The Brandeis Hoot 1/26/2018

Volume 15 Issue 2

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe” www.brandeishoot.com

January 26, 2018

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper · Waltham, Mass.

Liebowitz hosts meeting on Brandeis’ future

By Rachel Wang special to the hoot

photo by emily sorkin smith/the hoot

creative arts award ceremony Michael

Weller accepts the 2017 Brandeis Creative Arts Award from President Liebowitz at a ceremony at the Faculty Club on Jan. 23.

In a continuation of a series of open meetings about the future of Brandeis, President Ron Liebowitz followed up on the issues raised in the last meeting held in late November and outlined four major areas of improvement he hopes to focus on moving forward: emphasizing student life, research, Brandeis’ Jewish-American root and increasing Brandeis’ impact in communities outside the university.

Liebowitz announced that, to achieve these goal, short surveys will be sent out to the student population in late Spring. The goals will also be sent out for review among groups like the Faculty Senate, Student Union, and

Graduate Student Council to name a few. Task forces for each goal will be formed and the plans will be circulated for another round of feedback. Liebowitz estimates that a loose blueprint of action will be ready by Fall 2018.

In the eighteen months Liebowitz has been president, he has shared over 70 lunches and open conversations with a mix of students, faculty and staff. He has also reviewed 35 self-reflection documents submitted by faculty and staff leaders who shared their thoughts on their visions for their respective programs, student opportunities, structures constraining or supporting their goals, and most importantly, priorities for the programs they oversaw.

As Liebowitz put it, prioritizaSee OPEN MEETING, page 3

Michael Weller accepts Creative Arts Award

By Celia Young editor

Brandeis honored Michael Weller ’65 with the Creative Arts Award, which recognizes excellence in the arts, at a ceremony Tuesday, Jan. 23 in the faculty club. The ceremony focused on Weller’s accomplishments in the-

ater and the arts, with remarks

by President Liebowitz, Professor Gannit Ankori (CA) and Weller himself.

The next day Weller spoke briefly in a smaller setting with Professor Thomas Doherty (AMST) regarding his life in theater and his plays, “Hair,” “Buyer Beware” and “Jericho.”

The three hour ceremony fol-

lowed the difficulties surrounding Weller’s work, “Buyer Beware,” a play commissioned when Weller was named the 2017 recipient of the award.

Liebowitz’s remarks included an apology for the circumstances.

Weller’s remarks focused on the play and were written as a conversation between himself and Lenny Bruce, a provocative co-

median whose archives are hosted by Brandeis University’s Farber Library.

The theater department was originally set to produce “Buyer Beware,” but after some students objected to the language and treatment of minority characters in a draft script, Brandeis later announced the play would be produced along with a class on

provocative art. After difficulty coordinating with the administration and student objections, however, Weller decided to withdraw his work.

The Brandeis Creative Arts Award was established in 1956 and is supported by the Poses Institute of the Arts. The award was See CREATIVE ARTS, page 4

Muhammad Xhemali appointed Muslim Chaplain

By Emily Sorkin Smith editor

Muhammad Xhemali, Brandeis’ new Muslim chaplain, was officially welcomed to the Brandeis community in an email by Rabbi Elisabeth Stern, the director of Religious and Spiritual Life.

Xhemali came to Brandeis at the end of the Fall 2017 semester and has been getting to know his new community. He is taking over a role previously held by Maryam Sharrieff, interim Muslim chaplain, and Imam Dr. Talal Eid. Xhemali, a pharmacist and a graduate of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health

Inside This Issue:

Science (MCPHS), has been active in the Muslim community since he was young. He became the president of MCPHS’ Muslim Student Association (MSA), and has since taken on many leadership roles. On top of his full-time job and role at Brandeis, Xhemali provides spiritual counseling as a prison chaplain in Worcester.

The new chaplain’s office is tucked in the back of the MSA suite in lower Usdan. It’s a quiet space, decorated with verses from the Qur’an.

Since Rabbi Stern’s email, sent by the Office of Diversity, EquiSee CHAPLAIN, page 3

News: Bluestone gives $8.4 million bequest Ops: Trump’s solar panel tax threatens future Features: Facilities worker brightens Reitman Sports: Track and field excel in invitational EDITORIAL: Impose plastic bag tax

open meeting on brandeis’ future

Iced coffee

Page 2 Page 11 Student petition makes an impact on coffee menu Page 6 Page 10 FEATURES: PAGE 5 Page 7

President Liebowitz discusses plans for Brandeis’ future.

Slam competition Student poetry moves audience at Chum’s ARTS: PAGE 16

photo by yarisa diaz/the hoot

NEWS

2 The Brandeis Hoot

Councilwoman plans to bring Brandeis closer to Waltham community

By Celia Young

tion of infrastructure and of public transit. And that’s why I hope… we can start coordinating the shuttle service,” Mackin said.

“I’d like to see Waltham invest in a program like that and expand it because every person we get on public transit is a car off the road.”

Housing in Waltham is another issue Mackin hopes to tackle in her two-year term as city councilwoman. She hopes to smooth relations between students living off campus and neighboring residents by opening a dialogue between the two groups.

Mackin herself has experienced the difficulties of off-campus living as a graduate student studying Biochemistry at Brandeis University.

According to Mackin, housing rates have been rising in Waltham with less available space, and she hopes to be able to expand available housing as well as moderate rates.

Mackin would also like to establish a liaison for Brandeis students to contact about Waltham housing rates, codes and rules.

Mackin plans to speak with graduate students about the issue of housing in February.

“I think it would really benefit a lot of the students if they had somebody they could pick up the phone and talk to who know the Waltham housing laws and the Waltham housing market,” Mackin said.

Brandeis currently has a website detailing resources for undergraduate off-campus living as well as a Graduate student’s resource page. Graduate students can contact the Assistant Director of Graduate Student Affairs, Steven Weglinski, for housing questions.

editor

Waltham Councilwoman Kristine Mackin ’14, elected Nov. 2017, plans on improving relations between Brandeis and the Waltham community while serving as the ward seven representative, which includes Brandeis University and several surrounding neighborhoods.

Mackin is a Brandeis alumni, who graduated with a PhD in biochemistry in 2014. She currently works full time at Decision Resources Group analyzing data on health care and health care providers and synthesizing it into reports.

Elected under the promise of increased transparency and accessibility, Mackin represents Brandeis students and Waltham citizens in ward seven and is focusing on three issues that will likely affect Brandeis students: public transportation, housing and communication between the university and the community.

As of the last council session, no resolutions have been passed on Mackin’s three core issues.

Mackin would like to coordinate the transportation services, according to an interview with The Brandeis Hoot. Mackin hopes that by increasing access to public transportation services, traffic congestion in Waltham will decrease.

This type of initiative is included in the city council’s current transportation plan, which Mackin is championing.

“Waltham as a whole needs to start to grapple with this traffic problem and it has to be a ques-

Mackin’s third goal is to streamline communication between Brandeis and Waltham, especially regarding service initiatives. She hopes to establish a web interface to simplify coordination between Waltham and Brandeis groups, and in the long term would like to create a new position in the council to act as a coordinator.

“I’d like to take...sort of a holistic look at all of those [community service] programs to try to be more proactive about advertising them to the campus community and be more proactive about seeing where the needs are and what the opportunities are to cooperate,” Mackin said.

As a short term goal, Mackin plans on creating a community calendar and updating the council website with a better search function for easier access to council minutes and resolutions.

The city council is pursuing other initiatives including creating a new high school in Waltham and the development of a new office building in the office park on Wyman street.

Mackin was elected in Nov. 2017 against the incumbent, Joseph Giordano, who was ward seven city councilor for 18 years and ran unopposed for eight, according to Giordano’s Facebook page and Mackin.

The city council usually meets every Monday, and their next meeting is Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. where they will meet in smaller committees. The full council will meet Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m.

Mackin can be contacted at kmackin@mackinward7.com, the city council website and her council phone number at (781) 786-8569.

January 26, 2018

Nine elected to Student Union in midyear elections

By Hannah Schuster editor

Nine students were elected to the Student Union Senate, Allocations Board, Judiciary and Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC) on Thursday, Jan. 24.

The annual midterm elections introduce the midyear class senator, who represents the approximately 100 first-years who arrived on campus in January. Shangyuan Xu ’21, who ran unopposed, was elected with 20 out of 21 votes, according to election data from the Union.

The midterms also fill any seats left vacant after the fall semester.

The position of Ziv Quad Senator is vacant, but no students ran for the position, so the Senate will be one member shy of full. There were 15 write-in votes, but no majority.

In total, there were four available seats on the Allocations Board. A-board allocates money to Brandeis’ more than 200 clubs, distributes other grants and makes policy decisions with regard to club allocations. Rebecca Shaar ’21 was elected to the one available three-semester seat on A-board, besting Kaixuan Ding ’21 and George Li ’21 with 176 out of 505 total votes, compared to Ding’s 81 and Li’s 73. There were 159 votes for abstain, which means no vote of confidence.

Andrews Figueroa ’19 and Alan Huang ’21 will both serve as two-semester A-board members.

Figueroa returns to A-board after previously serving for three semesters, when he was involved in recent reforms to the club funding process and with the CEEF program. Figueroa received 187 votes, and Huang received 159. A total of 707 students cast a vote in

this contest.

Shiyi (Wendy) Mao ’21 was chosen as the racial-minority A-board member in a close race where he received 62 votes compared to Daniel Kang’s ’19 61 and Anisha Purohit’s ’21 51.

The Student Union Judiciary is a five-member body that handles club disputes or constitutional questions. Yale Sussman ’21, Winnie Qin ’21 and Rolanda Donelson ’20 will fill the three vacant seats. This race had the largest turnout in the election cycle, with 851 students casting votes. Shijie (Jeremy) Xiao ’19 was also elected to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee.

Students vote for Union members online through a link sent to their emails. This year, however, the Union piloted in-person voting stations in Usdan and the Shapiro Campus Center, an effort organized by Callahan Cox ’18, the Union communications director. For one hour in each location, Union members distributed Capri Sun pouches to students who showed them proof they had voted. They had 150 pouches and used the majority, according to Student Union President Jacob Edelman ’18.

“People seemed to be pulled in even by seeing the table, and we both got a lot of votes and constituent feedback when we would chat with people as they were voting. All in all, it was a pretty great effort,” said Edelman.

photo from brandeis.edu

Bluestone bequest to support social justice programs

By Sabrina Chow staff

Dr. Seymore S. Bluestone gave an $8.4 million dollar bequest to Brandeis University for service and social justice initiatives. The donation will go towards three programs: the Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program (MKTYP), the Sustainable International Development Program (SID), and research development at the Center for Global Development and Sustainability.

Touched by the sense of social justice encompassing the Brandeis campus, Bluestone gave the multi-million bequest gift to the university with his passing in September at age 96. Funds going towards the MKTYP and SID programs are both for financial aid, while the grants for the Center for Global Development and Sustainability are for research advancements.

Dr. Seymore “Sy” Bluestone attended Cornell University as an undergraduate and New York University School of Medicine as a medical student before serving the U.S. Army between 1945-47 as a medical officer during the Korean war. After returning, Bluestone was mainly a rehabilitation doctor and director of the New York State Rehabilitation Hospital for 10 years.

According to BrandeisNOW, Bluestone had given small gifts to Brandeis in the 1990s prior to his visit in 2000. He also created the Jesse F. and Dora H. Bluestone Scholarship for the SID program in memory of his parents.

In 2000, Professor Laurence Simon, a professor of International Development and Director of the Center for Global Development and Sustainability at the Heller School for Social Policy, was requested by the university to meet with a potential benefactor, Bluestone.

With their first interaction, Simon remembers Bluestone as “a learned man.” “He ran a hospital and still found time to be involved in humanitarian affairs,” said Simon in an interview with The Brandeis Hoot.

Simon and Bluestone bonded over their mutual interest in global poverty and the problems that rich countries have in helping those less fortunate, according to Simon.

On his calling card along with his personal information, Bluestone wrote his personal motto, “One World.” Prior to meeting Bluestone, Simon had created a cafe at one of the new student orientations at the Heller School, the One World Cafe. With students coming from all different countries and socioeconomic backgrounds, this cafe provided students the opportunity to get a better understanding of not only one another, but the unity of all their cultures into one at

Brandeis, Simon explained.

Simon found it “inspiring to meet somebody who held onto his values based in the relief of suffering, whether it was from the medical point of view, or for the suffering that comes from poverty, from environmental degradation.”

It was not only the university itself, that impressed Bluestone; the diversity within the student body greatly appealed to him, according to Simon. Simon wishes that more students at Brandeis could have had the opportunity to visit Bluestone before his passing. During previous visits, Simon would bring along some students who would have the chance to speak with Bluestone. Simon remembers that Bluestone “loved to talk to them [the students] about the personal culture,” and even spoke to them in their native languages.

“We are enormously grateful to Dr. Bluestone.

Not only for the bequest for many years to come, but also just to have known him,” said Simon.

Regardless of the amount that Bluestone would have donated to Brandeis, Simon feels that Bluestone enriched his life and helped him discover a new sense of compassion.

Simon was not the only faculty member to speak highly of Bluestone. Zamira Korff, senior vice president of institutional advancements, is quoted in BrandeisNOW stating, “I am immensely grateful that Sy chose Brandeis— an institution committed to creating a fair and just society—to address the issues that were so important to him.”

As a school that upholds social justice to a high standard, Simon encourages students to reach out to him, or any other members at the Heller School, to find different ways to get involved in any aspect of social justice or anything students feel passionate about.

January 26, 2018

NEWS 3

The Brandeis Hoot

Liebowitz focuses on four central goals in meeting on Brandeis’ future

OPEN MEETING, from page 1

tion is necessary considering how Brandeis has grown over the years under a “philosophy of ‘let a thousand flowers bloom’” where many new ideas and programs were being implemented, but “no one was doing any weeding.” From the mass of feedback he collected, Liebowitz concluded on four recommendations for growth: increasing Brandeis’ extraversion, reinvigorating student life, retaining the institution’s unique prestige in research and appreciating the institution’s Jewish-American roots.

In his first point, Liebowitz addressed the necessity for Brandeis to more readily express itself as an “extraverted institution” with “regional, national and global connections and impact.”

He noted that the first faculty of Brandeis was actually composed of many international scholars whose global understandings set the standard for academic excellence. However, since then, Brandeis has become overwhelmingly inward looking and “overly self-critical” instead of “looking outside.”

Liebowitz asserted that “Brandeis has so much to be proud of ”, such as the recent Nobel Prize wins by alumni Michael Rosbash and Jeffrey Hall, but many people are still unaware of the institution’s accomplishments.

He hopes that Brandeis will

make itself more widely known within the larger conversation by being a better promoter and publicist of its own achievements.

Liebowitz then called for a “redefining of the student experience” which he observed, from the conversations shared with students and faculty, as “subpar.”

He noticed a particular concern among the faculty around the “imbalance” within the life of a typical academically rigorous Brandeisian with multiple majors and minors. Liebowitz wondered what kind of residential communities students were returning to after a day of classes and whether they were providing “the kind of engagement that may be lacking on campus.”

Along the theme of a stronger student focus, Liebowitz also commented on curriculum structures and different teaching styles—considering each students’ needs as demographics and dynamics change in an ever-diversified classroom.

He brought attention to other student services such as the Hiatt Career Center and Counseling Center, especially emphasizing the need to listen to student voices asking to be educated on life skills such as balancing a checkbook.

Liebowitz recognized that the current generation specifically, living within a revolution of technology, faces unprecedented pressure and anxiety because they

photo by yarisa diaz/the hoot

are competing for jobs on a global level.

Moving on to preserving the research atmosphere, Liebowitz said that the simultaneous dedication to undergraduate liberal arts studies and accessibility to intensive, faculty-interactive research is what “makes us special.” The president admitted that maintaining science equipment and employing doctoral and post-doctoral students is expensive, but ultimately “crucial” to the distinctive Brandeis experience. To keep this dual experience available,

Liebowitz says repairs to physical infrastructure, tailoring of faculty sabbatical leave, and further discussion on free expression policy are necessary.

Lastly, Liebowitz pointed to the importance of remembering the institution’s history and thinking of ways to continue serving the Jewish American community.

Brandeis “was founded on the basis of openness”, Liebowitz says.

Important values such as these are worth revisiting, as they hold striking relevance even today.

Although the crowd was small,

the question and answer discussion after the president’s briefing was varied. Voices advocating for their own concerns within the Brandeis community included religious chaplains, librarians, students and professors.

The president’s extensive layout for the future of Brandeis sparked conversation within Sherman Function Hall, but its participants soon dispersed. One library staff member enjoyed the discourse but expressed disappointment at the low turnout. “There were only twenty or so people here.”

New Muslim Chaplain Muhammad Xhemali comes to Brandeis from spiritual counseling CHAPLAIN, from page 1

ty and Inclusion around 12 p.m. on Jan. 25, faculty and students have reached out to Xhemali and welcome him to Brandeis. Stern, appointed in 2017 after serving as a part-time chaplain, has been working to increase awareness and visibility of the multi-faith chaplaincy.

During finals last September, the chaplaincy hosted a “study break” event to provide stress relief and comfort during an often tense time of year. Xhemali told The Brandeis Hoot that he hopes the chaplaincy can make a positive impact in students’ lives regardless of their faith.

Chaplains can serve as a source of comfort for the community, an additional resource to add to the services provided by a place like the Brandeis Counseling Center (BCC) and student run groups like Brandeis 6TALK and the Queer Resource Center.

Every Friday at 1 p.m., Xhemali leads Juma’a prayers in the MSA suite and delivers a sermon. His sermons, Xhemali said, are inspired by the events of the week, the challenges students share with him.

He invited interested students to join the services and the community in reflection. Serving as a chaplain allows Xhemali the opportunity to “demystify” his faith, he said, and he encourages students to learn from those around them with different backgrounds and experiences.Xhemali’s door is always open, he said, whether to talk about religion, school work or Lebron James.

He hopes the MSA suite and the chaplaincy can be a source of peace and joy to members of the Brandeis community.

Anyone who wants to talk with Xhemali can email him at xhemali@brandeis.edu, visit him in his office or attend Friday prayers in the MSA suite.

msa prayer room

Chaplain Xhemali’s office is within the MSA suite, which also houses a prayer room.

photo from brandeis.edu

4 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

January 26, 2018

Playwright Michael Weller discusses his work during campus visit

WELLER, from page 1

given out every year until 1994, when it became an annual residency for artists given out by the Poses Institute of the Arts. It returned as a yearly award in 2015.

Well known recipients of the award include Georgia O’Keeffe, Buckminster Fuller and Charlie Chaplin.

Gannit Ankori, head of the division of creative arts, began the event by thanking the attendees and introducing a short video tribute to Weller. The video described Weller’s beginnings at Brandeis, containing clips of interviews and comments on two of Weller’s more famous productions, “Moonchildren” and “Hair.”

Many department and division heads were in attendance as well as Provost Lisa Lynch, Dean Susan Brown, Brandeis’ alumni, members of the Board of Trustees, members of the Student Union, student press and students from a new creative arts class, Provocative Art: Outside the Comfort Zone, who participated in a class lottery to gain admission.

Liebowitz presented Weller with the Creative Arts Award and a small bronze medal. He deliv-

ered a short speech that acknowledged and again apologized for the complications with Weller’s play “Buyer Beware.” It focused on interpreting the circumstances as a learning opportunity for the university, mentioning the new class that is currently being taught on provocative art and the issues “Buyer Beware” raised.

“The road leading to this celebratory climax has been a bumpy one, it unfolded like a Michael Weller drama—riddled with miscommunication and pain; but also a desire to heal breached and tumultuous relationships and to find a positive path forward,” Liebowitz said.

He continued, “We regret the unfortunate events and apologize once again, Michael…There is no ‘silver lining’ when people get hurt and misunderstandings abound.

However, many members of our community realized that this truly difficult predicament must be seized and transformed into a significant educational opportunity.”

Weller then took the stage to give a speech amidst a standing ovation. He introduced his speech by marking the reservations he had with the ceremony, and said he was “unsure of what to say.”

Weller then described a narrative where, earlier before the ceremony, he had visited the Lenny Bruce Archives and was greeted by a vision of Lenny Bruce himself.

Weller continued his speech by describing the conversation between himself and Lenny Bruce where Bruce asked Weller about “Buyer Beware,” and Bruce’s part in the play.

In the story, Weller explains to Bruce that the production was shut down, causing Bruce to become shocked and sad that the students and administration didn’t like his material but also concerned that his goal “to offend them and to challenge them” was misconstrued.

Weller mentioned the possible production of a miniseries based on “Buyer Beware,” which is unconfirmed.

Following the initial distribution of a draft of the play, Andrew Child ’19, a Undergraduate Departmental Representative (UDR) for the theater department, opposed the play based on how it portrayed racial minorities and its use of profane language. Child criticized the play, saying it hides behind Lenny Bruce and uses his name “as a trigger word. I think

photos by emily sorkin smith/the hoot

Lenny Bruce is in there as a scapegoat.”

Weller also made a commentary through the narrative about modern culture, telling those in attendance to “beware the virtue cops.”

When Weller was a child, he said, children would play “cowboys and Indians” in their backyards.

Now, he wondered to Bruce in the story, do children play “cowboys and Native Americans?”.

As the imaginary conversation between Weller and Bruce continued, Weller explained to Bruce the purpose of his play. “I wrote a play to celebrate you,” Weller said to an imagined Bruce, “To put issues on display with a scalpel and a laugh…Truth unto its innermost parts and all that,” said Weller, invoking the Brandeis University motto. He continued, “[They] couldn’t handle the gift I wrote for them.”

Weller concluded the narrative by having the imagined Bruce take his pen, and write a final remark on a twice folded piece of paper that Weller was to read out at the award ceremony.

Weller prefaced his final remark by saying that it was written

by Bruce, and he had no idea of its contents. Weller finished his speech by opening up the twice folded piece of paper and reading out, “I’m honored, thank you.”

The event concluded with a Lydian string quartet introduced

by Marker Berger, chair of the music department. Liebowitz offered a final toast to Weller.

Weller returned the next day to speak with Professor Thomas Doherty (AMST) in the Hassenfeld Conference center. They discussed Weller’s beginnings at Brandeis, his work on “Hair,” the dangers of social media, and “Buyer Beware.”

The hour long event drew a crowd of about 30 people. Weller described his natural aptitude for writing dialogue and how his theater professor at Brandeis, John Matthews, cultivated his passion for theater.

Weller also recounted some of his experiences at Brandeis, and concluded by commenting again on “Buyer Beware,” saying, “I’m very sorry it didn’t happen. I think it would’ve been terrific if it had been done. I would’ve liked to have seen it done here.”

January 26, 2018

FEATURES

The Brandeis Hoot 5

Coffee campaign: student petitions for better brew

By Polina Potochevska and Sara McCrea editors

It’s no secret that college campuses run on coffee. From a quick cup to get students through a lecture to caffeine-fueled all nighters, everyone seems to have their preference when it comes to their go-to brew. Hot or iced? Iced or Cold Brew? Caffeinated or decaf?

Starbucks or Dunkin’? Einstein’s or C-Store? When it comes to such controversial decisions, students have turned to a new way to get the coffee they want: activism.

Daniel Mangoubi ’18 is a math and economics major with a passion for iced coffee from Einstein’s. After working on campus throughout last summer and drinking iced coffee in the Boston heat, Mangoubi returned for the fall semester to find out that Einstein’s had stopped carrying his drink of choice.

“On the first day of classes, I walked up to Einstein’s to get my iced coffee, like I always do, and there was no iced coffee option, just cold brew,” Mangoubi described. Not only was there a sudden change in the available drinks, but the cold brew coffee was more expensive than the iced coffee, with a medium cold brew at $2.99 compared to a $2.19 iced coffee.

Einstein’s refill policy, which gives students a discount price on their second cup of tea or coffee, as well as the policy which gives students a discount price if they bring in a reusable mug, does not apply to espresso drinks or cold brew.

To address these inconveniences, Mangoubi decided to take action.

“I decided I’d start a petition to try and get the iced coffee back,” Mangoubi said. Over the course of a few days, Mangoubi received over 100 signatures on his peti-

tion, with the help of his friends who spread the petition all over campus and brought it to classes. “People were pretty eager to sign it.” Written on the petition was, “We the undersigned hereby request that Einstein’s Bagels in the Shapiro Campus Center resume the sale of Ice Coffee at the same price as hot coffee.”

Then, Mangoubi brought his petition to the Usdan Dining Office. “I don’t think they were expecting this, they didn’t really know what to do with the petition.” The office took the petition and made a photocopy of it.

On Oct. 11, Mangoubi received a reply from a manager at the dining office which explained that Einstein’s as a brand had decided to remove iced coffee from their sales at all locations and Sodexo did not have a say about the decision.

In reply, Mangoubi hoped to speak to Sodexo representatives about allowing iced lattes and various other drinks to be covered under the refill program. “I started a petition to lower the price of lattes, so that they would also be covered under the refill option.

I think there were more signatures on that petition in total.”

Again, Mangoubi’s friends helped to spread the second petition.

On Oct. 23, Mangoubi went to grab a cup of coffee from Einstein’s. Thinking that his favorite drink was not on the menu, he settled on a latte, but he was pleasantly surprised when the workers told him to order an iced coffee.

He was surprised, but he wasn’t sure whether it was his petition that caused the menu change.

“I like to think it was because they were scared of the latte petition, but I don’t know,” he said.

Mangoubi’s petitions had a bigger impact than he originally thought. Stan Park, the Operations Manager of Sodexo at Brandeis,

photos by emily sorkin smith/the hoot

said that while he did not see the petition when it was first brought to the Usdan Dining Office, it was taken into consideration by the active dining committee on campus. The committee took the petition and other negative feedback from students into account, and ultimately decided to bring iced

coffee back to Einstein’s, only on the Brandeis campus. Park said that Sodexo faculty at Brandeis wants to hear student feedback in order to respond accordingly.

When it comes to something as personal as coffee, to each their own. For iced coffee lovers, Mangoubi’s hard work paid off,

as fresh iced coffee will remain in the lineup of silver tanks on the back counter at Einstein’s each morning. For those with a different taste in brew, Mangoubi’s petition has helped to open the door for students to have a voice in what beverages they use to get through the daily grind.

Math department and Volen welcome Touboul

By Sabrina Chow staff

At the beginning of the semester, Dr. Jonathan Touboul joined the mathematics department as an associate professor and one of the three faculty members at the Volen National Center for Complex Systems.

Prior to his arrival at Brandeis, Touboul received his Ph.D. in mathematics at the École Polytechnique. In addition to Brandeis, Touboul is currently the Principal Investigator (PI) of the Mathematical Neuroscience Team at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB) at the Collège de France. After renewing his position once, Touboul wanted a change of scenery and moved from France to Boston, as a new professor at Brandeis.

Since receiving the job, Touboul has been excited to get onto campus. “I was really excited by Brandeis because both the math and neuroscience programs have very good faculty and really demonstrates a real collegiate atmosphere of collaboration. I felt very welcomed,” he said. As well as the welcoming environment of the students and faculty, Touboul loves the landscape that sur-

rounds campus and the greater Boston area because it is one of the few cities in the United States that closely resembles Europe, he said.

In addition to joining the mathematics department, Touboul was hired by the school to take on the challenge of creating an applied math major. Unlike the existing math major, the applied math major will combine both mathematics and applied sciences to be more applicable to the real world.

Even though Touboul was trained in pure math, he was still curious about body systems and science. After completing his Ph.D., Touboul would go to the library at his institution to read books about the relationship between math and medicine and “was amazed by how mathematics could be used to understand biology.”

In France, students can either choose to go to engineering school or medical school. With both his parents in the medical field, Touboul’s parents advised him to continue with engineering school and switch to medical school if he changed his mind.

“I was always interested in medicine and was hesitant to go to medical school. But I found applied mathematics and was able to do both,” said Touboul.

photo by sabrina chow/the hoot

Touboul’s research mainly focuses on the modeling and analysis of the systems within the brain. One of his most famous publications revolves around the relationship between positive and negative trends within brain activity. Toubould found that certain fluctuations in activity within a network can cause induced oscillations, which would cause the ac-

tivity to reach a stable equilibrium.

Not knowing the reasoning behind this trend, Touboul wanted to test it with two populations.

He decided to use a fashion model. Oftentimes in fashion “Some people want to follow what the majority does, mainstream, and others that would do the contrary, hipsters. And by trying to oppose to the majority, these individuals

will eventually all do the same thing at the same time. They will synchronize, and activate at the same.” Indirectly, those trying to be different end up being exactly the same as the mainstream.

For students interested in applying math to science, Touboul hopes to be an effective resource and a tremendous addition to the Brandeis community.

6 FEATURES

The Brandeis Hoot

January 26, 2018

Facilities worker brings positivity to campus

By Sara McCrea editor

As students pad in their slippers to the bathroom in Reitman Residence Hall, they are often greeted by the smiling face of Teresa Pais, a Brandeis facilities worker with kind eyes and dark brown hair tucked neatly into a low ponytail. If she is mopping, she will stop and wave at the students who are just beginning their day, though she has been up for hours. If she is vacuuming, she will turn off the vacuum just so students can hear her say hello.

Pais wakes up at 4:50 a.m. and commutes at least 45 minutes to Brandeis, where she has

been working for almost a year.

Though she grew up in El Salvador, Pais came to Long Island when she was 17 and moved to the Boston area in her late twenties. She spoke no English when she arrived in the U.S., but she quickly picked it up in school. She began working in the North End of Boston, waitressing at a small Italian restaurant in Little Italy.

Daniel Figueroa, Pais’ husband of nine years, works as a chef at Ocean Prime, an upscale seafood restaurant in the South End. While Pais and Daniel are at work, her mother watches her two sons, Joel and Emerson. Pais spends most of her time outside of work with her family, which is growing.

She is three months pregnant,

photos courtesy teresa pais

and she counts the pregnancy as one of her biggest blessings.

Pais had always been interested in working at a university, but finding a job at one was not easy. She appreciates the benefits of working at a university that are not available in the restaurant industry, such as vacation time and earlier hours. Although she originally wanted to be a receptionist, she quickly discovered that the job didn’t give her the opportunity to stay active throughout her day. Her favorite thing about working at Brandeis is the people, who she said are always polite and respectful.

“She makes an effort to say hi to everyone and she’s always friendly,” said Melissa Nicolas, ’21.

“She gets to know people,” added Kareem Adams, ’21.

Pais’ oldest son Joel, 22, was born with spina bifida, a birth defect that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don’t form properly, leaving him handicapped. He does many things on his own and enjoys playing games on his PlayStation. While Pais admits that at first Joel’s disability was very challenging, with time it has gotten easier.

Emerson, 10, dreams of being an engineer. He has always had a talent for Legos and plays basketball at his school. Over the summer,

Pais takes her sons to the park and the lake, where Emerson can run around and they can enjoy nature.

Andrea Murillo ’20, the Community Advisor of Reitman Floor 1, remembers Pais working the day she moved into the hall. “She stopped and said, ‘If you need anything, let me know.’”

Pais, along with the many other facility workers that Brandeis

employs, works hard to keep the campus clean. She works 8 hours a day, and often skips one of her breaks to get more done. But her cheery disposition never falters, and students often comment that she’s always happy and always smiling. “I am happy. I feel I’m blessed,” she said. “So many good things happen to me and I don’t even ask. They just happen.”

SCRAM highlights museum’s resources

By Polina Potochevska editor

Have you been to The Rose Art Museum yet? Marked by the iconic Light of Reason sculpture by Chris Burden, The Rose was founded in 1961 and, according to its website, is dedicated to “collecting, preserving and exhibiting the finest of modern and contemporary art.”

Hannah Kressel ’20 is the president for the Student Committee for the Rose Art Museum (SCRAM). She is triple majoring in Art History, Studio Art and European Cultural Studies, and is taking over the responsibilities as President for the first time this semester.

SCRAM is dedicated to connecting students with the muse-

um and all that it offers by hosting various events throughout the semester. “We’re in charge of outreach to students. Our big goal is to get students to come to the Rose Art Museum, to be involved, to plan events for The Rose … We want to get people to the museum, looking at the art and appreciating the space,” said Kressel of the committee.

As president, Kressel’s job is to make sure that SCRAM, the museum staff and the students are all communicating and exchanging their ideas for events The Rose can host. Kressel meets regularly with Leanne Winn, the Manager of Museum Administration & Special Events at The Rose Art Museum, to talk about the various stages of the events that SCRAM is planning and toss ideas back and forth between the

museum staff and the committee.

While event planning is a large piece of what the club does together, they also attend outings into Boston to enjoy art. “We’re planning trips to the MFA, we’re trying to plan more art appreciation events,” explained Kressel of the other ways that the club incorporates art that is not necessarily related to The Rose.

SCRAM hosts four events each semester. This semester, SCRAM is planning a farmer’s market in March with vendors outside the museum. They are also trying to plan an open house after the museum has its opening of new exhibitions in early March with special access for students. They will also host their annual SCRAM Jam, a big party in April that will feature food trucks, a beer garden and live music, and the

museum will be open late. Also, each semester near finals week, SCRAM hosts a Study Night at The Rose for students who want to study in the art museum.

One of Kressel’s favorite events from last year was SCRAM Jam last spring. “We had a band from Boston come…and we had three food trucks there and a really good turnout. It was nice to see people enjoy the art as well in a different context than you would be able to at a general museum.”

SCRAM hopes to show Brandeis students that The Rose is an abundant resource on campus. “There’s over 9,000 pieces of art there, and [from] very real well known artists.” For students interested in joining the committee, Kressel explains, “It’s a great way to get involved very intimately with art in a way that you would never

have any other opportunity to do so.” As a member of SCRAM, students can also get exclusive previews to shows. Lastly, if you’re interested in planning events, the club is a great way to get involved.

“It’s fun to plan things and see people enjoy them,” Kressel said.

SCRAM is made up of a small group of dedicated students and Kressel hopes that as students join, they will be even more “actively involved in the event planning process” by having opportunities to speak with The Rose staff, like the president of the club currently does. Students wishing to get involved can join SCRAM’s listserv, come to one of its meetings, which take place on Tuesday nights at 8:30 p.m. in the art studio or attend their events.

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EDITORIALS

January 26, 2018

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

Editors-in-Chief Hannah Schuster Emily Sorkin Smith Senior Managing Editor Allison Plotnik Senior Editor Sarah Jousset Copy Editor Emily Botto News Editor Celia Young Arts Editors Ben Beriss Rebecca Goldfarb Opinions Editor Katarina Weessies Features Editor Polina Potochevska Deputy Features Editor Sara McCrea Sports Editor Zach Cihlar Deputy Sports Editor Shea Decker-Jacoby Photo Editor Yarisa Diaz Layout Editor Candace Ng Editors-at-Large Katie Decker-Jacoby Abigail Gardener Ryan Spencer Elianna Spitzer Sarah Terrazano

Volume 15 • Issue 2 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma

STAFF

David Aizenberg, Juliana An, Robert Banks, Caleigh Bartash, Anindita Chanda, Sabrina Chow, Kevin Costa, Daniel Freedman, Natalie Fritzson, Ariella Gentin, Rebecca Goldfarb, Noah Harper, Kevin Healey, Daniel Johnston, Daniel Kang, Jonah Koslofsky, Matthew Kowalyk, Samantha Lauring, Jerry Peng, Elana Rombro

MISSION As the weekly community student newspaper of Brandeis University, The Brandeis Hoot aims to provide our readers with a reliable, accurate and unbiased source of news and information. Produced entirely by students, The Hoot serves a readership of 6,000 with in-depth news, relevant commentary, sports and coverage of cultural events.

Recognizing that better journalism leads to better policy, The Brandeis Hoot is dedicated to the principles of investigative reporting and news analysis. Our mission is to give every community member a voice.

SUBMISSION POLICIES The Brandeis Hoot welcomes letters to the editor on subjects that are of interest to the community. Preference is given to current or former community members and The Hoot reserves the right to edit or reject submissions. The deadline for submitting letters is Wednesday at noon.

Please submit letters to letters@thebrandeishoot.com along with your contact information. Letters should not exceed 500 words. The opinions, columns, cartoons and advertisements printed in The Hoot do not necessarily represent the opinions of the editorial board.

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To learn more, send us an e-mail at join@thebrandeishoot.com, or visit our website http://brandeishoot.com/join.

UNSOLICITED SUBMISSIONS We welcome unsolicited submissions from members of the community sent by e-mail to eic@thebrandeishoot.com. Please limit submissions to 800 words. All submissions are subject to editing.

The Brandeis Hoot 7

In sustainability efforts, consider initiatives to reduce plastic use

B

randeis’ recent installation of solar panels to the library roof is a commendable step in improving sustainability and decreasing our carbon footprint.

The new panels generate 25 percent of the library’s electricity usage and have doubled the amount of solar power on campus, an important milestone in reaching our sustainability goals. As Brandeis is pushing to be greener, we suggest the university impose a small tax, around $0.05, on plastic bags available at places like the C-Store and Curritos.

Last November, Boston’s city council passed a single-use plastic bag fee initiative, making Boston one of 57 communities in Massachusetts with such a tax. Implementing a small tax on single-use grocery bags has made a significant impact in hundreds of communities across the country. Six months after Boulder, CO instituted a $0.05 tax, plastic bag use was reported to be down an astounding 68 percent.

Other cities, including New York and Washington D.C., have imposed similar fees for plastic bags.

We encourage Brandeis to join this environmentally-friendly trend, to take a small but impactful step towards reducing our environmental impact.

In implementing a tax on plastic bag purchases, Brandeis must make sure that reusable bags are affordable and available to students to ensure that reducing our carbon footprint does not present a financial strain on students.

Another way students can avoid using plastic in their daily lives is to carry reusable water bottles. In January 2014, the university began adding water bottle filling stations around campus. While this was certainly an improvement, multiple residence halls still have a shortage of water fountains. The university should consider putting more water refilling stations around campus and students should take

advantage of them. Despite the number of refilling stations that are on campus, many students still purchase plastic water bottles from the C-Store and Upper Usdan. The switch to reusable water bottles is an easy one to make and will save students money and time. Though it has shortcomings, the initiative was a positive move to encourage sustainable practices and a model for the plastic bag tax.

With President Trump’s announcement on Monday of a new tax on imported solar panels, it is more important than ever that Brandeis move toward sustainability, both in small individual steps like recycling and turning off lights, and in large, institutional changes like installing our own solar panels. Implementing a small tax on single-use bags would remind students to consider their environmental impact of their actions and would limit the use of environmentally harmful plastics on campus.

WEEK IN PHOTOS

8 The Brandeis Hoot

shine on

Light of Reason lights up campus on dreary winter days.

photo courtesy pavla berghen-wolf

in Rhode Island.

Members of the Gymnastics Club competed at a meet

women’s basketball vs. emory

photo by ben beriss/the hoot

poetic justice

photo courtesy nell baker

uri’s rhody invitational

prime instagram opportunities

January 26, 2018

Read about the “Final Slam” in ARTS, page 16.

Red sky at night, instagrammer’s delight.

The Judges suffered a 53-39 loss against the Eagles. Read more about the team’s performance in SPORTS, page 10.

photo by celia young/the hoot

photo by yarisa diaz /the hoot

SPORTS

January 26, 2018

The Brandeis Hoot 9

Swimming and diving team snatches wins

By Sarah Jousset editor

This past weekend the Brandeis men and women’s swimming and diving team faced both Keene State University and Bridgewater State in Keene, N.H. The men’s team earned wins against both opponents, while the women’s team came out victorious against Bridgewater but lost to host Keene State.

The men’s team beat Keene State, 155-69, and Bridgewater, 124-112. The underclassmen carried the Judges, with the five first place wins coming from first year swimmers. Rookie Richard Selznick ’21 won the 1000 yard freestyle with a 40 second lead, finishing in 10:14.52. Selznick also won the 500 yard freestyle with a time of 5:02.48. Freshman Daniel Wohl ’21 also took home two wins for the Judges. He finished first in the 200 yard breaststroke with a time 2:18.85. Wohl also won the 200 yard freestyle with a time of 1:47.27, which was over five seconds before any other competitor. Marcelo Ohno-Machado ’21 finished second for the Judges in the 200 yard freestyle with a time of 1:52.56, while winning his own first place spot in the 100 yard freestyle with a time of 49.97 seconds.

The men’s swim team earned their share of second place finishes to add to their wins. Tamir Zitelny ’20 finished second in the 200 yard butterfly with a time of 2:01.27, while Joe Beletti-Naccarato ’21 took home second place in the 200 yard backstroke with a time of 2:05.11. The 400 yard medley relay team, comprised of Wohl, Ohno-Machado, Zitelny and Thomas Alger ’20, finished second with a time of 3:43.60. Finally, Chase Chen ’21 produced

two second place finishes for the Judges with a time of 23.16 in the 50 yard freestyle and a time of 50.11 in the 100 yard freestyle.

The women’s team was victorious over Bridgewater, scoring 157 points to Bridgewater’s 77, but they lost to Keene State 150-87. The Judges took home two first place finishes and secured multiple podium spots to beat Bridgewater. Annie Huang ’21 earned a time of 57.38 in the 100 yard freestyle to secure the win. Classmate Emily McGovern ’21 won the 200 yard individual medley in 2:23.08 for the Judges’ second first place finish. McGovern also came in second in the 200 yard breaststroke with a time of 2:36.50. Huang, McGovern, Adrienne Aponte ’20 and Amy Sheinhait ’18 made up the women’s 400 yard medley relay team, which earned second place with a time of 4:23.68. Kylie Herman ’19 secured three podium spots for Brandeis, taking second place in the 200 yard freestyle with a time of 2:04.03 and the 500 yard freestyle in 5:31.36, and third place in the 200 yard butterfly with a time of 2:22.70.

The men and women’s diving squads competed in the one and three-meter dives at the meet as well. Julia Tartaglia ’19 finished second in the women’s one-meter dive, while Sam Zucker ’18 finished second. Of the three competing divers in the Women’s three-meter diving competition, Tartaglia finished second, while Genna Karp ’18 came in third.

Zucker finished second of the two athletes competing in the men’s three-meter dive.

The Brandeis men and women’s swimming and diving team are back in action Saturday, Feb. 3, against Clark at 1 p.m. for their Senior Day.

women’s swimming beats bridgewater state Emily

men earn two victories

in Saturday’s meet.

McGovern ‘21 wins 200-meter individual medley.

Daniel Wohl ‘21 took the top seat in the 1000-yard freestyle

photo from brandeisjudges.com

photo from brandeisjudges.com

Track and field give strong performance

By Sarah Jousset editor

The men and women’s track and field team competed this past Sunday at the Greater Boston Track Club (GBTC) Invitational at Harvard University. The invitational was non-scoring and featured various Boston area colleges, as well as local indoor track and field clubs.

The women’s indoor track and field team fared well in the GBTC Invitational against a variety of other teams. In the 4x220 relay, Brandeis’ team of Willa Moen ’20, Jessie Moore ’18, Jordan Brill-Cass ’20 and Kanya Brown ’19 finished second with a time of 1:54.67. Moore and Moen also earned personal bests in the 60 meter hurdles, Moen finishing the race in 10.70 and Moore completing the race with a time of 10.83.

In the 20-pound weight throw event, Brandeis’ Jordin Carter ’18, ranked fourth in the University Athletic Association (UAA) and placed third with a distance of 14.57 meters. Carter’s third place finish marked her personal best to date, and met the standard required to qualify for the ECAC and New England championships.

In the open mile, rookie Andrea Bolduc ’21 placed third with a time of 5:26.34 while teammate Kyra Shreeve ’18 came in fifth.

Lydia Harris ’20 contributed a seventh place finish for the Judg-

track and feild thrives at gbtc invitational

es in the 300-meter race with an impressive time of 45.19. The Judges had four athletes finish in the top eight of the 600 meter event, all producing qualifying times for the Division III New England championships. Doyin Ogundiran ’19 led the team with a second place finish in 1:37.12, while twin sisters Lisbeth Valdez ’21 and Leinni Valdez ’21 came in fourth and fifth with times of 1:40.87 and 1:41.09 respectively.

The final spot in the 600m was Maya Sands-Bliss ’19 who came in seventh with a time of 1:42.53.

Jordin Carter ‘18 thowing weight toss.

The men’s indoor track and field team also produced an impressive performance at the GBTC Invitational. In the 35-pound weight throw, Scott Grote ’19 threw an exceptional distance of 13.68 meters, beating his previous personal best by well over a meter. Breylen Ammen ’21 also best his personal best in pole vault, vaulting 4.10m to grab fourth place. Graduate Student Irie Gourde and Churchill Perry ’20 finished first and second in the 300m race with times of 35.31 and 35.57, respectively. Perry also finished fourth

photo from brandeisjudges.com,,,

in the triple jump for Brandeis with a distance of 13.13 meters.

Two Judges earned top spots in the 60m race as well. Henry McDonald ’19 finished third with a time of 8.99 in the final and Aaron Baublis ’21 completed the race in 9.30 to earn sixth place. The mile race saw Max Whitmore ’18 finish 3rd with a time of 4:26.87 while Harper Pollio-Barbee ’21 placed sixth in 4:27.85. Erez Needleman ’20 made his season debut after suffering an injury early in the season, running 2:04.15 in the 800m race, while teammate Pat-

rick Quinlan ’21 ran a 1:24.56 in the 600m event for a fourth place finish in his first collegiate meet. The men’s events came to a close with the 4x220 yard relay, in which Gourde, Perry, McDonald and Quinlan ran as a team for the Judges, earning a time of 1:32.42.

Both the men and women’s indoor track and field team will compete this Friday, Jan. 26, in the Boston University Terrier Classic.

The two teams are scheduled for both the Boston University Terrier classic and the Tufts Stampede this Saturday, Jan. 27.

9 SPORTS

The Brandeis Hoot

January 26, 2018

Women’s basketball suffers two UAA losses

By Shea Decker-Jacoby editor

The Judges women’s basketball team took two difficult losses in the University Athletic Association (UAA) this past weekend.

The Judges first took on the Rochester Yellowjackets at home on Friday, Jan. 9.

Despite falling behind in the first quarter, 26-13, the Judges came out strong for the next two quarters. They outshot the Yellowjackets 19-7 and 20-11 in the next two quarters, taking the lead going into the fourth quarter against the 7th nationally ranked team.

women judges fall short to yellowjackets

Noel Hodges ’18 led the Judges, scoring eight points in the second, giving Brandeis the first lead in the game with a trifecta. Katie Goncalo ’20 scored five strait points with 7:25 left in the period.

Rookie guard Camila Casanueva ’21 earned Brandeis’ largest lead of the game, getting eight points ahead on a break-away lay-up.

Sarah Jaromin ’19 made both of her foul shots, leaving the Judges with the lead of 50-48 going into the fourth-quarter.

The final quarter started with Rochester going on an eight-point run and the Yellowjackets never fell behind again. Brandeis outrebounded Rochester 45 to 38 and was slightly ahead of Rochester in

field goal percentage earning 35.6 percent to 34.4 percent. Brandeis fell in assists 17 to seven. Hodges led the Judges in points with 15 and rookie Jillian Petrie led the Judges in rebounds with eight.

The Judges came back to Red Auerbach Arena to face the Eagles of Emory University on Sunday, Jan. 21. The Judges struggled offensively, which gave the Eagles the lead in three of the four quarters. The Judges kept the Eagles tight by only allowing a two-point lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Eagles pulled away from the Judges in the second quarter outscoring the Judges 18 to seven.

Just like Friday night, the Judges turned it around in the in the

beginning of the second half outscoring Emory, 14 to nine. Goncalo helped earn a six-point lead with her three-pointer with 2:52 left in the third quarter. Hannah Nicholson ’20 got her free-throw which inched the Judges closer to the Eagles, but the Eagles gained momentum with a three-pointer at the buzzer making the score 4032 in the Eagles’ favor. Classmate Lauren Rubinstein ’20 opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer that got Brandeis back to a three-point deficit, but the Judges held a season low in scoring with 39 points.

Eva Hart ’18 led the Judges with 10 points, with two three-pointers in the first quarter. She also had

eight rebounds. Nicholson finished the game with eight points, a team high of nine rebounds and three assists. The Judges had 39 rebounds in the game with 11 total assists.

Brandeis will continue hosting UAA games on Friday night at 6 p.m. facing off against Case Western Reserve University (CWRU).

CWRU has a 3-12 record coming into this match against the Judges and are currently 0-5 in conference. They recently suffered a major loss against the University of Chicago Maroons 46-91. On Sunday, the Judges will face Carnegie Mellon for their Alumni Family Day at home at 2 p.m.

Noel Hodges ‘18 puts up 13 points.

photo from d3photography.com

Men’s basketball falls to two UAA teams

By Sarah Jousset editor

Men’s basketball suffered losses this past weekend in University Athletic Association (UAA) play.

The Judges faced the University of Rochester, ranked 25, on Friday night, losing 75-66. The Judges’ schedule didn’t get any easier, facing 17th ranked Emory on Sunday. The men’s basketball team fell 90-57, dropping to 4-12 this season, and 0-5 in the University Athletic Association In Friday’s game against the University of Rochester, the Judges struggled against the nationally ranked team, never gaining the advantage on their opponents.

The Judges did manage to keep the score close in the first half, heading into halftime with only a nine point deficit, but the Rochester Yellowjackets broke away in the second half.

At the 5:40 mark the Judges made one last attempt at a comeback with an 8-0 run, but it wasn’t enough, finishing the game 7566.

Brandeis shot 10-20 from behind the three point line. Collin Sawyer ’20 was the lead scorer for the Judges with 14 points, Lawrence Sabir ’21 followed close behind with 12 points, seven assists and four rebounds. Chandler Jones ’21 also contributed double digits with 10 points. On the defensive end, Latye Workman ’18 snatched six rebounds for the

Judges.

The Judges faced an even tougher opponent Sunday, playing Emory, which is ranked 17th nationally.

Yet again, the Judges kept the game close in the first few minutes of the game, when Eric D’Aguanno’s ’20 three pointer with 12:26 left in the first half closed the gap

men’s basketball fals in uaa match up

from 11 to 8. Emory immediately answered, leaving the Judges behind, extending their lead to 22-8 with nine minutes left in the first half. The Judges came within 10 points, but didn’t manage to gain the lead. The Judges were behind 49-31 at the half. In the second half of the game, the Emory Eagles just extended their

lead over the Judges. The Eagles finished with a 90-57 victory over Brandeis.

D’Aguanno led Brandeis with 13 points off the bench, including three from behind the arc. Jones and Workman both earned 12 points in the game against Emory. Workman also led the team in rebounds with six boards, and

Eric D’Aguanno ‘20 leads the Judges as top scorer against Emory.

contributed three assists.

Jones and Corey Sherman ’19 followed close behind Workman in boards, with five rebounds apiece.

The men’s basketball team is back in action this Friday against UAA conference opponent Case Western Reserve University at 8 p.m. in Auerbach Arena.

photo from brandeisjudges.com

January 26, 2018

OPINIONS

The Brandeis Hoot 11

Athletic institutions must be accountable

By Katarina Weessies editor

Larry Nassar was sentenced to 175 years in prison last Wednesday. He was sentenced on seven counts of criminal sexual misconduct, but the scope of the trial made it obvious that his crimes went far beyond those seven counts. At the trial, almost 200 women and girls gave victim impact statements about Nassar’s crimes and how they were affected by them. One of the most striking and painful aspects of their testimony was the fact that many, if not most, of these girls told an adult about Nassar’s conduct. The adults didn’t listen.

The three main institutions that employed Nassar were USA Gymnastics (USAG), Michigan State University (MSU), and Twistars, a gymnastics club in Michigan.

At these three institutions, Nassar continued to abuse girls for decades. The first reports of his abuse beginning in the 1990s. At

Twistars, athletes were too terrified of their violent head coach, John Geddert, to report Nassar’s abuse.

At MSU and USAG, girls had been reporting Nassar for years.

The administrations of MSU and USAG ignored the girls’ reports.

The girls were told that they were immature to be bothered by the fact that a sports therapist was touching them, and that they were ungrateful to criticize the care of a top-tier doctor.

Despite the publicity of the Nassar case, athlete disempowerment and sexual abuse is not exclusive to gymnastics. It’s a problem with youth sports in general. Youth sports, especially when young athletes compete at the highest level, have an institutional culture that promotes athlete disempowerment and discourages athletes from reporting abuse.

In high-caliber youth sports like gymnastics, where women are eligible to compete at the Olympic level the year they turn sixteen, adult coaches and sports business-owners make money off

of the success of children. Coaches use the accolades and fame of their athletes to attract children to their gyms. As minors, the athletes either don’t make any money from the sport, or all of their money is controlled by their parents and athletic governing organization.

As major financial beneficiaries of their athlete’s success, coaches and athletic administrators are encouraged to push their athletes to succeed despite all obstacles. In some cases, this attitude fosters discipline and grit, but in others, it creates an atmosphere of hyper-obedience and disempowerment that attracts abusers.

There are many ways that sporting institutions can counteract this culture of disempowerment.

One is to make athletic administrators and coaches mandated reporters.

This means that, if an athlete reports a case of sexual abuse to a coach or administrator, they are legally required to report that abuse to law enforcement immediately. There is a bill in the Sen-

ate, called the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act (S.534), that would require that employees of athletic organizations be mandated reporters. This bill would have been massively helpful to Nassar survivors under USAG, since in 2015 USAG conducted a shady five-week independent investigation into Nassar before reporting him to the FBI. If S.534 were passed before 2015, the USAG administrators involved in the independent investigation could be criminally prosecuted.

But even if coaches and administrators are mandated reporters, athletes might still be discouraged from reporting due to fear of retaliation. Survivors of Nassar said that they were afraid to report his abuse because they thought that USAG and MSU would ban them from competition.

One of the most powerful ways to fight fear of retaliation is through unionization. If every single high-level athlete in a sport is a member of the same union,

the organization cannot retaliate against that union, as they would lose all of their athletes. In the case of youth sports, any union would have to be led to both students and parents, who would work together to craft demands that improve reporting procedures and discourage abuse. If the union is large enough, the athletic organization would have to implement all of the demands.

To stop sexual abuse in youth sports, athletes have to be either as powerful as or more powerful than their coaches and governing organizations. Additionally, the law must change so that authority figures who look the other way when athletes are being abused can be easily charged with a crime.

The survivors of Larry Nassar, as well as abuse survivors in any sport, have been let down by weak child abuse laws and disempowering athletic organizations. If athletes were encouraged to unionize and athletic authority figures were forced to report abuse, Larry Nassar might never have abused young girls.

Eagles ready to overcome one last hurdle

By Robert Banks staff

Mixing equal parts patience and confidence, with a sprinkle of belief, the Philadelphia Eagles managed to move past the cloud of doubt that would hinder most teams. Now, there is only one more obstacle between them and glory.

Opposing Tom Brady and the experienced Patriots is undoubtedly the toughest challenge the Eagles will have to face this season, but they have already overcome the seemingly untraversable. It seems there is no challenge this team will not be able to overcome. As a result, the Philadelphia Eagles are my pick to lift the Lombardi Trophy on the night of Feb 4, 2018 in a closely-fought contest.

Standing tall in the pocket, Carson Wentz did exactly what the Philadelphia Eagles’ had learned to expect of him, delivering his thirty-third touchdown pass of the season to Alshon Jeffery on fourth-and-goal while breaking the Eagles’ franchise record for such passes that had stood for 56 years. Everything was well and good for the city of Philadelphia.

However, after watching their beloved franchise quarterback gingerly limp off the field, towel over his head, the City of Brotherly Love faced the fact that Wentz would miss the remainder of the season, with three games left.

Wentz suffered structural damage in his knee, tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament .

Stepping into arguably the biggest game of the Eagles’ 2017-18 regular season campaign to date, quarterback Nick Foles exuded confidence right from the get-go.

Although he “netted just 42 yards on six completions” after entering the contest, Foles came through “when he really needed to make a throw while trying to kill the clock in the final two minutes, [finding] Nelson Agholor for a nine-yard completion on

third-and-eight.” Directly after the game, and without batting an eye, the former University of Arizona signal-caller declared, “I’m absolutely ready,” reminding Eagles fans that this situation was exactly why general manager Howie Roseman went out and acquired the former However, just as Foles’ career year serves as an outlier to his otherwise inconsistent production, Eagles fans and coaches alike would not have been questioned for expecting a further regression to the mean of “cement-shoes Nick Foles’” expected production.

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson would accept none of this negativity. Likewise, Pederson exhibited unwavering confidence following the loss of his team’s undisputed leader and superstar in Wentz.

Citing the various other injuries his team had overcome over the course of the season, Pederson pleaded that the fans not lose faith. He continued “people thought our chances were gone by the wayside when [All-Pro left tackle and team captain] Jason Peters went down, [and] when [veteran running back and return specialist] Darren Sproles went down too.” The coach urged fans and ultimately his players that the end goal of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in Minneapolis remained in tact. Needless to say, the Eagles players needed little motivation to keep the train rolling.

Despite the unbreakable confidence and self-belief within the Eagles locker room, the media failed to respect the Eagles’ fourth-ranked total defense, topranked rush defense, and thirdranked rushing offense, as determined by their stellar 132.2 yards on the ground per game.

Perhaps more importantly, however, those outside the Eagles camp underestimated the genius of Pederson. Going into the NFC Divisional Round game against the streaking Falcons as “the first 1-seed underdog in divisional-round history because Nick Foles is their starting quar-

terback” on the back of five quarters of poor offensive football (the starting offensive unit only played for the first quarter in the final week of the season against the Dallas Cowboys) in which Foles threw for a combined 202 yards with two interceptions and one touchdown, Pederson inevitably realized the need to tailor the offense to Foles’ strengths.

Undoubtedly, the bye week at the Eagles’ disposal was instrumental in the development and effective implementation of this new offensive game plan.

Relying heavily on “dump-offs, check-downs, and run-pass options” against the Falcons, Foles’ statline of 246 yards in the air with no touchdowns and arguably more importantly no turnovers was enough to put the Philadelphia defense in a position to win the team the game, which they did as Jalen Mills batted the pigskin away from superstar receiver Julio Jones in the end zone in the most important play of both teams’ seasons and the Eagles came away with a gutsy 15-10 victory, dog masks and all.

With this passing yardage statistic against the Falcons largely padded by yards after the catch by his receivers and running backs, most notably Jay Ajayi and Alshon Jeffery, as evidenced by Foles being “officially 0-for-2 on passes of more than 20 air yards,” Pederson must have realized the necessity of making more aggressive decisions and throwing the ball downfield against the topranked Minnesota defense in the NFC Championship against the Vikings.

In tune with his aggressive decision-making all season long and high level of confidence in his backup quarterback turned man of the hour, Pederson was ready to “[do] away with the restrictions” put on Foles in his previous four starts.

Showing absolute confidence in his quarterback, Pederson kept Minnesota off-balance with the combination of the Eagles power running game with Jay Ajayi

and LeGarrette Blount and long passes down the field from Foles, highlighted by 53- and 41- yard touchdown strikes to Jeffrey and Torrey Smith, respectively. This offensive production against the usually overbearing Vikings defense, along with the three turnovers forced by the Eagles own defensive unit, sealed the Eagles blowout 38-7 win and subsequent flight to Minneapolis for the Super Bowl.

The Apollo Creed to their Rocky, the feisty, underdog Eagles should not fear the incumbent world champion New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Despite their improvements of late, averaging 16 points against per game in their last five contests (including the regular season and playoffs), the Patriots’ capacity to give up yards on defense is encouraging for the Eagles. Yielding the fourth most yards against per game in the regular season, the Patriots were topped only by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Giants, and Indianapolis Colts, all of whom suffered through undesirable sixteen game-long punishments. Despite this, however, the Patriots remarkably are in the top five in the National Football League in minimizing points against. This rare trend may trouble the Patriots in the Super Bowl pressure cooker.

Despite apparent disadvantages in total defense and rush offense, the Patriots have one distinct advantage over their Super Bowl opponents, and he’s called Tom Brady. Foles is the mystery meat; surprisingly good some days and bad on others. Future Hall-ofFamer Brady is as known a quantity as they come. The Brady-Belichick combination is on their way to an unprecedented eighth Super Bowl following a comeback 24-20 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Despite a slow start, Brady settled in and became his usual self in the AFC Championship, finishing with an efficient 290 yards passing, two touchdowns, and no interceptions en route to a 108.4 passer rating. However,

Brady’s stats weren’t always this good in Super Bowl play.

In fact, Brady’s first Super Bowl effort is eerily similar to the Eagles’ expectations for Foles this postseason.

Replacing injured, established quarterback Drew Bledsoe (just as Foles did Wentz), Brady completed a modest 16 out of 27 passes (59.2%) for 145 yards and a single touchdown in the Patriots’ 20-17 Super Bowl 36 victory over the Rams.

The stat line is by no means appealing, but Sports Illustrated ranks this Super Bowl performance the second best of Brady’s Super Bowl career, topped only by his 466 yard comeback effort in last year’s victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

Even the description of Brady’s effort as a “second-year backup quarterback” should provide hope to Eagles fans, with the then-inexperienced, largely unknown Brady’s first performance on the game’s biggest stage being characterized by his ability to “not turn the ball over” in order to “pull off an upset victory of… St. Louis and its Greatest Show on Turf offense.” By exhibiting “composure and [playing] mistake-free football,” the New England defense was able to pull their own weight and lead the team to a victory. To this point in the postseason, Foles has not turned the ball over, and is said to “possess… composure, effort, and decision-making… traits… in abundance” according to bleacherreport.com.

Despite being labeled as underdogs, the Eagles’ ability on both sides of the ball have no negative effect on team’s morale. On the contrary, the lack of public respect for their efforts this season has provided supplemental bulletin board material for the team, feeding into their adversity-defying underdog mentality. When it comes to the superbowl no one should be counted out, and the Eagles have proved they aren’t to be discredited.

12 OPINIONS

The Brandeis Hoot

Trump’s solar panel tax threatens future generations

By Sabrina Chow staff

President Trump has begun to tread into unmarked territories.

Consistent with Trump’s reputation as a businessman rather than a politician, it seems that many of the recent executive decisions President Trump has signed have been strictly business. The key example of this happened earlier this week, when Trump placed a 30% tariff on any imported solar cells. The solar cells are the main materials that go into the making of solar panels and help convert the sunlight into usable energy.

This tax, though passed, was opposed by most members of the renewable energy industry.

This tariff was imposed on an almost $30 billion industry and will cost thousands, if not tens of thousands, of jobs. A majority of the people within the renewable energy industry worked in the installation part of the industry, and around 20% of manufacture the solar panels.The tariff could damage the industry because of the significant increase in prices for solar farm projects, which would stunt employment growth within the industry.

The renewable energy sector expanding around 20% each year and creating tens of thousands of jobs. Why blockade one of the largest growing industries in the world? During his inaugural speech, our president promised the creation of an astounding 25 million jobs, more than any pres-

By Matthew Kowalyk staff

The common perception of a “successful life” is nearly impossible to reach, and it is leading to cultural disconnects and unfulfilling outcomes for many young people.

David Brooks wrote about this issue almost 20 years ago in The Atlantic in his article “The Organization Kid,” a critique of the culture of perfection and forced wholesomeness found in middle to upper-middle-class families in the United States. The culture produces amateur Renaissance kids who volunteer for multiple volunteer organizations, play multiple sports, and receive high honors in high school before moving on to a top-tier university.

They then take “honorable” jobs and create, therefore, a stable life.

Parents heavily manage social interactions outside of academics or extracurriculars. Exposure to life is scheduled and safe. Sleep, a necessity for healthy development, is sacrificed. Many Brandeis students are the products of this lifestyle.

Since Brooks wrote in 2001, the “Organization Kid” lifestyle has become the norm among affluent groups, and most kids are not able to fathom life without this model.

The young people Brooks knew in 2001 may now have children of their own. They may be transmitting the lifestyle through this next generation. These people, and those who followed them in the 2000’s, now form the ranks of the “aspirational class,” which seeks societally endorsed success

ident preceding him. However, if the tariff is causing more unemployment than employment, it seems very counterintuitive.

Because solar panels require the use of solar cells to be functional, this tariff will cause the price of the rest of the building materials to increase as well. In turn, the price of solar panels will increase, deterring the demand brought on by consumers. This domino continues as the demand decreases due to the increased prices. This means that companies will no longer require as many workers,

solar panels

costing thousands of jobs.

The decision to institute the tariff goes back to the business. The major reason why the tariff was even considered was because of the bankruptcy of two US solar panel companies, SunWorld and Suniva. A majority of our imports come from China, and the solar industry is no different. With the Chinese able to make cheaper versions of the same products, American manufacturers have no way of competing. Even though the tariff was touted as a plan to increase jobs, Trump is just main-

taining the assets of specific companies while undermining the economy within the renewable energy sector.

Too much of this administration is focused on short-term business success at the expense of larger progress, but this was not unexpected. We elected a president who has little to no prior political experience, so it is natural that he would draw inspiration and most of his objectives from a short-sighted financial perspective.

It is no question that our cur-

Panels on the roof of the library provide a quarter of the facility’s energy.

photo by emily sorkin smith/the hoot

January 26, 2018

rent administration is full of climate skeptics. Scott Pruitt, the current administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, is a climate skeptic himself.

It is very much an oxymoron, in my opinion, that the person in charge of protecting the environment does not believe that we are harming the environment in any way.

Trump’s allegiance to climate skepticism has been apparent throughout his presidency. First, Trump pulls the United States out of the Paris Agreement. Additionally, his plan to repeal the Clean Power Plan, a plan that the former Obama administration worked on for his entire presidency, blatantly shows President Trump’s desire to maintain the fossil fuel industry as the pinnacle of energy source in the United States. But what happens when all the fossil fuel is used up? Even though fossil fuels won’t run out during the Trump presidency, or likely during any of our lifetimes, the President should be encouraging the survival of our country in more than just the short-term financial sense. Instead, he passes legislation that might benefit certain companies, but deeply damage the country in the long term.

So what’s next for solar energy?

I guess the Trump administration will start taxing solar panel users on days when the sun is out. Start praying that we get a lot of rain and fog in the near future.

The disorganization kid over health and personal growth.

Members of the aspirational class now occupy leadership positions and are starting families, so it is important to question the lifestyle’s morals and outcomes.

This generation’s mental health is declining and the tireless pursuit of the high-paying dream jobs engenders this mental health decline.

However, the Organization Culture is not all bad. This culture of perfection benefits those with discipline and industriousness, qualities that should be encouraged, allowing those who nurture them to rise above their instincts and seize the opportunities their society grants them. Personal discipline can be freeing if it is cultivated, especially in an age of mass distraction fed by electronic devices. Such discipline can not only cultivate material success, but also a healthy mindset free of ever-present modern distractions.

Disciplined perfectionists succeed in the school environment, and then are required to build themselves into the image of the new-age Ubermensch who masters grades as well as activities.

However, discipline and perfectionist success is not evenly distributed. Kids are sorted into groups based on their levels of achievement in high school.

In principle, the smartest kids should take harder classes to fit their needs and abilities. It’s fair to let them get ahead.

One unfortunate side effect of the sorting is that, often, kids and adults tend to interact with like-minded people and develop an in-group out-group mentality,

looking down on kids from other classes. I would not be surprised if wealthy youth’s common (and false) perception of Trump voters as undereducated hicks is not fed by years of this categorization.

It may not be just the closed-off environment in some colleges that causes these perceptions to emerge; it may begin as early as 6th grade.

This in-group attitude can lead to egotism and harm personal relationships. Personal image competition turns would-be friends into assets or liabilities in regard to someone’s ability to get the right job or get into the right college. Raising “Organization Kids” gets them into college, where admissions decisions are often based on a perfectionist view of an applicant’s grades and extracurriculars.

If they go to the right college, they will be eligible for competitive jobs filled with other Organization Kids, or skip all of the job-market stress just by having connections. Kids who are hard-working and capable, but are imperfect in the eyes of the culture are shuffled to the bottom of the job market. Because of this, the values of the Organization Generation do not produce the most capable workforce, despite the emphasis on perfection.

It would be easy to disparage the whole thing for putting unrealistic standards on many kids, but that would be too easy.

A society is much better off if people aspire to better themselves, and participating in many extracurriculars can bring new experiences, better health and

friendships. Getting good grades in school can teach valuable skills needed to be functional adults. Of course, we all want stable futures, and we also want the same for our kids.

Wealthy parents, who have the resources to ensure success, play the system built for their children’s success.On the other hand, less fortunate kids must rely on grit and luck. Despite this unfairness, we should uphold a value system that encourages competence. Not everybody can win, nor should win; that would be wrong in itself. But the Organization Generation’s values do not promote a helpful hierarchy of competence.It’s possible the upbringing afforded to the Organization Kid does not prepare us for the real world.

Maybe instead the expectations for getting into good schools do not match the reality of obtaining work, nor do they necessarily encourage the social tact and intuition needed to succeed in the end. Despite this issue, the real problem is the mentality the perfection system comes from. People who grew up through it seem to think the big city is the only place to be successful. Many rural trades that require skill and competency are now just ‘things other people do.’ No wonder there is a several-million-job-wide skills gap.

The attitude seems to be a natural extension of the American Dream to continue to do better than one’s parents, but to go from middle or upper-middle class to anywhere above is very difficult, and the job market is shifting to

favor different skills.

To not try to improve one’s standing from generation-upon-generation would be problematic to the American Dream mindset. At this point, though, the effort and anxiety to reach the next rung may not always be worth it if the next rung is so high. Local opportunities are missed by completely competent people because the big city is the norm. Trade school can be looked at as a failure, made worse as classism deepens.

Although discipline and hard work should be lauded, perfection is impossible. Moral character, easier routes to financial stability and independence can all too often be sidelined by perfectionist conceptions of success.

The problems that result, such as unemployment and classism, have materialized. The goal of future generations should not be to tear down our society’s hierarchy, but rather to find alternative perspectives that reduce pressure on kids and ensures success that maintains communities rather than competitive environments.

Colin Woodward addresses this pull between individual liberty and the common good in his new book American Character, relevant especially in an era of high social class sorting. Making one’s own way is a reasonable facet of the American way, but when it is fought for with such vigor at the expense of personal health and the American employment system, it can be a problem. It might be beneficial to allow kids to sleep a little more and parents to lose less sleep over them doing so.

ARTS

January 26, 2018

The Brandeis Hoot 13

Mock U creator talks production development and the role of comedy

By Rebecca Goldfarb editor

The Mandel Auditorium filled up this past weekend, as students throughout campus arrived to watch the premier of student-created web series, Mock U. The show was created, directed, and written by Caroline Kriesen ’20 and directed by Emma Bers ’20, with cinematography by Bers and Colin Hodgson ’20.

Mock U is set at a liberal arts university following the election of President Ronald Rump. The show opens on a History of Musical Theater class shortly after the election. Everyone is taking the class for a different reason, some because they love musical theater and some to fulfill their creative arts requirement. The professor announces Hammock University will host an arts festival to address ideas of social justice and, for credit, the students can submit a piece. The monologues are humorous as the show parodies college theater scenes and the ways our current political climate impacts universities.

The show stars Zoë Rose ’20, Sam Forman ‘21, Savannah Edmondson ‘20, Kate Kesselman ‘19, Maryam Chishti ‘20, and Alan Omori ’20.

Two of the characters, Shep (Omori) and Chris (Kriesen) decide to organize a musical, and the first edipose of the show centers around developing ideas, auditions and casting. The series is full of liberal arts and theater-kid stereotypes.

To learn more about the in depth process in the creation of Mock U, I got to sit down with

both the creator, Caroline Kriesen and Sam Forman, the actor who portrayed Charles Brown.

Kriesen was inspired to create the show back in April, while she was a student in the media and politics Leader Scholar Community (LSC), a program for firstyears. It got her interested in the idea of political comedy and the different ways we communicate.

“I did a project on political comedy and scandals in the election with Emma [Bers], who is the director,” Kriesen explains. She also began to watch more television: “While, I am a big theatre person and I have been doing musical theatre my whole life and acting, I was spending so much time in this one area,” she added. One day, she sat down and thought she wanted to write her own play, but ended up writing in the style of a comedic documentary. She wrote about how we pursue social justice in a theater community at a private college, how we grapple with privilege in a way that is authentic and how can we acknowledge these ideas through comedy.

Kriesen thinks comedy is a good way of mocking people. It’s about finding truths and satirizing our daily lives.

She wrote a script consisting of two fictional monologues about a casting decision, not expecting the script to go anywhere. It was not until she showed the script to Bers and Hodgson that she got the feeling others might be interested in her work.

“It was not something that I was going to keep in my google docs for the rest of my life. This show was a catalyst for me to think about film in general, and as a result of this project, I ended up

photos courtesy caroline kriesen

pursuing an IIM in film and performing arts,” describes Kriesen.

The show developed over the course of the last year. In May, Krisen began contacting students from improv and comedy groups on campus.

She continued to write the script over the summer and held auditions during the month of September. Production took place between October and December.

Forman recalls how he became involved with Mock U. “After I was cut from TBA auditions, I got a Facebook message from Caroline Kriesen, encouraging me to audition for this web series that she was doing.” He auditioned for the show and was cast as “character B,” a theater aficcionado aspiring for the male lead in the musical.

When actors first got their roles, however, the characters did not

have names, only descriptions. “I wanted the actor who received the role to write their own name for their character. Not only did I want to find people who could act, but people who were also writers and comedians. I wanted each person to contribute their own story to the show, even if it’s not theirs,” Kriesen said.

The process of writing, directing and producing a show was stressful at times, but overall gratifying, said Kriesen. “This show is my baby. Much of the stress was fear matched by reassurance because each stage I feel like people are bringing new core ideas and helping my baby grow up,” Kriesen said with a smile.

As an actor, Forman found the making of Mock U artistically meaningful. “Charles Alexander Brown is entirely my creation, so being apart of this was creatively

fulfilling, because we are not only being directed. We can be imaginative and add our own ideas to the process,” he said.

As for the future, Mock U has n a Go Fund Me page to raise money for the creators to submit the first episode to several film festivals. The cast and crew want to market the show beyond Brandeis, and hopefully beyond a mostly millennial audience.

Both Kriesen and Forman are happy with Mock U’s online platform. “The whole idea of an online interactive media form is interesting since...so much of television currently is streaming,” which has produced a diverse breadth of TV. Forman adds, “I am very satisfied with where it is right now.

I am very proud of it, no matter where it is.”

Mock U is now available on YouTube and Vimeo.

Paid distributor position with The Brandeis Hoot!

The Hoot needs someone to distribute papers around campus on Fridays. Pay is $300 for the semester.

Contact eic@thebrandeishoot.com ASAP.

14 ARTS

The Brandeis Hoot

Mania is a wild ride that forgets precedents, misses expectations

January 26, 2018

By Caleigh Bartash staff

Former Fifth Harmony group member Camila Cabello’s debut solo, self-titled album released on Jan. 12 with 10 different tracks ranging from delicate, melancholy tracks like “Consequences” and “All These Years” to the slow anthem and lead single, “Havana.” Cabello shows great promise in vocals and lyrics, but the final result leaves a lot to be desired in material and memorability.

With recent hits like “Crying in the Club” and “Havana,” Cabello inspired anticipation from old and new fans alike. Cabello released “OMG” and “Crying in the Club” prior to the full album as potential promotional singles, but later scrapped them from the track list.

Although her debut is primarily based in the pop category, Cabello considers elements of form from other musical genres, pairing lyrics in Spanish with Latin-inspired beats. As she did in Fifth Harmony, Cabello incorporates some R&B techniques into her music, featuring rapper Young Thug as the only voice other than her own in the entire album, in “Havana.”

Cabello’s album appears both more soulful and sorrowful than her former band’s hits; some of the songs, however, blend together, despite the different titles. They may have distinctly appealing lyrics and instrumentals, but with few exceptions like “Havana,” Cabello maintains a style almost too repetitive. Her vocals, while clear and sweet, do not have much versatility, at least on this album.

Considering “Camila” is her

photo from youtube.com

first full solo effort, Cabello demonstrates impressive unity in regards to songwriting voice.

Transitioning from having little creative control over Fifth Harmony’s music to writing on every song in her album is quite a feat.

The album is seamless, but could be more exciting if it was more diverse in sound. Cabello’s record certainly has some distinctions across tracks, but as a whole she draws too much from the same few experiences. She evidently learned a lot from her time with Fifth Harmony;her next album effort, however, would benefit from a more varied body of emotional inspiration instead of the same romances.

Many songs on the album allude to Cabello’s love life, with the first track, “Never Be the Same,” specifically exploring an intoxicating romance which she compares to a drug addiction.

Based on lyrics in many of such songs, Cabello has not had entirely positive experiences with romance. In “Consequences,” she reminisces soberly about a particularly unfortunate relationship, saying “Loving you was dumb, dark and cheap/Loving you still takes shots at me.” While she is certainly practiced in writing songs about heartbreak, Cabello’s album might have been more interesting if she sourced her lyrics from a wider variety of experiences.

“She Loves Control” and “Real Friends” are a good starting points for Cabello to expand her lyrical content. She proves she has the ability to move past simple love songs with confidence. Evidently, she needs to understand and express herself more than she needs to comment on the same few relationships.

Women writing songs about

their boyfriends is nothing new, nor is it shameful, but Cabello could benefit if she looked beyond romance for inspiration. At only 20 years old, she might have fewer experiences than a more senior artist, but her life as a young pop star coming in to her own should provide more than enough song material.

Overall, “Camila” is more serious than upbeat. It does not feel very inspiring or enlivening to listen to, but it is beautiful. The album does not sound common, it seems very specific to Camila Cabello, but manages to remain somewhat forgettable. It is hard to pinpoint exactly what to feel while listening to the assortment of slow ballads and odes to Cabello’s past. The album definitely has more niche appeal than potential for popular appreciation and is better taken in pieces than altogether.

The singer caused controversy a year ago when she made the decision to quit Fifth Harmony, a girl group she had been part of since 2012. Conflicting accounts of Cabello’s break with the band from herself and her former bandmates especially stirred up conflict. But in “Camila,” Cabello moves past this controversy and the restrictions of her former group to go back to her roots. She renamed the album from “The Hurting, the Healing, the Loving” to “Camila” to represent how she came back to herself, though the content of her album still fits with the original title.

Though Camila Cabello’s first solo album is in many ways a success, especially in terms of lyrical prowess, she has work to do in regards to emotional subject matter, general catchiness, and broad appeal.

Guadagnino’s new film ‘Call Me By Your Name’ is a triumph

By Rebecca Goldfarb editor

Beautiful. That is how to sum up Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me

By Your Name” with a single word. From the aesthetic to the score to the performances, “Call Me By Your Name” is a triumph.

Set in the beautiful northern Italian countryside in 1983, “Call Me By Your Name” tells the story of Oliver, Elio and one of the steamiest on-screen romances in cinema history. Right off the bat, let’s talk about the performances, because everyone is in top form. We spend the most time with Elio, an angsty and charming seventeen-year old. Played by relative-newcomer Timothee Chalamet, who recently appeared in 2017’s “Ladybird,” Chalamet is magnetic in “Call Me Your Name.” One of the reasons that I am so desperate to see this film for a second time is that Chalamet is so engrossing as Elio. I could not truly focus on Armie Hammer’s Oliver, who also stands out in the movie (but we will discuss him more later). Chalamet finds a perfect, adolescent balance between being totally sure of himself and utterly lost that is captivating. From start to finish, you cannot take your eyes off Elio.

Meanwhile, Hammer’s Oliver is his own special mix of strength and restraint. Oliver is staying in Italy as the grad student to Elio’s

photo from nytimes.com

timothée chalamet

father. His initial interactions with Elio are as much a courtship as competition. Like Elio, it is not clear how much of Oliver’s confidence is a front, or really who is seducing who. Hammer’s career has been inconsistent to say the least—he has had his share of flops (“Lone Ranger” and “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” come to mind) as well as his brighter moments (“The Social Network,” “Nocturnal Animals), but “Call Me By Your Name” should settle the score once and for all: he is a great actor. His recent snub for a

Best Supporting Actor nomination at this year’s Oscars is all the more stinging.

Michael Stuhlbarg rounds out a year of excellent performances (including but not limited to his work in “Fargo” season 3 and “Shape of Water”) with the stunning portrayal of Mr. Perlman, Elio’s father and Oliver’s professor. He is operating in the background for most of the film, but Stuhlbarg (also) should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for a single scene (it takes place toward the end of the film,

trust me, you will know it when you see it). Stuhlbarg conveys so much about love and mortality in just one beautiful conversation, and carries the entire emotional weight of the movie.

This brings me to a specific critique. Some claim that if “Call me

by Your Name” was a straight romance, it would not have nearly the same buzz around it–that the film is getting more attention because it is a gay love story. I vehemently disagree. The beauty of “Call Me By Your Name” is based in its performances, the gorgeous

cinematography, and the general mood of the movie as a whole.

Falling in a love that cannot last is not specific to relationships between two men, and had either Elio or Oliver been a different gender, the film would have been just as strong. The film is not even particularly concerned with homophobia, and dismissing “Call Me by Your Name” as a “gay” love story would be a major mistake.

Before I saw the film, a friend had told me to watch for the timing of the edits. He was absolutely right. Director Luca Guadagnino’s camera tends to either linger on objects that have no narrative payoff, or to cut away from a spectacular shot just a second too early. It all makes the film feel more authentic–reality does not follow a script ripe with payoffs, nor does it let us linger on the moments we would like to hold onto.

Finally, the film is bolstered by original music from Sufjan Stevens and an all-around great score. If you want to hear the melancholy of “Call Me by Your Name,” just give the track, “Mystery of Love,” a listen.

If you want some more beauty in your life, go see “Call Me by Your Name.” It may be not be getting the Oscar love it deserves, but thanks to some phenomenal performances and the superb eye of Guadagnino, this is a film not to be missed.

January 26, 2018

ARTS 15

The Brandeis Hoot

An insider’s guide to the Boston art scene

By Ben Beriss editor

Following up on last week’s article, we come to you with another list of recommendations for exploring the Boston art scene.

If you’re having trouble deciding what to do this week, look to these recommendations to help you decide.

Shear Madness: There are numerous comedy shows in Boston popular enough to merit an indefinite stay. Chief among these is “Shear Madness,” the longest running play in the U.S. This improvisational mystery show, “Shear Madness” sets the stage of a murder and lets the audience dictate the course of the investigation, resulting in a uniquely comedy hilarious every night. Box office tickets are a pricey $56, but discounted student tickets may be available.

Donkey Show: Another Boston classic, the “Donkey Show” is the American Repertory Theater’s wild disco party of the week.

Created by Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus, the show is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” which features disco music, roller skates, and “hustle queens.” A shining example of the potential for immersive theater, “The Donkey Show” showcases immense theatrical talent and creates the type of party you’ve always dreamed of attending. Tickets are $20 with $15 student rush.

photo from bostonopera.com

Sh!t-Faced Shakespeare: Since 2010, the Magnificent Bastards have been performing unique versions of the Bard’s great works, deviating from traditional stagings by giving one of their cast members the hard stuff before they get onstage. Each performance features a randomly selected cast member stumbling and slurring through Shakespeare while, as the name implies, sh!tfaced. After all, Shakespeare wrote during a time when people drank more beer than water and alcoholic beverages were allowed into theaters.

If you’ve ever laughed at your friends’ drunk antics at a party, this is the theater show for you.

Currently, there are performances of “Romeo and Juliet” every Sunday for all ages at Laugh Boston and “Taming of the Shrew” every

weekend for those 21 and over at The Rockwell. Tickets run from $20 to $49.

Love Never Dies, The Phantom Returns: If you prefer more traditional theater, the sequel to Broadway classic “Phantom of the Opera” has reached Boston. “Love Never Dies” picks up 10 years after “Phantom” with the titular character in Coney Island yearning for his lost love while said love is struggling with the reality of life after the fairytale ending. If you’re eager to know how Phantom’s story ended or just have a craving for a grand Broadway-style musical, this will satisfy. It is being performed at the Boston Opera House. Tickets can be expensive but are much cheaper when bought in advance.

The Fourth Wall Presents: Show

Up: Also coming to Boston is Peter Michael Marino and his incredibly popular one-man performance “Show Up.” Essentially an improvisational piece, Marino uses the audience’s and his own life as inspiration to weave together incredible stories. Marino has been performing this piece since 2016 and receiving rave reviews at the Orlando Fringe and sold out at the Edinburgh Fringe.

It is only being performed Jan. 26-27, at The Lily Pad, so be sure not to miss out. Tickets run from $15 to $20.

JFK Museum: With our current politics it can be hard to remember bright spots in our nation’s past. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum shines a light on the better parts of one of our great leaders. With

exhibits on the 1960 election, the U.S. Space program, Jackie Kennedy and more, the museum is a wonderful place to learn about JFK and the Americans who elected him. Tickets are $12 with student ID. Reagan Esther Myer: If you’re more curious about the future than the past, this film is for you.

“Reagan Esther Myer” is a multimedia experience which tells the story of titular character Reagan, an apocalypse survivor. Struggling to survive, Reagan must deal with a government-issued devices which distributes points based in her thoughts, a missing sister and official censorship. Like a twisted “Black Mirror” episode this vision of the future takes a hard look at how we would behave after a disaster with access to powerful technology while simultaneously telling a captivating and dramatic story.

Curio/Flea Markets: For those who love thrift stores and flea markets, Boston is a haven. Right now, we recommend the “Curio Market + Whimsy.” This is a collection of artists and traders selling upcycled art, handmade soap, vintage clothing, classic records, food and artistic workshops and more. Jan. 27 and Jan. 28 will be the last chance to visit, you can look forward to many more markets moving in to replace it throughout the year.

If you know any upcoming Boston arts events which we’ve missed or may want to feature in the future send them in at eic@ thebrandeishoot.com.

Award season is heating up

By Rebecca Goldfarb editor

We are nearly one month into the new year, and you know what that means: award show season.

Winter is packed with some of the biggest upcoming award shows of the year. From magical moments to controversial acceptance speeches, the events at these major award shows are memorable, if only because of the trending memes they inspire.

While the Golden Globes already occurred Jan. 7, you can still catch many other amazing upcoming award shows within the next couple of months.

The 60th Annual Grammy Awards will occur this upcoming Sunday, Jan. 28, at 7:30 p.m. on CBS. The Grammys are usually held mid February, but this year, since the Winter Olympics are taking that time slot, they will occur at the end of January.

The show features an exciting lineup, including Lady Gaga, broadway singer Patti Lupone, SZA, a breakthrough artist from this past year, Childish Gambino and rock icons U2 and Sting. All eyes will be on Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, Justin Bieber, Childish Gambino, Jay-Z, Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar, who have nominations for the most prestigious awards of the night. These artists are nominees for Song of The Year (nominees include “Despacito”

by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber, “Redbone” by Childish Gambino, “The Story of O. J.” by Jay-Z, “Humble” by Kendrick Lamar and “24K Magic” by Bruno Mars), Record Of The Year (nominees include “Despacito”

by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber, “4:44” by Jay-Z, “Issues” by Julia Michaels, “1800273-8255” by Logic ft. Khalid and Alessia Cara, and “That’s What I Like” by Bruno Mars) and Album Of The Year (nominees include “Awaken My Love!”

by Childish Gambino, “4:44” by Jay-Z, “Damn” by Kendrick Lamar, “Melodrama” by Lorde, and “24K Magic” by Bruno Mars).

Tune in for this exciting night to celebrate the achievements in music over the past year.

The British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) will premiere on Feb.18, which can be livestreamed on the BAFTA YouTube channel with host Joanna Lumley. “The Shape Of Water” leads the nomination pool with over 12 nominations, including the award for Best Film. Also nominated is “Dunkirk,” “Call Me

By Your Name,” “Darkest Hour” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” Tune in to the livestream to keep up with this past year’s major films.

Just one day before the Oscars, the Independent Spirit Awards, which celebrates the year’s most notable independent films, will be held on March 3.

Comedians John Mulaney and Nick Kroll will host the show for the second year in a row. Notable nominations include “Call Me By Your Name,” “The Florida Project,” “Get Out,” “Lady Bird” and “The Rider.” If you are an avid fan of all kinds of films, beyond the ones that are more mainstream, this is definitely an interesting show to check out during the weekend of the Academy Awards.

Jimmy Kimmel will host the 90th Annual Academy Awards

photo from people.com

the stranger things cast

which will air March 4 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The nominations were released Tuesday and like the BAFTA awards, “Shape Of Water” leads with over thirteen nominations. “Dunkirk” comes as a close second with eight nominations. Both are nominated for the most prestigious award of the night (and the hardest one to deliver correctly), Best Picture. “The Darkest Hour,” “Call Me By Your Name,” “Get Out,” “Lady Bird,” “Phantom Thread,” “The Post” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” are also nominated for Best Picture.

The nominations were just released and we are already seeing many historical achievements.

Film director, Agnès Varda, at the age of 89, is the oldest person in history to be nominated for an Oscar. Meryl Streep earned her 21st nomination, breaking her own record for having the most Academy Award nominations for

an actress of all time. Composer John Williams, nominated for Best Original Score for his work on “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” remains the most nominated living individual, with over 51 nominations. Even though the Oscars are a little over a month away, it is never too early to anticipate the most memorable awards show of the year.

Finally, the iHeartRadio Music Awards will take place March 11.

While hosts or performances have not been announced, the nominations spotlight the popular music genres of the past year, honoring both established and new artists.

One of the most anticipated awards of the night will be Best Solo Breakout Artist. The nominees include people who went solo after breaking away from their X-Factor formed music groups, including Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne and Camila Cabello.

Curious which former One Direction member stands out the most?

Or maybe if Camila will prevail?

Tune in to a night of incredible performances as the past year in pop music is honored.

Awards season is in full gear, and there are many interesting ceremonies coming up that showcase the works of entertainment in 2017. Some will win awards for the tenth time, and some will win awards for the first time.

Which historical accolades are in store, what silly mistakes are on the verge of becoming the next meme, and what will the tabloids think of Jennifer Lawrence’s outfit on the red carpet?

We’ll have to wait and see.

Nonetheless, the upcoming awards shows will not only honor deserving singers and actors, but the directors, writers, producers and so many others who worked countless hours to entertain billions of people around the world.

16 ARTS

The Brandeis Hoot

January 26, 2018

Slam poetry touches audiences at Chum’s through a lens of interesting topics

By Ben Beriss editor

Brandeis’ thirteenth annual Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, titled “The Love That h8 Can’t Stop,” opened its doors in the Shapiro Campus Center Theater Monday night to an enthusiastic audience. Hosted by Dean of Students Jamele Adams, the memorial featured a variety of music, poetry and dance acts. Together with the audience, the performers exemplified the Brandeis’ community’s appreciation of Reverend King’s work.

Early on, Nichol’s scholar and soloist, Justin Cox, owned the stage as he let out a sweet, but strong serenade. After Cox finished showing off his powerful vocals, Brandeis’ very own Platinum Step Team took control and fired up the crowd. Platinum introduced themselves, starting with impassioned shouts of “Do you know who we are?” and following up with intense sequences of rhythmic stepping and clapping.

Popular dance groups, Rebelle and Toxic, also drew cheers from the audience during their own sets as they showed off their moves to the music. Members of Toxic, Brandeis’ own majorette force, put on a a high-energy performance with impressive stunts and amazing costumes.

Meanwhile, dance troupe, Rebelle, brought the heat with their experience and exciting formations, turns and use of levels.

Michelle Dennis ’18 performed an interpretive dance solo set to soft a instrumental piece with child’s voice reading the names of

photo by ben beriss/the hoot

cupsi final team

black victims of police shootings.

Her choreography was a beautiful blend of ballet and contemporary, combing fluid motions and impressive leg extensions with sharp, broken lines and powerful jumps.

One of the most impressive performances came from musician scholar Bethel Adekogbe ’20. Adekogbe demonstrated a unique technological skill set as he created rhythms on the spot while reading facts about Rever-

end King. With just a keyboard and a computer, he spontaneously developed beats and melodies to go along with his statements. He concluded his moving set with recordings of the famous “I have a dream” speech.

Bilingual poet Elba Valerio, Program Coordinator for the Intercultural Center, recited an original poem, first in Spanish, then in English. She was accompanied by a slideshow of personal images, including one with her husband,

whom she recently married. She finished with some of her favorite quotes from Reverend King.

A highlight of the night was the address by activist and poet Wil Jones ‘18. He delivered a keynote speech, discussing topics such as the polarization of good and bad through the scope of history while giving plenty of shoutouts to his mom in the audience. He offered an interesting discourse on MLK. He discussed how King was an important figure for him

as a young boy, but also pondered how to interpret the legacy of Reverend King after revealing the underlying sexism of King’s movement, saying “How can I celebrate in the name of equality when women in the civil rights movement received little recognition, in public and private, for their leadership and contributions?”

Jones also considered the sanitized version of history he had been given in elementary school, but recognized that learning about Reverend King was the only time he learned about his own history outside of the Civil War. His final message, however, was one of accountability. As he declared “Accountability doesn’t have to be about knocking our faves off their pedestal. It doesn’t mean that Gandhi didn’t do all of the amazing things that he did, but it does mean we have to look at some of the negative aspects and attributes of their tenures as well.

It does mean that if we begin to look holistically at their strengths and their weaknesses then maybe we can piece together futures that dont consist of-- well,what they consist of now.” Jones clearly had more to say as he later stated, but concluded his address anyway to thunderous applause.

The show also featured a stunning performance from the DMJ United Voices of Praise Choir.

Their bold, powerful voices filled the entire theater and kept the crowd on their meet for much of their performance.

The final acts included thought-provoking art from Lizzy Topper ‘21 and recitation of one of King’s speeches by Kwesi Jones ’21.

Abstract artist addresses Brandeis about Rose Art Museum exhibition of water

By Ben Beriss editor

Joe Bradley, one of the artists featured at The Rose Art Museum, draws this season of exhibitions to a close with a talk about his work and career Thursday, Jan. 25.

Bradley is a celebrated New York-based artist known for his abstract art, which has sold for upwards of a million dollars. The Rose Art Museum is showing the first large-scale museum exhibition in North America devoted to his work, as well as an exhibition of The Rose’s own art curated by Bradley and Kim Conaty, a now-former Rose Art Museum curator. Bradley came to Brandeis to explain some of the ideas behind the art on display as well as the process he took to creating it.

The talk started with one of Bradley’s early series of work, which featured stacked monochrome canvases arranged to form abstract ideas of figures. Bradley described the inspiration for these pieces as uniquely miraculous.

On a 2006 trip to see his family in New Hampshire, the idea simply came to him in a dream, something that has never happened again. When he got back to New York he developed his early ideas

into pieces of canvas painted one color and stretched over rectangular frames arranged to suggest various figures.

This series brought up several themes which define Bradley’s work. The first is his preference for making his art as cheaply as possible. He gave two reasons for this: the first was a simple lack of money when he was starting out, the second was his feeling that it “seems like cheating” to start out art with beautiful materials instead of using the art to develop the materials.

He said there was a certain “blue collar” thrill to simply stretching cheap canvas over found wood to create a painting. He also hinted towards the way he understood his art, which he described later in his talk as dominated by the figures he has in his mind when he creates the pieces rather than their abstract reality.

Bradley then moved on to the drawings he created after he grew bored with his first series of paintings and developed a desire to return to “mark making” and began making simple drawings which he created cheaply, quickly, and with a spirit of “either it works, or you have to wad it up and throw it away.” After around a year of this he began to return to paint and color, becoming frustrated

photo from gagosian.com

with the one-shot style of creation which denied him the chance to erase or modify his pieces. With color, his paintings slowly became loud and raucous, often dominated by a single abstract shape or figure and covered in blocks of color and various smaller marks.

These marks were the result of his chaotic process. They came from utilitarian measures, such as using both sides of a canvas to cut down on costs, with artistic results which came to define his art.

As he continued with these

paintings, he began to become more involved with them, continuing with the mindset “the more hell they go through, the better.” He avoided sketching out ideas beforehand, describing his artistic mindset as “at the risk of sounding too new age-y…listen[ing] to the painting and respond[ing] to it.” He began using an industrial sewing machine to stitch together canvases to create larger pieces, another utilitarian step which would later have artistic implications.

He also started using larger areas of single color and moving away from the smaller paint marks to avoid the overwhelming beige of unpainted canvas he saw in his exhibitions. Later, he moved away from this and began creating large pieces with little paint, focusing more on the way he stitched pieces of canvas together, or “building a painting” rather than painting a painting.

Prompted by the audience’s questions, Bradley talked about how enjoyed the opportunity to curate an exhibition of his own work and a companion exhibition of others’ and how the opportunity gave him the “real privilege” to create a narrative about his work.

He also revealed details about his process, such as the way he keeps a list of possible titles and lets them affix themselves to pieces.

The lecture often felt more like a second, interactive, exhibition than a talk, as Bradley often paused and let the pictures of his work speak for themselves. He talked about finding it hard to talk about paintings, as he feels they are almost there to end conversations. “You can talk about Rothko, but in the end the painting itself is the main event,” he said. Bradley’s comfortable manner, however, was engaging despite his lack of dedicated talking points.