The Brandeis Hoot - 2/18/11

VOL 8, NO. 5

F E B R U A R Y 1 8 , 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

Suicide rattles community

WA LT H A M , M A

Sommers, 18, found in Gordon Hall

BY JON OSTROWSKY Editor

Katherine “Kat” Sommers ’14 was found dead on campus Tuesday evening after an apparent suicide, university officials said. Sommers, 18, was found dead by a community advisor in her residence hall only days after she had moved rooms from the first to the third floor of Gordon Hall in North Quad.

“The death of anyone is difficult, but when a person takes their own life it is extremely challenging,” Cuenin wrote in a statement to The Hoot. “Sometimes we ask ourselves how it could have happened or could

we have done something to prevent it. The most important thing at this moment is for us to reach out to her close friends and to one another.”

In addition to police and BEMCo, staff from the Middlesex District Attorney Office responded to the scene of the unattended death and determined that it was “not suspicious” Cara O’Brien, a spokeswoman for the DA’s office, said Thursday.

In an interview, Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer said staff from Community Living, including community development coordinators, and staff from the Office of Student Life had been in contact with SomSee SUICIDE, p. 3

History major called ‘kind, thoughtful’

BY JON OSTROWSKY Editor

PHOTO BY Ingrid Schulte/The Hoot

MOURNING: University President Fred Lawrence and Student Union President Daniel Acheampong ‘11 attend a memorial vigil.

First-year history major Kat Sommers ’14, of Queens N.Y. died after apparently taking her own life at Brandeis University on Tuesday evening. She was 18.

Kat, who attended Archbishop Molloy High School, a Catholic coeducational high school in Queens, was known in her dorm on Gordon Residence Hall for baking “amazing cookies” and having a “great DVD collection,” a hall-mate said at a memorial service held in her honor Thursday morning.

Sen. Chuck Schumer to visit campus

BY NATHAN KOSKELLA Editor

Senator Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat who is the caucus’ vice-chairman and thus the third-ranking member of the Senate, will visit Brandeis May 6 and deliver this year’s Saul G. Cohen Memorial Lecture.

“A Conversation with Senator Charles Schumer: Can the United States Remain Ascendant?” will be followed by a questionand-answer with the senator, according to the Department of Development and Alumni Relations website. The talk will begin at 3 p.m. and will include

a reception at 4:15 at a location yet to be announced.

The Saul G. Cohen lecture was established by friends and family of the longtime Brandeis science professor and varies topics from year to year.

“We are delighted that Senator Schumer has accepted our invitation to deliver the inaugural Saul G. Cohen Memorial Lecture,” Elisabeth Cohen, the professor’s daughter, told the university. “His clarion call for public service and his ideas about making government work for everyday people are more important now than ever.”

Several student groups have co-sponsored the event and of-

fered to help advertise, including both the College Democrats and Democrats for America, and Waltham Group; and also the university offices of Community Service, the Heller School and the Hiatt Career Center.

Schumer, 60, was first elected to the Senate in 1998 after serving the 9th Congressional district, representing parts of Brooklyn and Queens, for 18 years. He successfully led the Democratic Senate campaign committee that took control over the chamber in 2006 and now chairs the Senate Rules Committee.

Schumer, outspokenly liberal See SENATOR, p. 4

KATHERINE SOMMERS

See SOMMERS, p. 3

BROTHERS HAVE SUPER MASH

PHOTO BY Andrew Rauner/The Hoot

MIX: Super Mash Bros. performed in a concert on campus last weekend in Levin.

See MASH, p. 10

NEWS

2 The Brandeis Hoot

February 18, 2011

Crown Center hosts forum on Egypt, Tunisia

PHOTO BY Nate Rosenbloom/The Hoot

BY JON OSTROWSKY Editor

Conditions for the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia will not necessarily translate to other uprisings in the region, Middle East scholars said during a forum in Rapaporte Treasure Hall on Tuesday sponsored by the Crown Center for Middle East Studies.

Brandeis Professor Eva Bellin (POL) discussed the uprisings in Tunisia, University of Utah Professor Ibrahim Karawan explained Egypt’s revolution, and David Makovsky Director of the Washington Institute’s Project on the Middle East Peace Process talked about the United States response. Professor Shai Feldman

(POL), Director of the Crown Center, moderated the forum.

Bellin said that the two key factors that fueled the uprising in Tunisia were outrage and impunity.

“Regular people take to the streets in large numbers when they are compelled by some emotion,” Bellin said. “Participation in mass protests is in some degree [a result] of cost-benefit analysis.”

Bellin explained that it was these factors, not the often-discussed causes of repression corruption, and poverty that led to revolts. These issues have existed for decades, and they alone cannot fuel an uprising without the anger and emotion of a nation,” she said.

“Positive emotions like hope can be as strong as negative emotions like outrage,” Bellin said.

Karawan warned that “those who argue that Egypt will always be a centralized power and strong state have some reassessment to do.”

The stability of Egypt is still very uncertain Karawan said.

“There is a possibility of an implosion from within,” Karawan said. “Economic problems in general are too complex for the army to handle them.”

Bellin said that she was confident the military would uphold its promise to ensure a transition to open elections. “The military has no interest in being the governing force in Egypt,”

she said.

Makovsky explained that President Obama’s reaction has been shaped by his relatively realist view of international affairs, in sharp contrast to the idealist vision of President George W. Bush, who made spreading democracy a priority of his administration.

“This is someone [Obama] who did not seek out this crisis,” Makovsky said.

But he also said that Obama believes he has a special duty to foster peace in the region. “I think he genuinely sees himself as a bridge to the Muslim world.”

Makosvky said that the United States was forced to weigh the

positives of backing Mubarak’s regime for many years, including the benefits of its relationship with Israel against the negatives associated with lack of political freedom.

In the coming weeks, he said the United States’ relations with the Egyptian military will be crucial. “We’ve seen an administration very focused on trying to keep the military clean.”

Makosvky cautioned the audience that despite the events over the last few weeks and the progress in Egypt, the future of Egyot and its neighbors remains unclear.

“If this were a baseball game, this is probably only the second inning,” he said.

MIT professor to receive Brandeis science award

BY DEBBY BRODSKY Staff

Peter Schiller, the Dorothy W. Poitras Professor in Medical Engineering and Medical Physics in MIT’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, has been selected to receive the Jay Pepose ’75 Award in Vision Sciences.

Pepose, a graduate of Brandeis, conducts groundbreaking research in vision sciences and ophthalmology. According to Pepose, he and his wife, Susan Feigenbaum ’74, also a graduate of Brandeis, designed the $1 million award to promote graduate studies in visual sciences. There are two aspects to the award, a lectureship, and fellowships for graduate students.

Schiller, whose office is decorated with optical illusions, Magic Eye books and rotating sculptures he builds as a hobby, said, “I’ve given quite a number of presentations on this topic in other settings, but this is one of the great honors.”

In his lecture, Schiller will speak about the different functions of ganglion cells in the retina that process different aspects within the visual scene, and his collaborative efforts with colleague Emilio Bizzi, to carry out experiments on the neural mechanisms of eye movements. “In 2007 I presented this topic at Brandeis,” Shiller said, “and recently I’ve turned to the study of depth perception which is an interesting

and taxing problem.”

According to Schiller, the retina is a twodimensional surface. The images that fall on it have to utilize cues from which it can derive a third dimension. The difficulty of this is exemplified by the fact that a number of neural mechanisms have evolved to tell us about depth. The two mechanisms that Schiller studies are stereopsis (the brain’s ability to determine depth despite perspective disparity between two eyes), and motion parallax, the brain’s ability to understand where something is moving in the world in relation to the eye, as images at different distances from the eye move at different rates across the retinal surface.

“At birth,” Shiller said, “some people have misaligned eyes or strabismus. Unless this is corrected very early, these people will not be able to see stereoscopic depth.

Between 5 and 10 percent of the population in America is stereo blind.”

Currently Schiller is working to establish the critical period in which stereopsis can be corrected before surgery is needed.

As an undergraduate student, Pepose worked under Brandeis Professor and mentor John Lisman. According to Lisman, “Jay was very good at doing experiments and within less than a year, completed a project that led to a publication in the Journal of General Physiology.”

Post graduation, Pepose began research on viral infections of the eye, and was part

of the first group to describe the ocular manifestations of AIDS and a number of other infectious diseases. “More recently,” Pepose said, “my research has been focused on optical approaches to presbyopia (the age-related loss of near vision).”

According to Pepose, “Brandeis was a place where people were not afraid to ask questions and find answers. There was a feeling of comradery and community, and the creation of life-long friendships.”

Pepose continued to say, that Brandeis is where he met his wife, Susan, and he felt that working with Professor Lisman had so profoundly impacted his career, that they wanted to see Brandeis continue as a center of excellence for research in vision and visual processing.

Pepose and his wife are among 37 alumni to make a gift of $1 million to Brandeis.

“Brandeis tries to impress upon current students that they will be walking in the shoes of the alumni in a few short years,” said Vice President of Development in Alumni Relations, Myles Weisenberg.

According to Weisenberg, alumni make gifts in a variety of forms, such as scholarships for undergraduate students, fellowships for graduate students, endowed faculty chairs, gifts to academic programs or to the Annual Fund, which supports the university’s most pressing needs.

“Alumni remember the great education they received here, and want that to con-

PETER SCHILLER

PHOTO FROM Internet Source

tinue, which means they need to make gifts to ensure Brandeis continues to have the best faculty and state-of-the-art facilities.

Jay and Susan are alumni citizens who care about Brandeis,” Weisenberg said.

Schiller, who will be introduced by his former student John Maunsell, Lab Director at Harvard Medical School, will give a public lecture on “Parallel Information Processing Channels Created in the Retina” on March 14 at 4 p.m. in Gerstenzang 121. “If anyone chooses to enter this field,” Schiller said, “you need to do a lot of hard, experimental work to make discoveries. But if you keep working, eventually you will succeed.”

February 18, 2011

The Brandeis Hoot

NEWS

3

Vigil honors student who took her own life Community asks ‘How could this have happened?’

BY ARIEL WITTENBERG Editor

Members of the Brandeis community remembered Kat Sommers ’14 in a memorial vigil held Thursday morning as they mourned the loss of the undergraduate who was found dead Tuesday evening after apparently taking her own life.

The vigil, which was held both to honor Sommers and to help the community cope with the aftermath of her suicide, began with students, faculty and staff uniting at the Usdan Peace Circle before holding hands and walking solemnly down to the Sherman Function Hall.

“We are a family in mourning,” university President Frederick Lawrence said to an audience of at least 200 people.

“There is a deep tear in the fabric of the Brandeis family right now.”

Administrators at the vigil emphasized to all members of the community the importance of reaching out and talking to

one another during times of distress.

“What has happened is unbelievable. It is literally impossible to take in,” he said. “But it is important to know that the redemptive process of healing will come from reaching out to any of us here today. Just looking at all of you feeds my soul in a way I could not have imagined.”

Indeed, throughout the memorial many expressed their exasperation at the senselessness of Sommers’ death.

Professor Sabine von Mering (GRALL) spoke about how Sommers had come to her office hours the previous week to help plan a trip for the class. Von Mering said she was about to read Sommers’ paper for her class when she received the news of her suicide.

“Is it us? Are we making people show us a face?” von Mering asked. “You have to know that the faculty does not expect you to show a face. If you do that, we cannot help you. We need to know who you are and you need to know that we will love you no matter what.”

University chaplain Rabbi Elyse Winick echoed von Merring’s sentiments.

“If only we had seen the tem-

PHOTO BY Ingrid Schulte/The Hoot

IN MEMORY: Students held hands as they walked from the Usdan Peace Circle to Sherman Function Hall as part of the memorial Thursday in honor of Kat Sommers ’14.

pest storming inside her we would have understood,” she said. “We would have done anything, but we couldn’t.”

During the memorial, attendees were asked multiple times to hug the person next to them or to hold hands with the person next to them to demonstrate that there is a support system on campus.

“Hold hands,” Winick directed. “Imprint this moment on your soul and know that no matter how dark it is, you are not alone.”

Undergraduate Student Union

President Daniel Acheampong ’11 told those in attendance to “look at the peers next to you and say ‘I care about you. I love you. I’m here for you.’”

“It is not only important to say these things at this time,” he said. “It is important to do it every time.”

In addition to using physical support throughout the memorial, members of the chaplaincy referred to their respective religions to help spiritually heal the hurt.

“There is a spark within each of us that is kindled and will

never let go away, and so too in Kat,” Protestant chaplain Alex Kern said. “That spark glows brightest in our darkest time.

And though today we feel broken and full of sorrow, that is how we know that we’re human.”

University Imam Talal Eid said of Sommers, “she is now at peace but we pray to God to help us achieve the peace among ourselves.”

Winick spoke to similar themes, “Into that gaping hole Kat left we must pour this love we have for each other and hope that for us it can be enough.”

Admin responds to student death SUICIDE (from p. 1)

PHOTO BY Ingrid Schulte/The Hoot

Students mourn loss of friend SOMMERS (from p. 1)

Friends described Kat as a kind and respectful friend who could sometimes be sarcastic in a funny manner. At the same time, she also enjoyed her privacy.

One friend who spoke at the on-campus vigil said he first met Kat inside the Gordon study lounge, and that when she saw him pulling an all-nighter for a class she made him soup and let him borrow her spoon. Another described her as “one of the liveliest, most fun people I’ve ever known.”

One student said at the memo-

rial that Kat had been having a difficult time at school and that she “went through hell this year” but that “Kat was the most stoic person I’ve ever met.

“She was incredibly selfless and didn’t want to cause anyone pain, even if it meant keeping her pain for herself,” she said.

Professor Sabine von Mering said that Kat had recently been sending e-mails to her about planning a student trip for her class. Von Mering said that Kat appeared very happy in class and at office hours even expressed her happiness with Brandeis and her

family situation.

Another friend at the memorial said, “It’s difficult to have a moral of the story. It’s not going to be the same without her.”

There will be a wake tonight at the Fox Funeral Home, 9807 Ascan Avenue in Forest Hills, N.Y. from 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.

A funeral will take place on Saturday at St. Luke’s Church at 16-34 Clintonville Street in Whitestone, New York at 10:15 a.m.

The family has asked that people interested in making donations do so in Katherine Sommers’ name to the American Founda-

mers during the past week, including on Tuesday; however, he would not comment further as to the nature of the contact.

Immediately after the apparent suicide, staff from the Chaplaincy and Counseling Center as well as Sawyer, and Associate Dean of Student Life Jamele Adams met with students on Sommers’ residence hall, and staff stayed on campus into the early hours of Wednesday morning talking with students.

On Wednesday morning, university Catholic Chaplain Father Walter Cuenin met with students in the Shapiro Campus Center and in the evening the Counseling Center held a group therapy session.

In an unrelated interview last month about university and state mental health policies, university Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan said that if there is an emergency threat of suicide, university police will become involved.

“In an emergency situation, we can obviously work with the [counseling center] to get them some immediate assistance,” however Callahan declined to comment on Sommers’ death this week because it is part of an ongoing investigation.

The last time a Brandeis student committed suicide was

two years ago, before commencement weekend in 2009, Callahan said.

Both university President Fred Lawrence and Sawyer spoke with Sommers’ father Tuesday evening. Lawrence, who had been traveling in California, was back on campus the next day.

Lawrence sent an e-mail to parents on Wednesday afternoon, informing them about the death and the wide range of services made available to students Tuesday night and the rest of the week.

“As parents, Kathy and I know that you have entrusted us with your children during their time at Brandeis. We take this trust as a sacred obligation,” Lawrence wrote. “It is at times of tragedy like this that we discover just how strong and special this community is.”

By Thursday, many of Sommers’ friends and family wrote posts on her Facebook page, expressing complete surprise at her death and memorializing her life.

“There’s no right way to mourn. There’s no wrong way to mourn,” Lawrence said at a vigil honoring Sommers’ life on Wednesday. “There’s a human way to mourn.”

“May [Sommers] rest in peace and may the consolation of our faith traditions help us as a Brandeis community,” Cuenin wrote.

4 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

February 18, 2011

Rose Art restarts student loan program

BY ARIEL WITTENBERG Editor

After a two-year hiatus The Rose Art Student Loan program started up again Feb. 3, allowing students living oncampus to borrow framed artwork from The Rose Art Museum to hang in their living space during the academic year.

Students who visited the Art Gallery in the Shapiro Campus Center between noon and 3:30 p.m. were able to choose from the more than 500 works by artists as prestigious as James Rosenquist and Jasper Johns.

The works were given to the museum in order to “make art available to students in their dormitory rooms so that the appreciation of art becomes a part of everyday experience rather than just a separate classroom situation.”

The Student Loan Collection of The Rose Art Museum consists of two separate donations, the Charna Cowan Student Loan Collection established in 1956 and the Robert W. Schiff Student Loan Collection donated in 1971 by Herbert and Mildred Lee in memory of Mildred Lee’s father.

“It’s all about getting people engaged in the museum community,” said Rebecca Ulm ’11, an intern at the museum who helped organize the loan program.

More than 15 students borrowed art from the museum on Feb 3 and were able to bring their designated artwork

back to their dorm rooms immediately after paying a $5 fee and signing an agreement to return the artwork at the end of the academic year.

Borrowing students will be barred from graduation until their artwork is returned.

Additionally, though the paintings are insured, Ulm said students would be held accountable if their borrowed pieces are damaged while in their care.

“It’s not cool if you do get beer all over a painting,” Ulm said. Upon signing their agreements, students were given guidelines about how to handle and hang the art.

The Student Loan program from The Rose Art Museum was temporarily suspended after 2009 when the Brandeis University administration announced it would attempt to sell art from the museum in order to help bridge the university’s budget gaps.

“The Rose crisis stopped all sorts of programs at the museum, but we decided to start it up again,” Rose intern Emily Leifer ’11 said.

Leifer attributed the reemergence of the loan program to the museum’s new director of academic programs, Dabney Hailey, who was hired this fall after the post was vacant for almost two years.

Hailey is also looking to create a student docent program at The Rose next year. Anyone who would like to be involved should contact Maarit Ostrow (maostrow@brandeis. edu) for more information.

Israeli, Palestinian negotiators discuss Egypt and the Middle East PHOTO BY Alan Tran/The Hoot

BY ARIEL WITTENBERG Editor

Former Israeli negotiator Daniel Levy and former adviser to the Palestinian negotiating team Amjad Atallah debunked the idea that the revolutions in Egypt and throughout the Middle East would be detrimental to Israel in a talk Thursday evening in Usdan’s International Lounge.

The talk, titled “What do the Israelis and Palestinians want, and can they each deliver?” quickly strayed from its initial topic as the speakers discussed what Atallah described as a “time pregnant with promise.

“The last time there was a resurrection in the Middle East was about 2,000 years ago and to see what looked like the corpse of the Arab body politic rise up and claim its place in sunshine and history gives me goosebumps,” Atallah said.

Atallah said the protests in Egypt had been misrepresented as being bad for Israel.

“They are demanding accountability, freedom and democracy,” Atallah said. “In not a single

Schumer to give lecture SENATOR (from p. 1)

on issues like gun control (he co-authored the original Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 that a Republican Congress allowed to later expire in 2004) and abortion (pro-choice group NARAL has given him a 100 percent lifetime rating), has also been known to be more willing to reach across the aisle to preserve Senate procedure, brokering a compromise on a partial filibuster and secret holds reform in the upper house last month.

His talk in May will center on the American position in the world.

place have they been demanding Islamic law. No one has burned an American flag. No one has burned an Israeli flag.”

Levy agreed saying the American and Israeli media views the protests in Egypt and the Middle East through a “westernized lens” of a moderate versus a fanatic government.

“The people of Egypt under Mubarak didn’t say ‘oh good, this is a moderate government,’” he said.

“But for some reason in this country it has been filtered through an attempt at scaremongering people.

“What has been fantastic to me about these revolutions is the reassertion of the basic human dignity of Arab and Muslim people after a decade of what since 9/11 has been somewhat characterized by demonization.”

Levy said that while Israelis believed that the Mubarak regime was good for securing peace in the region, “it was a false bargain.”

“We were really dealing with regimes that were illegitimate,” he said, explaining that in order for Israel to have security, it must be in treaties with governments that represent their people’s opinions.

“The legitimacy of Israel in the Middle East has to be based on more than the Egyptian security services,” he said.

Levy said a key issue in winning over the Egyptian populace is the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.

“We can’t deny the Palestinians the same freedoms that everyone else is flocking to their town square to fight for,” he said. “If we can get this right, then this is an uplifting moment not just for Egypt and the Arab nations but for Israel as well.”

Atallah agreed and explained that a key misunderstanding the IsraeliPalestinian issue is that “statehood” is confused with “freedom.”

“Unfortunately, the two do not overlap,” he said, explaining that the statehood that is offered by the Israelis does not give the Palestinians autonomy and power over their own society.

“The ire of the masses is not directed at Israel for existing,” he said. “It is anger for Israel oppressing Palestinians. If we want Israel to have a beneficial relationship with the new Egypt, that has to change.”

EDITORIALS

February 18, 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

Staff Rick Alterbaum, Candice Bautista, Alana Blum, Chris Bordelon, Debby Brodsky, Becca Carden, Emma Chad-Friedman, Jodi Elkin, Andrea Fishman, Adam Hughes, Gabby Katz, Josh Kelly, Christina Kolokotroni, Ariel Madway, Estie Martin, Alex Norris, Alexandra Patch, Alexandra Zelle Rettman, Ricky Rosen, Imara Roychowdhury, Morgana Russino, Aaron Sadowsky, Jessica Sashihara, Aliza Sena, Emily Stott, Brian Tabakin, Ryan Tierney and Suzanna Yu

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Founded By Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman

SUBMISSION POLICIES

Making sense of the senseless

A

s members of the Brandeis community, we are both deeply disturbed and saddened as we mourn the death of Kat Sommers ’14. Death, no matter how sudden or unexpected, is always tragic. But, in the words of university President Fred Lawrence, suicide is “unbelievable” and “literally impossible to take in,” making it that much more difficult for us as a community to overcome our grief.

Through this week’s tragedy, our community displayed a remarkable response of unity and support for the Brandeis family during its darkest hour. Such support is a direct result of extraordinary leadership from the university’s senior management, including but not limited to President Fred Lawrence, Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer, the Chaplaincy, the Counseling Center and staff who helped console us.

They responded immediately during a time of crisis and presented us

The Hoot welcomes letters to the editor on subjects that are of interest to the community. Preference is given to current or former community members, and The Hoot reserves the right to edit or reject submissions. The deadline for submitting letters is Wednesday at 12 p.m.

Please submit letters to letters@thebrandeishoot.com along with your contact information. Letters should not exceed 500 words.

General Inquiries Phone: (781) 330.0051 E-mail: eic@thebrandeishoot.com

CORRECTIONS Due to a typographical error, last week’s article, “Kay oversees Beth Israel response to scandal,” incorrectly stated in one instance that the hiring of a female employee was questioned because of her relationship with Stephen Kay. Consistent with the rest of the story, her hiring was questioned because of her relationship with Paul Levy, not Kay. Due to a reporting error, the same article, in one instance, incorrectly characterized the allegations of misconduct against Paul Levy. The complaint letter mentioned sexual relationships with two employees, but the Attorney General’s Office review and the ethical controversy last year focused on Levy’s personal relationship with only one female employee.

The Hoot will next publish on Mar. 4, following the President’s Day break.

process for dealing with troubled or stressed students. The review should be directed by a committee comprised of randomly selected students, community advisers, community development coordinators, staff from the Office of Student Life and faculty, and should explore what we as a community can do better.

The purpose of such a committee is not to point blame—no one could have prevented the tragedy of Kat’s death. But in reviewing the circumstances of her demise and making sense of the senseless we can hopefully find some speck of good, a speck of meaning, out of this horrific week.

In honor of Kat’s life, this community must try, as best as it can, to initiate a campus-wide dialogue about the causes of suicide and how to prevent it. It is a responsibility we hope Brandeis and all its leaders will accept. This week’s tragedy tells us we do not have a choice.

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with a sense of calm and a belief that our community can survive even the most daunting terrors.

But the response to Tuesday’s tragedy should not end with a memorial service and vigil.

As a community the questions of why suicide happens and what could possibly be done to prevent it will continue to haunt us. After someone takes their own life, it is often easiest to focus on a their personal stress in school, family or relationships. But too often our society ignores that crucial, yet painful and awkward discussion about mental illness and what can be done to treat it.

We hope that in the coming weeks, this university will take the difficult route and explore new ways to discuss mental illness. It may not be comfortable for many of us, but it is a necessary part of the healing process.

We request that the president’s office oversee a full review of this particular case and the general

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6 The Brandeis Hoot

SPORTS

February 18, 2011

Judges get back to their winning ways

PHOTO BY Ingrid Schulte/The Hoot

BY BRIAN TABAKIN Staff

Brandeis men’s basketball snapped its four-game losing streak during the weekend with a pair of victories against Case Western Reserve and Carnegie Mellon. Both teams overcame Brandeis when the Judges visited them in January, but the Judges showed them who was boss in the Judges’ house.

First, on Friday, the Judges defeated Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) 80-63. Brandeis had its best regulation scoring night (3052, 57.7 percent) since November in the victory. Four players reached double digits in points for the Judges. Anthony Trapasso ’13 and Youri Dascy ’14 each led the team with a game-high 16 points. Ben Bartoldus ’14 added 14 points, with nine coming in the first half. Derek Retos ’14

scored 10 of his 13 bench points in the second half, when he connected on 3-of-6 from downtown.

Christian Yemga ’11 packed the stat sheet with nine points, six rebounds, five assists and a careerbest four blocked shots.

CMU had three players in double figures. Senior Matthew Petit had 14 points hitting 6-of-12 from the field along with a pair of free throws with eight of his points coming in the first half. Senior Shane Rife had 10 first-half points and finished with 13 for the game, and rookie Rashaun Riley had 12 points.

Brandeis jumped out to a quick lead as Dascy scored the game’s first two buckets and the Judges’ first six points overall as they took a 6-3 lead less than two minutes into the game. Brandeis maintained a 3-to-2 possession lead for the majority of the first half. A pair of Riley free throws got CMU within five points with 8:04 remaining in the first half at 20-15, but the Judges held CMU to just two field goals for the rest of the half. The Judges shot 60 percent in the first half both overall (18-30) and from beyond the arc (6-10), while holding CMU to just 26.7 percent (8-30) overall and 25 percent from downtown (3-12).

In the second half, the Judges’ lead never fell below double digits. CMU was able to close within 10 points at 60-50 with 9:04 left in the game, but Retos answered with a four-point play to put the Judges up by 14. The Judges would cruise to an 80-63 victory from then on.

On Sunday, the Judges continued to dominate as they hosted the Case Western Reserve Spar-

tans. The Judges closed out their home season with a nail-biting come-from-behind 55-53 victory on Sunday, Feb. 13.

In a poorly played first half, there were four ties and eight lead changes. To start the game, both teams combined to hit just 3-of21 from the field. Neither team was able to establish an edge in the first half, with the largest being a four-point edge for Case Western in the last four minutes of the half.

Case sophomore Austin Fowler hit the last four points of the half giving Case Western a 26-23 lead going into halftime. Fowler and junior Tom Summers together scored 20 of the team’s 26 firsthalf points.

The Judges owned a 22-17 advantage on the boards in the first half, but the Spartans enjoyed an 11-5 edge at the line.

Brandeis tied the game at 27-27 just more than 90 seconds into the second half, however, Case went on to start their key run.

Case scored the next eight points during the next 3:11, giving Case a 35-27 lead with 15:16 remaining to play. Brandeis sophomore Jay Freeman connected on a layup, but Summers responded with a three-point play for Case stretching their lead to 38-29 with 13:28 remaining to play.

At this point, the Judges staged their comeback. They scored the next six points of the game, making it a one-possession game at 40-37 after two free throws from Freeman; however, Fowler hit a three-pointer on the ensuing possession to slow the Judges momentum. A free throw by Brandeis’ Yemga and a three-

pointer by Alex Stoyle ’14 got the Judges within two points at 43-41 with 8:06 left in the game.

During the next six minutes, the Judges failed to capitalize on their opportunities to tie or take the lead and allowed Case to cling to their small lead. The Judges defense, however, held Case to just one field goal during the last 3:23 of the game enabling Brandeis to come back.

After Summers connected on a layup to give Case a 51-47 lead with 2:45 remaining, Tyrone Hughes ’12 came off a screen to knock down a 15-foot jumper to pull the Judges within two. On the ensuing possession, Freeman stole the ball from the Spartans and connected on a layup to knot the game at 51-51.

Both Brandeis and Case converted both of their free throws on their trips to the line resulting in another tie at 53-53 with 33.2 seconds left in the game.

On the ensuing inbounds play, Case fumbled the ball out of bounds giving possession back to Brandeis. Brandeis worked the ball around the perimeter to drain some clock before dishing it to Dascy who drew a foul with 8.1 seconds left. Dascy connected on 1-of-2 from the line, which would prove to be the deciding point.

Case got off a good look at a three-pointer on their next possession but were unable to convert as Stoyle grabbed the rebound for Brandeis and hit a free throw from the line to close out the game.

The men’s basketball team rallied from a nine-point secondSee JUDGES, p. 8

Fencing: two out of three ain’t bad

BY ALEXANDRA ZELLE RETTMAN Staff

The fencing teams have been busy this past week. The women’s team started off Sunday with a strong showing at the Stevens Tech Invitational while both the men’s and women’s teams hosted Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Boston College (BC) in the annual Boston Beanpot tournament.

This past Sunday, the women’s fencing team attended the Stevens Tech Invitational with a final score of 4-1, the only loss being to Temple University. They went 1710 against Stevens, 6-21 against Temple, 14-13 against Johns Hopkins University (JHU), 20-7 against Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) and 20-7 against the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

To win a meet, a team must win 14 bouts, which is when two opposing individuals duel each other. There are three kinds of weapons used, and they are used in three different events. Each weapon (event) has different rules, techniques, strategies and skills associated with it. Foil is a

weapon with which you can score only with the tip of the blade in a specific target area (torso, front and back; no arms, legs or head).

Epee is also a weapon where you can only hit with the point but you can score anywhere on the body. Finally, sabre is a weapon with which you can score using the whole blade (mostly slashing or cutting) targeting the torso, the front and the back, including the arms and head.

Epee fencer Kristin Ha ’14 said, “The women’s team fenced incredibly well last Sunday despite some tough competition, especially against Johns Hopkins and Temple University. Vikki Nunley [’13, a foil fencer] won the decisive bout against JHU for a final and close overall score of 14-13.

Additionally, the women’s sabre squad managed to go 9-0 against Fairleigh Dickinson.”

The big event, however, was Wednesday night as Brandeis hosted the annual Boston Beanpot tournament, against Harvard, MIT and Boston College.

Brandeis put on a fine performance with both the men’s and women’s final scores being W2L1.

PHOTO BY Nate Rosenbloom/The Hoot

Epee fencer Harry Kaufer ’13 said, “Alex Powell [’12] fenced great all night. He went 7-1 including a huge win to clinch our victory over Boston College. Carl Goldfarb had a sensational bout against Harvard. He was down 3-0, came back to tie it up 3-3, but then lost on a fluke touch in overtime.” When asked if there were any particularly victorious matches, Kaufer responded, “Boston College was a big win. We lost

to them at the conference meet in January, so to beat them tonight was great.”

Epee fencer Powell had a great night, saying, “For myself, my biggest highlights of the night were going 7-1 and defeating a fencer named Michael Raynis from Harvard. Although all my bouts were against good opponents and hard fought, he is a special victory because he is currently ranked number two in the country for U-20

[under the age of 20] fencers and number 10 for senior fencers. He is also ranked in the Top 50 U-20 fencers in the World. He has represented the U.S. as a member of the Cadet [U-17] and Junior [U20] World Championship teams and competed at the Junior/Cadet World Championships as a result.”

When asked about the success See FENCING, p. 7

February 18, 2011

The Brandeis Hoot

SPORTS

7

Women’s bball split weekend and lose home finale

BY BRIAN TABAKIN Staff

In the home season finale, the Brandeis women’s basketball team split their weekend series against Carnegie Mellon (CMU) and Case Western Reserve. In a basic repeat of the team’s January match-ups, the Judges handed a verdict of defeat to Carnegie Mellon but slipped two days later against Case Western.

In the first game of the week, Brandeis overcame a slow start, coming back from a 12-point second-half deficit to defeat Carnegie Mellon University 59-54.

Brandeis scored the first basket of the game but subsequently struggled to get into the game in the first half. After a shot by Brandeis’ Mia DePalo ’11 with 13:24 remaining in the half, the score was 12-7 in favor of CMU. During the next three minutes, CMU held the Judges to 0-of3 shooting from the floor and forced four turnovers as they scored 14 unanswered points to take a 26-7 lead. With CMU still ahead 32-15 with 3:35 remaining in the first half, Brandeis went on to score seven of the next nine points to cut their deficit to 12 at 34-22 heading in to halftime.

The second half began with a series of fouls by CMU, sending Brandeis to the line to begin closing the deficit. With two free throws by Samantha Anderson

’13 and a layup by Morgan Kendrew ’12, the Judges pulled within eight points at 39-31 with 14:40 remaining in the game. On the ensuing Judges’ possession, DePalo connected on a three-pointer to make it a five-point game.

During the next three minutes, the Judges held CMU to just two points while adding five points of their own to make the score 41-39 with 11:26 remaining.

The game remained at a standstill until 6:15, when Amber Strodthoff ’11 made two free throws to cut the CMU lead to 4443. CMU’s Jacquie Shaw was sent to the line and made both of her free throws to push the CMU lead back to three points at 5:05. A three-pointer by Kendrew at 4:55 tied the game for the first time at 46-46. CMU answered with a layup from Nicole Vaccarella to regain the lead, but DePalo responded with a three-pointer to give the Judges their first lead, at 49-48, since the score was 2-0 in the first half.

With 3:08 remaining, Strodthoff was sent to the line and made both of her free throws to give Brandeis a three-point lead. CMU responded with a layup to make it a one-point game. Kendrew, however, countered by hitting 1-of-2 free throws from the line to push the Judges’ lead back to two. Shaw hit a jumper on the ensuing possession for CMU to tie the game for the final time at 52-52. Kend-

rew sank a three-pointer from the right corner on a fast break to give the Judges a 56-53 lead with 37.6 seconds remaining in the game.

Shaw hit another layup on a drive to the hoop to pull CMU within one with just 22 seconds remaining. After a three-point attempt

by Vaccarella was blocked by DePalo, with seven seconds left in the game, Brandeis put the game away, making 4-of-4 from the free throw line in the closing seconds to gain a 59-54 victory.

The Judges were led by Kendrew who scored 12 of her 16 points in the second half. DePalo continued to be a threat from beyond the arc, making nine of her 11 points from three-point range.

Courtney Ness ’13 posted a career- and game-high 11 rebounds with seven coming in the second half. Dean finished with a careerhigh eight rebounds and scored eight points.

CMU was led by Vaccarella, who had a game-high 18 points and six rebounds. Emily Peel also scored 17 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Rookie Gina Tudi posted a career- and game-high nine assists, with eight coming in the first half and just one assist shy of a CMU school record. Shaw scored 11 points with eight rebounds.

To end the Judges’ home season, they faced the Case Western Spartans last Sunday. Unfortunately for Brandeis, the Spartans

repeated their January match and overwhelmed the Judges 49-45.

The first half saw four ties and three lead changes as both teams got out to a slow offensive start.

Brandeis owned as much as a five-point lead in the first half before the game was tied at 1616 with 1:18 left before the break.

Brandeis’ Ness scored the last two baskets of the half, giving the Judges a 20-16 lead going into halftime. The Judges held Case to just 6-of-28 shooting (21.4 percent) and Brandeis owned a 26-13 advantage in rebounding. A 10-4 Spartan advantage in turnovers, however, enabled Case to hang around in the contest.

DePalo ’11 opened the second half with a jumper, giving Brandeis its largest lead of the game at six; however, the Judges would fail to score another field goal for the next 5:44. At the same time, the Spartans went on to score seven straight points to take a 23-22 lead. Kendrew ’12 grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled, hitting both of her free throws to give a 24-23 lead back to Brandeis. A DePalo steal and lay-up broke the Judges cold streak and gave Brandeis a three-point lead, but Case sophomore Erica Iafelice answered with a three-pointer to tie the game at 26-26.

The three-pointer sparked a key run for Case as they went on to score the next seven points to

gain a 33-26 lead with 12:13 remaining in the game. Brandeis responded with back-to-back buckets by Kendrew and Strodthoff to cut the lead to three at 33-30 with 9:31 left in the game. Case senior Caitlin Henry answered, however, scoring consecutive three-pointers to push the Spartans lead to nine at 39-30.

The Judges were able to cut their deficit to three at 43-40 after baskets by Strodthoff, Depalo and Kasey Dean ’14. Even though the Judges were able to get some defensive stops, the Judges couldn’t score when they needed to and ultimately fell 49-45.

In the final home game of the season, Kendrew led Brandeis with 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting including 1-of-7 from beyond the arc and DePalo finished with 11 points. Brandeis finished with a 43-31 rebounding edge with Ness leading the team for the second game in a row with nine.

The Brandeis women’s basketball team was unable to hang onto a six-point lead as Case Western Reserve scored 10 straight points midway through the second half and hung on to defeat the Judges 49-45. With the loss Brandeis falls to 11-11 (3-8 University Athletic Association (UAA)) while Case improves to 12-10 (6-5 UAA).

The Judges finish their schedule with a three-game road trip, starting in Chicago next Friday night at 7 p.m.

NBA power rankings top 15

BY BRIAN TABAKIN Staff

PHOTO BY Nate Rosenbloom/The Hoot

Fencers make sharp showing FENCING (from p. 6)

of the Brandeis fencing team as a whole, Powell responded, “I was very proud of the fact that we hung tough with Harvard, even though they beat us, that we beat MIT, and I was very proud of the way we beat BC 14-13, a big rival.” Powell elaborated on the win against BC saying, “We were losing to BC 12-13. The first team to win 14 bouts wins the meet. Julian Cardillo [a first-year foil fencer] tied the meet at 13-13 during his bout, meaning that the next bout would win. My bout was next, and I won that bout to win the meet, which I was proud of both on an individual level and for the team.”

Powell also expressed that Cardillo has been performing amazingly this season and is arguably one of the best first-year fencers in the country.

A large number of Brandeis students attended the Beanpot in Gosman to cheer on the team.

One spectator, Dan Leisman ’14, said he really enjoyed chanting

and cheering on his friends. In fact, fans were so loud that at one point a referee threatened to issue a Level 3 Red Card if they did not calm down, which would require them to leave for the rest of the meet.

“The fans were amazing,” said Powell. “A lot of my friends came out and a lot of friends of other teammates came out and were cheering like crazy, which really fired us up. It definitely fired me up and helped drive me to win.

President Lawrence and his chief of staff were also there. It was pretty funny actually, I didn’t notice he was there when I had just won a pretty close bout and immediately walked to the end of the strip, saw him, shook his hand and then shook hands with my opponent.”

The men’s and women’s teams next duel is on Feb. 27 at Mount Holyoke in the New England Championships.

1. Spurs (45-9): The Spurs have a seven-game lead for the number one seed in the west and are on pace to win 65 games. Their infusion of young players has kept their aging core of Duncan, Ginobili and Parker rested and primed for a long playoff run.

2. Celtics (40-14): The Celtics have controlled the top spot in the east for a whopping 83 days this season compared to Miami’s three. With the majority of injured players beginning to get ready to return, Boston will not be an easy out.

3. Mavericks (39-16): Despite all the trade talks whirling around the team, Dirk Nowitzki is back playing at an MVP level, and bench players Peja and Barea have stepped up. With Beaubois making his return from injury this week and Caron Butler primed to return from knee surgery in time for the playoffs, the Mavericks should not be taken lightly.

4. Bulls (37-16): If you can’t remember the last time the Bulls had 30 wins before the all-star break, I’ll remind you. Rewind to ’97-’98 for Jordan’s final season as a Bull when they started 34-15 and they had a three-peat.

5. Heat (41-15): While the Heat’s Big Three —Lebron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade —continue to put up video-game numbers, the rest of the team fails to perform. Sheer talent will allow you to bully the bottom-feeders of the league, but without an actual team, the Heat will not be able to

get past juggernauts such as Boston or the Lakers.

6. Lakers (38-19): Keep the panic button close. After a strong start to their Grammy road trip with victories against Boston and New York, the Lakers have now gotten spanked in three consecutive losses by the Magic, the Bobcats and the Cavaliers. Look for trade rumors to heat up during the all-star break.

7. Magic (36-21): While the Lakers are stumbling, they singlehandedly breathed life back into the Magic’s championship hopes.

Before defeating the Lakers this past Sunday, the Magic had lost eight straight to teams with winning records. The Magic are reminding us they’re not the only title contender in Florida.

8. Thunder (35-19): The preseason darlings are not shying away from the high expectations set for them. Led by scoring leader Kevin Durant and emerging superstar Russell Westbrook, the Thunder is THE team to watch going into the playoffs and they have the potential to establish a dynasty during the next 10 years.

9. Grizzlies (31-26): Even though the Grizzlies wouldn’t be in the playoffs if they started right now, they are on pace to grab the sixth seed with the decline of the Jazz and Nuggets. With a core of young talent, the future is bright for the Grizzlies.

10. 76ers (27-29): Though the 76ers are below .500, they will likely pass New York for the sixth spot by the end of the season. The 76ers are an increasingly able defensive team holding the Spurs

to just 71 points in a victory last week.

11. Trail Blazers (32-24): Despite an injury-ravaged roster, with Greg Oden sidelined again and Brandon Roy requiring possible career-ending knee surgery, the Blazers have stormed to the fifth spot in the West behind the remarkable play of LaMarcus Aldridge.

12. Hornets (33-25): Without defensive staple Emeka Okafor, the Hornets have now lost nine of their past 11 games. With all-star point guard Chris Paul, however, the Hornets will never be completely out of anything.

13. Nuggets (32-25): With the whirling trade talks revolving around Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets continue to slide down the rankings in the west. With the trade deadline fast approaching, however, expect the Nuggets to become more consistent if Carmelo ends up staying or drop off the map if he leaves.

14. Hawks (34-21): One has to wonder how the Hawks have managed to maintain the fifth spot in the East after blowing a 22-point lead to the hapless Bobcats. Losses like that are why nobody considers the Hawks a viable threat in the East.

15. Suns (27-26): The Suns continue their ill-advised focus on keeping Steve Nash and making a run to nowhere in the playoffs.

The Suns would be well-advised to trade Nash for younger talent and draft picks instead of mortgaging their future on an aging all-star.

8 SPORTS

The Brandeis Hoot

February 18, 2011

UAA standings

Fast track facts

B asketball

Women’s standings Team UAA Chicago 11-0 Washington (Mo.) 9-2 Rochester 7-4 Case Western 6-5 NYU 6-5 Brandeis 3-8 Emory 2-9 Carnegie Mellon 0-11

All 19-3 18-4 17-5 12-10 12-10 11-11 9-13 2-20

B.U. Valentine’s Classic

Men’s standings Team UAA All Rochester 10-1 18-4 Emory 9-2 18-4 Brandeis 5-6 15-7 Washington (Mo.) 5-6 11-11 Chicago 5-6 8-14 Case Western 4-7 8-14 NYU 3-8 14-8 Carnegie Mellon 3-8 6-15

B ox s cores Women’s basketball Judges Carnegie Mellon Win 59-54 Case Western Loss 49-45

Men’s basketball Judges Carnegie Mellon Win 80-63 Case Western Win 55-53

Men’s events 60-meter dash Vincent Asante: eighth place: 7.04 seconds.

Stanley Xuelin: 55th place: 7.38 seconds.

200-meter dash Vincent Asante: 27th place: 22.44 seconds Charlie Pino: 55th place: 22.88 seconds.

800-meter run Mik Kern: 70th place: 1:57.25 Mile run Devon Holgate: 35th place: 4:13.95 Taylor Dundas: 53rd place: 4:18.35 Ben Bray: 81st place: 4:21.96 3,000-meter run Ed Colvin: 57th place: 8.32.53 Dan Anastos: 79th place: 8:41.37 5,000 meter run Paul Norton: 11th place: 14:32.35 Long jump Charlie Pino: 13th place: 6.35 meters.

Women’s events 400-meter dash Casey McGown: 55th place: 1:00.98 Anifreed Sinjour: 57th place: 1:01.03 1,000-meter run Victoria Sanford: 34th place: 3:06.54 Mile run Marie Lemay: 49th place: 5:08.08 3,000-meter run Hannah Lindholm: 75th place: 10:40.73 High jump Lilly Parenteau: 14th place: 1.58 meters Long jump Luci Capano: 20th place: 4.78 meters Triple jump Luci Capano: 9th place: 11.14 meters

Kim Farrington: 17th place: 10.64 meters.

Only scores in the top 90 per event are listed. For full scores visit www.brandeisjudges.com

GRAPHICS FROM Internet source

Offseason in review: Boston Red Sox

BY EDWIN GONZALEZ Special to The Hoot

As the dust settled after the World Series last fall, the 2011 Red Sox began their preparations for Spring Training. The 2010 Red Sox finished with a record of 89-73 that landed them in third place in the highly competitive American League East Division (AL East). General Manager Theo Epstein had to be very ambitious this off-season if he wanted his team to stand a chance against the Yankees and the other teams in the AL East. With the right amount of fresh blood the Red Sox can have a chance to compete again, assuming that the players manage to stay healthy.

In late October, Tim Wakefield, the longest-serving member of the Boston Red Sox was awarded the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet.

In his career, Wakefield’s knuck-

leball style earned him 193 wins, a 4.38 earned run average (ERA) and 2,063 strikeouts—impressive numbers for a pitcher with a fastball in the low 60 mph. The Roberto Clemente Award foreshadowed the successful off-season the Red Sox would later have.

Several of Boston’s coveted players became free agents this off-season. Those coveted players who also finished their contracts included David “Big Papi” Ortiz, who had a .270 batting average, 32 home runs and 102 runs batted in; Adrian Beltre, who had a .321 average, 28 home runs and 102 runs batted in; and Victor Martinez, who hit for a .302 average, 20 home runs and 79 runs batted in.

Jason Bay, who replaced Manny Ramirez in left field, additionally became a free agent. In 2010, Bay hit for a .257 batting average, six home runs and 47 runs batted in. With all that run production, the Red Sox potentially could

Judges sweep weekend JUDGES (from p. 6)

half deficit to earn their fifth win of the season by three points or less with a 55-53 victory against Case Western Reserve. With the win, Brandeis improved to 15-7 (5-6 University Athletic Association (UAA)) while Case Western fell to 8-14 (4-7 UAA).

Brandeis’ bench was a primary reason for the victory by outscoring Case’s bench 29-8. Dascy led the team with 11 points on 2-of-6 shooting and 7-of-9 from the line while Freeman finished with a career high 10, hitting 3-of-5 from the floor and 4-of-4 from the line.

The Judges finished the game with

a 41-30 edge on the boards thanks to a career-best 11 rebounds by Yemga in his final home game.

For Case, Fowler finished with 22 points on 6-of-15 shooting including 2-of-4 from downtown and 8-of-8 from the line. Summers added 17 points on 7-of-13 from the floor and 3-of-6 from the line.

The Judges will close their season away during the February break. Friday night the University of Chicago will host them followed by a quick trip to Washington University (Miss.). The Judges’ season finale will be Saturday, Feb. 26 at NYU.

have lost a large portion of offensive power this off-season, going against the Red Sox’s history as a powerhouse. If Theo Epstein did not plan on signing any of these players again, the Red Sox would have been left crippled offensively.

The players that were released included left fielder Jason Bay, catcher Victor Martinez,and third baseman Adrian Beltre. Bay, Beltre and Martinez hit a combined 54 home runs during the 2010 season and they also batted in a combined 228 runs. The Sox would be in series trouble if they did not replace these power hitters.

The Red Sox countered their losses with acquisitions of major talent including former righthanded setup pitcher for the Chicago White Sox Bobby Jenks. In the 2010 season Jenks had a 14-18 record, 3.40 ERA and has earned 173 saves in his career; Jenks now has a two-year $12 million contract with the Red Sox. The Red Sox also acquired Adrian Gonzalez, former first baseman for the San Diego Padres for eight years, for an estimated $161 million.

Gonzalez was the No. 1 draft pick in 2000 and since then has hit 161 home runs with the Padres with 501 runs batted in. The Red Sox also signed defensive all-star Carl Crawford. Crawford played center field for the Tampa Bay Rays and was awarded the 2010 Golden Glove award for outstanding defense in Center Field. Crawford will be in Boston for seven years at $142 million.

Crawford, Gonzalez and Jenks were the three biggest acquisitions for the Red Sox during the 2010-2011 off-season. At a combined $315 million, these three players add to the Red Sox the key element that haunted them last season—stability. Crawford has won many Golden Glove awards for his outstanding defense in the outfield and his speed on the bases will only help the Sox produce runs. Gonzalez is a power threat and is never afraid to hit a home run in the ninth and, since the Sox released Jason Bay and Victor Martinez, Gonzalez’s power is surely welcomed. Jenks is a solid addition to the Sox’s bullpen and will help set-up for the closer, Jonathan Papelbon.

My predictions for the batting order for 2011 are as follows: Jacoby Ellsbury batting first, followed

by Dustin Pedroia, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz, J.D. Drew, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and, batting ninth, Marco Scutaro. The pitching rotation most likely will be Jon

GRAPHIC FROM Internet source

Lester pitching first, followed by Clay Bucholz, Josh Beckett, John Lackey and lastly Daisuke Matsuzaka. Daniel Bard, who had a 1.93 ERA in 2010, Bobby Jenks, Dan Wheeler and the closer Jonathan Papelbon will most likely be in the bullpen.

The Red Sox had a quiet offseason from October through November, but in December the acquisition of Crawford, Gonzalez and Jenks sent the strong message that the Red Sox are gunning for the top spot this season.

With injuries and health maladies plaguing the Red Sox in 2010, a priority this Spring Training must be health. Recently acquired Adrian Gonzalez is fresh from surgery and Kevin Youkilis is as well. Assuming that all the players are healthy, the Jenks, Bard and Papelbon trio could prove to be deadly deep in games. Both Papelbon and Jenks are coming off of a subpar season in 2010 and will have plenty to prove in 2011.

Sitting on top of the Red Sox rotation are two of the best pitchers in the league: 27-year-old Jon Lester and 26-year-old Clay Buchholz.

Bucholz and Lester in 2010 combined for a 36-16 record and only allowed 23 home runs between them in 381 2/3 innings. It is difficult to imagine how pitchers facing the Boston lineup will be successful. A lineup that includes names like: Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and David Ortiz. With Golden Glove-caliber defense and a powerful offense, the Boston Red Sox have once again set themselves up to be a dominant force in the AL East.

February 18, 2011

ARTS, ETC.

The Brandeis Hoot 5

Professors discuss Shakespeare’s First Folio Event allows glimpse at special collections treasures

BY SEAN FABERY Editor

It feels almost silly stating that William Shakespeare is, without a doubt, the most prominent figure in the English literary canon.

Virtually everyone who has ever taken a high school English class has, at some point, read one of his plays, whether it be “Romeo and Juliet” or “Hamlet.” Countless theater groups dedicate themselves solely to performing his works, while film directors never tire of finding new ways of bringing the bard to the movies. Without the publication of one key collection of his works, however, he may never have attained that stature. That text—known today simply as the First Folio—ensured his legend upon its initial publication in 1623.

Members of the Brandeis community received the unique opportunity to view an original copy of the First Folio on Feb. 16 in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall. The event was part of the new Close Looking discussion series, which promotes the exploration of the relationship between the humanities and unique artifacts owned by the university.

A discussion led by Professors Ramie Targoff (ENG) and Adrianne Krstansky (THA) accompanied the viewing. Targoff began by delving into the history of the First Folio’s publication.

John Hemmings and Henry Condell, two members of Shakespeare’s acting troupe, compiled the Folio’s 36 plays and published the volume seven years after Shakespeare’s death.

The two published the book using large pages which were termed folios; the first edition of the (almost) complete works of Shakespeare consequently became popularly known as the First Folio.

At the time, only the most important works—think the Bible or books of law—were published in the folio format.

“This was reserved for important books … [so this publication] elevated it to a level that would have been surprising for many people,” Targoff said.“Plays were [critically] considered the equivalent of screenplays now.”

Half of the Folio’s 36 plays had been previously published in the smaller quarto format. The publishers of these quartos compiled them primarily from different actors’ scripts, so some were heavily corrupted.

In terms of quality, Targoff described them as the “equivalent of cheap paperbacks,” meaning that the folio “represented a big leap forward.”

While many of his plays had been previously published, half of the productions included in the Folio had never seen publication.

These include some of Shake-

PHOTO BY Paula Hoekstra/The Hoot

FOLIO FIRST: Professor Ramie Targoff (ENG) discussed the publication history of Shakespeare’s First Folio and noted its key role in preserving Shakespeare’s legacy.

speare’s most famous plays like “Macbeth,” “Julius Caesar” and “Twelfth Night.”

“We would have had less than half of Shakespeare’s plays [without the Folio],” Targoff said,

though she noted that the Folio omits four of the plays commonly ascribed to the playwright, including “Pericles, Prince of Tyre” and “The Two Noble Kinsmen.”

While the Folio’s cover page ad-

vertises itself as containing “the True Originall Copies” of all 36 plays contained therein, the text often conflicts with the previously published quartos. In many cases, it remains unclear which is the correct text.

“Some of the plays have four, five, six different versions … it was anyone’s guess [which was correct]. We do not have any of Shakespeare’s manuscripts,” said Targoff.

Blatant errors occur within the Folio itself. Its rendition of “Anthony and Cleopatra,” for instance, features no act or scene divisions. Most strikingly, its “Romeo and Juliet” lacks the famous prologue, which was only recovered due to its inclusion in an earlier quarto edition of the play.

Errors aside, the First Folio ultimately solidified Shakespeare’s reputation as a premiere playwright. Contemporary playwrights like Thomas Middleton slipped into comparative obscurity, while the bard’s plays remain part of our cultural consciousness.

Krstansky continued the discussion by describing the way Shakespeare has helped actors past and present in performing his material.

Krstansky spoke at length about the way Shakespeare highlighted See FOLIO p. 13

Pet prescription: new remedy to common problems

BY GABBY KATZ Staff

After imprisonment in the library all week from studying for pre-break midterms, it seems as though many are craving social interactions beyond the frozen Canadian geese squawking on the Great Lawn. Since you’re preparing for February break, I thought it would be a good time to suggest purchasing something that could bring you continuous companionship both throughout the break and rest of the school year.

No, not a hooker or a JDATE account; I am thinking more along the lines of a pet. According to the CDC, NIH and MSN, having a pet can provide a multitude of health benefits for your mental, social and physical health!

Pets like dogs can help fight weight gain. A recent study by St. George’s University shows that kids with dogs take 360 more steps and exercise 11 minutes more per day than kids without dogs exercise. This, in turn, can combat high triglyceride levels and cholesterol levels while lowering any heart disease risks that are associated with being overweight. In previous articles, I’ve outlined the benefits of exercise, but, just to reiterate, exercising more with your puppy can increase the release of

endorphins and make you a happier person.

OK, so your Great Dane makes your forced triple a little too squished (not to mention that it’s also illegal in the dorms), but no problem—cuddling with any furry pet can help bring zen to your life. As Ph.D. sociologist Christine Carter explained to The Huffington Post, research from Buffalo University shows that adult pet owners had lower blood pressure when responding to stress than adults without pets. The CDC also says petting your furry pets can decrease feelings of loneliness, and playing with your pets can increase your levels of dopamine and serotonin, both of which are natural anti-depressants. In addition, there’s something to be said about coming home to someone that unconditionally loves you.

After all, how could you not be happy after a slobbery kiss?

Owning a pet, furthermore, can decrease depression through potential involvement in a social network of pet owners. If you’re shy, talking about your pet can be an easy way to open yourself up to others and create new opportunities for socialization. Pets can facilitate matchmaking, as many people initially find their soul mates through a shared love of animals. EHarmony has some

PUPPY LOVE: Columnist Gabby Katz found a kind of true love with her dog Tova.

serious competition with Lassie.

Lastly, many studies now indicate that having a pet helps prevent the development of allergies.

A study by the Medical College of Georgia shows that kids who live with pets are 50 percent less likely to develop allergies than kids who do not, an outcome which results from the endotoxins introduced by pets to their owners. In an interview with Fox News, researcher M.D. James Gern stated that

people who grow up with furry pets have a lower risk of developing asthma, allergies and eczema.

I know my dog Tova is the queen of our household and, when any one of my family members has a bad day, she seems to absorb all the sadness just by sitting on their lap. She’s also always glad to be my snuggle buddy every Valentine’s Day and never expects me to buy her flowers. Really, what else could I ask for? With PET-

PHOTO COURTESY OF Gabby Katz/The Hoot

CO down the street from Main street and multiple local shelters in the area, a new friend is anxiously awaiting your adoption.

Enjoy your new furry friendship and remember that they help you as much as you help take care of them.

As always, tune in for more health tips and send me an e-mail at gkatz10@brandeis.edu with any health-related questions you may have.

10 ARTS, ETC.

The Brandeis Hoot

February 18, 2011

Mashes to mashes, dust to dust ...

Super Mash Bros. deliver a mashing good time

BY ALEX NORRIS Staff

I breezed into Levin Ballroom Saturday night feeling confident. “I’m on the list,” I said airily to the ticket-takers. They showed me in and I examined the room. There was about a third-of-a-Pachanga of people there —one Pachanga being defined as the number of people you can fit into Levin Ballroom before you immediately want to go take a shower. That number would increase to about half-a-Pachanga later on, but for now it was just the opening act. DJ Sensation was a consummate professional on the turntables, or whatever less-cool alternative to turntables we use in the digital age. So far this was basically a dance party, which is a perfectly acceptable use for Levin. However, I looked forward to seeing the musical virtuosos with whom Student Events had set us up.

I should probably mention at this point that I don’t really know anything about the art or science of mash-ups or, as it is known in the field, “putting a bunch of songs together.” Therefore, it is difficult for me to evaluate Super Mash Bros. on the skill or quality of their mash-ups based on what is ideal or possible. So let me deliver my damning critique based on what I heard and what I thought of it. Beware, it is quite harsh.

They were OK. Basically, they took a bunch of ’90s music and combined it with a bunch of hip-hop. But, honestly, I’m not sure what quality makes Super Mash Bros. a band and DJ Sensation just a DJ, sensa-

PHOTO BY Alexandra Zelle Rettman/The Hoot

MASHING IN LEVIN: Super Mash Bros. and DJ Sensation rocked out at Levin Ballroom, “mashing” songs together to create a danceable beat.

tional though he may be. There were a couple of times when I thought, “Oh, this is a combination of songs that works well,” but most of the time I just omitted the last three words. It was a little like hanging out with that one friend who switches songs every 30 seconds and listens to two radios at once. It is possible that only I have that friend, but you get the idea.

One of my friends allowed me to borrow his Super Mash Bros. music collection before the concert so I knew what I was getting myself into. A lot of the time I just found myself wondering why they felt

they needed an album full of other artists’ material. The existence of their albums also made me wonder whether they were doing anything up there on stage. We wouldn’t have known the difference.

That’s not to say it wasn’t fun. Once people realized that it was not a concert per se, they started dancing, and a good time was had by all. The one mood killer was the miscommunication at the end, which led to the band coming on for an encore and the lights immediately coming on. We all stood there for a second, thinking that everything would get figured out, but the Brandeis po-

lice took that as their cue to get everyone out of there. It was especially awkward for me, because I could now see all of the people with whom I had been hooking up. Then we all went to get our coats at the same time, leading to a human wave that the Levin coat room was not designed to sustain. A brief 50 minutes later, everyone was out. It was like some sort of miracle of coordination.

So ended my Super Mash Bros. experience, which will live on in my heart for another two weeks at least.

Also, those guys were Lakers fans. They shouldn’t be, because the Lakers suck.

PHOTOS BY Alexandra Zelle Rettman/The Hoot

And the winners will be ...

February 18, 2011

The Brandeis Hoot

ARTS, ETC.

11

By Sean Fabery, Editor

To paraphrase a wise man, nothing in life is certain save for death, taxes ... and the Academy Awards. Just as most Brandeis students will be returning to campus on Feb. 27, the 83rd iteration of the Oscars will be underway. Like every other year, this telecast—to be hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway—promises to be both delightful and infuriating.

Predicting the winners has become much easier as more and more awards programs have sprung up in recent years. Of course, the occasional surprise still occurs—just think of “Crash” beating “Brokeback Mountain” for Best Picture in 2005. So, taking the possibility of a few surprises into account, here are my predictions in the top categories.

PHOTOS FROM Internet sources

Best Director Historically, whoever directs the Best Picture winner almost always takes the director’s prize. This year, however, things are a little cloudier than usual. Director Tom Hooper has received plenty of acclaim for his direction of “The King’s Speech,” the most likely winner for Best Picture; however, this is only his third feature film, and he’s primarily known for his television work. In light of this, “The Social Network” director David Fincher—known for directing iconic films like “Seven” and “Fight Club”—may well take the prize. The other nominees—Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan”), David O. Russell (“The Fighter”), and Ethan and Joel Coen (“True Grit”)—are almost equally prolific, but their films lack the same momentum as Fincher’s.

Will win: David Fincher, “The Social Network” Could win: Tom Hooper, “The King’s Speech”

Best Picture

Though this marks the second year in which 10 films are in competition, this category is really a two-horse race between “The Social Network” and “The King’s Speech.” Initially “The Social Network” appeared to be the favorite; this dark, modern morality tale won virtually every critics’ prize. However, a recent turnaround occured in recent weeks, as “The King’s Speech” won award after award from the Hollywood guilds and also did big business at the box office. That, combined with the academy’s predillection for prestige films, seems to seal the film’s position as the frontrunner. The only film that could come out of nowhere to win at this point is “The Fighter,” which, with its strong ensemble, appears to be strong with the acting branch. For my money, though, the dark fairy tale “Black Swan” deserves to win this one.

Will win: “The King’s Speech” Could win: “The Social Network”

Best Actress

Many expected Annette Bening to finally win for her nuanced performance in “The Kids Are All Right;” she had been widely expected to win in 1999 for “American Beauty” and then in 2004 for “Being Julia,” but, in both instances, she lost to Hilary Swank. While Swank isn’t nominated this year, it doesn’t look like Bening will be able to eke out a win after all. Instead, Natalie Portman’s career-defining turn in “Black Swan” is almost guaranteed to win. Bening can take comfort in the fact that she’s part of one of the strongest fields of nominees in this category in recent years; in addition to Portman, she’s joined by Nicole Kidman as a grieving mother in “Rabbit Hole,” Michelle Williams as half of a crumbling marriage in “Blue Valentine” and Jennifer Lawrence as a young woman trying to save her family from foreclosure in “Winter’s Bone.”

Will win: Natalie Portman, “Black Swan” Could win: Annette Bening, “The Kids Are All Right”

Best Supporting Actress It seemed like Melissa Leo had this category in the bag thanks to her performance as a larger-thanlife mother in “The Fighter.” However, just as ballots were mailed out, she launched a personal ad campaign that made her seem overly desperate.

Now she appears to be in a dead heat with Hailee Steinfeld, the 14-year-old star of “True Grit.”

Considering that Steinfeld’s performance is in no way supporting, she really shouldn’t be in this category; that probably won’t be of concern to voters, though. Amy Adams could also be a threat, thanks to her tough performance in “The Fighter.” Helena Bonham Carter is unlikely to win due to the small size of her role in “The King’s Speech,” while voters probably see Jacki Weaver’s nomination for her work in “Animal Kingdom” as reward enough.

Will win: Hailee Steinfeld, “True Grit” Could win: Melissa Leo, “The Fighter”

Best Actor This year’s slate of Best Actor nominees includes Colin Firth and Jeff Bridges, both of whom received nominations in this category last year. While Bridges won that contest for his work in “Crazy Heart,” Firth will receive his award this year for his stirring performance as stuttering King George VI in “The King’s Speech.”

After years of strong work, nominees James Franco and Jesse Eisenberg finally received recognition for “127 Hours” and “The Social Network,” respectively, but both appear too young to win this category, which usually favors veteran actors.

Fellow nominee Javier Bardem, meanwhile, looks unlikely to win for his littleseen work in “Biutiful.”

Will win: Colin Firth, “The King’s Speech” Could win: James Franco, “127 Hours”

Best Supporting Actor Christian Bale won virtually every award for his performance in “The Fighter” this year. His role required him to lose weight and acquire a Boston accent; the Oscars love actors who transform themselves. He appears unbeatable.

His closest competition is Geoffrey Rush, who brought a quiet humanity to his character in “The King’s Speech.” Considering Rush already won, however, he appears unlikely to surprise.

Mark Ruffalo certainly deserves recognition for his portrayal of a dude-ish sperm donor in “The Kids Are All Right,” while fellow nominees John Hawkes and Jeremy Renner gave acclaimed performances in “Winter’s Bone” and “The Town,” respectively.

Will win: Christian Bale, “The Fighter” Could win: Geoffrey Rush, “The King’s Speech”

12 ARTS ,ETC.

The Brandeis Hoot

February 18, 2011

“The Duke”

Creative Writing

BY KAYLA DOS SANTOS Editor

When Veronica stomped onto the gravel track, head-down, blinking from the sunlight like a baby mole, Tim thought that the girl was going to punch him.

Every morning, Tim gulped down a glass of orange juice, ate a power bar and went to the town reservoir to run. He never listened to music. Once he had brought his iPod, but found that the tinny voices messed with his mental rhythm. The honking of the geese, the panting of the other runners, the sound of the gravel impacting beneath his feet—these were enough.

Veronica huffed, her pale face flushed, her brown hair limp with sweat. She was wearing a black turtleneck in the middle of a heat wave. Tim wondered if she was one of those Goth girls, the kind who listened to mopey music and drew morbid pictures on themselves with ink. She stood in his path, arms crossed and fingers hooked er’s house was fashioned to suit the needs of around her elbows. the family.

“Nice day, isn’t it?”

Tim’s mom helped design the office as it Tim jogged in place, “I guess,” he said, was where she wrote her historical romance already bored with the conversation. Two novels and spent most of her day. When miles to go. He pumped his legs up and Tim got ready to run, often before dawn, it down; he wasn’t going to sacrifice his exer- was normal for his mother to already be at cise for this twiggy girl. her computer jabbing at the keyboard with “We need to talk,” she said. She had thin one hand and holding a cup of coffee with lips, like two worms kissing. The girl was the other. If his father smelt like powdered giving Tim the creeps. sugar, his mom always smelt of roasted cof“Did you follow me here?” he asked. fee beans.

Veronica had wide eyes and frizzy dark The office was a small cramped space hair. He never noticed her at school, but that his mom deemed “cozy.” Wall-to-wall now he recalled seeing her once at the gym bookshelves were stuffed with dusty tomes. reading a paperback book on the bleach- Whenever Tim read a book from the library ers while the track team practiced. He only (which was such a rare event that his mom noticed then because his friend Mark had would peer over her thick lenses at him as pointed her out, “She’s if he had sprouted an sleeping with the coach.” extra limb) he would t’s about your mother sneeze so much that Mark thought everyone was having sex with every... She’s screwing my he suspected that he one else. Mr. Harris, the dad. was allergic to them. pudgy geometry teacher, They were all Victowas having an affair with - “The Duke” rian novels. His mom the school librarian, the always made the emvice principal Ms. Penny barrassing joke that was having sex with the school nurse, and she wrote enough about sex, she didn’t his classmates were going at it like squir- need to read about it too. rels. This was, of course, because Mark had The shelf above her desk and computer never gotten past first base. He was also had a copy of all of her books from “Dasmadly in love with Beth; a futile relation- tardly Duke” to “Dancing with the Duke.” ship because Beth lived in California and He ripped “Dastardly Duke” from the Mark’s only contact with her had been shelf. The paperback book was bright pink through an online dating site. with florid font and an illustration of a No, what had really caught Tim’s atten- shirtless Fabio riding a horse on the cover. tion was that Veronica was reading one of Fabio’s hair was depicted as if it was being his mom’s books, “Devilish Duke.” whipped back by a harsh wind. The Duke “Yeah, and I have a shrine of you in my Drake Englesbury was the romantic lead closet. Would you please take me to prom?” in all of his mom’s books. He often rode Her voice was heavy with sarcasm. “I didn’t in on a magnificent steed to save a damsel come here to ask you out. It’s about your from pirates, thieves, or scoundrels. He was mother.” noble, brave, and Tim thought a bit stupid.

Tim stopped jogging in place.

He flipped the novel open to a random “What?” page and read: “She’s screwing my dad.” She said this Drake picked up the young maiden as if with a peculiar expression on her face, as if she weighed nothing more than a loaf of she had bitten into something sour. bread and placed her on his faithful horse Tim walked into his mom’s office, not Juniper. caring that his sneakers dirtied the wo“Love, don’t be frightened,” he said, tossing ven carpet or that the water bottle he had his auburn locks over a strong shoulder. dropped to the floor was creating a damp “I am not your love! I have never seen mess. Since Veronica had told him the you before in my life. We must go back; the horrible thing about his mom, he had only dragon will kill my family if we do not,” the been capable of staccato thinking. beauty sobbed into Drake’s emerald cloak.

The room was empty. He kicked his “My apologies. You need not fear anymore. mother’s mahogany desk. He had barged I will be by your side until I am sure you and into the house, slamming doors and your family are out of danger,” the Duke stomping around hoping to confront her said. He knew that their time together would and she had dared to be absent. be brief, but there was something that drew The office was proof of his father’s love him to this strange, pretty girl. for his mom. When the house was being The Duke was always thinking drippy built, his father had insisted that the of- things like that. And in all of the books fice was the first room to be finished. Tim’s he fell deeply in love with the woman he Uncle Pete worked as a contractor who rescued only to forget her promptly in the despised what he termed “cookie-cutter next book in the series. shacks” and so he made sure that his brothTim had never been in love, but he hoped

I

GRAPHIC BY Ariel Wittenberg/The Hoot

it wasn’t like the romances in his mom’s books.

Was Veronica’s dad the Duke? Tim’s father certainly wasn’t.

His dad was losing his hair and had never saved anyone in his entire life. He smelled like powdered sugar and had a round, soft face. Every weekend when Tim was little his father brought home a brown paper bag filled with buttery croissants, Italian cookies and cupcakes from The Doughboy, the bakery he owned. This stopped when Tim was 12 and his stomach rolled over the waist of his jeans like an inner tube had melded to his body. His mother suggested that he join the track team and his father stopped bringing sweets home.

Tim tossed the book onto the desk, knocking a ceramic mug over. He picked up the mug and placed it upright, thankful that it had been empty. Something, though, made him take it again in his hands. Since the mug had been made with pudgy fingers, the rim was misshapen and the blue paint had been sloppily applied, traces of brush bristles leaving feathery marks. A wisp of a memory settled lightly on Tim’s conscious.

He was in a basement, possibly one of his father’s baker friends because of the intoxicating smell of warm cookies. His hands were wet with clay. He had made this mug.

He was four and couldn’t read the cards at the convenience store, so he had frowned at his father and had said, “Mom doesn’t want that.” At that early age he had already connected his mom with coffee mugs and he had wanted to make her one.

He flopped down on the chair, drawing his knees up to his chest and balancing the mug that he had made and hadn’t recognized on top of them. He wondered where his mom had decided to go so early in the morning. Tim gazed around at the empty room once more and wished he knew what his mom wanted now.

At the reservoir he had shoved that Veronica girl and she had fallen onto the gravel. Her stupid black turtleneck got dirty.

She threw a fistful of gravel at Tim, but she had horrible aim and the rocks flew harmlessly past his shoulder. “It’s not my fault, moron!” she shouted.

Tim suddenly thought how this must look. Some of his neighbors jogged along the reservoir. He offered a hand to help her up, but she pushed the gesture aside and scrambled up by herself.

“Look,” he said, wiping sweat from the back of his neck, “I don’t know you, but my parents are happy.” The shape of the words felt awkward in his mouth.

“Happy people don’t have affairs,” Veronica replied.

Shadows rimmed her eyes; she hadn’t been sleeping. For the first time Tim noticed how short Veronica was compared to him. She picked gravel off of her jeans and Tim pretended that he hadn’t seen her blink back tears.

“Why did you tell me this?” he asked.

“You’re going to help me end it.”

Read the next installment of “The Duke” in the next issue of The Hoot.

Are you the next Charles Dickens?

... or even the next Stephenie Meyer?

Prove it!

Submit your creative fiction, poetry and personal essays to The Hoot!

E-mail arts@thebrandeishoot.com today!

February 18, 2011

FOLIO (from p. 9)

The Brandeis Hoot

ARTS, ETC.

Folio discussion first in series

moments of great emotion by using verse, reserving prose for less important moments.

“He quite brilliantly puts tons of acting cues in his text so that actors generations after he passed away would know what he was thinking,” Krstansky said.

Krstansky credits his use of iambic pentameter for the way in which his plays continue to connect with audiences.

“Iambic pentameter is the same as your heartbeat, so you carry the iambic pentameter in your body … it appeals to a very visceral, guttural place in people,” said Krstansky.

Prior to the discussion, special collections librarian Sarah Shoemaker spoke of the Folio’s history in the university’s archives.

Its copy of the First Folio—one of 228 still in existence—was donated by Alan Bluestein in 1961, who bought it specifically for the university. Bluestein also donated

a second edition of the Folio in 1962, along with a fourth edition in 1963. Both were displayed alongside the First Folio and are themselves immensely valuable; the second edition, for instance, features what is widely believed to be the first published work by poet John Milton.

Though the First Folio was originally bound, the Special Collections Department chose to remove its binding; the book had been bound so tightly that it had damaged its fragile paper. The university’s copy was then subsequently digitized in 1999 through the Perseus Project at Tufts, allowing everyone access to its contents.

The discussion marked the first of four Close Looking sessions planned for this semester.

Future editions will examine Natalie Frank’s painting “The Czech Bride” and the original manuscript for Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22.”

PHOTO BY Paula Hoekstra/The Hoot

BOUND: Special collections librarian Sarah Shoemaker detailed the history of the

Arts Recommends |

Not everyone has the time to see the latest films or read the newest bestseller. We make some recommendations that you can pick up at the nearest library.

Film ‘Catch Me If You Can’ Can’t get enough of Leonardo DiCaprio? Even if he isn’t your favorite actor, you should give Steven Spielberg’s clever con-artist film a chance. Based on the true-life story of Frank Abagnale Jr., who impersonated a teacher, a doctor, a lawyer and a PanAm pilot in order to con banks out of large sums of money—“Catch Me If You Can” is a fun and smart cat-and-mouse flick.

Tom Hanks plays Carl Hanratty, an intelligent but underestimated investigator who pursues Abagnale as his cons span states and countries, growing larger and larger in scale. Hanks cleverly conveys his enjoyment of the chase and his sympathy, and later his respect for the young and brilliant swindler. DiCaprio, in turn, portrays Abagnale as a smug chameleon with a vulnerable interior life.

Spielberg’s film captures the allure and danger of assuming different identities.—KDS

Book ‘A Passage to India’

Are you an armchair traveler? Travel to Asia in E.M. Forster’s celebrated novel “A Passage to India.” Forster explores what happens when two radically different cultures collide. When Miss Quested travels to British-occupied India in order to decide whether or not to marry, she finds herself immersed in a vibrant and foreign world. Miss Quested befriends local Dr. Aziz, which launches a series of events that leads to an explosive confrontation between two diverse peoples. Forster, who also wrote the romance “A Room With A View,” depicts the difficulty and importance of communicating and forming relationships cross cultures. Pick this novel up if you want an absorbing psychological read set in the context of national struggle. Besides, no one writes dialogue better than Forster.—KDS

Film ‘Hannah and Her Sisters’

Imitating the structure of an intricate Russian novel, Woody Allen once again tackles the comic dimensions of love and family in “Hannah and Her Sisters” (1986), one of the director’s most endearing films. Allen weaves numerous stories around three sisters and their romantic entanglements. The eponymous Hannah (Mia Farrow) serves as the dysfunctional family’s rock, an undemanding source of comfort for younger sisters Lee (Barbara Hershey) and Holly (Dianne Wiest). Lee is adrift, attaching herself to one intellectual man after another; one of them happens to be Hannah’s nebbish husband, Elliot (Michael Caine). Holly, meanwhile, finds herself resenting Hannah’s stability as her acting career flounders. As clichéd as it sounds, the film is simply a joy to watch; Allen imbues the film with a warmth that persists despite the comic pessimism that marks all his works. While some of his characters make bad decisions, you never lose sympathy for them because they’re so richly-drawn.—SF

Book ‘The History of Love’

Nicole Krauss’ “The History of Love” seems to operate on the thesis that there are many ways to love but only one way to be lonely. Old locksmith Leo Gursky lives alone in his New York City apartment, daily mourning the decades-old loss of his childhood girlfriend. On the other side of the city, young Alma Singer tries to help her mother cope with the loss of her father. Though both Alma and Leo deeply feel the absence of different kinds of love, they are united by a shared loneliness. More mysteriously, the two are connected via an obscure Argentinean novel, “The History of Love,” which has deeply impacted both of their lives; Alma was named after its protagonist, while Leo has a complex relationship with its author. It’s an enchanting novel aided by Krauss’ prose, which is always charming even if the novel feels slight at times.—SF PHOTOS FROM Internet sources

13

IMPRESSIONS Give Sherman a second chance

14 The Brandeis Hoot

BY ARIEL MADWAY Special to the Hoot

During orientation week, the only dining option was Sherman Dining Hall. To put it lightly, the food selection was quite poor, much more limited than during the regular semester and, although there weren’t many students to feed, provisions continued to run out. The orientation leaders told us not to be disheartened by the sub-par food as, once orientation was finished, we could eat at the wonderful Usdan instead. With this glimmer of hope, I ignored my stomach’s complaints.

The first night that Usdan reopened, I eagerly embarked on the trek up campus. I expected to be wowed by the choices. I selected some soup, pasta and a piece of cantaloupe. The quantities of each were small but, nonetheless, it came in just more than a meal (I blame the cantaloupe for being heavy). Everything tasted fine; nothing was incredible. Still not fully satiated, I left my first Usdan experience with a heavy heart: it just wasn’t everything it had been made out to be.

Although I had vowed during orientation never to return, the next night I found myself back at Sherman. As the semester was back in swing, the assortment of food had grown tremendously.

Aside from the pre-made dishes and salad and sandwich fillings, there was stir-fry, omelets and a working grill. Plate loaded with stir-fry and salad, I sat down to attack my dinner. The food was surprisingly tasty. And, the best part was, I could accompany my

February 18, 2011

dinner with coffee and finish it off with a delicious banana; all for the price of a single meal. For the first time in weeks I was honestly full and satisfied.

Sherman is one of the most underappreciated facilities on campus. Students eating at Sherman not only get to choose what they want to eat, from a fairly wide assortment of Kosher, vegetarian and carnivorous options, but also have the opportunity to change their choice if they are displeased—or if they just wish to

add variety to their life. At Usdan this is exceptionally far from the case: Once something unsatisfactory is selected, you are stuck … forced to either eat an unsavory dinner or to put a meal to waste.

While eating at Usdan may be an appropriate remedy for the freshman fifteen, the carefully portioned servings leave much to be desired. After a day full of stressful classes and piles of work or a lengthy visit to Gosman, a single helping of food and glass of soda just may not hit the spot.

At Sherman, a student can eat and drink as much as he or she desires; and, without digging into points, pile on extra calories in ice cream, cookies and m&m’s (or, if looking for a healthier option, fresh fruit).

Sherman is also one of the best places for community building.

What better way to create connections with peers than digging in to a plateful of steaming fries or sharing a brownie? Without individual meals like in Usdsan, Sherman provides the opportunity for family-style meals—a bonding

experience. Not to mention, the all-you-can-eat buffet tends to lead to more extended stays. With the continual service, there is no reason to relocate once swiped into the dining hall. Aided by an ever-playing soundtrack and the constant company of friends, it is easy to spend hours procrastinating to the smell of cooking food.

So, no matter your current preference of on-campus eating, give Sherman a second chance. It deserves one.

GRAPHIC BY Steven Wong/The Hoot

Smoke stinks, in fact, it really stinks

BY GORDY STILLMAN Editor

Last week’s Hoot featured a column in the impressions section titled “Get off our butts,” which defended the right of smokers to smoke. While I may think smoking is incredibly stupid, and I would even openly go out of my way to disrespect anyone in my family that smokes (former smokers excluded), I certainly think that smokers have their rights; to the extent that they do not interfere with the rights of myself and other non-smokers.

Last week’s column seems to agree with a New York Times editorial that feels New York City overstepped its power

when it voted to ban outdoor smoking in public places including Times Square. I fundamentally disagree. While I may be a little biased, as my hometown was among the first in Minnesota to restrict smoking and to implement some of the most restrictive rules on smoking until a state ban went into effect a couple of years later, it still doesn’t invalidate the fact that smoking affects not only smokers but also the many people around them.

I feel Brandeis does not go far enough in regulating smoking on campus. It is nearly impossible to make it from south campus, namely the Village, up to the top of Rabb without having to smell the odious stench of cigarette smoke. Brandeis walkways

all stem from a central pathway that cuts through campus; without designated smoking areas, students short on time have no option but to walk the path between Usdan and the libraries as well as right up the Rabb steps, which are both crowded “choke points.” Whenever I see this, and have the time, I try to cut though the Usdan courtyard and either use the North Quad entrance to Rabb Quad or go through the Mandel Center.

Perhaps one of the easiest things Brandeis can do is increase awareness and enforcement of the smoking regulations already in place. At the very least, that could potentially decrease the frequency of having to walk outside right into a wall of smoke. I hope to see designat-

ed smoking areas implemented before I graduate; possibly located in each residence quad and off to the side of the main campus walkway, these would allow smokers to smoke peacefully without impacting on nonsmokers.

It’s easy to see why many smokers might object to this. Aside from the debate on whether it’s acceptable to put non-smoker’s rights above smoker’s rights, there is the matter that it gets pretty damn cold in the winter.

From this it’s easy to see why smokers do not want to step any farther than they have to before lighting up. I propose that within these smoking areas space heaters be installed. Not only would this make the designated smoking areas warmer, but it

would also make them marginally better than current smoking locations.

On the bigger issue of people’s rights, my stance is quite simple.

One person’s rights only go to the point at which it interferes with the rights of someone else. A smoker’s right to smoke is only protected up until the point at which it interferes with a non-smoker’s right to not only not smoke, but to not inhale secondhand smoke. That being said, non-smokers would not have the right to be in designated smoking areas without essentially forfeiting their right not to be around smoke. As last week’s column pointed out, Louis Brandeis once said “we have the right to be left alone.” Smok See SMOKING p. 15

February 18, 2011

The Brandeis Hoot

IMPRESSIONS

15

Choking on smokers’ rights SMOKING (from p. 14)

ers do have the right to be left alone—alone to smoke somewhere that doesn’t interfere with the rights of non-smokers.

This would not only improve the barrier that protects the rights of both groups of students, but it would also improve the campus in general. Outside of dormitories and other “preferred” smoking locations, the ground can be covered with cigarette butts and empty packs.

Aside from the disgusting display of littering, this would be a chance not only to remove this problem but also prevent this in the future. By regulating where smoking is allowed and placing proper discard receptacles, our campus will additionally look nicer as students will be able to walk to class without having to step on a slew of discarded trash.

The column last week cited the situation at Washington University in St. Louis as an example of why banning smoking on campus would be more of a problem than a solution.

In questioning the right of that university to regulate smoking, or rather outright ban smoking, the column neglects a key

Book of Matthew

BY BRET MATTHEW Editor

Push people around long enough and, eventually, they will push back. Just ask Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.

More than 1,000 Madison teachers called in sick Wednesday and Thursday to protest Governor Walker’s proposed budget, which will cut public employees’ salaries and prevent them from negotiating with their employers.

A shortage of substitute teachers forced Madison schools to close both days.

There were no more pencils and no more books, but there were plenty of dirty looks as these mad-as-hell teachers joined 30,000 public employees and their supporters in a massive rally outside the state Capitol Wednesday, where a public hearing on the bill was being held.

Walker, a conservative Republican who is just beginning his first term, claims that his budget is necessary to close Wisconsin’s projected $137 million deficit.

The budget will force state workers to increase their pension contributions to 5.8 percent of their salaries and will double their health insurance premium contributions to 12.6 percent. It will also eliminate collective bargaining—the process by which

detail. Private universities have the right to set rules and regulations on their property. We pay large sums of money to attend school at a private university.

By attending Brandeis, or any other private school, students effectively consent to an unspoken contract where said school will provide students with a high quality education, and possibly a bed and roof, on the condition that students will abide by the rules and regulations it sets. In this we are much like apartment tenants; we have to abide by the rules the landlord sets forth.

I have never smoked, and I never will. If I could, I would avoid smoke to the fullest extent possible. During winter break the U.S. Surgeon General published research suggesting that secondhand smoke was even more dangerous than most people believe. “There is no riskfree level of exposure,” the report said. While many things we all do throughout the day have risks, smoking is one that many are exposed to without any level of consent. Smokers may have consented to those risks, but I sure as hell didn’t.

GRAPHIC BY Steven Wong/The Hoot

The plight of the Wisconsin state worker unions and employers negotiate working conditions—except when it comes to wage increases.

These can still be negotiated, but only up to the rate of inflation defined by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Voters must approve any larger wage increases in a referendum.

For the average Wisconsin state worker making $42,000 a year, these changes mean an unexpected, non-negotiable $4,000 pay cut.

Labor unions are accustomed to making concessions in tough economic times, and often do it willingly: Back in December, Wisconsin state employee unions gave up $100 million to help lessen the state’s budgetary problems. But the key word here is “willingly.” It’s one thing if Walker had merely tried to negotiate more concessions from state workers. Forcing them off the table and out of the negotiation room is another thing entirely.

Collective bargaining is a fundamental right, recognized not only by Wisconsin and the federal government, but also by international human rights law. It is the only peaceful way, short of a strike, for groups of workers to level a playing field that is stacked in favor of corporate and government bosses who would gladly pay their employees company scrip if given the chance. In a sense, it is a form of workplace

democracy.

That is why so many workers— union and non-union—have turned up to protest Walker’s power grab. Wisconsin has a long labor history: It passed one of the nation’s first collective bargaining laws in 1959. Its citizens know that the fate of one group of workers at the hands of employers affects the fate of all workers. Even police and firefighters joined the protesters on Wednesday. (Their unions were actually exempt from Walker’s restrictions because they—surprise—endorsed him in the election).

Some ties can’t be severed by politics.

Heck, even the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers released a statement in support of state workers.

“The right to negotiate wages and benefits is a fundamental underpinning of our middle class,” it read. “When workers join together it serves as a check on corporate power and helps ALL [sic] workers by raising community standards.”

In some ways, the protest is working. Though Republicans command a majority in both houses of the Wisconsin state legislature, Democrats in the state senate have delayed a vote on the budget by literally walking out the door—and denying senate leaders the quorum they need to be-

gin debate. Still, Walker is deadly serious about this bill and has ordered the state police to track down the runaway Democratic senators who, it’s been rumored, have left the state all together.

Walker has also threatened—on Fox News, no less—to deploy the National Guard in the event of a “worker walk-off.”

Research by One Wisconsin Now, a progressive watchdog group, has shined a lot of light on the reasons why Walker is being so stubborn.

As it turns out, he screwed up badly.

Of all the states that have suffered through the recession, Wisconsin is doing pretty well.

Unemployment and economic development has been steadier there than in most parts of the country and, despite a drop in tax revenue, the state government has managed to keep its budget balanced. The non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau even reported that Wisconsin could finish the 2009-2011 biennium with a budget surplus.

At least, that was the case until Walker took office. Apparently suffering from a post-election power trip, he spent his first month blowing through an extra $140 million. He spent $67 million on a “tax shift” plan that gives “job creators” a benefit of—I kid you not—less than a dollar

per new job. He spent $48 million on private health savings accounts that more closely resemble tax shelters for the wealthy (the average adjusted gross income of the participants is $139,000, and almost half of them have not withdrawn a penny from their accounts). He even spent $25 million on an economic development fund for job creation that already had an unspent $73 million lying around. Why hadn’t the money been spent? Because the fund wasn’t creating any jobs.

Having found himself in quite a fiscal hole, Walker did what every good conservative Republican does these days and blamed the shortfall on greedy unions. Given that most of his supporters are probably Tea Partiers or, at the very least, Republicans who are skeptical of organized labor, this must have seemed like an easy target to him.

This begs the question: If you are a state governor who has tasked a large group of people to do various jobs that are necessary for the success and security of your state and the health and welfare of its people, and yet throughout your political career you treat them like parasites and demand that they work harder for even less pay without complaint, what do you expect them to do?

Whistle while they work?

You should expect them to get angry.

16 IMPRESSIONS

‘Put more pressure on Iran,’ a response

BY HUGO REICHENBERGER Special to The Hoot

A few weeks ago, a column published in The Hoot titled “Put More Pressure on Iran” proposed that the United States should dedicate more of its efforts to increasing economic sanctions on Iran as well as undertaking more sabotage activities in the hopes of changing the Iranians’ “decision making calculus” through the destabilization of Iranian society through economic means. The article also suggested, that if all failed, the military option should be considered.

The possibility of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, or any country for that matter, should always be treated as a matter of great concern, not only to American interests in the region, but to humanity as a whole. With this in mind, it is imperative that the Iran nuclear issue be treated with utmost importance and seriousness and should be examined in a wider context, one that is geographically broad and historically deep in order to look at the interlocking issues that are at play in the region. Here are only a few of the many issues that should not be overlooked in regards to a possible solution to this possible threat.

As mentioned in the previous column the creation of a resistance bloc of Shiite countries headed by Iran could be interpreted as direct response to the presence of the United States in the region and therefore a threat, however, this explanation fails to take into consideration the regional forces at play.

The Shiite-Sunni conflict in the region is centuries old and has had moments of violent confrontations as well as periods of peaceful cohabitation. Today, unfortunately, the conflict is going through a moment of violent confrontation because the current civil war in Iraq has increased the intensity of this conflict. Historically, Iraq has been controlled by Sunnis, however, with Saddam Hussein out of the picture, Iraq is now leaning increasingly towards Shiite states because democracy will cause an increase in the Shiite influence as it reflects the larger numbers of Shiite Muslims in this country. The tensions in the region are increasing because Iraq is now a battleground with many regional spectators, which means that Sunni countries and Shiite countries daily read about the atrocities committed against their peers. This in turn puts more pressure on the gov-

ernments to adopt a more proSunni or pro-Shiite approach to diplomacy. Having said that, a solution to this civil war should include the dominant Sunni and Shiite countries, including Iran.

Pressure on only one of these countries will only make matters worse, as these countries have considerable influence on the stabilization and peace in Iraq and any other country that also has a similar Shiite-Sunni conflict, such as Lebanon. In that light, it is extremely important that the United States remains constantly open to dialogue with both “sides.” Sunnis and Shiites alike fear that the United States government will favor one side more than the other. With this in mind, the United States has an incredible opportunity on its hands: to be a mediator in this conflict and to help ease tensions. Otherwise the United States risks failing in its mission to spread peace and democracy in the region.

The last point is in regards to economic sanctions. Even though it is a tool originally developed by the United Nations and has some legitimacy, it was originally intended for countries that have openly declared war on another country, such as when Italy engaged itself in war against Ethiopia in the 1930s. It is not intended for “regime change” as suggested earlier. In fact, in the case of Iraq, it is known that it increased the strength of Saddam Hussein’s regime because the sanctions deprived the citizens of their economic freedom to do business, causing many small businesses to go bankrupt and people had to revert to the State to feed and assist them. Also, this increased anti-American sentiment in the country by the exact same people that the United States wanted to help.

In terms of nuclear weapon development, regional geopolitics and current international instruments, regarding nuclear weapons can provide answers as to why any nation should feel compelled into acquiring the most heinous weapon known to man. Ironically, acquiring nuclear weapons is an act of desperation for states that feel extremely threaten by a potential foe. This was the case for the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, for Israel (who feels threaten by possible attacks from Arab countries), and for India and Pakistan who both have formally declared to possess the bomb in order to keep each other in See IRAN, p. 18

The Brandeis Hoot

February 18, 2011

The Chosen Rosen

Presence is a present: Go to class!

BY RICKY ROSEN Columnist

You’re woken abruptly by the roar of your alarm clock. You forcibly glance up at the time: 8:55 a.m. Class starts in 15 minutes.

Do you push yourself out of bed, an act that requires far more willpower than you have at your disposal, or do you fall back into bed naturally?

As college students, we have the option to go to class. In high school, once we set foot in the building, we had to go to all of our classes (in my school, the alternative was either sitting in the bathroom or wandering around the halls). In college, classes are broken up during the course of the day, and so we have the leisure of choosing whether we want to go to each class.

Some people take full advantage of this, skipping every single class, telling themselves it doesn’t matter. The papers are what are important. And the tests. Lectures are trivial. Other people tell themselves they can get away with just doing the readings. Or, in large lecture classes, they just copy down the notes from the PowerPoint presentations on LATTE. Other people in college treat every day like a snow day. Class? Psh. Who goes to that?

In large classes, you can get away with missing four, five—maybe 10 classes without your teacher knowing you weren’t there. But in small classes, you won’t be so lucky, even if the teacher doesn’t know your name and even if attendance isn’t required.

I’ll admit—sometimes it’s better not to attend a class. Things come up all the time—family emergencies, drama within your friend group, a craving for Sherman ice cream—it happens. Missing class

under these circumstances is fine.

But doing so on a regular basis is not good. Missing class once in a while is also acceptable when there are more pressing matters to attend to. If you have an art history paper due at 2 p.m. that you haven’t started yet, going to your 10 a.m. class on quantum physics probably isn’t in your best interest.

You have to consider the greater good. Certain classes just matter more than others at certain times.

But skipping class to lie in bed all day, and then waking up to slap yourself in the face, wondering why you didn’t go to any of your classes that day isn’t all that fun.

In reality, it’s worth it to go to class. After all, when you hand Brandeis a gigantic check every year, I would hope that you’d be paying for more than the OlinSang breakfast cart. You’re paying for a quality education. And these professors—as much as they torture you by calling on you when you’re day-dreaming about that guy from “Glee,” or when they assign paper topics that are impossible to write about—are being paid to teach you. And you’re paying to learn.

And sure, you can learn lots by sitting in your room Facebookstalking the entire student body, but you can learn more by going to class, taking notes and applying yourself (you can Facebook stalk afterwards).

To prove my point, I’ve made a list of the top 10 reasons to go to class (along with the responses that you would probably give to all my reasons): 1) The Money Factor: Think about all the thousands of dollars you’re wasting by not going to class. The cost of full-time tuition for two semesters is approximately $40,000. Of course, that’s not counting a meal plan or room and board, but you don’t get that stuff

when you go to class. Anyway, $40,000 divided by 8 classes per year means you’re paying roughly $5,000 for each class you’re in. So that means every time you miss class, you’re throwing hundreds of dollars out the window.

You’re numbers don’t make sense …

2) How will you understand the material if you’re not there? If you get one of those really good professors who breaks everything down so it’s easy to understand, you’ll want to go to class. Or else you won’t be able to understand the material for tests.

There’s always Wikipedia …

3) What if the professor hands out a paper topic sheet or a study guide in class? To obtain the sheet, you would then have to send him an e-mail asking for a copy and then make up an excuse for why you missed class. That’s a lot of trouble to go to (not to mention unnecessary embarrassment) just because you couldn’t get out bed at 9 a.m.

I have no problem asking my professor for a study guide—no big deal …

4) Your parents want you to go to class. Bad reason? Next.

You said it …

5) If you don’t go to class, you can’t participate in class. And if you don’t participate in class, the professor won’t know your name.

And as any upperclassmen will tell you: if the professors know your name, that can really help a lot when they grade your papers.

I’m a published author! I can write exemplary papers, and the professor would have to give me an A! 6) How can you take notes if you’re not there? And in testbased classes, if you don’t take See ATTENDANCE, p. 18

February 18, 2011

The Brandeis Hoot

Sexcapades

The benefits of body art

BY SOPHIE RIESE Columnist

The question of body art has recently come up a lot, and it’s made me wonder exactly what our cohorts’ take on the subject is anyway? Beginning in the late 1980s, body art became a really popular thing among teens and young adults, meaning that when we were growing up, all those cool looking older kids and sometimes our babysitters, had piercings and tattoos up the wazoo. We are technically, however, a different generation and with that comes the differences between our predecessors and us.

Now, I grew up in New York City, so maybe my viewpoint is skewed, but body art never really went out of style. What has changed is what type of body art is seen as cool versus not. That “not” can be anything from ugly, to “skanky,” or just plain weird.

My parents didn’t let me get my ears pierced until I was 13-yearsold, and even that was a concession as the original age was set at sixteen. By the time I was 11, I knew I wanted second holes, my bellybutton pierced and a tattoo, at the very least. My parents, convinced that the whole thing would pass by the time I was old enough just kind of ignored it. Instead, I did the whole shebang: at 13 I got my ears pierced, followed for a brief moment by my tongue when I was 15 and second holes when I was 16. A series of cartilage pierc-

ings followed closely when I was 17 and finally, when I turned 18, I bought a lottery ticket, some porn and headed to my favorite piercer for my bellybutton.

My boyfriend when I was a junior in high school was a college student who worked at a piercing and tattoo parlor as a desk clerk and apprentice tattoo artist. I used to leave parties around 1 a.m. to hang out with him for a little bit before he got off work at 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and to see who came in. Obviously, that late on a weekend, most people were drunk asking for a litany of barely thought-out jobs. One girl walked in, lifted her shirt and straight out asked him if he thought she should get her nipples pierced.

Spending so much time in this arena, I was able to see both the positive and negative aspects of body art.

So the real question is, what do we think?

Or I guess, as the columnist,

IMPRESSIONS

what do I think? We live in a sort of liberated generation, where our parents’ fears are focused more on STIs, drugs and our futures than on what hair color we have or how many holes are in our ears. There are (obviously) really awesome things about having it this way, but there are also things that maybe we should have been warned about. Unless you’re living in Spain, which has a sort of no-holds-barred attitude about personal fashion, it’s unlikely you can get a job if you have a barbell through your eyebrow or a tattoo that runs from the bottom of your ear to your wrist.

We all know, and probably use, the term “tramp stamp,” and don’t pretend that you don’t associate it with a certain kind of activity and person.

I myself battled with my father’s firm belief that tattoos are unJewish before deciding to go ahead and get one anyway.

17

Beyond maybe three or four holes in our ears, every decision we make about how to decorate our bodies is judged by people who weigh not only our general cultural standards, but also their own prejudices when coming to conclusions about us upon first meetings. So while in reality most of us have probably thought about getting a nipple or tongue pierced, know someone who has a Prince Albert, or want tattoos on our feet and hands, we struggle with the knowledge that we may find ourselves socially or professionally ostracized should we make those decisions. Body art is a means of personal expression and as such it is intensely private. Maybe that’s what we should all be going for. Acquire all the piercings and tattoos you want, but keep them for yourself, and your significant other to enjoy. Nipple rings, tattoos and bellybutton rings don’t necessarily have to be shared with the world. Instead, they can be interesting surprises for those lucky enough to get us naked.

In reality though, it doesn’t matter what other people think.

If you feel hot and sexy with your body as a canvas or left the way it came, that’s all that matters. One day, all the bosses and politicians will be people closer to our age who may have made some of the same choices as we did, and it won’t matter so much anymore.

GRAPHIC BY Leah Lefkowitz/The Hoot

Three strikes: the reason why Californians should be ashamed

BY SAM ALLEN Staff

The American Criminal Justice system has many instances of injustice. What is currently going on in California as a result of the state’s “Three Strikes Law,” however, can only be classified as barbaric. Currently, California is imprisoning Rene Landa for 27 years to life for stealing a spare tire. George Michael Lane is serving 25 to life for possession of $40 of stolen jewelry that happened to be the property of his roommates.

While both of these sentences are absurd, they pale in comparison to what happened to Santo Reyes.

Incredibly, he is serving a life sentence for cheating on a driver’s license exam. They are not the only ones; there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people in California serving life sentences for misdemeanors and non-violent crimes.

The reason these cruel and unusual sentences are occurring is because of California’s “Three Strikes” Law, which mandates that each violent or “serious” offense a person commits counts as a strike. If a person were to get a

second strike, their jail sentence is doubled. Far worse however, is what happens if that same person were to get a third strike.

A third strike always results in a life sentence regardless of the crime, even if it would have normally been classified as a misdemeanor, or if the previous two strikes had occurred decades ago. Many other states have a similar law, however, only violent crimes such as murder, rape, and arson are usually counted as strikes. The problem with the law in California is that nonviolent crimes such as possession of stolen property or drugs, and burglary count as “serious” crimes, and that strikes can be accumulated as a juvenile.

The story of Santo Reyes in particular illustrates what is wrong with the “Three Strikes Law.” Mr. Reyes got his first strike for committing Residential burglary as a minor, which meant that he did not receive a jury trial in relation to this crime.

Santos then got his second strike five years later for committing robbery, even though he did not harm anyone during the robbery.

After this, Santo Reyes got his

life together, and a decade later, Mr. Reyes was a law-abiding and functioning member of society who wanted to become a roofer with his cousin. To help his cousin out, he cheated on a driver’s license test that his cousin was unable to pass. His third “strike” was a misdemeanor under California vehicular law. The fact that Santo Reyes is serving a life sentence should enrage Californians, as this is not only a huge miscarriage of justice, but also a completely irrational action for a state desperate for money.

One of the core tenets of Brandeis University is justice.

The California “Three Strikes Law” is one of clearest cases of injustice anyone will ever find.

Every Brandeis student should oppose this law, and the University itself has a responsibility to speak out against this unbelievable case of injustice, even though it is taking place on the West coast. Only a few things are worth marching in the streets for, “The Three Strikes Law” is one of them, and Californians should be ashamed of themselves for allowing such gross injustice to be carried regularly in their state.

GRAPHIC BY Ariel Wittenberg/The Hoot

18 IMPRESSIONS

Altered Consciousness

The Brandeis Hoot

Obama leads to decline in U.S. power

BY RICK ALTERBAUM Columnist

Since President Obama took office, American influence and credibility abroad has declined, and the United States has, for better or worse, started to play a less dominant role in global affairs.

Nowhere has this been more evident than in Egypt. President Obama’s response to the crisis unfolding in this country was schizophrenic. Initially, his administration, underestimating the size and force of the protests against the regime in power, called Hosni Mubarak a good friend and ally of the United States. Then, they completely reversed policy, and demanded free elections and an immediate transition of power. Subsequently, they backtracked, and advocated for a more gradual cultivation of democratic institutions and civil society under the guidance of the Egyptian military.

Yet in the end words didn’t matter and American posturing made little to no difference in the course of events that pursued. Mubarak abdicated, the Egyptian people rejoiced, and only time will tell what the political and economic fate of the country will be. The signals that this course of events, as well as the Tunisian regime change, sends to our other allies in the region that depend on us, such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Yemen, are not positive.

The demonstrable limits of American influence under President Obama, however, don’t end at Tahrir Square.

Consider the case of Lebanon: The United States had allied itself with the moderate coalition of Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Minutes after Hariri met with Obama at the White House, 11 ministers allied with Hezbollah withdrew from the cabinet. Subsequently, the Shiite terrorist group selected to be the new prime minister a puppet, Najib Mikati, who opposes the Special Tribunal in Lebanon, which is expected to indict members of Hezbollah for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Not only in this situation was the United States unable to leverage its influence to prevent the government’s collapse, but in fact the U.S. alliance ultimately served as a liability for Saad Hariri. Expect a renewed stretch of civil war, instability and terror in the Levant.

Other examples abound of a decline in U.S. influence abroad.

Within the upcoming year,

The Self Shelf

February 18, 2011

20/20 foresight

BY ALEX SELF Editor

A week ago, Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak was ousted from power in Egypt. It was a rare example of thousands of protesters winning out against the dictator for once, no thanks to the United States.

There were scant words of support for the democratic protesters in Cairo in spite of their legitimacy.

Instead, America took a backseat as the Egyptian people took back their state from a dictator.

For too long, we have had a heavily pragmatic foreign policy with a façade of idealism. We spread freedom to Iraq while cutting deals with autocratic states like Egypt.

Our troops die defending the women of Afghanistan yet we provide support to such notorious abusers of women’s rights as Saudi Arabia.

I understand a certain amount of practicality is necessary but I believe that Egypt has taken this one step too far.

The United States supported Mubarak through his many abuses for pragmatic means for decades.

A stable Suez canal and an Egypt that had regular relations with Israel were too good of a deal to pass up. Thus, when Mubarak got, quite literally, 100 percent of the vote in the last rigged elections, the United States turned a blind eye.

Yet the Egyptians did not. Tired of having their rights trampled upon, they banded together to protest.

And yes some of them are radicals.

Many point to the Muslim Brotherhood and warn that the alternative to Mubarak is Islamic fundamentalists. Yet they are not all that radical compared to groups like AlQaeda. In fact, Osama bin Laden even disavowed the Brotherhood as a weak puppet of the west. Additionally, the Muslim Brotherhood has only become more radical as

American troops will completely withdraw from Iraq, leaving it at the mercy of Iran, Al-Qaeda and other Islamist extremists.

The United States has sent signals to Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Taliban that its presence in Central Asia will be shortlived and that it lacks resolve.

Turkey has turned eastward and has begun acting against America in the region. The Obama administration has not in any way altered Syria and Iran’s behavior, and has only legitimated these regimes and encouraged their behavior through appeasement efforts, such as the nomination of an ambassador to Syria and the failure to support the Green Movement. The United States has not made a bit of difference during the last two years on the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. Additionally, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the 2012 budget ravage the defense department for savings.

Who will take advantage of this vacuum? Certainly Iran, which is making more progress than ever on its quest for regional hegemony, will take advantage. Russia detects weakness and continues its irredentist foreign policy in the Caucuses and Eastern Europe.

China clearly does not fear America; while it represses its citizens and threatens countries like Japan, India and Taiwan, Obama invites Hu Jintao over for an official state dinner.

To some degree, a lot of this is inevitable. The United States suffers from a 9 percent unemployment rate, massive debt and deficits, an eroding manu- ATTENDANCE (from p. 16) facturing base, and other sympnotes, what will you study? toms of economic malaise, There’s always friends’ notes … resulting in a corresponding 7) Not attending class is reindecline in power. Also, some forcing a careless attitude in you of the events I mentioned, such and will not help build your work as the Egyptian Revolution, ethic for the future. How will you were largely unavoidable and ace the LSAT if you can’t even go the United States can’t change to your law class. everything to its liking. AmerThat makes no sense … ica is still, however, by leagues 8) It’s making you lazy; stop beand bounds, the leading hege- ing lazy! monic power in the world. It is not in a state of interminable decline like Europe and Japan and, with sensible leadership and policies, its economy will ultimately recover.

For the sake of international IRAN (from p. 16) stability, prosperity and seonly does Iran have increascurity, the world still needs ingly discontent Sunni neighAmerica’s presence, moral bors with large armies and powcompass and guidance. erful allies, but also a potentially Instead of begrudgingly acnuclear Israel to balance, as well cepting a fate marked by deas civil wars occurring on both terioration in this country’s sides of its border in Iraq and capabilities, the Obama adAfghanistan. It is important to ministration needs to play the note that the nuclear neighbors part and pursue policies that of Iran (India, Pakistan and Isfulfill these global responsirael) have not signed the Nuclebilities.

the Mubarak regime has attempted to crack down on it. If people really want a less radical Muslim Brotherhood, they would allow them to have some political efficacy. Without an outlet to channel their views, there is only way for the group to trend and that is towards radicalism, like any disenfranchised minority. Additionally, it is not as if these protesters are even violent.

They have passed out pamphlets explaining about the concept of civil disobedience and nonviolent resistance. Indeed, there have been relatively few deaths in this process and many of those were caused by the government. Thus, we could not even claim that we were helping prevent anarchy—we were fighting against a legitimate democratic movement. And I do realize that we have to do business with antidemocratic states. Egypt, however, is and was not one of them. We should never find ourselves supporting the tyrant against the people.

The foreign policy benefits of stability in the region, championed by the supporters of the status quo, are merely an illusion. How could one have considered a dictatorship facing large riots “stable?”

This was not a riot of a few thousand college students. This was an alliance of hundreds of thousands of protesters in Cairo alone coupled with a large portion of the army.

Admittedly, there was the question of the new Egypt’s relationship to Israel but Egypt has an interest in keeping the status quo in place. It does not want thousands of Palestinian refugees rushing across the border and I am certain that it would be willing to work with its most powerful neighbor. Skeptics prophesy a breakdown in Egyptian-Israeli relations but there is a huge economic interest for Egypt to maintain good relations, especially after a huge change in power. The new state will be looking for legiti-

macy and committing economic suicide is not a means to achieve that end. As to the Suez Canal, I do not understand how any rational person could think that Egypt would actually close the Suez Canal. This would be the equivalent of a small town burning down the local shopping center out of spite.

It simply does not make economic or political sense for Egypt to close one of the most lucrative trade routes in the world.

But the main reason the United States should never have backed Mubarak in any way against the protesters was the legitimacy of the rebels. Even from a pragmatic view, openly supporting democracy in Egypt would have been a good idea. Supporting an autocratic government trying to keep the people down certainly does not look good to an Arab world that distrusts America’s motives (spreading democracy … when it’s pragmatic). Meanwhile, we are only just beginning to open relations with new government groups—we should have done this weeks ago.

This could have been much worse for the United States. The last time we supported a dictator against his people, we got the Iranian Revolution.

We were quite lucky that the people of Egypt did not take the “Made in USA” labels on the tear gas canisters personally and it remains to be seen how much our lack of democratic zeal will hurt us in future relations with the new government.

I will not argue that supporting democratic movements is easy. Yet the easier decision is not always the right one. In the end, if we are ready to spread democracy by force, we should at the very least be ready to help the seeds of democratic movements grow. It is time we stand behind just rebels in their quest for liberty rather than between them and the freedom they deserve.

Go to class Too late for that …

9) What about the social aspects of going to class? How will you make friends in your classes? Or meet that cute, quiet girl who sits in the back and giggles at every joke the professor makes?

There are no cute girls in any of my classes; I can meet better looking girls online in my room …

10) In the long-run, you will benefit more from going to class,

learning and applying yourself, than sitting in your room.

So next time you decide to skip class, ask yourself: “Is it worth it?”

Next time you’re taking a test and you get to a question you don’t know, before you blame your professor for not teaching the material, blame yourself for skipping the lecture that he most likely taught it in. Go to class. It’s better than the alternative.

Treating the real problem ar Non-Proliferation Treaty and therefore do not receive visits of international observers from the IEIA as Iran has for the last couple of years. A solution to this problem should be approached multi-laterally. Is it too idealist to say that “nuclear free zones” such as Latin America, Africa and Oceania could be created in the Middle East? For this, the

problem must be addressed strategically, looking at the region as a whole, instead of focusing efforts on a single country. The Iranian nuclear threat is the tip of the iceberg.

Hugo Reichenberger (an M.A. graduate student in Sustainable International Development) formerly worked for the UNHCR with Iraq Refugees in Brazil.

February 18, 2011

FEATURES

The Brandeis Hoot 19

This Week in History Brandeis

2005

2009

The Brandeis Mock Trial Association is denied Union funding to attend a national tournament.

The board of trustees backs President Reinharz after The Boston Globe questions his job security.

A very presidential love story

Massachusetts 1868

1795

African-American educator and leader W.E.B. Du Bois is born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

Merchant and philanthropist George Peabody is born in South Danvers, Mass.

United States 1847

1870

Rescuers reach the surviving members of the Donner Party, pioneers trying to reach California.

Hiram Rhoades Revels is sworn into the U.S. Senate, becoming the first AfricanAmerican ever to sit in Congress.

THEN: The Lawrences in 1997.

PHOTO COURTESY OF Fred Lawrence

Fred says:

Kathy and I met at Friday night services at Yale Hillel her senior year in college and my first year of law school. We became very good friends that year and I thought that she was the kindest person I had ever met. Fortunately for me, she stayed on campus the year after she graduated, working as an assistant for the Hillel rabbi, Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf. Rabbi Wolf was an important teacher of mine from before the time I came to law school. He promised me that if I came to law school at Yale, he would find me my wife. It turns out that he did. Kathy and I began dating that year and two years later we were married.

World

1848 Karl Marx pub-

lishes “The Communist Manifesto,” describing the goals of the Communist League.

1945

The U.S. Marines invade Iwo Jima, which they hope to use as the site of bombing raids against Japan.

NOW: The Lawrences, more than three decades after meeting.

PHOTO BY Mike Lovett/Brandeis University

Kathy says:

I knew that Fred was special the moment I met him. We had just finished Friday night services and he introduced himself to me, took my hand and kissed my cheek. I felt an immediate connection and I thought ‘this is a very special person’. On our first real date, a year later, we talked for hours and hours and I knew then and there that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.

20 The Brandeis Hoot

HOOT SCOOPS

February 11, 2011

Taking to the streets

By Nathan Koskella, Editor The Egyptian protests of the last several weeks have gripped the globe, monopolizing headlines and shaking a region. As the military is now in command of the government and the world ‘sattention on the country remains, one Brandeis student has a unique connection to the new regime.

Sara Enan ’11 is the great-niece of Lt. Gen. Sami Enan, who as army chief of staff and vice chairman of the new Supreme Council of the Armed Forces is the second-most powerful man in the country.

“I know my family will be fine,” Sarah Enan said, “but I understand peoples’ uncertainty about the military and it holding power.” She called her uncle “very conservative.”

Enan has lived in Egypt her entire life, and resides in the United States only when attending Brandeis.

“Because I’m from there, I knew it would be a big deal,” she said of the initial rioting. Last year’s brutal beating of an Egyptian man had tensions al-

ready running high in the country, and since the scholar-diplomat Mohamed ElBaradei “re-entered [the country] and began inspiring the youth and telling them that they are the change the country needs,” Enan said, such protests were all the government needed to reach a tipping point.

But Enan was also skeptical of longterm change at the outset.

“I wanted the president [Hosni Mubarak] to leave, we’ve been dealing with corruption for 30 years,” she said, asking, “But at the same time, what happens next? Once you have power, you set on a power trip yourself, and they may be in power for [another] 30 years.”

She called some too optimistic, saying “the military has never been on the side of the Egyptian people,” and wondered how they could trust the military.

Enan put the future of Egypt, and her caution in projecting a certain political future, down to the “mental-

ity of the Egyptian people.” She called most Egyptians very conservative.

But she has some reason for optimism stemming from the revolution itself.

“Before those 18 days, [the protests began Jan. 25,] there was no solidarity,” Enan said. “Upper and middle classes looked down on the poor; Christians and Muslims did not speak,” she went on, describing a class system that was not conducive to an open democracy.

“But after the revolution, it’s a psychological transformation. About 325 people died; [can one] just go bribe someone after that?” Enan asked.

She hopes the country will keep that newer mentality because they faced the events of the last several weeks together.

Enan said her sister is on the streets every day, protesting in the squares and streets of Cairo. Her family has lost much business due to tourism, a principal economic engine of the

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY Sara Enan

country.

At Brandeis, the administration reached out to Egyptian students, who were contacted by the Department of Community Living and other members of Student Affairs. They asked if the students needed support, counseling or other accommodation by the university during their country’s political chaos.

One other view Enan encountered both at Brandeis and in American media was anxiousness among friends of Israel about Egypt’s peace treaty with the country should Mubarak be replaced by adverse leadership.

“At first I thought it was unfair, because [they] haven’t lived in Egypt, don’t know what we go through,” Enan said, “but I understand their concerns: without the treaty, there could be a war.”

But she said that she believes “our leaders will use their common sense, look at our resources.” In an all-out war, Israel would win.