The Justice, March 25, 2025

STRING QUARTET FUNDRAISES

The Lydian String Quartet fights to remain as fundraiser begins

■ The Brandeis Music Department now houses a webpage encouraging community members to donate to the Lydian String Quartet.

The Brandeis Division of the Creative Arts is stepping up and launching a fundraising campaign in an attempt to save the beloved Lydian String Quartet. Founded in 1980, the Lydian has been a staple of the Brandeis arts community for the past 45 years. In addition to performing all over the world, the musicians serve as Brandeis professors, imparting their knowledge onto the next generation of creatives at the University.

Recently, a page appeared on the Department of Music website titled “Help Support the Lydian String Quartet!” The website begins with a quote from an alumnus, “if you think about it, the idea of having a world-class professional string quartet in residence at a small university is radical. But for all of us it was normal. I never stopped to ponder what a luxury it was to have them guiding our education - until today.”

In an Oct. 22, 2024 article, The Justice shared a statement from an interview with Head of the Music Department Prof. Yu-Hui Chang (MUS) after a “quarter” of her faculty was cut for the 2025-2026 academic year. Chang explained, “On [Sep. 30], I was informed that both the Lydian and another member of my department will not have their contracts renewed next year, and that they planned to notify them the next day. I was asked not to discuss the matter with these faculty beforehand.”

The members of the quartet themselves shared a statement with The Justice on Oct. 21, explaining “On September 30 we were given 24 hours’ notice of a zoom meeting with Provost Carol A. Fierke and Senior Assistant Provost Joel Christensen, where we were informed that Brandeis University will not be renewing the contracts for the Lydian String Quartet. We are shocked and saddened by this decision, which will have a devastating impact on the

arts culture of Brandeis and the quality of arts education for students.”

In addition to disappointment from members of the music department, this decision was met with outrage from the wider Brandeis staff. At the Oct. 18 faculty meeting, one of the topics on the agenda was faculty and hiring contracts, presented by Senior Assistant Provost for Faculty Affairs Joel Christensen. Following his brief presentation, a question and answer session began and meeting attendees expressed their dissatisfaction with the elimination of the Lydian. Chang was the first to approach the microphone, stating “I have to publicly question the wisdom of this kind of decision making,” as well as expressing her belief that “this administration has greatly underestimated the value of the music department and what the department has done for Brandeis.” She further explained the negative impact this cut will have on the music department, sharing that, “given the Lydian’s national reputation, we dread the negative impact this will bring to Brandeis’ already tarnished public image.”

The Justice article covering the Oct. 18 faculty meeting became a place of conversation, as readers took to the comments on The Justice website to express dissatisfaction. User “KSC” applied their experience in higher education leadership to the environment at Brandeis, sharing “Wow - there is clearly a leadership vacuum here. The school seems to be run by middle managers who lack visionary thinking and are making decisions that are pennywise and pound-foolish.” They continued their statement by sharing that Brandeis University administration “are discarding the very aspects of the college experience that are irreplaceable by [Artificial Intelligence], virtual school, etc. I say this as a university admin at another school that is admittedly in a better position, and know that higher ed is at a crossroads in many ways. Still, Brandeis has been taking many misguided steps recently - what a shame.”

This disappointment at Brandeis was shared by University alumni, with user “Caroline Rains” writing “I am a Brandeis ’70 graduate, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa. Though not my major, the music department was the most important part of my life at Brandeis, providing a wonderful class by Robert Koff and practice rooms in which I could

Brandeis Strangers

 Brandeis students have crafted a site aimed at making new friends in the community. By

ANNA MARTIN

MUSHROOMS

Fun fungi with naturalist Jonathan Kranz

■ The Waltham Public Library hosted naturalist Jonathan Kranz, who led a small audience through the joys and practicalities of foraging for mushrooms in New England.

By ZOE ZACHARY JUSTICE EDITOR

On Thursday, March 20, around 25 Waltham residents, a small but eclectic crowd, gathered in the lecture hall of the Waltham Public Library for guest speaker Jonathan Kranz’s presentation on mushrooms. More specifically, the process of foraging, identifying and generally appreciating the fungal life forms that appear in the state of Massachusetts.

Upon entering the lecture hall, participants’ attention was drawn to a table set up at the front of the room where Kranz had laid out a variety of dried mushrooms and spore prints. Spore prints, as Kranz explained, are an imprint of the spores dropped by a mushroom cap — kind of like the mushroom’s fingerprint. They reveal the shape of the mushroom’s spore-bearing surface as well as the color of its spores, both of which are important for identification.

Before Kranz started his presentation, he briefly introduced himself and shared his credentials. Kranz is a Mass Audubon certified naturalist, Vice President of the Boston Mycological Club and board member of the Pioneer Valley Mycological Association. The BMC, as Kranz noted, is the oldest mushroom club in North America.

Kranz, who often leads foraging walks for the BMC, began his presentation by broadly exploring what a mushroom actually is. He explained

BRIEF

that the pictures on his slides, displaying several images of New England fungi, were all considered to be mushrooms despite their vast diversity in shapes and color. Though it is common to think of mushrooms as having a prototypical stem and cap, they actually have a lot of structural diversity. Kranz pointed out the black trumpet mushroom, a concave fungus that looks like a shriveled tube, and lion’s mane, a type of tooth fungus made of hundreds of small white filaments as well as several types of fungi that resemble corals. But the word “mushroom” doesn’t tell the whole story. As Kranz explained, the mushroom is just the above-ground fruiting body of a larger organism. Picking a mushroom is “like taking an apple off a tree,” as Kranz put it. Most of the fungus exists underground as vast networks of thin, white filaments called hyphae. Hyphae are microscopic, as each strand is the width of a single cell. When bunched together, these hyphae form mycelium, which are the thin white strands that are visible when digging through soil.

While they may be tiny, these networks of mycelium are not to be underestimated, Kranz explained. Fungi have the ability to direct water pressure through their mycelia, allowing them to achieve the force necessary to penetrate hard surfaces. For example, any fungus growing on a tree contains mycelial networks which have managed to grow through several layers of bark and wood. Fungi have also been known to break other hard surfaces, like concrete.

Additionally, mushrooms are decomposers, beings that Kranz described as “inside-out” animals. He elaborated that when humans eat enzymes, the digestive system breaks down food into nutrients. Fungi, on the other hand, secrete digestive enzymes that break down the material around them, allowing them to absorb the nutrients they need from their environment.

Brandeis community targeted in two cyberattacks

Late last week, some community members received an email containing a malicious link sent from a compromised Brandeis University address. If clicked, users were asked to provide sensitive login credentials, including their Brandeis username and password. Chief Information Security Officer David Albrecht explained in an email on March 18 that “over 5,000 fraudulent emails were sent” in this attack and 267 people clicked on the malicious links. As a result, “direct deposit pay information” was altered by the attacker for three accounts. The security department temporarily locked the accounts of those who clicked on the link.

In a March 23 interview with The Justice, Lior Baker '28 said he recently received two phishing emails, one of which purportedly regarded paycheck information. Baker knew it was a phishing attempt because he was not owed a paycheck. He also said he is “generally suspicious of any email that asks for login info.” Others, however, did not immediately identify the emails as phishing. He acknowledged that the email was crafted well enough to “probably” fool an average student.

In a second recent incident, a University professor was targeted in a more sophisticated spearphishing attack conducted by the Iran-backed hacking group TA453. Spearphishing is more targeted than regular phishing, intending to attack specific people, organizations or other entities. According to Albrecht’s Mar. 18 email, the attacker pretended to be a journalist, requested an interview with the professor and sent emails

"Argonautika"

performance  Brandeis' Hold Thy Peace performed "Argonautika" for their spring semester show.

MAEVE COAKLEY

with malware-laden attachments. Also per the aforementioned statement, the school’s security system successfully detected the malware.

According to Proofpoint, a U.S.-based cybersecurity company, TA453 tends to target ideological enemies of Iran with highly complex and persistent spearphishing attacks, including journalists, U.S. officials and academics. TA453 often attempts to exfiltrate emails or other data using harvested credentials or malware. In 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted several individuals on charges related to TA453-aligned cybercriminal activity.

Carolyn Assa, Director of Communications Strategy and Media Relations at Brandeis, told The Justice in a March 24 email that the school’s cybersecurity team will “continue to monitor” and “work with local, state, and federal authorities as needed to protect the University.”

Experts in the U.S. federal government recommend you use strong unique passwords for each service, enable multi-factor authentication whenever possible and don’t click on links you weren’t expecting to receive. Albrecht affirmed in his email that the University “will never ask you for your username and password in a form.”

Suspicious cyber-related activity affecting the Brandeis University community should be reported to security@brandeis.edu.

— Isaac Birkental

MUSIC : The Lydian String Quartet poses with their instruments.

Photo

By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF

Photo courtesy of ROBERT MATTSON

See FUNGI , 5 ☛

POLICE LOG

Medical Emergency

Mar. 14 – There was a medical emergency for a party having a seizure. The patient was treated and refused further medical care.

Mar. 14 – There was a medical emergency for a party having heart issues. The patient was treated and transported to a local hospital.

Mar. 14 – There was a medical emergency for a party having a panic attack. The patient was treated and transported to a local hospital.

Mar. 15 – There was a medical emergency for a party vomiting. The patient was treated and transported to a local hospital.

Mar. 15 – There was a medical emergency for a party with abdominal pain. The patient refused further medical treatment.

Mar. 16 – There was a medical emergency for an intoxicated party. The patient was treated and transported to a local hospital.

Mar. 16 – There was a medical emergency for a party who fell and hit their head multiple times. The patient was treated and transported to a local hospital.

Mar. 17 – There was a medical emergency for a party complaining of chest pain. The patient was treated and refused further medical care.

Mar. 17 – There was a medical emergency for a party with abdominal pain. The patient was treated and transported to a local hospital.

Mar. 18 – There was a medical emergency for a party feeling ill. The patient was treated and transported to a local hospital.

Mar. 18 – There was a medical emergency for a party with a migraine and nausea. The patient was treated and transported to a local hospital.

Mar. 18 – There was a medical emergency for a party having an allergic reaction. The patient was treated and transported to a local hospital.

Mar. 19 – There was a medical emergency for a party feeling ill. The patient was treated and transported to a local hospital.

Mar. 20 – There was a medical emergency for a party with abdominal pain. The patient was treated and transported to a local hospital.

Mar. 20 – An ambulance was requested. The patient was treated and transported to a local hospital.

Motor Vehicle

Mar. 15 – A Department of Community Living golf cart was suspiciously moved. No damage was found on the vehicle. Investigation to follow.

Mar. 18 – There was a minor motor vehicle accident with no injuries. The situation was cleared.

Mar. 18 – A vehicle struck an overhang with no injuries. The situation was cleared.

Miscellaneous

Mar. 14 – A party who reported a possible fraud situation returned to the police station with requested materials. Investigation to follow.

Mar. 14 – A party reported receiving death threats via cell phone. Investigation to follow.

Mar. 15 – There was a complaint of loud music. The Department of Community Living was notified to respond.

Brandeis administration to start engineering major for class of 2030

■ Courses for the program are already being offered, but the major won’t be available until fall 2026.

By JUSTIN RUBENSTEIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

In the fall of 2026, Brandeis will formally launch an engineering major as part of the Interdepartmental Program in Engineering Science. Since spring of 2023, the University has offered several classes relating to engineering, teaching a combined total of bewteen 60 and 80 students. The major, like many others at Brandeis, will be built upon an interdisciplinary background with the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam, which means making the world a better place. Engineering majors will be required to take classes outside the sciences, and students from other majors will be able to enroll in engineering classes. The program is meant to foster engineering sympathy, or the ability to take the skills learned from engineering classes and bring them back to the community, said Vincent Calia-Bogan ’25, the Undergraduate Department Representative for the Engineering Major in a March 19 interview with The Justice. The degree requirements are not yet finalized, but they are subject to the requirements of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. These include taking math up until differential equations, a variety of introductory and laboratory courses in engineering and

BRIEF

Student Union elections are here

The Brandeis Student Union has announced the start of its next election cycle. The Student Union is managed by students and advocates for a safe, equitable and engaging environment. Getting involved, meaning running for a position or casting a vote, is one way that students have meaningfully shaped Brandeis student life and ensured students’ voices are heard.

In a March 17 email to the Brandeis student body, Student Union Secretary Rachel Gao ’25 announced that there are 28 seats available during this spring cycle.

cross-listed courses with other majors. So far, four courses are being offered: ENGR 11A: Intro to Design Methodology; ENGR 12B: Engineering Instrumentation & Experimentation; ENGR 13A: Modeling and Simulation and ENGR 22b: Engineering a Circular Economy. In the newly designed lab on the fourth floor of Ableson-Bass, the department has machines such as three dimensional printers, laser cutters, a Tormach for cutting metals, plastics and wood as well as snorkels designed for soldering.

Recruitment is primarily done by word of mouth, and the barrier for entry is low, says Calia-Bogan. To differentiate itself from other universities, the Brandeis engineering program will emphasize the value of Tikkun Olam and engineering sympathy. In addition, students will be able to double major, take cross-listed classes and register for classes outside of the Division of Science. The admissions department will start leading outreach for the major next fall when the class of 2030 applies to Brandeis. They will be the first class to be eligible for the major.

The program, according to Calia-Bogan, is entirely donor-funded. Money was not taken from any other departments or capital projects to support its creation. Professors were hired to teach for engineering, as well as cross-listed classes.

Despite these realities, there have been mixed reactions from students. Many said they were unaware that Brandeis was establishing an engineering program, while others had expressed reservations about the program. Jessica Walsh ’25 explained to The Justice in a March 20 interview that she is worried that this new program will be made at the expense of other programs such as the humanities programs.

Despite concerns from some university students, Brandeis continues its planning and fundraising for a new engineering department.

Key positions up for election include the head treasurer, president, vice president, Brandeis Academic Committee representatives, class senators, Allocation Board seats and more.

— Ariana Agarwal

The election period begins on March 24 with information sessions for students to learn whether the Student Union is a good fit for them. Candidates will announce their positions on March 28 and the campaigning period is from March 31 to April 7. On April 7, the Student Union will send out ballots via email, for students to cast their votes.

■ A news article misidentified a last name as “Aron.” It was corrected to “Aaron” (March 11, pg. 5)

■ A sports article missspelled a word as “player’s’.” It was corrected to “players’” (Feb. 11, page 14).

The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Send an email to editor@thejustice.org.

— Iyla Lichtenfeld

A CAPELLA : A capella groups Manginah (top), Brandeis VoiceMale (bottom) amd six other musical groups perform at Acappelooza.

100 Years since James Baldwin’s birth: A reading in tribute to his writings

■ James Baldwin enthusiasts gather in the Mandel Atrium to discuss and read works by the author in celebration of his centenary.

By LUCIA THOMAS JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISSTANT

“You will, I assure you, as long as space and time divide you from anyone you love, discover a great deal about shipping routes, airlines, earthquake, famine, disease, and war. And you will always know what time it is in Hong Kong, for you love someone who lives there. And love will simply have no choice but to go into battle with space and time and, furthermore, to win,” are the words that opened “Reading James Baldwin (1924-1987): A Celebration of Baldwin’s Writing.”

The event was held by the Mandel Center for the Humanities and the Creative Writing program on the evening of March 20 in the Mandel Atrium. A collection of Baldwin lovers and students from various courses, such as Prof. Stephen McCauley’s (ENG) Fiction Workshop: Short Fiction class, gathered to

HIRING SEARCH

listen, speak and eat pizza. About a dozen students and faculty got up to the microphone and read from their favorite passages. Some participants spoke in reverence of Baldwin, others described the significance of a particular passage and a few simply read aloud.

A black and white photo of the writer and civil rights activist was displayed behind the speaking area. “Giovanni’s Room,” “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” “Sweet Lorraine,” “Another Country,” “If Beale Street Could Talk” and “The Giver” are all works that speakers pulled from. Although the variety of pieces read and people speaking was extensive, an encompassing theme emerged: love.

James Baldwin was born in Harlem, New York, in 1924. He was the eldest of nine children and watched over his siblings with care in their strict, religious household. At 19, when his stepfather died, Baldwin picked up odd jobs to support his three brothers and five sisters. He played guitar in cafes after dark and wrote into the night.

In Harlem, Baldwin was met with racism and homophobia. He was often subjected to beatings from police and residents in his neighborhood. Baldwin left to find safety, and at the age of 24 he obtained a fellowship for a novel and moved to Paris. He spent 40 years living abroad but visited the US often. During those years he wrote eight novels as well as essays, poems and non-fiction pieces that drew from his life.

Halfway through the event, Assistant Pro -

fessor Andie Berry (THA) stepped up to the microphone. “Baldwin has resonated in my childhood home, consciousness and life,” Berry said. She emphasized the beauty of his writings and how his depiction of love — both romantic and platonic — can be universally felt. She read from “Sweet Lorraine,” a love letter and tribute to Baldwin’s close friend Lorraine Hansberry. “Sweet Lorraine. That’s the way I always felt about her, and so I won’t

apologize for calling her that now. She understood it: in that far too brief a time when we walked and talked and laughed and drank together, sometimes in the streets and bars and restaurants of the Village, sometimes at

her house, gracelessly fleeing the houses of others,” read Berry.

Associate Professor David Sherman (ENG) read from “Another Country,” a 1962 novel. “The question was terrible and real; the boy was blowing with his lungs and guts out of his own short past; somewhere in that past, in the gutters or gang fights or gang shags; in the acrid room, on the sperm-stiffened blanket, behind marijuana or the needle, under the smell of piss in the precinct basement, he had received the blow from which he would never recover and this no one wanted to believe. Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?” read Sherman. Sherman reflected on Baldwin’s ability to create images so specific that they become universal. He spoke slowly and steadily. Baldwin passed away in 1987 after a brief battle against stomach cancer. Writers Toni Morrison, Amiri Baraka and Maya Angelou all spoke at his wake. Angelou said that Baldwin’s love “opened the unusual door for me, and I am blessed that James Baldwin was my brother.”

The event ended with a reading of “The Giver,” a poem Baldwin wrote for his mother. The poem’s first stanza reads, “If the hope of giving / is to love the living, / the giver risks madness / in the act of giving.”

After closing remarks from Professor Ulka Anjaria (ENG), audience members reflected on their desire for something of this nature to be done for all their favorite authors.

Brandeis Hillel looking to hire new on-campus rabbinic educator couple

■ After four years at Brandeis, Dorit Cohen and Rav Ariel Cohen will not return as Brandeis’ Orthodox Union Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus couple. Hillel and the Orthodox Union have begun the search for replacements.

By HANNAH SHAPIRO JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

On Feb. 26, Rabbi Seth Winberg, the executive director of Hillel at Brandeis, announced that Dorit Cohen and Rav Ariel Cohen will not return as Brandeis’ Orthodox Union Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus couple. The two have served since 2021 and will finish their term at the end of this semester. The OU-JLIC couple serves as a resource to support Jewish life for Orthodox students on campus. They host Shabbat and holiday meals, offer learning opportunities and support the religious wellbeing of Orthodox students at Brandeis. The Rabbi announced that

the community will conduct a search in the coming months for the next OU-JLIC couple, stating that “students will have opportunities to meet candidates and share feedback.”

In his email, Winberg thanked the Cohens for their service to the Orthodox community at the University over the past four years. He wrote that “they have also been unwavering supporters and defenders of Israel, and we are grateful for the strength and perspective they have brought to our organizations.” Winberg promised, “we will have an opportunity to come together as a community to thank them properly.”

Minutes after Winberg’s email was sent, Dorit Cohen sent out a message in the JLIC WhatsApp group. She reflected on memories built over their time with the school, “seeing our wonderful students grow over the years has been so rewarding… It has truly been a special time in our lives!” She further stated, “we want you to know, we would have loved to continue at Brandeis, unfortunately Brandeis Hillel has made our work here challenging and we were informed today by Brandeis Hillel that we are not welcome back in the fall.” She ended with an affectionate farewell to the students, urging them to “please keep in touch and know you always have a place at our [Shabbat] table.”

This decision took many students by sur -

prise, dividing the Orthodox community on campus. The Brandeis Orthodox Organization president, Koby Gottlieb ’26, sent out an immediate email to the Brandeis Orthodox Organization community in response to the decision. He thanked the Cohens for their work and shared his feelings on their departure, saying that “they have served as the backbone of our community these past four years…I know that our community won’t be whole in their absence.” He wished them “much [luck] on their move back to Israel.”

Brandeis Organization of Sephardic Students president, Joseph Heaney ’26, also sent out an email on Feb. 26 expressing his disappointment and spoke on the couple’s role in solidifying BOSS’ presence on campus as a Hillel group. He said that “BOSS would not exist without the support of Rav Ariel and Dorit… With Rav Ariel’s guidance, we were able to hold the first-ever Sephardic Minyan for Yom Kippur in Brandeis history.” He ended by stating that “on behalf of the entire Sephardic community, I would like to sincerely thank the Cohens for everything they have done for Sephardic life at Brandeis” and encouraged students to express their gratitude to the couple.

Throughout the past month, Brandeis Hillel and OU-JLIC have begun the search process for the next OU-JLIC couple. Winberg

wrote in an email update on Mar. 1, “I recognize that any staffing change can bring uncertainty. Before sharing rumors and misinformation, please speak to me first.” He continued, “if you have concerns, I encourage you to speak with me directly. Hearing from you helps me understand your perspective, and I can also provide important context about the bigger picture.”

He invited students to participate in the decision process, though OU-JLIC and Hillel will have the final say. Additionally, Winberg encouraged students to join Zoom interviews with potential OU-JLIC couple candidates. He then explained that they are hoping to find a couple dedicated to “supporting Torah education for Orthodox students, strengthening Orthodox life while fostering mutual respect among all Jewish students and communities, [and] providing meaningful spiritual engagement for Jewish students from all backgrounds.” As of press time, three candidates have been interviewed and the community has yet to receive any further updates or information.

— Editor’s note: The Justice Staff Writer Hannah Shapiro ’ 28 is on Shira Chadasha’s executive board and contributed

to this article

READING: Students participating in the reading. JAMES LI/The Justice

LYDIAN: The Brandeis Division of the Creative Arts is funding for the string

play the piano. I will not give another dime to Brandeis unless it reinstates the position of the Lydian String Quartet, and I will urge my employers, who have given thousands, to stop giving as well.”

A commenter with the username “Horrified” shared, “Shame on Brandeis!!! This is inexcusable. Don’t they realize that the Lydian Quartet is one of the university’s most unique assets, and is something that differentiates Brandeis from its competitors? Students want the quartet there. So do faculty. This provost needs to GO.”

In response to user “Horrified,” user “kkg” stated, “Looks like the administration is inept, very inept! Instead of marketing the Quartet better, eliminating it. Instead of building on the fame of Bernstein, eliminating the composition PhD program. I remember listening to the Lydian like in a trance way back in the 1980s. When I took my daughter for the open house for admitted students (an event where you are trying to compete with other schools to attract as many of these kids as possible), there was no mention of Bernstein or the Lydian, no mention of Angela Davis or Marcuse, no mention of the famed scientists like Hendrickson or Grunwald in Chemistry, nothing about what the radical Jewish tradition of knowledge has meant for the school!” Concerns from prospective parents were widely seen, as user “History Buff” shared, “Prospective parent here. Our son was excited to apply to Brandeis this year. But ...yikes.”

User “kkg” continued on, expressing further dissatisfaction with former university president Ron Liebowitz’s administration, describing the 75th Reunion as having “No inspiration, no real plan ... just going through the motions. I am glad the person overseeing all this -- Liebowitz -- is gone. And the pall of gloom and mediocrity will hopefully lift slowly.”

The elimination of the Lydian continued to be a popular topic of conversation among faculty in the months to come, especially following the instatement of Interim President Arthur Levine ’70. Just one week into his term, Levine addressed the faculty and held a question and answer session at the Nov. 8 meeting. Prof. Sabine von Mering (GER/ WGS) was the first to take the microphone, explaining that the quartet “is one of the things that makes Brandeis unique.”

Levine addressed this concern by highlighting the fact that the quartet was eliminated prior to him assuming this role, resulting in it not being his fault. Additionally, he claimed that the elimination was not unnecessary as “we have to have priorities.” von Mering had already returned to her seat, but responded to this answer by yelling from the audience, encouraging Levine to take a pay cut. He countered this proposed solution by explaining they have to find the money every year, not just this year.

At this question and answer session, others, including head of Fine Arts, Prof. Aida Yuen Wong (FA) continued to bring up the Lydian. She

brought the meeting attendees’ attention to the petition against the elimination that was signed by over 260 faculty members. Wong expressed, “I urge you to reverse this decision — this is something that clearly means a lot to us.” In response, Levine explained that he enjoys music in his free time. However, he stated, “I would be fiscally irresponsible if what I did was respond to a petition without the money to fund it, and I told you the matter of priorities. Don’t send me an invitation, send me a statement of where we get $350,000, not just once but every year.” He expressed that he would like to be able to reinstate the group, stating, “don’t you think I’d like to walk in the door and get a victory?”

The newly created website for the fundraiser explains that while $700,000 needs to be secured before the contract expires on June 30, the department’s “larger goal is to raise $7 million to ensure that the Lydians, which have been a cornerstone of our cultural identity for 45 years, continue to make music on our campus, with our students, and for our community.”

If users of the website click the “Thank you for your support” hyperlink, they are brought to a donation page on the Brandeis website where The Lydian String Quartet Fund is automatically selected. If users select the “Add Another,” they are met with the options of “General Scholarship” and “Brandeis Fund (Greatest Need).”

This Brandeis Fund refers to the Capital Campaign, an initiative that was presented to the faculty during a Feb 7. meeting by members of Institu-

tional Advancement. This campaign is aiming to raise one hundred million dollars throughout the 2024-25 academic year, $53.4 million of which had already been raised prior to this meeting.

When asked how the Lydian fundraiser differs from the capital campaign and if higher administration now supports the quartet, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications Amy Morton shared, “The Lydian String Quartet has been an outstanding performance group that has enjoyed a long-standing residency at Brandeis. The Lydians, the music department, and the university are currently engaged in a fundraising effort to raise resources to support their work. We are hopeful that they are successful in this effort.” The statement to The Justice on March 24 did not address any potential overlap with the Universitywide campaign.

In a correspondence with The Justice on March 20, Wong provided an update regarding fundraising progress. She shared, “The campaign has so far raised about 10% of the 700K needed to renew the Lydians’ contract for two years.” Wong elaborated by sharing that Institutional Advancement is involved in the campaign, stating, “If we are successful in reaching the target by the end of June, we will have more time to fundraise for an endowment to preserve the Lydians in the long term.” She shared that she hopes the wider Brandeis community will come together to support these efforts.

FUNGI: Jonathan Kranz gives a lecture on the basics of foraging for mushrooms

Kranz then elaborated on the nature of spores. Spores are the reproductive cells of fungi, and are released from the mushroom’s hymenium, or spore-bearing surface. Hymenia come in a variety of shapes, the most common being gills, which are the papery divisions found underneath a mushroom’s cap. Unlike seeds, spores are single-celled organisms and do not contain any nutrients for the hyphae that germinate from them.

Mushrooms, as Kranz explained, have evolved a variety of methods to ensure that their spores spread. In most cases, spores are spread by the wind, just like the seeds of a dandelion. Some fungi, like truffles, have evolved structures that attract animals. In the case of truffles, it is their pungent odor that attracts animals to eat them.

Other mushrooms, like stinkhorns, secrete pheromones that attract insects, which carry the spores onward.

Kranz added that mushrooms often grow in a structure called a fairy ring, or a circle of mushrooms often found in meadow environments. The reason that mushrooms will sometimes grow in fairy rings is that the mycelium grows in a circular shape, originating from a central point. When the optimal growing conditions occur for that species of fungus, mushrooms will shoot out around the edges of the mycelium, creating a fairy ring.

Kranz then described how he categorizes different types of fungi. Though fungi have many different characteristics that can be used to define them, he likes to use three main groups: parasitic, decomposer and ectomycorrhizal.

Parasitic fungi, like all parasitic organisms, gain nutrients from a symbiotic relationship with another organism that actively benefits one party and actively harms the other. In the case of parasitic mushrooms, the fungus is benefited. An example of a parasitic fungus is the honey mushroom, which causes root rot in trees using structures called rhizomorphs.

Decomposer fungi gain nutrients from breaking down organic matter. This organic material can include dead wood, dead leaves, excrement and several other natural substrates. These fungi are important to any ecosystem, as they allow for the return of nutrients to their local soil. Kranz

emphasized that the ability of fungi to break down complex molecules is a natural miracle, on the same level as photosynthesis. “If life only had [photosynthesis], we would not have complex organisms,” he explained.

Ectomycorrhizal fungi get their nutrients, at least in part, through mutually beneficial symbiotic partnerships with the nearby trees. Kranz broke down the word: “ecto” means exterior, “myco” indicates fungi and “rhizal” means related to roots. Ectomycorrhizal fungi wrap their hyphae around tree roots, he explained. The fungus delivers water and nutrients to the tree, and the tree gives it sugars in return. This relationship, Kranz explained, is why certain mushrooms like chanterelles and porcini are difficult to cultivate. As it turns out, complex symbiotic relationships are difficult to form artificially.

Kranz then discussed some of the most common mushroom genera. He focused on specific mushrooms that appear in early spring, encouraging participants to keep an eye out for them as the weather warms.

To start, Kranz delved into the genus Amanita, which includes some of the most well-known mushrooms. One of the unique aspects of the Amanita genus is how they develop. At the beginning of their lifecycle, Amanita form an egg-like structure called the “universal veil” around the immature mushroom body. Kranz modeled this structure by crouching down and forming an egg-like shape with his body. He then stood up to demonstrate how Amanita mushrooms break out of the universal veil, their cap spreading as they mature. Many Amanita have warts on their cap, which are remnants of the universal veil.

The fly agaric, well-known for looking similar to the power-ups found in the Mario franchise, is in the genus Amanita. Kranz was also sure to point out the destroying angel, a pure white Amanita that is deadly when ingested. They contain amatoxins, which inhibit the ability of ribonucleic acid, or RNA, to make protein. In other words, ingesting a destroying angel is fatal unless the victim gets immediate treatment.

This information prompted one participant to ask if compounds from fungi have been used

to make biological weapons. Kranz answered by recommending the movie “Wormwood,” which focuses on the life of a scientist who had been experimenting with such technology and was mysteriously found dead.

Kranz then went over a few more common genera. Boletes are mushrooms that have pores instead of gills, and are almost always ectomycorrhizal. Russulas are smaller mushrooms that can be various shades of brown, green and red. He noted a red Russula called Russula emetica, or “the sickener.” As the name suggests, these are not safe to eat. Kranz also went over the genus Lactarius, which oozes latex when scratched. Finally, he discussed the genus Cortinarius, which will always have blood-red spores.

After discussing common fungal genera, the focus of Kranz’s presentation pivoted to the applications of fungal knowledge. He started with the famous corpse of Otzi the Iceman, a 5,000-year-old preserved body found in Iceland. Otzi had two fungi on him: tinder polypore and birch polypore. Tinder polypore is known to be used as a firestarter and birch polypore is known for a general array of medicinal qualities.

As Kranz addressed during an earlier portion of his presentation, he calls any mushroom that has been known to have medicinal qualities “alleged medicinal.” This title is not meant to disrespect any belief surrounding such fungi, but to acknowledge the possibilities of properties that have not yet been formally tested.

He moved on to discussing mushrooms that one can find in New England during the appropriate season. In early spring, he explained foragers will find mostly platterful and deer mushrooms. Kranz called them the “lettuce of the mushroom world,” as they are edible but not tasty. Dryad’s saddle, on the other hand, is a beautifully patterned shelf mushroom that can be found in March and April. It is edible, and often found growing in tree stumps.

In mid-July, chanterelles, prized edible mushrooms, start appearing. Kranz gave the audience tips on how to distinguish them: they often associate with deciduous trees, they will never grow in clusters and they pull apart like string cheese. He cautioned the audience not to confuse chanterelles

with jack o’lantern mushrooms, which are toxic look-alikes.

At the end of the summer, the bright orange chicken of the woods, a shelf fungus, will start growing on the sides of trees. When foraging this famous polypore, Kranz suggests that the audience only consider specimens with vibrant color and not grey color, which indicates the presence of bacteria.

Kranz also covered the practical aspects of foraging for mushrooms. He suggested having a basket for minimal compression when collecting mushrooms, paper bags to further protect the mushrooms, a knife or weed-puller to fully extract mushrooms from the ground, a notebook and pen to keep track of the environment in which the mushrooms were found and a camera to take pictures of any fungi found. He noted that it is safe to handle all mushrooms, even toxic species, as they need to be ingested to cause harm. Additionally, it is important to cook every mushroom before consuming, as they could contain harmful bacteria.

To conclude his presentation, Kranz demonstrated how to make spore prints. To make a spore print, Kranz explained, the cap of the mushroom must first be removed. Then, it is placed on an index card (or other paper-like surface) with its gills facing down and covered for four to 12 hours. If the cap is dry, adding a small amount of wet paper towel before covering will help release the spores. Over the time during which the cap is left covered, the spores will release from it, leaving an imprint of the mushroom on the index card. After the spore print has dried Kranz likes to fix his spore prints with cheap hair spray, which he says is just as effective and much less expensive than specialized fixative sprays.

Following the presentation, Kranz shared some of his favorite mycology resources with attendants, including mushroomexpert.com, the YouTube channel “Learn Your Land” and various field guides. He also encouraged participants to join a local mushroom club such as the BMC if they were interested in learning more about foraging.

FUNGI : The famous edible mushroom, chicken of the woods, grows at the base of a tree.

FUNGI : A small red russula pops out of the ground. Don't eat it — you will get sick.

FUNGI : A cluster of bitter oysterling fungi grow on the side of a stick, their gills exposed to passerbys.

ZOE ZACHARY/The Justice

ZOE ZACHARY/The Justice

ZOE ZACHARY/The Justice

VERBATIM |

To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.

ON THIS DAY…

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire killed 146 workers in New York City in 1911.

FUN FACT

Identical twins do not have the same fingerprints.

Brandeis Strangers: New technology builds connection on campus

Brandeis students work together, utilizing skills from computer science classes to increase campus connections.

While many are self-proclaimed introverts, many Brandeis students strive for connection. Dining halls, once buzzing with conversation, are now a place where many can be seen with their noses in their phones, desperately avoiding the horrors of awkward small talk. However, business-minded Brandeisians have begun to see technology as a way to connect students and ignite conversations.

Starting in 2022, the online service “Marriage Pact” became available at Brandeis. According to a November 2022 article in The Justice, “the service, first established at Stanford in 2017, pairs students whose values — ethical, political, and social — match up … Both ends of the match are notified, leaving it up to them to pursue any kind of connection.” Captivating over a third of the undergraduate student body, Brandeis Marriage Pact has continued on, with the latest round of matches announced on Feb. 25. The hubbub surrounding new connections on campus spanned all student social platforms, including the anonymous posting app, Sidechat. In the Brandeis University channel, participants consistently called out for their matches to be released, increasing in impatience as the day drew near. At the same time, students across campus wanted to find that connection, simply without the romantic intentions.

In a March 23 correspondence with The Justice, one of the founders of Brandeis Strangers shared “One of us, a senior, realized how often they ended up eating alone and how hard it can be to make new friends later in college.” That realization, along with the middle of spring semester influx of underclassman students reaching out for career advice, led to what “felt like the perfect opportunity to create a space where people could connect over a meal.”

This realization led to the creation of Brandeis Strangers, a website with the tagline “connecting random [B]randeis students for meals, because sometimes meeting strangers is exactly what you need.”

Four business students connected, discussed possibilities and ultimately posted their own idea anonymously on the Sidechat app, hoping to gain some student feed-

back. The first post stated “Who would want to be matched with a random person on campus to eat a meal with? I eat so many meals alone and feel like it would be nice to be able to meet someone new and share a meal! Thoughts?” This post has received 93 upvotes from Brandeis students as of press time.

The founders then responded with a screenshot of the website stating “Spent my afternoon making this

By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF

background, just a lot of self-learning, trial and error.”

When Brandeis students visit the website, they are met with a “how it works” section that states “being on campus can be lonely. schedules rarely align, and it’s tough finding new friends beyond your classes or clubs.” Users are then prompted to sign up with their Brandeis emails and input their “availability and meal preferences.” The signup pro-

meal times. At this stage in development, meals are only available to be scheduled in the Sherman Dining Hall.

After students complete the form, the information is utilized to “match [them] with someone new based on [their] compatible meal times and preferences.” As the students go to meet one another in the dining hall, they will each have a color on their phone to display in

but … coming soon! #LunchPact?”

The idea received an overwhelmingly positive response from all users on the app, with the second post receiving 86 more upvotes as of press time. One of the founders told The Justice that Sidechat was super important in the process, sharing “Sidechat has been amazing for getting the word out and the interest from these posts is a large reason we ended up pursuing this!”

The founding students, through a combination of knowledge from the Introduction to Computer Science course and a large amount of “self-studying,” “figured out how to build this … to make Brandeis a better place.” A member of the team shared “We have no real tech

cess prompts users to select their major, class level and as many interests from the following categories as they desire: “entertainment & media, activities, arts & culture, academic & intellectual, social & campus life, tech & gaming and lifestyle.”

Following interest information, the form asks what are labeled as “personality questions,” ranging from people’s social level to Hogwarts houses. Then, participants are asked if they want to meet someone who is similar or different from themselves. Once all of these questions have been completed, students are taken to the time selection page, where they are given a wide range of options in terms of

order to find each other.

The first week, there was no theme as students met for meals.

On March 15, the Brandeis Strangers Instagram page announced their second pilot round, this time paired with a theme. The post’s caption read “you never know who you’ll meet. This week, sign up to get matched with another student for a meal. no pressure, no awkward small talk. just a chance to shake things up.” It continued on introducing a new idea, “plus, this round has a special housing theme: still looking for a roommate? need to fill a spot? or hoping to get pulled in? grab a meal and see if it’s a match before the housing selection day.”

On March 21, the third pilot was announced, with the tagline “triple the fun. triple the connections. one meal. three new faces. endless convos.” According to one of the founders, “This week we’re trying out four-person lunches for those who might feel a bit shy joining solo.” This new format allows individuals to sign up with a friend, meet a different group, and sit together. The Brandeis Strangers team shared “we’ve had over 70 participants in the first two weeks … Every single person who filled out our feedback survey said they’d do it again, which has been super encouraging.” Their Instagram shared a positive testimony from a student. On March 16 they stated “I was kinda skeptical at first, then ended up signing up with my friend group to try it out. It was a lovely experience, and [I] would definitely do it again!”

While the start of Brandeis Strangers has been met with overwhelmingly positive feedback, it has not come without its setbacks. One of the founders shared “In our first week after launch, we actually received a few attacks on the website, but we were able to fix everything really quickly with the help of students who weren’t even part of the founding team.” They elaborated by explaining, “It was honestly really heartwarming to see how much support we got from the Brandeis community.”

These attacks have resulted in one of the group’s long-term goals, they’re “looking for a few CS students who might want to join and help us turn this into a full app and keep it going next year.” The hope is that the addition of computer science students to the team will “help [them] build something more secure and scalable for the long run.”

In addition to transitioning to an app format, they shared “Our goal is to grow this at Brandeis first, then expand to Boston schools and eventually other campuses. We also see potential for making this a peer mentorship platform based on major or career interests like med or law school, finance, tech, journalism, and more.” The founding team continues to work hard behind the scenes, as students build new connections in Sherman Dining Hall every meal, decreasing the number of phone screens and increasing the number of new friends.

Design: BRIANNA EARLE/The Justice. Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS.

BRANDEIS STRANGERS: Students utilize their computer science skills to craft site.

Lee Harvey Oswald, et al?

President Donald Trump’s order to release the Kennedy Files has resurrected decades old conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination of JFK.

By BRIANNA EARLE JUSTICE EDITOR

On March 18, President Donald Trump signed an executive order forcing the release of remaining classified documents regarding the assassination of Former President John Fitzgerald Kennedy in 1963. The release, which included 2,200 documents and nearly 64 thousand pages of information, was made available to the public in an effort to provide full clarity surrounding the details of the assassination.

Leading to the release of the documents Trump told the press, “We have a tremendous amount of paper.” He said, “You got a lot of reading, I don’t believe we’re going to redact anything.”

Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated in Texas on Nov. 22, 1963 when visiting Dallas as part of a potential bid for re-election. Kennedy was shot and killed as he traveled in a motorcade from the Carswell Air Force Base and through the downtown area of the city.

The shooter, soon identified as Lee Harvey Oswald, was apprehended by police just hours after the shooting took place. Despite confirmation from the Federal Bureau of Investigation that Oswald acted alone, the assassination became a point of contempt among Americans: was the government telling the truth about the brutal assassination of Kennedy?

The skepticism about Oswald’s lone act wasn’t completely unfounded. In order to provide clarity for Americans about the circumstances of Kennedy’s death, his successor Former President Lyndon B. Johnson founded the Warren Commission, dedicated specifically to investigating the assassination of Kennedy. The final product of the series of investigations was a 450 page report that concluded Oswald was the sole actor in the murder of JFK. At first glance, most Americans agreed with the findings of the commission. However, as people had time to sit with the newly reported information, U.S. citizens became increasingly concerned that the government was withholding information about the possibility of other actors in the crime.

lone shooter behind the gun that killed Kennedy. For decades following the publication of the Warren Commission’s report, conspiracy theories were created and spread by the American people regarding the truth of that fateful day in the fall of 1963.

In the years following the release of the Warren Commission’s reports, a reinvestigation of the event was initiated by the House Select Committee on Assassination which reported that there were at least four shots fired at the President and a very likely possibility that at least two gunmen were a part of the attack on Kennedy.

This finding aroused numerous conspiracies about the details of the assassination as the report explored an entirely new possibility. This was the only government report that suggested the possibility of multiple gunmen. Due to a lack of transparency in the original commission, the matter became even cloudier.

In response to the speculation of multiple shooters, Former President George Herbert Walker Bush signed an order allowing Congress to release certain classified documents regarding Kennedy’s assassination in an effort to dispel rumors about its circumstances.

T. Jeremy Gunn, former executive director of the Assassinations Records Review Board created by Bush, explained his involvement in the document release in an interview with National Public Radio on Nov. 10, 2013. When asked about the effectiveness of the series of releases, he said, “The institution that had the opportunity to best get to the bottom of this, as much as it was possible, was the Warren Commission, and they didn’t do it […] Now it’s too late to do what should have been done originally.”

After his inauguration in 1961, Kennedy hit the ground running. Just over a month into his presidency, he fulfilled a campaign promise by creating a temporary Peace Corps. This was a reactionary effort to offset the force of communism during the Cold War. Although the initiative was not created with the intention of withstanding the test of time, Kennedy’s Peace Corps has evolved

into what we know today as the volunteer organization aimed at building trust within Americans in their government, its policies and beyond.

notably, the government and the Central Intelligence Agency — spearheaded by Kennedy

made an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro by provoking Cuban citizens to incite a revolt. Kennedy made the decision to not provide any sort of air support for the Cuban people during the revolt, including missiles and airstrikes, which was heavily criticized by Americans and politicians alike following the conflict. Despite the overwhelming popularity of the Kennedy administration among Americans, this attempt to overthrow Castro left an unsavory taste in the mouths of many.

Cuba was not the only nation that became a point of contention for the Kennedy administration’s fight against communism. JFK was behind a rampant increase of American military presence in Vietnam amidst their war and gave the seal of approval on the coup that took down leader Ngo Dinh Diem and the South Vietnamese government.

In spite of these military miscalculations, Kennedy continued to grow in popularity, which raised the question: why was the Kennedy administration so popular?

JFK was born and raised in Brookline, Massachusetts and was the first Catholic president. Many of his biggest fans were New England natives who identified themselves with his Irish-Catholic heritage. His popularity spread far beyond the northeast as he rose to prominence. Well-spoken and charismatic, Kennedy became one of the most popular presidents of all time with an American approval rating of nearly 80% during his term. Oswald, a former Marine, was found to be an advocate for pro-Russian and pro-Cuban movements, to which he attempted to move to each nation and was rejected. Considering the anti-communist sentiment embraced by Kennedy, it is clear that Oswald was a harsh opponent of the President.

The thousands of documents associated with the beloved president’s assassination have long been classified in an effort to lay him to rest in peace and with privacy. However, archivists and average Americans alike have pushed to have more transparency about the events that took place in November of 1963.

release of the thousands of documents would provide Americans with the ability to sift through the papers themselves.

Instead of uncovering secrets about the actors in the assassination, the documents revealed formerly classified Central Intelligence Agency plans in Cuba and intentions to grant the State Department more control in an effort to offset the overwhelming power of the CIA at the time.

Formerly redacted information tracking the location of Oswald on various trips around the world leading up to the assassination revealed that the FBI and CIA were aware of the threat that Oswald posed to the president. On his trips to Russia, Cuba and Mexico leading up to the assassination, it is now believed that Oswald had spoken about his plan to kill the president while visiting Mexico City.

However, this release was not as seamless as Trump imagined it to be. Leaving the project to the National Archives — which just experienced a major series of layoffs sanctioned by him — archivists scrambled to sift through the documents on such short notice. The lack of time to review each file led to a major data breach. According to an article published by the Washington Post on March 20, “The Social Security numbers and other private information of more than 400 former congressional staffers and others were made public Tuesday [March 18] in the unredacted files related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, according to a review by The Washington Post.” Staffers affected by the security breach are not only at risk of having their personal information stolen, but they have also been subject to threats in wake of the publications.

The White House admitted that they only began to go through the documents after they had been released to the public, only beginning their detection of private information after much of it had already been published.

that Oswald was the man who assassinated JFK. At the conclusion of each agency, Oswald was the

The main concern of the Kennedy administration was the fight against communism.

In an effort to finally put all of the rumors to rest surrounding the death of the 35th president, Trump urged that the March 18

As archivists continue to comb through the newly available information surrounding the Kennedy assassination, no new conspiracies surrounding the event have been brought to light — the documents mostly include information that confirms what government agencies have already concluded about the tragic ending of the life of Kennedy.

Photos courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS. Design: BRIANNA

Upon the release of the Warren Commission in 1965, three separate government agents had reportedly conducted independent investigations to verify

Most

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THE KENNEDYS: John and Jackie Kennedy in Dallas, Texas.

WASHINGTON, D.C: The United States National Archives.

Justicethe

Established 1949

Anna Martin, Editor in Chief Eliza Bier, Managing Editor

Isabel Roseth, Senior Editor

Leah Breakstone, Tibria Brown, Sophia De Lisi, Julia Hardy, Lauryn Williams, Deputy Editors

Xilei Ceci Chen, Grace Doh, Nemma Kalra, Mina Rowland, Bryan Wolfe Associate Editors

Lil Lin Hutchinson, Zoe Zachary, News Editors

Brianna Earle, Features Editor

Ariana Rich, Forum Editor

Remi Young, Sports Editor

Maeve Coakley, Arts & Culture Editor

Reuben Gartenbach, Jonas Kaplin, Photography Editors

Lily Chafe, Sara Samuel, Copy Editors

Marina Rosenthal, Layout Editor

Elizabeth Liu, Advertising Editor

Amanda Chen, Niámh Mullen, Social Media Editors

EDITORIAL

Advice to a Brandeis underclassman

If you’re reading this, you might be a firstyear student, still adjusting to life at Brandeis. At this point, you may be trying to figure out your schedule, debating whether to join certain clubs or wondering if you’ve found the right group of friends. The truth is, no one arrives at college knowing exactly how things will play out, and that’s a part of the experience. Over the past four years, Brandeis has taught us that flexibility, patience and a willingness to embrace the unexpected matters far more than having a perfect plan. With that in mind, the following is what members of this editorial board wish they had understood earlier.

The housing lottery really is that deep

Many students assume that housing is a relatively straightforward process — until they go through the Brandeis lottery system. While it may seem like an exaggeration, securing the right housing requires strategy, group planning and intense prayer.

Your first year is simple, as first-year housing is assigned. However, once you begin selecting your own housing, you’ll quickly realize that competition for certain dorms is intense. If you have a strong preference for where you want to live, it’s essential to plan early, coordinate with a reliable group and prepare multiple backup options. Even those with seemingly good lottery numbers can find themselves adjusting their expectations as spaces fill up unpredictably.

That being said, where you live does not determine the quality of your college experience. While some dorms may seem more “desirable” than others, friendships, routines and personal habits matter far more than the specific building you call home. Regardless of where you end up, you will find ways to make the space your own.

Befriend your neighbors

It’s easy to view dorm life as just a place to sleep and study, but the people living around you can make a huge difference in your first-year experience. Even if you don’t become lifelong friends with your floormates, simply knowing the people around you — saying hello in the hallway, making small talk in the common room or leaving your door open once in a while — can make campus feel a little less overwhelming.

Some of the best friendships that members of this board have made at Brandeis began with casual interactions in residence halls. Whether it was a spontaneous late-night conversation, borrowing something we forgot to bring from home or just having people to walk to the dining hall with, these small connections make campus life feel more like home.

If you’re feeling isolated or overwhelmed in your first few weeks, start by talking to the people closest to you — literally. You don’t have to be best friends with your neighbors but having familiar faces around can make a huge difference.

Leave your room

Touch grass! Spending too much time in your room can make Brandeis feel significantly smaller than it actually is. Some of the most memorable moments happen in unexpected places, whether that’s a casual conversation in the library, a last-minute event you decided to

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor,

attend or an impromptu trip to Waltham.

Brandeis offers a variety of study spaces beyond the library, and taking the time to find your ideal spot can make long hours of coursework feel more manageable. Likewise, making an effort to spend time outside, whether for a walk around campus or a visit to Moody Street, can break up the routine of classes and assignments. The more you engage with your surroundings, the more connected you’ll feel to the Brandeis community.

Join a club for an unrelated interest

Many students arrive at college thinking that they have a clear idea of what they want to study and immediately gravitate toward clubs that align with their academic or career interests. While professional organizations and major-related groups are valuable, some of the most rewarding experiences come from joining something completely outside your area of expertise.

If you’re studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, consider participating in a theater production. If you’re an English major, try an economics or technology-centric club. Pursuing an interest that has nothing to do with your coursework provides a creative outlet, introduces you to people you may not otherwise meet, and reminds you that college is about more than just preparing for the workforce. Some of our favorite experiences at Brandeis have come from activities that have nothing to do with our career goals — things we did simply because they were enjoyable.

Don’t spend too much time stressing about next year

It’s easy to get caught up in planning for the future, whether that means selecting next semester’s courses, strategizing for the housing lottery or trying to secure the perfect summer internship. While thinking ahead is important, focusing too much on what comes next can make you lose sight of the present. Your first year is meant to be a time of exploration. You’ll discover new interests, meet people who will shape your experience and likely change your mind about things more than once.

Some of the best choices we made in college were ones we hadn’t originally planned for. A class that a member of this board enrolled in on a whim led them to an entirely different academic path, an unexpected job opportunity changed their perspective on career goals and a pre-orientation event they almost skipped introduced them to some of their closest friends. Let yourself enjoy what’s happening now, rather than constantly worrying about what comes next.

Final thoughts

Your first year at Brandeis will not be defined by a single decision, friendship or experience. It is a time of transition, filled with both excitement and uncertainty. Some days will be challenging and others will remind you exactly why you chose to be here. Give yourself permission to explore, to grow and to change your mind. This is your own college experience and is entirely yours to make the most out of.

Thank you for the reporting from Esther Balaban on a recent tension between Hillel and the Brandeis Jewish Bund. Though that tension is regrettable, that an updated version of the old Jewish Bund exists on campus is really remarkable. Kudos to the students who chose that historic name for their organization, aligning themselves with a socialist spirit very much under fire these days! They have adapted the name towards a cause they hold dear, of rights for Palestinians and Palestine, but under a his-

torically Jewish moniker. Though I am personally uncomfortable with the use of labels that seem unnecessarily inflammatory to me--settler colonialism, apartheid, genocide--and believe the moral concerns those terms channel can be otherwise expressed, I appreciate the presence these students make on a campus I remember, and cherish in memory, for its broad ecumenism in religion and moral urgency in the face of injustice.

Sincerely, Ernest Rubinstein B.A. 1974

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Mandate in-ovo sexing machines at hatcheries

By Jon Hochschartner

In recent years, as an animal activist, I’ve become increasingly interested in how technological development can reduce nonhuman suffering and premature death. For instance, I’ve spent a significant amount of time picketing my elected officials, in the hopes they will support public funding for cultivated-meat research. For those who don’t know, cultivated meat is grown from animal cells, without slaughter.

I have a short attention span, and as a result, I’m often tempted to focus my attention elsewhere. One such area of interest is the emerging technology of in-ovo sexing. Basically, there are now machines which can determine whether a chicken egg will hatch a male or female bird. For readers unfamiliar with the egg industry, male chicks provide no economic value, and thus are frequently ground up alive.

While I’m opposed to the egg industry as a whole, these in-ovo sexing machines could prevent a mind-boggling amount of unnecessary cruelty. According to the Des Moines Register, companies in the United States alone kill approximately 350 million male chicks for this reason every year. Given these figures, making the perfect the enemy of the good feels irresponsible to me. Reform can be worthwhile.

Let’s put those 350 million chicks in greater context, by comparing their number to some of those creatures exploited in areas where abolitionist-minded campaigners more frequently focus their work.

For instance, the United States Department of Agriculture estimates about 1.3 million mink were killed for their fur in 2022. Admittedly, other species are farmed for fur, but mink appear to be most popular. Similarly, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals estimates approximately 110 million creatures are used as test subjects in our country annually. Of course, every act of nonhuman exploitation is abominable, but given present circumstances, some kind of triage is necessary.

Mandating installation of these machines at every egg hatchery in America would do an incredible degree of good.

Besides, using strict definitions, the animal-rights critique of welfarism generally centers on the latter’s emphasis on nonhuman treatment, as opposed to use. These machines wouldn’t just improve the treatment of 350 million chicks; they would remove the birds from human use entirely. That’s a goal very much worth pursuing, in my view. Still, I think activists not forgetting their ultimate aims is also important. Some might argue egg hatcheries will adopt these machines on their own. Perhaps that’s true. Personally, I don’t underestimate the willingness of many corporations to sacrifice basic decency for small potential savings. But if activists could accelerate the spread of these machines by a few decades, or even a few years, that would spare an astronomic number of sentient beings from a gruesome fate.

The first such machine was installed at an American hatchery this past December, according to WATTPoultry. The Cheggy equipment, developed by Agri Advanced Technologies, can integrate into existing production lines and sort 25,000 eggs an hour. The machine takes up less than 322 square feet of space and all its waste is recyclable. Other companies have created equipment similar to the Cheggy.

I plan to continue my focus on advocating for a massive infusion of public funding into cultivated-meat research, something grassroots activists haven’t dedicated much energy toward. However, requiring every hatchery in the country to install inovo sexing machines is another campaign which could use some attention. The technology will prevent the suffering and premature death of countless animals.

Jon Hochschartner lives in Connecticut. He is the author of a number of books, including The Animals’ Freedom Fighter: A Biography of Ronnie Lee, Founder of the Animal Liberation Front. Visit his blog at SlaughterFreeAmerica.Substack.com.

ARIANA RICH/The Justice

DUSK: A sunset on the Charles River, off of Moody Street.

The rise and fall of the Nike Air Force 1’s

By ARIANA RICH JUSTICE EDITOR

In 2016, I, like most other teenagers of the time, realized that the apparent key to fitting in — the so-called “missing piece” in the puzzle of adolescent chicness — was an unassuming white sneaker: Nike’s iconic Air Force 1. Once this registered, suddenly, they were everywhere I looked — at my school, at the local grocery store, stacked neatly in the cubbies where students had to store their shoes before my martial arts lessons. Sheepishly, I bought a pair for myself and vowed to never admit that there was a time prior to my ownership of them — and I certainly acted like it.

These shoes came with me everywhere : through high school, a pandemic, vacations and even to college. In fact, they are waiting in my dorm room right now, neatly tucked away under my bed should I ever need to don them in the event of a haphazardly-muddy function.

But, upon reflection, all this begs the question: “How did they end up unworn, under a bed?” This, for me, can be chalked up to a single, cutting instance. I was walking around SoHo back in 2023 with my friend, both of us sporting our matching whiteon-white Air Force 1’s when I heard a welldressed passerby say to her companion, “Oh my god. They’re still wearing Air Forces.”

Oh my god. What did she mean, still ? Unbeknownst to me, this shift had been underway for a few years already. Once a symbol of streetwear credibility, hip-hop influence and mass appeal, the Air Force 1 has slowly begun to fall out of favor amidst a growing cultural gravitation toward quiet luxury, minimalism and a rejection of logomania.

Cleaner, quieter, more “sophisticated” sneakers have taken over, carrying a different kind of cultural weight; one of minimalism and subtlety. The rise and fall of the Air Force 1 reflects more than just a natural fashion cycle: it signifies a broader cultural tilt away from the maximalism and streetwear dominance of the 2010s and toward a more restrained, “quiet luxury” aesthetic. This not only highlights fashion’s ever-changing landscape but also reveals underlying ideological changes in how we perceive status, individuality and cultural capital. According to author Fred Davis, who has significantly studied fashion as a system of symbolic communication, clothing operates as a “code” — its meaning is shaped by associations to social and cultural contexts. And truly, compared to the Nike Air Force 1, few other sneakers have come close to achieving equivalent cultural longevity, adaptability and notoriety.

Created in 1982, Air Force 1s were made as a basketball shoe to feature Nike’s groundbreaking “Air technology,” its meaning was rooted in athletic performance and innovation. However, by the 1990s, the AF1 had transcended its original purpose and became embedded in hip-hop culture and urban streetwear. In Harlem, where the shoes were particularly popular, their sleek, all-white design symbolized status, style and individuality. From a contextdependent standpoint, however, we can better understand how the same pair of sneakers could carry vastly different meanings — in inner-city neighborhoods, the AF1 became a symbol of cultural pride and creative expression. Yet, for suburban teens like myself, it represented accessibility to an effortlessly “cool” aesthetic associated with hip-hop and the music industry. This fluidity in meaning gave the AF1 its universal appeal, but it also set the stage for its eventual overexposure.

Fashion codes are highly dependent on exclusivity and once something becomes too contrived, its symbolic power diminishes. Historically, subversive styles are eventually adopted into the mainstream and stripped of their original tones of opposition, and by the

mid-2010s, the AF1 had truly reached peak saturation; appearing in everything from Instagram posts to mall displays. Its formerlyedgy associations with streetwear and urban culture were thus neutralized, transforming it into what sociologist Dick Hebdige calls a “naturalized” object — one so familiar that it feels like a default, rather than a statement. Alternatively, for many youths of color, wearing AF1s was a way to assert visibility and cultural pride in a society that often scrutinizes their bodies; the sneaker became a form of self expression that engaged with broader systems of power. However, this visibility was often a double-edged sword; the AF1’s ties to streetwear culture meant that its wearers were frequently subjected to radicalized, prejudiced stereotypes. Public debates surrounding “respectability” in fashion — similar to those surrounding the appropriateness of sagging pants — only echo the assertion that clothing is deeply tied to morality and social order. While the AF1 originally allowed wearers to claim a sense of cultural agency, it also reinforced the ways in which certain styles are judged when associated with marginalized communities. Probably the most defining period of the last decade is that of the COVID-19 pandemic — it affected everything from the way we travel, to the way we work, even the way we interact with other people. Furthermore, it reshaped the way people dress.

In the early years of the pandemic, consumers embraced boldness, experimentation and excess: bright colors, oversized silhouettes and a renewed love for statement streetwear — I’m sure many of us remember the patchwork jeans from 2020.

However, as life resumed its typical normalcy, a reactionary shift began: aesthetic minimalism took popular hold, favoring comfort, timelessness and neutrality — likely a result of the increasing popularity of loungewear as “outside” clothes. Consumers began to move away from chunky sneakers, neon colorways and un-subtlety as a theme, instead favoring understated, well-made pieces that signaled sophistication rather than overt trend-chasing. While AF1s once portrayed “effortless coolness,” their overexposure — and, let’s be real, raciallymotivated cultural associations — eventually rendered them “loud” and outdated.

In contrast, brands like New Balance, Adidas and Asics have recently gained traction, positioning themselves as alternatives that felt fresh and understated, yet still culturally credible. This shift also aligns with my belief of how clothing reflects changing social hierarchies; the AF1’s maximalist roots in hip-hop and streetwear no longer align with the restrained elegance that defines contemporary fashion elitism. Instead, in a flurry of exclusivity, today’s aesthetic preferences favor the “invisible codes” of wealth and taste — qualities that the Air Force 1, with its mass-market appeal, can unfortunately no longer embody. The shoes’ once-positive connection to streetwear now clashes messily with the rise of “quiet luxury,” a movement that actively distances itself from the overt branding and maximalist aesthetics defining the last decade.

Within this context, the rise of understated sneakers marks a deliberate rejection of mainstream symbols — ironically, creating a new, similarly overdone mainstream in the process. What was once a subversive fashion statement has been normalized to the point of losing its edge, leaving customers desperately searching for new symbols of distinction. The AF1, caught between two worlds — too widespread to feel exclusive anymore, yet too tied to maximalism to feel modern — embodies this tension. At the core of the “quiet luxury” aesthetic is an intentional rejection of logomania and mass-marketing. Despite the precedent set by the loudness of the 2010s, the pendulum of trendiness has swung decidedly towards subtlety; the fashion elite of today appear to be gravitating

towards muted colors, sleek silhouettes and heritage brands — brands with a reliable reputation and loyal customer base — that all emphasize craftsmanship over predictablycyclical cultural hype. As a result, sneakers like the New Balance 550s, Adidas Sambas and Asics Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66’s have replaced the AF1 as the “cooler” choice — not because they are inherently better, comfier or more versatile, but simply because they signal a fresh taste.

While the AF1 was once a universal, adaptable shoe, it is now seen as too predictable, too recognizable for a new generation of fashion-conscious consumers seeking distinction. This trajectory exemplifies the notion that the meaning of fashion is deeply contextual and always subject to the pressures of changing tastes and cultural ideologies.

However, beneath the indelicate shift in sneaker culture lies a more inconspicuous ideological movement; one that intertwines with the — subjective, yet noticeable — rise of conservatism and modesty culture in current influential social spheres. While fashion is inherently cyclical, there is growing evidence that our recent pivot towards restraint, discretion and classicism is not simply a typical, fleeting trend, but part of a broader cultural recalibration. The understated aesthetics of “quiet luxury” operate as a kind of philosophical symbol for exclusivity and refined taste, accessible only to those who can read and understand its subtleties. In our modern era, where social media serves to magnify wealth disparities, dressing in an intentionally understated way has become a new form of signaling social capital through exclusivity — communicating privilege through invisible subcultural codes. This aesthetic, often dubbed “old money” on social media, reflects a nostalgia for structure, tradition and timeless style. Instead of flaunting designer logos or bold collaborations, fashion elites have embraced “low-key luxury,” where clothing and accessories are — inconveniently for the rest of us — only recognizable to those “in the know.”

Within this recalibration, the AF1 — rooted in hip-hop and streetwear — feels increasingly out of place. While the sneaker certainly retains much of its former cultural weight, it has since been stigmatized as mass-marketed, rather than aspirational.

This shift reflects the broader ideological values of restraint and subtlety, making the AF1 a casualty of fashion’s current fixation on refinement and discretion. Yet within this new ethos of quiet sophistication, the question remains: is this shift away from the AF1 a true cultural transformation, or just another phase in fashion’s cyclical nature? Fashion trends often evolve through processes of “associative linkages,” with past aesthetics remerging in new contexts; in my opinion, it’s entirely possible that today’s minimalist tastes will eventually give way to another wave of bold, statementdriven fashion, potentially reviving the AF1’s relevance. Just as streetwear dominated the cultural landscape of the last decade, maximalism may also reassert itself in the future. However, what’s striking is that, unlike previous moments in fashion history, the decline of the AF1 is not merely tied to aesthetic preferences, but it is deeply intertwined with shifts in broader cultural values. This tangible shift towards quiet luxury, modesty and intentionality suggests that this movement in fashion is more than just aesthetic preferences — it’s about signaling a different kind of social capital.

This aesthetic shift isn’t just happening in a vacuum; the rise of nationalist politics, economic instability and a growing skepticism about progressive social movements have all contributed to a desire for “stability” and a return to “classic” (outdated) values. Parallels are evident in previous historical movements: after the iconic radicalism of the 1960s, the subsequent Reaganite era of the 1980s witnessed a resurgence of preppy, tailored fashion. Even as recently as the early 2000s, hyper-femininity and casual corporate dress were thrust into the mainstream following the cultural experimentation of the 1990s.

Today, America grapples with economic anxiety, cultural clashes and a general sense of exhaustion behind rapid change. It makes perfect sense why we’re seeing a return to more conservative values, with trending aesthetics following suit. Truly, this was never just a matter of shoes; the AF1 may one day regain its status, but for now, it serves as a reminder that in fashion — as in society — what we wear is never just about simple aesthetics. It’s about power, identity and who gets to define what is “in” and what is left discarded under a bed.

Klein, unrelated: Asia Wok v. Dragon Chef

By AARON KLEIN AND MAX KLEIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITERS

Hello — our names are Max Klein and Aaron Klein, and we are writing a column on restaurants around town. While the column may be satirical, our reviews are absolutely not. Please enjoy.

Klein: Good morning, Klein, and welcome to

Klein: Unrelated.

Klein: So, on behalf of those who aren’t hip yet, what exactly will we be doing here?

Klein: I’m so glad you asked! Seeing as how we are two guys with the last name Klein who happen to be unrelated to each other, it only makes sense that we start a food review section dedicated to local restaurants.

Klein: Well I’ll be. Today, we have Asia Wok, which can be found on Main Street quite close to the Merc Apartments BranVan stop and Dragon Chef in Needham.

Klein: Good to know, and what is, como se dice, the vibe of Asia Wok? If you had one sentence, how would you describe it?

Klein: I didn’t know you spoke Spanish! Okay, with one sentence I would say it is the greatest restaurant in the world … when all other restaurants are closed. Its hours are 3 p.m. to 1 a.m., and it is perfect for after a party or if you’re up super late and need something cheap that’s not Hoot Market food.

Klein: How about Dragon Chef?

Klein: Well, to be honest, this was the first time I’d had Dragon Chef and I was not impressed.

Klein: Yeah, I agree. It was just generally of lower quality, cost more and had a similar

delivery time. Asia Wok wipes the floor with Dragon Chef.

Klein: Okay, so what did you get?

Klein: I am a vegetarian, so I had to get some spicy string beans from both. The Dragon Chef beans were bland at best and soggy. Asia Wok’s had a great flavor to them and tasted significantly fresher than Dragon Chef’s. Klein: I agree; I got a chow mein and, I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what it was. I am now depressed. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.

Klein: Yeah, I usually stay away from dishes like that.

Klein: Okay finally, let’s get into the ratings. What do you have on a scale of one to seven for Asia Wok and for Dragon Chef?

Klein: For Asia Wok, I have a very respectable four. I think the food is slightly above average and the hours are simply unbeatable … unless you want to eat at a normal hour. Asia Wok is cheaper, open significantly later and tastes better, making it an overall much better option for students. I’d give Dragon Chef a two and a half.

Klein: Yeah, to be honest, I was just disappointed with my choice of dish. I would go with a five for Asia Wok and a solid one and a half for Dragon Chef.

JUDGES BY THE NUMBERS

March 30 vs Coast Guard Academy

March April 6 at Endicott College

TRACK AND FIELD

WOMEN'S TOP FINISHERS

BASKETBALL: A player dribbles the ball up the court.

■ The Justice recounts the shocking sale of the beloved Boston Celtics for $6.1 billion after more than two decades of ownership by the Grousbeck family.

By REMI YOUNG JUSTICE EDITOR

Shocking news in the sports world reports that the Boston Celtics, reigning National Basketball Association champions, have been sold for a record-breaking $6.1 billion. The transaction, which was announced on March 20, shows the franchise changing hands from the Grousbeck family to an investment group led by private equity executive Bill Chisholm. This sale sets a new record for the highest valuation of any North American sports franchise, topping the previous record of $6.05 billion set by the National Football League’s Washington Commanders in 2023.

A New Era Begins

Many fans are worried about the change in ownership but rest assured because Bill Chisholm, co-founder of Symphony Technology Group, is a Massachusetts native and a lifelong Celtics fan. His deep-rooted passion and business background leave the Celtics in great hands in years to come. In one interview, he described himself as “bleed[ing] green.” Chisholm shares his vision and short term and long term goals for the Celtics, "I want to raise banners. I want to raise them now, and I want to raise them in the future as well," he said.

The Grousbeck Legacy

The Grousbeck family has owned the Celtics since 2002, when they purchased the team for $360 million from Paul Gaston. Under their ownership, the Celtics won two NBA championships in 2008 and 2024, making them one of the league's most successful franchises. At the forefront of their

leadership, Lyc Grousbeck showed commitment to excellence and a deep connection to the team's fanbase.

Even after the sale, Lyc Grousbeck will continue to serve as the team's governor and Chief Executive Officer through the 2027-2028 season. This will ensure a smooth transition and preserve the culture that is so important not just to the team, but also the City of Boston.

Sale

The

The $6.1 billion sale price of the Celtics surpasses previous records and clearly demonstrates the increasing values of NBA franchises. Chisholm's business, Symphony Technology Group, includes figures such as Bruce A. Beal Jr. and Rob Hale, whose involvement could also grow the team's financial flexibility. For the Celtics, this capital increase could solidify their place as one of the best NBA teams with more funds to acquire younger talent.

Additionally, the Celtics home court is at TD Garden — an arena that their team does not own. As a result of this, the Celtics have lost out on concession sales at games and concert revenue. As such, this capital increase could lead to a Celtics facility being built somewhere in Boston, providing increased revenue for the team.

Looking

Ahead

As the Celtics transition to new ownership, there are several key areas that are most important. A higher capital that this new ownership brings could help the Celtics solidify their place at the top of the league’s standings, with more funds allocated to secure new talent. To ensure stability of the team, Grousbeck will still be part of the front office as CEO and the team’s governor, which will definitely keep the team’s morale. And finally, more investments in technology and a possibly new facility will contribute to fan engagement initiatives and play a significant role in the longevity of the team. While the sale of the Celtics is the closing of one chapter, it is also the beginning of another. With his passion for the Celtics and the whole city of Boston, Bill Chisolm starts a new chapter, determined to drive more team success.

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

Brandeis Baseball

Brandeis Baseball faced off in a double header against the Coast Guard Academy winning 4-1 and 3-2!

Photos: RUEBEN GARTENBACH/The Justice. Design: MARINA ROSENTHAL/The

Sports just

Concussions in the National Football League: A controversial statistic

■ More and more players have experienced head injuries, resulting in both shorter careers and lasting effects.

By REMI YOUNG JUSTICE EDITOR

The National Football League is one of the world's most physically demanding sports leagues. For the most part, each play ends in a physical hit, with players experiencing high-speed collisions multiple times every game. Over the years, more and more serious injuries and concussions have been reported, prompting further research on the lasting consequences of head injury.

Understanding Concussions

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that occurs when a hit to the head or body causes the brain to move rapidly within the skull. This blow to the head can cause a range of symptoms, including headaches, dizziness, confusion and more.

In the NFL, concussions occur frequently due to the nature of the sport. Players are often hit with a tremendous amount of force, which can result in multiple concussions throughout a career. Recent studies show that repeated head trauma is linked to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain condition found in many former NFL players.

CTE

CTE can lead to symptoms such as memory loss, mood swings, aggression and more. Dr. Bennet Omalu, a neuropathologist, brought widespread attention to CTE after diagnosing former NFL player Mike

Webster. In 2017, Boston University examined the brains of 376 former NFL players and found that 345 of them had evidence of CTE. This impactful statistic highlights the severity of this problem in the NFL.

One of the most recent, notable stories of CTE is that of former New England Patriot player, Aaron Hernandez. The former NFL star, who was convicted murderer, was diagnosed with severe CTE after his death in 2017. Research done on his brain revealed that he had Stage III CTE, an advanced form of the disease rarely seen in someone so young. Experts believe that CTE may have influenced Hernandez’s behavior, including his violent actions. Unfortunate stories such as this one are what make the most impact and have inspired change in the NFL.

Rule Changes

In response to this research, the NFL has implemented rules, equipment changes and more protocols in an attempt to reduce this statistic going forward. The league has cracked down on helmet-to-helmet hits and introduced penalties for “targeting,” which happens when players lead with the helmet when making a tackle. In addition, the NFL has adjusted kickoff rules to reduce high-speed collisions. Now, after a big hit when a head injury could have occurred, an evaluation must happen before returning to play. With further research, helmet technology has been designed to absorb impact more effectively. Even with these changes, players still experience injury quite often, and the frequency of concussions in the NFL remains a serious concern, with long-term implications for player health and well-being. While the league has made strides in improving safety, a lot of work remains to reduce these traumatic injuries further. As awareness grows, research must be continued to spark more innovative and positive change within the league and beyond.

Boston Celtics Sold

The Justice Editor Remi Young '27 highlights the record breaking sale of he Boston Celtics, p. 10.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Current National Basketball Association season standings and predictions

■ Western and Eastern Conference teams are beginning to secure their positions as the playoffs loom.

By SOPHIA DE LISI JUSTICE DEPUTY EDITOR

On April 19 the National Basketball Association’s 2025 playoffs will begin, featuring the top six teams from both the Western and Eastern Conferences. In contrast, the teams between the seventh and tenth standings from each conference will participate in the SoFi Play-In Tournament to battle for the seventh and eighth playoff seeds days before. The team in seventh place will host the eighth-place team to decide the seventh seed, and the losing team will move on to play the winner from a game between the teams in the ninth and tenth standings.

The only Eastern Conference teams to have secured playoff spots are the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. Last season, the Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the Conference Finals, giving them a record-setting 18 championship wins. The Celtics and the Cavaliers will compete for the conference’s lead standing; given the five-game difference between the teams, the Celtics are likely to take the second seed this season.

On March 23, the Celtics defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 129-116. However the win did nothing to compensate for the five-game difference separating the teams but gave the Celtics a fifth-consecutive win. Jayson Tatum scored 30 points for the team altogether; his early four-point play during the third quarter gave the Celtics a 75-57 lead before the Trail Blazers could rally, leaving Portland to finish the game seven points short of Boston.

Other Eastern Conference teams that the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network expects to secure “at least a play-in” spot are the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons.

The Western Conference’s Oklahoma City Thunder has secured the top playoff seed for the second consecutive season. The Thunder played against the Los Angeles Clippers on March 23, defeating them 103-101

and extending their 13-game lead over the Houston Rockets. This win also extended the Thunder’s winning streak to six consecutive games. The team managed to emerge victorious even without its second and third-leading scorers, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, present.

Unlike the Celtics in the east, a top contender for the second standing has yet to emerge in this conference. Four closely-ranked teams in standing order, the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies, each have a chance at making the second standing, according to the NBA. As of press time, the Nuggets are 45-27, the Rockets are 46-26, the Lakers are 43-27 and the Grizzlies are 43-28.

In a “massive victory” on March 23, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Houston Rockets 116-111, making them only one victory apart. The Nuggets also gained an additional game advantage over the Los Angeles Lakers. Denver scored 46.6 percent on their three-pointers during that game and 50.6 percent on attempted field goals.

The Los Angeles Lakers faced a crushing defeat on March 22, losing to the Chicago Bulls in a 146-115 game. Neither LeBron James nor Luka Doncic could compensate for their defense’s performance; this game marked James’ return from a two-week injuryinduced absence. This loss was the Laker’s second in a row, their previous game ultimately ending with the Milwaukee Bucks securing a 118-89 win on March 20. On March 14, the Houston Rockets defeated the Dallas Mavericks 113-96. The Rockets’ forward, Tari Eason, scored a career-high 30 points during the game, and the team’s offensive overall is expected to improve with point guard Fred VanVleet’s return. Before their aforementioned loss to the Denver Nuggets, the Rockets had a nine-game winning streak.

The Western Conference’s projected participants in the SoFi Play-In Tournament are the Minnesota Timberwolves in seventh standing against the Los Angeles Clippers in eighth. In the ninth and tenth standings are the Sacramento Kings and the Phoenix Suns. Eliminated Western Conference teams are the Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans. Eastern Conference teams that may appear in the PlayIn Tournament are the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic in the seventh and eighth standings and the Bulls and Miami Heat in the ninth and tenth.

As the regular season climaxes, upcoming games occur daily, and the NBA updates team standings and statistics according to their outcomes.

Waltham, Mass.

FOOTBALL: Patriots helmets are shown siting on a stand.

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

BASKETBALL: Basketball players are walking up the court .

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

Taiwanese Student Association FORMOSA justArts&Culture

Photos courtesy of Xilei Ceci Chen/BRANDEIS DEPARTMENT OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT. Design: REUBEN GARTENBACH/The Justice.

Waltham, Mass.

!

“Absinthe-Chinoise”

by an anonymous illustrator (1862)

Currently on exhibition at the “Musée d’Orsay” of Paris is a collection of late 19th and early 20th century posters, advertisements and music all centering around the works of art found in the street. Art in the street is one of the most important art forms to our public consciousness. It is an art exhibited to the public with no separation from our quotidian lives. It is a part of our lives in support of what we experience, media that increasingly coalesces with our steps, our work, our commute, and places itself in our community. The Orsay Museum has taken the opportunity to revisit such advertisements to show certain mutable aspects of street art. The first two works discussed are the posters “Absinthe-Chinoise” by an anonymous illustrator in 1862 and “Folies-Bergère Les Almées” by Jules Chéret in 1874. These two posters are incredible, not only in quality of the conservation, but equally in composition. Stamped from wood, “Absinthe-Chinoise” witnesses the production and consumption of a brand of ab-

sinthe created just after the French involvement in the Second Opium War, where Napoleon’s forces looted Chinese temples and political offices until they returned in 1861. This poster presents an orientalist idea of four Chinese people, two children and two adults, getting served absinthe by a French bartender. On the ground, an opium pipe is propped against a bag with a cartoon of a building with poorly depicted Chinese architecture.

What interests me the most in the advertising here is under the stamp, where the poster reads “Chinese-Absinthe advantageously replaces absinthe without any of the inconveniences.” This poster is a small part of commercial Chinoiserie, the Western interest and imitation of China’s goods, people and culture. “Absinthe-Chinoise” presents Chinoiserie at one of its heights after the Second Opium War, when looted and traded goods were displayed in Paris for all to see. The Orsay Museum provided little context for such a poster.

By MIKEY TERRENZI JUSTICE OVERSEAS STAFF WRITER

“Folies-Bergère Les Almées” by Jules Chéret (1874)

In “Folies-Bergère Les Almées” we see a cyclone of four women swinging their arms, dancing on bare feet, their clothes swaying in harmony with what can only be imagined as an intense choreography. Red, white and pale green stripes twist and turn as the dancers approach one another in a whirl of limbs, scarves and stares. The title refers to a Western reimagination of Egyptian female dancers and singers. In this poster, we see the theme of the Almah, now commonly reduced to “belly dancer,” being consumed by the crowd craning their crooked necks and contorted faces to edge closer to the dancers. To move further, I would like to pose a question: is our perspective the same as the original audience? We take fervent delight in seeing these women dance behind a pane

of glass in one of the most visited museums of the world. I stood in front of them, twisting my neck in curiosity and admiration of how their bodies moved and swayed in the still lithograph print.

This is the power of art in the street. On the street, a work is no longer is a private relationship between the artist, work and owner. Art on the street is an imposition, a public shout, a cry from the mountaintops, especially when such art is replicated en masse. We, the public, see these works. We consume en masse the tiny details, miniscule distinctions and powerful messages. Street art is a present vehicle in our society and has been for so long. As we, the people, grow more comfortable in the world of advertisements and publicity, always think about what you see, hear and consume.

Photos: MIKEY TERRENZI/The

THE DEBUTANTE: DUAL DEPICTIONS

By NEMMA KALRA JUSTICE ASSOCIATE EDITOR

If you’ve visited the Rose Art Museum this past semester, you may have encountered the beautifully abstract artworks of British-Mexican artist, Leonora Carrington. From her sketches to her paintings, Carrington’s surrealistic pieces transport viewers to new realms, constructing alternate realities where our world is blended with the unimaginable.

Carrington’s ability to blend the absurd with reality extends beyond the canvas. Throughout her career, she wrote numerous novels and short stories, each remaining rooted in the surrealist tradition. For example, her famous 1939 short story “The Debutante,” is a brief yet captivating tale that centers around a young girl who befriends a hyena at the local zoo. The girl, a debutante, expresses her frustration to the hyena about having to attend a ball her mother is hosting in her honor. The hyena, trapped in its own bleak existence at the zoo, tells the girl she is lucky. In an unexpected twist, the debutante decides to send the hyena to the ball in her place, leading to a truly colorful evening. Given the bizarre tale, numerous artists have attempted to reimagine Carrington’s story on the big screen. On March 20, the Rose hosted three of these filmmakers, Elizabeth Hobbs and Nat and Veronica Moonhill to share their interpretations of Carrington’s work. Elizabeth Hobbs, an animated filmmaker based in London, utilized her dynamic, sketchy style to depict “The Debutante.” Her rendition captured the comical, lighthearted nature of the story while staying relatively true to the original plot line. Hobbs’ film was shortlisted for the Animated Short Film Award at the 95th Academy Awards.

Nat and Veronica Moonhill are Los Angeles basedfilmmakers whose interpretation exists in a fascinating contrast to Hobbs’. Rather than animating the story, the two opted for a live action depiction, taking more liberties with their interpretation of Carrington’s piece. They recognized the dysphoric experience of the debutante as she faces an event meant to usher her into womanhood, choosing to emphasize the story’s genderqueer themes through their creative execution. Nat and Veronica’s rendition of “The Debutante” was thus hilariously absurd and campy. Moderating the discussion between these three filmmakers was Madeleine Delpha, Assistant Director of Programs and Community Engagement at the Rose. To begin the conversation, Delpha asked the artists why they chose to tell “The Debutante” nearly 90 years after its original publication.

For Hobbs, Carrington’s piece was both surprising and refreshing, particularly because it centers on an upperclass woman. Nat and Veronica Moonhill agreed with Hobbs’ observation about the unexpected nature of the story, but they also expanded on its deeply queer themes. They interpreted the debutante as a “gender queer character, as someone who is being forced into a feminine role

THRILLING THEATER

that is deeply repulsive to her.” Their view of the debutante as a mischievous, dark and complex character underscored the contemporary relevance of Carrington’s work — even though it was conceived nearly 90 years ago.

Next, Delpha brought some visuals to the screen. The first was Leonora Carrington’s “Self-Portrait (Inn of the Dawn Horse)” which she painted from 1937-1938, around the same time as she wrote “The Debutante.” In this piece, like many others, Carrington leaned into animal symbolism. The portrait features a white rocking horse as well as a white horse running outside the window. The white horse, according to art historian Whitney Chadwick, is a sign of liberation and transformation. More interesting however, is the lactating hyena, who’s pose emulates Carrington’s own figure. According to Delpha, Carrington once said, “I’m like a hyena. I get into garbage cans. I have an insatiable curiosity.”

Given the reflective nature of the hyena, the animal being a mirror of Carrington herself, Delpha asked the filmmakers to share how they chose to deal with the creature’s presentation. For Nat and Veronica, they became obsessed with understanding the interaction between the debutante’s femininity and the hyena during the writing process. From their research, they learned that female hyenas “have a pseudo penis” that they give birth through and even have sex with, so hyenas are already doing a lot of gender bending.” With this complexity in mind, Nat and Veronica chose to depict the hyena as a “a threat that then becomes a love interest slash friend slash gateway to freedom.” In the film itself, the unique nature of the hyena and its relationship to the debutante truly shines. Played by dancer Jasmine Albuquerque, the hyena was both sinister and sultry, demonstrating the femininity of a debutante without shying away from the wildness of the animal.

Hobbs also explored the absurdity of the hyena, modeling her portrayal after Jean Harlow, ‘who, in the films of the ‘30s, was always just a little bit off. She was constantly wearing things that were slightly too fluffy or tight, or in colors that were a bit wrong.’ Hobbs’ hyena embodied the tension between a woman and her struggle to fully conform to societal standards, once again underscoring the poignant and contemporary relevance of Carrington’s original story. Truly fascinating about Hobbs’ approach however was her execution. In animating the film, Hobbs used rotoscoping, an animation technique in which one traces over live action scenes frame by frame. She explained how she used shots of Jean Harlso, Hedi Lamar, and other performances to create the movement in the film. Hobbs’ technique added to the dynamic, manic nature of the piece, beautifully emulating Carrington’s original surrealistic writing.

Although Hobbs’ film more closely resembled Car -

rington’s original story, Nat and Veronica still paid homage to Carrington’s paintings in their films. For example, they sought to recreate the chair in Carrington’s self portrait in the film itself. However, the Moonhills notably crafted their film with great attention to the underlying gender queer themes. In their rendition, the screen is saturated with shades of pink and blue in reaction to the gender performativity of the characters. At night however, the saturation dispels, creating “this other space that she [the debutante] gets to inhabit and find her true beast.” In their own way, the Moonhills honored Carrington’s surrealistic craft by creating absurd and new worlds themselves in their set and scene design.

In all, both Hobbs’ and the Moonhills’ films offer distinct yet equally captivating reimaginings of Carrington’s surreal narrative, each one inviting viewers to explore the story’s absurdity, gender themes and transformative power through a unique artistic lens.

To explore more of Carrington’s artworks, visit the Rose to see “Leonora Carrington: Dream Weaver,” on display until June 1.

Hold THy Peace’s “argonauTika”

This past weekend, Hold Thy Peace, the Brandeis Shakespeare and classics theater group, performed their spring semester show “Argonautika” by Mary Zimmerman. “Argonautika” is a modern adaptation of the Greek epic poem “Argonautica” written in the third century before the common era by Apollonius Rhodius. The story follows that of Jason and the Argonauts on their quest to retrieve the legendary golden fleece from Colchis and bring it back to Iolcus, Jason’s home. Set before the Trojan War, the Argonauts feature a star-studded cast of familiar heroes including Hercules, who joins the voyage in between his famous labors.

“Argonautika” invites the audience to consider the worthiness of such epic journeys like that of the one undertaken by Jason and his men. How does one weigh the often few material benefits of a quest against both the dangerous trials required to see the journey through and the inevitable loss experienced along the way? What drives epic heroes to undertake epic journeys? The concept of legacy, of course, further complicates these questions. After all many of the characters in the epic poem went on to feature in further stories and execute further deeds the likes of which whose consequences cannot be separated from their already existing legacy as an argonaut. While the play does not necessarily answer any of these questions it remains an interesting exploration of them.

According to the program written by HTP Director Dayla Lessem Elnecave ’27 “Argonautika” uses the Lookingglass theatrical style which employs “an ensemble cast (where almost all actors play many roles), physical and stylized storytelling, elements of acrobatics, nontraditional staging, and a lack of the fourth wall.” The student-led Brandeis production seamlessly incorporated these elements. Early in the narrative the Argonauts introduced

By MAEVE COAKLEY JUSTICE EDITOR

themselves to the audience in a rhyming chant homage to the Shabooya Roll Call from “Bring it On: All or Nothing.” Hercules, played by Jateja Spriggs ’28, consistently broke the fourth wall while searching for their missing manservant Hylas, repeatedly questioning the audience in regards to his whereabouts. I had the pleasure of speaking with the legendary hero myself but unfortunately had to admit I also had not seen Hylas.

Additionally, I particularly enjoyed the production of the play’s lighting and sound effects, often used together to denote something magical happening in the story. Additionally, I enjoyed the story being told through Medea’s costuming. Medea, played by Eva Sanborn ’26, is the daughter of Aeetes, the King of Colchis. King Aeetes instructs Jason, Shelby Levine ’25, to complete an impossible task hoping that Jason will die and therefore be unable to take the golden fleece. Hera, Em Clemens ’28, and Athena, Madeline Rogala ’28, worry about Jason’s chances in the trial and conspire with Aphrodite, Peter Goswami ’27, to strike Medea with a love arrow so she will be compelled to assist Jason using her magical prowess. The arrow remains in Medea’s chest after being struck and the white dress surrounding her heart becomes stained with blood. Medea remains this way until she agrees to help Jason with the trial after which the blood stains on her dress grow in number and size. Finally after Medea has finished betraying her father and home to leave with Jason and the golden fleece nearly her entire dress is soaked in red. Medea’s costuming helps tell the visual story of her sacrifice to Jason, the misery it brings her and the eventual breaking of her heart by the end of the story. Overall I enjoyed Hold Thy Peace’s production of “Argonautika” and the unique creative choices they made to adapt the epic.

Photos courtesy of CREATIVE

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By MARINA ROSENTHAL JUSTICE EDITOR

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