The Brandeis Hoot - 9/6/2013

Volume 10 Number 13

www.thebrandeishoot.com

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.

September 6, 2013

Sawyer remembered for student advocacy

By Dana Trismen Editor

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

shuttle Joseph’s Limousine and Transportation replaces the Crystal Shuttle as

Univ offers expanded shuttle service

By Rachel Hirschhaut Editor

Complimentary off-campus shuttle service at Brandeis University is changing and expanding significantly this year, as a result of the University’s decision to hire a new shuttle service provider.

The Student Union and Finance

Board collaborated with Brandeis Department of Public Safety to look into expanded shuttle service last year, and their efforts to fund extended hours have come to fruition.

Joseph’s Limousine and Transportation is replacing the Crystal Shuttle as Brandeis’ provider of free transportation into Waltham during the week and to Boston on the weekends.

Lawrence co-signs letter for increased federal educational support

By Iona Feldman

Special to The Hoot

During the summer, President Fred Lawrence was one of many administrators and university presidents to sign a letter to President Obama and Congress, calling for increased federal support for higher education. The 198 signatories included the presidents and chancellors of numerous public and private colleges and universities across the country. Using the term “innovation deficit,” the letter argues that increased federal student financial aid investment in research is essential to maintaining the United States’ historic position as a leader in technological development and economic growth.

According to a report from the College Board, in 2010 the U.S. came in 12th place in the number of 25- to 34-year-olds who hold college degrees. Leading in this category was Korea at 57.9 percent. Canada, Russia and Japan also stand in comparable positions. In contrast, only 41.6 percent of this age group have college degrees in the United States. Citing this statistic, the letter points

Inside this issue:

to the increased government investment in China, Korea and Singapore, which differs greatly from recent political developments in the U.S. The letter ultimately calls on the president and Congress to “reject unsound budget cuts and recommit to strong and sustained investments in research and education.”

In an email exchange with The Hoot this week, President Lawrence gave a further explanation of his position: “I signed it because, like presidents at other universities, I believe that higher education and university research have been instrumental in creating opportunity in the United States and that this belief is core to our mission at Brandeis.”

Federal funding has historically played a major role at Brandeis.

Twenty-two percent of the University’s current $293 million operating budget comes from grants and contracts. Many of these originate from the federal government, through Grants.gov or the National Institutes of Health.

Many students also receive financial aid in order to atSee EDUCATION, page 5

Editorial: Tour guides deserve payment Week in photos: Nerf guns take over

Page 10 Page 16 NEWS: Univ collaborates for new playground Page 4 Arts, Etc.: Rose showcases new exhibits Page 7 Opinion: Questionable international admissions Page 12 Sports: Men’s soccer wins against MIT Page 11

Beginning Friday, September 13, hours will be extended for the Boston/Cambridge shuttles. Shuttles will now leave campus several hours earlier, at 12:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 9 a.m. on Sundays.

This allows for an earlier arrival into Boston or Cambridge, to enjoy BosSee SHUTTLE, page 3

As Jamele Adams takes over in the role of Dean of Student Life, his energetic personality and big plans for Brandeis’ future have thrust him into the spotlight. Busied by new classes and the club fair, many students may soon forget Rick Sawyer, the previous Dean, a man who served the Brandeis campus for 32 years. The university sent out one quiet email over the summer informing students, one that did not mention that Sawyer in fact resigned.

But for colleagues, students and friends who were close to Sawyer, his resignation still stings.

“I think it’s a major, major loss to the university,” Associate Dean of Student Life Maggie Balch said. Balch considers Sawyer a former mentor.

On his last day on campus on July 31, Sawyer sent out an email to certain colleagues whom he felt he could trust, or who would remember his legacy.

“I am resigning because I no longer see myself aligned with the University’s decisions regarding my present and future roles,” Sawyer said in the email. “I had hoped to finish out my

professional career at Brandeis, but I have decided that I would not be able to participate in ways that I would find professionally satisfying.”

While the specific reasons Sawyer chose to leave the University are still unclear, the disagreement between Sawyer and other Brandeis faculty could not be resolved. “I do not resign easily or happily. I apologize to the extent that my departure was neither anticipated nor expected, and I feel confident that you all understand that quitting is not in my nature,” wrote Sawyer in the email. He later credited the University with helping build him as a person.

“Rick was an advocate for students, and if he looked around and there wasn’t a student in the room, he fancied himself the oldest student in the room. As things have been evolving, that perspective had been a little more challenging for him to carry on,” said Balch in an interview this week.

For many students and staff, the reason Sawyer was a perfect fit for his role as dean was due to his focus on the humane, and connecting with students on a personal level.

“He is an amazing individual and was really an asset to the University.

See SAWYER, page 4

New orientation programs engage students

By Theresa Gaffney Editor

Led by Core Committee members Joe Babeu ’15, Bethany Adam ’15, Jason Haberman ’15, Rachel Starr ’15 and Adrianne Wurzl ’14, Orientation 2013 implemented new programs for incoming students despite some logistical difficulties. New programs included a candle lighting ceremony,

the dance party B.rave, a mud party and a night at the Museum of Science in Boston.

Returning Orientation Leader (OL) Lindsay Fitzpatrick ’15 remarked upon how the change in programs combined with a smaller number of OLs this year left some confusion about plans. Set-up for the mud party was particularly disorganized, noting that she received nu-

merous different directions on where she was supposed to be.

“There were definitely fewer thirdyear OLs, [ … ]which makes a huge difference because during training, we’re broken up into captains’ groups, where the first- and second-year OLs are like first-years, and they are our OLs.” Fitzpatrick explained that with See ORIENTATION, page 5

Nerf war overtakes Great Lawn

outdoor fun Students chase each other around the Great Lawn in a Nerf gun fight.

Changing arts

Rebranding

Arts, etc.: Page 2

News: Page 2

Music major Madison ’15 promotes the arts.

IBS initiates “World Ready” campaign.

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

news

2 The Brandeis Hoot

September 6, 2013

IBS students are “World Ready”

By Alexandra Patch Staff

After a rigorous two-year development process, IBS has announced a new branding initiative with the tagline “World Ready,” intended to increase visibility of the school and its programs, featuring a new website, print materials and an improved look and feel for their branded communications. “‘World Ready’ means that our students graduate prepared with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive across cultures and around the world,” Matthew Parillo, the Director of Marketing and Communications at IBS, said. “The education at Brandeis IBS represents a powerful blend of theory and practice that equips students for an ever-changing global marketplace.”

In addition to highlighting the new joint BA/MBA and BA/MA programs for Brandeis undergraduates, the platform wishes to “capture and reflect the unique student experience at Brandeis IBS,” said Parillo. In fact, IBS students themselves helped create the new website, using “responsive design”—one that is compatible with desktop, tablet and mobile devices. With various audiences in mind, the site also boasts bolder visuals, stronger integration with social media and improved navigation.

One example of their efforts includes working to make the site more discoverable through search engines such as Google. “As our site and digital platforms are made more relevant to our users, they will show up in search results when they look for business education programs,” Parillo added.

IBS is also using social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to further broadcast its program. In just

the last seven months, IBS’ fanbase on Facebook has doubled to close to 2,000 fans, according to Adam Conner-Simons, the Communications Coordinator at IBS. “Facebook and Twitter are great ways to share content about the school with members of the Brandeis community and beyond,” Conner-Simons said.

During the platform creation process, IBS collaborated with Corey McPherson Nash, a branding and design firm based in Watertown, the IBS marketing and technology teams and University staff including Library and Technology Services (LTS). IBS brought in Corey McPherson Nash after a thorough Request for Proposal (RFP) process, and they are very excited with what Corey has brought to the table. In order to ensure that they would fully understand the entire student experience, members of the company attended admissions information sessions, classes and events. They also participated in focus groups, where students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends all provided their input on the platform.

“We are very excited about our new brand platform and especially our new website,” Dean Bruce Magid stated. “This initiative will support our efforts to differentiate Brandeis IBS as a business school and demonstrate what a world-class education we provide students.”

How to be part of the initiative:

Parillo encourages students to visit brandeis.edu/global and share feedback.

If interested, contact BrandeisIBSCommUser@gmail.com.

Facebook: https://www.facebook. com/brandeisibs Twitter: https://twitter.com/ BrandeisIBS international business school New branding aims to highlight the strengths of Brandeis’ IBS.

Lemberg Children’s Center to break ground on new location

By Victoria Aronson Editor

Lemberg Children’s Center has announced its intention to expand, constructing an entirely new facility to accommodate the growing needs of the Waltham community, and the pressing urge for infant and toddler care.

Currently employing approximately 80 Brandeis students under Federal Work Study, Lemberg hopes to facilitate the ability of students to engage in early childhood care through the establishment of a larger facility. According to Howard Baker, the center’s executive director, the new facility will provide opportunities to supplement Brandeis University courses.

For example, it will allow developmental psychology students to conduct observational studies and education students to engage in teaching opportunities.

Baker pointed to issues with the current building, such as a lack of handicap access and limited space, as further reasons behind the implementation of a new facility.

The center will further address a pressing need for infant care and potentially allow for part-time care attentive to the needs of professors

with young children. With a typical wait list of approximately 60 children, according to Baker, the establishment of the new facility will help to satisfy the growing needs of the university

and the Waltham community.

Lemberg Children’s Center will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 24, open to members of the Brandeis and Waltham community.

photos by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

photos by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

September 6, 2013

Shuttle system expands SHUTTLE, from page 1

ton during the day – a decision made by students in a survey, who wrote that more access to the city would be useful and good for leisure.

In addition, Brandeis has added a new shuttle route to Riverside Train Station in Newton, which will be of use to students who commute from Riverside to weekday internships in downtown Boston. The Riverside shuttle will run on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, and will pick students up every twenty minutes from the Rabb bus stop, running from 2 to 5 p.m. This addition is the result of a test shuttle two years ago, which was well received by the student body.

Mandel G03 was filled to capacity Tuesday night as students witnessed the first meeting and demonstration round of the Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society (BADASS).

The room came to a hush as Sarah Pizzano ’16 opened the meeting with a presentation on the team and their history—they are currently ranked second in the nation, only behind Yale. The team debates in a parliamentary style, where two two-person teams, the government and the opposition, debate a case.

The debate began with the “Prime Minister” of the government side, David Altman ’15 (also the president of the team), who read the case to be argued. The topic involved hate crimes, which include rape and assault. It addressed the 40 percent decrease in hate crimes since a 2009 piece of legislation signed by President Obama that views any act against a person because of their sexual orientation, gender or gender identity as a federal hate crime.

As Prime Minister, Altman argued that with enhanced punishment for

MIT develops program for the socially disabled Staff

Debate society demonstrates chops to first-years Special to the Hoot

College Notebook

By Charlie Romanow

photos by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

By Andrew Elmers

NEWS 3

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all hate crimes, the rate of such crimes would decrease even further.

He argued that hate crimes are even more heinous acts than standard theft or battery because they distribute more psychological damage to the victim, since that person feels as if his identity caused the act. Altman also claimed that hate crimes affect the whole community since all people of one gender or religion in an area could feel frightened by the possibility of another attack. Lastly, he mentioned that hate crimes pose a bigger threat to society, and as an egalitarian society, we should stand for less hate crime.

The leader of the opposition, Megan Elsayed ’14 followed his speech.

She attacked the government’s idea that we need harsher punishments for hate crimes because all crimes are hate crimes, which drew a large reaction from the audience, as they are allowed to bang on their desks to agree with a point as if they were in Parliament.

Elsayed then proposed the idea that a society should not spend more money putting people away, but instead, use it to rehabilitate individuals so they do not commit the same

crimes again. She dismissed the usefulness of the criminal justice system, claiming that it renders offenders unable to compete for a job after prison so they can no longer lead a normal life. Lastly, she argued that deterrents will not stop people from committing hate crimes in the first place.

She claimed that the government’s data, which pronounced a 40 percent decrease in hate crimes, was plain wrong.

These constructives were then followed by responses by the other members of each team, Russell Leibowitz ’14 for the government and Shira Almeleh ’14 for the opposition. The government tried to rebuild their argument, then the opposition tried to knock it down. The floor was opened up to the audience to ask questions and gain further clarification on the issues. The demonstration round finished with the opposition’s rebuttal and the government’s rebuttal from Altman, both making their final arguments in an effort to convince the audience to side with them.

The demonstration provided a reminder of the rights we hold as American citizens to debate issues without fearing retribution.

Students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab have developed a computer program that can be used to further develop social skills in what is a more comfortable setting for some. My Automated Conversation coacH (MACH) displays a computer-generated face that reacts to a users actions. The program has been used to simulate job interviews but the technology and ideas behind the software are expected to be used for a variety of applications. The computer-generated face matches the user’s facial and speech expressions and reacts to them as a real person would.

The application was developed by meeting with career-seeking students and career counselors as well as a week-long trial with 90 undergraduate students at MIT. Developers used half a million lines of computer code in the program during the two years that it took to create.

M. Ehsan Hoque, currently an assistant professor at the University of Rochester and a doctoral graduate of MIT, was the force behind the development of the program.

Hoque attended a workshop held by the Asperger’s Association of New England, where he was approached about using his skills and technology to develop a program to help those with Asperger’s. This began his plans toward creating MACH. The association works to help those with Asperger’s Syndrome and other Autism Spectrum disorders build meaningful and connected lives through education, community, support and advocacy.

Asperger’s Syndrome is characterized by difficulties in non-verbal communication and social interaction, but does not impair cognitive development. Asperger’s has recently been reclassified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders to be placed under the umbrella term of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

According to the New Yorker Magazine, one Asperger’s sufferer told

Hoque, “Once I start talking I don’t know when to stop, and people lose interest, and I don’t know why.”

Those with Asperger’s are often known to be able to speak in depth about certain topics but have trouble knowing when to stop or change the subject based on the listener’s social cues. MACH will allow users to practice on their own in a safe environment as little or as much as they would like.

MACH uses a webcam and microphone to scan the users facial expressions and interpret and analyze their pattern of speech. After conducting a simulated interview, participants can see their progress and how they have changed throughout multiple sessions. They are given information about their speech volume and tone as well as physical acts such as smiling, nodding and shaking of the head: actions that can affect one’s success or failure during a job interview. In addition to seeing the computer-generated face react to them, they can also see their own face to see how they engage with the program. The animation displays arm and posture movements as well as varying eye contact and lip synchronization.

Software without positive results would be useless. A study involving MACH found that use of the program led to a significant improvement in social skills based on evaluations by a career counselor in a job interview setting. Those who used the program were found to be more desirable candidates than those in the control group.

The program will be displayed in Zurich, Switzerland during the Ubiquitous Computing Conference from September 8-12. Hoque is currently seeking funding from those interested in expanding the project. He expects it will take between six months and one year for him and a group of engineers to make the program available online. More research will need to be done to expand the project to uses beyond job interviews but MACH may be helpful for those dealing with social issues related to public speaking, social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder and autism.

photo from internet source

mach Scientists at MIT develop a new software to help people with social skills.

4 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

Jamele Adams brings experience and poetry to position as Dean of Students

By Rebecca Leaf

Special to The Hoot

Jamele Adams brings experience and poetry to position as Dean of Students Rebecca Leaf, [isn’t she staff by Previously serving as the Associate Dean of Student Life and Assistant Dean of Student Life, Jamele Adams became the new Dean of Students during the summer.

Many may have seen him perform inspiring slam poetry. Andrew Flagel, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment, spoke of Adams’ virtues in an email, saying, “I was stunned by the energy and passion he displayed, and soon found that he brought that same spirit to his work at Brandeis.”

For Adams, “[Education is] the crux of the destiny to make the world as beautiful as it possibly can be. Few things are as magnificent as an incredible education that allows one to see how we all matter and have the capacity to positively contribute to the world,” he said in an interview with The Hoot this week.

Adams has spent a number of years working at Brandeis, and he describes the school as “unique as every individual in our Brandeis family.” Adams has previous experience working at higher education institutions, such as Montclair State University, Kenyon College and Ashland University in

student affairs, residence life, housing, orientation and advising before becoming part of the Brandeis family.

He has also been a part of different organizations such as “Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation,” an organization dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles among young people through education programs and the funding of organizations that treat and help prevent teenage substance abuse.

Adams has been devoted to poetry even before he was encouraged to perform his work. While his interest in the written word goes as far back as to when was eight years old when he would rap with his friends in Harlem, he was attracted to poetry through the courageous and brilliant work of Langston Hughes. He later went on to act in a documentary about Hughes.

Adams’ own work has been archived at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and the Smithsonian Institution.

Adams, whose fierce dedication to diversity and unity is well known on the Brandeis campus, is a popular administration figure among students.

Whether performing slam poetry on hard issues ranging from the Darfur genocide to the Trayvon Martin case, motivating involvement in his own campus-wide programs among students, or supporting student run organizations on campus, Adams’ energy is hard to miss. As he begins his new deanship, let’s hope he uses that energy to lead Brandeis forward.

September 6, 2013

Sawyer resigns amid disagreements SAWYER, from page 1

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

He knew so much about all things Brandeis and really strived to make the Brandeis family as tight-knit as can be,” said Rachel Nelson ’13. A recent graduate, Nelson planned Orientation for the class of 2015. “He helped me work through solutions as well as managed communication with incoming families,” said Nelson. She also connected with Sawyer’s carefree nature. “One of my favorite Rick memories is our fake smack talk during ‘Hoops for Haiti’. He played a good game and the trash talk really made it a lot more entertaining!”

In his role as Dean, Sawyer built the entire orientation program for firstyear students. He also oversaw multiple departments within the Division of Students and Enrollment. “He’s a dad, and when he dealt with students, he would teach them and lead them to an answer and guide them over some pretty challenging terrain. His view was to teach them and help them change their life and path,” said Balch.

While Sawyer may be gone from the University, he is not forgotten.

The memory of his service lives on in those who were close to him.

“He as a leader who listened to his people and cared about his people,

jamele adams Adams performs slam

was concerned for his people and advocated for his people. And he considered students his people,” said Balch.

“His leadership provided a platform for several shifts in organizational structure within the Division of Student Life, for the development of our core values and for nurturing several very important student leadership programs, which I believe are still in place at Brandeis today,” said Lori Tenser. Tenser is currently the Dean of First-Year Students at Wellesley College, but she worked at Brandeis for 16 years. “Rick was my supervisor, mentor and dear colleague for 15 of my 16 years…he possesses a quick wit, impeccable integrity and deep insight into the human experience,” Tenser said in an email to The Hoot.

“I feel so grateful to have worked with him and learned from him.”

And as current students apply to graduate school and get an A+ on that impossible neuroscience test, perhaps they will remember another man close to the University who recently passed through his own trials and tribulations.

“We often talk with students about defining moments in our lives, and in this particular personal moment, I have elected to leave on my own terms,” said Sawyer in his email on the day he left Brandeis.

poetry at an MLK celebration last January.

Brandeis to help construct playground with Bentley and KaBOOM!

play KaBOOM! will be partnering with Brandeis and other community organizations to build a new playground in Waltham.

By Rachel Hirschhaut Editor

Brandeis University, Bentley University and the City of Waltham are collaborating with Waltham Group to make a lasting change for the children in Prospect Hill Terrace by building a state-of-the-art playground.

Waltham Group, Brandeis University’s umbrella term encompassing

the many community service groups on campus, works toward the longterm goals of helping the homeless and economically disadvantaged, teaching English to immigrants, fighting hunger and poverty and volunteering with children and the elderly among many other projects. Prospect Hill Terrace, a culturally and linguistically diverse low-income housing development in Waltham, is made up of mostly single-parent families.

This will be a welcome change for

the 175 children of Prospect Hill Terrace whose nearest playground is in an unsafe area.

The $85,000 project is supported by a generous grant from KaBOOM!, an organization that has funded the creation of nearly 15,000 playgrounds in America’s underprivileged communities. Partnering with the Waltham Housing Authority and the Waltham Police Department, Brandeis and Bentley submitted a grant proposal to build a playground, and it was ac-

photo from internet source

cepted.

“As you may know, Brandeis students have been volunteering in the Prospect Hill community for several years now, and Bentley University also has an interest in serving that community,” said Lindsey Miller, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer working for the Brandeis Department of Community Service.

“There have been major efforts to create a safer and more enriching environment for the families living

in Prospect Hill, and the playground project is one piece of that. This project is a reflection of the power of collaboration among many partners within the Waltham community,” Miller said.

Saturday, Sept. 14 will be the site preparation day, and Tuesday, Sept.

17 will be the building day. Volunteers will be needed for construction, on-site child care, and food and volunteer registration from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students can sign up to participate in one or more three-hour construction shifts, serve as a Build Captain on building day or work behind the scenes on the Planning or Fundraising committees. According to Miller, the greatest need is for construction volunteers on building day.

To volunteer for construction work, students must complete a one-hour training session. Student volunteers have already held fundraising bake sales at the Student Activities Fair as well as other Brandeis community events, and fundraising will continue throughout the year.

Miller emphasized that the completion of the playground is not the final goal of this initiative. “We really envision this as an ongoing partnership, and we intend to remain involved and supportive in this community,” she said.

“In addition to building this playground, we are also renovating the Prospect Hill community center. We will continue to work with Bentley to provide enriching programming for kids and adults, and we will be seeking additional volunteers to maintain this program,” Miller said. The program will eventually provide a free after-school enrichment group for the children of Prospect Hill as well as English language classes and job training for the adults.

September 6, 2013

NEWS 5

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Obama proposes changes to federal funding EDUCATION, from page 1

tend Brandeis. Twenty percent of Brandeis students receive federal grants, while 55 percent receive student loans. While loans may also be private, they can include need-based federal programs such as Perkins loans, Stafford loans and federal work study. As the full cost of attendance approaches $60,000, many Brandeis students rely on some form of aid, whether through Brandeis’ own grants or through the federal or state governments.

In recent weeks, President Obama has actually proposed a solution to the high cost of education for students. He suggested a rating system that would allocate more financial aid toward students attending universities judged by the executive branch to provide better educational opportunity. This would be determined by looking at cost of attendance, student debt, graduation rates and percentage of low-income students. Although President Lawrence believes that Brandeis performs well in the guidelines

proposed by the administration, he expressed some reservation about the applicability of these guidelines to all schools.

“Colleges and universities vary a great deal. For example, salaries for graduates in major metropolitan areas—one proposed measurement—are much higher than those for graduates in smaller cities and towns across America. At Brandeis we value social justice and public service, and we know that those are not the highest paid professions— yet they do a tremendous amount of good for our society. Any metric that failed to take that into account would be doing a poor job of evaluating the full benefits and opportunities that a university conferred on its graduates,” he said earlier this week.

Lawrence also noted that because Obama’s proposal is still in its early stages, it is not very easy to assess at the moment. Nevertheless, the hope remains among many college administrators, professors and students that increased federal government investment will contribute positively to higher education.

Orientation succeeds despite disorganization ORIENTATION, from page 1

fewer third-year OLs to be captains, the groups were much less intimate and comfortable with each other than she had experienced last year.

“There were definitely huge disconnects,” she said.

A Target trip was planned for international students, yet there weren’t enough buses, forcing some students to be turned away two nights in a row. “One OL had to go with a list of things that the students needed to purchase,” Fitzpatrick said.

Discomfort also lingered in some parts of the new programming. Firsttime OL Ray Trott ’16 explained how students in his group felt uncomfortable with so much scheduled time devoted to sex presentations. “We had some group members who were uncomfortable, and they didn’t think that abstinence was emphasized enough,” Trott said. Students experienced three events that involved sex, including an improv show called “Sex Signals,” a presentation by SSIS, and a talk from Harlan Cohen, author of “The Naked Roommate and Every-

thing Else You May Run Into in College.”

“Because there were so many sex presentations […] certain kids felt that sex was a huge part of Brandeis culture,” first-time OL Sarah Yun ’16 said. One first-year asked her whether or not it was common for students to be “hooking up” all the time.

While there were some struggles with organization, the Orientation Core Committee had huge success with many of the new programs throughout the week.

“B.rave was awesome,” Trott said about the dance that was open to all Brandeis students.

“This is Our House,” a recurring Orientation program, was also greatly appreciated. The event was hosted by new Dean of Students Jamele Adams and featured a slam poetry performance by Osaze Akerejah’14. The favorite, however, seemed to be a new event related to the theme “Let Curiosity Take Hold” for the Class of 2017.

One notable event was “Light Your Curiosity.” Students were all given plastic “candles” on which they wrote one thing that they wanted to achieve this year. They then put their own

candles down and picked up someone else’s so as to keep that person’s goals in mind throughout the year.

Students and OLs reported feeling inspired by the event.

Fitzpatrick was also touched by the event. “I have a candle, and it says, ‘Live without limits,’ and I thought that was beautiful.”

“The idea of bringing more than 100 Orientation Leaders and almost 900 students to silence to appreciate the moment you think would be really difficult. But it happened,” Haberman commented with a smile.

photo from internet source

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September 6, 2013

‘Hesitation Marks’ brings new sounds from Nine Inch Nails

By Zachary Bellis Special to the Hoot

“Hesitation Marks,” Nine Inch Nails’ first album since 2008’s “The Slip,” is nothing less than a triumphant return from one of modern rock’s great innovators. Fans have come to believe that they had seen the last of Nine Inch Nails, known for their unique brand of industrial rock that juxtaposes electronic and organic sounds, following 2009’s Wave Goodbye Tour. After going on an indefinite hiatus in 2009, the band’s founder and only official member, Trent Reznor, kept busy with Oscar-winning movie scores, such as “The Social Network,” in 2010 and with his other band, How to Destroy Angels.

Reznor had indicated that he wouldn’t return to Nine Inch Nails until he could bring something musically and lyrically fresh to the concept and take the band in a direction far removed from any of its previous eight studio albums. Accordingly, “Hesitation Marks” sounds astonishingly different from any of his past work but still manages to retain some of their signature musical trademarks.

Machines drone, synthesizers glitch and guitars wail over crunchy electronic drum beats, flawlessly merging noise and dissonance with catchy hooks and melodious vocals.

The incredible variety of musical stylings is all the more impressive when you consider that Reznor wrote and performed almost the entire album by himself with minimal guest contributions.

Instrumentation varies from song to song but generally maintains minimalist qualities compared to Reznor’s usual wall-of-sound production style, complementing rather than burying his contemplative vocal delivery. In a musical catalog in which whispers tend to lead to screams, vocals in “Hesitation Marks” are unexpectedly quiet, allowing for a more nuanced and subtle lyrical delivery while still retaining an exceptional emotional punch.

Although Reznor indicated that the album would be a spiritual successor to the 1994 industrial metal masterpiece, “The Downward Spiral,” the end result is something quite different: It is a culmination of the many sounds Reznor has experimented with throughout his long and diverse career.

The first half of the album is the most accessible, opening with an introductory instrumental number,

“The Eater of Dreams,” before segueing into the danceable, energetic, “Copy of A” and the lead single, “Came Back Haunted.” The opening tracks adhere most closely to the tenets of mainstream rock while also distancing themselves sonically, a strategy that becomes more apparent as the divisions increase with each song in the album.

From the outset, “Hesitation Marks” deftly handles the heavy themes of self-exploration and bringing oneself back from the brink without ever sounding insincere or overly angsty.

Drawing on his journey from depressed, self-loathing drug addict to sober and successful father, Reznor meditates on the ghosts of his past and questions his own relevance in, “Find My Way,” expertly balancing vulnerability and self–awareness in

his lyrics. One of the best songs on the record, “All Time Low,” combines an intensely danceable drumbeat with eerie vocals that alternate between incredibly high falsetto and bass registers. Reznor continues to subvert listeners’ expectations with the surprisingly upbeat pop-rock song, “Everything,” proclaiming, “I am whole/I am free,” despite being haunted by his past demons.

The album takes a darker turn in its second half, led by the paranoiainducing standout “Satellite,” which couples ethereal whispering with noisy electronic distortion and a pulsating bass line. “Various Methods of Escape” broods over the process of letting go, dialing down the dynamics and focusing more on creating a melancholy sonic atmosphere with more organic instrumentation and less reliance on electronics.

Arts Recommends: World War Z While “World War Z” is a film that explores the deconstruction of social norms and constructs while focusing on human survival in dire circumstances, it is also a great motivation to go to the gym. After watching zombies chase down millions of the members of the global population, the viewer begins to question could they themselves outrun a zombie. The answer is, you should probably hit the treadmill. One of the most epic scenes of the film is when zombies attack Israel, spilling over a great wall that is meant to contain them. All those not in an airplane, and who cannot run fast enough, are infected. The film gives the viewer the mentality of a survivor, who is always on the move, often bleeding and without food. It raises the question of whether or not any of us would have a chance at survival if we were thrust into this society.

The film, which opened in theaters

photo from internet source

nine inch nails The band releases its first album since 2008.

June 21, has grossed more than $500 million to date and stars Brad Pitt as Gerry Lane. Lane must protect his family from a worldwide invasion of zombies, which he does by bravely thrusting himself into areas of the world already overtaken by the creatures. The movie is loosely based on a novel of the same title, written by Max Brooks in 2006. But for those who expect a similar adaptation, perhaps they should forget everything they ever read. The movie called for a central character and logical plot, which the book lacked as it featured countless characters in various countries. And while the book demonstrated the impact of politics and health care on a global scale, the movie stands on its own as a tale of fatherly love and the will to survive. The opening of the film is perhaps the most terrifying, a testament to the director, Marc Forster’s skills, and succeeds in engaging the audience’s attention. As Lane and

his family sit stopped in traffic, a person in a nearby car begins to change into a snarling zombie.

The panic that happens next is all too real—what would happen if a bomb was dropped or shots were fired in real life. The incompetence of Pitt and his wife (Mireille Enos) to protect their two young daughters is heartbreaking. While “World War Z” is a film set in an time where half the human race eats flesh, it relates to modern day issues like family ties and immigration.The close of the film obviously sets up viewers for a sequel, with Pitt even stating, “This isn’t the end, not even close.” The novel “World War Z” covers decades of the zombie war, from freezing out the creatures in northern countries to the triumph of the human race.

If Forster wanted, he could probably create five more films with the material in the 342-page novel.

And we wouldn’t be complaining.

By contrast, “Running” explores the darker half of letting go, running away from the past rather than recognizing mistakes and moving on. Fittingly, “Running” ratchets up the tension with dissonant guitars and scratching sound effects under Reznor’s tired acknowledgment, “I’m running out of places I can hide from this.” Reznor’s recognition of “lying to myself ” combined with a symbolic transformation occurs in “I Would For You,” which is a quiet rock ballad that differentiates itself with New Wave-esque synths before segueing into the funky “In Two,” the most overtly aggressive and instrumentally-dense song on the album.

The penultimate track, “While I’m Still Here” proceeds back to the opposite extreme, stripping the instrumentation down to only percussion.

Even the non-percussive instruments

such as the saxophone are played in a percussive fashion before “While I’m Still Here” slips into the instrumental closer “Black Noise.”

“Hesitation Marks” is not, by any means, an album that can be fully appreciated on the first listen. It is not merely a collection of songs but is also an atmospheric work of music in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, even though each individual song on the album is excellent in its own right. The overarching lyrical themes are far more mature and nuanced than in any of Nine Inch Nails’ previous music, and the depth and brilliance of instrumentation provide a unique listening experience each time.

The album is challenging but accessible: musically minimalist, while maintaining complexity and lyrically powerful yet vulnerable.

September 6, 2013

ARTS, ETC. 7

The Brandeis Hoot

‘City of Bones’ a typical teenage romance

By Shreyas Warrier Staff

“The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” is a movie somewhat inaptly named, as it has nothing to do with bones or a city of them. The plot of the movie is based around one of the mortal instruments, a golden chalice coveted by both the angels and fallen

angels. The movie centers around an underage girl named Clary (Lily Collins) and a Shadowhunter named Jace (Jamie Campbell Bower).

Clary believes that she is a normal girl—she walks around town with her best friend and boy toy, Simon (Robert Sheehan). Simon is, from the first instant, clearly infatuated with Clary, a fact she seems to be oblivious

of. The opening scenes of the movie are characterized by some awkward interactions between Clary and her mother, who seem to have a strained relationship from the start. Clary begins to draw strange figures as she daydreams, figures whose meaning she doesn’t know. An aura of foreboding centers on these figures as Clary’s mother stares at them in worry, and

just a normal girl Before learning of her mysterious powers, Clary hangs out with her friend Simon.

photos from internet source

Clary wakes up one morning finding her entire room wallpapered with her drawings.

From this moment on, Clary’s entire life changes: her mother is kidnapped and Clary witnesses a murder in a club, a murder that no one else sees. The man who committed the murder then follows her and Simon into a coffee shop, and brings her out into the alleyway behind the store. When Clary finds out that her mother has been kidnapped, she heads home in a rush to find an adorable Rottweiler sitting upstairs. As she tries to edge around it, it mutates into an enormous half-dog, half-octopus tongued creature that consistently re-forms after being hit, stabbed or burned.

Finally, after she is saved by the mysterious man whom only she can see, Clary learns of the existence of an entirely new world that dwells within her own—a world of demons, vampires, witches and, most importantly, Shadowhunters—a cadre of half-human, half-angel warriors who hunt down the evil forces.

After being taken to the Shadowhunter University, Clary begins to learn of her own past in a manner that is all too predictable for a story about a somewhat socially incapable teenage girl—her mother put a block on her memory to make sure that she would remember nothing magical, and this makes Clary feel even more at odds with her mother, who is still missing and she presumes to be dead.

She does not seem too upset that her mother is missing, however; This becomes a subplot that Clary returns to every once in a while when she gets distracted from her typical “High School Musical” love triangle. The

love triangle itself is absurd from the beginning, as it includes a wide-eyed, 26-year-old, muscled man covered in strange tattoos and a scrawny, annoying and incapable best friend who seems to believe that just because he was always Clary’s friend, he has right to be in a romantic relationship with her.

The love triangle itself takes an awkward twist, as we find out that Clary’s father is the evil Shadowhunter of doom whom everyone warned her about. Clary’s father tells her that her Shadowhunter crush is in fact her brother and that she had awkward incestual hook-ups, something that seems to be more common after Game of Thrones showed that you could make incest appealing. However, the entire premise of this claim, which is known by the audience to be false (because it is declared a lie by the leader of the Shadowhunters), really has no basis. At the very beginning of the movie, Jace states that he is naturally blonde, whereas Clary’s entire family is dark haired. This might be a hint that they can’t be related, but Clary is too busy staring at his tattoos to notice.

The tattoos actually turn out to be various runes used for power and protection. The runes are not explained, however, beyond this point.

No one knew where they came from, how to use them, or what they meant.

They just existed as part of people’s bodies. At one point, Clary decides to draw a rune on herself, a rune that no one else had ever seen; there was no explanation as to how she knew what to draw or how to draw it.

While the movie was enjoyable to see, it is not worth going out and buying, or seeing again.

Waltham Embassy presents:

typical romance The film brings to life a predictable love triangle, with a hint of incest.

jace The main romantic interest all dressed up to fight demons.

Austenland (PG-13) Recently dumped by her boyfriend, a heartbroken woman whose life revolves around a BBC version of Pride and Prejudice desperately seeks love at a Jane Austen theme park.

Lee Daniels’ The Butler (PG-13) Tracing the life of Cecil Gaines, an African American butler who serves 8 presidents in the White House, the historical drama features prominent actors such as Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey.

Riddick (R) Vin Diesel returns to play Riddick in the third installment of the series, battling vicious alien predators on a foreign planet.

The Spectacular Now (R)

the world’s end

An alcoholic high school senior who loves partying is recently dumped by his girlfriend, only to unexpectedly fall in love with a science fiction obsessed nice girl.

The World’s End (R) Five middle aged friends reunite 20 years following their high school glory days to pursue a drunken pub crawl, only to come to the terrifying realization that the entire town has been replaced by aliens.

Hilarity instantly ensues.

We’re the Millers (R) A small time pot dealer mugged by a group of teens finds himself in debt to his dealer. With a stripper posing for his wife and fake children, he finds himself smuggling drugs across the border.

photo from internet source

arts, etc.

8 The Brandeis Hoot

September 6, 2013

Rose to re-open with new exhibits

By Vinh Nguyen Staff

The Rose Art Museum plans to debut five new exhibitions on September 17 to the Brandeis community.

With a strong legacy in making the visual arts accessible to students, the Rose Art Museum has continuously created compelling exhibits for the Brandeis community.

Although currently closed for renovations, the Rose will welcome the new exhibits “Image Machine: Andy Warhol and Photography,” “Light Years: Jack Whitten, 19711973,” “Omer Fast: 5000 Feet Is The Best,” “Minimal and More: 60s and 70s Sculpture from the Collection” and “Spotlight on the Collection: Al Loving.” All of these exhibits have been built on the Rose’s own rich collection of contemporary art. The collection is grounded on the development of abstract art in the 60s and 70s, from work produced in the studio of Andy Warhol to works from Jack Whitten.

One exhibit, “Spotlight on the Collection: Al Loving,” is part of the annual Collection in Focus Exhibit in which underrepresented and understudied pieces in the Rose’s collection are highlighted. “Spotlight on the Collection: Al Loving” presents the work of African-American artist Al Loving, an abstract artist who painted during the 60’s and 70’s in a time where African-Americans were largely removed from the abstract movement.

The exhibit not only celebrates his artwork, but highlights his achievement as a pioneering artist.

Another part of the collection is the much-anticipated Andy Warhol exhibit: “Image Machine.” Joseph D.

the rose art museum New exhibits to be revealed September 17.

Ketner II, former Rose director, curated the exhibit. The exhibit is also part of a collaboration between the Rose and the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Warhol, best known perhaps for his involvement with the Pop art movement— such as the iconic images of Campbell Soup cans—also heavily explored photography in his art. The exhibit displays his photograph of contemporary famous peers, such as Cheryl Tiegs, Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie O and

Gianni Versace. Warhol’s art pushed and challenged the definition of what art is by subverting the conventional in unexpected ways.

By placing repeating images of the Campbell soup cans in a museum setting, for example, Warhol both elevates the simple soup cans and also offers a critique of popular consumer culture and commercialism. Similarly, these ideals are explored in “Image Machine” with photographs of celebrities.

photo from internet source

Another contemporary artist of Warhol is Jack Whitten, whose work is also featured in one of the exhibits, “Light Years: Jack Whitten, 19711973.” The exhibit will premiere some of Whitten’s never before seen work and will showcase Whitten’s largescale pieces as well as some of his experimental smaller drawings.

Exhibits will feature simplistic sculpture from the same time period in “Minimal and More: 60s and 70s Sculpture from the Collection.”

The media of cinema is explored in “Omer Fast: 5000 Feet Is The Best.”

Fast’s 30-minute video, which will be viewed in the Mildred S. Lee Gallery, was created from a series of conversations conducted with a former U.S Air Force Predator Drone operator and explores the idea of warfare against drone surveillance.

Indeed, the re-opening of the Rose promises a wide variety of exciting and thoughtful art exhibits that are worth a visit.

“The Butler” dramatizes racial tensions

By Margot Grubert Special to the Hoot

“Lee Daniels’ The Butler” is saved from categorization as an underdeveloped flashcard history lesson by its powerfully posed cultural juxtaposition and the strength of lead actors including Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey.

“The Butler” provides a view of American history through the eyes of Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), who, from humble and violent beginnings on a cotton plantation, becomes the favored White House butler of eight presidents.

Whitaker’s performance serves as an astounding means of conveying the ideological tension within and beyond the African-American community. Whitaker displays a beautiful balance of strength and vulnerability.

As Cecil undergoes spiritual transformation, and begins to feel the urge to join his son, pacifist freedom fighter Louis (David Oyelowo). Whitaker conveys the change in his body, his face and minimal changes in mannerism and movement. This movie would be nothing without his brilliance.

The immeasurable Oprah Winfrey plays Cecil’s wife, Gloria. Despite limited screen time, Winfrey is mesmerizing. She does not succumb to dramatics, instead providing a level and gut-wrenching performance that conveys years of pain, love and wisdom.

An interesting cast comprises the eight presidents and first ladies served by Gaines. Noteworthy are

Alan Rickman as an unsettling Ronald Reagan, Jane Fonda as an equally unsettling—though mostly due to her real-life left-wing political persona— Nancy Reagan, and James Marsden and Minka Kelly as the President and Mrs. Kennedy, respectively. Following Kennedy’s assassination, Kelly provides a shockingly unexpected and beautiful breakdown, while covered in her dead husband’s blood.

Although “The Butler” provides a fascinating view of the world from a stunning new viewpoint, the film is not as powerful as its potential. Director Lee Daniels’ largest mistake is in the pace of the film. He chooses to do too much within a limited time frame, and as a result, areas of importance are glossed over and dismissed.

The events that should be momentous—take Martin Luther King Jr.’s shooting, for example—become snapshots and headlines as opposed to living, breathing moments.

The Vietnam War also ought to have been given more screen time, and the subsequent questions that arise from the decision Charlie (Elijah Kelley), Cecil’s younger son, makes to enlist. Vietnam becomes an area of interest due to the juxtaposition of a black man fighting for a country that for decades has fought the black man. Although the movie calls into question the moral implication of African-American patriotism during war in Vietnam, the film does not introduce, let alone explore, worldwide moral implications of war in Vietnam. Vietnam becomes a vehicle for political conversation instead of the topic of political conversation.

oprah winfrey On set of “The Butler.”

Due to these pacing issues, some characterization is lacking. This is evident in characters such as Charlie Gaines, Louis’ pacifist-turned Black Panther girlfriend, Carol Hammie (Yaya DaCosta) and above all, Gloria Gaines.

Gloria is a complex character. She is a strong African-American woman, a protective mother and an unsatisfied wife. So much of the beauty in this film is profoundly influenced by her point of view and her struggle. Gloria’s role, however, particularly as an

photo from internet source

unsatisfied wife, is tragically underdeveloped onscreen. She succumbs to alcohol and has an affair, but her fall and subsequent recovery are undocumented. This is deeply disconcerting in so character-driven a film.

Given the rushed plot and gaps in the story, the immense acting talent in “The Butler” alone affords Daniels the opportunity to explore the civil rights movement. This exploration is most effective when Cecil and Louis’ worlds collide. The audience watches Cecil serve white men in tuxedos;

meanwhile, white men refuse to serve his son at the Nashville lunch-counter sit-ins. The audience listens to Carol discredit Cecil through the teachings of Malcolm X, and later is taught the value of a butler through the absolution of Martin Luther King Jr. These social and cultural juxtapositions are what make this film shine.

“The Butler” is not perfect, but it is definitely a movie worth seeing due to incredible performances by lead actors and beautifully compiled social commentary by way of juxtaposition.

September 6, 2013

ARTS, ETC. 9

The Brandeis Hoot

Madison ’15 advocates for student involvement in the arts

By Dana Trismen Editor

When Charlie Madison was 13 years old, he sat down for a family dinner. As he ate, his mother asked the family to write down what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Madison’s sister wrote she wanted to be a teacher.

Madison wrote he wanted to be a playwright and create songs for musicals while living in Manhattan. He pinned his dreams to the refrigerator.

Now Madison is a junior at Brandeis. When he visits home, he realizes he has come full circle.

His aspirations are the same and Brandeis has only furthered his interest in the arts.

“I took a class with Neal Hampton, the orchestra director, called, Composing for Broadway. It was amazing, and that sort of spurred my interest,” said Madison.

He is a double major in music and psychology. He has thoroughly invested himself in the arts at Brandeis, performing in plays and in the a cap-

pella group, Company B. As the musical director of the a cappella group, he oversees the arrangements and teaches them to the vocalists himself.

“We perform the oldies,” said Madison of Company B, “anything 25 years or older. As I graduate, we’re approaching the 90s. I’m super jazzed about that, and I love Mariah Carey. I wish I could be here an extra year to sing Mariah Carey,” he said, laughing.

Madison performed as the title character in the musical, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” during his first year. This semester, he will star in “[title of show],” which will go up in October.

Madison enjoys singing, but his first love is the piano. “Learning piano, especially as a composer, is a foundation musically. It helps you learn other instruments. It’s opened so many doors,” he said.

He has also become a presence on campus through his job as a Brandeis Undergraduate Group Study tutor for music. But he is brimming with more than just advice on how to play the piano or pass a music theory class.

“I’d say Slosberg is like this very for-

student cast Madison peforming in Company B’s Spring 2013 show.

eign place on campus,” he said, when asked to give advice to aspiring music

charlie madison Madison performs as the title character Charlie Brown in the Tympanium Euphorium Spring 2012 musical.

students. “A lot of people are afraid of the commitment that it takes, and it

photos by charlie madison/the hoot

is not actually that big of a commitment. I think it’s just really good to take part in the arts.”

As Madison argues for student participation in the arts, he remarks that first-years may be entering a different environment than in years past.

As senior thesis productions become more popular, much of the acting and musical talent have flocked to the senior thesis festival.

“The arts community is changing at Brandeis,” he said.

While Madison has stayed true to his lifelong dream to make it in the arts, he has some reservations.

He is aware of the fact that searching for a job in composing musical theater, with such few openings, can be like finding a needle in a haystack.

“Majoring in psychology is kind of a back-up plan,” said Madison, who mentioned his interest in working as a therapist. “But because I’m a double major, I’m going all out and applying to grad school, for a Ph.D. in psychology and then also MFA programs for musical composition. They are two opposite directions and hopefully I won’t have to decide because I’ll only get into one,” he said.

But given Madison’s successes, that won’t be likely.

Abrams encourages students to explore techonolgy in art

By Victoria Aronson Editor

Having cast aside his original intention to major in physics decades ago, Christopher Abrams, artist-inresidence and professor in Fine Arts at Brandeis, gravitated away from pop culture, fantasy film and the collaborative potential of digital media as sources of inspiration in order to create work that was more innovative in style and form.

After attaining a bachelor of arts degree from Harvard University, Abrams went on to earn a master’s degree from the Massachusetts College of Arts. Having been exposed to courses in architecture and currently instructing classes on the application of digital media within the arts, Abrams represents the potential for the culmination of creativity across a wide range of disciplinary fields.

Noting the transformative power of technology, Abrams stresses the newfound importance of incorporating respect for digital media, Photoshop and other artistic tools alongside respect for traditional art forms.

Abrams often tells his students, “The arts are a way to indulge a way

of thinking that is a little bit indeterminate, of indulging in open-ended experimentation. It’s rigor without a set destination.”

His current work draws on inspiration from science fiction and fantasy films, focusing on spaceships in particular. His sculptures, however, are according to him, “not succinctly spaceships […] they could be biological forms or microbes,” embodying his deep fascination with attempting to emulate life processes and forms through his work.

Although art is traditionally created by one individual who holds sole authorship of the piece, Abrams is also intrigued by the potential of collaborative art. Using postal drawings collected from across the country, Abrams produced a series of works focused on this approach.

He states, “In the end, I’m making it, but it’s also the postman, the guy at the loading facility, the man shipping it overseas.”

Abrams explains the notion of straying away from the concept of the elevated individual, pointing to the compelling idea of combined efforts.

Emphasizing “your ideas are not just yours to own.” Abrams points to the

trend of collaboration emerging from technological advancements, such as the Internet, not only within the realm of art, but also in science as well.

Abrams chose to become a member of our community, originally drawn here for its well-established program in the arts. As a professor of sculpture and media art, he teaches about the development of the media lab and the incorporation of tools such as 3Dmodeling and Photoshop within the curriculum. Unlike teaching a course in sculpture, however, Abrams states that serving as a professor in digital media classes creates a unique relationship with his students who are often already equipped with tech-savvy skills.

As a recipient of numerous accolades for his work, such as being a finalist for the Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist’s Fellowship, Abrams nevertheless stresses the importance of combining artistic creativity with feasible applications. Originally a physics major, he confesses that pursuing a career in the arts still feels like a risk. He applies his creative and technical skills to design practical architectural models in addition to his

photo from internet source

postal drawings Abrams explores collaborative art.

own artwork.

Addressing the risks of pursuing a career as an artist, Abrams maintains a deeply instilled sense of appreciation for the arts but believes that an active engagement in other disciplines and a knowledge of technological advancements are crucial. Whether or not it is engineering surgical prosthetics or designing innovative architectural

models, he explains that the freedom of exploration and creative expression found in the arts is comparable to the task of accomplishing something never before achieved or imagined.

Abrams urges his students “to think like the artist without necessarily working as artists,” explaining that an artist’s training can be valuable even in other fields.

10 The Brandeis Hoot

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

Editor-in-Chief Emily Stott Lassor Feasley Managing Editor Victoria Aronson Managing Editor Dana Trismen Managing Editor Morgan Dashko Copy Editor Theresa Gaffney Copy Editor Suzanna Yu Copy Editor Nate Rosenbloom Photography Editor Jun Zhao Graphics Editor Katie Chin Online Editor Rachel Hirschhaut Deputy News Editor

Volume 10 • Issue 13 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma

Founded By Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman

staff

Shota Adamia, Emily Belowich, Dani Chasin, Ben Fine, Evan Goldstein, Jaye Han, Maya Himelfarb, Brittany Joyce, Eli Kaminsky, Rebecca Leaf, Nathan Murphy Needle, Vinh Nguyen, Aliya Nealy, Alexandra Patch, Max Randhahn, Zoe Richman, Charlie Romanow, Emily Scharf, Alec Siegel, Naomi Soman, Diane Somlo, Sindhura Sonnathi, Jennifer Spencer, Matthew Tagan, Alison Thvedt, Coco Tirambulo, Yi Wang, Shreyas Warrier, Pete Wein, Linjie Xu

Mission As the weekly community student newspaper of Brandeis University, The Brandeis Hoot aims to provide our readers with a reliable, accurate and unbiased source of news and information.

Produced entirely by students, The Hoot serves a readership of 6,000 with in-depth news, relevant commentary, sports and coverage of cultural events. Recognizing that better journalism leads to better policy, The Brandeis Hoot is dedicated to the principles of investigative reporting and news analysis. Our mission is to give every community member a voice.

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

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EDITIORIALS

T

September 6, 2013

Tour guides deserve payment for work

his week, Andrew Flagel, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment, announced that campus tour guides for the Office of Admissions will no longer be paid. Instead, the office will be creating a volunteeronly program in the hopes of decreasing the budget and simultaneously increasing the number of guides to accommodate the increased number of applicants to Brandeis.

While the university may think that students will still continue to give tours without payment simply due to their love for the school, they deserve to be paid for their work.

Currently, it is very difficult to become a tour guide. Students must first become volunteer “chatters” in Admissions, then go through extensive training and interviews to finally be hired as tour guides. To dismiss this training and effort completely is unfair to those who have gone through the process and been paid for their work.

The new program in place, as outlined

by Flagel, will include first-year students as tour guides, or “ambassadors.”

These students were contacted during the summer before coming to Brandeis and asked to meet because they are

considered outstanding leaders—based solely on their high school activities and transcripts. An application to college does not tell everything about a person.

Many of these students may be excellent tour guides, but without a more rigorous process in place, some of these students may also be much less qualified than upperclassmen.

First-year students may be great “leaders,” but that is not the sole qualification for a great tour guide. In addition to knowing how to navigate the campus, effective tour guides have personal stories they can tell about the places they visit and have the capability of answering difficult questions from parents and students. Experience at Brandeis is the only way to truly know our school, and older students will be better able to communicate that experience with applicants.

Although students are only paid a little over eleven dollars for each tour, they accepted the job, at least in part, because it provided them a source of income.

Regardless of how much you love your job, you still expect to be paid.

The issue is not whether tour guides were being paid a significant amount.

That they were being paid at all is a

reason to continue payment.

The decision to change the program was made last May, but tour guides were only notified of the change this week, after they had submitted their schedules for the year. To change the program significantly without input from the tour guides is disrespectful and unreasonable. If the meeting allowed for discussion, that discussion should include the opportunity to revise the current decision to one that more of the staff agree with.

Students especially deserve payment because they are professionally representing the university with every conversation they have with parents and prospective students. They are responsible for encouraging students to apply, which is a direct source of revenue and talent for the university. Without tour guides, we might have a different group of students coming to Brandeis each year. Making it a volunteer position does not instill the same amount of gravity to the job, and the quality of tour guides may suffer.

For more information, see our full news coverage in next week’s paper.

sports

September 6, 2013

The Brandeis Hoot 11

Livadaru leads Judges to OT victory against MIT

By Dani Chasin Staff

The mood at Gordon’s Field on Wednesday evening was tense as the Brandeis men’s soccer team sent the opening home game against MIT into overtime, and stole the win. Now carrying a record of 3-0, the Judges sent the Engineers home with their first loss of the season, making their record 2-1.

Despite the extended length of the match, the Judges dominated over the Engineers in the second half after evening the 1-1 score, making this their second time this season coming up from behind to win a game. While the entire team fought hard together to overcome MIT, two specific players stood out for Brandeis: reserve forward Tudor Livadaru ’14 and rookie forward Evan Jastremski ’17.

After a foul was called against MIT on Brandeis forward Sam Ocel ’14 in minute 28, a free kick by Livadaru just outside the 18-yard box sent the ball flying to the back of the net. The Judges strategized to have Ocel fake the kick, followed by Livadaru striking the ball into the goal. Even MIT goalkeeper Jake Amereno ’15 was not expecting the curved upper right corner shot that ripped off of Livadaru’s left foot.

The free kick goal brought the score

photo by jan volk/sportspix.biz

to 1-1 after the Judges had to make up for the quick start that MIT had in the first few minutes. With two shots taken by the Engineers in the first 22 seconds of the game, goalkeeper Joe Graffy ‘15 saw some early action and was forced to make some saves. The MIT goal came in the ninth minute after the Engineers worked the ball around to one player who had a lefty rip just outside the box.

After Livadaru’s goal, the Judges sustained their momentum for the

rest of the game. Brandeis made seven shots in the second half while MIT had only one, compared to the first half where the teams were more even with seven for Deis and five for MIT. The MIT goalie had to make some impressive saves in the second half as the Judges contested several close shots.

Three opportunities came for Brandeis in three quick minutes towards the end of regular time. A shot

by Ocel was saved by MIT’s Amereno and deflected out of bounds for a corner kick. The cross by midfielder Kyle Feather ’14 was bounced around in

the box and then sent to the opposite side where defender Ben Applefield ’13 laid in a crisp pass to the box. Another lefty rip from Livadaru just outside the box hit the center of the right goal post. A final shot from Ocel that was intercepted signified the Judges’ last attempt on goal for the remainder of regular time.

In overtime, the Engineers had the first shot on goal in 27 seconds, saved

by Graffy. After the Judges regained possession, Livadaru took a shot that went high over the goal post. The pivotal moment came for the Judges

three minutes in: an assist by Livadaru to Jastremski into the six-yard box allowed the rookie to beat a defender and score his first career goal.

The two-hour long match marked the Judges’ first time going into overtime this season, and their second time beating MIT in extra minutes.

As the Judges take in the excitement of winning this nail-biter on their home turf, the men are quickly preparing for their next home match against long-time rival Babson on Saturday. They hope the victory over MIT signifies the start of an undefeated home game record.

First-years on men’s soccer look forward to season

By Chantal Sochaczevski Special to the Hoot

The Brandeis men’s soccer team had a phenomenal season last year, making it all the way to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Division III Tournament. Two new additions to the team, first-years Kyle Robinson and Thales Brito, provide insight into what it’s like to join a team with a successful reputation.

Both defenders arrived at Brandeis on Aug. 18, moving in a week before the majority of the incoming first-year class. The early move-in allowed the boys to settle into their new environment and begin to bond with their teammates. The boys agreed that it was nice to be on campus early because it made acclimatizing easier.

Robinson and Brito were both recruited by the soccer coaches and admitted that the spot on the soccer team strongly influenced their decision to attend Brandeis.

Although they have intense practices once a day for two hours, the boys reveal they are not too nervous about their academic grades being affected. Brito confidently explained that school would always come first. Robinson agreed but did show some concern about being able to attend his professors’ office hours. According to the two players, the coach constantly reminds them that they are studentathletes, the fundamental word being “student.” Robinson said that he believes his social life will improve, explaining that the upperclassmen have introduced him

to many people. The boys assert they immediately felt welcomed on the team by the older players.

Robinson explained that playing time during the games depends on the skills exemplified during practices. Brito conceded that he did not expect a lot of playing time during the first few games. He made it clear, however, that he would be working hard to earn game time. Both players spoke highly of their head coach, Mike Coven. Robinson explained that Coven was a big reason why he chose to come to Brandeis, as Coven made an effort to reach out to him. Robinson described the coaches by saying, “They are intense but have good intentions and just want the best for the team.” Brito conveyed that he was most looking forward to playing against Babson because they are known to be one of Brandeis’s rival schools. He mentioned that he knew some of the players on the Babson soccer team but seemed confident that they would beat them.

The boys did not have any comical pre-game rituals. Brito said that he occasionally would listen to music, while Robinson teasingly answered, “I have none because luck is for the players that need it.” These guys know that the Brandeis soccer team has a strong reputation and hope to help maintain that standard. Although these two athletes love to joke around off the playing field, when it comes down to soccer, they are serious about the game they love.

photo from internet source

opinion

12 The Brandeis Hoot

September 6, 2013

The Young Grasshopper’s Guide

Is the ‘Jet Set’ overrepresented in Brandeis admissions?

photo from internet source

By Lassor Feasley Editor

Ethnic and economic diversity: two goals toward which our administration claims to relentlessly strive. Each year, more than half of the students attending Brandeis receive some sort of financial aid, and students from over one hundred nations are repre-

sented in our student body. Everyone seems content with this arrangement, and the University recently plugged its diversity numbers in its marketing materials to prospective students.

Brandeis is an open community, we are told, tolerant and accepting of all races and creeds. Our experiences here will expose us to individuals of

all walks of life from all around the globe. We have a rich variety of international students ready to share their various cultures right here in Waltham, so the company line goes.

However, many students have realized a different reality. International students, though they hail from around the world, often seem to adhere to remarkably similar social norms. Culturally, they do not so much embody the local traditions of their native lands, but instead a more homogenous ideal. Of course, all of these observations are merely anecdotal in nature, but their implications may touch on a deeper truth behind Brandeis admissions policy.

What might lead this common culture to take form? The most conspicuous reason appears to be economic.

It seems that many international students are much more likely to pay full tuition than students from the United States. What does this mean for the composition of the international community at Brandeis?

Often, the economic elite of a nation, in this case those able to pay full tuition, tend to form communities which are divorced from the more representative general population.

Instead, they become members of a stateless global community which might be best described as the international “Jet Set.” Members of the Jet Set across all

nationalities are likely to share a certain set of experiences despite their geographic diversity. For example, they are much more apt to be welltraveled than the typical citizen of their countries. They may tend to hold ideals which are closer to a liberal Western norm. In many cases, they may be so insulated from their geographic norms that they are more influenced by American heritage than their native community.

Recently, I visited a fellow Brandeisian at his home in India. While I was taken by the vivid color of the local culture, I couldn’t help but notice many of his family’s traditions had been borrowed from the West. His parents busily tapped away at their iPads while listening to their extensive collection of classic rock and roll on a record player, CNN playing silently on the the television. Many in his extended family seemed to have mentalities more at home in the upwardly mobile lives of career-oriented Americans than in traditional Indian life. I expect that I would find the same to be true of many of the families of international students who enjoy Jet Set status.

My point is this: Those in the Jet Set share so many ideological and cultural norms that their presence on campus could hardly be said to contribute to our diversity in any meaningful sense. Is the rising number of inter-

national students at Brandeis truly a testament to our dedication to diversity? If so, admissions should perhaps work to develop a more financially diverse international community.

Being the skeptic that I am, I tend to see a diabolical motive behind the growth of the Jet-Setting community at Brandeis. Could it be that Brandeis sees these students not as additions to a truly global community, but as cash cows? If the school were to increase the number of American students paying full tuition so dramatically at the expense of those receiving financial aid, the community would rightly be outraged. However, upping the size of the international student body to allow the school to increase the number of students paying full tuition in the name of diversity is perfectly acceptable.

Don’t take this to mean that the Jet Set is unworthy of admission to Brandeis. Many members of this unspoken community are highly intelligent, motivated and articulate. They are often proud of their native culture and heritage. But if Brandeis is to cultivate a genuinely diverse international student body, they should recruit a broader spectrum of international students, ones who do not share more social norms with members of their global economic strata than with members of their geographic constituency.

Edward Snowden ... not quite the hero

By Roy Fan Staff

For most people, the word summer holds a positive connotation. From July 4 celebrations to the warm, sunny weather, the summer atmosphere always seems to lift people’s spirits after a frigid winter and a rainy spring.

The past summer, however, has been anything but positive for American politics. The past several months have been full of heated debates and controversies, ranging from the ongoing immigration reform debacle to the widespread outrage at the verdict in the Trayvon Martin murder trial— all of which have sparked passionate opinions from all corners of the country.

Out of all of these various controversies, one of the most contentious topics was the debate surrounding Edward Snowden, the 30-year-old former National Security Agency contractor who leaked classified documents revealing details about the NSA’s data collection programs that are said to contribute to prevention of future terrorist attacks. These disclosures have provoked many disputes between politicians, journalists and members of the public about whether Mr. Snowden should be considered a hero or a traitor. It has also prompted a more wide-ranging discussion of the intelligence-gathering practices of U.S. government agencies and their

related privacy concerns.

On Aug. 1, Edward Snowden was granted temporary asylum in Russia and walked free for the first time after running from the U.S. government for several weeks. This gives us all an opportunity to take our attention away from the ongoing manhunt and instead talk about Snowden’s motivations and whether what he did was right. Now, whether you’re an antispying activist who believes in civil rights and increased transparency, or if you’re like me and you believe in the necessity of these programs to combat twenty-first century terrorist threats, it is vital to distinguish between the moral and legal validity of the data collection programs and that of the actions of Mr. Snowden.

We can have a debate until the end of time about whether government officials should be allowed to use these programs, but that doesn’t change one very simple fact—Edward Snowden is a criminal who broke the law.

No matter one’s opinion of Snowden, the fact of the matter is that Mr. Snowden has violated U.S. law and has been duly charged with theft and unauthorized communication of classified material. He would most likely face time in prison for a lengthy period of time if ever he is tried in a U.S. court. Mr. Snowden is a fugitive on the run from his own country who needs to return home, stand trial and answer for what he has done. If

photo by Jinjie Xu/the hoot

so many in this country can become furious after seeing George Zimmerman walk away freely after allegedly murdering Trayvon Martin, then shouldn’t we be up in arms about a man dodging responsibility for committing an arguably more egregious crime that affects many more people?

When news of this incident first broke out, U.S. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky issued a statement labeling Mr. Snowden as a ‘civil disobedient.’

That is exactly what Mr. Snowden is NOT. There have been many activists and historical figures in the past who can be accurately classified as ‘civil

disobedients,’ such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. The key difference between these men and people like Mr. Snowden is the fact that MLK and Gandhi protested See SNOWDEN, page 14

September 6, 2013

OPINION 13

The Brandeis Hoot

Global Brigades: more than a trip to Honduras

By Matthew Schwartz Special to the Hoot

One might ask me, why would I want to spend my February break in rural Honduras, when I could have gone skiing in Vermont, or to the beach in Florida? I could have chosen to catch up on sleep, homework or spend time with family, but I chose to lay bricks and cement for a week in the hot sun. Am I crazy? Do I regret this decision? Absolutely not!

This past February I went to Honduras with Brandeis’ chapter of Global Brigades. Founded in 2004, Global Brigades strives to empower volunteers and under-resourced communities to resolve global health and economic disparities and inspire all involved to collaboratively work toward an equal world. Global Brigades currently has chapters at more than 70 different universities worldwide and has provided health and economic development solutions to more than 350,000 beneficiaries in Honduras, Panama, Ghana and Nicaragua. Global Brigades has mobilized thousands of university students and professionals through a multitude of skill-based programs that work in partnership with community members to improve quality of life in under-resourced regions while respecting local culture. Students can choose to embark on architecture, business, dental, environmental, law, medical, microfinance, public health or water brigades to make an impact on the lives of citizens of many underdeveloped countries. One way Global Brigades sets itself apart from all others is because they use a model that empowers people to live a better quality

and more sustainable lifestyle.

Brandeis’ medical/dental brigade has already started preparing for its third brigade this upcoming February break. The public health brigade is gearing up for its second trip, whereas the newly founded microfinance brigade is preparing for its maiden voyage this spring. The medical/dental brigade brings American doctors, dentists, pharmacists and other health care professionals with them to Honduras to open a rural clinic to treat people who would normally have no access to health care. Global Brigades has one clinic follow up a few months after a past university brigades’ clinic to continue to give the same villagers care, and to continue to build upon their doctor-patient relationship with Global Brigades. They also raise thousands of dollars to buy enough medication to last the patients until the next brigade visits. Students get the opportunity to triage and work sideby-side health care professionals. This all feeds into their sustainable model, to give continual access to health care.

The Global Brigades professional staff realized many of the health problems that plague the people in these areas are highly preventable. For example, most of the homes in the areas in which we work have mud floors, which are the breeding ground for bacteria, fungi and disease. Many of the villagers turn up to the clinics with respiratory problems because they have wood-burning stoves in their homes that empty all of the smoke directly into their homes. This inspired the creation of public health brigades, which works side-by-side community leaders and families to build many different public health and sanitation projects in the villages. I went on Brandeis’ first public health brigade

photo from an online sorce

to Honduras last February, where we worked on public health projects in two homes in a small rural village called El Jute. Some of the projects that we constructed were concrete floors in the homes, eco-stoves, sanitary latrines, a septic tank and a “pilla” to store clean drinking water. We also got the opportunity to go into the local school and teach schoolchildren about public health and sanitation practices. Global Brigades also helps train community leaders in the village to help maintain a high standard

of cleanliness and sanitation in the homes of their neighbors.

This year will be the first time Brandeis has ever sent a microfinance brigade to Honduras. The microfinance brigade aims to teach Hondurans about rural banking, improving the existing rural “cajas” or banks, and starting small businesses. Their E-board has already started recruiting and preparing for their upcoming trip.

All of the Hondurans that I met on my brigade welcomed us like family

and were incredibly grateful for our efforts. I still keep in touch with many of the people I met in Honduras on a regular basis. The villagers want as many updates on our lives at Brandeis as much as we want to hear how they are doing in El Jute.

As the semester moves forward, I yearn to go back to Honduras. Global Brigades has already started to hold weekly meetings and informational sessions. Until February, I have quite a full, yet exciting schedule of planning for the next Brigade!

Student athletes get ripped off

photo from an online sorce

By Charlie Romanow Staff

An issue that has gained stride over the years is whether college athletes should be paid for the work they put into their sport. The vast majority of attention garnered on the topic has been related to the largest, most well-known and profitable sports programs in the country. I used to

stand firmly against college students receiving payment for athletics because many of them receive full or partial scholarships to schools that others can only dream of attending.

But the more pertinent issue seems to be whether or not those athletes that directly bring in money to the school should be paid.

Of the 228 NCAA Division I schools in the country, 23 ran a sur-

plus in 2012. While the number of schools running a surplus varies year to year, it stays relatively close to 23.

These schools are the large universities that spend and earn millions of dollars on their athletic programs.

They build multi-million dollar stadiums and arenas and have billiondollar television and radio contracts.

I believe that the vast majority of student athletes should not be paid,

as the compensation that they receive through academics and housing is equal to the benefit that they bring to the school.

While it can seem difficult to justify paying some athletes and not others, it does not seem right or logical that college athletes cannot profit from their autographs and jerseys being sold and their likenesses being used in video games. What makes the situation worse is that others are being paid for the athletes’ work. The NCAA, its schools, conferences and video game and apparel companies are reaping the benefits of a labor force that cannot always receive compensation but whose work brings in a lot of money.

A potential problem of players being able to receive money is that it can change the fabric of college admissions by recruiting into a market that is based purely on profit. Although student athlete payment may only affect a small number of students, if even a small number of potential athletes looked at admissions differently, it would change the power that the schools have and give the dominant conferences even more control in recruiting. A star athlete from a low-income family may be more compelled to attend a large school where jersey sales and other sources of income will be more plentiful than a smaller

school less focused on athletics, yet which offers a better social and academic fit for the student. Finances will inevitably be a factor in choosing what college to attend as the cost of tuition is rising, but we shouldn’t try to make it more of a factor than it already is. Another potential issue would be that Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972 may be violated as male athletes would receive more financial benefits than females, as male sports often bring in more funding.

An article in the New York Times quoted sports agent Leigh Steinberg as saying, “athletes in football and basketball feel unfairly treated. The dominant attitude among players is that there is no moral or ethical reason not to take money, because the system is ripping them off.”

What made me change my mind on the issue was seeing the comparison between student athletes not receiving compensation and other types of students who do receive payment. If a student or group of students formed a band and performed while still in college, they would receive whatever payment they deserved. An artist or writer that creates something for a class and then sells that work also re See NCAA, page 14

14 OPINION

The Brandeis Hoot

September 6, 2013

Turning the page in dining services: improvement or more of the same

By Naomi Soman Staff

The new Sodexo dining service on campus is the hottest new change and the most debated topic. With changes popping up all over the place, it’s no wonder everyone has something to say about what there is to eat.

Last year, everyone complained about Aramark’s lack of variety and poor quality prison food. Yes, Aramark serves food in 600 correctional facilities across North America. During the last few months of school, however, Aramark began to clean up its act in an attempt to impress us. We saw “100 Plates” where cooks would stand in the middle of Sherman handing out a hundred plates of sushi, falafel, donuts, watermelon gazpacho and various other new dishes.

Aramark also tried to celebrate different holidays and events with creative festivities. There was chicken nugget night, Chinese New Year dinner, Mexican fiesta evening and there were always cakes for each month’s birthdays.

This year, Sodexo’s food seems pretty much the same, but there is less variety. I must admit, I only eat kosher, so I primarily stick to the right side of Sherman and do not eat at Usdan.

While I have heard some horror stories about rainbow green beans and diarrhea from the non-kosher side, the kosher food has always tasted good, maybe not incredible but satisfactory. Sodexo’s food tastes exactly the same to me. Chicken is chicken and vegetables are vegetables, but the disappointing factor is the variety.

Many are outraged over the lack of vegan food in Usdan. Now that the Vegan Corner is gone and Simple Servings serves mostly meat entrees, vegans and even vegetarians are confined to side dishes and salads. While those who keep kosher have to worry

about separating milk and meat, vegans can’t eat either.

I am not a vegan, but I am also sorely disappointed with the lack of options on the kosher side of Sherman.

The salad bar is usually my staple, but this year there are fewer veggies from which to choose. But worst of all, there are hardly any salad dressings, and the ones that exist don’t taste very good. The pasta, omelette and stir fry station are sorely missed along with the panini grill. There are no tortillas to make wraps, and today there was the exact same food available for lunch and dinner.

I do appreciate Sodexo’s attempt to vary the pizza with garlic bread, pita pizza, pizza bagels and flatbread pizzas, yet none of these have the nice doughy crust topped with a thick layer of gooey cheese I remember. Aramark always garnished their pizza with different toppings, and while it was always the same dough, the pizza was normally quite satisfying—although I must say, that is a matter of personal preference.

While the fresh fruit is delicious, the desserts on the kosher side of Sherman have been particularly disappointing. Often the cabinet is empty, and when it does have something in it, it has average store-bought cookies I have eaten numerous times in the past. The soft serve ice cream is delicious and refreshing, and they rotate the flavors. Last week there was chocolate and mango followed by tangerine and banana this week.

The C-Store has some new decorations, but looks quite similar besides a few key changes. For one, there is a much wider variety of ice cream from which to choose; however, there are fewer kosher and even non-kosher packaged meals available. Also, there is a large section of fresh produce, and while the range of small fruit options are wonderful, not many students in

photo from an online sorce

dorm rooms have the resources or kitchen tools to cut up a large watermelon. Most students don’t want to take the time to wash, chop and cook fresh vegetables when they can find the equivalent in Usdan or Sherman with much less effort.

There are a several other dining options on campus now, including the Starbucks that overtook Eco Grounds, Guy Fieri on Campus instead of the Stein (which will open next semester), the new Dunkin’ Donuts to replace the V-Store and a promised, updated Einstein’s.

I am not a huge coffee drinker, but bringing franchise restaurants to Brandeis in itself is great for its appeal to prospective students and also shows the current students that the staff cares about our dining desires as well as keeping up-to-date with modern trends. However, I do not think we need a Dunkin’ Donuts, Einstein’s and Starbucks that all sell more or less the same products with a different brand name. More variety (and more kosher options) would bring more flavors to the table rather than just coffee, donuts and bagels. We also need places

that stay open late as the C-Store has such limited hours and does not even stay open past midnight when latenight study sessions warrant a snack.

Overall, I think the food tastes the same, but there is less variety. Indeed, Sodexo is just getting off the ground, and we need to give them a little time to settle into a new environment. While many students complain Sodexo does not care about what we have to say, I think we should give them a month or so before we call for action. Perhaps they have some surprises up their sleeves.

Prosecuting leakers: Should we yield to law or public opinion?

photo from internet source

SNOWDEN, from page 12

injustices knowing full well that their actions would result in severe consequences, namely imprisonment.

MLK and Gandhi took responsibility for their actions and fully accepted

their punishment; Mr. Snowden on the other hand chose to run away and beg other countries for asylum rather than stay and own up to the implications of his actions.

As much as I believe that government data collection and wiretapping

is essential to the security of a twentyfirst century nation, these revelations have indeed ignited a nationwide conversation about the proper extent of government power that is ultimately only going to be healthy for America’s political system. However, if we

don’t bring to justice someone who leaks and distributes sensitive and classified information without proper authorization, no matter the purity of his or her motivations, then we are undermining the very justice system that we take so much effort to keep

free of corruption. A man has violated several laws and he must be made to stand trial, mount his defense and be given the appropriate punishment.

September 6, 2013

The Brandeis Hoot

OPINION 15

photo from an online sorce

Fairness in college sports: it’s time to close the double standard NCAA, from page 12

ceives appropriate compensation.

While I believe that athletes should be compensated appropriately, I do not believe that it is right for them to take advantage of the system and lie about how they earn their money, as has been publicized in the case of Heisman-winning Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.

One possible solution would be to set up financial accounts for the players that directly bring in vast amounts of money (primarily Division I basketball and football players). These players could be compensated by the school in as fair a way as possible. To prevent the students from being reckless, the school or someone hired by the school could manage the accounts until the student athletes graduate or leave the college. A maximum limit

could be set on how much money the students take from the account or how they spend it. Many professional athletes run into economic troubles after retirement and do not have the necessary skills to get out of it. This way, players could learn about how to take care of their money and how to spend it wisely. If they want to take money out to help their parents pay off their mortgage then that’s one thing, but if they want to lease a new Porsche, that’s another.

This solution does not seem likely to present itself anytime soon, and there are many negative consequences that could arise from such a situation, but it seems like the problem is big enough that a solution needs to be created. Critically thinking about it and moving toward a more equitable and fair environment for student athletes will help the athletes, administrators and fans.

photo from internet source

16 The Brandeis Hoot

this week in photos

September 6, 2013

may the vest man win

Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori

mad dash for glory

photos by nate rosenbloom/the hoot