The Brandeis Hoot - Sept. 9, 2011

Volume 8 Number 15

www.thebrandeishoot.com

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.

9/11 changed campus sense of security Heightened awareness followed terrorist attacks

By Jon Ostrowsky Editor

Reflecting on the 10-year anniversary of Sept.

11, university officials described Brandeis as a campus with stronger security protections. Religious leaders depicted Brandeis as a university promoting and practicing religious tolerance

following the 2001 terrorist attacks that sparked a national discussion about religious extremism.

“Terrorism was a million miles a way 10 years ago,” Senior Vice President for Administration Mark Collins said. “The university was always considered the home to the students. 9/11 made our responsibility to their safety [stronger].”

From a security perspective, Brandeis implemented changes immediately to increase preparedness for terrorist attacks and awareness about campus safety.

Because Brandeis is filled with international students and hosts controversial speakers and politicians who debate the Israeli-Palestinian

conflict, the university often coordinates with federal law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security to ensure the campus remains secure, Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan said.

Public safety coordination extends locally to the Waltham Police Department, state law enforcement officials and to other federal agencies.

Bio-medical research and animal rights activism is another cause for increased security threats on campus, Callahan said, explaining that the university receives hate mail and must See SECURITY, page 3

Heller staffer recalls loss of brother in WTC attack

By Jon Ostrowsky Editor

It is impossible for Claudia Jacobs ’70 to forget the pain of Sept.

11, 2001, as society reminds her every day of the terrorist attacks that devastated a nation, reshaping American life as we knew it and turning her own life upside down.

Sept. 11 is more than a defining moment in American history to Jacobs, who works as a communications director at the Heller school. Instead it is day that left an irreplaceable hole in her family when her 29-year-old brother, Ari Jacobs, a prominent sales executive from Briar Cliff, NY, died in the World Trade Center just days before the birth of his son Gabi.

“This 10th anniversary hoopla is just the worst because it’s everywhere. Instead of private pain, it’s public pain,” Jacobs said in her Heller School office on Thursday afternoon. “It’s one thing to be See JACOBS, page 6

ari and claudia jacobs

photo courtesy of claudia jacobs

Dueling experts discuss UN Palestinian statehood vote

By Adam Cohen

Special to the Hoot

ghaith al-omari

photo by haley fine/the hoot

Visiting campus to discuss the U.N. Palestinian vote question taking place later in the month, David Makovsky of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and Ghaith al-Omari of the American Task Force on Palestine wanted to do more than simply examine the current situation. Their goal, according to Makovksy, “is to get college students … to look forward to solutions that give dignity to both sides” in a conflict that tends to “generate more heat and less light.”

Both Makovsky and al-Omari expressed their concerns about the upcoming move by the Palestinian Authorities—but they were sure to couch the reservations in the language of unity, concern for universal security and the desire to ensure that progress toward understanding and cooperation is not jeopardized. “Our message” on the matter, al-Omari said, “is to go beyond the diplomatic situation” to an immediate future he hopes will be free of anger, irrationality and violence.

Whatever happens in New York, both hope that the moderate voices in each party prevail and the spirit of diplomacy prevails. As Professor Ilan Troen suggested in his introduction, the “mess” we confront may also be “the best path.” Al-

Omari hopes that those involved will be able to “put it [the vote] in perspective” and realize this is a single episode in a wider conflict.

Should violence break out, “the stakes of confrontation,” Makovsky said, could unleash uncontrollable forces that will only add fuel to the fires of conflict— making the potential for restarting negotiations bleaker than it already is.

Understanding the path to averting this potentially nightmarish situation requires an understanding of the political and security needs of both the Palestinians and Israelis. For the state of Israel, Makovsky identified three “poison pills” that it considers a threat to its security and interests: an increase in status that convinces Palestinians to abandon talks with Israel as a means of managing the conflict; an assertion of sovereignty that presents new territorial and occupational challenges; and the threat of “lawfare,” the manipulation of U.N. machinery to haul Israeli Defense Forces personnel in front of international courts. Makovsky warned of the risk of empowering Israel’s hawkish elements should the international community appear to further isolate it.

Al-Omari insisted that the Palestinians “need to get something” by means See MIDDLE EAST, page 6

September 9, 2011

President’s Comment

Reflections on Sept. 11, 10 years later

By Frederick M. Lawrence Special to the Hoot

I was in Boston on 9/11/01, on the faculty of the Boston University School of Law. It was a beautiful morning, but otherwise a routine day as the law school and the university got into the flow of fall term. I had driven our children and several others to their school that morning—it was my turn to drive carpool.

I arrived at the office just in time to hear the news that the first jet had hit one of the Twin Towers. As of that moment, there was still the hope that is was a terrible and tragic accident. The radio was on in our suite of offices and as each person arrived, he or she joined the group of us listening intensely for more news.

When the second aircraft crashed shortly thereafter, of course, we knew it was no accident.

Then we heard about the other planes, at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania, and the scope of the attack was astonishing and frightening. We knew, instinctively, that we were immediately living in a new world—one shaped by terrorist acts that we struggled to comprehend in those first awful minutes.

Like everyone, we simply could not believe what we were seeing then, or throughout the day.

I went to find my wife Kathy, who had a quiet place in a university library where she had been working on an article she was writing. I remember seeing her across the room and thinking that she was still in the “old world” and I had crossed over into this new and still uncertain but more threatening world; she was the first person I told who had not previously heard.

I remember as well the e-mails from overseas friends, expressing sympathy and solidarity. Their heartfelt gestures of caring made a major impact on me then and it has affected my response to tragedies in other countries ever since.

After the Nov. 26 bombings in Mumbai, for example, I was on the phone to friends in India that night, offering support. This was largely because of those who called or e-mailed me after 9/11 and the comfort that those contacts provided me during such a frightening and bewildering period.

There are many lessons we can take from 9/11, both as individuals, as a campus community and as an institution. Many of them have been discussed this week, and rightfully so.

But on a personal level, I am reminded that communicating simple caring in times of crisis resonates deeply with those in crisis. It certainly aided me, and that is a debt I will always strive to “pay forward” to those in need.

NEWS

2 The Brandeis Hoot

September 9, 2011

photo by nafiz “fizz ” ahmed/the hoot

News Analysis

Social Justice career fair speaks to college student dilemma

By Josh Kelly Staff

At a school like Brandeis, it is pretty common to find students who want to change the world through a career in social justice.

Perhaps they want to join the Peace Corps or Oxfam International or work for the United Nations. Students interested in this path, however, often have to confront one commonly held perception: There is no money to be made in the field of social justice. This is something deeply ingrained in the subconscious of the student body. Whether it is a grandmother scorning her grandson for not having a “real job” or it is a group of students making fun of their friend’s English major, many think positively only about the “money-making” majors, and the stable and financially sound jobs.

A career in social justice simply is perceived by many not to fit into this paradigm. A question to ask, however, is whether this perception is true at Brandeis? Do people see these careers as financially unsound risky ventures? Do students here even care if they make a lot of money in their line of work? Even beyond that, how much do students think about criticism or an anticipated tight financial life when deciding on a major, and eventually what to get a career in?

From analyzing the opinions of students and people employed in social justice, it seems that Brandeis students are concerned about money but often shrug these concerns aside.

At the Social Justice Leadership Forum on Tuesday night, a panel of Brandeis alumni as well as a wide variety of others who have careers somehow tied to social justice discussed the career path and the challenges. Throughout the night they touched on a lot of the issues of criticism and financial instability. They began, however, by talking about how tied to social justice Brandeis is. This concept was summed up by Andrew Slack ’02, the executive director of The Harry Potter Alliance, an organization which fights for a variety of issues, including global warming, genocide, and equal rights; Slack quoted a former high school teacher who helped him come to the decision to attend Brandeis. “‘When you think about the great schools— right—the big names—right—there’s Harvard

University. Harvard. That’s the boat. That is the boat. Brandeis. Brandeis rocks the boat.” This sentiment was echoed by the other panelists, as well as in the introduction of the event. The idea that at Brandeis there is a pervasive culture of giving back and getting involved in initiatives to solve social issues was repeated throughout the program.

The panelists spoke about their own paths in the field of social justice and the various challenges associated with their careers, and one point that was brought up frequently was the financial difficulty associated with the career path. They furthermore brought up the pressure from family on this career decision. The panelists felt, however, that these obstacles paled in comparison to what they gained by making that decision. Slack specifically took the attitude of it being just fine to start off with a low income.

He advocated shaking things up while at an age when you can easily do so.

“Please do not let fear govern you. It’s a stupid governor … I do think that people who work in social justice should be paid—and paid well— for what they do. Why not? … [W]e should be paid, but we’re not always paid—especially not in the beginning, and that’s OK. If you’re 20 years old right now or 21, 22, you’re an undergraduate and you don’t have a family to feed. Go out there and make a freakin’ mess.” Slack went on to talk about the pressure that can often be felt, and essentially how to say to hell with it.

“Like, who cares? Your parents? You’re not under their roof anymore. You love them and respect them, but give me a break. [At] some point you’ve got to cut the ties of needing their approval every five seconds. They want what’s best for you, but you know what’s best for you [better than anybody].”

Ally Snell, a regional recruiter for the Peace Corps, said in a brief interview how she views the average Brandeis student and thinks that students at Brandeis have a strong proclivity to wanting to give back. She finds that this is not actually related to major and in fact thinks that students who major in one of the “money-makers” can find a good place in the Peace Corps.

According to Snell, when interviewing candidates from Brandeis and other schools, many respond with ideas like: “‘I have this education and I have this experience … and I don’t just

want to use it on me. I want to use that to help people who really need it.’ Or ‘I’ve spent four years working on myself. Now I want to spend time helping people who are less fortunate than me’ … regardless of the major.” Snell in fact claims that a student who has an economics major would be an ideal fit for the Peace Corps’ small enterprise development programs.

One student, Emily Heldman ’11, an American studies major, confirmed the suspicion that there are majors out there that are considered “money-making majors” but finds the prospect of not making much money not troubling at all in her possible ambition to volunteer for the Peace Corps.

“I think there are a fair amount of people who choose their major based on the need to make money, but I really do think that people should do what they love and not worry so much about making money. Being rich is nice and all but I think being truly happy and satisfied with your career is more important … I’m not really sure about how much people weigh money when thinking about their futures. I haven’t at all, but there definitely are people who do and they’re the ones who choose to pursue those stereotypical money-making majors.”

Heldman, however, expressed similar sentiments as those expressed by the panel concerning how worried she was about the prospect of making money.

“I haven’t even started thinking about income.

I really feel that you should do what you love and [what] makes you happy and things will pretty much be OK. I mean, you have to be at least a little bit practical about money and live within your budget and save, but I think it’s better to have a job you love that maybe pays a little less than to take a job you’re less passionate about, even if it pays a lot. I don’t know if that will change once I actually have a job and have to support myself though.”

Heldman also went along with the panel on her thoughts about whether there actually is money to be made from social justice. She took a slightly different path, however, suggesting that the skills you receive in social justice work can aid you in jobs in the future that perhaps can pay out much better. She also affirmed the belief in some majors that have negative stigma attached to them for low income.

“I think that if you have the skills that a lot of [social justice] careers need, such as being able to do research, read and interpret information, and write well, then you can find a good job anywhere. I feel like there isn’t a high enough priority placed on those skills, which are very important. My parents both were history majors and started out as reporters, with low journalist salaries and, eventually, my dad became very specialized as a health care reporter and now he’s a health care analyst and is paid very well, so there are definitely ways to make money with degrees in fields like history and English.”

Heldman furthermore addressed the same sort of pressures the panel discussed, as well as the value of different degrees opposed to the traditional “money-makers.”

“I think a lot of the pressure to make a steady income as well as to major in those fields that people perceive as being higher income or leading straight to a good job (which I think is so ridiculous) mostly comes from parents. A lot of the people I know who are going down that path and see my American studies degree as meaningless and stupid and tell me that I’ll never get a job are people whose parents are exerting pressure on them to be pre-med, etc., to get a good job and make bank. My parents were both history majors and basically told me to do what makes me happy and that I would be fine.

They also told me—and I really do think that a lot of people don’t understand this—that the skills taught in pre-med or business, etc., are not the only worthwhile skills and that being able to write well, interpret information, do research and work well with other people are all incredibly valuable as well. Just because you’re better at writing than science doesn’t mean you’ll be a failure or a starving artist somewhere.”

What is clear is that Brandeis students are pragmatic when thinking about their future careers. Those who wish to pursue a career in social justice realize that things will be tight financially in the beginning, and yet they are confident that things will get easier as time goes on.

Furthermore, whether an alum, a representative of the Peace Corps or an average student, they all advocate for students simply doing what they love, with the firm conviction that there are many different skills of value and not everything is about making money.

State lease to help pay for costs of pool renovations

By Nathan Koskella Editor

The renovation and re-institution of the Linsey Pool announced by the board of trustees in April will be only partially paid for by tuition increases in the coming semester, with the rest secured by a university lease from the state of Massachusetts, university officials said.

Tuition for the current academic year increased during the 2010-11 cycle by 3.9 percent, which is the second, equal jump in the last two academic years.

“The tuition increase for the 2011-12 academic year was 3.9%, consistent with both the 201011 and 2009-10 academic years,” according to a joint statement to The Hoot by senior vice presidents Mark Collins, for administration, and Fran Drolette, for financial affairs. Furthermore, “the rate of increase in the past three years has been below the average increase for private, non-profit colleges and universities, which has ranged from 4.3% to 4.6%.”

Therefore, though Brandeis’ increase in tuition prices was described as being necessary for the pool and technology updates the board enacted, the administration presented the in-

crease as both ordinary and unremarkable when compared to other private schools with which Brandeis competes.

“The university has a limited capacity to increase revenue,” Drolette said. “Endowment; sponsored research; gifts; and then our tuition increases. And increases in tuition do not take place in a vacuum and are not taken lightly. We weigh the fiduciary need for resources with our social responsibility and strong social commitment.”

The administration secured a lease from the state finance authority, Massachusetts Development, which will help fund both the pool and

the updates to technology at Library and Technology Services.

Such leases are loans from the commonwealth that can be used for development. Brandeis will pay back the principal with interest in the next seven years.

The tuition increase, as they described, is not unusual, according to Collins and Drolette. “Increases in tuition also cover a variety of other increasing costs at the university, like supporting the academic mission of Brandeis, improvement to facilities, and salaries and benefits for the faculty and staff,” their statement said.

September 9, 2011

NEWS 3

The Brandeis Hoot

Collins: East Quad renovations highlight capital projects priorities

By Jon Ostrowsky Editor

Even as student financial aid remains a top priority for the university, administrators recognized that building renovations to residence and dining halls are necessary to address student life concerns, Mark Collins, senior vice president for administration, said in an interview Thursday.

In the East Residence Quad, money can be used most effectively to repair dorms because the space houses more than three times the number of students than the Castle, Collins said.

“It’s already been recognized that the resources to support the physical plan are not adequate,” Collins said. “Further analysis is required to determine what is the highest need for renovation.”

When the university announced plans to renovate the Linsey pool facility and campus technology network in March, projects estimated at nearly $10 million, it reflected a decision that addressed both student concerns and budget constraints.

While the $3.5 million to renovate the bill will improve the facility, it presents a construction plan in sharp contrast to the money needed to build an entirely new facility.

A $20 million pool facility, for example, would force the university to sacrifice its commitment to financial aid and student scholarships.

But for a university that saw Carl Shapiro build the science center, campus center and admissions building that now dominate the landscape in lower campus, Collins’ comments on Thursday reflect an administration that seeks to balance student life interests, parents’ financial interests and budget constraints in an economy still recovering from the recession.

Overall Brandeis tuition rates have increased at constant rates and the school is among the most expensive universities in the country. Tuition increases are still at a lower rate than most

other colleges, Chief Financial Officer Fran Drolette said in an interview Thursday.

“The university has a limited capacity to increase revenue,” Drolette said. “The increase in tuition is not a decision that’s processed in a vacuum or processed lightly.”

Drolette explained that under university President Fred Lawrence, Brandeis will maintain its commitment to student access, even as it seeks new strategies to balance revenue and costs.

Collins said that financial decisions will continue to reflect student input.

“If not for students, none of us are working here and there is no Brandeis University,” Collins said.

Panelists discuss how 9/11 shaped last decade

By Debby Brodsky Staff

photo by nafiz “fizz ” ahmed/the hoot

steve goldstein

Super-committee announed

By Nathan Koskella Editor

Provost Steve Goldstein announced an expansion of the University Advisory Committee at his inaugural faculty meeting Thursday, calling for an “expansion of faculty representation” and new-found powers for the faculty to be “more involved in the governance of the university.”

The UAC is currently a group of administrators, chaired by the provost, with six ad-hoc faculty members—also appointed by the provost.

Goldstein promised the packed auditorium of faculty members more than a merely consultative role for the newly enhanced committee and the revamp will include the addition of seven more faculty members.

The committee is currently underused, with much faculty “advising” done through personal relationships, direct questioning at the monthly faculty meetings, and especially through a large and ever-changing alphabet soup of committees. The past few years have seen a CARS committee (academic restructuring), the Brandeis 2020 (as in goals to accomplish by that year) and any number of ad-hoc committees.

Goldstein called this new group his “sort of faculty cabinet” and promised that this committee would “implement the good ideas of other committees.”

“We have an aggressive agenda as a faculty and the UAC will be more central in the affairs of the university,” the provost said. While the UAC exists already, Goldstein said that

the change in membership—in addition to the change in leadership by both he and President Fred Lawrence—would alter the committee to one of real importance. The new UAC will attempt to become the predominant advisory body for faculty outside the Faculty Senate.

The additional faculty members will be added on a pilot basis only for now, but new legislation may be introduced at the end of the year if the changes are seen as positive, according to Professor Tim Hickey (COSI), who chairs the elected Faculty Senate. In that position Hickey is already one of the members of the UAC. The seven new members will be the chairs of the four school councils (Humanities, Social Sciences, Creative Arts and Sciences) and the faculty who lead the three ad-hoc committees of Admissions and Financial Aid, Budget and the university institutes.

Several faculty members questioned Goldstein at the end of his remarks on the fact that none of the faculty on the empowered committee, even the new ones, will be elected. Hickey and Professor Sabine von Mering, a former Senate leader and the Institutes committee chair, recommended that elected positions be included in the potential legislation if the committee pilot performs well.

Questions about its qualities remained, with Goldstein defending against “stacking the deck” intimations; several professors compared the attempted approach to a use that could and perhaps should, in their view, have been given to the all-elected Senate.

Brandeis students and faculty gathered Wednesday evening, to reflect on the watershed events of Sept. 11, 2001, and to discuss how the events of a decade past have shaped the way society thinks today.

Moderated by Daniel Terris, director of the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life, and vice president of Global Affairs, the discussion highlighted four starkly different perspectives from within the Brandeis community.

Near Eastern and Judaic Studies professor Kanan Makiya, award-winning author and one of the most influential commentators from the Arab world of the last two decades, expressed himself bluntly. “The response of the United States to the events of Sept. 11—an increase in laws and security efforts—has not been for the betterment of our species. We are still flailing to understand the direct gravity of what happened.”

Makiya suggested that the success of the AlQaida insurgents’ mission may have been a fluke and that the state of the world today is far more alarming compared to the eve of Sept. 11.

Isabella Jean (Grad ’06), an international peace building and development consultant, described her reaction to Sept. 11 as, “What next?”

Jean, who graduated college in 2001, had been studying peace and conflict studies. The events of Sept. 11 inspired her to pursue peace and conflict studies at a graduate level. “I want to dig deeper into what motivates peoples’ actions,” said Jean. “I also want to find out what makes people resilient to calls to commit acts of violence.”

Michael Perloff ’12, Eli J. Segal Citizen Leadership Fellow, provided a dramatically different perspective of Sept. 11, compared to the three other panelists, when reflecting on how the events changed his way of thinking today.

Perloff ’s perspective as a current student parallels the thoughts of many students today, who were between the ages of nine and 12 in 2001.

“We were all old enough to recognize there was something distinct happening, but could not emotionally process the event,” Perloff began.

Perloff continued to point out that as a young adult it is possible to be directly involved in a war as a soldier and it is also possible to be oblivious to war, if one is immersed in studies and does not read the news.

“I learned how to respond to Sept. 11 from the reactions of teachers and community members. My life as a United States citizen changed after 2001 but, as an individual, I don’t think Sept. 11 has played that dominant a role in who I am,” Perloff said.

As the discussion continued, panelists discussed how the international definitions of war and peace have changed in the past decade.

“The words peace and democracy have never been used before now in how the United States will relate to the Middle East,” said politics professor Dan Kryder.

Hours after the collapse of the World Trade Center, Kryder taught a class at MIT on the American presidency. “It struck me as an extraordinary event,” Kryder said. “It was terrible but a very meaningful period of innovation and experimentation on the part of the American executive. Sept. 11 made my work more brave, relevant and meaningful to me.”

As the discussion continued, the panel concluded that the international distinction between war and peace has blurred. In addition, it was noted by all that warfare itself has developed into a special forces-dependent operation, relying less on the air force and more on discrete surveillance techniques. “How many of us can keep track of all of the United States’ wars?” asked Makiya.

“We are looking at open-ended wars,” said Jean. “So how do we know when we’ve won?”

As the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks approaches, the Brandeis community prepares to commemorate the tragic loss of life that occurred one decade ago. Sunday, Sept. 11, there will be a peace vigil on Chapels Field attended by President Lawrence, Father Cuenin and other Brandeis dignitaries.

“As a scholarly institution we are interested in the acts of remembrance and thinking,” said Terris. “This has been a decade of tremendous change. This anniversary is a way for the community to consider fundamental issues of war and peace.”

Religious tolerance, security reevaluated in post-9/11 world SECURITY, from page 1

investigate threats to protect community members.

“It’s a [system of] very continuous checking,” Callahan said in a phone interview Thursday.

“You can’t be asleep at the switch here.”

After Sept. 11, Brandeis installed close circuit televisions and security cameras, a program that Peter French, former Chief Operating Officer, helped promote, according to Callahan.

Other security changes included upgrading the transportation system, releasing emergency preparedness plans and launching an emergency notification system, as mandated by the Department of Education. At Brandeis, the notification system includes text messages for students who register and also includes campus sirens to be used in a range of threatening situations.

Immediately after 9/11, some advocated for stricter security protocols, including firearms for university police officers, a gated entrance at the front of the school and a 10-foot fence.

“My answer to that was: Then the terrorists think you have something to hide,” Callahan said. “There’s a balance between security and freedom, and it’s obviously tougher on a university campus.”

Following the 2008 Virginia Tech shooting massacre that left more than 30 students dead, Brandeis launched a series of committees and decided to arm its police officers. Officials reached that decision because they feared that if Waltham Police officers became occupied with a crisis in town, Brandeis Police should be prepared to deal with a crisis on their own in its immediate aftermath, Callahan said.

A community of religious tolerance But just as 9/11 forced Brandeis to adopt a range of new security measures, religious leaders found a community that embraced tolerance over the past decade.

“The level of tolerance is excellent not just because of the openness of the students,” but also because of “the administration at Brandeis, the people who are working here. Religion properly used can be a very positive instrument to promote justice and peace,” Rev. Walter Cuenin, coordinator of the Interfaith Chaplaincy said during an interview in his office Thursday. “I think any time religion is used in a fundamentalist way, it’s dangerous.”

Muslim chaplain Imam Talal Eid explained that the terrorists who killed nearly 3,000 Amer-

icans on Sept. 11, 2001, violated the practices and ideals of their own religion.

“I never expected to see Muslims who claim that they are practicing the faith and then see them committing a crime against humanity,” Eid said.

At Brandeis, Eid praised the students and administration for creating a spirit of acceptance.

Cuenin noted that on Friday afternoon Muslim students pray in the Usdan Student Center, just hours before Orthodox Jews use the space for Sabbath prayers in the evening, fostering religious tolerance on campus.

“Does your religion have to be false for mine to be true?” Cuenin asked. “The answer is no.”

“People need to know one another beyond the boundaries of religion,” Eid said. “We understand that the creator is one.”

4 The Brandeis Hoot

VIEWS OF THE WEEK

September 9, 2011

Recruiting at the annual arts and activities fair

photos by ingrid schulte/the hoot

join the hoot Members of The Hoot recruit a new member (left); Adam Cohen ’12 recruits for STAND.

Finding the best poster...

...for those blank residence hall walls

shapiro campus center poster sale

photos by nafiz “fizz ” ahmed/the hoot

September auditions in full swing

photos by ingrid schulte/the hoot

auditions Nick Maletta ’13 and Jessica Rassap ’13 hold auditions for Urinetown.

September 9, 2011

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6 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

September 9, 2011

Policy analysts share Middle East wisdom

Recalling senseless loss, 10 years later JACOBS, from page 1

photo by ingrid schulte/the hoot

ghaith al-omari and david makovsky

MIDDLE EAST, from page 1

of international acknowledgement. Coming back to their people with a diplomatic victory, the government could assuage doubts of international indifference and empower those who have not given up on achieving their aspirations peaceably. Punishing the Palestinian authorities, in al-Omari’s opinion, only serves to undermine support for those who want cooperation and strengthens those, like Hamas, that believe only in force. For this reason, it is clear to Makovsky that “you don’t have a strong Palestine by tearing down Israel and you don’t have a strong Israel by tearing down Palestine.”

If a resolution can be made at the United Nations that addresses the concerns of both parties, what appears to be a serious threat of violence could instead be a brick laid on the path to progress. Achieving this dream-scenario, however, could be difficult. Makovsky outlined two possible means to bring about a conclusion

satisfactory for both sides. The first would be an alternative resolution “more aspirational in nature” recognizing the legitimacy of the Palestinian claim to a state while calling for a peaceful diplomatic solution, including Israel, to bring it about. The other possibility is that the quartet of the United States, Russia, European Union and the United Nations could issue a statement calling for a peaceful solution loosely based on the speeches that President Obama gave on the issue back in May. As for the role of the United States, al-Omari believes that “the U.S. should be the responsible adult.”

Rather than heightening tensions, the United States is in the “position to impose restraint,” calm tensions on both sides, lead the way to compromise and, at the very least, encourage security cooperation between the two should the situation devolve. Threats made by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) to cut funding to the

United Nations over the issue are, in al-Omari and Markovsky’s opinions, not helpful. Just as it is not in Israel’s interest to humiliate Palestinian proponents of peaceful resolution, it is not in the United States’ either.

The situation is, therefore, dangerous, but if al-Omari and Makovsky have their way, rational thought and the spirit of cooperation will prevail. Their message to the Brandeis community was one of cautious optimism and persistence.

Al-Omari urged the room to get involved and join the ranks of Americans demanding peace and cooperation.

The “state of the conversation in Washington,” he assured us, has come around to this view. It is, in his opinion, up to the American public to assure our politicians they will not suffer for supporting a diplomatic solution. Al-Omari urged the room, when thinking about the Middle East and about conflict in general, to remember: “It’s about people’s lives … we cannot renegotiate history … it’s about the future.”

The college newswire massachusetts

mit

boston college

Mass. governor announces $2.5 million investment in state universities

MIT community mourns loss of student

BC in conflict with DOJ

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick announced Tuesday that a greater emphasis would be placed on boosting academic performance in 18 public colleges and universities. Approximately $2.5 million will be funded through the Performance Incentive Fund geared to encourage innovation and creativity within the higher education environment.

The program is included in the 2012 fiscal budget and funds will be placed in both new and existing programs. It aims to improve numerous facets of higher education, including increased classroom attendance, graduation and student success rates. Ultimately, the program hopes to improve college readiness, improve the state’s work force and embody the numerous efforts Massachusetts has set forth to become a nation-wide leader for public education.

The PIF is part of the Vision Project, which strives to create the strongest work force and citizenry in the country. An increase in attention to public higher education will help the commonwealth achieve the desired result.

Two-thirds of Massachusetts’ high school graduates enroll in public higher education, which has prompted Patrick to increase investments in programs like the Vision Project. Patrick has allotted funds to programs focused on education at record levels while in office.

“The Vision is becoming clear that Massachusetts is committed to a first-class public higher education system,” said Dan O’Connell, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership.

(Source: Mass.gov) anita palmer, special to the hoot

The unexpected death of college sophomore Nicolas Del Castillo was both a shock and a tragic loss for the MIT community last Sunday. Castillo was found dead in his dorm room Sunday evening by the campus police, as well as his close friends.

One of the residents of Castillo’s dorm reported to the campus newspaper that his death may have occurred several days earlier.

Although the details surrounding the death of Castillo are still unclear, rough play was removed as a possible cause. Suicide, however, is still being considered.

Castillo’s intellectual curiosity and youthful personality are some attributes that will be missed by his friends and professors alike.

This tragedy struck MIT particularly hard because of the high rate of suicide that has existed at this prestigious university since the 1990s. This highly competitive and rigorous environment had a suicide rate of 10.2 per 100,000 students in 2001, which was greater than a majority of higher education institutions, such as Harvard University. The combination of pressures from professors, classmates and parents can be a challenging obstacle for any college student to face.

MIT has not taken the loss lightly. When the community was informed of Castillo’s death by the university newspaper, students were encouraged by university officials to look for support by mental services during this time of grief.

Nicolas Del Castillo, a brilliant member of the MIT community, will be sorely missed.

(Source: The Boston Globe) bill flynn, special to the hoot

Boston College is currently in disagreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, which has subpoenaed the university. The subpoenas seek to obtain access to confidential interviews about “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland. “The Troubles” took place from 1969 to 1998 and is predominantly featured in interviews between BC and two former Northern Irish republican militants, Brendan Hughes and Delours Price.

In May of this year, the Police Service of Northern Ireland prompted the U.S. Department of Justice to give subpoenas to the university asking for the interviews featuring Hughes and Price.

The interviews were conducted as part of the Belfast Project in the late 1990s by Ed Moloney, an Irish journalist. They are currently stored in the archives of BC and are part of a collection including 30 to 50 oral histories from British crown-supporters and republicans. Confidentiality was given to those featured in the interviews and it was agreed that the stories would not be released prior to their death.

Although agreements were made between those interviewed and the university, similar promises are uncommon for oral histories. With this, the struggle between BC and the U.S. Department of Justice emerges as a struggle between the strength of such agreements and federal subpoenas. The interviews feature stories including criminal activity that, if revealed, could be compromising to the interviewees.

The case will either fall into the hands of the U.S. District Court of Boston or will be dismissed by Justice Joseph Tauro based on the actions initiated by BC. (Source: The Heights, Boston College) anita palmer, special to the hoot

scarred, but it’s another to have a gaping wound all the time.”

The last time Ari Jacobs spoke to his sister at a family birthday party in New York, he talked about how excited he was to be a father, hopeful that his son would be born on his birthday, Sept.

16. He was born one day later.

“It’s even sadder that he couldn’t be a father,” Jacobs said. “Those are great father characteristics—to love someone purely.”

Jacobs told stories of her brother’s cherished time with his family and how he loved to laugh.

One time he jumped fully clothed into a swimming pool filled with freezing cold water. On one of Ari’s first dates with Jenna, whom he married in September 2000, he brought his two nephews along for the movie date.

“People were just attracted to him. He was like a magnet,” Jacobs said. “Imagine a person that you could connect with on every level.

“I never met anyone with a personality like his. He was so warm and spontaneous that he lit up a room,” Jacobs said about her brother.

“Maybe you can’t be that amazing for a long time. You have to die young.”

Although he never excelled in school, Claudia Jacobs explained that Ari had risen to become a top sales executive in the financial services industry, running the U.S. operations of capitol systems.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Ari Jacobs was running late for a meeting at the Windows on the World, a restaurant on the top floor in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Jacobs arrived at the meeting just five minutes before the plane struck the tower.

“Life turns on such small decisions,” Jacobs said, explaining the torment she faces every day, wondering why her brother couldn’t have been just 10 minutes later to his meeting. “[The victims] weren’t heroes,” Jacobs said.

“They were people that happened to be in a building the wrong day of the year.”

In fact, neither Claudia Jacobs nor anyone else in the family even knew Ari was at the World Trade Center that day until his office notified them.

“Somehow I was never as angry at the people who did it as at the randomness of it,” she said.

“It was a senseless loss of life.”

It’s the senselessness and randomness of the attacks that bother Jacobs the most, and the wars that America launched only strengthen that anger. America needs to focus on helping its own poor who are struggling to survive in order to reunite the nation, she said.

Ari’s nine-year-old son Gabi is torn between a life full of conflicting identities, as he struggles to make sense of the new family he inherited, with two brothers and the older stepsister he gained when his mom remarried and his old life.

“Instead of feeling like I have two dads, I feel like I am two Gabis,” he wrote in a letter published in the Sept. 12 issue of People magazine.

Gabi explained that every year his family sends balloons up into the air with notes attached to Ari. “I give him an update on how my life is going.

Mostly it’s ‘I miss you’ or ‘Life’s going great’ or ‘I just won a championship in baseball.’”

Ten years after Sept. 11, many will disagree over whether our country is united or divided; whether wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are justified; or whether we have grown to live in a culture of fear or security.

And 10 years after Sept. 11, the Jacobs family is reminded once again of the gaping hole in their life.

Speaking about the public discussion of 9/11, Claudia Jacobs said, “You can’t get away from it. If my brother isn’t coming back to me, then none of it matters.”

Terrorism killed Ari Jacobs. And now, Claudia is left with a gaping hole and a smiling photograph of her brother that she never leaves.

On Sept. 11, 2001, few could understand the most senseless of attacks.

Ten years later, it still makes no sense why Ari Jacobs and nearly 3,000 others had to die.

EDITORIALS

September 9, 2011

"To acquire wisdom, one must observe."

Editor-in-Chief Alex Schneider Managing Editor Destiny D. Aquino Sean Fabery Yael Katzwer Jon Ostrowsky Senior News Editor Nathan Koskella News Editor Leah Finkelman Features Editor Morgan Gross Impressions Editor Gordy Stillman Sports Editor Alana Blum Hoot Scoops Editor Savannah Pearlman Copy Editor Steven Wong Graphics Editor Leah Finkelman Production Editor Nafiz “Fizz” Ahmed Photography Editor Ingrid Schulte Photography Editor Emily Stott Layout Editor

Volume 8 • Issue 15 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma

Founded By Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman

MISSION As the weekly community student newspaper of Brandeis University, The Brandeis Hoot aims to provide our readers with a reliable, accurate and unbiased source of news and information.

Produced entirely by students, The Hoot serves a readership of 6,000 with in-depth news, relevant commentary, sports and coverage of cultural events. Recognizing that better journalism leads to better policy, The Brandeis Hoot is dedicated to the principles of investigative reporting and news analysis. Our mission is to give every community member a voice.

SUBMISSION POLICIES The Brandeis 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 noon. Please submit letters to letters@ thebrandeishoot.com along with your contact information. Letters should not exceed 500 words. The opinions, columns, cartoons and advertisements printed in The Hoot do not necessarily represent the opinions of the editorial board.

STAFF Rick Alterbaum, Candice Bautista, Debby Brodsky, Emily Breitbart, Haley Fine, Jeremy Goodman, Edwin Gonzalez, Paula Hoekstra, Adam Hughes, Gabby Katz, Josh Kelly, Christina Kolokotroni, Anthony Losquadro, Ariel Madway, Estie Martin, Alexandra Patch, Lien Phung, Andrew Rauner, Alexandra Zelle Rettman, Ricky Rosen, Nate Rosenbloom, Imara Roychowdhury, Aaron Sadowsky, Jessica Sashihara, Alex Self, Brian Tabakin, Ryan Tierney, Alan Tran and Suzanna Yu

CONNECT phone • (781) 330 - 0051 e-mail • editor@thebrandeishoot.com online • thebrandeishoot.com twitter • twitter.com/thebrandeishoot facebook • facebook.com/thebrandeishoot

The Brandeis Hoot 7

The case for a more ‘kosher’ debate

T

ime and again, this editorial board has condemned the acerbic rhetoric that has at times engulfed all sensible discussion of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

In April, this newspaper called for a “cease-fire for protests” following disruptions made by students at a campus event with prominent Knesset members. We wrote, “Student leaders and advocates on all sides of the debate can agree to disagree, but they must also agree to respect all speakers—our guests—when they visit campus. Ask tough questions, engage speakers, but do so in an academic context.”

On Wednesday, members of The Hoot met with David Makovsky and

Gaith al-Omari, leading scholars on the Israel-Palestine conflict, who were on campus as part of a tour of sorts where they have visited campuses around the country to show that middle ground is possible, demonstrating that real debate on real policy matters can proceed cordially.

Makovsky and al-Omari consider each other friends, and while they may not agree on every issue, they look at the Middle East conflict from a policy rather than an emotional perspective, leading to a way of thinking about the conflict that—as Makovsky emphasized—can be “disorienting for college students.”

“To respect the other side’s narrative

is valid,” al-Omari said. And healthy debate? “It’s safe—it’s kosher.”

If the goal of the Schusterman Center in inviting Makovsky and al-Omari is to frame the debate on campus over Middle East politics, they are certainly charting an admirable path. And not just by inviting a Palestinian speaker who uses the term “Kosher.”

Campus discourse should be grounded in critical thinking about shaping the future, not getting tied up in a past that only reopens old wounds. Makovsky and al-Omari are proof that there is a way forward and students, new and returning, would do well to pay attention and follow their lead.

The dorm damage fees you’ll want to avoid

R

emember how clean your dorm room looked last week?

Take note. If you don’t want to end up paying Brandeis more than you budgeted, it’s worth keeping your room in its original condition this academic year to avoid paying hefty fees.

Even if that means tossing out furniture.

According to the department’s website, “To avoid billing upon termination of the Residence Halls and Dining Services License, all rooms and corridors must be left clean, neat and in order.”

In one case, students forwarded a damage report e-mail they had received to The Hoot detailing that a “table and 1 small bag” had been left in a common room and resulted in a $9.38 charge per resident. Attached to the e-mail, Community Living furnished a photo of the table and trash

that had to be removed.

Unable to find the list of fees associated with residence hall damage on the department’s website, The Hoot contacted Community Living, which provided an updated, comprehensive list of flat rates for student damage in rooms and suites.

The average cost for damages is $183, ranging from the least expensive—replacing a recycling bin for $20—to most expensive—a complete replacement of carpeting totaling $475 for a bedroom or $975 for a living room.

Other costly fees include replacing a bed ($300), replacing safety mirrors in dorms ($435), repairing or repainting major damage to walls ($400), scraping and painting East Quad pan ceilings ($300) and removing graffiti from East Quad ceilings ($360).

And yes, the department charges a $50 removal fee per large item of trash,

By The Numbers $975 $475 $435 $400 $360 $300 $50 $25

Replace carpeting (living room) Replace carpeting (bedroom) Replace safety mirrors in dorms Repair major wall damage Graffiti on East Quad ceilings Replacing a bed Removal fee per large trash item Removal fee per small trash item source: department of community living

described as furniture or a refrigerator, and $25 per small item of trash, such as a bag or box.

So do yourself a favor and leave your dorm as you found it. Otherwise, be prepared to pay someone a premium to do it for you.

Give a Hoot, Join The Hoot!

Writers, editors, photographers, layout designers and copy editors wanted!

It isn’t too late to join Brandeis’ community newspaper!

Stop by our offices on the third floor of the Shapiro Campus Center on a Thursday or send us an e-mail at join@thebrandeishoot.com

8 The Brandeis Hoot

By Brian Tabakin

SPORTS

September 9, 2011

Coach Kotch: the new man at the helm

Staff

During the summer Brandeis named Mike Kotch the new head coach of the recently reinstated swimming and diving team. He will lead the program, which in a state of flux, as Brandeis begins repairs on the pool’s mechanical problems, which forced the team to alternate practices between facilities at Weston College and Bentley University the past two seasons.

“I believe my passion for swimming comes from my family where I became immersed in the sport and grew to love being around the pool deck,” Kotch said.

“My favorite stroke as a swimmer is freestyle, but as a coach I prefer the Individual Medley since it allows me to teach all four strokes [butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle].”

Kotch, whose hiring was officially announced July 11, 2011, previously served as the head coach of the swimming and diving team at nearby Regis College.

“I actively pursued the job after the former coach, Jim Zotz, who I am friends with, informed me of its availability,” Kotch said.

“I’m really looking forward to

By Alex Bernstein Special to the Hoot

Brandeis women’s soccer was victorious in the season opener on Thursday night, beating Clark University 2-0 under the lights of Gordon Field. On Saturday, Brandeis followed up with an encore, beating MIT 2-0. The hero of the two games was midfielder Mary Shimko ’14, who scored the go-ahead goal in both contests.

Looking to build on the success they had last year, the team came into the preseason with big goals for this much-anticipated season.

Having made the NCAA Division III Tournament last year, the team hopes to do the same this year.

“This year, we want to win the UAA championship, be number one in New England and make NCAAs again,” said forward Hilary Andrews ’14, an integral player in Brandeis’ skilled offense.

After several key seniors on the

tackling the challenges and restoring this program to prominence and continuing its 40 years of excellence,” Kotch said.

With reparations on the pool just beginning, Kotch will spend a sizable portion of his time this year “actively recruiting students from high school and club teams.”

When asked about his plans for recruitment, Coach Kotch responded, “My initial recruiting efforts will be focused in the New England area but I am willing to look outside New England if the right opportunity presents itself.

“In order to be a successful program, we have to be able to recruit first and foremost from our own area,” Kotch explained.

Coach Kotch added, “Recruiting efforts do not require as much travel as other sports, as club and high school teams post times and video of potential recruits on their websites.”

Coach Kotch holds two degrees from Bentley University: a B.S. in accounting he received in 1998 and an M.B.A. that he received in 2004. He served as the assistant coach of Bentley’s swimming and diving team from 2002-08, heading their recruiting efforts, which included two Division II

All-Americans, on the way to 11 NEISDA (New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Association) championships between both the men’s and women’s teams.

Following his tenure as the assistant coach at Bentley, Kotch served as the head coach of the swimming and diving team at Regis College. During his time at Regis, Coach Kotch developed 19 school-record holders and built the men’s team up from just two swimmers in the 2007 season.

During his time at Regis College, Coach Kotch actively assisted the Brandeis program during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons when the Judges were forced to alternate practices between Weston College and across town at Bentley University while the Judges dealt with mechanical issues with the pool.

The repairs on the pool are currently on schedule. Coach Kotch estimates that barring any unforeseen complications, the pool will officially reopen to the student body in January 2012 for the start of the spring semester. The varsity swimming and diving team will officially begin competing in the 2012 season.

Strong opening for women’s soccer team graduated this year, the team worked hard and bonded during a long and rigorous preseason.

Captain Alanna Torre ’12 understands what it takes to lead the team and win, noting that “last year’s seniors led the team in the right direction.” Torre, a midfielder, believes now that it is her job to “motivate everyone and make sure everyone’s on the same page and striving for the same goals.”

For two weeks leading up to the season opener, the team held twoa-day practices, which helped form cohesion and fill in some of the gaps created by the graduated seniors. “Losing seniors was definitely hard, but [the] preseason really gave us the opportunity to build as a team and get used to playing well together,” added Shimko. “We definitely were able to come together and form a bond.”

Finally getting the opportunity

to showcase their hard work, the team started off strong in the early minutes of the opener, although they didn’t score in the first half.

Outshooting the Cougars 5-3, Brandeis was able to control the ball early on. “We felt that we were doing a good job controlling the ball and we got a few shots on goal,” said Andrews. Toward the end of the first half, the Judges realized that most of the field was open and made important adjustments at halftime. The highlight of the first half was a beautiful save by goalie Francine Kofinas ’13 in the 21st minute.

Barely two minutes into the second half, the Judges’ adjustments paid off with a goal. Tangled up in a challenge for the ball with the Clark goalie, Torre managed to pass to Shimko who had an open look at the net and drilled it in.

“I was trying to get there in case the goalie made a mistake and

Volleyball goes 2-2 in first week of play

By Gordy Stillman Editor

Last Friday the Brandeis volleyball team’s season began with the Western Connecticut State Invitational. The Judges started on a high note, taking a 3-0 lead from Johnson and Wales on Friday and another 3-0 lead against Kean to start off Saturday’s games. The Judges took second place in the tournament, with a 2-1 record, after falling in a close match against the hosts, the Western Connecticut State Colonials, 3-0.

In the opening game, the Judges offense was led by outside hitter Liz Hood ’15 with nine kills (grounding the ball on the opponents’ side of the net). Hood was followed closely by Si-Si Hensley ’14 with eight kills and Becca Fischer ’13 with seven kills.

Defensively, another new teammate rose to the occasion. Elsie Bernaiche ’15 managed 19 digs,

photo by haley fine/the hoot

which prevented kills. Hood, Hensley and Fischer also defended with a combined 10 digs and three blocks.

On Saturday the Judges began with another strong offensive in their match against Kean. They went for 45 kills in 92 attacks with eight errors. Fischer led among four Judges to hit at least .450 over the match with five kills in eight attempts. Setter Yael Einhorn ’14 also managed an impressive game with two kills in four attempts and 38 assists, just three shy of her career-best.

Hood and Hensley both reached double digits in kills, with 12 and 11 respectively. Lauren Berens ’13 also did well, with eight kills in 13 attempts and two errors. Once again Bernaiche led the defense with 12 digs.

The third and final match of the tournament proved to be the Judges’ undoing. They lost 3-0 to

the Colonials in a match that included two closely fought sets.

On Wednesday the Judges traveled to Wellesley for a midweek match. In the first set Wellesley got a quick 5-0 lead on the way to a crushing 25-14 loss for the Judges. The second set was a much closer affair. Around halfway through the set Wellesley was up 15-12 and managed to hold off a Judges rally in order to maintain a 25-21 lead. Set three also started closely but eventually turned out to be more like the first set until Wellesley began to take it away with a 16-12. Fischer led a threepoint run to bring it to 16-15, but Wellesley ran away with the game by going on a 9-2 run to seal the victory.

The Judges next play this weekend as they host the Brandeis Invitational. Their first home game of the season is against Babson at 4 p.m. Friday.

support Alanna. I was just in the right place at the right time.” The Judges got some insurance when first-year midfielder Sapir Edalati scored a goal in the 74th minute, assisted by Andrews.

The team seemed very encouraged by the victory. “We set the tone for the rest of the season,” said Torre. “We don’t lose at home and we had a tough game against [Clark] last year. We’re very excited at how well we played.”

According to Shimko, a central theme in the team’s game plans throughout this season will be setting the tone early in games. “We want to score early and really set the tempo by keeping possession, getting in a rhythm and hopefully putting one in the back of the net.

Defensively, we can’t give up early goals.” Although the Judges didn’t score in the first half of the season opener, they were able to maintain quality possessions and get

some looks at the goal.

Encouraged by their victory, the Judges were ready to compete against MIT on Saturday, and this time they struck early. In the 20th minute, midfielder Mimi Theodore ’12 was able to head the ball to Shimko, who scored for the second straight game. The header was made possible by a free kick taken by fullback Kelly Peterson ’14 from about 25 yards out, just to the right of the box. Theodore added her own goal in the 72nd minute, number 19 of her career.

With the victory, Brandeis improved to 2-0 on the season while MIT fell to 1-1. Andrews was pleased with the team’s performance, commenting, “We were able to keep high energy, play our game and make a combination of passes.” The team will travel to Springfield for a 2:30 p.m. game Saturday.

Rookie shines in women’s cross-country opener

By Brian Tabakin Staff

On Sept. 2, the Brandeis women’s cross-country team opened the season in a non-scoring meet against the University of Southern Maine. Miriam Stutlin ’15 had a breakout opener, finishing second and covering the 4K event in just 15 minutes and 42 seconds. Kata Warwick ’12 finished third, just 10 seconds slower than Stutlin. Amelia Lundkvist ’14, who was competing near her hometown of South Portland, Maine, came in seventh with a time of 16:55. Victoria Sanford ’14, Monique Girard ’12 and Kristi Pisarik ’15 rounded out the top 10 with respective times of 16:56, 17:02 and 17:03.

Junior Molly Carl of the University of Southern Maine came in first with a time of 14:39, finishing a full minute ahead of Stutlin.

The women’s cross-country team will compete next at the UMass Dartmouth Shriner’s Invitational on Sept. 17, at 10 a.m.

September 9, 2011

SPORTS 9

The Brandeis Hoot

UAA standings and over-all records

Men’s soccer victorious at season’s start

By Brian Tabakin Staff

Men’s soccer Team

UAA

All

Case Western

0– 0

3–0

Washington

0–0

3–0

Brandeis

0–0

2–0

Rochester

0–0

2– 0

Carnegie Mellon

0–0

1–0–1

Chicago

0–0

2–1

NYU

0–0

0–1–1

Emory

0–0

0–1

Box Scores Fitchberg St

Win

5–0

@Keene

Win

5–0

Women’s soccer Team

UAA

All

Chicago

0– 0

3–0

Washington

0–0

3–0

Brandeis

0–0

2–0

NYU

0–0

2–0

Rochester

0–0

2–0

Case Western

0–0

1–0–1

Emory

0–0

1–0–1

Carnegie

0–0

0–2

Box Scores Clark

Win

2–0

MIT

Win

2–0

The Brandeis men’s soccer team cruised to an easy victory in a 5-0 victory against Keene State on Sept. 4 at the XARA Classic at Owl Athletic Complex improving to 2-0, after winning by the same score against Fitchburg State on Sept. 3, on the young season.

The Judges got on the scoreboard just five minutes into the first half when Kyle Feather ’14 cut through the defenders and kicked the ball past Keene State’s goalie Malcolm Cheney.

Cheney managed to keep it a one-goal game when he came out of the goalie box and stopped a shot by Luke Teece ’12 just 7:38 into the game. Later in the first half, both Joe Eisenbies ’13 and Teece had their shots deflected off the crossbar. The Judges took advantage of their next scoring chance, however, when Alexander Farr ’12 stole the ball in the right corner and kicked the ball into the far corner of the net from an extraordinary angle with just 42 seconds remaining in the first half, giving the Judges a 2-0 lead going into halftime. The goal was

Farr’s 19th in his career, putting him within one goal of becoming the 17th Brandeis player with 20 career goals.

Keene State, which had managed a meager nine shots on goal in their two previous games this season, squandered a rare scoring opportunity at the 33:52 mark of the second half. First-year Kaleb Lique-Natove had a drive from the right side of the net but Brandeis goalie Blake Minchoff ’13 came across to the right side and made the save. Minchoff finished the game with five saves.

The Judges took advantage of Keene’s scoring failure just a minute later when Sam Ocel ’13 drove a shot past Cheney who had come off his line. Feather put the Judges ahead 4-0 at the 24:30 mark of the second half when he converted a crossing pass from Teece.

Although he let in five goals, Cheney had arguably the save of the game. With just 17 minutes left to play in the match, he deflected an absolute blast by Savonen over the crossbar. Eisenbies scored the final goal for the Judges with an immediate shot off of Savonen’s corner kick with just 16:45 left to play.

Cheney played the first 73:17

and had four saves. Meanwhile Keene State backup goaltender Michael Ketterman played the final 16:43, making one save in his first collegiate action.

Brandeis outshot the Keene State Owls 16-9 while both teams had five corner kicks each. The Judges had four players on the All-Tournament team with Farr, Eisenbies and Minchoff, joined by David McCoy ’12.

This was the first meeting between these two teams since 1998.

The two coaches have 79 years of combined experience with Keene State’s Rob Butcher in his 40th season with the Owls and Brandeis’ Mike Coven in his 39th year on the sideline.

Earlier in the week, on Sept. 3, Brandeis defeated Fitchburg State in a 5-0 victory behind the performances of Steve Keuchkarian ’12 and Theo Terris ’12, who each netted a goal and dished out an assist.

Brandeis drastically outperformed the Fitchburg State Falcons, outshooting them 37-4, with 19 corner kicks compared to the Falcons’ two.

Brandeis midfielder Sam Ocel ’12 started the scoring just over 15 minutes into the first half

when he pushed a nice cross from Keuchkarian past the Falcons’ netminder. No more than five minutes later, forward Lee Russo ’13 exploded past the Falcons’ defense and scored his first goal of the year one-on-one against the goalie.

Keuchkarian and Terris tallied goals just over two minutes apart, at the 54:11 and 56:53 marks respectively, with each of them being alone with the Fitchburg goalie.

Savonen scored the final goal at the 77:24 mark to net the Judges’ final goal and put them ahead 5-0.

Fitchburg first-year forward Wansi Frank could not convert on the Falcons’ best scoring chance.

In the first half, Wansi crossed past two defenders and ripped a shot into the top right corner of the net, but Brandeis goaltender Minchoff made a spectacular diving save to keep the Falcons off the board.

Minchoff finished the game with three saves to complete his shutout victory. Meanwhile, the rookie goalie for the Falcons, Aidan Hanratty, was peppered with shots throughout the game, making 14 stops in a losing campaign in his first collegiate game.

More pain in the neck for Colts quarterback

By Brian Tabakin

Volleyball

Staff

Team

UAA

All

Washington

0– 0

6–0

Chicago

0–0

5–0

NYU

0–0

4–0

Emory

0–0

3–1

Rochester

0–0

3–1

Carnegie Mellon

0–0

3–2

Case Western

0–0

3–2

Brandeis

0–0

2–2

Box Scores Johnson &Wales

Win

3–0

Kean

Win

3–0

@Western Conn. St.

Loss

3–0

@ Wellesley

Loss

3–0

Gordy’s game guesses: week one Atlanta Falcons at Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs Philadelphia Eagles at St. Louis Rams Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars Pittsburg Steelers at Baltimore Ravens Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans New York Giants at Washington Redskins Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers Minnesota Vikings at San Diego Chargers Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos (Teams chosen to win in bold.)

After undergoing surgery May 23 to repair a bulging disk in his neck, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning had a second surgery Thursday morning, Sept. 8.

During the past week, Manning consulted with team doctors and specialists on the best course of action for his neck. The doctors reached a consensus that Manning should undergo a cervical neck fusion.

The Colts released a statement Thursday afternoon calling the surgery “uneventful” and denied reports that Manning would be placed on season-ending injury reserve. They continued, saying, “Peyton will immediately begin the rehabilitation regimen mapped out by the surgeon.

We anticipate no further updates or availabilities beyond those required by the NFL Media Policy for the immediate future.”

Archie Manning, Peyton’s father, related the following to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen concerning his son’s injury: “I think he’s OK, probably because there’s a little finality to this deal in terms of not playing. [Peyton has] been on the clock since May. He didn’t make it. Obviously, it’s a big letdown, but he can relax a little bit compared to the intensity of everything he has done trying to rehab.”

Cooper Manning, Peyton’s brother, had his promising college career ended by a similar neck injury.

Manning had already been ruled out for the season opener against the Houston Texans. However, the new surgery casts doubt over whether Manning will line up under center at all this year. The most optimistic recovery timetable from this particular surgery is two to three months, which would slate Manning for a return in late November or early December.

Even if Manning was to return in time for the end of the season, however, he would likely not be able to sustain a bone-crunching hit from Ray Lewis or Mario Williams.

Stephania Bell, the physical therapy

photo from internet source

expert for ESPN, estimates it will be “a minimum of three months” before Manning is back on the field.

Manning will miss his first career NFL game. He had made 227 consecutive starts, including the postseason, for the Colts. Kerry Collins, will replace Manning as the starter for Sunday’s divisional matchup against the Texans. Collins will be the first quarterback, other than Manning, to start a game for the Colts since Jim Harbaugh, now the current coach

of the San Francisco 49ers, started a game on Dec. 21, 1997. To put that into perspective, in the same time period the Chicago Bears have had 17 different starting quarterbacks and every other team in the league has started at least three different quarterbacks.

Manning has often been lauded as the single most important player to his team’s success. This season that notion will be put to the test. While Clyde Christensen is the official of-

fensive coordinator for the Colts, he is more of a figurehead. In reality, Manning runs the offense from the huddle. The Colts’ offensive scheme is one of the most complicated in the league and it is unclear whether Kerry Collins will be able to master it in time for the season opener. With Manning, the Colts have always been a 10+ win team threatening to win the Super Bowl every year. Without him, the Colts will enter strange and unfamiliar territory: the role of an underdog.

10 The Brandeis Hoot

FEATURES

September 9, 2011

This Week Saving the environment through translation in History

By Leah Finkelman Editor

Brandeis

2007 Alex the parrot dies

after working in a Brandeis laboratory for 30 years and accomplishing incredible things.

2007 After campus shootings at Virginia Tech, President Reinharz OKs the arming of campus police with guns.

Massachusetts

1672 Anne Bradstreet,

America’s first published poet and a longtime resident of Massachusetts, dies in North Andover.

1847 Henry David

Thoreau moves in with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s family after living at Walden Pond for two years.

United States

1776 An American sub-

1974

1948

1959

mersible craft, Turtle, attempts to attach a bomb to a British ship, marking the first sub used in war.

President Gerald Ford pardons his predecessor, Richard Nixon, for any crimes he may have committed in office.

At the end of spring semester, an environmental studies professor suggested Yifan Wang ’14 find a “green job” for the summer. She came to Brandeis to study business and environmental studies, though she recognizes that “they are usually enemies,” and this summer she worked to “prove that they can work together” at her Waltham Recycling Department internship.

“It was a surprise for me and I’m happy to do it,” Wang said. “I want to know how green jobs are organized and how American government works and how they are all related.”

Throughout the summer, in addition to other recycling and advocacy programs, Wang helped to translate materials for Waltham’s growing Chinese community.

Waltham Recycling coordinator Eileen Zubrowski encourages her interns to lead independent programs during their time there and Wang was no exception. “I spent time promoting other projects with her but we also had time to expand on our own talents, and my talent is Mandarin,” Wang said.

She translated brochures and a general recycling calendar and she created a brochure for Mandarin-speaking children about home projects.

At Waltham’s Chinese Culture Center, Wang taught children how to separate trash and recycling. “I don’t think they will remember everything, but that was the first step and they will have an impression of how to do it,” Wang said.

Many of those children are taken care of by their grandparents, who often don’t speak English. The grandparents are home most of the day and often do much of the housework, including taking out the trash. Wang’s translated brochures, distributed at the community center and popular Chinese restaurants, helped to ensure that the grandparents could be active participants in the family’s recycling efforts.

“Even if they speak English, brochures like this are hard,” Wang said. “When brochures come in English, sometimes I’m very busy and I would just ignore it. The recycling brochures in Chinese will be much more attractive to Chinese people here. I hope they can take the theory [of recycling] and put it into action.”

In her hometown of Shanghai, recycling is much less common. The government, she said, promotes and funds recycling projects but the See RECYCLING, page 11

THE MANAGEMENT: Yifan Wang ’14 with mentor Eileen Zubrowski

First-years adjust to day-to-day ’Deis life

World

North Korea founder Kim Il-sung declares the establishment of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

A Soviet rocket crashes into the moon as the first man-made object sent from earth to reach it.

photo courtesy of yifan wang

DEFINING SHIRTS: Jason Dick ’14, Irena Kats ’14 and Austin before the cruise.

By Anastasia Austin Special to the Hoot

The beginning of the year is always full of transitions, some more dramatic than others.

The first-years leave home for the first time. Sophomores deal with the realization that they are no longer first-years and that the people who were in their shoes last year will be graduating next year; juniors have to get used to the label of “upperclassmen”; and seniors prepare to take the jump into the real world.

All of these transitions are recognized and celebrated, marked by some version of “my baby’s all grown up” from parents and family friends. For those involved in orientation, however, there is another, more subtle, transi-

photo courtesy of anastasia

tion from the two weeks of “college” that more closely resemble summer camp to the bustling hubbub of seminars, advising sessions and reading lists. One day the biggest concern is making sure to get a good seat for the SSIS presentation and the next everyone is worried about grasping the finer points of the Nicaraguan revolution and the human genome.

The biggest change for many upon entering college is realizing that in an hour of “free” time, there are 15 things that need to be done. For Sathvy Reddy ’15, however, the challenge was slightly different: remembering to go to bed on time.

“I haven’t gone to bed once before midnight and everything is still a tad overwhelming,” Reddy said, explaining that her new-found in-

somnia was due to the classwork, friends and the entire college experience.

The first-years and the orientation leaders who led them no longer have every waking hour planned out, but the freedom comes at a cost: They are now responsible for making sure everything gets done.

It was also hard for many to say when the experience of orientation really ended. Though classes started four days before the boat cruise (the official last hurrah of orientation) many OLs didn’t feel like it was over until they stopped wearing their yellow shirts.

“For a week, it seemed like all I did was help with orientation events and answer questions from first-years. Taking off that yellow shirt was like taking away my OL identity. How would first-years know to ask me anything if they didn’t know who I was?” Daria Ameri ’14 said.

Many first-years found themselves torn between the start of class and with it normal college life and the abundance of orientation social events that spilled over into Labor Day weekend. Those who especially enjoyed orientation plan to keep in touch with their OL groups; some OLs are even finding it difficult to let go.

Others, on the other hand, were more than ready to explore the rest of what Brandeis has to offer, though many agree that they will look back at their experience as memorable, if nothing else.

Reddy and Jessica Miller ’15 were especially touched by the orientation presentations.

“My favorite part was Jamele Adams’ words about greatness and slam poetry—they were so beautiful,” Reddy said.

Orientation may be over, but its left all those involved a lot more familiar with campus and excited to start the new year.

September 9, 2011

You Know We’re Right

Trying to work with a secret romance?

The Brandeis Hoot

FEATURES 11

Sophomore helps Waltham Chinese recycle

Dear Morgan and Leah, I’m a gay junior and I’m very comfortable with my sexuality. While I’m not super public about it, my family and friends know and I haven’t tried to hide it since I came out in high school. I’ve recently started seeing a guy who isn’t out and I don’t know what to do. A few of our close mutual friends know, but that’s it. I sometimes feel like we’re just friends who secretly hook up, which sucks. I know he really cares about me, but I want to be able to hold his hand and kiss him in public. What should I do?

Bummed Out Boyfriend Dear Boyfriend, While neither of us can say we’ve been in your exact position, but we’ve seen and dealt with people uncomfortable making their relationships public. We’ll do our best to help you out!

Don’t pressure him!

Even though you came out in high school, the prospect of coming out can be scary, especially if your guy has a particularly conservative family or group of friends. Remind him that you can relate but that it might not be as frightening as he anticipates. A gentle nudge is totally acceptable, but you don’t want him to feel like you’re trying to force him, nor do you want him to resent you and pull away.

Help him feel more comfortable.

Remind your guy of all the reasons you think he’s great. Is he insanely funny? An awesome listener? Chances are you fell for him for the same reasons his friends and family love him—reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with his sexuality. Remind him that those qualities are what truly matter to those who know him.

What if ?

The worst case scenario is that he is never ready to come out fully . Maybe he feels he can tell friends but not family, or some groups of friends but not all of them. You need to decide if there is some sort of compromise for you, or if he needs to be totally out in order for the relationship to work. Maybe you’d be OK with him being out at school but not at home—something that could change the tone of your relationship from day-to-day. But if it’s a deal breaker, tell him and see if it changes anything. If not, try to move on.

Moving forward ...

The bottom line is that you can’t and shouldn’t pressure him to come out to anyone if he isn’t ready. Hopefully, he will get to a point in his life where he feels comfortable in his own skin, but until that happens you’re just going to have to wait it out. Just remind him how much you and his friends and family care about it him.

Good luck!

Peace, Love and Great Advice, Leah and Morgan Have questions that you want answered by the lovely ladies of The Hoot? Submit your questions to advice@thebrandeishoot. com or at formspring.me/leahandmorgan!

They will be answered by Leah Finkelman ’13, Features Editor, and Morgan Gross ’14, Impressions Editor. We’re so excited to hear your questions!

THE INTERNS: Yifan Wang ’14 with her coworker, intern and Waltham Senior High student Erika Shay.

photo courtesy of yifan wang

like fluorescent lightbulb, treadmill and mattress.

Despite some communication problems, Wang described Zubrowski as both a boss and teacher. “She’s very patient with me and, next summer if I have a chance, I want to work there again. I’m familiar with that working environment and it’s interesting to serve people in my community. On campus, people are very polite and take care of things, and this was my turn to take care of things and help people,” she said.

“Eileen took me to a Waltham Energy Action Committee meeting and I learned a lot.

Although we are a small city, there are so many things going on around us and I can’t just take things for granted,” she said.

Wang also loved the working atmosphere, saying the people were kind to her. “It was a very cozy place; it was small and everything worked well. We worked together to solve problems and help people,” she said. “Oh, and there was food everywhere.”

On her last day of work, Wang’s “lovely colleagues” prepared a small secret gift for her. “I couldn’t help but cry; they were all such sweet people,” she said.

RECYCLING, from page 10

programs need to be better organized.

“Most people have a very busy life but that’s not an excuse not to recycle,” Wang said. “Recycling is everyone’s work. It’s a daily thing and it’s not one person’s job.”

Working in the department gave Wang confidence, she said. “I really appreciated all of Eileen’s patience with me. I know it’s not easy to train an international student.”

Although she speaks fluent English, Wang found translating difficult because of technical terms and words she had never learned,

IMPRESSIONS

12 The Brandeis Hoot

September 9, 2011

A voice for Nepali youth

By Alina Pokhrel

Special to the Hoot

graphic by steven wong/the hoot

The BLCU projects the wrong image

“ ” It was disappointing to see one of Brandeis’ political clubs resort to the damaging tactics employed by left-wing blogs and conservative talk radio.

By Sam Allen columnist

This past Monday at the activities fair, I made sure to at least glance at every one of the nearly 100 clubs that were advertising themselves. While most of the clubs advertised themselves in a professional and thoughtful manner, the Brandeis LibertarianConservative Union—sometimes known as the College Republicans— did not comport themselves in the same manner. Sitting in the middle of their table was an image of the president of the United States, Barack Obama, urinating on America. The image was not only offensive, it also projected an image of a club that is shrill in nature and that resorts to crude imagery, instead of persuasive arguments, to attack the president of the United States.

As a political moderate who is tired of the extreme partisanship that happens daily in Washington, D.C., it was disappointing to see one of Brandeis’ political clubs resort to the damaging tactics employed by left-wing blogs and conservative talk radio to get their point across.

It was puzzling that the Brandeis Libertarian-Conservative Union did not instead post an image of the growth of the debt under Obama or use some other statistics about the size of government to get their point

across. Perhaps by next semester they will have understood the folly of using such imagery and understand that if they want people to take their club seriously, as well as not alienate moderates such as myself, they will refrain from such tactics.

While the Brandeis LibertarianConservative Union embarrassed themselves this year at the Activities Fair, at least they can take solace in the fact that they are not the only political club on campus to act foolishly.

Last year, I attended the first ’Deis Dems meeting, where I expressed my politically moderate viewpoint during a discussion about political leaders. While most of the club respected my different point of view, I was approached at the end of the meeting by one of the members who told me I should not attend another meeting because I didn’t agree with their ideology. Since I was made to feel so unwelcome, I decided not to go to another meeting. It was probably a good thing too because I am one of those people who voted for Presi-

dent Obama in 2008, and then turned around and voted for the Republicans in 2010.

The United States needs leaders who get things done and realize that no ideology holds all the answers. Our parents’ generation, the Boomers, have proven that they are still fighting the same ideological battles of the Vietnam War 40 years later. They have decided to take their moral crusades to the halls of Congress, which has damaged our institutions and turned politics into a sport where winning is all that matters. That whole idea of going to Congress and legislating in the best interest of the country is lost on the current generation of politicians.

Instead, they resort to attacking the other side as evil, unpatriotic or Nazis in disguise. Hopefully, when our generation is walking the halls of Congress 30 years from now, compromise will no longer be considered a dirty word, nor will we see portrayals of the president of the United States as unpatriotic, for such actions are beneath us as Americans.

The Katzwer’s Out of the Bag

An indefensible defense

By Yael Katzwer Editor

In 1995 it was the OJ Simpson trial. In 1996 it was the JonBenet Ramsey case. This summer it was the Casey Anthony trial. I, however, have never been very good at picking up on these sensationalist news trends and instead followed a different trial this summer: Brandon McInerney’s.

For those of you who don’t know who Brandon McInerney is, I have one word: murderer. This case is nothing like the Anthony case, which featured flimsy evidence and a boatload of reasonable doubt. This case had forensics and multiple witnesses.

Going back to Feb. 11, 2008, Brandon, a 14-year-old middle school student at the E.O. Green School in Oxnard, Calif., was being harassed, according to both the defense and witnesses, by Lawrence “Larry” King, Brandon’s 15-year-old transsexual classmate, who often came to school in girls’ clothes. Larry, who was struggling to come to terms with his sexual identity, over-displayed him-

self by flirting with Brandon, winking at him and propositioning him, saying things like “I know you want me” and “Love you baby,” according to reporting in The LA Times.

Brandon couldn’t take it. The next day, Feb. 12, he came to school with a gun, sat behind Larry in class and shot him in the head. Then, standing over Larry’s prone body, Brandon fired another bullet into Larry’s head.

Larry died two days later—he never woke up.

Prosecutors charged Brandon as an adult with premeditated murder including enhancements of discharge of a firearm and a hate crime, purporting that Brandon shot Larry because of his sexual orientation. The trial began July 5, 2011, leaving 17-yearold Brandon’s life up to 12 strangers.

These charges carry a minimum of 53 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.

Before this goes too far, here’s the outcome: The judge declared a mistrial on Sept. 1 because the jury was in a deadlock.

The prosecution plans to retry the case. But seeing as how it took three

and a half years to bring this trial to a jury, who knows how long this second wait will be?

Brandon’s defense was that Larry had been harassing him and bullying him and he felt that he had no other option. And I feel badly for Brandon about that. Brandon deserved a welcoming, hassle-free environment to learn in—but that does not excuse murder.

I feel bad for Brandon—I really do.

There is no worse feeling than being singled out and bullied. On Feb. 11, 2008, I would have called for Larry’s suspension or even expulsion.

But bullets are not the answer to bullying. On Feb. 12, 2008, Brandon lost my sympathy.

It’s a shame, or in Yiddish, that ever-expressive language, a shanda, that Brandon was not convicted. The state plans to retry the case, although I wonder if they are overreaching with the hate crime enhancement.

While I find hate crimes utterly despicable and support the hate crime See TRIAL, page 15

I was born and raised in Nepal.

I grew up hearing stories about families being hit by floods and landslides and communities trying hard to adapt to the changing climate. In the recent years, farmers in the Terai, the wetlands, have sensed the difference.

They survive two extremely dry months and then, in only three days, see a year’s worth of rain fall. We have now seen the “oncein-a-century” typhoon surge out of the Bay of Bengal twice in 20 years. The warmest years on record have all occurred since 1990. Change is definitely in the air.

But there haven’t been any changes in the system. The environment is not and has never been prioritized in Nepal, even though we are the fourth most vulnerable country to the impacts of climate change.

My leaders say that Nepal has other important issues to deal with, other issues that need prioritization. I think they fail to realize that the environment is related to everything in Nepal: our dream of poverty eradication, our food security, our economy, our future, our fundamental right to develop and even our right to live when the effects of climate change result in death.

As an environmental advocate, I have been working to change this. I have been working to create a paradigm shift in Nepal, to empower the young generation of environmental leaders and to spread the wave of climate action. As the communications chief of Nepalese Youth for Climate Action, a national coalition of youth and youth groups fighting climate change, I led various local actions and raised our voice as a Nepali youth delegate to the UNFCCC climate change negotiations at COP15, intersessionals in Bonn, Germany, and then again at COP16.

As I was working in Nepal, many of the others were working just as hard to raise awareness and strengthen the resolve of their political leaders from Delhi to Washington, from Warsaw to

Tokyo, from Beijing to Sydney in the climate negotiations. As a bottom liner of the larger International Youth Climate Movement, I worked with other young environmental advocates from all around the world. I have now understood the necessity of international cooperation and concern for the welfare of humanity regardless of national borders.

Our world leaders haven’t.

When I attended these UN climate summits, I was exposed to the global climate policies and politics. The progress made is not promising. The first Earth Summit was held in 1992, the year that I was born. I am now 19 years old and the leaders say that they still need more time to negotiate. The time for bold action is long past due and we really need to accelerate our sustainable policies to make up for the decades of squandered and futile actions. As a young Nepali girl, I want to be the microphone through which the voice of all Nepali people blares.

I want to lead my country in the process of building a sustainable society. And that is precisely why I traveled halfway around the world to Brandeis.

I wanted to be a part of this vibrant community of learners and change-makers, all of whom are so passionate about leaving a positive impact on their societies and this passion will only grow as we spend the next four years together. Leaving family, friends and the comfort of my home behind was more difficult than I had thought and is more difficult than you think.

How do you leave a place you have called home since your first breath? What do you choose to capture in your mind so it will stay with you, as real as ever, recalled at the slightest blow of the breeze? Which memories to fit in this small mind that dares to dream of bigger things?

I don’t know. I’m still settling in, figuring out which courses to take and which clubs to join. But one thing I know for sure: The memories of Nepal will not burn with me at the pyre. They are too concrete to take a backseat in my mind. They will guide me through my academic journey and remind me of who I am, what I need to do, where I come from and where I will return.

graphic by steven wong/the hoot

September 9, 2011

IMPRESSIONS 13

The Brandeis Hoot

Summer camp connections

By Leah Finkelman Editor

In the photograph in my dorm room my sister and I are on vacation in Michigan in the mid-90s. I am wearing a flowered sundress and she is wearing a red t-shirt and blue shorts. We are not at the height of fashion, even for the ’90s. My arm is thrown around her and a huge smile is plastered to my face. Her face is scrunched up, she is leaning away and it doesn’t take a body language expert to tell you that she doesn’t want to be there.

Throughout my childhood, I envied sisters who were close. I saw a sister as a constant playmate, but Micah often just wanted to be by herself or with other friends.

She, at three grades younger, defied the stereotype of the younger sister who always wanted to tag along.

I was always the more affectionate one, offering her hugs and piggyback rides. She wanted no part in it, recoiling as my arms reached for her.

I credit my displays of affection to being a camp kid. From the summer I turned nine, my fellow campers and I were encouraged to hold hands, hug, sit close together and understand that within limits, physical closeness was something to embrace, not avoid.

That mindset went home with me at the end of each summer, but it struggled to find an outlet. At school, holding hands with a friend wasn’t encouraged like it was at camp. My parents loved the show of affection, but Micah was often the unwilling recipient. At six years old, she had just started first grade and was forging a new identity.

Eight years flashed, a montage of memories, keepsakes and photographs. There were many fights, a few tears, but far more laughs. Micah and I grew closer, but never as close as the eight-year-old me had wanted.

A family trip to Israel, with an overly enthusiastic song leader and a bunch of passionate and persuasive camp kids changed Micah’s life. On a long bus ride in the Negev, we did what I had been unable to do for eight years—get her to consider going to camp with us the following summer.

Her first summer at camp preceded her freshman year of high school. It was also, in my opinion, one of the most defining summers of her life. Camp worked its magic on her and she left with a greater sense of confidence and a greater sense of herself as an American Jewish teenager. Best of all, to me, she finally appreciated and reciprocated affection, especially toward her camp friends, of which I was now one.

After that summer, we started spending much more time together. We were attending the same school for the first time in seven years and we had more mutual friends than ever. We were finally at an age where a two and a half year age difference didn’t seem like all that much. I know that it was her camp experience that gave us more commonalities than differences. It’s been almost two years since then and our relationship is still growing and thriving.

We are now the best friends I have always wanted us to be.

In October of last year, I spent an afternoon in Cambridge with Micah and Miranda, a friend from camp. Miranda took a black and white photo of Micah and me.

We are in front of an awning and, at 16, she was slightly taller then me, but I am leaning into her and her head is tilted towards me.

This time, we are both smiling.

Miranda’s photography teacher showed the picture to the class and complimented her on the emotional power of the shot. It is obvious, she said, that these sisters are incredibly close.

By Peter Wein

YouTube, YouTrouble

Special to the Hoot

On May 12, Bill S.978 was passed by the Senate. For those unaware of what this bill encompasses, its purpose is “to amend the criminal penalty provision for criminal infringement of a copyright, and for other purposes.” This bill would essentially make any form of streaming of copyrighted material illegal.

But what does that even mean? Well, for example, I like to watch videos online of videogame reviews to get a good idea of the game before I go to Best Buy and shell out $65. Guess what? That would be illegal. Why? Because that game review contains material being streamed from a copyrighted source.

Oh, don’t worry—the bill gets even better. For breaking this law (if and when it becomes one) you can go to jail for up to five years. At this point, you are probably asking yourself the same thing I asked myself: I can go to jail for watching YouTube? According to this bill, the answer would be yes.

Let’s be serious; the reality of this bill is that, if you watch too many streamed videos (and by “too many” I mean 10) you can go to jail. That’s right—permanent record, check the box “criminal record” on job applications, all those “don’t drop the soap” jokes, the works. Realistically, if you broke this law you would probably not get the maximum jail time but you would still be going to jail … for watching YouTube or Megavideo or any similar website.

You’ve had a hard day of Sherman shopping and just want to relax a bit before that four-hour Orgo lab begins, which will (as always) ruin your life. You go onto YouTube to check out a few hilarious videos, and you notice something: Nearly all clips of music videos, movies, video games, etc. are gone. And they are not coming back unless YouTube or the anonymous uploader wants to get into trouble with the law.

According to Bill S.978, this will be the reality of the Internet.

Unfortunately, the bill does not directly address who gets into trouble for streaming.

Would the viewer be in trouble for streaming more than 10 times in a 180-day period or would it be the person uploading copyrighted videos? There is currently no answer to the question, making this vague bill an even worse proposition.

The people placing videos of copyrighted information online can also go to jail for a maximum of five years if they make a profit of more than a certain monetary amount off of the videos. As it turns out, stopping illicit gains of wealth from other people’s work is an excellent idea. This part of the bill has a similar focus to legislation targeting illegal music downloading.

Downloading a video really does take profit away from the people who made the film. Unlike music, though, you don’t download one

graphic by steven wong/the hoot

song, love it and then buy the rest of the album.

After you have the movie, you have it and that is all there is to it. So, all in all, this bill does have some redeeming qualities.

In an all-or-nothing situation, however, I would not support this bill. The toxic atmosphere that would be created and the amount of virtually innocent people in jail would be astronomical. C’mon, everyone watches YouTube or stumbles upon a cool YouTube video.

The Chosen Rosen

Hop on the Twitter bandwagon

By Ricky Rosen Columnist

When you first heard about Twitter, you probably had the same reaction as I did: What in the world is that? First of all, who came up with the name Twitter? If I didn’t know any better, I would say Twitter was the name of the Pokemon that Squirtle evolved into (sorry Wartortle). Before I started using the website, I had to look it up to find the definition. According to Webster’s Dictionary, the word twitter means “a series of short, high-pitched calls or sounds” or “idle or ignorant talk.” And usually, the term is used when discussing birds. Nevertheless, today, when people use the phrases “Twitter” or “tweeting,” they’re not identifying birds—they’re referring to the social media website that’s taken the world by storm recently.

I decided to give Twitter a try this past summer. I had resisted the urge to get sucked in, as it would be yet another social networking website to follow compulsively. Facebook was eating up enough of my time and I just didn’t have the time or energy for another website and commitment.

But one day I succumbed to the pressure and made myself an account. I admit I was nervous at first about having to craft a new identity for myself from scratch. I was anxious about starting fresh and recording all my preferences and favorite books and music. Fortunately, I was relieved when I logged in and saw that none of those formalities exist in the Twitterverse: no long bios that no one reads except you, no unnecessary paragraphs filled with every movie you’ve ever seen and no other unnecessary information. Twitter only featured three things: one picture (your Avatar), a line or two about yourself, and your “tweets.”

In the Twitter world, we’re all birds, and our

graphic by steven wong/the hoot

tweets are how we communicate with each other and attract other birds to our nests. You have the option of making your Twitter account private or public. Most people opt to make it public for two reasons: Twitter does not provoke privacy controversies like Facebook does, since so little personal information is made available to others, and, if your account is public, it’s easier for people to follow you. On Twitter, the more followers you have, the flashier your account becomes. Less than 10 followers and you’re stuck interacting with the other chicks in the nest; once you get to 1,000 followers, you become something of a Twitter Overlord.

I’m still climbing up the Twitter ladder and I have a ways to go. If I ever make it to the top, I’ll be joined by the most followed people on Twitter—Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, who have 13 million and 12 million followers respectively.

Combined, both of them have more followers than Australia has people.

The other component of tweets is the “hashtag.” You’ve probably seen a few words clumsily tossed in at the end of your friend’s Facebook status without any spaces next to a number sign and wondered what that was all about. Well, that’s a hashtag. Hashtags are useful for categorizing tweets based on their topics.

If you were to tweet about how much you can’t wait until the next “Twilight” movie (and believe me lots of people do just that), you would put #Twilight at the end of the tweet. Then, if people were to click on the hashtag, they would be brought to a search that would demonstrate how many people had been discussing “Twilight” in the past 24 hours or so. And if enough See TWITTER, page 15

14 IMPRESSIONS

The Brandeis Hoot

September 9, 2011

China: a threat farther east

By Rick Alterbaum Columnist

While the United States has become entangled in conflicts in Libya, Afghanistan and Iraq over the past few years, a potential threat has emerged that has garnered less attention: China.

At first, China’s status as a hostile entity would not seem obvious. China is the United States’ largest creditor and holds $1.5 trillion in U.S. treasury securities. U.S.-China trade is worth $457 billion annually as of 2010, and China is the United States’ third largest export market and its largest source of imports. Furthermore, the United States seeks China’s assistance in solving global problems ranging from climate change to nuclear proliferation.

Yet the reality of the relationship is more problematic.

Economically, China has distorted its trade relations with the United States by continually devaluing its currency to below-market levels, failing to protect the intellectual property rights of foreign investors and companies, and using industrial policy, government protections and subsidies to protect Chinese firms at the expense of international competitors.

Tensions do not just extend to the economic arena.

During the last few years, China has pursued an increasingly expansionist and aggressive foreign policy as it has become a regional hegemon.

It claims the resource-rich South China Sea in its entirety, bypassing competing claims from a number

of the United States’ allies, including Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines. It treats other territorial disputes, such as those involving the Senkaku and Spratly Islands, in a similarly assertive fashion. This is not to mention China’s continued bellicosity toward Taiwan; indeed, the People’s Republic currently has more than a thousand short-range ballistic missiles aimed directly at its eastern neighbor should Taipei consider pursuing full independence.

China has coupled this confrontational foreign policy with an aggressive military buildup and already possesses the second largest military in the world. It is developing a new generation of attack submarines; aircraft carriers; tactical and stealth aircrafts; ballistic, cruise and anti-satellite missiles; and cyber-warfare technology.

China seems intent on challenging the U.S. military and naval presence in Asia, which has played a critical role in stabilizing the regional balance of power, defending and reassuring allied nations, and patrolling and protecting trade lanes.

China undercuts U.S. foreign policy in other ways as well. It has assisted Iran in developing its nuclear program and is a key investor in the Islamic Republic’s oil and gas sectors. In recent years, it provided Syria with arms and missile technology. It is North Korea’s primary benefactor. It helped develop Pakistan’s nuclear program. It actively competes with the United States for influence in Africa and Latin America.

Finally, China’s human rights record continues to be atrocious. The list of abuses is staggering and includes, among other things, continued oppres-

graphic by steven wong/the hoot

sion in Tibet and Xinjang; government censorship; eminent domain; secret detentions; denial of due process, the rule of law, an independent judiciary, free speech, freedom of religion and movement; repression of political dissidents; the use of torture; and the one-child policy.

I am certainly not advocating for active hostilities between China and the United States. I do believe, however, that the United States should take a firmer stand against China, vis-a-vis

the issues I have discussed, to project an image of strength. Some policies that should be considered include a more active containment policy, further action against Chinese trade policy via the WTO, more prominent criticism of China’s human rights record and, if not a reallocation of more military resources to East Asia, then at least a rollback of some of the proposed cuts to the defense budget.

Therefore, some of President Obama’s actions, including his reluctance to

meet with the Dalai Lama and his termination of weapons sales to Taiwan, are disappointing.

As China continues to develop, I do hope that it will serve as a more responsible power that will uphold rather than destabilize the status quo in Asia and act in a more cooperative manner with the United States. Considering the Communist regime’s authoritarian nature and hyper-nationalist tendencies, however, I am under no illusions that it will.

First responders shouldn’t finish last

By Ryan Tierney Staff

The 10-year anniversary of Sept.

11 is quickly approaching. This day is to our generation what the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. were to our parents; a day so ingrained in our minds, it is likely we can all describe the day in extraordinary detail. With its milestone anniversary arriving in the upcoming weeks, questions have arisen in regards to the ceremony planned to commemorate the tragedy. Plans, however, are not running as smoothly as one would expect for such an anticipated com-

memorative ceremony.

City officials have publicly stated that the first responders to the attack on the World Trade Center will not be invited or included in the 10-year anniversary ceremony, which is set to take place at the former site of the towers, Ground Zero. City officials went on to justify this statement by clarifying that their intentions were not to exclude but rather to ensure that they will be able to include all of the families of the victims of the horrific event.

Blaming it on lack of room at the ceremony, thousands of firefighters, police officers and other rescue workers will be excluded from the ceremony. Although clearly a noble and

understandable intention, backlash has arisen based on the city officials’ decision. In an attempt to pacify the masses, city officials have opened discussion of having a ceremony for the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11 at a later date. (It seems that the city misunderstands the meaning of an anniversary.)

Yet, let us understand that hundreds of First Responders also fell victim to the attack on 9/11. Notably, yes, their families will be able to attend but one must think about the firefighters, police officers and rescuers who lost dear friends and coworkers. It seems almost cruel and unusual not to allow these noble men and women who risked their

“ ” It seems almost cruel and unusual not to allow these noble men and women who risked their lives, lost friends and helped save others to come to the ceremony.

lives, lost friends and helped save others to come to the ceremony. It is understandable, however, that room is indeed a factor and that priority should of course be given to the

photo from internet source

families of the victims; yet, the issue of room shouldn’t have been treated so lightly.

On the anniversary of this day, a day that made modern-day New York part of what it is today, one would expect the sympathy and understanding of both the commoners and the city council. It is, in my opinion, simply offensive and disrespectful that the city appeared to “solve” the capacity issue by cutting out the attendance of such integral people.

I am of the opinion that the city officials didn’t handle this in the greatest manner. As I mentioned earlier, the impact of this day on New York, should allow for some leeway for the possibility of fencing off part of the area surrounding Ground Zero to create room capacity to include all of the first responders. Disrupting city traffic and regulations, however, may seem to be too much of a cost or maybe too much work, leaving the city unwilling to take this idea into consideration.

It is ridiculous to close off the ceremony to people who risked their lives in the name of their nation.

They won’t be there for the country’s commemoration of their service. But when the country needed them 10 years ago they were there.

September 9, 2011

IMPRESSIONS 15

The Brandeis Hoot

Ripples of 9/11, as felt by a Muslim

By Nafiz “Fizz” Ahmed Editor

“Osama destroyed the Twin Towers! This is a victory for Muslims all around the world!” exclaimed my middle school math teacher one warm September morning in 2001.

It’s quite unsettling; I encountered more people who shared her view than I had the stomach for. I was in Dhaka, Bangladesh, during my 9/11 experience. Yes, everybody in my generation has his or her 9/11 story.

In mine I was around people who were happy about the haunting tragedy.

I was a 10-year-old Bengali boy with an American passport. With most of my young childhood spent in the United States, my parents and I held a special connection to the country that had warmly accepted us and given us equal opportunities like the rest of its citizens. When I woke up on Sept. 11 and got ready for school, the expression in my mother’s eyes was rather melancholic. She looked at me and told me that there was a terrorist attack at the World Trade Center.

Both of my parents expressed sorrow regarding the event. At the moment, I did not quite grasp the importance of the issue.

When I arrived at school, this seemed to be all everyone was talking about; all the children, all the teachers and all the administrators. I was surprised, however, that an overwhelming number of them, unlike my parents, were celebrating it. Bangladesh is not known as a country that fosters terrorism against the United States, yet, it seemed that this horrific stunt

by Osama fired up an inner hatred against the West in many of my peers.

Looking back at it now, what disturbs

me further is the realization that most nine- or 10-year-old children form their opinions about major political and social events from their parents.

This means that most of my peers’ parents held the same celebratory mentality. Many of my teachers went so far as to express joy about scaring America during class. Needless to say, I was a very confused child.

That night after dinner my parents and I sat down with a photo album.

They showed me pictures of me with my father in front of the Twin Towers.

There was also a photo of me standing on the highest floor of the building looking out the window. My 10-yearold brain realized that anyone could have been on the same floor, on the same spot as I was standing in that photo. I also realized that there were many Muslim people in there that day as well. When I mentioned that to my friends and teachers, they exclaimed that all the Muslims who died during 9/11 were martyrs and we should be proud of them. I told them: “I was in that building myself once and I would not see any glory in dying in such a way.”

Most of my friends and teachers in Bangladesh are Muslim but they are not terrorists. Thus, to this day I am still astonished by the speed with which they jumped on Osama’s antiWestern bandwagon. Besides the verbal spreading of hate, I thought that the people surrounding me were not causing much direct damage, especially not to me. Years later, however, I realized the damage they had really caused to me.

In 2008, I was a high school junior in the United States. My father had a flight booked to Bangladesh to visit my sick grandmother but two days before his flight he broke his leg. He still did not want to skip seeing his very ill

mother so he still planned on flying.

We went online and tried checking in early to avoid hassle and also to pick a front-row aisle seat so my dad could have some more leg room to rest his injured foot. At the very end of the process, an error message popped up saying that we needed to check in at the airport and could not pick out a seat. We were frustrated. At the airport we approached the counter and inquired about our incident and the officer told us that it was because of my father’s name: Babul Ahmed. Now my family is on some kind of a special list and we cannot check-in early or choose our plane seats in advance.

All this just because our last name is Ahmed.

Now as an adult, I am contemplating dropping the despised “terrorist” last name, Ahmed, because of this incident. That is the only way in which I will be free from possible suspicion from airport officials and also avoid references from Jeff Dunham’s “Ahmed the Dead Terrorist” comedy skit.

I wish 9/11 had not happened. I despise Osama bin Laden for committing such a horrendous crime, fostering such hatred against the West and giving Muslims a negative reputation.

By taking those two towers down, he did not only harm the United States, but he harmed me and many others like me who are associated with terrorism simply because we have Muslim last names. Islamophobia has been a major issue for Muslims all around the globe in this post-9/11 world. As much as that upsets me, I cannot get myself to feel any anger whatsoever because my mind jumps to what Osama did in 2001.

The unfortunate part in all of this is that I am caught in the middle of a situation I have no part in. I never fos-

Atwitter over Twitter TWITTER, from page 13

people are tweeting about it, it would become a trending topic.

Besides organizing information, hashtags are also often used by savvy Tweeters to insert humor to tweets or add new information. For example, if you were to tweet something like: “I slipped and fell on my face this morning at the coffee shop,” you could add #likeaboss to enhance your tweet with humor.

But what exactly should you tweet about? That’s the beauty of Twitter.

You can tweet about absolutely anything that you want. If you see something funny on the streets of Manhattan, you can tweet it. If the people at IHOP overcook your eggs, you can tweet it. If your wiffleball rolls down into the sewers, you can tweet it. If your dog chews up your remote control, you can tweet it. You don’t need a will or a reason—you simply express yourself in any way you want without fear of judgment.

When I first began using Twitter, I had no idea what to tweet, so I barely tweeted at all. But before long Twitter became an everyday activity for me.

I began tweeting at work, on line at the deli and while driving (only at red lights, of course). There was a point where I tweeted a few hundred times in one day; literally every encounter, conversation or meaningful event that I had experienced I tweeted. I was like an eight year old with a brand new video game—I just couldn’t stop playing with it!

Since returning to college last week, I haven’t been as active on Twitter.

This is in part because I haven’t had the time and in part because the novelty of the website has worn off. But while my Twitter usage has declined,

for everyone else it has only expanded. According to The Huffington Post, the site currently has 190 million users (compared to Facebook’s 750 million). While Twitter cannot compare to Facebook in terms of popularity and usage, the two websites now have similar levels of awareness among the public. In a survey conducted by The HuffPost, 87 percent of Americans are now aware of the Twitter service, while 88 percent of Americans are aware of the Facebook service. In the past few years, terms like “Twitter” and “tweeting,” which nobody had even heard of five years ago, have become household names.

What is it about Twitter that makes it so appealing? Versatility, for one.

You can use Twitter for anything you want—connecting with friends and family; staying up-to-date on news, weather or politics; meeting new people; interacting with celebrities; or just killing time at 4 in the morning. Some people feel the need to excessively tweet their every feeling, thought and idea—others only tweet when they feel it’s necessary; it is what you make of it.

And unlike with Facebook, which leads people to be self-conscious about how many likes or comments each of their statuses has received, Twitter does not have any such features.

By now you all must be giggling like a hyena at how crazy I sound praising this basic website and its notoriously primitive features (I think one of my friends compared Twitter to Neopets). But upon closer inspection, Twitter is an amazingly practical website (and nothing like Neopets).

One thing that makes Twitter practical is that it limits your tweets to 140 characters. Although it is frustrating

at times to narrow everything down, the 140-character limit is necessary to keep your tweets short and sweet.

The reason that Twitter has been surging of late is because of the number of high-profile individuals that are avid “Twitaholics.” Twitter is the only social networking website that offers individuals unlimited direct contact with celebrities. Pretty much every big-name star that you can think of, from Charlie Sheen to Ryan Seacrest, has an active Twitter account. Musicians use Twitter to promote their new music releases; actors to keep their supporters updated on all of their endeavors; and athletes to interact with their fans.

Slowly but surely, everyone is jumping on the Twitter bandwagon.

Companies and businesses now print their Twitter usernames on business cards underneath their e-mail addresses and telephone numbers and news programs encourage viewers to follow them for news updates. Everyone seems to be using the service … except for college students. According to the Digital Buzz Blog, only 13 percent of Twitter’s users are between the ages of 18 and 25. I believe that number will swell in the next year or two though. The service that Twitter provides fits within our country’s changing landscape, especially for college students. It’s refreshing, it’s painless and, most of all, it’s simple.

I’m not saying that Twitter is going to replace Facebook. Or that Twitter is a more useful social networking platform than Facebook. But I do feel that Twitter is extremely practical and worth a try. But be warned—once you start tweeting, you may not be able to stop.

photo courtesy nafiz “fizz ” ahmed

looking back A three-year-old Nafiz Ahmed looks out of a window at the Twin Towers.

tered any kind of hate-speech against the United States and I have always condemned Osama for what he did.

For this, my Bengali peers were not my biggest fans; however, now I am associated with having a terrorist last name in the United States. For a while I felt unaccepted by both the places I call home. I felt as if I were floating uncomfortably between the two ends of the spectrum.

The spring of my first year at Brandeis, however, I took a class with Professor Jytte Klausen from the politics department. The course was called “The Islamic Challenge: Poli-

tics and Religion in the West.” This was the first time I had the opportunity to speak about these complex issues in an academic setting. This was also the first time I ever gained the courage to share my story publicly.

The class gave me strength, knowledge and a sense of ease regarding the complex issues of terrorism and Islamophobia in Western society. At the end of the day, I know I am an individual with no tolerance of or association with Osama and his cause.

I believe that no one has the right or justification on any ground, even religious, to commit such a crime.

Murder is murder TRIAL, from page 12

mcinerney (left) and king

statute, we cannot be sure that this was one. Do I think Brandon hated gay people? Yeah. Did the police find white supremacist paraphernalia in Brandon’s room? Yeah. Was Brandon being harassed, making this a personal vendetta? Yeah.

Additionally, the state is considering whether they want to retry Brandon as an adult this time.

I can be sympathetic to the fact that he was only 14 when he committed this atrocious crime. But 14 is old enough to know that murder is wrong. If you are old enough to murder someone in cold blood, you are old enough to face the consequences and spend the rest of your life in prison.

Some people argue that a mistake made at 14 shouldn’t destroy Brandon and take away his chance at living a full, rehabilitated life. There are a few problems with this though. First, it wasn’t a mistake, it was a plan—it was a different M-word.

And I understand that Brandon is young and has his whole life ahead of him, but you know who else was young and had his whole life ahead of

photos from internet source

him? Larry. You know who else could have matured with time? Larry. But he won’t get that chance.

This isn’t to say all the blame lies with Brandon. The school knew about the bullying and did nothing.

The assistant principal, Joy Epstein, has been lambasted in the papers for knowing about the harassment and not stopping it. The LA Times reported that English teacher Dawn Boldrin testified, “It was reported, more than once, by more than one person. …

She kept saying that she didn’t know and she did. She knew. She did. Everybody knew.”

The apparent position of the school was that rather than reprimand Larry, they felt they should nurture his sexual awakening.

Why did the school put Larry’s needs above Brandon’s? They shouldn’t have. But that was a mistake, not murder.

Is this a murky situation? Definitely. Did multiple parties’ behaviors contribute to this tragedy? Certainly.

Who should take the blame and be punished? Brandon McInerney, the murderer.

ARTS, ETC.

16 The Brandeis Hoot

September 9 , 2011

Avoiding a typical Brandeisian weekend

By Candice Bautista Staff

First year, the first post-orientation weekend on campus for me was the worst. In front of me was the weekend and, instead of it being something for me to enjoy, I was petrified. All sorts of questions ran through my head: What am I supposed to do? Who am I supposed to hang out with? How long can I stay in bed and still remain socially acceptable? Oh dear God, why am I in college?

When that first weekend rolled around this time, I believed that being a sophomore would grant it a stability that results from having a full academic year under my belt. Lo, that was not the case. Still, I believe that I have enough wisdom to create a howto guide for dealing with weekends at Brandeis University, using my own Saturday as an example of what and what not to do.

DO purposely wake up late so you won’t have to deal with breakfast. As one of the elusive Village folk this year, I could theoretically pour cereal into a bowl and eat that for breakfast.

But washing dishes is kind of not so great. Forego that whole situation by waking up late! This is doubly true for students on an actual meal plan.

For first-years who remain unaware: Usdan does not believe in breakfast on the weekends. Instead, they offer a half-hearted “brunch” at 11:30 a.m. It’s a lose-lose situation. Kids who actually eat breakfast eat it too late and kids who want lunch do not get legitimate lunch items but are instead offered pancakes or scrambled eggs as a consolation prize. Since everyone on campus is hungry, the lines are ridiculous.

DO NOT do nothing simply because you are independent and can choose not to do things. For exam-

graphic by steven wong/the hoot

ple, this weekend I laid in bed and felt bad for myself. That is way too easy at Brandeis. Opt out of it! Sit on the quad! Read a book! Climb the Brandeis statue! Do not lie there just because you can. This leads me to my next point: DO things to pass time. Brandeis is not a “happenin’” campus. Parties here are not real parties and Waltham is not really a place in which to walk

around. Brandeis is the kind of place where you have to make your own fun. This weekend, I played the board game “The Settlers of Catan” for the first time; it is as arbitrary as it sounds. That took up two hours of my time before playing “Mario Kart” and “Wii Sports.” Like I said, Brandeis kids need to be clever and interesting enough to make our own fun. This is just the outlet that I em-

ployed this weekend.

DO NOT fall asleep while watching your roommate play the video game “Epic Mickey,” especially with your glasses on. It is a disaster. It also does not make you feel more rested. Things get even worse when you realize that it’s 7 p.m. and not only have you not left your floor but you also need to start making dinner.

DO have all cooking supplies at your

disposal. I didn’t, and that resulted in my opening cans of tuna without a can opener. Do not use a screwdriver in lieu of a can opener. It will only lead to a mangled piece of metal, tuna juice all over the place, a bleeding finger and possible tetanus.

DO leave your dorm before 9 p.m. if at all possible, even if it’s only to go to another dorm. After meeting up with friends, make sure to look at what events are happening on campus. As life would have it, there was a Punk Rock ’n’ Roll concert happening this weekend featuring Miniature Tigers.

Punk Rock ’n’ Roll frequently brings bands to campus to play at Chum’s.

Even though most of the bands are pretty obscure given the size of the venue and the amount of money the club is allotted, the bands they bring are still “real” bands. It’s also generally good practice to like obscure bands so that you can go see them cheaply and without an excessive number of tweens present.

DO have fun at concerts regardless of what social standards dictate as “dancing.” It was a very good show, even if it began with awkward mingling and people (including myself) being too uncomfortable to start dancing to the music. Then I realized that everyone around me was just as uncomfortable and awful at dancing.

Get into it fast! Especially with Miniature Tigers and their fast-paced, sort of tween poppy music—definitely one of the highlights of this year for me.

Jump around and gyrate as if there were no tomorrow. I personally love Miniature Tigers and was overly eager but that only fueled the excitement of the kids around me. Fun breeds fun!

DO dance your way to the front.

Holler “Play ‘Like or Like Like!’” at the stage. Also yell along with “Cannibal See WEEKENDS, page 18

These should be the golden years for Yes

By Adam Hughes Staff

After a brief period in the spotlight when Hammond organs were the coolest thing in the world, the band Yes had to endure 30 years of criticism as one of music’s persistent punchlines. In the late ’70s, the punks used the band to epitomize the complexity and pretension that they believed was destroying rock music. In the ’80s and ’90s, Yes did it to themselves, releasing a string of mostly-laughable synth-pop albums in a misguided attempt to remain relevant. The 2000s saw years of creative silence as the members spent their time publicly bickering over the band’s future and embarking on never-ending, overpriced tours with washed-up acts like Peter Frampton and Styx.

Within the past few years, however, the band’s image among music fans has turned for the better. The short attention span of the musical community has turned the excesses and punk insults into ancient history, but the groundbreaking vision and technical mastery of Yes’ best work has endured. Bands like Dream Theater, the Mars Volta, and Coheed and Cambria have repaid their debt of influence by proving that musical complexity and genresplicing still have a place in rock. As prog-rock-hating critics like Robert Christgau have waned in importance, the alternative music establishment of 2011 looks at the Yes

canon with respect; Pitchfork rated the 2004 Yes remasters very favorably (9.0 for “Close to the Edge,” 8.8 for “Fragile,” 8.1 for “The Yes Album,” etc.), and Rate Your Music puts three Yes albums on their top 500 (led by “Close to the Edge” at 73).

Meanwhile, the last few Yes releases have shown a surprising creative renaissance. Though the band has long lost the inspiration for (and interest in) crafting the ultracomplex epics of their heyday, it still created original, listenable albums by mixing pop and prog influences in novel ways. 1999’s “The Ladder” incorporated Caribbean horns and percussion and reggae rhythms; it’s a bright, buoyant work, bursting with positive energy. Two years later, Yes shifted direction by working without a keyboard player, instead incorporating a full orchestra as an integral part of its sound. The ensuing work, “Magnification,” embraced lyrical and musical romanticism to become perhaps the first album of prog love songs; there are moments of true tenderness and beauty.

Neither album sold well and the only attention they received was from Yes die-hards, who criticized them for departing from the classic Yes sound. Today, however, it would be easy to imagine a quirky, listenable Yes album finding some level of success from a reinvigorated fan base, proving the band’s enduring worth and earning enough publicity to augment their critical momen-

tum.

With all this in mind, it’s hard for me to consider 2011’s “Fly from Here” as anything but a major disappointment. Just as the band’s recent risk-taking was primed for reward, Yes has instead turned backwards, releasing a dated album fit only for a dwindling retro-rock audience.

The first sign of trouble is the band’s line-up. Drummer Alan White, guitarist Steve Howe and bassist Chris Squire have been mainstays for years but keyboardist Geoff Downes and vocalist Benoît David are recent additions, both of whom raise red flags. Downes has been in Yes once before for 1980’s “Drama,” but his main claims to fame come from his membership in the goofy synth-pop band The Buggles and bland arena-rockers Asia. David’s story reads like a farce; until 2008, he sang in a Yes tribute act and Yes asked him to join only because his voice resembles that of former front man Jon Anderson. Throw in the return of producer Trevor Horn, a fellow Buggle who produced some of Yes’ worst synth-pop excesses and the stage was set for frustration.

Conspicuously absent are Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman, the creative heavyweights behind the most successful Yes releases. They have been photo from internet source

See YES, page 18

yes English rock band Yes, which has been active for more than 40 years, recently released their

latest album “Fly from Here.”

September 9, 2011

ARTS, ETC. 17

The Brandeis Hoot

Falling for autumn films

By Sean Fabery, Editor

Late summer has never been a great time for cineastes. Just take a glance at your local movie listings: “Shark Night 3D,” “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark,” “Conan the Barbarian.” Combined, they’re enough to make you swear off movies for good.

Thankfully, things should be changing pretty quickly. The fall is always a good time for quality movie releases, since that’s when studios release their prospective award winners in hopes of maximizing the amount of attention they receive. While we’ll still have to wait a few weeks (or months) to see these films, virtually all of them have played at the major film festivals like Cannes and Venice, so reviews have started to float around. From the looks of it, there’s quite a number of gourmet choices awaiting moviegoers come fall. I’ve listed just a few of them below.

‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’ The Olson twins have long been a staple of the American pop culture scene—you’ll never forget “Full House” no matter how hard you’ve tried (and believe me, I’ve tried). Both Mary-Kate and Ashley have attempted to break out with adult roles but so far neither has found much success. In contrast, their younger sister Elizabeth Olson stars in “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” a drama that scored rave reviews at Sundance. Olson portrays a woman who has just escaped the influence of a menacing cult; once she’s safely ensconced at her sister’s home, however, she begins to fear she’s being watched. (Oct. 21)

‘Take Shelter’ When average husband Curtis (Michael Shannon) begins experiencing strange visions, he’s determined to protect his wife (Jessica Chastain) and daughter—the only problem is that he doesn’t know whether he should protect them from a natural disaster or from himself. “Take Shelter” is only director Jeff Nichols’ sophomore feature, but it promises to put a fresh cinematic spin on mental illness. (Sept. 30)

‘Drive’ Ryan Gosling stars as a stuntman who also happens to work as a getaway driver in Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Drive.” When things go wrong in a robbery, he finds himself on the run while also simultaneously protecting a mother and child from harm. After it screened at Cannes, “Drive” immediately received attention for its sleek style and excellent performances, and the trailers released for it thus far bear out that promise. (Sept. 16)

‘A Dangerous Method’

‘Melancholia’

Few figures have impacted our way of thinking of the mind in quite the same manner as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung; for whatever reason, though, the story of their lives hasn’t found much success on celluloid. Director David Cronenberg’s “A Dangerous Method,” however, will focus on these two giants (as played by Viggo Mortensen and Michael Fassbender) and the woman (Keira Knightley) who came between them both intellectually and emotionally. (Nov. 23)

Hollywood has long been obsessed with apocalyptic films—think “Independence Day” or “The Day After Tomorrow.” The apocalypse will get a Danish art-house flair with director Lars von Trier’s “Melancholia,” which mixes disaster with psychological drama. Two sisters—the newly married Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg)—confront their different perspectives on life as Earth nears collision with another planet, the ominously named Melancholia. (Nov. 11)

‘Carnage’

‘The Skin I Live In’

There’s something great about putting four people in a room and watching them explode (emotionally, of course)—just think “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Roman Polanski’s “Carnage,” based on a 2006 play, observes what happens when two upper-middle-class couples meet to discuss a schoolyard fight between their sons. As it turns out, they quickly lose their tempers and dark comedy ensues. With a top-notch cast—Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly—it would be hard to justify not watching this. (Dec. 16)

During the years, director Pedro Almodovar has developed a reputation for visually sumptuous, adventurous films that are not afraid to play with genre conventions. With his latest film, he’s tackled both science fiction and horror. Dr. Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas) ranks as one of the most esteemed plastic surgeons in the world, and he achieves new notoriety when he reveals he’s developed a way of growing skin. In doing so, however, he may have utilized a few unwilling test subjects. (Oct. 14)

‘The Muppets’ The Muppets should obviously be a part of everyone’s childhood but they’ve been conspicuously absent from movie theaters for the last decade. That’s about to change with “The Muppets.” In this latest film, Kermit and friends face the possible demolition of the Muppet Theater after oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) discovers oil on its land. To avoid its destruction, Kermit—with the help of humans Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams)— must reunite the muppets and stage a telethon. (Nov. 23)

photos from internet source

‘Young Adult’ When director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody collaborated in 2007, the result was “Juno,” one of the most successful, acclaimed comedies in recent memory. They’ve reunited for “Young Adult,” a film with a decidedly darker bent: Mavis Gray (Charlize Theron), a young adult fiction writer, returns to her hometown. Her mission? To romantically reunite with her high school sweetheart (Patrick Wilson)—who just happens to be happily married. (Dec. 9)

18 ARTS, ETC.

The Brandeis Hoot

September 9, 2011

Thriller owes ‘Debt’ to strong cast

By Sean Fabery Editor

As fanciful as “Inglourious Basterds” was, its presentation of a merry band of Nazi hunters in occupied France satisfied a very real desire—to see Hitler and his cronies punished for their deeds. What history was unable to furnish, Quentin Tarantino dished out cinematically.

Director John Madden’s “The Debt” satisfies a similar need, though it focuses its anger on a different figure: Dr. Josef Mengele, the Nazi who infamously performed horrific experiments on countless prisoners at Auschwitz. His crimes were among the most inhumane committed under the heinous regime, yet he evaded capture, dying 34 years after the war in South America.

In “The Debt,” Mengele has been transformed into Dr. Dieter Vogel (Jesper Christensen), a Nazi whose nickname “the Surgeon of Birkenau” only hints at the atrocities he committed. Picking up more than 20 years after the war, Vogel is a popular gynecologist in 1966 East Berlin. Unbeknownst to him, two Mossad agents—David (Sam Worthington) and Stefan (Martin Csokas)—have received their government’s permission to capture Vogel and bring him to Israel to stand trial.

To accomplish this, another agent—Rachel (Jessica Chastain)— arrives in the city, where she poses as David’s wife and begins seeking fertility advice from Vogel. As the three agents hone in on their target, however, it becomes clear that both men have developed feelings for Rachel, which leads to friction once Vogel is in their grasp.

While the most crucial events occur in East Berlin, the film actually begins 30 years later in Tel Aviv,

photo from internet source

the debt Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington and Martin Csokas star as three young Mossad agents in John Madden’s “The Debt.”

where an older Rachel (Helen Mirren) is attending the launch party for a book about the mission to capture Vogel. When Stefan (Tom Wilkinson) and David (Ciaran Hinds) re-enter her life, it quickly becomes clear that not everything about their past is quite what it seems. A debt—the truth—is owed.

“The Debt” is at its best when it focuses on the young Mossad agents, particularly in the scenes in which they confront a sneering Vogel. Vogel remains completely unrepentant; rather than ask their forgiveness, he taunts them by playing mind games and reminding them of the family they lost in the Holocaust. Vogel has a knack for reading their interiors, both figuratively and literally when you consider that he

has had access to Rachel’s most personal spaces.

It can become painful when thrillers decide to play romantic geometry, but the love triangle here thankfully avoids those pitfalls. The triangle only enhances the main story, and—at least in the beginning—both men seem like viable matches. David is all deep, dark, and brooding (but accessible) sentiment, while Stefan is, in a word, fun.

Alas, the film goes off the rails when it reunites us with the agents in the present-day. While a very clever plot twist reshapes the film and our expectations of it, the resolution of the events it sets in motion really taxes our suspension of disbelief. There is something believable and human about the 1966 arc and

that something seems to get lost by the end of the film.

Despite this later turn-of-events, “The Debt” never loses its strongest asset—its uniformly strong cast. In the latter-day scenes, Helen Mirren does a great job—surprise!—of bringing a reserved strength to her Rachel. She boasts a passable Israeli accent that sometimes evades her.

Wilkinson similarly puts in strong work, though his material is not nearly as strong.

The film’s most valuable acting asset, however, is in its flashbacks.

This has been a banner year for rising star Jessica Chastain, as she’s already appeared as the ethereal mother in “The Tree of Life” and as a ditzy outcast in “The Help.” “The Debt” gives her yet another op-

Saying no to the new Yes album

No more boring weekends

YES, from page 16

lightning rods for the band’s most voracious critics: Anderson for his fey falsetto and abstract lyrics, and Wakeman for his over-the-top playing and stage costumes. But they were also responsible for Yes’ greatest strengths. Anderson was the spiritual guru and creative visionary pushing the band to explore complex themes and compositions, and Wakeman had the classical training that structured this vision.

Squire and Howe are masters of their instruments, and their role has been important in grounding Anderson and Wakeman’s tendencies to excess. On their own, however, they prefer chasing commercial trends to writing substantial music, Howe in Asia and the forgettable GTR, and Squire as the architect of 1980s Yes. Whenever these opposing forces throw the band into open warfare, Wakeman, who has no stomach for conflict, bolts, leaving Anderson outmanned and able only to compromise his vision or to leave as well. Now that Howe and Squire have his clone at their disposal, they can play hardball with Anderson and whatever trifles they want.

Unfortunately, their tastes are so outmoded that they cannot even release radio-friendly music anymore. Perhaps a song like “Life on a Film Set” would find an audience in 1984, but now the wanton synthesizer abuse is a relic, and the “anthe-

portunity to show her impressive skills. Her Rachel is fierce yet also immensely vulnerable. Those contradictory elements can sometimes prove difficult to meld—you risk creating a character that’s a cocky, weepy mess—but she balances them beautifully. It’s always tricky when you cast two actors to play the same role, especially when one of them is Helen Mirren, but the two have clearly worked together to create a sense of continuity that goes beyond the scar they both wear on their faces.

Martin Csokas, as younger Stefan, also impresses, injecting the film with a self-confidence and overt sexuality that it would otherwise lack. Sam Worthington, who plays the younger David, has never impressed in his other Hollywood work—he’s almost a non-entity in “Avatar” and “Clash of the Titans” despite being their star—yet here his sullen demeanor works. His character, after all, is intended to be emotionally inaccessible.

Of course, one can’t forget Jesper Christensen, the actor behind the Surgeon of Birkenau. He expertly navigates the divide between the doctor’s friendly public demeanor—he has, after all, transformed himself into a well-liked gynecologist—and the monster that lurks beneath. If nothing else, his is the kind of performance that can lead to nightmares.

Visually, director John Madden presents a work that’s a bit by-the-numbers, aping the style of many retro thrillers. Yet, when you consider this film and his past efforts like “Shakespeare in Love,” he clearly has a knack for assembling top-notch casts and eliciting great performances from them.

In short, see “The Debt.” If nothing else, the performances will ensure you won’t leave the theater feeling cheated.

WEEKENDS, from page 16

rocking out The rock band Yes—depicted here in better years—formed in 1968.

mic” chorus (“You’re RIIIIIIIID-ing a tiger”) sounds laughable. “Into the Storm” finds Howe dismissing his lightning-fingered style to rip off U2’s the Edge, and the Squire-sung “The Man You Always Wanted Me To Be” lacks a hook but makes up for it with middle-school poetry (“I was lost / Now I found myself in you”).

The centerpiece of the album is the 25-minute long title song, not a single work but a series of six tracks

haphazardly stitched together so Yes can pretend it’s writing epics again. It contains the best moments on the album; both “We Can Fly” and “Sad Night at the Airfield” have decent, atmospheric melodies.

“Madman at the Screens,” however, is built around an absurd, processed call-and-response, and the whole work drowns in layers of synthesizer noise. From a band that used to base its lyrics on works like “War and Peace,” the flimsy airplane met-

photo from internet source

aphor is also an irritation.

I’ve admired Yes for as long as I’ve listened to music, and I’ll always count their greatest works among my favorite albums. In its heyday, the band redefined the limits of rock music, and it’s gratifying to me as a fan that critical consensus is finally beginning to give the band its due. “Fly from Here” is a missed opportunity to build on that legacy; thankfully, the album is too forgettable to tarnish it.

Queen” as the original voice is standing a little under two feet in front of you. Giggle at how exciting that concept is. When the concert ends, make sure you eye the lead singer as he steps off the stage that divides “the band” from “Brandeis students.” Catch up to him in the mad rush of people leaving Chum’s and blabber on about how “Tell It To the Volcano” was the only album you listened to this summer.

Then ask for a hug because that is the only appropriate response to meeting someone cool.

After a comatose 10 minutes posthug, go to Battle of The DJs for the first time. Hear one pretty good DJ and suffer awkwardly gesticulating during bad DJs until midnight.

Dance hard and fast anyway. Go back to friend’s dorm to watch “Millionaire Matchmaker.” Go to bed.

There you have it, a Saturday well spent. I am a firm believer that firstly, knowing what to do over the weekend is hard and, secondly, going to Cambridge under the wrath of the omniscient force that is the Cambridge shuttle is not always the best decision. There is much fun to be had on campus if one can accept these tenets.

Have fun, make fun and live hard— even if that means staying in your dorm for more than 14 hours.

September 9, 2011

ARTS, ETC. 19

The Brandeis Hoot

Arts Recommends

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

photos from internet source

Book ‘Deliverance’

Film ‘I Am Love’

Thanks to the 1972 film “Deliverance,” many still associate banjoes and inbreeding with the Georgia backcountry, but few seem to remember the brilliant James Dickey novel on which the film is based. Here’s the story: One weekend, four Atlanta businessmen embark on a rafting trip in north Georgia, only to encounter hostility from some violent, toothless locals.

Dickey first made his name as a poet and that shows in his prose, which boasts a fierce, stripped-down lyricism.

While the hillbillies in “Deliverance” are frightening, Dickey presents them as a twisted vision from a vanishing world; the river on which the businessmen travel is about to be destroyed by the construction of a dam and these communities will disappear with it. The novel also serves as a vivid exploration of modern American masculinity and the way men manage to survive today. —SF

“I Am Love,” an Italian film directed by Luca Guadagnino, depicts the dissolution of a wealthy Milanese family at the hands of greed and lust with a lushness that recalls the work of Luchino Visconti. Guadagnino focuses on Emma (Tilda Swinton), the Russian-born matriarch of the Recci family. Though the wife of one of the wealthiest men in Italy, she identifies more strongly with her loyal servant Ida (Maria Paiato), as Emma essentially acts as a party planner in her own home. When her daughter Elisabetta (Alba Rohrwacher) comes out as a lesbian, Emma latches onto her daughter’s new sense of liberation and begins an affair. Suddenly her empty life has a new fecundity, allowing her to move beyond the walls of her home. Guadagnino frames the film in a way that’s simultaneously intimate and operatic, with a beautiful score by composer John Adams. —SF

20 The Brandeis Hoot

HOOT SCOOPS TEN YEARS LATER: WE REMEMBER

September 9, 2011

“If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate,’’ -Sandy Dahl, the wife of Flight 93 pilot Jason Dahl As the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks approaches, people across the United States find themselves reflecting on the day that simultaneously shocked the nation and unified the American people.

Most of Brandeis’ current students were only in elementary or middle schools when they news of the attacks broke. Although most understood the seriousness of what had just happened, many struggled with fully grasping its magnitude. Ten years later, they are able to reflect on their initial feelings.

Following Sept. 11, 2001, the university administration’s first course of action was ensuring Brandeis’ safety. Director of Public Safety, Ed Callahan, remembers that morning quite clearly. He left for Brandeis as if it were just any other morning but he was soon confronted with the news that the United States was under attack. Calls started coming in as people began to wonder how Brandeis would remain secure in case of an attack.

During the next few weeks, Callahan sat in a variety of meetings as the administration implemented various plans to keep Brandeis students, faculty and staff safe. While many members of the community welcomed the safety measures—a checkpoint was set up at the front entrance—others found them to be too restrictive.

“It is very difficult to balance safety and security and freedom,” Callahan said. Thus the checkpoint was eventually dismantled once additional safety measures were put in place.

In Callahan’s opinion, people need to continue to take safety and security seriously as he believes history repeats itself. Many Brandeis students also hold a similar viewpoint. For example, Ben Henig ’12 recognizes the importance of the safety measures taken in airports.

Henig was attending a Jewish Day School in Pennsylvania when he first heard about the attacks. At just 11 years old, he was not yet old enough to understand the significance behind the attacks. As time passed, however, he started to believe the attacks proved that the United States is not invincible.

“Returning from Australia, where I could walk onto a plane without even having to show an ID, I have gained a new-found respect for all of the security measures in place in airports around the country. While it’s certainly a nuisance to have to wait in line and answer all the security questions, I would much rather have all these measures in place than risk another airplane-oriented attack,” Henig said.

While for many, Sept. 11 was a lesson in the importance of security, others saw the attacks as a lesson in American pride. When Student Union president Herbie Rosen ’12 first heard about the attack on the World Trade Center, he was sitting in his sixth-grade English class.

It took him a little while to fully comprehend the situation. Living in Minnesota, he wasn’t even sure where the World Trade Center was.

As he watched the news and saw the worry on his parents’ faces, however, he truly began to realize how terrible the attacks were. Now, as an American studies major, Rosen’s appreciation for the nation continues to grow.

“What astonishes me is how quickly we as Americans reacted in terms of national pride and I just hope that that kind of national pride will always continue,” Rosen said.

While Sept. 11 certainly united the American people, some feel that if it takes a tragedy to unify the nation, that is a tragedy within itself.

“While it is sad to say, it is inevitable that tragedies do unify our nation. I can’t remember a time when patriotism was stronger than in the days following the Sept. 11 attacks,” Henig explained. “All of the petty things people argue about in everyday life simply get forgotten when the country faces a tragedy of the magnitude of Sept. 11.”

Meanwhile, other students hold that Sept. 11 has an important lesson in the dangers of ignorance. Following Sept. 11, many areas of the United States experienced a rise in Islamophobia. Brandeis students recognize how important it is not to blame an entire people for the actions of one terrorist group. After all, this type of behavior feeds into ignorance.

Alyssa Green ’15 acknowledged that as she first internalized the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks she felt frightened by the images of the terrorists on the television screen.

“These mysterious people scared me, from a culture and land unlike mine. People started taunting Muslims who went to my school and I began to hear about ‘Islamophobia’ in America.

I was scared because I was ignorant of their ways and due to the phobia of those around me.

Eventually, I educated myself of Muslim culture and understood that not all Muslims were terrorists. They are a people to be respected just as everyone else” Green said.

People can learn a variety of lessons in the face of tragedy. Looking back 10 years later, Brandeis students and staff recognize the lessons Sept. 11 has to offer. Whether it’s the importance of security and national pride or the dangers of ignorance, they are lessons that people have not forgotten as the 10-year memorial approaches.

-Alana Blum, Editor

Join President Lawrence, the Interfaith Chaplaincy and the Student Union in a peace vigil in memory of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Sunday, Chapels Pond, 1 P.M.