The Brandeis Hoot

Volume 9 Number 21

www.thebrandeishoot.com

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.

No. 9 men’s soccer runs unbeaten streak to 16

By Brian Tabakin Editor

After seeing their winning streak come to an end this past Saturday after a 1-1 tie against the University of Rochester, the Judges rebounded with a 1-0 victory over Wheaton on Wednesday. The Judges are now 10-0-1 on the season (0-0-1 UAA) and are now 15-0-1 in their last 16 games, which date back to last season, breaking the school record for most consecutive games without a loss. The Judges narrowly missed out on the school record for most consecutive wins after fighting Rochester to a draw earlier in the week.

The first half saw a very slow pace of play with neither team able to sneak the ball past the keeper.

Brandeis outshot the Wheaton Lyons 9-3 and had a 7-0 advantage in corner kicks in the first half but Wheaton rookie keeper Matt Dickey kept the Judges off the scoreboard, making four saves, including a stop in the closing seconds of the first half on Tudor Livadaru ’14.

Tyler Savonen ’15 mentioned, “I think we shifted our game plan, not consciously, from possession soccer to sort of a kick-and-run style. We didn’t stay calm at the start, but it was good to get the win.”

See SOCCER, page 9

October 5, 2012

Student loan default rates soar

By Nathan Needle Staff

nationally ranked The Judges defeated Wheaton College 1-0 on Wednesday

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

extending their season record to 10-0-1. After a tie against the University of Rochester last weekend, and Wednesday’s game, they are now ranked ninth in the country.

The U.S. Department of Education reported recently that student-loan default rates have reached their highest point in 14 years, amid economic recession and the growing costs of higher education. These findings follow recent attempts at reform by Congress and the Obama administration to encourage transparency in student financial aid at public and private institutions, measures that are already taking effect at universities throughout the country.

Over the summer, the Department of Education released a model financial award letter, known as the “Shopping Sheet,” which will help students better understand and compare aid packages before committing to years of debt. According to a press release from the administration, award letters are often convoluted and misleading, making federal loans seem like grants that do not need to be repaid. With the shopping sheet, however, students will have a better grasp of exactly what their aid consists of, as well as the ability to view information on loan repayment schedules.

The problems surrounding student loans have been coming to a front in See DEBT, page 3

Alum with kidney failure in need of transplant

By Jon Ostrowsky Editor

For Brandeis alum and 29-yearold Julia Kleyman, days filled with dialysis treatment, check ups and donor searches now replace her old hours spent working in the scientific instruments industry.

Diagnosed with chronic kidney disease at age 17 but suffering from kidney failure since this April, Kleyman described the search for a living kidney transplant as a full-time job, along with the full range of accompanying emotions it brings every day.

“I miss my life. I miss my job. I miss being mobile and able to go where I want. I miss swimming,” Kleyman said, sitting on a Great Lawn bench, speaking openly and relaxed in her red flowered dress and gray blouse on a late August afternoon. “At a certain point, it’s like you can’t do more, especially because you’re sick. I can’t do more in a day,” she said. Her close friend Deblyn Palella sat nearby, sending

Inside this issue:

and exchanging emails with prospective donors and doctors on her Blackberry.

Her job required extensive focus and prior to the kidney failure, Kleyman had been working nearly full time.

See KIDNEY, page 7

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

Brandeis/Roberts construction to create traffic detours

By Debby Brodsky Editor

photo from internet source

julia kleyman

News: Union considers voting process changes Features: Insurance and alumni cancer battles Sports: Women’s soccer continues streak Editorials: Student input needed for plan Impressions: More writing in early education?

Arts, Etc.: Twin Shadow electrifies Chum’s

Page 4 Page 6 Page 15 Page 12 Page 15 Page 17

The Brandeis Roberts commuter rail station will undergo construction by the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR) this weekend, from Friday at 11 p.m. to Sunday at 8 p.m. During this time, a portion of South Street will be closed to vehicular traffic.

Despite the disruption in vehicular traffic, the commuter rail and bus services will continue to run normally. Parking will be available at the Brandeis Roberts lot on either side of the detour, and two possible detours are available to drivers during the scheduled construction dates.

The first detour, for residential and commercial traffic coming from north of the Brandeis Roberts com-

muter rail station, will have drivers enter South Street from the area of Highland Street and Hope Avenue.

Traffic coming from Brandeis will also have to adhere to this detour. The second detour, for drivers traveling from Waltham to the area south of the railroad tracks will enter South Street from River Road in Weston.

BOLLI’s connection

Santigold flourishes

Features: Page 7

Arts, Etc.: Page 16

Brandeis Osher Lifelong Learning Institute provides resources for a different demographic.

Santigold performed with Theophilus London at Student Events’ Fall Concert.

news

2 The Brandeis Hoot

October 5, 2012

Harvard student pleads not guilty to assault

BU students feel safer abroad, safety reports confirm

Brooke Loughrin serves as first Youth Observer at U.N.

UMass receives $85 million for sciences building

Tufts Art Gallery receives $2,500 for a mobile application

Brandon J. Winston, a Harvard Law School student, pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecent assault and battery Wednesday, following an indictment last month. According to Winston’s attorney, Daniel K. Gelb, “Mr. Winston denies any wrongdoing and [he and his defense team] do not wish to comment further at this time.” Winston’s next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 7.

After releasing their campus safety report for the Boston campus, as well as abroad campuses in cities like Madrid, London and Sydney, The Los Angeles campus was the only one to report a crime, a 2011 burglary. BUPD Sergeant Daniel Healy attributed the report in part to the fact that the Boston campus report covers extensive property in the city, while other campuses generally only include a few buildings.

The Social Good Summit was Brooke Loughrin’s home base last weekend. The Boston College junior served as the firstever U.S. Youth Observer at the UN General Assembly week in New York City, spending much of her time at the Social Good Summit, a three-day retreat designed to foster the use of social media and new technology as a tool to promote social change.

The state of Massachusetts allotted $85 million to the University of Massachusetts this week for the university to build a new sciences building that will serve primarily as a home for the physics and chemistry programs.

According to UMass spokesman Ed Blaguszewski, the building is scheduled to be completed within five years. The programs are currently housed at Lederle Graduate Research Center.

The Tufts University Art Gallery will build a mobile application to give users tours of art installations around Tufts’ campus, including the garden on the Tisch Library roof and a mural near the Mayer Campus Center. They received the grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Director of Galleries and Collections, Amy Schlegel, said that the app is already in production and is scheduled to be released May 2013.

source: harvard crimson

source: daily free press

source: the heights

source: massachusetts daily collegian

source: tufts daily

John Silber, former BU President, dies

By Lassor Feasley Special to the Hoot

John Silber, the pioneering educator, former BU president and political candidate, died of kidney failure in his Brookline home last week. He was 86.

Silber is widely credited with the stark transformation of Boston University from a little known commuter school to the top-tier institution it is today. By the time he left the University to follow political callings, he had transformed it into a world-class research institution, attracting the highest caliber students and staff. In addition to his accomplishments as an administrator, Silber was also a prominent social critic. Although he would lose his run for governor of Massachusetts, he was named chairman of the Board of Education by his opponent.

Silber, a native Texan, received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Yale, where he taught for several semesters. He was named Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin in 1967. He there established his penchant for massive administrative reform, but was dismissed in 1970. At that point he had replaced 22 department heads.

When he interviewed to take the helm at Boston University, an institution whose best days seemed to have passed, Silber was less than complimentary. Despite this, his vision for the school would land him the post where he started working in 1971.

Silber’s controversial tenure was highly criticized for his hard line policies on promotion, tenure and unionization of professors. These policies would be met with open hostility at the university; nationally televised sit-ins, strikes and protests marred his relentless campaign to revitalize the campus. Despite his critics, he managed to multiply BU’s endowment 20-fold to over $4 billion. Thanks to his intervention, BU has attracted a world class faculty, including Elie Wiesel, Saul Bellow and Derek Walcott.

“When I came here, we didn’t have a list of our alumni, we didn’t have a balanced budget. We didn’t have a computerized payroll system. We were raising only about $2.5 million a year. Back then, running Boston University was like trying to fly a 747 without avionics, without an instrument panel,” he once told The Bridge, a weekly BU newspaper.

As a candidate for Governor of Massachusetts in 1990, Silber promised to apply his managerial skills to

the state legislature. His 1989 book “Strait Shooting: What’s Wrong With America and How to Fix It” solidified his political ideals. Silber may have won his race were it not for a single botched interview in which he briefly lost his temper when asked if he had any weaknesses. He was known for his blunt yet candid speech, a trait for which seemed to hurt him as often as it served his purpose. According to The New York Times, Henry Kissinger once said of Silber, “He fights no small battles, so everything turned into a bloody brawl.” Silber would use this mentality from every perch in his life, a strategy that occasionally angered his colleagues but also achieved outstanding results.

Born in 1926, John Silber was brought up in San Antonio, Texas.

Although he was raised as a strict Presbyterian, he would later become aware of his father’s Jewish roots as an adult. After graduating from Trinity College with a degree in philosophy, he married his college debating partner, Kathryn Underwood, with whom he had two sons and six daughters. He dabbled in theology, enrolling in Yale Divinity School after graduation but he soon realized his true calling was philosophy. He earned his Master’s in 1952 and his Doctorate in 1956.

Swarthmore lifts 79-year ban on sororities in face of ongoing debates

By Rebecca Leaf

Special to the Hoot

Swarthmore University has lifted a 79-year-old ban on sororities at their institution despite ongoing controversy. The major argument behind the rebirth of sororities in Swarthmore was Title IX, a portion of the Education Amendments of 1972 which stated that “no person in the United States shall, on basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” The amendment was relevant because two fraternities had, had an ongoing existence on campus while sororities had not.

Swarthmore sororities were originally banned in 1933 after a campaign led by student Molly Yard, who later went on to become the presi-

dent of the National Organization for Women. The university abolished sororities on the grounds that they discriminated against minorities such as Jews. There was an attempt to abolish fraternities nearly 20 years later, but it was unsuccessful.

Though Swarthmore’s new sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta is said to be dry and has a strict anti-hazing policy, there are students who still fear for what the rebirth of female Greek life may mean for the identity of the institution. Some Swarthmore students believe that having sororities will encourage an elitist, exclusivist mindset that goes against the college’s original Quaker principles. Another opposing argument is that the school did not fully consider the overall opinions of the student body.

While some students believe that a greater acknowledgement of Greek life could cause a dramatic change in the general atmosphere on campus, there are a variety of other opinions on the issue. On the Brandeis Uni-

versity campus, which hosts a similar, serious academic atmosphere, there are varying responses to the question of Greek life. For some, the lack of acknowledgement of Greek life on the Brandeis campus was part of what drew them to the school in the first place. They believed that the dearth of Greek life presence meant a more serious academic atmosphere and fewer social pressures that are commonly found at other schools. Others see the scarcity of Greek life as negative.

Swarthmore Senior Julia Melin, a member of Not Yet Sisters (the group that will become Kappa Alpha Theta) justifies the new sorority by saying that it is not just a place to party, as critics say. Melin told ABC News that she wishes to create the sorority so that female students have a stronger social support system during college and after college as Swarthmore’s alumni association is relatively small.

Kappa Alpha Theta was originally established in 1891 and was followed by several sororities until the ban in 1933.

photo from internet source

Harvard drops to fourth place in World University Rankings

By Gordy Stillman Editor

Harvard’s ranking in the Times Higher Education, a magazine based in London, fell to fourth this year. Two years ago, Harvard sat at the top of the list. Last year it lost to the California Institute of Technology. This year, Harvard switched spots with Oxford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) usurped Princeton’s spot in the top five.

According to Times Higher Education’s website, they use 13 “carefully calibrated performance indicators” that fall under five categories to measure each school. In the presented measures, Harvard’s highest rating was 99.2 in Citations, which is described as research influence and worth 30 percent of the overall score. Harvard’s weakest rating was a 39.9 under Industry income, meaning innovation. Whereas 39.9 at first glance appears to be an alarmingly low score, since Industry income is the lowest valued category worth 2.5 percent of the overall score. In Teaching and Research, both worth 30 percent, Harvard scored 94.9 and 98.6 respectively.

Finishing out the score, International outlook garnered a score of 63.7 and worth 7.5 percent of the final score (93.6).

Between Caltech and Harvard, the total point difference was 1.9.

Caltech’s overall score was 95.5

with higher scores in every category other than International Outlook. Caltech scored over 99 in Research and Citations, over 95 in Teaching and Industry Income, but fell below 60 under International Outlook.

Other noteworthy statistics include U.S. institutions composing 76 schools out of the top 200. 31 schools from the U.K., 12 from the Netherlands and 11 from Germany also cracked the top 200. Generally, Asian universities were rarer on the list compared to their American or European peers, but many improved compared to prior years. For example, Seoul National University in Korea advanced more than 60 spots from 124 to 59. Closer to the top of the list, the University of Tokyo improved from 30 to 27, a difference of approximately one point.

In explaining the rises among Asian universities, Phil Baty, editor of the rankings stated that “Huge investment in top research universities across Asia is starting to pay off.”

Outside of Harvard and MIT in the top 10, the next school from the greater Boston Area is Boston University at 54th place. Brandeis was ranked between 201-225.

Specific Data was withheld by Times Higher Education. Among the top 10, seven spots are held

by American Universities, along with Oxford, the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London to round out the top 10.

October 5, 2012

NEWS 3

The Brandeis Hoot

Student loan default rates continue to rise DEBT, from page 1

recent years.

“It’s a vicious cycle,” said Professor of public finance Bob Tannenwald (HS). “It starts with subsidized loans by the government … colleges have an incentive to increase tuition, which leads to the need for higher loans. Few predicted the severity of the economic recession and the poor job market.”

According to Tannenwald, while other types of loans use physical assets as collateral for payment, the only collateral available to student loan lenders is human capital, or the potential of a student’s higher education. With the rising availability of such an education, more graduates are finding themselves unable to pay back loans, which results in the drastically growing default rate.

Dean of Student Financial Services Peter Giumette said that Brandeis falls drastically below the national average for student loan defaults.

“The Brandeis default rate for Federal Stafford Loans—as determined by the U.S. Department of Education’s new three-year model—is 1.9 percent, compared to the national average of 13.4 percent,” Giumette said.

“Using the older, two-year model, our default rate is 1 percent, compared to

the national average of 9.1 percent.”

Additionally, Brandeis not only offers counseling, but requires it for students who borrow both Federal and institutional loans. “When a student leaves Brandeis (graduating, transferring or dropping below halftime status), they are also required to complete online or in-person Student Loan Exit Counseling. Both of these counseling sessions are designed to educate the borrower of all rights and responsibilities as a student loan borrower.”

Nevertheless, Brandeis has not yet adopted the Shopping Sheet.

“Brandeis is looking into the possibility of using the Federal Shopping Sheet beginning in fall of 2013,” Giumette said. “We are waiting for information from our financial aid software provider as to whether they will provide the support necessary to proceed.”

The Shopping Sheet is a federal effort at combatting misleading information in university award letters, which Giumette assures, is made very clear to incoming Brandeis students.

“Brandeis financial award letters clearly identify each award offered as grant, scholarship, loan, or work/employment. Recipients are referred to the appropriate ‘Financial Aid Information Guide’ to review the nature, terms and conditions of each type of financial aid awarded,” he said.

Social Justice Committee unites to fight sexual harassment

By Rachel Hirschhaut Editor

The Student Union, which acts as a liaison between students and their administration, says that fighting sexual harassment is the main priority of the Social Justice Committee this year.

“I would love the students to maintain great communication with whoever becomes the university investigator, called the Special Examiner,” Park said.

This year in Director of Student Rights and Community Standards Dean Gendron’s email about students’ Rights and Responsibilities, he outlined new changes for adjudicating cases of sexual assault.

The new addition to Rights and Responsibilities, titled “Special Examiner’s Process,” and listed under section 22.6, applies to one or more violations of Section 3, which deals with sexual responsibility, or Section 7, which deals with equal opportunity, non-discrimination and harassment.

Under the new process, unlike other violations of Rights and Responsibilities that appear before the student conduct board, the special examiner will investigate sexual assault and harassment cases and the dean of student life

will render the final decision for the outcome of the case.

Park acknowledges that sexual harassment is a sensitive topic to discuss, so Brandeis is trying to make open discussion easier through its many peer and professional counseling resources on campus.

“We are trying harder to reach out to students through our CAs, CDCs, OLs, STAR, QRC, SSIS, FMLA, the Psychological Counseling Center in Mailman, and the Brandeis Counseling and Rape Crisis Hotline (consisting of anonymous students trained in counseling regarding various topics, including rape and sexual harassment over the phone).”

Last month, STAR, QRC, and SSIS co-sponsored an event called Campus Cares to reach out to students in Massell, North, Ziv and Ridgewood to “let the students know that these groups are here for them,” she said.

“While we will do our best to reach out to students and we will never cease to empower the victims to come forward, we also have to respect that in the end, it is still the victim’s choice whether to come forward or not for their reason,” Park said.

“By fostering a warm, caring atmosphere with increased awareness

about sexual harassment, I hope that victims feel it is easier to talk to the resources available on campus and off campus. I hope that through transparent communication and improved relationships between faculty and students, we encourage and empower the community to fight against sexual harassment together,” she added.

Increased outreach efforts began last year with the Hate Crime and Discrimination Forum in April, organized by the Student Union.

Park says that this event was important because it revealed gaps in the counseling system.

“Fighting sexual harassment is a big goal for the Senate Social Justice Committee because many students have expressed confusion in regards to the conduct process, should one experience sexual harassment in any way,” Park said.

“Since the forum last year, some have anonymously asserted that they would not know who to turn to if something happened, especially when parties involved are not just limited to students.”

“I think that the school recognized that sexual harassment policy needs to be better revised and clarified, and that I applaud that there is a next course of action planned to fight sexual harassment in all forms,” Park added.

Len Gerzon ’80 runs for NH State Representative

By Zach Reid Editor

Brandeis alum Len Gerzon ’80 is running for a seat as a State Representative in the New Hampshire legislature. Gerzon is running as a Democrat, against Republican Laurie Sanborn, who has served as the deputy assistant majority leader in the State House of Representatives.

Both Gerzon and Sanborn ran unopposed in their primary elections on Sept. 11. Gerzon’s district has elected a Republican in every election since 1934, according to a Brandeis University Alumni Association article.

While at Brandeis, Gerzon was active on campus, including having co-founded a magazine called the “Sherman Grease Trap,” which was designed to give a voice to the students who worked in the Sherman dining hall. Gerzon graduated from Brandeis in 1980 with a degree in economics, and then proceeded to attend and graduate Suffolk University with an MBA. Still, Gerzon feels he has a good chance of being elected. Gerzon said Laurie Sanborn and her husband had only rented property in their district months before the election, which

allowed her to run and win the seat.

“This is ridiculous,” Gerzon said, “and I have a chance to win because my opponents are being so blatant about this ‘outsourcing of representation’ that they are engaging in.”

This race is also unique in the sense that the district represents roughly 33,000 people—around 10 times the average of 3,200 found in most New Hampshire districts. This is due in part to a re-districting that occurred in 2010, when the Republican and Tea Party majority passed legislation that altered the state’s district setup.

When asked why he wanted to run for State Representative, Gerzon said that he felt “there is a real need for people to step forward and run for office, and I feel like I am able to answer that call.”

Gerzon is a strong advocate for bipartisan cooperation. He said he has been “recognized by Republican leaders as a person they want to work with,” and that his campaign has even garnered a solid base of Republican support. According to his website, “in order to resolve the complex issues of our state, [the legislature] must have thoughtful discourse, and … must be willing to listen to opposing viewpoints, without judgment or negative rhetoric.”

Gerzon calls himself a hybrid can-

didate, meaning that he can “flip from seeing issues on a liberal Republican viewpoint to a conservative Democratic viewpoint.” He also said that he was running a “more centrist campaign,” because “policy should be the product of where people meet and agree, not where party leadership says it should come from.”

He is concerned about the rise of the Tea Party in New Hampshire. The Tea Party currently holds over a third of the seats in its legislature, which is enough to veto legislation proposed

by Democratic governor John Lynch.

This dominance enables the Tea Party to put forth policies that “fly in the face of what I believe is good policy,” according to Gerzon. These policies include making gun laws incredibly lax and altering women’s rights.

He went on to say that the Tea Party “wants to put women in a [social] place where they were in 1850 … as can be seen by their stances on abortion rights and domestic violence, among others.”

Gerzon said he was inspired by Brandeis’ motto: “Truth, even unto its innermost parts.” According to him, this prompted him to constantly “try to keep my open mind” with regard to politics, and to accept the viewpoints of others.

Both of Gerzon’s parents are Holo-

photo from internet source

caust survivors who immigrated to the U.S. in 1951. His father then started a successful photography business in Boston from nothing, where Gerzon worked alongside him starting at age 12, just like his brother and two sisters.

Gerzon has worked for the past 27 years at Public Service of New Hampshire, where he worked with property taxes and has served as a consultant.

He has also formerly worked as a

property tax consultant to various cities and towns.

Both Gerzon and his wife Nancy have been taxpayers in Bedford and Amherst for 25 years, according to his campaign website. He has also been involved in many volunteer activities and served on numerous local and elected boards in Amherst, where they currently reside, and Bedford, in order to “improve the quality of life” in these towns.

Community mourns death of Alexa Christakos ’11

By Debby Brodsky Editor

A vibrant member of the Brandeis community, Alexa Christakos ’11, died Sept. 4 in a motorcycle accident in New Hampshire. She and the motorcycle driver, Michael Gazeaud, 36, were pronounced dead at the scene.

She was an American Studies and Philosophy major.

“Alexa was a witty, gracious and congenial young woman. A proud Greek-American, she had a ready

smile and a passionate interest in all things media (especially music). I hope her family knows that this tragic loss is also mourned by her friends and teachers at Brandeis,” Professor Thomas Doherty (AMST) said.

Following her time at Brandeis, Alexa was a personal training manager at Custom Built Personal Training, and she worked at Dark Tower Entertainment. According to the Brandeis University Alumni Association, Alexa was also a Chargette for the elite

promo squad, Tri-City Charge semiprofessional football team of Sandown, N.H. “Much is said of people posthumously. We acknowledge their strengths and accomplishments. We attempt to explain to others what type of person was lost. I can honestly say, whatever complementary descriptions are given to attempt to depict the incredible woman that was Alexa Christakos will fall far short,” said Eric Hansen, President and C.E.O.

Of Dark Tower Entertainment. “Alexa was an exceptional human being.

She was fearless. She was overflowing with energy, zeal and passion for life. I have never met anyone so addicted to experience, an idle moment seemed to her a wasted opportunity.”

Brandeis mourns the loss of its alumni together, especially with the passing of an alumnae so young.

Christakos is survived by her mother, Constance, and her grandparents, Robert and Irene, and was

laid to rest at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Lowell. A 40-day memorial service will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 28 at the Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Lowell.

“Alexa would be just as comfortable, and exceptional in a formal situation among the elite as she would be popping open a wrench set to work on her motorcycle,” Hansen added.

“She was smart, confident, capable and unapologetically marched to the beat of her own drum.”

4 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

October 5, 2012

Shakes admits mistakes in voting evaluation errors

By Connor Novy Editor

In the third and final round of Student Union elections, all seats have been filled. The last two positions were announced on Sept. 29, with Ethan Levy ’15 as East Quad Senator and Sunny Aidasani ’14 as OffCampus Senator. In previous election rounds, East Quad had failed to attract any candidates, although subsequent elections saw a higher-thanusual volume of potential runners.

Originally, Dean Kaplan ’15 was named Off-Campus Senator and Secretary Carlton Shakes ’13 announced his victory. The following day, however, it became clear that another election would have to be held. “The situation with Dean Kaplan being elected Off-Campus senator is very unfortunate,” Shakes said. “The system said that Dean won and unfortunately on my part, and I already apologized to the student body and admitted it was my fault, I completely take full responsibility, I overlooked the numbers. It was my job not to overlook the numbers and I did.”

The off-campus senate position had lost to abstain, due to errors in the voting software used by the Student Union. According to Student Union President Todd Kirkland ’13, when the software was originally bought by a former president’s administration, “ABSTAIN” in capitals did not func-

tion the same as a normal abstain. “It doesn’t necessarily get counted more than once,” he said. “Even though abstain got more votes, it wasn’t ‘elected.”

“Carlton just looked at who was elected,” Kirkland said, but the abstain option had received more votes.

Because of technicalities that have existed in the system since its beginning, it didn’t go into instant run-off mode.

Instant run-off is triggered when there is no majority winner. “If after the first vote,” Kirkland said, “there isn’t a majority vote, it goes into preference.” It then ranks winners and determines a winner from there.

East Quad originally attracted no candidates, and the first round of elections were held without a poll.

Once first-round elections were held, Shakes sent an email to residents of East Quad asking for candidates and received approximately 20. The East Quad election was held at the same time as re-elections for Off-Campus Senator.

According to the constitution, Shakes said, any number of elections could be held. Shakes decided that since the constitution says that “abstain” holds the position until the next election, he would organize further voting rounds until all seats were accounted for by Brandeis students.

The decision to hold further elections for off-campus and East Quad, said Shakes, was made because he’d

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

prefer to have a member for each Union seat: “It’s my goal to have every seat filled. I want every seat filled.”

There were many problems with Big Pulse voting system. Security groups for the student body weren’t updated. Last year’s election was delayed by five hours and had to be extended into the next day. Former Student Body President Herbie Rosen

’12 had looked into changing the system but because it is renewed in the middle of Spring semester, had not had the chance to find a new system before elections.

Kirkland is considering the change.

“What I’ve started to do is dabbling in some alternatives, if it’s a homebrew that works with our constitution. Because all we need is a polling system.”

“There were way too many mistakes,” Shakes said. “Way too many mistakes that I didn’t know how to handle.”

According to Shakes, there is currently action in the Judiciary to allow Dean Kaplan to remain in a yet-tobe-determined position in the Union.

Lurie Institute presents lecture on disability policy

By Dori Cohen Staff

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

Aaron Bishop, the Executive Director of the National Council on Disability, an independent federal agency that advises the U.S. Congress and the president on disability policy, spoke Thursday at the Irving Schneider and Family Building on “Disability Policy Beyond Politics: Building Blocks for a Better Future.”

The lecture was the second in a series of speeches presented by Lurie Institute for Disability Policy, an institute dedicated to “lead research and training initiatives that promote effective, efficient policies to improve the wellbeing of children and adults with disabilities,” according to the institute’s website, called the Annual Distinguished Lectures, and was attended by Heller School faculty members, Brandeis graduate students and representatives from various national and federal agencies.

During the lecture, Bishop, a Wisconsin native, discussed the issue of budget cuts from disability research funds and how critical it is that such cuts are not enacted.

According to Bishop, it is imperative that awareness about the elimination of disability funding be raised.

“We have a wonderful opportunity, but the opportunity relies on all of us,” Bishop stated. “We are the ones who can build the future, but what it will take is an effort that likes of which have never been seen before. We have to look at research and figure out how do we take it and turn it into policy.”

Around the time that Senator Ted Kennedy was chairman of the Senate Committee on Health Education, Labor and Pensions, from 2005 to 2009, 50 bills, many regarding disability policy, were sent to the president. Since then, however, only five bills have been presented. This, according to Bishop, is the result of a great divide between the two major political parties. “We need to work together. You can’t do that [draft bills and raise awareness] unless you are

working together, in bipartisan fashion. No work is being done on Capitol Hill now.”

“We all have to get together, build a platform, share all of our information, and come up with a position.”

The lecture was very well-received, ending with thunderous applause and a variety of questions from attendees, showing the concern and interest that the audience members had in the subject. “I thought that it was really a wonderful and candid overview of the challenges that we face in the disability community regarding policy,” remarked Amy Weinstock, Director of the Autism Insurance Resource Center at UMass Medical School.

Maria Damiano, who works in healthcare administration and whose daughter is a Brandeis alum, said, “It’s great to see attention being paid to disability policy. I am very impressed.

I come to the lectures every year because I have a daughter and brother with disabilities, and so it’s wonderful to see attention being given to such an important, yet usually overlooked, topic.”

Economic situations of minority children discussed at Heller

By Dori Cohen Staff

Professor Dolores Acevedo-Garcia (HS), Director of the Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy, spoke Tuesday at the Irving Schneider and Family Building in a lecture titled “Using Data and Policy Indicators to Monitor Diversity and Equity Among America’s Children.”

Acevedo-Garcia, the Samuel F. and Rose B. Gingold Professor of Human Development and Social Policy, discussed a new website of which she is project director, DiversityDataKids.org, a tool designed “to provide

strong data indicators and analyses of racial diversity and equity among the child population in the United States,” she said.

According to Acevedo-Garcia, the child population in the United States is becoming more diverse with each passing year and, paired with ethnic differences among children, leads to greater economic disparities and fewer education opportunities for minority children.

The new website, is funded by the W. K. Kellogg foundation. The Kellogg foundation’s mission is to support “children, families and communities as they strengthen and create conditions that propel vulnerable children to achieve success as in-

dividuals and as contributors to the larger community and society,” according to the foundation’s website.

The website will allow its users to collect data in order to see a systematic picture of how disparities among children change in different geographic locations and if current policies are helping to close the gap between the opportunities offered to children of different backgrounds.

“For example,” said AcevedoGarcia, “in 2010 it was found that 43 percent of black and Latino kids went to schools with poverty rates of 80 percent or higher, while for white students it was only 4 percent.”

DiversityDataKids.org will “showcase policy solutions and gaps using

an equity lens, and conduct analyses of the obtained data,” Acevedo-Garcia said. “This will lead to more knowledge on the imbalance that exists between opportunities given to different racial groups, and more efforts to get rid of those disparities.”

The lecture was part of the “Tuesday Talks” project, a lecture series held by the Heller School for Social Policy and Management on select Tuesdays throughout the year. Although the lecture was scheduled to begin at 12:30, seats were filled as early as 20 minutes beforehand, most of them taken by fellow Heller School professors or other Brandeis faculty members.

The lecture was very well received,

ending with applause and 15 extra minutes of questions, showing the concern and interest that the audience members had in the subject.

“I was really excited to come to this lecture,” said Mary Brolin, a Scientist at the Schneider Institute for Behavioral Health within the Heller School.

“The work that they are doing is very important. We don’t have all the information about child economic and educational disparities accessible to us now, and Professor Acevedo-Garcia’s new website will help make that information more readily available, leading, hopefully, to better policy decisions on the matter.”

October 5, 2012

NEWS 5

The Brandeis Hoot

Rosbash named Gruber Endowed Chair in Neuroscience

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

michael rosbash

By Zoe Richman

Special to the Hoot

The university named Professor Michael Rosbash the Patricia and Peter Gruber Endowed Chair in Neuroscience last week. Rosbash is widely esteemed by his peers and colleagues and has received countless awards in his field throughout his professional career.

Not only does Rosbash teach classes in the Neuroscience Department at Brandeis, but his research has also led him to become one of the top scientists in the world today.

“Michael and his colleagues discovered the genetic basis for biological rhythms fundamental to life because they control when we sleep and are

wakeful, how we absorb food and expend energy and how well we resist disease. His work shows how basic science can both explain and improve the human experience,” Provost Steve Goldstein said.

Dean of Arts and Sciences, Susan Birren notes Rosbash’s research as groundbreaking, for “it was the first demonstration of a molecular mechanism for behavior. It provides insight into human health and disease, with important implications for understanding everything from jet lag to resistance to disease.”

While Brandeis maintains the accessibility and community-feel of a small liberal arts college, its administration often touts that it has the research capability of a larger university.

Patricia and Peter Gruber founded the Gruber Foundation in 1993. Peter Gruber had been successful in the asset management business and was referred to as the “pioneering investor in the emerging market.”

“We were left with the luxurious question of, ‘What would you do if you had extra money?” Patricia Gruber explained. It was a difficult question for the Grubers, but as they reflected upon Peter Gruber’s remarkable childhood story they ultimately decided to give individuals intellectual prizes with their money.

Peter Gruber and his Jewish family fled Hungary for India just before Hitler invaded during World War II. Upon reaching India, the family settled in Calcutta just as the Japanese began to bomb the area. Peter’s par-

ents, who were uniform manufacturers for the British army, sent him and his two brothers to the Himalayas for three distinct reasons: it was far away, it was safe, and it had an excellent schooling system.

The boys had no choice but to adapt to a new and unfamiliar life. There were “a lot of changes, a lot of diversity and I think it made him grow up fast,” Patricia Gruber reflects.

Because of her husband’s unusual story, she said, he learned to appreciate individuals and individual accomplishment. And, because his teachers had been Jesuits and Irish Christian brothers rather than the more familiar rabbis, he gained an earnest appreciation for “diversity, [for] different languages, [and for] the preciousness of life.”

The Grubers created their foundation to award individual efforts through academic prizes. And the couple was faced with another integral question: in which disciplines should they award prizes?

They decided first to award prizes in cosmology, genetics and neuroscience, for “science really contributes so much to the well being of the world and to human well being—[there’s] potential to cure disease, potential for understanding,” Patricia Gruber explains. “And without a civil society, [we] can’t have much happen,” she continues. Thus, justice was added to the list of disciplines.

Finally, they chose to focus on women’s rights, for “if women can’t have a seat at the table, the world is not a peaceful place,” Patricia Gruber maintains.

In 2011, the Grubers decided that choosing a university partner would be a wise decision for the future of the foundation. Yale University became the new spearhead of the prize-giving

foundation. Patricia Gruber’s key presence remains, however, for she continues to help shape the program.

In addition to the prize-giving foundation, the Grubers also control a small grant-making foundation.

It was through this foundation that the Patricia and Peter Gruber Chair in Neuroscience was endowed at Brandeis University. Brandeis then selected Professor Rosbash as the first recipient of the Chair.

Patricia and Peter met President Fred Lawrence while he was the dean of the George Washington University Law School. Patricia Gruber explains that they were quite impressed with Lawrence, they came to know him personally, and once they “found out more about the sciences at Brandeis [they] thought that it would be terrific to establish an endowed chair in neuroscience.”

When the Grubers discovered that Professor Rosbash had been selected as Chair, they were quite pleased, for Rosbash is a previous neuroscience prize winner, and they are familiar with his research.

It is because of professors like Rosbash that Brandeis is able to excite students about subjects outside of the classroom. When a professor is having a scientific breakthrough, it’s pretty tough not to get enriched in the subject’s material.

“There is a tiny, superlative group of investigators like Michael Rosbash who make discoveries that open our eyes to new vistas and create new disciplines,” Goldstein said.

Rosbash was also recently named as one of the seven recipients of the 2012 Canada Gairdner Awards for his research on biological clocks. Since 1959, of the 308 recipients of the Gairdner Award, 78 have continued on to win a Nobel Prize.

EcoGrounds café celebrates its grand opening

By Rachel Hirschhaut Editor

EcoGrounds, the new Library coffee shop, celebrated its grand opening on Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and party after a week of serving coffee and pastries to eager library-goers.

Located in the Goldfarb Library’s Green Room, EcoGrounds is an expansion of Java City, the coffee shop hidden inside the Heller School. EcoGrounds is a brand of coffee bought through fair trade, which ensures environmentally friendly practices, fair pay and sustainable agriculture.

Students came to the café to celebrate at lunch hour, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. A cake and

complimentary coffee and pastries were served, and there was a free raffle to win a package of coffees and teas worth $140. For some students, who just discovered that the café was open, it was their first visit.

Erin Fletcher, marketing manager for Aramark at Brandeis, emphasizes the convenience of the café as a place to “break up study time and take care of all your food needs in one convenient location.”

Students may like EcoGrounds because it caters to people underserved by the menu at Einstein’s: those who do not drink coffee.

EcoGrounds offers hot chocolate, apple cider, smoothies and coffeebased or cream-based Javalanches—their version of the popular Frappuccino blended drinks sold

grand opening Students line up at the new EcoGrounds Café.

at Starbucks, in addition to hot and iced coffees.

In the week since it opened, students have formed positive opinions of the café. On the three poster boards where people can write their impressions of the food and service, comments have been mostly positive. Some praised the variety of options, the friendliness of the employees, and its central location in what students call “the green room,” a place known for loud study groups.

“It’s nice and very convenient to come here on breaks from work, if you work in the library,” Ellyn Sherman ’14 said. “Although it’s definitely more of a place to socialize than a place to study.”

“The service is very fast and the lines are so much shorter than Einstein’s,” Shelley Barber GRAD said.

“At Einstein’s, it gets very congested because people want their bagels. In the morning and at lunch hour, we have to wait 30 minutes!”

Still, some people like David

photos by shota adamia/the hoot

Handler ’14 worry that study space will be lost to the vibrant coffeehouse social environment.

“I used to come to this corner of the library as a quiet study place, and now it’s much louder and more crowded,” Handler said.

Others wrote that the café should open earlier on weekends and stay open later. Fletcher said that they plan to stay open past midnight, possibly even 24 hours a day during finals week.

features

6 The Brandeis Hoot

October 5, 2012

Alumni battles with cancer stress importance of health insurance

By Dana Trismen Editor

While it may seem that health insurance shouldn’t be a top priority for people in their twenties, an age group normally assumed to be healthy, Allison Morse ’10 tells a story to the contrary. Now working in the university’s alumni office, Morse spent five years getting misdiagnosed before finally realizing that she had Stage IV Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Morse, who spoke to The Hoot following the tragic passing of Brian Paternostro ’08 and Seth Roberts ’06 from cancer this fall, described how despite experiencing varied symptoms, nobody ever expected she could have cancer.

“Throughout my time at Brandeis, I was getting increasingly fatigued, dealing with serious back pain and had unrelenting itchy skin. Each symptom was addressed as a separate issue, because 18 to 22 year olds are “too young to get cancer.” Once finally diagnosed, Morse endured chemotherapy for six months before celebrating remission.

Morse reports that “72,000 young adults between the ages of 18 and 39 are diagnosed with cancer each year, and this age group has had the lowest increase of survival rates of any other group. We often spend months or years being misdiagnosed and are more often diagnosed at later stages. College students don’t often realize that they can get cancer, especially since many symptoms are vague.”

Many types of cancer are common in young adults, from blood cancer to thyroid cancer. In addition, children who have chronic conditions such as asthma or diabetes grow into young adults but eventually are taken off their parent’s health insurance and left to fend for themselves.

Professor Michael Doonan (HS) insists that health insurance for young adults is vital. He describes circumstances where living without health insurance would be virtually impossible, such as for people who have had chronic conditions since childhood. He also adds that “the catastrophic costs of an illness such

tragic passing of alumni from left to right: Seth Roberts’06 and Brian Paternostro’08

as cancer or major injuries sustained in a car crash can result in financial ruin for families without insurance. A parent’s worst nightmare should not be compounded by stress of collection agency action.”

Despite the need for insurance, Doonan reported that “close to eight million children in the United States are uninsured, [which is] roughly 10 percent.” These children usually come from disadvantaged households, and many grow up to experience health problems without the comfort of insurance.

Diana Denning, nurse manager at the Brandeis Health Center, also reports that the health center sees serious diseases that would require health insurance.

“We see a full range of conditions, chronic and acute injury and illness.

We work with students and their established off-campus providers as well as

facilitating access to local resources for specialty care and follow up as needed,” Denning said.

In order to prevent disaster, students should not only get health insurance, but also be very aware of their health care status,” Denning said. “It is ultimately the students responsibility to know the limitations and benefits of the insurance coverage they report,” she added.

Morse reports being thankful that she was under Brandeis insurance at the time of her diagnosis, yet it was an insurance she had to struggle to keep. “I underwent six months of chemotherapy every other Friday while working full time, largely so I wouldn’t lose my health insurance since I was not yet covered by FMLA.” Students should also be aware of their risk for diseases. Denning recommends getting annual exams and

photo from internet source

preventive screening for cancer.

Thankfully, young adults are not alone and have not been abandoned by the overall public community. Under President Obama’s administration large changes have been put into effect, directly impacting children and young adults.

“President Obama reauthorized the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provides comprehensive insurance coverage for uninsured children up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level,” Doonan said.

Soon, all families that can afford it will be required to possess health insurance. For students, “Obamacare has allowed young adults to stay on their parents’ health insurance plan until age 26. This has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of uninsured adults,” says Doonan.

Denning agrees that significant

changes have been made in that regard, as well as because of Obama’s decree that young adults need to buy insurance. “Mandating that young adults must buy into the insurance pool and that insurance must cover preventive services helps young adults gain access to contraception, early screening and education.”

Morse’s story is a horror story. “I woke up one morning and my underarm was convex … the next day I noticed a lump on my collarbone. I immediately went to my doctor who took one look at me and sent me to Newton-Wellesley for a battery of scans and tests.”

Yet, with health policy changing rapidly and general checkups for possible signs of illness, other young adults, whether cognizant of insurance benefits or not, hope to escape a similar experience.

Diverse scholarships available to students

By Victoria Aronson Editor

Beyond the Alumni and Friends Scholarship, a constituent of the need-based financial aid package, students possess the opportunity to apply for a vast array of scholarship and grant programs associated with diverse disciplinary fields. Ranging in scope from competitive nationally-based scholarship programs to Brandeis specific research grants, the criteria to determine eligibility for such prestigious awards varies immensely.

Describing the application process, Meredith Monaghan, director of academic fellowships at Brandeis, states, “One of the first steps is to find the right match—you have to ask yourself what you really want to do, and what kinds of experiences have you had so far; then you can figure out which fellowships might help you achieve your goals.”

Currently, the deadlines for nu-

merous nationally-based scholarship programs are rapidly approaching. Describing the criteria for eligibility for these programs, Monaghan cites the Goldwater scholarship, which is available to sophomores and juniors pursuing a major in science. She asserts the variety of programs available, each of which caters to distinct fields of study.

For instance the Truman scholarship, designated for current juniors, emphasizes strong leadership qualities and a record of community service for those students seeking to obtain careers in nonprofit, government or educational organizations.

Beyond the traditional programs related to scientific studies, the Boren scholarship is also geared toward students studying critical languages or those who possess an interest in national security, depicting the wide faucet of fields that students may pursue.

She continues to describe the Carnegie Junior Fellows Program “as an opportunity to work for a year as a research associate at a think tank in Washing-

ton, D.C. in one of several research areas, including international affairs, political science, economics, history and Russian, Chinese or Middle East studies.”

In order to be eligible to become a recipient of these programs, students must first be selected among their peers in a campus wide competition.

As with other four-year universities, Brandeis nominates four potential candidates to compete at the national level. Although the Boren program does not restrict the number of nominees chosen by the university, Monaghan asserts that “we still have an on-campus advising process that helps each student turn in an application that represents their absolute best.”

According to Monaghan, last year’s national competition resulted in the naming of 282 Goldwater Scholars, 53 Truman Scholars, 13 Carnegie Junior Fellows and over 100 Boren scholars.

Beyond the nationally competitive

programs, students are also presented with the opportunity to engage in Brandeis specific grants. Funded by donor Jerome Schiff, a former biology professor, the Schiff Undergraduate Fellows program allows students to engage in a research project for one year alongside a faculty mentor. Although not specific to any particular field of study, the program awards a $2,000 stipend to the student and a $500 stipend to the mentor in order to pursue the research.

Describing the rewards that students may reap beyond monetary assistance, Monaghan reflects, “It varies so much depending on the people involved, the discipline and the demands of the project, but one thing that I see consistently is a real bond between Fellow and Mentor that extends beyond the project itself.”

Yet another Brandeis specific program, the Undergraduate Research Program, funds approximately 12 to 15 students per year, enabling the pursuit of research projects during the

summer. According to Monaghan, in the past, select students have further been funded to travel and present their findings at national conferences, emphasizing the benefits that may be reaped from such programs.

Acknowledging the diverse programs available to students both at a national and campus specific level, Monaghan describes the past success of such programs. Enabling students to design new courses or materials consequently implemented within existing classes at Brandeis, the programs available allow for direct application to the real world.

While leaving a mark upon the community, some students have also presented their findings at international conferences in the past, emphasizing the opportunities that arise as a recipient of such grants. Monaghan reveals that many students “indicate that the experience gave them a great foundation for their graduate work, as well as something to discuss in their graduate school applications.”

October 5, 2012

The Brandeis Hoot

FEATURES

7

Kidney donation search brings constant frustration KIDNEY, from page 1

“It’s a job that you really have to be good at everyday. You really have to be on point.”

“Now I’m at my parents’ house all the time doing dialysis,” she added.

Kleyman launched the website SaveJulia.com in her search for a donor with “O” blood type, BMI of 30 or below, between the ages of 25 and 60 and in very good health.

“If you’re a healthy person under the age of 60, you can save a life or two,” she said.

Explaining her passions for hiking, reading, swimming and science, Kleyman reflected on the dominating and growing sense of frustration, stemming from the kidney search.

More than 15 of her friends and family members have already been tested as potential donors, but all of them have been disqualified because of either an incompatible blood type or underlying health issues. Kleyman and Palella described the disappointment of so many willing donors who undergo routine tests and find something wrong with their health that prevents the procedure. The tests, for example, revealed that one family member has Hepatitis C, another has kidney disease and a third has cancer.

“We started off very optimistic because we had a lot of donors coming through close friends,” Kleyman said. “It is literally the million dollar workup. If there is anything remotely wrong with you they will find it.”

Kleyman said the support of her friends and family, along with their willingness to listen, has helped her

stay positive, even as the frustration grows with each day of the search.

“Some people get kind of lost and intimidated by a situation like this, and I don’t really know what to do but most people are helpful,” she said.

Her other coping mechanisms include talking about the process. “I talk a lot. I talk a whole bunch to everybody, all the time,” she said with a laugh.

As part of her publicity campaign, the Brandeis Alumni Association published an article, and Kleyman contacted her Newton North High School class president to send a letter. Facebook and her website also include updates and detailed links on the ways to become a donor.

But Kleyman and Palella said that another challenge has been communicating with people who know little about how they can help and where

they can find more information.

“It’s amazing, there’s just not a lot of information out there,” Palella said.

“The lack of knowledge is unbelievable.”

“Through living donation, a healthy person can donate one of their kidneys and continue to live a perfectly normal, healthy life. Living donors allow those in need to circumvent the need for dialysis (which can be extremely hard on the body and reduce the longevity of a donor kidney once transplanted). Kidneys from living donors also offer a number of superior benefits, from greater success rates to nearly double the years of function,” according to SaveJulia.com More available than living kidney donations, deceased kidney donations can only last 10-15 years while living kidneys can last 20-30 years when transplanted. Recipients can

undergo more than one transplant, Kleyman explained, but her search, outlined on her website and following medical advice, focuses on finding a living donor.

When Kleyman spoke to The Hoot, she expressed frustration but also quiet optimism that she would find a matching donor because of how many people had already come forward. She also explained the nervousness that comes with waiting to find the right match.

“The faster, the better. It’s problematic to be on dialysis for more than six months,” she added.

And now, as the fall has passed, the success of her search depends on the readiness and willingness of friends, families, hospitals, communities and strangers who are able to help. Her search seeks anyone willing to try.

BOLLI school seeks connection with Brandeis students

By Emily Beker Staff

Brandeis offers a range of graduate school programs including the Heller School and International Business School, but Brandeis Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (BOLLI) provides resources for a different demographic. The program provides liberal arts classes to people ranging in age from 50-95 and has almost 500 members.

Nationally, Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes serve students at more than 115 universities and colleges.

In order for the Brandeis branch to keep in touch with the other Osher branches, BOLLI releases the “BOLLI Banner,” their personal paper discussing program’s current activity.

The program got it’s name Osher from the philanthropist Bernard Osher, whose aim in creating the Bernard Osher Foundation was to improve quality of life through support for higher education and the arts.

BOLLI was founded in 2000 and has been growing steadily since then.

The structure of the classes are similar to the seminar structure of classes provided to undergraduates.

BOLLI provides on average 45 different courses per term, offering a total of about 90 different courses for the participants to choose from during the academic year. BOLLI does not have one central academic focus as the Heller School and International Business School do, rather BOLLI considers of a smaller liberal arts college within a larger university. It offers courses ranging from topics like politics to the arts, and all courses are offered on a noncredit basis.

Seminars are regularly taught by professors and experts in their fields.

Students are offered the chance to teach as well, in a format BOLLI calls study groups. The participants consider BOLLI as more than a learning opportunity, and more than a social environment where they can make connections with others and get to know different people and share their skills.

The participants come from Waltham, Newton and even some as far as an hour away drive to take these courses and take part in the social aspect of the program. The program is not well known to the current undergraduate students, given the demographic of the participants is an older group of people. BOLLI is provided for people over 50 who wish to take classes in seminar format as well as lead study groups.

Avi Bernstein, appointed BOLLI director in July, emphasized how important it is for the undergraduate students of Brandeis to know about

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

BOLLI. He said that the program’s aim in the coming years is to contribute to the Brandeis undergraduate experience by participating in intergenerational learning opportunities favored by senior Brandeis leadership. In addition, Bernstein emphasized that recent alumni and their parents are welcome as partners in the development of adult learning programs. The growing numbers of alumni and their parents bring an especially valuable perspective to the BOLLI community.

“The goals for the program looking five years out are to build on our strengths: interdisciplinary study across a wide array of subject matter, and our track record as a high functioning learning community—BOLLI being a place where people make deep friendships as they expand their knowledge and their understanding of themselves and the world,” Bernstein said.

BOLLI is important for the age of 50 plus because as Bernstein explained to The Hoot, “learning in retirement is a social good—a valuable and precious resource that promotes well-being and we will endeavor to be accessible to all corners.” BOLLI is considered a place where learning, vitality and friendships thrive.

As BOLLI becomes more accessible

to more people, a vital ingredient of well-being for seniors will become more widely available.

Since BOLLI members also volunteer throughout greater Boston, Bernstein said he hopes to grow civic engagement in the coming years. The value of BOLLI being associated with Brandeis is in part that “Brandeis is a place where people care about being part of evolving solutions to social problems out in the world; we are part

of that movement and we will step up our involvement in efforts to solve the ills that afflict our communities.”

The alumni of Brandeis, as Bernstein explains, “have every reason to put BOLLI on their radar screen: increasingly we hope they will get to know us during their time at Brandeis.” BOLLI is hoping to reach out to alumni more with the recent technology developments.

“Given the increasing interest on

the part of senior Brandeis leadership at being the learning community for Brandeis students across their life spans, not only while they are here in Waltham but after they leave, BOLLI can play a constructive role in helping the university innovate, enriching the alumni experience through noncredit learning,” Bernstein said. “The Brandeis learning experience is not over the day of graduation.”

SPORTS

8 The Brandeis Hoot

October 5, 2012

Volleyball makes UAA round robin debut at Chicago

By Dani Chaisn

special to the hoot

After showcasing their talent at their first University Athletic Association (UAA) Round Robin appearance of the season, the Brandeis women’s volleyball team endured three straight losses at the University of Chicago. On the first day, the Judges fell short to Case Western and Washington University, before losing to Rochester on the second day.

In their first game against Case Western, the Judges were able to keep a tight hold on the Spartans throughout the match. The tactical effort on the Spartans’ side to defuse the Judges’ attacking opportunities, however, allowed them to win three straight sets. Although the sets between the two teams were closely contested, the Spartans finished by margins of 2518, 25-19 and 25-20, giving them a 3-0 win over the Judges.

The top players for the Judges in the round-robin opener include outside hitter Liz Hood ’15 and middle blockers Lauren Berens ’13 and Maddie Engeler ’16. Leading the Judges in scoring, Hood had a total of eight kills against the Spartans. Engeler and Berens contributed 10 kills and only had two errors in a combined 27 attempts. Also coming up big for the Judges, Elsie Bernaiche ’15 continued her match-high digs streak, recording 14 against the Spartans.

As a libero, Bernaiche explains, “I am the defensive player on the court at all times, and so my team depends on me to give a good pass and get the offense running. Also, I am one of the loudest players on the court, and I’m always talking and calling the ball, which is really important in putting together a good play.”

Despite constantly being on the court, Bernaiche is one of the key players in charge of keeping the momentum rolling for the Judges. When asked about the team’s performance

last weekend in Chicago, she responded, “Unfortunately, our defense and offense just couldn’t connect this weekend, and it showed on the scoreboard.”

In Saturday’s second match against the Washington University Bears, the Judges faced some of the toughest competition of the season. The topranked Bears defeated the Judges in all three sets by scores of 25-10, 25-8, and 25-20, making the final score 3-0.

After being down in the first two sets by a large margin, the Judges tried to close the gap in the third but were unable to outscore the Bears.

Leading the way for the Judges in the match against the Bears, Hood contributed on the attack while Bernaiche held down the defense.

Hood scored seven kills, recording the highest kill effort for Brandeis in the match. Bernaiche recorded the team’s highest 14 digs, for her secondstraight match of the day. Another standout player against the Bears was senior middle blocker Becca Fischer ’13, who had five blocks, just one shy of her season-high blocking record.

Junior outside hitter Si-Si Hensley ’14 said that Coach Michelle Kim does a great job of preparing her team for the tougher games, but added that much of the prepping for last weekend’s tournament stemmed from returning players who already knew the competition.

“The UAA has some of the best teams in the nation and us returning players tried our best to mentally prepare the new players about the type of competition they would see,” Hensley said. “I think after the MIT Invitational our team really tried to refocus so that we could do our best at UAAs.” According to Hensley, the team’s struggle is due to their inconsistency and can be changed by focusing on their attitudes during play.

“I think once we can master our attitudes on the court, I think we will be a lot more successful against any team we may see,” she said.

photo by paula hoekstra/the hoot

The final game against the Rochester Yellowjackets was a near-win for the Judges. Snatching the first set with a score of 25-22, the Brandeis team was fired up and ready to dominate the game. Battling back-and-forth in the second set, the Yellowjackets were able to shut out the Judges with a score of 28-26. Losing their grip in the third set, the Judges fell behind with a score of 25-16. Unable to outscore the Yellowjackets in the fourth set, the Judges were defeated by a

margin of 25-22. The final score of the game was 3-1.

The extended sets and high-scoring points allowed many of the Brandeis players to stand out against the Bears and elevate their weekend statistics.

Hood scored 15 kills and seven errors on 33 attempts, recording a .242 hitting percentage, her best performance of the weekend. Junior outside hitter, Si-Si Hensley totaled nine kills and junior setter Yael Einhorn contributed a solid 29 assists.

Though the Judges were unable to outscore the other teams in the first round robin, they are set on moving forward with their season and preparing for the upcoming UAA matches.

Bernaiche, hopeful about the remainder of the season, confidently stated, “We can only hope to perform our hardest and give every game our best effort. Our next UAA showing will be much stronger now that we have seen the level of play at these tournaments this year.”

No. 20 Judges keep rolling with their fourth straight win

By Evan Goldstein Staff

In their first match against a conference opponent, the women’s soccer team defeated the University of Rochester 1-0 last Saturday, with Rochester constantly on the defensive and reeling from repeated attacks by the Brandeis offense. The offense’s success was supplied by the defense as all the players on the pitch seemed to work in unison. This sort of play is rare, but when it occurs it makes it absolutely difficult to attack and defend.

The Judges then followed up with a dominating 4-1 win over Babson.

Emma Eddy ’15 reiterated the Judges’ dominance.

“We played really well, the whole team put in a lot of effort—it was great day, no rain, pretty much everything went well,” Eddy said.

The only negative part of the game for the Judges was the lack of goals and the worrying due to a one-goal lead with ten minutes to play in the last half. Although the Judges found themselves in complete control over the match, most of it was spent at a 0-0 tie. Chance after chance escaped the Judges until the 80th minute when Dara Spital ’15 struck again for her eighth goal of the season.

Sapir Edalati ’15 started the scoring chance by volleying a header in the box to Spital’s position, also in the box. Spital did not look back and stuck the volley past the outstretched hands of the Rochester keeper, Bridget Lang.

The Judges then held on to capture their first UAA victory. With the way the Judges were playing, however, it proved to be easier than they had expected.

The Judges’ dominating play was constant throughout the game. But the gameplay actually proved to be “fast [and] back-and-forth for much of the game. We had control but the ball moved quickly around the field,” Eddy said.

When Rochester did manage to win the ball, they would quickly try to move it up the pitch but would almost always lose out to Brandeis’ defensive line. This made the game move quickly, and even when the Judges had strict possession, the 0-0 score was an incentive for the Judges to attack with speed and strength, providing a backand-forth feel yet remaining under control.

Statistically, the Judges picked up a total of 21 shots, 11 on goal, to Rochester’s four shots, with only one of them on goal. The number of shots displays the extent of the dominance of the Judges’ offensive and team play.

Eddy was upfront about the Judges’ offense.

“We had control. I mean, we outshot them, we had possession for most of the game; they really couldn’t get anything going against us,” she said.

A significant shot differential, however, can not only result from brilliant offensive play, but also great midfield and defensive performances as well, as they provide the base of any offen-

photo by shota adamia/the hoot

sive attack.

Regarding defense, Eddy added that, “Our defense was amazing, we were able to stop possession almost every time—just really good defense in general.” In fact, it has been the Judges’ defense that has kept them in the last four matches, all 1-0 victories.

Defense has been key to the team’s success in attaining their 9-1-0 record as every single win has been a clean sheet, with the only loss occurring after the Judges allowed two goals.

Yet, during the last couple of matches, the Judges have found themselves scoring one goal per

match, just enough with a good defense but still rather low. With all the dominating possession in the match by the Judges, the only thing that kept Brandeis from scoring more was the keeper Lang for Rochester. While only one save was recorded between two Brandeis keepers Francine Kofinas ’13 and Michelle Savuto ’15, 10 were recorded for Lang, who was the reason that her side allowed only one goal throughout the match. This is because the defense and midfield could not challenge Brandeis effectively and win the ball while the offense could not keep possession long enough to

ignite a legitimate scoring opportunity within the box. The ball usually found itself around Lang’s box, and usually into her gloves.

This match added momentum to an already strong season, with the team ranked 20th in the nation. With a 9-1-0 record, and four straight wins after their only loss, the Judges look to take their accomplishments and potential into the rest of the UAA schedule and make a respectable push for the playoffs.

That push continues on Saturday with a home game at 11 a.m. against Case Western.

October 5, 2012

SPORTS 9

The Brandeis Hoot

Judges prepare for Case after win against Wheaton SOCCER, from page 1

Wheaton had their first quality scoring chance in the 60th minute of the second half when rookie Kai Gooden was able to put a shot on goal. Brandeis keeper Blake Minchoff ’13 denied the initial shot from Gooden and dodged a bullet when sophomore Travis Blair’s attempted rebound, sailed wide of the net.

Brandeis immediately took advantage of the Lyons’ inability to convert their scoring chance, pushing the offense down the pitch and once again putting pressure on the Lyons rookie keeper. Once again, however, Dickey stood on his head for the Lyons, making his best save of the night on Sam Ocel ’13, forcing a rebound effort from Ben Applefield ’14 high over the crossbar.

The teams proceeded to trade shots up-and-down the field before Livadaru broke the scoreless tie in the 72nd minute of play. Livadaru received a long clear at midfield and then dribbled upfield for roughly 30 yards before releasing a one-timer from the right side of the field where he hooked past Dickey to put the Judges on top 1-0. The goal was the third of Livadaru’s career and his first game-winner.

After Livadaru’s goal, Wheaton maintained consistent offensive pressure on the Judges for the closing 18 minutes, but the Judges’ defense and Minchoff were able to keep them off of the scoreboard to preserve the 1-0 victory.

Earlier in the week, the Judges traveled to face the Rochester Yellowjackets in the opening match of UAA conference play.

As expected, the Yelllowjackets and the Judges played a very tight match

with neither team able to dictate the pace. Savonen claimed, “we knew going into Rochester that they would be the toughest team we played yet.”

The Yellowjackets first got on the board when Max Fan played a corner kick to Ben Keeton who was closing on goal from the left side of the field.

Keeton’s shot was initially blocked by the Judges’ defense, but the ball then rolled dangerously along the edge of the crease where Max Eberhardt was able to slide it into the net before Minchoff could gain control of the ball to give Rochester a 1-0 lead.

Savonen added, “Rochester scores a lot of goals like that. We missed the clearance and the ball bounced around the box. It wasn’t really deflating, it just happens. But we did a good job staying positive and not freaking out.”

Neither team was able to generate sustained offense pressure for the rest of the first half and the Yellowjackets took a key 1-0 lead into halftime.

The Judges came out aggressively after halftime, pressing the Rochester defense. Savonen was denied twice in the opening minutes of the second half by Rochester keeper Scott Garfing. Both shots resulted in corner kicks, but the Judges were unable to convert either of the corners into goals.

When it looked like the Judges winning—and undefeated—streak was coming to a close, the Judges offense finally beat Garfing. In the 85th minute of play, Savonen gathered a loose ball in the box, and then made a move to beat his defender as he let loose a 12-yard shot that beat Garfing to his right to tie the game at 1-1.

Savonen was confident that if he hadn’t scored the goal then someone else would have. “We had pressured

on the attack Lee Russo ’13 bursts through the defense and attacks the keeper.

them the entire second half. It felt good being me, but I knew if I hadn’t someone else would have put one through.”

Immediately after Savonen’s goal, the Judges continued to sustain offensive pressure as they looked to win the game in regulation. Lee Russo ’13 came extremely close to scoring the deciding goal in the 88th minute of regulation. Russo burst through the Rochester defense on the right side and fired a 15-yard shot on goal; however, Garfing was able to punch the ball out to his defenders who then

cleared the ball and effectively ended the Judges’ threat.

In the first overtime neither team was able to generate any quality scoring chances in a defensive struggle and so the match headed to a second overtime. In the second OT, Fan nearly won the match for Rochester.

With six minutes remaining, Fan took a corner kick on the left corner, attempting to curl the kick into the goal. The shot caught Minchoff off-guard who had to backpedal and palm it away from the goal and toward the Judges’ defenders to clear

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

the ball.

Savonen said, “I feel like once we got into overtime, fatigue definitely became a factor. We had a couple of chances. [Kyle] Feather had a header that hit the crossbar.”

The game was extremely even throughout, with Brandeis registering 17 shots, eight on goal, compared to 15 shots, nine on goal, for Rochester.

The Judges also enjoyed a 17-11 advantage in corner kicks.

The Judges will return to conference play when they host Case Western Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

Milo takes ITA top-seed down to the wire as Judges continue to impress

By Brian Tabakin Editor

This past weekend at the ITA New England Regionals, Steven Milo ’13 shined for the men’s tennis team as they put forth an impressive showing. Two doubles matches and three singles matches went to deciding tiebreakers with the Judges winning three out of the five.

In doubles, the duo of Milo and Josh Jordan ’13 were seeded and faced Pierre Planch and Peter Yanofsky of Bates. In a tightly contested match, Milo and Jordan defeated the Bates’ tandem 9-8, prevailing 10-8 in the tiebreaker.

Alec Siegel ’15 and Mitch Krems ’16 upset the third-seeded pair of Doug Caplan and Kyle Wolstoncraft

from Bowdoin. The match was also closely fought with the Judges taking a 9-8 victory and eking out a 7-5 win in the tiebreaker.

In singles, Milo was the story of the day. After earning the eighth seed, he faced Howie Weiss of Williams in the first round.

They split the first two-sets, with Milo winning the first set 6-2 and Weiss winning the second set 6-4, but Milo seized momentum in the third set with a 10-4 win in the super-tiebreaker.

Milo then proceeded to the second round where he defeated Dan Carpenter of Trinity College in straight sets, 7-5, 6-2 to advance to the Round of 16.

While Milo had great success in his singles play, Jordan and Krems were not as successful as they both lost in

third set super-tiebreakers.

Jordan fell to Alex Schidlovsky of Williams, despite winning the first set 7-5 as he went on to lose the second set 6-4 and then bowed out after a 10-6 loss in the tiebreaker.

Similarly, Krems won the first set 6-2 in his match against the seeded Casey Grindon of Bowdoin before losing the second set 6-1 and the tiebreaker 10-4.

On the second day of the tournament, Krems and Siegel were unable to move on in the doubles bracket, dropping a tight match to the Amherst duo of Mark Kahan, the topseeded player in singles, and Russell Einbeinder, 9-7.

Milo and Jordan defeated the Tufts pair of Ben Barad and Nick Telkhedzhiev 8-4 to move on to the quarterfinals. They were unable, however, to

photo courtesy brandeis athletics

move to the semifinals as they fell to Matt Micheli and Trey Meyer of Williams, 8-5.

Milo continued his strong showing in the singles bracket as he defeated Jay Glickman of Tufts in the Round of 16 in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 to reach the Elite Eight.

In the quarterfinals, Milo faced the No.1 seed of the tournament, Mark

Kahan of Amherst. After Kahan won the first set 6-3, Milo fought back and took the second set 6-3. In the deciding third set, Kahan defeated Milo 6-3.

After a series of strong performances during the past month, the Judges will conclude their fall season on Friday when they travel to Bates College for the James Wallach Invitational.

Cooke and Broderick rebound from from first match with strong performances at ITA New England Regionals

By Brian Tabakin Editor

At the ITA New England Regionals this past weekend, the women’s tennis team bounced back from their disappointing performance against Tufts in their opening match of the season.

After being swept 9-0 by the Jumbos the week before, Carley Cooke ’15 and Faith Broderick ’13 led the Judges with a strong performance.

The doubles pair of Cooke and

Broderick were seeded fifth at the tournament and easily took care of their first round opponents from Mount Holyoke, quickly dispatching them 8-1 to advance to the second round.

In the next round, the Judges’ duo faced Lyndsay Cooke and Alexandra Marlowe of Wheaton. The Wheaton tandem posed a tougher challenge than Cooke and Broderick’s first round opponents, however, the Judges were able to defeat the Whea-

ton team 8-5 to advance to the quarterfinals.

The Judges received an unlucky draw in the quarterfinals as they were forced to play the top seeded doubles pairing of Curran and Shoemaker from Williams. The Judges put up a fight against the Williams duo, but they could not overcome their opponents and bowed out with an 8-3 loss.

While the Judges enjoyed success in the doubles bracket, the same could not be said for their performance in

the singles bracket.

Broderick once again faced a tough draw in her opening match as she had to face 2011 finalist Maria Pylpiv of Williams. Plylpiv defeated Broderick in straight sets 6-0, 6-4.

Having attained a 19th seed, Cooke drew Jessica Seidman of Wesleyan in the first round. Cooke easily took care of Seidman, dispatching her in straight sets 6-2, 6-0 to advance to the second round.

Cooke suffered a heartbreaking

marathon loss in the second round, bowing out to Samantha Gann of Tufts 5-7, 6-2, 10-4. After narrowly losing the first set, Cooke bounced back to take a deciding victory in the second set; however, in an evenly played third set, Cooke ultimately lost the super tiebreaker and failed to advance to the next round.

After a strong showing from their top players at the ITA, the Judges will return to team play on Monday when they travel to Simmons.

10 The Brandeis Hoot

THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS

October 5, 2012

Around Campus

students around campus Clockwise from above: Isaac Rabbani ’14 checks his phone while heading to class. Students play a piano in Spingold Theater. A man takes a break from walking his dog to read a newspaper on Rabb steps.

Men’s soccer ranked No. 9

photos by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

shots on goal Defensive back Matt Brandoli ’14 runs with the ball from Wheaton players in an attempt to beat them in Wednesday’s game. The team won 1-0, with a goal by forward Tudor Livadaru ’14. The Judges are currently ranked

ninth in the country for NCAA Division III soccer teams.

October 5, 2012

THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS 11

The Brandeis Hoot

The three (and more) broomsticks

accio brromsticks Broomsticks belonging to the Quidditch team rest on Chapels’ Field after a hard day of practice. The Quidditch team, founded in the 2010 fall semester, has attended tournaments,

photo by alyson eller/the hoot

and played intermural games against other area colleges.

Santigold wows at Fall Concert

Super Smash Bros Brawl

photos by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

going for the gold Above: Cyber athletes test their fighting prowess in a Super Smash Bros tournament in the Shapiro

Campus Center on Wednesday. Right: Santigold performs on Saturday at the Student Events Fall Concert. The singer was accompanied by supporting act Theophilus London.

photo by bella hu/the archon yearbook

editorials

12 The Brandeis Hoot

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

Editor-in-Chief Jon Ostrowsky Managing Editor Leah Finkelman Associate Editors Nathan Koskella Emily Stott Brian Tabakin Connor Novy News Editor Debby Brodsky News Editor Rachel Hirschhaut Deputy News Editor Victoria Aronson Features Editor Dana Trismen Features Editor Juliette Martin Arts, Etc. Editor Zach Reid Deputy Arts, Etc. Editor Zoe Kronovet Impressions Editor Morgan Dashko Copy Editor Nate Rosenbloom Photography Editor Becca Hughes Layout Editor Senior Editors Ingrid Schulte Suzanna Yu Business Editor Gordy Stillman

Volume 9 • Issue 21 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.

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To learn more, send us an e-mail at join@thebrandeishoot.com, or visit our website http://thebrandeishoot.com/join.

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We welcome unsolicited submissions from members of the community sent by e-mail to eic@thebrandeishoot.com. Please limit submissions to 800 words. All submissions are subjected to editing.

CORRECTION

An article on senior artists in the Sept. 21 print issue and online incorrectly attributed an inspirational quote of Eleanor Roosevelt’s to artist Tess Sucoff. The statement was made by artist Sara Weininger.

October 5, 2012

Strategic plan draft needs student voices

N

ext week, Provost Steve Goldstein and the university’s steering committee will release the initial draft of the much-discussed strategic plan. In the works almost since Goldstein and President Fred Lawrence assumed their posts early last year, the plan has been framed as Brandeis’ vision for long-term growth and critical to the university’s future. We think we should make the most of the opportunity.

Lawrence has spoken often of what he has called his “first priority,” increasing Brandeis’ affordability, and thus accessibility, to every qualified student. As the university emerges from a troubling fiscal environment to a future with more stability, administrators should remember Lawrence’s promise. Financial aid is the equalizer, the way we show that we are committed to education and the opportunities it provides. Along with better resources and equipment for the increase of knowledge, what other use exists for a non-profit college’s money than to make sure that the best students can attend?

The strategic plan should state unequivocally that Brandeis wants the best, regardless and even in spite of their family’s financial status.

The Brandeis community, of scholars, researchers, fundraisers, proud alumni and trustees, cannot forget about its most important constituents: current and incoming students.

Over the next few years, the administration must address the campus’ infrastructure, particularly student housing. The Castle’s problems have been documented in our pages before, and news reporting confirms that administrators are well aware of the need to fix its past leaking, flooding and overall structural integrity. The Village Quad, long reserved for study-abroad students, has now been given over to sophomores to accommodate the financially-motivated decision to increase enrollment these last four years. And one of the other sophomore residences of course is East.

Brandeis’ vision of the future should include maintenance of these substandard living places, and bring the university up to a rough comparison of comfort and amenities with our peers. The Mandel Center is beautiful; however, development officials should also strive to get such similar donations for student housing. The strategic plan should outline how we plan to do it.

Commonly agreed-upon principles must be established in the strategic plan—ones that build on our values to form a blueprint for fundraising goals, academic department strengths, building maintenance and dorm renovations.

Over the coming weeks, all members of the community will have the chance to provide feedback on next week’s draft. Long term strategic plans at any university can be limited. There are economic scenarios they cannot foresee, for example. But forming principles that students, faculty, alumni and trustees agree on should be a process that provokes disagreement and meaningful discussion. Questions about how committed we are to making the cost of Brandeis affordable, which buildings we want to renovate next, and how we want to distinguish our identity from our peer institutions are crucial to our plan.

But as administrators prepare the finishing touches on next week’s draft, they should also remember that Brandeis has done quite well in its young history. We don’t need systematic changes to our values or principles. All we need is to get everyone, from students to adults, on the same page.

opinion

October 5, 2012

The Brandeis Hoot 13

Is a liberal arts education worth it? A side by side comparison The value of a liberal arts education

By Jennifer Spencer Staff

From its earliest roots a liberal arts education was one tied to learning for learning’s sake, but today financial concerns come to mind when examining these private institutions. Loans and college have become two words tied together by the rising cost of higher education. Where can the line be drawn between value of school and its increasing expense?

This is a question that many students and parents are wondering.

Amid all of these questions, it is undeniable that even in today’s tumultuous economic climate, a liberal arts education is valuable. Whether graduates are employed immediately after they graduate or several years later, the critical thinking, writing and communication skills they leave with are priceless.

It is not only private universities that are becoming more expensive.

Public state institutions are also facing burgeoning prices. USA Today states that the average tuition at a four-year public university climbed 15 percent between 2008 and 2010.

Private schools and liberal arts schools in particular, are more expensive than most state schools. Rising university tuitions are forcing the 3 percent of students who graduate with liberal arts degrees to evaluate the worth of their education. While the college system itself is in a jumble of economic mess that is in dire need of fixing, what matters is the quality of education that liberal arts institu-

tions provide. Liberal arts universities and colleges impart skills that are hard to come by in regular state schools or public institutions.

A liberal arts degree, however, can be a risky investment. Brandeis is getting more expensive, requiring larger loans for which to be paid many years after graduation, all the while with the uncertainty of a well-paid career. It is a risk worth taking though, because in addition to a broad information base, a liberal arts education gives you those skills necessary to be competitive: skills like leadership, communication, self-confidence, the ability to adapt and most importantly exposure to global thinking. It gives you a broad

academic footprint, helping you deal with life’s challenges as an adult.

Huge lecture classes, inaccessible professors and feeling like you are just a number are not issues for students at Brandeis. We can all make an impact in the classroom and in our community, and feel that we have caring professors.

In our current economic situation, where employment rate for graduates is low, the best thing that students can have is a wide range of skill sets and understanding of various fields. Rather than limiting oneself to a very specific field, liberal arts schools encourage students to take a variety of courses. This well-rounded

approach is well-suited to the general trend of numerous career changes. It also adapts well to an economy where flexibility of skills and knowledge are needed. Leaders are developed in small universities where students can see their involvement on campus make a difference. If we don’t have the leadership skills that small schools foster, how are we ever going to deal with challenges like our current economy and rising college prices?

Youth today know that a college education is absolutely necessary in gaining well-paid future employment.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the average annual income of a graduate with a Bachelor’s degree

graphic by sindhura sonnathi/the hoot

is $52,200 versus $30,400 for a high school graduate. At the same time, students are aware that upon receiving their hard-earned diplomas, they will have to pay-off loans for years in an economy where it is challenging to find employment. The Associated Press states that 53 percent of college graduates are either unemployed or working in a job that does not require a bachelor’s degree. A rising number of students opt for graduate school in which unique schools like Brandeis, with a large research component in addition to the liberal arts teachings, prove to be a huge asset.

From the outside, it seems to be a catch-22 where students are forced into higher learning but then stuck with the high price of receiving an education. Despite that, a liberal arts education is the best investment one can make in this economy. Liberal arts graduates, on the whole, are very satisfied with the education they received. According to USA Today, 77 percent of the Annapolis Group alumni, graduates of 130 liberal arts schools in the U.S., rate the experience as excellent, and 18 percent rate it as good. The worth of a liberal arts education cannot be measured through cost. All colleges and universities today are expensive, but it would be a better use of time to compare schools based on the knowledge and skills with which students graduate.

I recognize that the total debt of students is now over a trillion dollars. This needs to be fixed before it becomes the next out-of-control economic problem. But in the meantime, we need to keep in mind what’s priceless: a good comprehensive education that prepares us for the future.

The disadvantage of a liberal arts education

By Lila Westreich StafF

Recently there has been a lot of discussion about the merits of a liberal arts education. Growing up in a Minnesota town that I considered to be the middle of nowhere, most of my friends spent their anxious senior moments waiting to hear from the state schools in the area.

I was the only person in my friend group to leave the Midwest and one of three people in my high school to go to the East coast. The most recent senior class followed suit with only four out of 350 seniors heading off to the Northeast. The Midwest is not known for sending kids to small, private liberal arts colleges. Seniors in Midwest high schools prefer moving out of their parents barns and into the local state university, which are surrounded only by hick towns and corn fields. There are, however, a few good reasons to defend their choices.

I applied to Brandeis for the opportunities that it offered. I had the chance to spend a semester in Europe, something my friends from home still dream about. I go to pop stars’ concerts, see world-renowned ballet and walk through movie sets all in the comfort of my own backyard. But having Boston next door doesn’t necessarily mean that my $200,000 was invested wisely. Large universities of-

fer tracks, or curriculums and classes set out for you to achieve within four to five years. Tracks, in turn, give students a group of required general courses that secure their backgrounds in basic sciences and mathematics and then thrust them forward into a wellproportioned group of electives based on their interests and job aspirations.

Students come out of a track education with a firm background and usually an idea of where they want to go in life, and the experience and education to get them started. If a girl from my graduating class attends the University of Wisconsin-Madison with the intent on becoming a physical therapist, she’ll take a group of generals in math, biology, chemistry, physics and anatomy. After her first yearand-a-half, she’ll start taking electives that focus on a well-rounded education in PT. When she graduates from college, she’ll secure an internship at a hospital because she had the experience and instruction that qualifies her for the position.

The same is not necessarily true for liberal arts graduates. I plan to major in environmental studies from Brandeis. By the time I graduate, I will have taken a handful of science classes loosely based on the environment, one math course, a few Spanish classes short of fluency, a large number of classes on topics I don’t plan to pursue in my future and a group of environmental electives based on

everything from governmental roles to organic farming in Boston. When I emerge from graduation I will walk into an environmental conservation corporation to present my resume, I will take the last chair that is left in the waiting-room full of liberal arts grads that think they have what it takes to make it in the real world. I won’t have the background, the generals or the basics. I won’t have the track and I won’t be hired.

Finding work with an environmental studies major is simple compared to the difficulty of finding a job with some of the other popular majors at Brandeis. I send all my luck to those of you who are planning to major in sociology, peace and coexistence studies, romance languages, English, anthropology and psychology. Nowhere else is there a place where you can triple major in three different paths to unemployment. The likelihood that you will have trouble finding a job out of college is enormous.

Considering the economy, the job market and the baby boomer generation picking up the scraps, I want the best possible outcome for the time I am putting in.

Yes, the ability to take a diverse group of classes that have nothing to do with a future career is one of the appeals of a liberal arts college.

Many people wouldn’t have chosen Brandeis without the opportunities to take experiential learning courses

graphic by yi wang/the hoot

in Jericho forest and Zipcars to Harvard for classes in lost African languages. And risk is an important part of college. The risk of not finding a job in something you like by aiming for a career in something you love is part of a liberal arts education. But maybe the payout of spending all of that time and money in a class you find interesting but not fulfilling isn’t worth the price.

The cost is a major factor here, and one I purposefully saved until the end. I believe that you should follow your dreams, and that money should not hinder great people from great ends. But I have to point out that four years at the University of Minnesota is roughly the cost of one and a half

years at Brandeis, and if Minnesota can place me in a paying job, on my way to achieving a career in four years and with only a fourth of the cost of a liberal arts degree, my choice seems pretty clear. For those students who have massive student loans, government grants and scholarships, is it really worth all of that debt to spend your time majoring in theater arts when you can be guaranteed a job in nursing or accounting?

If your college experience means choosing something you love and potentially sacrificing your future, it’s your burden to bear. A good education may prepare us for the future, but it’s up to the individual to determine his/her own meaning of ‘good.’

14 OPINION

The Brandeis Hoot

October 5, 2012

Why Americans can’t control their weight

By Zoe Kronovet Editor

Soda and its link to obesity has been in the news a lot lately. The New York City Board of Health approved a ban on Sept. 13 prohibiting the sale of sugar-sweetened drinks in the city larger than 16 ounces. Even Leslie Knope attempted to make Pawnee a better place by banning soda as a newly elected city councilwoman on Parks and Recreation. From reality to sitcom drama, Americans are being forced to deal with the negative consequences of their over-indulgence.

I am the first one to admit that I have a wee bit of an obsession with Fountain Coca-Cola. I commonly refer to it as “Nectar of the Gods,” and when that nectar comes spilling out of a fountain machine in Sherman—I swear I can hear angels singing above whatever mixed-tape is playing over the loudspeaker.

My love for fountain Coke, however, comes with a price. It is scientifically proven that soda is a large contributor to obesity. At Brandeis we need to evaluate our own soda intake. Every store, cafeteria and dining option on campus supplies soft drinks. They are an easy pick me up if you’re feeling tired, refreshing if you’re sweating and all-around delicious. That being said, do they really contribute positively to our overall well-being? At Sherman, one swipe of your card gets you un-

limited food, and more importantly, unlimited access to soda and other unhealthy foods. Because you can get as much as you want with no financial repercussions, you are more inclined to binge on soda (and pizza and cheeseburgers).

It is a typical American reaction to get angry when someone takes away your right or ability to do something.

While there are certainly more philosophical and ethical underpinnings to that idea, the truth is that often times American citizens act like Veruca Salt when she is refused the golden egg. There are viable reasons for supporting legislation that curbs the size of sugar-sweetened drinks that are available to purchase. In the 1960s the standard sizes of sugary drinks were 6.5 ounces or 8 ounces, according to The Journal of the American Medical Association. Today it is more common for 20, 32 and even 64-ounce drinks to be offered at fast food restaurants, movie theaters and gas stations. These new laws do not prohibit you from buying soda—they just redefine what constitutes a large or a medium soda.

In actuality, some of these laws turn what was previously a small drink into a large, and offer smaller sizes for the medium and small drink.

Thus far, Americans have successfully shown that they are incapable of making healthy choices for themselves. We have now reached a sad and pathetic day when Colorado is in possession of the lowest percentage of adult population obesity with an astounding 20 percent. One in three Americans is obese and 17 percent

of children and adolescents are overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If downsizing the amount of soda offered at McDonalds is the best way to spark a discussion and wake up Americans to the frightening reality that soon our country will begin to look like the people in Wall-E, then Americans should support laws that are passed that restrict the ability to “supersize” your Diet Coke. We need to look beyond what can be considered an affront to our righteous belief in being able to do whatever we want and see the merits of these regulatory laws.

Although drinking a can of Coke a day doesn’t seem so bad, in actuality it has horrifying effects. The University of California San Francisco Children’s Hospital states on its website that even “drinking just one 12-ounce can of soda every day for a year is equal to 55,000 calories, or 15 pounds a year.”

With that fact in mind, it is not surprising that the first piece of advice given to dieters is to cut out or severely cut back on the amount of soda they drink. Implementing a soda tax or restricting the size of sugar-sweetened drinks available, although it might restrict your rights as an American to do whatever you want and whenever you want, has positive benefits. According to new research released in The New England Journal of Medicine, “adding a penny per-ounce to a sugar-sweetened beverage” would not only slow the growth of obesity in this country but also “raise billions of dollars for obesity prevention and other

graphic by linjie xu/the hoot

programs.”

It may sound condescending, but sometimes people need a helping hand. America and specifically the glutinous youth that populate this country need a little guidance when it

comes to living a healthy life.

Next time I approach a soda fountain with my opaque Sherman glass in hand, I will certainly keep in mind that one cup of sweet nectar is a lot more dangerous than it appears.

My first week with an iPhone: a Review

By Gordy Stillman Editor

Every day it feels as though more and more people are buying and using iPhones. As 3G and now 4G networks have become more widespread, Apple has annually released upgrades that, other than the “antennagate” problem with the AT&T iPhone 4, have consistently been steps forward. Just over a week ago, I made the switch to the iPhone.

When, in March, I became eligible for an upgrade, I waited until the new iPhone was released to redeem it. I compared the top quality Android phones with the expected specs of the then-unannounced iPhone 5. Ultimately, my decision to purchase an iPhone came down to whether or not the iPhone would have 4G and certain baseline hardware improvements.

The iPhone 5 delivered. While Apple was a little sluggish to enter the 4G data world, the iPhone 5 being the first 4G iPhone, hindsight shows that Apple effectively waited for AT&T to introduce other 4G phones before releasing its own offspring. For all three supported networks (AT&T, Verizon and Sprint), the latest iPhone offers 4G data. Even if the iPhone 4S had included 4G networking, I’d have waited for a new phone to be released, maximizing the time before it becomes obsolete. Thanks to the 4G, when I’m off campus or otherwise not connected to a Wi-Fi network, download speeds are insanely fast. For example, when I downloaded Spotify to my iPhone, it took no more than a few seconds before I could open the app and begin to enjoy it.

Even while running multiple apps, the phone still runs extremely fast.

With about 30 apps running in the background there isn’t even a hint of

slowness. It is just as fast with many apps running as it is when none of the apps are open. On my Droid Incredible, often times I would have to turn off background apps because they were draining battery life and slowing down everything. Not only does the iPhone stay fast with many apps, but it’s also extremely easy to shut down extra apps.

With the addition of 4G, the latest iPhone is, in terms of hardware, far superior to the previous 4 and 4S models. The basic hardware components that Apple improved upon in the iPhone 5 are the A6 processor (the main computer chip), which is noticeably faster compared to the iPhone 4S. The new phone also includes a triple-core graphics processor, which powers the visuals, and 1 GB of RAM, providing a good level of memory for users.

These components are in no way more amazing compared to Samsung, HTC and Motorola’s high-end phones, but they are respectable. Because so many of these 4G phones contain the same technological capabilities, it is hard to use specs to measure the iPhone against other phones of similar style.

Additionally, the iPhone is more lightweight than its predecessors. Another cool feature is the added row of icons on the home screen due to the larger screen size. This is a subtle, but worthwhile improvement. My friends who already had iPhones could instantly see the difference, but to the untrained eye it’s hard to see.

There are, however, numerous faults with the iPhone 5. The first and perhaps most notable is the lack of Google maps. Apple publicly apologized for the fiasco that was caused by its new maps app. Luckily, Apple’s map fiasco can be fixed with either the numerous map apps currently available, a hopefully upcoming Google maps app, or even drastic improvements of Apple’s app.

graphic by diane somlo/the hoot

Some of the major hardware flaws are simple defects in manufacturing.

These include instances of backlight leaking from the front display and air bubbles that have appeared when pressing the touch screen. While not defending Apple, these flaws are really not unreasonable. Almost every smartphone, video game system and tablet have instances of defective products. So far, nothing suggests that these problems are as widespread as the issues that plagued original models of Microsoft’s Xbox 360.

Additionally, numerous iPhone 5 owners have found small scratches and nicks on the phone right out of the box. For an expensive piece of hardware, one that required middle of the night pre-orders or hours waiting in line to get it on release day, it’s rather understandable for customers to be irked when their shiny new phone arrives with a banged-up exterior. This is a fundamental hardware

flaw that is caused by Apple’s decision to replace the stainless steel metal band with aluminum. While the aluminum replacement is a large part of the phone’s lighter weight, that is hardly a good excuse to replace scuffresistant stainless steel with scratchprone aluminum. The lower back of the phone is also significantly more prone to scratches in comparison to prior models.

Because of that flaw alone, the iPhone 5, more than any other iPhone model, needs to be protected by a case if you want to keep it looking like new.

Because the phone is still very new, not many cases are currently available and those that are, are in short supply.

The new lightning connector, which is the port through which iPhones are charged and connected to computers or other devices, is annoying if you’ve invested in numerous speakers, extra cords and other tech appliances based off of the old 30-pin technology.

For longtime iPod/iPhone users, this change makes the iPhone 5 incompatible with almost every accessory that has been made since the first iPod was released. Apple has created an adaptor, but it’s an expensive stopgap at $30 and doesn’t fully fix the compatibility problem. Although, I have a handful of extra 30-pin cords, I still like the small size of the new lighting connector. The change to the new connector makes the charging cord a lot less bulky and hopefully easier to pack on trips.

Another new change is Apple’s new “Earpod” earphones. They are definitely better than the old standard earbuds and are without question more comfortable and superior. The new “Earpods” are a marked improvement, but are nothing compared to Apple’s higher-end earphones or those of other high quality competitors.

There are also some growing pains for those who wish to make the switch from Android to iOS. There are many features that I already miss from my old phone, such as a responsive keyboard and adjustable snooze settings on the alarm clock. Other than those, all of my adjustments are minor and simply part of the change; within another couple of weeks I expect to be fully comfortable with my new phone.

My last complaint regards the name, which a few other people have taken issue with as well. This is the sixth iPhone and yet it’s called the iPhone 5. With last year’s release of the 4S, I admittedly was hoping that this year’s phone would be called the 6. This is without a doubt my most minor complaint about the phone.

With every phone I’ve owned, and this is my fourth, I have always looked for a phone that will be both functional and able to last me the two years that I’ll be under contract before qualifying for another upgrade. Without question, I think the iPhone 5 should last me at least the next two years— just in time for the iPhone 6 or 7.

October 5, 2012

OPINION 15

The Brandeis Hoot

The necessity of implementing writing-based curriculums in early education

By Emily Belowich Staff

A recent article published in The Atlantic, written by Peg Tyre, discusses a New York high school’s population of low-performing students and the struggle to find a solution. New Dorp High School, a public high school located on Staten Island, primarily caters to low-income and working-class families. For decades, school officials and teachers have been unable to figure out why students at New Dorp have been failing. In 2006, 82 percent of the first-year class entered the high school, reading below grade level.

In 2007, four out of 10 students dropped out of New Dorp after their first year, making the school one of the lowest-performing high schools in the nation. And so in 2008, New Dorp’s principal began an investigation to find the root of the problem. People involved with this investigation found that the only difference between failing students and successful students was that successful students knew how to put their thoughts into complete and structured sentences.

In the fall of 2009, New Dorp High School underwent radical changes to restructure their curriculum to teach the basics of analytical writing while at the same time keeping them up to pace with the rest of their subjects.

This new way of thinking led to New Dorp’s Writing Revolution, an experiment designed to radically improve students’ writing.

Teachers and other school officials revamped the entire curriculum so that nearly every hour of the day (with the exception of math class) was dedicated to teaching the basics of essay and analytical writing. In chemistry class, after a lecture, students were expected to write about what they learned using subordinate clauses. Furthermore, every classroom discussion was created for students to express themselves using specific prompts: “I agree …, I disagree …, I

graphic by jun zhao/the hoot

have something to add …”

The results of this revolution were extraordinary. Students who had this instruction as first-years were already scoring remarkably higher as sophomores than any other New Dorp class.

The pass rates for the Regents exams, New York mandatory standardized tests, rose from 67 percent in June 2009 to 89 percent in 2011 for English and 64 to 75 percent for history. Most importantly, the graduation rate is expected to rise to 80 percent this year, an impressive 17 percent higher compared to the rate before the changes to the curriculum.

I believe that what New Dorp has done is exceptional. Their experimental curriculum should be adapted as a model for all high schools that currently have a high number of fail-

ing students. After all, although New Dorp is the school featured in this article, they are not the only high school in this nation failing to produce highperforming students. The latest version of the Nation’s Report Card, conducted by the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2007, stated that only 1 percent of all 12th graders nationwide could write a “sophisticated, well-organized” essay. Other research says that 70 to 75 percent of all fourth through 12th grade students write poorly.

While I fully support the core values of the Revolution, the experiment also points out a major flaw in our education system. This is a short-term solution designed to fix the problems that we are currently facing, which does not necessarily help students

who will enter high school in five to 10 years. The experiment is designed to help high school students learn the basics of essay writing, but the fundamentals of good writing should be implemented way earlier than the first year of high school, even as early as elementary school. I agree with those in support of the Common Core Standards, an initiative designed to produce clear expectations about what students are expected to learn so that parents and teachers can fully support them. These standards are critical for keeping students on track so that by the time they are in high school they will be learning how to critically write, not how to simply write. The experiment produced incredible results, but it leaves me wondering: Why should we even have

to have these kinds of experiments?

Shouldn’t it be expected that these are skills taught in early education?

And yet, this is a phenomenon that we Brandeisians probably don’t think about too often. After all, we have been accepted into an institution that holds very high standards of academic excellence. Were we the one percent of 12th graders who could write in sophisticated form? Well, it’s likely that more than a few of us were, because we were able to clearly express our intent to attend Brandeis, a concept that seems simple to us but may have seemed so impossible at one point for students like those at New Dorp.

This is not to say that we as Brandeis students do not come from different educational backgrounds; that is certainly not the case. But when we become students at Brandeis, in every department, we are expected to critically observe and learn new information. At the end of the day, we are judged by our ability to successfully analyze information. We will be prepared to face the real world when we leave Brandeis because we will know how to clearly express thoughts, opinions and ideas into structured form. If we didn’t have these skills, how could we ever be prepared to work in any setting or continue any type of education?

I don’t believe that these experiments should ever have to happen because these skills should be a critical component of early education. I do, however, believe in the Writing Revolution’s mission because I believe in the importance of good writing and the impact that it can make. Think about anything you have ever wanted to bring to someone’s attention: How have you done that? Most likely, it was in some type of written form. It could be as simple as sending an email to a professor, or as important as writing a letter to a state representative. Whatever the case may be, it was almost certainly, thoughtfully expressed. These are skills that need to be taught early on so that we as young adults can critically analyze and question the world around us. Writing is a powerful tool and every young adult deserves the right to know how to use it.

Why I hate the Internet

By Pete Wein Staff

We all have our pet peeves. For some people, it’s the light someone unnecessarily left on in the house; for others, it may be a certain type of pet.

Especially since many of us are on the Internet nowadays, many pet peeves stem from online activity. For one of my friends, the entire idea of Twitter is just a nuisance. #UnfortunatelyIhavetoagreewithher.

Let’s get the record straight—there is a a lot of Internet to explore and, after all the hours I have spent discovering new things, I haven’t even begun to skim the surface. I am, however, fairly tech-savvy and know plenty of the general do’s and don’ts of the Internet. I also work at the LTS Help desk, so frequently my knowledge extends from the mistakes of the Brandeis population.

Here is, without a doubt, my biggest and most aggravating pet peeve: Advertisements that hide the actual X button and show a fake one in the regular location. For Mac users, you may not be aware, but clicking on these fake advertisements can lead your computer to automatically download viruses or upload your personal data.

As such, it is most prudent to close out of these immediately and get rid of the problem. It is not hard to imagine why these advertisements make me unhappy.

In particular, the really harmful ads pop-up on websites of less repute; that is, if you are an avid video streamer (see Breaking Bad), you will come across these advertisements. And you will come across multiple of them, all hiding the real close button, waiting for you to make a mistake and the unintentional release of your data.

My next pet peeve is definitely a close second, albeit I do believe that the government is trying to fix this issue. For those of you who are not aware, real advertisements (such as the ones on Youtube or the commercials you are forced to watch on Xfinity or Hulu) have very loose rules in which they are forced to comply. On broadcasted television, for example, the commercial cannot exceed the volume of the program that you are watching. If your TV is on a low volume for a show, so will the commercials in between.

Online advertisements and commercials, however, do not follow such rules. In particular, if you have ever seen a Kindle commercial while online, you know what I am talking about. Here I am, catching up on my

shows, when suddenly my eardrums are violated by the happy-go-lucky tunes of the Kindle and its incredible quality. Too bad that I can’t hear it anymore or I’m sure I would go and purchase it.

I have heard rumors that our Legislative branch of government is trying to help reduce and stop this issue from occurring, but these are only rumors.

To be honest, even if they are true, I am not sure how useful it would be for a bill like this to pass. The Internet is a difficult place to control and someone, somewhere is bound to find a loophole. Plus, based on the average age of a congressional representative, I’m quite certain they have no idea what they are talking about. But it can’t hurt to dream that they have a chance at regulating this issue.

My third biggest annoyance that the Internet has produced is Facebook.

Yes, I actually really enjoy how Facebook allows me to keep in touch with people I’ve met from my childhood or on a random adventure, and then use this connection to keep updates about their life.

I respect people’s opinions. Really, I do—I will listen to what you have to say, internalize it, and then accept or reject it based on facts or examples.

But please, do not constantly update your Facebook page with articles or

graphic by sarah sue landau/the hoot

statuses about certain representations of arguments. The way I view Facebook is that your profile is an extension of your self; it represents you based on what you put in, and gives people an electronic taste of who you are. So when I see half a dozen links to NPR’s opinion of the current U.S. political system rolling down your Facebook page, I get a sinking suspi-

cion that you, the human behind the computer, are probably going to force that sort of idea down my throat. And just as in real life, I will unfriend you.

So there are a few of my red buttons for the Internet. I’m sure many of you have different opinions on this topic and want to share them. If you do, however, don’t put them all over Facebook!

ARTS, ETC.

16 The Brandeis Hoot

October 5, 2012

Santigold flourishes at fall concert

By Max Randhahn Staff

Santigold made her highly publicized Brandeis debut last Saturday with opener Theophilus London. The performance was well worth the $10 ticket cost, although vouchers for half-price tickets were available for two days after the concert was announced. Both acts were poppy and infectious, and the crowd was left buzzing with energy.

Theophilus London was born in Trinidad and raised in Brooklyn, before moving to the Poconos in Pennsylvania. Upon graduation from high school in 2006, he recorded several mixtapes before hitting his stride with the “Lovers Holiday” EP, featuring Dave Sitek of TV On The Radio, Sara Quin and Solange Knowles.

London blew up in 2011 when he performed at the Cannes Film Festi-

santigold The singer preformed at Gosman gym last

weekend in an enjoyable and creative show.

photos by bella hu/archon yearbook

val, releasing his debut album “Timez Are Weird These Days” that summer.

London brought strong stage presence to his set, which is designed to pump up the crowd for both himself and Santigold. The phrase “put your hands in the air” was bandied about quite a bit for multiple songs. That’s not to say that London is anything ordinary: His music is characterized by aggressive bass and strange electro-pop sounds that are coupled with old-school breakbeat drums. His lyrics are also less self-aggrandizing than those of other performers in his genre.

London, however, might be deserving of such an ego. The rapper has an impeccable fashion sense and moves well on stage. London chatted up the crowd on topics such as how to live one’s life and the merits of having a good time. All told, London and his retainers played a great set and left

the audience fired up for Santigold.

Santigold (real name Santi White) got her start in music early on at Wesleyan, double-majoring in Music and African-American Studies. She worked for Epic Records for a time before leaving to co-write and executive produce singer Res’ debut album.

Santigold was the lead singer for Philadelphia punk band Stiffed before being offered a solo contract from Lizard King Records. Her debut album was released in April 2008 to critical acclaim, opening for Coldplay and touring with M.I.A. and Bjork, as well as supporting Kanye West, Jay-Z and the Beastie Boys. Her sophomore album was released this past year, again to overwhelmingly positive reviews, performing for Stephen Colbert and opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Santigold has also collaborated with various artists such as Spank Rock, N.E.R.D. and the Beastie Boys.

When Santigold took the stage, the crowd roughly doubled in intensity.

Every bit of Santigold’s performance commanded attention: Her backup dancers displayed incredible moves, the instrumentalists’ costumes bore a creative Egyption flare, and Santigold herself dressed in extravagant yet tasteful outfits. The members’ style of dress contributed heavily to the performance; there were around three or four costume changes, each one more and more elaborate. The designs ranged from garish, fluorescent greens and yellows to black-andwhite maid outfits to simple black and gold dresses. The dancers paraded around with pom-poms, whips, umbrellas and hammers, occasionally distracting the crowd while Santigold changed. The drummer and keyboardist mysteriously disappeared for one song, only to come back onstage in a horse costume. Santigold’s music is catchy to boot; while it successfully fits into the pop genre, it has enough of an electro-punk bent to make it completely unique. When it comes to crowd control, Santigold has everything covered. The audience cheered for just about everything: the start of a song, when the dancers performed exceptionally well and when Santigold addressed them. There was quite a bit of crowd interaction, as well.

Santigold extolled college life (and upon seeing a couple in the audience, college romance) and invited close to four dozen people onstage to dance with her.

She was affable and spunky, and the crowd liked it so much that she played a one-song encore, “Unstoppable.”

October 5, 2012

ARTS, ETC. 17

The Brandeis Hoot

Twin Shadow and Silent Drape Runners electrify Chums

By Max Randhahn Staff

Chums hosted a concert last Saturday following the Santigold and Theophilus London show put on by Student Events. Serving as a type of after party, the concert was attended by a sizeable crowd and tickets were free but had to be acquired at the WBRS station in the campus center.

Anticipating a large crowd, the event’s organizers were careful to ensure that Chums did not fill over capacity, giving ticket holders priority access before opening the concert to the general public.

Silent Drape Runners took on the double duty of performing as both openers and DJs for the concert. The band consists of Russ Marshalek and Sophie Weiner, who have a highly unlikely story of how they met. Marshalek had a monthly DJ night at Veronica People’s Club in Brooklyn.

Deciding to do something odd for Halloween night, he played “Twin Peaks.” Marshalek also wanted someone to sing during the event and conscripted Weiner during a karaoke session. Their performance was so well-received by the audience that they asked the pair to perform again, and Silent Drape Runners was born.

Weiner jokingly describes the band as “like The Postal Service but creepy.”

The pair have no qualms against sharing some good-natured jabs at certain sections of music; their tumblr “pseudoprofoundelectrnicartists” pokes fun at electronic musicians that they believe take themselves way too seriously.

Their music on Saturday night reflected that sense of irony. Marshalek and Weiner opened with a sample

twin shadow Twin Shadow performed in at Chums, directly following Santigold’s show in the fall concert.

from their unorthodox remastering of “Twin Peaks” and continued their set with Weiner’s strange loops and simplistic vocals: One song simply had her repeat the words “fake yoga” over and over again in a parody of exercise routines. During the performance, a single Furby sat on the table where they were set up. This pervasive irony, however, failed to draw much of a reaction. Weiner occasionally spoke to the crowd about casual topics: her experiences at Brandeis, how it is to live on campus and whether or not the audience was excited for the next

band. Yet, the effect was still one of a lounge outfit: there to provide ambience while the crowd mingled around Chum’s. After the pair finished playing their original content, they played various contemporary hip-hop tracks until Twin Shadow was ready to perform.

Twin Shadow is the stage name of musician George Lewis Jr. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Florida, Lewis moved to Boston sometime around 2000 to start the band Mad Man Films with two of his friends. The band released two al-

photo from internet source

bums before Lewis moved to Brooklyn and took the alias Twin Shadow.

Lewis’ debut album “Forget” was released in 2010, produced by Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear and placed on Pitchfork’s Top 50 Albums list for that year. Critics described it as being “steeped in 80s new wave.” His next album, “Confess,” was released this July, inspired by a motorcycle accident in Boston.

By the time Lewis and his compatriots took the stage, the coffeehouse had become packed to the rafters.

Thanks to both a major publicity cam-

paign through WBRS and to Twin Shadow’s popularity, Chums became incredibly crowded very quickly. The stage reflected the venue’s cramped quarters. Despite boasting only four performers, their instruments took up a lot of space. Light touches were added to brighten the stage itself, light bulbs hung from microphone stands, a smoke machine was turned on, and a couple of monitors displayed psychedelic images throughout the show.

Lewis began with “Five Seconds,” See TWIN SHADOW, page 19

Boris’ Kitchen amazes crowd at “The Old Sh*t Show”

By Zach Reid Editor

On Thursday night, Boris’ Kitchen put on “The Old Sh*t Show” in the Merrick Theater in Spingold. From the way people packed tightly into the dance studio-esque room, it was apparent that the sketch group has a solid group of fans. The audience consisted mainly of current Brandeis students, although parents and former members of the group also attended.

The show was composed of material pulled from Boris’ Kitchen’s archive, or “old sh*t,” which stretches all the way back to the group’s first performances in 1987. If the group’s reputation for hilarity is any indication, the archive has doubtlessly accumulated a wide variety of entertaining sketches to exhibit.

“The Old Sh*t Show” was performed in what seemed to be a minimalist style, relying mostly on the comedians’ performance to engage the audience rather than on technical aspects. The only tech involved were lights that blacked out and came back on to signify a new sketch, and music tracks that were played in between each sketch. There was also minimal costuming, but for the most part the group members wore their iconic black Boris’ Kitchen t-shirts and jeans.

The show opened with a sketch about pizza bagels, and the question of whether they could be enjoyed in any situation. From trauma surgery to the funeral of a beloved grandfather, the performers showed—with great humor—that such an ordinary object truly could be eaten no matter a person’s location.

Another great sketch in the beginning of the show dealt with sexual

boris’ kitchen Jason Kasmen ’16, Michael Frederiske ’15 and Sadrach Pierre ’13 perform a sketch in ‘The

Old Sh*t Show.’

education. Emily Duggan ’15 played a pill-popping, whiskey-drinking teacher who was forced to instruct her class in the ways of sex, using what seemed to be a soft-core pornographic novel. When it was revealed that her class was comprised of second graders, the sketch became yet more hilarious, as the students (Michelle Wexler ’15, Yoni Bronstein ’13, Jason Kasman ’16 and Karen Lengler ’15) were forced to find out what lovers were really doing when they ‘wrestle.’ Within 30 seconds, raucous laughter rang throughout the theater, as an overwhelming majority of the audience found the sketch utterly hilarious.

\Many of the sketches in the show were on the shorter side, lasting around one to two minutes, including, brief public safety announcements from the Committee to Lock Your Kids in a Basement, which advocated this course of action as a way to not only save money on groceries, but to keep your child from turning to drugs. While these didn’t provide as many laughs as some of the lengthier sketches, they did allow different members of the group time to catch their breath or change into a needed costume piece. This is not to say that they weren’t amusing: These smaller sketches provided many different scenarios for the audience to enjoy, and

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

served to keep the roughly hour-long show lively and fast-paced.

The show’s longer sketches provided a more extensive opportunity to examine a topic from different comedic angles, and went over very well.

The five-to-six-minute sketch about “Bobo’s Playhouse,” a children’s show hosted by an emotionless, downtrodden clown, provided a dark take on a typical educational program. Rather than the typical values that such shows generally try to instill, “Bobo’s Playhouse” focused on how the government and “merchant class” were oppressing the average citizen. Additionally, the children on the show had to read poems they had prepared, and

when Michael Frederikse’s ’15 did not please Bobo, he was forced to don the hat of shame, and be mocked and ridiculed by the other children.

It was in a sketch where Mario (of the famous videogames) gets arrested, however, that the long hours of practice and care that the members put into the show truly shines through. Tricia Miller ’12 and Michael Frederikse ’15 acted as two police officers interrogating Mario, portrayed by Yoni Bronstein ’13, as they tried to discern the location of a kidnapped Princess Peach. To the delight of Super Mario fans in the audience, the sketch was full of references to the gaming franchise, including accusing Mario of using various forms of illicit drugs including magic mushrooms and the “leaf,” or marijuana (mushrooms change Mario’s size in-game and obtaining a magic leaf gives him the ability to fly).

Audience members had great things to say about the show. One audience member, Erica Hass ’14, said that it was “one of the better sketch shows I’ve seen,” and Daniel Lanier ’15 said that the show “was hilarious, and the sketches were each very funny.” Lauren Phillips ’15 also praised the show, saying that it contained “a great assortment of humors.” She elaborated that “some scenes were dry and sardonic” and others were “slapstick, leaving me in tears.”

Overall, “The Old Sh*t Show” was a hilarious change of pace in a busy week of classes here. The new members of the group worked seamlessly with the veterans, and every sketch was entertaining and brought laughter to the audience. If this show was any indication, Boris’ Kitchen is going to be outstanding this year, and any fan of comedy should make it a point to attend their shows.

18 ARTS, ETC.

The Brandeis Hoot

October 5, 2012

Palestinian poet Ghassan Zaqtan awes in Arabic and English alike

ghassan zaqtan The palestinian poet, along with translator Fady Joudah, read his poetry at the Mandel reading room on Thursday.

By Emily Beker Staff

Thursday evening, the creative writing department presented a reading by poets Fady Joudah and Ghassan Zaqtan. Dr. Fady Joudah, an accomplished poet, physician and translator, won the 2012 PEN USA Literary Award for Translation for his Arabicto-English translation of acclaimed Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish’s “If I Were Another.” Dr. Joudah also works as an emergency room physi-

cian, and has already made appearances at Amherst, Boston University and Harvard within the past three days.

Ghassan Zaqtan is considered the most important Palestinian poet of his generation. His most recent collections of poetry, “Like A Straw Bird It Followed Me” was translated by Dr. Joudah and published in April 2012.

Aside from his work as a poet, Mr. Zaqtan has worked as a novelist and as an editor of multiple publications, including the Al-Ayyam daily newspaper in Ramallah, a Palestinian city located in the West Bank.

Set in the Mandel reading room, the presentation was intimate, fostering a sense of connection between poet and audience. Although the reading started late, the poets stuck admirably to their schedule and were able to read a large portion of their work. There was room for commentary and time for engagement with the audience as the speakers answered their questions.

The two Palestinian poets received a warm welcome from the small crowd of students and faculty, and began reading immediately, without any introductions or information offered about themselves. The two poets read

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

together in conjunction: Dr. Joudah would read his translated version, and then Mr. Zaqtan followed with the original version in Arabic. The contrast between the two made the reading an engaging and unusual experience, providing the audience with an understanding of the poem that did not sacrifice the experience of listening to its rhythm and flow in the original language—which is an important aspect of experiencing poetry.

The poems read by Dr. Joudah and Mr. Zaqtan included “Just A Song,” “Neighboring Sounds,” “Not Yet,” “The Orchard’s Song,” “Song of the

Orchard’s Watchman,” and “Song of the Orchard’s Watchman and His Son.” Each of these poems, with the exception of “Song of the Orchard’s Watchman” and “Song of the Orchard’s Watchman and His Son,” Mr. Zaqtan followed with the Arabic version.

In between the readings of the different poems, Dr. Joudah made sure to speak about his favorite lines and discuss his perception of Zaqtan’s style.

For example, Dr. Joudah mentions how he particularly enjoyed “Not Yet,” in which Mr. Zaqtan elegantly weaves together the poem’s varied topics. At another point, Dr. Joudah spoke about his collection “Biography in Charcoal” from 2003, in which he focused on setting by including places and dates with each poem. Joudah elaborated that, that was a “lovely way of writing one’s narrative by place and year, and where it takes the creation.”

The final sequence of poems, “The Orchard’s Song,” “Song of the Orchard’s Watchman” and “Song of the Orchard’s Watchman and his Son” provided a strong end to the reading.

A strong sense of closure was created by repeating the first line of the first poem at the end of the final, as well as providing a sort of bookend for the reading as a whole.

In the question and answer session following the reading, the audience was able to learn the story of how Joudah and Zaqtan first began working together as poet and translator. Toward the end of the reading, Zaqtan was asked if he felt more connected to any one type of writing, given his varied portfolio. He replied, through Joudah, “writing has different domains, and as he defines his domain, it is poetry.”

‘New Mother India’ delights with service and spice

By Ben Fine

Special to the Hoot

Moody Street is a melting pot of cuisines from countries around the world, with Indian food strongly represented. Whether you are eating Indian food for the first time or are an Indian food expert looking for new foods to explore and heat to handle, New Mother India will provide you with exactly what you need.

Though it is only a five minute BranVan ride away, New Mother India can seem like a new world upon entering the restaurant for the first time.

Everything feels authentically Indian as the hostess’ table has an Indian statue located next to four huge jars that contain fennel seeds, candy covered fennel seeds and two types of mints. If it weren’t for the cup full of pixie sticks right behind, you might forget that you are still in Waltham. Once in the main area of the restaurant, the red wooden chairs, tables and booths are complemented by beautiful paintings that line the walls. In the corner of the room is their buffet station, which is open Tuesday through Friday from 11:45 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Besides the food, the service alone should be reason enough to try New Mother India. They have the nicest and most comforting staff of any restaurant in Waltham, which is vital for those who are afraid to try new Indian dishes. They can tell right away if someone is nervous about a dish, and if needed, will help with the ordering process. The waiters always refer to a one to 10 scale for spiciness so that you can choose exactly how hot you want your food. This level of customization is important for Indian food veterans as well, because they can select a familiar range of heat for their dish. A minor complaint is that this customization makes the menus a little misleading because each dish

new mother india Located on moody street, New Mother India offers a great variety of delicious cuisine.

on the menu has a certain amount of chilies next to it, which represent heat level. While the chilies are used to represent the normal spice level of a dish, people may be automatically turnedoff by a dish because of how hot it supposedly is, when in truth they change the spice to suit your preferences. The reason for the chilies may also be that some dishes are less customizable than others.

When it comes to the food, it is best to be eager to try new things. While it is true that New Mother India can be expensive, the quality and amount of food is well worth the price, as many dishes will make great lunches the next day. Most entrees are between $13 to $17 and are sufficiently filling

to have without appetizers or desserts. For groups looking to share an appetizer, the Mother India platter at $9.95 is more than enough to start off a group of five or six. The plate comes piled with fried vegetables and chicken, which pair perfectly with the assortment of five different sauces. For those looking for a lighter appetizer, the soups, all priced at $2.75, are highly recommended. The coconut soup is ladled into a small cup filled with a concentrated coconut-flavor broth and shaved coconut pieces. It was an absolute delight.

The entrees at New Mother India are as authentic as can be found in Waltham. There are plenty of unique dishes at New Mother India, but many

share a curry base in some way or another. Most dishes consist of a bowl of steaming meats and vegetables cooked in a fragrant curry and served alongside endlessly replaceable bowls of rice. New Mother India also has a wide array of vegetarian options, as is common in many Indian restaurants. While there are many curries to choose from, three popular choices are saag, a mild spinach-based curry, masala, a sweet tomato-based curry, and vindaloo, a very spicy tomatobased curry that needs to be eaten with some raita, a cooling cucumber yogurt.

Chicken tikka masala is their most popular dish. The cubed chicken, marinated in yogurt and spices, is

photo from internet source

cooked in a special “tandoor” oven, and covered in the sweet masala curry.

The chicken melts in your mouth and the curry is so good that you have to pour the surplus onto a heaping pile of rice so that the rice is infused with its flavor. The most surprising dish was the garlic-lemon chicken, an enormous plate of steaming chicken, tomatoes and other vegetables without any sauce. The plate was three times as large as the curry bowls and the steam could be seen from across the restaurant. For such a “dry” dish, the flavor was immense.

If you want to experiment with something new or test your limits in Indian cuisine, then New Mother India is the place you need to try.

October 5, 2012

ARTS, ETC. 19

The Brandeis Hoot

For the final season, a very different ‘Fringe’

By Juliette Martin Editor

In the world of science fiction, J.J. Abrams has become something of a king, creating the long-running show “Lost,” with an almost cult-like, devotional fanbase despite a nearincomprehensible plot, in addition to directing the latest “Stark Trek” movie and it’s forthcoming sequel. With so much success, it’s sad to see another of Abrams’ projects fall by the wayside. “Fringe,” which premiered its fifth season last Friday, has been given only a half a season to finish its story arc before cancellation. Nevertheless, the final countdown to the end of “Fringe,” has begun and it has dawned with quite the flourish.

The season premier, though flawed, was ultimately rewarding and enthralling. It places the characters in what is essentially an entirely new plot, built on the universe created in the past seasons but set 20 years in the future. This presents the team with very different challenges. Rather than fighting scientific mystery, the Fringe team now fights the oppressive regime of a previously benign group called the Observers, long a part of the “Fringe” mythos but never before taking such an active role in the story. This radically different formula, though risky and unfamiliar, ultimately pays off.

Though Fringe no longer has the air of mystery and science to lean on, the added emphasis on character and family is what has always allowed “Fringe” to stand out from the pack in the world of science fiction, and is what is emphasized in this premier.

fringe Georgina Haig, Jasika Nicole, and Joshua Jackson star on ‘Fringe,’ which aired the premier of its final season on September 28.

In truth, the old formula of “Fringe” was lost long ago, somewhere around season three, and without an effective new plot, season four floundered and nearly died then and there. Although a certain sense of nostalgia for the old formula will always be present, the new emphasis on family would make that monster-of-the-week basis seem hollow and meaningless. This emphasis, furthermore, is certainly a good thing. Focusing on the development of the characters as they relate to each other makes the show seem more realistic despite its wild science fiction, and has been the overarching direction all along. Although very different and slightly uncomfortable, ultimately branching off in this new direction to close-off the show, will most likely prove a wise choice. The sense of oncoming closure, though detracting from the vast open sense of mystery

Santigold afterparty rocks Chums TWIN SHADOW, from page 17

which builds from driving drums and bass into a quintessential 80s new wave song that translates extremely well into a passionate live performance. The band manages to cram a surprising amount of energy into otherwise simple tracks; what seems average on record turns into a powerful experience on stage. Before long, the entire crowd was dancing with incredible fervor and it was clear that Lewis was playing to a captivated audience. When he learned that it was an audience member’s birthday, the

band started singing “Happy Birthday” to the tune of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and the man was promptly carried around Chums by his peers.

When it came time to close out the show with “Golden Light,” Lewis cashed in a favor: the audience, after the second song, promised to take off their shirts and wave them around— sure enough, the request was met by over half the crowd.

Twin Shadow is a complete package: a band made up of great musicians who know how to get the crowd excited. Last Saturday was one show that Chums will not likely forget anytime soon.

that the show once had, is the best path for this stage of the story.

In addition to setting up an exciting new story, the production details of the season five premier were above and beyond the regular “Fringe” standard. Most of note is a much more artistic sense of cinematography, particularly evident in the episode’s final scene.

The depiction of a mid-apocalyptic New York presents some great opportunities for not only sweeping shots of an altered skyline, but also for the small details of broken and flashing CDs hanging from a string in last efforts at art in a world so openly hostile to it. Single yellow flowers growing out of cracks in the pavement, are ultimately symbols of what this premier was about: a new hope for humanity in the face of conquest and oppression.

photo from internet source

In addition, season five presents a new character, meaning that a whole new actress has to fit herself into a long-standing and well-established cast of beloved characters. Georgina Haig plays Etta Bishop flawlessly. As the daughter of two other characters well-known by the audience, her challenge as an actress was to play a character that was believably their child. Haig took on this massive task and gave us a character that not only looks like her parents but bears elements of their personalities as well.

The cast that viewers have known from the past seasons, consisting primarily of Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson and John Noble, was as brilliant as ever, reflecting the underlying issues and apparent personalities of their characters with every expression and gesture.

Though very strong on its own,

the season five premier does reflect some of the problems that “Fringe” has run into over its four-season lifespan.

Season four featured a massive reset of the story, erasing all memory of a particular character and inserting him back into a family that did not know him. Over the course of the season, the producers apparently seemed to have decided that this was a bad idea, and it seems that with the dawn of season five, writers are trying to make us forget that this strange derailment ever happened.

In the time between seasons three and four (a three-year-span of time), relationships have all apparently been built exactly back to where they were.

All of season four seems, in effect, a meaningless diversion, inserted when the writers assumed that they would have more time before cancellation.

As a result, the premier bore a sense of being forced, pushing the audience to forget what had happened. Although the character disappearance that prompted season four was merited and important in terms of development, “Fringe” seems to have wanted to have it all: getting rid of their character for the purpose of plot and some character development, but then bringing him back so that the team could also continue as normal. This was a mark of poor writing, and although season five represents a strong new beginning, the demerit still stands.

Despite building on some serious faults, the premier of season five shows great promise. The writers have promised to give answers to a myriad of still-unanswered questions, and provide closure for the characters that fans have come to love.

Arts Recommends books

photo from internet source

“How I Live Now” by Meg Rosoff Meg Rosoff ’s “How I Live Now” tells the story of a teenage girl called Daisy, who is sent away by her broken New York family to live with unknown cousins in the British countryside. The story begins lighthearted and adventurous, as the children enjoy an idyllic farm life void of adult restrictions, and Daisy and her cousin Edmund embark on a quiet, controversial exploration of each other. The story takes a dark turn, however, as Daisy and her cousins find themselves stranded on the farm as World War 3 unfolds around them.

The story straddles the line between whimsical and almost unimaginably dark. Ultimately, “How I Live Now” is the coming-of-age tale of a damaged child in a shattered world. Daisy struggles to care for her younger cousin, finding a caring and protective side of herself that she had not known existed. She learns that a broken girl from a broken home can obtain devotion and love as she seeks to be reunited with the real family she never imagined she would have.

Though “How I Live Now” is marketed at young teens, the sexual and violent themes of the book in fact make it an interesting and relevant read for older audiences as well. The gruesome imagery and the extreme sexual taboo make the book morally challenging and engrossing, forcing the reader to consider their standards for normalcy in a broken society. “How I Live Now” is impressively well-written despite its intended young audience, featuring beloved characters and an engaging story. A movie adaptation of the novel is currently in development. juliette martin, editor

photo from internet source

20 The Brandeis Hoot

features

October 5, 2012

Quidditch team combines athleticism with friendship

By Rachel Hughes Special to the Hoot

The Quidditch team is often seen practicing on Chapels Field, running like mad amid giant hoops, volleyballs flying abound, some players chasing and others keeping guard, and all the while each playing while holding a broom between their legs.

Needless to say, this team is a favorite among campus tour groups. But what looks like a riot-of-a-sport from the outside is, in fact, a highly developed and strategic game.

“When I [first] visited Brandeis I think I saw them practicing,” Jason Haberman ’15, Commissioner of Brandeis’ Quidditch team, explains how he got started with the sport: “I never did cross country or track— I did theater in high school—but people told me I was a fast runner. I ended up trying it and loving it! It’s a lot of great people coming together and it’s so much fun.”

Wittily named for the judges in the beloved Harry Potter series, Wizengamot was founded as an intramural team by Harrison Goldspiel ’13 in the spring of 2010. The team has grown impressively and has become an officially recognized club sport in the past year. Wizengamot itself has taken flight lately as it has competed against many universities at the Southern New England Quidditch conference, and has even made it as far as the Quidditch World Cup last year. While the last World Cup represented “100 teams, 1,000 players and

the team practices at chapels field .

four different countries,” Haberman beams, “this year they will accept six international teams, tentatively.” Advancing to such a large-scale competition so early in its athletic career, Wizengamot has already begun to leave an impressive mark on the Quidditch realm.

Actually playing the game itself, however, is more strenuous than it seems. Haberman says that Brandeis students would be most surprised by “the athleticism of it.” He takes a deep breath, and patiently explains the logistics of the game, noting that all of these players are doing their part while ‘flying’ on brooms.

There are three Chasers on a team, whose goal is to try to score points by throwing a quaffle into three hoops of varied sizes. A volleyball is used as the quaffle, which the chasers pass among themselves as they near the hoops. One keeper protects his team’s hoops from the opposing team’s chasers. Two more players, called Beaters, are armed with three dodgeballs that serve as bludgers, which they throw at the other players. (This contrasts to the image that is featured in the books and movies, where they used less-friendly bats.) If a player is hit on his person or broom by a bludger, he must dismount and run to touch one of the hoops before beginning to play again.

While the Chasers, Keepers and Beaters are all battling each other for points in a fast-reacting game of strategy, the last two positions, the Seeker

brandeis quidditch team Posing after games this past weekend at URI

and the Snitch, seem to have the most fun of all. While the Harry Potter books and movies represented the Snitch as a tiny, golden, flying ball, in this league, the Snitch is a yellow-clad person who enjoys the right to make mischief. “The Snitch can do anything

it wants: they can climb trees, they can throw things—we have seen Snitches spray silly string and throw water [on players]. The Snitch can even remove people’s headbands, can de-broom them, can pull out grass and throw it at people,” Haberman said. The

photo by alyson eller/the hoot

photo courtesy of jason haberman

Seeker is responsible for chasing the Snitch around a designated area and his goal is to snatch a Velcro-attached tail from the Snitch’s waist.

All of this chaos is happening within a sport that is full-contact, coed and does not use protective padding. “Although we can have mouth guards,” he laughs.

For Harry Potter fans who are still more piqued than fazed by the intricacies of Quidditch, there is good news: “We are a club sport, so everyone who wants to be involved can get involved,” Haberman pitches, though he has said that the team is already quite large, with upwards of 30 people attending each practice. “But we can limit to 21 people per-team per-game [because of the International Quidditch Association’s rules]. Every week the captains choose who plays based on a lot of different qualities, not just athletic ability. They select based upon, in no specific order: attitude, dedication, experience and skill.”

This year, the team captains are Alex Brenner ’15 and Theresa Fuller ’13.

The team’s success on the field, despite having to play with broomsticks, is also about their sense of togetherness.

“It’s really important how all these people work together as a team. It’s important how they all have to have bonds to work together and play with everyone on the field. It’s very much a team sport.”

Wizengamot is making a couple key changes this year to promote this unified environment, Haberman says: “Now we’re doing conditioning, and while we do stress that everyone is open to joining and that everyone is interested in individual improvement, we are more stressing that everyone make individual improvement so that we can get to the level of other teams.”

Off the field, the players are also spending more time together creating stronger ties as friends, hoping that this will translate to better teamwork: “We’re making sure to bring in lots of bonding events, especially the nights before games, whether it’s a game night in Castle Commons or a potluck in a player’s Mod, we want to work better as a team on the pitch,” he said.

On Nov. 4, Wizengamot will be hosting a game on Chapels Field against the University of New Haven.

This team won’t need magic wands to win, they say, because they already have a magic all their own.