V O L . I I I , N O. I V
C E L E B R A T I N G T H E P R E C I O U S H U M A N TA P E S T R Y
SEPTEMBER 19, 2008
Wearing art on our shirtsleeves lenses of gender, religion, culture, family, and trauma. The show was curated by Lisa Lynch and features We flaunt it. We argue about it. a diverse array of contemporary We search for it. We cover our bod- artists from around the country. ies in it. But how often do we conOn Thursday the Center hosted sider the significance of clothes in a panel discussion in conjuncforming our identities and shaping tion with the exhibit entitled, our societies? "(Un)Dressing Religion, Culture The art ex& Identity." hibit, Dress This panel · Redress, at featured Lisa the Women's Fishbayne, diStudies Rerector of the search Center Project on just gave the Gender, CulBrandeis comture, Religion munity anothand the Law at er reason to the Haddasahponder those Brandeis issues. The Institute; exhibition, on Ellen Schattdisplay from schneider, June 19-Sepassociate protember 25th, fessor of anexamines how thropology the clothand women's ing intersects and gender with identity PHOTO BY Max Shay/The Hoot studeis at through the SEEKING REDRESS: Curator Lisa Lynch Brandeis; and crosscutting stands within Carol Hamoy's installation. Eric SilverBY MAXWELL PRICE Editor
man, a visiting research associate at the Women's Studies Research Center. Fishbayne discussed the Jewish tradition of female head-covering and its tensions in American society. She ultimately concluded that women have multifarious reasons for carrying out these rituals that society buries beneath oversimplified labels such as state repression and religious law. The audience seemed most enthralled with Schattschneider's description of her fieldwork in Japan studying grieving practices in Japan among families whose children had passed away. The stories were both highly moving and disturbing, chronicling such personal coping mechanisms as one mother's insistence on wearing her son's clothing after his death. Silverman brought an irreverant and raucous tone to his presentation, which explored Jewish identity through clothing, particularly among the "New Jew" movement of the twenty first century. If you have ever seen "100% kosher" panties or visited www.jewlo.com,
you already know what Silverman was talking about. Yet no matter how interesting or controversial the discussion became, the artwork in Dress · Redress stole the show with its sensory explorations of our "social skin." The highlights include large scale sculptural works by Leslie Wilcox that depict jackets and coats as highly rigid yet slyly feminine and sexual forms; an installation of Carol Hamoy's hanging, dirty, white dresses and blouses printed with real women's personal narratives; and Sandra Eula Lee's shirts created out of office supplies and official-looking documents. Each artist tackles the topic of clothing from a different perspective, melding personal experiences with the constraints of social structures. So keep on flaunting it, arguing about it, and searching for it. But if you've ever pondered the greater meaning embodied in the things you drape over your body, head over to the Women's Studies Research Center in the Epstein Building to explore Dress · Redress while you still have the chance.
Latina Pride BY GINA GOTTHILF Staff
As part of a series of events dedicated to the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the short documentary, “Latina Confessions,” was featured last Tuesday at the ICC Swig Lounge. The event, organized by AHORA!, was attended by roughly 30 members of the Brandeis community and consisted of the film screening followed by a short discussion session led by the producer of the film, Louis “Tio Louie” Peregro Moreno. Referred by the producer as a “work in progress,” the film features 25 women selected from a series of 56 interviews who were either born in Latin America or of Latin American descent but are now permanently living in the U.S. Tio Louie explained that we are often presented with the image of a stereotypically uneducated “innerSee AHORA! p. 9
Soon to be a breaking Hoot story
Reevaluating the autobiography of Brandeis's most infamous alumus BY MAXWELL PRICE Editor
If you have some time on your hands (which you probably don’t if you attend Brandeis University), and if you’ve made your way through all the books on your reading list (which you definitely haven’t), you might want to consider picking up Abbie Hoffman’s 1980 autobiography, Soon to Be A Major Motion Picture. Abbie Hoffman was, of course, one of the great radicals, an agitator and activist who helped to define the 1960’s counterculture. He was also a Brandeis grad. Hoffman’s persona is deeply intertwined with the popular image of the anti-Vietnam movement, as can be seen in the “cram-everything-about-Baby-Boomers-intoone-confused-mess-of-a-movie” Forrest Gump, in which a foulmouthed Hoffman-like character leads a Washington protest against the war. Hoffman is an inspiration for activists, partially because of his successful agitation and tragic status as a martyr of the movement, but also because he pioneered an ex-
ceptional idea: revolution through humor. Hoffman’s activism was always mixed with copious amounts of clownishness and street theater, most famously in his attempt to levitate the Pentagon, and his creation of pandemonium by pouring dollar bills onto the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Hoffman’s personal philosophy is succinctly explained in pieces of the transcript from his testimony as a defendant in the infamous Chicago 8 trial: LEONARD WEINGLASS, Hoffman’s attorney: Can you tell the Court and jury what is your present occupation? ABBIE HOFFMAN: I am a cultural revolutionary. Well, I am really a defendant. Full-time. WEINGLASS: What do you mean by the phrase "cultural revolutionary?" HOFFMAN: Well, I suppose it is a person who tries to shape and participate in the values, and the mores, the customs and the style of living of new people who eventually become inhabitants of a new nation and a new society through art and poetry, theater, and music.
IN THIS EDITION:
WBRS rocks out biweekly with free simulcasts Concert pictures p. 9
As is probably clear, Abbie Hoffman never did bring about his new nation, and the counter-culture destroyed itself. And eventually Hoffman took 150 barbiturate pills and destroyed himself too. But he stands as one of the most fascinating figures of a generation, and his autobiography is absolutely worth a look. It’s particularly interesting for anyone on this campus, because of a particular chapter, “From Bum to College Boy,” about his time at our very own university. Hoffman is talking about the Brandeis of the early 60’s, but very little seems to have changed. He talks about getting a juvenile prank played on him in the Castle. He talks about Eleanor Roosevelt and Abraham Maslow, and mentions both Gosman and the Louis Brandeis statue. Most surprisingly, though, Brandeis is presented as somewhat of a rebellious institution. Firstly, he discusses how he settled upon going here: “The academy was upset when I told them I liked the idea of going to Brandeis University. It was only seven years old, and the academy
wanted ivy-covered walls for its protégés. They presented such rational arguments against Brandeis that I fell in love with the place.” He also mentions the way Brandeis sowed the seeds for his rebelliousness. Of his father, he says this: “Up until the day he died, he always blamed Brandeis for my corruption. Be it divorce, dope, hippies, or schvartzes, he always ended up cursing Brandeis.
‘If it hadn’t been for Brandeis…’ he used to mumble in a pained litany.” See HOFFMAN p. 10
DID YOU KNOW?
Hip-hop devotee defends Nas Music opinion p. 11
AMC's Mad Men will make Emmy history this Sunday if it wins the prize for best drama series, making it the first cables series, other than HBO, to win the prestigious prize.
September 19, 2008
Diverse City
VOICES
Established 2006 "Celebrating the precious human tapestry" Maxwell Price Editor
FOUNDED By Esther Joo, Stephen Sukumaran and Rishun Fukazawa
Party on, WBRS!
Did you know
that Brandeis University’s radio station, WBRS 100.1FM, hosts two weekly free live concerts? If you don’t think that’s cool, check out the below photos of NYC-based femalefronted hard rock band, Shadows Lie, rocking out this Tuesday.
WBRS features
two free simulcasts of mindblowing musical artists every week, both broadcast from the Multipurpose Room on the second floor of the Shapiro Campus Center. The Joint is broadcast every Tuesday from 10:00pm-12:00am, and the WBRS Coffeehouse is broadcast every Friday morning at 11:30am-1:00pm. If you can’t make it to Shapiro at those times, you can tune in to 100.1FM or listen live on the web at http://www.wbrs.org.
WBRS has an over twenty-five
year history of on-air music including such artists as Lisa Loeb, Pixies, Moxy Fruvous, G. Love & Special Sauce, Gangstarr Posse NFX, and many more. To hear great contemporary musicians live, check out next week’s edition of the Joint, featuring Brandeis’s own Dear Havannah, on Tuesday night at 10:00pm.
Happy listening!
The opinions, columns, cartoons and advertisements printed in Diverse City do not necessarily represent the opinions of the editorial staff.
PHOTOS BY Max Shay/The Hoot
We are open to considering submissions from members of the Brandeis community relating to cultural events. Telephone: (781) 736-4755. E-mail: DC.90907@Gmail.com
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Religious tensions come to a head in historical drama BY SYDNEY REUBEN Editor
How much does religion impact your daily life? Does it effect whom you marry? How you feel about your family members and friends? This summer’s Brideshead Revisited explored those and other questions during its two hour span. The little-known but well received film was incredibly engaging and left its audience deep in thought. Brideshead explores Catholicism and the effects it can have on relationships between family members, lovers, and even friends. Set in the pre World War II era, the film focuses on the life of Charles Rider (played impeccably by Matthew Goode) as he meets and becomes entangled with the noble Marchmain family. He first meets the Marchmain boy Sebastian (Ben Whishaw) during his first year at Oxford. Charles becomes quite close with Sebastian; so close in fact, you could even say intimate. One day Sebastian brings Charles to see his family’s house, Brideshead. During this visit, Charles, to Sebastian’s dismay, meets Sebastian’s mother, Lady Marchmain (played fantastically by Emma Thompson) and his sister, Julia (Hayley Atwell). At this point Charles, as well as the viewer, first sees the strict Catholic upbringing that Sebastian had. Lady Marchmain is clearly a tough woman whose good opinion must be fought for. The children seem to both love and fear her at the same time. Soon, Sebastian and Charles go back to school. Once on summer holidays, however, Charles is soon summoned back to Brideshead when Sebastian writes to him telling him that he has been injured.
Charles returns to Brideshead, and now gets an even more comprehensive view of the family. The total silence at the family dinner table when Charles announces his atheistic beliefs alone shows the accepting nature of the family. The summer appears to be going swimmingly until Julia receives a letter from Lord Marchmain asking she and her brother to join him in Venice for YE, OF A LITTLE FAITH: Lady Marchain, played by some of the holi- Emma Thompson (center) is the stern Catholic matriarch of Brideshead and is a driving force in the film's day. Sebastian of discussion of religion. course brings Charles and is let in on the fam- cussion of Catholicism’s different ily secret. Lord Marchmain (Geof- manifestations is fascinating. The frey Wilkinson) is not in Venice on movie is not light-hearted and is business but is there living with his certainly not for everyone. The mistress Cara (Greta Scacchi). kind of person who would love It is this visit to Venice that this film is someone who enjoys changes the course of Charles’ a dialogue on religion and doesn’t life forever. He discovers his true mind a plot that focuses less on desires and is then faced with the action and far more on character consequences of them. development. The film is truly fascinating due Another fabulous aspect of the to its incredible character develop- film is the way the audience feels ment and involvement as well as about the characters in it. the questions it raises. The audiThere are very few redeeming ence watches Lady Marchmain’s features in these characters and it is unwavering commitment to what easy to find yourself disliking and she believes being a good Catholic even hating them. entails and is able to see the impact I love films that show the charthis kind of upbringing has on her acters for who they are and not children. for who the audience would want This is a rare insight into family them to be. Brideshead Revisited is a dynamics and, at times, the audi- brave film that covers controversial ence can feel like it’s seeing some- material in a tasteful and incredibly thing so completely private and interesting way. privileged that it can be a bit unI would definitely recommend comfortable. the film to those who think they The film is intense, and its dis- might be interested in it.
AHORA! celebrates female Latin identity AHORA! (from p. 8)
city” Latina, and that he wanted to show women from the community who are intelligent, educated, and have “huevos,” or chutzpah. The women – Latinas from Miami, New York City and Los Angeles – were asked to talk directly to the camera about what it means to be a Latina in the United States. Subsequently, they were also asked to answer a second, unexpected question: How does the “Madonna/Whore” Complex affect them? Though each woman was filmed independently, the overall collection of monologues addresses similar themes – stereotypes and roles that Latin American women are often tacitly asked to portray, the nuances that are lost when a number of different nationalities are bundled into the homogenous term “Latina,” and the emotional wounds caused by feelings of alienation from both Latin America and
the United States. Students were surprised by the quality of information disclosed by the women interviewed. “I was very impressed by how much the women were willing to share about themselves,” said Marisol Portillo ’09, who organized the event. Some of the Latin American students reported identifying themselves with the women on the screen. “It was interesting to see them say things I think but would never say out loud,” said Liliana Canela ‘09. Tio Louie expressed a disappointment at the silence of the Latinas in the audience during the discussion. Meredyth Gonzales ‘09 said that it was perhaps the deeply personal nature of the film that rendered the Latin American members of the audience silent. Nonetheless, the producer seemed very pleased with the outcome of the event. “It was great,” he said, “I made it for this audience – college Latinas who are still struggling with these two different
identities. I want to show them that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” Tio Louie also addressed some of the difficulties in making this film, caused by his own individual identity as male. “At the end of the day I’m a man telling stories about women,” he said. The pseudonym emerged as an attempt to minimize that effect. “I sell myself as ‘Tio Louie,’ the Latino gay uncle,” he said, explaining that this persona better convinced his subjects of his lack of ulterior motives. “That way, they know I don’t want to get into their pants – I’m only interested in culture,” he said. Lilia Pineda, President of Ahora, was also very pleased with the event. “There was a really good turn-out. And it fit in very well with what we wanted for Hispanic Heritage Month – he offered a view of what it means to be Latina,” she said.
10
Diverse City
September 19, 2008
CHORUS
FICTION
POETRY TO BE RECITED TO LIZA ON HER BIRTHDAY
BY MAIA GALLAGHER-SIUDZINSKI Special to Diverse City
BY JON SUSSMAN Contributor
Withdraw winter from the lids of your eyes and keep it warm where none can feel; when summer is light with fireflies, when autumn falls with mute surprise, when chords accord, when tones congeal: withdraw winter from the lids of your eyes. The sun by day will gaily arise, the bird of night, as if to reveal a summer alight with fireflies. From caves and coves the moon obscures the skies yet closes her heart with golden seal: withdraw winter from the lids of your eyes. Small time – no time – to live in lies, to smother the sight from visions unreal of summer alight with fireflies. From seams in the Earth, one day will give rise the final shock that admits no appeal. Withdraw winter from the lids of your eyes while summer is light with fireflies.
Abbie Hoffman's Brandeis Legacy HOFFMAN (from p. 8)
The book is interesting for Brandeis students, because Hoffman seems to leave here and then immediately enter the pages of history. He goes straight from walking up the hill to his classes to hanging out with Norman Mailer at the Pentagon. Reading the book is actually a bit depressing, not only because of the tragic end to the Hoffman story, but also because the Brandeis of today seems miserably mellow by comparison. Hoffman used our school as a jumping-off point for
radical social activism, for fighting on the front lines of the culture war. Today’s Brandeis seems unlikely to develop another Hoffman, a sad fact considering his status as one of our most notable (and notorious) graduates. Perhaps it is time that Hoffman’s books were given another look, and Brandeis students began to revive his—and the school’s—legacy. Soon to Be A Major Motion Picture can be found in the Brandeis Library.
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Editor's Note: The following short story will be presented in two parts. The next installment will appear in next week's issue. Birds chirped obliviously outside the distorted pane glass window as harsh sunlight soaked the room. The old dusty curtains could not keep the day out any better than they had managed to keep the night in. ‘My left arm is going to fall off.’ This was the only thought he could manage to compose as his body fought the morning’s arrival. He needed to move his arm, but it was trapped. Trapped beneath her warm sleeping body, which pressed up against him in the suddenly narrow bed. He didn’t want to wake her. He didn’t want her dusty grey eyes searching his face. He didn’t want to have to fake a smile or to face the consequences of last night’s drunken desperation. He especially didn’t want to face the empty notebooks waiting for him just downstairs. He didn’t want to wake her. Gently, he began to wiggle his numb fingers, trying desperately to force some blood into them without disturbing her. But he never was good at being gentle. In the next moment his arm was free. Her narrow body gently lifted up from the crumpled bed and hovered above the Power Ranger sheets. ‘She’s awake. Annah is awake… Fuck.’ He withdrew his arm, and she shifted onto her back. They both lay immobile for several minutes. He tried to focus on the cracked ceiling above them, but the clashing rhythm of their separate breaths crowded his mind. “I think I am going to make some coffee,” she whispered to the plaster over head. The statement dripped from her mouth like a question, and the word ‘coffee’ seemed foreign on her lips. “Ok,” he whispered back to a particularly long, jagged crack. She slipped gracefully out of the bed, reached for a ratty comforter, wrapped herself in it, and like a skilled geisha shuffled towards the door. He didn’t want to watch but he couldn’t stop himself. Impulsively, he decided to follow. Rising out of the warm bed, he stepped into a pair of jeans that were left crumpled on the floor after last night’s hasty strip. Unfortunately, the symptoms of his much-deserved hangover caught up with him. He slumped back onto the bed and rubbed his sleepy eyes. “You are an idiot!” he silently chastised his aching body. “We’re out of coffee...” called a
Write
timid voice from outside the bedroom door. “So I’m going to run out and get some.” Slurring the end of her sentence and not waiting for a response, Annah bounded down the stairs, clamored through the rickety screen door, and flew out into the driveway. He listened as she opened the car door and started the raspy engine. Gravel crunched under the tires as she pulled out onto their sleepy road and drove away. At last, he took a deep, relieved breath. *** He fought the throbbing ache that pulsed relentlessly through his foggy head and made his way down stairs to the dim study. Sitting with his pen pressed up against a clean white sheep of paper he paused. Nothing came. No words. No thoughts. ‘Hangovers suck.’ He scribbled on the blank page. ‘I fucked Annah.’ He stopped. Again, no words. “FUCK!” He ripped the page of paper. A burst of frustration forced him to leap up. He stood before the tall sturdy bookcase, allowing his eyes to dart from shelf to shelf. He did not read the titles, he did not have to, he knew their names. Melville, Thoreau, Shakespeare, Hemmingway, Faulkner. Trying to calm his mind he drew in the dusty aroma of yellowing paper. Fitzgerald, Yates, Rand. The musty scent flooded his mind with pleasant memories of long afternoons spent in the dim recesses of decrepit used bookstores. He had not treasured those stolen hours enough. Bronte, Poe, Dumas, Twain. Now he cowered before this monumental tower packed with true talent. Stealing another breath he reached for a heavy volume perched on an upper shelf. Tolstoy. Grasping the massive binding with his left hand he flipped through a few pages. With a thud he let it fall to the wooden floor. Blindly he groped for something different. Voltaire. He skimmed a page before dropping it too. Feverishly he grabbed for another. Orwell. Thud. Cervantes. Thud. Wolf. Thud. Grab. Drop. Reach. Drop. Skim. Discard. The piles at his feet grew as he searched for inspiration, for solace, for reassurance, for validation, for hope, for the key to their success. He could feel the thud of his heart beating in cadence with the falling books. The thin voice of his father echoed between his ears: “Are you sure this is what you want?” He had been sure. He had been so sure. He had. But now…He slumped against the bookcase, his chest heaving, his thoughts racing. Running back, back through the past few months, back to before
He could feel the thud of his heart beating in cadence with the falling books.
his parents’ blessing, back to when his life had seamed more vital. He remembered the day he had finally decided to neglect obligation. It was a pretty spring afternoon. He sat at a café with a strong cup of coffee, a tattered notebook, and Annah. The conversation was simple, as things used to be with her. “I am going to tell them this weekend.” “Are you sure?” “… Yes...” “Well, if it will make you happy…” “It will.” “Then do it. So what are you going to say?” “I don’t know.” “You should think about it.” “What do you think I should say? Hi Mom, Dad, I just wanted to let you know that you spent two hundred thousand dollars on my education for nothing. I’m not going to law school.” “I would try to soften the blow just a little.” “Yeah.” “Do you want me to come with you?” “No, I can do it on my own.” “Are you sure?” “I’m sure.” “When are you going to see them?” “It’s not like I’m going to tell them that I’m a cold blooded killer or something.” “No, you’re going to tell them that you want to be a writer.” “Maybe you should come with me.” He had thought back then that they were his only obstacle. They were the only things standing between him and happiness. If he could just be allowed to follow his passions, everything would be great, good, fine, excellent, perfect. But nothing was perfect. A tear slipped from the corner of his eye. Streaking down his flushed cheek, dribbling under his scruffy chin. He slid down the shelves dropping to his knees. He had been naive to think writing would make him happy. He had been naive to think sex with Annah would make things better. Taking a shaky breath he wiped the lone tear from his face. He could see his notebooks lying lazily all over his old desk. Filled with words, sentences, paragraphs. They held the ramblings of a rebellious teenager. They were from before, before he had told his parents, before they had given him the house for a year, before he had fucked his best friend, before his characters had stopped speaking to him, before he had started to doubt his talent, doubt his drive. The old clock over the fireplace chimed, ripping him from his thoughts. Annah might be back soon. He had to clean up the mess. He pulled himself off the floor and surveyed the damage. One book had a slight tear in the binding, and several pages needed to be smoothed, but his tirade was easily tucked back on to the neat selves, easily hidden.
September 19, 2008
The Hoot
11
END-NOTE
If the concert offends you... it's meant to BY JUSTIN PIERRE-LOUIS Staff
Before I begin with my usual style of intellectual banter I would love to quickly address a small matter of business concerning a nasty rumor about one of my favorite rappers. Nasir Jones’ glory days are far from behind him. In the last 7 years Mr. Nasir Jones was part of what’s considered one of the greatest Hip-hop feuds in history with Sean Carter, also known as Jay-Z. After following the “beef ” by keeping the rap world on its ear with commercially and critically successful hits like “One Mic,” “Made You Look,” and “Virgo,” Nas went on to, release the album “Hip-Hop is Dead” which, aside from reminding us that Iron Butterfly kicks ass with its eponymous album single , went on to sell 356,000 units in the first week, debut at Billboard 200 #1 slot, and take the #1 in the United World Chart. Furthermore, Nas is enjoying no less success with his album “Untitled”. Long story short, Nas is a living legend. Brandeis wins. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s address the controversy. What is Nas’ latest Untitled album, formerly called Nigger, really about? Nas is far from you average artist. With his work always comes an
agenda; a purpose, something he wants us as fans to come away with and the world at large to digest. “Untitled” is Nas’s participation in a dialogue that has been conducted between artists and scholars, college professors and students for years: What does the N-word mean in today’s society and how has the word’s meaning developed in the presence of different ethnic and racial demographics? One of the overarching themes of his work is to make people realize that—while the N-word itself might not have been used—people of all races have been discriminated against and restricted to social roles unbefitting of them. He takes it further in tracks like the poignantly titled “Be a N_____ Too”. Aside from literally going through what I’m sure was every pejorative term he could think of, he acknowledges the irony that for all the different people in the world, hate takes a similar form against each and every one of us. He goes on to make the
assertion that, in reclaiming these words that were once hurtful, all races and creeds, not just African Americans, can share in the fraternity that the N-word (I admit arguably) has proliferated in popular culture today. Of course I’m only scratching the surface. There is a lot to the album and it’s lyrics that you only get after a second or third listen. Aside from direct racism issues, Nas addresses the social double standard that, as comedian Paul Mooney puts it, “everyone wants to be a N_____ but no one wants to be an N______”. That is to say that as much as popular culture is driven by African and Caribbean American influences, racist attitudes towards those same influences remain unchanged. The result is a social construction in which it is cool to act “gangster,” but as soon as you are genuinely associated with the affected aesthetic, you are looked down upon by society. Nas also refuses to limit himself to race
issues. He spits, “Y'all don't treat women fair/She read about herself in the bible/Believing she the reason sin is here/You played her, with an apron/Like bring me my dinner, dear/She the nigger here”. As is evident in this excerpt from the song “America”, Nas has not lost a bit of his knack for piercing prose and haunting poeticism. Furthermore what those few bars also make clear is that the dialogue Nas wishes to bring about is even bigger than race but is one regarding America’s history of marginalization of different peoples, black from white, Jewish from Christian, women from men. The Untitled album challenges us to discuss when and in which ways different people have been made to serve the role of, or have been seen as society’s N-words. It then takes us further into pondering what unification and empowerment of these groups could mean for our collective future as Americans. Granted, I am aware that even
Hip-hop isn’t just music, it is a safe haven for those who need an outlet for their creativity, a fortress built upon the arrogance of artists like Kanye, a library with rhyme-books of wisdom from conscious artists like Mos Def and Talib Kweli.
A D V E RT I S E M E N T
after my efforts to defend and illuminate Nas’ artistic drive in producing Untitled there will still be some skeptics, otherwise known to the Hip-hop world as “haters.” To the haters I would just like to say that Hip-hop isn’t just music, it is a safe haven for those who need an outlet for their creativity, a fortress built upon the arrogance of artists like Kanye, a library with rhymebooks of wisdom from conscious artists like Mos Def and Talib Kweli. It’s a place where one can be as brash and as bold as one desires, while at the same time being as introspective and as ruminative as is necessary. It’s where one can channel life’s transgressions into art while removed, in body but not in mind from the pain that is the impetus behind one’s lyrical voice. Hip-Hop is a home where all are welcome, but not If they want to come in and act like strangers. If you want to talk Hip-hop, respect Hip-hop, know Hip-hop and don’t start throwing dirt on people’s names without discretion. Nas, you are a living legend, and if you get to read this (somehow) before or after the performance on Saturday, you are more than welcome at Brandeis. I haven’t spoken to a person yet who isn’t excited to have you coming to our school. One Love.