V o l u m e I V, N u m b e r V I
Celebrating The Precious Human Tapestry
October 2, 2009
B.O.M.S. slams into session!
with George Watsky as feature performer
BY SAMANTHA SHOKIN Editor
The first thing you notice when attending an open mic session is the vibe. You don’t feel the vibe at an open mic. More like, you feed it. You and every attendee, performer, observer and passerby, are all distinct parts of the energy of a session like flames are part of a throbbing fire. With every applause, the energy pulses. With every howl or hum of approval, the vibe in the air sweeps past and takes you. You feel an untrembling silence keep the air still until it shakes from a unanimous exhalation. This is what I have come to expect, and mentally prepare myself for, every other Tuesday night at the castle commons. This is Brandeis’ own open mic series, B.O.M.S. I have attended and reviewed B.O.M.S. a few times in the past and every time I am
stunned by the amount of talent residing among Brandeis students. It takes the presence of a single mic to strip students of their composure and let loose on an open stage. That shy kid that you never spoke to in class reveals himself as a skilled musician. That quirky girl you always copy chem labs off of transforms into a master slam poet. And the audience just sits there, wide-eyed, absorbing the absurd amount of newly-discovered talent as it radiates from what moments prior were just “some random Brandeis kids.” But they’re not just some random Brandeis kids. It won’t take you long to realize that the B.O.M.S. attendees are some random Brandeis kids, but with serious chops—be they musical chops, poetic chops, or otherwise. Slam is not a formal occasion. There is no holding of applause or “respectful” silence. In fact, if the audience during a slam is dead silent you may very well suspect that something is wrong. An artist’s performance thrives off of feedback— snaps, howls, whistles, and “hell yeah’s” included. The subject matter may range from sex to bombs to sexbombs, and all things in between. Occasionally something
PHOTO BY Doug Ansel/Internet Source
as (virtually) unshocking as a simple love for one's mother is reveled with poetic verve. But leave it to a Slam poet to even throw in a few Oedipal references to the
mix, just to keep things interesting. You can never pick out a slam poet in the room just by looking at one. The perSee B.O.M.S., p. 12
Lights out for director Roman Polanski
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PHOTO FROM Internet Source
Thirty years later, I have learned to forgive and forget what had happened to me those years.
BY DANIELLE GEWURZ Editor
Last Saturday, director Roman Polanski (“Rosemary’s Baby”, “The Pianist”) was arrested in Zurich after 32 years of fleeing the American justice system. But how do we punish the artist, and what impact does that have on his art? The facts of Polanski’s case are pretty much incontrovertible. Polanski was conducting a photo shoot with a 13-year-old girl, whom he drugged with Quaaludes
and raped; she repeatedly said “no” during the encounter. Polanski was sent to prison for 40 days for a psychological evaluation after pleading guilty to a lesser crime, and then released with the understanding that he had yet to be sentenced. The judge gave Polanski permission to temporarily leave the country to finish directing a movie, and when he heard that he might be sentenced to serve additional time in prison, Polanski decided to remain abroad, and has yet to return to the United States. Polanski is not the only artist to have
committed acts that are, objectively, terrible. Artists frequently have views that are difficult to reconcile with their work, or lead troubled private lives, whether it be the anti-Semitic Ezra Pound or Michael Jackson. But that doesn’t explain the increasingly long petition signed by famous actors, directors, and producers calling for Polanski’s release. Polanski never actually served out a sentence for raping a 13 year old. He hasn’t expressed remorse for the act, and has instead had lawyers file motions to dismiss
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PHOTO FROM Internet Source
UNDER ARREST: Director Roman Polanski is currently under custody in Switzerland, awaiting extradition for sexually assaulting a minor.
the case. However, the California court ruled that Polanski would have to return to the US, face arrest, and then would have legal standing to appeal the case. If, as Polanski’s supporters claim, there is any evidence of judicial misconduct, he would no doubt prevail on appeal, with the aid of expensive counsel. The fact remains that the director has not suffered any justice, having led a perfectly normal life as a wealthy, critically acclaimed director in Europe for the past 30 years, See POLANSKI, p. 10