU, lined up outside of Executive Director of Hospitality Clay Hargrove’s office to participate in what the workers and BLU referred to as a “delegation.” Participants expressed their concerns over the firing of Merisier and, according to them, the mistreatment of workers.

Ellis Huang ’23, a member of BLU, shared a video of the delegation with the Justice. At the beginning of the delegation, clapping and chanting echoed throughout the dining hall. Then, Hargrove led the 30 or so workers, along with the five BLU members, into the hallway outside of his office and out of sight from passersby.

The following workers interviewed chose to remain anonymous.

“This is not acceptable, and we have a bunch of people here,” one dining worker said. “We are very, very angry.”

Another dining worker expressed that they “did not think it was fair” that Harvest Table fired Merisier and that concerns were expressed about Verrier’s management before his dismissal.

A third worker said that while they did not witness what happened between Merrisier and Verrier, they know Merisier. “Everybody loves him,” they said. “Everywhere he works,

he’s helping everybody.”

A fourth worker expanded upon the third worker’s statement, agreeing that while they themselves do not know what happened between Merisier and Verrier, they know Merisier and called him 'responsible.'

Huang, one of the BLU members at the delegation, also voiced their frustrations. Towards the end of the delegation, they introduced themself, saying that they and the four other BLU members present represented “the will of the student body.” They went on to say, “we support our dining workers” and “the general student body loves our dining workers … I have a great relationship with a lot of the people who serve us and we’re very grateful … and that’s why we won’t stand by and watch any sort of mistreatment of our dining workers.”

“I want Kevintz reinstated, I want justice for Kevintz,” Huang continued. “We put up a huge fight when [Sodexo was] not treating the dining workers correctly, and we will not be afraid to do that with Harvest Table.”

According to Ghazaryan and Mansilla, Verrier was no longer at Brandeis as of Friday, Sept. 16, three days after the delegation took place. Both are under the impression that the catering director will not be coming back to Brandeis at all.

As of Sept. 19, no one at Harvest Table has communicated with dining workers about what happened to her.

The Brandeis Leftist Union is currently gathering signatures for a petition to reinstate Merisier. The petition clarifies that Merisier is the only Black member of the catering team, and that this circumstance followed a string of unprofessionalism and disrespect directed towards Merisier at the hands of the "white Harvest Table director." At the time of publication, the petition already has over 300 signatures from current

students. The Leftist Union will be holding a tabling event to promote their cause in Upper Usdan this Thursday, Sept. 22, at 2:30 p.m.

Since his firing, Merisier has kept busy trying to make ends meet, he explained, in a Sept. 18 Zoom interview with the Justice. He has taken on working as a delivery driver for companies such as Uber Eats and DoorDash. In a way, he is continuing to do what he loves — bringing people food and making them happy. When asked what he would like the Brandeis community to hear from him, he responded, “This is my community. Everybody from the president's office to facilities, they’re all my people. I’ve built a relationship with everybody on this campus. Every group, every ethnicity, every building. I do miss this campus dearly, and I need to come back, I have to come back.”

Then, Merisier looked straight into the camera, his brown eyes piercing through the screen. He clearly enunciated each word with a strong and purposeful tone.

“I want my job back.”

The Justice reached out for a statement from Vice President for Campus Operations Lois Stanley, Director of University Services Jeffrey Hershberger, and Assistant Vice President for Communications Julie Jette. Hershberger replied, “[Merisier] was a Harvest Table employee, and that being the case, I need to refer you back to Harvest Table.”

The Justice reached out for a statement from Hargrove on two separate occasions, Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, but did not receive a response as of Monday night on Sept. 20.

This is a developing story. The Justice will continue to update this article online as more details become clear.

CLIMATE: Brandeis adopts year-long environmental education intiative

she hopes the distinction prompts students to focus on ways they can “take action and become agents of hope and change in their own lives.”

In May 2021, Liebowitz committed to these new sustainability directives in a campus-wide address, where he stated that in the 2021-2022 academic year Brandeis would begin planning “a yearlong, campus-wide effort to provide in-depth analysis of the issues and inequities of climate change.” The Year of Climate Action was pushed back to the 2022-2023 academic year due to complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and has been in planning since the summer of 2021.

The Year of Climate Action encompasses a broad swath of action that is designed to tackle climate change from all angles. Fischer described the plan as being a “three-pronged approach,” which involves “encouraging and supporting faculty to incorporate climate change topics in their existing courses; taking meaningful action as an institution; and providing more programming for students than ever before.”

The first ‘prong’ of the Year of Climate Action incorporates changes to courses or new curricular offerings that are geared towards climate education. For instance, Prof. Sally Warner’s (ENVS) “Our Local Waterways” course, offered for the first time this semester, takes students on weekly field trips to learn more about the history, environmental issues, and management of waterways in eastern Massachusetts. The Environmental Studies Program also welcomed Prof. Prakash Kashwan (ENVS), who is teaching “Environmental and Climate Justice."

Curricular changes go beyond the Environmental Studies Program. A variety of other seemingly-unrelated programs of study have also incorporated climate education learning into their curricula. For instance, a Math 10a course offered in Spring 2023 will use climate data as the basis to teach calculus principles, while several upper-level language courses like ITAL 105a and RUS 39a have incorporated more readings about the environment and climate change.

The Sustainability Committee has also curated various teaching resources on its website — such as lesson plans, multimedia resources, climate data, and quantification of climate solutions — designed to help professors incorporate climate education into their courses. The original task force also urged the addition of a climate literacy requirement to Brandeis’ core curriculum. This requirement will hopefully be put into place when Brandeis’s core requirements are reviewed in the 2023-2024 academic year.

Another major aspect of the Year of Climate Action is the

various co-curricular activities that are offered, several of which took place on campus this past week.

The Caterpillar Lab, which was seen at Fellows Garden last Tuesday and Friday, featured various large and enthralling caterpillars mostly native to the Northeast. Warner and the Environmental Studies Program had a significant role in making this event possible, and they hope that it is a way for students to gain a better understanding of how caterpillars and other insects are being impacted by climate change.

Other co-curricular offerings veered away from furry insects and hands-on science: For instance, a puppet-making and clothing swap event hosted by the Department of Theater Arts took place last Tuesday through Thursday. Students gathered by Spingold Theater to search through boxes of clothing from the costume closet, cleaned out and sorted by Costume Director Brooke Stanton. Students also had the opportunity to add their personal contributions to three puppets made out of recycled materials: “Ally Luminum” represented metal, “Polly Esther” represented plastic, and “Paige Turner” represented paper.

The Justice interviewed Stanton on Sept. 13 at Spingold Theater about the puppet-making and clothing swap event. Stanton pointed to the Bread and Puppet Theater as her inspiration: Bread and Puppet Theater is a politically inclined theater company based in Glover, Vermont, that has championed causes like the anti-war movement during the Vietnam War, women’s rights, nuclear plant shutdowns in Vermont, and much more. “I love Bread and Puppet’s idea of giant puppets drawing the eye into the conversation,” she explained. “It’s inviting in a way to people that appeals to your inner child.

[The puppets] are not serious, but the topic is serious.”

The Department of Theater Arts is also participating in a devised participatory performance about climate change in collaboration with Sojourn Theater, set to take place Sept. 2224. Stanton emphasized that theater performances like these are especially powerful because “it’s all about communication. Theater is about communicating ideas through art, and any political activity has to be about communication.”

However, while co-curricular and curricular programming is vital to increase students’ awareness of the climate crisis and to get involved in lasting and effective climate action, Warner emphasized that it should not be the extent of what Brandeis seeks to do. In an interview with the Justice on Sept. 14 over Zoom, she stated that “individual climate actions, they’re great … but the big ticket changes that we need are more on institutional levels, town-level, and larger.”

Brandeis has acted in accord with these statements by implementing various actions that seek to lower the campus

carbon footprint. The Office of Sustainability hired an external team of experts to conduct a full evaluation of Brandeis’ energy usage, which will give the administration an idea of where Brandeis can decarbonize and set the University on a path to carbon neutrality. According to Warner, this will mainly come from changing how Brandeis heats and cools its buildings. Most of the energy used comes from natural gas — according to the Vision 2030 report, this makes up 44% of Brandeis’ carbon footprint. The Department of Sustainability has put together a Decarbonization Action Plan that they hope to present to administration and various stakeholders.

As for community reception to the Year of Climate Action, various Brandeis faculty members shared their sentiments about the importance of getting involved and taking action.

Prof. Dan Perlman (ENVS), who teaches Brandeis’s iconic “tree class," ENVS 2a, emphasized the direness of the climate crisis: “I guess to be blunt, if people don’t take action very soon — many people taking significant action — your generation and the ones to come after are going to pay a horrific price. And the only way to get people to take action is if they care, if they understand.”

We have already felt the effects of climate change personally at Brandeis, with 94% of Massachusetts experiencing “severe” or “extreme” drought in August, as reported by WBUR. Globally, according to the Washington Post, many places on Earth saw their warmest summers on record, and whiplash events like extended drought followed by torrential downpours were commonplace.

Warner pointed to the idea of climate justice, in alignment with Brandeis’ core value of social justice, as the main reason for the importance of getting involved: “Even if … it’s not convincing that climate change is going to impact you personally, climate justice is a really, really important part of the story.”

Countries that have contributed the least to the climate crisis, especially those in the Global South, are those that are being affected most heavily by it and who also do not have the resources and infrastructure to respond adequately, a Yale Climate Connections article explained. The article also emphasized that the climate crisis disproportionately affects communities of color, lower-income communities, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups.

Ultimately, those involved in bringing the Year of Climate Action to life hope that this is simply the start of something: Fischer emphasized that “the goal of the year is to focus attention so we can mobilize lasting efforts.” For students, getting involved in the Year of Climate Action is an opportunity to adequately prepare ourselves to face the world we have inherited and what it may look like.

just features

VERBATIM | TONY HAWK

“I love the fact that there is now a skate park in almost every city, but it will always have a rebellious, underground edge to it because it is based on individuality.”

In 1973, in a highly-publicized “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match, women’s tennis champion Billie Jean King beat former top men’s player Bobby Riggs.

The first skate park was built in 1965. Today, there are over 3,100 skateparks in the United States.

Waltham skaters ‘ollie’ into advocacy for a better skatepark

At around 3 p.m. on a sunny Saturday afternoon, the Waltham Skatepark at Jack Koutoujian Playground is the place to be. Some skaters hang out next to the half pipe. Others stand atop the ramp on the opposite side of the park with their boards hanging over the edge. They watch their fellow skaters attempt tricks, hyping them up and offering tips as they wait to “drop in” for a turn.

The energy is exactly what Brian Daly, a veteran skater of 20-plus years and a fixture in the Waltham skate community, values so much about the park.

“You could be skating with an eighth-grader and a 40-year-old … you have this beautiful, relatable thing in common,” he said in a Sept. 16 video interview with the Justice.

When the City of Waltham released its plans to allocate over $4 million dollars of federal funds to completely re-do the Jack Koutoujian Playground on Waltham’s South Side — promising an open green space with new basketball courts, tennis courts, two dog parks, and a completely redone skate park — city officials likely weren’t expecting much pushback. Approved by the Waltham Council in 2019, the plans to renovate the park mirrored taxpayer desires, according to Ward Eight City Council member Cathyann Harris. “The skateboard park will get completely redesigned … [there’s] a lot of support for that,” Harris stated in an interview with the Waltham Newswatch, published Sept. 1. Harris did not respond to a request for comment by the Justice.

To Daly, the plans the City initially published reflected a lack of thought by city officials toward the skaters who gather at the park. The plans included downsizing the skatepark from 11,400 to 7,000 square feet. The City did not ask the skaters for any input about what the new park should include before creating these plans.

“The place is already jam-packed with kids. [Now,] it’s going to be the size of a basketball court?” Daly said of the plans.

When he’s not at the skatepark, Daly works as a social media strategist. At the end of 2020, he started @walthamboardpark, an Instagram account where he posts pictures and videos taken by him and other skaters at the park. For the past two years, the account has been a way for Daly to combine his social media skills with his love of the Waltham skater community. Now, it’s proven an effective platform for organizing.

In recent weeks, he has used the account as a place to push for the City to make skaters’ voices heard in the planning process for the new skatepark. The account’s bio now includes a link to a Facebook group fellow skater Eric Taranto created earlier this month.

Courtesy of WCAC-TV

DOWNSIZE: The plans the City of Waltham released include a new skatepark, almost 4,500 square feet smaller than the current one.

The goal of the group is to show the City of Waltham how important the skatepark is to the local community, in hopes that the City will make changes to the current plan “before creating a park that skaters won’t use,” according to the group’s “About” section.

Skaters have been using the group as a forum to discuss the City’s plans for the park and the changes they would like to see. Many have also shared fond memories of the skatepark, which first opened in 2000.

“Skateboarding is in the Olympics,” Daly said. “It’s the fastest growing sport in the world … why not realize that if you invest in skateboarding, you could have Olympic athletes coming out of Waltham?” In fact, Daly said, a professional skateboarder already has: Ryan Gallant grew up skating in Waltham. He has been sponsored by a variety of skateboard and skate apparel brands, is featured in multiple skating video games, and reportedly has a move named after him — the “Gallant Grind.”

On Sept. 2, a day after the Waltham Newswatch released their interview with Councilmember Harris about the City’s plan to redo the park, WCAC-TV published an article that called the park “declining,” and described the skatepark as “cover[ed]” in trash and graffiti. “They made it seem like the park was shitty and unused,” Daly said. This frustrated Daly, who said that he used @walthamboardpark to organize bi-weekly skate park cleanups in the summer and that the local skater community looks out for the park.

WCAC did not respond to a request for comment.

Daly said starting last year, several skaters applied for permits to allow those with repair work experience to fix the issues themselves. The City of Waltham denied the permits, citing liability concerns and the planned renovations down the line, Daly said. He explained that cracks in the cement of a skate park are a safety hazard, and with each passing winter, the ice that forms within them causes them to expand.

Without support from the City, skaters began their own “guerilla repairs” — crowdfunding money to fund nighttime cement patching, done by an anonymous skater — to ensure the safety of their community. “It’s part of the process for us,” Daly said about the community-led maintenance.

Tyler Meyer, a Brighton resident and a regular at the skatepark, was aware of the unpermitted repairs. “The only people who take care of it are the people that actually use the park,” he told the Justice at the park on Sept. 17.

In the last week, the ongoing social media

outreach by skaters to the City has led to communication between skaters and city council members.

In a follow-up interview with the Justice on Sept. 18, Daly said recent meetings with Harris sparked discussion about the potential for a revised plan that would extend the skatepark by 20 feet on each side. Daly said he and Taranto, the other skater, had set up future weekly meetings with Harris to ensure that the Waltham skate community continues to have a say in the plans as they progress.

“She looks at me and Eric as big assets,” Daly said, “... We’re going to present an additional blueprint for the park expansion, so it’s possible we could get it bigger.”

Daly plans on continuing to use @walthamboardpark to gain input from the community. “All we want to do is make a park that provides a better experience for the next generation of skaters,” he said.

Meyer said the skatepark and the people who use it keep him coming out to Waltham. “I wouldn’t spend money at businesses here if it wasn’t for the park … all the people here are super nice and welcoming and there’s a great community,” he said. “I know for a fact that a lot of kids come out here because they have difficult home lives. It’s nice they have a community of people who welcome them.”

On the other side of the park, Nicky Shafer stood on top of one of the park’s tallest ramps, preparing to “drop in” and give a trick she’d been working on another try. Shafer started skating at Waltham Skatepark two years ago; it was the first park she ever skated at. She said she’s made lots of friends at the park, and she never feels judged skating there.

She was the only girl at the park that day. This is usually the case, Shafer said in a Sept. 18 Instagram interview with the Justice, adding, “[It] kinda sucks ’cause it’s nice to have more girls, but hopefully more [will] come out.”

Next to Shafer stood Matt Schnorr, a friend of Daly’s who has been skating at the Waltham Skatepark for over 20 years. He teaches private skateboarding lessons at the park to almost a dozen people. His students range in age from 4 to 51 years old. “It’s a whole life down here,” he told the Justice. As Shafer steadied her board, Schnorr gave her some tips for her next attempt.

Daly had gone to an urgent care clinic earlier that day to get his wrist looked at. The day before, he fell and injured himself at the park.

Schnorr said Daly tried to keep skating after the fall, but even the slightest movement hurt his wrist. Yet, the next afternoon, Daly was back at the park. With a blue brace on his right wrist, he got on his board to do a trick every now and then. Daly spent

the majority of the time filming other skaters, cheering them on when they successfully — or almost — landed a trick.

As the afternoon continued, skater Graham Oppenheimer sat against the half-pipe chatting with a group of friends, including Daly. While others hopped up every few minutes to ride around the park and try tricks, Oppenheimer stayed on the ground, holding a bag of ice on his knee. He’d hurt it doing a trick earlier that day. He said he hoped it felt better by sundown so he could keep skating.

Not long after, he got up and skated some ramps and banks with his friends. Every few minutes, he went back to icing his clearly still-injured knee.

Oppenheimer is a regular at the Waltham Skatepark. The park itself isn’t in very good condition, he said, but he and his fellow Waltham skaters endure these issues because of the community they’ve found: “There’s a reason we keep coming back here.”

— Justice editor Natalie Kahn contributed to the reporting of this story.

Nicky Shafer, a junior in high school, has met many friends through skating in Waltham. She’s normally the only girl at the park.

A proposed plan to downsize the Waltham Skatepark led to a push from a tight-knit community of local skaters to ensure their voices were heard. The Justice spent the afternoon of Sept. 17 at the skatepark speaking to the community about their thoughts on the City’s plans for the park and how important this space is to the people who use it every day.

Photos by NATALIE KAHN/the Justice DAY ONE: Matt Schnorr started skating at the Waltham Skatepark over 20 years ago, around the time it first opened.

GLIDING:

Illustration

By CAYENN LANDAU JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Design: Natalie Kahn/the Justice

“[The City of Waltham] doesn’t spend any time or effort taking care of this place.

“The only people who take care of it are the people that actually use the park”

An inside look at the Waltham Skatepark

By NATALIE KAHN JUSTICE EDITOR

“Watching people skate here has made me a better skater.”

“I have decades of memories in that zone, I met some of my best friends in the world.”

- Brian Daly

- Tyler Meyer

- Henry Vaananen, 16 years old

Jen Crystal, Editor in Chief Jane Flautt, Managing Editor

Cameron Cushing and Sofia Gonzalez, Senior Editors

Leeza Barstein, Juliana Giacone, and Hannah Taylor, Associate Editors

Dalya Koller, Leah Breakstone, News Editors Natalie Kahn, Features Editor

Lauryn Williams, Forum Editor

Megan liao, Arts & Culture Editor

Jack Yuanwei Cheng, Photography Editor

Ariella Weiss, Isabel roseth, Copy Editors

Samantha Goldman, Devon Sandler, Online Editors

EDITORIALS

Why Brandeis campus housing must change

The Brandeis population has grown steadily over the past several years, with the class of 2026 now the largest first-year class in Brandeis history with an enrollment of 1,007 students, compared to the class of 2025’s initial enrollment of 953 students. Despite the fact that the undergraduate population has been steadily growing, the University’s infrastructure has been struggling to keep up.

With the increasing number of undergraduate students comes more issues with housing. Controversy over campus housing at Brandeis is nothing new, but the continual increasing of first-year classes poses the question of whether or not the University actually has the room to house these students. First-years at Brandeis are traditionally housed in one of two quads: North Quad or Massell Quad. Most rooms are set up for two students each; however, to accommodate the number of students coming to Brandeis, the University has begun turning rooms originally intended for two students into forced triples, where all three beds and desks are put in a room designed to be used as a double. This year, some first-years have also been assigned to live in East Quad, which has traditionally housed only sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

This overflow of students increases the risk of illnesses spreading among students, as viruses spread easily when students are living in such close quarters. This problem is exacerbated by a lack of access to testing on this campus, now that the University has suspended its testing surveillance program. Although students are required to report any positive COVID-19 results, not all students have access to testing. While it is true that the Health Center will test students showing symptoms or those that have been deemed as a close contact, it is the belief of this board that the University should have rapid tests more readily available to students if they are no longer providing PCR tests outside of appointments. That being said, testing alone will not fix this issue. Students who test positive for COVID-19 now isolate in their dorms, which is particularly

problematic in first-year housing where students share bathrooms and many live in forced triples.

This board recognizes the fact that building new housing and renovating current housing would be a large project, and that these issues would not be solved all at once. However, prior to COVID-19, the Justice reported that there have been plans to update campus housing — it is likely that these plans have been delayed due to COVID-19, but given the growing student body, students would appreciate an update on those plans. If the University plans to continue admitting more and more students each year, they must be able to accommodate them without putting three students in rooms made for two in dorms that already struggle to accommodate the number of students living in them.

Resources in these buildings are already inequitable; some first-year dorms have only a couple washers and dryers, others have several of each, and a few buildings have none at all. Because first-years do not have apartment style housing, they can either use the one communal kitchen in their building or the dining hall, an already existing problem that has been exacerbated by the influx of new students. First-year dorms usually only have one kitchen in an entire building, with some buildings sharing the same kitchen, and lines at the dining halls have been particularly long this semester.

Although happy to welcome the class of 2026 to campus, this board believes that the University is accepting more students than it has the capacity to house safely and effectively. If current trends continue, this problem is unlikely to go away. It is in the best interest of first-year students in particular that the University figures out a way to accommodate these students, whether by admitting fewer or finding more acceptable housing options for the ones that they do admit.

—Editor’s Note: Editor Cameron Cushing ’23 is employed by the Department of Community Living. He did not contribute to or edit this article.

Regarding campus dining

The dining hall experience at Brandeis was off to a rough start at the very beginning of August — with limited options, overcrowded dining halls, and long wait times — but some notable and commendable changes have been made since then. The University officially signed a contract with Harvest Table Culinary Group in July 2022 after students “were left disenchanted” with Sodexo, a catering giant, as per a May 3 Justice article. The Brandeis Sustainability Ambassadors heavily advocated for Harvest Table because the dining service emphasized sustainability in aspects of labor, service, and food preparation.

One of the problems that Brandeis Hospitality has solved successfully in the last week was making more gluten-free options available to students. Currently, most of the Upper Usdan pick-up locations

including Greens and Grains, Nakiri Ramen, and La Sabrosa have gluten-free substitutions. Dining halls seem to be addressing these issues by incorporating gluten-free pasta at meal stations and keeping the allergen-free zones stocked with alternatives. Students can also exclude ingredients depending on their preferences on the Starship app, which was not available at the start of the semester. Additionally, new Starship robots on campus are offering a contactless option for food delivery can be helpful as we continue to live through the COVID-19 pandemic. But there are some lingering concerns that must be addressed despite the responsive changes that have already been made to the dining experience on campus. More options that address variety, accessibility, and efficiency are always

appreciated by students, and Brandeis Hospitality can address them in more ways than one:

Expand what menu options can count as a meal swipe at Upper Usdan – students might be more encouraged to order from Upper if they don’t have to use points, and this may reduce the size of the crowds in the dining halls.

Make the Stein available on the Starship app so students have another option for meals to pick up. Alert students of unexpected early closures or late openings of dining locations either via the app or on social media. It would be more convenient if students could order from more than one location at a time on the app.

Instead of preventing students from ordering from a dining location if it is experiencing a high volume of orders, let students order and increase the wait times listed in the app when order volume is high. This could also reduce in-person lines, because if students aren’t able to order on the app they may choose to order in-person at locations where this is an option.

Keep the menu updated on the app especially if ingredients are out of stock, and provide a direct message digital platform or easy communication between dining workers and students. (In many cases, students have put in orders, but due to confusion or ingredients that

are out of stock, they only found out about the problems with the order once they already waited and arrived in person to pick it up. Many times they have been exempt from refunds.)

Improve the accuracy of the notification system on the app to ensure that orders are actually ready when students receive the notification. While we appreciate that order numbers on the labels have been made larger so students can find them with greater ease, it would be more helpful if the printed labels instead displayed students’ names — this would be a better method to prevent a student from accidentally taking another student’s order.

The food robots have been seen parked outside Upper Usdan near Dunkin’ —an area of campus that experiences high levels of foot traffic at certain times of the day. Give the robots a new loading dock/ resting point that doesn’t narrow or block a path that troves of students frequent. This editorial board recognizes that it might take some time for these suggested changes to be implemented and that Brandeis Hospitality remains open to receiving feedback from the student body.

To Brandeis students, please be patient with the dining experience – the University is still in a transitional phase —and keep in mind that the dining workers are doing their best to serve us.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

To our Friends at The Justice,

I must admit that we at the New Frontiers Party were quite surprised at the attention provided us ahead of these last elections, by both yourselves and the Student Union. While we certainly meant no offense to any, nor any kind of rebuke to existing institutions and officeholders, we do offer our polite disagreements to the opinions showcased in Max Feigelson’s September 13 article, “Student Union Candidates Form Political Party for the First Time in a Decade.” We were disappointed that our candidates were not approached for comment and believe that we could have better explained our intentions pertaining to future of our community, if afforded such an opportunity.

We recognize and understand the concerns brought forward by Student Union President Peyton Gillespie and Director of Communications Noah Risley. The intention of NFP is not to inject factionalism into, nor assert any kind of supremacy over the affairs of the Student Union or body at large. NFP, as a rule of thumb, avoided establishing overarching policy in order to allow each candidate to assert themselves, and indeed, most did present written platforms in various formats on their Instagram pages ahead of the elections. In truth, the intention was not to bolster a “social club,” as suggested by Director Risley, but to promote and support student involvement early on in the year among people who would otherwise be disinclined to self-involve. We hoped, and continue to hope, to provide a framework to make it easier for those interested to navigate the campaign process.

As platforms came together, it was decided among the candidates that the better policies proposed would be pooled and presented to Student Union officials for advice, adjustment, and consent. Among these policies were meal delivery for students with COVID-19, the creation of an SU Senate seat to represent disabled students (in addition to exploring methods of making the campus more accessible to the same), advocating the out-phasing of singleuse plastics, examining the fiscal possibility of installing air conditioning in communal residence areas, expediting the chartering process of a stand-up comedy club; and launching an inquiry (formal or informal) into the working conditions of the dining hall (the importance of the latter two of which were brought directly to our attention by other students). We believe that these issues ought to be discussed even if we are ultimately unable to see them enacted, in order to ensure that the voices of our fellow students are heard.

Through the remainder of the year, and should we be so fortunate, the next few, we hope this involvement-promoting mindset at the core of NFP will continue to spread and flourish. While I personally did not achieve success in my own bid to represent the Class of 2026 in the Senate, I am exceedingly pleased by the successes of those members who did (Mr. Hupart, Mr. Moskovits, Mr. Waters, Mr. Sherman,) and indeed, by that of my own former opponent, Ms. Wang. While I intend to pursue SU elected office again in the future, I am at present greatly enthused by the state of the Union, and look forward to what I expect will be a year of great cooperation and efficacy.

Many thanks, much respect, and kindest regards,

—Stephen R. Gaughan, Class of 2026 Chairman (1/3 leader) of the New Frontiers Party

News, in my mind, are recent events often tied to sadness and corruption. Throughout my childhood, I watched the news because my mom did, but I never enjoyed it except when I would see a face like Robin Roberts or Gayle King. I hated seeing loops of destruction and war replaying in cycles every five hours. During my last two years of high school, I listened intently to the radio more often, and soon I could instantly recognize Maria Hinojosa from “Latino USA’’ or Terry Gross from National Public Radio’s “Fresh Air.” I usually do not go out of my way to seek out news — I just wait until I hear about something, usually second-hand from a professor, friend, or someone’s re-post on social media. I rarely, if ever, choose to Google “news” or look up the “New York Times.” A Pew Research study from 2016 shows 18-29 year-olds are less than enthusiastic about news. The study reported that young adults are more likely to use social media to get news compared to older generations.

However, other reasons factor into young peoples’ disinterest in finding news, one of which is being overwhelmed. I, as a creative soul, usually try to maintain a positive attitude, and it can be really difficult when there is a constant bombardment of negative news. Often when

and media: how I

looking for news, I find it is filled with sadness, corruption and tragedy. There are some outlets such as the Good News Network and the Good News section of “Today,” but an overwhelming majority of news focuses on the negative side.

Over the past week, I tracked each time I checked news intentionally or just through friends or social media. I was actually surprised to find myself looking up the “ New York Times” or recent events of my own accord. This, however, was in correlation to my “Fundamentals of Environmental Challenges” course (also known as “Tree Class”). On reflection, I noticed that I was looking at news articles that I cared about. For example, on Aug. 31, I wrote in my tracker, “Checked the ‘New York Times’ and read an op-ed on defunding the police and why there is little to no support from both Republicans and Democrats.” As a young Black woman who now knows more names of Black people that have been shot than amendments to the Constitution, I find this topic extremely nuanced and important. Moreover, I saw similarities with several of my friends who agree that they find news articles that speak to them more engaging because it relates to their identity or culture.

Also, my interest peaked when I was reading news that is related to art and poetry. I especially love animation, so I often check “Cartoon Brew” as a way to

find out about indie artists and filmmakers and learn about new animation organizations. A recent study through Rutgers and Oxford University shows roughly 63% of “social natives” (people aged 18-24) use some form of social media or directly find news through an app. Another interesting fact is that young adults between 18 to 24 find the news to be untrustworthy because of misinformation. I think young people tend to be more skeptical of news sources when navigating what is reliable. It is a lot to go out of your way to find the truth; most people want to be able to trust the news they watch, read, or listen to without questioning the validity of statements.

Being more aware and informed has been a goal of mine since freshman year. With this project, I felt the need to be more grounded in finding news, so twice I forced myself to look up news articles at random just to see if there was anything I wanted to click on. Finally, I landed on a story about an Afghan girl risking her life to play soccer. I felt encouraged to do more with my life and in general to re-evaluate the freedoms I do have that I have taken for granted.

News is powerful because the stories reporters tell are of hope and despair, of love, life, death and war, but most of all, they are real. It is more difficult then to mitigate how reliable sources are when you are overcome with emotion about a

certain story or being told a story from only one perspective. Everyone has bias, including journalists, but the goal should be to think critically for ourselves while receiving information that is not attached to an agenda.

A variety of methods can be used to better help engage young adults with current events and the news. My friends and I agree that especially elevating more voices of color and having bite-sized news segments would alleviate some of the current barriers to engaging with the news. Growing up with a certain news outlet or station can heavily influence one’s idea of what is credible. I grew up with the “New York Times,” as I am sure many of us did, and throughout history the Times has held up through some drastic changes. Several Americans are slowly regaining their faith in news outlets but still not too sure, especially after COVID-19. There is no one-size-fits-all solution; youth tend to be active on social media, but that does not necessarily mean they are sharing news stories on their feeds or that they are well-informed. I think finding nuanced ways to incorporate multiple styles of journalistic storytelling into our internet landscape is what we need. A combination of truth-telling, easy and digestible headlines, and more diverse representation would help improve young people’s engagement with current events and news.

Burnout culture: a neurodivergent perspective on productivity

By TIBRIA BROWN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

We’ve begun the fall semester of the 2022-23 school year! If you’re anything like me, an overzealous, career-driven maniac, you might be confused as to why you’re already burned out. You have all these plans for your future and the drive to get there, but you’re having trouble making concrete steps to achieve those goals.

As a person with ADHD, I’ve always found it challenging to stick with one thing at a time. One day I’ll have a burning passion for becoming a world-class pianist, then give up a week later and move on to something else. This happens in school too while pursuing the various majors and career paths I’m interested in.

My mind bounces around so much from interest to interest that it’s easy to feel defeated when I push another passion aside.

Well, our corporate overlords must have heard my internal cries for help, as YouTube’s algorithm pointed me to two videos that have helped me immensely.

The first is a video essay, “How Capitalism Burns You Out” by Elliot Sang. To summarize, Sang discusses the widespread trend of severe burnout everyone seems to be experiencing postpandemic, focusing on college-age folks. The theorized cause of burnout being “selfexploitation,” which has been accentuated by the years in isolation. Self-exploitation is discussed as a way that corporations have engineered society to normalize exploitative work practices disguised as “grind culture,” “career orientation,” or “self-betterment.” In reality, these corporations are just rebranding, shifting blame to individuals for their own burnout while continuing to profit off of overworked and underpaid employees. This “self-exploitation” is particularly damaging for neurodivergent people. Sang

briefly touches on this in the conclusion of their essay, stating, “understanding your own neurodivergence, is not a path to optimize. It’s not a pathway to be a harder worker.” This line, in particular, caught me off guard. In the past decade there has been huge attention given to neurodivergence and mental health as a whole. The once taboo topic has been the subject of several equity and accessibility movements to support those of us with different ways of thinking. However, as this subject trends and is politicized, it is being co-opted by corporations attempting to profit off of us. I have fallen victim to this, finding techniques to make my neurodivergence fit the corporate mold to be a more competitive worker. Learning to be a jack of all trades and an asset to various companies, even though it has led to immense burnout and has been detrimental to my mental health.

Watching Sang’s video helped me to understand the reason why I felt burnt out by pointing out the countless factors influencing me to exploit myself and optimize my own productivity without giving myself any grace. However, it left a gap that did not account for how to remain productive to pursue careers and maintain a comfortable lifestyle without the self-exploitative corporate model.

That is where Elizabeth Filips’ video, “You’re Not Lazy: How to Live a Chaotically Organized Life” comes in. Throughout the video, Filips discusses the way they are able to thrive in their career and passions without forcing themselves to fit the neurotypical corporate mold.

They find healthy ways to be productive with necessary tasks while avoiding the self-exploitative expectation put upon them by mainstream corporate ideology.

Filips introduced the “Fall Behind, Catch Up, Go Ahead Schedule” for healthy “passion drive” productivity. This model allows the neurodivergent brain to deeply

explore topics of interest and succeed in pursuing them while factoring for necessary breaks our brains need. It also addresses and corrects the self-defeating mindset neurodivergent brains fall into, pointing to this as another cause of our burnout.

The “Fall Behind, Catch Up, Go Ahead” schedule is as follows:

Fall Behind—This step recognizes that sometimes we are not able to begin or complete tasks we’re passionate about simply because our brains are not interested in doing it at the moment. Filips acknowledges that this does not mean we’ve given up on that passion or that we’re lazy, but that we need a short break from it to regain our interest.

Catch Up—This step is our brains getting re-invested in that passion and “catching up” on the productivity we missed out on when we “fell behind.”

Go Ahead—This step is our brains becoming immensely interested in our passion, so much so that we not only catch up on the time we missed when we “fell behind,” but excel exponentially in a short amount of time.

Filips says, “I do not optimize for consistency, I optimize for passion”, and this is a sentiment I intend to utilize as I pursue my passions and career. Putting this in conversation with Sang, who is also neurodivergent, the way to avoid intense burnout as a neurodivergent person is to accept that our brains are different and that we are fueled by joy and passion rather than consistency. Holding ourselves to the same standard as our neurotypical peers is unfair and directly causes us harm. Sang speaks on this directly in the comment section of their video. “When I learn to accept my slow days, my ‘laziness,’ and bring myself to a place of acceptance and joy, I’m more productive and successful anyway.” Both of these videos have helped me immensely

thus far in the semester as I have actively re-taught myself how to succeed as a student without defaulting back to selfdefeating or self-exploitative practices.

For me, this whole cycle can take anywhere from a couple weeks to a few months as I measure out my capacity to do work at certain times. My initial interest and “fall back” period involves me going over the syllabi of my courses at the beginning of the semester and spending a day adding deadlines to my calendar, along with reminders two days before major assignments are due. This helps me avoid being blindsided by big assignments if they slip my mind, avoiding unnecessary stress. When I fall back, I limit the optional commitments I put upon myself, like club meetings, office hours, and networking events. I also allow myself to be less strict with minor assignments for classes, and if attendance for classes is optional or on Zoom, I stay in my room.

This is especially possible if you discuss your work schedule with professors early in the semester to get more flexible deadlines for assignments. Getting a day or two extension makes a world of difference and alleviates a lot of anxiety involving deadlines.

During the “catch up” phase, I gather the assignments my professors have made available and work to catch up with minor assignments I’ve neglected during my “fall back.” Then finally, because my brain is allowing me to get reinvested in the work I’m doing, I start “going ahead” in my courses by two to three weeks. In addition, I get loads of work done during my three day weekends. If this phase happens right before a longer break, I spend the break working ahead, especially working on and prepping for assignments with harsher deadlines like midterm/final projects or papers. This “go ahead” period typically leaves me flexible for several weeks and gives me a much needed mental break.

BASKETBALL: Hall of Fame Class of 2022

widely used today known as the “euro step.” Coming off the bench to be used as the sixth man, Ginobili embraced this role and established himself as one of the greatest sixth men of all time. As a member of Argentina’s national team, Ginobili led Argentina to a gold medal in the 2004 Olympic Games, becoming the first team to dethrone the unstoppable United States. In 2008, Ginobili returned to the Olympic hardwood, claiming a bronze medal.

Tim Hardaway, a five-time AllStar and member of five All-NBA teams, was a player who defined 90’s basketball. As one of the league's top guards, Hardaway was known for his shifty dribbling and passing ability. At this moment, Hardaway stands as 18th in the all-time assists leaders. His 13-year NBA career was spent on five different teams, but he made his mark as a member of the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat. As a member of the U.S. National Team, Hardaway won a gold medal in the 2000 Olympic Games.

Swin Cash, a three-time WNBA champion, is regarded as one of the most influential players to come through the WNBA. Known to be able to do it all on the court, Cash was a four-time WNBA All-Star and a 2-time member of the All-WNBA second team. Dominant at every level of basketball, Cash led her University of Connecticut Huskies to two national championships and the U.S. National Team to two Olympic gold medals in the 2004 and 2012 Olympic Games. She was also named to the WNBA’S 25th-anniversary team last year and inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

Lindsay Whalen, a four-time WNBA champion, was no stranger to accolades. A five-time WNBA All-Star, three-time member of the All-WNBA first team, and twotime member of the All-WNBA second team, Whalen was a force to be reckoned with during her playing career. Starting her career as a member of the Connecticut Suns, Whalen found her stride

as a member of the Minnesota Lynx, where she achieved her championships. She was also a member of the U.S. National team, winning two gold medals as a member of the 2012 and 2016 Olympic teams.

George Karl spent 27 seasons as a coach in the NBA. With a record of 1,175-824, Karl ranks as the sixth most winningest coach in the history of the NBA. In those 27 seasons, Karl only managed to miss the playoffs five times. Coaching for six teams, Karl was named the NBA’s Coach of the Year in 2013 as the Head Coach for the Denver Nuggets.

Bob Huggins, a prominent figure in college basketball, spent 37 seasons as a Division 1 coach. He rotated around, spending most of his time with Walsh, Akron, Cincinnati, and Kansas State, and as of 2007 is the Head Coach at West Virginia. Under his command, his teams have made 25 March Madness berths and two final four appearances. He currently stands as the eighth most winningest coach in Division 1 history, with an outstanding record of 844-374 in his career.

Marianne Stanely, a longtime women’s basketball coach, extended her career at multiple levels. She contributed 22 seasons as a collegiate coach across multiple programs, including Old Dominion, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, Stanford, and California. In 1985, she led Old Dominion to win the national championship. In 2002, she took over as the Head Coach for the Washington Mystics, earning WNBA Coach of the Year honors that year.

Rounding out the class are Lou Hudson, Del Harris, Larry Costello, Hugh Evans, Theresa Shank Grentz and Radivoj Korac. Each individual made monumental contributions to basketball in their own right and established themselves among the standouts of the sport. Becoming a member of the Hall of Fame is the highest honor one can achieve in the sport and truly cements their legacy as immortals.

SARVER: Suns owner suspended

CONTINUED FROM 16

of Sarver using the N-word, even when told by his staff that he should not be using racist epithets. There are also accounts of him sexually harassing and assaulting several female and male employees. The NBA released its findings to the public, and among other details, it also states that Sarver often uses a “harsh and demeaning behavior towards his employees, including yelling and cursing at them.” This behavior demonstrated by Sarver also resulted in the “occasional bullying.” The report also revealed instances of the “mistreatment of female employees, [and] inappropriate commentary related to sex or sexual orientation.”

The Sarver and Sterling scandals are somewhat similar but are also different in many ways. The primary reason that Sarver is able to keep the Phoenix Suns and was not forced to sell is that there is no hard evidence

MLB: New rules to alter world of baseball

CONTINUED FROM 16

above may be a step in a new direction. Whether it’s the right direction is yet to be seen.

A defensive shift in baseball means that the fielders take a specific position on the field for some tactical reason. Most often, a defensive team will make a shift when a left-handed hitter is up to bat in order to better cover gaps between fielders on one side of the diamond. Instead, every infielder will need to have their feet in the dirt as the pitch is being thrown.

Moreover, this rule change will also ban players from playing a different position from batter-to-batter. Players would often play a somewhat different position when certain hitters came up to bat: a second baseman may back up into the outfield to cover the space behind, and a shortstop may find himself at the second base position. No more! The MLB will require that there are two players on each side of the infield when the ball is in play. If players wish to switch positions, this will need to be communicated with the umpire and those switches cannot be undone.

any casual baseball fan the toughest part about watching a game, nine out of 10 people will say that the game is way too long. The pitch clock may be the solution to this problem. The pitch clock is quite simple in practice: a pitcher will have 15 seconds to pitch the ball when no runners are on base and 20 seconds to pitch when runners are on base.

Don’t be fooled by the straightforward explanation above. Just like a lot of baseball rules, it is much more complicated and strict than it may appear at first glance.

An Entertainment and Sports Programming Network article about the new rule outlined the many specific, technical details of the pitch clock:

“The catcher must be in position when the timer hits 10 seconds, the hitter must have both feet in the batter's box and be ‘alert’ at the eight-second mark and the pitcher must start his ‘motion to pitch’ by the expiration of the clock. A violation by the pitcher is an automatic ball. One by the hitter constitutes an automatic strike.”

lisions between players. However, it may also encourage more base stealing.

Baseball has been around for close to 146 years and hopefully for many more years to come, but will these changes hurt the game more than they benefit it? In a statement released by the MLB, the league wants to return the game to a more “traditional aesthetic,” but it’s hard to say if these new changes will cause more problems than they solve.

Many players and managers have been asked their opinion on the matter, and overall the responses seem to vary.

Seattle Mariners pitcher Marco Gonzales told MLB reporters “It's like we're experimenting within the game. I don't think we need to do that. So I'd rather just let teams do what they want to do. And if they want to shift, shift. If they don't want to, don't do it. But I think putting strict policies, it just makes the game too uniform."

of Sarver saying the things that he is accused of. In contrast, Sterling was recorded when he told his mistress that he does not like it when “she associates with those kinds of people” in reference to Black spectators at games. Sarver essentially got off with a slap on the wrist because it is just one person's word against another.

However, there were at least 320 employees that were interviewed for this case, and after speaking to all of them, the NBA decided to impose the fine and temporary suspension. One of the Sun's primary sponsors, PayPal, released a statement condemning Sarver’s behavior and “threaten[ed] to pull their sponsorship if Sarver remains in charge.” Everyone is calling for Sarver to resign, including Sun’s minority owner, Jahm Najafi, but whether or not Sarver will face more severe punishment is yet to be determined.

So what does this mean for the game? Well, for starters, there will be more hits. Everyone loves to see more action, right? By disallowing a defensive shift, more gaps are opened up for hitters. In addition, left-handed hitters will rejoice at the fact that defenses can’t make them obsolete just by moving a couple of people around. With more hits and more action, this new rule might encourage more fan engagement.

Another major rule change is the addition of a pitch clock. If you ask

Although the pitch clock may restrict pitchers and add even more complicated and detailed rules to the game of baseball, it might help reduce how long games last. In fact, the minor leagues have already tested this out and seen a significant reduction in the average length of games — now games average two and a half hours, per ESPN.

The final rule, which garnered the least amount of press attention, was an increase in the size of bases from 15 to 18 inches wide. This was mostly implemented in order to reduce col-

In contrast, Orioles manager Brandon Hyde seemed optimistic about the rule change, specifically the introduction of a pitch clock. “The pace of play, the pitch clock, I am really interested. I'm excited about that. I think it's going to better the fan experience. I think it's going to better the player experience on the field, I'm hoping, just by the pace of play getting up a little bit more.”

Only time will tell how impactful these changes will be to the integrity of the game. For now, the World Series looms closer and 12 lucky teams must prepare themselves for an exciting postseason campaign.

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

INTERNATIONAL DOMINANCE: Argentinian Manu Ginobili cements himself among basketball's best, the joining Hall of Fame.

VOLLEYBALL

Tough matches for the Judges

■ Both men’s and women’s soccer couldn’t find the net to secure wins on Saturday.

By AKI YAMAGUCHI JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The scoring started off almost instantaneously when in the first plays of the game, the Lions found an opportunity to get past the Judges’ defense. Emerson’s Gina Lukoskie put a ball into the box for Judges goalie Hannah Bassan ’25 to challenge. However, the ball was put away by Brittney Righetti to give the Lions an early lead.

CROSS COUNTRY

While at home, the women’s soccer team led the non-conference game with offensive opportunities against Emerson University this past Saturday. However, after scoring in the first quarter of the game, both teams remained scoreless for the rest of the game with a hard-fought battle on the Judges’ part. They entered the game with a record of 3-2, all outside of conference. Meanwhile, the nationally ranked #15 Judges men’s soccer team fell against Wesleyan University on Saturday as well. Entering the match off a win over #22 nationally ranked Babson College, the men’s team had a record of 2-1-1 with all nonconference play.

Women’s Soccer Judges 1, Lions 1

The Judges came back to host at Gordon Field after playing away at Clark University earlier in the week. After both teams scored early goals, the Judges controlled the game offensively but could not capitalize on their opportunities. With the tie, the Judges move to a 3-2-1 record and hopefully look to secure some wins before conference play begins.

The Judges found their equalizing goal in the 13th minute when a foul in the Brandeis defensive zone occurred. A long ball by centerback Rachel Watler ’25 was put over the top and through the ranks of the Lions defense. Juliette Carreiro ’23 was at the receiving end after making a run, and ultimately put her shot away at the far post. This marked her 20th career goal and her fourth of the season in six games.

Although the Judges led the game in shots on goal (8-4) and corner kicks (7-0), in the end they were unable to create another goal. Centerback Morgan Collins ’25 had an opportunity on a rebound off the crossbar in the 31st minute, but hit it just over.

Emerson’s defense played hard, stopping a shot that Carreiro had gotten past the keeper in the 59th minute and clearing it off the goal line. The women’s team will look ahead to playing at Bridgewater State University on Sept. 20.

Men’s Soccer Judges 0, Cardinals 3

The Judges traveled to Middletown, Connecticut, to play the Wesleyan Cardinals and attempted to build on the momentum from their win against

Babson. However, the Judges struggled to place shots on goal in the first half and their offensive push at the end of the second half wasn’t enough. With the loss, the Judges fall to 2-2-1 ahead of conference play in two weeks. The Judges and the Cardinals were evenly matched for most of the first half, but Brandeis could not hold off Wesleyan’s attack in the end. In the 35th minute, Cardinal Zach Wheeler, scored off a corner kick. With only one shot on target in the first half, the Judges could not gain their footing on offensive drives and ended the half down a goal.

In the second half, the Judges put up a fight with six shots on goal, but they couldn’t stop the Cardinals from adding to their lead. Sancho Maroto Tobias ’23 came away with two shots on goal but could not get past the Cardinal keeper. In the 60th and 77th minute, the Cardinals scored twice off crosses to secure their win with the final score 0-3. Brandeis was also edged out on corner kicks,with Wesleyan coming away with 8 to the Judges’ 5. With 21 shots on goal, Captain Aiden Guthro ’23 tied his career high of 14 saves. The Judges will look to get back on track when they travel to Wheaton College on Wednesday, Sept. 21.

—Editor’s note: Editorial Assistant Aiden Guthro is a captain of the Judges men’s soccer team and did not contribute to the writing or editing of this article.

Photo courtesy of BAOGEN CHEN

In a tough match-up vs

the

Sports just

JUDGES MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SOCCER

On Saturday, Judges men's and women's soccer drop in University Athletic Association standings, p. 15.

By PRATEEK KANMADIKAR JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In 2021, ESPN analyst Baxter Holmes wrote an article alleging that Robert Sarver, the majority owner of the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, and RCD Mallorca, created an environment of racism, misogyny and sexual harassment in the front office of the Suns. The National Basketball Association announced an investigation into the matter, and recently deemed that Sarver be fined $10 million and be suspended for one year for his role in creating a toxic workplace environment for the Suns.

Sarver was born in Tucson, Arizona, and made his fortune through his real-estate development company, Southwest Value Partners. Sarver purchased the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury in 2004 for around $401 million. Sarver’s tenure has not been the smoothest so far, as the team’s performance struggled for

MLB

years on end. However, with the addition of legendary point guard Chris Paul along with All-Star guard Devin Booker, the Suns were able to make the NBA Finals last year, ultimately losing to the Miluwakee Bucks.

Many prominent basketball players and owners are calling for Sarver’s immediate resignation, or that Adam Silver, the commissioner of the NBA, should permanently ban Sarver for his behavior. Lebron James, one of the most well-known players in the NBA, went on Twitter to show his dismay for the “lenient suspension” that was given to Sarver. He wrote, “I deeply love this league, and deeply respect our leadership, but this isn’t right. There is no place for misogyny, sexism, and racism in our workplace.”

Many people have referred to the Donald Sterling scandal as precedent to ban Sarver. In 2014, Sterling was ousted in his role as majority owner of the Los Angeles Clippers after a video recording surfaced of him making racist remarks about Black people and how he does not like seeing them at the Clippers games. Sterling was banned indefinitely from all NBA games, fined $2.5 million, and forced to sell the LA Clippers.

There are multiple accounts

MLB passes massive rule changes

■ The MLB recently passed new rules banning defensive shifts, instituting a pitch clock, and increasing the size of the base.

By AIDEN GUTHRO JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Major League Baseball is the oldest major league sport in the United States. Beginning in 1876, America’s pastime has been around for nearly 146 years. Needless to say that change in the sport, in any capacity, will be a topic of major discussion throughout the sports world. Last week, the MLB Competition Committee passed a few significant rule changes that will take effect in 2023. Among these landmark modifications are a ban on defensive shifts, as well as the institution of a pitch clock.

The MLB, just like many other businesses, experienced tough times through the pandemic. While fan attendance has risen since the 2021 MLB season, it is still 5% less than the pre-pandemic 2019 campaign. Fan engagement has been on the forefront of discussion between fans and baseball executives for quite some time.

Earlier this season, videos and pictures circulated of the Oakland Athletics and their abysmal fan turnout at RingCentral Coliseum in California. In a New York Times article discussing the crisis, fans worried that the team may have to leave in order to keep their franchise afloat.

This all brings up a few major questions: are people enjoying the MLB like they used to? What is going wrong, and what can the MLB do to fix the problem?

These questions aren’t easy to answer, but the rule changes mentioned

■ The DISGRACED OWNER

Ginobili headlines 2022 Hall of Fame induction

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame held its annual enshrinement ceremony

on Sept. 10.

In 1891, James Naismith, a physical education teacher from Springfield, Massachusetts, was tasked with creating a physical activity to keep athletes indoors during the frigid New England winter. His idea was revolutionary — a simple game where you shoot a medium-sized ball into peach baskets nailed to the railing of the gym balcony. This would be the first rendition of the game that transcends global sports today — basketball.

From short shorts to baggy shorts, a simple weave-and-layup offense to 30-foot shots and windmill dunks, the game has truly developed since its inception. As the game grew in popularity, basketball did not just serve as a symbol of American sports

but as a global icon in realms such as fashion and music. Over time, the National Basketball Association has established itself as the premier basketball league, but leagues worldwide feature international talent.

On Saturday, Sept. 10, The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, held its annual Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony for the class of 2022. Initially founded in 1959, the Hall of Fame honors figures in the basketball world who made monumental contributions to the sport. Individuals may be inducted as a player, coach, referee, or contributor.

Before this year's ceremony, the Hall of Fame paid tribute to the late Bill Russell, who passed away in late July at the age of 88. A pioneer in the sport of basketball, Russell was the living embodiment of a champion: winning 11 total NBA championships, nine as a player and two as a coach, all with the Boston Celtics. A trailblazer, Russell broke barriers by becoming the first Black coach of an NBA team when he took over for the Celtics in 1966 as a player-coach. Although

his skills and impact on the court were remarkable, his actions off the court are what truly made Russell immortal. Throughout his life, Russell was a leader in the fight against racial inequality and used his voice until his passing. He made monumental strides in his advocacy and continues serving as a role model for generations. These outstanding accomplishments outside of basketball led him to be awarded the highest civilian award in the country, The Presidential Medal of Freedom, by former President Barack Obama in 2011.

This year’s class is diverse, featuring 13 individuals who truly made contributions to the sport through their illustrious careers. These champions, greats, legends, and trendsetters all made their mark and deserve receiving the highest honor in their craft. Headlining the class are the following:

Manu Ginobili, a four-time NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs, who embodied what it meant to be a trendsetter. In his 16 seasons in the NBA, all with the Spurs, Ginobili was a two-time All-Star, a two-time member of the All-NBA third team, and popularized a move

See BASKETBALL, 13 ☛

Photos: Smiley Huynh/the Justice. Design: Smiley Huynh, Owen Chan, Jack Yuanwei Cheng/the Justice.

Waltham, Mass.

HBO’s ‘The White Lotus’:

a review of the Emmy-winning series

By JULIANA GIACONE JUSTICE EDITOR

HBO’s “The White Lotus” is giving Netflix a run for their money. On Sept. 12, the limited series dominated at the 2022 Emmy Awards. According to Variety, HBO took home a total of 38 Emmys, 10 of those wins being from “The White Lotus.” Netflix took home the silver medal in the streaming service Olympics with a total of 26 Emmys, down from the 44 they picked up last year thanks to shows like “The Crown” and “The Queen’s Gambit.”

If you haven’t watched the award-winning first season of “The White Lotus,” PROCEED WITH CAUTION — this article has some critical spoilers! If you watched Season One and were left dumbfounded with the burning question, “Why would Rachel, portrayed by Alexandra Daddario, stay married to bratex-frat-boy Shane, portrayed by Jake Lacy?” then read on.

Season One of “The White Lotus” is full of humor and romance, Hawaiian beaches and sunsets, an alluring yet haunting soundtrack, and scandals and crimes, topped off with a satirical plot that reflects social issues such as privilege, economic and racial disparities, and gender and sexuality norms that pervade modern society. Among the romantic storylines emerges a newly wed couple, Rachel and Shane, a seemingly perfect match at first glance. The White Lotus Hotel Resort in Maui is the couple’s first stop on a stretch of dreamy locations that make up their luxurious honeymoon. But the honeymoon gradually sours when Rachel discovers that her husband isn’t truly in love with her.

Shane reveals his true nature to Rachel, which culminates in her utter disillusionment with

their marriage; his stubborn tiffs with the Hotel Manager Armond, played by Murray Bartlett, over a hotel room booking error dominates his time and conversations with Rachel. Not only does Shane become obsessed with staying in the most expensive room in the resort that they originally booked, but he also flirts with college girls at the poolside and firmly puts down Rachel’s journalism career prospects. When Rachel says that she thinks sex is not the most important thing in a relationship, he retorts, “Well what is?” He even allows his doting mother Kitty, portrayed by Molly Shannon, to crash their honeymoon, permitting her to handle his relationship issues with Rachel on his behalf.

Shane fails as a romantic partner constantly, and by the beginning of the finale, Rachel says to Shane, “I think I made a mistake … getting married to you.” Evidently, she is on the brink of leaving him. Cue the cheers of hardcore feminists and diehard romantics everywhere.

But that cheering soon comes to an abrupt halt. In the finale, wide-eyed, Rachel is approached somewhat cautiously by Shane at the airport, departing from Hawaii.

What happens next is arguably the most disappointing “surprise” of the show. Rachel says to Shane with a dissociated, blank facial expression belying her words, “Everything’s fine … I’m happy, I promise. I’ll – I’ll be happy,” confirming that she has decided to stay with him.

For many viewers, Rachel’s final decision was comparable to the cliché horror movie scene featuring some woman walking around a dark and creaky house, with suspenseful and dark music building in the background as she reaches a door at the end of the hallway. The audience knows without a doubt that there

is a monster behind it, but the woman opens the door leading to her unfortunate demise anyway, leaving us wondering why this

place in the mid-1800s. One would understandably conclude that in this day and age, the modern woman is liberated from all these

clear on their honeymoon, they’d rather have her parading around serving drinks at cocktail parties and just smiling and look-

hapless victim doesn’t just leave the creepy house.

Rachel’s decision disappointed many viewers. In fact, it has provoked a flood of articles and social media reactions. Why on earth would Rachel – or any woman – stay with such a selfobsessed, superficial, mama’s boy?

The consensus answer is simple: Rachel was in it for the money, or at least for the lifestyle that came along with being rich. This idea is nothing new, but viewers had higher expectations for Rachel.

This phenomenon is referred to as the “Faustian bargain of marriage,” where Rachel essentially trades her true love and her genuine happiness to be a trophy wife with a carefree lifestyle.

Creator Mike White confirmed this theory in various interviews, saying, “I always knew she’d go back to him,” in an interview with Vulture. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, White explained, “She wants to be able to have her cake and eat it too. She wants to have the lifestyle and also have the power and the relationship … And I think by the end, she’s thinking maybe she can compromise.”

The concept of the “Faustian bargain” is similar to that of the “economic proposition” described succinctly in Amy March’s monologue from the 2019 remake of the film “Little Women,” which is based on the 1868 novel by Louisa May Alcott.

Florence Pugh, who portrayed March, was later nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role by the Academy in 2020. In the film, the monologue to romantic interest Laurie (Timothée Chalamet) critically points out the duality of marriage, which serves as a path and a barrier to a woman’s independence:

“As a woman, I have no way to make money … even if I had money … it would belong to my husband the minute we got married. If we had children, they would belong to him, not me … So don’t sit there and tell me that marriage isn’t an economic proposition, because it is.”

But “Little Women” takes

past obstacles and could enjoy the freedom to marry for love rather than for money.

Rachel was not as trapped as the women of the mid-1800s, but she wound up in the same position as them.

This may explain why her choice is so disturbing to many viewers and women in particular. The idea that grim conditions of marriage are timeless for women is a horrifying thought indeed.

In the middle of Episode Six, Rachel confides to Natasha Rothwell’s Belinda who works at the hotel’s spa, saying, “I mean, I was always going to live life on my own terms … But, then, what I manifested is pretty mediocre … but, like, could I live with myself if I made this Faustian bargain where I just ended up being someone’s arm candy for the rest of my life?”

A post by a Reddit user makes some critical points to explain what pushed Rachel down her slippery slope: “No one had sympathy for her because she was beautiful. It was as if everyone felt that should be enough … you can see the box it put Rachel in.” Her physical beauty created a “double standard” where she couldn’t help how she was being perceived by others, yet their perception was far from reality.

The assumption that everything came easily to Rachel due to her appearance was false because as a result of it, her character and her life goals were completely ignored by those who were around her. If beauty is all you are judged by, it can ruin your sense of self. This surely was the root of many of Rachel’s troubles.

In the end, Rachel may have realized that she was beautiful before marrying Shane, but she only came to the realization that she was a failed journalist and her career prospects were low after confronting someone she wrote an article about during the vacation. In the conversation, the interviewee trashed Rachel’s article and her journalism skills. Rachel was genuinely proud of a simple piece she had written. And she made the assumption that she would continue working as a journalist even after marrying Shane. But, as both Shane and his mother made painfully

ing pretty, because what reason would she have to work another day in her life?

In an interview with Time Magazine, Daddario agreed that a fundamental connection between her character’s beauty and insecurities exists, which drives her to stay with Shane. “She is completely trapped. And I think that there’s this fear aspect. That selfdoubt and insecurity, and sort of the repercussions of being told that she’s just hot her whole life, has just made her afraid that she doesn’t have anything else,” said Daddario said.

In the end, Rachel was in full control of her own decisions, with free will within her reach. After she weighed all her options and determined that Shane was her best bet in life, Rachel made the decision to return to him. Leading up to meeting Shane at the airport, Rachel at last fully understood what people thought about her and expected from her, and she caved into their perceptions.

But whether Rachel ever leaves Shane in the future will be left a mystery to fans everywhere who rooted for her independence, at least for the next season. Season Two will reveal an almost entirely new cast and plot. But the producers are considering bringing back some of the characters from Season One for Season Three, so fans might have the opportunity to explore Rachel and Shane’s ongoing storyline.

The second season jets off to Taormina, Sicily, at The Four Seasons San Domenico Palace, replacing the White Lotus Resort.

The star-studded cast will include Will Sharpe and Aubrey Plaza as a couple vacationing with another couple, played by Theo James and Meghann Fahy, along with actors F. Murray Abraham, Michael Imperioli, Adam DiMarco, Tom Hollander, Haley Lu Richardson, and the returning Jennifer Coolidge. The first episode will premiere on HBO Oct. 1.

Season Two is standing on the shoulders of giants following Season One. Will the women in Season Two be another version of Rachel and make their own Faustian Bargains, or will they leave their romantic interests in the dust?

Design: Megan Liao/the Justice

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS DADDARIO: Other than “The White Lotus,” Alexandra Daddario also starred in “Percy Jackson” films and “Baywatch.”

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS COMPETITION: With quality productions like “The White Lotus,” HBO is catching up in the competitions against other streaming platforms.

CasinoNight

By MEGAN LIAO JUSTICE EDITOR

Club Cantonese @ Brandeis held their first event of the year last Saturday in the newly-renovated Intercultural Center lounge. The event was full of casino games, Cantonese music, and popular Asian food like taro baos, egg tarts, and bubble tea.

Design: Megan Liao/the Justice

SMILEY HUYNH/the Justice

CASINO: Each participant had the chance to win prizes as large as animal plushies.

STAFF’S Top Ten

By OWEN CHAN JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Top 10 New England Lighthouses (my strange addiction)

1. Nauset Light. It’s on the Cape Cod Chips bag.

2. Boston Light. First lighthouse in the United States.

3. Thacher Island Twin Lights. Two are better than one.

4. Graves Light. Privately owned — I WILL purchase it one day. I just need a light $1,000,000.

5. Marshall Point Light. Featured in Forrest Gump. Need I say more?

6. Scituate Light. It’s just pretty to look at, and I have a nice picture of it.

7. Portland Head Light. Same as #6.

8. Minot’s Ledge Light. Literally alone in the middle of the ocean surrounded by nothing but water for miles.

9. Nubble Light. For it’s name tbh.

10. West Quoddy Head Light. Dressed like “Where’s Waldo?”

WEEKLY RECIPE

By MEGAN LIAO JUSTICE EDITOR

Justice Staff Writer Jackson Wu is a consistent contributor to the Sports section of the Justice, covering mainly pro sports and Brandeis Women’s Basketball. As a player on the Brandeis Basketball Club, Jackson has a heavily protein-based diet. However, neither carb nor fat intake concerns him — judging by the amount of ice cream he stores in the freezer. Today, he shared the recipe for a dish that he has made often in his Ridgewood kitchen.

“I usually cook pan-fried pork belly as a side to my rice, but it’s also perfect sandwiched between toast. If you would like to enhance or add a little tangy taste to the dish to avoid feeling greased out, I would recommend a dash of lemon juice before serving it.” Enjoy the crispy layer of skin slowly melting in your mouth until the rendered fat makes a dramatic explosion when your tongue reaches it.

SUDOKU

“Foolproof” Pan-fried Pork Belly (3-4 servings)

Ingredients:

- 1.5 pounds of pork belly

- 1 teaspoon of za’atar seasoning blend

- 1.5 tablespoon of rice wine

- 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper

- 1 teaspoon of sugar

- 1 teaspoon of salt

1. Dice the pork belly and steam or boil it in a pot

2. Marinate the diced pork belly with za’atar seasoning (I got mine from Trader Joe’s), rice wine, salt, white pepper, and sugar.

3. If possible, shake the container with the marinating pork belly before storing it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 6 hours.

4. Retrieve the marinated pork belly from the fridge and fry in a pan. I recommend using only 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil, because pork belly is pretty greasy itself.

5. Fry until each piece is coated with a caramelized color. A good indicator of the pork belly being done is when the skin appears to be bubbly.

MINA ROWLAND/the Justice

OWEN CHAN/the Justice