The Brandeis Hoot - 4/12/13

Volume 10 Number 9

www.thebrandeishoot.com

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.

April 12, 2013

Marder named to BRAIN Initiative advisory board

By Dana Trismen Editor

mr. brandeis Students showcase their talents to compete in the annual Mr. Brandeis Pageant Thursday evening inside Gosman.

photo by allison clears/the hoot

Student leaders discuss club reorganization

By Theresa Gaffney Staff

The idea to restructure the club systems started with Student Union Treasurer David Clements ’14 and Senator at Large and Club Support Chair Charlotte Franco ’14 last summer. From there a committee was

formed, made up of Clements ’14, Franco ’15, Student Union President Todd Kirkland ’13, F-Board chair and Assistant Treasurer Nathan Israel ’14, Director of Student Activities Stephanie Grimes, and Director of Athletics Sheryl Sousa ’90.

The proposal focuses on five aspects of the current system to be im-

proved: collaboration, organizational resources, professional guidance, formal networking and communication and efficiency in allocations. Each club will be organized into one of 20 associations based on what the committee sees as its main focus. Clubs See CLUBS, page 4

President Barack Obama selected Professor and Director of the Division of Science Eve Marder ’69 (NBIO) as a member of the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) initiative’s advisory board earlier this month.

Obama unveiled the BRAIN Initiative on April 2, granting $100 million toward research for developing new technologies that may help cure brain disorders. The initiative includes faculty from research universities such as Brandeis.

“A lot of people think that we need technological developments and improvements, computational methods and theory in order to go to the next step,” Marder said. “The hope would be that it [the BRAIN Initiative] would foster a whole new generation of innovative tools that would allow brain scientists around the world to do experiments we wouldn’t imagine possible today.”

Supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the President’s Fiscal Year 2014 budget, the initiative seeks to discover new treatments and cures for disorders such as Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, autism, epilepsy and traumatic brain injury.

Marder claims that the present is a vital and exciting time for neuroscience.

She described how revolutionary it was 50 years ago to examine a single electrode in an animal’s brain. Now, technology has advanced, and experiments are conducted with multi-electrodes.

According to Marder, it is this kind of technological innovation that will keep neuroscience moving forward and that will help humans better understand the brain.

Professor and Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren (NBIO) said that the BRAIN Initiative will also explore the concept of circuits, which is a special area of focus for Marder.

See BRAIN, page 5

Guggenheim Fellowship and other teaching honors awarded to faculty

By Lassor Feasley Editor

As the semester draws to a close, staff took a moment to recognize outstanding work within its ranks. Professors were honored with a variety of awards this week, which were presented by faculty at Thursday’s meeting. These included both intramural awards given by the university for excellence in scholarship and teaching, and honors granted by outside organizations.

Professor Robin Miller (COML) was named a Guggenheim Fellow, which is accompanied by a grant and received an ovation from the faculty

in attendance on its announcement.

Also announced were the Teaching and Mentoring awards granted by the School of Arts and Sciences. The awards, which are given to faculty who demonstrate an exceptional ability to connect with students at both an extracurricular level and in class.

The awards are granted once annually and carry a cash stipend between one and five thousand dollars.

Professor Donald Katz (PSYC) received the Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Prize. Professor Katz has been awarded with numerous awards and grants in the past for his scholarship in Neurology and is active in mentoring first-year students in his capacity

as a member of the First Year Advisor Committee.

Sara Shostak, Assistant Professor of Sociology, was recipient of the Walzer Award for Teaching. Professor Shostak main focuses are society and health and often features writing and oral communications components in her classes.

James Morris won the Brandeis Prize for Excellence in Teaching. He is Associate Professor of Biology and teaches several classes on evolution.

He is published in several scientific journals and advises more than 40 students. Of his teaching abilities, one See FACULTY, page 5

Alums thrive in Boston Match Corps program

By Debby Brodsky Editor

Among the many postgraduate education programs available to Brandeis students is Match Corps, a highly selective, one-year urban education fellowship program in Boston. Once selected, Match Corps members, most of whom are recent graduates, act as tutors for children in either a middle school in Jamaica Plains, or a high school in Lawrence.

Match Corps is unique compared to programs like Teach For America, because it focuses only on struggling

Inside this issue:

school districts in Boston, and it trains its members to be one-on-one tutors with children for many hours each day, as opposed to programs where members teach many children at once.

Thomas Coughlin ’11 and Micha Broadnax ’12 have both worked with Match Corps, and have both been hired back after their first year of work to supervise newer Match Corps members.

Coughlin initially worked at the Match High School—where the program was founded—and he is currently the assistant site director at

Editorial: Rethinking election schedule Week in photos: Dancing the night away Arts, Etc.: Mr. Brandeis Pageant Opinion: Analyzing the American tax code Sports: Softball breaks even in doubleheaders

the Business Management School in Lawrence.

“This is Match’s first year in Lawrence. We’re here as part of the state takeover, which resulted from the district’s chronic low performance.

I stayed on because I believe in the program; I think it’s a means to affect change in education, and provide disadvantaged students with a greater chance for success,” Coughlin said.

Broadnax, on the other hand, works at a middle school in Jamaica Plains, See MATCH CORPS, page 5

Around the World Page 6 Page 16 ICC Clubs come together to showPage 9 case their cultures to the campus.

Page 13 Arts, etc.: Page 8 Page 7

softball The Judges split a pair of doubleheaders this

photo by allison clears/the hoot

week.

Lawrence lecture

President Lawrence discussed his scholarship on free speech and hate crimes.

News: Page 2

news

2 The Brandeis Hoot

April 12, 2013

Lawrence lectures on intent and consequences of hate crimes

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

By Jaye Han Staff

President Fred Lawrence presented a lecture “Words that Stab: Hate Speech under the American Constitution and the European Convention of Human Rights” on Tuesday afternoon at the Heller School.

Lawrence explored the concept of limiting hate speech and balancing free expression.

“Words are more than just what we use to communicate. Words can hurt, wound, frighten and even terrify. There are hateful speech acts that ought to be protected, hateful speech acts that ought not to be protected— that can be punished,” said Lawrence.

“How we ought to think about limitations on speech when various rights collide. We are talking about the right of free speech on one hand, and on the other hand, human dignity: the

right to be treated equally.”

Lawrence is the author of “Punishing Hate: Bias Crimes Under American Law,” and has written, lectured and testified widely on civil rights crimes as one of the nation’s leading experts on civil rights, free expression and bias crimes.

He said that we should view the prohibition of words more from the context of criminal law and less from the point of view of freedom of speech.

In 1993, the Supreme Court ruled in Wisconsin v. Mitchell that while we can’t punish expression, we can punish conduct and enact stricter sentences for hate crimes.

Lawrence said that a statute stating conduct can be punished while a speech or act cannot can draw an unclear line between expression and conduct.

“If I hold up a picket sign, is that

speech or is that conduct? If I express an opinion, is that purely speech? It’s an expressive act, it’s a verbal act,” argued Lawrence. “Trying to put a lot of weight in the expression versus conduct is not going to work.”

What is important, Lawrence explained, is that this statute states that to a certain extent the First Amendment will allow punishment of conduct. “Expression is protected, thought is protected, but we can push back with the argument of conduct— that is the current American regime,” he said.

In pursuing hate speech acts in context of criminal law, Lawrence emphasized the importance of intent in hate speech acts. He argued that rather than focusing on the external consequences of the speech, one should focus on the internal behavior and the state of the mind of the actor.

“The consequences are irrelevant.

The consequences will often help us understand culpability, but the focus of our consideration ought to be the culpability of the actor,” Lawrence said.

“Suppose someone has a bat. He takes the bat and hits someone in the head very hard causing enormous swelling in the person’s head. What crime is it?” Lawrence asked.

What ultimately determines this is the intent of the act, Lawrence explained. It is possible the person was standing there with a bat and the person who got hit was standing a little too close and accidentally got hit.

In which case, it is far from being a crime.

“But notice the physical harm is precisely the same,” Lawrence pointed out, “the welt in the head. I would argue that it is not just the intent of the actor that’s being judged, it is the resulting harm to the victim. To

have been hit in the head by accident causes the same physical pain. But the emotional pain, which we describe as spirit murdering, is very different if it were done carelessly, if it were done recklessly, or finally, if it were done intentionally,” he said.

Bias crimes hold a particular historical context. That is why, discussed Lawrence, in “the bias crime realm there is an active legislature saying this does or doesn’t count as a bias crime.”

He further formulated that such legislature is a normative statement that construes the culture, the context and the historical context. “Which is why,” detailed Lawrence, “every bias crime in the United States includes race, religion, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation.”

It’s important to understand that context in the realm of bias crimes can vary. Lawrence explained that in European context, different things may be construed as hate speech.

For example, in many jurisdictions in Europe, Holocaust denial is illegal; it is against the law to deny the existence of Holocaust. “We might be surprised in the United States, if somebody was brought up criminal charges for that. We might not agree, we might argue that it should not be published in certain journals and boycott those journals if they do—but it’d be surprising if the government said you can’t express those views,” Lawrence said.

“I think these issues ultimately are contextual,” said Lawrence. “We’ll get a more satisfying approach by looking at not the expected results of the expression and the punishment thereby but rather at the intent and the culpability of the actor. Sometimes that’s going to be a very hard line to draw, sometimes those are going to be very hard questions to determine. But I do believe it is through that very narrow space that the line between expression protection of an individual and the rights of the other side are going to pass.”

Dr. Rick Hodes to speak at commencement

By Rachel Hirshhaut Editor

Dr. Rick Hodes, a physician who has dedicated his career to treating children with life-threatening scoliosis in Ethiopia, has been selected as the commencement speaker at Brandeis’ 62nd Commencement ceremonies on May 19.

Hodes serves as the medical director for Ethiopia at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

“Dr. Hodes exemplifies what one person can do to heal the world,” said President Fred Lawrence in a statement. “By helping thousands of children and working to ensure that many more get life-saving or life-changing medical treatment, he reminds us that social justice is personal and that every child is worth saving.”

Hodes will be one of six notable people who are receiving honorary degrees from Brandeis.

The other honorees are Vartan Gregorian, former president of Brown University; Ellsworth Kelly, painter, sculptor and printmaker whose paintings are on display in The Rose Art Museum; Chaim Peri, former director of Yemin Orde Wingate Youth Village in Haifa, Israel; Elaine Schuster, cofounder of the Elaine and Gerald Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism at Brandeis and public delegate to the United Nations General Assembly; and Leon Weiseltier, literary editor of The New Republic, and fiction and nonfiction writer. photo from internet source

April 12, 2013

NEWS 3

The Brandeis Hoot

Brandeis evaluates its business procedures

By Rachel Hirschhaut, Editor

Brandeis is evaluating its business processes to identify the “best practices that bring us in line with the higher education community,” Provost Steve Goldstein and Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Steve Manos wrote in an email to the student body earlier this month.

“Many other colleges and universities, our competitors, are looking at their administrative practices. In reviewing our own, we want to implement practices that will not only get the job done but will also permit us to conserve resources for our strategic goals—ensuring that Brandeis is the best university that we can be,” Goldstein and Manos wrote.

The project is called Brandeis BEST, a name that reflects the goal of striving for best practices in business.

The first phase of the project will focus on the use of cost-effective products. Brandeis is working with Deloitte Consulting Services for the next six weeks, to “determine how we can streamline the University’s purchasing processes to put our purchasing power to work in getting the best prices for the items that we need to purchase to operate.”

Brandeis has also hired a new Director of Strategic Procurement, John Storti, who worked with Deloitte at Dartmouth College and “brings a wealth of experience in strategic procurement and operations management and contract development.” ments 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.”

College Notebook

BC in controversy over condoms

photo from internet source

By Charlie Romanow Staff

Left, Steve Manos.

Right, Steve Goldstein.

Bottom, newly elected members to the Board of Trustees. photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

photo from internet source

New trustees elected to Board of Trustees

by Rachel Hirschhaut, Editor

Four new trustees—a medical school dean, a top corporate executive, a businessman with long-standing ties to Brandeis, and a Jewish community leader—were elected to the Brandeis Board of Trustees.

Dr. Jeffrey Flier, a scholar in the field of endocrinology, has served as dean of Harvard Medical School since 2007 and is a parent of two Brandeis alumni.

Ron Kaiserman is a partner of the Kaiserman Co., a real estate, development and management firm. The company manages more than 4 million square feet of office, commercial and residential properties in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Ron founded and serves as president of an affiliated real-estate firm, Shiramax. He is a supporter of many community organizations: the

Prince Music Theater, the Academy of Music of Philadelphia, the American Jewish Committee and Jewish Community Centers of Greater Philadelphia.

Olaf Olafsson, a Wien International Scholar from Iceland, graduated first in the class of 1985 studying physics and math.

Cynthia Shapira is secretary of the board of trustees of the Jewish Federations of North America, which supports more than 150 Jewish federations and 300 independent Jewish communities. She is also development chair for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and sits on the board of several organizations, including the Jewish Agency for Israel and the United Way of Allegheny County.

“I am thrilled to welcome this distinguished group to the Board of Trustees,” President Fred Lawrence said in a statement. “They will each bring a valuable set of expertise and experiences to our board and enhance Brandeis’ position as an elite liberal arts research university.”

Members of a student sexual health group at Boston College have been told to stop handing out condoms.

The group, Boston College Students for Sexual Health, was formed in 2009 after the student body voted affirmatively on a referendum measure that called for better access to sexual health resources on campus.

Despite the fact that 90 percent of the students who voted on the action were in favor of it, the school did not change their policies.

Since the groups’ establishment, they have faced resistance from the administration but were generally tolerated. This changed on March 15 when the dean of students and the director of residence life sent a letter to students involved in the group.

Members of the group had previously met with the two administrators and seemed to have a good relationship, according to The Boston Globe.

The letter stated that “while we understand that you may not be intentionally violating university policy, we do need to advise you that, should we receive any reports that you are, in fact, distributing condoms on campus, the matter would be referred to the student conduct office for disciplinary action by the university.”

Tensions also arose after the group received permission from the city of Newton to distribute condoms on public sidewalks on specific days.

At this time, the campus police were dispatched to stop the handout, and the Newton police were subsequently

called in. The group has also set up “safe sites” in the dormitories where condoms could be attained, but the college complained about this. The group then moved their sites into the dorm rooms themselves.

Members of the group have stood by their actions and say that they will continue to hand out condoms, even if it results in expulsion. Local chapters of national organizations, such as the American Association of University Professors and Planned Parenthood have stood behind the students’ rights. Additionally, the American Civil Liberties Union has said that they will take legal action against the school if this continues, arguing that the administration is violating the students’ right to free speech and expression. More than 1,000 online signatures have been gathered from Boston College alumni supporting the students.

Other Catholic schools that have similar bans against condom distribution on campus include the University of Notre Dame, Georgetown University, College of the Holy Cross and Stonehill College. Boston College officials have stated that as a private college, they have the right to regulate student behavior to keep in line with Catholic teachings.

While the school believes that the enforced measures will help and protect the students, members of the group believe that by providing condoms, they are helping their fellow students. The group also provides education about safe sex and sexually transmitted diseases.

photo from internet source

4 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

Club restructuring considered CLUBS, from page 1

may switch associations, or be members of more than one, but must have one main association in which they have votes for the council. Each association will then have seven elected Council members to serve as an advisory committee, and one faculty advisor.

The major concern that the Steering Committee heard from club leaders in response to the proposed plan is whether clubs would be distributed less money than they usually receive due to the change. Kirkland assured that this is not the case at all, and that the method by which clubs petition for funds with the F-Board will be the exact same. Clubs will only have to alert the elected council of their association that they were asking for money for a certain event so that the clubs in the association know about events that similar clubs are holding.

There will be certain funds given to each association, however, though “The main purpose of these funds ... [is] for the clubs under the Association for communication and collaboration,” explained Kirkland ’13. The association funds are for events that will endorse the sharing of ideas between clubs with similar goals.

The committee also wants to encourage clubs with similar goals to work together and communicate with each other so that they can share resources such as materials or props, similar to how organizations in the Undergraduate Theater Collective (UTC) and Club Sports already operate. The proposal for clubs was largely based off of these successful organizations. Members of the committee also reached out to other universities, including Tufts, Columbia and Penn, where similar systems of groups of

clubs are successfully in place.

Another concern that students have shown is whether the process for founding new clubs will not be largely affected by the new plans.

Students who want to form clubs will still have to write a constitution, and go through the regular steps. The new plans are aimed to help new clubs, who, once they have been sorted into a certain Association, would be able to learn from the Council and other club leaders the training that they missed at the beginning of the year, further emphasizing collaboration between clubs.

The committee admits that there may still be flaws to the plan, and Kirkland assured that he is open to any suggestions that students may have.

At an open forum on Wednesday to discuss the proposal, Clements, Franco and Kirkland were passionate about endorsing the system and how it can help the university.

“As new Brandeisians come through, they’re going to have the same problems that we are having now and how is it fair to them if we’re

not trying to address that,” Franco said. “And for people who are late in the system, Todd, he isn’t going to be able to see any of this hard work, but we are doing it because we know what’s best for the university ... and that’s why it’s important.”

The committee understands that if the plan passes, the next few years will be trial years.

“We know that it’s going to take time ... And when we’re in our meetings, we’re looking at five years down the line,” Franco said.

The next step in the planning and executing of the new club structure will be to meet again next Friday to discuss the reactions to the revised proposal. The Steering Committee hopes to see the plans pass before the end of the semester, as the students’ positions in the Student Union are not guaranteed for next year, and Kirkland will graduate in May. The proposal will have to be written up as a Constitutional Amendment to be voted upon by the Brandeis student body. Two-thirds of those who vote need to say yes in order to pass the amendment.

April 12, 2013

Film screening honors memory of Holocaust

By Rachel Hirschhaut Editor

Most students have studied the Holocaust and heard survivors’ testimonies. Some of these students are even descendants of survivors.

Filmmaker Evan Kleinman, a grandchild of survivors, turned his unique family background into a documentary, which he screened on campus Tuesday as part of Hillel’s Holocaust Remembrance Week and STAND’s Genocide Awareness Month.

“We Are Still Here” chronicles his family’s journey back to Poland to visit his grandparents’ hometowns and memorialize their family members who had been lost. The central premise of the film was Kleinman’s desire to mark the place where his grandfather died with a tombstone, and by doing so, to connect with the past.

After the screening, Kleinman spoke about how today’s children and young adults will be the last generation to hear about the Holocaust from survivors, so telling their stories is especially important. He was motivated to make the film because he wants these stories to be told and remembered.

Kleinman says that his grandparents’ survival stories are “the foundation of my life.”

Other Holocaust Remembrance Week events included a memorial vigil on Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) and a dinner

discussion on the challenges of Holocaust education today.

STAND is also striving to raise awareness about other conflicts and genocides in the world today. Their other upcoming events for Genocide Awareness Month include a film screening on the Syrian conflict, a coffeehouse co-sponsored with MLK & Friends and FMLA, a genocide remembrance peace vigil, and a discussion of the ongoing conflicts in the Congo.

photo from internet source

evan kleinman

Anastas speaks about sustainability at Saul G. Cohen Memorial Lecture

photos by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

Paul Anastas, who received his Ph.D. in chemistry at Brandeis in 1989, came back to the university on April 5 to talk about the need for sustainability and green chemistry in today’s world.

Audience members gathered in Rapaporte Treasure Hall for the lecture and reception. paul anastas

professor epstein Anastas was introduced by Epstein (CHEM)

April 12, 2013

NEWS 5

The Brandeis Hoot

Marder joins Obama’s BRAIN program BRAIN, from page 1

“The Human Brain Activity Mapping Project will pave the way for exciting advances in our understanding of the brain circuits that control human thought and behavior,” Birren said.

“The program will develop new tools that will speed progress on fundamental scientific discoveries in brain function and on human development and neurodegenerative brain disorders.”

Marder agreed. As one of the 14 researchers chosen, Marder believes that she was nominated from several different sources. Her experience on the council of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke as well as her specific area of research gave her an edge, she said.

“I work on circuits, and I’m sure they were looking for people with a basic understanding of what it would mean—to understand how circuits work,” she said.

In his remarks earlier this month, Obama mentioned that the BRAIN Initiative would not only benefit the United States scientifically and medically, but also economically as well.

Similar to the Human Genome Project, it is believed that this could also be an initiative to create jobs.

Faculty win honors, awards

Marder is a staunch believer that this initiative would better equip the United States to compete with other countries as well as to advance health care.

“Americans can be quite innovative anyway,” she said. “Right now, lots of countries such as China and India and countries in Europe have a national investment in science that has not been matched in the United States. Thirty years ago, we were spending much more on science and innovation than probably any place else, but today, many, many countries are ahead of us.”

The advisory board starts brainstorming in May and will work through the middle of 2014 to develop a plan to implement the initiative’s goals, Marder said.

Although Brandeis is one of the smallest universities represented on the advisory board, Marder said it is important to balance a diversity of laboratories from different sized institutions.

“A lot of really important advances in science come from small groups of people at smaller labs,” said Marder. “So I think one of the reasons why I might have been invited is to ensure there is a balance of viewpoints with regard to the advantaging of small laboratory science that fosters independent innovation, as opposed to large top down science.”

Birren argued that Brandeis was a perfect fit for this project.

“Brandeis is in a beautiful position to contribute and provide leadership in this project as our neuroscientists—faculty, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students and undergraduates—are already carrying out cutting edge research on how brain circuits are built, how they function and how those circuits carry out behavior,” she said.

photos from internet source

Alumni serve communites through Match Corps

FACULTY, from page 1

student was quoted, “Professor Morris epitomizes the ideal of a Brandeis professor and has enriched my experience as a student here so much.”

Finally, ChaeRan Freeze was awarded the Graduate Mentor Award.

As professor of Judaic, Women’s, and Near Eastern studies, Freeze has published research in Russian Jewish heritage. Students noted her ability to breath life into otherwise arcane subjects in her classes.

Also honored was Carole Carlson, and adjunct lecturer in management, who received the Heller School Teaching Award. In addition to her work at Brandeis, Carlson runs a social policy consultancy firm, Carlson Partners.

Senior Lecturer Tatjana Meschede received the Heller Mentorship Award. Meschede specializes in poverty and housing and her current research involves the financial security of seniors and racial wealth disparity.

Finally, the relatively recent Heller Staff Award, which is given to essential non-academic staff was awarded to Norma DeMattos, the Program Administrator for the MPP and MBA programs.

Faculty were summoned to the front of the room while the awards presenters embarrassed them with glowing testimonials from students and peers. As they returned from the pedestal, plaque in hand, the recipients shook President Fred Lawrence’s hands as they were showered with applause.

photo from internet source

MATCH CORPS, from page 1

tutoring many children each day in math and English. She will continue working in Jamaica Plains next school year as a Leadership Fellow for Match Corps, working with the Match Corps director to help coordinate and guide 50 new Match Corps members.

“I wanted to work with middle school-aged kids. I love the childishness about them, and that they’re not quite adults yet. I definitely would tell anyone that Match is intense. I work 60 to 65 hours a week. Match gives you the chance to serve people, but also to grow. I’ve learned a lot about how I handle myself in certain situations, and about how I can stay professional and stable when the kids are difficult,” Broadnax said.

According to Coughlin, the most rewarding part of participating in Match Corps is the difference he makes in the lives of the students with which he works. Many of the students in his high school program live below the poverty level, qualify for free or reduced lunches and come from Boston’s more violent neighborhoods.

“For many, it takes about an hour and a half to get to and from school each day. As a member of the Match

Corps, you really form a connection with your students; their victories are your victories and their struggles are your struggles. These connections with your students remind you that even on the tough days, you’re making a difference in their lives,” Coughlin said.

Both Coughlin and Broadnax are challenged daily with the amount of work they must complete. As the assistant site director in Lawrence, Coughlin must observe other Match Corps Fellows in their tutorials with students; provide constant feedback to Match Corps higher-ups and the Fellows themselves in order to strengthen instructional techniques; act as a liaison between Match Corps and the school’s administration; handle student and logistical issues; and plan professional development sessions for the Match Corps tutors.

As a first year Match Corps Fellow, Broadnax must arrive to school early in the morning to prepare for tutorials. She then conducts six-hour-long tutorials, where she tutors two students at each session. Later in the day she helps prepare school lunches, and completes a daily survey about how her day went.

“Stamina is something you have to

have. You make phone calls to parents about how their kids are doing.

The most common problem the kids have is self-motivation. A lot of times you and the teachers want the kids to do well, but at the end of the day you have to realize when you’ve done all

you can do, and know when it falls on them to do their part,” Broadnax said.

Challenges aside, Coughlin and Broadnax have seen their time at Match Corps as extremely rewarding, so much so that they both have managed to turn their initial gap years as Match Corps Fellows into full-time positions.

“Match’s mission to eliminate the achievement gap and provide high quality education to all students aligns with Brandeis’ social justice message. The Match Corps is a very challenging and rewarding year-long experience, which can serve as an excellent pathway into education. It also provides recent college grads with a meaningful and rewarding experience while they continue to search for their next step in life,” Coughlin said.

Broadnax concluded by adding that Brandeis students interested in applying to be Match Corps Fellows should be looking to help youth, but should also look forward to growing as individuals.

“One of the most important things Match Corps requires is that you have to be introspective. You’ve got to give it your all, and be in the present. I am really excited to be on this journey with other people who are open to growing, and serving others,” Broadnax said.

photo from internet source

6 The Brandeis Hoot

editorials

April 12, 2013

Rethinking Union election schedule “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 Jun Zhao Graphics Editor Katie Chin Online Editor Rachel Hirschhaut Deputy News Editor Senior Editors Debby Brodsky Suzanna Yu

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Student Union elections are around the corner, signaled by flyers on dormitory doors and new Facebook notifications to join groups in support of different candidates.

However, these are some of the only signs that the student body receives during elections. At this point in the spring, with finals creeping up on everyone and spring festivities blooming to distract us from studying for these finals, Student Union elections come at quite an inopportune time. The success of candidates is based mainly off of name recognition, proven by the transition of Union officials to Union presidents. Students receive emails every week, and even if they do not read them, the name of the sender sticks in their heads.

Because of this disconnect between the candidates and voters, officials can get elected without a solid platform to be held accountable for throughout their term. If elections were held or even

just announced earlier in the semester, candidates could run more in-depth, issue-based campaigns that voters could actually compare.

A top priority for the Union should also be to predict the online problems that occur nearly every election cycle, contact the organization administering the elections beforehand and ensure voting runs smoothly.

Student government serves as an effective voice to communicate between the student body and the university’s administrators and trustees. Students running for office demonstrate their desire to campaign on the issues. They send detailed proposals and platforms to club leaders in an effort to gain their endorsements. And students want to vote for candidates based on what they will do to improve university policies.

At larger universities, students plan their campaigns months ahead of time.

While we aren’t advocating for semester-

long campaigns, we do support the opportunity for candidates and students to interact in person during a period of several weeks, rather than simply communicate through email in a quick one-week sprint.

Yet, the current system, largely a product of the week-long campaign, leaves no choice but to vote for the candidate with the most name recognition.

Whatever the results of next week’s elections, we hope students will take seriously the need to reform the voting system and schedule.

A number of serious issues, including dining, academic course selection, board of trustee relations, campus crime, club organization and tuition increases, are worthy of informed and respectful debate.

But we have to give students the chance to campaign, and it can’t be done properly in just one week.

sports

April 12, 2013

The Brandeis Hoot 7

Softball splits a pair of doubleheaders against Endicott and Wheaton

By Jon Ostrowsky Editor

The softball team split a doubleheader against Endicott College on Thursday, losing the first game 8-1 before losing the second one 4-2.

Endicott and Brandeis faced off five times last year, twice during the regular season and three times in the ECAC Tournament. The Judges won both regular season games in early April, but Endicott won two out of three tournament match-ups, including the championship game to win their first ever ECAC title.

In the first game Thursday, Endicott pitcher Nell O’Connor pitched seven innings and gave up only one run while Judges right fielder Leah McWilliams ’14 scored Brandeis’ only run and walked twice.

In the second game, Melissa Nolan ’14 earned the win for Brandeis,

going six innings and giving up two unearned runs on six hits and a walk.

The Judges also split a doubleheader with the Wheaton College Lyons on Tuesday, dropping the first game 3-2 before bouncing back with a 2-1 win.

In the first game Casey Ducinski ’13 received the loss after giving up five hits and two earned runs in seven innings. Wheaton pitcher Noelle Christmas ’15 gave up seven hits and one earned run over eight but also struck out a game-high eight hitters.

In the top of the eighth inning, Christmas stranded the go-ahead run at third base with one out but managed to escape the jam. In the bottom of the eighth, two fielding errors by the Judges gave the Lyons the victory.

The second game of the doubleheader produced a better result for the Judges. Nolan gave up only four hits and one earned run in seven innings.

Tennis teams defeats local rivals

By Hoot Staff

The No. 26 women’s tennis team defeated Wellesley College 9-0 on Wednesday. Wellesley had only four players compete in the match, and because of defaulted matches, the Judges only needed to win two doubles matches. At No. 1, Faith Broderick ’13 and Carley Cooke ’15 won 8-4 and at No. 2, Roberta Bergstein ’14 and Simone Vandroff ’15. The Judges take on MIT Saturday at 11 a.m.

On Monday, the men’s tennis team took down Waltham rival Bentley College 6-3. Mitch Krems ’16 paired up with Alec Siegel ’15. Senior David Yovanoff teamed with rookie Danny Lubarsky to win at No. 3 doubles.

Steven Milo ’13 and Michael Secular ’15 won at No. 1 and No. 5 singles, respectively. Krems and Yovanoff also won at No. 2 and No. 4 singles.

After weather cancelations Thursday and Friday this week, the Judges travel to Trinity College in Connecticut on Sunday.

photo by paula hoekstra/the hoot

photo by allison clears/the hoot

Baseball struggles and goes 1-2 for the week

By Charlie Romanow Staff

The Brandeis baseball team entered competition this past weekend 6-13 and 2-6 against UAA opponents. They are currently in last place in the conference.

The most recent game took place at home on Tuesday against Worcester State University. The Judges lost 9-5.

Brandeis had trouble getting off to a fast start, gaining two hits in the first five innings as the Lancers scored five runs during the same span. The Judges were unable to piece together hits, achieving multiple hits in only two of their nine innings. They were able to score three runs in the sixth inning, putting them within two runs of Worcester. The home team had a good eye for the ball, reaching base

on walks six times.

Dominic Schwartz ’14 led the Judges with two hits, one was a double.

Starting pitcher Kyle Brenner ’15 attained his fifth loss of the season, going four innings. Five of the six Brandeis relievers were able to keep the Lancers at bay, going 4 1/3 innings allowing one hit and no runs.

Worcester State’s Zach George, Rob Macdonald and Dennis Duplessis each had three hits, with George also scoring three times and Macdonald driving in four. Lancers’ starter Cody Osburn went six innings allowing four runs on four hits. Jared Kuzio earned the save after pitching three innings.

On Monday the Judges traveled to UMass-Dartmouth and left on the wrong end of a 7-0 loss. No runs were scored in the first four innings but the Corsairs were able to end the game

on a strong note. Brandeis’ Nick Cortese ’13 and Kyle Brenner each contributed two hits including a double

by Brenner. Despite the loss, starting pitcher Mike Swerdloff ’13 pitched well over 6 2/3 innings allowing three earned runs with an additional two unearned and striking out three.

UMass-Dartmouth’s Ryan Medeiros, George Aggostini and Luke Bomback each had two hits, and Wayne Bolz drove in two runs. Tyler White scored twice and had a solo home-run. Corsairs starting pitcher Aaron Chouinard lasted the entire game, allowing seven hits and striking out five.

The Judges began the week on a high note defeating Framingham State University 10-6 on Sunday in Framingham. Each team scored three in the third but the Judges pulled out in front by scoring another four in the fifth and adding two insurance runs

in the final inning. Brandeis had an even balance of offense, having every starter earn a hit. Kyle Brenner, Max Hart ’16, Dominic Schwartz and Brian Allen ’15 each had a multi-hit game. Liam O’Connor ’16 also contributed three runs batted in, two of them sacrifices. Tom McCarthy ’15 led the team going four for four as well as reaching base on a walk. The four hits is a career high for him.

Dylan Britton ’13 tallied his third win of the season after pitching six innings, allowing nine hits and six runs.

Elio Fernandez ’15 kept the Rams at bay going 2 2/3 innings allowing only two hits and striking out three.

Kyle Brenner closed the game with a strikeout. Framingham State’s Justin Forman, Ivan Colon and Matt Roberge each had two hits. Forman also reached base twice on walks. Colon started the game going four innings

allowing four runs on eight hits.

The Judges are now 7-15 and enter a busy week of ballgames with eight games over a seven-day span, including three doubleheaders. They begin with a doubleheader at home against Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Saturday. Despite their disappointing record the Judges have utilized the depth of their bench, with 22 players gaining some playing time over the last three games. O’Connor, McCarthy, Cortese, Brenner and Kevin Barry ’14 are all hitting above .300 over the course of the season. O’Connor leads with 28 hits and 13 RBI’s. The three primary starting pitchers, Swerdloff, Brenner and Britton have a 4.51 cumulative earned run average and have been on the mound for 123 2/3 of the teams 193 total innings and have 60 of the team’s 86 strikeouts.

8 The Brandeis Hoot

arts, etc.

April 12, 2013

The ICC’s ‘All Around the World’ celebrates global perspectives

By Vinh Nguyen Staff

The Intercultural Center (ICC) hosted its first ever “All Around The World” event that celebrated the various cultural clubs on campus on Saturday. The event was co-hosted by all of the ICC umbrella clubs: WOCA, JSA, BASO, SEAC, ¡AHORA!, TSA, BBSO, KSA, BAASA, SASA, I-CLUB, German Club, Project Nur and TRISK. Tracing back to the 1960s, the ICC has always been a means of highlighting the rich cultural diversity present within the Brandeis community, and “All Around The World” truly affirms the center’s continuing commitment to this cause.

As the brainchild of all the ICC representatives from each ICC club, “All Around The World” sought to create more awareness of the existence and goals of each club. For Vicky Lee ’13 and Jung Park ’14, two members of the ICC Programming Board that trains all ICC representatives to be

future club leaders, the event was important because it “educates not only students unfamiliar with the ICC about these clubs, but also between each club as well,” Lee said.

As such, education was an emerging theme at the event through the various clubs’ games and activities on the Great Lawn. ¡AHORA! allowed students to play a picture game that sought to break cultural preconceived notions of what a typical Hispanic/ Latino looks like. BBSO played Black History Trivia, while some members of KSA dressed up in traditional “hanbok” (Korean dresses) to offer further cultural perspective at the event. All the clubs provided delicious food and kept each table visitor excited with their individual activities.

For background music, each club submitted a playlist of songs that were all combined into a master playlist at the event. Students walked from table to table to the sound of KPOP, Reggae, Latin Dance and hip hop, just to name a few. The various soundtracks made the event all the more upbeat

and fun.

For spectator Carolyn Williams ’15, it was great to “see all these clubs in one place.”

Jessica Hood ’15, a publicity coordinator on the Brandeis Black Student Organization (BBSO) board and ICC representative for the Women of Color Alliance (WOCA) expressed a similar sentiment, saying, “I think it was a great event for the campus because we never see different cultures and clubs in one space trading our favorite aspects of our culture.”

It was undeniable that seeing all of the ICC clubs coming together reminded many spectators of the many different groups on this campus. It would have been great to see more collaboration between the groups at the event to truly show how cultures can come together. Nonetheless, the ICC’s “All Around the World” event successfully showcased the many cultural clubs on campus and, in more ways than one, provided much food for thought about multiculturalism at Brandeis.

celebrate culture Students gathered to share food and music..

photo by allison clears/the hoot

photos by katie chin/the hoot

April 12, 2013

The Brandeis Hoot

ARTS, ETC. 9

Mr. Brandeis entertains and fundraises for fight against cancer

By Victoria Aronson Editor

With contestants strutting in swimwear to talent performances incorporating song, dance and comedic routines, students gathered as contestants competed in the 2013 Mr. Brandeis Pageant. Sponsored by Relay for Life, the pageant featured students both personally invested in the fight against cancer and those whose compassion has led them to become dedicated to the cause.

Beginning with a synchronized dance routine, the contestants sported athletic shorts and ties as Justin Timberlake’s “Suits and Ties” resounded against the walls of the gymnasium.

Breaking into solo routines, contestants such as Makalani Mack ’16 and Gustavo Lopes ’15 emerged as skilled dancers, while others relied on comedy in lieu of dancing abilities.

Progressing to the swimwear competition, contestants sported swimming trunks to speedos, to the enjoyment of the crowd.

Dillon Morris ’14, who also performed in Liquid Latex, stripped off his sweatshirt before hitting the runway, amid cheers from the audience, while Gustavo Lopes ’15 brimmed with confidence even as he sported an inner tube in the shape of animal.

Unleashing his dreadlocks, Lopes commanded the stage. To cheers of support, Max Bernstein ’15 emerged down the stage sporting a polka-dot bikini top as the song “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka-dot bikini” cleverly played in the background, seizing a unique spin on the swimwear competition.

Audience members were encouraged to aid in the judging process, exchanging donations to Relay for Life to add points to the scores of their favorite contestants. Announcing the goal of raising a total of $95,000, the hosts for the evening Matt Peabody ’13 and Kasey Dean ’14 announced that as of Sunday, Relay for Life had already fundraised a total of more than 25,000 in the fight against cancer.

Transforming to formal wear, contestants polished up quickly from beachwear to suits. During the talent portion of the competition, Dillon Morris was able to play a wide array of popular songs, including Paparazzi, Forever Young, and Gotta Get down to Friday to Adele’s Forever Young using solely four chords on his guitar.

An impressive feat in itself, Morris’s capacity as a singer was still able to emerge despite his focus on creating a comedic and entertaining performance.

Stealing the show, Fred Berger ’15 displayed the unique talent of crafting a sandwich using only his feet.

Delivering hilariously timed lines, he emptied a bottle of deli meats onto the floor before stripping off his shoes to reveal his bare toes while dramatic music contributed to the humor of the scene.

Assuring the audience “My feet are mad clean,” he carefully grasped pieces of turkey between his toes.

Responding to demands from the audience to eat his creation, he cleverly asserted “This is a talent show, not a freak show” before courteously placing the sandwich on the judge’s table to the amusement of the crowd. Laughing, judges Mohammed Sidique ’15, Amanda Kelly ’08 and Clayton Campbell ’13 resisted the temptation to eat the creation.

Once again, Lopes seized the stage, demonstrating his amazing talent and unique style as he walked confidently onto the stage sporting a backpack.

Casually shrugging off his bag, he

mr. brandeis pageant The contestants await results from the judges.

picked up a pair of headphones and began moving with expertise, demonstrating his talent through breakdancing. Complementing his performance by juggling a soccer ball as well, his athletic ability only awed the audience further. His performance as a whole was not only technically sound, but brimming with style while incorporating difficult moves.

Malaki Mack wooed spectators through his emotional rendition of the Bruno Mars song “When I was Your Man,” hitting the notes with ease.

Lopes, Berger and Mack emerged as standout performers during the talent competition, while contestant Yoni Sebag ’13 delivered a hilarious comedy act before placing a cake, potentially more appealing than the sandwich previously crafted by Berger’s feet, before the judges. Performing a comedic routine focused on baking a cake, his remark “always kosher” while reaching for salt added what can only be deemed a very Brandesian touch to the act.

At the conclusion of the evening, contestant Pat Seaward ’13 emerged as the winner of the pageant. Reflecting his personal commitment to the pat seaward’13 Seaward is crowned the winner of the pageant. cause, Seaward lost his father to a ma- raised funds for the cause as they were fering endured by contestants and au- Pageant 2013 depicted the endurance, lignant brain tumor when he was only auctioned off as dates to audience dience members alike who may have perseverance and dedication to the 6 months old. Contestants further members. Despite the pain and suf- lost loved ones to cancer, Mr. Brandeis battle against cancer.

mr. brandeis pageant 2013 Contestants perform for the audience.

photo by allison clears/the hoot

10 ARTS, ETC.

The Brandeis Hoot

April 12, 2013

Visiting poet promotes peace through poetry

By Dana Trismen Editor

Long-time social activist and poet Fred Marchant read aloud from his acclaimed work on Tuesday. Professor of English and director of the Creative Writing Program at Suffolk University, Marchant’s first book “Tipping Point” (1993) received the Washington Prize in poetry. Most recently, in 2009, he released “The Looking House,” a book named by the Barnes and Noble Review as one of the five best books of poetry of the year. Olga Broumas, director of creative writing and the poet in residence at Brandeis, defined Marchant’s poetry as “graceful.”

Marchant made his audience feel at ease, as though he were speaking to a group of comrades and writers just like him. “If you think I should read a poem again, or if you think I should never read a poem again, let me know, either one,” he said, before beginning the reading. Speaking in between orating his poems, he would explain aspects of his life and jest, saying, “It’s hard to make jokes in between, but …”

Marchant began by reading from his first book, “Tipping Point,” as he announced it had recently been re-released by the publisher Word Works. Marchant claims the first Gulf War aided him in writing this particular book. “It takes me a long time to practice the art and figure out the words,” he said, in explaining how the war helped. “I don’t know why, that’s sort of a grotesque thing to say,” he said.

The reason behind Marchant’s unique muse is his staunch anti-war position. A long-time affiliate of The William Joiner Center for the Study of War and Social Consequences, Marchant was one of the very first honorably discharged from the Vietnam War for being a conscientious objector. Marchant’s plea for peace colors much of his poetry. The first set of poems Marchant read was titled “War Time,” and covered subjects from the everyday, such as the paperboy in a suburban neighborhood to corpses in the middle of a bloody war.

Marchant’s poetry is surprising.

He is able to weave together multiple threads that seem unconnected, but lined up side by side to bring the listener or reader to a new understanding of the topic. In relating war imagery to the everyday, Marchant illustrates that war is a topic present in

each person’s life. He throws in allusion, mentioning the “Agamemnon” and the storm in the great play. He even recollects his own life in a line, saying, “I’ll leave the conscious objector off the resume.”

Another wonderful thing about Marchant’s poetry is its cascading nature, how one aspect builds off another. In another of his poems, Marchant discusses the Gulf oil spill using words that relate to each other.

The poem begins with human fluids, such as semen, and travels through the word “well,” and “vulva” before reaching “gulf.” Describing “gulf ” as “a verb with a noun hiding inside history,” the poem moves on to “oil,” “spill,” and finally “drill.” Even while examining the history of words, Marchant relates it to pop culture and the everyday, for the poem has references to Bob Dylan.

Marchant’s reading voice was rhythmic, getting faster as his poems increased in intensity. A clearly practiced reader, he would pause for effect and read at a pace conducive to understanding the core of the poem.

Marchant would also often point out his own style, illuminating for audiences times when he used slant rhyme. Mainly reading narrative style poems, Marchant referenced that some of them were “poised on the edge of prose, which allows you to be lyrical if you want.”

Marchant is also very interested in cultural exchanges. While he was in the Marine Corps, he did not actually go to Vietnam, because he was not a combat veteran and was eventually discharged. Despite this, Marchant has an intense attraction toward the country and its culture. During the reading, Marchant discussed his experiences while visiting Vietnam, introducing it by saying, “It’s a small group, so I’m going to be very intimate here.”

He told a tale about how when he visited, the man hosting him said something about him being heroic, a phrase that, when translated, praised Marchant by saying, “Fred decided he wasn’t going to kill Vietnamese people.” Marchant’s second book is heavily influenced by his encounters with Vietnamese culture.

He accounts for this, saying, “Your unconscious works in mysterious ways.” Marchant also spoke about a Vietnamese friend of his, the child prodigy of a poet, who wrote about the Vietnam War from a standpoint that we in the United States are not used to. He read a poem that he aided in translating, which he described as

photo by paula hoekstra/the hoot

fred marchant Professor and poet reads his work and promotes peace.

a “self elegy by a 17-year-old,” a poem about a son off to war writing a letter to his mother.

While the reading by Marchant

may have not been well attended, Marchant is a true and gifted poet.

Inspired by his commitment to political activism and spreading peace,

Marchant combines his gift for poetry to move readers and listeners to actively think about changing the world for the better.

Harvard professor examines the “what” in writing

By Jess Linde Staff

On April 10, the Mandel Center welcomed Harvard professor and acclaimed literary critic James Wood for the third time that week as a guest lecturer in the Mandel Lectures on the Humanities. In front of an audience consisting mostly of Brandeis faculty and off-campus guests, Wood gave the third lecture in his weeklong “Letters to a Young Writer” series, which centers around literary analysis and how to write it. This lecture, titled “What,” addressed the importance of detail in literature and how it can enrich the reader’s person-

al experience, as well as give insight to the mind of the writer. Wood used examples from various short stories and novels, including works by Chekhov, Tolstoy and Sam Bellow.

Professor Wood performed close readings of these stories eloquently and with extreme detail, focusing on small scenes that at first glance may seem quite irrelevent. For example, in Chekhov’s “The Kiss,” a Russian soldier experiences his first kiss by accident. Later in the story, the soldier is amazed at how short the actual event was, even though he thought he could make a grand story out of it for his colleagues.

According to Wood, it is in that short sentence where some of the

richest detail lay. In these small levels of human thought and interaction, some of the deepest analysis is found.

Using these small details, Wood made huge inference into the mind of not just the character in “The Kiss” but into the mind of Chekhov himself. Wood repeated this process by analyzing neologisms and terms that could possibly open a wider door into the process and creativity of the writer.

Wood argued that while word choice is incredibly important in literature, the most memorable details and words are not always picked after the author debates their use. In his discussions with Sam Bellows about writing, Woods found that many

details in Bellows’ work were the “phrases in our heads we keep to ourselves” written down.

Wood also touted childhood details as some of the most “pungent” details of our lives. The things that stay with us can, in writing, often become some of the most powerful statements on the page, according to Wood. Interestingly, this seems to only work in retrospect. Wood himself was a “rather unobservant” child who was “tutored by literature to notice and examine essential details, however small.”

He told the audience how the small and strangely-framed details, can also be loaded with meaning. When speaking on the scene in Tolstoy’s

“Anna Karenina” when Anna notices the size of her husband’s ears, Wood said “[the] noticing is in itself noticeable because it tells us something about her, and how she has transformed after meeting Vronsky for the first time.”

After finishing his lecture Wood answered several questions from the audience, and ended asking his listeners to try and notice the “Whatness” of their reading in the future. Investing oneself fully in a work of literature can only heighten the experience, and Wood’s method of analysis is a way to do so. Reading critically opens new pathways into stories and novels. As Wood put it: “great writers see more than just a sentence.”

April 12, 2013

ARTS, ETC. 11

The Brandeis Hoot

Lydian String Quartet premiers pioneering work

By Vinh Nguyen Staff

The Lydian String Quartet paid homage to the late Mary Ruth Ray (MUS) at their concert held in Slosberg Auditorium last Saturday night.

Ray passed away this winter from an on-going battle with cancer, but will forever leave behind a rich legacy as an influential faculty member, acclaimed violist and an original founding member of the Lydian String Quartet. To celebrate her life and accomplishments, the Lydian String Quartet honored Ray in the way they know best: with music.

Since its establishment in 1980, the Lydian String Quartet has gained critical recognition both nationally and overseas with awards such as the Naumburg Award for Chamber Music and Aaron Copland Fund for Music.

The majority of the renowned musicians are also currently faculty members of the Brandeis Music Department, with Daniel Stepner (MUS) and Judith Eissenberg (MUS) on first and second violin, respectively, and Joshua Gordon (MUS) on cello. Mark Berger performed as guest violist. Together, the four musicians delighted the audience in the packed auditorium with their artistry, musical flare and masterful playing from beginning to end.

The Lydian String Quartet opened the concert with the world premier of Kurt Rhode’s “Treatises for an Unrecovered Past.” Rhode was the grand prizewinner of the first Lydian String Quartet Commission Prize. The contest saw more than 400 applicants who submitted their original compositions, which was narrowed down to 30 pieces and ultimately to a single winner—Rhode.

The quartet beautifully premiered the result of the Composition Commission Award in producing Rhode’s “Treatises for an Uncovered Past.”

The piece is divided into seven move-

photo by allison clears/the hoot

in memorium The Lydian String Quartet honors Mary Ruth Ray.

ments, each with its own unique character and ideas. One movement titled “Striding Rituals: Striding for Mass Wooing” uses sharp, articulated bowing to characterize a hazy effect in the sound. In another, titled “NODE: Tuning Knot,” Rhode used the “long tuning ritual tradition for string player” as a clever venturing point to build harmonies, sometimes even dissonant, on the way string players tune to each other.

In his pre-lecture talk to the audience, Rhode described his process of writing music. He said his inspiration

often comes from “musical concedes that are musically exciting to me, I may bring some or all of it to a musical piece.” Musical concedes such as cacophony, quartertones, open strings and overtone series were all interlaced throughout “Treatises for an Uncovered Past.” It becomes clear from this that Rhode’s bold use of various musical motifs and techniques truly attests to the composer’s ability to make the music hauntingly eerie and exhilarating.

The final movement of the piece is dedicated to Ray herself, titled

“NODE: Ex nihilo … In nihil [-for Mary Ruth-].” The last movement was intensely meditative and reflective, as if the storm and energy of the previous movements were finally coming into resolution. All four musicians brought a high degree of expression to the piece with their delicate phrasing of each melodic line to help the piece take on a life of its own. Rhode’s incorporation of the harmonica and small gong added even more color and tonal depth to “Treatises for an Uncovered Past” that left listeners on their feet for a standing ovation at its

close.

After an intermission, the quartet tapped into traditional classical repertoire by playing Beethoven’s “Quartet in B Flat Major, Op. 130.” It was a refreshing contrast to the more modern style of Rhode’s piece. The quartet, without a doubt, showed the audience its wonderful ability to not only play music, but also transform it into a deeper expression. That night, the expression was one of celebration for both Ray’s memories as well as the powerful experience of sharing a new work of music with the world.

“The Croods” explores family values and essential questions

By Shreyas Warrier Staff

“The Croods,” ostensibly a children’s movie, was created by the same minds that wrote “How To Train Your Dragon.” DreamWorks brought together a star-studded cast, which includes the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone and Nicolas Cage. The story follows the travels and travails of the first prehistoric family, who must set out on a quest to reach safety on a mountaintop after their cave is destroyed during the movement of continents. The family explores new, fantastic landscapes and finds extraordinary creatures while dealing with complex interpersonal relationships along with one of the three great quests of mankind: the quest for meaning.

The main character of the movie is the adolescent cavewoman Eep, who longs to find out what lay beyond the confines of her cave and her strict father, Grug, whose sole goal is to ensure the family’s survival. She has always been told to not stray after dark, that the family’s cave means safety, and that “fear keeps [them] safe.” Eep struggles to reconcile herself to this ideal, consistently asking, “What is the point of all this? I mean, why are we here? What are we doing this for?”

She believes that there is more to life than mere survival, that other things must be experienced, and that fear

should be left behind to have a truly fulfilling life. Eep is an outgoing character, one that has been used repeatedly in storytelling, but one whom Emma Stone plays to the fullest.

The movie brings some historical context to the family’s life. They are consistently amazed and excited for their patriarch’s story time, during which every tale regarding a wandering caveman ends with “And he/she died.”

The tales are used to pass on history, knowledge and survival tips, and are lapped up by the family on every occasion. DreamWorks Studios also traces the development of art and storytelling in a physical form throughout the movie, showing the thought processes and motives behind cave art. They feel a need to leave something physical behind as a reference and a reminder of the past.

The story progresses through a series of conflicts that interweave at exactly the right moments to heighten tension and draw the viewer along.

The three main plotlines involve the relationship between Eep and her father Grug, Eep’s relationship with Guy and Grug’s resulting feud with his daughter’s new love interest. Just as the viewer begins to tire of one conflict, the other steps in to take over and draw the audience’s attention. Fights with Grug are followed by scenes with Guy, which are then continued by battles between Guy and Grug for Eep’s affections. Guy is

family portrait These cavemen tackle a changing environment.

a new-age caveman, voiced by Ryan Reynolds, a teenager whose parents died and who has had to take care of himself in the wild for years. He has learned to tame fire and understands what must be done to survive. Guy’s plan, however, conflicts with Grug’s method, which has never failed him.

Grug resents the fact that a younger male has stepped in to lead his family, and resents even more the fact that most of his family seems to love the new addition to the pride. The three main actors mesh well together; the chemistry between Stone and Reynolds is apparent and Cage’s voiceover

of Grug flows well with the age-old theme of distrustful fathers’ relationship with their daughters’ boyfriends.

As the family travels from their old home to the safety of the mountaintop, they run into many dangers, such as an enormous saber tooth and a flock of piranha-esque birds. They must cross vastly different terrains, from humid jungles to arid deserts.

Guy shows his ingenuity again and again, making shoes for the family, teaching them how to use conch shells to signal to one another and leading the way through the darkness using his command of fire.

photo from internet source

The family ends its journey having found what they were looking for: safety from the damage dealt by the shifting continents and answers to the questions that the journey has posed.

They learn, in the end, that living for safety and survival is not the only way to do things, and that there is more to the world than striving to avoid death.

They find beauty in their surroundings and in each other, while learning to interact together as a cohesive unit and sorting out their differences painlessly. If you enjoyed watching “How To Train Your Dragon,” “The Croods” is a must see.

12 The Brandeis Hoot

opinion

April 12, 2013

Thatcher’s conservative legacy remains unclear

By Naomi Soman Staff

Now that the Iron Lady has passed away, the latest controversial debate centers on whether or not she played a negative or positive role. Margaret Thatcher died on Monday at the Ritz Hotel from a stroke after a long history of dementia and other health issues. Her ceremonial funeral will take place April 17 at Saint Paul’s Cathedral.

According to a Guardian/ICM poll carried out on the afternoon of the former Prime Minister’s death, 50 percent deemed her career good, 34 percent bad, 5 percent didn’t know, and 11 percent claimed she was neither good nor bad. The issue is that Margaret Thatcher thrived on conflict, and since she governed her country with an iron fist, she inevitably made some enemies pursuing what she thought would serve her country best.

She entered Parliament in 1979, and her governing strategy came to be known as Thatcherism. It involved a supply-side economics system that attempted to instill a free market economy in Britain. She lowered taxes, privatized state industries, limited the money supply, and restrained trade unions. While this may have stirred growth in the economy, it is said to have devastated industrial workers.

Lowering taxes allows individuals, and especially wealthy, upper class individuals, to take money that would have gone to the government and invest it in the economy, thus promoting activity.

Privatizing state industries is a form of laissez-faire thinking that pulls government out of the economic sec-

tor of the economy and allows businesses to function on their own. With less government regulation, buyers and sellers control prices. There is more competition between companies resulting in lower prices and more productivity. Less bank regulation gives them more leeway on how to move money.

Thatcher’s monetarism led her to restrict the amount of money in circulation, therefore slowing inflation. While the upper class may have agreed with her, some argued there wasn’t enough money in circulation for the working class individuals to survive on.

In her attempt to instill a free market economy upon Britain, Thatcher also fought violently against the trade unions. The most notable instance was the miner’s strike where Thatcher refused to give in to the worker’s demands, eventually costing the economy 1.5 billion pounds, 150 coal mines, and thousands of jobs. Without the support of unions, industrial workers did not have anyone to stand up for their rights. Industries could pay their employees low wages without fear of government regulation.

Many workers lost their wages and their jobs as unemployment soared, leaving communities devastated. So, while the economy as a whole might have improved, Thatcher destroyed individuals, families and communities in her capitalist economy.

I wouldn’t consider Margaret Thatcher Britain’s savior, but nor would I consider her its downfall. No political theory is the absolutely correct solution to any problem because See THATCHER, page 14

photo by Jinjie Xu/the hoot

Comparing Nazi gun control policies to US is outrageous

By Charlie Romonow Staff

I recently read an article from the AP discussing comparisons between gun control policies of the United States and firearm restrictions in Nazi Germany. While I’m sure that the majority of people do not believe that these two cases are comparable, it’s unfortunate that even a small portion of the population would compare arms policies in a free democratic America to one in a tyrannical dictatorial Third Reich.

Every controversial topic has had its advocates relate their cause to farreaching and distant comparisons.

Evidence and support for a cause can be dug up from any source and adjusted to fit the situation, even when it does not directly or even indirectly relate to the subject. No example may be more notable than opponents of gay rights using “proof ” from the Bible.

Comparisons between Hitler and President Obama have also been inaccurately made. I don’t have a strong opinion about gun policy in the United States, but to make any comparison of current policies to those in Hitler’s Germany is illogical. Ken Jacobson, the deputy national director of the Anti-Defamation League agrees.

“Such an absurdity and so offensive and just undermines any real understanding of what the Holocaust was about,” Jacobson said. “If they do believe it, they’re making no serious examination of what the Nazi regime was about.”

The main difficulty in comparing the two cases is that the political and social environments of the two nations are vastly different. Some have commented that the strict U.S. gun controls can lead to the rise of tyrants, as occurred in Germany. The weapon policies of Nazi Germany and its occupied nations were convoluted and did not attempt to provide the best living situation for all. In 1938, during Hitler’s reign, gun laws were actually loosened for the vast majority of the German population. Weapons for Jews were concurrently strictly forbidden.

The institution of these policies was not related to the German states’ philosophy or ideals of weapons; it was based on the racial ideologies of the Nazi party and the attempt to take away all power from those deemed undesirable, particularly the Jews.

Heavy restrictions were placed on the purchasing and ownership of arms after World War I when the Treaty of Versailles was put into place.

In addition to other major impositions that Germans were upset about,

German conscription was abolished, the number of active troops was limited, naval forces were limited and the import and export of weapons was prohibited.

The treaty was primarily put together by American, British and French leaders. President Woodrow Wilson put forward his “Fourteen Points,” which took a liberal position toward the future of Germany and did not advocate harsh treatment against them. In 1919 this won him the Nobel Peace Prize. France’s close proximity to Germany caused them to take a very combative attitude and to advocate for heavy restrictions on the German state so that they would not be able to go to war again anytime soon.

Even if citizens having more guns would have helped Jews in Nazi Germany, the ownership of these weapons were looked down upon by the Treaty of Versailles and forbidden by Hitler. Jews composed a very small segment of the German population prior to and during the Nazi takeover. Less than 2 percent of the German population consisted of Jews. In a state where the vast majority of the population was allowed weapons and 2 percent were not, the availability of See GUNS, page 14

photo by Linjie Xu/the hoot

April 12, 2013

SECTION 13

The Brandeis Hoot

‘Tis the season of taxes

By Roy Fan

Special to the Hoot

The beginning of the month of April marks many things. For some, it is the time to look for signs of the beckoning spring season, for others, it’s time to put that elaborate April Fool’s Day prank into action. Looming on the horizon, however, is an event that hardly anybody would be excited about— the Internal Revenue Service’s deadline for the filing of income tax returns on April 15 of every year.

With the exception of a few tax lawyers and accountants, having to stay inside and do taxes isn’t exactly everyone’s favorite activity in the midst of the beautiful spring weather.

I think it’s safe to say that this holds true everywhere in the world. But taxes seem to be a particularly pejorative term here in America, and I’m not surprised, a combination of a very large adult population and a very complicated tax code makes the tax filing process one that is inevitable bureaucratic, cumbersome and full of irritating paperwork. Not only that, states and towns impose state and local tax filing requirements that can only mean even more paperwork and more taxmen chipping away at one’s wallet. To top it off, the United States is one of the only countries in the world that requires all adult citizens to file annual tax returns based on income earned from all worldwide sources, even if one resides outside the United States and receives paychecks from a foreign company. If you turn out to be a citizen who lives and earns money abroad, your home state probably won’t let you off their own tax requirements easily either.

It is understandable then, why the IRS won’t be seeing the majority of tax returns filed three months in advance any time soon.

However, it would seem that the frustration goes beyond the complexities of filling out a few IRS forms— the use of taxation as part

of wider economic philosophies has been an integral party of American political debate for centuries. Indeed, one could argue that resistance towards government taxation is almost an inherent part of American culture through the ages. In fact, the significant example of such resistance actually occurred before the founding of the American republic. The Boston Tea Party of 1773, in which a group called the “Sons of Liberty” protested against the tax policy of the British government by throwing taxed tea into the Boston harbor instead of returning it to Britain, was one of several key events which led to the American Revolution. This in turn culminated in the Declaration of Independence – one of the nation’s most important founding documents.

Now flash forward to the year 2013, and the subject of taxation has become one of the most divisive issues in modern American politics. On one side of the spectrum, there are those who are against taxation or would rather lower tax rates. Anti-tax activists argue that in a capitalist system that needs a very high degree of market freedom, a tax regime that taxes the wealthy a lot is essentially punishing success, equivalent to stealing on the part of the government. On the other hand, progressives will argue that high tax rates that burden the rich more is not only necessary to fund government operations but also to maintain healthy economic equality— the rich should pay higher taxes in return for the role that society has played in their success (police, fire department services etc.). Ultimately, if the gap between rich and poor becomes too large, riots and protests can and will ensue (as the Occupy Wall Street protests have shown).

If one is a believer of Keynesian economic theory, as I am, then higher taxes and higher government spending makes much more economic sense. In times of slow economic growth such as the United States is in now, government spending is needed to stimulate the economy. If higher

photo from internet source

taxes need to be levied to pay for it, more should be taxed from the rich.

It is this model that most closely corroborates with the data.

Modern conservatives today still perpetuate the ‘cut, cut, cut’ agenda of cutting government spending and taxes in order to ‘starve the beast of government. These policies can only damage the economy at a time when government investment is very much needed, and yet these proposals are part of the mainstream political discourse today and thanks to blatant political posturing, stand a real chance of being enacted. On some level, I understand how this economic philosophy might appeal to certain people. The argument that if one is in debt, one must spend less more easily appeals to one’s common sense and the concept is much easier to relate to.

However, this is based on a flawed assumption – the idea that the government behaves in the same way as any ordinary citizen, which is com-

pletely untrue. Individuals, unlike the government, do not have the power to tax others, and the government, unlike individuals, has the responsibility of providing goods such as police forces, the national defense mechanism etc. as well as the responsibility to support employment and consumption when the economy is weak. Complicating this is the fact that the government’s actions in recent decades have not exactly instilled confidence in taxpayers that their tax dollars are being well spent. There was the Iraq War, which was waged on false pretenses, and the Bush tax cuts which created a large hole in the government’s budget. Bush’s deregulation of the industry responsible for the 2008-09 financial crisis (the response to which required even more spending) didn’t exactly help either.

Despite this, however, it is time to rely on what history has shown us, now more than ever. In response to the Great Depression of the 1930s,

Franklin Delano Roosevelt enacted the New Deal programs which included, among other things, raising taxes. The result was an economy that recovered enough to fight a world war, and after the war, the economy generated a level of growth that made the United States the richest nation in the world. If one is looking for a modern example, look to Sweden, which has income tax rates as high as 56%, and yet Sweden recovered from the crisis much better than America.

It is vitally important, now more than ever, for the government to use its coffers to stimulate demand, and raise taxes on the wealthy to pay for it, because the rich can not only easily afford to pay for it (especially after the incredibly generous tax cuts enacted in the past 50 years), data shows that countries with better income equality have shown more robust economic growth.

Where dreams meet reality

By Lassor Feasley Editor

The people on campus who know me best know my style. I have labored in the past several years to imply a coherent and unique personality in everything from my mannerisms and the intonation of my voice to the music I listen to and the clothes I wear. I take comfort in the fact that there appears to be rhyme and reason to the decisions I make and the things that I do.

Many would say that the way I build my persona is inorganic, that it somehow departs from the “true” me and exchanges it for something synthetic or illusory. And to some extent, I agree. The way I approach building myself might be comparable to the way that a company builds a brand. But I don’t see anything wrong with this. Rather than simply letting my animal spirits run free, I harness them, and make them work for me.

Part of this process means that I must recognize my own weaknesses, and in doing so, identify my strengths. I then cater to those strengths and avoid weaknesses. Of

course, this runs counter to the “renaissance man” ideal, which is a moor of the liberal arts education I am currently receiving. But I would rather master my natural talents while allowing my natural ineptitudes to get lost on the wayside than master nothing at all.

I sometimes feel as though there is a myth of immortality prevalent in our culture. We think you can have it all, experience everything, master the universe, when in fact our time is finite. We must learn to commit while we can to the things we’re good at in order to capture our maximum potential.

Sometimes this means abandoning dreams in exchange for more practical pursuits. Conversely, it can also mean wagering a reliable livelihood on a dream. I am not saying don’t explore, I am not saying don’t take risks. Personally, I have invested a tremendous amount of time and energy trying my hand at everything from architecture to government only to find that I had no place in those industries.

I don’t consider the time I spent doing those things wasted or squan-

dered. Most of us aren’t born knowing what we are born to do. But if we are lucky, we are given the tools to find out. I have spent a lot of time figuring it out, and might not complete my search for years to come. But what I will not do is waste time on a fantasy that does not actually suit me.

Here is my philosophy: Let your dreams guide you and reality define you. We are not all born to be stars.

We are not all destine to have all our desires placated. Pretending that we are the captains of our own fate does not hide the fact that, more often than not, the winds and tides determine not only our route, but our destination as well.

Accept this fact and take advantage of it. Life’s unpredictability is not a cause for mourning. It takes a load off my shoulders to think that serendipity and chance will have just as much of a role in determining my destiny as my own intelligence and gumption.

Not only does it soften the sting of failure, but it humbles me in the face of success.

I don’t want to downplay the role that a person’s character has in gov-

“

Let your dreams guide you and reality define you.

erning their life. I am not saying that luck makes all else insignificant in comparison. But, with few exceptions, our greatest strengths are conferred on us by chance. It is a privilege to be able to search for the occupation that best suits us, and for those fortunate enough to obtain higher education, a responsibility.

This is why I choose to build my persona and character as consciously and meticulously as I do. No decision I make is spontaneous. No word I say is unscripted. When you start to think about every action you make as a statement on yourself, as something that projects a small part of you to the rest of the world, even the most nuanced aspects of your personality take on a renewed sense of meaning.

You’re personality becomes a great painting, where even the smallest stroke and most minute detail has subtext and meaning.

When I started thinking about the world in these terms, I immediately found many social deficiencies in my nature and I was better able to understand how my peers perceived me. It is like building a brand; hopefully one that others want to buy. This does not mean being untrue to yourself. Even a corporate brand will be abandoned by customers if it sells out its image and becomes inauthentic to its core constituency. Again, it means recognizing and building strengths and identifying and understanding weaknesses.

This is the path to follow to find your optimal trajectory in life.

14 OPINION

The Brandeis Hoot

April 12, 2013

Kickstarter campain resuscitates ‘Veronica Mars’

By Emily Scharf Staff

On March 13, Rob Thomas, the executive producer and visionary behind the bygone show “Veronica Mars,” created what is now one of the largest Kickstarter projects of all time.

“Veronica Mars,” a hit show that ran from 2004-2007 on UPN and later on the CW, has been clamoring to get a movie made, virtually since the day it was dropped after the third season.

A deal was finally cut that if the fans could fund $2 million to create the movie, Warner Brothers would take care of all the distribution and advertising costs.

For those who don’t know, “Veronica Mars” stars Kristen Bell as the protagonist—a 17-year-old high school student at the Neptune High in the fictional town of Neptune, California. Since the murder of her best friend, Lily, Veronica has been helping her father, a private investigator, solve crimes. Her ultimate motive, however, is to find the true killer of her best friend. The first season takes us through solving this case and the second season involves the mystery of a horrific school bus crash that killed all the students on board. “Veronica Mars” incorporates feminist themes, demonstrating that girls can be detectives just as well as boys. The show broke gender norms and was saturated with fiery banter and snarky wit.

Kickstarter is a website, founded in 2009 used to fundraise for projects through crowdsourcing. The website allows the public to fund projects, sometimes in exchange for rewards provided by the project’s originators.

The “Veronica Mars” Movie Project Kickstarter shattered records as the $2 million funding goal was met in only 11 hours. The 30-day project will

graphic by linjie xu/the hoot

on Friday, and as of early Wednesday, raised upward of $5 million with more than 78,000 backers participating. Rewards for this project range widely, with prizes such as updates on production, a PDF of the script, an exclusive t-shirt, recorded voicemail

messages from the stars, tickets to the premiere and the after party and even a speaking role in the film. All of these prizes come at different price points, ranging anywhere from $1 to $10,000.

This project is what some would consider the epitome of independent film. The making of this movie is a product purely of the fans’ desire to see it happen and the executive producer’s and actors’ desire to deliver.

This is a method of making creative projects with a big name studio that has not been previously explored.

This Kickstarter project is giving fans of other canceled TV shows hope for film adaptations, which sometimes provide much needed closure in series that are abruptly dropped. Fans of “Firefly” are hoping for a second movie to follow up the first movie, “Serenity.” Fans of “Chuck,” canceled in early 2012, are hoping that the

decision to make a “Veronica Mars” movie will spell good news for their much-desired motion picture.

While I think that this is a great avenue for providing the big-shot executives with proof that fans support movies that follow up on our favorite shows, the amount of money and support that this project has garnered in such a short amount of time is a bit unnerving. While I’m sure that very important charity causes could not raise $2 million in 11 hours, fans are willing to throw money at a 90-110 minute movie that furthers the stories of their favorite characters. How many more significant causes could this money go to? How many people could have access to clean water with this money? How many people could be clothed? How many people could have food to eat, or a roof over their heads? While it is indeed very important to plenty of people to see a movie

centered around characters in whom they are emotionally invested, how many people’s lives could benefit from this money?

I think what we’re willing to put our money toward says something about our culture. Perhaps we of the developed world are as self-serving as others claim we are. It’s a sad day when a campaign to make a movie can garner $2 million of support, but a charity to help those in need cannot earn even half of that. I won’t say that donating to a project to make a motion picture is bad—it’s not at all! Those who earn money have the right to spend it how they choose. However, the moral and ethical considerations behind where we put our money might have cause for examination. I’m a “Veronica Mars” fan—I’m on the bandwagon.

Yet, I can’t help but feel all that money might have a better use than wrapping up the plot lines of a television show.

graphic by linjie xu/the hoot

How will history judge Thatcher?

THATCHER, from page 12

there will always be some negative side effects. Her policies can be construed as positive or negative depending on the perspective from which one views them; however, Margaret Thatcher should be commemorated for more than just her statutes. She was the first and only female British Prime minister, and regardless of whether she advanced women’s causes, she put the female stamp on the position, marking women’s potential in modern society.

Thatcher was even more remarkable for her conviction and strength of character. She was known as the Iron Lady because she believed in her views and worked unwaveringly to push them through. I think it’s better to be a controversial politician who gets things done than a weak one

who cannot accomplish anything.

As Richard Nixon said, “If an individual wants to be a leader and isn’t controversial, that means he never stood for anything.” She was controversial, but maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. The problem with democracy is that it allows everyone to express his own opinion. While it may be important to not dismiss one’s opponents, when everyone has a different way to solve the problem, no one accomplishes anything. It takes a strong leader to take matters into her own hands and forge ahead because even though her strategies did not have perfect results, she had to start fixing the problem somewhere, and somewhere is better than nowhere.

The world admired her for the care she had for her people and the tremendous zeal she showed in improving the country of England for those individuals.

Keeping gun laws in context GUNS, from page 12

weapons for the 2 percent would not have made a significant difference in the long-term effects of the Holocaust. This in addition to the growing popularity of the Nazi and antiCommunist movements provided a culture of escalating anti-Semitism in Germany.

Some say that increased arms usage may have even been harmful to the sustenance of the Jews in Europe.

While millions of Jews perished from the Nazi destruction, the process would have likely been carried out more quickly if the Nazis’ saw the Jews as being an immediate threat: by having weapons. If the small and spread out population of German Jews were to have banded together, the results may have been even more catastrophic.

If Jews had been armed, they may have been able to resist attack from

unarmed instigators, but despite the restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles, militarism and weapon ownership was a rampant part of the post-war German culture. Many of the soldiers who returned from World War I to the devastated economic and political landscape of Germany joined armed militias to fight communism.

While technically illegal, militias for this purpose were not dissuaded.

A popular example of successful Jewish resistance is the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. This revolt is the most notable resistance against the Nazis but resulted in the deaths of thousands of Jews and few Nazis.

Following the revolt, the ghetto was razed and destroyed and the Jews that remained were sent to outside camps.

The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is a better symbolic example of defiance than of effective resistance. While many of those involved in the uprising saw it as their last chance at survival, many

perished because of it. We cannot know for sure if the death toll would have been different if the uprising hadn’t taken place, but scholars have purported that if the Jews had limited resistance, the Nazis may not have destroyed the ghetto which would have allowed for more Jews to escape.

The supposition that the weakening of gun restrictions in Nazi Germany would have lessened the intensity or even prevented the Holocaust is not supported by facts. Arms restrictions were not strong and were not imposed on the majority of the population. Gun policies in Nazi Germany do not relate to gun policy in the United States, but relate to the racial ideologies of the Nazi party. Even if some American gun laws are worded similarly to those that were instituted in Nazi Germany, they were created for vastly different purposes and are countered by contrasting living situations in the two nations.

April 12, 2013

OPINION 15

The Brandeis Hoot

Low attendance plagues Brandeis events

By Alison Thvelt Staff

One thing we Brandeis students pride ourselves on is the incredible amount of extracurriculars we all seem to juggle. I can remember my time as a prospective student touring Brandeis: my tour guide, former Student Union president Herbie Rosen ’12, prided himself on all the activities he and his fellow students were involved in. From being Student Union president, to participating in theater, to volunteer work, the list went on and on. I was very impressed by all the various activities students could take part in.

But now that I’m actually here as a Brandeis student, I sometimes feel like I, along with many of my friends, am just doing too much. It gets hard, balancing extracurriculars and academics, and so often I feel like the quality of my work or my effort put into activities declines as I become exhausted.

Perhaps as a result of a proliferation of clubs, many events on campus are extremely under-attended. My job on campus involves supplying lighting and sound for various student events, so I get to attend a lot of different shows, dances, performances and student activities put on by a multitude of different organizations. While many events are well-attended, especially a select few such as Liquid Latex and Culture X, many extraordinary events are under-attended.

One event in particular stands out in my memory: I was working at a show during which a visiting com-

edy group from the Boston area was performing. The event was put on by Student Events, and Levin ballroom was set up to seat a hundred or so students. It was really a class act, and I was impressed by the white table cloths laid out, the centerpieces filled with candy on the tables. Yet, I hadn’t heard about the event, and I didn’t know of anyone planning to show up.

Finally, about seven students showed up to see the performance. I honestly felt a bit embarrassed for our school, having invited these outside performers to come to our campus. Of course, they performed anyway, and their show was great.

While I do think it was partially the planners’ fault for poor advertising, I was nonetheless surprised by the small size of the audience. I had seen events with disappointing audiences, but never quite as conspicuously as this one.

It seems that people are always working to be the leader of one club, a member of another organization, all while taking five classes, balancing an off-campus internship on the side.

And trying to somehow fit in a social life. But once you have all of these activities piled up on top of one another, it becomes harder to actually attend events.

Because students seem to become so involved in their own little niche, the events many students work to provide end up not as well-attended as they should be. I went to a movie screening last semester, and there were a total of four people in the audience. I also worked an event last year that one club had toiled to pro-

photo from internet source

duce (the coordinator told me of the months of grueling organizing and production put into said event, which included a live performance by a band from New York), and only about 20 people showed up.

Maybe this is due to the quantity of clubs. However, I don’t feel that the amount of clubs should be limited or restricted in any way. I love how there seems to be at least a small commu-

nity for every type of person here.

What seems to be the problem is how people join too many of these clubs, and that (on top of their double major and minor) becomes too much to handle. As a result people rarely go to other events simply out of curiosity or interest. Many stay in their niche, and do homework and party in their free time.

I don’t know if there’s a solution to

this issue, if there needs to be, or if anyone really wants one. I personally would like to see more events attended with larger crowds, but limiting the number of events would be unethical.

Instead, I would encourage students to choose one or two extracurriculars and not over-schedule themselves.

That way, when an interesting event occurs, a student can attend that activity without too great a sacrifice.

16 The Brandeis Hoot

this week in photos

April 12, 2013

Some Nights for the ages senior thesis Taylor Lombard ’13 directed and choreographed “Some Nights: A Modern Dance Piece” featuring

Lombard Morgan Conley ’13, Sam Cortez ’12, Amanda Reuillard ’13, Jess Urbac ’15 and Btontë Velez ’16.

photos by paula hoekstra/the hoot