The Brandeis Hoot - 1/17/14

Volume 11 Number 1

www.thebrandeishoot.com

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.

Meal plan uncertainty concerns students

By Dana Trismen Editor

Over winter break, rumors began to circulate that Brandeis will soon raise the cost of housing and require that every student living on campus have a meal plan. On Dec. 2, the Student Union Senate Dining Committee and Executive Board issued a survey, requesting that students comment about their satisfaction with meal plans. One question in particular began to inflame students, and remains an unresolved problem as students begin the spring semester.

The survey questioned: “If meal plans were required for all on campus living (with or without a kitchen), how would that affect your decision to live on campus?”

“If a student is living in housing that comes with a kitchen, then they will want to cook for themselves, and will therefore be buying their own groceries. To make them then pay for a meal plan in addition to that seems unfair, and, to be frank, a bit ridiculous,” said Kyra Borenstein ’15, a student who currently lives in oncampus housing. “I think that if the university does choose to enact this compulsory mean plan, a lot more students would choose to live off

campus, because it is much cheaper, which is unfair, because a lot of students would otherwise want to live on campus for a variety of other reasons.”

Ricky Rosen ’14, Student Union president, stated that conversations about revamping meal plans began in November. Issues such as unlimited meal swipes at Usdan and eliminating meal equivalency were brought up at a meeting with representatives from Sodexo, the Student Union and the Brandeis administration. Rosen stated that these issues above were not met with contention among those present at the meeting. “The third proposed component, instituting required meal plans for on-campus students, was certainly the most divisive [in terms of responses],” said Rosen.

“A number of the Student Union members in attendance were concerned that instituting required meal plans would make on-campus housing less desirable; however, members of the administration felt that by increasing the quality of the food on campus, this may not be the case.”

Rosen stated, “The Student Union will be working with Sodexo and the administration in the coming months to ensure that the student voice conSee MEAL PLAN, page 3

January 17, 2014

Changes with a new semester

By Jess Linde Staff

Returning and new students were greeted this semester with several new features to Brandeis campus life, including a new LATTE website and eduroam, a singular wifi service in place of the old brandeis_open and brandeis_secure. Another significant

change is the near-complete overhaul of the Bran Van service.

New LATTE is a much more streamlined service than the original, with easier and more functional access to streaming video, as well as the ability to personalize email notifications for class forums and edit one’s student profile. Students can

also send direct emails to professors more easily and quickly. The former website has been relabeled as “Legacy LATTE” and is still accessible to students who took classes in prior semesters. The transition for most classes has seemed smooth, although some have required additional supSee BRAN VAN, page 2

changes Between LATTE, wifi networking and Bran Van service, returning students will have to adjust to different systems.

photo by nate rosenbloom/the hoot

Special collections spotlights Declaration of Independence signers

unique Shakespeare folios are available to view in the University Archives. This semester, a new collection

photos by shanlai shangguan/the hoot

with documents autographed by signers of the Declaration of Independence are also on display.

By Dana Trismen Editor

The Robert D. Farber University Archives and Special Collections are an underused gem of Brandeis, with rare materials on display for students who often don’t know the area even exists in the foundation of the library. While unique finds such as original Shakespeare folios are

Inside this issue:

always available for viewing, this semester Brandeis houses the Signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Signers of the United States Constitution Collection. This contains autographed documents from historical Americans such as Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.

There are full manuscripts penned by great American heroes such as John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. The Archives and Special Collections blog

News: Missing Brookline teen found Arts, Etc.: New theater performances planned Opinion: Parent donations unnecessary Sports: Men’s basketball wins before conference Editorial: Online room selection problematic

states that one of their prized materials is a letter from George Washington written during the Revolutionary War, a document that discusses the understood tactics and war maneuvers of his rival, General William Howe. Whether students wish to visit the Archives to learn more about the founding fathers, or simply analyze their unique penmanship, Brandeis has brought very important documents to campus this semester.

Decrease enrollment Page 3 Page 7 Fewer students can mean less Page 12 headaches around campus.

Page 11 Opinion.: Page 13 Page 10

“American hustle” Successful film will likely win more awards.

Arts, etc.: Page 5

news

2 The Brandeis Hoot

January 17, 2014

College Notebook

Cooper Union begins charging tuition

By Charlie Romanow Staff

A selective arts school in New York City has decided to make a radical move that may change the school’s future course. Cooper Union, whose college of art has the lowest acceptance rate of any fine arts school in the country, has decided to charge new students tuition beginning in the fall of 2014. Returning students will continue to receive full scholarships.

Due to the school’s financial assets and small enrollment since its establishment 155 years ago in Manhattan’s East Village, Cooper Union, officially The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, has been able to award all students full fouryear scholarships, currently valued at approximately $150,000.

This unique practice in American higher education began after businessman Peter Cooper witnessed the free higher education given by the Ecole Polytechnique near Paris. Cooper believed that “an education equal to the best technology schools established should be accessible to those who qualify, independent of their race, religion, sex, wealth or social status, and should be open and free to all.”

Cooper, the son of a hatmaker, gained his wealth after building the first steam railroad engine and remained a part of civic life before being nominated for President of the United States on the Greenback Party Ticket at the age of 85. Cooper finished in third behind the popular vote winner Samuel Tilden and electoral winner Rutherford B. Hayes.

Like many individuals and institutions, Cooper Union has faced troubles during the recent economic recession. Students and alumni believe that this, along with premature spending, poor financial management, a lack of accountability and

selling of assets, has contributed to the school’s current state. The board of trustees does not believe the school can continue under the longtime free tuition program.

The school received the deed to the famous Chrysler Building in 1902 from Cooper’s family, which remains a source of 84 percent of the schools assets, as reported by The New York Times. The school has an agreement with the city so that they receive the taxes assessed against the Chrysler Building lease instead of the city itself, an amount that will increase over the decade to $32.5 million in 2018.

The income from the famed landmark has not been enough to break even, though, as the school regularly has multi-million dollar annual deficits and is $230 million in debt with only $100 million dollars in assets.

The school’s managed endowment, excluding the fairly stable asset of the Chrysler Building, lost half its value in the beginning of the 21st century and has continued to decrease. In the 2009 fiscal year alone, the school’s managed assets dropped by 14 percent.

The college, made up of fewer than 1,000 students, recently completed a new building, 41 Cooper Square, which cost $166 million. Incoming donations were expected to pay for this massive expense, but the school fell far short of the fundraising goal.

This lack of donations has characterized the school’s history. Many alumni and school officials have had the impression that the school’s ownership of the Chrysler Building deed was enough to maintain the schools checkbook, but rising expenses have required a larger income flow to maintain the school.

The Board of Trustees rejected a 54page proposal that was composed by an 18-member group of alumni, staff, students and trustees that attempted to maintain the school’s long-held policy. The report suggested a vari-

ety of tactics to increase revenue, including pay cuts and early retirement for faculty, the selling of the school’s sole residence hall, laying off some administrative staff and hosting bar mitzvahs in the school’s Great Hall, which has hosted speeches by six United States presidents since 1860.

The trustees were not unanimous on the rejection of the proposal, but even some in favor of keeping the school free did not approve of the alternatives proposed by the group.

Kevin Slavin, an alumnus and trustee, voted in favor of the proposal but called it “the plan that sucks.” In regard to the change the school is making, according to Gothamist, he stated, “If it goes the other way, all of that will disappear. Not just the free tuition, but everything that was built on it. In its place we’ll find a tragic fraud. A joke. A zombie.”

Students and alumni alike agree with Savin’s tone. To many, a $20,000 tuition seems like quite a deal for such a high-quality school compared to the $50,000 and $60,000 tuitions at other schools across the nation, but those directly involved with the institution agree that it was not the price tag itself that drew them to Cooper Union but the ideas behind the policy and its long lasting history distinguishing itself from other schools.

The administration announced the initial plan to charge tuition in April, which prompted students to occupy the president’s office for two months.

The protest ended when the administration agreed to make a sincere effort at alternatives. Prospective students have also reacted to the news. Inside Higher Ed reports a 35-percent decrease in Early Decision applications since the school’s announcement. The vice president of finance and dean of students resigned amidst the financial turmoil in August.

The New York Times reported that the school hired a consulting firm to see how the change in tuition would

impact the school. The firm suggested that the school charge no more than $10,000, otherwise desirable applicants might be driven away. The school will still offer a “half-scholarship” to all incoming students, valued at $19,250 per year. A member of the board of trustees, Mark Epstein, said that nearly a quarter of the incoming classes will still receive full scholarships although as many as half of the students will have to pay $19,250.

Cooper Union has long been an enclave and breeding ground of artistic expression in the city, educating world-famous artists, engineers and

photo from internet source

Bran Van changes to online scheduling BRAN VAN, from page 1

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That's why I used the line about Jewish culpability in the greatest crime in American history, the murder of Santa Claus. malvernthenovel.com

architects on its Third Avenue campus located blocks away from Washington Square Park and New York University. It was named the most desirable small school by Newsweek, and it’s overall acceptance rate of less than 10 percent indicates its selection of only the hardest working and most ambitious young students. The school’s radical transformation may cause just a small change in student recruitment, or it may fall back into a crowded category of art schools in New York City and around the country.

port from LTS on transferring videos and files from the former LATTE website.

Eduroam, described by LTS as “fast, secure and encrypted” is a generalized wifi service used by over 100 colleges and universities, including Harvard. Brandeis’ use of it signifies the joining of a “large, world-wide wireless hotspot.” Eduroam is also designed for travel, and Brandeis students’ devices will automatically configure to any institution, including those overseas, that utilizes the network. So far, the network has proven to be quite fast, though it is still in development in North America.

In a welcome-back email to the student body, Student Union President Ricky Rosen ’14 outlined the central change in making reservations for the Bran Van, adding an online component and hoping for a “start of a more efficient Bran Van service on campus.” This has decreased the need for students to call escort services in order to make a reservation, though calling is still necessary to reserve return trips.

The new Bran Van website (branvan.brandeis.edu) is rather straightforward, with tabs for making and editing reservations, basic information and submitting feedback. The instructions are extremely basic, centering on the steps needed to make reservations (click “make a reserva-

tion” then enter necessary information) both online and by phone.

Also included is comprehensive information on the time and routes of the Bran Vans, with a complete list of on- and off-campus stops and time intervals for the service. Perhaps the most useful feature is the “edit reservations” option, which allows students to change times, number of passengers and pickup/dropoff points quickly and much more easily than constantly calling escort services back and attempting to change reservations over the phone.

While escort services were unable to comment on the new changes, and this is only the first in what may be several new measures, several issues with the Bran Van service have already been solved. Namely, the frustrations of unresponsive escort services is reduced by online capabilities. The new website’s options for editing reservations bring more fluidity to the service, something much needed to make the Bran Van service easier to access for students and to operate for escort services.

However, issues still remain, such as Vans failing to pick up students and students boarding vans without reservations. Such problems may not be solved easily, nor will they be solved with only a new website. But the new changes may be important first steps towards a more efficient system, one that may create a higher standard for Bran Van service.

January 17, 2014

Waltham News

NEWS 3

The Brandeis Hoot

Missing Brookline teen found safe in NYC

By Dor Cohen Staff

Brookline teenager Caleb Jacoby, whose disappearance last week provoked a massive community search effort before he was found safely in New York City on Jan. 9, ran away on his own, according to the Brookline Police Department.

Jacoby, the 16-year-old son of Jeff Jacoby, a columnist for The Boston Globe, went missing from his home at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 6 and was found in Times Square in New York City on Thursday night.

During the week, hundreds of volunteers scoured the Boston area in an effort organized by Maimonides School, where Jacoby is in 11th grade.

Jacoby’s disappearance particularly struck a nerve with Jewish communities throughout the New England and Tri-State Area, which led to a large effort to find him. Jewish organizations throughout greater Boston distributed fliers with Jacoby’s picture, which were disseminated widely through social media. The Maimonides School itself was lauded for its search efforts, and was described as being immensely helpful in the process. According to Brookline Police Officer Ronnie McNeil, efforts by the school to find Jacoby were “unbelievable.” “Everyone was involved in the school,” he said.

McNeil further stated that there

was no criminal element to Jacoby’s disappearance, and the police will investigate the matter no further. “He went on his own,” McNeil said.

According to a press release from the Brookline police department published Thursday night, Brookline Police worked with other police departments around the east coast and obtained information that Jacoby was in New York, prompting his finding.

“The Brookline Police, working with many other agencies over the past few days were able to provide information to the New York City Police Department that Caleb Jacoby may be in the area of Times Square,” the statement said. “Based upon this information at approximately 9 p.m.

New York City Police informed us they had located Caleb and he was safe and sound. Plans are now being formulated to transport Caleb back home. Thanks to all agencies that helped in this investigation. Also thanks to all those who took to social media to help get the story out.”

Jeff Jacoby turned to social media Thursday night to thank everyone who helped in the search for his son.

“All we can think of at this moment is how wonderful it will be to see Caleb again and shower him with love,” he tweeted. “Words can’t express our gratitude for the extraordinary outpouring of kindness and support that we have received from so many

people.”

Shayna Jacoby ’16, a student at Brandeis University and Caleb Jacoby’s cousin, expressed her gratitude for Caleb’s safe return. “The whole family felt a tremendous sense of relief when Caleb was found, and we

are so grateful for the outpouring of support we received from all over the world,” she said.

According to the National Runaway Safeline, approximately 1.6 million children run away each year.

Nearly 800,000 children younger than

18 go missing each year for other reasons, such as getting lost, injured or abducted, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Of these, 99 percent return home safely.

photo from internet source

found Jacoby, 16, went missing from his home in Brookline but was found safe a few days later.

By Jason Kasman

Possible meal plan mandate?

Sometimes watching YouTube feels like eating the last of the potato chips: You’re tired of feeding yourself junk, but you just have to keep going until you can’t go any longer. YouTube’s never-ending supply of unsatisfying clips can leave you in such a funk that when you do find a quality channel it can come as a bit of a surprise. It was on one of these “junk food” YouTube binges that I fell upon Vi Hart, a YouTuber who provides an incredibly fresh and unique spin to otherwise repetitive vlogging.

Vi Hart’s channel is part education, part magic and all whimsy. Vi Hart guides viewers through crazy mathematical concepts with a weirdly exciting delivery that flows like a stream-of-consciousness poem.

Through this hypnotic rhythm she explains the world around you, finding patterns you never knew existed or cared about.

In one video, “Doodling in Math Class: Connecting Dots,” Hart teaches you how to doodle through a rambling rant against the education system. Her argument: Math teachers teach “what to think” rather than “how to think.” By teaching you how to doodle, she provides a fun and inviting way for people who otherwise would just watch another video of a cat playing with another cat to think about math and the world around us.

At this point it’s probably a good moment to say that I hate math.

Math has always given me a tremendous amount of anxiety. Right about the time they started replacing numbers with letters, I checked out. This is something more than math. Hart’s videos are a poetic examination of the hidden world of patterns. She shows a beautiful side of an otherwise rigid and foreboding world.

tinues to play a role in this crucial process.”

Rosen stated he was not aware the university was considering raising housing costs, and Senior Vice President for Communications Ellen de Graffenreid also responded that she did not have any information on the topic. Graffenreid did state that Brandeis is still early in the evaluation process for these reorganizations, and issues like housing costs and meal plans are typically not finalized until March, when the Board of Trustees meets.

But many students are unhappy with the lack of information they have right now, and seem unwilling to wait until March. “[The university is] being rather opaque about the whole thing … Possibly the worst part of all of this is, it isn’t even confirmed whether or not the compulsory meal plan will happen, and it will not even be decided until March, but students have to decide whether or not they want to live on campus or not before then,” said Borenstein. “By doing this, the university is forcing its students to make an uninformed decision, which is not something that we, as a student body, should even have to do when the university can do something to prevent that.”

Borenstein states that throughout her career at Brandeis, she has loved living on campus. “I personally would like living on campus because of the sense of community, and the closeness to classes, and the sheer convenience,” she said. “But if I were forced to have a meal plan while I had a kitchen, I would most likely move off campus.”

The Department of Community Living website states that students must check the box on Sage electing on-campus housing by Jan. 31, 2014.

Arts, Etc.

Vi Hart turns science into artistic patterns

MEAL PLAN, from page 1

Special to the Hoot

photo from internet source

vihart Vi Hart demonstrates a “Squiggle within a squiggle with a squiggle” in her video, “Doodling in

Math Class: Squiggle Inception.”

Another great part of Hart’s channel is that it provides quirky and unique DIY activities. She has a series of videos about a weird geometric shape she calls the “hexaflexagon.”

By contorting a piece of paper, Hart creates a truly unbelievable three dimensional shape (you’ll have to watch the video for an explanation).

The shape folds almost like a fortuneteller but amazingly has three sides, despite looking like a flat disc. Maybe to a math major, the principle I’m describing is not exciting, but to me, a lowly humanities student, I was truly stunned. In her next video, she shows

you how to fold a “hexahexaflexagon” that has six sides. But Hart takes it an extra step. In a third installment she shows you how to make a “Flex Mex” burrito. Yes. This is a burrito that appears flat, but actually has three sides.

And it (kind of) works!

Vi Hart’s videos do more than just provide a fun respite from otherwise stressful college life (read: procrastination). They open you up to a world you otherwise wouldn’t seek out. In one video she takes you through time and space, literally folding space-time by messing with the properties of a music box. In another she performs

“Math Improv” with Fruit by the Foot and explores the hidden wonders of a “strip of fruit flavored gunk.”

She spends time in another working on the question of what infinity elephants would look like and in the process gives you a new and impressive doodle game to play.

Do not spend your entire life watching videos of people making impossible basketball shots, clips of dogs saying “I love you,” or six-second clips of people moving impossibly fast. Take a moment and enjoy some YouTube brain candy in the form of Vi Hart.

4 ADVERTISEMENTS

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January 17, 2014

Spring classes not to miss The 2014 Spring Semester has just begun, and the shopping period allows you to add classes until Monday January 27. Here are some course offerings you may not have considered, with synopses taken from the Brandeis course catalog.

Digital Media and Culture (ENG 160A1)

Business Ethics (PHIL 25A1

Taught by Professor Kyle Stevens on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 11:00 to 11:50 AM in Lown Center for Judaic Studies 002, the course “studies the history and development of digital media, with an emphasis on modes of literature and entertainment. We will examine the digital revolution’s effect on such concepts as narrative, politics, aesthetics, identity, knowledge, and humanism.

Usually offered every third year.”

Taught by Professor Benjamin R. Sherman on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 1:00 to 1:50 PM at Lown Center for Judaic Studies 301, this course “offers an introduction to ethical theory and ethical reasoning, as they relate to business issues in particular, especially questions about what ethical constraints (if any) should limit a company’s pursuit of profit. Special one-time offering, spring 2014.”

Writing for Broadcast and the Internet (JOUR 15A1) Taught by Professor Jeff Lemberg from 9:00 to 11:50 AM on Friday in Farber 101A, “this is an experiential learning course.

A hands-on workshop designed to teach basic broadcast news-writing skills, as well as techniques for gathering, producing, and delivering radio and television news. Stresses the importance of accuracy. Issues of objectivity, point of view, and freedom of the press are discussed. Writing assignments will be written on deadline.

Usually offered every year.” Professor Maura Farrelly’s (farrelly@brandeis. edu) signature required.

Enclosures: Contemporary Fictions and Imagined Spaces (COML/THA 139B1) Taught by Professor Cameron Anderson and Professor James Mandrell on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00-3:20 PM at Spingold Theatre 205, this course “considers literary and metaphorical enclosures and the way they can be interpreted and translated into different kinds of visual spaces.

Working with contemporary fiction from different places and cultures, we will consider the role and meaning of enclosures and then discuss how we might interpret various forms of enclosures in visual terms. Students will have the opportunity to write critically and to create verbally and visually.

Usually offered every third year.”

photos from internet source

Taught by Professor Talinn Grigor on Tuesday and Fridays from 9:30 to 10:50 AM in the Mandel Center for the Humanities G12, this course is “for students 18 years of age and above. Explores the multidimensional aspects of sex in shaping architectural myths, designs, discourses and critical theories through lectures, class discussions, student presentation of case studies, student building of architectural models, viewing of short films, and field trips in Greater Boston. Active student engagement with and participation in this course is a must. Usually offered every second year.”

Advertising and the Media (AMST 103B1) Literary Journalism: The Art of Feature Writing (JOUR 112B1) Taught by Professor Peter May on Wednesday from 2:00 to 4:50 PM in Golding Judaica Center 107, this course “introduces students to signal works of literary journalism. Helps develop the students’ own voices by honing and improving students’ own work and by critiquing the work of professionals and colleagues. Usually offered every second year.”

Taught by Professor Maura Farrelly on Tuesday and Friday from 9:30 to 10:50 AM in Mandel Center for Humanities G03, this course “may not be taken for credit by students who took JOUR 103b in previous years.

Combines a historical and contemporary analysis of advertising’s role in developing and sustaining consumer culture in America with a practical analysis of the relationship between advertising and the news media in the United States. Usually offered every second year.”

Quizno’s disappears; Louis’ Deli to replace on Jan. 20

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Can only assume snake wrestler on the nature channel was wearing a Brandeis t-shirt. malvernthenovel.com

Ancient Mysteries, Cults, and Myths (CLAS 190B1) Taught by Professor Patricia A. Johnston on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:00 to 3:20 PM in Shiffman Humanities Center 201, this course is “an investigation of the phenomenon of the ancient mystery cults as preserved in the surviving art and literature of antiquity. Usually offered every third year.”

News on Screen (AMST 131B1)

The Culture of Journalism (JOUR 120A1) Taught by Professor Maura Farrelly on Tuesday and Friday from 12:30 to 1:50 PM in Olin-Sang American Civ. Center 104, this course “examines the social, cultural, political, and economic influences on the practice and profession of journalism. Provides the background and concepts for a critical analysis of the American press.

Usually offered every second year.”

Sex and Space (FA 84A1)

Taught by Professor Thomas Doherty on Monday and Wednesday from 2:00 to 3:20 PM in Brown Social Science Center 316, this course explores “how journalistic practice is mediated by moving image--cinematic, televisual, and digital. The historical survey will span material from the late-nineteenth-century “actualities” of Thomas Edison and the Lumiere Brothers to the viral environment of the World Wide Web, a rich tradition that includes newsreels, expeditionary films, screen magazines, combat reports, government information films, news broadcasts, live telecasts, television documentaries, amateur video, and the myriad blogs, vlogs, and webcasts of the digital age. Usually offered every second year.” The instructor’s signature is required.

January 17, 2014

bingo Members of the American Sign Language (ASL) Club hosted a night of bingo in the Shapiro Cam-

pus Center Atrium on Thursday evening.

Bingo sponsored

by ASL

The Brandeis Hoot

NEWS 5

photos by mia edelstein/the hoot

ARTS, ETC.

6 The Brandeis Hoot

January 17, 2014

‘Wolf of Wall Street,’ a raunchy, riveting ride

By Rachel Dobkin Staff

“The Wolf of Wall Street,” a riveting black comedy directed by Martin Scorsese, tells the true story of Jordan Belfort’s success and eventual downfall as a stockbroker.

Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, starts out as an ethical young man selling penny stocks who eventually makes enough money to start his own small firm. As he gains success, Belfort sheds all of his morals and learns to lie to his clients to get them to invest large amounts of money in stock, from which Belfort receives a large commission.

Belfort hires some friends, and together they become very wealthy in a short amount of time. As Belfort and his team become more successful, his life starts to spiral out of control.

He cheats on his wife, becomes a drug addict and is perpetually drunk.

Belfort then remarries and becomes even more successful, moving into a mansion on Long Island and purchasing an exquisite yacht.

For a short while he has the perfect life: He is content with his wife, able to sail or fly off to Europe at his leisure, has sex almost constantly, is a millionaire and has children. However, the FBI suspects him of fraud and money laundering and begins to investigate him and his firm.

Belfort uses his wife’s English aunt as a means of transferring money he has indeed laundered through his firm in a Swiss bank, where the federal government cannot take it.

He takes a deal to step down from

his firm, not be persecuted by the government and keep all of his money.

At the last minute, he decides to stay at his firm because he is so passionate about the empire he has built.

During this time, Belfort severely abuses alcohol and Quaaludes, a powerful drug.

He is unhappy at home and begins to abuse his wife, going so far as to almost kidnap his own daughter when his wife threatens to divorce him.

Belfort and his best friend and coworker Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill) ingested so many drugs one night, they could not walk or speak coherently, yet he drove and totaled his sports car.

In short, Belfort was a mess, and as the FBI closed in on his empire, Belfort met his downfall.

DiCaprio gave a flawless performance as Jordan Belfort. He totally encompasses all of Belfort’s cockiness, sense of entitlement, and sleaziness. He also embodies Belfort’s sense of naiveté, morality and ignorance that is present in the beginning of the movie. DiCaprio was the ideal choice for a bold and transformative character such as Belfort. Another memorable character was Donnie, who was brought to life as somewhat stupid yet extremely compassionate.

Jonah Hill plays the role as a fierce friend and follower of Belfort, as well as an avid partier and drug abuser. Finally, both of Jordan’s wives do an incredible job in this film. Cristin Milioti, who played Belfort’s first wife, Teresa, does wonders in personifying innocence and being an outsider. She gives a very memorable performance,

photo from internet source

the wolf Leonardo DiCaprio gives a stunning performance as Jordan Belfort.

especially when Jordan cheats on her and she tearfully confronts him. Margot Robbie, who plays Jordan’s second wife, Naomi, also perfects a transformative role from seductive and loving wife to an exhausted victim of Belfort’s emotionally and physically abusive lifestyle.

Although this was an entertaining movie, it would greatly benefit from some improvements.

For a movie with a relatively simple plot, it was almost too long, a surprising three hours. The initial premiere date was delayed when some of the original film was cut, but the film remains so long that some viewers

might have trouble maintaining interest in the movie. This film is not for the faint hearted or for those who mind a lot of sex on screen: There is an excess of risque scenes in this movie, so much that it would probably be considered porn by some people.

Other potentially upsetting elements of the movie include physical abuse and addiction. The excessive amounts of sex, drugs and the consequences of both presented in such a raw and real way are essential to the film’s message of depravity and deceit, but becomes tiring after a while.

A fantastic aspect of this movie is

that it is not biased in any direction: It allows the audience members to formulate their own opinions about Belfort and his decisions and lifestyle.

This film does an excellent job of portraying to the audience the money and drugs that run rampant in corrupt and wealthy firms such as Stratton Oakmont, Belfort’s firm.

The role of Belfort contextually mirrors DiCaprio’s role in “The Great Gatsby,” a film that also focuses on ideas of wealth, corruption and the downfall of dreams. Apart from being brazenly explicit, “The Wolf of Wall Street” is a fantastic and entertaining movie that will be hard to forget.

Boston band releases intense and polished debut

By Jess Linde Staff

In the fall of 2013, I saw Boston punks Lovechild by accident. I was running sound for a four-band show of local acts but not really paying attention, as the first band wasn’t really my “thing.” But as I stared curiously at the multitude of high school kids and Bostonians gathered in front of me, I failed to notice the second band finish setting up. “So we just finished recording our full-length,” they announced to some “yeahs” and “woo-hoos” from the crowd, but I still wasn’t paying attention. Suddenly, Lovechild blasted the crowd with some of the most engaging punk I had ever seen live.

The show was so impressive that I

bought a Lovechild shirt afterwards, liked their Facebook page, listened to their demos, and waited for their aforementioned full-length album to drop. With this debut, Lovechild has officially made it onto my list of favorite new bands. “In Heaven, Everything is Fine” is 10 minutes of blistering hardcore that features excellent production, musicianship and just good stuff all around. Over the course of 11 songs, there are lyrics about social issues, personal strife and other things that are a little hard to understand through the guitars and screamed vocals.

However, what is clear is that Lovechild is here, and they are angry, and they want to be heard. Boy, do they deserve to be, from “Strangers” to “We Are Nothing Alike” to “Oh,

lovechild Album cover for the band’s ‘Second Demonstration.’

Love,” the songs start cranked to 11 and never go lower. If anything, they only get tougher and more intense with every song. Creative guitar riffs, pounding drums and hammering bass all come together with the excellent vocals in a way that stuck with me the same way that Trash Talk’s “Eyes and Nines” did the first time I heard it.

“Post-Traumatic Apathy,” “Human Relations” and “Your Neighbors,” the final three tracks, take the album to its apex (“I’m still burning!” shrieks singer Greg Cook) and into the finish. The end of the album is excellent, and though the album is very short, I was satisfied.

Like the show I discovered them at, Lovechild’s full-length debut is

lovechild live Lovechild is a dynamic force on stage.

intense, fiery, emotional and fun to listen to. Everything on “In Heaven, Everything is Fine,” including the “Eraserhead” reference that is the title, is polished and tough. But if you stick it out, I can guarantee you’ll enjoy yourself. “In Heaven, Everything is Fine,” is out now on Lovechild’s Bandcamp page (WhoisLovechild.

Bandcamp.com).

photo from internet source

January 17, 2014

ARTS, ETC. 7

The Brandeis Hoot

Brandeis Theater Company announces exciting spring season By: Michelle Kim Editor

A college spring semester signifies not only the start of new classes but also the beginning of the end for many students, namely those who are to graduate and embark on new adventures.

The Brandeis Theater Company will showcase three shows this spring, thus fulfilling their planned full season of six shows and balancing out what was produced in the fall. The first show, “A View from the Bridge,” will be mounted from Feb. 6-9. The remaining two performances, the Senior Festival and “10 by 10,” will present the work of seniors and MFA actors, all of whom will graduate this coming May. Unsurprisingly, BTC shows require a lot of work from numerous kinds of people.

Some students are actors while others go behind the scenes as crewmembers and stage managers. “It’s a very welcoming environment for people of all levels of experience to test the waters or dive right in,” Alyssa Avis, management assistant and house manager for the Theater Department, said.

Set in the 1950s, “A View from the Bridge” by Arthur Miller takes us to an Italian-American neighborhood near the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City.

The play was chosen because “there are a lot of great characters for our undergraduate and graduate actors,” Director of Theatre Arts Susan Dibble

said. “The show raises a lot of interesting issues having to do with family and love.”

On Mar. 18-23, the highly anticipated Senior Festival will begin its third year.

Featuring six shows in total, the festival gives graduating theater arts students the opportunity to showcase their theses or projects. It will also highlight their work as actors, playwrights and directors.

This year’s final show, “10 by 10” (Apr. 26-27) features 10 original solo pieces by 10 actors, all of which, according to the BTC website, celebrate “the fusion of craft and diverse personal perspectives.” Marya Lowry, associate professor of Theater Arts, and her partner Katie Pearl, guide the MFA graduates. “10 by 10” will be performed in two parts; the BTC encourages viewers to see both in order to experience pieces “that are bound to be engaging, fanciful, raw and real, a little radical and a little renegade.”

Although auditions took place last semester, students, such as midyear students, who would like to be involved in shows can still gain theater experience during this term.

“Students should consider enrolling in Theater Practicum (THA 30A), where they can gain experience working behind the scenes of a BTC show,” advised Avis and Dibble. The theater department and BTC welcome students from all disciplines and majors.

As for the next round of shows in the upcoming 2014-2015 school year, both Avis and Dibble advise that “students should follow the ‘Brandeis Department of Theater Arts’ on Facebook or check the BTC website for more information.”

photo from internet souce

“a view from the bridge” Scarlett Johansson starred in the 2010 Broadway production..

In addition to the BTC productions, the University Theatre Collective will also be showcasing numerous shows.

The UTC is comprised of five groups: the Brandeis Ensemble Theatre, Boris’ Kitchen, Brandeis Players, Hillel Theatre Group and Tympanium Euphorium.

Although most of the groups have

yet to officially announce their upcoming involvement in the Brandeis theater universe this spring, students can still look forward to Boris’ Kitchen, a sketch comedy troupe, in their spring show, “The Big Show,” which will take place on Apr. 25 and 26.

The Brandeis community should also look forward to Brandeis’ an-

nual Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts (Apr. 24-27). The festival, named after founder Leonard Bernstein, will feature works of all spheres of the creative arts community as well as national and regional artists as well as campus faculty and students.

It is sponsored each spring by the Brandeis Office of the Arts.

‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ is witty but leaves audience with questions

By Andrew Elmers Editor

Much like the Coen Brothers’ classic “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” which was propelled by a critically acclaimed soundtrack produced by T. Bone Burnett, their most recent venture, “Inside Llewyn Davis,” builds from the same foundation.

With a soundtrack once again produced by Burnett, “Inside Llewyn Davis” covers a week in the life of a struggling folk singer, bouncing from couch to couch in Greenwich Village in the early 1960s.

While the soundtrack, which was released before the film was released IN theaters, brought in interested viewers, the film itself leaves them with sympathy for a tragic hero.

The film starts with a beautiful, quiet performance by the titular character in the Gaslight Cafe, which is received by light fanfare from the crowd.

Davis then proceeds outside the club to meet with someone who calls himself a friend but then begins to beat him up over something said the previous night.

This opening scene perfectly encapsulates what life is to Llewyn Davis; he is a very talented, yet misunderstood, artist who makes poor choices that wind up with him in trouble.

As he gets himself together from the fight, he makes his way to a friend’s apartment to spend the night.

In the morning after, Davis ends up letting his friend’s cat out, creating the main conflict of the story.

An orange tabby, the cat later identified as Odysseus, creates numerous

problems for the troubled singer.

From having to carry the pet around with him, to having to run out of a restaurant, to chasing the cat down the street after he had previously run out the window, the cat provides Davis with a forced sense of responsibility, a character trait that Davis struggles with over the course of the film.

In interviews, the Coen Brothers admit that they wrote the cat into the script just to make some sort of conflict and move the story along.

Without the cat, the movie would appear evident of an episode of “Seinfeld”: a film about nothing except a group of people living their lives in New York City.

Just as the cat makes Llewyn Davis somewhat responsible for some other living being in his life, this motif reappears other times throughout the film.

Trying to find the funds to pay for a friend’s abortion after they mistakenly sleep together, Davis learns that the last abortion he paid for was never finalized and he concludes that he has a son living in Akron, Ohio.

When making a trip out to Chicago to see an influential man in the music industry about promoting his solo debut, he drives past the exit for Akron, ultimately deciding to run from his responsibilities, similar to how he treats the cat, whom he leaves in an abandoned car on the road to Chicago after the driver is arrested and mistakenly takes the keys with him.

Like other Coen Brothers’ films, such as “Fargo,” “Inside Llewyn Davis” really draws from the talent of the supporting cast.

While Oscar Isaac, who plays Davis, should be commended for his

performance acting, singing and playing the guitar for the film, his acting performance is not groundbreaking.

The supporting cast includes John Goodman as a boisterous, rude jazz musician and Max Casella as the misogynist owner of the Gaslight Cafe.

Fans of Justin Timberlake will be surprised by the role he takes in the film as a fellow singer and friend of Davis, who provides a nice harmony in a rendition of the song “Five Hundred

Miles.” Carey Mulligan gives a strong performance as the sweet, yet brutal Jean, who is the friend Davis impregnates.

Those who enjoy a film with more action or just a more apparent plot might not come out of the theater having understood the film.

Not to give away the ending, but “Inside Llewyn Davis” leaves the audience with questions for the ride home, which is not something that

everyone might want to get from a source of entertainment. Fans of past Coen Brothers’ projects will get everything they expect from this movie: great cinematography, witty dialogue and a cast of odd and unexpected supporting characters.

And if the film leaves something to be desired, then at least the soundtrack can provide easier access into the themes of the movie and is beautiful to listen to while driving.

photo from internet source

cigarette in mouth, hands on guitar Llewyn Davis, played by Oliver Isaac, strums his guitar while performing

folk music.

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The Brandeis Hoot

January 17, 2014

‘American Hustle’ gains positive critical attention

By Ilana Cedarbaum Staff

As the awards show season begins, many new films are receiving particular attention, including “12 Years a Slave,” “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “Her.” But one movie proving to be a force to be reckoned with is David O. Russell’s “American Hustle,” starring Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and the ever-popular Jennifer Lawrence.

The film is a crime comedy-drama set in the late 1970s and early 1980s that tells the story of two con artists, Irving Rosenfeld (Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Adams), who form a relationship and have to set up and execute an elaborate operation by order of an FBI agent (Cooper) to catch politicians who participate in illegal activities. Jennifer Lawrence plays the role of Irving’s impulsive and uncontrollable wife who causes hiccups in their operation just when things seem to be going smoothly. Jeremy Renner plays the mayor of Camden, New Jersey, one of the corrupt politicians the FBI is trying to catch. He forms a friendship with Bale’s character, causing Bale’s character to feel conflicted about his secret actions against his friend. The relationships between the characters are dynamic and dramainducing, as Adams’ character rotates between involvement with Bale’s character and Cooper’s character, and Lawrence’s character acts as an added obstacle.

“American Hustle” has met rave reviews and earned the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture—Musical or

Comedy at the Golden Globes. Adams also earned the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy and Lawrence earned the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture—Drama, Musical or Comedy.

The film certainly is deserving of said praise. For a movie over two hours long, Russell did an excellent job moving the plot along smoothly and quickly, even with a lack of rousing action. His use of character development and side stories centered on the relationships between the characters kept the audience interested during times when the central plot became too dry or boring. Russell also did an excellent job of simplifying the difficult concept of corrupt politics and American law enforcement so that a wide range of audiences can leave the movie feeling that they understood a plot that many other movies complicate and fail at explaining properly.

This easy-to-grasp quality that the film possesses is aided by the strong performances of each actor and actress. Bale, who is almost unrecognizable due to his pot belly, facial hair and hairpiece that he sports in the film, does an excellent job of portraying his character as a con artist who isn’t all that bad. He has feelings and dreams and conflicts, and Bale’s subtle display of these features allows for a complex and sympathetic character. Cooper, whose performances in other movies such as “Silver Linings Playbook” seem overplayed and unexciting, portrays the endless ambition to win that his character possesses remarkably well. His desperation and passion are balanced to portray his character’s

personality but avoid overacting. Adams’ win at the Golden Globe was well deserved, as her portrayal of a woman who is tormented and confused as well as strong and feisty might just be her best performance to date. Her character doesn’t come off as being hard to understand regardless of the complexity of her situation, which makes it easy for audiences to like and root for her.

Jennifer Lawrence’s performance was equally impressive; she is able to portray a woman who causes nothing but trouble and is insane in a humorous way, but at the same time, she is a sympathetic character as well.

Whether she deserved the award for Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globes is, however, debatable. Although she gives an incredible performance (as always, it seems), she doesn’t show anything new to prove that she’s growing as an actress. Her character in this movie is quite similar to the character she plays and won the Academy Award for in “Silver Linings Playbook”—impulsive, complex, tormented, misunderstood and somewhat ridiculous in her dialogue and actions. She performs amazingly in both movies, but it would be nice to see something fresh from one of Hollywood’s most beloved actresses at the moment.

All in all, “American Hustle” is an example of a movie that has it all: great acting, interesting plot, complex characters, accurate depiction of an exciting time period and just the right amount of humor. It will be interesting to see how this film does in the rest of the awards season and whether its success will continue.

american hustle The cast of the award-winning film has won and is nominated for many individual awards. Amy Adams won the Golden Globe for Best Performance, as Sydney Prosser. Jennifer Lawrence won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Performance as Rosalyn Rosenfeld. The film won Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy.

January 17, 2014

ARTS, ETC. 9

The Brandeis Hoot

Dramatic season finale of ‘Homeland’ agonizes fans

By Alexandra Patch Staff

Showtime’s TV series “Homeland” finished up its third season last month. A high-intensity show about life as a CIA agent, “Homeland” has become a fan favorite throughout the years. Claire Danes, who plays agent Carrie Mathison, is a phenomenal actress, portraying one of the best agents the CIA has while her character endures bipolar disease. Needless to say, Carrie does not always follow the rules. Danes has to depict an array of emotions, which she successfully plays out with every slight movement of her face or body.

Then there’s Brody (played by Damian Lewis), a marine who was kept in captivity in Iraq for eight years and returns a very different man. Lewis is also an astounding actor, convincing the audience that his character is a man who has been through the horror of being treated as a prisoner, and is now traumatized from the many years he spent overseas.

The question throughout the first season is: Has he “turned?” That is, has Brody been brainwashed by the “bad guy” Abu Nazir (Navid Negahban), and is Brody in fact working against his country? As the plot unravels, the audience is just as confused as Carrie as to whether or not Brody is “good” or “bad.” What we come to find is that there is certainly a gray area between the two extremes.

There are, of course, romantic involvements throughout the series. At first, it is the complicated relationship between Brody and his wife, caught in a love triangle with Brody’s former best friend. Then comes Brody and Carrie, the most complex relationship

can you feel the tension? “Homeland” season final episode feels more like a series finale.

of all.

How could Carrie fall in love with a man she believes to be a terrorist?

Somehow, love takes over, and this love remains until the bitter end.

Brody also has to deal with the consequences that his actions place on his family. Most importantly, he worries about his teenage daughter, Dana (Morgan Saylor), who is dramatically affected by everything he does. Dana also has a few love interests throughout the series, including the Vice President’s son. Another vital character is Saul (Mandy Patinkin), Carrie’s fellow agent at the CIA. Saul also acts as a mentor for Carrie but is not afraid of giving her a hard time when

Irving Fine Society announces new concert series

By Theresa Gaffney Editor

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the composer, the Irving Fine Society is going to host a yearlong series of events all over the country, with one concert even in the United Kingdom.

Irving Fine was born and bred in the Boston area. He attended Harvard University, receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees there. Fine had extensive performing experience from being a pianist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra to studying at the Fontainebleau School of Music in Paris. He was a peer and friend of greats such as Leonard Bernstein, Igor Stravinsky and Aaron Copland.

He later taught at Harvard, before coming to Brandeis where he was

photo from internet source

the founder and first director of the School of Creative Arts. Some of Fine’s best known work includes “Fantasia for String Trio,” “Serious Song” and “Symphony 1962.” The latter premiered at Tanglewood Music Festival in the weeks before his death in August that year.

Brandeis professor Eric Chasalow (MUS) holds a professorship endowed in Fine’s name.

The Irving Fine Society was created

by Brandeis alumnus Nicholas Brown in 2006. Brown is also the music director for the society, which is comprised of the Irving Fine Singers and a woodwind quartet, the Gifford 5. The group dedicates itself to “honoring the legacy of composer Irving Gifford Fine (1914-1962) and the global impact of American culture in the twentieth century,” according to its website.

Frequently featuring the music of its namesake, the society holds concerts and events.

“A Tribute to Irving Fine” will take place at the Slosberg Music Center on Sunday, March 9 at 3 p.m., featuring sonatas by Fine and Harold Shapero played by Lydian violinist Daniel Stepner and pianist Sally Pinkas.

The concert will be free and open to the public. Other concerts to be performed over the year include the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum in Cambridge, the Galliard Wind Ensemble in West Yorkshire, U.K., and Singing City in Philadelphia, Penn.

The year will be concluded with the Library of Congress Irving Fine Centennial Festival in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 4-6, 2014.

she has gone too far.

The season finale of “Homeland” last month brought pain and agony to fans worldwide. Carrie and Brody’s love has spanned three seasons, and throughout the ups and downs, they have somehow both managed to make it through — until now. If you are caught up, you have now seen Brody working with the CIA, and placed in Tehran undercover. It all goes as planned, but in the end, Brody is found out, and the CIA is no longer able to help him to escape. We look on as a pregnant Carrie watches Brody hang in Tehran, and we fight back the tears as she lets them flow. Many fans have asked: Is Brody really dead? Our

photo from internet source

tragic hero’s time has seemed to finally come after all he has been through.

Even though it pains me to say it, it makes sense.

The creators could not have let the plan go through and allow Brody to live. So Carrie must go on alone, or rather, while carrying the one remaining piece of Brody she can hang on to — his baby.

The ending of season three’s final episode almost looked like a series finale. Brody is gone, Saul is off to New York, and the last shot is Carrie honoring Brody’s memory by drawing one more star on the memorial wall.

Even so, according to producers of the show, there will be a season four.

What direction might the show go in?

We do know that Carrie is headed to Istanbul to act as station chief, and it appears that she may take some wellknown characters with her. My big question is: Will she keep the baby?

I would like to see Carrie take on a mother’s role, which I am sure will be a difficult challenge for her. She is used to caring only for herself, and sometimes she cannot even do that. But just as her sister Maggie said, taking care of a baby may be life changing for Carrie. It may allow her to see things in a completely new light. Even though our beloved Brody is no longer in the series, season four will premiere in fall 2014, and until then we have Netflix.

Upcoming arts events Fired Up: Senior Art Exhibition: The SCC Atrium will host a myriad elry to photography, along with a galJan. 17, Jan. 21, Jan. 22 all day of vendor booths ranging from jew- lery of paintings by students.

Brandeis studio artists exhibit paintings, sculptures and prints from the semester in Spingold Theater Center.

Live Band Karaoke: Jan. 18 at 9 p.m.

Karaoke singing with a live band will take place in the SCC Atrium.

4th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Interfaith Service: Jan. 20, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Volunteer with College for Every Student through mentoring youth and packing meals for local food pantries in Levin Ballroom.

For the Love of A Dream: Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m.

Brandeis’s 9th Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in the SCC Theater will include performances by students and professional groups, such as Emmy Award-winning Sean Fielder and the Boston Tap Company.

Student Vendor Arts and Crafts Fair: Jan. 24 at 2 p.m.

photo from internet sourcet

martin luther king jr. Many events this week on campus celebrate the life of this hero. advertisement

It's better than the hairy yarmulkes for bald Jews idea, isn't it? malvernthenovel.com

10 The Brandeis Hoot

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

Editors-in-Chief Emily Stott Dana Trismen Andrew Elmers Opinion Editor Dani Chasin Sports Editor Mia Edelstein Copy Editor Julie Landy Copy Editor Jesse Zeng Photography Editor Jun Zhao Graphics Editor Katie Chin Online Editor Theresa Gaffney Deputy Arts Editor Michelle Kim Deputy Arts Editor Nate Rosenbloom Senior Editor

Volume 11 • Issue 1 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma

Founded By Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman

staff

Shota Adamia, Zachary Bellis, Emily Belowich, Dor Cohen, Debra Edelman, Mia Edelstein, Roy Fan, Iona Feldman, Ben Fine, Evan Goldstein, Jaye Han, Maya Himelfarb, Eli Kaminsky, Michelle Kim, Julie Landy, Jess Linde, Vinh Nguyen, Alexandra Patch, Charlie Romanow, Sasha Ruiz, Emily Scharf, Eliana Sinoff, Naomi Soman, Diane Somlo, Sindhura Sonnathi, Jennifer Spencer, Alison Thvedt, Shreyas Warrier, Linjie Xu

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

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

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EDITORIALS

January 17, 2014

Online housing selection comes with its share of potential problems The Department of Community Living recently announced that housing selection, a rather tense yearly ritual for Brandeisians, will be moved entirely online starting this year. The Community Living website boasts that “You will no longer need to appear at a certain day and time to select your room” and outlines five easy steps students should take in order to secure housing. While The Hoot commends Brandeis on attempting to make a tedious process move smoother and more quickly, we are unsure that Brandeis has thought out all of the potential problems that could arise.

In moving housing selection online, Brandeis certainly pleases one subset of the student body: those who are traveling abroad. Students who normally would have to worry about securing

housing through their friends while they reside in Italy or Spain will now be capable of picking Mods or Ridgewood while sitting in their dorm abroad. Brandeis may also save money, as they will not have to pay Community Advisors and staff members to work long hours this coming March.

Perhaps the looming potential problem most present in the mind of the student body is that the online housing website will crash. After struggles with Sage over the past couple of years when students attempted to sign up for classes, students are not willing to risk their topchoice housing because of some website glitch.

Assuming that Brandeis has foreseen all technical problems, there are other potential issues on the horizon. The Community Living website states that

Step 2 is to check the box on Sage electing on-campus housing, Step 3 is “form friend groups,” Step 4 is “make multiple plans,” and Step 5 is participate in room selection. But what if one student believes he or she is housing with a friend, but then the friend puts down another name while filling out the online form?

Online forums allow anonymity and backstabbing that may result in the end of more friendships than the housing process normally does. There is also a higher potential for error. If a student accidentally clicks one more down arrow then they meant to, they could wind up in North instead of the Mods.

We applaud Brandeis for its efforts to make the housing process easier, but we are not sure that it will take just five easy steps.

January 17, 2014

sports

The Brandeis Hoot 11

Men’s basketball begins tough journey into conference play

photo by marian siljeholm /the hoot

By Charlie Romanow Staff

The men’s basketball team had two close games last week that showcased the skills of the team’s talented seniors.

The Judges’ final non-conference game of the season was an 83-78 win at home versus Bates College on Tuesday, Jan. 7. Despite six ties and 11 lead changes, the seemingly close game was controlled by the victors as Bates’ largest lead of the game was merely two points.

Brandeis ran away early, scoring 14 consecutive points after Bates led by one to push the Judges ahead 32-19.

The Bobcats were about to head into halftime with a lead after Graham Safford made two consecutive threepointers, but a dunk by guard Ben Bartoldus ’14 and buzzer-beating three by guard Derek Retos ’14 gave the home team a 43-40 halftime advantage. Bates managed to fight back into the game due to Safford’s 15 first half points including three successes from beyond the arc.

The Judges had a six-point lead early in the second half but faced early resistance as the Bobcats led by one with 12:32 remaining. Center Youri Dascy ’14 subsequently made a lay-up to spring the team on a 13-2 run before Safford led Bates on a 13-3 run to tie the game at 71 with 3:55 remaining. Safford scored nine points during this run and recorded assists on the other two shots. The Judges closed the game from the free-throw line making 10 of 12 in the final four minutes. Both teams shot equally well, but Brandeis differentiated themselves by earning and converting more trips to the free-throw line, making 20 of 27. Brandeis’ victory was also characterized by the array of contributions from the players, as opposed to being led by a single force as Bates was.

Retos led the winners with 18 points off the bench, including four

from beyond three and 6-6 on free throws. Bartoldus had 16 points, 13 coming in the first half as he shot 5-10 overall and a perfect 5-5 from the charity stripe. Guard Gabriel Moton ’14 had 13 points, and forward Alex Stoyle ’14 added 12, all of which came in the beginning of the halves.

Dascy had seven rebounds in 11 minutes. Forward Kevin Trotman ’16 led with three blocks. Safford had a career-high 33 points on 13-21 shooting, as well as a game-high six assists.

Mike Boornazian had 16 points and a game-high ten rebounds and Billy Selmon scored in double digits while leading with five steals.

The Bobcats are 8-4 after their conference opening win at Middlebury College.

The Judges lost a close 64-58 game at New York University on Saturday in each team’s first conference game of the season. Both teams’ played well in the first half, but the Judges’ late offensive struggles allowed NYU to take the final lead.

Brandeis shot 48 percent in the first half and an astounding 8-13 beyond the arc, five of which were by Retos.

Retos scored all 15 of his points in the first half. Nine of his points came during the team’s late halftime run that had them leading 36-34 at intermission after a five-point deficit.

Bartoldus had eight points in the first.

Despite the lead, NYU outrebounded their opponents 19-10 early on and shot 52 percent from the floor.

The Judges’ early success from three-point range would fizzle in the second half, allowing the more conservative-shooting Violets to take over the game. Brandeis’ largest lead was by eight with nearly 12 minutes remaining. They would convert on only one field goal after this point though, ending the game with eight consecutive misses. The Violets took advantage of their opponent’s drought eventually taking the lead with 5:51 left on an Alec Papesch layup. This propelled the team on a 9-2 run with successful shots and free throws by both Evan Kupferberg and

Max Ralby. Kupferberg led the second half with ten points. Brandeis was only 6-24 in the second half and 2-9 from three. The Judges’ early rebounding struggles were mended in the second half with an additional 18 boards, but were outdone by NYU’s 22 rebound half.

Retos, Bartoldus and Moton each reached double-digit scoring. Ishmael Kalilou led the team with six rebounds. Moton contributed five assists and a game-high three steals.

Forward Youri Dascy ’15 played only 13 minutes but led all players with three blocks as well as adding five rebounds. Bartoldus shot 50 percent from three and was 5-9 overall. Kupferberg led the game with 18 points and eight rebounds on a 7-12 shooting night. Costis Gontikas and Iyoha Agho each scored 10 points.

NYU shot 44 percent through the game, and Brandeis shot 37 percent.

Brandeis had the largest lead of the game at eight points. NYU nearly doubled the Judges’ totals in second chance points and points in the paint.

During the game, the co-captain Retos moved into third place on Brandeis’ all-time three-point scoring list. He needs only 22 more this season to break Steve Harrington’s record set in 1992. He is also on-pace to break the school’s all-time record for free-throw percentage after shooting 6-6 from the line against Bates. He is shooting 92.5 percent through his career, significantly ahead of Kevin Olson’s school-record 84.6 percent period from 2006-2009. Retos did not have any free-throw opportunities in the game against NYU. He is second in school history behind Olson in career three-point field goal percentage.

NYU will head west to play UAA foe University of Chicago on Friday while Brandeis will visit the 10-2 seventh-ranked Washington University in St. Louis on Friday. All conference teams were above .500 heading into conference play, which signifies a series of difficult battles in Brandeis and the other UAA teams’ schedules.

Brandeis is 8-4, and NYU is 11-1.

photo from internet source

Women’s Basketball

Men’s Basketball

Box Scores

Box Scores

Husson

Win

54 – 81

Amherst

Loss

75 – 70

Trinity (Conn.)

Loss

71 – 57

Roger Williams

Win

74 – 81

UMass - Boston

Win

35– 73

Bates

Win

78– 83

NYU

Loss

67 – 57

NYU

Loss

64 – 58

Women’s Fencing

Men’s Fencing

Box Scores

Box Scores

New Eng. Champ.,

Bronze

Mattos

NE Conf.

5W

1L

Brandeis Inv.

2W

4L

Women’s Swimming & Diving

New Eng. Champ.

Gold Silver Bronze

Mandel Cardillo Berman

NE Conf.

4W

1L

Brandeis Inv.)

2W

3L

Men’s Swimming & Diving Box Scores

Box Scores Wesleyan

Loss

35 – 217

Wesleyan

Loss

102 – 135

Bentley

Loss

79 – 148

Bentley

Loss

83 – 152

WPI Inv. 12/7

5th pl.

520 pts.

WPI Inv. 12/8

5th pl.

994 pts.

WPI Inv. 12/7

8th pl. 179 pts.

WPI Inv. 12/8

8th pl. 394 pts.

12 The Brandeis Hoot

opinion

January 17, 2014

Close quarters; Brandeis should save space

graphic by jun zhao/the hoot

By Andrew Elmers Editor

My freshman year, I was lucky enough to be placed into a double room, and not a lofted triple. The idea of squeezing three people into a room that was designed to fit two completely boggled my mind. I had no idea how three beds, three desks and

By Emily Scharf

three sets of drawers would be able to be jammed in there. It was incredibly unfair to those poor souls who had to live in such cramped quarters, but the university felt there was enough space to house all of those they admitted.

If lofted triples are not enough to be convinced of the ever increasing crowding of campus, look at the dining halls. At peak meal hours, there

is barely a table to be found in Sherman. Some comment about how during Sukkot, with the construction of the Sukkah, there is actually room to move around in Sherman. Usdan is a bit more spacious, but it still reflects a high school cafeteria when it’s 6 p.m..

Looking at the Common Data Sets, which are available on Brandeis’ website as PDF files going back to the

1999-2000 school year, a quick summary of the growth of the student body can be made. Until 2009, enrollment of undergraduates was consistently at or below 3,200 students, with only one year that it breached 3,300 students, 2006-2007. Yet in the 20092010 academic year, though, there was an increase in the amount of students to above 3,300. It stayed at that

level the next year, and 2011-2012 saw a roughly 6-percent increase in students to more than 3,500. Enrollment increased again the next year, and it does not seem evident that the university is addressing this issue. A simple solution to having more people would be to build more buildings to house them.

Most people would be excited about the possibility of building a new, an additional dining hall or a residence hall to provide more room for the student body, yet the plausibility of that idea is faint. The land the school actually owns is already close to capacity, unless the new building were to be constructed in Sachar Woods. I would be the first on the picket lines if that were proposed, as well as numerous others, because Sachar is a sanctuary and retreat right on campus. A quick hike through can bring peace and comfort, and the ecological damage of destroying it would invalidate what this school stands for.

Another possibility for space would be to try to buy out private homes on the streets adjacent to Brandeis to expand campus, but that might be too much of a hassle and could create tension between the school and the community.

Not only is there not enough room on campus for more buildings, the cost alone would probably make the Board of Trustees turn down any proposal. There is no need to provoke the school to raise tuition to fund construction of a new residential quad; they already do so yearly. Besides, in the current economic climate, it See SPACE, page 14

Tuition is enough for now

Staff

Sometime this past year, my mother called to tell me something rather odd: She had received a call at home from a Brandeis student asking for a monetary donation to the university. I felt indignant. Depending on housing arrangements and choices of meal plans, a Brandeis student can expect to pay, at most, upwards of $60,000 per year. Over four years, a student paying full tuition might pay the university nearly a quarter of a million dollars. Why then is it an accepted practice for students to be paid to solicit the parents of current students for money they do not have?

Why does the university waste money sending parents mailers to ask for money? This seems, to put it mildly, absurd. Surely most undergraduates cannot spare money to donate to the university after having paid their tuition?

According to the Financial Aid section of the Admissions website, more than half of Brandeis undergraduates receive need-based aid, and that aid can range anywhere from a mere $2,500 to full tuition, room and board. Let’s accept it: Attending a four-year private university is not an inexpensive task. Every student here acknowledged that fact when we decided to attend. I cannot speak for everyone, but as the semesters go by, I’m sure many of us realize the impact this financial burden has on both our families and ourselves. Paying for college is a large financial undertaking, especially if you are doing so on your own at our age.

When I started attending Brandeis,

photo from internet source

finding a job was one of my first priorities; I knew I was lucky enough to have parents who would help with the cost of my education, and I wanted to help them out in every way I possibly could. I soon realized that finding employment on the Brandeis campus

is no easy task, especially as a firstyear. The online system used for applying for jobs is a bit challenging to maneuver. I went to the Hiatt center and got my resume approved, applied for as many jobs as I thought I’d be a good match for, and ultimately never

really heard back from any of them.

I received no written feedback or even acknowledgement that my application had even been read. All I received was a little code under application status that said “001 Reject.”

It was, to say the least, disheartening.

While I was fortunate enough to have eventually found employment, I know many students do not have that luxury. It also may be difficult for some students to even find time for a See DONATIONS, page 14

January 17, 2014

OPINION 13

The Brandeis Hoot

New LATTE not ready for bright lights

By Joe Lanoie Staff

As they entered a new semester after three weeks of hopefully relaxing vacation, students opened their well-known LATTE accounts to find that the outlook changed and no longer updated. What has been termed “New LATTE” has become the new and preferred method of classroom interaction online. The LATTE that many students knew became obsolete and sentenced to an eternity of stagnation. Yet, both are still available via the LTS website, with the outdated version being termed “Legacy LATTE.” The New LATTE site looks better, the blue and white school colors pleasing to the viewer’s eyes. The older version of LATTE still remains and allows students to access all the previous resources and materials it had before its replacement. New LATTE’s features and updates were necessary and well done, but it cannot and should not replace the resources available to Legacy LATTE, as its age has added benefits useful to scholars and students alike.

New LATTE’s existence fixes many bugs and relieves the stresses users of Legacy LATTE had with its programming. For film classes, the viewer on Legacy LATTE suffered buffering problems and could not view a film in a work- nor time-efficient way,

since the buffering times for videos extended the time it took to watch a film. It did not rewind well, so if the watcher missed a pertinent plot point or needed to take a note, the viewing program could not go backward without possibly having to restart the film. It also could not fast forward very well, so if one already watched a part of a movie and wanted to skip it, the program would not allow the skip. In the New LATTE, the films’ programming reminds one of a Windows Media Player or iTunes, allowing easy maneuvering within the film.

The films take less time to load and buffer, which allows for better viewing. In this aspect, New LATTE is superior to Legacy LATTE. Yet Legacy LATTE should not be entirely discarded due to the resources it has, such as the documents already posted in one class being pertinent to other classes. Many students take classes that overlap in major and in interest. In Class A, for example, there is a document that talks about religious history in Maryland.

This can become a source in Class B, which is about American history. In a science class, a paper on atoms in Class C can make Class D much easier to understand. The films on Legacy LATTE also act in this way. The Disney films posted in a films class can be source documents in a class on childhood or in a class on business. The sources are uploaded there to be used in that particular class, yes, but they

graphic by jun zhao/the hoot

don’t lose their academic usefulness the moment the final is taken. Legacy LATTE’s resources are not available on its newer counterpart, since it is a benefit of age. New LATTE will be able to do this, but not until more and more semesters pass.

Legacy LATTE’s archives assist in the process of choosing classes.

LATTE archives its courses’ syllabi and makes them available to any and all LATTE users. I use them to judge what classes and professors I should take when class enrollment starts.

More often than not, professors have taught their classes before and have made their syllabi LATTE-accessible.

Those choosing what classes they should take must consult this valuable resource. The syllabus is your friend, as it tells you what the class entails, what you need to read, what you can skim read and what the professor expects of you. Like the resources on Legacy LATTE, New LATTE will have these resources, but only after the current student population graduates, as it is a benefit of age.

New LATTE fixes the issues the old system had, but it cannot replace the value that remains in the older LATTE system. Legacy LATTE will no longer be needed, as New LATTE will have more syllabi and academic documents available. Users either must wait until the programmers add the existing resources to New LATTE or let them accrue naturally as semesters go on. Despite this, one day, New LATTE will not need the qualifying “new.” It will be the only LATTE available.

How facilities can help keep resolutions

By Naomi Soman Staff

Many of us pledge that with this new year, we will eat healthier, exercise more often, lose weight, and the like, and these are all wonderful goals, but college students aren’t exactly known for their healthy lifestyles. We stay up late snacking on chips and cookies, eat at an all-youcan-eat buffet and treat ourselves to alcohol, which is definitely not low in calories. The “freshman 15” did not get its name for no reason. With the freedom of college, we do not enjoy home-cooked meals where Mom makes us eat our veggies but rather the liberty to any and all food our hearts desire. How exactly, then, do we honor these New Year’s resolutions to commit to be fit?

Many complain that Brandeis does not have enough places to eat, especially commercial venues and restaurants, but as far as health goes, that could be a good thing. Fast food is loaded with sodium, saturated fat and cholesterol on top of the entire day’s worth of calories in one meal. However, many other kinds of restaurants are not great options either because they offer large portions and numerous sides heavily doused with cheese or sauce. With only Louis’ Deli, The Stein, the Faculty Club and the various cafes around campus, including Dunkin’ Donuts, Einstein’s, Starbucks and the new Peet’s Coffee, there are not many options for fast food, and if it’s not available, you cannot eat it.

However, there do not seem to be a lot of appetizing healthy options either. As far as eating kosher, the salad bar is very limited, and though sometimes the side dishes taste good, there are more French fries and hamburgers available than steamed veggies. Often the stir fries and chicken or beef dishes are loaded with sauce.

The non-kosher eaters have more options not only in Sherman but also in Lower Usdan. While Upper Usdan has more fast food, Lower has a large salad bar and several stations offering

photo from internet source

a wide variety of options. However, as a small school, Brandeis only has so many dining options.

Along with their limited dining options, Brandeis has somewhat limited exercise options, but there are certainly enough opportunities if you are willing to find them. Though there are a few cardio machines in East Quad, North Quad and the Village, along with Gosman, the weight-lifting room and the pool, although nice facilities, are quite far from the rest of campus.

However, if you want exercise, there are other places to find it besides in the gym. Brandeis offers a multitude of club sports including archery, badminton, boxing, Brazilian jiu jitsu, cheerleading, crew, equestrian team, fencing, field hockey, gymnastics,

ice hockey, ice skating, krav maga, lacrosse, Quidditch, rugby, sailing, skiing, soccer, squash, swimming and diving, table tennis, uechi-ryu karate, ultimate frisbee and volleyball. The multitude of dance troupes, including Ballroom Dance team, Adagio, B’Yachad, So Unique and Kaos Kids, offer a different style of exercise that can be just as exhausting as lifting weights.

Intramurals are another great opportunity to exercise in a fun, stress-free environment with friends.

Though badminton and basketball are open right now, Brandeis also offers squash, water polo, dodgeball, baseball, softball, kickball, tennis, soccer, flag football, volleyball and table tennis. Just visit the Brandeis Athletic Department website and reg-

ister with a group of friends. There is not a large time commitment as every person on the team does not need to show up at every game. Exercising as a group not only brings you closer to your New Year’s resolutions but also brings you closer to your friends.

Finally, all Brandeis undergraduate students must complete two gym classes unless they test out of them, but that doesn’t restrict them from taking the classes. Gym classes are open to everyone, and some students take more than the required two classes: “The PE courses that the university offers are a great way to commit to the gym often and to have guidance in your workout. I just started my fifth one today,” said Ariana Berlin ’14. There are plenty to choose from, ranging from First Aid

to Dance Dance Revolution to Fencing—along with all of the typical gym classes like Volleyball and Basketball.

If you like working out as a group, you can also join a group fitness class such as Ab Blast, Zumba or Cycling in Gosman.

The truth is, there are limited opportunities to eat healthy food, but there are limited food options on campus in the first place. Though there are not a ton of options, a fair amount of fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats are readily available.

However, there are plenty of ways to start exercising either on your own, in one of the gyms across campus or in a group through a gym class, intramural sport or group fitness class to help you accomplish your New Year’s resolutions.

14 OPINION

The Brandeis Hoot

January 17, 2014

Why does Brandeis strive to be larger?

SPACE, from page 12

might not be the most prudent decision to invest in more square footage to heat and clean yearly if the space issue is not at a critical mass, yet.

Instead of building more dining halls and residence halls, what I am arguing for would be to admit fewer students annually. Brandeis was able to reach great success those years when enrollment was around 3,200 students and the endowment was at an all-time high; there is no need to try to alter that by creating a larger enrollment.

For a school that markets itself as being a small, liberal arts college within a research university, there appears to be a desire to expand as much as possible. Admitting fewer students would decrease the acceptance rate, which would give the impression that the school is exclusive and selective, effectively raising our rank among other

universities. Classes, dining halls and residence halls would become less crowded with a lower enrollment, and this would create a more relaxed environment for all. The amount of waste then produced by the school would decrease with fewer students,

than in years past, Admissions cannot retroactively deny a student they already accepted. It’s possible that total enrollment could end up decreasing without any active change in admission policy. Either way, having fewer students does create one drawback: The amount and variety of classes offered each semester would most certainly drop. While not every class is as popular as Coiner’s Econ 2A, they all offer something different that makes Brandeis what it is.

Yet that is one drawback to many evident advantages of accepting fewer students annually so that there is some actual room to move around on camphoto from internet source pus. No one would have to part ways and Brandeis’ carbon footprint would fect how many students enroll. Each with a friend, only future prospective decrease as a result. The benefits from year, a certain amount of hopeful high students might dislike this proposal. admitting fewer students are endless. school seniors are accepted with an Most students, though, would agree to Maybe this increase in enrollment expectation that a certain amount will it in an instant if it meant shorter lines is not a result of university policy, but wind up matriculating. If, for some waiting for food, fewer lofted triples instead factors that the admissions reason, a larger amount of accepted and more space to stretch out your committee cannot foresee may af- students decide to attend Brandeis arms around campus.

Overstrained students don’t need solicitation

photo from internet source

DONATIONS, from page 12

job given already overloaded schedules. Money is a touchy subject for a lot of people. It’s some sort of taboo to discuss financial aid packages; no one wants money, or lack thereof, to color a friendship. But living so close

to a big city, the issue of money often does come up. With concerts, shops and fine dining so close to campus, it can be difficult to avoid the subject of money, especially if friends want to have a fun night out. Money is a tough topic to steer clear of no matter where you are in life, but in college it can be especially challenging.

In some ways, I suppose I understand why there is a job on campus for students to call other students’ parents and ask for money: It’s a job that has been created for a student to earn an income, and that is a wonderful thing. Yet I still cannot help but find it absurd that these students are tasked to call parents. Surely there are

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more wealthy and influential people out there who would like to help finance someone’s education. Call well-off alumni, call area donors and call people with influence. I have no doubts that there are plenty of people out there willing to donate to this university. I’m sure a great deal of us will end up giving back to our alma mater

at some point later in life when we will have, hopefully, established financial security. However, that day is not today. I would greatly appreciate it if our parents could stop receiving solicitations for donations. For now, our tuition payment is enough as it is.

January 17, 2014

OPINION 15

The Brandeis Hoot

Looking forward; Hiatt not helping

By Dana Trismen Editor

I am a Creative Writing major. I chose Brandeis because of its creative writing department, with professors who cared enough to help me with my craft outside of class. I have been awarded a two-year creative writing thesis and have been labeled as a creative writing undergraduate departmental representative. I have groups on campus who will treat my characters like real people and give me constructive criticism. I have grown as a writer here on campus. But now I am a junior. After the spring of 2015, I will graduate, thrust into the real world, and as many people like to tell me, creative writing is not a “usable degree.” While I disagree, I believe that Brandeis Hiatt certainly is not helping me, or my fellow Brandeisians, in getting any sort of professional job.

When I was a first-year, it did not matter whether I held a professional internship or made any sort of network connection. I was free to write and live in the Brandeis bubble. But now that graduation looms on the horizon, I need to find both an internship and a job prospect. There are many arenas to explore for a creative writing major, be it publishing, journalism, teaching or communications.

But Hiatt is unsure how to help me.

If anything, Hiatt is well-meaning.

It hosts workshops and career panels and gives away free pizza during finals. Staff will review your resume and edit it. Hiatt staff are easy to meet with, friendly and professional.

But perhaps they just do not know how to go about helping you in the right way. Staff who review resumes alert you to nitpicky details, instead of pointing out larger flaws. Before going over any resume, Hiatt staff should sit down with the student and really get to know him or her. What

graphic by jun zhao/the hoot

are the students biggest strengths?

What previous job experience do they have, and how are they the better for it? Instead, Hiatt staff will usually point out flaws in font choices and formatting. While presentation is still important for a piece of paper that will be viewed by potential employers, it is more essential to highlight a student’s key skills and assets.

Hiatt also has an intense affinity for B.hired, Hiatt’s information, recruiting and events database. Hiatt staff members make it sound like getting

an internship is incredibly easy, and all you have to do is pick a professional area, go on B.hired and apply.

However, B.hired has an incredibly small selection. If you were a creative writing major like me, you may type “publishing” into the search bar. This leads to 17 results. But a preliminary search shows that first of all, the application deadlines are very strange, sometimes a whole year in the future.

Some were also posted as long ago as 2011. There are also far more than 17 publishing opportunities in the

Boston area alone. B.hired presents Brandeis students with meager options. B.hired also requires that students apply through the site, which can often lead to glitches since students are going through another website instead of the company’s website.

When I first came to Brandeis, I pictured Hiatt as something different. I thought I would be able to come in and profess my interests and strengths to staff members who were knowledgeable about all areas and careers. I had hoped they could

point out publishing companies for me, alert me to upcoming deadlines for communications internships. In short, I expected more of Hiatt, and I’m sure many other students did, too.

Brandeis is a small school that promises individual attention. I may not be a physics or biology major, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get a job or an internship. I would just appreciate more personalized help from a career center that promises a “student/alumnicentered approach” that is rooted in the best interest of students.

Quiet please; thin walls create late encounters

By Shayna Korol

Special to the Hoot

I’d like to preface this by saying that the guys who live directly above me are wonderful human beings. Great conversationalists and genuinely funny. But friendship and charisma are no excuse for rude behavior.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m intolerant of noise. Back in seventh and eighth grade, I hated going to B’nei Mitzvahs because some cruel cosmic force would always seat me up close and personal to the speakers. I’m not one for loud music, and I don’t begrudge anyone who is, as long as they play their loud music more quietly or away from me.

So of course I live in Shapiro, the dorm and not any of the other 20 Shapiro buildings here, and sound travels fast. The walls are thin. I’m in a double next to the staircase and across from the bathroom, a place where headphones don’t help.

The three boys who live over my head have musical aspirations. Sometimes they have like-minded company. The first week of the fall semester began with a bang, and when I went upstairs in my bathrobe and shower shoes to investigate, I found that they were “play-fighting. You know, like pretending to throw a tantrum. You know?” I did not, but my living situation is a learning curve.

I’m not sure if they think they’re a thrash metal band, but with free performances ranging from eight in the evening to four in the morning, I don’t care if it is smooth jazz with an homage to Beethoven. Maroon 5

photo from internet source

is not exactly to my tastes, but fine, they have never made an attempt on the life of my dog, and the “Saturday Night Live” episode with Adam Levine was all right, so I would not say I hate them. But, and this goes out to a great many young guitarists, you are allowed to play the songs of other artists.

All my life I have been hounded by guitars. My sister plays the instrument, my father plays the instrument, and my mother owns and longs for the day that she will know how to play the instrument. When I first arrived at Brandeis, unsure of what to expect, I was greeted by a group of singing boys struggling to strum along in time to the words in a scenic locale

sitting on the bench next to the disgusting Massell Pond.

My roommate and I have been awakened by an impromptu encore countless times. Some of them end in friendly confrontation. I trudge upstairs in my pajamas, hair and eyes wild like I’m channeling the Ghost of Christmas Future, and quietly ask them if they could please keep it down. They usually apologize and agree and I’m relieved. Until the next time, which is sure to happen the next day. To their credit, I usually offer a 24-hour grace period.

It’s gotten to the point that my roommate and I have to watch TV at an uncomfortably loud volume in order to feel that we are exacting re-

venge on them. They didn’t take the hint, because this continued well into finals week last semester. I know that I could go to the bottom floor of the library for complete silence, but when it is 10 degrees out, it is easier to study in the room than to walk up the hill from Massell.

I’m skittish, like a small animal that hates noise, and when the band plays songs of their own composition, the lyrics are distracting, up to and including every possible rhyme in the English language with the word “llama.” (There aren’t many, and “Obama” is a proper noun). Sometimes they just sing their own names, long and low, some sort of minimalist touch. I can’t say I appreciate it.

They’re not the only offenders of their kind. They belong to a certain class of criminal, and some of the girls who live in my hall are among their number. A boy who probably lives in the lounge is another such type.

But—and this is crucial—I don’t live beneath them.

An unsubstantiated rumor that the talented trio is planning to convert their room into a studio has reached me. If this is indeed the case, I am asking that the room be reliably sound-proofed. Don’t forget that Slosberg has practice rooms. That’s the most viable alternative, and the Dunkin’ Donuts is right nearby, so I should not have to be graced with their musical stylings all of the time.

January 17, 2014

this week in photos

The Brandeis Hoot 11

Students return to campus for a new semester photos by shanlai shangguan/the hoot

photos by edwin gonzalez/the hoot

Panera arrives in Waltham on Main Street