The Brandeis Hoot - 3/8/13

Volume 10 Number 7

www.thebrandeishoot.com

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.

Brandeis students march for climate change awareness

By Rachel Hirschhaut Editor

Inspired by the recent March on Climate Change in Washington, D.C., which drew 40,000 people, more than 30 Brandeis students staged an oncampus march for climate change awareness on Monday.

The group, singing joyful songs about the environment and playing instruments, marched from the top of the Rabb Steps to the Bernstein-Marcus administrative building on lower campus around noon.

“We hope that [the march] will raise awareness for climate change issues at Brandeis by showing the solidarity and unifying quality of what’s going on environmentally, and hope that in joining together in the march we can more effectively bring together our energy and voices to actually promote change,” Maura BoughterDornfeld ’14, one of the event organizers, said.

“Climate change is already devastatingly affecting millions around the globe, that aren’t nearly spoken about enough, and it is impossible to defeat it with only a specific group of us. Climate change is going to literally wipe away the world we’re used to, and it is up to all of us to work together to find solutions,” Boughter-Dornfeld added.

In addition to Students for Environmental Action (SEA) programming, Brandeis students have become

Staff

The Institute of Assets and Social Policy (IASP) released a study that gives new perspective on the growing wealth gap between white and African-American families. The study, which has followed nearly 2,000 families since 1984, was authored by IASP director and Professor Tom Shapiro (HS) and analyzes factors contributing to the widen-

Draft of strategic plan released

By Jon Ostrowsky Editor

ers.”

According to Shapiro, homeownership policies account for the largest portion of differences in median wealth between whites and African-Americans. The largest of these policies is mortgage interest deduction, which allows home-owning families to take a certain percentage off of their taxable income by how much interest

After months of community feedback on its preliminary framework and workshops with student, faculty, staff and alumni, university officials released a draft of the strategic plan on Tuesday, highlighting their commitments to academic excellence, faculty investment, research opportunities and responsible stewardship.

In addition to outlining principles and values, the plan calls for investing in campus infrastructure by quadrupling the $2.5 million currently spent on renovating and renewing campus buildings. Lawrence said the new funds would be outlined in the FY 2014 budget, presented to the Board of Trustees, along with the draft of the plan at their March meeting.

“Our facilities have a practical influence on the work we do at Brandeis and are also the most tangible expression of our values and commitments,” the draft stated. “We should also seize opportunities to re-fashion outdoor spaces, a cost-effective way to enhance the campus appearance and experience. In light of the goals and priorities emerging from this strategic plan, we must develop an updated master campus plan.”

At the faculty meeting Thursday afternoon, Lawrence explained that with pending federal research cuts from sequestration and an uncertain economy, long-term budget planning at a research institution like Brandeis becomes increasingly difficult.

“There’s a level of insecurity that plays into our planning,” Lawrence said.

The strategic plan process, which Provost Steve Goldstein has organized as chair of the strategic planning committee solicited feedback during the summer and last semester

See WEALTH, page 3

See PLAN, page 2

photo by ally eller/the hoot

involved in the divestment movement, through Students for a Just and Stable Future (SJSF). Several members of SJSF had been arrested while protesting the Keystone XL pipeline.

They are also fighting for Brandeis and other campuses to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.

“The march was to raise awareness and get people talking about divestment. More importantly, to me, the

march embodies a first step in helping return Brandeis to its radical roots,” Andrew Nguyen ’15, an organizer, said.

“It’s a step toward moving toward a culture on campus where people feel empowered and able to express their feelings out in the open. To embodying our beliefs into our actions.”

The march showed solidarity along with 250 other college campuses on a

National Day of Action against the use of fossil fuels.

“There is power in numbers, and this is a topic that needs such power. The idea of the march and the campaign in general is to educate and unite the student body here at Brandeis to combat climate change and partake in our responsibility of social justice,” Boughter-Dornfeld said.

Heller study shines light on policy connections to wealth gap

By Nathan Murphy Needle

March 8, 2013

ing divide.

The study analyzed the total wealth of white families versus that of black families. Median wealth, or what is owned minus what is owed, equalled $90,851 for whites in 1984 and only $5,781 for African-Americans. By 2009, those figures grew to a median value of $235,000 for the former and $28,500 for the latter, with an overall gap of $236,500 between white and black households.

The numbers are adjusted for infla-

tion, as the values for 1984 are portrayed in 2009 dollars.

In addition to painting a picture of the growing wealth gap, the study asks why, so long after the Civil Rights movement, a de facto segregation still exists along racial lines in terms of wealth and opportunity.

“In the areas that we looked at, first off was home ownership,” Shapiro said. “Within home ownership, there are a lot of different policies for families to become homeown-

My Sister’s Keeper continues humanitarian fight in Sudan

By Jaye Han

Special to the Hoot

Co-Founder and Co-Pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Boston, a retired pediatrician and the Executive Director of My Sister’s Keeper, Reverend Gloria White-Hammond discussed the program’s fight for social justice in Sudan at the annual Ruth First memorial lecture on Thursday evening.

My Sister’s Keeper is a women-led humanitarian action program and human rights initiative that partners with diverse Sudanese women in their efforts toward reconciliation and reconstruction of their communities.

White-Hammond began discuss-

Inside this issue:

ing her role as a social activist by exposing the conflicts in Sudan.

“Sudan is a place where the government has been very much against its own people.” White-Hammond said that the government is comprised of people who represent about 5 percent of the population, leaving a vast majority of the population marginalized.

She mentioned the serial genocides around 1989, the Darfur conflict that erupted in 2003 and the North and South conflict in which “2 million people were killed, 4 million displaced and an untold number of people were enslaved.”

Slavery is still prevalent in Sudan today, White-Hammond said. Villag-

Editorial: Planning only the beginning Week in photos: K-Nite in focus Arts, Etc.: ‘Rabbit Hole’ copes with grief Opinion: Rethinking religion and sexuality Sports: Men’s basketball in review

See SUDAN, page 2

Page 6 Page 16 Page 11 Page 15 Page 5

tennis Fans showcase their school spirit at the men’s tennis match against Vassar College last weekend in Gosman.

‘Much Ado’

College Notebook

Arts, etc.: Page 11

News: Page 4

Hold Thy Peace performs “Much Ado About Nothing” with a twist this weekend.

photo by paula hoekstra/the hoot

Boston College celebrated a decline in its applications this year.

news

2 The Brandeis Hoot

Lynch re-appointed as dean of Heller School

Univ to lauch new LATTE site next year

Schwarzes donate historic gift of $3 million

Lisa Lynch will serve another five-year term as Dean and Maurice B. Hexter Professor of Economic and Social Policy at The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, President Fred Lawrence and Provost Steve Goldstein announced on Monday.

“During her tenure, she has fostered greater interaction between faculty, research staff and students, crossing research centers and degree programs,” Lawrence and Goldstein wrote in an email. “She has collaborated to expand both graduate student support and joint degree programs. Student-led working groups organized around key social policy issues now include students across all degree programs.”

Lynch was reappointed after the Heller School heard feedback from the Faculty Senate, faculty, researchers and senior staff. Goldstein also heard input from the Heller School’s Board of Overseers and external reviewers.

“Dean Lynch earned glowing recommendations from all of these constituencies,” Lawrence and Goldstein wrote. “Her achievements as Heller School dean have helped strengthen Brandeis as a whole and have raised the profile of the school in the academic, policy and public arena.”

Univ to launch new LATTE site next year Library and Technology Services will unveil a new LATTE website, built on an upgraded model of current software, and make it available to faculty late next semester with students and other community members able to use it by January 2014.

“This upgrade presents an important opportunity to improve the LATTE experience for instructors and students, prepare LATTE to meet the changing needs of the Brandeis academic community, and ensure that LATTE remains secure and robust,” Vice Provost for Library & Technology Services and Chief Information Officer John Unsworth wrote in an email.

“The familiar (if more elegant) interface of the new LATTE will offer some new features, such as the ability to more easily import files from Google Drive, as well as the features you use today.”

Schwarzes donate historic gift of $3 million Professor emeritus of mathematics Gerald W. Schwarz and his wife Margery Kravitz Schwarz donated $3 million to create an endowed Ernst L. and Elaine G. Schwarz Chair in Mathematics, in honor of his parents, according to BrandeisNOW. The $3 million endowment marks one of the largest gifts the university has ever received from a professor.

“I wanted to do something to honor my parents and the math department, which has done a lot for me,” Schwarz told BrandeisNOW. “Math has been a great career and my career was spent almost entirely at Brandeis.”

Plan takes shape

present the Board with a final version of the plan to approve at its May meeting. If approved, the final plan will be released to the public and officials will begin to implement it.

The bulk of the plan is centered around six strategic goals: transformative learning experiences; opportunities for creation and innovation; invest in faculty and staff; fostering a lifelong community; advancing responsible stewardship; and focusing on academic strengths as priorities.

It also includes six core initiatives: the sciences; creatives arts; increasing digital capacities; educating in business, politics and culture; investments in scholarships and faculty chairs;

PLAN, from page 1

at campus workshops and town hall style meetings. Members of the planning committee also wrote task force reports last semester.

After community members and the Board of Trustees shares its feedback later this month, Lawrence will then

March 8, 2013

Lawrence anticipates major donations for scholarship and buildings Lawrence anticipates major donations for scholarship and buildings In a fundraising update at Thursday’s faculty meeting, President Fred Lawrence said he has spent much of the past three weeks traveling, and without mentioning names because details are not yet finalized, said he expects the university to receive two seven-figure gifts in the coming months, with one of them possibly being an eightfigure gift.

After a meeting in the U.K. with the parent of a current student and an unsolicited donation on a trip to Los Angeles, Lawrence highlighted the fact that successful development strategy is in synch with the happiness of students and parents and part of the university’s overall environment.

and renewed attention to campus infrastructure and design.

A core theme of the strategic plan draft was its intent to balance values with practical restraints on limited resources.

“This strategic plan is rooted in a clear sense of Brandeis’ heritage and a strong conviction that this university continues to offer something singular and valuable in American higher education,” the draft stated. “It is also informed by recognition of current realities, both in higher education generally and at Brandeis in particular. We seek to strike a balance between realism and

Univ receives record high number of applicants at almost 9,500 University officials said that Brandeis has received nearly 9,500 undergraduate applications, the highest number in history and commented that this was an extremely positive sign for the university’s future.

For this year’s recruitment activities on Admitted Students Day, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel said officials are looking to create new opportunities for students to interact and talk with faculty. He also said the university would be releasing videos of students and faculty discussing their classes online.

ambition.”

The plan also pointed out that recruitment must continue to reach out to other regions of the country besides New England.

“The college age population is beginning to shrink in the Northeast, while growing in the South and the West; and a growing percentage of the college age population are Asian and Latino/Hispanic. We must intensify our recruitment efforts, drawing upon faculty, alumni and parents, as well as admissions staff. This challenge is also a welcome opportunity to increase the diversity of our student body, while at the same time increasing selectivity.”

White-Hammond lectures on humanitarian work in Sudan SUDAN, from page 1

es are raided and most men and boys immediately slaughtered, women typically raped and sometimes taken as slaves to do domestic work.

“One of the things that wasn’t apparent to me before I went over [to Sudan], is the extent to which these

were primarily women and their children. It just hadn’t occurred to me, but again, typically the men would be killed so the ones that were mostly enslaved were women,” WhiteHammond recalled. “The stories they told were unconscionable—the kind of abuse that people had experienced.” She exposed the cruelty of genocide in Sudan with a picture of

a boy whose “master was so angry at him for losing a cow that [the master] picked up an axe and chopped off his nose.”

She noted, “This really is the face of genocide. And that’s why I got involved.”

“We started out with four, and now there’s 12 amazing women … discovering our voice and our sense of pow-

er to intervene and say no on behalf of other women. So we became My Sister’s Keeper,” White-Hammond said. “[We] initially supported the women in the villages with some sort of income-generating project, but then a couple of women around the villages said, we want to start a school,” White-Hammond said, “This was in

photo from internet source

2004.”

White-Hammond recalls, “When they first went around the village to tell people we’re going to start a school, they laughed … but we were able to mobilize a hundred girls.

So, the school, it happened. And it thrived.”

The classes were initially held outdoors on a dirt floor under mud huts and trees and, “When it rained, there was no school,” White-Hammond said. “So we agreed to build a school that was 8-9,000 miles away, no running water, no electricity, no cell phones, but we were going to build a school because the women said they needed a school.”

In June 2009, My Sister’s Keeper dedicated a permanent campus with eight fully furnished classrooms, offices, dining facilities and latrines to support 525 primary students.

“It was the best decision because it meant that we have a lot of credibility, and what they understand is that we’re a group that’ll listen, and if we make a promise, we keep a promise,” White-Hammond said. “These women knew the wisdom and we followed it. Subsequently, we started the Women’s Peace School, which is an adult literacy project.”

“It’s still a kind of an uphill battle; the biggest issue still yet remains that out of a 100 girls who enrolled, only around 11 finish,” she continued. “An overwhelming number of girls get married—a 15-year-old is more likely to get married and die of childbirth than is to graduate school.”

March 8, 2013

NEWS 3

The Brandeis Hoot

Magid moderates panel on Brazil’s development

College Notebook

Boston College proud of decline in applications

By Charlie Romanow Staff

photo by ally eller/the hoot

By Theresa Gaffney Special to the Hoot

The Brandeis International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life partnered with the International Business School’s Perlmutter Institute for Global Business Leadership to organize “Brazil’s Balancing Act,” on Tuesday, a discussion of the varying demands of Brazil’s development.

Dean Bruce Magid of the International Business School moderated the event, led by five panelists. The panelists represented diverse, expert backgrounds on intersecting relationships between the interests of the economy, the environment and the indigenous people of Brazil, the world’s sixth largest economy today.

Dr. Daniel Gleizer of Banco Itau BBA explained that the foundation of political stability is driving growth.

“In a nutshell, the Brazilian success story stands on the emergence of a broad political acceptance of pragmatic market-oriented economic policy focused on social improvement.”

The panelists, however, agreed that the government can take more action in including indigenous people in such development.

Dr. Bion Maybury-Lewis, executive director of the Cambridge Institute for Brazilian Studies, argued that the Brazilian government needs to “exercise enlightened leadership.”

“No doubt important gains come from development … almost a religious quest for modernity and modernization is development’s twin.

Brazil’s made gigantic strides in this direction on both fronts,” MayburyLewis said. “However … dislocations, often violent conflicts [arise] over resources and the fruits of development, and a poor government record of compensation for those that lose houses, land and/or livelihoods.”

Professor Moises Lino e Silva (ANTH), spoke similarly from an anthropologist’s point of view on the status of indigenous people. He criticized the Brazilian government, saying that stereotypes cannot be used as guidelines to determine what makes a person indigenous. “It is a spirit,” he says, “not evolutionary.”

“Intellectuals need to be more available to communicate to a larger representation of people, especially members of society that haven’t had the opportunity to spend a lot of time at school,” Lino e Silva said.

The mistreatment of these native peoples became a main theme in the

talk. Harvard Law School lecturer Fernando Delgado, told the audience a story of “official insensitivity” toward the indigenous people. In 2000, to celebrate the anniversary of Brazil’s freedom from Portugal, ships from the former mother country landed to sign a friendship pact with Brazil. Many natives, however, arrived to protest the event, as they still felt colonized in the way that they were being treated. Three thousand people protested, and were then attacked by the police and forced to disperse within minutes.

This “official insensitivity” is just one example of injustice toward them, according to Delgado. “Indigenous rights are baselines after which you start to balance, not before,” he argued.

Professor Cristina Espinosa (HS) also observed hostility toward the natives. “The Amazon is seen as an empty space to be developed by ‘Brazilians,’ ignoring the territorial rights of the indigenous people.”

Much of the panelist discussion as well as the question and answer section of the event focused on the conflict arising over the Amazon and the building of the Belo Monte Dam. Critics of the dam are concerned for the environmental impacts as well as the effect it may have on the natives.

The creation of one dam could lead to

future dams on the river and would also seriously affect the lives of those indigenous Brazilians that live in the Amazon.

Construction of the dam has been stopped numerous times. According to Human Rights Law, building should not occur until the government can provide the people with three safeguards: free prior informed consultation, benefits sharing and prior independent assessment of scientific and environmental impact.

Yet, construction has continued, despite these prerequisites. Construction often comes to a halt due to protests both internal and international.

Maybury-Lewis claims that international attention on this issue is crucial.

“Human rights are rarely served without international observers,” he stated in response to a question about international interference in the decisions being made about the dam.

And human rights are the biggest issue in the case. Protection of their land is imperative for the indigenous people’s livelihood. “Most of the indigenous movements are looking for autonomy,” according to Espinosa.

Many audience members were students of Lino e Silva’s class, “Rise of Brazil,” but there was also a variety of others from the school and community.

Boston College will continue to see fewer applications as they uphold their decision to include a supplemental essay. BC received 9,000 fewer applications during the last year as compared to the previous year, accounting for a 26 percent decrease, according to The Boston Globe.

Generally, schools across the country attempt to increase the buzz about their school, in order to increase the number of students that are interested in applying. Other universities in the area such as Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, Boston University and the University of Massachusetts have all seen increases in applications. At a faculty meeting Thursday, Brandeis President Fred Lawrence celebrated the highest number of undergraduate applications for the 2013-2014 school year: nearly 9,500 to date this year.

Colleges have adjusted admissions requirements for different reasons, but rarely is the intent to narrow down the applicant pool as in Boston College’s case. The director of undergraduate admissions at BC John Mahoney told the Boston Globe, “This was a deliberate move on our part,” adding, “We’re trying to make good decisions.”

The school’s decision is not meant

to decrease the quality of applicants, but rather to weed out applicants that are not serious about attending the school. With the reduction of application requirements and the ability to apply to schools easily online and through the Common Application, students sometimes apply to dozens of schools in an attempt to maximize their options. Because rankings and admissions statistics are prevalent on the Web, students are applying to as many schools as possible.

The decrease in applications to BC comes after a long swell of applications between 2004 and 2011, during which applicants increased by 52 percent, according to The Boston Globe.

The school, however, is concerned because the yield rate declined from 32 to 23 percent during this period.

Boston College accepts the drop in applicants as beneficial. The admissions director has stated that the quality of applicants and accepted students has not decreased with the number of applications. Ursinus College in Pennsylvania has seen a familiar trend after weakening admissions requirements before strengthening them in order to receive fewer applicants but the same quality of student.

Boston University has decided to go in the opposite direction by eliminating the supplemental essay and SAT Subject Test requirements, which resulted in a 20 percent rise in applications, according to The Globe.

photo from internet source

Shapiro authors study on wealth gap WEALTH, from page 1

is being paid on a mortgage loan.

This policy allows wealthier families to reduce their taxes by a larger amount, while poorer families or those that do not own a home do not benefit at all. Because a much larger proportion of whites own their homes compared to AfricanAmericans, the policy does little for black households, according to the research.

Shapiro states that differences in income and unemployment also account for a sizable amount of the divide.

“Differences in average income over the years account for about 20 percent of the gap, while unemployment accounts for 8 percent,” Shapiro said. “African-Americans almost always have twice as much unemployment as Whites … when

photo from internet source

unemployed, savings and wealth in the family are drawn from.” While the majority of Americans do not receive inheritances, in the study, 36 percent of white families received some amount of inheritance, while only 7 percent of blacks did.

According to Shapiro, dramatic change in government policy could help to alleviate the plight of non-

white families.

“I like to be serious about it and go for the biggest chunk first,” Shapiro said. “What is it about home ownership policy in the U.S. that widens the gap? I would start with demanding more rigorous laws with fair lending, fair housing and no discrimination in real estate markets.”

Shapiro adds that incentives for families who rent their homes as well as those who own would benefit a larger proportion of black families, and that a serious rethinking of policy is needed for some of these incentives. “We need to work on integrating communities,” Shapiro said. “We have to do that much more seriously than in the past.”

4 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

March 8, 2013

Univ exploring model of 4 percent tuition and fees increase

photo by ally eller/the hoot

By Jon Ostrowsky Editor

One year after a tuition hike made Brandeis the second the most expen-

By Debby Brodsky Editor

The Brandeis-India Initiative provides between $500 and $2,000 for fellows who are interested in interning and spending time in India and is recruiting students to apply before its March 22 deadline.

The Brandeis-India Initiative hosted a question and answer session with past and prospective fellows this Wednesday. Led by Keely Swan, a graduate student of anthropology and women and gender studies and Professor Harleen Singh (SAS), students were encouraged to ask a variety of questions in order to learn about the Brandeis-India fellowship application process.

“The fellowship goal is to help build and strengthen the ongoing relationship between Brandeis and alumni, parents and organizations based in India,” Sawn said. “President Lawrence and past Brandeis presidents have been going to India to develop partnerships between universities in India and Brandeis for years.”

Lawrence has visited India twice in the last year. This winter, he spoke at Indian universities, teamed up with parents of Brandeis students and alumni to speak about human rights, and worked to strengthen existing relationships with Indian institutions in the sciences.

Students in attendance ranged from first-year undergraduates to graduate students preparing to graduate in the spring. Some were interested in learning more about India because of Bollywood classes they had taken at Brandeis, while others were interested in improving the water quality and health care system in India. Others wanted to cure blindness and some wanted to study India’s

sive college in the state, university officials are exploring the model of another 4 percent tuition and fees increase as part of their budget proposal at the March Board of Trustees

meeting, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel said last week.

“What we’re looking at least in the short term future, but right now it’s how we’re modeling things out is trying to sustain student increases in costs right around that 4 percent range,” Flagel said. “Last year we were a little bit above, we’d like to see if we can be a little bit below this year … At the moment, in the models were doing, we’re trying to keep things around that range.”

Because of last year’s hike, the Boston Business Journal ranked Brandeis second most expensive school in Massachusetts, behind only Williams College and ahead of Boston College, Boston University and Babson College. But speaking to reporters at a briefing in the Shapiro Campus Center last week, Flagel said the anticipated increase is in line with peer institutions and nationally and Brandeis is actually no longer in the most expensive bracket. Statewide tuition rankings, he said, do not fairly account for Brandeis’ role as a national and global university.

“Because we’re a national, and one can easily argue … a global institution, the look is really much more where we sit nationally and in the national rankings, we’ve moved out of the very most expensive schools,” Flagel said. “I’d be delighted if the state would not have a list of the most expensive schools, but the reality is the kind of education that

we’re providing … is not possible to run as a less expensive institution unless there was a radical shift in other support.”

Flagel said he expected the current model to include about a 4 percent hike for tuition and fees, for both returning and incoming students. Last year, the Board voted to increase tuition and fees on returning students 4.1 percent and incoming students 4.85 percent. Officials justified the tuition hike as necessary to pay for the reopening of The Rose Art Museum and the Linsey Pool, along with maintaining their commitment to student financial aid. New students paid more to account for pilot programs and more first-year seminars.

In comparing Brandeis to peer institutions, Flagel said the university would explore options such as requiring more students to purchase meal plans and charging more for students who take larger course loads.

At Brandeis, students have had significant input into meal plan options, and at other schools this has led to requiring more students to purchase one, he explained.

The university runs on an annual budget of approximately $320 million, with nearly half of those funds coming from undergraduate tuition and fees, 14 percent from graduate tuition and fees, 17 percent from research and foundation grants, 11 to 12 percent from endowment returns and 5 to 6 percent from annual gifts.

Because nearly 90 percent of the budget is already determined each year from staff and operating costs, faculty and research expenditures and financial aid, there is little room for creativity when it comes to spending, Flagel said.

“There’s not a massive amount of wiggle room that we work with in that $320 million each year,” he said.

In addition to the tuition hike, officials are also looking at ways to adopt major cost cutting and efficiency initiatives, along with the university’s continued aggressive fundraising.

As a young institution, Brandeis is at a disadvantage from peer schools with much larger endowments and a broader alumni base. Because Brandeis receives significant financial support from friends of the university and largely a younger alumni base, development is particularly focused on encouraging high participation among alumni donations.

At its March meeting, the Board will vote on the budget and also review a draft of the strategic plan released this week.

“What the Board’s really voting on is how much will we charge,” Flagel said.

He said the draft of the plan is about 80 pages long and emphasizes key principles such as the identity of a liberal arts research university, academic excellence and open inquiry, along with diversity and appreciation for the school’s Jewish history.

Brandeis-India Initiative recruiting students to apply for fellowship history of sexual assault.

At the meeting, William Lodge ’13 spoke about his semester abroad in New Delhi, India. Lodge studied Indian classical violin at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.

Upon his return to Brandeis, he taught Brandeis music students about classic Hindu music.

“I was in Delhi for four and a half months studying abroad. I wanted to incorporate music into my studies, so I applied for the Brandeis-India Fellowship and that funding helped me get a teacher who taught me the fundamental core of Indian violin,” Lodge said. “I went to a lot of concerts, and when I returned, I taught classes at Brandeis about what I learned. I wanted to open up Western listeners’ ears to learning about different music styles.”

In addition to Swan and Singh and a group of eager students also present were Jacqueline Blesso of the Hiatt Career Center and Allyson Goose of the study abroad department. Blesso spoke about the World of Work (WOW) funding opportunities for students interested in interning or researching in India, while Goose spoke about the study abroad experience in India and funding opportunities associated with the study abroad office.

“WOW allows undergraduate students to apply for funding for an unpaid internship. The WOW deadline is March 20 and we’ve had five WOWs that have gone to India over the past five years. There’s a social justice, universal, theater, politics, science and social work WOW. We just ask that the internship be eight weeks long, unpaid and be over the summer,” Blesso said.

Like WOW, the Office of Study Abroad works with students to fund their experiences abroad. As Goose explained, it is possible to receive the

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

Brandeis-India Fellowship in addition to separate study abroad funding.

“Merit and need-based aid usually follows students from Brandeis if they are fall or spring study abroad students. This is one way you can get funding. With a WOW you will need to do independent research to find housing and an internship, but with study abroad there is a support staff there to help you with academic and personal questions. Socially, it’s a different feel as well,” Goose said.

Finally, Singh spoke to students, assuring them of the broad support the Brandeis-India Initiative provides to its fellows.

“We are a one-stop shop, we do everything. We are a resource. Come to us if you want to go to India. We can connect you with alumni, past fellows and parents of Brandeis students in India. We can also help you find housing, but our job at the BrandeisIndia initiative is to put you in touch with people, rather than to organize you. We will help you, but unlike the

Office of Study Abroad we would not be responsible for your housing,” Singh said.

Singh concluded the discussion by encouraging students to spread the word about traveling to India.

“It is a big advantage for American students to go to India because, especially in cities, everything is in English. But Europe still has a big hold on study abroad participation.

I want to change that. India is where people should be going in my opinion,” Singh said.

sports

March 8, 2013

The Brandeis Hoot 5

A season in review: Men’s basketball

By Charlie Romanow Staff

The Brandeis men’s basketball team ended its season with a 17-8 record overall and 8-6 in the conference, continuing their streak of winning seasons. The team started strong in non-conference play, going 9-2 into UAA competition and then began conference play with five consecutive wins while being ranked in the top 25 in the nation. Although finishing in fourth place in the conference and not gaining a postseason bid, the team played well throughout the season and came close to advancing. Four of their six conference losses came by a margin of less than 10 points, some of which were a back-and-forth battle between the teams. The team’s slide toward the end of the season is justifiable when compared to the tough competition that the UAA presents.

The three teams ahead of the Judges all gained a postseason bid.

There does not seem to be a single area that prevented Brandeis from moving on. The team averaged 18 fewer points in losses than wins as well as six fewer rebounds per game.

The Judges field goal percentage in losses was 7 percent lower than in wins, and their 3-point shooting was at an even larger deficit, a 17 percent difference between wins and losses.

The team averaged nearly the same amount of points per game in-confer-

ence as out-of-conference and did not differ significantly in other categories.

Brandeis was playing well enough to beat the out-of-conference teams but that same effort was not enough for the stronger conference teams, especially down at the end of the season.

The Judges had more struggles on the road than at home, as can be expected. The team also had more rebounds, assists, blocks and points per game at home. The scoring output and efficiency of the team peaked in December during which they shot 50 percent from the floor and 57.8 percent from long range, as well as scoring 75 points per game, above their 68.5 season average.

What stood out among the conference statistics is that the Judges led in points and defensive shot percentage, as well as 3-point shooting.

Their 3-point success can be seen on a national scale as the team is ranked 10th in 3-point percentage in Division III. The team was also second in the conference in rebounding margin at +4.9 per game, although well below the conference and national leading rebound team, Washington University with +12.3. While the team was successful in defense, they were not able to hold onto the ball well or force turnovers. Brandeis was last in the conference in steals and second to last in turnover margin and assist/ turnover ratio.

The team’s leading scorer was Gabriel Moton ’14 who finished with 14.5 points per game, enough for sev-

enth in the conference. Moton started all 24 games that he played in. He also led the team with four assists and nearly six rebounds per game, which place him fourth and 10th in the conference, respectively. The teams center, Youri Dascy ’14 started 22 games and played in all 25, while shooting efficiently, making 52.7 percent of his shots, sixth highest in the UAA. Alex Stoyle ’14 started 23 games and ranked ninth in free throw and 3-point percent in the conference.

Derek Retos ’14 led the team in free throw percentage and was third in the conference in 3-point percentage.

Ben Bartoldus ’14 and Colby Smith ’16 round up the rest of the team’s main group of players. Bartoldus scored 10.1 points per game in his 21 starts. These six players accounted for two-thirds of the team’s minutes on the court. Still, every player on the team contributed. This year’s captains Bartoldus and Retos each averaged double-figure points last year and played throughout the season with 25 and 19 games, respectively. Dascy has also been on the team for some time as he entered the season with two prior +10 point per game and +20 minute per game figures.

The future of the team and program looks bright as the teams five top scorers are all presumably returning next year as seniors. Many of these players have been in the program for years and have seen what the team can do better and can bring a sense of leadership to the team next year.

photo by paula hoekstra/the hoot

Men’s tennis pulls out 5-4 win against Vassar in home opener

By Emily Stott Editor

The men’s tennis team pulled out a 5-4 win at its home opener match against Vassar College last Saturday inside the Gosman sports arena.

After poor doubles performances on their 2-3 California trip during February break where the Judges went 2-13 in individual doubles matches, Brandeis got off to an early lead in doubles play against Vassar with senior captains Josh Jordan ’13 and Steven Milo ’13 defeating Andrew Guzick and Dan Freeman 8-6 at No. 1 doubles. David Yovanoff ’13 teamed with rookie Mitch Krems ’16 to defeat Nick Jasso and Josh Kessler 9-7. At No. 3 doubles the Vassar team of Daniel Cooper and Christian Phelps took down Michael Secular ’15 and Alec Siegel ’15.

After a stretch of matches on the slower California hard courts, playing on the fast multipurpose surface

in Gosman, Jordan won easily at No. 2 singles, 6-2, 6-1. Krems, now 5-1 in singles dual matches this season, recovered from losing a first-set tiebreaker against Cooper, who ran him side to side with heavy lefty spin, to defeat his Vassar opponent 6-7 (57), 6-4, 6-2. Yovanoff fell to Jasso 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 and Secular lost to Phelps 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 at No. 5 singles. At No. 1 singles, Milo lost an up-and-down match in a third-set tiebreaker to Guzick, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-1).

That left the end of the six-hour match tied at 4-4 with Siegel splitting sets at No. 6 singles. Strong serving propelled him to a quick 4-0 lead in the third and he defeated Kessler 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 to clinch the match for the Judges.

On Saturday, the Judges travel to Middlebury College to face Oneonta State in the morning and Middlebury in the evening. The women’s squad, ranked No. 22 in the country, went 2-3 on their California trip and will also play Middlebury on Saturday.

photos by paula hoekstra/the hoot

editorials

6 The Brandeis Hoot

March 8, 2013

In planning, strategy is only the beginning “To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

Editors-in-Chief Jon Ostrowsky Emily Stott Victoria Aronson Arts, Etc. Editor Dana Trismen Arts, Etc. Editor Lassor Feasley Opinion Editor Morgan Dashko Copy Editor Nate Rosenbloom Photography Editor Ally Eller Photography Editor Jun Zhao Graphics Editor Rachel Hirschhaut Deputy News Editor Senior Editor Debby Brodsky Suzanna Yu

Volume 10 • Issue 7 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma

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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, Sarah Sue Landau, Rebecca Leaf, Nathan Murphy Needle, Aliya Nealy, Alexandra Patch, Max Randhahn, Brendan Reardon, Zach Reid, Zoe Richman, Charlie Romanow, Alex Self, Alec Siegel, Diane Somlo, Sindhura Sonnathi, Jennifer Spencer, 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.

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A

fter months of brainstorming, writing, listening and consulting, the Brandeis community at last has a full length draft of its strategic plan to review.

Students, administrators, faculty, staff and others on the Strategic Planning Steering Committee have worked diligently during the past year to shape a democratic process for thinking about the university’s long term future. We applaud their efforts. Seeking feedback from so many individuals on one document is no easy task and university officials have taken great care to include as many voices as possible.

The central theme of the plan—defining the university’s values, mission and story is not new to the planning committee formed in 2011. Our values and mission and story have been welldefined since the university’s founding.

But the central challenge of implementing it, as mentioned in the plan, is financing our initiatives. It’s about

paying for the expensive ideas, offices and people required to change Brandeis for the better.

In effect, a strategic plan is only the beginning of envisioning our long term growth and goals. More applicable and significant will be things like a campus master plan of our infrastructure and a capital campaign or fundraising plan. Of course, such documents and proposals do not need to seek the extensive feedback that the SPSC has in this process.

While we greatly admire their approach, the specifics of fundraising and buildings can be managed best by enabling senior administration officials, faculty and trustees to work collaboratively and take into account the many voices we’ve heard along the way. In short, we hope that a master plan or capital campaign plan can be a process much quicker than this one.

There is no one master secret to a successful fundraising strategy or capital campaign. Rather, as officials outlined in

the plan, any strategy must be joined by a university wide effort to cut unnecessary costs and use financial resources more efficiently.

That task is one that requires balancing creativity with feasibility and long-term vision with immediate circumstances.

The commitment to quadruple spending on building renovations is exactly what this university needs. While Brandeis’ academic reputation and faculty are first rate, in comparison to peer institutions, campus buildings require extensive renovations and investment.

We’re excited the strategic plan recognized that. But to address the challenge, the real measurement won’t be about plans but about how they’re implemented. Doing so will take creative ways to attract new financial resources and find other ways to more efficiently manage current resources.

Arts, etc.

March 8, 2013

The Brandeis Hoot 7

‘Colored Museum’ uses theater to share dialogues about race and identity

By Vinh Nguyen Staff

With a satirical bite, George C. Wolfe’s “The Colored Museum” chomped into the issues and stereotypes faced by blacks and AfricanAmericans. Presented by Brandeis Ensemble Theatre (BET), with sponsorship from the Brandeis Black Student Organization (BBSO), “The Colored Museum” engaged its audience in Schwartz Hall during the past weekend by opening up much needed dialogue about race and identity, especially concerning being black in this country.

“The Colored Museum” presents eleven exhibits, each narrating a different struggle that comes from being black. Most of these exhibits were satirical in nature, such as “Last Mamaon-the-Couch” and “Git on Board,” which used dark humor as a way of opening up conversation about stereotypes within black communities.

For its director, Iyvon Edebiri ’13, the themes of the play resonated on a personal level. Edebiri said she feels that because there is not enough diversity within theater at Brandeis, productions like “The Colored Museum” are important. Not only do they explore the issues experienced by minorities on this campus, but these productions help create a “legacy that theater should be for everyone, and

everyone should be free to take part in it,” the IGS and Italian major said. Her sentiment was shared by audiences during the question and answer session at the Sunday matinee showing.

Indeed, what truly tied each exhibit together was the personal commitment of the eight-member student cast, who were all students of color, and the production staff that made the cultural complexities accessible to viewers.

“The Colored Museum” came out with strong performances from the get-go, with its first exhibit, “Git on Board,” featuring Maya Grant ’13 as Miss Pat. As the ever peppy and bubbly flight attendant of a celebrity slave ship, Grant tapped into a sadistic sense of humor to give an overview of black history, a history tracing from the fields of plantations to the fields of war in the early 20th century. Despite the pain and struggle, and through Miss Pat’s sadism, Grant’s maturity and comfort on the stage provided a window for audiences to look at the experience of blacks and AfricanAmericans, while introducing themes for further exploration.

In the next exhibit, “Cooking with Aunt Ethel,” Jamesh Hunter ’15 brilliantly showed the audience that she can “cook ain’t like no other” as the energetic and exuberant Aunt Ethel.

Hunter, who had a direct link to the audience’s funny bone from her natural ability to make them laugh, played a chef teaching a recipe for a myste-

rious dish. With “a heap of survivor, humility, just a touch, and add in some attitude,” among other ingredients, Aunt Ethel satirically showed the way to making colored babies. Here, Hunter’s witty performance reminds us of the complexities of being black as something both jazz and blue, a myriad of various elements and experiences that cannot be described by any stereotypical description.

Another well-performed piece was “The Hairpiece,” which comically explored the power of hair. Ra Malika Imhotep plays The Woman who prepares for a date. With a bit of magic realism, her two wigs, Janie (Jamesh Hunter) and LaWanda (Christina Dones ’14) come alive and start arguing over who should be worn by The Woman. Dones, as the sleek, straight wig, and Hunter, as the curly wig, were both phenomenal in their ability to bring levity and humor into the often controversial and highly personal world of hair within the black community.

Dennis Hermida ’16 and Shaquan Perkins ’13 gave one of the most honest and heartfelt performances of the show with “Symbiosis.” Hermida, playing the The Man, is depicted symbolically throwing away his ethnic identity—his character’s blackness—for corporate success by tossing items such as Afro Sheen, curl relaxer, Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze,” and The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” in the trash. Doing so, Perkins, as Her-

mida’s personified attachment to his black culture, pleads desperately to The Man to stop rejecting his roots.

The way Hermida and Perkins, who was equally noteworthy in his role of exploring homosexuality in the character of Miss Roj, were able to bring such a high degree of sensitivity and vulnerability into “Symbiosis” to make the piece memorable. It shed light on the sad sacrifice some deem necessary in order to reach the top of a primarily white business world.

Through sharp commentary, wit and unapologetic humor, the lively cast of “The Colored Museum” re-

vealed the triumph, pain and baggage carried by blacks and African-Americans. Despite such dark themes and humor, “The Colored Museum” does not cast away the baggage it presents, but rather gives the message of accepting baggage as essential and part of the black experience. In the end, the themes of “The Colored Museum” remind audiences that there needs to be a better discussion of race. Through the stories of its characters—Aunt Ethel, The Kid and so many more— audiences are challenged to think about their plight long after the show is over.

‘Much Ado about Nothing’ see page 9 for review

Arts Recommends movies

photo from internet source

‘Smiley’ (2012) Toying with the notion of our intimate relationship with technology, the film “Smiley” is a psychological thriller that blurs the line between the horror of the supernatural and the inherent potential for cruelty embedded within human kind.

Exploring the chilling potential of online sites designed for video chatting with strangers, the film focuses on an urban myth about an Internet entity dubbed Smiley. According to rumor, typing “I did it for the lolz” three times while video chatting with a stranger will cause Smiley to appear and brutally murder the person on the other side of the screen.

Dismissing the myth, college students jokingly send the messages, watching in horror as Smiley appears and slashes the throats of innocent strangers. Attempting to conceal the incidents, partially due to their own desire to deny responsibility for inflicting death upon innocent victims, the students are tormented by guilt and fear, inadvertently plunging into a horrific encounter with the supernatural.

As a twist upon the classic Bloody Mary legend, Smiley is unique in the sense that it raises questions about the potential dangers of the Internet, a pervasive technology, deeply integrated in our lives. Although a supernatural entity such as Smiley may not be a rational manifestation of our fears, it nevertheless will place a chilling light on the implications of chatting with perfect strangers and the interconnectivity of the Internet. victoria aronson, editor

photo by allison clears/the hoot

8 The Brandeis Hoot

This week in photos

March 8, 2013

K-Nite Goes K-Pop k-nite 2013 KSA’s annual K-Nite brought Korean food and culture to Levin last Friday.

photos by katie chin/the hoot

arts, etc.

March 8, 2013

The Brandeis Hoot 9

‘Much Ado’ transcends time

By Dana Trismen Editor

Hold Thy Peace’s 25th show, “Much Ado About Nothing” opens this weekend, a show for everyone who is a nineties kid at heart. This production combines the traditional Shakespeare lines with a nineties backdrop, music and costumes. As stated by directors Aaron Fischer ’15 and Ryan Kacani ’15, “There is method in the madness. “Much Ado” is, in a phrase, Shakespeare’s sitcom, establishing the roots for some of the greatest television programming in history. With over-the-top characters, nonsensical schemes and ill-fitting bedfellows, “Much Ado About Nothing” would be right at home alongside such classic works as “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” “Friends,” “Seinfeld” and Beethoven’s ninth symphony.”

Audience members can take delight in the references to the nineties that abound in “Much Ado.” The set boasts old phones and Game Boys and characters walk around eating Fruit Roll-Ups and sitting in blowup chairs. Benedick (Alex Davis ’15) reads “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” and even when introducing the show, the directors speak of Al Gore’s run for president as though it is in the present day.

Yet, what really makes the nineties vibe is the music. Each set change plays to a different famous nineties song, from the “Lion King” soundtrack to the “Pokémon” theme song. Audience members hummed along to themselves as characters danced to the “Backstreet Boys” at their Y2K party. Through auditory and visual modes, Hold Thy Peace succeeded in transporting a play written in the 1600s to an entirely different time period.

Casting for “Much Ado” was, on the whole, very appropriate, with multiple standouts. Samantha LaVangie ’15 thoroughly embraces her character, Beatrice. Sassy and spirited, she manages to stand her ground as an impressive female lead while still showing her soft side toward her eventual mate, Benedick. LaVangie is Beatrice in every moment, even when her character is in the background.

In scenes where audience members were probably not watching (such as in the party scene, where she danced and took shots) she remained a consistent standout.

Don John (Emily Dugan ’14) also shines. As the villain of the play, Dugan succeeds primarily through body language. Impressively skilled at making hilarious faces and different vocal intonations, Dugan’s mischievous plots engage the audience. From acting hung-over to stroking her pet cat, audience members were never bored when Dugan entered the stage.

Yet, the group portrays Claudio (Martin Hamilton ’16) as a bumbling simpleton. As is expected, given the original Shakespearean production, Davis steals the spotlight as Benedick.

Davis advances the plot with a far more commanding stage presence.

Hamilton plays off of the other actors on the stage, rather than initiating events by himself. He plays Claudio as somewhat emasculated, as shown by his costume at the Y2K party. While Benedick plays Batman, stealing the show, Claudio dresses as Robin, and seems disconsolate, displaced during the entire scene. However, he plays his part as a fool adorably, down to the nineties Ash Ketchum style vest.

“Much Ado” reaches for all the comic gimmicks, and gets a laugh

every time. Perhaps most notable are the characters’ choices of hiding places. Benedick crouches behind one small pillow while eavesdropping. Audiences erupted in hilarity as lanky Davis tried to hide behind this small object, as he eventually gave up and crept along the floor. Later in the show, LaVangie throws dirty laundry over herself as Beatrice listens in on conversations about how Benedick may truly love her. At one point, she even crawls in the laundry hamper.

The guards outside the manor of Leonato (Ben Federlin ’14) attempt to resemble trees. While all these characters act in the background of the main scene, their actions and blocking truly brought a sparkle to the play’s plot line.

Perhaps due to first-night glitches, one place where “Much Ado” fell short was set changes. While the sets for the play were large and painted beautifully, they were cumbersome to

move. The play calls for many changes in scenery, often close together.

This was often irritating for the audience to watch. Immersed in a scene for a bit, audiences then sit through a long set change just to have another set change happen again soon after.

A redeeming grace here, again, is the nineties music, but by the second act, even that could not appease the audience’s boredom while watching the same couch get moved again and again.

Produced, directed, stage-managed and acted all by Brandeis students, “Much Ado” is a feat. “Much Ado” is hilarious even in its original format, but the nineties theme adds a sort of inside-joke aspect to the work that makes it even more enjoyable to watch. Showing at the Shapiro Campus Center Theater on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., “Much Ado” is a show that even the non-Shakespeare fan should see.

true love Beatrice (Samantha LeVangie) and Benedick (Alex Davis) make a good pair.

star villian Don John (Emily Dugan) is a mischevious, cunning trickster.

marriage ceremony As usual with comedies, ‘Much Ado’ ends in marriage.

photos by allison clears/the hoot

10 ARTS, ETC.

The Brandeis Hoot

March 8, 2013

Students showcase 3D art designs at Dreitzer Gallery ByVictoria Aronson Editor

Unveiled to the public eye for the first time, a diverse assemblage of artwork ranging in mediums from sculpture to photography was featured at Dreitzer Gallery. The opening reception incorporated complex three-dimensional sculptures and displays of photographs pertaining to the concept of the sublime amid a wide array of work.

Jessa Modell ’15, a studio art major and one of the students contributing to the work displayed in the gallery, talked about her piece featuring a series of sculpted keys.

Toying with titles such as “The Keys to the Campus,” Modell explained her design aesthetic. Asserting her fascination with the subject material, she emphasized the mix of modern and old fashioned keys as the inspiration embedded in her work.

Beyond an aesthetic perspective, Modell’s explanation behind purposefully leaving a single hook empty while the rest bore identical keys, elicits a more complex and meaningful dimension to the piece. She explains the mechanism behind this artistic rendition, saying the missing key signifies literally a door being opened or closed. From a figurative perspective, this points to the metaphorical doors in life and the experiences of opportunity and failure that plague the mind.

Initially, viewers were attracted to the hanging three-dimensional sculptures, which claimed a strong presence in the gallery. Despite the variety of art forms and mediums, Sofia Retta ’15, whose photographs were on display, explained the uniting theme of the gallery to be the sublime. “The experience of the sublime is a little scary and a little horrifying, but incredibly beautiful,” she said.

This intrinsically contradictory nature of the sublime is reflected through Retta’s description of conflicts portrayed within the artwork, such as the simultaneous representation of absence and presence.

Although she recognizes that some may regard photography as an exact representation of reality, “By capturing a moment of life, they also make us think of death,” she said.

Focusing on self portraits, Retta says that this is “an incredibly vulnerable form of photography.” She

three -dimensional sculptures Student artwork is displayed at Dreitzer Gallery.

describes the projection of emotional experiences within the visual format and the questioning of the self that is reflected in her work. Using an intriguing spectrum of angles and reflections within her photographs, Retta’s work bears an uneasy quality that pertains to the overarching theme of the sublime.

Majoring in art history with a minor in anthropology, Retta reveals her desire for the implementation of additional photography classes, as there is currently no concentration of study available in the field.

Despite the limited scope of study available to students passionate in this field of artistic expression, Retta nevertheless describes the photog-

raphy professor, Scott Weiner, as a phenomenal mentor, pushing her to complicate her artwork.

As members of the audience strolled through the gallery, they uttered commentary on the various art forms. Sarah Weininger, a senior studio arts major with a concentration in painting, revealed her impressions: “It’s blurring the boundary between different forms of art.”

Although sculptures hanging from the ceiling initially command attention, she acknowledges her appreciation for the more subtle variations of sculptures as well, stating, “The ones made just out of cardboard can be just as puzzling.” A carousel constructed entirely of cardboard, created by Jes-

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

sica Huang, garnered attention from passersby, while other student artists manipulated the medium of wires to construct intricate pieces.

In particular, a piece by Shana Namm encapsulated this sense of intricacy, with thicker twisting of wire forming the trunk of a tree, fraying as they reached the branches and roots of the sculpture.

Along the wall of photography, Jacob Jacobowitz’s depiction of a grimy sink evoked a sense of the sublime. A passing viewer commented that his work involved “a dramatic framing of mundane things.”

Hidden at the opposing side of the gallery, student artwork that appeared to be humorous in nature seemed to

evade the overarching theme of the sublime. Students created quirky inventions, such as “heelies,” high heels with adjustable heels, a silverware necklace to ensure a fork and spoon would always be on hand, and a foot watch designed to depict the time while your hands are too full carrying objects to check the traditional wrist watch.

Ultimately, the opening reception of the gallery revealed intriguing work created by students in mediums ranging from sculpture to photography.

Although not every piece appeared to pertain to the sublime, the effusion of diverse works stimulated viewers’ interest and spoke to the complexities of the art work.

Viewing an author’s work as a whole: Jodi Picoult

By Dana Trismen Editor

Jodi Picoult is practically a household name. The author of “My Sisters Keeper,” “Nineteen Minutes” and 16 other novels, Picoult is known for writing on controversial topics and courtroom drama. Yet, while many of her novels have spawned movies and book groups, Picoult has not always been the strong writer she is today.

Picoult’s first book, “Song of the Humpback Whale,” about an abusive and distant husband, was published in 1992. I recently read “Picture Perfect” (1995), which is also about an abusive relationship, yet one involving a movie star husband. In examining Picoult’s body of work, it appears that it took her years and a few novels to really get her footing. Her earlier works are simple, with one primary

plot line, the others serving as useless distractions. Most still have the Picoult twist ending, but it is clear that Picoult has matured as a writer.

Readers should be wary of picking up early Picoult books expecting to enjoy them. “Picture Perfect” would make a much better soap opera than a novel. The main character, Cassie, is an anthropologist who suffers physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her extremely famous movie star husband, Alex. At the start of the novel, Cassie is suffering from amnesia. She forgets about Alex, and lives in the home of Will Flying Horse, a half-Lakota police officer that falls in love with her. The novel turns to Cassie running away, then returning and then again fleeing from Alex.

There is also some time spent on a Native American reservation and Cassie gives birth to a baby who complicates relationships. Yet, the characters are

entirely flat. Will spends the entire book angry, unable to find a place on the reservation or in Los Angeles.

Cassie is flighty and not a very likable character, and her love and adoration toward Alex are not clearly explained or justifiable. Readers do not root for Cassie to escape Alex’s clutches, they sit back and read apathetically toward the novel’s twist, but still boring, conclusion.

More recent Picoult books avoid the pitfalls of “Picture Perfect.” “The Pact,” penned in 1998, shows inklings of Picoult’s skill in writing from a male standpoint, from the point of view of a distressed teenager. Picoult improves in creating less stereotypical characters, from the married-turnedlesbian musician in “Sing You Home” (2011) to the death row inmate in “Change of Heart” (2008).

Picoult still struggles with creating unique voices for her characters. In

“My Sisters Keeper” (2004), Picoult frequently changes the narration, switching among the three younger siblings and the older parental generation. Yet, the father sounds like the brother, whose voice is very similar to the sister. Picoult’s strength is not her characters’ thoughts. Instead, it is their actions, and the twisting and suspenseful plot lines she devises.

Her advancement in writing is seen through more unique plot events.

“Picture Perfect” circles on domestic abuse, a difficult topic to write about without seeming trite or rehashing what other authors have written. Picoult has gotten better at choosing hot topics, from the Amish world to court cases involving child molestation.

Picoult should also be admired for her research. As many of her novels involve in-depth accounts of court cases, Picoult is well-versed in the

law. She thoroughly immerses herself in the worlds of her novels. In the case of “The Tenth Circle” (2006), a father-daughter novel about rape and leaving home behind, Picoult actually traveled to the Alaskan bush. In an interview, she described using a dog sled and never having enough clothes to stay completely warm. Picoult does not impulsively pick her topics; she is meticulous and knowledgeable.

Authors are an interesting breed.

Some write one novel they can never again match up to, such as J.D. Salinger and “The Catcher in the Rye.” Others start strong and fade out as they age. While Picoult still has a long way to go if she wants to measure up to Salinger, one thing is true: she is taking steps in the right direction. As her new book “The Storyteller” (which circles thematically around The Holocaust) is released, readers can hope that Picoult continues to grow.

March 8, 2013

ARTS, ETC. 11

The Brandeis Hoot

‘Rabbit Hole’ expresses real grief

By Zoe Richman Editor

This past weekend, the Brandeis Players presented David LindsayAbaire’s “Rabbit Hole,” the winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Directed by Jessie Field, stage managed by Briana Schiff and produced

by Yoni Bronstein, the play starred a small but versatile and well-balanced cast: Julia Davidovitz, Emily Duggan, Ben Lewin, Zachary Marlin and Jamie Perutz.

The premise of “Rabbit Hole” is straightforward. A young married couple, Becca (Jamie Perutz) and Howie (Zachary Marlin), lose their four-year-old son, Danny, after he runs into the street after his dog. The underlying themes of the story, however, are far from one-dimensional.

Subjects involving grief, coping mechanisms and family relationships embody the performance, which force the audience to look and reach beyond the plot’s surface.

“Rabbit Hole” is a story without resolution, refusing to reach for a tidy ending in the tragedy of a lost child. Instead, the play deals with the weight of loss and how the feeling of that weight—the brick in your pocket—lightens with each passing day. The weight becomes part of your character, something you carry around with you forever. Nat (Emily Duggan) explains this phenomenon in an eloquent and powerful way to her daughter, Becca. Duggan does a commendable job in playing the role of a mother.

Her motherly appeal brings slight comic relief to the story. At the same time, her buried grief for her own son who passed away is exposed to offer a gentle shoulder for Becca’s disposal.

As noted in the play’s program, this production of “Rabbit Hole” was dedicated to the 20 children who were lost in Newtown, Conn., three months ago. The parents of those 20 students were not doing anything wrong, Jessie Field notes, by sending them to school on that December day. The calamity could not have been anticipated and the overwhelming grief cannot now be softened.

While “Rabbit Hole” is primarily a heavy drama, hints of comedy pepper the story, lightening the weight of the play’s messages. Izzy (Julia Davidovitz) is Becca’s rebellious, wild and loving sister. While her relationship with Becca shows the necessary compassion, her wild side sparks wit throughout the story. Davidovitz’s clear comfort on stage and contagious appeal brought invaluable energy to the production.

While the characters are all strongwilled and individually distinct, an underlying chemistry in the cast

rabbit hole This Pulitzer Prize winning drama presents family conflict.

made for a fluid performance. Each character also possesses a quality with which the audience can easily relate.

Becca and Howie both embody the frustration, empathy and uncertainty inevitable when a family loses a child.

Perutz delivers her role with genuine depth, bringing to life the anguish that comes with such a loss. Authentic and believable, Marlin delivers his role in a way that makes his character endearing.

Ben Lewin plays the role of Jason, the high school senior who was driving the car that hit Danny. Jason’s character adds an interesting twist to the plot.

His short story, based on alternative universes, teaches Becca an alternative way to view her family’s difficult situation. Lewin captures the naiveté and curiosity of a high school student in his role as Jason. His evidently deep regret for Danny’s death also underlines the uncontrollable nature of such tragedies.

The Brandeis cast of “Rabbit Hole” should be commended on their performance. Captivating and eloquent in delivering the underlying messages of the story, they offered audiences an opportunity to understand the progression of grief and the value of compassion.

grief Brandeis students portray loss and longing.

photos by maya himelfarb/the hoot

‘Arab lands’ mixes traditional and modern music

By Shreyas Warrier Staff

Brandeis University played host to a diverse group of musicians during the last week of February. This group, naming themselves “New Sounds from Arab Lands,” provided a fusion of traditional Middle Eastern and African music with Western classical music. The musicians hailed from countries such as Syria, Lebanon and Tunisia, and they possessed training in western classical music as well as Arabian music. Their goal was not to stay completely true to the music of their cultures, but rather to show that their music was adaptable and continuous, that it would not die out

but could still be created. One of the musicians said, “A musical style dies when there can no longer be improvisation, when nothing new can be done.” The group, staying at Brandeis for three days as part of the MusicUnitesUS program, showed that they could meld the music of Arab lands with western styles.

“New Sounds From Arab Lands” performed in Slosberg Music Center to showcase their wide range of talents the day before their actual show, on Feb. 28. They played before a full hall of students, all of whom listened attentively to the sounds at hand. Professors of anthropology, art, music, literature and math all brought their students to listen to the

group—encouraging the propagation of new music and to take in the amalgamation of different cultures. The first piece that the musicians played was completely improvised. The five musicians interwove their melodies, harmonies and rhythms with great skill, making the piece seem fully rehearsed. The audience could hear the Arabian tunes stemming from the clarinet, qanun, and saxophone, but these were crossed expertly with clearly Western inlays. The percussionists switched back and forth seamlessly between more Western and more Arabian rhythms, sometimes playing classic four-four beats and then switching to the more nonregular beats famed in Eastern musi-

cal heritage.

Judith Eissenberg, director of MusicUnitesUS, stated, “Their music brings together three beautiful classical traditions: Arab and European art, music and jazz.” This adaptability is what brought the musicians together—they were eager to show that Arab music was not dying out, but that it could still be new and bring to life the context and culture that exists in today’s world. Music is a reflection of self and of the world that shapes the self. As such, the influences that each musician had, in training in their respective countries and across the West, were clearly displayed in their performance. They travel frequently, from New York, to Paris, to

Lebanon, gathering new material that influences their play.

In their show on Feb. 28, the group played pieces written by each one of the musicians. Their improvisations and control were shown even in their traditional music, proving that tradition is not necessarily a restraining force. The members of the group said that they were originally hesitant about banding together, concerned that distinct sounds would be incapable of blending together. They found, however, that their individual styles were not wholly separate, and “were ultimately enthralled with the idea of expressing traditional sounds in contemporary ways,” according to an interview with BrandeisNOW.

opinion

12 The Brandeis Hoot

March 8, 2013

Emory president should resign after essay

By Jennifer Spencer Staff

We all know of some of the ridiculously unjust laws that plagued this country in defense of slavery before the Civil War. Take, for example, the Three-Fifths Compromise, which counted slaves as three-fifths of a person in their state’s population for federal representation in Congress.

The idea that skin color could determine whether or not you were more or less of a person is, today, unimaginable. While racism still exists in this country and is never excusable, it is even more shocking that it is still being heard in the words of top scholars and heads of academic institutions.

Recently, the president of Emory University, a fellow research institution in our UAA conference, is under heavy scrutiny for his praising of the Three-Fifths Compromise in a column he wrote for the university magazine. More specifically, President James Wagner, in his controversial statement, said about the members of the Constitutional Convention, “Both sides found a way to temper ideology and continue working toward the highest aspiration they

both shared—the aspiration to form a more perfect union.” I found it outrageous that he could compare an act of clear racism to the ideal of reaching fair compromise. Out of all the compromises out there, the Three-Fifths Compromise was a terrible, terrible choice.

This statement is not something that can just be brushed away without response. Students are well aware of repercussions of what the president said and are taking action. We see response in the form of student protests and an overall negative response toward his statement. Forty five students on the Emory campus protested against their own president. This is promising and continues to garner momentum both in Atlanta and nationwide.

Wagner has since released a statement apologizing for those hurt by his column, writing, “Certainly, I do not consider slavery anything but heinous, repulsive, repugnant and inhuman. I should have stated that fact clearly in my essay.”

Yet, the damage has been done.

There are reasons why it is so important to stand up now and fight against this instance of racism. People

in power carry a profound effect on their constituency, one that should not be taken lightly. People look up to professors and heads of higher education and assume that they are well-spoken and well-educated. Liberal arts research universities like Emory are well-respected and should promote and provide quality learning and equal opportunities to all. Sure, all people make mistakes, but these head figures know they are role models. Even if what they write, or say is unintentionally harmful, they should take seriously their role as leaders and be careful with the things they write or say. He is in the spotlight, so the way we react can show that his behavior was not acceptable.

If Wagner’s behavior is left to fade memory, it will show others that what he said was OK. We can accept the president’s apology, but keeping him in power of an elite liberal arts institution goes against the principles of freedom and equality. If we let it

slide because he is the president of the school, we do more harm than good. Many people were hurt and offended by his statement, but it shows that racism is still alive and we cannot ignore it. This won’t eradicate racism completely, but it continues to move our society In the right direction.

Wagner’s behavior should not be tolerated despite apologizes on his part. While he apologizes for his statement profusely, there is no reason to sanction his behavior and he should without a doubt not be allowed to continue serving as president. Many students have been protesting against Wagner’s behaviors and I think this momentum should continue among other schools. He should not be allowed to get away with such an offensive statement. If more students protest against his behavior, this will continue to fight modern day racism.

We as students have to take a role in fighting such acts and move our generation further and further away from

photo from internet source

racism.

Rather than focus on the apologies that the president states over and over again—for his lack of consideration and saying that he didn’t intend harm—it is important to use this issue to focus on the issue of racism today. Just because the situation is not nearly as bad as it was in the past, the prevalence is still disturbing. There are still many disparities to be worked on among different races.

The world is becoming more globalized and our country more diverse. Changing mindsets is an inherent part of eliminating racism while living in the 21st century. Minorities are expected to be the majority in the year 2050, according to CNN. Educating youth is teaching our future leaders, policy makers and, overall, people who will be in charge of change. The positive influences they receive will be headed by people who are tolerant of all race, ethnicity and genders.

photo from internet source

Brandeis Hookups: When guilty pleasures spin out of control

By Alison Thvedt Staff

“Post your raunchiest, craziest Brandeis hookup story anonymously in the link below and it will be posted on this Facebook page.”

That’s the description of the latest Brandeis “community” Facebook page, “Brandeis Hookups.”

I saw the page when it first came out and paid little attention to it—it featured primarily stories of odd places where Brandeis students had hooked up. Interesting enough, but not something I personally wanted showing up on my newsfeed.

To me, it was just the latest development in the Brandeis page trends, following Brandeis Compliments, Brandeis Crushes and Deis Confesh However, a friend of mine recently brought the page up in conversation, talking about how it has recent posts promoting sexism, body-shaming and rape culture. Interested, I again looked at the page, and was shocked to find that my friend was right.

On March 2, Brandeis Hookups made a post about a person responding to a sexual act that their partner explicitly did not enjoy. “The fact that you got sick from it and then posted on here makes me lol,” he wrote, continuing, “Hope you’re not a regular on here cuz Ima convince

photo from internet source

you to do it again. Sincerely, Not sorry in the slightest.”

Again, on March 2, a Brandeis Hookups contributor published a post criticizing a former partner’s body and encouraged her to “douche” in order to correct these perceived imperfections. The pattern recurred again on March 3: a self-described, “horny 20-year-old male,” said of

women’s breasts in general, “Go big or go home.”

While I give credit to the Brandeis community for calling out many harmful posts, these were the three that stood out to me the most and none of them got very much attention. The first one talks about “convincing” a girl to do something she clearly didn’t like and was even harm-

ful to her health (she stated in a previous post that it made her sick); not only is this disrespectful and hurtful to the girl, but many (including myself) would call it rape.

The second post is body-shaming and insulting to the female who hooked up with this person. It also advises douching, which is not only unnecessary but usually potentially

dangerous and unsafe. The third post shames females who don’t have large breasts and implies that females with other body shapes shouldn’t waste their time trying to hook up with males.

On March 7, two more body-shaming stories were posted, finally See HOOK-UPS, page 14

March 8, 2013

SECTION 13

The Brandeis Hoot

The artistic purpose of video games

By Charlie Romanow Staff

The last 100 years have seen advancements and inventions previously thought of as scientifically impossible.

Electricity, telephones, cars, Internet and television all bring people toward one another and allow for life to be easier and more enjoyable. While not as impactful as electricity or the Internet, video games comprise an art form as important as others.

What started in 1947 as a “cathode ray tube amusement device” has become a worldwide entity. The current generation of video games alone has sold more than 240 million home consoles and an additional 225 million portable consoles. The popularity and current usage of past systems and games furthers the impact of video games. With seven of the 10 bestselling consoles released in the last 13 years, it’s unlikely that video games’ popularity will fade away anytime soon.

Current video game makers like Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony have each made a unique name for themselves.

Each developer, company, console and series can attract fans that are as loyal and faithful to their video game as others are to sports teams. Because video games often take place in an alternate world, they remain relevant for years to come in a way that literature, films and television cannot compete.

Nobody can say that “Super Smash Bros. Melee” was more relatable when it was released in 2001 than it is now or will be 10 years from now.

Multiple franchises have each sold more than 100 million copies of their games. Many of them have become involved with the political world due to the overtly violent nature of many popular games, perhaps none more notorious than the “Grand Theft Auto” series.

Video games can be quite savage, but so can life. Not all video games are violent and not all people are violent, but we should not hide what the real world has in store. War and violence exist, and although it seems as if video games make light of these, they can also bring the inevitable truths of life to people so as to improve their understanding of the world. The bloody violence in videogames is not nearly as traumatic or hurtful as real life events can be. I am not aware of anyone with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after being wounded in a game of “Halo.”

Many believe it to be a misuse of time to play video games as some people play many hours each day.

Everyone can form their own opinion on the matter, but I believe that videogames can be quite helpful to people. It gives some a purpose, and gives many a form of art in which they can devote their professional life that was not present decades ago. My peers that have gone into the video game industry as a profession have found an industry in which they feel at home.

It’s something that brings people together and provides a method for people to let go of their frustrations in a safe manner. Those who say that video games are a waste of time or energy must look at the alternatives. As I played “Lord of the Rings” online, my sister watched “16 and Pregnant” and “Kourtney & Kim Take Miami” while aimlessly browsing on the Internet and Facebook. It does not seem as if video games can be more harmful than activities and shows such as those.

While not necessarily harmful, shows like these can alter a young person’s view of the world and how people should behave and be treated. Video games can often provide a proper role model that lives life with proper values and morals. Although he is forced to kill others, Ezio Auditore, who first appeared in “Assassin’s Creed II,” lived a valorous existence in attempting to do the right thing by helping those in need while eliminating those who caused incalculable damage. Video games are by no means the most productive thing in the world, but in the present culture, which is focused on enjoying time, video games seem to be more productive than some of the alternatives.

The majority of human history has comprised times that people had to spend time working to survive and support their family. But the increased amount of leisure time in our lives, come decisions about what we should do or want to do during these times and such decisions will inevitably cause stress and inner struggles.

Recent first-person shooter, role playing, simulation, sports and multiplayer online role-playing games have occupied many hours of individuals’ time and can seem as genuine as reality, or at least as other man-made art forms. I know of many people, including myself, who have become more familiar with a video game world and map than of the small nine-squaremile town that I live in.

graphic by linjie xu/the hoot

The popularity and power of video games have understandably brought conflict. Occasionally, an atrocious violent act will be preempted in a video game. As with everything, video games should be balanced with other activities, although some can get away with playing more video games than others. You may even say that video games have saved lives by providing an outlet for those who would otherwise not feel connected to anyone or

anything.

The enjoyment that individuals experience while playing video games cannot be measured.The meaning of life differs from individual to individual but it seems to me that the meaning is to enjoy life, not necessarily to do whatever you want at every moment, but be productive in a way that will provide further satisfaction and enjoyment in your life in the future. Video games are no more wasteful than film, television, music, litera-

ture or art. The way that one sees the usefulness and purpose of these mediums is individually based on many different factors, but what we all must realize is that none of us have the answers and everyone is different. So I’ll live my life anticipating the new “Sim City” that comes out this week and will watch the new “Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag” trailer while waiting to get “Assassin’s Creed 3.”

Blue jeans, the pants of America

By Lassor Feasley Editor

When I first started attending high school, I held an aversion to the very concept of wearing the uniform required of me. In my mind it was the ultimate stamp of submission to establishment forces and denoted a culture from which I wanted to distance myself. In the subway, I would often conceal my shameful attire under a zipped windbreaker or hoodie. Of course, that subterfuge could only last so long, as the sweltering heat of an impending summer would inevitably force me to expose the uniform to my fellow commuters.

The uniform consisted of a polo shirt bearing the name of the school and khaki pants. School administra-

tors would claim that the propose of the uniform was not to inspire the drab sense of conformity which I associated it with, but rather to create a sense of equality among students and limit distractions. While many students attempted to subvert the intent of the uniform, wearing cargo style khaki pants, loud undershirts and ostentatious sneakers, the effect of the uniform was never broken.

During the years, my antipathy to the concept of a uniform dulled.

I began to relax when wearing my uniform in the presence of strangers. Although I would change back into jeans and a T-shirt the moment I returned home every day, the rationale for the uniform seemed to make sense. Yet, I never could understand the reason that my school’s admin-

istrators had chosen to prescribe the clothing that I was required to wear.

The polo shirt made some sense: it was practical and comfortable. My school was co-ed and the same polo shirt was required of both sexes, although girls perennially complained that the unfitted shirts were uncomfortable and unbecoming. Regardless, the polo shirt seemed like a practical choice. What I will never understand, however, is why khaki pants were mandated.

For years, khaki pants have battled for dominance in the world of casual apparel with the American favorite, denim. While many consider khaki pants to be the more formal option See JEANS, page 14

photo from internet source

14 OPINION

The Brandeis Hoot

March 8, 2013

A guilty pleasure run wild HOOK-UPS, from page 12

eliciting criticism: “Why do they call it a WonderBra?” asked a disparaging commentator, sarcastically adding, “Thanks, For wasting my time.”

And just hours later another offensive post was published: “Dear girl walking across the SCC. If you’re going to dress like a slut can you at least be somewhat attractive?” Both posts received comments from students saying the posts were disgusting or mean.

Finally, a student sent a message to Brandeis Hookups, asking, “Can we put a lid on the slut-shaming, people?”

Brandeis Hookups responded, saying the person had a “valid point.”

They continued to say in a comment on the post, “We have been careful to filter posts and have been proud to say that we have prevented potentially harmful posts that could do more damage than just hurt feelings … We neither endorse nor disavow any post, merely screen it for potential negative effects and bring it to the public.”

And yet, the people who run this page approved the above posts—and let it be said, the posts mentioned above don’t even begin to cover all the problems with this page. Many of the posts address a person as a part of a group (“To the KBG girl,” “Dear Sammy Brothers,” etc.), making it easier to guess the victim. Other stories shame men as well as women, and one in-

sulted a male for not fitting his racial stereotype.

Since Brandeis Hookups let all these posts through, it’s safe to assume they don’t consider them “harmful.” In my opinion, however, they most definitely are, and they do, in fact, have “potential negative effects.”

Regardless of whether or not these posts and stories are all real-- as it is very likely at least some of them aren’t-- these things are being posted on a public page for amusement and entertainment. People who have been raped are reading disgusting stories about someone being “convinced” again to perform a sexual act that causes them pain. Women with low self-esteem see the likes on a comment about how a girl has to have a certain body type, and their own negative body image is reinforced. People start to wonder things like if they should douche, or if they themselves are just like the girl who tries to dress confidently and then is shut down for not having an “attractive” body.

The effects of these kinds of posts are real, and the people running the page are doing a poor job of preventing harmful stories from getting through. I’m all for sex-positivity and having open dialogue about sexual experiences, but Brandeis Hookups is doing too much harm. Fun is fun, and fun stories are fun, but fun at the expense of others is cruel. It’s my opinion that this page should be removed from Facebook. photo from internet source

The significance of khaki and denim styles JEANS, from page 13

of the two, a brief study into the history of the cloth reveals that no such distinction exists. Khaki was originally developed for military use in 19th century colonial India. For many years they were most commonly associated with active duty military uniforms usually intended for use in arid climates.

The use of denim, however, can be traced back to 18th century colonial America, where the french woven cloth was lauded by colonists for its extraordinary strength. The word denim derives from “de Nimes,” denoting the French town from which the cloth originated. When the Levi Strauss Company started producing ultra durable riveted pants in the mid 19th century, which we now know as blue jeans, their popularity instantly took off. Jeans were first used by fron-

tier men and cowboys in the American west before they became popular in the mainstream.

So what compelled my high school administrators to choose khakis over jeans when devising the school uniform? Where historically, khakis have implied the violent imperial tendencies of colonial Britain, jeans are associated with American commercial ventures of the early frontiersmen. Of two fabrics, both alike in dignity, why wouldn’t my school want us to identify with the comparatively pacifist legacy of blue jeans? It just doesn’t add up. To find the answer, we must read deeper into the history of blue jeans.

By the early twentieth century, jeans were commonly worn both by men and women in factories. It was not until the 1950s that jeans were commonly worn outside of vocational settings.

But jeans really took off as a staple of American culture after James Dean’s “Rebel Without a Cause” established

them as the hallmark of youthful rebellion. Soon thereafter, blue jeans were banned in the halls of elite theaters, country clubs and restaurants, deemed incompatible with civilized social discourse.

As decades passed, jeans persisted in popularity despite the disapproval of high society. Jeans are now popular the world over, and are often associated with the mass appeal of American culture. Today, there is hardly a venue in America where one would not feel at home wearing a pair of blue jeans.

That is, with the exception of a handful of prep schools where they remain banned to the bane of thousands of students across the country.

In this world, there are two types of people. There are people who wear khakis and those who wear denim.

When it comes down to it, the choice says more about who we are than you might imagine.

photo from internet source

Student diversity at Brandeis

By Axel Szmulewiez Special to the hoot

One of the characteristics that distinguishes Brandeis as one of the most recognized colleges in the nation is the nature of its vibrant, diverse student body. There are, of course, a number of different social, ethnic and cultural groups within the United States, but it is the elemental addition of international students to our community that enriches every student’s experience at Brandeis. There is a variety of reasons to believe that this is not casual: Brandeis dedicates many resources and much effort to attract

international students and make them feel at home in order to capture the most talented and enlightening individuals around the globe.

This is a win-win situation: Brandeis achieves recognition and provides a multicultural, more attractive campus to students, while international students find the unique opportunity of American education at one of its best schools. I have said that Brandeis is a distinguished institution, but why do international students specifically choose Brandeis? Why go to Brandeis and not somewhere else, or stay at home with their families and friends?

Here are some reasons.

Brandeis takes a lot of care for its students once they are on campus, providing spaces for conversation and support for students who miss their homes, their cultures and their friends. There is always a comfort session to go to, an information meeting or a hotline to get in touch with university authorities who are ready to promptly provide face-to-face time.

All with the aim to make sure students are happy.

Just by scanning through the list of clubs and organizations, one finds numerous clubs reflecting the diverse See DIVERSITY, page 15 photo from internet source

March 8, 2013

OPINION 15

The Brandeis Hoot

Religious zealots should think twice

By Toby Bern

Special to the hoot

When religious extremists who are critical of homosexuality are subject to criticism themselves, the response tends to place emphasis on the religion itself. Often times many people, myself included, may find great difficulty reconciling their personal religious beliefs when religion can appear to be unaccepting. However, all of the controversy surrounding how religion views homosexuality can be turned on its head by examining the actual text of Old Testament.

Among all of the religious critiques of society, the loudest seem to be those against homosexuality. This would lead many to believe that the Old Testament spends an enormous amount of time discussing homosexuality, but it simply doesn’t. Ho-

mosexuality itself is discussed disproportionately more in public discourse compared to how much it is actually mentioned in the bible. There are really only a couple direct mentions of it in the Old Testament. One of which is Leviticus 20:13. “And if a man lie with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”

One would think that this phrasing is unequivocally serious; however, upon studying the context of this passage, this is not the case.

To start, the Hebrew word “toevah” used in this passage is generally translated as “abomination.” This translation, however, is incorrect. Translating toevah as an abomination does not do the context of the chosen wording any justice. It allows the passage to be taken out of context very easily. The

Bible uses the same Hebrew word “toevah” more than 100 times. One of the most memorable uses is when the Bible discusses a prohibition against non-Kosher food. But clearly homosexuality is a far more controversial topic despite the fact that the Bible addresses non-Kosher food with the same level of seriousness. The “toevah,” in fact translates better to ‘taboo’ something with far less negative associations that the word abomination.

Although it is easy to excuse the translation of a single word, the fact that there is a penalty of death associated with homosexuality should make it absolutely inexcusable. However, if we look just four verses earlier to Leviticus 20:9 it says, “For whatsoever man there be that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon

him.” This is quite strange, because I’ve never heard a religious extremist preach about teenagers who are disrespectful towards their parents, although according to the Bible, they certainly should be. A rational reading of the Bible places disrespecting one’s parents on the same level as homosexuality.

The fact that religious zealots quote the bible to support their anti-homosexual views is ridiculous. It is true; the bible has a prohibition against homosexual acts, however this is only one piece of the metaphorical jigsaw puzzle. We would never hear of a religious extremist protesting people for being rude to their parents or treating their neighbor with malice, although those two prohibitions are addressed with the same level of seriousness, if not more so than the quoted prohibition against homosexual acts.

So why do religious extremists seem to criticize modern society primarily for its unprecedented acceptance of homosexuality when there are so many more important laws that have been broken? It is because sexuality is something that we as people are very insecure about. When anyone talks about homosexuality, it attracts far more attention than if that same person were to mention the concept of treating your neighbor with respect, because it is something that we are uncomfortable with. Therefore it is not God who truly has the problem with homosexuality, it’s people.

No one who uses religion to criticize homosexuality ever uses it to criticize someone who has been rude to his or her fellow, but they should. ociety could be better off if they did.

Brandeis diversity abounds DIVERSITY, from page 14

background of its members: International club, BASO, Tango club, Chinese Cultural Connection and many more examples reflect the quantity, density and diversity that everyday activities embody. Furthermore, other organizations such as sports teams or artistic clubs show a deep integration among students.

It is not the case that each group is closed to others. Rather, students get together and share experiences, anecdotes, ideologies, cultures and

perspectives.

When in conversation with several international students, many have also highlighted that, even though they enjoy spending time with fellow countrymen, they appreciate the company of Americans for social activities. This suggests that the friendly and curious mindset of the majority of the student body is a major contributor to the positive atmosphere with which international students are fascinated. This comes as no surprise.

Brandeis has a well-known reputation for being very accepting, tolerant and

open minded. When consulted about their practices, creed, political ideology or even tastes in music, most of the students have no problem in answering honestly, with no fear of prejudice or judgment. It should be recalled that at this campus we have Jews, Christians, Muslims, Democrats and Republicans, Socialists, Communists, Emos, tech geeks, athletes and hipsters, and all find their happy place at Brandeis without much effort, and without confrontation with other groups.

College life is one of the most ex-

citing phases of life. It brings us in contact with our academic passions, of course, but it also presents us with the opportunity of expanding our horizons, of experimenting with new things, meeting new people and getting in contact with new unknown ideas. There is no doubt that the presence of international students deepens the cultural revolution all of us go through when we leave our homes and move into campus.

Their different perspectives, sets of values, ideas and visions of the world allow us to learn, to become better

informed and well-rounded individuals. This is extremely valuable, not only for our future professional careers, but also as human beings, to achieve a better understanding of the world around us. This helps us to better understand problems and search for solutions in order to contribute to and build a more peaceful and prosperous place in which to live. In this way, we will honor Justice Brandeis’ idea of social justice.

16 The Brandeis Hoot

this week in photos

girl scouts A Brandeis student-led troop of Daisies and Brownies came to campus to sell cookies on Sunday.

March 8, 2013

photos by ally eller/the hoot