Volume 11 Number 12
www.thebrandeishoot.com
Students demand more resources By Emily Belowich Editor
In January of this year, President Obama created a White House Task Force of senior administration officials to address the increased rates of sexual assault on college campuses. In a press release from the Office of the Press Secretary at the White House, they call the prevalence of rape and sexual assault at universities in the United States “both deeply troubling and a call to action.” Taking this into consideration, a group of Brandeis students have taken measures into their own hands this week to create a call to action on campus. On Monday morning, Brandeis Students Against Sexual Violence (SASV) hand-delivered copies of a letter to university President Fred Lawrence, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel and Provost Steve Goldstein ’78, expressing their concerns over what they consider to be a lack of resources for and attention to sexual violence on campus. The 13-page document outlines that Brandeis has an obligation to “live up to the core values that make us who we are, and become a forerunner in the fight to end sexual violence in college campuses across the country.” The same day the group also released a petition online at Change. org, including the first page of the letter and a chance for individuals to take a stance on the issue. The letter proposes 11 changes they believe will fulfill the present needs within the Brandeis community, but the main goal they are working toward is establishing a permanent rape crisis center. SASV hopes that that this will be established sometime in the near future and that a collaborative effort See RESOURCES, page 2
Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.
April 11, 2014
Students’ outcry prompts Brandeis to reconsider award By Emily Stott Editor
Due to outrage from students and staff across campus and beyond, Brandeis released a statement on Tuesday, April 8, saying, “Ms. Hirsi Ali’s name has been withdrawn as an honorary degree recipient at this year’s commencement.” A petition started by students of the Muslim Students Association (MSA) and a separate petition letter signed by faculty members drew tremendous support from the Brandeis community, as both groups protested Brandeis’ announcement on March 31 that Ayaan
Hirsi Ali would be receiving an honorary degree at commencement for the class of 2014. The petitions spoke against Hirsi Ali’s public comments against the religion of Islam as a whole, which deeply hurt community members and appealed to a wider discussion of social justice. The petition created by Sarah Fahmy ’14 on Change.org gained over 6,800 signatures between Monday afternoon and Tuesday evening, many of them from the Brandeis community, but some from people across the country and worldwide. The petition states, “The selection of Hirsi Ali to receive an honorary degree is
Presidential candidates present platforms By Jess Linde Editor
On Thursday, April 10, the night before official elections for President of Brandeis’ Student Union took place, the candidates, along with representatives from The Brandeis Hoot, The Justice, WBRS and BADASS, gathered in Olin Sang 101. In front of an audience of students, candidates presented their platforms and plans for campus. Representatives from these various media outlets and BADASS asked around 20 questions of the three candidates. Sneha Walia ’15, Terrell Gilkey ’15 and Anna Bessendorf ’15 each presented their case for presidency. The event began with general questions during which each candidate was allowed to state their case on a wide range of issues. After exploring basic details such as why each can-
a blatant and callous disregard by the administration of not only the Muslim students, but of any student who has experienced pure hate speech. It is a direct violation of Brandeis University’s own moral code as well as the rights of Brandeis students.” The students recognized that Hirsi Ali is a women’s rights activist who has served in Dutch parliament, and later moved to the U.S. to work at the American Enterprise Institute. She works to increase equality and freedom for women. Yet students still felt that her outspoken Islamophobic comments made her the wrong type of person to award an honorary de-
gree at commencement. Brandeis faculty also wrote a letter to President Fred Lawrence that was signed by 87 faculty members. The letter opens with, “We are writing to urge you to rescind immediately the invitation to Ms. Ayaan Hirsi Ali for an honorary doctorate, a decision about which we are shocked and dismayed, owing to her virulently antiMuslim public statements.” Although there has been an outpouring of support for these petitions in the Brandeis community, the outside community has not been nearly as welcoming. “I
‘Hairspray’ succeeds
didate wanted to run for president, candidates answered more difficult questions that were addressed to them specifically. The final portion of the event involved questions from the audience. One of the questions directed at Walia asked her to confront the rumor that her platform lacks substance and uses general language instead of outlining concrete ways to fix problems within the university. “When drafting my platform I had a choice of either writing something that was more based around my experiences in the Student Union, or to create something more open,” Walia responded. “I want to focus on making the Union more open to student input and getting more students more involved, so I purposely included general language to appeal to more people.” Addressing specifics, Walia See ELECTION, page 5
See HIRSI ALI, page 2
photo by mei ming cornue-hollander/the hoot
dance ‘Hairspray’ sells out on Thursday, opening night, in the SCC Theater. See page 8.
Take Back the Night march brings attention to sexual assault issues By Shayna Korol Staff
Candles were handed out to everyone gathered on the Rabb Steps at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9 for the annual Take Back the Night (TBTN) march through campus. Participants lit their candles and carried them in a vigil to raise awareness about sexual violence. Co-sponsored by the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, the Queer Resource Center, Triskelion and Students Talking About Relationships, survivors and allies of survivors of sexual assault came together in a powerful demonstration of healing and solidarity. Those who wished to share their stories were welcome to do so in a safe space. TBTN is a national organization, with marches and rallies led in over 30 countries worldwide. A foundation with the same name was founded in 2001. Students passed around a bag with slips of paper printed with the stories of survivors. These stories had al-
Inside this issue:
ready been posted on the Take Back the Night website. Several stories of Brandeis students’ were submitted to be read. The organizers of the event recognized and admired the tremendous courage that sending in those stories took. The march was also designed to have an atmosphere of support for all survivors, not only those who have shared their stories. Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment at Brandeis Andrew Flagel, Dean of Students Jamele Adams and the recently hired Sexual Assault Services and Prevention Specialist Sheila McMahon all took part in the TBTN march. In an email addressed to the entire Brandeis community about the TBTN march, Flagel and Adams wrote that “last year’s event was blemished by individuals shouting at participants. Whether out of ignorance or maliciousness, such behavior is inconsistent with our values, and a potential violation of our See TAKE BACK, page 5
News: New fraternity chapter by students Page 2 Arts, Etc.: THA Prof holds auditions Page 7 Opinion: Students should send message Page 12 Sports: Track team places at invitational Page 11 Editorial: More effort needed in vetting Page 10
Adagio enchants with dance
dare Adagio Dance Company performs 13 dances choreographed by students of all ages in ‘Dare to
photo by mei ming cornue-hollander/the hoot
Dance.’ See page 9.
Second better than
Baseball conquers
Arts, etc.: Page 6
Sports: Page 5
first “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” proves to be a more thoughtful film than the traditional action flick.
Brandeis wins 3 out of 4 recent games behind bats of Kyle Brenner ’15 and Dominic Schwartz ’14 to sweep doubleheader .
NEWS
2 The Brandeis Hoot
April 11, 2014
Anti-Islam activist withdrawn as commencement honoree HIRSI ALI, from page 1
am deeply distressed by hateful comments on that Facebook page directed toward Muslim students and their supporters. Muslim students, faculty and staff need everyone’s support at this difficult time,” Bernadette Brooten (NEJS), who was highly involved in the letter, wrote in an email to The Hoot. Since an award of a honorary degree aligns the university with the recipient’s work, the letter further states, “The University bestows honorary degrees, in part, to ‘identify the University with the values expressed through the work and accomplishments of the honoree’ and ‘draw positive attention to the University as an institution that respects and encourages such values and the manner in which those values are expressed.’” The letter states that commencement is not the appropriate venue at which Hirsi Ali should be recognized, as “her presence threatens to bring unnecessary controversy to an event that should rightly be about celebrating Brandeis’ graduates and their families.” Both petitions fully recognize that Hirsi Ali has experienced atrocities, and her work in fighting against female genital cutting, forced marriages and honor killings, among others, is highly valuable. “These phenomena are not, however, exclusive to Islam,” the faculty letter addressed to President Lawrence states. The Brandeis Muslim Students Association (MSA) released a statement to The Hoot regarding the university’s decision to withdraw Hirsi Ali’s name as a degree recipient. “At this point, we would only like to extend our deepest gratitude to President Frederick Lawrence for his immense support and for his courage. We are overwhelmed with the positive and kind remarks that we have received from Brandeis students and faculty alike, and we are extremely proud of the strength and unity of our school community,” the MSA wrote. Brandeis’ statement on Tuesday affirmed that the university respects Hirsi Ali’s “work to protect and defend the rights of women and girls
photo from internet source
honorary degree Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been withdrawn
from the list to receive an honorary degree at commencement for the class of 2014, prompting strong feelings from those who both support and reject the university’s decision.
throughout the world,” but stated that “we cannot overlook certain of her past statements that are inconsistent with Brandeis University’s core values.” The statement welcomed Hirsi Ali to visit Brandeis at another time to engage in a discussion with students but said that commencement was a time to focus primarily on students’ success. There has been an intense backlash against the Muslim community and its allies, reaching as far as the national news media. In addition to news stories, some individuals have reached out to faculty and students in the MSA with virulent responses. Bernadette Brooten forwarded some of the hateful messages she has received to The Hoot, and they contain violent and expletive language. The analogies the commentators make are cruel and absurd, and will not be printed. The remarks are very personal, and although The Hoot has only received these personal emails from Brooten, she estimates that many other students in the Muslim community have also been attacked.
“We are tabling to raise awareness among students; we feel like it’s gone viral throughout faculty members and not so much through the students yet,” Sarah Fahmy ’14 said in an interview just before the student petition was posted online. “The University is not giving us any respect or dignity to graduate and be happy with our family. Instead we’re being targeted and they’re honoring a woman who preaches hate speech against us,” Fahmy said. Students were outraged at the prospect that Hirsi Ali would be honored at their graduation, and said they, and others, were prepared to walk out of commencement. “I am planning on walking out of my graduation in my cap and gown if this woman is honored,” Fahmy said. “My dad is going to walk out with me if she does end up coming. He thinks it’s such an insult to parents; it’s such a joyous occasion, and you’re sending us with this message of hate.” Ayesha Malik ’14, co-president of the MSA, said. Hirsi Ali is quoted by David Cohen in the London Evening Standard as
saying, “Violence is inherent in Islam—it’s a destructive, nihilistic cult of death. It legitimates murder … the battle against terrorism will ultimately be lost unless we realise that it’s not just with extremist elements within Islam, but the ideology of Islam itself … Islam is the new fascism.” In a 2007 interview with Reason magazine, Rogier van Bakel asked her, “Do you think Islam could bring about similar social and political changes?” Hirsi Ali responded, “Only if Islam is defeated.” Van Bakel followed by asking, “Don’t you mean defeating radical Islam?” Hirsi Ali responded, “No. Islam, period.” There have been some misleading statements from national media, which seem to indicate that Hirsi Ali was invited to speak at the commencement ceremony. She was not extended an invitation to speak at commencement but rather to receive an honorary degree. Brandeis has specifically invited her to have a discussion at the university at an alternative time. Ayaan Hirsi Ali herself released a
comment against the university on Thursday as published in the Weekly Standard. She wrote, “For over a decade, I have spoken out against such practices as female genital mutilation, so-called ‘honor killings,’ and applications of Sharia Law that justify such forms of domestic abuse as wife beating or child beating. Part of my work has been to question the role of Islam in legitimizing such abhorrent practices.” On Thursday evening, students Daniel Mael ’15 and Joshua Nass ’14 spoke on Fox News regarding the withdrawal of her award. Nass invited Hirsi Ali to come speak at Brandeis, and both criticized the university for no longer granting her the award. There is a long process to choose an honorary degree recipient, as detailed on the Board of Trustees webpage. Anyone may submit a nomination for a degree candidate to the Honorary Degrees Committee, which chooses certain nominations to present to the Board of Trustees. The Board approves nominations, and the president then chooses degree recipients from this list of approved names.
New chapter of Xi Kappa fraternity established by students By Ilana Cedarbaum Staff
The Brandeis community has recently seen the establishment of a new fraternity, Xi Kappa, an Asianinterest fraternity started by Brian Lee ’15, Eric Shen ’16, Brian Louis ’16, Justin Kwon ’16 and Darrell Hosford ’16. The idea of starting the fraternity began when Lee approached Shen and Hosford with an interest in starting an Asian-interest fraternity that would focus on Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) issues. Shen was the main point of contact for implementing the fraternity, and Hosford and Lee said that choosing which fraternity to establish was simple. Xi Kappa fit every criterion they were looking for in a fraternity. “They are very involved in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, trying to raise awareness and break stereotypes, and for me personally that was what I was looking for,” Hosford said. Xi Kappa’s focus on battling the stigma placed on mental health also made it an attractive choice to the members. The new chapter of Xi Kappa has many missions, includ-
ing bridging gaps between organizations on campus, giving a voice to young men and spreading awareness through community involvement. Hosford explained the goal of the fraternity’s existence on campus. “Our goal is to create a presence where we are recognized for building character in young men who are interested in creating a Brotherhood that focuses on the AAPI community.” Xi Kappa is not an exclusively Asian fraternity; anyone who is interested in AAPI issues is welcome to join. The process to start a fraternity at Brandeis is different than at many schools because Brandeis does not officially recognize the presence of Greek life on campus and therefore does not require administrative processes in creating a chapter. The fraternity thus began as an interest group that volunteered and held events to prove that they were a sustainable group. Since Brandeis does not recognize Greek life on campus, the Xi Kappa members say they faced some difficulties in the process of beginning their chapter. “We had a celebration event of our
crossing where we invited different organizations to our revealing,” Hosford explained. “This proved difficult, because we had to find event spacing off campus where a lot of students did not have the transportation to get to.” Despite setbacks such as this, their events were well attended and overall, the group has found that regardless of the fact that they are new, their chapter has been quite successful thus far. “Though we lack the resources from Brandeis in receiving funding and reserving event spacing, we have already assimilated very well into the Greek community around the Boston area and on campus,” Hosford said. Xi Kappa has also already supported many causes, including the Asian Pacific Annual Conferences (APAC) Conference at SUNY Albany and the East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU) Conference, which will be taking place next year in Boston. The Xi Kappa members expressed confidence in their fraternity and motivation to meet their goals for the future. The fraternity aims to volunteer and foster community involvement to provide a voice and spread awareness. Hosford explained that the group
hopes to remove the stigma attached to Greek life by proving the worth of all Greek life on campus through their philanthropic efforts. “We are hoping to show Brandeis
that fraternities and sororities are not the stereotypical ones that are shown in media but that they can improve the social and activism scene on campus,” Hosford said.
graphic from internet source
April 11, 2014
The Brandeis Hoot
NEWS
3
MLK Scholars speak on learning leadership By Dana Trismen Staff
MLK & Friends Club presented “SPEAK: A Scholar’s Story” on Thursday evening. The event featured a panel of three Brandeis alumnae, all of whom were MLK Scholars while at school. They shared tidbits of wisdom about leadership, motivation, how to get a job and most importantly: the power of relationships. Cynthia Jackson ’16, president of MLK & Friends, began the presentation. MLK & Friends is a club inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr. According to their Facebook page, their club “aims to connect all students with the greater Boston community in the name of social justice … our mission is simple: to promote tolerance, acceptance, teamwork, and service.” While the club is open to all students, Brandeis itself also offers a scholarship in the name of the famous civil rights activist, called the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship. It is awarded to first-years with excellent academic performance in high school, who also are involved in their communities and have financial needs. Only 10 students receive this honor each year. Jackson introduced the speakers, all of whom graduated in recent years. Desiree Murphy Babaniyi ’10, who also attended law school at
Northeastern, currently serves on the MBTA’s Department of Relations as a Labor Counsel. Alie Tawah ’11 works in health economics research, for a consulting company that focuses on the pharmaceutical and medical device industry. The final speaker, Erin Lue-Hing ’12, is a data quality analyst and compiles data about people who are homeless or at risk for homelessness in New Jersey. Jackson first asked the panel whether they had known they were going to be leaders when they were originally accepted to Brandeis. Overall, the panelists responded that their vision of what comprises leadership changed as they grew older. “You need to take the reins even if you don’t know what to do,” said LueHing, about how students should dive headfirst into on-campus leadership positions. “It’s taking that leap, even when it’s super scary.” All three panelists were student leaders during the time they spent at Brandeis, and were influential in the founding of the MLK & Friends club and in keeping the scholarship alive. “I had the unique experience of being part of this organization when it was created,” said Babaniyi. “This club gave our group of student a voice and visibility.” Then, when discussing the scholarship itself, she said, “There were things being said about cutting the program, and it was in danger. We [the MLK Scholars] were brought here to serve the Brandeis communi-
ty.” She discussed how she and other scholars forged lasting relationships, all the while highlighting that being an MLK Scholar meant contributing something to Brandeis while excelling academically. Brandeis decided not to cut funding for the program. After talking about their experience at Brandeis, the speakers discussed how to go about getting a job, and how a Brandeis experience can help prepare students for the future. “I knew when I was 16 years old that I was going to be a lawyer,” said Babaniyi. “I tried to be consistent with most of the things that I did [in terms of Brandeis clubs], and that was purposeful.” All three panelists agreed that doing activities just to pad a resume is unfair and unprofessional. “Less is more. Do things that are meaningful to you,” said Lue-Hing. At the end of the day, all three argued that getting a job comes down to forming relationships and lasting bonds. They also explored the importance of an interview Overall, Brandeis as an institution had a large impact on these three speakers, and increased their leadership potential. “I picked up on this aspect of leadership early on at Brandeis: the sense of taking initiative,” said Tawah. They have been changed by this institution, and are now inspiring others to lead like they are. “Brandeis is my first home, and I love this place very dearly,” Babaniyi said. photo from internet source
Harvard faces complaint with Office of Civil Rights By Charlie Romanow Staff
On March 28, two students at Harvard University filed a complaint with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights claiming that the school’s sexual assault policies violate protections set out by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The complaint was filed due to the school’s treatment of victims—giving them conflicting information, not adjusting accommodations adequately and reacting poorly to survivors’ claims. Many others at Harvard are hoping that the school will change its sexual assault policies, which they believe to be unclear, inconsistent and less stringent than those at other schools. Numerous testimonials stated that the school’s discipline against perpetrators was not sufficient and that some victims were forced to live in the same dormitory or house as their assailant. A survivor successfully obtained a no-contact order, but the assailant later became building manager of where they both lived, giving the assailant access to personal information and room keys as well as the responsibility of letting residents, including his victim, into their rooms. After bringing the issue to a resident dean, the dean said that no-contact orders are not a problem “when contact is legitimately needed.” Additionally, survivors were not made aware of the outcome of the adjudication process against perpetrators. A lack of training of administrators and support staff has led to great mishandling in attempting to support survivors. The Huffington Post reported that when a woman of color tried to report her assault, a college official replied, “It’s in your culture that men are gropey.” Another victim was told that her drinking may have caused her assault, a point that is unfortunately brought to many victims by administrators. A number of these testimonials were included in the fed-
eral complaint. Further confusion that can prevent students from seeking out help is the muddle that occurs from jurisdiction of Harvard’s clubs. Similar to some fraternities and sororities, these clubs operate independent of the school but are a major part of the campus culture and social scene. Due to their administrative separation from the university, students who are assaulted at one of these spaces are often told to report the incident to the Cambridge police, who then refer the student back to the university police. According to a 2012 survey completed by 1,927 Harvard students, 54 percent of students believed that the male final clubs, which are undergraduate social organizations, have a negative or very negative social effect on the campus while only 25 percent believe they had a positive effect. The rules and regulations in place at Harvard were first instituted 21 years ago, after which time policies and practices on college campuses have drastically changed. Despite being endorsed by the Undergraduate Council, the school does not use an affirmative consent standard that would call for individuals engaging in sex to say yes, instead of not saying no. Harvard is the only Ivy League school that does not follow this practice of affirmative consent. The school’s policy also does not use the standard of proof model promoted by the Office for Civil Rights since 2011. Currently, much of the burden of proof is placed on the victim to substantiate that the sexual assault occurred while the preponderance of evidence model endorsed by the Department of Education allows a student to be found guilty if the decision makers are at least 51 percent certain of the accused students responsibility for an incident. Princeton University and Harvard are the only Ivy League schools that do not follow the preponderance of evidence process. Harvard’s practice of having sexual assault hearings composed of panels without a student is also rare among colleges.
photo from internet source
New England University professor Wendy Murphy has filed multiple complaints against Harvard and other schools for Title IX violations. She believes that not having a preponderance of evidence policy sends a hostile message to students that “we do believe you—we just don’t believe you that much,” according to The Crimson, Harvard’s student newspaper. Publicity of Harvard’s shortcomings related to sexual assault has risen in the past week after an anonymous letter was published in The Crimson by a student who saw the school’s flaws firsthand. The student claims that despite repeated attempts at moving her assailant, he continues to live in the same building as she, and she accidentally runs into him five times a day. The first-person account of the situation can be summarized by its title, “Dear Harvard: You Win,” due to the student’s fervent attempts at justice, which were responded to with denial and unsupportive staff. A resident dean compared her living in
the same building as her assailant to a divorced couple having to work in the same office and other advisors told her to forgive the perpetrator. Since the incident she has been diagnosed with anxiety and depression and prescribed medication to combat her mental symptoms. She believes that the main issue lies in a lack of training of staff, saying, “They want to be supportive, and they really try to be. But they have no idea how to deal with cases of sexual violence because they have not been trained sufficiently,” according to ABC News. The school established a working group in May 2013 to investigate what resources the school offers. The working group is focused on resources currently available to students and making all available options known. After The Crimson letter was published the school formed a student task force to evaluate its policies related to sexual assault. According to the task force’s mission, student input will be essential to its research.
Jeff Neal, spokesman for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, stated the working group is meant “to assess the resources that are already available, how we communicate them to students and what additional resources or communications might be needed going forward,” as reported by The Crimson. Students seem to be on board with a change in policy, as shown by a Harvard referendum vote in which 85 percent of undergraduates voted in favor of the school adjusting its sexual assault policies. Undergraduate Council Vice President Jennifer Zhu believes that there is still more to do. “We need a shift in culture on campus surrounding sexual assault and rape. But that needs to be facilitated and complemented by things such as policy reforms like affirmative consent policy, more productive conversation during Freshman Week and continued awareness of sexual assault education beyond our first week in college,” according to Zhu.
4 NEWS
The Brandeis Hoot
April 11, 2014
Zinner forum highlights CEO’s power to make social change By Jaye Han Staff
On Tuesday evening, the Zinner Forum was held, sponsored by the Eli J. Segal Citizen Leadership Program, the Sillerman Center and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. The event “CEO Conversations: Business Leaders as Citizen Leaders,” presented three prominent leaders and their engagement in enacting social change in their communities. The speakers present at this event were: Tom Dretler, co-founder and CEO of Shorelight Education; Jonathan Lavine, managing partner and Chief Investment Officer of Sankaty; and Trish Karter, CEO of LightEf-
fect Farms and co-founder of Dancing Deer Baking Company. Lisa M. Lynch, dean of the Heller School, moderated the event. Regarding how values that drive businesses affect social change, Lavine said that his organization always tries to do the right thing by their employees, constituents and communities. He always tries to keep sustainability in mind. His company decided to make its offices better for the environment. One of the things they did was to eliminate water bottles and keep glass pitchers of water instead. They have saved approximately 800,000 water bottles since they began this cause. “You won’t see a single water bottle in our offices,” he said. Lavine stated that when you work at a reasonably prominent place, you can use that platform to create change
Speaker explores Tolkien By Shreyas Warrier Staff
As part of the Martin Weiner Lecture Series, Maria Cecire, assistant professor of literature and director of experimental humanities at Bard College, was invited to speak about Tolkien’s works on Thursday. Tolkien is well known as the creator of the world of Middle Earth and the writer of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Cecire’s talk, entitled “Unfashionable Creatures: Tolkien’s 1931 Curricular Reforms and the Fantastic Imagination,” discussed the disenchantment of the modern view in regards to magic and imagination, through the lens of Tolkien’s and C.S. Lewis’ work. Cecire is the founding director of the experimental humanities program at Bard College, where she teaches courses like medieval literature. She has received a Rhodes Scholarship for her work and the Alden Media Trust Lab Grant. She also makes documentaries about medieval film. Her manner was forthright and clear, punctuated by easy smiles and a comfortable stance. She stated, “Tolkien conveys a disdain for the literary views and practices of the time.” Instead, he sought the “enduring narratives in medieval literature.” The preoccupation with the dragon in “Beowulf ” was tied to the dragon’s position as the chief enemy of the gods. Tolkien himself argued that the “dragon is a symbol of a fight between our soul and its adversaries.” Tolkien states that the “dragon in legend is a potent creation of man’s imagination, richer in significance than his barrow is in gold.” Tolkien decried Oxford English School’s B Course, accusing it of summarily dismissing the first 600 years of recorded English literature. He also proposed a method to fix the problem, suggesting studying “language and literature together” and “disregarding parts of the 19th- and 20th-century literature, as it has no imaginative value.” This curriculum, created by Lewis and Tolkien, existed at Oxford’s English School from 1931 to 1970. Students first read medieval and Old English texts and then moved into Shakespeare. Later they learned the “literary course proper,” which dealt with more modern literature. Student responses proved that they favoured this new version of study. They were also still “required to read ‘Beowulf,’ ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’ and Chaucer.” Tolkien and Lewis constantly spoke of the education received from reading these texts in their original languages. Cecire combined many quotes from Tolkien and Lewis and used them to
back up her argument. She explained how jazz music and Hollywood fever spread quickly through Britain after World War II, and the United States slowly became known as the byword for modern. Tolkien sought to go back to the Old English roots, to create a sense of English nationalism. However, he was wrought with sadness at the fact that he could compile no agreement of works, nothing bound in the language and soil of England. Everything he brought together was Norse, Germanic and Celtic. Tolkien believed fantasy could bring the secular beyond religion—and, as Cecire stated, “many readers found in Middle Earth a secular path to religion.” Tolkien believed that “most of all, perhaps, we need intimate knowledge of the past. Not that the past has any magic about it, but because we cannot study the future, and yet need something to set against the present, to remind us that the basic assumptions have been quite different in different periods and that much which seems certain to the uneducated is merely temporary fashion.” There is a clear link between “The Hobbit” and “Beowulf ”—the first scene with the dragon is a distinct parallel. Ultimately, the “destruction of the dragon Smaug falls not to Bilbo but to a grim-faced human named Bard … the scenario echoes the dragon’s waking in ‘Beowulf,’ when a servant steals a cup for his master.” While Beowulf dies in his epic, Bard survives and leads his people, marking an embodiment of the past in the present. “The Hobbit” promotes the need for the mythology of the past through Bilbo’s disbelief of the prophecies of the old songs. Even Gandalf, in the last conversation in the book, states, “Of course! And why should they not prove true? Surely you don’t disbelieve the prophecies, because you had a hand in bringing them about yourself?” The past prophecies aid the death of Smaug and the creation of a new world after the dragon’s death. Cecire spoke deeply and passionately about Tolkien and Lewis’ reforms of the Oxford English curriculum and how they restored traditional ancient texts of the English language to importance. They created a form of literature that took the modern reader past modern beliefs and literatures and back through religion to fantasy and imagination, to the world of parables and morals, of imagination entwined with history. She stated that Tolkien and Lewis “had an enormous effect on keeping medieval literature and fairy tales extant and circulating in modern literature, creating new audiences for the works.”
around the world, because it allows you to get people’s attention. He said that there are a lot of ways to make money in this world, but you have to pick and choose the way you live it to reflect the values you live by. “It has to be in the fiber of the organization,” he said. “Everyone at work has to be reflecting this attitude for social change.” Karter said that she brought her core values into running a business by managing the conversations at the board level. “Articulating the value system at the board level is when things are really going to change,” she said. She spoke about benefit corporations, which enable the directors of the company to make choices based on priorities other than strictly financial values. In other words, if you work at a benefit corporation, the corpora-
tion allows you to make decisions for the value system they believe in—social, environmental, among others— for a little less financial benefit, she explained. Dretler added that this system of benefit corporation allows the directors to escape the usual system where the decisions are made based on what makes the most money. This benefit model allows them to look at something other than the revenue. “We can talk about what matters in the world,” he said. “This is actually the right way to build a business,” Lavine said. The business missions affect the long term success; the best decisions often bring in the best results. “I think the best thing to do is to be able to say what good you did in your business, more than being able to say how much money you made in the business,” he
added. The three speakers spoke about the change in our current economy. The investors are asking the business what their causes are and what they are doing, which is a new concept. They focus more and more about what the businesses are working towards, how the products are being made, what their motivations are and how you are supporting sustainability. The market is requiring this drive for progress towards social benefits. The conversation concluded that being a CEO is a little different than what it meant 10 years ago. The speakers explained that being a CEO allows you to impact a large number of people, and therefore what you do and your beliefs matter. “We believe that being a good CEO is being a person who makes positive differences in the world,” they said.
New group calls for further action on assault
RESOURCES, from page 1
will be made between various groups on campus to communicate better and hold the appropriate discussions before this project is started. “This is not unreasonable to ask,” Amalia Bob-Waksberg ’14 said. “Other schools have created room in their budget to combat these issues and so should Brandeis.” The group is asking the administration for a formal response by April 14 to set a date for further conversations. They emphasize that they want to collaborate and work with the administration because they know that the school is dedicated to this combating this issue. “We want to work with our administration to help transform our campus community and make Brandeis a pioneer in this far-reaching call for action,” the letter states. Ava Blustein ’15 says the deadline is not meant to be a threat, but rather to stress that the group wants this process started as soon as possible. “We know that the administration cares deeply for this cause, and we don’t want it to fall apart,” said Blustein. The group is comprised of survivors, supporters of survivors, peer counselors and leaders from various organizations that support the group’s prevention and awareness efforts. Bob-Waksberg says the group has identified people who hold very different roles on campus, and this effort would provide stronger communica-
tion on these issues. “There are resources available on our campus, but part of the problem is that these resources aren’t communicated and made accessible to the community, and the various people providing these resources aren’t communicating with each other,” BobWaksberg said. “That’s why we are inviting people from all corners of campus to come together. We need to work together more efficiently and we need to demand accountability.” The group both acknowledges and commends the many members of the Brandeis community who contribute to ensuring the safety and well-being of students by engaging in awareness and prevention efforts. The letter praises the dedication of student organizations and activists, the Health Center staff, counselors at the Psychological Counseling Center and faculty, among many other individuals personally committed to this issue. But other members of the community claim that Brandeis is not up to par in providing the appropriate resources. “As a school that calls itself the ‘premier social justice university,’ we have an obligation to put this at the forefront. As far as providing resources and giving attention to the issues of sexual violence on campus, Brandeis lags behind its peers,” Victoria Jonas ’15 said. Jonas cites Boston University’s Sexual Assault and Prevention Center, an on-campus site that has direct and ‘round-the-clock access to trained
professionals in the area of sexual assault and trauma. She recognizes that while the school is larger in size and may be able to provide more resources, having professionally trained staff is a critical step in making the Brandeis campus a safer space. Specific sexual assault response training of Brandeis police is one of the proposed changes in the letter. “Our campus police need to understand how to respond in a way to sexual assault, rape and violence that is sensitive and compassionate,” Jonas said. “They need to know what questions to ask and how to ask them.” SASV is not recognized as a formal club on campus, but rather a closed group that holds a safe space for discussion. The group was formed six weeks ago, right before SpeakOut! Brandeis emerged, an anonymous online forum that allows those affected by sexual assault, violence and harassment to make their voices heard. In the letter to the administration, SASV says they saw an overwhelming number of submissions in a relatively short amount of time that inspired them to take further action. Although SASV is a separate entity unrelated to SpeakOut!, they highly support the student-led group and its goals. “Through the high volume of submissions, it became clear that something was missing from our community. SpeakOut! illuminated a need for the resources and a discussion around these issues,” Shota Adamia ’15 said.
photo from internet source
SPORTS
April 11, 2014
The Brandeis Hoot 5
Baseball wins three out of four, sweeps doubleheader By Charlie Romanow Staff
Over a three day span, the baseball team won a total of three games after having played four. They had their home opener on Sunday with a doubleheader against Framingham State University. The first run of the afternoon came in the top of the third inning. Framingham’s Mark Mainini was able to bring home William Derosier after the latter stole second base. Brandeis would not be down for long though, scoring in the next half inning. A throwing error by the shortstop allowed Ryan Tettemer `17 to reach base. Liam O’Connor `16 placed a sacrifice bunt to advance Tettemer. A fly out by Brian Ing `14 pushed the runner over to third with two outs. No more hits would be necessary as
a wild pitch with two strikes brought Tettemer home. There were no hits over the next two and a half innings before the Judges came up with all the runs needed to win. Ing reached on a walk, subsequently stealing second. Connor Doyle `16 sacrificed Ing to third allowing a single to centerfield by Tom McCarthy `15 to score Ing. Greg Heineman `16 reached first base as a fielder’s choice ejected McCarthy from the base paths. Heineman advanced to third and an error put Max Hart `16 at first base. Heineman reached home while Hart was in a pickle to score the team’s final run. Two runners reached base in the top of the seventh, but pitcher Kyle Brenner `15 was able to end the game on a pickoff, winning 3-1. Brandeis was able to win the game by sacrifices, steals and taking advantage of miscues by the defense. McCarthy obtained the victors sole hit.
Brenner pitched a seven inning complete game, allowing one run on five hits and striking out seven to earn his third win of the season. The Rams scored the first runs of the next game as well, putting up two in the second inning as a result of two errors by the Judges. They added another run in the following inning after a hit batter and two steals. Framingham almost extended their lead in the fourth but Jake Wardwell was called out at home on a fielder’s choice. The Judges began to claw back in the fifth inning; Doyle walked with two outs and was hit home by a big double to right field by McCarthy. Brandeis tied the game in the next inning. Brenner singled to center field and advanced to third on a Dominic Schwartz `14 double. Tettemer allowed Brenner to score and Cameron Shaw `15 hit a pinch hit sacrifice fly to center field to bring home Schwartz.
Two hit batters and three steals in the seventh brought home a Rams run that would force Brandeis to score in the next half-inning or lose the seven inning game. O’Connor began the inning with a single, advancing to third on the next at bat. McCarthy singled to score O’Connor and send the game into extra innings. Sloppy play by the Judges allowed Framingham to score in the eighth after a hit batter and two errors. Again facing a do-or-die situation, Brandeis responded, loading the bases with no outs. Pinch hitter Dan Gad `14 grounded into a double play but pushed forward Schwartz for the run. The Rams were close to scoring yet again in the ninth, placing runners on second and third but pitcher Liam Coughlin `17 handled the situation by forcing a groundout to halt the momentum. Schwartz reached the bases again in the tenth on a walk. Tettemer placed a sacrifice bunt that
permit Schwartz to take advantage of a throwing error to reach home and win the game 6-5. Doyle, McCarthy and Tettemer each had multiple hits with McCarthy adding two RBI’s. Schwartz had three runs, reaching base on a double and two walks. Framingham had plenty of opportunities to advance on the bases, having eight steals plus Brandeis hitting four batters and making six errors. Six pitchers took the mound for the home team; James Machado `16 earned the win, pitching a perfect final inning. Brandeis defeated UMASS-Dartmouth 4-3 on Monday and lost to Worcester State University 9-4 on Tuesday. They have home games on Thursday and Friday and head to Springfield College and Johnson and Wales University on Monday and Tuesday. They are 10-13.
photos by marian siljeholm/the hoot
NEWS
Students march for an Candidates discuss plans for Univ. end to assault ELECTION, from page 1
TAKE BACK, from page 1
conduct standards. We will make every attempt to respond to any actions to disrupt or interfere with this sensitive and important student-run event.” The 2013 march was obstructed by non-participating students shouting “men’s rights” and “yeah ZBT” at the group, a reference to an alleged sexual assault committed by a member of the ZBT fraternity against another Brandeis student. This year, more than 70 students composed an impressive group. They walked from residence quad to residence quad, chanting slogans such as “Unite tonight to take back the night!” and “2, 4, 6, 8, no more violence, no more rape!” Making noise and bringing attention to the issue was also an important part of the event. At each residence quad, the entire group formed a circle and stood in silence. Candles were re-lit at each stopping point— the wind blew most of them out while the group moved, and people shared their flames with their neighbors. Each time, survivors and their allies were welcome to come forward with their stories, and several people did. After a few minutes had passed, everyone on the march chanted the name of the place on campus, and asked it to take back the night before moving forward. In each of the residence halls, many students who did not participate in the march opened their windows
photo from internet source
and turned off their lights. Everyone passed through the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium to get to the last stop, the Great Lawn of the SCC, continuing to chant together. This year, a student who shouted something at the group during the early stages of the march came forward at the end to apologize for his behavior. He then joined the circle. At that point, the wind had increased, and it was almost impossible to keep a candle burning. Yet march members spoke on how “the light represents what is inside you.” It is a visual symbol of worth and solidarity. Students said that they valued Take Back the Night as a safe space to speak about their experiences with sexual assault and to show solidarity with survivors and bring much needed attention to the issue. Even if survivors feel as though their stories are not “worth being told” or do not feel comfortable opening up about an extremely personal experience, Take Back the Night offered an opportunity for reflection and healing in a community space.
added: “As President, I would create more student positions within the Union and allow more voices to get through on issues like dining, housing and transparency.” Gilkey was asked how he planned on reconciling his candidacy with the fact that he has never held a position in the Student Union. He responded that as an underclassman, “it was really hard for me to find out anything about the Student Union and how they were representing me, so I felt like nobody would really care if I ran for anything anyway. Over my years at Brandeis, I’ve come to think differently. I consider one of my most important skills … my ability to go out to the student body and speak with students and listen to them and understand their problems, and I feel that my communications skills and my willingness to learn would be key in preparing me for being president because I would be able to voice those issues well.” Bessendorf was faced with a question about the loftiness of her ideas and goals, and was asked to present a step-by-step breakdown of her plan. “Something that I champion is my ability to get things done. As a member of the Student Union I have accomplished several significant goals, including the tree lights outside of Usdan as well as the new safety feature where students receive emails about fire drills beforehand instead of just waking up to a fire alarm at 4 in
the morning, which was my experience once in Ziv,” she said. For questions asked to the group as a whole, one of the most discussed was about administrative support for controversial on-campus events, such as Israel Apartheid Week. Walia and Gilkey both pledged that in the event of a group of students receiving verbal abuse (such as what occurred online during Israel Apartheid Week), that they would publicly support those students no matter their own feelings on the larger matter. Bessendorf disagreed, instead saying, “I would not use my position as president to specifically support any group. However I would defend the right to express whatever ideas they want,” she said during the debate. Candidates also discussed the allocation of resources towards school spirit events and activities. All three candidates agreed that the financial allocation for events such as ’Deis Day were successes for the Brandeis community; however, they also argued that in their respective presidencies they would make some specific alterations.
One of the final questions posed was about the candidates’ personal backgrounds. Walia stated that her experience at Brandeis and firm belief that the Student Union is an expression of the student body inspired her to continue to improve and make change. She also spoke about her experience as a minority student, both religiously and ethnically. Bessendorf highlighted her experience working with the institutions at Brandeis, including her efforts to improve environmental conditions on campus as well as her status as a Jewish student who has personally collaborated with many of the religious denominations at Brandeis. Gilkey stated, “Coming to Brandeis wouldn’t be possible for me without the MKTYP Program, so I feel a responsibility to help all students at Brandeis experience the same opportunities that were awarded to me.” The event was also streamed live by WBRS, and was recorded for any student who wished to listen afterward. Voting opened at midnight on Friday morning, and elections will run for 24 hours.
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6 The Brandeis Hoot
April 11, 2014
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ outdoes predecessor By Jess Linde Staff
If there was ever a comic book character who faced terrible odds of getting a real, good big-screen adaptation, it was Captain America. As the series of cheesy late-’80s and early-’90s TV movies showed, it is very difficult to take a man dressed like a flag who throws a giant Frisbee seriously. And from a modern, postCold War jingoism view, the Captain is at the very least a literal representation of American imperialism. A six-five, ultra-muscular white guy with blonde hair and blue eyes who again, dresses like a flag and throws a shield? Who can take that seriously in this day and age? Well, based on the box office returns of “Captain America: The First Avenger,” and “The Avengers,” apparently the whole world can. Both of those films deserved it, too; they’re both a ton of fun and do great justice to the source material. They have pushed the limit of what audiences expect from blockbuster films in terms of scale and quality. With “The Winter Soldier,” Marvel again outdoes itself, bringing the fantasy ideal of Captain America into the very real world. In this sequel, based on the comic book story of the same name, Chris Evans returns as Captain
America, now officially working for S.H.I.E.L.D. and its leader, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Still trying to fit into the modern world after the events of “The Avengers,” Captain has a problem with the lengths being taken by America’s intelligence apparatus, but is shooed off as idealistic by his superiors. However, when an attempt on Fury’s life apparently succeeds, Captain is branded a traitor by the powerful politician Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford) and must go on the run. Now, with the help of Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson) and new friend Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), he must uncover a vast conspiracy stretching back to World War Two and battle some very literal ghosts of the past. The first thing that surprised me about “The Winter Soldier” was the near-complete tonal shift from the first “Captain America.” Rather than a series of large, classic Hollywoodstyle battles against robotic Nazis and Hugo Weaving, the action and plot of this film are much more condensed and fast paced, in the style of an espionage thriller. Much of the film is dedicated to developing the Captain America character into something more than a cartoon, specifically during the dialogue scenes between Evans and Johannson. The two have great chemistry, and the quick and witty script succeeds in creating two real human characters who are not invincible and definitely not infallible. This comes in sharp contrast to
the good-hearted yet cheesy storyline of the first film. The pace of the story is a slow burn rather than a rollercoaster, especially in regards to the titular Winter Soldier, who is never overused. He makes his appearances on screen very mysterious and effective. The story’s twists and turns aren’t too predictable, and the film’s overall feel is much more tense than its predecessor. Unlike the Nazis, the American military-industrial complex is not a monolithic villain, and “The Winter Soldier” reflects that. As a result, there are several surprisingly deep insights into the nature of empire and surveillance within the film, which I never expected from a Captain America movie. Of course, the film is still a comic book movie at heart, and as a comic book geek, I was far from disappointed in this area. While I liked “The First Avenger’s” retro approach, the action scenes here have much higher stakes and actually feel dangerous and often brutal. The tight cinematography gives weight to every punch and gunshot, and sometimes I actually wondered if the Captain and his merry band would make it out intact. Evans is still perfectly cast in the lead role, Jackson is as cool as ever, as is Johannson, and Redford brings his A game as well. But the real breakout star is the Mackie, who is utterly charming as the Falcon. His robotic wing-suit is incredibly cool to watch, and it is great to see a character who isn’t white stand equal with familiar
photo from internet source
THE WINTER SOLDIER
superheroes. Hopefully, Mackie will get his own movie, because he deserves it. Overall, I think it is fair to say that “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is my favorite non-“Avengers” Marvel movie to date. It again raises the bar and reminded me why the Captain was always my favorite Avenger as a kid. There are hints
to future films everywhere, a great post-credits scene and promise that the Captain America franchise can only get better. All I can say is that with this movie and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which also looks great, coming in August, Thor and the rest better shape up, because slapstick and Gwyneth Paltrow just won’t cut it anymore.
Wind ensemble spring recital charmed with familiar tunes By Michelle Kim Editor
Last Sunday, April 6 the Brandeis Wind Ensemble held their spring recital, “History of the American Musical.” Conducted by Tom Souza, the Wind Ensemble consisted of an impressive variety of instruments, including flutes, clarinets, French horns, trumpets, percussion and an oboe. Unlike many of the musical events that take place at the Slosberg Music Center, this one had a large audience. There were so many people that Slosberg ran out of concert pamphlets. The first piece played was a selection of songs from “Wicked,” all of which were originally composed by Stephen Schwartz, but were arranged for a wind ensemble by Jay Bocook. “Wicked” has won Tony Awards, Drama Desk Awards and a Grammy. Because “Wicked” is one of Broadway’s most critically-acclaimed and well-attended musicals, performing selections from it was a wonderful way to open the night. The selections were not only chosen wisely but also mixed well. The final excerpt, taken from “Defying Gravity” (the signature “Wicked” song), ended the piece on a high note despite some messy playing. An obvious favorite, the selections from “Wicked” elicited loud applause from the crowd. In between each piece, conductor Souza turned to the audience to give notes on each of the musical selections that the wind ensemble was about to play. It was a much-appreciated gesture; although the audience (presumably) loved American musicals, powering through each piece would have been tedious. Furthermore, Souza’s words showed that he was rather passionate about not only the American musical, but also his ensemble. Following “Wicked” was “Show Boat,” a 1927 musical that redefined Broadway by addressing racial prejudice and, according to Souza, “tragic,
enduring love.” Although more put together than the selections from “Wicked,” “Show Boat” was less familiar to the audience. Leonard Bernstein’s beloved “West Side Story” was performed after “Show Boat.” Famous for its complicated and difficult music, “West Side Story” was one of the less exciting pieces of the night. Because the musical (like most Broadway productions) has such dynamic music, it was disappointing to hear the ensemble perform it in such a monotonous tone. However, I don’t think the audience minded. They were all enjoying the nostalgia-inducing performance. After “West Side Story” and a brief intermission was “Sabbath Prayer” from “Fiddler on the Roof.” Although “Fiddler on the Roof ” is an integral part of American Broadway history, I thought it was rather irrelevant to this concert because it was sung by the wind ensemble players instead of being played with wind instruments. Despite the confusing nature of the situation, I was quite impressed by the vocal abilities of the wind instrumentalists—they could have passed as a choral ensemble. Once the very strange rendition of “Sabbath Prayer” ended, the musicians returned to their instruments, re-tuned and played selections from “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” which was a 1979 musical thriller about British throat slitter Sweeney Todd. One of the flutists, Cheryl Burns ’15, demonstrated her instrumental versatility by moving to the piano and playing an accompanying part. The wind ensemble and Souza finished the night with excerpts from “The Sound of Music,” which has played a part in the lives of many people. Songs like “Edelweiss,” “My Favorite Things,” “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “Do-Re-Mi” and the title song “The Sound of Music” were sampled. It was a comforting and fitting piece to end the concert with. Overall, I thought using the Amer-
ican musical as a theme was a wise choice on Souza’s part. It brought in a larger audience than a regular Slos-
berg concert would have. After all, Brandeis has a rather significant musical theater student population on
campus. Although the performance wasn’t Carnegie Hall worthy, it was still a fun and satisfying night.
famous musicals The Brandeis Wind Ensemble played pieces from well loved musicals such as Wicked.
photos from internet source
April 11, 2014
The Brandeis Hoot
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7
‘Interrupted’ lacks plot but contains vivid imagery By Clayre Benzadon Staff
“Interrupted, a Theater Piece in Pieces,” written, directed and choreographed by Sarah Elizabeth Bedard ’14, explores the lives of writers Susanna Kaysen, Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton and is based on the best-selling memoir “Girl, Interrupted.” Performed in the Spingold Theater from Friday, April 4 through Sunday, April 6, this play skillfully portrays the horrors, extremities and pain of how these mental illnesses plagued the lives of these women. These illnesses ranged from Kaysen’s multiple-personality disorder to Plath and Sexton’s manic-depression disorders, as well as their constant suicidal tendencies.
The play takes place in a mental hospital. The story not only focuses on mental illness, but also on the complex character dynamics and relationships that each character has with one another. The continued relationships that evolve between Susanna (Alex Johnson MFA ’14), Nellie (Caley Chase ’16), Lisa (Bedard), Sylvia (Liz Tancredi MFA ’14) and Polly (Sara Schoch MFA ’14) seem to damage them even more, as each character feeds off another’s energy. Susanna, the main character, is the first character to come on stage, already with a bottle of vodka while dancers surround her like angels. But from the start, however, the audience became confused. One problem with this play is that there was not really a concrete
Professor Krstansky to direct play next fall By Theresa Gaffney Editor
It may be the end of the semester, but that doesn’t mean that the theater is quiet. This Monday, in the Crawford Studio in Spingold Theater, Professor Adrianne Krstansky (THA) held auditions for a play that she will be directing next fall at Brandeis through the Brandeis Theater Company. The play is called “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” by Sarah Ruhl. “An incessantly ringing cell phone in a quiet café. A stranger at the next table who has had enough. And a dead man with a lot of loose ends. So begins ‘Dead Man’s Cell Phone,’” the description of the audition on the Brandeis Arts calendar reads. Krstansky fell in love with Ruhl’s work right away, she said, after seeing another production of Ruhl’s at Brandeis a few years earlier. Viktoria Lange ’13 directed “a gorgeous production” of Ruhl’s “Eurydice.” “I was so taken by the world of the play and even more particularly by how beautifully our students lived in her world. Her writing is very imaginative, quirky, funny and poetic—and the characters are dealing with enormous challenges but have moments of childlike innocence and joy,” Krstansky said. Then, she read “Dead Man’s Cell Phone.” The play spoke to her immediately because “it addresses issues that I am currently thinking deeply about—the role of technology in our lives, loneliness, death, connection— how we wish to be remembered, this new way of knowing each other that has come about via cell phones, texting, Facebook, etc … and the play addresses these questions in this fantastically light-hearted, quirky, hilariously and deeply moving way.” While it may seem surprising that a professor is going to direct a performance within Brandeis’s own theater community, Krstansky said that it happens all the time. Next season, Krstansky as well as Professor Susan Dibble (THA) and Professor Robert Walsh (THA) will be directing shows. In addition to these professors, faculty designers as well as undergraduate designers and stage managers and professional artists from the Boston area will help out with other aspects of the productions. “We are especially excited about that international director Hafiz Karmali is coming to direct ‘The Conference of Birds’ with our undergraduate students,” Krstansky said. According to his website, Karmali “favors a highly stylized form of dance-theatre that is often inspired by art history and devotional in nature.” His most recent production, “Rumi x 7 = Tales from the Masnavi” is performed “circusstyle” featuring acrobats and clowns.
It is a series of vignettes including familiar stories like “The Elephant in Darkness” and “The Grammarian and Boatman.” The budget provided by the school for Brandeis Theater Company will fund the play. Despite the fact that Krstansky is on sabbatical, she still made it to Brandeis for the auditions on Monday night and for callbacks the following night. So far, she has been thrilled with how auditions have gone. “Auditions were last night and went extremely well. This is going to be an incredibly difficult decision for me as folks did such a beautiful job of bringing their own personal interpretations to the roles and to the plays. I was so grateful that so many people had taken the time to read the play and really had an understanding of the atmosphere and world these characters exist in. This is so crucial in an audition—to know that you are going to be part of a big picture and understanding the role of a character in telling the story,” she said. Not only did the students auditioning for “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” impress Krstansky with their deep understandings of the story, but many brought subjects to light that she had never thought about before. “This group of actors last night taught me about the play—and it is such a gift in auditions when people come in and surprise you or make you hear a line in a different way or show you what is important to know or important questions to ask. Every person gave me a moment of thinking—‘Oh yes, I need to look more carefully at that moment—look at what they just did!’” Rehearsals for “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” will begin almost immediately upon returning to school on Aug. 28. The performances will be Oct. 9-12.
photo from internet source
adrianne krstansky
exposition. There is no character introduction—if it wasn’t for the fact that I learned about Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton from my previous poetry classes, I would have never known who these characters were nor would I value the significance of the mental illnesses in their lives. Additionally, there really isn’t a plot to the story—it seemed as though the scenes were just moving along through each character’s different struggle with mental illness, but there was no background information provided. One exception was a brief scene announcing what depersonalization is (a dissociative disorder in which the sufferer feels as though she is disconnected from her own body). This made the play drag at points. There
was also no variation in intensity, due to the tragic portrayal of mental illness, which stayed constantly frightening. Throughout the play, Kaysen experiences many traumatic episodes. The scenes were dramatic, with strobe lights, intense music and a great amount of audible pain coming from Kaysen’s mouth. It seemed very realistic. I felt fascinated but also a bit afraid, nervous and not sure whether to stay in my seat or save the character on stage. There were so many long, melodramatic acts, like the ones of Kaysen’s outbursts, that it was hard to really pinpoint the main turning point of the play, especially since there were few instances of dialogue. The conversations also didn’t really flow very well
and jumped from scene to scene with no clear direction or with any major point in mind. Despite these problems, the actors were good at staying true to the scene. The actions portrayed in the outbreaks already seemed very uncomfortable to the audience. An example of this was when the actress looked as if she were dancing but also hitting herself. Yet the mania conveyed through this scene did not seem overdone. Even when the actresses started falling onto the floor a couple of times throughout the play, in none of the instances did the exaggerated tumbles look fake. Therefore, even though the play’s underlying story was a bit vague, “Interrupted” deserves praise for portraying challenging scenes so vividly.
Discussion of ‘La Femme en Bleu’ at The Rose By Shikha Chandarana
of interest and enthusiasm about art. The audience and students, when asked about the emotion the painting The Rose Art Museum has a sig- evoked, gave answers ranging from nificant collection of art, and related “cheerful” to “manic.” Hearing everylectures are a very efficient way of ex- one’s opinions on the piece made my ploring and expanding the interests of visit fruitful. The Rose gives an opportunity to the students in the subject of art. Fernand Léger’s “La Femme en Bleu” was a recent topic. Brandeis faculty members Sabine von Mering (associate professor of German and Women’s and Gender Studies and director for the Center for German and European Studies) and Lucy Kim (FA) delivered the talk. In the gallery, there were a few chairs set up facing the painting to aid its viewing and analysis. Léger was a prolific French painter and an important part of the cubist movement. He managed to incorporate his experience in the First World War to produce a more mechanical and abstract type of art. The painting “La Femme en Bleu” uses a few of his cubist influences along with primary colors to convey an interesting subject matter. One of the main focuses of the discussion was on the abstract nude female figure, drawn on a blue background. The discussion on it ranged from the influences of the figure to the effect it could have on the viewer of the image. The conclusions drawn ranged from it being called an unsettling image of a diabolical woman, to an image of a woman transforming into a machine due to Léger’s future themes of a mechanical age. Other aspects of the painting were also discussed. The panel had minor disagreements over the symbolic themes of certain aspects of the painting that were originally meant to develop the meaning of the poem. The speakers also had a great sense of humor, as they lightened the mood by comparing some aspects of the painting to a “mechanical sperm.” Kim, an artist herself, used her expertise to discuss the techniques of the painting by paying attention to the errors made by the artist and the methods used to cover these up. Focusing on the more technical aspects of the painting made the seminar very enlightening. The honesty of the speaker was also an interesting change of pace for the talk, and when asked if she liked the painting, Kim was honest enough to say that she didn’t and gave very valid, yet personal, reasons for her thoughts. The last part of the lecture was an interactive one, where people were allowed to ask the panelists questions about the painting. The faculty’s expertise was obvious, as their answers were very educational, but Mering’s students were given the opportunity to talk about the painting as well, and their replies showed a large amount LA FEMME EN BLEU Staff
students from all disciplines to get a deeper understanding of art and to hone their interests in the field without having to study it. The panelists’ discussion, although informal, was extremely informative and inspired me to explore other works of Léger and cubism in general.
photo from internet source
8 ARTS
The Brandeis Hoot
April 11, 2014
‘Hairspray’ draws a sold out crowd in SCC theater By Michelle Kim Editor
“Hairspray,” presented by the Brandeis Hillel Theater Group and co-sponsored by Hillel at Brandeis University is, to put it simply, a hit. People were lining up an hour before the show started, and by the time 7:50 p.m. rolled around, the SCC was half full. When the show started, the theater was full and the show was sold out. In one of the most heartfelt and interesting directors’ note I’ve ever come across, co-directors Bronte Velez ’16 and Dennis Hermida-Gonzalez ’16 explained why they chose to direct “Hairspray”: “We saw this show as an opportunity to radicalize the presence of art on this campus and to give roles to many students who have not been premiered on our stage.” Over 45 years ago, the SCC, then known as Ford Hall, was occupied by 70 African-American Brandeis students who demanded that the community better represent minorities on campus and develop and African-American studies program. “We are now presenting a show with cast members and production staff that still know the weight of those students’ fight. Although evolved, it is not over. We hope that together we can all honor where we have been and celebrate how far we have come but never ignore how much we still have left to do. Let us continue to complete the story.” Starring Bethany Adam ’15 as main character Tracy Turnblad, “Hairspray” is set in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, during a time where racism and segregation dominated American popular culture. Although Turnblad is a white American, her plump body makes her an outcast among her classmates, especially the Nicest Kids, who are teenage celebrities on the “Corny Collins Show.” It was interesting to see Adam sport a fat suit; I thought it was a good costume choice. Because Tracy’s size is an integral part of her character, the suit helped Adam look the part without overdoing it. The musical follows Tracy as she falls in love with the handsome Link Larkin (Dov Gold ’16), gets bullied by Amber and Velma von Tussle (Margot Grubert ’17 and Joanna Nix ’14). Tracy also fights against racism with her parents, Edna and Wilbur (Spencer Stevens ‘16 and Ian Caroll ’15), best friend Penny Pingleton (Jessica Eichinger ’17), Seaweed J. Stubbs (Adam Jones ’15), his strong mother Motormouth Maybelle (Nyah Macklin ’16) and even Corny Collins himself (Ray Trott ’16.) The opening song, “Good Morning Baltimore,” sung by Adam, was a
satisfactory way to begin the production. With strong vocals—upfront and in the background—and a jazzy band hiding behind the stage, “Good Morning Baltimore” was like waking up to a blue sky fully rested. Adam, who has been in countless other musical productions, is a fabulous singer-actress. The set at the beginning was also great, as Adam stood in front of an upright bed to make it look like the audience was watching her from above. It was extremely refreshing to see new talented faces on stage, including Eichinger, Gold, Jones, Xaviera Sargeant ’16 (who played Little Inez) and Stevens. While just watching them perform, before reading their biographies in the program, I had mistaken them for stage veterans. All had great voices, which were so stunning that at one point I wanted to start recording on my phone. Highlights of last night’s production of “Hairspray” musical numbers include “It Takes Two,” “Big, Blonde, and Beautiful,” “Without Love” and “I Know Where I’ve Been.” I sat down having high expectations for these pieces especially and was not disappointed. Eichinger, Gold, Jones and Macklin are wonderful vocalists; in particular, Macklin had members of the audience on their feet during her renditions of “Big, Blonde,
and Beautiful” and “I Know Where I’ve Been.” Her soulful and consistent vocals, combined with her sassy and headstrong nature, made her character (Motormouth Maybelle) a crowd favorite. “It Takes Two,” sung by Gold, established his character, Link, as a swoon-worthy love interest. One could practically hear the sighs of people in the audience as Gold courted both Tracy and the audience. “Without Love” was great because three of the best vocalists, Eichinger, Gold and Jones, were all featured. High notes were hit satisfyingly, and passionate kisses were exchanged. Equally charismatic was Tracy’s mother, Edna. In all “Hairspray” productions, Edna is played by a male actor, and Stevens is a fantastic version of her. Stevens was impressively comfortable in heels and employed such great enthusiasm that, despite his purposefully weaker vocals, he elicited cheers every time he did something on stage. He and Ian Caroll ’15 made an awfully charming pair. A favorite line was an an addition by the directors in “You’re Timeless to Me” when Edna says, “I’ll always call you home,” Wilbur (with a wink to the audience) states, “Shabbat, shalom.” Another character that I loved was Penny Pingleton. Fragilelooking, somewhat dim-witted, yet strong hearted, Penny was the perfect
sidekick-best friend. Eichinger employed a shaky voice when speaking but impressively belted out her notes when singing. “Hairspray” is worth the hype. With stellar vocals, set and tech, it will meet your expectations as well as provide tons of entertainment. With a packed house on Thursday night, the show was nothing short of a success. Hopefully the cast will be able to receive a portion of the audience size for the remainder of the weekend, with shows at 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and a matinee on Sunday at 2 p.m. While many people may be going home early this weekend, “Hairspray” is one show people might want to hang around for.
photo by mei ming cornue-hollander/the hoot
April 11, 2014
By Chesta Singh
Special to the Hoot
Adagio Dance Company held its “Dare to Dance” spring show Wednesday and Thursday in Levin Ballroom at 8 p.m. There were 13 different dances performed during the course of the show. There was also a slide show about halfway through the evening to honor the seniors and showcase how much fun is had at Adagio. Dan Hirshfield ’15 and David Getz ’15 emceed the event. In between dances, they could be heard (but never seen) making jokes and sharing interview trivia questions and answers that they had asked the choreographers. While they weren’t very funny, it was at least a distraction while the dancers got into position on stage. In every performance, dancers were smiling and having fun on stage. There were a range of skills on the stage, with some dancers definitely appearing well-trained and poised, with others dancing on more of a beginner’s level. However, regardless of the skills, it never felt like less impressive dancers were being shoved to the back or given a shorter time in the spotlight. The first dance was called “Tribute” and was choreographed by Karina Graft ’14 to the song of the same title by John Newman. In the dance’s description in the program, Graft wrote, “You realize that DeisLife is just too fleeting, and each moment in the four years spent here in our little Brandeis bubble becomes a treasured memory, or at least a lesson learned.” The tribute was for every person that helped to create memories for Karina. The dance was a great introduction to the spring show. It was high energy while also meaningful and served its purpose as a tribute for Graft’s four years
The Brandeis Hoot
ARTS, ETC.
‘Dare to Dance’ dares to entertain
and memories at Brandeis. What may have been every dancer in the entire show was out on the stage and in the aisles, moving in sync with the music and each other. As the dancers surrounded the audience, “Tribute” definitely felt the most representative of a community experience. The nostalgia of the song lyrics reminded me of the song “Graduation (Friends Forever)” by Vitamin C. Another really meaningful performance was “Somewhere” choreographed by Sara Lodgen ’14. Lodgen’s dance was inspired by the Boston Marathon bombings, which occurred almost exactly a year ago. The dance was emotional to watch, and I felt all the dancers did a good job showing all the complex emotions we associ-
ate when we think of Boston through the ease and gentleness of their movements. Lodgen was able to to successfully create choreography that would “convey my love for my favorite city” while also serving as a tribute to anybody who was affected. Another standout performance was “Primal Instincts” choreographed by Deesha Patel ’16. The songs featured were “Go” by Delilah, “Talk Dirty” by Jason Derulo and “Partition” by Beyoncé. As you could guess from the title of the dance, the song was about seduction. “Seduction should feel natural, instinctual. That level of comfort comes with feeling confident in your body and secure with your idea of sexy,” Patel wrote in the program. The songs were high energy and
were good picks to use in this dance. I could see the passionate emotion in the dance, and everybody looked like they had a lot of fun. Each dancer boldly depicted sensuality, which isn’t always easy to do given how the media tries to depict sexiness in a very unrealistic way. While it was visible that some dancers were less comfortable than others, none of them backed down. Every hump, thrust and shake brought claps and cheers from the audience. “Speakeasy Soiree” choreographed by Gaft and Lodgen was also hugely popular. About half of the dancers were dressed in flapper dresses while the other half were dressed in white vests and black pants. The tap dancing was really entertaining to watch
DARE TO DANCE Adagio and co. danced the night away in Levin Ballroom on Wed. and Thur.
9
and was also a treat because the dance style is often not given the credit that it should be. This dance was successfully able to “bring you back to the Roaring 20s, the peak of tap as we recognize it today in American culture.” It felt like I was taken back in history with the flamboyant outfits and spunky music. This dance was definitely one of the highlights of the evening and very enjoyable to watch. All the different elements fit like a puzzle and each dancer performed excellently. “Beneath Your Beautiful” was choreographed by Allie Lawsky ’16 to the song of the same title by Labrinth ft. Emeli Sande. This dance felt very raw and emotional and served its purpose by depicting how everybody deals with their own insecurities, but those insecurities only make us human and “how we can make it through and come out of our bumps and insecurities with smiles.” It was enjoyable yet also sad to watch, but the strength of this dance showed how community brings us together when the dancers held hands together in the dance showing the strength of having another person to look over and help you back up when you fall down. Lastly, “I Lived” choreographed by Shayna Rubenstein ’16 to the song of the same title by OneRepublic was performed. The song depicted the fragility of life and how precious each day and moment is. “Live your life to the fullest, do something meaningful every day, and never let fear and anxiety stop you from doing something you love.” It was such an amazing dance to watch and also full of raw emotion which we could see in each dancer’s facial expression. The “Dare to Dance” show was very successful in showcasing the talents of dancers in the Brandeis community while also creating a fun and entertaining night for people who were interested in learning more.
photos by mei ming cornue-hollander
EDITORIALS
10 The Brandeis Hoot
“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”
Editors-in-Chief Emily Stott Dana Trismen Andrew Elmers Opinion Editor Theresa Gaffney Arts, Etc. Editor Mia Edelstein Copy Editor Julie Landy Copy Editor Jesse Zeng Photography Editor Jun Zhao Graphics Editor Katie Chin Online Editor Michelle Kim Deputy Arts Editor Jess Linde Deputy News Editor Emily Belowich Deputy News Editor Nathan Benjamin Deputy Sports Editor Nate Rosenbloom Senior Editor
Volume 11 • Issue 12 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma
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STAFF
Nathan Benjamin, Clayre Benzadon, Matt Brondoli, Shikha Chandarana, Rachel Dobkin, Roy Fan, Haley Fine, Evan Goldstein, Edwin Gonzalez, Jaye Han, Maya Himelfarb, Eli Kaminsky, Josh Kelly, Shayna Korol, Joe Lanoie, Nabi Menai, Monique J Menezes, Vinh Nguyen, Charlie Romanow, Lisa Petrie, Sasha Ruiz, Emily Scharf, Shanlai Shangguan, Eliana Sinoff, Naomi Soman, Michael Wang, Shreyas Warrier, Jamie Wong, Linjie Xu, Ludi Yang
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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April 11, 2014
Admin demonstrates support for student body despite controversy
ommencement is an annual tradition where graduating students are able to look back at their years at Brandeis with nostalgia and look ahead to their future plans. Students can celebrate surrounded by their loved ones and friends, who have been there every step of the way. This atmosphere would have been jeopardized if Brandeis had chosen to proceed with its original list of honorary degree recipients. Brandeis withdrew their initial decision to commend Ayaan Hirsi Ali for her work on behalf of women across the globe after student and faculty protests. Hirsi Ali’s harmful public statements against Islam prompted a strong objection from a portion of the community, some of whom stated her presence at commencement would inspire them to walk out with their cap and gown in hand. Hirsi Ali would forever be linked to the university through receiving this honorary degree, both for the good she has done and the hurtful statements she has made. No matter what decision the administration made on the matter, whether
to still honor Hirsi Ali and disregard student concern or go back on their declaration, there would have be backlash. The university made a wise judgment in listening to the student body, when the large majority felt that Hirsi Ali’s presence would make them uncomfortable. Commencement is ultimately a day for students and their families to enjoy. It is a day to harvest the bounty of their hard work over the course of four years. It would be unfair if this day were overshadowed by someone sitting on the dais with whom many morally disagreed. The Hoot has highlighted past instances where Brandeis administration did not heed the wishes of the student body. This time, we are delighted that Brandeis responded in an appropriate manner and put students first. However, the university should not have put itself in this situation in the first place. The fact that Hirsi Ali was able to move past the vetting process for honorary degrees without any of these abhorrent comments coming to light is inexcusable. This oversight would most likely not have happened in the past. In previous years, a faculty committee was consulted to inspect potential honorees,
to ensure for certain that they were in good standing. This committee has since been disbanded. There is no question that this committee should be reinstated, with faculty members providing major input into the final decision. A petition signed by faculty members, addressed to President Lawrence, states, “We further urge you to reinstitute the past practice of a faculty committee that vets potential honorary degree recipients. Such a committee would surely have warned you about the horrible message that this sends to the Muslim and non-Muslim communities at Brandeis and beyond.” The faculty have every right to be as enraged with this as do the students. They are also qualified to research potential recipients of the degree. As people who mostly hail from academia, they have backgrounds in research and analysis and interact with students every day. They can only help the process. If anything can be learned from this incident, it’s that the Brandeis community is strongest when it works together, and the administration has no other option but to listen.
administrative authorities to fully investigate these incidents as a possible pattern of potentially bias-motivated actions. We additionally call on all in the Brandeis community to express their refusal to tolerate such incidents and to support the right of all students to openly and forthrightly express their faith and identity in any form.
including very many adjectives, which takes away from the event, as each student spent weeks developing their talks. For example, the coverage of Sindhura Sonnathi’s speech (which got 2 sentences) completely misses the point of her address. The article minimizes her story and ultimately does her no justice. My speech, regarding gap years, was interpreted as “[a consideration] … in case [students] felt lost at school” which is not only incorrect, but laughable, because I stressed that I was not advocating for gap years. Rather, I encouraged listeners to ask themselves if they were happy with where they were headed in life. I encouraged them to take time to contemplate their motivations, whether that be a few minutes or a semester. As I read the article, it sounded like the reporter was not paying attention, and that was deeply disappointing.
Letters to the Editor The Heller Student Association (HSA) strongly condemns the most recent vandalism at the office of the Brandeis Muslim Student Association. According to The Brandeis Hoot in article titled “MSA disrespected by vandalism” on March 7, the Muslim Student Association’s office was also vandalized in 2010 and subsequently had event signs inappropriately removed in 2012 and again in 2013. The HSA recognizes this pattern of vandalism against the Muslim Student Association as potentially biasmotivated incidents that threaten not only all Muslim students but students of any faith or spiritual persuasion. The Heller Student Association stands with, and in full support of, the Muslim Student Association’s right to safe and secure space, as well as the right to organize, congregate and express faith and identity freely and without fear of insult, intolerance, attack or degradation by any party. We call on Brandeis University
Heller Student Association March 21, 2014 First off, I would like to thank The Hoot for writing a piece about this year’s ’Deis Talks. ESS Brandeis worked hard to put this presentation together, so I’m glad their hard work is being recognized. I’m writing to express my unfortunate disappointment at the article in The Hoot, specifically its lack of detail and shallow interpretations of the speakers’ experiences. The article offers very brief synopses of each speaker’s talk, not
-Naomi Rodriguez
SPORTS
April 11, 2014
The Brandeis Hoot 11
Men and women’s track and field compete By Nathan Benjamin Editor
Featuring schools from all across New England, Brandeis’ men’s and women’s track and field teams competed at American International’s Yellow Jacket Invitational this past Saturday. This tournament held significance, as the team’s results were necessary for their advancement to the ECAC Championship. As this invitational event encompassed an assortment of runners from Division I, II and III, the Judges faced varying levels of competition. The women’s team on Saturday
placed 14th at the John G. Hoyt Track and Field Complex. This accomplishment can be particularly attributed to Kelsey Whitaker ’16 and Amelia Lundkvist ’14. Both runners competed in the 1,500-meter run and managed to attain the top two spots. Whitaker finished first in the race with a time of 4:41.39 followed by Lundkvist in second at 4:45.98. Earning these positions is particularly notable, as this event was contested against 91 total competitors of varying divisions. Maggie Hensel ’16 and Maddie Dollins ’17 also participated in this event, earning 19th and 22nd places, respectively.
Other events the women’s team competed in included the 200- and 400-meter dashes as well as the javelin throw. Ashley Hebard ’17 took 35th and 63rd in the 400- and 200meter dash respectively. Ashley Klein ‘16 and Selena Livas ‘17 competed in the javelin. With a distance of 93 feet, 8 inches, Klein placed 13th while Livas placed 20th. The men’s track and field team also competed in Springfield this past Saturday and finished the day in 20th. The team did not fare as well as the women’s team, as only one team member managed to score. After reaching a height of 5 feet, 8 inches,
Mark Franklin ’17 placed ninth in the high jump. Previous winner of the 2014 UAA triple jump Mohamed Sidique ’15 finished 11th in the long jump, reaching 21 feet. Also placing in this event were Adam Berger ’16 who finished 30th, along with Franklin who finished 41st. Nick Wactor ’17 and Jeremy Wilson ’17 both competed in the 200and 400-meter events. In the 200, the two placed at 21st and 39th places, respectively, while in the 400, Wactor finished in 32nd, and Wilson finished in 52nd. Competing in the men’s 1,500-meter run was Grady Ward ’16, Quinton Hoey ’17 and Matt
Doran ’17. Ward finished in the best position at a time of 4:06.59, which earned him 16th place. Hoey and Doran earned 20th and 42nd, respectively. In the end, the University of Vermont, UMass Amherst, Tufts University, Central Connecticut State University and American International College rounded out the top five for the men’s at the tournament. At this point for the men’s and women’s track and field teams, the Judges have earned themselves a few spots to the ECAC Championship. Brandeis returns to action this Saturday, April 12 in the Springtime Invitational at Brown University.
photo from internet source
photo from internet source
Tennis teams each win two of three By Charlie Romanow Staff
The men’s and women’s tennis teams both had successful weeks with each team defeating two of their three opponents. The 24th ranked men swept Clark University 9-0 on Friday. The doubles matches ended quickly for Brandeis with the pairs of Michael Arguello `17 and Danny Lubarsky `16, Brian Granoff `17 and Michael Secular `15, and Jeff Cherkin `17 and Alec Siegel `15 winning 8-3, 8-3 and 8-1 respectively. All singles matches ended in straight sets. Cherkin continued his dominance into singles where he won 6-0, 6-0. Granoff won the first seeded match 6-1, 6-0 and Secular won 6-0, 6-1. Lubarsky, Siegel and Ryan Bunis `17 round out the other singles winners. The Cougars move to 9-5. The team’s momentum continued into the weekend when they defeated Wheaton College on Sunday 8-1. The first place doubles match was the only one that Brandeis lost. The doubles duos of Granoff and Secular and Siegel and Cherkin each won their doubles match 8-2. Siegel swept his fourth placed singles match, winning 6-0,
6-0. Additionally, Granoff, Arguello, Lubarsky and Cherkin each won their singles match in straight sets. Lubarsky needed an extra game in the first set to pull off the win, coming out on top 7-6, 6-1. Secular was able to hold onto his lead in a long final set, winning 6-2, 4-6, 10-7 in the fifth singles match. The Lyons fall to 7-4. The men lost to a doubleheader to Bryant University on Wednesday 8-1 and 6-3. The men stand at 8-4 and face Trinity College at home on Sat-
urday. The 24th ranked women began the weekend on Friday with a tough 5-4 loss to 19th ranked Skidmore College in the third annual Nor’Easter Bowl. The Judges dug themselves into a whole, losing all three doubles matches. Brandeis came back to win the first three singles matches and tie the score at 3-3. Moving inside due to rain, Brandeis lost the next two matches allowing Skidmore to clinch the win with their fifth point. Skid-
more improves to 11-2. The Judges faced Babson College on the following day, winning 7-2 after defeating Babson on Wednesday by the same score. Carley Cooke `15 and Robert Bergstein `14 won the first doubles match 8-2 as captain Marissa Lazar `14 and Allyson Bernstein `14 won their match 8-0. Cooke, Bernstein and Bergstein won the first three singles matches in straight sets to clinch a Brandeis victory. Simone Vandroff `15 and Hannah Marion `16
won the fifth and sixth place matches in three sets to extend the team’s margin of victory. The women took the court the following day to face Wellesley College. Every match counted as a team victory was not claimed until the final match, putting Brandeis on top 5-4. Bernstein and Lazar won the first doubles match in the third spot 8-3, before Wellesley won the final two doubles matches. The Judges won the first three singles matches in straight sets to lead 4-2. Vandroff won 6-0, 6-0, Bergstein won 6-0, 6-1 and Bernstein won 6-4, 6-3. Wellesley climbed back into it, winning the next two singles matches in the first and sixth spots in three sets. With all of the pressure on Emily Eska’s `16 match, she began with a hard fought victory in the first set but lost the second. Down 3-2 in the final set, Eska came back to win the set, match and competition with a 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 6-3 performance. Brandeis left the Nor’Easter Bowl in fifth place. They move to 6-8 on the season. They head to Wheaton College on Thursday and return home to face Bentley University in a rescheduled match on Friday at 3 pm.
photo from internet source
Softball team conquers Lasell By Charlie Romanow Staff
After a four day rest, the softball team faced Lasell College for a doubleheader at Brandeis on Tuesday. In two mercy rule shortened games the Judges dominated winning 8-0 in six innings and 14-1 in five. The first game began with some small ball as Amanda Genovese `15 singled on a bunt and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Madison Gagnon `16. The small ball ended
there as Liana Moss `17 hit a two-run home run to center field. The Judges hard-hitting offense was then stifled by Eileen Bergin until the fifth inning. With Genovese on second and two outs, Anya Kamber `15 hit a single to left field to score Genovese. Madison Sullivan `16 singled to advance Kamber. A steal and wild pitch scored Kamber and advanced Sullivan to third. Cori Coleman `15 walked to put runners on the corners. An error allowed the runners to advance again, scoring Sullivan. A fielding error put runners on first and third again be-
fore Melissa Nolan `14 stole second and Coleman scored on an error by the catcher. Two runners were in scoring position for the Judges in the sixth, prompting Jordan Buscetto `16 to hit a two RBI double to right center for the game’s final run. The Lasers managed only one hit during the game and made three errors, all in the fifth. Genovese led the game with three hits and three runs. Moss and Buscetto each had two RBI’s. Nolan pitched four strong innings, allowing the sole hit, striking out eight and walking only one for
her fourth win. Melissa Soleimani `17 finished the game with two innings of no-hit ball. Brandeis’ power continued in the next game, scoring 14 runs in the first four innings. Gagnon was the first base runner of the game, reaching first after getting hit in the opening frame. Next, a Kamber walk pushed Gagnon to second before she scored on a single down the right field line by Sullivan. Moss was hit to load the bases. With the bases loaded and two outs Nolan hit a homer to right center to cap a 5-0 lead. In the second, a
walk by Gagnon extended the inning allowing the next three batters to get a hit; Kamber and Sullivan doubled and Coleman singled to add three runs. A six hit third inning put the game far out of reach for Lasell. Moss began with a double before an error allowed her to reach third. Madison Hunter `17 singled Moss home. Leah McWilliams `14 reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second on a passed ball and third on a Genovese single.
12 The Brandeis Hoot
IMPRESSIONS
April 11, 2014
Solitary day of class offers opportunity for civil disobedience By Andrew Elmers Editor
When I first saw the schedule for this semester and noticed that there is a day of class nestled between a weekend and April break, I didn’t think it was all that big a deal. I thought it was a bit unfair that there would be one day of class blocking me from a glorious 11-day break, but knew that I should probably go to class. I had intended to do the proper thing and stick around for the weekend in order to make that day of class, eventually heading home either Monday evening or early Tuesday. I don’t celebrate Passover, so being home by sundown on Monday wasn’t a necessity. Yet when the time came to plan my travel back home, I realized this poor example of scheduling was a big deal. It made so much more sense to get home earlier over the weekend than to wait until my last class ended Monday afternoon to leave. Not only would it allow me more time with my family, but also the possible travel accommodations for a Friday or Saturday are much more flexible than trying to catch a bus at South Station in Boston late Monday night. It’s easier to find a plane, train or bus with a more feasible departure time if you have more of the day to work with; after a certain time, buses just stop running. Plus, the free shuttles run over the weekend,
graphic by janet jun zhao/the hoot
and I would take the first opportunity to not have to pay the commuter rail fare just to get to a Red Line station. This isn’t exclusive to students, though. Professors have realized the same thing and would like to get away from work sooner rather than later. I know many classes have either been canceled or have just been stripped of any substantial instruction. Whether
this is due to the fact that professors were asked to limit the amount of work for April 14 because of the holiday, the professors understanding that there will likely not be any students in class that day or if they just want an extra day off is inconsequential. No one is taking this day seriously, and no one is going to care if they miss a day of class right before a break.
By this point in the semester, people are looking for any excuse to get off campus. The weather is starting to break, and classes are starting to break spirits. Any respite is very much appreciated, and students will look for whatever excuse they can find to cut a class just to sit outside with friends after a very long winter. While these justifications can range from the insig-
nificant to the absurd, cutting a day of class that shouldn’t have been scheduled in the first place actually makes sense. All of this was realized already, though, pretty much as soon as people started to really look at the schedule at the beginning of the semester. But what should be mentioned along with the See DISOBEDIENCE, page 15
Bridging gap between cultures can form new perspectives By Monique J Menezes Staff
This past weekend, I went to the Brandeis Bridges performance, “Fires in the Mirror.” They put on a show about a conflict that took place between black and Jewish people. The story they told was of true events that took place in Crown Heights in 1991. One day, a seven-year-old boy of color was hit by a car driven by a Hasidic man. The boy died, and, later that night, a young, Jewish man from Australia studying in America was killed in what was thought to be an act of retribution. The play is based on the narratives of those who witnessed these events. To say the least, there were narratives from either extreme on the black-versus-Jewish spectrum. What happened in Crown Heights all these years ago was terrible. Yet that’s not what people should take away from the show. Brandeis Bridges fellow Amanda Anderson ’17 said, “I want people to leave the show, taking all of the individual narratives into account. You need to look at all the different perspectives … because every perspective is important to understanding the entirety of any conflict.” Looking at things from more than one angle can be eye-opening. That’s what “Fires in the Mirror” was about, seeing a sequence of events through so many sides, and hearing the underlying feelings that fueled people’s decisions in that time of turmoil. We are at a time in history where people of all kinds are trying to bridge the gap of various cultures, beliefs and so on. Nonetheless, in moving forward,
I think there is something we all have to keep in mind. Diversity is magnificent because I would be bored out of my mind if everyone were like me. Initiatives like Brandeis Bridges try to raise awareness of issues, so acceptance and understanding are more widespread. Diversity is defined as the state of being different. When we are trying to learn and understand others, we are still trying to maintain our own individuality. As addressed in the play, how is someone observing Shabbat supposed to explain the reasons for their beliefs to a non-Jewish neighbor? To someone of a different background, refusing to turn off a loud and obnoxious radio may seem a little absurd, as showcased in the play. So in a time
where we are searching for common ground, where do our own traditions rank in our lives? In addition to the difficulties of bridging cultures, people today must also struggle to balance their cultural beliefs and accept those of others they may not completely comprehend. After their final performance, Brandeis Bridges held a discussion, where a parent of one of the performers voiced this precise concern. People of the same culture or background have things in common. They are comfortable with each other and they understand each other. Today, one of our biggest obstacles may be bridging the different sides, such as the black and Jewish ones portrayed in the play. Tomorrow, that will probably still be a challenge, but I think a compromise
is possible. I think I can maintain my beliefs and my traditions, and learn why someone else has his or her beliefs and traditions. I saw it every day in high school, and now as a first-year in college, I see it here. We are young people trying to figure out who we are. Each day people make little attempts to establish their identity. Some people search for ways to distinguish themselves from their family, while others try to retain their values in an atmosphere completely foreign to their home. No one said it was going to be easy, but finding that balance between how we were raised and what we believe is a growing pain for today’s maturing adolescents. We are encouraged to be open-minded, but to stick to our beliefs, and sometimes those can con-
flict. The monologues of “Fires in the Mirror” portrayed people who were certainly stuck to their beliefs and closed-minded to any other perception of what happened in Crown Heights. I think that the Brandeis Bridges fellows are commendable in their effort to open the eyes of those who haven’t considered another’s perspective and to those who still let cultural barriers get in their way. I just want to remind people that looking forward, we are going to have to worry about the balances along with the bridges. People will continue to try to solidify their understanding of themselves, attempting not to get lost in the crowd of unique faces, just as much as they try to understand others.
photo from internet source
April 11, 2014
OPINION 13
The Brandeis Hoot
Campus not accessible for all By Emily Scharf Staff
Brandeis is an amazing school, founded on the principles of allowing any student to attend, regardless of race or religion. Yet if our school’s principles highlight this inclusiveness, why is it so impossible to navigate? Why is our school so inaccessible to the handicapped? About a month ago I had an unfortunate skiing accident, tearing my ACL and rendering me largely unable to walk. I will be on crutches for at least the remainder of the semester. Now, I have been on crutches on this campus before, and it is not fun. Yet, last time I did not need crutches for quite so long. This time around I am finding that it is incredibly hard to get anywhere. This campus has so many hills that it is extremely difficult to get up some of them when actually able-bodied. If you are disabled, it is infinitely closer to an impossibility. Attempting to crutch your way uphill feels a bit like walking through a hurricane; I spend the whole climb fighting the gravity that wants to pull me backwards. Another dreaded obstacle that many encounter daily are the Rabb steps. No one likes climbing the Rabb steps. Somewhere in the middle you lose your breath and, in the winter months especially, it feels a bit like scaling Everest. Fortunately, I have not had to climb the steps since my injury. I sometimes take the long way around and take the elevator down in Mandel, but it is still a little fur-
ther than I would like to hobble around. Fortunately, there is a decent solution to getting to class. Brandeis does have a dedicated Handicap BranVan that will take students to and from classes who have injuries that prevent them from walking. It is a much-needed and much-appreciated system, though not always reliable. Initially, I had no way of knowing how to even get myself signed up for the Handicap Van. I scoured the Escort Services website, as well as the Brandeis website in general. I Googled and browsed and relentlessly searched for some mention of this disability van that I knew existed, but could find no information on it besides from some word of mouth. Finally, a friend told me who to contact to get myself signed up. After that, it was fairly simple. But this information really needs to be more public. How can students be expected to utilize a service that doesn’t publicly explain how to use it? I have been using the Handicap Van services for about a month now and have only had one instance of a driver not showing to pick me up. Although that shouldn’t happen at all, I suppose this is at least a somewhat decent track record. What is more concerning about our campus’ inaccessibility is our residence halls. I live on the third floor of a building without an elevator. I suppose no permanently handicapped students would be given housing in any of these dorms, but clearly, accidents happen. I did not enter Brandeis with
graphic by janet jun zhao/the hoot
a permanent injury, and therefore was not given a handicap room; but every room should be handicap accessible, no matter who resides in it. My CA did offer me a room on a lower floor, and it was something I considered. But as a person who loves where I live, I wasn’t really open to the idea of moving with a couple months left it in the semester. Honestly, I do not think I would have even been capable of moving all of my things while injured. My question is this: Why don’t all of our residence halls have elevators? How is this utter inaccessibility tolerated? Why should a person on crutches
be hopping up and down stairs? Besides the stairs in residence halls, there are steps everywhere that cannot be avoided. Do you want to eat in Sherman? There are stairs to descend. Do you want to enter the SCC from lower campus? There are a few steps to get there. Even to get into the health center, the place injured people flock to, there are several unavoidable steps. Whenever I see an elevator in a building now, it is such a relief knowing I will not have to climb any stairs. It should not have to feel like relief—it should be normal and expected. There are two videos on You-
tube that every student on this campus should have seen by now: “Sh*t Brandeis Students Don’t Say, Parts 1 and 2.” While these videos do a great job of satirizing what life is like on campus to an absurd degree, they do tell a sad truth. In one video a student is depicted talking on the phone to his grandmother: “Nana, don’t be silly. Of course this campus is wheelchair accessible.” If this campus’ handicap inaccessibility is so apparent that it can be satirically mocked, then clearly, we have got some serious work to do. Brandeis, please, let us make this campus accessible to everyone who wants to be here.
Univ stretches itself thin with competing events By Joe Lanoie Staff
This past Sunday, Brandeis had two big events happen simultaneously: the annual Admitted Students Day and ’Deis Day designed to promote school spirit. Both days not only require many volunteer services, but also a lot of mental capacity. As students, we were told by school officials that “Admitted Students Day is the single most important recruitment activity for undergraduate students … it is critical for our community to extend a warm and enthusiastic welcome.” So we must neglect the numerous food service problems, the yearly housing crisis, the rampant focus on a subjective definition-less idea of “social justice” and all the other issues we have with this school. We must suppress our disappointment and disdain for the day, though this doesn’t bother me. What bothers me is that two of the days where we must participate in the ideal of American boosterism were scheduled for the same day. I understand the reason for mixing the days: showing school spirit to future students while encouraging them to attend is powerful. Both events, however, cannot happen at the same time and they should not, since they both require extensive amounts of preparation and services. If held on the same day, both events do not support school spirit, but instead become an example of astroturfing and the school trying too hard to please the outside world. For many people, at this school
graphic by janet jun zhao/the hoot
especially, socializing with strangers is outside of our comfort zones and requires us to prepare extensively. Many students here are introverted, preferring to gain personal energy from being alone. Introvertedness is often seen as a weakness, an outward sign of the social awkwardness we collectively have. Brandeis jokes
about being socially awkward, but it’s true to an extent. Half of us would not participate in activities such as Admitted Students Day or ’Deis Day. This solitude is a major part of campus life, but is ignored for the entire day. The active part of campus had to be split between two events on the same day, with both events being understaffed.
But why were both events understaffed? Both events needed a high volunteer rate, on a campus of inactivity leading to exhaustion of resources. Club leaders were encouraged to be in the golf cart parade, but also had to be at the Club Fair for prospective students. This leads to three options: split up
the leadership between the two events, choose one or don’t go. For small clubs with only a few leaders, this causes a conundrum on which is more important to be represented at. For large clubs, the leadership split and members had to choose what to attend. We want See EVENTS, page 14
14 OPINION
The Brandeis Hoot
April 11, 2014
Confusion can be cleared when it comes to posters
photo from internet source
By Shayna Korol Staff
The rules regarding hanging up posters would be draconian if they made sense. So all posters or fliers must be “approved/ stamped by the Department of Student Activities or the Campus Center Team,” that much I can follow. I am a little perplexed by what the Campus Center Team is, but apparently both are located at the Information Centers, which are places that are not in any way straight out of a young
adult dystopian novel. The issue lies in the approval process itself. Posters are allowed to be displayed in Shapiro up to two weeks prior to the event that the flier is advertising. (The Shapiro in question is presumably the dorm in Massell Quad and not one of the other dozen or Shapiro buildings on campus.) According to the Posting Policies for the Shapiro Campus Center and Usdan Student Center, “approval is limited to two weeks or until the day after the event, whichever is sooner. Poster can
be re-stamped once.” Two weeks before the event or a day after the event? I’m asking my assembled panel of experts: Which is sooner to the event? Maybe I’m misunderstanding this, which is possible. Maybe it’s needlessly complicated, which is also possible and more likely. My own reading comprehension aside, why does it take DCL so long to approve posters for clubs and the like anyway? In Sherman I’ve seen some sort of advertisement for women to become egg donors, but fliers for activities
are fewer and far between in that spot. Surely an event hosted by the ASL club is more relevant to the interests of most students than ova donation, which I’m nearly certain requires you to have a bachelor’s degree at the ready. The system for putting up posters is inefficient. To have posters put up in the residence halls, “the materials must be delivered to the Department of Community Living for distribution by staff.” Why not skip the middleman and allow students to go
to the Department of Student Activities, get their poster approved and put it up themselves? It saves time and whatever manpower goes into putting up posters. And for posters to have any effect whatsoever toward advertising an event, they have to be plastered everywhere—they’re competing for space with other, possibly better designed posters. Apparently “all posters and fliers become the property of the Department of Student Activities once their approval has been expired unless the party that posted them removes them,” which is never, because old posters never get taken down. It’s April, and I still see advertisements for events in early March, which take up space that fliers about upcoming events could occupy. It is by no means not the most pressing concern at Brandeis University, but it’s a concern nonetheless. Students have taken to using chalk to spread the word about their events, which can’t be governed by the DCL. Since that’s not an option for most clubs and events, the approval process is where changes can really be implemented, namely by speeding it up. As it stands, it’s unnecessarily bureaucratic. I recognize the need for posters to be approved in the first place, and I’m sympathetic to the fact that poster approval is not the DCL’s only function. But if students took their fliers to the DCL, had them approved on the spot and then were able to put them up, the process would go all that much more smoothly. Maybe there would be some sort of incentive to take down old posters, who knows? It’s a little thing, but it might as well be made that much easier.
Admitted students deserve more accurate portrayal day and not focus on our differences? Although our differences future members and students, make us special, solely focusing but we also want to see our friends on the aesthetics of the school alperform in the Battle of the Bands. low for one to experience doubt Yet the school scheduled them the about its sincerity. On Admitted same day in order to promote Students Day, I was told “everyschool spirit. one here is friendly and willing to Our school is a wonderful place, but all we see are the flaws. It’s human to focus on the negative, and it is okay to do so. Many conversations here can be ones of lamentations. “Sodexo screwed me over.” “That professor’s curve is ungodly.” “My roof is constantly leaking, and facilities has’’t responded in a week.” Our school has numerous links to history that go unnoticed; the hill beneath your feet was used to survey Boston when it was founded. That’s amazing and something to be proud of. All we focus on is the bad gets more attention and activism, but we must eschew it to make Brandeis seem a utopia where no one complains or feels bad at all. That is simply false. When both events happen simultaneously, the school does not look optimistic, but looks to be trying too hard to please and present. These events were both heavily advertised, even inspiring merchandise for the sole day. The shirts made for ’Deis Day promoted the religious diversity of the campus, with an owl over a Star of David, a cross and a crescent moon. For a day that promotes unity, we have to focus on diversity to be unified? Can we not be all Brandeis students first for this EVENTS, from page 12
be your friend.” This falseness led me to suffer because everyone on these days were utopian in mindset, and I fell for it. Having both of these events on the same day led to a massively high standard that Brandeis cannot meet next fall. Future students will think the
school is the best, but then will have that dream destroyed by the many failings they will see here. All in all, ’Deis Day and Admitted Students Day inherently neglect Brandeis reality, instead portraying it as a “shining city on a hill.” Having them on the same day
portrays a falseness that Brandeis will do no wrong. For an accurate and successful Admitted Students Day, one must be willing to say the truth. It is our duty to inform the future classes of the good and bad of Brandeis, so they may make an informed decision.
photo from internet source
April 11, 2014
ARTS, ETC 15
The Brandeis Hoot
Empty classrooms all but expected for day before break DISOBEDIENCE, from page 12
incompetence of the administration is the unique opportunity this single day creates. Since most classes are already canceled or just not pertinent to attend, students that remain on campus should just not go. Not for the opportunity to sleep in or head off campus, but to send a mes-
sage. If the administration can see a tangible result of their actions through empty classrooms, that will strike a chord with them. If students were to actively promote this proposed “sitin,” it should take on a message larger than an attempt to make the administration understand that their schedule stinks. It
should promote the larger message that students aren’t just going to lay down to the wishes of the administration and that their voices will be heard, whether it be about executive compensation or the “hunger games” that will inevitably occur at Sherman over the break. Students need to take every opportunity they have to make their views understood,
and this random day before taxes are due is the safest opportunity to do so. Classes are mostly nonexistent, and there isn’t anything crucial students will miss, so an argument could be made that the lack of responsibility connected with Monday makes any sort of protest insignificant as cutting class would be effortless. But as long as classrooms are empty,
photo from internet source
the idea will be portrayed all the same. I don’t know what the administration had in mind when they put together the semester schedule, having a day of class being the only obstacle from an extended break, but they must have realized that April 14 would wind up being a complete waste of a day. Not only those students that need to get home for the holiday would be absent, but anyone else with enough common sense to rationalize that the benefits of leaving Friday or Saturday tremendously outweigh the pitfalls of missing one day of class. Sure, some students will be stuck on campus because they’re unable to head back home due to the distance, but there isn’t much to hold them back from leaving campus anyway to visit friends or relatives in the surrounding area. No one should be restricted from starting their vacation simply because there is a day of class scheduled. Usually sometime in May or June back in high school there would be a senior cut day. Maybe my town was alone in this tradition, but everyone would decide a week or so before a set day to just not show up. While this was usually looked at as a day to just relax, it also was an implicit message sent to the school that they couldn’t control us. College changes this dynamic a bit, since we are here by desire and will only be disciplined with a failing grade if we don’t go to class, but the same message can be sent. So participate in a bit of civil disobedience, and make the university realize that we will not just blindly follow their policies.
16 The Brandeis Hoot
THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS
April 11, 2014
’Deis Day
Students celebrated both Admitted Students Day and ’Deis Day on Sunday, April 6. Jay Pharoah of SNL performed on Chapel’s Field after students marched in the ’Deis Day parade to promote their clubs and activities.
photos by matt brondoli/the hoot