The Brandeis Hoot - 12-07-2012

Volume 9 Number 28

www.thebrandeishoot.com

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.

Student diagnosed with active TB infection Univ urges caution after TB case identified

By Jon Ostrowsky Editor

A student diagnosed with an active case of Tuberculosis (TB) on Tuesday forced Brandeis University officials

to order tests for 250 students, faculty and staff, despite little risk they believe, of the disease spreading on campus.

Dr. Debra Poaster, Medical Director of the Brandeis Health Center, said the university decided to test the large number of community members as a precaution.

“We’ve been very conservative about who we’ve been testing,” Poast-

er said by phone Thursday evening.

After Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel notified the community in an email Thursday afternoon, Provost Steve Goldstein reinforced the message at a faculty meeting: community members should increase their awareness and knowledge of the infection but not be overly concerned about the risk of getting it.

“Thankfully the person has been isolated and is responding well to therapy,” Goldstein said to an auditorium of nearly 50 faculty and staff.

“At this stage, there is no reason to believe that anyone else has TB or is at significant risk.”

As of Thursday evening, the university was still waiting on test results See TUBERCULOSIS, page 3

Aramark contract on the table; Univ considers alternatives

By Connor Novy Editor

Senior Vice President for Administration Mark Collins announced that the university will be considering new dining service contractors. While the university may not necessarily change providers, it is considering a change and will pursue more minor changes to dining facilities starting next summer.

The announcement came after the results of the dining survey showed that Brandeis students were concerned about the quality and value of their food. The decision to consider new companies, however, was made before the survey, Collins said.

According to Director of Dining Services Aaron Bennos, Collins informed the company last week that a formal bid process would take place this January. The companies the university is considering are Sodexo and Chartwells, as well as Brandeis’ current provider, Aramark.

“It’s been something that we’ve talked about,” Collins said. “It’s been 12 years, anyway, maybe even a little longer, since we’ve gone out on the street.”

While the university may continue with current food service provider Aramark, it would renegotiate its services to respond to student concern.

aramark An employee serves students food at the vegan-friendly station in Usdan. University administrators are evaluating whether to change the dining contract with Aramark.

The results of the survey showed interest in improving the state of facilities and reducing congestion during peak dining hours.

“The largest issue was the price/ value of the program mainly attributed to the condition of the facilities at Usdan and Sherman,” Bennos wrote in an email.

“Students in Usdan feel that they’re

not getting the bang for their buck that they should,” Collins said.

Students are concerned with a variety of issues, including the value of points at Usdan, as well as the quality of the food offered and hours of operation. Students have expressed concern over the value of a la carte at Usdan, and the limited options for students with restricted diets.

Editor

Associate Vice President of Communications Bill Burger is leaving the university for Middlebury college at the end of December. He will assume his new position as Vice President of Communications at Middlebury on Jan. 1, 2013.

“I’ll leave here with many great memories of Brandeis and tremendous respect for so many of the people—staff, faculty and students alike—that I’ve had the chance to work with over the last two and half years,” Burger said in a statement.

“The Office of Communications is staffed by an incredibly dedicated and talented team, and I know they’ll con-

The Brandeis Vegans and Vegetarian Club have also been talking with the administration about the price and prevalence of non-animal product fare.

The Kosher eateries, currently limited to one half of Sherman Dining See DINING, page 2

Drolette leaving CFO post

By Zach Reid Editor

At the end of the calendar year, Fran Drolette will step down from her role as senior vice president and chief financial officer, Steven Manos announced in an email last week. Marianne Cwalina, the current Associate Vice President of Budget and Finance will assume the role on Jan. 1.

This change in personnel was communicated to the university community through emails sent to faculty and staff; Drolette’s plan was announced on Nov. 27 and Cwalina’s appointment to the position was announced on Monday.

Drolette commented on the many changes in senior administration leadership that followed the presidential transition.

“Changes in people and positions are inevitable in a leadership transition. The level of turnover and organizational redesign appears to be unusually high, but it is hard to know whether the amount and pace of change for Brandeis has been ‘too much,” she wrote in an email. “The real test of that will be in how senior leadership balances the importance and value of historical perspective and experience with the vision for the future it is trying to develop.”

During her time here, Drolette worked tirelessly to make “workplace operations more efficient,” according to a community-wide email from Manos, the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Also according to Manos, Drolette is leaving to pursue “new professional and educational opportunities.”

Drolette wrote that she “want[s] See DROLETTE, page 3

The Glass Menagerie

Burger leaving univ for Middlebury

By Connor Novy

photo by ally eller/the hoot

December 7, 2012

tinue to do wonderful, creative things for a long time to come. I wish only the best for the university in the years ahead.”

At Middlebury, Burger will oversee communication strategy for the college and the Monterey Institute of International Studies, a graduate school of Middlebury College located in California.

“Middlebury is an institution I’ve long admired for its spirit of innovation, its liberal arts tradition and its commitment to excellence,” Burger said in a Middlebury press release.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to join the senior team under [President Ron Liebowitz’s] leadership and to See BURGER, page 2

glass menagerie Students perform in ‘The Glass Menagerie’ in Merrick Theater on Sunday. For more,

turn to page 8.

Inside this issue:

News: Winter break unusually brief Features: Irving Schneider dies at 93 Arts, Etc.: ‘Glass Menagerie’ looks at family Opinion: Mean Greenbean recycling machine Sports: Women’s basketball breaks losing streak

Page 3 Page 4 Page 8 Page 11 Page 15

Fencing ‘foils’ foes

Long live the queens

Features: Page 4

Opinion: Page 13

Brandeis Fencing this season is considered one of the top teams in Division III.

Columnist takes on the doubters and argues in support of the British monarchy.

photo by maya himelfarb/the hoot

news

2 The Brandeis Hoot

Louis Brandeis home commemorated

stimulated growth of the Univ. of Louisville Law School; he named collections after former high school teachers.”

“It’s important to honor people who The house where Justice Louis Brandeis grew up, in Louisville, have worked selflessly,” Segal told The Kentucky, has been named a historical place, The Louisville CourierJournal reported this week.

The large limestone home at 310 East Broadway is getting a historical marker to honor it. After taking a tour of historic Jewish sites, Andrew Segal, an 18-year-old student at the University of Louisville, was inspired to work for recognition of Louis Brandeis’ house. Segal spent two years getting the marker approved and raised more than $2,000 to pay for it.

The marker honors his connection to the people of Louisville: “During his 23 years on the bench, Brandeis stayed interested in his hometown. His influence and gifts of money and personal papers

By Rachel Hirschhaut Editor

Courier-Journal. “This means a lot, honoring someone I aspire to be more like.”

Brandeis was born in 1856, served on the U.S. Supreme Court from 1916 to 1939 and died in 1941.

photo from internet source

December 7, 2012

Burger leaving communications role BURGER, from page 1

work with the talented and creative people in the communications offices in Middlebury and Monterey.”

Burger has worked at Brandeis since March 2010, first under former Senior Vice President of Communications Andrew Gully, then staying with the university after Gully left this summer to become worldwide director of communications for Sotheby’s, an international art auction firm.

Burger began his career as a writer and editor of Newsweek, where he spent 14 years. He was also a foreign correspondent in London and Tokyo.

Before coming to higher education, he worked in information services and online publishing. At Stanford University, where he earned his undergraduate degree, Burger served as editor-in-chief of The Stanford Daily.

“Bill’s primary charge as vice presi-

dent will be to develop and implement an integrated communications strategy that meets the needs of the college and each of its individual schools and programs, clarifies our internal communication processes, and enables the institution to represent its collective identity to the wider world,” Liebowitz said in the press release.

photo from internet source

Crosswalk safety issues continue despite university efforts

By Debby Brodsky Editor

The South Street crosswalk, located near the Foster Mods and Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, is equipped with flashing lights for pedestrians to activate when crossing the street. Many students still choose not to use the crosswalk lights while crossing the street, despite university attempts to ensure the highest level of safety possible.

Director of Brandeis Public Safety Ed Callahan said the crosswalk and lights were installed 15 years ago to benefit university students.

“The city was asked to assist us since students chose to run across South Street instead of using the Squire Bridge, which was installed for safety reasons. Over the years, there have been a few accidents involving community members being struck by vehicles. [These] accidents resulted in physical injuries. Pedestrians should activate the crosswalk light buttons to initiate the safety system for notification to approaching vehicles.” Callahan said.

While the crosswalk is an important safety feature, it is the flashing lights that come to the aid of pedestrians in the rain and the snow, and especially when in colder months the sun sets at early hours, limiting the vision of passing drivers.

“I always drive slowly in the vicinity of the crosswalk since many com-

munity members just walk right out in the middle of the street without looking for approaching vehicles,” Callahan said.

Students who do activate the flashing lights often need to wait for several cars to pass before drivers on both sides of the road stop to let them cross. Drivers often speed through the flashing lights as they are in a hurry, or are impatient. As a result, students resort to running across South Street at more convenient locations, jeopardizing their safety and the safety of passing drivers.

“I don’t push the button and very rarely do I actually cross at the crosswalk,” said Ariella Stein ’13. “I usually cross somewhere else on South Street because other locations are more convenient. I just wait for no cars to come and then cross. I usually cross using the crosswalk when I’m walking with other people. But more people do what I do and cross somewhere else on South Street because it doesn’t involve stopping and waiting for the light.”

The speed limit on South Street is 30 miles per hour, due to heavy pedestrian traffic from Brandeis students as well as parents and students of the Stanley School just down the street. Similarly, the speed limit on campus is 15 miles per hour.

“It is rare to see vehicles on campus adhere to the posted 15-mile-perhour limit. Many vehicles operate on South Street in excess of the speed limit and many community members do not follow safety procedures,” Cal-

lahan said.

University and Waltham officials working to ensure the safety of drivers and pedestrians aim to work together in order to achieve the safest road conditions possible.

“It’s a bit of a catch-22,” Stein said.

“It’s a college campus here so there are going to be a lot of people who insist that they don’t have time to stop and push the light. A lot of cars don’t want to stop either. I do think it’s a good location for the crosswalk though, because it’s the one place on South Street other than between Grad and Ridgewood where there is a main path between popular dormitories: the Castle and the Mods.”

In addition to pressing the button for the flashing yellow light, when crossing the street on and off campus, pedestrians should be careful to pay attention to the road in front of them and should not rely on the alertness of oncoming traffic alone to ensure safety, Callahan said.

“Pedestrians can activate the flashing lights, look both ways before crossing the street and remove headphones from their ears and avoid other distractions while crossing.

Also wear light clothing at night and use caution,” Callahan said. “I often receive complaints from community members as well as citizens about community members not pushing the crosswalk light buttons. I experience this myself, often.”

“If the light weren’t there I think there would be a bigger problem. This is the best we can hope for,” Stein said.

photo by ally eller/the hoot

Collins comments on future of dining options DINING, from page 1

Hall, are also up for expansion. Creating a Kosher dining space in Usdan would be a large endeavor, however, and would take rigorous attention.

The university, Collins said, would have to find out the costs and benefits before opening a Kosher station. It would also affect the number of students going to Usdan, which could even increase congestion in Usdan during lunch and dinner.

“When I say price and value, I think that relates to the meal plan,” Collins said. “The meal plans, I think, do need to change.”

Expanding dining hours, or changing providers might not increase the meal plans, but the university is looking into the ways they are organized.

The University is still in the very beginning of its investigation into improving dining and are discussing a variety of options, which may not be pursued. According to Collins, the University has cursorily discussed creating meal plans that balance cost more evenly between upperclassmen,

first-years and sophomores.

“The renovations are top priorities for the students. The last major renovations to these facilities occurred in 1998,” Bennos said. Small renovations, set to take place during the upcoming summer vacation, will include changes in seating. Collins hopes there will be a change toward more intimate and comfortable dining experiences. The survey was filled out by over 1,500 students and just under 600 faculty and staff members.

The rest of the results have not yet been publicized.

Dining service staff would be given

the option to change employers if the university did switch providers, says Collins, or move to other facilities owned by Aramark, if they did not want to switch.

“Whatever we did, if there is going to be a transition … my expectation is that we will transition as many people who want to come on board to come on board,” Collins said.

According to Bennos, “A new provider would need to determine whether they will recognize the terms and conditions of that collective bargaining agreement.”

“Ideally, if the change happens, I

would love to have the people who are here working here,” Collins said. The Union representing the dining workers will continue to represent them and negotiate any changes with the contractors and the University.

“I think this process is going to allow us to see what other places are doing and what other vendors might be able to provide for us, and what Aramark might do,” said Collins Renovations, which are to take place over summer of 2013, have not been finalized, but Collins says they will likely continue into the following academic year.

December 7, 2012

Tuberculosis case identified TUBERCULOSIS, from page 1

from about five people in immediate contact with the sick student, who has been reported as isolated and receiving treatment. Officials declined to comment as of press time on whether the student was currently staying on or off campus.

Officials from the Mass. Department of Public Health participated in on-campus meetings and phone calls with university administrators this week, following standard protocol for response to a TB diagnosis. Poaster also recalled a case of TB reported on campus about three years ago.

A bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes the infection.

While the bacteria typically attacks the lungs, TB bacteria can attack other parts of the body, including the kidney, spine and brain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). TB can be fatal if not treated properly. Many people can be infected with TB, however, not show symptoms of the disease while the infection is latent or inactive, officials said.

“Some people estimate that 40 percent of the world harbors latent TB,” Poaster said.

The Mass. Department of Public Health received reports of 196 cases of active TB in 2011, and TB cases have declined by 27 percent over the past three years.

Only people sick with the active

NEWS 3

The Brandeis Hoot

Winter break unusually brief

By Rachel Hirschhaut Editor

photo by hoot staff

disease, spreading it through the air, can infect others. TB cannot be spread through hand shakes, touching bed sheets or toilet seats, sharing food or kissing, according to the CDC. Those who test positive can be treated to prevent the inactive TB from turning into the active infection.

Symptoms of pulmonary TB include more than two weeks of coughing with thick, cloudy or bloody mucus; fever; fatigue, sudden weight loss or shortness of breath.

“While it appears the likelihood of further infection is low, we encourage everyone to be alert to the symptoms of pulmonary TB,” Flagel wrote.

Those with cancer, HIV, diabetes, silicosis, substance abuse, very low body weight, gastric bypass, corticosteroids, and treatments for organ transplants, rheumatoid arthritis or Crohn’s disease are at greater risk for infection, officials said.

Poaster described the process of

testing students, explaining why it takes a few days to wait for results.

“You’re basically testing for cellular immunity and so it takes that long [2-3 days] for a person to develop a reaction to the test.”

Notified by email to visit the health center and undergo the test, students such as Max Pepper ’13, expressed little worry while awaiting the test results. Officials contacted students, faculty and staff by determining who may have been exposed to the infection in both academic and social settings.

“The health and well being of our community is our primary concern.

And at this point there is no reason to believe that this issue will impact the day-to-day operations of the university,” Flagel wrote.

Those concerned about their exposure to TB were urged to contact the university Health Center between 1 and 6 p.m. on weekdays or by email.

In years past, including last winter, spring semester started after Martin Luther King Jr. Day for the typical student. Instead, this year, residence halls reopen on Sunday, Jan. 13, just in time for spring classes to begin the Monday before the holiday.

According to Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer, important Brandeis academic calendar dates and breaks are planned several years in advance, under the supervision of the University Registrar, Mark Hewitt.

Mark Hewitt “has a very difficult time, because there are lots of stressors on the formulation, including outside-agency-mandated number of class days, religious holidays, two breaks in the spring, et cetera. Hence, the calendar tends to be slightly different from year to year,” Sawyer said.

This means planning a schedule that accommodates the Jewish holidays, which gave students five weekdays off this fall, and the holidays that close all universities, including Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. From an administrator’s perspective, an earlier start to spring semester is good for programming.

“From a student life perspective, we like it when the second semester starts prior to Martin Luther King Jr. Day so that we can program around it,” Sawyer said. “This year the fall

semester goes a little deeper into December than everyone would prefer, but that has to do with getting in the proper number of class days. When we go this deep into December, it does tend to feel like a short break. I don’t think (a short break) is harmful, it just feels short. Longer breaks might mean more travel opportunities for students, maybe even some short term employment.”

Hewitt insisted that an earlier start date for the semester does not have an impact on the final exam dates for spring.

“Deadlines do shift a bit earlier, but the early start date does not change their relation to the start of the term.

Registration still ends on the 10th day of instruction,” he said. “Finals are not affected as they fall after the Passover break and their scheduling is really determined by the date of Commencement, always the Sunday of the weekend before Memorial Day weekend.”

Student opinions vary between first-years and sophomores, for whom the length of break has stayed mostly the same, and juniors and seniors, who are unhappy with having a shorter break than they once did.

The break is also much shorter for the student athletes who play winter sports. Men’s and women’s basketball players already return on Dec. 29 and 31, weeks before most students in order to start training, so their winter break will be even shorter this year.

Drolette to step down at end of year DROLETTE, from page 1

to be in a not-for-profit” environment when asked about her future.

She also said that she is “passionately committed to the mission” of higher education, “but is not prepared to ‘rule anything out,” and has been considering attending law school for a long time.

Drolette first joined Brandeis in 1976 as a staff member and served in several positions until she became the associate director of budget and planning, a title she held until she left for Babson College in 1991. She went on to earn her masters in business administration from Northeastern in 1991. While at Babson, she served as the college’s first budget director and later the director of financial planning and budgeting. She left Babson in 2002 for Boston University and returned to Brandeis in 2006 as the Vice President of Budgeting and Planning.

While here, she was promoted to VP/ CFO and University Treasurer and again to Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2010.

Drolette’s lengthy list of accomplishments earned her the esteem and respect of her colleagues. Manos wrote in an email to the community that Drolette was “an island of stability during a period of great economic challenge,” and “a key resource to the faculty budget committee during this time.”

Drolette said she was “proud of the silos that [she has] broken down both within the Finance area as well as across the University.”

The praise of her colleagues was well-received by Drolette, who said she was “very touched by the thoughtful comments in [Manos’] email.”

Cwalina has nearly 30 years of experience in financial planning, financial analysis and accounting,

according to Manos. She previously served as Bentley University’s Budget Director, Controller and Executive Director of Financial Operations, successively. At Bentley, she was instrumental in developing a reporting tool to identify sources of risks to the university’s strategic plan and actions needed to minimize those risks, as well as the financial five-year model for the impact of the university’s longrange strategic plan.

Manos wrote that Cwalina has been key to the university’s budget plan, as well as “well-known for her ‘problemsolving, can-do-spirit … and ubiquitous good cheer.” He also said that he expected Cwalina’s background in business process improvement to be very beneficial to Brandeis as the administration, “begin[s] an effort to identify more effective and efficient ways of doing business.”

faculty meeting President Fred Lawrence speaks and Provost Steve Goldstein listens during a photo courtesy fran drolette

discussion about university finances and the strategic plan at the faculty meeting in the Olin-Sang auditorium on Thursday afternoon.

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

FEATURES

4 The Brandeis Hoot

December 7, 2012

Fencing team ‘foils’ its foes

By Alison Thvedt Staff

Brandeis Fencing this season is considered one of the top teams in Division III and many consider the team to be comparable to one of the Division I level. Tim Morehouse, U.S. Olympic medalist and a national champion, was a member of the Brandeis fencing team during his time here in the 1990s, and graduated from Brandeis in the year 2000 with a degree in history.

Senior Harry Kaufer of the men’s fencing team told of how the team, although technically Division III, goes “head-to-head with sports powerhouses.” Coach Bill Shipman remarked that the team could “compete well against all but the very best five or six teams in the United States.”

This, according to Shipman—who has been coaching the team since 1981—is a huge accomplishment: “We have moved from an unknown team that barely competed outside of New England to one of the top D3 teams in the US … We have fencers wanting to come to our team.”

Indeed, Kaufer described that everyone on the team has had experience fencing before coming to Brandeis, and most were recruited for the purpose. There are a small handful of walk-ons on the team, but they too had extensive training and experience before being accepted to the Brandeis team. Such is the level of the team’s competitiveness that such wide-ranging pre-Brandeis work is required.

The men’s and women’s teams more often than not are lumped together.

“The men’s and women’s teams are basically just one team,” explained Kaufer, “we just compete separately.”

They train together, often compete in the same location and both Kaufer and Shipman talked about both as though they were one team.

Fencing is a winter sport, so the team is currently in the early part of its season. But the team has been training since September and not only have both group training and practices, but one-on-one training with the coaches. These individual sessions are “very, very valuable,” since fencing is “at its core, an individual sport,” explained Kaufer. Most students practice at least four or five times a week; some practice every day.

There are three different types of fencing and each person competes in

only one category: either épée, foil or sabre. “People very rarely go back and forth between the different types of fencing,” explained Kaufer.

But one of the distinguishing features of collegiate fencing, differentiating it from fencing at other levels, is the team spirit at the school environment. “The team aspect is what sets college fencing apart,” said Shipman.

“The college format is different, with only a team score. So the social dynamic and atmosphere of the meets is different than most fencing.”

Kaufer elaborates on this, saying, “Collegiate fencing is 100 percent a team competition … [this] makes college fencing extremely rewarding … when you’re on the strip facing an opponent, it’s really you versus him. But there are 20 guys rooting for you. When someone wins it’s really not that the person has won, but the team.”

Both Kaufer and the coach remarked on the team’s closeness and support. “The Brandeis team is very close. It always has been … and in our personal lives we’re a very close-knit group, too. It makes it fun,” explained Kaufer. Shipman added that one of his favorite things about the Brandeis team is the “quality of the people” on it. “Generally they are dedicated, honest, cooperative fencers who make my job a pleasant one most of the time.”

One major goal for the team this year is to win the Northeast Conference title. This will be “very difficult,” Shipman said, “as [the team has] lost to MIT and the men also to Sacred Heart.” Other goals include beating traditional rivals: Boston College, Brown, New York University, MIT, Haverford, Johns Hopkins and Yale, among others.

The team also would like to have some fencers qualify for the NCAA championships. Shipman, however, stressed that the team’s “more important general rule” is “to see every fencer improve and perform well and enjoy the process.” Kaufer also expressed hopes for the team this year, stating that the team has “the opportunity to make some noise at regionals.” He also thinks that Brandeis has “as good a chance as any [school] to bring home the New England Championship.”

Both Shipman and Kaufer wanted to make sure it was stressed that the team is a very young one this season.

According to Kaufer, this means that “the team has the opportunity to be very good … the future is bright as

photos by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

fencers compete Brandeis hosts its first fencing meet this past Sunday.

well.” Coach Shipman says he hopes “[the young members] will be the heart of some very strong teams in the coming few years.”

Kaufer also recognized how hard people work to keep the Brandeis fencing team alive, well and strong: “The fencing program is historically very strong and continues to be

strong … a lot of hard work by a lot of people go into keeping Brandeis at the head level.”

Are there, though, any negatives to fencing? While Shipman stated a simple no, and senior Kaufer could not think of anything bad about the Brandeis team, he was able to think of something bad about fencing in gen-

eral: “The gear gets extremely smelly.”

The fencing team’s room is on the lower level of the Gosman Gym complex, across from the dance studio and squash courts, before the cardio equipment. “Everyone peeks in and watches,” Kaufer warned, though he actually wanted to encourage it: “Everyone should feel free to wave.”

Schneider, trustee and benefactor, dies at 93

By Victoria Aronson Editor

Irving Schneider, an influential trustee whose generous donations extended not only to the funding of the Irving Schneider and Family Building at the Heller School, but to an international scope through the creation of a premier children’s medical center in Israel, died on Nov. 23. He was 93.

Former President Jehuda Reinharz said Schneider “made it possible for Heller to expand into first-rate facilities,” further stating, “all kinds of amenities now make it possible to do research in a very powerful way.”

Schneider funded the creation of the Irving Schneider and Family Building, which opened in 2006, in addition to implementing The Schneider Institutes for Health Policy.

Professor Stuart Altman (HS), and former dean of the Heller School, recalled his initial interactions with

Schneider, discovering their mutual interest in the field of health care and in particular children’s health while attending regular board meetings.

Recognizing the transformative influence of the Irving Schneider and Family Building, Altman revealed that the addition not only permitted the creation of new classrooms and educational opportunities, but altered the research process itself, fostering the interaction of staff members within a unified space.

Commenting on his experiences while working alongside Schneider on a professional level, Altman described him as generous yet strong, explaining, “you knew the way he felt and you knew he would hold you to high standards.” Schneider further served as a member and eventually the vice chair of the Board of Trustees for many years before being named trustee emeritus in 1995.

Beyond his remarkable generosity to the Heller School, Schneider’s dedication to the field of health care tran-

scended his involvement at Brandeis, becoming manifest at a global level and bearing international implications. Having previously created the Schneider Children’s Hospital at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York, Schneider recognized the need for similar facilities abroad.

Alongside his wife Helen, who passed in 2001, Schneider constructed the Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel in Petach Tikvah, which opened to the public in 1992. Reinharz recognizes the institution as “probably the best children’s hospital in the Middle East.”

According to Altman, Schneider was deeply committed to the facility, regularly traveling to Israel to witness its progress. Having visited the center himself, Altman describes it as a phenomenal institution, noting the truly international focus of the hospital. Rather than solely being available for the treatment of Jewish children, the hospital serves patients of many nationalities and countries of origin,

including but not limited to children from Jordan, the Palestinian authority and Africa. Altman noted this attribute of the medical center, recalling the multiple written translations ranging from Hebrew to Arabic and English present throughout the hospital.

Noting the significance of the medical center not only upon health care services in the region, but also through its influence upon the political atmosphere, Reinharz said Schneider “was very proud that in addition to saving children’s lives, it was really contributing to quiet peace between Israel and its neighbors.” Reinharz explained that the gratitude of parents whose children were treated by the facility aided in easing tensions and perpetuating peace between the distinct regions of the Middle East.

According to Altman, Schneider bore a strong interest in fostering bonds, displaying the desire to link activities of the Heller School with health care involvement in Israel.

As a trustee to the University and a generous benefactor abroad, Altman said that Schneider’s influence will prevail despite his passing, leaving a lasting legacy upon the Heller School and the Brandeis Community.

“Irving was not easy to get to know, but once he became your friend, he was very loyal, he supported you, he would stand up for you, he was the kind of person you’d want to next to you,” Reinharz said. He describes Schneider as possessing “a heart of gold,” as evidenced by his support to numerous institutions across the United States and Israel.

Originally born in Brooklyn, Schneider attended the City College of New York. In addition to his involvement at Brandeis, he pursued a career in real estate in New York, having served as the co-chair and chief operating officer at Helmsley-Spear.

Schneider is survived by his daughters Mindy ’75 and Lynn, who serves on the Heller Board of Overseers, as well as four grandchildren.

December 7, 2012

FEATURES 5

The Brandeis Hoot

Conservative speaker comments on radical Islam

By Dana Trismen Editor

The Brandeis Libertarian Conservative Union sponsored speaker David Horowitz on Tuesday, a wellknown outspoken conservative.

Horowitz is acclaimed in his field, the founder of Students for Academic Freedom (SAF), which calls for principles of open inquiry and the presen-

tation of multiple points of view in American classrooms. He has spoken at numerous universities and visits more than 30 a year, while also appearing on television stations such as Fox News and MSNBC. Morris Didia, president of the Brandeis Libertarian Conservative Union, explained why the club found it interesting to bring Horowitz to campus. “[He] has fought the bias of the lib-

eral media and the liberal tilt on college campuses … [bringing Horowitz would] be a way to expand the conservative base on campus,” Didia said.

Didia mentioned that the club hosts two speakers each year, describing it as “really important to our club because it allows our message to be heard.” Brandeis Libertarian Conservative Union is sponsored by the Finance Board, but also by the Young Americans foundation. “The

horowitz Brandeis Libertarian Conservative Union brought outspoken conservative to speak in Shiffman

photo by ally eller/the hoot

Humanities Center.

Young Americans Foundation is an organization that promotes conservative principles on college campuses,” Didia said.

Horowitz identified liberals, or progressives, as “people who believe there is going to be a golden future.” He believes that on the other hand, “conservatives are past oriented.” He spoke of how conservatives understand that humans are “lying creatures, lustful and greedy creatures, driven by passions rather than reason.” Therefore, there are limits to what humans can accomplish. As argued by Horowitz, conservatives focus on history and learning from experience in order to see things rationally.

Horowitz’s talk was intended to be on the fight against radical Islam.

He condemned progressives for their support of radical Islam and Palestine over Israel. He warned against supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and criticized President Obama.

Horowitz said he believes Obama made a mistake in leaving Iraq. “He betrayed all the Americans who lost their lives,” Horowitz said.

Horowitz insists that in Israel, “the Jews are the indigenous people of that region.” He spoke about how we live in “a morally worse period” than the 1930s, for now people are still doing terrible things to the Jewish people.

Horowitz said that liberals who support radical Islam have been “selfbrainwashed by the progressives, they are participating in a movement to extinguish their own people.”

While Horowitz’s lecture was advertised as mainly about Islam, he frequently deviated into other topics, his favorite? The corruption of education.

He brought up the topic first by saying, “progressives claim to be interested in black people and minorities.”

He went on to mention America’s inner cities, where clusters of poor minorities live and go to school. He described how Democrats have managed the school system in these cities for 50-100 years, so thus everything that is wrong with inner city school policies is the result of progressive’s actions.

After mentioning the poor outcomes that come from a bad education, Horowitz said, “Progressives are responsible for the destruction of millions of lives of poor black and Hispanic children.” He also brought up problems with teachers’ raises and tenure. “Teachers get raises for showing up,” he said.

Horowitz also attacked liberal

universities in higher education, including Brandeis. In mentioning that Brandeis claims to be a modern research facility, he said the school “pretends to be inclusive and examining, conducting an inquiry in the interest of knowledge.” He commented on how there are almost no conservatives on the faculty, which lead him to claim there is “no interest in providing students with diverse points of view.”

He spoke of the intellectually unfree campus, where conservative beliefs are put down in the classroom.

“Students should be taught how to think, not what to think,” Horowitz said. He believes students need to demand that liberal professors stop abusing their authority. “Do you pay $40,000 a year to be abused?” he asked.

While Horowitz admitted that “as universities go, this is a good choice of schools,” he still criticized Brandeis for its liberal faculty and pushing of progressive values. He mentioned that the last time he came to Brandeis to speak, the room he was to talk at was changed at the last minute. Supposed to be speaking in Mandel, “the vice president of student affairs told us to move to a different room, so people walking by wouldn’t be offended by what I had to say.” Upset that being a conservative can make students “pariahs,” Horowitz insisted, “your academic freedom is being violated,” and encouraged students to seek out conservative texts.

Horowitz believes conservatism is the future, for “in the long run everything will return to reality.” As the Soviet Union eventually fell, he believes the United States will come to its senses. “The whole twentieth century shows progressivism doesn’t work,” he stated. He argues that conservatives understand the essential point that people are aggressive, “and the only way to get peace is to intimate an aggressor.” While Horowitz believes in morality, he does not promote the idea that people are equal. “Leaving the playfield is absurd and dangerous,” he said. “Some people are born incredibly smart and other people are born stupid.”

Horowitz’s talk ignited students.

Even though the audience mainly consisted of conservatives, students questioned his topics again and again.

Many seemed interested in conservative solutions, of which Horowitz’s main response was to “drill, drill, drill” for oil in America.

Basketball team holds high hopes for upcoming season

By Shreyas Warrier Staff

The Brandeis men’s basketball team has been a force to reckon with over the last few years. They have had three consecutive second-place finishes in the University Athletic Association, four NCAA tournament berths in four years, two runs to the Elite Eight, the quarterfinals of the competition, and a national ranking of second

photo from internet source

place in the 2007-2008 season. The team consistently draws enormous crowds throughout the season, with 400-500 people appearing for home games. The conference games garner the largest number of spectators, as in most schools, with a consistent number estimated to be around 700.

For the rivalry games, such as those against Amherst, Coach Brian Meehan says that they get “around 1,000 people out supporting the team.” According to captain Derek Retos ’14, “The atmosphere is unbelievable and we really appreciate the support we get from our classmates and we really feed off the energy they bring.”

Last year, the team had an up-anddown season, winning 13 games and losing 12. Their goal for this year is, according to Meehan, to “bounce back from the up-and-downs of last year and put up a good position for league play. Twenty wins almost guarantees a spot in the NCAA.” Retos has set his sights quite higher, saying, “I

honestly believe this team can win a national championship. We have the talent and work ethic to overcome anything and I truly believe if we continue to play together we can win a national championship.”

He even states that, “this year’s team has really improved from that team [the one that finished second in the country]. Besides us gaining experience and getting better, we have added players who can truly help us.”

This year, the team has already set up a streak of seven wins after their opening day loss against Rhode Island College, with a combined score of 551-478. The opening day loss was fought against a good defensive team and according to Meehan, “At the start of the season, defense always has an edge over offense.” Their home ground is quickly becoming a fortress, with the team winning all five games played at Brandeis.

The fact is that most schools have a schedule set up with a “community

time,” or something of that sort, in which there is a break of two to three hours during which the extracurricular activities can take place, such as club meetings and varsity practices.

According to Meehan, this gives other schools an advantage, as they don’t have to worry about scheduling conflicts as much as the Brandeis teams.

The absence of this community time period “makes it difficult for athletes as they need to plan their class schedule around practices and the coaches need to plan practices around classes.” This lack of a community time period during the day keeps many people away from extracurricular activities, which, as Meehan says, is “unfortunate, because it is a big part of college.”

The team has welcomed three new first-years to its ranks this year. As Meehan states, “Recruiting has become harder because everyone is doing it, making it hard to compete with schools with top studies and

programs.” As the school is a NCAA Division III member, athletes must be recruited for both athletics and academics. As of right now, the team has “three walk-ons, whereas everyone else was heavily recruited.”

Fortunately, the team has, by all standards, a large squad this year.

Meehan said that typically, most teams have 12-14 players but this year the Judges have 17 on their roster.

“Typically more than 10 won’t play in one game,” Meehan said. The squad has good depth this year, allowing rotations to be fluid and practical, so that “fatigue [doesn’t] become a huge factor.” According to Meehan, the only times it catches up with the players is during exam periods, or “God forbid, if a cold, or the flu goes through the team.”

The team must balance its tiring schedule with school work, and, according to Retos, the members all know that it is their “responsibility to manage both as best as possible.”

6 The Brandeis Hoot

ARTS, ETC.

December 7, 2012

Boris’ Kitchen elicits hilarity in sketch comedy festival

By Max Randhahn Staff

Boris’ Kitchen brought unparalleled sketch comedy to the SCC Theater last weekend with their 13th Annual Sketch Comedy Festival. The event spanned two days, with different guest performers at each. Friday’s troupe, EVIL, featured Boris’ Kitchen alumni Sam Roos and Amy Thompson, while Saturday brought a double-header of Yale’s The 5th Humour and Tufts’ Major: Undecided.

Although I was unable to attend EVIL, if their caliber was anything resembling the other guests’, either night of the festival would have been well worth attending, doubly so considering that all the proceeds of the event went straight to the American Cancer Society.

Both teams were exemplary. Yale’s The 5th Humour opened the event with a short sketch involving the mispronunciation of a student’s name (it seems Sarah is actually pronounced “suh-RAH”). The bit would make reappearances throughout the show, both in ending the same sketch different ways and as references in different sketches to the character’s name.

Other standout skits included a reimagining of “Oedipus Rex” where one family proved unable to recognize true emotional suffering when facing the pain of an ice cream headache. Similar to Boris’ Kitchen, The 5th Humour played relevant songs for the audience while the team set up the props for new sketches. The crown jewel of The 5th Humour’s routine was a marriage proposal conducted while the wife was in the bathroom. The 5th Humour’s wit was consistently spot-on and often rather dry.

While The 5th Humour provided sketches that took an ordinary concept to various degrees of “too far,” Major: Undecided chose to completely disregard conventional limits of ridiculousness. Their segment opened with a couple shaking hands, then vigorously making out for what felt like an eternity. Another member of the troupe then called time and others appeared holding scorecards.

Another skit was simply “Tufts’ Major: Undecided Presents: A Fish Out Of Water,” in which a member of the

troupe flopped around on stage and passed through the seven stages of grief in roughly 20 seconds.

Most of Major: Undecided’s sketches were on the shorter side, likely to capitalize on each sketch’s ludicrousness. Those of a longer length were typically more subdued, such as during the equestrian competition that rapidly degenerated into a series of remarks on the horse’s penis. Absent from Major: Undecided’s betweensketch transitions were the audio clips that Boris’ Kitchen and The 5th Humour used to prevent audience fatigue. However, given that the sketches were both short and absurd, this was likely done so that the audience would not have time to properly process each skit, adding to the oddness of each. Major: Undecided clearly went the absurdist route with their comedy, making for a riotous if occasionally incomprehensible set.

Following Tufts’ troupe was a brief intermission, leading up to Boris’ performance. The show opened with a sketch about an average instance of sexual tension that culminated with a high five, instead of making out.

Boris’ Kitchen continued their established style of swinging between subtle twists on everyday life and completely ludicrous situations.

A sketch about Facebook “likes” devolved into Jason Kasman’s ’16

agonizing decision about whether a photo of a sickly child was a scam, and Yoni Bronstein’s ’13 surprisingly tearful breakup with a crab. A recurring sketch featured Bronstein with a Nietzsche mustache performing various tasks as a nihilist would. Boris’ Kitchen combined the best aspects of both guest troupes, with pointed humor and completely absurd sketches.

Boris’ Kitchen was also the only group during the evening that required technical direction: several sketches were combined into videos reminiscent of TV programs. Featuring an erectile dysfunction ad and a mock History Channel production of “F*ck History” (both by Ben Setel ’13), the video portion culminated with Michael Frederikse ’15 as “Captain DUI” in a very drunken attempt at being a superhero. These sketches felt more scripted than those performed on stage, but allowed for more directorial freedom from Setel and Bronstein, and of course more strangeness.

The 13th Annual Sketch Comedy Festival was worth attending to see three wonderfully strange groups and to support both Boris’ Kitchen and the American Cancer Society. Boris’ Kitchen outdid themselves with the quality of their own sketches and their choice of guests, making for a lovely and fun-filled evening.

boris’ kitchen The students of Boris’ Kitchen performed alongside visiting comedy groups in the SCC theater last Thursday.

photos by haley fine/the hoot

December 7, 2012

The Brandeis Hoot

Breaking down the year in rap

By Alec Siegel Staff

Amid an oversaturated, Top-40 dominated music climate, these 10 artists managed to release albums that stood out above the rest. Here are the greatest hip hop and R&B albums of 2012.

1. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d. city Kendrick Lamar released the year’s best album, hands down. The buzz he built with 2011’s “Section.80” culminated with this groundbreaking debut in which Lamar meets and exceeds all expectations. An extremely personal album, “good kid” provides the listener with more than just an intimate peek into Lamar’s childhood.

A “short film by Kendrick Lamar” in every sense, the album proves Lamar to be lyrically and conceptually miles beyond his peers. This may be the first step in a long, illustrious career that could end with Lamar chiseled on the Mount Rushmore of hip hop.

2. Frank Ocean – channel ORANGE Frank Ocean sent shockwaves through the music industry before the release of his debut by revealing that he fell in love with a man a few summers past. While some pegged this as a risqué marketing ploy, others decided to simply appreciate the man’s music and witness our generation’s Stevie Wonder as he blooms to a certified star. “channel ORANGE” contains orchestral sounds and elaborate musical palates mixed with Ocean’s brilliant storytelling and songwriting. It makes for a beautifully layered experience that demands the listener’s attention to soak it all in.

Plus, it contains one of the best songs in years, “Pyramids.”

3. Nas – Life Is Good With 2012’s “Life Is Good,” hip hop legend Nas proves he can still hang with the young bloods and more than just keep up. His most personal album in years, “Life Is Good” shows Nasty Nas at peace. At peace with his past, at peace with his role as a father, at peace with his recent divorce and at peace with his current status in the hip hop world. The music on “Life Is Good” is wonderfully nostalgic, with dusty R&B samples, classic hip hop breakbeats and crisp, soulful drums.

Nas uses this vivid landscape to paint a picture of a man living the good life—not in the material sense, but in the Zen-like state of peace we all strive to attain.

4. Brother Ali – Mourning In America and Dreaming In Color Being a white Muslim rapper residing in America puts Brother Ali in a unique position. He can remain on the fringes of society, recording thoughtful observations of his country and the way it treats the different people inside it, all while crafting great music that appeals to an eclectic group of individuals. “Mourning In America,” another addition to Ali’s consistently solid discography, may be his most poignant, musical effort yet. At a time when it seems America is often the subject of an album, Ali’s comes out a cut above the rest.

5. El-P – Cancer 4 Cure El-P had an extremely eventful 2012. After teaming with Killer Mike to release another of my favorite albums of the year (see number nine), he released his fourth album, the darkly apocalyptic “Cancer 4 Cure.”

El-P is known for his spacey, detailed beats that utilize obscure samples and video game-esque beeps and blips with his complex, concept-packed and syllable-dense lyrics. A brilliant commentary on war, the ills of a modern American city, having a lack of funds and simply as a medium for El-P to display his skills, “Cancer 4

Cure” will take many listens to fully digest.

6. Ab-Soul – Control System Perhaps the most talented member of Kendrick Lamar’s TDE outfit (see numbers one and 10), Ab-Soul’s “Control System” is an album that explores the psychology of control. Selfcontrol, control by the government and the potential for spinning out of control are all themes that Soul tackles in an extremely skillful way. Soul comes across as a spooky, all seeing prophet with his lyrical delivery that results in a quite engaging experience.

“Control System” portrays Ab-Soul as a man on a mission, a man trying to understand the darkest corners of his mind and how it operates, not to mention a man who has a rare penchant for putting words together with clever punch lines and wordplay.

7. Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 Since he arrived on the hip hop scene in 2006, Lupe Fiasco has been christened “The Chosen One,” or “Hip Hop’s Savior.” This is due mainly because of his rare lyrical ability and his gift to tell extremely detailed stories that connect in a symbolic, complex way. “F&L II” may be a preachy, self-righteous critique of America, but it’s equal parts enlightening, revealing and lyrically impressive. It contains songs that explore every aspect of America: music, cities, history, society and politics, as well as songs about what Fiasco knows best: hip hop. It’s these tracks where Fiasco shines, where his dizzying lyrics take center stage and are a joy to dissect.

8. Big K.R.I.T. – Live from the Underground Southern hip hop comes attached with certain stigmas: dumbed-down lyrics and simplistic, repetitive production. Subject matter containing money, hos, drugs and murder. Big K.R.I.T. spins these stereotypes on their heads and delivers with the phenomenal “Live from the Underground.” Instead of falling in line with the aforementioned southern clichés, the album is steeped in soul: from its sonic backdrops to its lyrics that firmly place the listener in the middle of a sticky summer night on the porch of a rickety Alabama abode, with the birds chirping, the stars gleaming and the ice tea chilled.

9. Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music An aggressive rapper from Atlanta paired with a producer known for his sparse, spooky production for primarily east coast artists sounds disastrous on paper. However, Rapper Killer Mike and producer El-P have been underdogs their whole careers and with this album prove that what doesn’t work on paper can in fact be golden if executed properly. Enter “R.A.P. Music,” the album that finds Killer Mike professing his near religious relationship with hip hop and his frustration with the machine and how hip hop allows him to deal with that. And El-P? He sounds just as furious and fired up behind the boards.

If this is what odd musical pairings result in, I want more.

10. ScHoolboy Q – Habits & Contradictions ScHoolboy Q lacks the overall brilliance of Kendrick Lamar and the lyrical acrobatics of Ab-Soul, but he sits at the top of his TDE clique in terms of pure passion and feeling. The man makes you believe what he says, and “Habits & Contradictions” really lives up to its title. He rhymes about his sexual escapades in shocking detail just as quickly as he professes his self-awareness to how blessed he is to not only be in his current position, but to be alive with a healthy family.

ScHoolboy Q represents the contradictory human being in all of us, and is nothing if not relatable.

ARTS, ETC. 7

Arts Recommends music

photo from internet source

The Civil Wars The Civil Wars, an indie-folk duo consisting of Joy Williams and John Paul White, has unfortunately disbanded before its time. Although The Civil Wars was on indefinite hiatus at the peak of their career, the single album released by the group has more than earned them their place as high quality artists. Their album, “Barton Hollow,” is primarily a slew of gentle love songs expressing longing and hope. The acoustic tunes are uncomplicated and sweet without becoming repetitive or losing their level of folk sophistication. The album also features the harsher climatic song “Barton Hollow,” the band’s first single and the album title eponym. “Barton Hollow” easily stands out, with a much harsher musical sound than the rest and with a far darker theme. This song is followed by an instrumental, “The Violent Hour,” and the two together serve as contrasting centerpieces.

The album also features a series of covers, including dark reimaginings of Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean” and oft-recorded “You Are My Sunshine.” All said, the soft-folk duo, should they ever choose to resume their collaboration, have an undoubtedly promising career. Either way, “Barton Hollow” is a high-quality first album worthy of repeated attention. With any luck, they will do just as well in their lone endeavors and provide more of their lovely sound. juliette martin, editor

TV

Misfits

photo from internet source

Born of The BBC, “Misfits” is not a show for the light of heart. It is dirty, sexual, often offensive and, all considered, a wonderful show. “Misfits” tells the story of a set of five delinquent teens who gain sudden superpowers from an unexplained lightning storm. Although the premise is utterly fantastical and somewhat contrived, it is pulled off remarkably well.

Their powers correspond directly to their inner fears and insecurities. This unusual spin on dealing with teenagers’ fears makes “Misfits” surprisingly thought-provoking, as it examines their internal struggles and leads them to develop in extremely interesting ways. Many viewers begin by hating the majority of the main characters, but the remarkable extent to which they grow on you demonstrates the show’s true potential.

Entering its fourth season, “Misfits” has unfortunately lost the majority of its original cast, which was exactly what made the show so strong in its early days. Despite this marked decline, the first two seasons (and, to a lesser extent, the third) display some of television’s best talents in writing and character development despite the show’s undeniably crass demeanor. . juliette martin, editor

8 ARTS, ETC.

The Brandeis Hoot

December 7, 2012

‘Glass Menagerie’ provides powerful look at devastated family

By Zach Reid Editor

Last weekend, The Brandeis Theater Company performed Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie”: the story of a family devastated by a runaway father as his wife, son and daughter attempt to cope with his absence—and one another’s presence. Held at the Merrick Theater in Spingold, the performance was directed by Paula Plum and stage managed by Rachel Huvard ’14.

Set “now and in the past” according to the playbill, “The Glass Menagerie” explores Amanda’s (Ellyn Getz ’13) obsession with finding “gentlemen callers” for her daughter, Laura (Corrie Legge ’14) while berating her son Tom (Justy Kosek ’14) for being selfish even despite his working a menial job to support the family. As the show progresses, Laura finally receives a gentleman caller, a friend of her brother’s from work, Jim (Ahmed Kouddous ’14), who visits the family for dinner in the dramatic second act.

Due to the cast’s small size, each player was pressured to offer an ex-

ceptional performance. But each actor held up his or her part of the deal.

Getz ’13 personified Amanda’s eccentric Southern mannerisms well. And she portrayed her character as a loving mother and implacable taskmaster, set on convincing her children to form their lives according to her desires, regardless of their thoughts. This was most visible in Legge’s performance, as she offered the audience a battered and broken girl driven to appease her mother. The only thing she wanted to do was play with her glass collection: the eponymous menagerie.

Contrary to this acceptance, Kosek ’14 displays considerable rebellion against the world Amanda tries to craft for him, exemplified in his often sarcastic tone and irate attitude when speaking to her.

The best acting of all, however, came from Kouddous. His portrayal of stereotypical American, Joe, came with arrogance and self-assuredness.

His polite manner and natural charisma showed, though, and made him the most easily likeable character of all, despite the billing.

Although not portrayed by an actor,

the missing father, through a portrait hanging over the dining room table, served as an omnipresent specter of the abandonment and betrayal that continually haunted the family. Even as Tom continues to debate what to do with his life, he compares himself to his father and is forced to decide whether that is a livable or regrettable lifestyle.

Designers constructed the show’s technical aspects, including set, lighting and sound, largely free of glitches.

Each aspect of the set was at one point well-used by the actors. There was a working lamp sitting directly in front of the audience’s right, and upon a wooden table, the small and frail glass menagerie placed in front of the audience on the left.

The set reflected the result of Amanda’s upper-class tastes, yet it competed with the realities of having one minimum-wage worker in the family. Fancy lace tablecloths contrasted a couch obviously older and worse for wear.

The smaller, intimate nature of the Merrick Theater itself gave the actors’ portrayals even more credibility. In fact, the actors were not afraid to take advantage of direct interactions with the audience: before the show began, Amanda’s character made a personal request to the audience that they turn off their cell phones.

Strong lighting also contributed to the set’s advantageous design. Never was a character obscured from the audience, and the apartment’s terrace (the rear portion of the set, separated from the apartment itself by curtains representing a door) was always visible when characters were conversing.

As microphones weren’t an issue in the theater, the majority of the sound came from the scene changes, in which music composed of chimes and whistles would play. This gave the audience an eerie feeling, especially as they watched the actors move in the darkness to prepare the next scene.

glass menagerie Presented by BTC in Spingold, students preformed Tennessee Williams’ ‘The Glass Menagerie.’

photos by maya himelfarb/the hoot

December 7, 2012

The Brandeis Hoot

THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS 9

quickies- BET’s Quickies amazed and astounded last Friday in the SCC theater.

No qualms about Quickies

photos by ally eller/the hoot

editorials

10 The Brandeis Hoot

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

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

Volume 9 • Issue 28 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma

Founded By Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman

staff

Shota Adamia, Emily Beker, Emily Belowich, Dani Chasin, Dori Cohen, Ally Eller, Lassor Feasley, Ben Fine, Evan Goldstein, Maya Himelfarb, Paula Hoekstra, Brittany Joyce, Ari Kalfus, Rebecca Leaf, Nathan Murphy Needle, Aliya Nealy, Jake Newfield, Alexandra Patch, Max Randhahn, Brendan Reardon, Zoe Richman, Charlie Romanow, Alex Self, Diane Somlo, Sindhura Sonnathi, Jennifer Spencer, Sarah Sue Landau, Matthew Tagan, Alison Thvedt, Yi Wang, Shreyas Warrier, Pete Wein, Lila Westreich, Steven Wong, Linjie Xu 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.

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December 7, 2012

More efficient options than expanding Einstein’s hours

randeis Operations announced this week that Einsteins would be open 24-7 Monday through Thursday and until 2 a.m. Friday. To our fellow students, and admittedly several members of this editorial board, the news was welcomed. It is heartening to think the university is trying to better accommodate the needs of students, who invest a lot in the school and yet often experience lacking amenities.

While our Facebook feeds erupted with exclamations of joy, we would like to offer some even better ideas for the university to better meet the serious dining problems this campus faces. No time is worse than weekends when students likely need the most nutrition. On Friday nights, half of Usdan is closed and Sherman closes at the absurdly early time of 7 pm. And on Saturday, the

other half is open, with Einsteins closing soon after many students leave their rooms for the first time that day. Perhaps Einstein’s hours could have stayed the same for weekday nights, closing at 2 a.m., with the university expanding Usdan hours instead. While Usdan is likely more expensive, with more workers and equipment needed to function, an hour of Usdan on Friday night would undoubtedly be more profitable than many Einsteins morning hours.

Staying in the realm of Einsteins, perhaps a further extension of weekend hours would be more beneficial than the offering of bagels and coffee between 2 and 6 a.m. during the week. Einsteins closes particularly early on Fridays and Saturdays, at 4 and 3 p.m. respectively. If a change in hours happens at Einsteins, we feel it would make more sense to ex-

tend weekend hours, rather than staying open at 4 or 5 a.m. during the week.

The university has in recent years, coinciding nicely with the administration of President Fred Lawrence, offered an increase in the hours of various student services several times. The library is now open until 8 p.m. on Saturdays, two hours later than it had been a few years ago. The same is true of the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, and the C-store is now open two hours later at night on the weekends, until 2 a.m.

All of these are great steps. The university would do well to continue to put student comfort and amenities high up on its priorities list. But while the Einsteins 24-hour plan is a wonderful symbol, perhaps the resources can be put to even better use at other locations.

December 7, 2012

OPINION

The Brandeis Hoot 11

Let me introduce you to the Greenbean Recycling Machine

By Lila Westreich Staff

You may have noticed a new machine in the lower level of Usdan this semester. You’ve probably realized by now that it’s not a new vending machine or another ATM. The machine belongs to Greenbean Recycling Company. It’s part of a new initiative

by Greenbean founder Shanker Sahai and Students for Environmental Action (SEA) to encourage recycling and make refund collection on bottles and cans faster and easier on campus.

Greenbean Recycling is a relatively young company, founded in 2010.

Brandeis is the third college, after MIT and Tufts, to implement Greenbean technology.

The machine is surprisingly easy to use. You simply enter your account information, for which you can register at the machine, or sign in as a guest.

Next, place your bottle or can in the opening and watch the machine do the work for you. Once your container is inside, the machine uses lasers to read the UPC bar code on the container and separate plastic from aluminum and glass. It even uses a special “soft drop” bin for glass to keep glass from breaking inside the machine.

If you’ve ever been deterred from trying out the machine due to a red, blockaded opening, the machine was full. When this happens, another set of lasers counts how many containers are inside and sends a message to Greenbean headquarters to let them know it needs to be emptied.

The Greenbean machine is pretty smart, too. Not only can it tell the type of material you put in, but it can also tell you the energy benefit of recycling the container instead of tossing it in the trash. The numbers it spits out are based on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Individual Waste Reduction Model, or iWarm. The machine does these calculations in real-time, so you can see your environmental impact right away. If you’re interested, you can also share the number of containers you’ve recycled and your overall energy savings on

graphic by linjie xu/the hoot

Facebook.

The task of emptying the machine falls on Taylor Early ’15.

“I’m an intern, or Greenbean Ambassador,” Early said. “My duties so far have involved emptying the machine

and checking up on its well-being: making sure it’s running, cleaning it and fixing jammed gears.”

Early uses a special key to unlock the machine where the materials have been crushed into two blue bins lined

with plastic bags. Afterward, she places these bags into a container on the loading dock. In addition to performing her other Ambassador responsibilities, the machine is emptied once or twice a day.

“I’m also in charge of advertising any challenges that Greenbean Recycle may be running, like the 10-cent November challenge, as well as public outreach and running maintenance tests on the machine and website,” she said.

Early learned about the machine through SEA last year: “We were brainstorming new ways to get the campus more involved and excited about recycling and the idea of a reverse vending machine was brought up.” After some research, Early and others learned about Greenbean.

Bringing the machine to campus was made possible through the Brandeis Sustainability Fund (BSF), which puts a small amount of each student’s tuition into a fund of $50,000 for projects aimed at making Brandeis a more sustainable community.

“I started applying for the BSF in September and was awarded funding for one machine in December, which was installed in Usdan in April,” Early said. “It’s important to me that Brandeis becomes an institution that not only plays a part in the environmental movement but also becomes a frontrunner and sets an example for other schools.”

A good reason to consider saving your recyclables and bringing them to the Greenbean machine is that sometimes recyclables placed in blue bins are not actually recycled. That’s not to say that the Facilities staff is not doing its job, but if just one person throws their mango smoothie into a blue bin, the entire bag will be compromised and thrown into the main trash bins.

It is not the job of the staff to root through recycle bins and pick out non-recyclable trash.

At my summer job, I emptied the trash and recycling canisters in my hometown plaza. I was told during job training that if I could see food near the top, I had to throw the entire bag into the dumpster. And even if the bin was not compromised with food, I had to place it in a separate area and remember to put it in the recycling See RECYCLING, page 14

The facts about finals

By Gordy Stillman Editor

Sometimes finals go better than expected. Sometimes they remind us that classes can be torture.

Sometimes they appear in the form of papers due during finals period and sometimes they are papers due before classes even finish.

I’m not about to complain about homework—I’ve already done that—and plenty of other writers have written columns about managing coursework and finals. But it should never come to the point in a semester where more than half of my finals are due before the finals period begins.

Honestly, my finals schedule is not as brutal as in prior semesters.

I have one exam, one extensive paper and one group project involving a presentation and a paper.

Last spring, I had to start working on finals during spring break; I wrote an average of 1.5 pages per day, every day through finals.

Since the week before Thanks-

giving, I’ve been churning through books almost constantly. Over the Thanksgiving break, I often tore myself away from friends and family in order to get enough work done. Flights to and from Boston, accounting for three hours each way, served as great chances to pour through books and prepare to write papers when I got back to Brandeis.

Many professors and peers make a point about the importance of time management as it is a student’s responsibility to manage time properly. That said, there are only 24 hours in a day and some of those hours must be dedicated to sleep or rest. While plenty of students have pulled all-nighters, it simply should not be a necessity.

Before finals period, it’s hard enough to catch up on readings and problem sets and write all of the papers assigned for classes that don’t serve as final projects.

When a single paper is worth more than 25 percent of a grade, it automatically warrants a large share of attention and work. As-

signing these papers with due dates before finals begins fundamentally hinders the ability to produce a high quality paper. By having papers due during finals, students have the time to work on them properly. Granted, during finals, papers compete with exams and other assignments, but that is also true before finals begin. A key difference is that before finals there’s the added time constraint of classes, regular assignments and club activities. When assignments pile up, club participation is one of the first things to go.

I can understand easily enough that professors hope their students will consider their class as the highest priority. If I ever were to teach a class, I’d definitely want students to take the class seriously and consider it a priority. Yet, a standard semester at Brandeis involves four classes and possibly a lab if one is a science class. I trust that in most classes I’ve taken, professors have been aware that students have demanding workloads from other classes. But on rare oc-

casions professors have assigned 10-page papers with a particularly small window of time to complete them.

As I write this, I’ve managed to get a good handle on the papers and presentations I’ll have to finish in the coming days. Unfortunately, I have only managed this by postponing another important set of deadlines—graduate school applications.

Even with those sent, my homework forecast still shows high chances of spending winter break, including a trip to Florida to celebrate my grandparents’ 50th anniversary, churning out essays for various schools. Graduate school and job applications are not inherently something that every student deals with in a given semester, but it all ties back to finals.

If finals, whether they are in the form of exams, group projects, or term papers ranging from 10 to 20 pages, were—as a rule—never due until after the last day of classes, it would not only benefit students who struggle with time manage-

ment, but it would also benefit students who are already adept at such skills.

At least once in my time at Brandeis, I neglected to keep up with the weekly readings for a class because I was spending the time writing a term paper for another class. Instead of reviewing for the class during finals, I found myself simply catching up by the time finals actually started.

Sometimes one class becomes a higher priority than another, and whether it’s because of a major, minor or university requirement, it happens. Unfortunately, it’s never a comfortable feeling to know that because one or two classes assign pre-finals finals, I might have to fall back in other classes and hope to catch up by the end.

Not counting the possibility of finals after Brandeis, It’s my penultimate series of finals. At least by now I’ve developed a basic routine for handling the work that hasn’t led me wrong. The key is to stick with it even when finals before finals period try to throw you off.

12 OPINION

The Brandeis Hoot

December 7, 2012

The housing option hassle

By Jennifer Spencer Staff

When housing selection rolls along, a few lucky participants will receive great numbers. These low numbers earn them selection among the best housing on campus, which is generally agreed upon as Ridgewood suites for upperclassmen: there is air conditioning and new modern architecture. Life at Brandeis is good.

If your friends are lucky, you will include them and make their lives better for the year as well. A low lottery number, however, may be hard to come by.

Unfortunately, a large number of students receive high lottery numbers. At the very least, high numbers can get you anything but your top choice housing. With extremely high numbers, your search for on-campus housing turns to a search for offcampus housing. People utilize the Facebook housing group to search for openings, post their interest in finding off-campus housing and find people who are also looking for roommates.

A similar sort of housing dilemma occurs if you, like myself, were planning on studying abroad next semester but no longer plan to do so. We are being replaced by Midyears in the Village and have a few on-campus options but are limited because not too many rooms are still available.

Those without housing, who no longer wish to live in the dorms, or are

graphic by janet jun zhao/the hoot

not happy with the choices available, have the world of off-campus housing to browse through. There are a plethora of options, ranging from large houses with many rooms to smaller apartments with several occupants, and you can search based on preferences.

Finding off-campus housing is far more time-consuming than the room selection process on campus. Because of the time crunch, I found myself

desperately searching for a comfortable place not too far from campus.

When looking at off-campus housing, you must consider utilities and commute distance; whether or not the room is furnished; who you’re roommates will be; and the number of rooms/bathrooms are also important considerations. When searching for last minute off-campus housing, you may not know your roommates well, or only have met them briefly. If

you have a car, you have to switch to an off-campus parking permit. You may also have to pay additional rent if your landlord only wants to lease for a minimum amount of time but longer than the semester period.

Still there are many benefits to making the move. The cost may be cheaper or similar even though there are many more amenities in the apartment or house. Living on South Street, to where many students move

off campus, there are plenty of other students in houses surrounding you.

Many parties are also held off campus and so you may end up meeting more people and increasing social activity.

You can also invite more people over to your house off campus rather than in a crowded dorm room.

Some of the suites on campus are attractive but having a house is more beneficial: having laundry machines that you only have to share with your housemates, a spacious kitchen (which saves money by avoiding a meal plan) and a parking spot right by the house.

You may also feel more immersed in the Waltham community if you are living off campus. In fact, one is less inclined to explore the surrounding neighborhoods when studying for class and sleeping on campus. Community members live in the neighborhoods as well, adding to a feeling of being more a part of the Waltham community outside of Brandeis.

Living off campus provides more of a taste of living on your own than oncampus housing. While you do have to deal with utilities and other bills, this is how the real world works. It’s a beneficial experience when looking for a place to live after you graduate.

It’s especially appealing when you can find an off-campus gem, a reasonably-priced option with furnishing and other amenities.

The best of both worlds can be achieved if you beat the rush, look in advance and find a place close to campus that has several room openings so you can convince your friends to join you.

Don’t debate the debate

By Josh Kelly Staff

I saw a Facebook event for a lecture titled “Brandeis v. Yale Public Debate: Should Israel Assassinate Iranian Nuclear Scientists?” Upon seeing the invitation, I honestly thought little of it.

Being on the debate circuit, you become somewhat desensitized as you are exposed to so many different ideas.

After two and a half years debating, I have come to feel that almost no topic is taboo. In my time debating, I have argued topics ranging from contractual necrophilia (don’t ask) to the South’s secession from the Union in 1860 (bitter memories with this case). This Facebook event, however, elicited an outraged response from some and I feel that it is important to to explore why people found it so offensive. This event is not only acceptable, but is indeed important to have. While I am a member of the Brandeis debate team, I do not represent the team, but rather am speaking as an individual. What follows is merely my take on events.

Soon after the creation of the Facebook event, people started commenting on the event wall, stating that the debate was offensive. Some simply said that it was offensive, while others actually pointed out ways in which it could be retooled to make it better. The core idea that I got though, was that it was ridiculous to have an event at Brandeis in which anyone would be de-

fending assassinations of nuclear scientists. This feeling could hail from a variety of sources.

I would, however, say that it boils down to a mentality against intervention in general and particularly the neo-imperialist interventions of Western countries and their allies in the affairs of other nations. Furthermore, there is the feeling that it is wrong to kill in general and particularly wrong to kill civilians who do not have explicit ties to military operations.

While I respect these criticisms, I still feel that the event is acceptable. The core premise behind any debate is that there is a rational argument for each side. One can look at a question and decide that they agree more with one side—perhaps passionately so—and yet this kind of assessment does not deal with rationality. In order to figure out if an idea is rational, you only need to establish whether or not a reasonable person could understand the argument in favor of it.

In the case of this public debate, people were offended by one side and immediately claimed that that side was irrational. They, however, should have thought more about how one could justify the point of view that they disagreed with so much. While I am personally against assassinations of nuclear scientists, there is a rationale for it. Someone in the Israeli government could look at the level of uranium enrichment in Iran and decide it is likely that Iran is producing nuclear weapons. Therefore, the argument

follows, one civilian assassination would be acceptable for the purpose of preserving the lives of many other civilians who could die on both sides in the event of a nuclear conflict. No one has to agree with this rationale and, in fact, I call on people to argue against it. But no one can deny that it is there and that there is a rational explanation for it.

Furthermore, this event will help further Brandeis’ path of acceptance of a wide range of ideas. People have been offended by visiting guests such as Noam Chomsky and yet the campus survived. The reason is that since so many ideas have the potential to offend, it is infeasible to avoid offending someone without constraining our dialogue to the point that we only hear the most moderate, agreeable ideas possible. Rather than try to make everyone happy, we should feel comfortable putting out extreme viewpoints and creating an open forum in which people can argue against ideas with which they disagree.

This not only makes everyone feel that their opinion is welcome, but it furthermore creates the most stimulating intellectual environment possible, with everyone testing their ideas against polar opposites.

When they complained, many people automatically assumed that their viewpoint was correct. Yet the mere fact that a significant argument ensued shows that they may have underestimated opposition to their ideas.

The fact remains that this is

something the Israeli government is doing. Obviously someone finds it rational, or it would not be happening. It is crucial to have a dialogue to explore the reasons why it is still occurring even despite the fact that many people find it abhorrent. If someone disagrees with the action, it is only through understanding the other side and rhetorically clashing with it directly that he can show the efficacy of his point

of view.

I ask people to not discount the legitimacy of an idea on face value because of their visceral reactions to it. Just as I was willing to argue fervently against contractual necrophilia and did not get up and leave the room disgusted and angry, I would ask any person who was offended by this idea to attend the event and respectfully make your point of view heard during the discussion portion.

graphic by leah finkelman/the hoot

December 7, 2012

OPINION 13

The Brandeis Hoot

Long live the queens

By Nathan Koskella Editor

Without a trace of doubt, you have heard that the Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant. The news that the wife of Queen Elizabeth II’s grandson is carrying within her the future head of state of the Commonwealth nonetheless dazzled many. Here in America, where we once fought a bloody war to avoid a role as the shiniest jewel in the British crown, Prince William and Kate’s impending parenthood topped the nightly news Monday and the list of articles sent via email on The New York Times this week.

If Kate gives birth to a healthy baby girl late next summer, she will be the first British royal female ever declared an heir apparent. Last year, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the other 13 realms of which Elizabeth is monarch, finally agreed to abandon primogeniture, which says that sons have precedence over daughters.

In addition to congratulations from Americans such as Honey Boo Boo to President Barack Obama, William and Kate also elicited ancient, anti-monarchical commentary.

Last September the Commonwealth realms announced their decision on female heirs and the uninformed mocked this large gesture to the changing world and the power of women’s place in it with words against the institution itself.

Who cares if a girl can be queen in her own right, when being a king or queen is evil? Haters constantly

declare, with various bouts of indignant fury, that the royal family subverts the will of the people, wastes too much money or is generally bygone, a cocktail party and journalese word for bad. Or just not cool enough for our esteemed modern sensibilities.

As a student of comparative poli-

tics and even more so as an American living in the age of the most powerful man in the nation, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, I can’t help but scoff at put-downs on governmental terms of the very popular Elizabeth or William and Kate. The parliamentary-supreme monarchy of Britain performs

graphic by yi wang/the hoot

exactly what one could hope: it’s democratic with universal suffrage and constantly turning out decisions, whether legislative or judicial, that are at the cutting edge of human rights law. The House of Commons, the only real power in London no matter what some say about the House of Lords, may have

redistricting problems as much as the next lower house, if much, much worse than the one we have across the pond. But the Commons produces parties with mandates to govern and leaders who are more democratically removable if they overreach.

Compare the monarchy, and the Lords, to our upper house. Yes, some Lords are hereditary, though very few now: most are actually former has-been politicians now serving symbolically for life, much like Senators John McCain and John Kerry.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is guaranteed a seat in the Lords. But unlike Britain, we Americans make the mistake of giving our more undemocratic house great power! The Senate is the most elite institution in the United States, yet nothing can change in this nation without it. And the Senate does not even operate on democratic principles among its undemocratic makeup: a party controlling and representing about 30 percent of the population can veto any action. The president’s veto isn’t even that good.

It’s a relevant fact that every few years, nations change their system of government. About the only nations with presidents like ours, with long, safe terms, vetoes and freedom from the politics of the day in the democratic legislature, are U.S. satellites like the Philippines (who recently announced a change to a premier system!) and some of Latin America. An uttering of “Mr. See ROYALTY, page 14

Knowing when to walk away

By Aliya Nealy Staff

The worst part about feelings is that they can change so suddenly. One day you can look at someone and everything they do can appear to be flawless, but then a few days later you start to see a few imperfections. Within a week you’re not sure how you could have ever thought that this person was so magical.

Whether or not they are explicitly defined, and although usually not this quickly, feelings in relationships change over time. Feelings change because we constantly evolve ourselves, particularly in college. There comes a point where your feelings have done a complete 180-degree turnaround and you know the relationship is no longer the right thing. Reaching this

point means recognizing it’s time to walk away. One of the things most detrimental to your emotional sanity is staying in a situation that no longer makes you happy.

In theory, most people know this and agree. Unfortunately, we live in a world filled with complexity rather than straightforward decisions. Often times it’s a lot harder to decide whether or not you should walk away from a relationship than simply deciding whether or not it makes you happy.

Consequently, some of us stay in relationships that no longer add to our happiness but rather, detract from it.

At Brandeis, I’ve noticed a common reason for people choosing to stay in a relationship they don’t necessarily want to be in. Some think it’s better to be with someone that previously made you happy or occasionally makes you happy than to be alone. Given the small

population on campus, once people get into a relationship, they think it’s easier to stay with that person even when they aren’t particularly happy. They think it’s better than being alone while you find someone better for you.

I’ve also found that two other main issues complicate the decision of walking away from a relationship: not wanting to leave your partner unhappy and not wanting to walk away because the relationship creates conflicting feelings.

First, Brandeis students should never settle. You should never stay with someone because it’s easier than being alone. There are billions of people on this planet and any one of them could be the right person for you. But I do understand how easy it is to forget this fact when you attend a school with only a few thousand students.

If you’re in a relationship and it’s de-

tracting from your happiness you can walk away and know that there will be another, and most likely better, relationship in time to replace the one you leave. It’s easy to get comfortable and complacent in a relationship at a place as small as Brandeis. That does not mean, however, that you shouldn’t walk away from something that no longer serves its original purpose of contributing to your happiness.

Happiness is under your control when it comes to relationship decisions. If someone is no longer adding to your happiness you are entitled to make space in your life for something that will. Don’t allow complacency to keep you from your own bliss.

Second, staying with someone when you feel unhappy just so that they don’t suffer is a terrible reason. Your primary obligation is to ensure personal happiness. You are never required to stay

with someone because it will bring your partner joy if it’s not doing the same for you. You both began the relationship because at one time you made one another happy. So if your partner is negatively impacting your life, you can walk away.

Lastly, there’s the issue of emotionally draining relationships. If someone or something is draining you of happiness, energy or sanity, that is a relationship you need to let go. Often times, it’s hard to let go of something draining you when there are still moments of true happiness. Yet, making a decision requires balancing the two and weighing the tradeoffs.

Ultimately, the decision to walk away from a relationship is entirely up to you. Make the best decision for you because you’re the one that has to live with the decision both now and further down the line.

graphic by yi wang/the hoot

14 OPINION

The Brandeis Hoot

December 7, 2012

Patience needed in scientific discovery

By Daniel Koenigsberg Special to the Hoot

NASA recently released their findings of soil samples from Mars but only after initially peddling back from their original claims. In the past month, speculation surfaced that NASA’s Curiosity rover discovered evidence potentially unveiling the possibility of life on Mars.

In an interview with NPR on Nov. 13, the mission’s chief scientist, John Grotzinger, called implicit evidence in recent data sent back from the Mars rover, “one for the history books.”

To the amateur scientists of the world, the news sounded striking.

The suggestion of possible contamination appeared indicative of the discovery of organic molecules.

Naturally, NASA had to review the data for accuracy and ensure that contamination from earth had no influence. The process took nearly a month and while the discovery has not yet been completely verified and the carbon could still be contamination from Earth, NASA officials felt comfortable enough to announce the findings.

During the wait, however, NASA backpedaled on their claims for fear of creating too great an expectation.

In an attempt to clear up misconceptions, Media Manager Veronica McGregor tweeted, “What did I discover on Mars? That rumors spread fast online. My team considers this whole mission one for the history books.”

While finding organic molecules on Mars may be indicative of life, it is not necessarily so. Previous missions to Mars reported data that seemed to exhibit—when met with certain chemicals—that Martian soils released gasses similar to those released during the process of cellu-

lar respiration. This can be attributed to life or it can be attributed to the high energy UV light that permeates the Martian atmosphere, making chemistry on Mars much unlike that on Earth.

The device used by Curiosity to make this claim is called SAM, or Sample Analysis at Mars. SAM is built to look for organic compounds including methane. It also seeks to sort out the heavier isotopes.

The presence of carbon on Mars is not necessarily indicative of life.

Likely enough, contamination could have been brought in by asteroids.

It is not as though we have not been searching for carbon on Mars for a long time. What the Curiosity rover brings to the table in SAM is the ability to search for organic compounds of microbial life. Yet these have been found before and even now it is difficult to determine whether they are the product of life or strange Martian chemistry. It will be some time before NASA can sort out whether the Martian carbon was created on Mars. Even then, more is necessary to prove evidence of life than simply carbon.

Organic molecules can also exist without the presence of life. NASA states that “the search for organic molecules is particularly important in the search for life on Mars, because life as we know it cannot exist without them, though they can exist without life.”

But what if life exists in a form that is not as we know it? Andreas Rauch, an astrophysics Ph.D. student at Brandeis, explained that the issue with the Mars rover technology is that by the time a rover reaches Mars, its ability to discern life is already out of date with our current understanding of life. This is largely because the plans for the rover take so long to be realized after their conception.

Royalty’s rewards ROYALTY, from page 13

President” is in fact globally more likely to refer to a dictator than to the head of state of a democracy.

Queen Elizabeth never violates the democratic will. Legislative minorities, and even presidents, do.

A prime minister cannot do so for long, because they can be removed by their party in between elections as they are appointed by Parliament. If a leader is popular with the public, he beats his party allies in the House into line because their ticket is the same; and best of all, that leader is given full legislative and executive powers to enact his (or her, Britain, this backward dystopia, has put up a female leader!) agenda. A prime minister, and thus his flock, never has to settle for half-a-loaf of reform because of a minority of unrepresentative others. The idea that Labour, trounced in the last elections, could halt David Cameron’s Conservative agenda before voters even got to see if they liked it would gall voters anywhere else but in America. Here we would rather get half each of two ideas, two jobs both compromised, halffinished, than try one idea first and then the other, deciding which one we like best after both parties get a chance to show us what they can do.

Looking just at results, what proposed liberal or progressive arguing for the monarchy’s abolition

can say the governments of Britain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands, all constitutional monarchies with strong and representative parliaments, aren’t getting the job done better than, well, everyone else?

The monarchy, in addition to being a guarantor of this wise way to run a country, is not a waste of money: it’s more a brilliant ad ploy.

It makes, for the U.K. alone, about $70 billion in profit each year!

There’s a good reason it’s still called Her Majesty’s Treasury.

Thankfully for small-d democrats and British fiscal hawks alike, the monarchy is more popular than it has been in years. Queen Elizabeth’s 60th year on the throne was celebrated this year with public demonstrations including hundreds of millions of her citizens and well-wishing tourists. William and his wife Kate, who will someday be queen herself, are adored. And yes, we can legitimately take progressive cheer in the fact that the next ruler after them will rule someday, whether male or female, potentially a queen unlike her mother and earlier than Elizabeth.

Kate is about 12 weeks pregnant.

Too bad Kate and William couldn’t hold out until after Halloween, perhaps Thanksgiving, to have conceived, because this American studies major nonetheless appreciates the monarchy and wishes the future king or queen could have been born on his own August birthday.

photo from internet source

The SAM technology, however, is specifically built for detecting the possibility of life. Methane is by no means a rare element in our solar system or throughout the exo-planets at which we’ve looked. But being able to sort out the heavier isotopes of carbon is a useful tool.

The ratios of heavy elements to their normal states is essentially a determined value by solar nucleosynthesis, Professor John Wardle (PHYS) said. Through this process, elements are generated in stars. If the atmospheric ratio deviates from the solar expected ratio, this can help us determine when Mars lost its atmosphere. This is done under the assumption that over time the lighter

isotopes would have escaped the atmosphere more frequently. Mars likely lost its atmosphere when it became exposed to solar winds, which would have happened when Mars lost its magnetic field.

SAM is equipped with a gas chromatograph, a quadruple mass spectrometer and a tunable laser spectrometer. The gas chromatograph sorts out gasses, separating them by mass. The quadruple mass spectrometer is capable of sorting gasses by molecular weight and also capable of identifying them. It receives the gases from the chromatograph. The tunable laser spectrometer analyzes which wavelengths of light are absorbed by the atmosphere in order to

determine the ratios and concentrations of chemicals important to life.

These tools work together for the sole purpose of detecting the possibility of life, whether present or past, on Mars.

The evidence announced by NASA, though, doesn’t prove the existence of green men or even singlecell organisms. Carbon is important but we are left with little more than we started: a possibility.

The Curiosity rover is well-named; the possibility of life on Mars continues to pique our curiosity. But we must also be patient. We may never be gratified with full proof of even the faintest possibility of extraterrestrial life.

Recycling for real RECYCLING, from page 11

later. The chances that those bottles and cans actually made it to the recycling center were very low.

The same is true of most facilities departments. I wasn’t being paid to sort through other people’s garbage, and our Facilities staff shouldn’t be expected to do so either. It is up to you to make sure that those bottles are get-

ting recycled. The best way to do this is through direct deposit of your materials into the Greenbean machine.

Not only are you guaranteeing that your recyclables will actually be recycled, but you’re also earning money that can be deposited or donated to charity. Setting up a PayPal account is necessary if you want to keep the 5 or 10 cents earned per recyclable or if you want to give it to charity.

“In my mind, the machine speaks to advertisement

the idea that everyone can do a small part in a big movement,” Early said.

“Not only are students removing their containers from the eventual landfill that trash goes into, but they are able to see their impact in energy savings in real-time and are being rewarded for it in a paperless fashion. Brandeis is committed to social justice as a community, but few realize that environmental justice and social justice go hand-in-hand.”

SPORTS

December 7, 2012

The Brandeis Hoot 15

Women’s basketball breaks three-game losing streak

By Dani Chasin Staff

Bringing their overall record to 3-4, the women’s basketball team split their past two games against Daniel Webster College and UMass Dartmouth.

The win against Daniel Webster last Saturday relieved the Judges of a three-game losing streak and the match-up against UMass Dartmouth on Monday was so closely contested that it ended in a 50-49 defeat.

Coach Carol Simon described the team’s performance so far this season as inconsistent, explaining the shift in play after the Thanksgiving break.

“After Thanksgiving, we have hit a little bump in the road and are trying to get back to where we were before the holiday,” Simon said. “The things we need to improve on are valuing the basketball, taking care of the ball and not turning the ball over as much as we have. Our expectations are that we work hard each day and get better every day.”

Against Daniel Webster on Saturday, the Judges proved to be back on track as they came out with a huge win, with their overall field-goal percentage at 42.4 percent, compared to the Eagles’ 37.7 percent.

Early baskets made by the Judges enabled them to dominate the first half with 40 points, allowing only 16 points from the Eagles. By the 12th minute, the Judges already held the lead 11-2 and continued their offensive rally for the rest of the period.

While nearly doubling the number

of points scored in the first half, the second half of the game saw a more aggressive Daniel Webster team try to catch up to Brandeis. The Judges, who added 31 more points in the second period, finished the game with a score of 71-53, which is a significant scoring improvement from their past games this season where they couldn’t break 52 points.

The Judges’ starters, alone, contributed 49 of the 71 points. Junior guard Kasey Dean, the leading scorer for the team, recorded a career-high 13 points.

Both senior forward Erika Higginbottom and sophomore guard Hannah Cain tallied 12 points each.

Rookie guard Samantha Mancinelli ’15 added nine points and Samantha Anderson ’13 tallied three points after scoring a layup and nailing a free throw.

Dean, team captain and top scorer in both games, credits the consistency in her offensive game to her team’s improvement in making plays and moving the ball.

“During the past games I have been able to score more because it has been easier to get in rhythm with the game and the team,” the Connecticut native said. “They are more confident in me and my abilities—and so am I—so it works out nicely.”

She also added that the nail-biting score in the UMass Dartmouth game barely reflected the Judges’ actual performance.

“In the past two games I have been very proud of my team [and] the last game could have gone either way.

There was a point where we were

it’s a trap Hannah Cain ’15 prepares to pass the ball out of a defensive trap.

down and could have given up but that did not happen. Everyone has done a great job battling every game regardless of the score,” Dean said.

In the game against the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs, the Judges shot 36.8 percent overall, while holding their opponents at 31.7 percent.

Finishing the first half in the lead at 20-18, the Judges added 29 points in the second half as UMass Dartmouth gained 32.

Until the very last minute, the Judges managed to take the lead at 49-48

Ocel and Spital earn All-American honors

By Brian Tabakin Editor

Both Sam Ocel ’13 and Dara Spital ’15 were named third-team All Americans by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

Ocel, who was also named the UAA player of the year, was instrumental in leading the Judges to an 18-3-1 record and a final NSCAA ranking of 13th in the country as the program enjoyed a resurgence onto the national stage.

In the Judges run to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament, Ocel accounted for all three of their goals scored in wins against Baruch College and Vassar College. Ocel tallied 13 goals on the season, including nine game-winners.

Ocel finished the season 15th on the all-time Judges scoring list with 23 goals and 19 assists for a total of 65 points. He is the sixth Brandeis player to be named an All-American and fifth under Coach Mike Coven, but he is the first to be given the honor since 1996.

Ocel will continue his career next season as a graduate student after granted an extra year of eligibility for an injury that caused him to miss the entirety of his sophomore season.

Spital, a transfer from Division I University of Central Florida, helped lead the women’s program to a record of 16-5-2 and a final ranking of eighth in the NSCAA coaches poll.

It was the most successful season in school history as the team reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament before falling to Misericordia University.

Spital was the team’s leading scorer this season with 14 goals and five assists for a total of 33 points. In addition to being named an All-American, Spital was also named a first-team allUAA selection as her 33 points tied

and then fell to the Corsairs with five seconds left as one of their players made a jump shot to end the game 49-50.

Dean led the way in scoring for the Judges with 12 points, while Cain tallied seven and guard Janelle Rodriguez ’14 gained six. Both Cain and Anderson dominated in rebounds, contributing seven each.

Although the season has seen a rocky start, the Judges hope to have found their footing as they go back to basics and make sure every player is

Editor

photo courtesy brandeis athletics

perfect footwork Dara Spital ’15 weaves past her

photo courtesy brandeis athletics

as he prepares to put a shot on goal.

defender to get in position.

for first in the conference.

She becomes the fifth All-American selection in program history and the second in the past four years; however, she is the only Judges’ player

to receive the honor before her senior season.

Spital will return with the majority of her teammates to continue their success next season.

on the same page.

“A key to our future success is in small simple things that we need to continue to work on,” Dean said.

In order to keep the momentum rolling, the captain says the team needs to unify toward a common goal.

“My role on this team has changed as the team has changed and as I have learned and gotten older. Everyone on the team has a role and our success depends on how well everyone completes their role,” she said.

Men’s basketball runs winning streak to six games

By Brian Tabakin

targeting the goal Sam Ocel ’13 moves past his defender

photo by maya himelfarb/the hoot

The Judges continued their recent success this past week, destroying their opponents by an average of 17.3 points per game in their wins over Becker College, Lasell College and Massachusetts College of the Liberal Arts (MCLA). With the wins, the Judges improve to 7-1 on the season.

Their lone loss coming in the first game of the season against Rhode Island College.

Against Becker last Saturday, the Judges jumped out to an early lead after a pair of free throws from Ben Bartoldus ’14. Becker, however, responded with hot perimeter shooting and a scoring run to take the lead.

The game featured contrasting styles as the Judges attempted to pound the ball inside the paint to utilize the substantial size advantage while Becker focused on their streaky outside shooters in an effort to negate the Judges’ advantage.

The Judges took a four-point lead into halftime after closing out the first half with a 5-1 run. In the second half, the Judges continued to feed their players down low while Becker continued their streaky shooting from beyond the arc to stay in the game.

The Judges, however, pulled away behind their own perimeter shooters. Guard Derek Retos ’14 put on a shooting clinic in the second half, knocking down six three-pointers to give the Judges a double-digit lead that they would not relinquish as they went on to defeat Becker 77-62.

After failing to register double-digit points through the first five games of the season, Retos went 7 for 11 from

the field, with all of his shots made from beyond the arc, while also nailing two free throws. Center Youri Dascy ’14 finished with 12 points, four rebounds and a block on 5 for 5 shooting. Guard Gabriel Moton ’14 stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Forward Alex Stoyle ’14 grabbed eight boards while forward Kevin Trotman ’16 added a career-high eight points off of the bench.

In their next game, the Judges traveled to face Lasell College. Retos once again had the hot hand for the Judges, nailing seven three-pointers—for the second game in a row—while tying a career-high with 28 points.

For most of the first half, the Judges had struggled to create separation as they held a slim 10-9 advantage. With 10 minutes to go in the half, they used a mammoth 21-6 run to close out any worry. Retos punctuated this by taking a 31-15 advantage into the locker room.

Retos nearly single-handedly outscored the Lasers as he posted 14 points before the break.

Coming out of the locker room, Lasell scored the first nine points of the second half to cut their deficit to seven, but Dascy responded by scoring the next seven points for the Judges to push their lead back to double-digits.

Lasell would continue to attempt to make runs but the Judges responded each time. Retos finally put the game away with a pair of back-to-back three-pointers near the 10-minute mark of the second half to give the Judges a 15-point lead they would not give up.

See BASKETBALL, page 16

16 SPORTS

The Brandeis Hoot

December 7, 2012

Judges offense hitting on all cylinders BASKETBALL, from page 15

In addition to Retos’ hot hand, Moton contributed 12 points, four rebounds and three assists while Dascy contributed nine points and a gamehigh eight rebounds.

The Judges returned home the next day for a matchup against MCLA. The first half of the game was tightly contested as the Judges took a slim two-point lead into halftime behind 11 first-half points from Bartoldus.

In the the second half, however, the Judges put on their best shooting performance of the season as they shot a blistering 65 percent from the field, connecting on 16 of their first 22 shots. Stoyle and Dascy dropped 13 and 12 points respectively in the second half while Retos tallied eight of his 10 points in the second frame.

In a combined effort, the trio went 10 for 15 in the second half as the Judges outscored the Trailblazers 52-33 on their way to a convincing 86-65 victory.

Guard Colby Smith ’16 led all players with seven dimes while Stoyle matched his career-best with five assists. Wouter van der Eng ’13 finished with six points and six boards as Brandeis once again made an advantage of their size, rebounding the Trailblazers 35-31 and outscoring them in the paint 30-16. Bartoldus led all players with 18 points while also leading the Judges with seven rebounds.

Brandeis will return to action on Saturday as they travel to take on Amherst at 3 p.m. The Judges next home game will be on Jan. 5 against NYU in their first UAA contest of the season.

Swimming Results Swimmer

Place

Event

Time

Max Fabian ‘15

First

1000-free

9:56.44

Max Fabian ‘15

First

500-free

4:58.31

Brian Luk ‘16

First

100-free

48.98

Brian Luk ‘16

Second

100-fly

55.61

Brian Luk ‘16

Second

50-free

23.01

First

50-free

26.44

Theresa Gaffney ‘16

Second

1000-free

11:52.90

Fay Laborio ‘16

Second

200-back

2:20.67

Fay Laborio ‘16

Second

100-back

1:06.11

Padraig Murphy ‘16

Second

200-back

2:08.12

Fallon Bushee ‘16

protecting the ball Derek Retos ’14 holds the ball

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

Holly Spicer ‘13

Second

200-breast

2:34.22

Lauren Cruz ‘16

Second

500-free

5:37.14

Eliza Kopelman ‘15

Second

Diving

184.87

Eliza Kopelman ‘15

Second

Diving

167.55

before rising up to shoot over his defender.

photo courtesy brandeis athletics

Coven named DIII Coach of the Year

By Brian Tabakin Editor

The National Soccer Coaches Association of America has selected men’s soccer coach Mike Coven as the 2012 New England Division III Coach of the Year.

Earlier this year, Coven was also named the UAA Coach of the Year for the second time in his 40-year career.

Coven guided the team to a regular season record of 16-2-1 including an 11-0-1 streak to start the season,

which established a school record 17game unbeaten streak dating back to the 2011 campaign.

Additionally, Coven helped lead the team to a 4-2-1 UAA record to claim a share of the UAA title for the first time in program history.

“This was one of my favorite years of coaching, so I’m thrilled to earn this honor,” Coven said in a press release. “I was blessed with a great group of seniors and unbelievable fan support that made this season a pleasure.”

Coven holds a career record of 460249-50 and a .639 winning percentage, placing him eighth among active Division III coaches in victories and ninth all-time in victories.

He has led his teams to 10 NCAA tournament appearances, including three trips to the final four including a national title in 1976 and a second place finish in 1984. He also has made 10 trips to the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III tournament, winning titles in 1994, 2006, 2010 and 2011.

sparring at brandeis Both the men and women’s fencing teams competed on Sunday, Dec. 2 in the Brandeis Invitational. The women’s squad finished 2-3 with wins against Yale and Johns

Hopkins and losses against UNC, St. Johns and Cornell while the men’s squad finished 1-3 with their lone win against Johns Hopkins with losses to Yale, St. Johns and UNC.

photo by jan volk/sportspix