VOL 8, NO. 3
F E B R U A R Y 4 , 2 0 11
B R A N D E I S U N I V E R S I T Y ' S C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R
WA LT H A M , M A
Registrar considers snow day make-ups
BY DESTINY D. AQUINO Editor
Following Wednesday’s snow day and resulting canceled classes, the registrar’s office is considering using the study day scheduled before finals period as well as weekend days or late nights to make up the missed classes, an unprecedented measure in the 14 years that Mark Hewitt has been registrar. “The academic administration is reviewing options for making up classes missed as a result of snow cancellations and delays. Further information will be available once that review is completed. Please remember that faculty may ask the registrar’s office to try to reschedule missed classes,” Senior Vice President of Communications Andrew Gully wrote in an e-mail to the student body on Wednesday morning. Many professors have chosen to reschedule classes on their own but the registrar’s office has offered their assistance while they review the options for a university wide rescheduling. The registrar’s office is able to run reports on students’
class schedules in order to find a time in which all students of a particular class are free. As Hewitt explained, this becomes increasingly difficult as class size increases. This system is also not able to factor in extra curricular activities. “Realistically it is very difficult, almost impossible, to find a time that everyone is free,” Hewitt said. The provost, president and the registrar’s office will ultimately decide whether to reschedule classes. However, their concern right now is the possibility of having more weather related cancellations with reports predicting more winter storms for the upcoming weeks. “The thing they don’t teach you in new president school is that you’re actually the one who decides to cancel school or not and gets the call at four-thirty in the morning,” President Lawrence said. Informal rescheduling of classes by professors are not technically obligatory, but “students have paid for this time so you’d hopefully think they would want to use it,” Hewitt said.
APPLAUSE: Prof. Jane Kamensky (HIST) applauds during Lawrence’s premiere faculty address.
PHOTO BY Nate Rosenbloom/The Hoot
Jaffe announces new JBS objective
Faculty welcomes pres at first meeting BY NATHAN KOSKELLA Editor
The Justice Brandeis Semester (JBS) and related experiential learning programs have abandoned their attempts to direct
students off-campus and help relieve campus crowding, one of the two primary goals of the program when piloted by the university and faculty in academic year ’08’09. The JBS programs will remain a university priority for their academic value. The undergraduate faculty “believes in experiential learning because students can learn more ef-
ficiently, think more critically and deeply in many instances,” Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe said at yesterday’s faculty meeting. The gathering was President Fred Lawrence’s first as leader of the university; he addressed the packed assembly as his “colleagues.” JBS will still be useful to the See JBS, p. 2
UCC student reps issue survey on pass/fail
Feldman resigns as JUSTICE CAREERS LECTURE East Quad Senator BY JON OSTROWSKY Editor
The Student Union will hold special elections on Feb. 8 to fill three open seats in the Senate, including the seat of East Quad senator Albert Feldman ’13, who resigned last month, Union Secretary Herbie Rosen said in a statement. The other two open Senate positions are for the Village Quad and the class of 2012. Melissa Skolnik had previously served as senator for the Village Quad and Liya Kahan ‘12 previously served as senator for the class of 2012 but both are studying abroad this semester. Feldman is no longer living on campus, an anonymous member of the Student Union said yesterday. The student asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. “We commend him for his hard work and dedication to the stuSee SENATE, p. 4
BY NATHAN KOSKELLA Editor
PHOTO BY Paula Hoekstra/The Hoot
CAREER PATHS IN INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS: Brandeis alumni James Bair ‘03, Nicole Karlebach ‘04 and Brahmy Poologasingham ‘00, were joined by alumna Laurel Fletcher ‘86 to discuss their career paths in the field of international justice and human rights. The event, held Thursday at the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life, featured a look at the many paths Brandeis graduates can take in the varied world of international social justice.
The student representatives on the University Curriculum Committee (UCC) have released a campus-wide survey that asks students about possible conditions for the committee’s approval of the academic credit decision known as “pass/fail plus.” Students currently may take four classes pass/fail during their time at Brandeis, and the “plus option,” being debated by the committee since 2006, would allow one of that number to be used toward the general university requirements for graduation, including the science, quantitative reasoning or non-Western requirement. The survey, ostensibly put in the Union secretary’s announcements by representatives Jenna Rubin, Usman Hameedi and
Sofya Bronshvayg, asks if students would prefer the change to pass/ fail, but also asks if they would accept it with certain compromises to satisfy professors and others who see pass/fail for a university requirement as a threat to a wellrounded curriculum. One proposal would entail “raising the passing grade for a class taken Pass/Fail to a C-” allowing teachers to feel more assured that students, even if they are taking a class for a “P,” will attempt a minimal standard of work. The survey asks if students would favor the change, hinting the move would be a condition were the committee finally to decide for approval. The other question asks students if they would permit teachers to know if they were taking a class pass/fail—under the current system, professors teach and See PASS-FAIL, p. 2
NEWS
2 The Brandeis Hoot
February 4, 2011
No court arraignment two months following hit and run BY JON OSTROWSKY Editor
The Brandeis student facing criminal charges following the hit and run two months ago that hospitalized two people – one of them critically - has still not been arraigned in court, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office said yesterday. Because no arraignment has been scheduled, the office has no record of the name of the student charged, a spokeswoman for District Attorney Gerard T. Leone said. An assistant at the Waltham District Court Clerk’s Office said that they had still not received results and a report from the Waltham Police Department, and because of this, had no information about the case. Today concludes the third consecutive week of interviews and repeated requests for the incident report or conformation of the individual’s name on a public record. All attempts to date to obtain a comment or
documentation of the incident have been unsuccessful. Waltham Police charged a Brandeis student on Dec. 8, 2010 with leaving the scene of an accident with injuries, negligent driving, failure to slow for pedestrians and speeding. These charges followed a car accident on Loop Road on Dec. 3 that sent two female students to local hospitals—Newton-Wellesley Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. The two students are no longer being treated at the hospitals. Waltham Police issued a citation for the charges against a 19-year-old Boylston resident, but declined to release the name or the police report because the individual was only charged and has not been arrested, Sgt. Timothy King said in a phone interview last week. Dean Gendron, Director of Student Rights and Community Standards, said the he and other staff were unable to comment
on the specifics of any cases, but he explained a careful process that the university follows after issues of student misconduct. During most semesters, a student is named in a criminal complaint, Gendron said in an interview on Wednesday. When presented with the hypothetical scenario of a student facing criminal charges following a car accident that injured others, Gendron said that the university’s immediate action would go through Rick Sawyer, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Student Life, and the Dean’s Office. In order for Student Rights and Community Standards to address the incident and enact a policy under Section 21 of the Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook, including options ranging from removal from campus housing to dismissal or expulsion. In order for this to occur an administrator or member of the university police would have to refer the case, Gen-
Illegal downloads high on campus
Univ monitoring safety of students abroad near Egypt
BY JON OSTROWSKY Editor
BY DESTINY D. AQUINO Editor
In the wake of the political crisis in Egypt and the outbreak of violence in the region, the study abroad office released a statement assuring the community that no Brandeis students were in any immediate danger. This semester there are no students studying abroad in Egypt. There are 16 students studying in three countries surrounding Egypt. “Brandeis is monitoring events in the Middle East that have the potential to affect our students studying in the region. While there are no Brandeis students currently participating in any Study Abroad program in Egypt, we do have students studying in several other countries in the region and we have been in contact with those programs. Given the outbreak of violence in Egypt and the fast-moving pace of events there and in other nations in the area, the safety of Brandeis students is our first concern,” Assistant Dean of Academic Services and Director of Study Abroad J. Scott Van Der Meid said. Regarding the students in the surrounding countries and possible safety concerns, “Brandeis is in contact with our program partners, who inform us if the situation in a particular country is deteriorating. We have several options in place to address student safety concerns, up to and including evacuation plans. We would also communicate with the U.S. State Department and the students and their families to monitor events and take action if necessary, “ Senior Vice President of Communications Andrew Gully wrote in an e-mail.
dron said. But if there is no immediate referral, Sawyer and his office, under Section 22, still have the jurisdiction to enact one of the more urgent and temporary policies, including emergency and indefinite suspension. Section 22.3 outlines the procedures for responding to criminal charges: “In the event the Dean of Student Life learns that a Brandeis student has been charged with or convicted of a crime, the Dean or the Dean’s designee may immediately remove the student from campus housing, restrict the student’s access to the campus, and/or indefinitely suspend the student from the University pending the final outcome of a criminal proceeding.” “Section 22 is used extremely sparingly,” Gendron said. “It might be inappropriate to allow certain members of a fact pattern to go unchecked” following criminal charges after an incident.
PHOTO BY Nate Rosenbloom/The Hoot
JBS to focus on academics JBS (from p. 1)
university for attracting students who seek the opportunities these programs can facilitate or hear about off-campus possibilities, “thereby encouraging people to apply,” Jaffe said. Campus “overcrowding” has been an agenda item on faculty meetings for a couple years, and JBS attempted to have students either take a semester off after their summer program or have a fall or spring program that is housed off of campus. “But [incentives] to students to not be on campus haven’t worked out,” Jaffe said, adding that “crowding is still something we
really need to address—but we will no longer be using JBS to meet that goal.” At the meeting, faculty debated the proper place of the program, and sought to capitalize on what successes the programs have had to use as a marketing tool for potential students. The administration now believes that with the separation between getting students off campus and JBS academics, the programs and related summer immersions can now be less expensive for students. Jaffe also said that proposals for future JBS programs are still being proposed and accepted, especially with the cost issue and off-of-campus incentive less of a priority.
Pass/fail rules may change PASS-FAIL (from p. 1)
score grades without knowing whom in the class may cover those letter grades with a “P.” The UCC, while it has not made an official announcement, meets nearly every other week, and, by the next meeting on Feb 10., the results of the survey will be available. In addition to the students sitting on
the committee are several faculty members and the dean of arts and sciences, who chairs it. The committee debates and gives final approval to all types of university guidelines, requirements and major plans. Dean Adam Jaffe declined to comment for this article as the committee’s final decision has not been reached on the subject of Pass/fail plus, and several faculty and student members did not return multiple
University administrators are concerned about an abnormally high number of copyright infringement notices issued last semester from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and other major recording, television and publishing companies. “Brandeis is committed to respecting and protecting intellectual property rights,” Dean Gendron, Director of Student Rights and Community Standards and Dennis Devlin, Chief Information Security Officer for Library and Technology Services wrote in an email to students last Friday. “Illegal sharing of copyrighted material is a violation of the Brandeis University Computer Policy as well as Rights and Responsibilities, and is grounds for dis-
ciplinary action from the Brandeis Department of Student Rights and Community Standards.” Copyright holders sent the notifications after they discovered unlawful peer-topeer file sharing from an IP address on the Brandeis campus. Upon obtaining a notification, LTS forwards it to the person connected to the specific IP address. “The individual receiving the notice is personally responsible for any fines, penalties or legal actions contained in the notice, and in the past this has included fines of up to $3,000 to settle illegally sharing a single recording,” Gendron and Davlin wrote.
February 4, 2011
The Brandeis Hoot
NEWS
3
Student, faculty and staff committee formed to find successor for enrollment SVP Jean Eddy BY JOSH KELLY Staff
The committee to search for a new senior vice president of students and enrollment has been formed and was prepared to begin its proceedings. The committee of 14, made up primarily of students and faculty and administrators, but also a member of the chaplaincy and a university trustee, had its first meeting by telephone due to the university snow cancellation. Students in various fields, members of student government, professors in different fields, administrators and a reverend are included on the committee. When speaking about the committee, Rebecca Bachman, one of the students representative describes how they were chosen. “[President Lawrence] put together a committee that he felt would best serve to select the next [Senior] Vice President of Students and Enrollment, and they are from a lot of different areas of campus coming
together for a common cause, ” Lawrence wrote in a community wide e-mail announcing the search committee. With many various jobs across campus to consider in the new administration of President Lawrence, it can be easy to get things confused. The job of the Senior Vice President of Students and Enrollment, as Bachman puts it, to “oversee student life as well as admissions and a lot of other parts of student life not academic.” Student life could include anything from housing, to various activities across campus. The former Senior Vice President of Students Jean Eddy, who served in that post throughout the last decade, left her post in September in order to take up the same position at the Rhode Island School of Design. For this difficult and very broad job, they are looking for someone who can be “an advocate for the students and [someone who] has an open door for students,” Lawrence wrote. Generally, they are just looking for someone open, and the most important
SOUND OFF! Contact The Hoot with comments and letters.
contact@thebrandeishoot.com
quality is that of being able to communicate openly and easily with students in order to solve whatever problems may arise on campus in student life. The committee includes Daniel Acheampong, president of the Student Union; Joyce Antler, chair of the American Studies program; Rebecca Bachman, a student in the College of Arts and Sciences; Doris Breay, senior assistant dean for student affairs at the Heller School; Mark J. Collins, senior vice president for administration; the Reverend Walter Cuenin, Catholic Chaplain; Myra Kraft '64, Board of Trustees member; Susan T. Lovett, professor of Microbiology; Christopher O'Brien, vice president for financial affairs and university treasurer; Susan Parker, professor of mathematics; Rick Sawyer, vice president for student affairs; Michael Singer, a graduate student; Gwenn L. Smaxwill, director of the Summer School program; and Myles E. Weisenberg '78, vice president of development. PHOTO from Hoot Archives
4 NEWS
The Brandeis Hoot
February 4, 2011
Police, students meet, discuss public safety
PHOTO BY Nafiz R “Fizz” Ahmed/The Hoot
BY JON OSTROWSKY Editor
Student and police participated in a discussion about how to improve their relations and ease tension from last semester on Thursday afternoon in the Shapiro Campus Center. The Office of Student Rights and Advocacy and the Student Union worked together to host the event, where Ed Callahan, Director of Public Safety advised students to raise any concerns or ask any questions they had about public safety procedures.
The event was planned as an effort to reflect on concerns regarding an incident where university police officers arrested two students and charged them with assault and battery of a police officer on Oct. 23, 2010 the night of Pachanga, said Ariel Glickman ’13, one of the organizers of the event. Bette Reilly from the Department of Public Safety and Dean Gendron, director of Student Rights and Community Standards, also participated in the discussion. Callahan served on the university’s adhoc Alcohol Advisory Committee, which was formed by former university President Jehuda Reinharz following the nine transports to local hospitals for alcohol intoxica-
tion the night of Oct. 23. Administrators understand that students can feel stressed and overwhelmed at college, but Callahan said they expect that alcohol, when consumed will be used with caution and not excess. “You’re all intelligent if you get into this school, so the expectation is that you be smart in your personal alcohol use,” Callahan said. “The purpose of this event was really to ameliorate relations between the police and the student body,” Glickman said. Callahan said that university police must cooperate with the administration and perform their jobs, mindful of the fact that they are on a university campus.
“It’s like any system and organization,” Callahan said. “There’s a system of rules and regulations that you have to follow.” He said that included acknowledging the sensitivity of certain incidents and determining the most appropriate course of action for dealing with students involved. “We’re here to be more of an educator than an enforcer,” Callahan said. “The Brandeis police [are] very forthcoming to have a conversation with the student body,” Tae Kim ’12 said. Kim explained that often students behave as if their actions at Brandeis face different consequences than if they were off campus. “The students have this thought of the Brandeis bubble,” Kim said.
Lawrence to travel to Los Angeles next week BY JON OSTROWSKY Editor
University President Fred Lawrence will travel to the Los Angeles area and attend several events on Feb. 7-10 to speak with prospective students, parents, alumni, friends of Brandeis and members of the Brandeis National Committee, Andrew Gully, Senior Vice President for Communications Andrew Gully said. Lawrence will be joined on the trip by Prof. Shai Feldman (POL), Chair of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies and Prof. Len Saxe (NEJS). Other stops on Lawrence’s travel schedule this year include San Francisco, New York City, Washington D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia and Miami. Later in the year, ADVERTISEMENT
Special elections for Union SENATE (from p. 1)
dent body while a member of the Senate,” Rosen wrote. “We look forward to working with the newly elected East Quad Senator, whoever it may be, in our continued effort to best serve the students of Brandeis University.” Student interested in running for one of the Senate seats were asked to notify Rosen of their interest by Wednesday at 12 p.m. On Wednesday evening, Rosen sent out an email specifically to East Quad residents asking them to run. “As of now, no one has stepped forward with interest to run as a representative of East. This is quite unfortunate, as we try to give everyone representation in the Student Union Senate, whether it be through a class or quad Senator,” Rosen wrote.
GIVE a Hoot, JOIN The Hoot
he will also travel abroad to Canada, Israel, England, India, China and Brazil, according to a university press release. Gully said that the purpose of the trips is to introduce all members of the Brandeis community and prospective students to the new president. “These events are not admissions events, donor events, [or] alumni events; these are Brandeis events,” Lawrence said at the faculty meeting on Thursday afternoon. Even while he is away traveling, Lawrence said in an interview last month that he plans to spend time each day working on emails and connected to the day to day operations of the university. Because these trips are at the beginning of his presidency, they will be shorter in length, he said.
EDITORIALS
February 4, 2011
Established 2005 "To acquire wisdom, one must observe." Alex Schneider Editor in Chief Destiny D. Aquino Managing Editor Nathan Koskella News Editor Jon Ostrowsky News Editor Leah Finkelman Features Editor Morgan Gross Impressions Editor Alex Self Impressions Editor Kayla Dos Santos Arts, Etc. Editor Sean Fabery Arts, Etc. Editor Gordy Stillman Sports Editor Leah Lefkowitz Layout Editor Vanessa Kerr Business Editor Yael Katzwer Copy Editor Savannah Pearlman Copy Editor Photography Editors Nafiz R. “Fizz” Ahmed Ingrid Schulte Alan Tran Associate Editor Ariel Wittenberg Senior Editors Bret Matthew Max Shay
Abroad deadline unreasonable
T
he common study abroad application deadline is contrived and unfair, and it’s time that students at Brandeis question the wisdom of the financially-motivated decision. On Feb.15, all students who seek to study abroad at Brandeis in the 20112012 academic year must turn in their applications. It doesn’t matter if the application for their program is due in October—they still need to have applications in right now. Needless to say, this single deadline burdens students, staff, and faculty. Sophomores may not be ready to decide whether to go abroad in a year’s time, or may not yet be sure if they have either the
Staff Candice Bautista, Alana Blum, Debby Brodsky, Becca Carden, Emma Chad-Friedman, Jodi Elkin, Andrea Fishman, Adam Hughes, Gabby Katz, Josh Kelly, Ariel Madway, Alex Norris, Morgana Russino, Aliza Sena, Emily Stott and Ryan Tierney
FOUNDED BY
Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman
SUBMISSION POLICIES The Hoot welcomes letters to the editor on subjects that are of interest to the general community. Preference is given to current or former community members. The Hoot reserves the right to edit any submissions for libel, grammar, punctuation, spelling and clarity. The Hoot is under no obligation to print any of the pieces submitted. Letters in print will also appear on-line at www.thebrandeishoot.com The deadline for submitting letters is Tuesday at 8 p.m. All letters must be submitted electronically at www. thebrandeishoot.com. All letters must be from a valid e-mail address and include contact information for the author. Letters of length greater than 500 words may not be accepted. The opinions, columns, cartoons and advertisements printed in The Hoot do not necessarily represent the opinions of the editorial board. The Hoot is a community student newspaper of Brandeis University. Produced entirely by students, The Hoot serves a readership of 6,000 with in-depth news, relevant commentary, sports and coverage of cultural events. Our mission is to give every community member a voice.
CONNECT @TheBrandeisHoot.com Online http://thebrandeishoot.com Twitter http://twitter.com/thebrandeishoot
The Brandeis Hoot 5
interest or financial resources to do so. They also do not have the benefit of the summer after their sophomore year—only their second summer of college—to explore career choices, which may contribute to study abroad interests. The application requires students to check their resumes with Hiatt in order to apply, overburdening the appointment schedule at the career center at a time when soon to graduate seniors may need help with future career advice. Faculty, also, must draft recommendation letters for a large cohort of students instead of having rolling deadlines, which are easier to meet.
The wisdom behind the application deadlines comes from university financial strains. Last year, J. Scott Van Der Meid, assistant dean of Academic Services and Director of Study Abroad, explained that the previous system of having two deadlines—one for the spring and one for the fall—made it difficult for the Study Abroad office to plan its budget. The fix, which came during a university-wide re-evaluation of finances last year, promised to help the university plan its finances. The result has been a process that skews priorities and disadvantages students. It just shouldn’t be that hard to study abroad.
Pass ‘pass/fail plus’ proposal
E
ach student at Brandeis comes across classes that they want to take but the same ones make them worry that if they do so, their GPA will suffer. Since 2006 the University Curriculum Committee (UCC) has been debating changing the reigning pass/fail system. Under this system, a student who receives any grade more than a D- is able to cover the grade with a “pass.” The option is usable once a semester and up to four times throughout a Brandeis career. The UCC should finish its lengthy work and finally decide to add to this scheme: allow one of these pass/fails to be used for one general university requirement. Pass/fails are meant to allow students to take courses they like and are interested in. They are supposed to alleviate students’ worry about their future or employment opportunities because of their GPA. General requirements serve the opposite goal of giving students a broad-based education, beyond their major. But a singular pass in one of these courses will accomplish both aims. We were heartened by the survey put to the Brandeis website by the student representa-
tives to the committee shining a light on the UCC’s intensely secretive and longwinded deliberative process: the survey asked students what potential changes they could tolerate if it came with the holy grail long called “pass/ fail plus,” with noticeable measures posed to allay fears by faculty that students will slack in their classes if pass/fail is expanded. The first, raising the minimum to a scarcely more difficult “C-,” is very reasonable. Most of us do not plan on skimping a requirement so radically, and even for a humanities-averse chemist there must be a class, which they of course freely choose, that they have a mediocre interest in. A “C-“ compromises well between the need for flexibility in the requirements and maintains Brandeis’ vision for academic initiative. The other proposal we find alarming—a professor who knows a student is electing to merely “pass” their class may worry the student is not trying. Students may be intimidated or shy about not feeling as initially comfortable in the class, and others will know about it. The professor and student owe each other a fully invested relationship—technically, grades are only the student’s worry and
a professor need not and should not view a student in such terms. Regardless, the committee should act, and act soon. Both Provost Marty Krauss and Dean Adam Jaffe will be leaving their current positions within the year, and the UCC has had long enough. A debate on these issues should extend to the greater campus beyond a hidden survey link in a weekly, multicolored announcements list. around campus and to be involved in campus life. Members of the provost search committee lamented in this week’s issue of The Hoot that “too many people just don’t know who Provost Krauss is and what she’s done for this community.” We contend that it is the provost’s job to meet and convene with students to the extent that the student body is familiar with not only the provost’s job description, but also their name and their face. When it comes to a university, the quality of Brandeis’ academics is our most important value. We cannot allow student ignorance or a lack of administrative involvement to come in the way of ensuring that our university remains at the top of its game.
Facebook http://facebook.com/thebrandeishoot
Letter to the Editor
Phone (781) 330.0051 E-mail eic@thebrandeishoot.com
CORRECTIONS The photo caption for the article “Inconsistencies in December hit and run” incorrectly stated that the car accident occurred on Dec. 8, 2010. The accident occurred on Dec. 3 and Waltham Police pressed charges against the student on Dec. 8. Also, BEMCo helped treat the students injured at the scene, but they were transported by AMR ambulances to local hospitals, not by BEMCo.
Looking for a copy of The Hoot? Check out our new distribution boxes across campus.
To the Editor, I think it’s extremely inappropriate for you to publish the picture of a student on a stretcher being taken to the hospital. In my opinion your article didn’t touch on that student and focused on the person that actually hit them and I didn’t see the point of publishing such a personal photograph of that student. That is a deeply personal experience for someone to go through and to publish something like that would probably bring the student back to that night when all they should be focused on is moving on. The entire student body shouldn’t get a look into the night the student almost lost their life and I don’t think it’s appropriate to post that on your front page. You call yourselves a community newspaper but a community would protect its students from having to relive such a traumatic event, not shove it in their face. I would hope your staff would be
more compassionate to someone almost losing their life and I honestly think you owe that student an apology. That night is none of your business unless you sat and watched the struggle they went through. Please consider the consequences to your actions next time. —Kate Baca
A response from the Editors: This letter characterizes the photo published in The Hoot last week alongside the article “Inconsistencies in December hit and run” as “extremely inappropriate,” and the author is entitled to that opinion. The facts, however, remain clear: this newspaper did not identify the student in the picture and ensured that the picture did not include any identifying characteristics of the student. Perhaps this is why The Hoot was not the only news-
paper to publish the photo, which was reprinted from the archives of the local News Tribune of Waltham. The letter also claims that the alleged crime on Dec. 3 is “none of [our] business.” But that’s not true: the circumstances of what happened and the fact that the courts and local police have failed to take this issue seriously are issues that deserve mention. Also, in the aftermath of the accident, the university administration made no mention of the occurrence and still has not released a statement. There is good reason, then, for the prominence of the photo and article: to inform the community that a significant event occurred on campus and that the university, Waltham police department and Waltham court system are not treating the event with the focus it deserves. Letters to the editor may be submitted to letters@thebrandeishoot.com
6 The Brandeis Hoot
This Week in History 2003
2007
Brandeis
Provost Melvin Bernstein stepped down from his position. The announcement came as a surprise to most. Aramark agrees to refrain from using unhealthy fry oil that contains transfatty acids in the dining halls.
1990
Future Editor in Chief of The Brandeis Hoot, Alex Israel Schneider, is born at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston.
2010
Scott Brown is sworn in as a Massachusetts Senator after a special election to replace the late Ted Kennedy.
United States
1974
1952
1990
A Lifetime of Little Things In a special multi-part series, The Brandeis Hoot explores what it means to be a Brandeis student with a gender nonconforming identity, and the small things that continue to set them apart at a school that prides itself on acceptance and understanding. BY LEAH FINKELMAN
Massachusetts
1964
FEATURES
The Beatles fly from London to New York City for the first time, introducing “Beatlemania” to the United States. Patty Hearst, daughter of newspaper publisher Randolph Hearst, is kidnapped from her apartment in Berkeley, California.
World King George VI of Great Britain and Northern Ireland dies, allowing his daughter to become Queen Elizabeth II. Nelson Mandela, leader of the movement to end South African apartheid, is released from prison after 27 years.
Editor
Zachary Spence ’11 grew up in New Jersey. He had a relatively simple life. He was involved in the Drama Club as both an actor and a director, he was the president of the Multicultural Club and he wore a tuxedo when he went to prom with his best friend. The biggest difference between Zachary then and now is that in high school he went by his birth name, a female one (he asked that his birth name not be published, as he wants to people to know who he is now, rather than “who [he] never wanted to be”). It wasn’t until college that Spence began to identify as transgender, asking friends and colleagues to address him as Zach or Zachary and use male pronouns when referring to him. “When I was growing up, I never had a real cognizance of the difference between genders,” Spence said. “When I was in high school and the differences became more noticeable, I started feeling more and more detached from the fact that I was born female-bodied.” His journey was a difficult one, Spence said, recalling the “self-deprecating misery” that often enveloped him as he struggled to form close relationships with his family. It was only when he arrived at Brandeis that Spence realized that being transgender was a viable option that could apply to him. Spence chose Brandeis after discovering that he could pursue the majors he wanted (Creative Writing and East Asian Studies with a concentration in Japanese) and still spend a year abroad. In high school, Spence didn’t identify as queer simply because he didn’t know anything about gender identity. He wasn’t looking for a queer community on campus, but he’s glad to have found such a welcoming one. Spence is now a co-coordinator of TransBrandeis, a branch
Zach’s Story of Triskelion, Brandeis’ GLBT/Queer Alliance, with Mariah Henderson ’12. At the end of his first year at Brandeis, Spence began telling his friends to brace themselves—he would be coming back in the fall with a new name. Choosing a new name was a lengthy process. Before settling on Zachary, Spence spent the summer narrowing down a list of 30 names he liked. The names had to fit several criteria. It had to be long to complement his monosyllabic last name. It had to start with a less common letter. Most importantly, it had to be definitively male. “When I was first questioning what my gender identity was, I wondered if I could deal with having a gender neutral name, because it was the inherent femininity of my birth name that drove me up the wall … I really like names where you can play with the gender … but I couldn’t. If [I had chosen Victor and] someone called me Vicky, it wouldn’t tell the world anything about my gender,” Spence said. His persistence paid off. Two weeks ago, Spence legally changed his name. Until he informs the university of his legal name change, Spence’s birth name will appear on his Brandeis ID and class rosters. Each semester, he sends e-mails to professors in advance, introducing himself as Zachary and asking them not to announce his birth name in class. Spence said that although he has never had an “irreconcilably negative experience,” his professors do not always catch on immediately. Strangers occasionally read him as female and use female pronouns, but “that happens about as often as people reading me as male and using male pronouns, which makes it bearable,” he said. While studying abroad in Japan during his junior year, Spence told his mother that he identified as transgender. “Obviously it was a conversation but she was supportive and totally great with it,” he said. The rest of
February 4, 2011
his family is still at varying stages, from not knowing, to knowing but not acknowledging, to accepting but not understanding. In Spence’s day-to-day life, his friends have made everything much easier. When he sees them, he knows they will use the correct pronoun, using he rather than she, and call him Zachary without thinking about it. He relies on his friends and girlfriend as a support system after facing a transphobic comment, after someone has used the wrong name or pronouns, or anything else that might put him into a funk. After graduating, Spence wants to be a writer but knows it will be difficult. Selfidentifying as the “king of high maintenance,” he explained that he will first need a higher paying job: hopefully a “cool job” in which he can use his knowledge of Japanese. Spence is unsure of whether, and to what extent, he will medically transition, but with his friends’ and family’s support, he knows that he will eventually figure it out. Spence has not yet explained his gender identity to his father, who still uses Zachary’s birth name and female pronouns. He hopes that his father will support him and see it not as a loss, but as a change in which his “forcibly female-identified” only child has become a much happier young man. He plans to do so before commencement, when he will be graduating with his new legal name, Zachary Spence. When reading this story, please remember that it is the story of just one person. Every single person has a different journey, different approaches to their own gender identity and different desires for the future. Zachary’s experiences should not inform the experiences of others, and extrapolating from them can be a grave misunderstanding of what any personal identity means.
Students help Orientation ‘GO GREEN’ BY MORGAN GROSS Editor
It seems that there is a constant buzz around campus discussing the state of Brandeis sustainability and urging the campus to go greener. Most of the time this buzz remains, but amid this aundance of talk a group of classmates were inspired by a final project to move towards green action. Together, they set out to make Brandeis Orientation a more eco-friendly insitution. Robyn Blumberg ’11, Jordan Longert ’11, Amira Mintz-Morgenthau ’12 and Elana Reinholtz ’11 teamed up to create a more sustainable orientation. Their project, entitled GO (Getting Orientation) GREEN & Beyond, was born out of the final assignment for Professor Laura Goldin’s “Greening the Ivory Tower: Improving Environmental Sustainability of Brandeis and Community” class. See GREEN, p. 7
PHOTO COURTESY OF Robyn Blumberg
February 4, 2011
The Brandeis Hoot
FEATURES
7
Presidential passion: sitting down with Daniel Acheampong BY LEAH FINKELMAN Editor
Student Union President Daniel Acheampong ’11 has an incredible ability to make anyone feel right at home. With his easy smile and quick laugh, he can make them feel heard, valued and appreciated. When Acheampong was seven, he moved with his family from Ghana to Brooklyn. There he grew into a young man who loved to read, travel and play sports. He attended Louis D. Brandeis High School, where he was the president of the National Honor Society. When he was applying for colleges, his college advisor suggested he apply for a Posse Scholarship. Getting the scholarship, he said, was one of the best things that had ever happened to him. “I became a part of a great organization that really has a mission of bringing the best out of students, it took me to many wonderful places, and I’ve met
a lot of inspiring people,” he said. After Acheampong had been accepted to the Posse program, he was looking through a list of schools to apply to and saw Brandeis. He was immediately drawn to it because of the name it shared with his high school, but after doing some research, he knew it was the right college. “There’s just so much spirit, so much passion, so much purpose, such a social justice mission to hold students from the beginning to the end and make us aware of global society and our ability to make an impact,” he said. As the captain of both the varsity soccer and varsity basketball teams in high school, Acheampong was no stranger to leadership positions when he joined the Student Union. Second semester of his first year at Brandeis, he became an assistant treasurer. He later became treasurer, and last year was elected to be the president. “After having been in the Student Union for so long,
I’ve learned so much about the great service that the Union provides—to amplify students voices and advocate for them. It’s such an important thing, such an important responsibility,” he said. As president, Acheampong hopes the student body will recognize that the Student Union has represented them through university transitions like the searches for a new provost and senior vice presidents. “As president, I hope that students will know that the Student Union is here for students, it was developed and built by students. When I graduate, I want students to know that this is an organization for students to make sure their voices are heard and they are being included.” His face lights up as he brags about the students he represents, clearly as inspired by them as he hopes they are by him. “Brandeis students have so many great ideas, I wish I had more time to see them
and to attend the events that they hold,” he said. At a conference, Acheampong met Maurice Coleman, whom he now considers his mentor. He has always taken one thing Coleman said directly to heart: “Service is the rent that we pay for the space that we occupy in this world.” Acheampong has always been involved in community service, and that passion is something he plans to continue for the rest of his life. After graduation, he will return to work at Goldman Sachs, where he has interned. Then he hopes to attend graduate school and get a joint business and law degree. “I just want to help people, and I know this may sound cliché, but it’s what I really want to do,” he said. If there’s one word that defines Acheampong and his approach to life and his love for the Brandeis community, it’s passion.
PHOTOS BY: Alan Tran/The Hoot
Environmental Studies students help university ‘GREEN’ new student Orientation GREEN (from p. 6)
Students in this unique class focused upon experiential learning and community involvement. They were given the responsibility of creating and implementing an original initiative with the aim of improving sustainability within the Brandeis or greater Waltham community. According to team member Elana Reinholtz, the four girls “hoped to achieve making a sustainable impact on the Brandeis campus and its students.” Reinholtz hopes “that all of our work transmits an energy into other students helping to make Brandeis a greener place and will hopefully inspire them to make an impact like we did.” She added that ultimately, “all the work we did was extremely fulfilling and we enjoyed each component.” The project consisted of several segments, which all worked together towards an ultimate goal of improving orientation sustainability. First, a green quiz developed by Amira Mintz-Morgenthau with the help of sustainability coordinator Janna CohenRosenthal. The quiz, modeled after the alcohol awareness quizzes that many college students are required to take part in before they begin their first year at university, was designed with the intention of educating new students about sustainability and providing a few choice topics, detailing the intricacies of being eco-friendly in college. The quiz was taken by 51 midyear students, eight of whom received prizes for their participation. Another facet of the GO GREEN & Beyond project was a re-imagining of the conventional campus tour with the Eco-Tour.
The traditional tour was expanded and Mid-Year Mentors were trained to bring every midyear orientation group to visit specific “green” locations throughout campus. The students learned about some of the amazing environmental places around Brandeis, including the “no-mow” lawn, the porous pavement and its purpose, the new Mandel Humanities Center and the Solar Panels on Gosman Athletic Center. The next part of the GO GREEN & Beyond project was the Give and Go, an event which provides students about to go abroad the opportunity to drop off unneeded belongings before heading overseas. Although the Give and Go event was not created specifically for GO GREEN & Beyond, the team worked hard to promote and publicize the event. Many of the used goods were donated to More than Words, Bristol Lodge, Mary’s House and Global Thrift in Waltham. The goods that weren’t donated were available to midyears and other returning students for purchase at the Move in Market. All proceeds from the Move in Market went to the Emergency Financial Assistance Program at the WATCH Housing Advocacy Clinic, a nonprofit organization in Waltham. The final piece of the greening process featured a nod towards the future. The GO GREEN & Beyond project sought to provide every midyear student with a bamboo flash drive filled with all Orientation materials in the hope of cutting down paper usage. Unfortunately, the group did not receive enough funding to purchase the flash drives; however, project organizers were able to send out a mass e-mail to all
midyears with the GO GREEN & Beyond informational presentation, the 2010-2011 CORE Committee introductory video and other resource materials. According to Longert, “the project went swimmingly.” Though the GO GREEN & Beyond project had its turbulence, she is glad to “be leaving Brandeis having successfully paved the way to having a more green orientation as a step to a more sustainable campus overall.” Along with Blumberg, Reinholtz and Mintz-Morgenthau, Longert knows that she is “leaving our legacy in a way that I had never imagined and I am so glad to have been a part of this project.” The team “put in a lot of time, effort and hard work into our vision of making orientation green and I know that we succeeded!” In regards to the future of the program,
Longert expects orientation to be changed for good. She believes that the sustainable nature of the program will cause it to be “implemented into future Orientation. By teaching the incoming students that Brandeis is taking a serious stand and making changes to better our environment, we will help our community understand the consequences of their actions and choices which they will take with them beyond their Brandeis years. Our goal was to give new students tips and an understanding of how to make green lifestyle choices, which we hope will not only resonate with them while they are students here, but also to life after Brandeis. I think I can safely say for all of the GO GREEN & Beyond seniors that all that we have learned from creating the program, will stay with us when we graduate in May and beyond!”
PHOTO COURTESY OF Robyn Blumberg
8 The Brandeis Hoot
SPORTS
February 4, 2011
Women’s woes continue BY BRIAN TABAKIN Special to The Hoot
Despite a career night by senior Mia DePalo, who scored 21 points in the game, the women’s basketball team fell 61-50 to the 12th ranked Rochester Yellowjackets. With the loss Brandeis fell to 10-8 (2-5 University Athletic Association) and Rochester improved to 14-4 (4-UAA). DePalo’s career day included 10 points in the first half and 11 points in the second half, shooting eight-of-14 from the field and five-of-seven from beyond the arc. She eclipsed her previous career best by eight points, which she set earlier this year on Jan. 14 at Carnegie Melon. Junior Morgan Kendrew contributed 13 points connecting on five-of-16 from the field and three-of-four from the free throw line. Three Brandeis players tied for a team-high five rebounds including Kendrew, sophomore Samantha Anderson, junior Brighid Courtney. Rookie Julia Scanlon led all Brandeis players with four assists. Eclipsing DePalo’s performance for Brandeis was Rochester senior Melissa Alwardt, who scored all of her 22 points in the second half. Alwardt was 12-of-12 from the free throw line, leading a 25-5 scoring edge for the Yellowjackets from the free throw line. After missing all four of her three-pointers in the first half, she hit four-of-nine from the field and two-of-five from beyond the arc in the second half. She also grabbed eight rebounds. Rochester junior Jodie Luther recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. She was six-of-14 from the field and threeof-six from the line. Rochester scored the first six points of the game, all of them by Luther. Rochester led 18-9 following a Luther foul shot with 9:24
minutes in the first half. However, the Judges rallied and cut the lead to 18-15 less than 90 seconds later. Luther hit a jump shot to halt the Judges’ run, but DePalo answered with her second three-pointer of the half to pull the judges within two. Following a Kendrew jumper with 18 seconds left in the first half, the Judges tied the score at 24-24. Scanlon blocked a shot from Rochester sophomore Kristyn Wright just before the end of the half to preserve the tie heading into the break. Coming out of the break, DePalo connected on a three-pointer to give the Judges their first lead of the game at 27-24. Rochester and Brandeis traded layups on the next two possessions, followed by Alwardt hitting a three-pointer to tie the game again at 29-29. Rochester proceeded to score again and with DePalo missing her only two free throws of the game soon after. The Judges and Yellowjackets continued to trade baskets and the score was knotted up at 3535 again with 13:24 minutes left in the second half. However, the Yellowjackets would go on a decisive 12-2 run to pull away. DePalo hit a three-pointer to end the Yellowjacket run and cut the lead to 47-40, at the 7:16 minute mark. However, the Judges could never close the gap. Rochester hit 10 foul shots in a row to close out the game. The two teams will meet again in Rochester on Feb. 6 in a 2 p.m. tip after the Judges head to Emory on Feb. 4 at 8 p.m. and the Yellowjackets host NYU at the same time in UAA action. Earlier in the week, the Judges broke out of a three-game losing slump with a 76-67 win over Emory. With the win, the Judges improved to 10-7 (2-4 UAA) and Emory fell to 8-9 (1-5 UAA). Junior guard Morgan Kendrew contributed 26 points on eightof-16 shooting from the field and
seven-of-eight from the line. Senior forward Amber Strodthoff posted her third double-double of the season with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Junior guard Kelly Ethier scored 12 points, shooting four-of-six from the floor and 2-2 of beyond the arc. Rookie guard Kasey Dean led the team with eight assists, the team’s best performance of the year. She also had seven points and seven rebounds on the day. Brandeis maintained the lead for the majority of the game shooting 12-of-32 (37.5 percent) in the first half and improving to 12-of-21 (57.1 percent) in the second half. For the Eagles, rookie guard Savannah Morgan was the only player to score in double digits with 13 points connecting on fiveof-15 from the floor. Sophomore forward Misha Jackson led Emory with a team high nine rebounds. She also contributed nine points and three assists. The Judges held Emory to just eight-of-31 (25.8 percent) shooting in the first half. However, Emory shot five-of-13 (38.5 percent) from beyond the arc in the first half scoring 15 of the 25 first half points from deep. Despite their cold start, the Eagles played a full court defense in the second half, enabling them to tie the game twice and improve their shooting percentage to 42.5 percent (1740). Emory opened the game with a 3-pointer from senior guard Courtney Von Stein, but the Judges answered back with a shot in the paint by Kendrew to give Brandeis a 7-6 lead at 16:50. At 14:44 the Eagles the Eagles tied the game at 11-11. However, over the next six minutes, Brandeis went on an 11-0 run to take a 2211 lead. The Judges maintained this lead for the rest of the half going into the break with a 36-25 advantage. Kendrew committed a foul to
Men’s basketball team splits weekend games BY GORDY STILLMAN Editor
The Men’s Basketball team spent the weekend alternating between success and struggle as they faced the University of Rochester Yellowjackets and the Emory Eagles. After splitting their matches the Judges stand at 13-4 overall and 3-4 in UAA matches. Right away in the first 10 minutes of play the lead changed sides seven times. With the help of seven points from freshman Youri Dascy, the Brandeis Judges took the lead to 10-4 in the first two and a half minutes of the game. Unfortunately for the Judges, the Yellowjackets struck back with successful drives and took the lead with a 3-point shot from John Dibartolomeo of Rochester. Freshman Derek Retos helped lead Brandeis back to the lead at 17-14 at the 11:34 mark. The Yellowjackets returned with a vengeance scoring 14 of the next 16
points bringing the score to 28-19 in favor of Rochester. Brandeis replied with a 6-2 streak closing the gap to 30-25. Rochester closed out the half with a nine point drive outscoring the Judges 39-25. At the start of the second half Rochester opened up with 6 of 9 attempts to tear open the gap 53-32. The Judges improved their scoring accuracy to 59 percent while the Yellowjackets shot at 64 percent accuracy. Despite the struggle in the first half, Brandeis came back to outscore Rochester in the second half including Retos scoring 10 more points and leading the Judges’ scoring with 15 points to his credit. Dascy followed with 14 points and led the team with six rebounds. Dascy’s six rebounds additionally outdid anyone on the Rochester squad. Unfortunately for the Judges, outscoring the Yellowjackets in the second half was not enough to overcome the first half deficit.
The teams will meet again Sunday afternoon at noon in Rochester where the Judges will hope to avenge the 77-64 defeat. Before that the Judges will travel to Emory while Rochester hosts NYU. This weekend was not all bad news for the Judges. Friday night they overcame the Emory Eagles in overtime 86-82. The Judges started out in full force opening the game with 43 points in the first half. In order to reach this the Judges had a 56.3 percent accuracy well above the Eagles’ 36.4 percent. Brandeis managed to keep Emory, which had been around 40 percent at three point shots, to 0-9; creating a large scoring gap. Junior Vytas Kriskus helped lift the lead to 20 points in the second half with a pair of free throws almost halfway into the second half bringing the score to 55-35. Only after reaching a 20 point deficit, Emory came back with 10 unanswered points and by the 5:27
PHOTO BY Nate Rosenbloom/The Hoot
start the second half that allowed the Eagles to score the first two points of the half from the line. Kendrew responded by making a 3-pointer and a jumper to give Brandeis a 41-27 lead. The 14-point margin would be the largest of the game. However, two easy baskets by Emory cut the lead to 41-31 and sparked an Emory comeback. Over the next eight minutes, the Eagles outscored the mark the gap had closed to a 6355 lead for Brandeis. A pair of foul shots from senior Christian Yemga restored confidence bringing the lead to 68-57 with less than four minutes left. Emory struck back by forcing turnovers and capitalizing on every foul shot they got bringing the score to 69-67 in favor of Brandeis with 1:16 left in regulation. After a missed three-pointer, freshman Derek Retos was fouled with about 20 seconds left gave Emory a chance to tie the game. After making one of two shots Emory tied the game at 70-70 with a three-point shot sending the game to overtime. After trading shots, Emory managed to take the lead 7775 with 3:37 remaining in OT. Brandeis shot back with junior Tyrone Hughes tied the game on his way to a career high 22 points. After keeping the game close, the Judges pulled away with successful foul shots to close the game 86-82. The Judges and the Eagles will face off again Friday night at Emory. Emory currently stands 14–4
Judges 24-9 enabling Emory to take a 51-50 lead, their first lead since early in the first half. Brandeis responded going on an 11-4 run over the next three minutes. Emory made an attempt to rally and cut the Brandeis lead to four. However, the Judges made seven-of-eight from the line to close out the game with a 76-67 victory.
( 5-2 in the UAA) compared to Brandeis’ 13-4 (3-4 in the UAA). PHOTO BY Ingrid Schulte/The Hoot
February 4, 2011
The Brandeis Hoot
SPORTS
9
It’s going to be a big one: Super Bowl XLV BY GORDY STILLMAN Editor
The story so far The Green Bay Packers, led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, are on a five-game winning streak, including victories against the Philadelphia Eagles, the top-seeded Atlanta Falcons and two matches against the Chicago Bears. While Green Bay has had an impressive level of post-season success so far, all matches have been against teams they’ve played earlier in the season. Green Bay played at Philadelphia in week one, at Chicago in week three and at Atlanta in week 12. This week’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers will be the first time these two teams have met since their December 2009 matchup in Pittsburgh (which the Steelers won 37-36). Another noteworthy fact is that Packers head coach, Mike McCarthy, is from Pittsburgh and was raised as a Steelers fan. Many sports commentators have noted that McCarthy’s coaching style appears to be influenced by the Pittsburgh coaches he grew up watching. While he may have started off as a Steelers fan, this week he’s hoping to beat his hometown team and bring a fourth Lombardi trophy to the team Vince Lombardi once coached. While the Packers are hoping for their fourth Super Bowl championship, they are also aiming to extend their 12 NFL champion titles to 13. Despite being possibly the NFL’s most successful team, the Packers have not won a Super Bowl since their victory against the New England Patriots 14 years ago. Additionally, if the Packers win on Sunday, they will officially
have a 50 percent success rate for NFL championships in years with a post-season appearance, having reached the postseason 26 times. On the other side of the game are the Pittsburgh Steelers. Led by quarterback “Big Ben” Roethlisberger, the Steelers have been one of the most successful teams not only in the last decade but also in total Super Bowl appearances. Roethlisberger already has two Super Bowl championships to his name and is aiming to bring an NFL record seventh Super Bowl
Fast facts on track teams The Mens and Womens track teams competed in the Boston University Terrier Invitational Tournament Last weekend. Senior Grace Selig ran the Mile in 4:54.82. Better than any other collegiate athlete, Selig managed 3rd place behind stiff competition. Senior Marie Lemay placed 25th in the mile with a time of 5:10.97 Junior Chris Brown placed 36th in the mile with a time of 4:17.62. Freshman Vincent Asamte placed 15th in the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.27 seconds. Sophomore Steve Melnik placed 44th in the shot put event with a distance of 10.25 Meters The Judges’ next competition: the Tufts Invitational on Saturday.
championship to the Steelers. To get to this game, the Steelers have managed a four-game winning streak. While their last two regular season games were against relatively weak opponents—the Carolina Panthers and the Cleveland Browns—both of their postseason victories came against teams that beat the Steelers in the regular season. Back in week four, the Baltimore Ravens overcame the Steelers 17-14 at Heinz Field, only for the Steelers to turn around and win 31-24 in the di-
vision round of the post-season. The last team to defeat the Steelers was the New York Jets in a week 15 match, 22-17, at Heinz Field. However, they were also unable to manage a second victory two weeks ago in the AFC Championship game. The Steelers won 24-19. Aside from a clear advantage of experience for the Steelers, the Steelers are 2-0 against the Packers since 2001, excluding preseason matchups. Additionally, a win would improve Pittsburgh’s
PHOTO FROM Internet Source/The Hoot
Super Bowls versus NFC North opponents to 2-0, having beaten the Minnesota Vikings in Pittsburgh’s first ever Super Bowl back in 1975. Like the Packers, the Steelers have reached the post-season 26 times in their history. With this combination of similarities paired with noticeable differences in the teams, Super Bowl XLV appears set to be one of the more memorable games in recent history.
The breakdown Green Bay Packers
Pittsburgh Steelers
Conference: NFC
Conference: AFC
Division: North
Division: North
Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers
Quarterback: Ben Roethlisberger
Most recent Super Bowl win: XXXI
Most recent Super Bowl win: XLIII
Total Super Bowl Wins: 3
Total Super Bowl Wins: 6
Total NFL Championships: 12*
Total NFL Championships: 6
Most Championships in NFL
Most Super Bowl Wins in NFL
*Includes Pre-Super Bowl Championships
ARTS, ETC.
10 The Brandeis Hoot
February 4, 2011
Schlossberg explores ‘Life in Miniature’ with audience BY KAYLA DOS SANTOS Editor
At an event hosted by the English Department, Brandeis alumna Linda Schlossberg ’91 read excerpts from her debut novel “Life in Miniature,” a tight family portrait of a mother and her two adolescent daughters. After the reading, she answered questions and spoke about the long process of getting a first novel published. “Life in Miniature” is a coming-of-age tale set in California during the 1980s, told in first-person from the perspective of Adie, a preadolescent girl with a sense of humor and a fierce loyalty to her mother and sister. Throughout the novel Adie has to struggle with the fact that her mother is rapidly losing control of her sense of reality and submerging herself in her paranoid delusions. The novel is preoccupied with the theme of smallness. Born prematurely and weighing less than one pound, Adie has to navigate the world from her tiny perspective. Reading from the beginning of her novel, Schlossberg illustrated her main character’s position in the world with apt sensory details, “One pound. Most everything weighs more than that. Pick up a tennis shoe or an old book that’s lying around. That’s me you’re holding in your hand.” When her mother’s paranoia finally leads to a bizarre road-trip from dingy motel room to dingy motel room, Adie discovers, to her surprise, that it is really her world that has become too small. Schlossberg’s reading of her novel’s opening scenes laid out the kernels of the mother’s madness and Adie’s loyalty. Afraid of burglars, Adie’s mother starts obsessively checking the locks on the windows of their apartment before she goes to bed. Each night she scolds Adie for leaving her bed-
room window unlocked. Adie confesses to the reader, “The truth is, I unlock it every night … That way my mother won’t think she’s been checking the windows for nothing.” The tension in the novel is between Adie’s loyalty and love for her mother, which leads her to participate in her mother’s fantasies, and Adie’s growing realization that, if she doesn’t act soon, her own life will spiral out of control. While the themes and plot of the book broached serious topics, the reading made it clear that the book told its story in a light tone. This is largely because of the amusing and engaging voice of the narrator, Adie. In one scene she describes what she thinks are the creepy characters at the Disneyland theme park, “Why was everyone shaking hands with them and pretending they didn’t know there were real people inside?” There were many funny one-liners during the reading that made listeners chuckle. Schlossberg revealed afterwards that she does not think the book itself is humorous, “In my head I don’t think it’s comic … but the fact that it’s written in a child’s voice, a dissident voice gives it levity.” The use of the present tense and direct address made for an intimate listening experience. It was like the main character was having a conversation with her audience. During the discussion that followed the reading, Schlossberg explained her decision to write in the first person, present tense. “Children don’t have a sense of the past … they’re playing with a toy, they’re so focused on it in the present. They have little sense of the future … they’re very much in the present.” While Schlossberg was writing the book, she read authors that wrote from the perspective of young narrators such as Elizabeth Berg and Mona Simpson. In that way,
PHOTO BY Haley Fine/The Hoot
READING ‘LIFE’: Author and Brandeis alumna Linda Schlossberg ‘91 reads excerpts from her first novel, “Life in Miniature,” and answered the questions of members of the Brandeis community.
she learned the “tricks” of writing from a child’s perspective. She explained how a child narrator can see things that are not meaningful to them, but are to the readers. Schlossberg also offered advice to new writers, suggesting that they enter writing contests. “It’s something anyone can do … It’s a good way to get your feet wet, gain confidence and get feedback from people you
don’t know.” Near the end of the event, Schlossberg detailed her experience as a first-time novelist, describing how it is usually a long process. She pointed out that she discovered that “Life in Miniature” was expected for publication three years ago and was only being released now. “I lived with the book for a long time,” she said.
Firth proves eloquent in ‘The King’s Speech’ BY SEAN FABERY Editor
When I arrived at the movies last weekend with the intention of finally seeing director Tom Hooper’s “The King’s Speech,” I wasn’t sure what to expect. Sure, the film had been heaped with praise and had just netted itself 12 Oscar nominations, but it also seemed like pure “Oscar bait”—a prestige film made with the sole intention of receiving as much attention from the Oscars as possible. Happily, the film allayed any misgivings I might have had. “The King’s Speech” isn’t the sentimental ode to Oscar I had feared; instead, it’s a well-acted, slickly-made production that also happens to be enjoyable to watch. The year is 1935 and the world is in crisis thanks to a stagnant economy and the rise of fascism on the European continent. British citizens seek comfort in their ancient monarchy, but even that happens to be in a state of tumult. King George V (Michael Gambon) is quickly approaching the end of his life, and his eldest son, Edward (Guy Pearce), is more interested in love than in his country. The royal family thus turns to Prince Albert (Colin Firth)—the future George VI—to represent publicly the monarchy’s future. Unfortunately, there’s one major problem: Albert suffers from a debilitating stutter that makes even the prospect of public speaking terrifying. With some gentle prodding by his wife, Elizabeth (Helena
PHOTO FROM Internet source
SPEECHLESS: Colin Firth stars in “The King’s Speech” as stuttering King George VI along with Helena Bonham Carter as his wife, Elizabeth.
Bonham Carter), he begins consulting Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), a speech therapist with unorthodox methods. Increasing importance is placed on Albert’s ability to calm his people’s fears when his brother makes the decision to abdicate the throne and war with Germany grows ever nearer. It is against this backdrop that Logue and Albert develop a strange friendship, Albert’s first with a commoner. “The King’s Speech” follows a story— that of a man trying to literally and figuratively find his voice—that could be easily sentimentalized and made saccharine.
Thanks to a well-crafted screenplay, as well as Hooper’s direction, it largely avoids the pitfalls that afflict most films to which the adjectives “heartwarming” and “inspiring” can be affixed. One of the few exceptions is a groan-inducing scene in which Firth’s character proclaims: “I have a voice!” This misstep simply exemplifies how well the film otherwise approaches its subject. As George VI, Firth gives one of the strongest performances of his career. Though once best-known for his supporting turns in films ranging from “The English Patient” to “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” he has recently
reached new heights, first with his incredibly dignified performance in last year’s “A Single Man” and now in “The King’s Speech.” His George is someone who can be frustratingly stubborn, yet he never loses our sympathy. Most importantly, he never feels anything less than three-dimensional. Rush, meanwhile, gives one of the most restrained performances of his career as the speech therapist with a profound effect on the king. Many of Rush’s previous characters have been larger than life, so it’s refreshing to see him tone things down. His character’s story really depends on this, as Lionel must grapple with his own ordinariness (he once aspired to be a Shakespearian actor) while helping the king overcome his own fears of mediocrity. Bonham Carter’s Elizabeth lacks an arc of her own, but she’s always a soothing presence whenever she appears. Though not the focus of the film, she and Firth construct a relationship that feels both lived-in and honest. Hooper is smart enough to allow these three actors to command his audience’s attention—one of the film’s trademarks, for instance, is its use of off-center shots of individuals alone onscreen—but he’s also a gifted visual storyteller. He has crafted a film that is very focused, never introducing any elements that don’t support its central themes. Outside of its primary acting trio, after all, the film derives a large part of its im See SPEECH, p. 14
February 4, 2011
The Brandeis Hoot
ARTS, ETC.
11
Boyle bids a farewell to arm with ‘127 Hours’ BY ERIC JESSEN Special to the Hoot
The situation in which Aron Ralston found himself in May 2003 couldn’t easily repeat itself today. While on a hiking trip in Utah’s Blue John Canyon, without any means of communication and having left without telling anyone where he was going, Ralston became trapped when a boulder fell on his arm. It’s hard to imagine anyone today leaving somewhere without their cell phone, as Ralston did, or perhaps without posting where they’re going on their profile page. Yet Danny Boyle’s film version of Ralston’s story, “127 Hours,” recently nominated for Best Picture, couldn’t be more modern. Boyle ramps up the film with the same style and technique that made his films “Slumdog Millionaire” and “Trainspotting” so popular, though one can’t help but wonder how a more naturalistic filmmaker would have told Ralston’s story. “127 Hours” plays like a Facebook page of endless updates about what Ralston is thinking. In an era where the minutia of every thought is published on the Internet for everyone to see, it shouldn’t have surprised me that a movie about a man being stuck in one place for five days could be made appealing to audiences and critics; maybe they’ll next make a movie about someone stuck at their computer. With Facebook and Twitter not yet on the world’s radar at the time of the accident, Ralston’s medium for narrating his life is instead a small camera which he brought with him. As Ralston runs out of food and water and the situa-
tion becomes grim, he uses the camera to explore his self image: what he thought of himself and how he wants to be remembered. Who hasn’t met a Ralston once in their life? He eats protein bars, drinks Gatorade, and gets high on testosterone and exhilaration. But this is the story of young exuberance literally being brought down to Earth. The strength of Boyle’s film is in showing how Ralston, played exceptionally well by James Franco (the favorite for Best Actor at this year’s Academy Awards), must come to terms with profound loneliness and perhaps learn the idiocy and selfishness of his careless attitude. However, Boyle’s film is less a critique of two-armed Ralston’s shallow life style—putting the thrill of his paraskiing-bungee-mountain-biking adventures above family and friends—and more of an uplifting story of Ralston’s redemption in learning the importance of connecting with people. One can almost imagine the sequel: Ralston married with kids at his high school reunion. The showiness and overly beautified style employed in Boyle’s last film “Slumdog Millionaire,” which was cut and structured for the reality TV viewer with a short attention span, bleeds through to “127 Hours.” But this element, which made “Slumdog” a twohour music video and transformed poverty into a mere road block for teen love, doesn’t overshadow the inherent message of Aron Ralston’s unbelievable story. Instead, the issue with “127 Hours” is Boyle’s need to force the redemptive value of Ralston’s experience in place of brutal honesty. The flashbacks of Ralston’s shining moments in life feel too much like Kodak
ADVER TISEMENTS
PHOTO FROM Internet source
‘HOURS’: Director Danny Boyle’s “127 Hours” tells the true story of Aron Ralston (James Franco), a rock climber who was forced to sever his own arm in the aftermath of a rock climbing accident in May 2003.
moments. The music by A. R. Rahman, who worked with Boyle on “Slumdog,” often feels too cute, as do the clips of old commercials for Gatorade and Coca-Cola. It’s unclear if Boyle intended to make a point about the effect of television on the psyche of Ralston and his generation, one that would have brought the modern take full circle. The clips of commercials seem only to suggest that Ralston may have gotten the idea for climbing things, and then jumping off of them, from an ad for Juicy Fruit. The inevitable scene in which Ralston severs his own arm in order to escape—a
scene which looms over the entire film— is the only time Boyle truly challenges the audience and forces it to endure the horror of Ralston’s experience without letting his grinning technique get in the way. However, having heard stories of people running for the exits during this scene, I’m not sure if a more brutally honest film of Ralston’s story is actually a realistic hope. The realities of Ralston’s experience, combined with the hardships of the world, may be too unbearable for audiences to stand. The sensationalism of violence and perversion in film can never be as unwatchable as the truth.
Sony promises thrills with new handheld
PHOTO FROM Internet source
BY GORDY STILLMAN Editor
Almost a year ago, Nintendo announced its newest handheld device, the 3DS. With glasses-free 3D gaming, the 3DS stood alone among the next generation of handheld gaming devices. Now it finally has a competitor. Last week, Sony unveiled what had been considered by many to be Sony’s worst -kept secret—a new handheld system of its own. Having given it the annoyingly generic codename “Next Generation Portable,” Sony plans to release it in Japan this holiday season. No information has become available on a U.S. release date yet, but an announcement should be forthcoming within the next few months. While it’s still in the developmental stage, Sony’s new handheld is set to include a touch screen as well as next generation hardware comparable to the kind employed by the Playstation 3. Additionally, the system is set to include 3G connectivity in its initial
Japanese release. There is no word yet on whether or not any U.S. networks will provide service to the NGP. Furthermore the handheld, like the current editions of the Playstation 3, will not be backward compatible with Playstation Portable (PSP) discs. The system will be able to play downloaded versions of PSP games for players who prefer digital downloads to disc games. Despite the fears of many trend followers, the one upside remains that the NGP will support physical game cards that you can buy at the retailer of your choice. Throughout last year, insiders noted that Sony seemed likely to move fully into digital distribution despite the failure of their digital distribution only PSP-Go. Thankfully Sony is continuing to offer physical games, which consumers can loan to friends and sell as used when they are done with them. It’s a good move for Sony to release a new handheld now, as it will possibly revive interest in Sony’s library of games. The previous system, the PSP, has been going through a long and protracted death as fewer games for it have been released, and the devices have also been sitting unsold See NGP, p. 14
12 ARTS ,ETC.
The Brandeis Hoot
February 4, 2011
Exploring the benefits of sexual self-love BY GABBY KATZ Staff
What is safe, pleasurable, healthy and done by most people around the world? Masturbation, of course! Discussing masturbation openly can be awkward. Brandeis can be awkward, too. According to the transitive property, then, I think Brandeisians can handle awkwardness in the name of self-pleasure. Loosely defined, masturbation refers to the self-stimulation of genitals in order to achieve sexual arousal, usually to the point of orgasm. That seems pretty straight forward—so why is this something to discuss in a health column? As it turns out, masturbation not only delivers a pleasurable sensation but, according to Student Sexuality Information Services (SSIS) members John Fonte ’12 and Sami Grosser ’12, can also provide a multitude of other health and life benefits; these include improvements in your overall health, sex life and relationships, as well as the better ability to love oneself and bring the world more positive energy. To put things simply, in the words of my good friend Danielle Pulton ’12, “Self-love is everybody-love.” So where do we begin? Here are some short and sweet bullet points at which you can glance without anyone knowing what you’re reading: Improving Your Health » Helps you sleep better by releasing the tension. It’s a great bedtime ritual. » Releases endorphins that can make you happier and support your immune system. » Helps you focus better. » Great procrastination, study break or boredom reliever, an alternative to more harmful activities like smoking, excess eating or watching too much television. » Not masturbating versus incessantly masturbating is more likely to lead to psychological problems. Improving Your Sex Life » Teaches you the pattern of your own sexual response and allows you to recognize what you like and don’t like (you can then inform your partner about this). » Allows you to build up control over when you orgasm, which is especially great for people with premature crashing issues. » Can help jumpstart a jaded sex drive. » For women out there with trouble reaching orgasm during sex, masturbating—and consequently learning how to climax—can increase chances of an orgasm during sex
Improving Your Relationships » Partner not in the mood? Pleasure yourself and avoid fights within your relationship. » Mutual masturbation can be a great alternative to sex to keep things spicy without worry of pregnancy or STIs. Learning to Love Yourself » Helps you put your pleasure first and allows you to do something nice for yourself. » You’re cheaper and easier than any date you’ll ever go on. One way to explore yourself intimately is to masturbate in front of a mirror and learn what your body looks like and how to love and pleasure it. In bed, you can ride a pillow and imagine whomever you’d like. SSIS resources suggest experimenting with muscle tension, states of undress, quickies, new locations, aquatics and perishables (just make sure to wash and put a condom
on that cucumber). You can also take a workshop, watch an instructional video or visit the SSIS office to ask about more techniques. All of these things will make you want to take your physiology studying home from the library. Let’s get gender specific. Males can stimulate areas aside from the penis, including under and around the scrotum or the nipples. For adventurous types, Fonte suggests making it a personal goal to never employ the same masturbation technique twice; he also advises being creative by doing things like masturbating while doing a handstand or varying one’s grip by “trying between two hands to two fingers to handle the snake.” Incorporating toys like a sleeve or an anal toy (always with a flange!) can also facilitate wondrous wanking. Ladies can also stimulate their nipples and breasts or try inner and outer vaginal stimulation. Stimulation of the clitoris can range in methods from stroking up and
down, rolling between your fingers, rubbing in a circular motion, making figureeights with your fingers up and around the clitoris, rubbing the clitoris with one finger while two others hold open the labia or vertically stroke the sides of the clitoris up and down. Also, you can make a homemade toy by filling a regular water balloon with warm water, applying lubricant and then rubbing it against your clitoris. A fun morning adventure could include simply stimulating your vagina with the shower head while getting ready in the morning. Grosser suggests you “have fun and enjoy your body.” Of course, it’s your body and you can choose to treat it the way you want. I’m simply providing information with which you can live a potentially healthier and more pleasurable life. As always, tune in for more health tips and send me an e-mail at gkatz10@brandeis.edu with any healthrelated questions you may have.
CREAT I V E W R I T I N G
‘I Could Write You a Novel’ BY ANDREA FISHMAN Staff
I could write you a novel; I could write you a book But would you ever take a second look At the words that I write, at the feelings that I show Or does the text remain written, unable to live and grow? I could write you a story; I could write you a love letter But would you continually feel better As my syllables caress your ears, as my tone controls your heart Or does my voice remain locked on paper, never to part? I would write you the world if I thought that feelings could be explicitly and completely expressed verbally, if I thought that the firing of signals in the brain, the pounding of the heart, and the gut instinct of love could become real outside the body; but love is trapped inside, and only in the feeble attempts to express it with words can love be set free, to fly freely from one mind to another. To let it go outside with no protection, to let the words grow into an indestructible life force, a tree reaching into the great heights of the sky. Y el cielo es el solo límite: amor está durmiendo en las nubes y pasa por la tierra en la lluvia; cuando el agua proveyendo vida a todo, nuestros corazones están llenos del amor. Y por eso, palabras no son suficientes para explicarlo.
PHOTO FROM Intenet source
February 4, 2011
The Brandeis Hoot
ARTS, ETC.
13
Macklemore x Ryan Lewis lift off with ‘Wings’ BY INGRID SCHULTE Editor
Background music with meaning—that’s one way to sum up duo Macklemore x Ryan Lewis. Having just recently discovered them, I can already tell that the two— Macklemore is an emcee, while Lewis is his producer—know how to draw in an audience, not only with their chill yet catchy beats but also with a narrative that describes a heart-wrenching story of loss and realization. This is especially evident from “Wings,” their most recent song, to be featured on their debut album, which is slated to be released later this year. Natives of Seattle, Macklemore x Ryan Lewis have been around the music scene since 2000. Their past works have concentrated on the theme of inner city life and its problems, including “Otherside,” a song about addiction and overdose, as well as “And We Danced,” a vulgar yet upbeat song about having the night of your life. This latest work, “Wings,” is an important social commentary on American culture directed at the turmoil of present day consumerism. To accomplish this, Macklemore narrates the story of a child to explore how peer pressure is a manifestation of this, as it even tries to force children to keep up with the latest styles, emphasizing the extent to which materialism has become an overwhelming part of American life. In the song, kids want to “be that guy” and “want what [others] have.” The song begins slowly, but listeners can feel the anticipation and excitement that builds from
PHOTO FROM Intenet source
LIFT OFF: Macklemore x Ryan Lewis’s “Wings” tackles America’s consumer culture, using children as an example of how far reaching materialism has become.
a child who has just received a new pair of shoes. Though young, this child knows “the box, the smell, the stuffin, [and] the trend in school [is] so cool.” Yet, status aside, Macklemore knows the kid will wear them just for looks—they’re “a hundred dollar […] pair of shoes [that he] would never hoop in.” It’s a statement that we know is true— we’ve all been through high school and felt the need to fit in. Macklemore characterizes this ideology perfectly. I know I can relate when he says that “[the child is] an individual, yea, but [he’s] part of a movement,” one that “[tells him to] be a consumer and [he] consum[es] it.” The majority of the youth of today have experienced trends from Converse to Silly Bandz, and, though we try to avoid being just one of the masses, many people crave that feeling of inclusion. There’s a fear of judgment that hangs about when people feel that they stand out in the crowd and lack confidence in themselves.
The instruments used in creating this song—a symphony of trumpets, violins, piano and even a chorus of children— contribute to the song’s overall tone encompassed by the beat of Macklemore’s rapping. The chorus of children’s voices deterred my roommate, but I, on the other hand, found it to be a great vehicle to exemplify the innocence of children and the hope that the future may hold; this is reinforced by the lyrics, as the chorus sings of flying “so high” that their “feet won’t touch the ground.” Additionally, the beat proves easy to follow and Macklemore’s words are understandable—a frequent flaw in many raps which usually frustrates me. All things considered, Macklemore strives to convey the danger of falling into the trap of consumerism and losing your identity. As the song comes to an end and the child has seen the horrors consumerism can bring about—in one extreme case, his friend’s brother is murdered “for his
The Weekly Glutton: Finding ‘Balance’ BY AARON SADOWSKY AND IMARA ROYCHOWDHURY Special to The Hoot
Healthy food is a hot commodity here at Brandeis. However, it’s difficult to find just that balance of delicious and nutritious. Sometimes you just want to skip the salad bar and have something made for you; sometimes you want meat! Luckily, lean meats exist at Balance. Nestled against the back wall of Lower Usdan, Balance is Brandeis’ second healthiest food station, the first simply being the salad bar. In addition to being among the healthiest eateries in Brandeis, Balance also happens to be among the most delicious food stations. When ordering from Balance, you can choose one piece of protein. The most common choices include salmon, chicken and veggie patties. Sometimes, they stray from lean meats and serve steak tips. Personally, I have never had them, but I hear they are delicious. On the side, you have a variety of choices, the most common being salad. This salad can come with cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon and a non-descript salad dressing. Sometimes this dressing is pink, sometimes it is brown. We gluttons here postulate that the “brown” dressing is balsamic vinaigrette and that the “pink” is raspberry vinaigrette. If these tickle your fancy, then, by all means, indulge. However, if they don’t sound like your cup of tea, you can always choose your own salad dressing from the salad bar. Salad is only one of the choices you have when choosing which side you want to complement your main dish. There is commonly rice and an assortment of different vegetables available. Sometimes,
give a meal you probably think sounds bland a variety of flavors. First, there’s sweetness, but there’s also some sourness with bite. Of course, there must be, since this is a mango sauce. After that, there is the faintest hint of spice in such small traces that only those with the most finely honed sense of taste will be able to appreciate it. Unfortunately, this small additive that tastes like ambrosia given to us by the Gods of Food is also the knife in the back of this health food station. This is because it is so sweet and so delicious that it cannot be healthy. Thankfully, here at the Weekly Glutton, we choose not to look up caloric content, focusing solely on taste and pleasure. When you’re roving through Usdan looking for that one dish that PHOTO BY Alan Tran/The Hoot will delight your senses, FAIR AND BALANCED: Usdan’s Balance station provides healthy be sure not to overlook alternatives to the usual campus fare. this unassuming station. they also have pasta. Our personal favorites It may have neither the delicious flavor of are the peas, corn and pasta. Are you see- fried foods nor tastes from far off places ing a trend? It’s like the food pyramid’s best over which it can boast, but, instead, it alfriend: meat, grain, vegetables and a tiny bit lows you to climb the food pyramid and be of fat. the healthy glutton you’ve always striven to “Fat?” you might ask. Enter mango sauce. be. This is probably the health food station’s Gluttony: it’s a lifestyle. Embrace it. Until emblem. This culinary masterpiece will next week!
fours”—listeners realize that the child is learning to question what he truly values. Macklemore wonders if he “will stand for change or stay in [his] box” since “[the] Nikes help define [him] and [he’s] trying to take [his] off.” The child is learning to let go and “fly […] far away” with a “star to reach.” He finally realizes that his expensive shoes were only a “dream that [society] sold to [him].” His shoes only served as a “parachute” that he thought would “make [him] cool” on the first day of school. In the end, with “consumption in [his] veins,” the child grows up and “sees [his Nikes are] just another pair of shoes.” Overall, “Wings” serves as a reality check that forces listeners to question their own values. Once it’s over, “Wings” certainly makes an impression. I know that, should I ever feel lost, “Wings” will give me to the motivation to fly in my own direction. On top of that, Macklemore leaves me wanting more as I highly anticipate his new album. ADVERTISEMENT
14 ARTS ,ETC.
The Brandeis Hoot
February 4, 2011
CREAT I V E W R I T I N G
‘Coexistence’
BY ANDREA FISHMAN Staff
It’s a wonder how two lives collide, but are never really synchronized; how time fractures more the fleeting essences of life than the physical objects that are as breakable as life itself. The heart and mind tend to play tricks on one another, producing thoughts and feelings that are simultaneously fabricated and real, genuine and false, weaving lives together one moment and dissolving ties the next. Instability is constant as the complete bodily experiences of love and loneliness take their turn in a ceaseless ebb and flow, with the two states arriving and departing but never staying. The coexistence of anything is never permanent, for we survive by repetitive encounters: the missed experiences pull us apart and the short-lived coincidences push us together. Fate acts as the anonymous presence overseeing our every interaction as we shine and fade like the neon blips on a radar screen, our existences grazing each other like fingertips of passersby on a crowded city street. PHOTO FROM Intenet source
Arts Recommends
Not everyone has the time to pick up the latest books or see the latest films. Our editors make some recommendations that you can pick up at the nearest library.
Film Pick ‘The Third Man’
Directed by Carol Reed Hollywood gave birth to the film noir in the late 1940s, but one of the finest examples of the genre was produced overseas in the form of British director Carol Reed’s “The Third Man.” American pulp writer Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) arrives in post-war Vienna, hoping to get a job from his old friend, Harry Lime (Orson Welles). Unfortunately for Martins’ professional aspirations, Lime dies before Martins gets to town—or did he? Martins begins to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death, in the process getting closer and closer to Lime’s girlfriend, tragic émigré Anna (Alida Valli). “The Third Man” is arguably one of the most effective mysteries ever committed to film; not a single twist feels false. Reed crafts a vision of a devastated, corrupt Vienna that is both depressing yet oddly enchanting in all its shadows. The film also benefits from a strong cast. Cotten and Welles, who previously starred together in “Citizen Kane,” play well off one another, bringing their cat-and-mouse relationship to life. Valli, meanwhile, gives her character an aura that is appealing yet completely indecipherable. This is definitely one film you won’t regret checking out.—SF
Book Pick ‘Special Topics in Calamity Physics’ By Marisha Pessl
“Before I tell you about Hannah Schneider’s death, I’ll tell you about my mother’s,” is the first line of a delightfully brainy mystery. Shy Blue van Meer follows her brilliant father to a small town that is not as innocent as it first appears. There, as Blue begins to suspect the circumstances surrounding her mother’s death, she becomes enthralled by her beautiful and mysterious teacher Hannah Schneider. As she spends more time with her teacher and a group of students who have named themselves “Bluebloods,” she discovers that what she thought she knew about her life is very wrong. Pessl’s first novel is a long and absorbing read filled with vivid descriptions and a complex and twisty plot. There’s also the added fun of Blue’s annotations that make the experience of reading the novel a fresh and entertaining one. —KDS
NGP promises new handheld experience NGP (from p. 11)
on store shelves. With improved hardware and better interaction with the Playstation 3, the NGP certainly appears set to improve on the system it is destined to replace. Of course, how the NGP will compare with Nintendo’s 3DS remains to be seen. As things currently stand, Sony’s PSP offered superior graphics and an experience closer to console systems, yet it was unable to eclipse the success of Nintendo’s DS system. Now Sony is once again attempting a similar strategy by offering higher quality visuals and an experience closer to that of playing
with a console. Unlike the current generation, the NGP doesn’t appear to offer any significantly new features except, perhaps, for 3G network access, compared to the way Nintendo’s revolutionary 3DS introduced glasses-free 3D effects. Whether a new system is necessary is always a matter of personal preference. Personally, I anticipate the system, both as a general enthusiast and as an indicator of where the industry is going. I waited about two-and-a-half years after the release of the PSP before I got one. How long will I wait to get an NGP? Well, that’s still to be determined.
‘Speech’ more than heartwarming SPEECH (from p. 10)
pact from its universal story, that of asking help from others even when it pains us most. Though simple, Hooper complicates it and sets it against a background that is fascinating historically. It’s easy to be reductive when reading the film—you could potentially summarize it as a film about how hard it is to be a king or about how, yes, commoners are people, too!—but it really transcends the specifics of its own milieu. So yes, “The King’s Speech” contains many of the elements favored by Oscar (royalty, a crippling condition and British accents), but it’s more than that. I don’t know if I would personally deem the film the best of its year, as the Academy Awards appear poised to do, but it’s definitely de-
PHOTO FROM Internet source
‘KING’ MAKER: Geoffrey Rush stars as a speech therapist with unusual methods iin “The King’s Speech.”
Give a Hoot... join The Hoot! PHOTO FROM Intenet source
February 4, 2011
IMPRESSIONS Dinner to-go
BY RICKY ROSEN Special to The Hoot
When I first arrived at Brandeis last semester, I ate every meal in Usdan and every meal off a ceramic plate. I never specifically asked for a plate— I would simply order a burrito and the server would hand it to me on a ceramic plate. I had no problem with it at the time, until I figured out that there was something better. A few weeks in, I began spotting kids around me putting their food in these white Styrofoam boxes. They would pick up a box from the stack in Upper Usdan and hand it to the server to put their sandwich in. I was intrigued by this concept. I had never seen to-go boxes before at Brandeis and I thought they were a neat idea, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to try. And so one night, I boldly snatched a to-go box from the pile and I handed it to the server to put my food in. That night, my food tasted extra delicious. Maybe it was one of those rare nights when Brandeis food actually tastes good or maybe it tasted better because I was eating it out of the box. It wasn’t a crazy idea—I felt like my chicken fingers were fresher in a sealed box, as opposed to on an open plate ex-
posed to all the dust and germs floating in the air around us. And I haven’t gone back to ceramic plates since. Now, every time I walk into Usdan, before I even figure out what I’m going to order (and believe me, this takes a long time), I jet over to the to-go boxes and grab one. It’s a habit I probably will never be able to change during my three remaining years at Brandeis. The other day, the server didn’t realize I had a to-go box and put my food on a plate. I reached out for the plate and burnt my hand, a reminder of why I have been using to-go boxes for the past five months. Once the plate cooled down, I carried it to the cash register leisurely. I worried that my food would slip off the plate, onto the floor. I was terrified that a friend of mine would give me a playful shove and my dinner would crash to the ground. The plates were so risky. I had been used to the safety of a protected Styrofoam box for five months. Now I held a delicate ceramic plate in my hands. The experience made me remember why I use to-go boxes on a daily basis. Above all else, to-go boxes are convenient. They allow you the option of eating in Usdan or leaving and eating outside in the sun (or until the weather turns around, the snow). With ceramic plates, you are impris-
oned in Usdan like a bird in a cage. You have to stay there until you finish your food and, if you happen to finish only half of it and then you realize you’re late to play practice, the food goes to waste as your stomach sheds a tear. With to-go boxes, your stomach does not have to sob. In fact, your stomach will thank you. You can stay in Usdan with your friends and then leave to do work or go to a club meeting, and you can bring your food with you. It’s up to you. Part of the reason I personally prefer to-go boxes is because I’m lazy. I’ll admit that I do not want to have to walk all the way to the other side of Usdan just to put my plate on the conveyor belt (because 100 feet is so far). It’s a lot easier to just toss a to-go box into one of the many garbage cans around Usdan. And I guarantee a lot of people feel the same way as I do. Another reason I use to-go boxes is because the plates are incredibly fragile. If you drop a to-go box, your fries will probably be splattered in ketchup, but they’ll still be edible. And the box will be in tip-top shape (I am in fact suggesting you try this at Usdan!). But, if you drop a ceramic plate with food on it, the food will be the least of your worries. The plate will shatter into hundreds of tiny pieces and the sea of conversation around you will come See DINNER, p. 16
GRAPHIC BY Leah Lefkowitz/The Hoot
15 The Brandeis Hoot
GRAPHIC BY Leah Lefkowitz/The Hoot
Back in the swing of things BY ARIEL MADWAY Staff
High School was a routine. Monday through Friday I woke up to my alarm, went to school, came home, participated in various activities, procrastinated, accomplished some homework and went to bed—though never as early as I’d hoped. All the while, I knew that the next day would bring the same cycle of events. I never had to scramble for plans on a Tuesday. I definitely never slept away a random Thursday. I existed in a perpetual state of exhaustion, constantly counting down the days until a weekend or school break. Originally, I had planned to begin university straight out of high school; however, being accepted to Brandeis as a midyear gave me an opportunity for an extended break. Instead of taking classes in my semester off, I traveled abroad to volunteer and taught English in a local elementary school. True, I had to wake up to an alarm four days a week for about two months but, aside from that, my life contained no schedule of events, no rhythm. I didn’t have anything to accomplish when the school day ended. I didn’t have commitments to uphold. I could finally do whatever I pleased basically whenever I pleased. While my friends from high school stressed about papers and exams, became skilled at functioning on no sleep and over-scheduled their lives with extracurriculars, I sat on my uncomfortable bed eating hummus out of a tub, creating mindless conversation with my roommate, napping, watching (mostly awful) movies and exploring the World Wide Web. I even familiarized myself with a new emotion: boredom—something that I’d certainly never experienced in the hustle and bustle of my high school life. I didn’t have to worry at night that I had forgotten to do something, mostly because I had nothing to do.
One mindless day turned into another until (finally) it became time to begin university. I so looked forward to the structure, to the obligations, to the ability to be productive. By the end of six months without it, I had truly begun to miss everything that came along with school. I was ready to jump right in. Culture shock. After my first day of classes, I already had more work than I knew what to do with. Reading, a short essay, more reading, the article I had agreed to write for The Hoot, more reading … it was daunting. So, I did the logical thing: turned on my laptop and sat down to work. By which I mean, turned on my laptop, put my iTunes on shuffle and opened Facebook and Skype. Needless to say, an hour later, nothing had been accomplished. Time to relocate: a change of scenery would certainly jolt me into productivity but even that was to no avail. I went to bed, disheartened. True, I had caught up with friends from back home, bonded over un-productivity with my hall mates and figured out the perfect setting for popcorn, but my work remained, daunting as ever. Eventually I began the process of working, breaking the cycle of un-productivity that I had perfected in my months off. It felt unnatural at first. But, as the minutes slowly ticked by, a rhythm resurfaced. When everything was finally done, I was overcome with a true feeling of accomplishment, a feeling I had not had reason to feel in much too long. Some days, as I sit in the Village C common room or, on days when I actually need to focus, the library with my textbooks and notepads, I find myself wishing I could just relax with some pita and a corny comedy, but—for the most part—I am honestly glad to have something productive to do every single day. Who would’ve thought I would ever miss school? I guess distance makes the heart grow fonder after all.
16 IMPRESSIONS
The Brandeis Hoot
February 4, 2011
Really? We’re still dealing with the whole music piracy issue? BY GORDY STILLMAN Editor
Last Friday the Brandeis Student community collectively received an e-mail from LTS and the Dean of Student Rights and Community Standards regarding an unusually high level of copyright infringement notices last semester. Apparently, we as a community are increasingly turning to illegal options for satisfying our musical appetites. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that a college campus would—it seems—have an expected level of notices. My personal stance on music piracy has always been somewhat more conservative that my peers. I think it’s fine to download music offered for free, such as DJ Earlobe’s mixes, when offered for free on a musician’s personal website. When it comes to outright pirating music, games and movies though, I just do not see the point. It may seem overly simplistic to say pirating media is wrong. I suppose I could concede that when something is not available through standard options for purchase, it makes some sense in certain—specific—scenarios. Years ago, a friend of mine downloaded an old video game that had been released in Japan but never in the United States. Her rationale was
GRAPHIC BY Ariel Wittenberg/ The Hoot
that she would send money to the developer or publisher but that would likely lead to legal trouble and, should the game ever be released in the United States, she wouldn’t hesitate to purchase a legitimate version of the game. One other circumstance I suppose I could understand is when
someone wants one song, but iTunes and other distribution systems only offer the song as part of a larger album. In that case, I suppose I could see a sort of “why should I have to buy the whole album?” rationale when many songs are available alone for purchase. In these cases, it
Anti-Semitism on the rise? ABC primetime asks, ‘what would you do?’ BY ALEXANDRA ZELLE RETTMAN Special to The Hoot
In November, ABC’s show “What would you do?” quoted a recent survey taken in the United States by the Anti-Defamation League. It showed that close to 30 million Americans hold antiSemitic views and that an average of three anti-Semitic occurrences happen every day. They posed the question: “Would you speak out against Anti-Semitism?” To find out, they sent two actors into a bakery asking to post a flyer about a job fair in their temple that was open to everyone. The clerk, also an actor, refused to post their flyer and began saying anti-Semitic comments. One of the accusations made was that Jews “trashed the economy.” He then accused them of trying to steal all the jobs. The first man to defend the Jewish couple was also a Jew and calmly told the clerk that his comments were offensive and that, although he is entitled to his opinions, the way he was expressing them was hurtful. Soon, more people began defending the couple, among them
a pastor. He explained to the clerk that Jews and non-Jews are human beings and they all deserve respect. The clerk persisted, claiming that Bernie Madoff, who “took everyone’s money,” was a Jew and that therefore all Jews were the same. Customers were so offended that they began leaving the store in protest. The study showed that nonJewish onlookers became more upset than Jewish onlookers. The psychologist ABC consulted diagnosed this as the “black-sheep phenomenon.” In this case, the “black sheep” was the clerk. The psychologist explained that since the clerk wasn’t Jewish and the majority of the people in the store were not Jewish, they felt that the clerk was making them look bad and thus he had to be reprimanded. There was one man shown in the video, however, who agreed with the clerk, blaming the Jews for the war in Iraq, and even attacked other customers. When interviewed later, the man who agreed with the clerk said that the Jews should have left the store after the clerk had dismissed the proposal to hang the flyer, but the
Jew had continued to push, and that this is a trait common to all Jews. Jews cannot take “no” for an answer and they push themselves on people. It is disturbing to know that there are real occurrences similar to the one staged by ABC News. It is comforting, however, to know that both Jews and nonJews will stand up against prejudices. After all, this does not just happen regarding Jews. Similar circumstances happen with regard to Muslims, Hispanics and other minorities. Discrimination is still a part of everyday life and it is important that everyone stand against injustice. The man who agreed with the clerk said the Jew should have taken a step back. But the question becomes, what would he say if the roles were reversed? Would he lay down and let his tormentor walk all over him? I doubt it. I commend all the people who stand up for themselves, even more impressive are the ones who stand up for themselves and keep a cool head when faced with misguided accusations.
seems almost wrong that the one song someone wants is tied to a full album purchase. That being said, it still doesn’t give someone the right to turn around and take stuff without paying. Unfortunately though, most people who download are doing so illegally. I seriously can-
not see any legitimate reason to download a movie, video game or song when it is legally available for purchase. Let’s look at a simple breakdown of who loses out when something is downloaded illegally. For simplicity’s sake, I will use the example of iTunes. Songs have an average price of 99 cents and those 99 cents break down into a portion for Apple, a portion for the publisher, a portion for the producers and a portion for the performer. While it may seem like very little is lost when someone downloads a song, when you add up the many individual downloads and factor in for sharing between friends, it adds up quickly. It is even more apparent with movies and video games. Millions of dollars in investments go into the development of games and movies. Additionally millions go into the publishing of the media. It’s not like retail stores jack up the prices on movies and video games to make more profits. Both video games and movies are notorious in retail for the low profit margins. With the many cheap and legal options that allow access to games and movies, such as Gamefly and Netflix, there is no legitimate reason why this type of intellectual property theft has to occur.
To-go boxes, FTW DINNER TO-GO (from p. 15)
to a screeching halt, until someone starts a slow clap and your face turns tomato red as you realize you have made a complete idiot out of yourself (this happened to a friend of mine in Sherman). Is that really worth it because you wanted to eat off a plate? But the major appeal of to-go boxes is that, as the name suggests, they are to-go. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve taken food with me to my room or to do work in the library. Nor can I tell you how many times I planned on eating in Usdan but, at the last minute, changed my mind. To-go boxes afford you the opportunity to choose. Togo boxes are a symbol of freedom and liberty. To-go boxes bring Brandeis together and unify the entire campus towards a more efficient and convenient way of dining. To-go boxes are Brandeis. Right now, it is rather trendy to use to-go boxes. Out of every 10 students I see on line at the cash register in Usdan, seven have to-go boxes. The few people that I see that choose not to use to-go boxes either don’t know they exist (much like I didn’t my first few weeks here), are weary
about the environmental repercussions of using non-renewable resources (I guess they don’t know that the boxes are recyclable), have an intimate connection with plates or are just plain going against the grain. Either way, most Brandeis students use to-go boxes. And with good reason. They provide shelter for your food, and they’re convenient, environmentally-friendly and just plain fun to use. At the end of last semester, Dining Services ran out of togo boxes and provided plastic plates instead. But it just wasn’t the same. You need the cover on a to-go box to keep all the mosquitoes off your pasta. And to protect your food from the blizzard outside. And to cover it in case it happens to drop and flip upside down. So no, plastic plates were not a sound alternative to to-go boxes. I think to-go boxes are one of the best things about Brandeis University. A quick survey of my friends at other colleges reveals that many other colleges do not provide students with the option of ordering their meals to-go. In that respect, Brandeis is a step ahead of the game. What I’m trying to say is: I am indeed a fan of dinner to-go.
February 4, 2011
The Brandeis Hoot
Sexcapades
Opening yourself up to disaster
BY SOPHIE REISE Columnist
Open relationships always seem a little too good to be true, you know—you can have your cake and eat it too. They have their benefits (someone who is there for you, emotional stability, companionship) and their negatives (the fact that your partner might be sleeping with other people). So is it worth staying in a relationship you can’t promise to be faithful to? Now I’m not talking about polyamorous relationships, or pre-subscribed non-monogamous relationships. Those relationships are quite distinct from open relationships, in that open relationships only apply to monogamous relationships. In monogamous relationships, there is an expectation of monogamy (duh!), thereby creating a disconnect in an open relationship. In an open relationship, a person who would normally be monogamous agrees to be polyamorous in order to protect some aspect of their relationship. Sometimes, especially in college, open relationships seem like the perfect answer to long distance relationships. However, there is always a lingering doubt—what if my partner meets someone else, they hook up a few times and they end up really liking each other? What then? Are we then in an open relationship where I am shar-
ing you with someone else or do we then break up? Additionally, rules must be made about what is acceptable behavior within the relationship. Can we hook up with other people including having sex or can we do anything but penetration? Are dates allowed or just sex? How often will we speak with one another and how much will we share about the other people we are dating? With so many questions that are hard to answer, I’ve been surprised by the number of people I’ve encountered recently who are in relationships that are either open or similarly nonmonogamous. My sophomore spring, I was in a relationship with a guy who was far more interested in me than I was in him. At some point, he asked if we were exclusive and I told him I couldn’t promise that I wouldn’t hook up with other people, although I wouldn’t hook up with any of his friends. If someone had said that to me, I don’t know how I would have reacted but, without the pressure of the situation, I would say that I would probably reject that offer on the grounds of self-respect. This guy accepted what I had told him, however, and remained in a relationship with me until we broke up upon his graduation. Whether or not I actually hooked up with anyone else was not something we ever talked about and so he didn’t know. Open relationships often lead to trouble, with jealousies be-
IMPRESSIONS
coming very prominent and obvious as time passes. The overwhelming desire to know what one’s partner is doing means that there is often tension that neither party is willing to acknowledge. The admission of jealousy automatically nullifies the “OK”-ness of the open relationship premise and the future of the relationship has to be reviewed. Is it worth it to stay in the relationship and attempt monogamy? Is it worth it to stay in the relationship and pretend to be OK with an open relationship? If these options aren’t viable, then the relationship may have to end. Open relationships do not have to be doomed and I know a few that are successful. There are a lot of questions, however, that are brought up with the suggestion of an open relationship and these questions should not be ignored. If either partner is at all uncomfortable with the idea of an open relationship for any reason, from jealousy to STI’s, that’s enough to require examination of the situation at hand. Open relationships put people at risk, for both emotional and physical harm. Being hurt by someone you trust is incredibly difficult and contracting an STI from a partner because of their extracurricular activities is undeniably terrible. These are obviously not the necessary conclusions for open relationships, however. They key is making sure that you’re actually OK with it.
17
GRAPHIC BY Estie Martin/The Hoot
Book of Matthew
The incredible shrinking House of Representatives
BY BRET MATTHEW Editor
As a Politics major and relapsing political junkie, I’m always happy to see the campus newspapers run pieces about political issues. College students we may be, but it is important for us to discuss what is happening beyond the small confines of Brandeis. Unfortunately, sometimes these well-intentioned articles fail to do their subject matter justice. Such is the case with Tien Le’s recent op-ed in the Justice (“Idea to expand congress would yield poor results”). I find the issue of expanding the House of Representatives interesting and I was disappointed to see that Le’s analysis did not fully grasp the potential benefits of such a move. When the Founding Fathers’ designed the House of Representatives, they intended for its number to increase proportionally with the nation’s population. According to Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution: “Representative and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several states which may be included within
this union, according to their respective numbers […]. The number of representatives shall not exceed one for every 30,000, but each state shall have at least one representative.” When the house first convened in 1787, its 65 members represented an average of about 60,000 people each (slaves were considered three-fifths of a person at the time). After each successive census and the addition of new states, Congress voted to increase the size of the House and reapportion its members. This continued until 1911, when President Taft signed legislation increasing the size of the House to 433 members (with provisions to add two more members when New Mexico and Arizona became states in 1912). During the debate over the bill, some representatives expressed concern that the House was growing too large and unwieldy. Nativist representatives in particular feared the growing political power of recent immigrants who crowded the nation’s urban areas. In 1929, the House passed the Permanent Apportion Act, capping the number of members at 435, where it remains today
(though it temporarily increased to 437 members from 1959 to 1961 when Alaska and Hawaii became states). That year, those 435 members represented 121 million Americans; today, the same number represents an American population that has nearly tripled. Le seems aware of the House’s history, even calling some of the statistics “scary.” She also cites a recent New York Times op-ed that claims that lack of growth in the House has contributed to the increased influence of lobbyists and special interests within the body, as well as a disconnect between representatives and the growing number of people they serve. Yet in the middle of her piece, Le makes a sudden about-face and claims that Congress cannot handle more members. Such an increase, she argues, would result in an inefficient House comprised of too many different views and causes that “cannot realistically be fulfilled. If that seems like an awkward transition, it’s because Le completely missed the point of what she is writing about. Competing viewpoints are not a hindrance in
representative democracy. It’s the job of every representative to take part in the market place of ideas. That’s how representation works. The problem with our democracy today is that our small House is preventing us from being represented well; in fact, Americans today have never faced worse representation on the national stage. First, individual House districts are larger than ever before. Current representatives come from districts with an average of 700,000 people—more than 10 times more than in the Founders’ time. With numbers like these, the incentive for representatives to listen to individual voices within their districts is low. Instead of meeting with voters, they choose to meet with wealthy campaign donors and corporate interests who promptly buy influence that the average voter could never attain. In a sense, you can’t blame them. They have a lot of people to reach every two years and they can’t do it all by knocking on doors—that sort of thing requires expensive advertising. But, as a result, grassroots campaigns with less funding face severe disadvan-
tages in elections seasons, and ultimately leave far too many House seats in the hands of paid-for politicians. If, however, the House could be expanded so more representatives could cover smaller districts, fewer votes would be up for grabs and grassroots campaigns would have an easier time getting their messages across. With money making less of a difference, elections would become more competitive, featuring popular but poorly funded candidates ready to take on entrenched Washington interests. But even if districts are made smaller, another problem still exists that would not necessarily be fixed without more precise adjustments: House districts are lopsided. For example, Wyoming’s at-large district, consisting of 563,636 people, is almost half the size of Montana’s at-large district, which has 989,415 people, or Delaware’s at-large district, which has 897,934 people. This means that the amount of political influence a voter can have over their See SHRINKING HOUSE p. 19
18 IMPRESSIONS
Nope. . . sleep is pretty great BY YAEL KATZWER Editor
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Don’t swim for an hour after eating. Don’t eat yellow snow. We have all heard this advice growing up and often we shrug it off. Now that we are in college, we skip breakfast often, we swim whenever the hell we want to, and we still don’t eat yellow snow, hopefully. One piece of advice that I don’t remember getting as a child, but which is far more important, is: Get plenty of sleep. Sleep is incredibly important to your mind and body. As college students, we often forego getting a good night’s sleep in favor of homework, socializing and surfing the web. Many of us have turned functioning while sleep-deprived into an art form. This does not make it OK. We need sleep and, just because we can still function without it, doesn’t mean we should. While you can still write papers and do your math homework on a few hours of sleep per night, it will not be your best work. In order to achieve the grades required to make your parents beam with pride, you need to be able to string sentences together, something that is nearly impossible when you are exhausted. If you are staying up late in order to finish a paper, it is better to drop it and go to sleep. By around 4 a.m., you will stop thinking coherently and your sentences will become a lamentable mess. Also, at this point, you will be so tired that you won’t be able to recognize the fact that your sentences have become a lamentable mess. Plan ahead and do your work ahead of time so that you won’t have to choose between a C paper and a good night’s sleep. Instead, write your paper during the day and get an A and a good night’s sleep. Also, when you are overly tired in class, your professors do notice. Obviously, there are those professors who are completely oblivious and you could walk into their class in your birthday suit and they wouldn’t notice, although the other students might, so I wouldn’t recommend it. Most professors, however, notice your unsuccessfully stifled yawns, your constantly flapping eyelids and your general lack of responsiveness. They see it and re-
member it. This does not even touch on the effects that foregoing sleep has on your body. You do not sleep just to give your brain a rest; your body needs this downtime too. Without an adequate amount of sleep, your joints and muscles can become sore and you are more likely to pull muscles while climbing the Rabb steps and to get Charlie horses while sitting in the class you are falling asleep in (which your professor totally notices). Additionally, not sleeping can cause headaches, which will impinge on your social life far more than going to bed at a decent time. If these are not things that matter to you, perhaps it will matter to you that without your required amount of sleep, you look like crap. You will get those bags under your eyes that makeup can never truly cover up. Your facial muscles will be too tired to make your mouth smile and you will look like a dour, droopy-faced person. And, if you are too tired, your hands can shake in the morning, making it difficult to apply the aforementioned makeup necessary to make you look halfway decent. Now, I know what you are thinking: My hands will stop shaking after I’ve had my intravenous dose of coffee. This, however, is only a temporary solution. After using caffeine to mask the symptoms of sleep deprivation for a long time, it will stop working. You will require larger and larger doses of coffee to get the desired effect. Too much caffeine is bad for your body as well but, since this column is not about the dangers of overdosing on caffeine, I won’t go there. Just remember: No chemical can make up for the biological function known as sleep. As I stated at the beginning of this column, I am aware that we are in college and that we often do not get a full night’s sleep. I am not asking you to get eight hours of sleep per night; I am, however, asking you to try to get at least five hours per night and, if you find this impossible, set aside a night or two per week when you know that you will be able to get a good night’s sleep. If you do this, your schoolwork will improve, your health will improve and your appearance will improve. Don’t handicap yourself by thinking you are invincible.
The Brandeis Hoot
February 4, 2011
The Self Shelf
GRAPHIC BY Ariel Wittenberg/The Hoot
The economics of the future BY ALEX SELF Editor
As my generation is pulled kicking and screaming into the real world, we are forced to make a hard decision. Do we do what we love and hope for the best or what we think would be most profitable? At first, this may seem like it is not much of a question. The popular aphorism, “do what you like and the money will follow” comes to mind. Unfortunately, as many of my contemporaries have come to find, this is not quite the case. In many fields, there simply are not enough jobs or enough societal interest to create adequate salaries with today’s high costs of living. I will not single out any fields to avoid causing offense but I am sure that you can think of a few. These are the professions in which only the best can pull down a decent pay while the rest flounder. And in these troubled times, our generation does not have the luxury of optimism. The job market is continually shrinking and unemployment, especially for the youth, is at its highest level in years. Thousands of young adults are finding their hopes flustered by the lack of openings in a stagnant market. As we attend college, we must then ask ourselves the hard question of what we aim to do when we leave the insulated walls of university and face the sharp realism of the outside world. There are good arguments on both sides of the debate. Taking a job in the field that one loves is of course the most intuitive course of action. If you are lucky enough to enjoy a field that is in demand in society and thus will provide you with a good salary, this question is a foregone conclusion. Naturally, you would get a job in the field of your choice. The people that this question pertains to are those who would not work in an in-demand
field. There are compelling reasons to eschew profit and follow your interests. The first area of analysis here is the idea of personal utility. If you can derive happiness from your job it could make up for any emotional shortfall due to lack of finances. Additionally, there is always the chance that if you are really good in your field you could attain a prestigious position and attain a higher salary. If society is a meritocracy, then surely only those who are most engaged in their field will rise to the top. Once there, you can do what you love and make a fine salary at the same time. Finally, you will undoubtedly do your best work in the profession you love the most, regardless of the size of the check you bring home, which should be the goal of anyone who believes in the principles of merit and hard work. On the other side of the debate is essentially hardcore realism and, some might say, cynicism. There is the idea that you cannot be happy unless you are making a certain baseline salary which would provide for economic security. Working a minimum wage job, even if it provides you emotional satisfaction at work, would not allow you to live a comfortable life. To the extent that you feel financially insecure, you will always feel personally insecure as bill collectors and the IRS constantly hound you. And then, of course, there is the nightmare scenario of not finding a job in the field and trying to make do with tens of thousands of dollars worth of nondischarge-able loans. Finally, there is the argument that once you have made enough money in a field that is similar to your chosen one (save with a higher salary), you can afford to dabble in your preferred field. Of course, this involves deferring your main interest in the name of economy. Neither of these choices is
perfect, unless you happen to be one of the lucky ones in demand in society. Yet I believe the best choice is a middle ground. The best course of action is to balance the two competing schools of thought based on your own situation. As a hypothetical example let’s take the field of engineering and, for the purposes of this hypothetical situation, we will say that the baseline salary for an engineer is $30,000 (obviously this figure is made up and purely for the purpose of this example). Let us say that your favorite field is engineering. Yet you know that the job market for engineers has a 25 percent unemployment rate for people younger than 30 and a low salary. Another field you are interested in, however, is computer software, which has a base salary of $60,000 with a high employment rate for graduates just out of college. As pessimistic as it may seem, I believe that the ideal choice here is to take the slight aberration from your chosen field to a secondary interest in order to secure financial security. Now naturally, this is not the choice for everyone. There are those who will only work in their chosen fields, regardless of how much money they stand to lose and there are those who do not have to. Yet for the muddled middle who worry about financial security in unstable times, the best choice is a compromise. In the end, it is up to the individual. The debate of financial security versus personal satisfaction is a harsh one but one that every college student will have to decide for themselves as they prepare to leap from the insulated university atmosphere to the murky outside world. One should never give up on their dreams entirely in the name of profit, but one should also not turn a blind eye to the reality of life.
February 4, 2011
The Brandeis Hoot
IMPRESSIONS
19
Altered Consciousness
Choosing the lesser of two evils
BY RICK ALTERBAUM Columnist
A classic foreign policy dilemma has arisen in regards to Egypt: Should the United States align itself with a cruel dictator or a burgeoning democratic movement? Although the latter option may seem tempting, the United States must continue to support current leader Hosni Mubarak. Certainly I sympathize with the plight of the Egyptians who yearn for a better life. Unemployment and underemployment are rampant, particularly amongthe young, and half the population lives on two dollars a day or less. The Mubarak regime is corrupt; has repressed democratic activists; resorted to torture and executions; denied its people freedom of speech, assembly, expression, press, and conscience; refused to hold fair and transparent elections; and has created a virtual police state. Nonetheless, I am forced to act as a realist in this situation. Mubarak consistently argues that the only alternative to him selfare radicals and Islamists. Unfortunately, he is correct. According to the latest 2010 Pew Research Report, 59 percent of Egyptians sympathized with Islamists, as opposed to the 27 percent who supported modernizers
and liberals. Thirty percent admire Hezbollah, 49 percent approve of Hamas, 20 percent smile upon Al Qaeda, 82 percnt believe stoning to be an adequate punishment for adulterers, 77 percentconsider whippings and the cutting off of hands appropriate for robbers, and 84 percent favor the death penalty for a Muslim who changes his or her religion. Also, another Pew poll showed that only 17 percent of Egyptians have a positive image of the United States. These numbers indicate that any democratically elected government in Egypt would adamantly work against us in the region. To make matters worse, the Muslim Brotherhood—whose stated goal is to create an Islamic state in Egypt—is by far the most well-organized and popular alternative to the current regime. Ostensibly moderate groups, such as the Kifaya Movement, have either been co-opted by the Islamists or repressed to extinction, and have no real constituency among the Egyptian public. And, Mohammed ElBaradei, the nominally secular and moderate former head of the IAEA, who has allied himself with the Muslim Brothers and has deemed Israel the greatest threat in the region, would end sanctions on Gaza, and has been an apologist for the Iranian nuclear program.
What would happen if the Islamists took control of the country? Presumably, they would abrogate the peace treaty with Israel and go to war with it quickly after, with a modern and powerful military. They would most likely openly support and provide arms to Hamas, make their country a safe haven for terrorists, prevent or disrupt the flow of goods like oil through the strategically vital Suez Canal, ally with Iran and the resistance bloc, and help facilitate the Islamist overthrow of U.S.backed governments in countries like Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Additionally, as the Iran model illustrates, their rule would be just as oppressive, if not more so than Mubarak’s, and they would deny Egyptians basic rights and freedoms under a tyrannical system of Sharia law. Some say that perhaps the Islamists will moderate themselves if they come into power. However, Hamas did not become less radical when it took control of Gaza in a bloody coup in 2007. Hezbollah, which is on the verge of completely dominating Lebanon, has not ceased its virulent anti-Westernism. Iran’s regime is just as fanatical and twisted in its thinking and policies as it was when the Khomeiniists overthrew the Shah in 1979. And, the supposedly sensible Islamists in Turkey, the Jus-
GRAPHIC BY Internet Source
tice and Development Party, have in fact become more extreme, not less, after nearly a decade in power. Policymaking often involves choosing between a set of bad options and naturally, we would want the United States. to pursue a moralistic course of action. Unfortunately, Mubarak’s government is the
only thing standing in the way of turning Egypt, a strategically essential country in the region, into a key center for anti-Western activity. This fact, and not some naïve fantasy of a secular moderate democracy, ought to guide the decision making of our political leaders.
Increase the size of the House
HOUSE (from p. 17)
representative varies greatly depending on where that person lives. Districts must be divided into not only smaller chunks but also more equitable ones. It’s simply not fair to give the people of one district more control over legislation than the people of another district. And, speaking of legislation, a larger House would be a better environment for representatives to be more effective lawmakers. Today, representatives are far busier than most people give them credit for. Many sit on multiple House committees—where most legislative work gets done—but they must also find the time to sponsor bills, vote on legislation, oversee government agencies, meet with fellow representatives, make endless phone calls and keep a close eye on their districts in order to maintain a sense of what their constituents want them to do. They rely heavily on staffers whom we rarely see and never get to choose. An increase in the number of representatives could allow them to divide this immense workload so that each one could take more time to work on important issues that they care about. As long as they are held accountable, more knowledgeable GRAPHIC BY Estie Martin/The Hoot
representatives will almost always write better legislation. Le fails to mention any of these important benefits. Instead she focuses, oddly, on the amount of money it would cost the Treasury to pay the salaries of new representatives and to expand the House chamber to make room for them. Considering that the House expansion plan that has gained the most traction is the Wyoming Rule—which would force each House district to be the same size as the nation’s smallest district (currently Wyoming at-large), resulting in approximately 543 House members—we’re not exactly talking about massive expenditures. In her closing paragraph, Le reminds us: “Not all bodies of government are perfect.” She is absolutely correct. But if we fail to pressure our representatives to serve our interests and to do something that they used to do without question, and if we fail to do all of this because we were afraid to hire a contractor to expand the House chamber—well, then perhaps our political problems are greater than we thought
20 The Brandeis Hoot
HOOT SCOOPS
February 4, 2011
PHOTOS BY Lien Phung/The Hoot
Year of the rabbit
By Yael Katzwer, Editor The Brandeis Chinese Cultural Connection (BC3) celebrated the Lunar New Year Saturday in an eventing of dancing, singing and other performances held in Levind Ballroom. The Lunar New Year, a festivity dating back hundreds of years in Chinese culture with a strong connection to myth and tradition, is one of the most important events in the Chinese lunar calendar. According to the Chinese zodiac, which correlates each year to an animal in a 12year cycle, this is the Year of the Rabbit. It is believed that children born during this year will have many traits commonly associated with the rabbit, such as kindness, sensitivity and cautiousness. The celebration traditionally lasts for 15 days, with a specific custom attached to each day. Due to the proliferation of Chinese culture throughout Asia, many countries celebrate the Lunar New Year, also called the Chinese New Year. Rather than host a 15day long festival, BC3 hosted an evening of dance, music and fashion. This year, the event showcased Chinese dancing and music, both traditional and modern, paired with colorful costumes and free Chinese food. As dancing is one of the focal ways to celebrate the Lunar New Year, the majority of the evening’s performances were dance routines. During the first act, Calvin Chin’s Martial Arts Academy performed the Lion Dance, a cornerstone of Lunar New Year celebrations, performed to bring good luck in the coming year. The lion’s head and body were worn and controlled by two dancers, who twisted and turned in time to the music. Dancers also performed the Mongolian Chopsticks Dance, a traditional Mongolian folk dance. This dance combined footwork with handwork, as the dancers struck chopsticks together to create a hypnotic rhythm. Despite the prevalence of dance performances, the event also showcased a fashion show, a yo-yo “sensation” and a comedy skit, showing the fun and flexibility involved in this event. BC3 celebrates the Lunar New Year with the Brandeis community every year and this year club-member Karen Hu ’12 was one of the event coordinators. “I definitely focused on not making the same mistakes as last year,” Hu said, citing technical difficulties, overly lengthy per-
formances, too many singing acts and not enough preparation for food service. “When people watch the performance, they see a smooth performance running and most don’t know what goes on behind the scenes, from managing the food to getting all the performers to decorating the space.” Among the many changes, Hu orchestrated a switch to a larger venue. In past years, BC3’s Lunar New Year celebration was held in the Shapiro Campus Center Theater but, due to past overcrowding, the celebration was moved to Levin Ballroom, which seats approximately 200 more attendees. Additionally, the length of the show was shortened. “This year’s performance had less acts than previous [years],” said Hu, “but we wanted to focus on the quality of the performance as opposed to having more quantity in acts and this was also a key success factor for the show.” The show is geared toward both the campus’ Chinese and non-Chinese communities. Non-Chinese students saw the event as a learning opportunity and a way to connect with their fellow students. “Not being of Chinese descent, I took it as a chance for me to learn something new about Chinese culture and it was all included in the show,” Simone Wornum ’12 said. “From dance to music, elaborate costumes and fashion to skits, the show was an awesome display of Chinese cultural contributions.” Other students felt the same way. “I was really interested in seeing the different performances and dances,” Andy Hogan ’11 said. “While I have seen cultural events outside of my own before, it is always nice to see celebrations of other cultures.” Although there is a whole year between this show and the next one, attendees and coordinators alike are already looking forward to next year’s performance. It was a nice window into some of the many cultural performances from Asia,” Ellen Abramowitz ’11 said. “I hope that this event grows and that other Asian culture clubs get more involved.” Hu is anticipating next year’s performance as well, both as a BC3 leader and as a student passionate about Chinese culture. “Each year is a foundation that sets higher standards for the next and I can’t wait to see next year’s show from the audience, as opposed to running around behind the scenes,” Hu said.