The Brandeis Hoot 1/18/2013

Volume 10 Number 1

www.thebrandeishoot.com

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.

As flu gains momentum, community members urged to take precautions Vaccine in high demand

By Zach Reid Editor

As Flu gains momentum, communitWhile flu season is a yearly occurrence that many are accustomed to,

this season is especially vicious, with Boston seeing more than 750 cases— more than 10 times last year’s 70 cases. A few of the cases have become fatalities; the majority of victims include young children and those over the age of 65 (i.e. groups with traditionally weaker immune systems who are therefore more susceptible to the flu).

Diane Denning, Nurse Manager

at the Health Center, said that the Health Center had ordered more vaccines last week, and more are still coming in.

“The problem at this point is not a flu vaccine shortage,” Denning said, explaining there are multiple places where students can get the vaccine locally; these include the Health Center, See FLU, page 3

For Mandel, business a practice of values

photo by jon ostrowsky/the hoot

mandel Morton Mandel speaks about his career in business and philanthropy at his Palm Beach home in January.

By Jon Ostrowsky Editor

PALM BEACH, Fla. – Overlooking the palm trees and Atlantic Ocean through the spacious glass walls of his living room, Morton

Mandel, 91, speaks sharply on business strategy, values, university politics and family life.

Mandel, who cofounded Premier Industrial Corporation and invested $900 with his brothers in 1940, merging it more than five decades

Friends remember Jonathan Roth, class of 2014

By Rachel Hirschhaut Editor

Jonathan Roth ‘14, a beloved friend and member of the Brandeis Orthodox community from Teaneck, New Jersey died on Dec. 16. He was 21.

Roth was on leave from the university last semester and died from a drug overdose, according to The Record, a New Jersey newspaper.

“Jon was one of the first friends I made when I moved into my dorm freshman year,” Ricky Rosen ‘14 said.

Rosen and Roth lived across from each other during their freshman year in Reitman Hall. “From the first time I met him, I could tell that Jon was one of those rare people, who no matter how hard you tried, you just couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.

Jon will be missed by anyone who ever had the pleasure of coming into

later with Farnell Electronics for $3 billion, attributes his company’s fortune to rigorous hiring standards, along with principles and ethics being embedded into his corporate culture.

See MANDEL, page 5

WSRC spotlights violence against women

By Gilda DiCarli Staff

After the brutal rape of a 23-yearold medical student in New Delhi, the issue of violence against women has moved to the forefront of not only international conversation, but also the academic world. At the Brandeis Women’s Studies Research Center, resident scholar Rajashree Ghosh epitomizes the discussion: “I have a conflicting pain: I am proud of where I come from but then I know that women are not safe,” she said.

Ghosh’s work at the WSRC includes research of women’s roles in marginalized populations, especially the slums of New Delhi and exploring ways to enhance these roles by helping them become partners in social development, rather than simply as a beneficiaries.

In a recent article by Ghosh, published in India New England, she reacts and reflects on what she feels needs to be done after the assault and death of the New Delhi medical student. Since then, Indian citizens of both genders have begun to protest the government’s failure to respond to the events.

Professor Harleen Singh (SAS) insists this a time to recognize that, “this is not just a question of violence against women but is also a question of violence against humanity. It’s not something new or particular to just India.” There has to be a “global commitment to stopping violence against women,” she said.

Singh recently came back from a trip to India. She landed in Delhi, where the capital is practically shut down due to ongoing protests. “I’m just hoping that this will shake people out of their apathy,” she said.

Trapped by the notion of not being in New Delhi, but needing to participate in the protests, she organized a petition condemning violence against women in India addressed to Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi.

“As U.S. residents of Indian origin,” Ghosh said, “What is our responsibility given the circumstances? Are we not all affected?”

The petition calls for “increase[d] funding for forensic investigations, upgrading training of police to deal with sexual crimes and making expert post-trauma support available to victims.” According to the National Crime Records Bureau, a woman somewhere in India is raped every 25 minutes.

Vidya Sri, a survivor of forced marriage, was sexually assaulted on a trip to India. She subsequently founded Gangashakti.org, a website dedicated to combating forced marriage, and brought massive traffic to the petition by posting a link to the top of her site.

There are now more than 760 signatures on the petition.

Ghosh has also sent her input to a panel that has been set up under Justice Usha Mehra, which will review the public’s opinions and suggestions on the role of the police and what kind of reform can be put in place in reaction to the rape.

Rajashree has not only been active in her own research at the WSRC. She has also had a tangible impact at several levels of the Brandeis and Waltham community.

At the Heller School, she is an avid participant in the World Cultures Study Group, which meets every month, hosting conversations on gender issues as well as organizing public events on the Brandeis campus. Most See WRSC, page 3

Student Events holds indoor ‘Winter Wonderland’

contact with him.”

Other friends recalled Roth’s impact on their lives.

“Jon was a caring individual who persevered in all of his endeavors,” Adam Rabinowitz ’14 said. “He was a trustworthy individual who certainly could be counted on in any situation. He represented a individual that embodied the spirit of this great Brandeis community and should be remembered as such.”

Roth, an Economics major, had been involved in the Brandeis Libertarian-Conservative Union (BLCU), the center-right political club, and Brandeis Orthodox Organization (BOO), the Orthodox Jewish community.

Morris Didia ‘14, a co-president of BLCU, also remembers Roth’s approach to life.

See ROTH, page 2

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

winter Students ice skate in the SCC Atrium at the winter-themed program on Wednesday sponsored by Student Events.

‘Les Mis’ News: Lawrence names new Communications SVP Page 3 A revolutionary tale brings out Features: Alum explores counter terrorism law Page 6 emotion in ‘Les Misérables’ Arts, Etc.: Previewing A$AP Rocky’s new album Page 11 Arts, Etc.: Page 9 Opinion: UAA schedule in need of change Page 15 Sports: Men’s basketball continues winning streak Page 16

Inside this issue:

January 18, 2013

Israeli elections

NEJS Professors discuss next week’s elections in Israel.

News: Page 4

news

2 The Brandeis Hoot

January 18, 2013

Construction on MBTA may cause minor delays on Fitchburg line

By Zach Reid Editor

The Metro Boston Transit Authority is currently conducting construction on the Fitchburg commuter rail line, which serves Brandeis University and is the primary way for students to get to and from Boston and other surrounding towns.

The rail improvements may cause minor delays at points throughout this semester and the upcoming years, but should not result in any vast delays or service issues to students traveling in to Boston.

The Fitchburg line of the MBTA’s commuter rail system, which many students use to get to Boston, is a 50 mile-long corridor that connects Fitchburg to Boston, with a current total of 18 stops. The ride from each end of the line typically takes an hour and a half.

The plan is largely centered around enhancing safety and reducing transit time, according to the MBTA’s website. This includes both enhancements to the track itself, such as re-aligning portions and replacing/repairing bridge structures, and to infrastructure along the track, such as signals and track switches to help resolve freight-passenger conflicts. In addition, 8 more miles of the track will

photo by ingrid schulte/the hoot

receive double tracking in an effort to further reduce delays and congestion on the rail. Some commuter rail stations will also be improved, such

as South Acton and Littleton.

Another major component of the project is the addition of the Wachusett station, located in Fitchburg. The

station is a renovation of the previously decommissioned Wachusett station, and will include an overnight layover station for trains.

Upon completion in 2015, the station will serve as “a new terminal station conveniently located in proximity to Route 2,” according to the MBTA’s website.

Many students have complained about the unreliability of the rail. It seems other riders have echoed these sentiments. According to the MBTA’s website, the Fitchburg line has been “unreliable and unpredictable” in the past, and has seen declining ridership as a result.

Upon completion of the project, the MBTA projects a “service reliability increase from 83% to over 95% ontime performance;” this will be especially helpful to students who use the rail to travel to South Station for bus travel in the northeast during breaks, as they are often forced to plan in 2-3 hours of additional travel time.

Students have also complained about the fare increases that were enacted last year, and while the MBTA has not commented on whether there will be any changes in these, the project is described as trying to allow “reduced operating and maintenance costs, even while attracting new riders;” this presents the chance that they may be reduced, although it is highly unlikely the MBTA would alter the fares based on a single rail line’s profits.

Jonathan Roth remembered ROTH, from page 1

“The great thing about Jon was that he always had a smile on his face, and at our meetings he lightened the mood by cracking jokes, which was comforting for those of us who had a paper or test the next day.”

And Roth did more than amuse.

Those who knew him say he was the archetypical Brandeisian.

“I also remember him as thoughtful and caring. I received emails from him at various points apologizing for missing class or an assignment because he had been helping a friend go to the emergency room,” said Redenius.

“Jon was never afraid to speak his mind and had some different views than other members of the group,” said Didia. “But, he stood strong for

his beliefs and was an important member of the organization whose memory will not be forgotten.”

Professor Anne Carter (ECON), who taught the class “Social Priorities and the Market,” remembers Roth as a student with an “apologetic smile” and said he had a gift for expressing his complex views on the economy and the environment in class.

“He was a dear friend of our community and he will be greatly missed,” BOO President Ethan Stein ’15 wrote in an email to Hillel and the community in December.

“He was one of the most honest people I’ve ever known, one of the most sincere, and certainly one of the most loyal friends a person could have,” said Joshua Nass ‘14, of Jonathan Roth.

jonathan roth, left is remembered as the archetypal Brandeisian.

Student bitten by coyote, administrators urge caution

By Jon Ostrowsky Editor

A Brandeis student required medical treatment after being bit by an animal, possibly a coyote, Dec. 12, and university officials warned students to remain vigilant walking at night.

The student reported the incident occurring in the vicinity of Ziv Quad and the Shapiro Campus Center between 2 and 3 a.m., and described the coyote’s interaction as either a bite or a scratch, Brandeis Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan said.

He declined to provide information on the student’s medical condition as of Thursday afternoon. University police periodically receive reports of coyote sightings or coyote noises, Callahan said, noting the common occurrence in this part of Waltham.

“This section of Waltham periodically has sounds that are [similar] to coyotes,” he said last month.

When coyotes do appear during the day, they typically avoid direct contact with people. “It’s very strange for coyotes to approach humans because they’re supposed to be afraid of them,” Callahan said. “The animals stay away from humans unless you befriend them and leave food out.”

University police contacted officials from the Waltham Animal Control center, who relayed information to the Massachusetts Environmental Police. The center’s website contains information about coyote and fox sightings common on the south side of the city.

During warmer months, many nocturnal animals venture out during the day to feed in order to protect their young from predators at night, according to the center.

Signs of animals suffering from an illness include staggering, walking in circles, seizures, unusually tame

behavior, strange vocalizations and unprovoked aggression.

If approached by a coyote, people should not run but instead wave their arms, shout or make a loud noise by banging an object, Callahan said. Attempting to quickly run away will likely produce an immediate response.

While a van services the campus and Waltham area into the early morning hours, students can also arrange police escorts for transportation at any hour.

“Students are encouraged to utilize the Escort Safety Service for transportation assistance and contact the university police for on campus transportation assistance when the Escort Safety services completes their nightly schedule,” Callahan wrote in an email Wednesday evening.

Officials reminded anyone to contact the university police at 781-7365000 to report sightings of animals on campus.

photo from internet source

Parents of Roth file lawsuit against unknown drug dealers

By Jon Ostrowsky Editor

The parents of Jonathan Roth ’14, filed a lawsuit, alleging that unknown drug dealers sold him drugs on Dec. 16 before he died from an overdose later that day, according to The Record. Ruth and Philip Roth live in Teaneck, New Jersey.

The lawsuit in state Superior Court in Hackensack was filed under New Jersey’s “Drug Dealer Liability Act.” Under the 2001 law, users of illegal drugs or their relatives can sue dealers if they are harmed from the drugs.

While the state’s criminal laws enable prosecutors to charge a drug dealer with causing a drug-induced death, accompanied by a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, the liability act is a civil action, The Record

reported earlier this month.

“The civil justice system can provide an avenue of compensation for those who have suffered harm as a result of the marketing and distribution of controlled dangerous substances,” the law’s preamble states.

“The persons who have joined the marketing of controlled dangerous substances should bear the cost of the harm caused by that market in the community.”

An assistant in the office of the Roth’s attorney, Nancy Lucianna, told The Hoot that the parents are not trying to get any money, but rather seek information about their son’s death.

She disputed The Record’s report that the Roths filed the lawsuit to claim an “unspecified amount in compensatory damages.

January 18, 2013

NEWS 3

The Brandeis Hoot

Flu season worst in years FLU, from page 1

Walgreens and the Doctor’s Express Urgent Care Clinic.

Denning also urged students to obtain the vaccine as quickly as possible, citing that while the majority of students are not overly susceptible to the virus, those with cardiovascular, kidney, immuno-compromising or any other underlying health conditions are at a high risk of getting the flu, and should immediately become vaccinated.

When asked about the state of the flu in the community, Denning said that the Health Center had not seen many cases of the flu on campus, but rather flu-like illnesses. “We have seen some flu on campus, but nothing really acute,” Denning said. “The majority of samples that we have received and sent in for testing have not come back as positive for the flu.”

She added that these flu-like illnesses can create a risk of secondary infections such as pneumonia or bacterial conditions, however, and they should be looked to and treated as well.

In a “Flu Update” email to the Brandeis community, Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer asked that students work to help limit the spread of the flu. He asked that if a student has

de graffenreid

the flu, that while the flu is active he/ she “do not go to class, to meetings, to [a] campus job, or anywhere that will put [him/her] in contact with others,” and if a fever is present, “practice selfisolation until 24 hours after the fever has disappeared.”

Students are advised to cover their cough, wash hands often and avoid unnecessary holding, kissing or sharing of food, dishes or glasses with anyone who has a cold or the flu, according to the Health Center’s website; additional measures to ensure one’s health can also be found there.

These are only secondary defenses, however, as Denning, Sawyer and most other sources say that the best method to prevent getting flu is to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

In response to the growing outbreak of the virus, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino declared a public health emergency for the city, urging residents to take the outbreak seriously.

The outbreak is not only hitting Massachusetts. More than 30 states have reported notably high levels of “influenza-like illnesses.” Such a widespread outbreak of the flu is especially dangerous on college campuses, where close living quarters, classes and dining facilities present a high risk of transmission and infection.

photo by brian strickland/brandeisnow

Brandeis center speaks out against gender violence WSRC, from page 1

recently, Vidya Sri came and spoke about her experience with forced marriage, educating the Brandeis community of this practice taking place in the United States in a talk in December of last year.

Kelley Ready (HS), a senior lecturer at the Heller School, teaches courses on gender and reproductive rights. She also attests to Ghosh’s avid participation and support of students.

Alyssa Grinberg (GRAD), studying Sustainable International Development at the Heller School, considered possible options for completing the practicum, or applied research portion of the degree. Ghosh was “incredibly generous with her time,” said Grinberg, and connected her with several colleagues in India, following up with her periodically to check on her progress, she said. In fact, it was professor Laura Goldin (ENVS) that introduced Grinberg to Ghosh.

Goldin has invited Rajashree to speak to her students in her Environmental Health and Justice JBS, Housing for Good practicum involving the Brandeis/WATCH Housing Advocacy Clinic as they explore initiatives that help disadvantaged communities with poor access to “healthy food, clean water and safe housing,” she said. “Rajashree’s own work with the slum women of India offers great lessons to the students of the meaning and value of empowering women

in new ways. I’m deeply grateful for what she has been able to offer to the students in terms of her experience and insight, and for her generosity in offering her time and expertise,” said Goldin of Ghosh.

Ghosh is also on the Waltham Committee, where she is deeply involved in many projects in the local community. One such project for which she has triggered support is on the lines of empowerment. The bookstore located on Moody Street, “More than Words,” is part of a “nonprofit social enterprise that empowers youth who are in the foster care system, court involved, homeless or out of school” by giving them the space to manage retail at the used bookstore and café.

Before embarking on a project, Ghosh notes that the “need has to be from them, [so the Committee] is not imposing on the group.”

Elizabeth Markson, Chair of the Waltham Committee, explained that Ghosh is “instrumental in making contacts” and is “deeply committed to meeting people in the Waltham community” and “following through” on projects. Ghosh has also taken on a blog for the WSRC Waltham Committee wherein she provides information about ongoing projects and upcoming events.

Ghosh is also a host in the “open doors host” program that is initiated by the International Students Office.

She has been assigned two international students this year, in which she

photo from internet source

maintains contact with and offers advice on cultural acclamation.

Whether local or at an international level, the key issue is that of social injustice. “Violence against women: its the one issue that really links women across all lines, culture lines, class lines, etc. It’s very important and cross-cutting,” said Ready.

Although it was planned months prior to the incident, Inderpal Grewal, Professor of Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies at Yale will be coming to speak on “Bureaucracy and Masculinity in India after Independence” as part of the Soli Sorabjee Lectures hosted by the South Asian Studies Program in late February.

The topic is now more critical than ever: “The conversation on gender has not just started, but talking about masculinity in light of recent events has sparked a kind of urgency,” said Singh.

“

Violence against women: its the one issue that really links women across all lines, culture lines, class lines, etc. It’s very important and cross-cutting.

”

Kelley Ready (HS)

De Graffenreid to take post as SVP of Communications

By Nathan Murphy Needle Staff

Effective Feb. 1, Ellen de Graffenreid will assume her position, announced last semester, as the new Senior Vice President for Communications. Her appointment by President Fred Lawrence will replace former Associate Vice President for Communications Bill Burger. Andrew Gully served as the previous Senior Vice President for Communications before leaving.

De Graffenreid comes to Brandeis with experience in both higher education and the private sector. She previously served as director of communications for both the University of Louisville Health Sciences Center

as well as the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of North Carolina, at which she engaged donors and oversaw marketing and social media. Additionally, De Graffenreid worked on marketing and product development at HewlettPackard prior to entering education and has also worked as a private consultant.

Lawrence announced the appointment in mid-December.

“In her new role at Brandeis, Ellen will oversee all university communications initiatives, including media relations, government relations and public affairs, public relations, advertising, Web services and publications,” Lawrence wrote in an email last week. “She will report directly to

me.”

Burger served as interim senior vice president after the departure of Gully in June. Gully now serves as worldwide director of communications for Sotheby’s and Burger has moved to a new position as vice president for communications at Middlebury College.

“I will be engaging the staff, as well as others across campus, in looking at the communications program’s challenges and opportunities and Brandeis’ overall needs to chart a course for the future,” De Graffenreid said. “I am already meeting with members of the communications staff and I am impressed with their knowledge of the university and their commitment to Brandeis’ mission and

culture.”

While adjusting to her new role, De Graffenreid plans to spend a good deal of time getting to know the university. “I am most excited about meeting the faculty, staff, students and alumni, understanding what they are excited about, issues and programs they care about, and I’m looking forward to working together to communicate very broadly about Brandeis’ strengths and successes,” said De Graffenreid.

“Brandeis is a distinctive university and, as a communicator, those points of distinction provide outstanding opportunities to differentiate Brandeis from peer institutions.”

“One of the reasons that I like the field of communications and mar-

keting is that there are always opportunities to improve on and build on what has been done before,” said De Graffenreid. “You can always do something differently or better.”

In addition to her resume, De Graffenreid has also done a great deal of pro bono work through organizations like Planned Parenthood and the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program. “I like doing pro bono work with organizations that see a problem and take steps to address it,” she said.

“Not only does the Brandeis community discuss big issues—something that is common at universities—but at Brandeis individuals and organizations also take concrete steps to address issues on both a local and global level,” she said.

4 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

January 18, 2013

Winter concert will feature A-Trak

a-trak This semester’s winter concert will feature A-Trak, sponsored by Student Events.

By Debby Brodsky Editor

Student Events will be hosting ATrak, a Canadian DJ and turntablist, for the winter concert on Jan. 26.

A-Trak is also the owner of the re-

cord label, Fool’s Gold, and is known for his album, Dirty South Dance.

As recently as Wednesday, A-Trak performed on the David Letterman Show, and has been celebrated at concerts worldwide for his unique combination of club music and dirtysouth sound.

photo from internet source

A-Trak was carefully selected to perform at Brandeis this winter by the Student Events concert department.

“Student Events plans and holds two annual large-scale concerts, the Fall Concert and the Winter Concert.

In September, Santigold and Theophilus London put on a great show for

900 students in the Shapiro Gym,” said Suwei Chi ’13, adding that ATrak will perform in Levin Ballroom for the winter concert.

According to Chi, the Student Events concert department takes the price and the availability of performers into consideration when deciding the type of show students will see each semester. The concert department also considers the performer’s success and reputation.

For instance, performers like AraabMUZIK and Super Mash Bros have been hosted at Brandeis in the past years, yet did not draw large crowds of students, as Student Events had hoped they would.

“For our Winter Concert this year, we wanted to find an EDM (Electronic Dance Music) artist who would appeal to the students on our campus, and would come at a reasonable price,” Chi said.

Unlike AraabMUZIK and Super Mash Bros, A-Trak has collaborated with big-name artists such as Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Mark Foster and Kimbra.

In addition to collaborating with well-known hip hop stars, A-Trak has also made an international name for himself by posting recap videos and pictures of concert tours on his blog and by providing live access to Fool’s Gold Radio—his record label’s radio station—on his website.

“Students should definitely be excited to see A-Trak come to Brandeis!

A-Trak was Kanye West’s personal tour DJ in 2004 and the two have been collaborating ever since. He is also the co-founder of the Fool’s Gold Record label, which released the wellreceived Crookers’ remix of Kid Cudi’s “Day ‘n’ Night” in 2008. Other artists under the label include Laidback Luke, Danny Brown and Chromeo. In addition, A-Trak is one half of Duck Sauce alongside Armand Van Helden.

Under the name Duck Sauce, they released hit singles such as “aNYway” and “Barbra Streisand,” Chi said.

According to A-Trak’s website, “after years of schlepping vinyl, accumulating air miles and dressing smart, A-Trak has finally become the man to call to make the kids dance. Ask him and he’ll tell you that this is the moment he’s been waiting for his whole career.”

“A-Trak knows how to put on a show that makes it worthwhile for people to attend, as opposed to just listening to his tracks on your iPod. Make sure to check out his EP “Tuna Melt” which came out in December,” Chi said.

The Student Events concert department also plans Springfest along with a few members of WBRS. The concert will be held on April 28.

A-Trak tickets are $5 for Brandeis students who purchase tickets in advance, $10 for Brandeis students who purchase at the concert door and $15 dollars for non-Brandeis students at the door.

Brandeis professors discuss upcoming Israeli elections

photo by shota adamia/the hoot

israel discussion Professors from the NEJS department discuss future Israeli elections.

By Cecilie Gromada Special to the Hoot

In anticipation of the upcoming Israeli elections, the Schusterman Center held a panel discussion, moderated by Professor Ilan Troen (NEJS).

Discourse surrounding this year’s elections is concerned with the political slant in which Israel is heading— currently leaning more to the right and toward unification—the potential consequences of its political decisions and the world’s response.

The first question Troen, director of the Schusterman Center, posed to the panel was whether the upcoming elections would be transformative, whether dramatic change could be expected to ensue.

Professor Shai Feldman (POL), a senior fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine and Executive Director of the Hala Salaam Maksoud Foundation for Arab-American

leadership, and Professor Hussein Ibish, both stressed the rise of an annexationist right in Israeli politics.

Whether the elections will truly be transformative ultimately depends on whether Prime Minister Netanyahu turns the coalition to the center or the right. This monumental decision is driven by whether Netanyahu fears a competitor will grab the leadership of the Israeli right more compared to the international repercussions of a process that may reflect that peace is no longer an alternative.

Adding to the uncertainty, Dr. Yehuda Mirsky (NEJS) discussed the political center, which had previously struggled with gaining any social or cultural traction, but has recently been showing signs of life. It is not clear how the center will do in the upcoming elections, but it could turn out to be a decisive factor.

Troen wished to know what the catalyst for change in Israel could be, whether this factor would come at all,

and finally from where it would arrive.

In response, both Hussein and Mirsky cited Fayyad as a challenger to the status-quo, though in order to make a difference he must ensure to continually connect his project to the long-term vision of independence.

Feldman argued that a vital element could be the infrequentlydiscussed Israeli policy of helping Hamas and constraining the Palestinian Authority, in hopes of it crumbling under its own weight. Many factors could prove to be monumental, and it is of yet hard to tell which will play the lead role.

Switching gears, Troen turned to the question of “normal matters,” or factors that directly impinge upon the everyday lives of Israelis, due to the fact that these do not get as much attention in the talk about the elections as they should. Troen mentioned the recent resignation of a hospital director in Jerusalem, and recent strikes by

nurses, doctors and teachers over the past couple of months, as well as other unaddressed questions concerning marriage, housing and the distribution of wealth in the nation.

Regarding social issues in the coming elections, Troen wanted to know what strategies the public would respond to. Feldman brought up candidate Shelly Yacimovich, whose voice has been the most prominent of the current candidates on issues that affect the everyday lives of Israelis, arguing that she does display real leadership, a lack of which is faced in current Israeli politics. Yet Feldman believed that Yacimovich “has not been successful in persuading people that she is a new socialist, not one from the 50s,” he said. Netanyahu himself, along with his economic vision, has been presented as more “modern.”

Finally returning to U.S. politics and to the final question of the night, Troen wished to know what advice

the panel members would give President Obama if they had the opportunity.

Feldman’s best suggestion was to view the Israel-Palestine conflict in relative terms to the various other issues currently facing the U.S., effectively putting a less immediate emphasis on it. Contrastingly, Ibish believed otherwise.

Ibish believes that there is work that can be done within the hierarchy of issues, calling it repair work of sorts. The relationship with Netanyahu must be fixed, as well as Washington’s connection with Ramallah, since a deteriorating relationship between the two actors only benefits Hamas.

Mirsky argued that the U.S. must strive to become a stronger version of itself, since the better off it is, the more sway it holds in the international arena and consequently also in helping Israel.

January 18, 2013

features

The Brandeis Hoot 5

Mandel continues work to invest in humanities and Jewish education MANDEL, from page 1

In 1940, the Mandels sold auto moulding clips for 69 cents on the streets of Cleveland to help pay the bills in a family with little money, struggling to get by after the Great Depression.

“I grew up in the Great Depression in a very high quality home. It never occurred to us to use the word poor,” Mandel said in an interview at his home earlier this month. “We defined rich as follows: no unpaid bills and a balance of money in the bank I didn’t need tomorrow.”

It was undoubtedly dollars, in fact billions of them accumulated by the family through Premier, that paved the way for major philanthropic investments, including their $22.5 million donation to Brandeis University for the construction of the Mandel Center for the Humanities. But Mandel insists that the uncompromising self-confidence instilled by his Glenville High School English teacher Laura V. Edwards taught him how to make those dollars, and the human values of decency and integrity instilled by his mother at home taught him how to manage and spend them.

In his recently published leadership book, “It’s All About Who You Hire, How They Lead, … and Other Essential Advice from a Self-Made Leader,” Mandel writes of his mother, “Almost everything I am, almost everything I became, I owe to her.”

Describing himself as a “composite of influences,” Mandel recalled Edwards’ frequent advice in high school.

“She convinced me I could do anything I was qualified for and if I wasn’t, [to] go for it,” he said.

In a community where many younger than him choose retirement Mandel—who still serves as chairman and CEO of both Parkwood Corporation and the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation—sees too much work left undone to bring his business and non-profit careers to a close. Mandel typically begins his day at 3 a.m. for his workout routine, including stretching and sessions with a trainer, before eating breakfast and working from his home office in his oceanfront mansion here in Florida, his New York City apartment or his business office in Cleveland. The packed calendar also includes travel to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and London.

His drive to continue working stems from a desire to address massive societal challenges unsolvable by any individual. Mandel uses the metaphor of lighting candles to confront them.

“I’ve already lit ‘x’ candles,” he said.

“I think there are more candles unlit than lit. There are huge unmet needs.”

For example, he explained, eliminating hunger likely requires lighting at least five million candles, and if he can light one or two more, he sees no reason to retire.

“The sum total of a lot of small impacts is a big impact,” he said. “Are you below the line or above the line in making a difference?”

Even political action, such as voting or writing a letter to the president, can aggregate into major change.

Palm Beach Mayor Gail Coniglio described Mandel’s philosophy as one focused on contributing a longterm impact to society.

“His focus is to change not only one person but a group of people to elicit a longterm change,” Congilio said inside Nick and Johnnie’s Restaurant in Palm Beach earlier this month, as her grandchildren colored with crayons at a nearby table and tugged her shoulder, playing with her iPhone.

“He has a very real foundation for what’s really important—family.”

While business created a fortune, Mandel claims that service and family create fulfillment for him today.

“I defined success as achieving material goals,” he said. “In my mid-60s, I realized something else, that what I was doing was pursuing a feeling of fulfillment. My real goal is to feel I have lived a life of meaning.”

Mandel’s recent book includes little complex strategy about investments and business. Instead, he simplifies his business success, or the success of any organization, to the people who lead and work for it. As he writes on the first page, “If you asked me to sum up everything I know in the fewest words, I would do it in just four: ‘It’s all about who.’”

The ideal candidate for any position, he explains, must be hired as an “enthusiastic yes,” judged on five main criteria in the following order: “intellectual firepower, values, passion, work ethic and experience.” The best organizations, Mandel believes, hire “A” rather than “B” or “C” level executives and employees. Character is central to the hiring decision.

“You cannot change a person. You can teach them skills,” Mandel said.

“By the time they graduate elementary school they’re finished [in terms of values and character], maybe eighth grade.”

The search for values in a hiring process, his company believed, was crucial to building a culture of customer service, a core building block of Premier’s business philosophy.

Whether it was ordering the needed moulding clips for Fords, Chevrolets or Plymouths in Cleveland or through a 24-hour answering service, shipping a broken part for a Disney World ride to Florida within hours and only charging $42, service mattered a great deal.

“Is everybody in our culture perfect?” Mandel asked. “No, but we make fewer errors,” he answered.

Values, which build principles, must guide decisions, he continued, writing in his book, “In my view, what makes institutions great is all the soft stuff, which I think is the hardest stuff in business.”

Those principles and so called “soft stuff ” drove his decision not to invest with Bernie Madoff, the businessman popular and charming among the wealthy, prior to being arrested in 2008 for a 20-year Ponzi scheme, the largest fraud in Wall Street history; Madoff was sentenced the following

photos by ally eller/the hoot

year to 150 years in prison by a federal judge.

Coniglio described the impact of Madoff on Palm Beach as “a devastating not only financial loss, but certainly an emotional … sense of betrayal.”

At the time, Mandel recalls many friends in the Palm Beach community asking him, “Have you got any money

with Madoff?”

Although they both belonged to the Palm Beach Country Club, Mandel only met Madoff after friends introduced the two and they talked for an hour and a half in his home.

“He’s in jail, but he’s brilliant. Literally, I was dazzled.”

Dazzled aside, Mandel recalls explaining to Madoff, “We have to un-

derstand how you make your money,” and remembers the response: “It’s a trade secret.”

The lack of transparency, coupled with the fact that Mandel required a first-rate auditing firm and Madoff used a firm with no reputation, drove the decision not to invest.

“We decided not to go with him because he just violated two princi-

ples,” Mandel said.

In his book, Mandel describes former Brandeis President Jehuda Reinharz, who now serves as president of the Mandel Foundation, and who he began recruiting in 2008, as an example of an “enthusiastic yes” hire.

Reinharz’s greatest asset, Mandel believes, is that “he’s a very, very nice guy and people warm up to that.” The donation to campus for the Mandel Center, he explained, grew from a conversation over dinner in his Palm Beach home, not a request for money to the university.

A strong proponent of the humanities, Mandel urged college students to view their undergraduate degrees as a ticket to “function in a free society,” adding, “I don’t think college is a trade school.”

The Mandel family’s commitment to humanities extends beyond Brandeis. They launched the Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education, and the Mandel Foundation also donated $18 million to create the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

The first key to success, in education, business or philanthropy, Mandel believes, is knowing what you want, even if it changes over time.

“If you don’t know what success is, you can’t achieve it.”

6 FEATURES

The Brandeis Hoot

January 18, 2013

Brandeis grad takes terrorist groups to court

By Victoria Aronson Editor

Manny Halberstam ’10 recently took part in an internship at Shurat HaDin-Israel Law Center, an institution dedicated to combating terrorist threats through legal action. Collaborating alongside legal professionals in Tel Aviv, Israel, Halberstam directly worked on cases for private citizens harmed by the actions of terrorist groups.

Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner is the director of the counter-terror group law clinic.

“We seek to give rights to victims of terrorism and, at the same time, to bankrupt the terror groups by making them pay for their criminal activities,” Darshan-Leitner said. Modeled after the Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center, a group responsible for targeting racial groups in America, the Shurat HaDin-Israel Law Center is dedicated to hindering the activity of terrorist groups through halting their access to reliable finances. DarshanLeitner cites the mission of the center to be “bankrupting terror groups— one lawsuit at a time.”

Students who participate in the internship program at the center become deeply involved in the process,

engaged in cases assisting victims of terrorist groups and traveling to locations inaccessible to the general public. Dr. Leonard Hammer, director of the internship program at Shurat HaDin-Israel Law Center said, “The idea is to engage young professionals in socially-aware behavior and make them aware of what you can do with the law without resorting to violence.”

Beyond conducting legal research for ongoing cases, Halberstam recalled speaking with local villagers at a kibbutz, a settlement located along the border of Israel and Lebanon, as well as visiting Israeli military prisons.

Despite also meeting a former Palestinian agent, essentially a retired spy for Israel, Halberstam credits his most memorable and profound experience as a trip to the border between Israel and Syria.

Halberstam was able to ascertain the sound of gunfire, all too aware of the civil war raging in Syria. “Only less than one mile away there was very high likelihood I could hear the sound of people dying,” he said. Despite the deeply unsettling nature of the experience, Halberstam recalls thinking, “I am standing within one mile of a war manny halberstam (middle) Halberstam visits the Syrian Border. torn area, yet I feel completely safe.“ Overwhelmed with a sense of grati- rael, Halberstam recalls the profound belonging to terrorist organizations tude for the security capacities of Is- realization that he was himself in- or the bodies that fund them, in the volved in working against “the forces amount of over $600 million. The which wish to annihilate the Jewish more decisive victory has been for us state,” enabling him to maintain a to receive and collect over $120 milsense of security despite the proxim- lion and hand them over to victims of ity of raging warfare, destruction and terrorism,” Darshan-Leitner said. death. Remarking upon the profound As evidenced by the center’s sucnature of the moment, Halberstam cesses in seizing financial action states, “It reinforced my faith in laws against terrorist groups or associated as tools for advancing global peace organizations, Darshan-Leitner said and security.” that, “We are now able to finally bring The origin of the center’s work to justice to victims of terror and bring ensure the security of Israel can be terrorists to justice. Terrorists are the traced back to the outbreak of the ones that need to pay.” terrorist “intifada” in 2000. DarshanWhen questioned as to the most Leitner said that the lawyers felt the rewarding aspect of the center’s work, need to respond rather than watch the Darshan-Leitner cited the ability of attacks happen, when they knew who helping victims of terrorism and prewas responsible. venting future terrorism victims. “We By enabling private citizens to take get to see the results. We send a mescivil action against organizations sage to Israel’s enemies that there is a such as banks or regimes that sup- price to pay and that we won’t remain port terrorist groups, Shurat HaDin silent while our kids are killed,” Daraccomplishes initiatives that cannot shan-Leitner said. be pursued by governments and miliHammer reflected that the interntaries due to political and diplomatic ship program forges an ongoing relaconstraints. “Insurance companies tionship between participants and the and banks do the cold, economic center. Students often return to concalculations and do not want to risk tinue working against terrorism and losing business, or being shunned by countries, after it is uncovered that they have links to terrorists,” DarshanLeitner said.

The center has succeeded in winning rulings of more than $1 billion from organizations linked to terrorist organizations, and believes it has itself advanced the security of Israel. photo courtesy of shurat hadin-israel law center “We’ve been able to freeze assets,

photo courtesy shurat hadin-israel law center

for the promotion of human rights after the conclusion of their internship.

Hammer hopes to eventually establish a center in Jerusalem for research and law.

Halberstam described the tremendous personal impact of engaging in such an internship. Originally leaning toward the field of corporate or real estate law, he now is inspired to move to Israel to continue pursuing international human rights, describing counter-terrorist work as morally rewarding.

“My dream job is to fight for human rights every day,” and to continue “applying endless hours of gaining legal knowledge to something so noble,” Halberstam said.

Halberstam, who graduated with a double major in philosophy and American studies, is currently pursuing a law degree at The George Washington University. Halberstam described Brandeis as a very liberal and pro-Israel campus that champions social justice. “Brandeis infused me with my love for Israel and developed my strong commitment to human rights,” he said.

“ ” I am standing within one mile of a war torn area, yet I feel completely safe.

Manny Halberstam ’10

riding atvs Halberstam explores northern Israel.

Neurobiology professor pushes the limits of the unconcious mind

By Naomi Soman Special to the Hoot

Imagine a person who drives to work or school on a daily basis: The person takes the same turns, stops at the same stoplights, passes by the same gas stations and restaurants and arrives at the same place at the same time every day.

This routine can become so ingrained in memory that by the time the person arrives at their destination, they may not even remember the journey they took to get there.

Going on autopilot, the unconscious mind takes over and guides the person along the same path they take every day for years. According to Professor John Lisman (BIOL), by forming a habit, one effectually delegates

tasks to their unconsciousness.

With the help of Eliezer Sternberg, Lisman put together different ideas and created a new perspective on the issue that effectually boils down to this: Is it possible to equate the conscious and unconscious mind to habit and non-habits? His work was recently published in the Cognitive Neuroscience Journal.

“A habit is something outside your awareness and thus outside your consciousness … [it is] very difficult to study consciousness, but there are lots of ways to study habit,” Lisman said.

By linking these, he has been able to study the unconscious mind because it’s easier to study a habit than the unconscious mind.

Lab work by Schneider and Schif-

frin on rats in a maze shows that once a rat memorizes the turns in a maze, it will no longer pause to decide which path to take at an intersection. Similarly, dieters will reach for the tub of ice cream simply out of habit. A simple experiment Lisman likes to test is in greeting someone. He walks up to someone who says, “Hello. How are you?” He will respond, “fine,” yet the other person will also respond fine whether or not he returns the question. Further, the other person will not even recall his blunder later when asked.

In fact, Lisman has gone as far as to apply this concept to athletics to discover whether it is better for an athlete to pay attention or not. Experiments show, for example, that golfers who

consciously paid attention to their swing tended to perform less accurately.

Lisman explains that it is possible to “offload to the unconsciousness … pretty major tasks and free your consciousness to do other things. That’s why we use multitasking.

“Freud emphasizes the dreams as a way of understanding the unconscious. We’re saying you can see all kinds of unconscious behavior by looking at your everyday actions,” Lisman said.

No one has ever equated the conscious/unconscious mind with habit, but this information is a springboard for many other areas of study.

Physiologists can study which neural systems control doing a task by

habit and which brain structures are involved with which processes. Their research can help enlighten diseases, explain how the mind works and describe what makes us human.

The conscious mind can only think of one idea at a time, but the unconscious mind works in a less linear way, processing many different things at the same time. So, Lisman and others ask, is there a limit to the degree of the task that can be assigned to the unconsciousness?

Perhaps with enough practice, anything can become a habit.

“The benefit of such a dual system is multitasking; the unconscious system can execute background tasks, leaving the conscious system to perform more difficult tasks,” writes Lisman.

January 18, 2013

FEATURES 7

The Brandeis Hoot

With 2016 midyear class, looking at merits of the program

By Dana Trismen Editor

As the midyear class of 2016 is welcomed to Brandeis, the option of enrolling as a midyear student is expanding across the country. According to the College Parents of America Association, universities see midyear students as an opportunity to stabilize their student population throughout the year. As students go abroad, transfer and drop out, midyears are a refreshing new population of students who are eager to learn.

Andrew Flagel, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment, agrees that at Brandeis it is the level of enrollment balance that is essential.

“Brandeis has more students that study abroad in the spring than we do in the fall, and a portion of our students graduate in December each year,” he said. “As a result, we have some enrollment capacity in the spring semester.”

Midyears are a more popular option in small liberal arts colleges. Some schools such as Colby College insist their midyears go abroad in all-Colby student groups for that first semester, while others like Brandeis allow their midyears to decide freely.

Students insist there are upsides and downsides to being a midyear. Due to

Brandeis’ strong academic standing, most midyears are still attracted to the school, despite the delayed starting time. “It was the best school I got into,” said Lizzy Chalfin, a class of 2015 midyear. “I wanted a challenge in college. I also wanted a career in social policy, which Brandeis focuses heavily on.” Ben Lasserre, class of 2014 midyear, also defines Brandeis as “a strong academic school.”

What gives a student midyear status is highly controversial. “When I was a midyear, we were told that Brandeis hand selected midyears because we were outgoing students who would be able to easily get involved on campus halfway through the year,” says Chalfin.

Yet, she mentions, “Not everyone believes this. Some people say that we have lower test scores.” Lasserre mentions that this is a labeling choice he’s “been curious about, so I’ve asked around.” After speaking with an admissions officer, Lasserre says he discovered that “a midyear is someone with a lopsided application,” a student who may excel in some categories but be weaker in others.

Flagel also confirmed this, saying, “We also work with a number of students each year in both fall and spring who we believe have exceptional potential to contribute to Brandeis, but where some academic concerns or statistical profile anomaly makes it

challenging to admit them to the semester of their choice. At that point, we will discuss whether the student might have an interest in being considered for admission to a future semester.”

The main complaint midyears seem to voice is that they are too quickly pushed into the swing of an already functioning campus, making it hard to make friends who are not midyears.

Chalfin describes that “at first it was overwhelming because everybody at school already knew each other and we didn’t.” While Lasserre says, “I felt relief finally being on campus,” he too admits that “the downside to being a midyear is the difficult social matriculation.” Chalfin speaks on how midyears are forced to accumulate to Brandeis very quickly. “We were the only ones on campus for the first few days which was fine, but suddenly there were other students and classes started so quickly … [It] felt a bit daunting.”

Lasserre believes that the midyear housing on the Brandeis campus is a mistake. “I found, mostly due to being housed in the Village, far from the other first-years, that it isn’t until you get into club life that you really start meeting other people.” Chalfin argues that getting involved with other students is difficult, even with Brandeis’ attempts to integrate the midyears.

“The winter fair helps midyears find

ways to get involved on campus.

However, it is not nearly as big or well-represented as the fall fair. I wouldn’t say it’s hard to get involved as a midyear, but it is definitely more difficult.” To avoid being stuck in the “midyear bubble” Chalfin detailed midyears’ attempts to get involved in sports, clubs and Greek life in order to make new friends.

Being a midyear also has its advantages. Lasserre describes that being accepted for the spring semester actually encouraged him to come to Brandeis. “It made Brandeis more attractive to me … having the opportunity to study in London in my first semester is not something you can get just anywhere. It wasn’t scary, because having been on the London program, I already had a strong group of friends.”

It is also clear that Brandeis is welcoming to the midyear class. “Everybody on campus is really excited about midyears, willing to help them find their way to classes and get them involved in the campus social life,” says Chalfin.

Lasserre mentions, “It seems Brandeis clubs and events have an insatiable appetite for new members and volunteers,” allowing students to become involved no matter what semester they arrive. Flagel boasts of Brandeis’ Orientation Leaders, saying “Brandeis offers a wonderful mid year

Orientation led by our spectacular Orientation Leaders. In addition, more than 10 percent of our students start at the mid-year, so it’s a very robust community. From my experience here so far, Brandeis students who start at the mid-year often are some of our most engaged and involved student leaders.”

While Chalfin admits she was not happy about being a midyear student, she now loves it and Brandeis as a school. “If you plan out your classes well and try to get involved on campus by sophomore year you are very well adjusted.”

Midyear students find a friend base is mainly other midyears. This can be seen both as a drawback, given lack of diversity, but also as a benefit. “Midyears have an instant bondage just by virtue of being a midyear. I think it is a good thing because it is wicked easy for midyears to make close friendships with other midyears,” said Chalfin.

Lasserre also said that his two closest friends were midyears in his grade.

Despite their unorthodox introduction to school, many midyears form friendships that last. As midyear classes grow across many universities and Brandeis welcomes the class of 2016, it remains true that a Brandeis student is a Brandeis student. In describing midyear applicants, Lasserre says, “All the while [these students] still [have] a potential to fit in to the Brandeis student body.”

New triathalon club hits the ground running, swimming and cycling

By Wittenberg Writer

Editor, Staff, Special to the Hoot

As this semester starts, the newlyrecognized triathlon club is also picking up steam on campus. Triathlon started last September and—recognized by the Student Union in October—is gaining more prominence on campus.

“The main reason for starting the club was simply that a few other students and I had been swimming independently and we wanted a group of other students to swim with,” Jake Newfield ’13, co-founder and club president said. The club developed from a group of students simply swimming together to the formal idea of a triathlon club.

“The idea developed into forming a group of people who would swim and exercise together on a regular basis.”

Newfield said about how the club got started. “During this past September, when I was planning on starting a triathlon club at Brandeis, I incidentally was introduced to Manu Wendum in the pool while we were swimming laps. Manu told me about his goal of reinstating the Brandeis swim club, and together we formed the Brandeis Triathlon Club.”

Once the club began, as is the struggle with any new club, Newfield had to promote it to the student body.

“Ultimately, I’d like to see the triathlon club become a competitive team and compete against other universities in local, regional and national triathlons. Only in the past few years has the sport of triathlon been on the radar in the college scene,” Newfield said.

Newfield said that although triathlon is a new sport and does not have the same recognition as sports such as basketball, he hopes to develop Brandeis’ team into one of the top 200 university triathlon teams. Newfield’s goal for a competitive club might emerge soon, with the possibility of a few members competing at the Triathlon Collegiate Nationals this April.

Newfield dedicated time to finding new members for the club. “With the help of another club member, I created flyers and ads promoting the tri-

triathlon club founders From left to right: Manu Wendum, Jacob Newfield, and Joe Jacobowitz.

athlon club. A few other members and I posted them in various dorms, gyms and buildings throughout the school.

However, the most effective way we’ve gained members is by recruiting people from the gym and from the pool.

We also utilize a listserv, a Brandeis web page and a Facebook page as means for attracting new members,” he said.

Newfield hopes to get many students showing up for each practice and to enjoy exercising together. As the new semester begins, he aims to have 10 to 15 members participate in each practice session.

Although there was a daily attendance of about five students showing up for swim practice and another six showing up to bike practice at the end of the fall semester, Newfield hopes to increase those numbers. With the possibility of a formation of a competitive team, Newfield said he aims “to inspire members to gain an interest in triathlon: most members are only interested in swimming or they are only interested in biking. To inspire individuals to pursue all three disciplines of triathlon would be a step in forming a competitive team.”

Newfield’s vision has helped the

club become what it is, with 62 members, a swim coach, access to the new spin room and recognition by USA Triathlon. The rigorous practice schedule involves meeting in the evenings Monday through Thursday and during the afternoons Friday through Sunday. The triathlon club is currently a recognized club in the process of being a club sport. Recognition by USA Triathlon will give them the opportunity to register for events sponsored by USAT when they have enough members to compete.

“Where this club goes in two years is largely dependent on the leaders

photo courtesy of jake newfield.

who take over after the current leaders graduate, namely, Joe Jacobowitz and Manu Wendum,” Newfield said.

“For the club to continue to grow, the leadership of the club must continue to be influential and motivated while building a base of membership and sparking the interest of new members. This being said, if the club continues on the path it is going, I have no doubt that the membership will reach 100-150 in the next two years and will reach a level of competitiveness in which it will compete against other universities in local and regional triathlons,” Newfield said.

8 The Brandeis Hoot

THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS

January 18, 2013

come skate away Students on thin ice as they skate in the SCC.

Ice Ice Baby!

fearless flyers Intrepid students risk life and limb to sled down the library hill.

photos by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

January 18, 2013

arts, etc.

The Brandeis Hoot 9

Peter Jackson amazes in his latest trip to Middle-Earth

By Zach Reid Editor

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” the first installment in a series of three, based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s book The Hobbit, arrived at the end of the year, but quickly established itself as one of the must-see movies of 2012.

The Hobbit chronicles the tale of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) as he goes on an adventure with Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) to help a company of dwarves reclaim their home from an evil dragon, Smaug (who will be voiced in the later installments by Benedict Cumberbatch).

What makes this adaptation of The Hobbit such an engrossing film is its wide range of characters, and the skill with which they are played. Even with 13 dwarves to work with, Jackson and the actors made them each authentic and relatable, and left the audience cheering at the reckless courage of the plump Bombur (Stephen Hunter) or gasp as Gollum (Andy Serkis) sadistically toys with Bilbo in the iconic riddles scene. The dwarves’ stoic leader, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), provides one of the most interesting characters. With his tragic backstory explained at the film’s onset, the audience is able to watch the seemingly callous Thorin transform into a more emotional character, until he proclaims Bilbo a welcome addition to the group for his heroics in a previous battle.

Despite intense instances of drama such as these, the film is rife with humor. Martin Freeman brings Bilbo’s

the hobbit The Company of Dwarves takes a break from their adventuring.

wit to the forefront of his portrayal of the character, often delivering amusing quips and one-liners in otherwise dire situations; this is especially prominent in the beginning of the film, as he is astounded by the spectacle of the dwarves cleaning up after their feast in his kitchen, which they had ransacked minutes before.

Any movie about Middle-Earth would feel incomplete without Jackson’s traditional panoramic landscape shots: The Hobbit does not disappoint. Jackson follows his tried-andtrue technique from the Lord of the Rings trilogy by including sweeping views of the gorgeous New Zealand landscape throughout the film, which

blend in seamlessly with the other, computer-animated elements. The sheer beauty, intensity and realism of the world immerses the audience in the story, and vividly allows them to feel as if they are right next to the heroes as they flee a pack of Orcs hellbent on murder.

Complementing Jackson’s cinematography is the score, composed by Lord of the Rings veteran Howard Shore. In a varied collection of pieces, Shore not only evokes the darker Lord of the Rings trilogy and its widelyacclaimed scores, but breathes new life into “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” He gives the music a lighter, more child-like feeling without losing

photo from internet source

sight of the danger that seems omnipresent in Middle-Earth. From the upbeat and playful rhythms of “An Unexpected Party” to the brass-filled swells of “Out of the Frying-Pan,” the audience is swept up in the music from the first measure. Also noteworthy is “Misty Mountains,” a haunting ballad sung by the dwarves themselves rather than a chorus of professional singers—a scoring choice that gave the song a much more realistic feel, showcasing their longing to return home.

There are some issues with the film: its somewhat tedious initial 45 minutes and the fact that The Hobbit has been stretched into a trilogy.

This was the source of considerable controversy when Jackson announced he would be including additional material from the books of the original trilogy (namely the appendices from The Return of the King) in order to stretch the comparatively short novel into a trilogy. Some have argued that Jackson is extending them for profit— a claim that was easy to dismiss before the proposed pair of films became a trilogy of films with the announcement of the third installment in 2012.

While his experience with the previous trilogy mainly consisted of cutting down the intimidating length of the books into manageable screenplays, he tackles the opposite problem with The Hobbit, and based on “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” he seems to know what he is doing.

The main changes for this installment consisted of including Radagast the Brown (Sylvester McCoy), a wizard of Gandalf ’s order who watches over the forests and tells Gandalf of a powerful necromancer living in the ruins of the evil Dol Guldur; additional appearances by characters from the Lord of the Rings trilogy not in the original novel include the elven queen Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) and the wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee).

Despite issues with plot authenticity and directorial changes, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” remains a great movie, with breathtaking cinematography, gorgeous effects and talented character portrayals. Thanks to Jackson’s previous successes, the bar is still set high compared to The Lord of the Rings, but the trilogy is off to a great start.

‘Les Misérables’ hits the right note with audiences

By Juliette Martin Staff

Les Misérables, originally based on Victor Hugo’s novel of the same name, was first produced as an opera in 1980, and has been translated and revived many times since. The last version brought Les Misérables to a whole new venue for the first time as an epic, nearly-three-hour movie.

Directed by Tom Hooper and starring, among others, Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables is well worth it’s length.

Set in France, Les Misérables is a story that spans the years 1815 to 1832. As it begins, the audience follows a man on the run from the law and is ultimately led to the June Revolution, a piece of history which plays a central role in the plot.

What first stands out about Les Misérables are the unique decisions made in the details of production.

Rather than have the actors pre-record their numbers, as in most musical films, all of the singing is done live before the camera, each song done in a single take. This allows the actors to show off what they’re truly capable of, creating heart-wrenching numbers.

Additionally, this made for some unusual cinematography that furthered the aforementioned emotional strength. For most songs, particularly the solo pieces, the entire song is shot while the camera lingers on the actor’s face as he/she sings: there is nothing going on in the background, no dancing, nothing. The emotion of the story becomes infectious when so obviously laid out before the audience. It also means that the film is nothing like the majority of modern movies, simply because it will linger on a single image for so long, allowing the music and acting to stand on its own.

Particularly unique and quite as-

tounding is the use of colors, especially in the second half as a revolution dawns on France. From that point on, it seems that the movie is presented entirely in red, white and blue, rather than the grim, hopeless grey tones of the first part.

Unfortunately, the vocals were not always as impressive as they could have been. Most of the cast members involved are first and foremost actors, not singers. While some were skilled vocalists and others passably so, not all were quite up to par, particularly Russel Crowe as Inspector Javert. That said, even with flawed vocal performances (particularly given that the songs were shot in a single take), in most cases the level of acting ability made those failings quite ignorable.

The cracks and errors sounded genuine, a product of the characters’ grim situations rather than a failing on the part of the actors. This made it easy to ignore the faults.

Particularly of note in terms of a character’s emotional impact was Anne Hathaway’s now-famed performance as the dying prostitute, Fontine, which has already won her a Golden Globe and will likely result in an Oscar as well. There was also a clear level of devotion to the production among the actors, who put in long rehearsal hours in order to pull off those one-take songs. This devotion came to a zenith with Anne Hathaway, who lost dangerous amounts of weight for the role and had her own hair cut off on camera to end up in the film’s final cut. This dedication, however, certainly paid off.

Impressive for different reasons was the young Daniel Huttlestone as tiny street urchin and mini-revolutionary Gavroche, a child who truly held his own among an impressive cast of adult actors.

Of those impressive actors, Hugh Jackman, the production’s most notably-trained singer, was one of the

characters who did not suffer from the aforementioned issues in singing.

Jackman vanishes into the role of Jean Valjean, the character whose life Les Misérables primarily follows. One aspect that could have been paid more attention was the characters of many of the revolutionaries. Most of these men were not even referred to by name beyond the particular romantic hero, Marius (Eddie Redmayne).

Especially in the case of the leader of these boys, Enjolras (Aaron Tveit), a larger role would have increased the power of their movement in the eyes of the audience. Unfortunately, this is likely the result of cuts that had to be made in order to bring a fourhour opera down to manageable film length.

Essentially, the greatest strength of Les Misérables is something it draws from its source material: the sheer power of its emotional impact. The tears run aplenty in Les Misérables, both onscreen and in the audience.

The film brings a new generation of fans to an old story, and with such a successful movie, it is clear that Les Misérables will remain in our cultural consciousness for quite some time.

passionate portrayals Emphatic charcterization helps make ‘Les Miserables’ a great movie-musical.

photo from internet source

10 ARTS, ETC.

The Brandeis Hoot

January 18, 2013

Gaming Review of 2012: Sequels Galore

By Gordy Stillman Editor

January releases such as Final Fantasy XIII-2 and December games including Far Cry 3, 2012 brought a wide ranging collection of stellar video games to try out. In handheld gaming, Sony released the successor to the Playstation Portable, the Playstation Vita, and has since faced a mixed reception. Nintendo, bringing forth the first console of the eighth generation of gaming, released their new Wii U console. It marked the first foray into high-definition gaming for the house that Mario built.

Games deserving honorable mention that just barely missed the list include New Super Mario Bros. U, Persona 4 Golden and Dishonored. Looking forward, 2013 appears set to include

new hardware from Sony and Microsoft as well as new games such as the sixth generation of Pokémon with Pokémon X and Pokémon Y in stores this October.

Before looking at the year ahead, below, in no particular order are 10 of the best games from 2012. One notable trend is the prevalence of sequels: many developers and gamers stuck to what they know and the franchises that have staying power.

Unsurprisingly, it seems to have worked to their benefit.

“Transformers: The Fall of Cybertron” A game based off of a toy franchise is not often worth praising. It is even more astonishing when such a game’s sequel makes a top 10 list. Fall of Cybertron offers excellent gameplay, great levels and an interesting take on the last days before the transformers abandon their planet and head to Earth.

“Halo 4”

“Far Cry 3”

and RPG games, Far Cry 3 tells the story of Unlike most sequels, Far Cry 3’s story a group of friends on a vacation that goes doesn’t connect with stories from prior awry and the decisions one of them has to titles in the series. Another hybrid of FPS make in order to survive and escape.

“Pokemon Black and White 2”

The latest releases in the long running Pokémon series, and now officially the last games in the fifth generation of the series, offered a new take on Pokémon sequels. The series was set in the same region as the most recent games but take place a few years later. Seeing what happened to characters from earlier Pokémon games, and having the ability to battle almost every gym leader from prior games in special tournaments, ensured both excellent adventure and nostalgia.

The Master Chief returned—on Election Day no less—to thunderous applause.

While some had concerns about 343 Industries taking over as the series’ developer, they did a great job of bringing back the Master Chief and setting the stage for an interesting sequel trilogy.

“Mass Effect 3” After 2012, gaming controversy cannot be mentioned without discussing Mass Effect 3. Bioware’s concluding chapter to the Mass Effect Trilogy finally brings to the forefront the battle against an extragalactic force known as the Reapers. With great visuals, and three gameplay modes—Action, Story and RPG—there’s also a variety of ways to play the game.

Many choices made in the earlier installments affect the final game.

“Journey”

The only non-sequel on this list is also the only indie game on the list. Developed

by Thatgamecompany, it’s presented entirely through visuals. Beyond the opening tutorial, no words are spoken or written until the end credits. It’s a game about a robed figure’s journey to a mountain very far in the distance, which is seen at the game’s beginning. Its simplicity makes it an excellent game. Additionally, its soundtrack became the first video game soundtrack nominated for a Grammy Award. It faces tough competition from movies including The Artist and The Dark Knight Rises.

“Kingdom Hearts 3D”

“Assassins Creed 3” After a trilogy of games covering the story of Renaissance assassin Ezio, Ubisoft finally released a game with a new protagonist, Connor, along with a new setting in colonial America. Even though the game had a lot of glitches at launch, after a few update patches it becomes impossible to deny the impressive level of things to do in the game’s open-world environment.

Dream Drop Distance is the latest, and hopefully last, Kingdom Hearts game that builds toward the much-anticipated Kingdom Hearts III. 3D introduced new worlds, tied stories together from the many side games, and offered extensive story and gameplay for both series protagonist Sora and Riku. Although a handheld release, the visuals were certainly on par with the rest of the series.

“Borderlands II” A blend of first-person shooter, role-playing and action, Borderlands II is much like the 2009 game that preceded it. The story still involves treasure hunters searching across the fictional planet Pandora—a different planet Pandora than the Avatar film series—five years after the story of the first game. While the story is not amazing, the gameplay is top notch. With the many random treasure vaults throughout the planet and customizable aspects of the weapons, there is no shortage of fun gameplay

“Call of Duty: Black Ops II” Yet another of Activision’s annual Call of Duty releases. Black Ops II highlights include a revamped multiplayer level up system, in which weapons and equipment advance with use, an updated Zombies mode and a much praised campaign story. As with any series that features an annual offering, new features are a must. This year’s new features included a future warfare storyline and alternate endings to the campaign story.

PHOTOS FROM Internet Source

January 18, 2013

ARTS, ETC. 11

The Brandeis Hoot

Panela de Barro provides a Brazilian break from dining norms

By Ben Fine Staff

Many of the popular restaurants in Waltham are good, but serve the standard fare. There are amazing Italian, Mexican and Asian restaurants, but for those of us looking for something new and different, Panela de Barro’s Brazilian cuisine is the perfect place to dine. Panela de Barro, located on Newton Street, is an inviting restaurant because it has so many options.

The picky diner has nothing to fear and the adventurous can explore everything Brazilian food has to offer.

Brandeis students would do well to explore this hidden treasure.

Upon walking in, the interior is pleasing but simple. On the lower level, there is a bar area with authentic drinks spinning away in a machine, along with the food weights and cash registers. The main eating area is up a few stairs in a small yellow room with glass covered tables, wood chairs and paintings of fruits lining the walls.

There is also an unlit fireplace in the corner of the room with a TV on top of it. Panela de Barro feels like a small ranch home from the 1950s, which unfortunately is not exciting by itself. The buffet, however, is an attraction in its own right and completely makes up for any shortcomings with the setting in the rest of the restaurant. In fact, in order to comprehend just how impressive their rotisserie is, one must see it for himself.

After working your way through the buffet, in the corner of your eye appears an opening in the back of the restaurant. This space is a huge rotisserie area for chicken, beef and pork.

Indeed, the look and smell of the area is so appealing that the restaurant should seriously consider replacing the walls in favor of a rotisserie space that extends around the dining room.

While Panela de Barro’s food itself is the main attraction, its buffet option makes it one of the most enticing restaurants in Waltham. The look is not only aesthetically pleasing, but the food selection is accessible to all levels of food interest.

Vegetarians should not be turned away by the rotisserie and its delight-

ful meats. While the rotisserie is the best part of the buffet, the vegetarian options are delicious as well. The buffet starts right at the entrance to the restaurant with the salad bar. The expected salad components are all there: lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, cucumber, cauliflower, carrots and eggs.

Aside from the unexpectedly sweet and salty bread, the kale, fruit salad and olives with hard cheese cubes were not only surprises but also the best parts of the salad section.

After the salad segment comes the

tasty treats Panela de Barro provides a bevy of Brazilian delights for customers.

main courses. These change every day and vary in their familiarity to the American palette. Everyday items include white rice, black or pinto beans and fried plantains. The latter is particularly wonderful: for whatever reason, the plantains at Panela de Barro are not considered dessert, yet they are the sweetest item aside from rice pudding and flan. Tilapia or tripe can be found at the buffet almost any day of the week as well.

The most intimidating item on the menu is the oxtail, a Brazilian staple

photo from internet source

that is only available on Thursdays.

Aside from the oxtail, Panela de Barro’s rotating specials may at times seem very confusing, but should not scare anyone away. Their Wednesday special is (the decidedly Russian) chicken stroganoff, while on Sunday and Monday they have Italian offerings such as lasagna and spaghetti.

Of course, the buffet ends at the grand rotisserie and the meat is always delicious. Any room left on the plate must be filled with choices of succulent chicken, beef and pork, which can be wrapped in salty bacon if desired. Charming little deserts such as chocolate shortcake are available alongside the flan and rice pudding in a refrigerator next to the rotisserie. Once all the food is piled onto the plate, or as I suggest, plates, it is weighed and charged per pound.

The wait staff keeps a running tab and each time someone gets seconds, they simply weigh the new plate and add it to the total bill. Getting seconds and thirds is recommended as Panela de Barro is ridiculously cheap. It costs six dollars per pound of food so taking some to go is a great idea.

You may be turned off by the buffet style at Panela de Barro if the idea of going to a restaurant to serve yourself is not what you want out of your dining experience. If that is the case, then delivery from Panela de Barro may be a good second option. Either way, Panela de Barro is a restaurant that should increase in recognition, because it will be the best restaurant in which to try something new and original in Waltham. It is also a restaurant that you will want to keep coming back to again and again.

A$AP Rocky brings a wide range of influences to hip hop

By Alec Siegel Staff

Hip hop artists are often slapped with labels that are easily accepted by the public, placing them in a restrictive box so their art can be interpreted in a logical fashion. Those who call the east coast of the country home are technically skilled rappers with a high intelligence who stay true to the craft. Those from down south are ignorant and flashy with no real talent, just trunk rattling beats and 808s. The rappers that hail from California are weed-heads who ignore relevant issues and only care about well-endowed women and getting high. A$AP Rocky, a 24-year-old rookie from Harlem, New York City, refuses to be stuffed in a convenient

package, and instead draws influences from all over the map, resulting in a unique blend of sounds that helped launched Rocky to stardom these past few months.

“LongLiveA$AP” is Rocky’s official debut studio album, and his follow up to the 2011 mixed tape, “LiveLoveA$AP.” The album opens with the title track, which serves as a microcosm of what’s to come. Rocky’s appeal is immediately apparent. He has a charisma on the microphone and an easily identifiable voice. No one would dare call him a pure New York lyricist, though he does have a penchant for stringing together words that make for catchy verses that add to his already addictive flow.

The subject matter on the album rarely goes deeper than his fascination with booties, his newfound

hip hop star A$AP Rocky is a fast-rising presence in the hip hop scene.

wealth and his impeccable fashion sense. “Goldie” is an exercise in decadence, as Rocky proclaims, “Cause my chain came from Cuba, got a lock up on the link and them red bottom loafers just to compliment the mink.”

Songs like “Problems” and “PMW” also pander in the superficial. Questioning politics or social issues, however, isn’t Rocky’s forte, nor does he pretend it is.

The final two tracks of the album, however, take a different approach.

Rocky proves he can do more than boast and brag and a level of selfreflection and inspiration is reached.

“Phoenix” deals with Rocky’s past and his rising up from a dark place.

He even touches on his one-time thought of suicide, and Danger Mouse’s instrumental suits the phoenix theme perfectly. The closing song,

photo from internet source

“Suddenly” sees Rocky again veering from his typical braggadocio, instead opting for another look toward the past, this time dealing with his rapid rise to fame and the changes that came with it. A nostalgic, soulful beat compliments the song well, and is a far cry from the woozy, drug-induced atmosphere of the rest of Rocky’s catalogue.

“LongLiveA$AP” is an album all about mood and Rocky’s vision is evidenced by the musical backdrops that various producers provide. The title track feels as if Rocky is rapping from a storm cloud, with its tense atmosphere and thunderous sound effects. Rocky rhymes about his riches and god-like stature that fit the music well. “LVL” sees Rocky reuniting with Clams Casino, the man largely responsible for Rocky’s blueprint sound that was found on last year’s mixed tape. The slowly building, haunting beat harkens back to the kind of vibes that made Rocky so successful with that tape, and proves the formula of Rocky and Clams Casino is still winning. Not all of the songs, however, mesh so well. “Fashion Killa,” while catchy, sounds like a cheap rendition of a 90s pop tune and contains too many fashion references that feel thrown together and clog up the track. The presence of 2 Chainz nearly ruins “Problems,” but a clever Aaliyah sample from producer Noah Shebib and guest spots from Kendrick Lamar and Drake buoy the song.

Besides his capable lyrical ability and ear for production, Rocky possesses the ability to choose collaborators that may seem odd on paper, but work on wax. “Hell” features indie pop/rock darling Santigold, and her catchy hook over the indie inspired production proves to be a success. Electronic music icon Skrillex provides the backdrop on “Wild

for the Night,” and Rocky manages to adapt his flow to fit the music in what makes for an enjoyable foray into the EDM universe. Those who are pining for golden-age hip hop from the Harlem-ite need look no further than “1 Train.” The song’s dusty sample and distorted violin beat sounds tailormade for Wu-Tang Clan or any other golden-age artist.

Rocky recruits fellow up-and-comers Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, YelaWolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson and Big K.R.I.T. for a new age posse cut that is as hip hop as the concrete jungle from which Rocky arose. Florence Welch from Florence & the Machine lends vocals to a bonus cut on the album, adding to Rocky’s appeal to fans of all music genres.

With his cornrowed hair, the gold grill in his mouth and the blinding bling draping his neck, A$AP Rocky, according to the label that accommodates this image, seems to be deeply rooted in the South, indicated by his drug-induced music and sometimes ignorant lyrics, paired with his physical appearance. He hails from Harlem, however, a borough of New York that produces hip hop artists that wear Timberland boots, Coogie sweaters and a gold link chain: Artists who withhold the poetic standard of the genre, artists who belong to the “pure” school of hip hop.

Since his rapid rise to the top of the music scene, A$AP Rocky hasn’t ignored where he’s from, but he hasn’t felt limited by its expectations. With 2011’s “LiveLoveA$AP” mixed tape, Rocky found his niche. With his debut album, “LongLiveA$AP,” Rocky stays within this niche, yet expands it without sacrificing the melting pot of influences that kept him from fitting snugly inside a box that many others are content to stay.

editorials

12 The Brandeis Hoot

Don’t ignore health risks on campus

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

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

Volume 10 • Issue 1 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, Gilda DiCarli, Ally Eller, Lassor Feasley, Ben Fine, Evan Goldstein, Maya Himelfarb, Paula Hoekstra, Brittany Joyce, Ari Kalfus, Rebecca Leaf, Nathan Murphy Needle, Aliya Nealy, Alexandra Patch, Max Randhahn, Brendan Reardon, Zoe Richman, Charlie Romanow, Alex Self, Alec Siegel, Diane Somlo, Sindhura Sonnathi, Jennifer Spencer, Sarah Sue Landau, Matthew Tagan, Alison Thvedt, Yi Wang, Shreyas Warrier, Pete Wein, Lila Westreich, 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.

SUBMISSION POLICIES The Brandeis Hoot welcomes letters to the editor on subjects that are of interest to the community. Preference is given to current or former community members and The Hoot reserves the right to edit or reject submissions. The deadline for submitting letters is Wednesday at noon. Please submit letters to letters@ thebrandeishoot.com along with your contact information. Letters should not exceed 500 words. The opinions, columns, cartoons and advertisements printed in The Hoot do not necessarily represent the opinions of the editorial board.

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January 18, 2013

B

randeis students settling into the first week of classes and preparing for a weekend of parties to begin their spring semester should take extra precautions against the flu striking the Boston area.

College students often believe they are immune from such illnesses, but the outbreak has been particularly severe this year. Last week, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino declared a state of emergency, with the city reporting 700 confirmed cases of the flu, 10 times more than last year.

Last week, Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer wrote an email to the community, warning of the health risks: “There are limited doses of the vaccine in general, and here at Brandeis as well. We are trying to obtain additional doses. The Health Center is not going to

conduct clinics as they did first semester, so if you need to be vaccinated, you should go there. The Health Center is also adding information to their website, which should include information about number of doses left on campus, and where else locally you can get vaccinated.”

While we don’t claim to be health experts, we urge The Health Center to do everything possible to obtain more doses of the vaccine, and to make the vaccine free, without requiring a reimbursement. Administrators should continue to encourage students to get vaccinated and remain vigilant should more students become ill in the coming weeks. Professors should also be instructed to advise students feeling sick not to attend class and take a day or two off. Coaches should do the same with

athletic teams, and club leaders should do the same with their peers.

We were impressed with the Health Center’s prompt and thorough response to last month’s reported case of tuberculosis. Students were kept informed and because of the university’s extra precautions, the potential health risks were contained.

Students should enjoy their return to campus, but tuning into local news and keeping up with campus announcements can help ensure the semester remains a healthy one. We appreciate the university’s response thus far, but encourage all possible steps. Those steps include the awareness of accessibility and costs for the vaccine, even if the politics of such decisions pose difficulties.

January 18, 2013

OPINION

The Brandeis Hoot 13

Around schoolwork, consider working around school

By Jennifer Spencer Staff

With the high price of attending Brandeis, the inevitable empty wallets of busy, broke college students, one can and should consider the benefits of a part-time job while in school.

While there are obvious downsides, such as time constraints with jobs cutting into academics and social life, the benefits can far outweigh them.

If only there were more hours in the day, such that jobs, friends and school would fit nicely into one’s schedule.

Yet the reality is that this is a fine line between the number of hours one can work and then overdoing it with too many hours on the job. But with careful planning, you may be able to start saving up to pay off debt or just to have a little extra pocket money.

According to a study last September in U.S. News and World Report, Professor Laura Perna at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, said, “students who work a modest number of hours per week (10 to 15 hours) on campus, are more likely than other students—even students who do not work at all—to persist and earn degrees.” The study accounted for students even across similar household income levels.

The most convenient choice of jobs for students can be found on campus. These jobs are not always easy to obtain, but if you are without a car it may be worth the effort of applying to several anyway, including those that may not at first seem so appealing.

Working in an administrative office, like admissions, alumni rela-

tions or your own major or minor office can supplement any academic program you are doing. Such skills gained in these office positions can be listed on your resume. And you can gain networking opportunities working in these offices, whether it be through alumni, other students or staff connections.

Any money you earn, regardless of whether it’s in an office position or at

Einstein’s, can benefit you. It is easy to spend money in the Boston area, so the few hours a week you work could save you from overdrafting on a credit card, even if it is just spending money and not saving. If you are lucky enough to find a paid internship you can use campus transportation to get there even without a car of your own.

If you have a car you are open to even more job options. Looking

Call Me, Tweet Me

Editor

It’s been a year and I still think about her everyday.

I arrived to my semester abroad in London on January 14, 2012.

Three days later, I had met some people, seen some sites and had some fun. I was enjoying the semester, but I hadn’t really become anything more than friendly acquaintances with my flatmates and I didn’t quite feel comfortable in the city.

On Wednesday, Jan. 18, I was struggling to stay awake during an orientation lecture and rejoicing because the theater we were in had WiFi. I connected and had a Facebook message from my best friend from camp and an iMessage from my little sister, both asking me to get in touch with them as soon as possible.

I panicked—both messages had been sent the night before, and it was now 4 a.m. back home. I knew they wouldn’t be responding for several hours.

I scrolled through my Facebook notifications, looking for any clue, while analyzing every letter of the messages. I told myself that neither seemed that urgent. They both just missed me, everything was okay, there was nothing to worry about.

Everything would be fine.

Then I saw a news feed story that

had just appeared (or, more likely, that I had overlooked in my panic).

Several of my friends from camp had joined a group: “RIP Maggie Harry, Your Memory Lives On.” It wasn’t fine. Not at all.

Maggie was a camper in the summer of 2009, my first year as a counselor. Although she wasn’t in my cabin, I was a counselor in her unit and we saw each other and spoke every day for four weeks that summer. I had known her older sisters for years.

I won’t pretend that Maggie and I were close. We interacted peripherally that summer, and since then, I hadn’t seen or spoken to her in three and a half years. She had a profound impact on my experiences that summer, however, as all of my campers have in their own way each year.

I didn’t know her that well, but I knew her well enough to recognize the way she absolutely shone and lit up a room. She was friendly and charismatic, the kind of person who seemed to have no limit on the love she had to give. She was outgoing, creative and she loved to act. She was slightly snarky, with just a hint of attitude.

People often describe others as being beautiful inside and out, and with Maggie’s mermaid hair and wide open-mouth smile, never has the phrase been so applicable.

See MAGGIE, page 14

through the off-campus listings on the Brandeis B.hired job site, one can find ads looking for babysitters and tutors. Both can earn a surprising amount of money. The average going rate for a babysitter in Waltham, according to Care.com, is $12 an hour.

This rate can increase with amount of kids or responsibilities placed on the babysitter.

If you enjoy being around kids,

babysitting or tutoring, this can be a great money-earning way to spend a few hours a week. Both are relatively easy and fun jobs to earn a little extra spending money on the side. The good thing about positions like these are flexibility in hours: perfect for a student, so that you can work around your class and even internship schedSee WORK, page 15

French fries and the liberal arts degree

The little girl whose smile brought us together

By Leah Finkelman

photo from internet source

student workers Students can work in the admissions office to earn money.

By Yael Katzwer Editor Emerita

“I graduated with a liberal arts degree. Would you like fries with that?”

I cannot tell you how many times I heard that joke while I was an undergraduate student at Brandeis, especially once people found out I was double-majoring in English and Classical Studies, and minoring in Journalism. I would chuckle along good-naturedly, but inside I was crying.

Every time I heard that joke, it just reinforced my fear that once I graduated I would be jobless, living in a cardboard box and trying to tell random passersby about the Trojan War like some deranged, oddly-knowledgeable hobo.

Don’t get me wrong: I loved my classes at Brandeis, whether I was deciphering Vergil’s “Eclogues” in Latin or slogging through a William Faulkner novel. But, deep down, I always had that nagging worry that all my studies were going to be for naught.

Well, current Brandeisians, I am here to tell you that your liberal arts degrees do count for something. You are not doomed to sling burgers at McDonald’s or become a high-end prostitute to support your extravagant way of life.

After a summer of terror, as I fruitlessly searched for a job in my chosen field, journalism, I finally found a job—and in my field, no less. So, keep your chin up; it can happen.

And any seniors reading this now are cursing me under their breath and muttering, “Lucky [expletive].” Well, you can be a “lucky [expletive],” too. Brandeis helped me get this job and it can help you get one, too. And no, I am not talking about Hiatt. I found this job all on my own.

What I do mean, though, is that you can take advantage of all the amazing things Brandeis has to offer and, thanks to them, you can be successful with that oftmocked liberal arts degree.

First off, a liberal arts major is not so bad, all things considered.

That goes for all the majors in the Humanities Department at Brandeis. I don’t want to sound like some BS résumé, but the skills you learn in humanities classes do translate to the workplace. Don’t underestimate the importance of knowing how to write, read critically, prioritize and so on. Now, I know you’re just smiling patronizingly right now and telling me that I do indeed sound like a BS résumé.

The reason those items on the “BS” resume persist, though, is because they are true.

As a major in the humanities,

you need to take advantage of writing-intensive courses. You have that requirement; don’t just get it over with and move on, though. If you are a sciences person, still take a couple of writingintensive classes; you will have to write lab reports or project proposals some day. While at Brandeis, I took nine writingintensive classes. Admittedly, there were those weekends when I had three essays to write and just wanted to drop out of school and join the circus as a sideshow attraction. I didn’t. I wrote those essays, and they made me a better writer.

And, most importantly, I looked at the feedback. Nothing is more important than seeing what you did wrong and incorporating that feedback into your future work. I know that sounds obvious, but how many times have you gotten a test returned to you, looked at the grade and then never looked at it again. These things make you better.

And, don’t listen to those naysayers who tell you that your English class will never help you in the real world. Sure, 16th-century poetry will probably never directly relate to your job, unless you become a librarian or an English teacher or a 16th-century poet, but it helps make you See DEGREE, page 15

14 OPINION

The Brandeis Hoot

January 18, 2013

Celebrity gossip: the black plague of America

By Zoë Kronovet Editor

A camper’s death brings a community together MAGGIE, from page 13

Another camper, Jennie, described Maggie and her death perfectly: “It’s almost been a year, but RIP Maggie Olivia Harry. It’s too bad the person who embodied the most love of anyone I’ve ever encountered was consumed by her sadness.”

In London, I was surrounded by people I had just met, consumed by my own sadness. I turned instead to my sister, who had known Maggie from youth group, and my best friend from camp, Rachael, who had been Maggie’s counselor.

The immediate outpouring of love, affection and sympathy from the entire camp community, many of whom had never even met Maggie, comforted us all.

The Facebook page dedicated to her and an online obituary guestbook were full of sentiments from former campers, staff and camp parents, expressing and acknowledging that Maggie’s life, and ultimately her death, affected all of us, even those of us who had never known her.

Rabbi Mark Covitz, our camp director, immediately updated the camp website with a page honoring her, writing, “All who shared time with Maggie here at camp are now joined together through the bonds of communal grief. Jews do not mourn as individuals. What touches one person touches the entire community. We mourn together; and in doing so, we share our strength.”

I was of course unable to go to her funeral, but Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation was full to overflowing with people who had known her and people who hadn’t.

There is no better judge of a com-

munity than the way its members treat each other in times of extreme pain, and watching the aftermath of Maggie’s death reminded me exactly what being part of a community means, and how anyone can benefit from it and rely on it.

I can’t bring myself to say that everything happens for a reason, because I can’t fathom any reason why this had to happen. With that said, Maggie, I hope you have seen the beauty of the connections that have grown between the people who knew you and continue to love you. You have touched each and every one of us, and we are so blessed to have you and each other to take care of us. I love you.

It’s been a year, and we still think about you every day.

margaret olivia harry photo from internet source

The Golden Globes are less than a week behind us; the intrigue surrounding Kim Kardashian’s baby with Kanye West (or Kimye) is heating up; and The Bachelor’s new season just premiered. But even when it’s not awards season or the beginning of the new spring lineup, something is always happening in the celebrity world that catches our eye, demanding we pay attention to the drama unfolding in their lives.

Why is it that we are obsessed with celebrities? It goes beyond the well-placed magazine stands at the grocery checkout counter, into the heart of American culture.

So much of our obsession with celebrity gossip is perpetuated by and intertwined with the Internet. Yahoo seamlessly blends in actual news like the “FAA grounding the 787 Dreamliners” with celebrity news about how “JLo admits worries about young boyfriend.” By doing this, Yahoo elevates celebrity gossip and puts it on the same level as news that we should actually care about. =It’s easy to fall into the rabbit hole of celebrity gossip. In a time when we are over-stimulated by our computers and understimulated by its content, it’s painless to get lost in the pastel pink background of Perez Hilton and the “Who wore it better?” photo displays. The content inside People Magazine and Us Weekly is mind-numbing—filled with pretty pictures and terrible stories—which is the very reason we read it. It allows us to escape the minutia of our lives and delve into an alternative world filled with eye-candy.

While watching Downton Abbey this past summer, my mother and I were discussing how an English soap opera could be so very popular, as Days of our Lives and General Hospital ratings flounder. We threw out various ideas, but one of the more introspective reasons my mother gave to Downton Abbey’s high demand is because of the definitive class structure that ruled England at the show’s setting.

If your mother was a maid, chances were that you were going to end up in a similar position. If you father was an earl or baron, you were in luck and got to live a life of luxury. Class was strictly delineated. This, my mother thought, would be appealing to Americans because ever since childhood, we have been forced to pontificate on the “American Dream.” The most fervent desire within all American hearts is that we will one day rise up out of whatever mediocre socioeconomic class we find ourselves in, become wealthy and live in the lap of luxury as we deserve.

So, while our parents toil dayin-and-day-out for the chance to achieve this far-fetched dream, we relish the moments where we can tune into Downton Abbey, suspend our disbelief for a solid hour and journey to a land where dreams of becoming wealthy and powerful were not believed to be achievable, unlike this present American culture.

It is for this reason, I believe, that we give a damn about celebrities. Celebrities have done what the American Dream tells us we all desire: Achieved wealth and fame. So we tune into the awards shows and the red carpet events, similar to when we watch Dowton Abbey, to take a break from our lives and indulge our desires. We believe that maybe one

day it’ll be us in that Zac Posen gown, our picture on the cover of Us Weekly holding our newborn, our name in the “What’s Hot” column.

One of the more damaging consequences of our obsession with celebrities is the warped impressions they leave upon us.

Thanks to the beach shots of various celebrity hotties, we are subliminally taught to believe that in order to be good-looking, guys have to have a clearly-defined six pack and girls need to weigh no more than 110 pounds. While it is not only from celebrity gossip that these stereotypes are derived, the same people who are celebrities make up our fashion, movie, and music culture—and that is where our stereotypes can be blamed.

This is sad. The truth is that if these celebrities didn’t have this much money, we wouldn’t really care about what goes on in their lives. No one is interested in the “starving artist” story. It’s only when that celebrity has signed the million-dollar contract, or starred in the latest “young adult” novel-to-movie plotline, that we begin to care.

The fact that we revere these celebrities and let them profit off of our reverence is just gross.

Our nation’s prolonged interest in celebrity gossip illustrates how vapid we truly are.

Fame is a nasty beast, and although it may be the deepest desire in everyone’s hearts to one day be the next Jennifer Lawrence or JLo, we should perhaps resist temptation and bypass People Magazine next time we’re waiting in line at Hannaford. Because truly, when you purchase that magazine, all you’re doing is feeding into a degrading and distracting trend that is better left ignored.

Don’t lose hope with that BA DEGREE, from page 13

a well-rounded person. During job interviews, potential bosses do not just want to see someone who can do the job; they want someone they can work with.

Dullards do not make the cut.

Don’t be afraid to say that you took a class on ancient Roman archeology and fell in love with Corinthian columns; it makes you interesting.

Another important thing that Brandeis can give you is an internship—and this goes for any major. If you’re in the sciences, Brandeis has labs that are willing to “hire” you as free labor.

And humanities people, well, Brandeis has connections. Hiatt may never find you a job, but they can probably find you an internship, or at least pay you for one.

Here are some facts: Companies love interns because they can usually get them for free.

Companies prefer interns who are receiving college credit because that gets them entirely off the hook about paying their interns.

Make sure to get an internship

while still a Brandeis student.

You might think that you have plenty of time for that, but it is more difficult to get an internship after you graduate.

I regretfully only had one internship while I was a Brandeis student, but I wish I had done more. It was a great internship with a local news agency and, guess what, after my internship ended, they continued to give me freelance work here and there.

A lot of good jobs begin from internships. One of my fellow Brandeis alumni has a job in D.C. that came from an extension of his internship.

And, I certainly interned for the place where I work now … back in high school. That is the power of a good internship. They remembered me from my previous work there and that gave me a crucial leg up in the interview.

Remember, Brandeis wants you to succeed—it makes them look good. They will help you get those internships and they will tailor their classes to give you maximum value. Don’t look now but, while you were learning the difference between iambic pentameter and dactylic hexam-

eter, and decoding Marlowe, you were also learning to read things for sound—which is useful if you go into broadcasting, politics, law school, etc.—and learning to glean the meaning from a jumble of seemingly nonsensical words—which is useful if you go into journalism, teaching, nonprofits, parenthood, etc.

I know you have heard all this before and are wondering why I am wasting your time with this column then. The answer is simple: I heard it all the time, too, and yet I never truly believed it. I needed people to keep telling me that my liberal arts degree would be useful. So don’t lose hope.

And don’t let it get you down the next time your physics friend mockingly says, “Repeat it after me: ‘Would you like fries with that?’” Just smile and tell him, “At least I won’t be doing math for the rest of my life.”

Yael Katzwer ’12 is the managing editor for two newspapers in New Jersey: the West Orange Chronicle and the News-Record of Maplewood and South Orange.

January 18, 2013

OPINION 15

The Brandeis Hoot

Basketball team should play when fans can watch

By David Fisch

Special to the Hoot

The Brandeis Judges are down by one point to UAA rival Chicago. Brandeis guard Gabe Molton ’14 drives to the hoop. He stops, turns and passes out to fellow guard Derek Retos ’14. Retos quickly checks the clock, sees there are two seconds left, and puts up a three-pointer. As the ball drifts toward the hoop, all the players’ eyes look up to see what’s going to happen. They all know this is the last shot of the game, if it goes in, the Judges will have pulled off an epic come-frombehind victory. As the ball comes down it seems to be perfect until

...

In the end, it does not matter if the ball went in or not because the above description has not happened yet. That game will be played on Friday Feb. 15, meaning that very few Brandeis students will be able to see it. This is because that game will occur during a university holiday. In total, five of Brandeis’ seven home UAA games this season are during, or on the edges of, student breaks. The same was true last season as well.

I understand that Brandeis has some weird breaks that other schools do not have, but, in a way, maybe that could make the scheduling easier. I admit that I do not know the exact particulars of how a schedule is created but it seems

The Still Life

My Last “First Week”…wait, what?

By Gordy Stillman Editor

It’s an odd sensation to go through, that first week of the semester. Classes are just starting; papers are not due; clubs are recruiting new members; people who were abroad last semester have come back; and new students are going abroad.

A new group of midyears has also arrived and as they experience the start of their term at Brandeis, I’ve been wading through this first week for what will be my last time.

No, I’m not transferring because Brandeis hasn’t decided to add puppy therapy during finals—an excellent idea that two friends of mine wrote about at the end of last semester. This is going to be my last “first week” because in May—assuming that this semester goes as planned—I’ll be graduating.

The last time that I experienced anything similar to this was at the start of my last quarter in high school. Back then I was still awaiting college decisions and was taking my last requirement, a fine arts class.

This time around, I’ve got a whole different set of things to consider.

Graduate school applications have been sent in and the decisions have come. Wherever I choose to go will accept me as long as I graduate at the end of the semester. So this semester, for the first time in a long time, I’m treating the future as a non-factor. By this I mean that I’ve already done what I can to positively impact my life post-Brandeis, and there’s nothing I can think of that will change the events of my life after graduation during this last semester.

Since I’m not going to focus on the future, I’m taking this semester as a rare opportunity to focus almost entirely on the present. This semester, I still need a class to finish my major, a class to meet the distribution requirement of a minor and a third class to graduate.

Unlike in high school, in which I could take extra classes that could count at the next level (for example, taking four out of six AP classes), none of my classes here will count toward whatever requirements my graduate program will have. Cer-

tain classes will be more helpful in preparing me for my chosen career path in journalism while other classes will be taken to finish unrelated majors, minors and university requirements.

Additionally, I have one last opportunity to use the pass/fail eligibility option. While I don’t have to decide immediately whether or not to use the eligibility or even if I want to keep or drop the class, this will be the only time I can think about these decisions without having to make amends in future semesters. This is the last time around, so as long as I pass my classes, I can move on with my education beyond Brandeis when commencement rolls around in 120 or so days.

Now some of my friends and peers are stepping into the real— meaning employed—world, and I imagine their experiences are somewhat different. This may be my last semester at Brandeis, but I already know that a year from now I’ll be in the middle of a graduate program while many of my friends will be immersed in jobs and beginning to live their own and increasingly independent lives. But this semester, beginning with this last first week of undergrad, it’s an incredible chance to go through the semester and only worry about the classes I’m taking this semester.

So many things this semester are going to be slightly different simply because they’ll be the last time.

When finals roll around, instead of counting the days until my last final and the ability to drive home, it will be senior week and commencement: many goodbyes, some farewells and hopefully none of those, “If I never see you again, it will be too soon.” Commencement will be interesting; it will be happy; it will be sad; it will be final. I haven’t exactly savored my time at Brandeis in the past, as many of my friends both here and elsewhere have always known, but with this last first week, I’m determined to savor this final semester. Among other things, my savoring of this last semester will start soon as I sit back, not worrying about checking the box for housing next year or about joining new clubs. I will be enjoying the ride instead.

that something was overlooked.

UAA games are a large part of what determines whether Brandeis will make the NCAA tournament, since the UAA champion has an automatic bid. Hence, having all the home games during breaks could be considered a competitive disadvantage, since when Brandeis plays at other schools they have their fans there because the games are during school.

As a Brandeis University senior, I am incredibly annoyed by this.

I love going to the Judges’ games and have been robbed of the chance to do so for both my upperclassmen years.

I also know that this is true for many students around campus.

Even though Brandeis students

have a reputation for not being very into their sports teams, there are still many students who are passionate and really do care. Additionally, the soccer teams this past fall gained a lot of student support (aided by the fact that the home games were very dramatic).

By having so many of our UAA games away, the momentum created by that could be lost.

As I said before, this is not to say that the UAA did not care when they made the schedule. Obviously a lot of time and effort does go into the creation of a schedule. For Brandeis to have so many home games during breaks—two years in a row—however, is just something that does not sit well.

Perhaps there should be some

kind of schedule rotation so that it does not always fall on one team to have their games during breaks.

Regardless of the schedule, the Judges are playing well and hopefully they can continue their ways.

One of the two home games that are not during break is against the University of Rochester, currently ranked No. 2 in the latest D3Hoops poll. It would be a fantastic sight to see a ton of students going down to Red Auerbach Arena for both the men’s and women’s games.

Perhaps if the UAA officials begin to see all the school spirit that Brandeis students have, they will be more careful when making the schedule and will give Brandeis students a chance to cheer on their Judges.

Consider working at school WORK, from page 13

ule.

But how much work is too much?

If you are a full-time college student, you are definitely not working a nineto-five job around your studies. If you are very good at managing your time, however, you could potentially work 10 or more hours a week, so as not to interfere with your school work. Note that even if you feel like you can handle more, you have to keep in mind that you may or may not have time to unwind and relax.

It is important that you get enough rest and enjoy the short four years of college, and it is easy to get caught up in a constant grind between school and work. Keep in mind that it is very easy to get burned out. In a study published by Gary R. Pike on Inside Higher Education, working more than 20 hours a week has a negative impact on students’ grades, whether the employment is on campus or off.

Chances are that you are not doing school work and socializing around the clock. A good way to spend up to 15 hours a week productively would be through employment. If you are having difficulty finding a job, it is

never too early to start looking for a job for next semester. Utilize the many online and campus resources to find job listings. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. While it may not be easy with everything else you have

on your plate, any money you can save or skills you can develop now, will no doubt help you in the future. And, as long as you don’t overdo it, you will be thankful you did.

photo from internet source

16 The Brandeis Hoot

sports

January 18, 2013

Judges go 0-2 against UAA competition but fight until final buzzer

By Dani Chasin Staff

The women’s basketball team dropped their past two games against Carnegie Mellon and Case Western Reserve. Now carrying a UAA record of 1-2 and season record of 7-7, the Judges are focused on preparing for their upcoming matches on the road as they face more UAA competition.

Both games that the Judges endured last weekend saw an exciting secondhalf performance as Brandeis battled back on their home court to come within five points or fewer of beating each opponent. Although they fell to both teams in a nail-biting second half, the Judges managed to keep their momentum going and maintain their composure under pressure.

In the first game against the Carnegie Mellon Tartans, the Judges maintained a 35.6 percent in-field goal shooting compared to the Tartans’ 33.8 percent. The first half started out with several missed shots by both teams and ended with a tied score of 30-30.

With two minutes left in the first half and a score of 28-23 in the Tartans’ favor, the Judges put on a shooting rally with points by three players, including a three-point jump shot by sophomore guard Hannah Cain ’15 with six seconds left on the clock.

Although the second half of the game was not as evenly matched as the first, the Judges kept a tight hold on the Tartans, managing 30 points while the opponent gained 35 to bring the end score to 60-65. Several Brandeis players saw breakout perfor-

mances against the Carnegie Mellon team who is ranked third in the UAA standings.

The Judges achieved an impressive team-high statistic in the game by recording ten three-point field goals that were sunk by various players, including Cain, first-year guard Niki Laskaris ’16, junior guard Kasey Dean ’14 and junior guard Janelle Rodriguez ’14.

Dean, the top scorer for the Judges, tallied 16 points, which included three 3-point baskets out of six attempts.

Close behind Dean in scoring was Cain who achieved 11 points and the rookie Laskaris who totaled nine points and a team-high three steals.

Senior forward Erika Higginbottom ’13 led the Judges with seven rebounds and junior forward Nicolina Vitale ’14 had two blocks. Altogether, every player on the Brandeis team contributed at least two points to the Judges’ end score.

Laskaris said that the best thing about being a rookie on the basketball team is, “having close friends that have my back both on and off the court. My team truly cares for one another and playing ball together is so much fun.”

But most importantly, she admits that she is truly grateful for her coaches and the effort they have put into making the team successful. “The coaches really care too and I definitely make sure not to take that for granted.”

In Sunday’s game against the Case Western Reserve Spartans, the Judges fought to overcome the opponent in

post-up Kasey Dean ’14 prepares to shoot over her defender against Endicott.

the second half and fell short by only four points with a score of 50-46. At the end of the first half, the score was 26-18 and the Judges battled back to outscore the Spartans 28-24 in the second half. Overall, the Judges went 35.7 percent from the field while the fourth ranked UAA Case team managed 30.9 percent for the game.

The top scorer for the match was senior guard Samantha Anderson ’13, who scored an impressive 11 points and secured five rebounds.

With a little more than seven minutes left in the game and a score of

44-34, a 3-point field goal by Cain started an offensive rally by the Judges that saw baskets by several players including Vitale, Anderson and junior guard Julia Scanlon ’13.

Although they gave up two shooting fouls that were made by the Spartans in the last minute of the game, the Judges managed to come within four points of beating their opponent with a final score of 46-50.

Even though the Judges did not come out on top in both games, they put up a strong fight until the last second. Laskaris says that playing against

Judges extend winning streak to five games; remain undefeated in UAA play

By Brian Tabakin Editor

This past weekend, the men’s basketball team defeated Case Western Reserve and Carnegie Mellon 77-58 and 69-62, respectively, to remain undefeated in UAA conference play.

With the wins, they push their record to 12-2 (3-0 UAA) on the season and close in on a national ranking as they currently sit just nine votes out of the top 25.

In their game against Case Western, the Judges put on an offensive clinic, shooting 59.3 percent for the game and a staggering 73.7 percent in the second half. While Brandeis only led the visitors by four points at the break, they drained 10 of their first 12 shots to open up the second half, including nine shots in a row to balloon their lead to 11 points, 50-39. Derek Retos ’14, Ben Bartoldus ’14 and Gabriel Moton ’14 scored all of the Judges’ points during the run. And with two free throws, Retos ended the run.

The Spartans fought back, scoring two of the next three shots; however, Brandeis quickly responded with a 13-3 run to stretch their lead to a game-high 19 points, 65-46, behind two free throws from Moton. With just seven minutes remaining in the game, the Judges cruised to the win.

The Judges had four players scoring double figures with Moton and Retos tying for game-high honors with 17 points; Bartoldus finished with 13 points; and Ishmael Kalilou ’15 scored 10 points off of the bench.

Moton also led all players with seven rebounds while Bartoldus grabbed five boards as the Judges dominated Case Western on the glass with a 3523 advantage.

Alex Stoyle ’14 led the Judges with three assists as 10 different players registered an assist on 16 of their 26 baskets.

Earlier in the week, Kalilou came off the bench to lead the Judges to a 69-62 win over Carnegie Mellon. He was 4-of-8 from the field and 8-of-9 from the line scoring a career-high 16 points in just 14 minutes of play off of the bench. Kalilou outscored the entire Tartans’ bench by two points.

While the game was tight at times, Brandeis responded with a key run when it was needed. In a back and forth first half that featured three ties and six lead changes, the Judges closed the half on an 11-5 run to go into the break ahead by five points, 29-24.

Coming out of the locker room, it appeared the Judges had put the game away with a 9-3 burst to stretch their lead to 11, 38-27; however, to the Tartans’ credit, they refused to fold, scoring the game’s next eight points to cut their deficit to just three points.

But once again, Brandeis responded, going on an 11-2 run that featured eight points from Kalilou in just two minutes to push the lead to 13 points, 52-39.

Carnegie extended the game behind some clutch three-pointers and missed foul shots by the Judges, but they were never able to make it a onepossession game.

Moton joined Kalilou in double figures for the game with 15 points on 4-of-10 shooting including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc and 5-of-6 from the free throw line while Bartoldus and Stoyle each dropped 10 points.

Stoyle barely missed his first collegiate double-double as he grabbed a game-high nine rebounds while

photo by maya himelfarb/the hoot

some tough UAA competition in the games this past weekend was “fun to play in, but obviously the outcomes were not ideal.”

She proclaims, however, that the season is far from over, and the only direction her team can go is up. “We are coming together, gelling, and peaking at the right time [entering conference play]. Our team has great potential and I think we’re on the cusp of something awesome. I’m just really proud of my team and excited to be part of a group that doesn’t stop fighting until the buzzer sounds.”

Swimming Results Swimmer

Place

Max Fabian ‘15

Event

Time

First

1000-free

10:09.17

Brian Luk ‘16

Second

200-free

1:53.76

Brian Luk ‘16

First

50-free

22.72

Brian Luk ‘16

Second

100-fly

56.28

Padraig Murphy ‘14

First

200-back

2:09.46

Padraig Murphy ‘14

Third

100-back

59.27

Padraig Murphy ‘14

Third

200-IM

2:09.65

David Lazarovich ‘16

Third

100-breast

1:08.56

Second

200-fly

2:05.61

Jared Goldman ‘13

Max Fabian ‘15

Third

200-fly

2:29.83

Niko Karkantis ‘13

Third

100-free

53:21

David Lazarovich

Third

200-breast

2:31.20

Max Fabian ‘15

First

500-free

5:07.21

Jared Goldman ‘13

Third

100-fly

1:02.80

Men’s basketball

directing play Gabe Moton ’14 calls out the of-

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

fensive set as he brings the ball up court.

Connor Arnold ’14 matched his career high with eight boards, including four on the offensive glass. Colby Smith ’16 tied the game-high with four assists.

The Judges once again dominated their opponent on the glass with a 43-28 advantage as well as outscoring them from the free throw line 25-10.

Brandeis now enters a key stretch

of their season with four upcoming UAA road games. Sitting at 12-2 on the season, the Judges are knocking on the door of a top 25 national ranking. A strong road trip would propel the Judges into the top 25 as they look to finish the season strong and accomplish their ultimate goal of not just making the NCAA tournament but winning it all.

Team

UAA

All

Rochester

3–0

14 – 0

Brandeis

3–0

12 – 2

NYU

2–1

12– 2

Washington

1–2

11 – 3

Emory

1–2

9–4

Case Western

1–2

8–6

Chicago

1–2

7–7

Carnegie Mellon

0–3

3 – 11

Box Scores Case Western

Win

77 – 58

Carnegie Mellon

Win

69 – 62