Volume 9 Number 14
www.thebrandeishoot.com
Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.
New tragedy shakes BU College Notebook: Student charged in crash By Connor Novy Editor
A Boston University student driving the van which flipped over, killing three students and injuring four
studying abroad has been charged by New Zealand police. He faces three counts of careless driving causing death and four counts of careless driving causing injury. He was asked to surrender his passport. He appeared before the Auckland District Court Friday morning. Twenty-six students were involved in the van crash while traveling to a popular hiking spot last week. One
of the minivans drifted to the wrong side of the road and then rolled over when the driver attempted to correct course. The van rolled multiple times, killing three students and injuring four, including the van’s driver, one of whom is now in a medically-induced coma after brain surgery. Meg Theriault, a Boston University junior, has See BU, page 2
Lawrence chooses Waltham, ’Deis to sell Newton home
photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot
University President Fred Lawrence, pictured at Thursday’s faculty meeting, to move to Watch Factory apartment in Waltham.
By Jon Ostrowsky Editor
Brandeis will sell its universityowned home on Beaumont Avenue in Newton and rent an apartment in the renovated Waltham Watch Factory for President Fred Lawrence
and his wife, Kathy, officials announced earlier this month. After the board of trustees voted in March, authorizing the university to sell the Newton residence at 66 Beaumont Ave. where former president Jehuda Reinharz and his wife Shulamit lived for most of his 16-
Rosen leaves Union legacy By Nathan Koskella Editor
Outgoing Student Union president and graduating senior Herbie Rosen delivered his final State of the Union address May 3, thanking the student body he has represented and celebrating Union success stories under his leadership. Rosen admitted that most students “do not care about what the Student Union does,” but he said that this was not a bad thing, because student government is about the act of volunteering. The act itself “is what really counts.” He said “what I hope to demonstrate today is that the Student Union is very much alive, active and on its way to being a connected, effective advocate of students,” and Rosen touted several accomplishments of his administration in the speech and in his farewell email
year tenure, Hammond Residential in Chestnut Hill listed the house, assessed at $2.21 million for $2.25 million on May 1. Lawrence, who will move into the two-bedroom, 2.5-bath Crescent See LAWRENCE, page 3
At IBS, Magid merges academics and government By Connor Novy Editor
Brandeis’ International Business School may be tucked away from the rest of the campus in Sachar Woods, but it’s proving to be an important part of the university’s future. IBS Dean Bruce Magid has represented Brandeis on Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick’s most recent trade mission to Brazil. Magid began as dean of IBS in 2007 and, he says, he brought the missions to Brandeis. Magid jokes that he left Massachusetts when the Big Dig began, and only returned when it was done. He began his career in the public sector in Brazil; when he did return to Massachusetts, he was appointed by the governor to the Board of the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment, where he urged the governor to look toward Latin America as a potential trade partner. “Nobody really thought about Brazil, but Portuguese is the secondspoken language in Massachusetts and it’s now the sixth largest economy and there are these incredible opportunities just beginning in Brazil,” Magid said in an interview last week. Where other countries were already “picked-over,” Brazil was still untapped in opportunity for Massachusetts. Magid convinced the governor to look toward Brazil, and when he came to Brandeis, got the university more deeply involved in the missions. “We have a lot to sell to the Brazilians,” he explained, citing Massachusetts’ strong universities and untapped potential for international trade. The country, Magid said, is look-
ing to “move from a commodities exporter to more of an innovative industrial sector” and Magid, with his 35 years experience in Latin American countries, convinced the governor of Massachusetts, who had previously been to trade missions to China, to look toward Brazil as a potential partner. “If we increase international trade and we attract foreign investment, that generates jobs,” Magid said, explaining Governor Patrick’s strategy to market the state and its massive university system to developing nations. The efforts paid off, he said. “It culminated when the president of Brazil visited the United States; she visited two cities: Washington D.C. and then she had a lunch with the governor and a few of us here in Boston.” The transition to the academic world was not abrupt. “I always had maybe not a foot, but a toe in the university world,” Magid said. He had intended to go into higher education since the beginning of his career, but was advised to work in public and private sectors before attempting the academic. He did proprietary research as the chief international economist for Bank of America and wrote articles and pamphlets on emerging economies and export finance, always marginally connected to the academic world. “When I came to the point in my career where I was ready to make that move, it was a natural move,” he said. He worked at a number of other universities, including the University of Michigan, before coming to Brandeis. Magid traveled to Israel in March See IBS, page 2
Brandeis succeeds with Springfest
to the student body. The Union sponsored an “unprecedented” more than 30 events on campus this year, Rosen said. He discussed the personal joy it brought him to plan the celebration of the re-opening of the Linsey Pool, as he has himself been a swimmer since his first year. Rosen highlighted in his parting email the fact that Einsteins now opens at noon on Sundays, open for more hours than it had been in the past; the ongoing dining services review; the student involvement with the forthcoming strategic planning process; the securing of shuttles to Riverside and the student involvement protesting proposed Massachusetts T system transit rate hikes; and especially the fact that all the recent constitutional amendments, each of them proposed by himself, passed the Union vote last See UNION, page 3
May 20, 2012
photo courtesy of amanda dryer
hanging out on chapels field Students gather for an impressive Springfest lineup.
inside this issue: ‘Avengers’
Turnover
Study abroad
Our review of the new superhero blockbuster.
Editor explores turnover in clubs after graduation.
Students see war crimes trial abroad in The Hague.
Arts, Etc. , p. 17
Impressions , p. 20
Features. , p. 10
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NEWS
2 The Brandeis Hoot
May 20, 2012
Three killed, four injured in car crash; BU mourns loss Abroad students in fatal car accident BU, from page 1
been unconscious for more than a week following her Saturday surgery. Her family has joined her in New Zealand and plans to take her home when she wakes. The family of Austin Brashears, 21, one of the students killed in the crash has begun to fundraise to bring his body back to the United States. The account has already raised $7,000 as of May 15. The students had organized the hiking trip and were traveling in three different minivans to the mountains where “Lord of the Rings” was filmed when one of them flipped, killing three students and injuring another four. The university has announced that it would find alternatives to give credit to the surviving students if they wanted to return home to the United States immediately. The university has suffered a number of tragedies and upsetting
news this year: A graduate student was shot and killed in Allston, Mass.; two members of the hockey team were accused of sexual assault; serious hazing charges were laid against the school’s Greek system this spring; there were repeated complaints of a peeping tom; and a number of students were caught in possession of drugs on the U.S.-Canadian border. Boston University students worry about how the recent press will affect the value of their degrees, especially the graduating seniors, who are immediately affected in the jobs market. Accepted students might be swayed to go elsewhere by the negative news, enough so that the president sent an email to accepted students, reassuring them that while the past year has been difficult, it should not reflect on the worth of the school as an academic institution. Whether it will affect admissions is still unclear.
photo from internet source
b.u. students involved in tragedy (Front row, from left) Evan White (CAS’13), Daniela Lekhno (SMG ’13), Saman-
tha Sergent, and Dustin Holstein (SMG ’13); (back row, from left) Adrian Nardella, Adriel Klein, Hayley Ross (SMG ’13) and Sam Bernard. Photos provided to Boston University by Dustin Holstein (SMG ’13).
Business school, dean have increasingly larger profiles IBS, from page 1
2011 with the governor, helping to develop further ties between the nation and the commonwealth. The most recent trade mission was to Brazil, a country that Magid, as a veteran financial adviser in the nation, was already familiar with. He knew the business customs, and knew how to market Brandeis and Massachusetts to the developing nation. As head of the International Business School, Magid has worked to attract international attention. “We’ve been positioning Brandeis International Business School as the go-to school in the area of international trade and investment. So when we had the trade summit, it was viewed by the governor’s office as the public follow-up to his trade mission and Brazil was one of our focus countries,” Magid said. “What Brazil needs to do is educate people” in science, technology and math, and then it will send students to U.S. universities. On the trade mission, Magid encouraged Brazil to utilize Brandeis students. “We’ve really moved up in terms of the consciousness of the governor’s office, having gone to both Israel and Brazil.” The International Business School, Magid says, reflects the values and experience of the Brazil mission, where business culture is
more personal. He cites the smaller class sizes, in which professors and students can develop relationships. It sets IBS apart, Magid says, from other business schools. Still, he admits it could see improvement in attracting applicants. He hopes one day that IBS will be on par with Georgetown and Tuft’s Fletcher School in terms of recognition. While Brandeis’ position in the Massachusetts business world and internationally were helped by the trade missions, the university’s national standing, “whether it’s extended beyond Massachusetts, it’s hard to say. In many ways it’s curious. I would say in some ways, Brandeis, and certainly the international business school, has a better reputation and is more well-known overseas than in Arizona or Utah or Wyoming.” Which is not necessarily a failing, explained Magid. Students who want to go into international finance are attracted by the Global Trade Summit and conferences at the International Business School. “We’re finding students from the United states who say ‘Oh, you were part of the mission to Israel.’ “What we really need to do is figure out how to translate that and try to attract more students from the United States to the school. We’re doing really well overseas but we want to get more U.S. students.”
photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot
bruce magid with governor deval patrick
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Senior gift participation up from last year By Connor Novy Editor
Senior gift participation increased by 1 percent this year, making it the highest participation rate in recent memory. President Fred Lawrence lauded the class in a faculty meeting last Thursday, saying that senior gifts were an excellent way to begin the habit of giving to the alma mater. The gifts were of various sizes—anywhere from $1 upward—but dollar amounts, according to Lawrence, were not the point of the senior gift drive. The point was to ensure that the class participated. While rates
only increased a single percent this year, from 71 to 72 percent, the number is far higher than previous classes: 2010 saw 56 percent of the senior class give, 2004 42 percent, and 2002 only 12 percent of the graduating class give senior gifts. According to the Alumni Development website, senior gifts allow the university to cover a “hidden scholarship” of approximately $10,000, the difference between charged tuition and the cost to the university. Support of the Annual Fund, claims the Development Office, allows the university to offer 70 percent of its students financial aid.
May 20, 2012
NEWS 3
The Brandeis Hoot
Amid controversy and celebration, Rose thrives By Nathan Murphy Needle Special to the Hoot
It has been more than three years since former President Jehuda Reinharz announced, amid great controversy, that The Rose Art Museum would close and the university would auction the collection’s pieces. Nearly a year after President Fred Lawrence’s announcement that the university had settled a lawsuit and would sell none of its artwork, the museum has thrived following its 50th anniversary. The Rose has long been an integral part of Brandeis’ history since its opening in 1961, 13 years after the university’s founding. The Rose’s key pillars extend far beyond the housing and preservation of exceptional exhibitions—with a strong focus on academic excellence, social justice and freedom of expression, the values of the museum largely embody the facets on which Brandeis itself was founded. Additionally, The Rose is self-funded and has never been an economic burden to the university. This is one of many reasons why 2009 saw such an immense response to the decision to close The Rose. Reinharz, recognizing the university’s great financial difficulty, announced that the collection would be auctioned by Christie’s Auction House. The decision was kept under wraps from even the Fine Arts department until the board of trustees had voted, a choice that was met with shock and outrage by students and faculty alike. Following the financial crisis and monetary difficulty of many benefactors, Brandeis faced a 25 percent drop in endowment and a multi-million-
dollar deficit, which was only exacerbated by the economic downturn of 2008. Thus, the board of trustees, in cooperation with Reinharz, went behind the backs of many key figures in Brandeis’ artistic community and agreed to auction off the collection. Not surprisingly, this decision was met with much protest from far beyond just the Brandeis community. Students protested relentlessly, staging sit-ins and making posters expressing their dismay at the museum’s closing and the university’s nontransparent process. Then-museum Director Michael Rush stated, “As essential as The Rose is to the Brandeis community, it is bigger than Brandeis. The university has made a big, big mistake.” The events garnered attention from all around the state, and national media heavily criticized the administration’s action. Additionally, Rush soon found himself without a job, as the university failed to renew his contract. Yet it was more than just popular backlash that saved The Rose from its seemingly imminent demise. The summer following the museum’s announced closing, three of The Rose’s overseers launched a complaint, stating that the museum is “privately endowed and virtually autonomous,” and in auctioning off the collection, Brandeis would be betraying its initial agreement with the Roses, who donated the funds to start the museum. The complaint claimed that, in addition to being morally questionable, the university’s decision went against the specifications in Edward Rose’s will, which did not give Brandeis the rights to sell individual pieces.
photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot
occupy at brandeis Students for a Democratic Society and other groups held a teach-in, featuring Professor Gordy Fellman.
The mess that ensued as a result of the Rose debacle saw a few large changes in the Brandeis community, most notably Reinharz’s departure as president in 2010. Thus, on Jan. 1, 2011, Lawrence assumed his current position. It was in the first months of Lawrence’s presidency that the lawsuit was resolved and Brandeis announced that the museum would remain open—an announcement that was met with a great sigh of relief from the entire community, especially as The Rose’s 50th anniversary drew nearer. Closed for summer
renovations, the museum reopened in October 2011, just in time for this momentous occasion. In what seems a far cry from the museum’s near-demise, The Rose returned with new flooring, energy efficient glass, an LED light system and brand new rooms. The 50th-anniversary celebration was one of much celebration and new exhibitions, which featured the work of such 1960s-era artists as Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Ellsworth Kelly, while another exhibition features the work of multimedia artist Bruce Conner.
The staff at the museum hopes to get students more involved with The Rose with more student tour guides and greater involvement in the educational community. While many have regarded The Rose as a “hidden jewel” of Brandeis University, in the years to come, it will be far less hidden. If the university gained anything from two years of turmoil and uncertainty, it is knowledge of an irreplaceable resource so close to home, one that speaks of not only the value of art in a monetary sense, but its meaning to an entire community and the efforts many will take to preserve it.
Lawrence to govern from restored Watch Factory apartment LAWRENCE, from page 1
Street apartment featuring a study/office and a great room, had previously lived in a Cambridge apartment rented by the university. The university will sign a three-year rental agreement for the Watch Factory apartment, Senior Vice President for Administration Mark Collins said in a press release. The story was first reported in the Justice and published on the university’s website on May 1. Lawrence will move into the historic and newly renovated second-
floor apartment overlooking the Charles River in July. The factory, originally built by the Waltham Watch Company in the 19th century, includes 22 buildings covering more than 400,000 square feet. Redevelopment of the property includes commercial, residential and retail space. The new living situation will provide Lawrence, who maintains a busy travel schedule but also regularly attends student social, cultural and athletic events, with an easier commute home. Walking along the Charles River will replace driving on traffic-congested streets of Cam-
bridge. “Brandeis is a big part of this city and we’re excited about joining the Waltham community as residents. It will be more convenient for students, faculty, staff, trustees and friends of the university to join us at our home,” Lawrence said in a university press release. “It is something we really enjoy and this will allow us to do more of it. On a personal note, it will give me the opportunity to walk to and from campus, especially on Shabbat.” In addition to Reinharz, the university’s first president, Abram Sachar, lived at the Beaumont Avenue
property during his presidency and chancellorship, according to the press release. Built in 1910 and acquired by Brandeis in 1948, the university sold the home in 1990 after the Sachars moved and then acquired it again when Reinharz was president. Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt and the Dalai Lama each visited the home. The university also owned a residence at 1395 Commonwealth Ave. in Newton, purchased by Carl Shapiro in 1983, where former presidents Evelyn Handler and Samuel Thier lived. Former presidents Morris Abram and Charles Schottland
lived in a university-owned home in Weston. Former president Marver Bernstein lived in his own home in Weston. As dean of the George Washington University Law School, Lawrence said he walked from his Georgetown apartment along the Potomac River to get to work. Come July, he will reinstate the tradition along the Charles. “I often walked along the Potomac when I worked in D.C., so it will be great to be able to walk here as well,” he said in the press release. “I am really looking forward to it.”
Rosen bids goodbye UNION, from page 1
month. As a result of Rosen’s amendments, the constitution strengthens the Student Judiciary, redefined the qualifications for the treasurer and stipulates a gender-neutral document, among other things. In the State of the Union address, Rosen took the opportunity to tackle the meaning of social justice itself and propose a full-scale administrative change to reflect the ideal’s place at Brandeis. “Social justice is a complicated term we often see thrown at us while at Brandeis,” Rosen said, and “’Deis Impact should not be the only time we as students explore what social justice means to us. A student recently submitted a proposal to administrators for the creation of a Social Justice Center or at least a Social Justice Office for students. Kate Alexander [’12] spent much time drafting her proposal, and it is well thought out and reasonable.” Rosen went on to “encourage students to continue advocating for the
Social Justice Office’s creation, and [hopes] administrators will find a chance to create some formalized area where students can channel their energies together, collaborating and becoming effective advocates in the name of social justice.” He also prescribed what he called the keys to a successful Student Union, namely that the finance system should be easier to navigate; that the Judiciary, representatives and senators need to be more accountable and report more often; and in particular the soon-to-be-published Union “Operations Manual.” The manual will “ensure [that] what this year’s Union worked on will not be lost. We will be sure that all incoming Union members know how we operated, and all of the logistics by which the Union was run. Hopefully this will become a tradition, and we will continue to work for sustainability and efficiency within the Student Union,” Rosen said. Rosen has been succeeded as president by Todd Kirkland ’13, who served as Union secretary this past academic year.
Congatulations Tracie, AKA Jedi
We are so proud of you! Wishing you success & fun in all that you’ll endeavor in the future. Love, Dad, Mom, Christopher & Steven
4 ADVERTISEMENTS
The Brandeis Hoot
May 20, 2012
EDITORIALS
May 20, 2012
“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.” Editor-in-Chief Jon Ostrowsky Managing Editor Yael Katzwer Alex Schneider Editor Emeritus Connor Novy News Editor Morgan Gross Impressions Editor Candice Bautista Arts, Etc. Editor Brian Tabakin Sports Editor Ingrid Schulte Photography Editor Nate Rosenbloom Photography Editor Emily Stott Layout Editor Steven Wong Graphics Editor Leah Finkelman Production Editor Suzanna Yu Copy Editor Gordy Stillman Business Editor Deputy Section Editors
Victoria Aronson Morgan Dashko Zoe Kronovet Juliette Martin Dana Trismen
Senior Editors Destiny D. Aquino Sean Fabery Nathan Koskella Savannah Pearlman
Volume 9 • Issue 14 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 Senior Staff Nafiz “Fizz” Ahmed Alana Blum Debby Brodsky Sam Allen, Rick Alterbaum, Emily Beker, Alex Bernstein, Emily Breitbart, Marissa Budlong, Justin Burack, Adam Cohen, Haley Fine, Jeremy Goodman, Rachel Hirschhaut, Paula Hoekstra, Adam Hughes, Gabby Katz, Josh Kelly, Samuel Kim, Zoe Kronovet, Arielle Levine, Ariel Madway, Estie Martin, Adam Marx, Anita Palmer, Alex Patch, Lien Phung, Zachary Reid, Betty Revah, Zach Romano, Ricky Rosen, Aaron Sadowsky, Jessica Sashihara, Sarah Schneider, Alex Self, Naomi Shine, Tali Singer, Diane Somlo, Sindhura Sonnathi, Ryan Tierney, Alan Tran, Yi Wang, Rachel Weissman, Lila Westreich and Linjie Xu
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The Brandeis Hoot 5
Consider post-tenure review
aculty seeking tenure at Brandeis face a high degree of scrutiny that bears little resemblance to the relaxed oversight that tenured professors enjoy. That should change. In a Hoot survey, 45 percent of respondents answered that they had taken a course with a professor they considered “unqualified.” The Hoot also reviewed spring 2011 course evaluations and found 21 undergraduate courses ranked lower than 3.0 out of 5.0. The ratings are provided to students through the Student Union and are based on responses to course evaluations submitted at the end of the semester. Students regularly review professors when submitting course evaluations. It must be noted, however, the people tend only to submit reviews when they have something to complain about.
Additionally, many students rush through course evaluations in order to receive their grades earlier. Department chairs play a limited role in overseeing department members, including through salary increase recommendations and course scheduling. Few additional formal procedures exist. Brandeis administrators and faculty are generally content with the tenure process. “When you start with the strength that we start with, the fact of the matter is the problems are extraordinarily rare,” Provost Steve Goldstein told The Hoot in a sit-down interview last month. “I feel like I’ve been given a gift with bows on top. This is an extraordinarily powerful faculty.” But faculty could certainly be subject to peer reviews. They should also be held accountable for updating their curriculum. Courses often have variable requirements, and faculty should
Spring 2011 classes that received less than a 3.0 out of 5.0 on the Student Union Course Evaluation: Barry Snider – Chemistry – Organic Chemistry Lab II Raphael Schoenle – Economics – Macroeconomic Theory Le Tang – Economics – Statistics for Economic Analysis John Burt – English – Introduction to Literary Studies Sarita Bhalotra – HSSP – Integrative Seminar on Health Deniz Çivril – IGS – Economic Principles and Globalization Lotus Goldberg – Linguistics – Sociolinguistics: Language Variation and Change Mark Adler – Math – Introduction to Probability and Statistics Diego Villamil – Math – Techniques of Calculus (a) Diego Villamil – Math – Applied Linear Algebra
be able to answer why some courses can have four exams while others have just one paper. Students should have a clearer sense of where to turn when they have complaints. In a Hoot survey, students were generally unsure, answering on average that they were somewhat aware of how to lodge a formal complaint against an instructor. Faculty should also be reviewed for their teaching styles. Professors should not be given latitude when it comes to disorganization or confusing teaching styles. We do not accept Goldstein’s argument that the process of acquiring faculty necessarily means faculty continue through their entire careers to produce at the same level as during their tenure review process. We call for more reviews of professors throughout their Brandeis careers.
Mark Adler – Math – Techniques of Calculus: Calculus of Several Variables Alan Mayer – Math – Complex Analysis Sarah Mead – Music – History of Music I: Ancient through Early Baroque Alan Berger – Philosophy – Mathematical Logic James Bensinger – Physics – Introductory Physics II Hermann Wellenstein – Physics – Introductory Laboratory II Donald Hindley – Politics – Latin American Politics II Jerome Wodinsky – Psychology – Biological Bases of Motivation Jerome Wodinsky – Psychology – Learning and Behavior Steven Plunkett – UWS – Defining Satire Diana George – UWS – BFF (Best Friends Forever)
A message from the Rape Crisis Hotline To the Brandeis community: In light of the recent Hoot article regarding a case of sexual assault within our student body, we at the Brandeis Counseling and Rape Crisis Hotline (BCRCH) want to take this opportunity to clarify our role and purpose within this community. Since its inception, BCRCH serves undergraduate students exclusively. The counselors of BCRCH are undergraduate students trained in peer-counseling skills. An article in last week’s issue of The Hoot noted that Alwina Bennett is the faculty adviser
to the Hotline. Alwina has served as our faculty contact for several decades, and has been an invaluable resource in connecting us to the student community and to resources that prepare us to best address the needs of our callers. We want to emphasize, however, that Alwina does not have access to any information regarding the nature of the calls we receive, nor does any Brandeis staff or faculty member. We remain committed to the absolute confidentiality of our callers. We apologize that concerns regarding our connection to the faculty may have caused
anyone to hesitate in reaching out to us in a time of need. We would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the undergraduate community of Brandeis. If ever any undergraduate student is in need of counseling, support or even just information, it is our sincere hope that this student will not hesitate to speak with a BCRCH counselor during our operating hours (10 p.m. to 2 a.m., seven days a week). — Counselors of the Brandeis Counseling and Rape Crisis Hotline (6TALK)
Look sharp for that interview!
commencement 2012
6 The Brandeis Hoot
May 20, 2012
Petsko addresses 92 members of Phi Beta Kappa By Gregory Petsko
Gregory Petsko (CHEM) addressed the newest inductees of Phi Beta Kappa at the initiation ceremony Saturday in Spingold. Petsko, who is the Gyula and Katica Tauber Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacodynamics, was asked to prepare this speech by faculty members of the Phi Beta Kappa Selection Committee. First, let me congratulate all of you for having completed your college years with such distinction. Well done. Second, let me say that I’m deeply grateful to you for inviting me to talk to you today. But I think that you should also be grateful to me, because I’m going to be brief. You see,
I know that the last thing a group of students want after years of formal instruction is to sit through another lecture. So I’m not going to give you one. But I would like to tell you a story. It’s the story of a Frenchman named Joseph Meister. He was born in 1876 in a small village in the province of Alsace. In July of 1885, when he was nine years old, he was walking to school when he was attacked and bitten 14 times by a rabid dog. In 1885, rabies was a death sentence, but Joseph Meister’s mother had heard that in Paris there was a man who thought he could cure rabies, although his treatment had never been tested on a human being. Two days later, Joseph Meister’s mother arrived with him at a small house at 45 Rue d’Ulm in Paris, and when the door was opened, she fell to her knees, begging the man who lived there to save her son. The man, of course, was Louis Pasteur. He was not a physician—he was a rather famous chemist, in fact—but in those days the discipline you studied didn’t lock you into a career. And so, at 8 p.m. on July 6, 1885, Pasteur injected Joseph Meister with a preparation of a rabies-infected rabbit spinal cord that had been dried for 15 days. He repeated the procedure 12 more times over the next 10 days. Joseph Meister did not develop rabies. And the people of Paris, who had lived for centuries in terror of being bitten by one of the rabid dogs
that roamed the streets of the city, hailed Pasteur’s achievement as one of the great medical triumphs of the century. Pasteur took a great risk in treating Joseph Meister with an experimental vaccine. Had Joseph Meister died, Pasteur’s dream of making medicine a science-based discipline might well have died with him. There’s more to the story, and I’ll tell you the rest in a minute, but this first part illustrates one of the most important things I’ve learned from almost 40 years of being a scientist. I’ve learned that, if you’re afraid of making mistakes, you won’t get very far. In treating patients, of course, it’s desirable to be as perfect as possible, but in almost every other aspect of life you should learn to embrace error. Mistakes aren’t just a mechanism of learning—they’re the wellspring of creativity. Many of you have been conditioned, by parents and maybe also by teachers, to believe that mistakes are bad. Let me assure you that they’re not. If you’re afraid of making mistakes, if you take the comfortable route rather than risk error, you aren’t being brave enough, and you’re on the road to mediocrity. You see, from being a scientist, I’ve learned that excellence is the result of passion, preparation, persistence and imagination—but it also requires daring. Neglect any one of these things and you’ll end up average at best. Let me share with you a few of the
MERCI A TOUS!
“ ” If you’re afraid of making mistakes, if you take the comfortable route rather than risk error, you aren’t being brave enough.
other things I’ve learned from being a scientist. I’ve learned that, if you think you know the answer, you will tend to get that answer, even if it’s the wrong answer. One of the hardest things I know of is to go through life with a mind that is open to all questions—and all answers—but it’s essential if you want to see things the way they really are. And a corollary of this point is to be careful never to confuse an assumption with a fact, because facts are what enable you to see reality, and assumptions are often the first step in being fooled. From being a scientist, I’ve learned that you should examine everything. Not everything is what it seems to be, or what people tell you it is. I’m not saying you should be cynical. Cynics are sourpusses; nobody likes being around them, and they never get invited to the really good parties. What I am saying is that you should be skeptical. Always ask to see the data. And if somebody wants you to believe something and you aren’t given any evidence, be careful. A good way to figure out what you should do if you
don’t have access to the data is to ask “Cui bono,” which is Latin for “Who profits?” Who is going to be rich or satisfied if I believe what they want me to believe or do what they want me to do? That will usually help you uncover the hidden agenda, and figure out whose side you’ll be on when the fog clears. That fog, by the way, is usually created by those who claim to dispel it: the experts. From being a scientist, I’ve learned that one good experiment is worth 1,000 expert opinions. This carries over into all aspects of life: I haven’t met anyone yet who could predict the future with any consistent success, so if you base your opinions or your career choices—or your investments—on the advice of so-called experts, you’re asking for trouble. If you end up running a company and you pay any attention to what a bunch of analysts say, you are a damn fool. Dig out the facts, and think for yourself. That applies right now, too, when you are debating what course your See PHI BETA KAPPA, page 7
CONGRATULATIONS EVYN! We are proud of all the hard work you put in these last four years. Wishing you much success and fulfillment in the coming years. Love, Dad, Neal, Nan, Uncle Jay, Aunt Kim, Jenny, Mark, Cori and Audrey
Thanks to all my friends Thanks to my teachers and to the lab team Thanks to the ski team I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN THE FUTURE
Juliette O. Flam
May 20, 2012
COMMENCEMENT 2012 7
The Brandeis Hoot
Phi Beta Kappa inductees wished well by Chemistry professor at initiation ceremony PHI BETA KAPPA, from page 6
professional lives should take. Don’t pick a career or a field of research because other people say the brightest future is there—remember, no one can predict that with certainty. Find something you love, and be passionate, prepared, persistent, imaginative and daring. Following your passion won’t guarantee that you’ll be successful, but it’s the surest way I know of to a happy life. And happiness is underrated. But you won’t be happy if you spend your time chasing what isn’t worth chasing. One of the most important things I’ve learned is that fame is a bubble that often pops; popularity largely arises by an accident; and money, as we all know, has a habit of flying away. Don’t make any of those the center of your life; that’s like trying to hold onto the wind. In my experience, the only thing that really endures is character. Looking back on it, I think that probably the most important thing I’ve learned from being a scientist is not to get discouraged when you have setbacks, when things don’t work, when people criticize you, when that voice inside your head tells you that you’re not good enough. You see, in science it’s not how you start that matters; it’s how you finish. Most experiments don’t work the first time; many don’t work the fourth. You have to keep trying. If you’re doing something worthwhile, it doesn’t matter how many defeats you have, because the only battle you really have to win
is the last one. Now for the end of that story. Louis Pasteur became the most famous and honored scientist of his generation. The French government built an institute in Paris so he could have the equipment and money to continue his research. The Institute Pasteur is still a great center of biomedical research: The virus that causes AIDS was isolated there in the 1980s. Louis Pasteur’s body lies beneath the Institute Pasteur in a spec-
tacular vault covered in depictions of his accomplishments in Byzantine mosaics. I think you can say that he finished well. There are lots of ways to finish well. Joseph Meister didn’t start that well, being a poor boy from a poor village who almost died horribly, but thanks to Pasteur he was given a chance to keep trying. He fought heroically with the French Army in World War I, and after the war he became a gatekeeper at the Institute Pasteur. On June 16,
1940, almost 55 years to the day after he made medical history, when the invading Nazi soldiers tried to force him to open the gate to Pasteur’s tomb, Joseph Meister took his World War I service revolver and shot himself, in a final gesture of gratitude to the man who had saved his life. So I think you would agree that he, too, finished well. As I said, there are lots of ways to finish well. You don’t have to find a cure for a disease or end life with a
grand gesture. All you have to do is remember that it’s OK to make mistakes, that you should strive to keep an open mind, that skepticism is a healthy thing, that character is more important than the trappings of success. And never forget that trend is not destiny; Defeat doesn’t have to be permanent. How you start is not what matters—it’s how you finish. This great university has given you a great start. My wish for all of you, is that you finish well.
Brandeis’ Phi Beta Kappa Selection Committee voted to induct 77 members of the class of 2012 into the prestigious academic organization this year to join the seven members of the class of 2012 inducted last year as juniors. Eight members of the class of 2013 were also inducted. Admission is determined by academic record, with an emphasis on GPA, as well as varied interest in academic pursuits and recommendations from faculty and senior administrators. Seniors in the class of 2012 inducted into Phi Beta Kappa: Alana C. Abramson Emily R. Farver Serafina-Natali V. Amarilio Meryl J. Feinstein Jesse A. Appell Juliette O. Flam Raechel L. Banks Russell P. Foxworthy Michael A. Baum Kassandra J. Gibbs Chet M. Berman Ethan C. Goldberg Daniel E. Bernazzani Daniel S. Graulich Tarun R. Bhatia Samantha L. Grosser Hannah L. Blumberg Leah W. Hartman Brian N. Blumenthal Elizabeth C. Hinchey Joshua K. Bookman Ariel L. Hirsch Philip Braunstein Dane P. Isenberg Hillel Y. Buechler Allison R. Joseph Adam B. Cohen Rebecca C. Joy Hamilton F. Cook Michelle S. Kaplow Samuel H. Datlof Austen D. Katz Talya Davidoff Sabrina R. Katz Calliope Desenberg Yeon Soo Kim Kayla H. Dinces Katherine L. Kolios Abigail S. Drapkin Emily G. Krainer Amy R. Eisenberg Emily E. Kraus
Abby L. Kulawitz Jacob A. Laband Christopher Lau Daniel L. Liebman Nicole Z. Litvak Joshua M. McGrath Sarah J. McWhirter Shayna A. Medley Jonathan R. Megerian Shane B. Morris Aaron J. Mowitz Jessica L. Nusbaum
Leanne R. Ortbals Alexander R. Pagan Sidak S. Pannu Michael K. Perloff Mara W. Rosenberg Dara S. Rosenkrantz Geraldine O. Rothschild Frank A. Scangarello Alexander I. Schneider Carolyn M. Schweitzer Andres Vahid Shahidinejad Daniel A. Shimansky
Cassandra M. Shull Ilana S. Sidorsky Meital Singer Rachel A. Soule Marianne F. Specker Maxim I. Starobinets Jeremy W. Weinberg Johanna L. Wickemeyer Florence H. Yellin Xi Zhang Danielle L. Zionts
Seniors in the Class of 2012 inducted into Phi Beta Kappa as juniors: Leah C. Carnow Matthew P. Kupfer Rebecca S. Starzyk Ben Henig Virginia C. Partridge Jordan W. Talan Leonid Kapulsky Juniors in the Class of 2013 inducted into Phi Beta Kappa: Alex Bargar Lev Gorfinkel Sonya Entova Samuel R. McCandlish Keith W. Frankston Daniel R. Noar
Asher R. Preska Steinberg Maya Tydykov
Congratulations Chris! We are so proud of you.
The family of
SETH GRANDE
is very proud of his accomplishments and political activism. Seems like yesterday you were hiding in the hamper.
Wishing you success in everything you do.
First race challenge—in bowling shoes.
Congratulations!
Love from Mom, Dad, Grammy, Gramma, Kathy, Liz, Kurt, Ann, Dale, Betsy, Ron, Ed, Gail, Diane, Mike, Drewmanda, Ed, Danny, Kelsey, Sarah, Kally and Pop Green, Grampa and Uncle Hans who are smiling down on you.
8 COMMENCEMENT 2012
The Brandeis Hoot
May 20, 2012
Senior speaker bids goodbye to class of 2012 By Daniel Liebman
In his four years at Brandeis, Daniel Liebman ’12 was involved with the Undergraduate Theater Collective, Brandeis Film Collective and Waltham Group, among other organizations, and was awarded a Presidential Scholarship, was on the Dean’s List, and served as Chairman of the Advisory Committee to the Dean of Arts and Sciences. In his application to be senior speaker, Liebman wrote, “My years at Brandeis have been the most transformative of my life. The people I’ve met, the experiences I’ve had, and the things I’ve learned here will last a lifetime, and for that I am truly grateful.” He was selected to represent the class of 2012 as senior speaker at Commencement, and delivered a speech reflecting on the give and take relationship between Brandeis and its students and the life skills learned during the last four years.
To President Lawrence, Provost Goldstein, members of the board of trustees, distinguished faculty and staff, kvelling parents and grandparents, squirming siblings, and friends of the university: Welcome! To anyone who came hoping to see a Brandeis Judges basketball game: You’re a few months too late, but welcome all the same! And to my fellow COLLEGE GRADUATES of the Brandeis class of 2012: Congratulations! In my experience, in student addresses it is customary to reflect on the various gifts we have received from our school over the past four years, to give thanks for the superb instruction we have received, and to predict how the skills we’ve developed here will lead us to success and happiness as we prepare for the next phase of our lives. It is also a custom at some point to say something funny that only my classmates will understand, so I will get that out of the way first: “Sherman pizza.” I would, however, like to break with the first custom to a certain extent, because all of you already know what Brandeis has done for you. You already know that the critical thinking skills and capacities for scholarly inquiry that you’ve developed here will continue to serve you well for years to come. You already know that the bonds you’ve developed with your professors, with each other and with this place will endure long after you throw your cap in the air and return your recyclable gown. You already know that you have heard the words “social justice” more often in the past four years than you ever thought you would hear in a lifetime. And so, if I may, I am going to turn the question on its head, and ask you to consider not just what Brandeis has done for you, but also what you have done for Brandeis. I would like to bring everyone back to our first week at Brandeis,
our orientation week, when we first arrived here with nothing but a nervous smile and an “I got in” class of 2012 t-shirt. Specifically, I’m going to ask you to think back to that first class-wide address we received in Spingold Theater. Do you remember “I Am Brandeis”? For those who do not and for those who were not there, let me briefly explain. “I Am Brandeis” was a rallying cry used by the orientation leaders that day. During the assembly, each orientation leader stood up one by one to proclaim loudly “I am Brandeis,” followed by a unique facet of their Brandeis experience. Sound familiar? The phrase was used to describe something quintessentially Brandeisian about yourself—an example usage might be “I-havethree-majors-and-two-minors-andsing-in-two-a-cappella-groups-andrun-a-charity-devoted-to-promoting-free-health-care-clinics-in-Haitiand-have-a-15-page-research-paperand-350-pages-of-reading-due-onTuesday-and-I-know-all-of-the-lyrics-to-Dispatch’s-‘The General’—I am Brandeis.” The phrase was popular among us first-years for a little while after that, and we proceeded to beat the joke to death over the next month or so. But truth be told, at that point in time, it wasn’t really accurate. We weren’t truly Brandeis then, not yet. We were Brandeis material. And over the next four years, we proceeded to become Brandeis. We learned how to use acronyms and building nicknames to avoid the awkwardness of saying to someone, “Let’s meet in ‘Shapiro’ at 5.” We learned that there is a holiday called Shemini Atzeret. We discovered that it is a Brandeis law that any class held in Spingold or IBS must be immediately followed by a class at the very top of campus, and that class must be taught by a professor who will chide you if you walk in late. We became Brandeis.
Newton’s Third Law tells us that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; when a force is exerted on an object, that object exerts an equal force in the reverse direction. Over the past four years, Brandeis has exerted forces on you as you have progressed toward this day. I submit to you that this has not been a one-way force—as Brandeis has acted upon you and changed you, you have acted upon and changed Brandeis. You are not the same person you were four years ago; and, as a result, this university is not the same place that it was four years ago. Think about what you have done for Brandeis. Indulge me for a moment. I guarantee that you have left your mark in some way or another. It may not be difficult for you to think of the ways in which you’ve changed this place. Maybe you founded a new club or revitalized an old one. Maybe you served in the Student Union or on a supervisory committee and contributed to policy changes or new initiatives. Maybe you scored a game-winning shot that changed the course of your team’s season. Yet not all of the impacts you’ve had on this place are as easily noticeable—you have likely had an impact that you didn’t even realize you had at the time, or may not even know now. Maybe you were a T.A. or a B.U.G.S. tutor who was there to provide support for a struggling classmate at a time of need. Maybe you made a comment in a class that led to a creative spark in the mind of one of your colleagues. Maybe you turned someone onto a major or minor they had never considered before, and in doing so radically altered that person’s life path and THEIR impact on this place. It’s called the “butterfly effect” when a small event in the present can have dramatic ramifications for the system in the future. Brandeis would not be the same without you. The laws of physics de-
mand it. And so, as we prepare to leave this place and move forward to the next steps of our lives, whatever they may be, I encourage you to keep Newton’s Third Law in mind. If you’re like me, there are times when the existential questions slide in the back door from your subconscious, and you begin to wonder what the purpose of your life is, and whether or not you’ll make a difference in the world one way. (If you’re really like me, these questions will tend to come to the forefront right when you’re in the middle of trying to study for the upcoming organic-chem exam that is threatening to eat you alive.) Standing here before you this afternoon, I won’t pretend to know how you will leave your mark. I can’t say where you will find your niche. I don’t know how you will change the world. But I can say, with certainty and without hyperbole, that simply by entering the world, you will change it in some way, just as you have changed Brandeis. I don’t mean this in some esoteric, metaphysical way. I mean it realistically. You will leave your mark. You will always leave a mark on your surroundings. And since “You Are Brandeis,” chances are good that mark will be sizeable. William James once said, “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” I am sad that we will be going our separate ways after today, leaving this place that we all have called home, but I am incredibly excited to see where you all go and the differences that you all make. It has been such a privilege to be your classmate, and while I hope your Facebook privacy settings are secure enough to keep those pictures away from your future employers, I hope you leave those settings just lax enough that I can check in every once in a while to see where you all end up. Congratulations class of 2012! Go leave your mark!
FEATURES
May 20, 2012
The Brandeis Hoot 9
Brandeis grad tackles both politics and science By Dana Trismen Editor
Frances Colón PhD ’04, who came to study neurobiology at Brandeis, has taken full command of her education, building on her talents outside the laboratory to earn her new job as deputy science and technology adviser to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Colón explained how the science and technology branch first “made its entrance during the cold war”
frances colón
originally “grouped under global affairs.” Now under President Obama, it falls under economic affairs. Here as well, Colón can merge her passions for science and politics. She believes “science and technology are tools to help countries around the world be innovators and gain prosperity.” She is a staunch supporter of the fact that “science and technology can help us find solutions to challenges around the world.” These challenges vary, from handling the use of water to making in-
frastructure more efficient, but the common theme, as Colón describes it, is how science can help the United States bolster its position in a globalized world. “Many countries come to us saying, ‘The United States confronted these technological challenges very well, how do we do that?’” Colón said in a phone interview this week. “‘How do we build up our science and technology resources, improve the science curriculum for our children?’” Colón views the world through a scientific
photo courtesy of brandeisnow
Congratulations Sarah!
lens, her area of study key to solving issues in the United States and also worldwide. Colón spent seven years at Brandeis as a dedicated student, where she warranted the attention of Professor Susan Birren (BIO), who now serves as dean of arts and sciences. Colón worked in Birren’s lab, and eventually Birren recommended that she apply to be an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow. Colón calls this honor a “competitive process,” in which “if you made it through, you were brought down to Washington D.C. to meet with a panel of policy experts” and the interviews continued on until Colón was eventually selected. After being selected to work on Muslim world outreach for the Secretary of State from 2006 to 2008, Colón has been continuously rising through the ranks. Her current position is her third in the State Department and is a career job that does not change, regardless of who is in office. Specifically, Colón describes her new job as serving to “provide the best scientifically sound advice.” “When decisions for foreign policy
and the like are being made, they need the best possible information, about anything from climate change to fishing,” she said. Regarding her future career plans, Colón shared her “big secret,” disclosing she “has always wanted to run for office and is hoping to one day be able to make that dream come true.” She describes this as a “long term goal,” and she believes she will start off in local politics. For now, Colón is content with her position, describing how she is serving to carry out Clinton’s global vision. Colón characterizes Clinton as “a very busy lady,” commenting on how Clinton has many advisers and the goal is to “give her what she needs to know as fast as possible.” As a deputy adviser, it is normally Colón’s boss who serves to advise Clinton, but Colón has also occasionally served in his place. At Brandeis, Colón said she had an “affinity” for doing activities outside the lab, be it arts events and festivals or involvement in the city. “[I] didn’t want to continue to do bench work, but wasn’t sure originally what I wanted to do,” she said.
“ ” Science and technology are tools to help countries around the world be innovators and gain prosperity. Frances Colón
We are so incredibly proud of you. Love, Mom, Dad, Noella and Samantha
Wishing the Brandeis baseball team graduates much success in the future. Congratulations! Love, the Malis Family
10 FEATURES
The Brandeis Hoot
May 20, 2012
Students witness war crime trial in The Hague By Victoria Aronson Editor
As the Special Court for Sierra Leone convicted Liberian President Charles Taylor of war crimes and crimes against humanity, Brandeis students participating in The Hague semester abroad program witnessed the court’s judgment last month. Taylor had previously been accused of aiding rebel forces in Sierra Leone, leading to charges that connected him to war atrocities and human rights violations in the country’s decade-long civil war, which ended in 2002. Carly Lenhoff ’13 interned at the Special Court’s Defence Office during the indictment and witnessed the trial. “If anything, it reinforced my beliefs about the necessity of a robust defence,” Lenhoff wrote in an email. “A defence is necessary to any legal system, but I think it is especially important in international criminal law, where there is so much publicity foisted upon the defendants.” Although the charges against Taylor were gross infringements of human rights, including murder, rape and conscription of child soldiers, Lenhoff asserted the necessity for a fair trial to prevail in all cases of international law. “It would be so much simpler if we, as an international community, could pronounce someone ‘guilty’ by majority vote, as the media frequently does. But the law isn’t about efficiency or ease,” she wrote. “Ultimately, the law is about what is just, and when a legal system allows its defence system to disintegrate, its legitimacy and ability to achieve justice disintegrates as well.” The Hague study abroad program allows students to immerse themselves in global issues currently plaguing the court. Beyond enrolling in classes for 16 academic credits at Leiden University, students participate in internships. “Brandeis student interns are now monitoring the fairness of trials at the International Criminal Court; assisting legal counsel defending Liberian warlord Charles Taylor; planning peace initiatives in high-conflict areas (Kashmir, Caucasus, Middle East); assisting war crimes courts for Sierra Leone and Lebanon; researching the testimony of forensic anthropologists in genocide trials; and exploring how African countries are changing their human rights laws,”
the hague
president charles taylor
Professor Richard Gaskins (AMST) wrote in an email. Gaskins wrote that at Leiden University, students first develop an understanding of how law promotes human rights.“With that knowledge base, students use The Hague as a laboratory for testing out what they’ve learned,” he wrote. Nathanial Lurie ’13 said the tribunal presents an opportunity to observe new ideas develop within the courts. “Whenever new things get started, the ideas of the leaders, they last forever,” Lurie said via Skype. Connecting the development of the International Criminal Court to the Nuremberg trials, Lurie attests to the continuing growth of international justice. Beyond the opportunity to engage in classes at Leiden University and become involved in the process of international law, Lurie said it is rewarding to live in another country and become immersed in the culture of the Dutch
president charles taylor
city. The Hague is home not only to the International Court of Justice, but
also to recently established criminal tribunals, including the International Criminal Court, the Special Court of Sierra Leone and the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia. “The program put me in a position to really dive into the field of international law,” Lenhoff wrote. “We often see the ‘exciting bits’ of law—a judgment, a sentencing, a particularly elegant examination—on television or read about them in class and forget that these 10-minute (or less) moments are the result of weeks and weeks of work which is categorically less exciting.” Yet, as a consequence of studying
the peace palace
in The Hague, she has become particularly aware that “it’s completely necessary—slow, long, hard work is the foundation upon which output in any legal system stands because, without it, there is no final product. There would be no judgment, there would be no brief. Being involved in that sort of process as it occurred really helped me to get a grip on that idea.” Lenhoff said she recognized the rare opportunity to study international law and participate in current events simultaneously. “Watching these events, knowing that they’ll be a foundational part of legal decisions and discussion for decades to come is surreal,” she wrote.
photos from internet source
May 20, 2012
The Brandeis Hoot
Sights of Springfest Photos by Ingrid Schulte
FEATURES 11
The Year in Review
Photos by Ben Federlin, Haley Fine, Emily Krainer, Sarah Michael, Alex Patch, Nate Rosenbloom, Alex Schneider, Ingrid Schulte and Shikchha Srivastava
14 The Brandeis Hoot
SPORTS
May 20, 2012
Softball drops title game, runner-up in ECAC tournament By Brian Tabakin Editor
On its final day of the season, the Brandeis softball team played three games. In the first game, an elimination game, they defeated Simmons College 3-1 and in the second game they defeated Endicott College 5-1 to force a decisive game for the ECAC Division III New England title. Unfortunately, the Judges fell into an early hole and could not recover, dropping the game 7-6. In the title game, starting pitcher Caroline Miller ’12 showed some fatigue as she started her third game of the day. Endicott immediately jumped on Miller, scoring two runs in the first inning. Endicott sophomore second baseman Jesse Bilafer led off the inning with a hard comebacker to Miller, which she was able to beat out at first. Then sophomore third baseman Kelley Michael followed with a bunt single to third base, and both runners were able to advance to second and third respectively on a throwing error by the Judges. Sophomore center fielder Alexandra Moise scored the game’s first run with a sacrifice fly to deep left field and then two batters later, junior left fielder Byrne Katz hit a grounder through the left side to score another run. The Endicott Gulls doubled their lead in the top of the third. Miller
led off the inning, hitting Michael on a 1-2 pitch to put her on first base, and then two batters later, with runners on the corners, Katz hit an RBI single to left field. In the next at bat, junior catcher Krista Fales singled up the middle on a 0-2 pitch to drive in another run and chase Miller from the contest. Brandeis responded in the bottom of the frame. Second baseman Leah McWilliams ’14 and right fielder Amanda Genovese ’15 both drew walks with one out in the inning. After Endicott starting pitcher Meg
Donegan got a fly out to get the second out, Brittany Grimm ’12 doubled to left field to drive in the Judges’ first two runs of the game. Both teams were held scoreless in the fourth frame, and then both tallied a run in the fifth inning. Endicott entered the top of the sixth with a 5-3 lead and then quickly expanded their lead to 7-3 behind a series of strong at-bats; however, Brandeis once again responded with their own offensive outburst. After two singles and a walk, the Judges had the bases loaded with no outs. While
the Judges were able to drive in two runs on groundouts, they wasted an opportunity to do more damage, leaving a runner on third base. Nonetheless, Brandeis entered the seventh and final inning down just two runs, 7-5. After holding Endicott scoreless in the top of the frame, Brandeis had three outs to mount another rally. The Judges were able to score another run in the seventh on a single from Melissa Nolan ’14; however, the Judges stranded runners at third and second when Cori Coleman ’15 grounded out to end the game.
Softball Team
UAA
All
Emory
6–2
34 – 5
Washington
4–4
28 – 12
Rochester
4–4
29 – 15
Case Western
3–5
26 – 14
Brandeis
3–5
27–18
Chicago
0–0
22 – 9
Brown breaks record in 1,500 meter race
Nicholson and O’Hare selected to All-UAA team By Brian Tabakin Editor
Both Pat Nicholson M.A. ’12 and Sean O’Hare ’12 were selected to the 2012 All-UAA first team this past week. Nicholson, who played first base for the Judges the majority of the season, played in 32 of the Judges’ 39 games, leading the squad with 38 hits and a .384 batting average. He was second on the team with seven doubles and tied for second on the team with 15 RBIs and two home runs. Additionally, he finished third on the team with a .535 slugging percentage and 16 runs scored. Over the course of the season, Nicholson had a 15-game hitting streak as well as 13 multi-hit games and four multiple RBI games. On April 25, in a 14-7 win against Bowdoin College, Nicholson had his best offensive outing of the season when he went 4-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Additionally, Nicholson also threw 35.2 innings, making six starts and two appearances out of the bullpen.
photo from brandeisnow
By Brian Tabakin Editor
photo from brandeisnow
In his outings, he went 0-4 with a save and a 4.79 ERA, the second-lowest on the team. O’Hare played the majority of the season at second base for the Judges, though he played six games at third base. Although O’Hare missed 17 games due to injury over the course of the season, he still led the team with 11 doubles, four home runs and a .651 slugging percentage. Additionally,
O’Hare was second on the team with 19 runs scored and third on the team with a .349 batting average. O’Hare also had 12 RBIs as well as eight multi-hit games and an eight-game hitting streak. After returning to action from injury on April 17, O’Hare went 5-for10 in his first two games back against Amherst and Keene State, hitting three home runs and a double, driving in five runs and scoring four runs.
Baseball Team
UAA
All
Emory
7–1
26 – 13
Washington
5–3
28– 14
Case Western
4–4
26-16-1
Rochester
3–5
18 – 21
Brandeis
1–7
8 – 31
Chicago
0–0
23 – 12
In one of the final meets of his collegiate career, Chris Brown ’12 set a new Brandeis record in the 1,500-meter race with a time of 3:43.49 at the New Balance Twilight Meet hosted by Bentley College. Brown’s time was the fastest in all of Division III in the 2012 season by almost three seconds. Additionally, his time was also the sixthfastest time in the event in Division III history. With his time, Brown beat Hall of Famer Mark Beeman’s ’85 record of 3:44.9 by a little more than a second and a half. Before Brown surpassed the record, the record had stood for almost 30 years. In addition to Brown’s record setting performance, Mik Kern ’13 and Alex Kramer ’13 both set personal bests in the 1,500-meter race while Ed Colvin ’14 set a new personal best in the 5,000-meter race.
Cooke named UAA Rookie of the Year, heads to NCAA Championships By Brian Tabakin Editor
Carley Cooke ’15 was selected to play in the NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Individual Championship tournament. The event, hosted by Meredith College in Cary, N.C., from May 24 to May 26, will consist of 32 individual athletes. Additionally, in the same week, Cooke was named the UAA Rookie of the Year. Cooke became the first Brandeis women’s tennis player selected to participate in the NCAA Championships since Abby Lerner ’05 in 2005. Cooke, who played the No. 1 spot on the Brandeis roster throughout the season, posted a record of 15-4 during
the season and earned second-team UAA honors. With her selection, Cooke becomes just the third player in program history to be selected to the Championships joining Lerner and Jane Chae ’05, who went in 2003. “I am excited to have this opportunity to keep working with her this year, and to see her progression throughout her career,” head coach Ben Lamanna said in a university press release. “Carley is everything Brandeis could ask for in a student athlete.” With Cooke in the No. 1 spot, the squad went 15-5 on the season, matching the 1980-81 team for most wins in program history. Additionally, behind Cooke’s play, the Judges
earned a national ranking from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association for the majority of the season. Cooke and her doubles partner Faith Broderick ’13 were selected as alternates in the doubles tournament. On the season the pair posted a 14-5 record at No. 1 doubles. If they get to play, the duo would become just the second Brandeis pairing selected to attend the tournament, joining Lerner and Colleen Donnelly ’08 in 2005. Allyson Bernstein ’14 was also selected to the all-UAA second team along with Cooke. Bernstein, who played in the No. 3 spot for the Judges during the majority of the season, posted a 16-4 record, leading all teammates in wins.
Women’s tennis Team
UAA
All
Chicago
2–0
12 – 1
Emory
2–1
17 – 5
Brandeis
2–1
15 – 5
Washington
2–1
15 – 8
Carnegie Mellon
1–1
18 – 4
Case Western
1–2
18 – 6
Rochester
1–2
9–6
NYU
0–3
0 – 12
photo from brandeisnow
May 20, 2012
SPORTS 15
The Brandeis Hoot
Brandeis Athletics honors seniors at awards dinner By Yael Katzwer, Editor
The Brandeis University Department of Athletics recognized 12 graduating student athletes for their devotion to and performance in Brandeis athletics on May 2 at its annual end-of-season awards dinner.
photos from brandeis athletics
Brittany Grimm of Perkiomenville, Pa., a member of the softball team, won an Athletic Director’s Award, which is awarded to student athletes who display excellence while representing Brandeis Athletics. Grimm, a three-time All-UAA selection,
Ed Senibaldi of Everett, Mass., a member of the men’s soccer team, won the Morry Stein Award of Valor, which is awarded to a student who demonstrates courage both on and off the field. Senibaldi was
Kate Warwick of Boxborough, Mass., a captain of the women’s cross country and track and field team, won the James McCully Award, which is awarded to seniors who, according to a press release, “exemplify the character, dedication and good sportsmanship that depicted soccer All-American and inaugural Hall of Famer Jim Mc-
ranks third in career hits and fourth in doubles. She participated in two ECAC tournament runners-up and Brandeis’ firstever NCAA berth in 2010. As a sophomore, Grimm earned AllNew England and Academic AllDistrict honors.
Chris Brown of North Chelmsford, Mass., captain of the men’s cross country and track and field team, won the Harry, Joseph and Ida Stein Award, which is awarded to the outstanding male athlete. Brown earned an All-America honor this past season when he finished third in the nation in the mile run. He earned UAA titles this season in the mile run indoors and the 800- and 1,500-meter races outdoors. Running a 4:05.98 mile, Brown has the ninthfastest time in Division III history. He was a four-time AllNew England runner in cross country and participated in three NCAA championship teams.
Morgan Kendrew of Barnstable, Mass., a captain of the women’s basketball team, won the Max I. Silber Award, which is awarded to the outstanding female athlete. Kendrew finished 10th on Brandeis’
career scoring list with 974 points. She ranks second in career freethrow percentage (81.3 percent) and fourth in accomplished threepointers (114). She was a threetime All-UAA selection.
Theo Terris of Concord, Mass., a member of the men’s soccer team, won an Athletic Director’s Award, which is awarded to student athletes who display excellence while
representing Brandeis Athletics. Terris earned All-UAA honors twice and All-New England accolades as a senior. He participated in two ECAC tournament titles.
Marianne Specker of South Windsor, Conn., a member of the softball team, won the Charlie Napoli ’58 Scholar-Athlete Award, which is awarded to a student who shows excellence on the field and in the classroom. Specker was a
two-time All-UAA honoree; is fourth on Brandeis’ career list in RBI (109) and hits (178) ; and fifth in games played (189). She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the Psi Chi psychology honor society, with a 3.9 GPA.
Ari Silver of Princeton, N.J., a member of the men’s soccer team, won the James McCully Award, which is awarded to seniors who, according to a press release, “exemplify the character, dedication and good sportsmanship that depicted soccer All-American and
inaugural Hall of Famer Jim McCully’s career at Brandeis.” Silver earned three All-UAA honors and was an All-New England selection this past season. He participated in two ECAC Division III New England championships.
diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma during his sophomore year and, after undergoing months of treatment and missing the 2010 season, he returned in 2011, playing in five games.
Cully’s career at Brandeis.” Warwick finished 48th at the cross country championships in the fall and 12th in the 5,000-meter run during the indoor track season. She won UAA titles in the 3,000-meter race indoors and the 10K outdoors. She qualified twice for the NCAA Division III championships.
Vytas Kriskus of Kvedarna, Lithuania, a member of the men’s basketball team, won an Athletic Director’s Award, which is awarded to student athletes who display excellence while representing Brandeis Athletics. Kriskus finished his career ranking 28th on the career scoring list with 1,029 points and fifth with 156 threepointers. This past season he was a first-team All-UAA selection and participated in two NCAA tournament berths, including the Elite Eight in his sophomore year and an ECAC title in his junior year.
Alex Tynan of Barnegat, N.J., a captain of the baseball team, won the Morris Sepinuck Award, which is awarded to the varsity athlete who makes a significant contribution to both athletics and campus life. Tynan served two years on the board of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and served as president in 2011-12. He also participated in Brandeis’ Big Brother/Big Sister program.
Fran Shin of Bayside, N.Y., a member of the women’s soccer team, won an Athletic Director’s Award, which is awarded to student athletes who display excellence while representing Brandeis Athletics. Shin was a two-time AllUAA defender and participated in two ECAC tournament squads. She played with the 2010 team, which reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Alex Powell of Upper Montclair, N.J., captain of the men’s fencing team, won the Sid Goldfader Award of Valor, which is awarded to an athlete who has overcome adversity through, according to Brandeis Athletics, “strength, grace and determination.” Powell, who suffered twice from punctured lungs, became the team’s top epee fencer for the past two seasons. He qualified for the NCAA National Collegiate Fencing championships as a junior, where he finished 23rd.
16 The Brandeis Hoot
ARTS, ETC.
May 20, 2012
Campus activates creativity for annual arts affair
By Juliette Martin and Connor Novy Editors
Even with finals looming, the final weekend in April proved truly incredible. In part, this was because the Leonard Bernstein Festival for the Creative Arts brought art, dance and music to venues across campus. Meanwhile, a number of theater productions were being staged alongside the semester shows of countless clubs. To top it all off, students danced on Chapels Field as Nite Jewel, Phantogram, Childish Gambino and fun. performed. No matter where you looked, somebody was performing in every possible nook and cranny. Though it was virtually impossible not to encounter one of the aforementioned performances, Springfest was the most prominent event, dominating student interest by recruiting hot new acts. Bringing such in-demand artists to Brandeis is no small achievement, and students showed their appreciation by displaying maximum enthusiasm. Even before you arrived at Chapels Field, you could hear the
performers virtually everywhere on campus. Once there, students alternatively danced, packed the stage and lounged on the hill in order to enjoy the sunlight. With finals drawing ever nearer, Springfest provided the perfect distraction and proved hard to leave once it pulled you in. fun. far exceeded the energy and enthusiasm in person than on their albums. Where their recorded music is light-hearted and minimally complex pop music, live they showed significant musicianship and, moreover, excellent showmanship by frontman Nate Reuss, formerly of The Format. Party ballads like “We Are Young” and “Some Nights” were familiar to Brandeisians and the crowd sang enthusiastically, if off-key. Childish Gambino created an atmosphere of freneticism, both offending charming students with charisma and alarmingly descriptive lyrics. The crowd appreciated his immense stage presence, anticipating the performance for more than half an hour while the stage crew broke down fun. before Gambino began. We especially appreciated the last few songs, which Gambino performed sans George-
town University t-shirt. Not far from Chapels Field, the Shapiro Campus Center (SCC) was flooded with entertainment. Several music groups performed in the atrium during the course of the day. The SCC theater wasn’t left out of the action— students staged a variety of shows that showed off what they’d been working on during the semester. With groups ranging from the highly professional to the amateur, the eclectic selection was indicative of the great array of talent present at Brandeis. Leading up to the festival, students decorated the SCC with several installations that shined on their own and strengthened the creative atmosphere. Outside the SCC, students and children—a rare and welcome presence on a college campus—decorated the sidewalk with brightly colored chalk. The day before Springfest, the allfemale a cappella group Too Cheap For Instruments (TCFI) held its Third Annual Folk Fest on the Great Lawn. This event exemplified everything the arts festival is about. TCFI brought in non-Brandeisian folk singers to perform for the audience and, although the songs were not
something we would usually be into, we could not help but tap our feet. One standout was The Four Legged Faithful, a four-person group that describes itself as “Americana/Folk/ Bluegrass.” Several stands were also set up selling handmade crafts, such as jewelry, bags and pottery. The highlight of the festival, however, was TCFI’s performance itself. The group sings admirably, blending their voices together perfectly. Although they were a bit difficult to hear at times, this was the venue’s fault more than their’s. The group, which is known for its novelty songs, somewhat disappointed the audience, however, when they did not perform one. The theater community also came out in full force for the weekend. The serious and heart-wrenching “Next to Normal” made a great impact, while the smaller, light-hearted student-adaptation of the web series “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” was performed in the Ridgewood Commons. The improv group Boris’ Kitchen also staged its semester show. With so much happening, it was almost difficult to keep track of all the events, and it was certainly tempting
to dart wildly from place to place in a mad attempt to experience it all somehow. Campus is rarely as alive as it is during this weekend of the arts, creating a strong sense of community and connection. There was truly something for every niche of Brandeis society to enjoy. Planning something right before finals week is always dangerous; after all, what if no one comes? Despite this potential complication, the arts thrived. It was wonderful to see many clubs, groups and individuals showing what they do, what makes them special—essentially showing the many kinds of Brandeisian creativity. From the perspective of first-year students, wandering around a familiar campus to find it packed with entirely unexpected art and performance was truly astounding. It’s difficult to forget the sheer wealth of creative energy present at Brandeis with so many performances throughout the year, but to be confronted with all of it in one weekend, with some seriously accomplished outsiders in the form of Springfest performers, is an entirely and absolutely wonderful experience.
photos by nate rosenbloom/the hoot
arts in action Students participate in this year’s Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts.
May 20, 2012
ARTS, ETC. 17
The Brandeis Hoot
‘The Avengers’ assemble in marvelous movie By Yael Katzwer Editor
Well, I think I love Joss Whedon more than I love my parents and I am not even sure if that is a bad thing. This man gave us “Buffy: the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,” “Firefly” and “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” and now he has given us “The Avengers,” based on the Marvel comic books. As a huge Whedon fan, I walked into that theater with very high expectations—he met and exceeded all of them, serving as both director and writer. “The Avengers” was incredibly fun. The big action scenes were huge, the serious moments were severe and the humorous bits were hysterical. Sometimes action movies make the mistake of having so much action that there is no plot but “The Avengers” had a solid plot and took time to develop it. Basically, the Asgardian god Loki (Tom Hiddleston) comes to Earth to steal a power source called the Tesseract, which he plans to use to bring an alien army to Earth to conquer the planet. A group of uniquely talented people—read: superheroes—are brought together by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) of S.H.I.E.L.D. to overthrow him. It is a simple enough plot, which is why it works so well. The plot never becomes so technical that the viewers are just drumming their fingers waiting for the movie to start again and yet there is enough meat there to sustain a 2.5-hour action movie. And, while the action scenes were expansive, they never stayed their welcome; Whedon interspersed the
avengers assemble Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. star as Captain America and Iron Man in “The Avengers.”
action scenes with witty dialogue. Also, for a superhero fan, seeing Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) get into a tizzy with Thor (Chris Hemsworth) was just amazing. Due to Iron Man’s metal suit, he was an almost fair match for Thor but not quite; what he did not have in power, he made up for in wit. After Thor tells Iron Man that he has no idea what he is dealing with, Iron Man, mocking Thor’s clothing, responds, “Shakespeare in the Park? Doth mother know you weareth her drapes?” This is one of the funniest and most entertaining fight scenes in the movie. It does not hurt that Downey is a phenomenal actor. The acting in this movie was very strong, featuring Os-
car winner Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts); two-time nominees Downey and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye); and one-time nominees Jackson and Mark Ruffalo (the Hulk). These actors were great, hitting each line and really bringing these 2D comic-book characters to life; they also carried some of the weaker actors, like Hemsworth and Chris Evans (Captain America). While Evans and Hemsworth were fine in the movie, their acting inadequacies shone brilliantly next to the rest of the all-star cast. Hiddleston and Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), while not as big-name as some of their cast-mates, play their parts perfectly. Hiddleston has great charisma and nearly every time he is
photo from internet source
on screen, all eyes are drawn to him— the one exception being his scene with Johansson, in which she flips through emotions so quickly and expertly that it is slightly dizzying. Having so many main characters in one movie can often damage the final product but Whedon switches between characters well, giving the audience enough time with each for some character development and yet not leaving any by the wayside. It does not hurt that when one leaves Ruffalo, one is going to Downey, both fantastic actors. One of the reasons that the acting is so powerful is because the movie relies on the actors rather than on cool special effects. While the movie has CGI in it—most notably for the Hulk
(who is voiced in Hulk-mode by Lou Ferrigno)—CGI is not overused. If something could be done outside the computer, it was. A lot of superhero movies fall into this trap and come out looking like cartoons, the most obvious being “Green Lantern,” in which Ryan Reynolds looked like he just came off the Lucky Charms cereal box with about as much definition. One pitfall to this movie is that it expects you to come into the theater with some previous knowledge of the Avengers. Before this movie came out, all the principal characters were in at least one of two Iron Man movies, one Captain America movie, one Thor movie and technically one Hulk movie (although Edward Norton played the titular character, not Ruffalo). While it is not necessary to see these movies beforehand, it is helpful. And, if you really do not want to watch those movies, take a quick look at some comic books just to explain who the characters are. I went with some friends who are unfamiliar with the Avengers and for the first half of the movie, some of them thought Thor and the Hulk were bad guys. Part of this is the movie’s fault for not clarifying, I suppose, but part of it is that the movie assumes the viewer will know that the Hulk did not get his own comic book by being a villain. Even being slightly confused did not hamper enjoyment of the film, however, as the witty dialogue could be understood by everyone. While some of the inside comic-book jokes certainly went over people’s heads, the See AVENGERS, page 18
Lady Antebellum brings country flair to Worcester By Dana Trismen Editor
The trio Lady Antebellum is a monster in country music. They have been awarded Best Country Album at the Grammys for the country-pop crossover album “Need You Now,” and they’ve also been honored with Top New Group by the Academy of Country Music. With Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley sharing vocals and Dave Haywood on guitar, Lady A’s accomplishments are nothing to sneer at. Currently touring with their third album, “Own the Night,” Lady A performed to a large crowd May 5 at the DCU Center in Worcester. Thompson Square, a new country duo, and Darius Rucker, previously of Hootie & the Blowfish, opened the show. Thompson Square is composed of Keifer and Shawna Thompson, a husband and wife duo that somehow managed to win Top Vocal Duo from the Academy of Country Music this year. While Thompson Square has released one hot single (“Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not”), their following is not very large and the crowd did not respond very enthusiastically to their act. In comparison, the audience’s response to Darius Rucker was astonishing. Originally the lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish, Rucker leaped over to country music in 2008. The first black man to chart a number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart in 25 years, Rucker’s soothing voice can certainly carry his various songs about enjoying the moment and living life freely. The audience adored Rucker, clapping ferociously after every song and singing along
country with heart Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood lead the country-pop band Lady Antebellum.
to favorites like “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It.” Despite his warm welcome, it also could be said that Rucker’s act lasted far too long. For someone with only two country albums with songs that often sound eerily similar, it was a lot of Rucker in one sitting. He also performed for a little more than an hour, an extended expanse of time to have to sit through and wait for Lady A. Despite the majority of the audience’s interest, the concert was for Lady A, not a shared experience with Rucker. Lady A themselves were impressive, managing to sound as good onstage as they do on their albums. Yet, by seeing them live, the only member that truly shone through was Charles Kelley.
While Kelley and Scott usually share vocals, Scott’s voice is not terribly interesting. While it’s powerful and melodic, it’s also nothing special. She has a tendency to stand solidly onstage, occasionally tapping her foot but not doing much else. Dave Haywood was granted a few moments to shine, at one time performing a guitar solo on top of a piano that rose onto the stage. Yet he too faded into the background in comparison to Kelley. While it sounds like Kelley and Scott are equally talented on their CDs, live Kelley is far more intriguing to watch and sounds much better. Additionally, standing well over six feet, he towers over everyone else on stage physically. Moving his body enthusiastically and
often encouraging the crowd to join in, Kelley is just a better performer. His voice is incredibly solid, moving fluidly from sad, softer songs like “Hello World” to angry, pumpup ones like “Love Don’t Live Here.” While Lady A may be composed of three core members, Kelley is the only one that could potentially have a solo career later in life. Despite the fact they were touring to promote their third album, Lady A played surprisingly little from “Own the Night.” Instead, they seemed to prefer audience favorites, like “Love This Pain,” “Run to You” and “Need You Now.” This is not reflective of the success of their third album—in fact, “Own the Night” topped the Bill-
photo from internet source
board 200 and was one of the most successful country albums of 2011. Lady A’s focus on their older triedand-true songs may be due to critical reception. Some critics have argued that their new album is a rehashing of their old tunes. Audience members were also more responsive to older songs, singing along and waving their arms. For a country band, Lady A excels at crowd-raising, encouraging audience members to dance and stand up instead of simply sitting in their seats. While the fact remains that it is Charles Kelley who has the true talent, the trio manages to please audiences and will be big names in country music for years to come.
18 ARTS, ETC.
The Brandeis Hoot
‘Once Upon a Time’ promises happy endings
May 20, 2012
Arts Recommends books
photo from internet source
‘Go Down, Moses’ photo from internet source
a true fairy tale Prince Charming gives Snow White an eye-opening kiss in the TV series “Once Upon a Time.”
By Alex Patch Staff
“There is a town in Maine, where every storybook character you’ve ever known is trapped between two worlds, victims of a powerful curse that can only be broken by one person.” So goes the opening sequence of many episodes of “Once Upon A Time,” a magical show that enchants viewers every week on ABC. If you have not yet seen this magnificent work, there are a few small spoilers ahead, but nothing that will give anything too significant away. The show centers mainly around Snow White, although it introduces a new fairy tale character almost every episode. Throughout the episodes, we are taken on a journey, learning more about their previous lives in what I call “fairy tale land,” while also following the present-day story about their lives in Storybrooke, Maine, where they are currently trapped. The Evil Queen cursed them all to become trapped in our world, where they have no memory of their previous lives as fairy tale characters, and where time has stopped. The Queen herself does remember, though she poses as the mayor of the town. We find out throughout the series that Rumpelstiltskin (posing as “Mr. Gold,” who makes many deals) also knows the truth. Pinocchio, seen as a stranger who came to town, knows as well, since he was sent to our land as a young boy with these memories. The Mad Hatter (known as “Jefferson”) is the last character who we are informed knows too, as that was in fact his curse. He must live knowing that he has a daughter who in this land has no idea that he is her father. He watches her from afar, wishing they could live happily together again. The main tension in the series comes in the form of Emma, Snow White and Prince Charming’s daughter, who in fact does not believe in the curse, or that anyone is a fairy tale character at all. She was brought to our world as a baby along with Pinocchio, is now all grown up and has found her way to Storybrooke. Her son, Henry, tries constantly to convince her that the curse is real, with a book containing the full stories, which is of course titled “Once Upon A Time.” Being the sheriff in town, however, she believes that one needs evidence for something to be true. Her non-belief has remained a frustrating element throughout this season.
“Once Upon A Time” interestingly creates complex back-stories for characters that we never read about. For example, Snow White’s prince was actually a poor shepherd who took the place of his twin who was adopted by the king years ago. He is in fact supposed to marry King Midas’ daughter, but ends up with Snow White as he has fallen in love with her and never gives up. We also learn that the reason Snow White’s stepmother (the evil Queen) hates her is not simply jealousy of her beauty, but revenge for a mistake Snow White made years ago that caused the Queen’s lover to die. The Queen’s mirror has a backstory as well. He was originally a genie, who was given a wish for himself to use. Having fallen in love with the Queen, he wished to remain by her side forever. She had led him to believe that she loved him in return but, the case being the opposite, she would not allow his wish to be rightly granted. Plus, as we are constantly reminded, there is always a consequence when using magic. Therefore, right after making his wish, the genie gets put into her mirror and remains there for the rest of his life. In Storybrooke, this character remains by the Queen’s side as a reporter, but continues to be manipulated by her, and will write anything she asks of him. There are also quirky adjustments to the original tales. For example, there were originally eight dwarves, one being named “Stealthy,” though he died when escaping the Queen’s castle, leaving only seven. His death occurred on the day Snow White met the dwarves, as they were all locked up together in jail, and helped each other to escape. Some people criticize “Once Upon A Time” for being too corny, as many phrases are quite melodramatic. I would argue that, however, being a show about fairy tale characters, it is allowed to have some cheese-ball lines. Plus, having come from creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis is proof enough that it has to be a great show, since they worked on the popular show “Lost” as well. “Once Upon A Time” adds in fun references to “Lost,” such as the clock in Storybrooke being stuck at 8:15, just like “Lost’s” well-known Flight 815. After 22 episodes, this wonderful season has come to an end, and I can only look forward for the next season. Without giving too much away, I will simply say that the season finale was phenomenal, while huge events occurred that many viewers did not expect until next season.
‘Avengers’ excels AVENGERS, from page 17
outside jokes hit home. A personal favorite is when Thor is trying to defend his step-brother Loki to the Avengers and it gets very heated. Finally, Thor reminds the team that Loki “is of Asgard and he is my brother.” Black Widow retorts: “He killed 80 people in two days.” Without missing a beat, Thor replies, “He’s adopted.” Another great moment is when everyone is tiptoeing around Bruce Banner (the Hulk when he’s not hulking out) trying not to get him angry because they won’t like him when he’s angry.
They are all avoiding saying anything about the Hulk and just focusing on Banner as a scientist when Iron Man says to him: “Dr. Banner, your work is unparalleled. And I’m a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster.” The look on Ruffalo’s face is priceless. This finely crafted movie is a boon to comicbook fans everywhere after for the past few years being pelted with superhero movie after superhero movie, most of which were subpar. “The Avengers” raises the bar for superhero movies and for all action movies.
The novelist William Faulkner never met a family he didn’t enjoy destroying through his patented combination of humidity, disjointed narrative and Southern guilt: Look no further than the Compsons of “The Sound and the Fury” and the Sutpens of “Absalom, Absalom!” Faulkner presents yet another version of dynastic decline in one of his lesser-known novels, “Go Down, Moses.” Here the focus is on the McCaslins, a Mississippi plantation family inhabiting the author’s apocryphal Yoknapatawpha County. Faulkner always prefers presenting his stories in a fragmented, half-glimpsed fashion, and “Go Down, Moses” is no different. It consists of seven related short stories that span 100 years in the family’s life. Its most prominent character, Isaac McCaslin, appears in only three of the stories, yet the novel is decidedly about his coming to terms with his family’s myriad sins, which range from greed to incest. Faulkner never shies away from exploring the moral effects of slavery on the South, but here he also ruminates on the region’s vanishing wilderness. Isaac is a hunter deeply in-tune with nature, and part of the South’s sin in his eyes is its willingness to sacrifice this connection for material wealth. It’s an ecological novel that predates the birth of the eco novel. “Go Down, Moses” ended the most fruitful period of Faulkner’s career, in which he published 13 novels in the span of 16 years. At that time, Faulkner was something of a failure as a writer—most of his novels had already gone out-of-print, and his winning the Nobel Prize for Literature was eight years in the future. Thankfully, obscurity needn’t be permanent.
sean fabery, editor
film
‘Blue Valentine’ To put things simply, “Blue Valentine” is “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” meets the second half of “Titanic.” It’s undeniably an indie film, but it pulls off its indie low-budget feel without feeling misguided emotionally in the way other indie films can be. The film stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams as a troubled married couple, Dean and Cindy. Their marriage is clearly approaching its expiration date, and its deterioration is contrasted with their hopeful courtship in a narrative peppered with flashbacks. These glimpses into the past only make the current set of circumstances even more heartbreaking. For Dean, it’s love at first sight. He happens to spot Cindy while working for a moving company; as he tells it, he immediately gets “that feeling when you just gotta dance” and eventually convinces her to take a chance on him. Their early relationship is not completely absent of drama, but an undeniable bond ties them together. There are two main reasons why this film is truly tragic: Their relationship is realistic, and there is no antagonist. Both Dean and Cindy have valid reasons for feeling reluctant about their relationship. As the film continues forward, the viewer is helplessly thrown into the turmoil of their decaying relationship. When the movie finally concludes, there is nothing to do but stare at the credits. “Blue Valentine” is a great film because of the feelings it manages to inspire in its audience. candice bautista, editor
IMPRESSIONS
May 20, 2012
The Brandeis Hoot 19
The Katzwer’s Out of the Bag
Time to bar Brooklyn D.A. from public service By Yael Katzwer Editor
The New York Times recently called out Brooklyn, N.Y., district attorney Charles Hynes for his lack of severity in dealing with child sexual abuse within the extremely insular ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. Hynes, who is a non-Jewish D.A. in a heavily Jewish borough, relies heavily on Jewish support during election-time and he has been accused of letting things slide in order to gain votes. One accusation cast against Hynes is that when he heard that Agudath Israel of America, an ultra-Orthodox advocacy group, was instructing its followers to report abuse to rabbis rather than to police, Hynes did not voice a concern. Agudath Israel told its adherents that they could only report allegations of child sexual abuse to the police if a rabbi first decided that their allegations merited further action. This is ridiculous and Hynes should have immediately told Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, president of Agudath Israel, that this was unacceptable. According to Jerry Schmetterer, a spokesman for Hynes, the D.A. reminded Zwiebel that after consulting with their rabbis, people should go to the police but Hynes has never made a statement confirming this. Even so, this is a weak reminder. Additionally, it should be noted that neglecting to report alleged child abuse is a crime in New York. Hynes should have reminded Zwiebel and the rest of the Jewish community in Brooklyn that rabbis are not experts in child sexual abuse but that the police are. The police are trained to recognize the signs and to stop the abuse. Very often, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. If you’re
photo from internet source
concerned enough to report it to your rabbi, you should be reporting it to the police. Additionally, many rabbis in this community have alternative agendas; while they surely want sexual abuse to stop, their main concern is keeping issues within the community. According to the Times, the rabbis often do not report allegations to the police and tell their congregants to do the same. While having men rape children looks bad for a community, covering it up looks even worse for the
community—just look at the Catholic Church. Hynes should be ashamed that he is a party to this. Another complaint is that Hynes does not publicize the names of ultraOrthodox Jewish sex offenders even though he does publicize the names of non-Jewish ones. Although Hynes claims that he does not publicize alleged abusers names because he does not want to dissuade possible victims from coming forward, one rabbi told the Times that Hynes does this because the rabbis asked him to, further
adding to the secrecy of their closeknit community, even when that secrecy harms their children. Keeping these things a secret only adds to the belief that they should be kept secret; by refusing to name alleged abusers, Hynes is telling the community that they should not talk about these things and that it should be swept under the rug. Hynes’ claim that he does it to encourage people to come forward is malarkey. None of the other four district attorneys in New York City
do this. Bennett Gershman, a former Manhattan prosecutor who specializes in prosecutorial conduct at Pace University Law School, told the Times, “The idea is that the more information you give out, the more likely it is that victims might come forward with complaints. So the idea that a prosecutor would conceal this kind of information strikes me as illogical and almost perverse.” Zwiebel told the Times that “the See HYNES, page 23
The Editor’s Desk
BU’s problems relevant to broader college community
By Jon Ostrowsky Editor
Everyone is talking about Boston University this year. After rape al-
legations against two hockey players, a hazing scandal, a graduate student murdered and now a tragedy on a study abroad program in New Zealand, grief counselors consoling students rather than professors grading
final exams now dominate the conversations on campus. After suffering multiple tragedies and scandals in one year, it is easy to view the issues as specific to Boston University. But as students know,
photo courtesy of the daily free press
these are problems that all colleges face every year. Hazing and sexual assault made headlines at BU. The fact that they did not at other colleges this year does not mean that these problems do not exist. No university or college administrator can permanently eliminate sexual assault, crime or hazing. But there are logical policies and reasonable responses administrators can implement to evaluate student concerns and work to address them. Student life officials need both more oversight from the senior administration offices and more time speaking to students. They need oversight because a university president carries more influence than a dean. And they need more time with students because it is students, not administrators who know how their peers feel, where they need help and what scares them most about college life. Then there are the tragedies beyond our control. The car accident in New Zealand poses a nightmare for university administrators. There are safety protocols, guidelines and trainings for students studying abroad, but there is no way to prevent accidents and tragedies. And for a campus already struggling to heal from a year full of pain, there is no support system ever adequate enough to cushion the suffering of students who lose their friends so quickly. So the trend story about BU is
easy for newspapers to write. Rare, unexpected events make the news. And a string of campus tragedies and scandals is rare. But the causes of the problems plaguing BU this semester are not rare. They happen on every college campus in the country to some degree, including Brandeis. In response to the rape scandals and hazing scares, there are tangible changes a university can make. In response to a tragic car accident that takes the lives of multiple students, there are always far more questions to be asked than answers to be found. Yet, as BU has demonstrated this week through vigils and support groups, community strength is tested, not broken in the aftermath of tragedy. And other colleges can choose to follow their response by reflecting on their own policies and attitudes to evaluate support systems already in place. It’s easy to look at BU this year and say what a horrible tragedy, what an awful string of scandals—to look at the issues as isolated to the Commonwealth Avenue campus. What’s far more difficult and necessary to do is put ourselves in the place of the students and staff there, imagine what it is like and then reflect on our own community’s strengths and struggles when it comes to student life.
20 IMPRESSIONS
The Brandeis Hoot
May 20, 2012
The challenges of turnover on college campuses By Alex Schneider Editor
This week, I returned to Harding Avenue in Waltham. My last visit was in September, and the scene then was very different. The road had been blocked by police tape, and police lights had lit the area. Reporters and neighbors had gathered, astonished to learn of a triple-homicide committed on the usually quiet block. You want to know what makes me mad: Police still haven’t arrested the culprits. But, more than that, when they do, I won’t be the one covering the story. That’s not a statement of nostalgia. It’s a fact that college clubs and organizations deal with on a yearly basis. High profile businesses hold serious meetings to discuss strategies for surviving employee turnover. In academic settings, where student commitments have definite end dates, turnover is a fact of life. The dynamic creates clear winners and losers. When club leaders graduate, institutional memory is lost. Some clubs are run entirely by one or two active students, and when they
graduate the core mission of the club becomes more difficult to carry out. The best campus organizations combat this reality through training and mentorship. Others struggle and even fail. The winners, of course, are the new aspiring leaders who have a chance to learn as much as their predecessors and leave their own mark. That challenge is what college is all about. But a campus newspaper is a funny thing. It is all about institutional knowledge. For instance, this year when Brandeis rededicated The Rose, only seniors on campus remembered the original decision to sell the art and close the museum. The newspaper’s job was to inform the rest of campus and write editorials and news analyses that put the rededication into perspective. When members of the Knesset spoke this semester at Temple Emanuel in Newton, they were interrupted by Brandeis students. This newspaper decried the decision to protest rather than engage through open debate and scholarly analysis. But that opinion wasn’t something we thought up that day. This newspaper has taken the
same position for years, including when protesters interrupted Justice Richard Goldstone and Dore Gold; Noam Chomsky; and members of the Knesset who visited campus last year. And then there’s this tragic triplehomicide that rocked Harding Avenue. I remember covering it. Our editor-in-chief and photo editor remember covering it. And they will no doubt continue asking questions of community leaders until an arrest is made. Or until they graduate. The Brandeis Hoot as an organization is lucky. We have archives (and alumni) to consult. We also follow training procedures and an appointment process designed to train new staff quickly and efficiently and to pass on what we know. Other student organizations aren’t as lucky. Before I matriculated at Brandeis, I ran a high school newspaper that unbelievably enough is no longer publishing. The paper won all sorts of awards and graduated an impressive set of alumni. But when the student leadership of the paper was confronted with the idea of ending publication and switching to an online-only format, few remembered the valuable sto-
ries the paper had written, including an investigation into secret security cameras hidden in the ceilings of the school. The administration shuttered the paper without much forethought or community input. Administrators can be impatient when dealing with student turnover. Student Union leaders deal with this all the time—a great new idea that was tried before and an incredulous administrator unwilling to try again. But I think the Brandeis approach is right. Turnover is a real-world challenge like any other. So we deal with it, we put policies in place to ensure club continuity and, most importantly, we learn. Leadership development is not about running a perfect organization. It is about constantly developing strategies for improvement. I had a unique chance to do just that on The Hoot, and I would not have changed one thing about my own experience. Earlier this academic year, I wrote about turnover at the highest levels of our university’s administration, and I quoted President Fred Lawrence who told The Hoot, “Presidents change but universities have continuity.” I wrote then what I still believe: He’s right. This university has core
principles that no leader can alter. Styles might be different—and The Hoot has covered those different approaches—but the core mission remains. It has to, anything less would be unacceptable. I like to think The Hoot has stayed true to its mission as well, regardless of leadership. In their very first column, the founders of this paper wrote, “We founded The Hoot because we believe that what Brandeis needs is a community newspaper. A newspaper written about, by and for members of the Brandeis community. The Justice’s philosophy of attempting to emulate professional newspapers like The New York Times is laudable, but it is not the approach we believe is most needed here, now, at Brandeis. What is missing from this community is a publication that provides deep, insightful, meaningful news coverage and commentary about interests of direct concern to Brandeis students, staff, faculty and alumni.” That remains our mission. I look forward to reading The Hoot as an alumnus because I trust the paper will continue to serve this community.
Spend your summer doing something significant By Nathan Koskella Editor
As many paths as there are to a Brandeis degree, there are countless more ways to spend a summer away from this place that would still be keeping with what is expected of us. Some of us keep busy by simply taking another semester: On-campus summer school is the quick and easy out, but it’s unimpeachable—it won’t hurt your prospects. But the vast majority of us, under constant pressure to have the best future resume possible, have to find some worthwhile way to summer with a complex array of options. The internship is ideal; the 10-letter word is sometimes a magic bullet. Tell it to your parents or any mid-level contact and the conversation will stay positive regardless of how intense it was. But there any many kinds of intern-
ships, and for that rare but important high-level contact, your main faculty adviser or the like, you usually need some meat to the word. Those in the know can see through a thinly-veiled internship story. Internships at their best involve a long-term involvement with a nationally recognized foundation or industry, where the student performs not only secretarial functions but takes away meaningful field experience from actual practitioners of the craft. Most internships of course are those where secretarial function would be a generous description. Do what you can though to avoid the worst of them, with strictly menial labor or just plain time killers. If you can at all manage to glean some real knowledge, try to build on the relationships you create there, even if it is outside the normal bounds of the job posting. Internships today simply do not
networking Brandeis students listen to an employer at a Hiatt Career Center event.
often pay. They are too highly sought after: Every overachieving, first-tier college student from the upper crust of society will take them for free. But if getting grants for otherwise free work are rare, they also confer a sense of legitimacy to any enterprise. Even the pencil-pushing. But speaking of income, getting a real job is something more of us should consider. We go to Brandeis and will someday have the accompanying fancy degree, but we are not above bussing tables. A job at home will not only make your parents happy and fill your pockets with honest wages but is an understandable and legitimate way to spend the summer. In fact working the struggling college-student angle, contrary to that upper-crust norm, can be a plus in and of itself. And any job interviewer who looks down their nose for working all summer isn’t offering you a job you should want.
Pay or no pay, ideal internships and waiting tables have very many options in between. And the type of work isn’t just either rewarding real-world understanding or else a meaningless waste of time. The best summers involve a combination of both. In between an internship and minimum-wage work are fellowships, part-time shadowing and even other personal projects. I know someone who is working on a comic book that he means to publish. It’s not a White House internship or a summer program at Oxford, but he is happy about it and could even make some money. And he will have an equally good personal story answer at future interviews. The possibilities for this answer are embarrassingly many for only a fourth of the year on which you don’t even get graded. Friends of mine have spent the summer learning Canton-
photo courtesy of hiatt career center
ese in rural China or studying sea turtles in Greece—and those are simply the memorable international tales. Brandeis students have worked at community health care clinics in their hometowns or even spent the summer far from any familiar home—either their parents’ house or Brandeis—in a part of this country they hadn’t seen before. I advise this sort of tack. If you can’t land the dream pick, the second-best option is something completely unconventional. Go somewhere Other, which is increasingly applied to rural places in the United States as opposed to European capitals. I’m talking American places where people have not often even heard of Brandeis. Not only do the Deep South or the far Northwest need more Brandeis publicity, but opportunities there get the same nationwide financial aid or grants but a Brandeis student story from there would be unique. This is the part where I reveal my brilliant plants for summer, but no, I’m not working to preserve the endangered roadrunner 12 miles outside of Santa Fe. I wish I were. But I do need money, and I do have a mixed agenda for the summer, and I’m not at all worried about the space on my resume. And after spending my whole life moving, I’ve spent too much time in the American Other to worry about the interview question. I’m working two good jobs on campus this summer and doing some brief shadowing in my home town, and probably a minimum-wage job there too—likely bussing tables—just to make things less financially worrisome. I’m preparing a Fulbright application too (getting a jump on next summer!) with who knows how many drafts. Oh, and I’m also studying for the LSAT, which involves a paid-service test helper and then endless hours of practice tests on my own. This is also known as beating my head against my desk, which otherwise is the only really non-legitimate way to fill your summer. Do whatever you can sell best both on paper and in the interviews. We only have so many summers before they become just like the rest of the year, working Monday through Friday!
May 20, 2012
IMPRESSIONS 21
The Brandeis Hoot
Congratulations
Rebecca
Congratulations Noah!
We are, as always, so proud of you and everything you’ve accomplished. From your first day of school to today. Your future is wide open, we know it will be spectacular. Always our love, Mom, Dad and Bridget
Even though you are grown up you will always be our little girl. XO Love, Mom and Dad
Emalie, Elizabeth, Marisa, Rachel and Olivia— We’ve come so far together, and we will always love you! Congrats! Love and YITS, Leah, Kapri and Ariel
Your courage and kindness inspire us all. I am proud of you! Love, Mom
Congratulations, Alex! We are proud of your accomplishments! Wishing you much happiness! Love, Mom, Dad & Jessica
Congratulations Melanie! We are so proud of you! Wishing you success in veterinary school! Love, Mom, Dad, Robyn, Scott and Topaz
22 IMPRESSIONS
The Brandeis Hoot
May 20, 2012
View From The Top: Destiny Desiree Aquino By Destiny D. Aquino Editor
My road to Brandeis was one of sheer fate. I applied because multiple “What college is best for you?” quizzes had placed Brandeis in the top three. There were no additional steps other than the handy common app and on the very last night, in the very last hour before it was due. I figured I had nothing to lose. It was the best last minute decision of my life thus far. Unless you count the last minute decision, on the last day the deposit was due, to come to Brandeis. My decision came down to one simple revelation. Brandeis felt like home. During the last three and a half years, I have had the privilege to work with so many wonderful students, faculty and staff. While I have fond memories of many projects— from the Haiti Relief Benefit I helped throw sophomore year to creating the journalism department Undergraduate Department Representative (UDR) position when I realized we didn’t have one—my most treasured moments are attached to the piece of paper you hold in your hand. Being a part of The Brandeis Hoot and watching it become both the amazing (yet sometimes dysfunctional) family and phenomenal work of journalism it now is has allowed me to transform into the writer, friend and individual that I am proud to be today. I could not have done it without my fellow editors, our staff or our vibrant and diverse campus life that has allowed us to fill the pages for you. I thank all of you for all the hours and love you put into your Brandeis life. While I have written and edited numerous articles over the years, this has been the most difficult to complete. I decided it was best to
seek inspiration from another extra curricular that has been dear to my heart, being your senior representative to the university Alumni Board. I have been able to be both a voice for all of our needs and have been introduced to the importance of keeping Brandeis in our lives forever. I know many of you also feel that Brandeis is home because it’s where your chosen family is. So I decided to write a letter to my senior class family as we graduate, the alumni who have graduated before us, and all the classes to come; please remember these things always, and stay in touch with your family. Dear Family, We’ve all experienced the two reactions that you get when you tell someone you’ve just met that you go to Brandeis. There’s the “Oh that’s nice, what are you studying?” This is when it becomes clear that they have no idea what Brandeis is. I must say you never get this response in New York, New Jersey or Massachusetts and you rarely get it in Florida. You absolutely never get it in a synagogue. Response two goes something like this, “Wow. You must be really, really smart! Are you Jewish?” There also are the times when the person automatically assumes you’re Jewish and will say “Mazal tov! That’s amazing!” Nonetheless both of these are very similar responses. Most people think they know two things about our home: First, you must be gifted, talented, bright, exceptional or any other of your favorite synonyms for special, and secondly that you must somehow be related to the Jewish community. Well they are right … but we know there is so much more about our home then those two things. I know that we all know that in fact we are a non-sectarian Jewish-sponsored university. So yes they are right, we
are all connected to the Jewish community—they made this possible for us—but even for those of us that are Jewish, be that religiously or culturally (because again I hope we’ve all learned in our time here that there is in fact a difference) or not, Judaism has very little to do with being a Brandeisian. Being a Brandeisian is to be special, original, unique, honest and a bit awkward. Many of my friends that don’t go to Brandeis love to ask, “So what is Brandeis like?” I tell them to picture every awkward, but interesting person they knew in high school, and then every overachieving, overly involved, popular, yet secretly nerdy person they also knew in high school. Then multiply that to several hundred times and imagine that suddenly all of those people ended up in one place. Then, like the awesome social experiment that college is, everyone just stood around and watched what happened. What happened is what we’ve all come to call home. It has been the last four years of the seniors’ lives and will continue on for all classes to come. Some will tell us that these have or will be the best years of our entire lives, but I know we’ll all go on to do even more amazing things than we have while here. To be a Brandeisian is to have varied interests; be that our majors, our minors, our jobs, our extracurriculars, our internships or all of the above and then some. To be one of us is to be so passionate about those interests that, often times, our club meetings happen in the campus center at 11 p.m. and our sleep is forgone to accomplish everything on our very full plates. And while we all complained during those all-nighters with friends, writing a 15-page paper or lab report that was due in the
photo courtesy of destiny d. aquino/the hoot
morning, when we look back we will see that our academic learning was then at the forefront of our Brandeis experience. But we can all also acknowledge that it is the learning that happens outside the classroom, when we put down our textbooks, that forever changes the way we think about the world around us and the ways in which we choose to approach our lives as we continue
on. It is that coffee date with a professor that forever changed your mind about what truly sparks your curiosity, it is the 4 a.m. conversation with a suitemate about politics that made you realize just how blind you were to the other side, it is the community service you did with Waltham Group that opened your eyes to a world you See BRANDEISIAN, page 23
Amsterdamned if you do, Amsterdamned if you don’t: Don’t poach my pot By Ryan Tierney Staff
We’ve all heard the cliche, “When in Rome do as the Romans do,” urging travelers in foreign countries to experience as much of the foreign land that they can. Yet, this cliche seems to be stunted in the Netherlands. A recent law passed in the Netherlands prohibits the average tourist from engaging in one of Amsterdam’s most renowned activities, the use of cannabis. For decades Amsterdam has been a destination on the minds of many young (and sometimes old) travelers who wish to partake in this activity. This draw stems from the almost universal illegality of cannabis, allowing the adventurous tourist to participate in an activity that would otherwise be frowned upon. Yet it is a common misconception that prior to this ban cannabis was legal. Rather, drug policy of the Netherlands allowed small quantities of cannabis to be sold in certain licensed coffee shops. Until recently licensed coffee shops were permitted to sell cannabis along with food and beverages, however, coffee shops that sold cannabis were prohibited from selling alcoholic beverages. Another common misconception is that cannabis can be smoked anywhere in the country and by anyone. Rather, cannabis use is restricted to indoor places like one’s home or a coffee shop and may only be sold
to people older than 18. The coffee shops were allowed to participate in this trade as long as they followed these regulations. This drug policy originated in the 1970s in an attempt to separate hard drugs from soft drugs so as to break the association of illegal drugs like cannabis and heroin, which is suggestive of similarity and therefore of similar consequence and effect. Such a conception proves logical in the fact that, in countries where cannabis is illegal, there is often a much higher use per capita rate than in Amsterdam. So, in reality, if one is to partake in the use of cannabis in Amsterdam, is one really doing what “Amsterdamers” do? The new ban would suggest so. The new ban, passed recently by the Dutch government, went into effect May 1, 2012, in several municipalities and prohibits tourists from entering coffee shops that sell and distribute cannabis. Rather, it only allows citizens of the Netherlands to use such coffee shops and only if they have a membership card to the coffee shop. Each coffee shop must now have a log of members and will have a limited membership of 2,000 residents. Prior to the ban, there was much opposition to the move with many people calling the law “tourism suicide.” Honestly, it is safe to assume that the typical college student thinks of two things when they think of Amsterdam: cannabis and prostitutes. Forget about the beautiful architec-
photo from internet source
ture and canals, right? The famed red light district and the “legal” cannabis are the two largest pulls that Amsterdam has in the tourist trade, and one might even suggest that they’re not so mutually exclusive. A drop in tourism, however, is not the only projected outcome of this new law. In a country where the quality of cannabis is so high and so regulated, it is not likely that the ban will prevent the
drug from circulating around the nation. It is more likely that an underground (or outside of coffee shops) cannabis market will open up to supply the constant demand. And in the case of an underground market, one must recognize the possible consequences. Not only will this activity be illegal but it will also go unregulated, which will inevitably lead to time and money being spent on the policing of
this activity. One must also consider the potential dangers involved in an underground drug market and the consequences that may arise. The Netherlands should re-evaluate their latest decision to ban cannabis usage to tourists because, although it may make people loopy and anti-social, there were no previous problems besides maybe thousands of stoned people hanging out and chilling.
May 20, 2012
IMPRESSIONS 23
The Brandeis Hoot
View From The Top: Herbie Rosen By Herbie Rosen
Special to the Hoot
In late August 2008, I boarded a plane in Rochester, Minn., prepared to set off for Brandeis. As I waited for the plane to take off, I looked out to see my family staring back at me through the airport windows. While I had wanted to fly by myself to kick off this new four-year journey of college, I nevertheless found myself—for one moment—having second thoughts. Was I really ready to leave everything I knew behind? Could I really travel halfway across the country, without friends and family, for a place I had only visited once? While I looked through those windows with longing and some heartache, I’ll never forget the feeling of exhilaration and adrenaline as the plane finally took off into the sky. College was about to begin, and I was about to jump head-first into a world of adventure, excitement and opportunity. Four years later, I still feel like I am looking out those plane windows. Only this time, I am looking out at Brandeis with that feeling of heartache and longing. Just as I was forced to watch my family while taking off four years ago, I now must watch Brandeis while boarding that moving airplane called Commencement. No matter what, I need to leave. The end of an undergraduate career is bittersweet. Don’t get me wrong—I am pumped to live in the real world, with a real job while earning a real income, but I still find much comfort in the environment of our school. At photo by max shay/the hoot
Fire Brooklyn D.A. HYNES, from page 19
D.A. has made a conscious effort to be sensitive to the cultural nuances of the different communities that he works with.” This has gone beyond sensitivity though; Hynes is not just being sensitive to the culture of secrecy within the ultra-Orthodox community, he is fostering it. Additionally, covering up child sexual abuse is not a nuance, it is a crime. The final complaint against Hynes is that he is far too lenient with those convicted of child sexual abuse. To fight this image, back in 2009 Hynes founded Kol Tzedek, a program that reaches out to ultra-Orthodox victims of child sexual abuse. Hynes claims that this program has led to 95 arrests involving more than 120 victims. The Times, however, went through the program’s records and found many of the numbers to be inflated. Hynes created the program after public outcry in 2008 when he made a plea deal with Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, a grade-school teacher at a yeshiva in Flatbush, N.Y. The rabbinical authorities had been receiving complaints of sexual abuse about Kolko for 30 years before reporting it to police— more evidence that Hynes should have had stronger words about reporting alleged abuse to rabbis. Then, after 30 years of abuse, Hynes reduced two felony counts of sexual abuse to a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a child. Kolko only received three years of probation and did not have to register as a sex offender. The public was right to be outraged. Hynes has also been lenient on prosecuting those who pressure victims not to testify. In another case, one David Zimmer, who was charged with more than 24 counts of sex of-
fenses and who gave the police a handwritten confession, was pled down to one count of sexual abuse in the first degree and given probation. When police later found evidence that Zimmer had molested four other girls, they did nothing. Rhonnie Jaus, chief of the sex crimes division under Hynes, said that the original plea deal would have to stand because parents did not want their children to testify. The father of a nine-year-old victim, however, claims that he would have let his daughter testify. “The district attorney’s office called me and said this guy’s not 100 percent normal, so they were going to give him probation,” the father, who was unidentified to protect his daughter’s identity, told the Times. “If they don’t want to prosecute, what are you going to do?” This blatant leniency against those who abuse children is sickening. While probation is an acceptable punishment in certain circumstances, this is not one of those circumstances. Hynes needs to get his act together or get out of office. A child should be protected from sexual abuse no matter their religion and no matter their community. No one would claim that sexual abuse within a cult should be handled internally, so why would Hynes even begin to think that it was acceptable within the ultra-Orthodox community. It is time for Brooklyn to get a new D.A., one who will prosecute and stop child sexual abusers to the best of the office’s ability. It is time for a D.A. whom the ultra-Orthodox rabbis do not have wrapped around their little fingers. The district attorney holds that office to prosecute criminals, not merely to have the title of district attorney. It is a title that needs to be earned and Hynes has lost the privilege.
Brandeis I knew I mattered. I don’t mean “mattered” because I was in Student Union or because I jumped into all kinds of extracurriculars—I mean “mattered” in terms of personal relationships with the people I met. Our school constantly fosters collaboration, communication, challenge and acceptance. The majority of our student body functions around these pillars of the Brandeis experience, and the end result is the Brandeis which we know and love. I was struck by the genuine interest people have in one another. There is this mutual understanding on our campus, that everyone has some kind of story to bring to the table. And our university is one that thrives upon the words, thoughts and imaginations of its students. Yes, this is how the world should ideally work as well, but will I feel that kind of “enlightened mentality” in New York City, where I am going next year? Will I feel it in my apartment complex? I like to smile at people when I walk, but will the people I walk by even care to look? OK, so that’s the “bitter” part of leaving. In addition to leaving friends, professors and staff members who have enriched my life with their presence. But here is the “sweet” part: Brandeis doesn’t want to leave your life. While some seniors might feel bombarded with the term “future alumni,” the truth is, many of us will want to rely on the reminders of Brandeis that the Department of Alumni & Development sends to us. We shall be comforted by the knowl-
edge that we join an even bigger family of alumni—a group that is evolving to be an incredible source of support for one another. Some students think the university will only try to “hit us up” for money, but I think otherwise. I think these efforts from the Alumni Association can be interpreted as a way of keeping a bit of Brandeis with us. The invitation to return, to contribute or to participate in Brandeis culture will always be there. And I hope we accept it often. Of course there is the obvious “sweet”: Everything you’ve done on campus, everyone you’ve met, everything you’ve learned—all of it will be with you forever. All of it has helped transform you into a capable, efficient and well-rounded contributor to the “real world.” And just because you leave doesn’t mean that goes away. Those friendships, connections and accomplishments never leave. But you know that. And there really are no words to describe that comfort. So seniors, if you’re feeling some jitters like I am, try your best to sit back and relax. Because even though your plane is taking off, you’ll have a chance to come back. Yes, Brandeis won’t be the same. Yes, things will change. But your plane can take any twist or turn, all you have to do is look onward with excitement and determination. Those jitters fade, the plane flight gets smooth and then you can land into a whole new world with the knowledge that you have a Brandeis experience behind you. Board that plane, buckle up and lean back. It’s Go Time!
Senior looks forward BRANDEISIAN, from page 22
may not have realized needs you so badly, or the many other things we did on and off this campus that embody being a Brandeisian. To be Brandeisian is to give everything and anything we do 150 percent. Because we graduate does not mean that we stop learning, that we stop being us, or that anything but our geographical location and our daily routine changes. At the heart of all of our lives will still be our passions; they’re what got us to Brandeis. They flourished here and they are what will lead us to our chosen paths. Brandeis teaches us that we can combine all of our interests to make our academics individually suited to each of us. We’ve even created our own classes through the experiential learning program and explored the globe through study abroad. Brandeis has shown me it is possible to make our own paths where all of our passions meet, where we don’t have to be like any other college students who fit into certain, neat boxes because to be Brandeisian is to be anything but typical. My favorite thing to proclaim this year has been. “I have such impressive friends!” It’s the truest statement I could speak. I have multiple friends who are Fulbright scholars, joining the Peace Corps, going to PhD programs and going to the top graduate schools in the country. If you can think of any exceptional, exciting, original and impressive choice for a career I promise one of the 800 graduating seniors is doing it. President Lawrence loves to say “You don’t go to college, you go to Brandeis.” And he’s never been more right. We chose a school founded on social justice, we sat in thought-
provoking classes, we made and lost friends and loves—we grew up here. Within the walls of Brown, Gerstenzang, Lown, Sherman and shiny, new Mandel we became even more exceptional people than we were when we got here, and its because we all went here together. It is the people that a place like Brandeis attracts that made us who we are. Our parents and our families gave us all the ingredients to become jewels—for that we thank them, but it is Brandeis faculty and staff that gave us the pressure, the support and the careful handling that created us into the magnificent collection of gems that we are. We need to remember on this day and every day forward that we are going to change this world with the things we do. It is the Brandeisian passion that makes this possible. I went abroad to Copenhagen, Denmark, in the fall of 2010. I learned many new things there, but my biggest realization as I was sitting at a potluck dinner table with friends from schools that most people would claim are better or higher ranked than we, is that, while I genuinely enjoyed their company and I’m glad I know them, they were nothing compared to the people I knew at Brandeis. They were lacking that eagerness and enthusiasm for the things they were doing in their lives outside the classroom and the things they were learning inside of them. It was here I realized that we truly deserve the gasp that some people give when they hear we go to Brandeis— the gasp that signifies we are exceptional. We all know that Brandies is a young university, and there is nothing like the day the new U.S. News and World Report Rankings come out and we’ve moved up on the list, but it is up to us to make sure we con-
tinue to move up. I ask you today to make Brandeis one of your passions. In that collection of things we all give so much of ourselves to, I beg you to give yourself to Brandeis. Brandeis is forever a part of our identity and as we cultivate and embrace every part of who we are, it is our job to continue to give our time, energy and devotion to making sure Brandeis succeeds and becomes more well-known for the people who went here, the students it attracts and the research it accomplishes. Now I’m sure some of you are wondering: “Is it our job to make sure people know about Brandeis? Even if it is, how do we do this?” I can hear some of you thinking, “You’re asking a lot.” I know I am, but I also know that once Brandeisians set their minds to something—there’s nothing that can get in their way. So I ask you to start by giving back whatever you can to our university. It’s not about how much you can give back, it’s about the culture of giving back. If you received any aid or scholarships or know anyone who did, then your Brandeis experience has been changed by alumni donations. Brandeis will not be the same place it was for us for future classes if we cannot continue to commit to need-blind admissions, and that requires every single one of us to help. In 10 days I will be clear across the country in the Mississippi Delta participating in Institute for Teach For America. As I am already prone to teacher tendencies and I will soon be one, I decided it was appropriate to give you an acronym for how I hope and pray we will all live our lives. Live it in true Brandeis Fashion. Be Bold, Ready, Admirable, Noble, Determined, Enlightened, Inspiring and Sincere in all that you do. Be Brandeis.
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The Brandeis Hoot
May 20, 2012