The Brandeis Hoot 8/24/2018

Volume 15 Issue 12

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

August 24, 2018

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper · Waltham, Mass.

Swiss Post Solutions becomes new mailroom partner

By Celia Young editor

PHOTO BY CELIA YOUNG/THE HOOT

OUTSIDE NORTH QUAD Pods

are set up outside the freshman dormitories to make package pick up easy. See more on Page 4.

Swiss Post Solutions (SPS) has replaced Xerox as the Brandeis mailroom operating partner after complaints from students, faculty and staff of lost packages and slow delivery. Swiss Post Solutions began their contract with Brandeis on June 1, and since then the mailroom has received new package tracking software and a new store manager. The change in providers is expected to result in more efficient package delivery and fewer package losses.

Due to the large volume of packages received last year, especially during the busy periods at the beginning of the school year, the mailroom received many complaints from students, faculty and staff about slow delivery and lost packages. Several measures

have been implemented to prevent a repeat of last year’s events.

More temporary and seasonal staff has been hired to compensate for the larger amount of incoming packages during movein day, Aug. 26. Eight pods have also been placed near first-year dorms, where first-years’ packages will be delivered during international and domestic student move-in. Students will be able to pick up their packages near their dorm, rather than traveling to the mailroom in Usdan Student Center.

The mailroom will be open for extended hours, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Monday through Friday, until Sept. 7. It will also be open Aug. 25 and Aug. 26 (move-in days).

As part of what Gino Galutera, the managing director of Campus Card and Auxiliary Services, See MAILROOM, page 4

Swim coach leaves Brandeis after HR investigation

By Celia Young and Elianna Spitzer editors

After a human resource department investigation into his conduct, Coach Mike Kotch is no longer the Brandeis Universi-

ty Swimming and Diving Team (BUSDT) coach. Brandeis University has declined to comment on whether Kotch was fired or if he resigned.

Kotch was placed on administrative leave on May 2 pending the outcome of a human resources department investigation—not by

the athletic department—according to an email to the swim team

by Acting Athletic Director Jim Zotz, obtained by The Brandeis Hoot. A subsequent email from Vice President for Student Affairs Sheryl Sousa informed BUSDT that Kotch no longer works at Brandeis, but did not explain the

circumstances of his departure.

As of press time, Brandeis has not released an official statement regarding Kotch, or the search for a new swim coach. Kotch’s Brandeis athletic webpage has been removed and replaced with “TBA,” or “To Be Announced.”

Kotch’s page was not updated on

May 2 to indicate his placement on administrative leave.

Although there was no official statement, when asked for comment, Assistant Vice President for Communications and External Relations Max Pearlstein said in See SWIM, page 3

Board of Trustees pushes divestment vote back

By Elianna Spitzer editor

Fossil fuel divestment remains a central topic for students, faculty, administration and trustees entering the fall semester. A June statement from Liebowitz places a Board of Trustees vote on the matter in November. They are expected to vote on an updated version of the “Brandeis University as a Responsible Investor” document in September and use it to guide the November decision.

The struggle over divestment, the removal of university endowment funds from investors that

support fossil fuels, goes back more than six years. As early as 2013, Brandeis undergraduate students voted in favor of a ballot initiative to divest. In 2015, students and faculty formed an exploratory committee at the request of former President Lisa Lynch.

The committee produced a 170-page report that asked board members to divest the university’s endowment. Instead of encouraging fossil fuels by investing in the fossil fuel industry, according to the report, the university should invest in greener, renewable forms See DIVESTMENT page 3

Inside This Issue:

News: Brandeis hosts 74th composers conference Ops: A welcome to the class of 2022 Features: Professor Spotlight: Andrew Kolodny Sports: Inside look at a summer student athlete EDITORIALS: The problem with summer dining

BERNSTEIN-MARCUS ADMINISTRATION CENTER

Jonah reviews

Page 2 “8th Grade” Page 5 Page 11 ARTS: PAGE 15 Page 12 Page 9

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

The office of President Liebowitz and the Brandeis administration.

core prepares orientation Meet your orientation CORE committee FEATURES: PAGE 10-11

NEWS

2 The Brandeis Hoot

August 24, 2018

John Oliver interviews Prof. Anita Hill

By Celia Young editor

Anita Hill (HS/WGSS) appeared on “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” on July 29 to discuss sexual harassment in the workplace. Oliver interviewed Hill, discussing her 1991 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee—which created a national conversation on workplace sexual harassment—and its relevance to the current “#metoo” movement.

Hill is a professor of social policy, law and women’s, gender

and sexuality studies at Brandeis’ Heller School for Social Policy and Management. In 1991, Hill accused U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment, testifying for eight hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Thomas was eventually approved to sit on the Supreme Court, where he remains today, and Hill’s testimony was ignored.

During the interview with Hill—which aired only two days after CBS CEO Les Moonves was accused of inappropriate conduct in the workplace, according to Time magazine—Oliver asked

Hill what has changed in the 27 years since Hill’s 1991 testimony.

Hill responded, “There’s been a tremendous amount of change.”

“There’s been a change in public attitude and there’s been a change in the amount of information that we have about sexual harassment.

And there’s certainly more awareness after the ‘me too’ movement,” she said. “Even a few years ago, people were ambivalent about what the consequences should be if someone is behaving incredibly badly and abusing people they work with.”

Hill also identified what changes should be implemented to

prevent workplace sexual harassment, such as changing laws, implementing bystander training and publicizing businesses’ policies on workplace sexual harassment.

“One of the things we need to do to change the culture and actually convince people that we’re serious about it is to publicize the policies and to inform people this is what happens if you file a complaint...I also think that there [are] some management things that we can do. We, for example, can do bystander training,” she said.

Oliver mentioned his own experience with not feeling “empow-

ered to speak” when he witnessed inappropriate behavior, especially when he was younger and had less power in the workplace. Hill encouraged him to think about how he would do things differently today, not only speaking out, but talking to the victim in those situations.

Hill concluded by saying that she was hopeful for the future as more women who might not have come forward 27 years ago have voiced their complaints. And though the change may be “glacially slow,” as she put it, “if we do nothing, the change is not going to come.”

Brandeis hosts 74th Composers Conference

By Abigail Gardener editor

Brandeis University has become the new home for the annual Composers Conference, a two-week long program in which musicians and composers of all ages come together to study, compose and perform.

Brandeis was chosen to host the 74th season of the conference this year, from July 29 to Aug. 12.

Brandeis will also host the conference for the foreseeable future.

The conference was moved after Wellesley College, the conference’s original host of 35 years, decided they wanted to start with a “clean slate” and build their own summer programs, according to Eric Chasalow, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Irving Fine Professor of Music. Chasalow is also on the Board of Trustees for the Composers Conference.

After parting ways with Wellesley, Brandeis was chosen because “this looked like a good opportunity for the organization because Brandeis is so strong in music and we have a beautiful concert hall with great acoustics,” Chasalow said, citing the university’s air-conditioned dorms and proximity to Boston as an additional plus.

The Composers Conference “offers a unique opportunity for

PHOTO COURTESY ERIC CHASALOW

THE CONFERENCE ENSEMBLE

emerging composers, professional musicians, amateur chamber players and conservatory-level instrumentalists and singers to come together as colleagues, audience, teachers and students in an atmosphere of fertile creativity and concentrated, high-level music making,” according to the conference’s website.

The conference consists of three programs: the Composer Fellows, the Chamber Music Workshop and the Contemporary Performance Institute (CPI), as well as the conference Ensemble, which

professionally records the works of the Composer Fellows. Each program consists of seminars, workshops and performance opportunities.

Most years, there are at least one or two Brandeis graduate students who are chosen to be a part of the very selective conference.

The Composer Fellows program, for example, receives 150 to 200 applications from all around the world for only ten spots, according to Chasalow.

The entire conference is very intergenerational, said Chasalow,

ranging from young professionals to retired people to doctoral, graduate and undergraduate students.

“This is great because you’ve got professionals and amateurs who are mixing and learning from one another, and you’ve got composers and performers learning from one another, and everyone becomes a…very strong community,” Chasalow said.

Now that Brandeis’ first year of hosting the conference is over, Chasalow thinks it was a success and will continue to be so. “Ev-

eryone is really thrilled with the move, they had a really good time, they really felt the facilities were great, the sound in the concert hall was great,” he said.

Brandeis is not only an ideal new host for the conference, Chasalow added, but he predicts the conference will be beneficial to Brandeis as well. The conference helps Brandeis to become more accessible to Waltham and the surrounding communities, especially since most nights of the conference there are free concerts that are open to the public.

“The conference really is part of connecting to the larger community around Brandeis… it helps our reputation as a destination for the arts, and in this case specifically for music,” Chasalow said.

“I’m hoping that moving forward we get more community members coming… to the concerts as well because we give lots of free concerts.”

Additionally, the conference will showcase the university’s impressive music program, which many students might not realize Brandeis has.

“We’re in a very select group of graduate programs, that includes Columbia and Yale and Princeton and the University of Chicago,” Chasalow said.

“There are very, very few programs that are really considered among the very top and this is an area where Brandeis, as small as it is, is among the very best.”

Faculty Club implements new takeout prices

By Ryan Spencer staff

To-go diners will be charged at a rate of $0.75 per ounce for the salad bar or hot buffet takeout from the Faculty Club following a change in dining policy announced earlier this summer. A discount rate of $0.65 per ounce will be offered to to-go diners who choose to use a reusable togo container available for purchase on location.

The change from a flat rate of $8.49 for hot buffet takeout and $5.79 for salad bar takeout is intended to “enhance the dining experience [at the Faculty Club], promote campus sustainability and bring the club closer to “break-even” financial performance,” according to a July 16

campus-wide email from Vice President of Campus Operations Jim Gray.

The email from Gray, which announced the dining changes, also explained that green reusable containers would be available for a one-time, refundable fee of $4.

These containers, which can be bought and used at other dining locations on campus, entitle to-go diners to the reduced rate of $0.65 per ounce at the Faculty Club buffet and salad bar as well as provide a reusable alternative to diners who would otherwise use disposable containers.

Green containers can be returned to dining locations to be washed where they will be exchanged for a clean container or a token which can be traded for a container in the future.

Under the new faculty club takeout policy, soup—which was

previously included in the price of a hot buffet takeout—will be sold individually at a price of $1.99 per serving.

At the new to-go prices, a diner at the faculty club can purchase approximately 11.3 ounces of hot buffet food for the equivalency of the old $8.49 price of a to-go hot buffet meal or 13.06 ounces of hot buffet food if they use the $0.65 reusable container discount rate.

7.72 ounces of salad bar would cost a diner about $5.79—the former price of the to-go salad bar.

Using the reusable container discount, a diner could get about 8.9 ounces of salad for the same $5.79 price.

Changes to the Faculty Club togo policy took effect on Aug. 13.

PHOTO BY RYAN SPENCER/THE HOOT

August 24, 2018

NEWS 3

The Brandeis Hoot

Brandeis searches for a new swim coach SWIM, from page 1

an email to The Hoot, “Brandeis employees have a legal right to privacy, which generally prevents the university from disclosing confidential information about their employment. However, Brandeis can and does provide limited details to students with respect to personnel actions that impact them.”

The Hoot spoke to several sources about the circumstances leading up to Kotch’s departure.

Due to the nature of the investigation, the sources spoken to preferred not to be identified.

Formal investigators, brought to Brandeis as part of the investigation into and firing of former basketball coach Brian Meehan, prompted members of the Brandeis swim team to reach out to them.

The complaints of Kotch’s behavior were not new. Swimmers had told athletics director Lynne Dempsey, who is currently on administrative leave, about Coach Kotch’s alleged “unprofessional conduct” in the past.

Dempsey “heard us and she let us just speak our minds, and she was just kind of like, ‘I understand how you feel, I’m sorry’—and then just goes, ‘There’s nothing I can do,’” one swimmer said. The Hoot cannot confirm how many swimmers spoke to Dempsey or how frequently.

Multiple swimmers spoke to formal investigators during set office hours, which began on April 11, hoping that their concerns would be addressed. Some swimmers could not attend because of scheduling conflicts. One swimmer suggested that those interested should draft a collective, anonymous letter and send it to investigators. According to a source on the swim team, most of the team participated in drafting the letter.

The letter was about three pages in length and listed “unprofessional actions” that Coach Kotch had engaged in. One swimmer told The Hoot that the actions were nuanced and “not on the same scale as the whole basketball coach situation.” Kotch’s unpopularity among team members, she

explained, contributed to how harshly students took his behavior. A lot of the complaints constituted grievances built up over time. Kotch was the head swim coach for the combined men’s and women’s swim team at Brandeis for over six years.

The letter stated that the coach would make inappropriate comments, sometimes about students’ weight. A swimmer recounted another incident mentioned in the collective letter that occurred last year during a BUSDT training trip. According to the source, it’s a tradition for coaches to go out drinking. On last year’s training trip, while intoxicated, Kotch messaged the swim team group chat making fun of a person who had recently been kicked off the team.

The letter was followed by notice of an investigation. Zotz emailed the team on May 2. The email read, “Concerns have been raised regarding Coach Kotch’s conduct which will be investigated. Pending the outcome of the investigation, Coach Kotch has been placed on administrative

leave.” This was the first and only email that the swim team received concerning an investigation.

Zotz is serving as acting athletics director while Dempsey continues to remain on administrative leave. According to one source on the swim team, the athletic department is in good hands with Zotz. “He pays very [close] attention to the teams and he is probably one of the best hands in the athletic center to lead the school in athletics administratively.”

A month and a half later, on June 14, Sousa sent another email to the team notifying them of Coach Kotch’s departure. Sousa gave no cause of action. She did not explain whether Kotch had resigned or been fired. The Hoot asked Zotz and the Human Resources Department to comment on Kotch’s status in June, but both declined. Between the two emails, the human resources department did not reach out to the swim team collectively.

Sousa’s email also mentioned that the search for a new BUSDT swim coach would begin immedi-

ately. In addition to this position, Brandeis must also hire a new assistant coach. Kotch fired the former assistant coach in March.

An advertisement for the position has been posted in SwimSwam magazine.

The swimmers who spoke to The Hoot are optimistic about the search process for their coach’s replacement. Members of the team will be able to give input on the candidates once the search pool has been narrowed. A source on the team mentioned that the new swim coach is expected to be hired by mid-August, and that resumes have already been collected.

One source said that the new coach is going to have a clean slate, which might be challenging.

“Naturally someone starting their career at a school which already has a program, it’s going to be difficult for them to acclimate to the climate of the team and what the team needs. It’s going to be definitely a challenge planning and setting up things that have happened year after year.”

Sara McCrea contributed to this report.

Vote on divestment pushed back to November DIVESTMENT, from page 1

of energy.

Since 2015, the Board has met with members of Brandeis Climate Justice (BCJ), most recently on Jan. 31, to discuss the reality of divestment, each time deciding not to vote on the topic. BCJ continued to push the importance of the issue. Last semester, on April 27, members of BCJ gathered for a climate justice rally. They stood in front of the faculty building and read a public statement to demand action. President Liebowitz and board member George D. Krupp met the students on the Faculty Club steps to announce that the Board of Trustees would vote for or against divestment within 60 days.

“If you just give us a little bit more time, we’ll come up with something that’s satisfactory to not only Brandeis but also to the student body,” Krupp told students at the time.

At the Alumni Reunion in early June, BCJ alumni circulated a letter urging the Board to meet the June 23 deadline. A few days before the deadline, President Liebowitz and the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Meyer Koplow, released a statement saying that a vote would not occur before the

60-day limit.

Instead, according to the statement, members of the Board would evaluate and reconsider “Brandeis as a Responsible Investor,” a document first drafted in 1973. The “broad, general and vague” document would need to be edited before a vote could take place. Over the summer, members of the Board have worked to review the guidelines, Ira Jackson, the senior vice president for communications and external relations, confirmed.

President Liebowitz’s statement highlighted the core conflict at the heart of the issue. Brandeis may want to divest, but it must re-invest in options that ensure stability for future students and faculty. “The board has a fiduciary responsibility to manage the university’s endowment—to produce the greatest return with the lowest possible risk—in the interests of current students, faculty, and staff, as well as future generations.

At the same time, it must do so in a responsible manner.”

If the Board follows the timeline set in the statement, it will vote to approve or reject a new “Brandeis as a Responsible Investor” document in September, just after the start of the fall semester.

“While no one can accurately predict in advance what the board

might do, if it votes to adopt new socially responsible investment policies in September, the intention is for the board to then consider specific recommendations regarding the divestment of fossil fuel investments in light of the revised general policies at its full meeting in November,” Jackson wrote in an email to The Brandeis Hoot.

BCJ coordinator Claudia Davis ’19, said that the order of actions doesn’t matter. According to Davis, it is important to update the university policy, but the university shouldn’t “drag its feet” on a vote either. “A policy like that is really important for a school that claims to be a social justice institution. If we want to hold ourselves to that standard, as being a university that educates students that are building a stronger and more inclusive world, we really need to be constantly re-evaluating our standards.”

After failing to meet the 60-day deadline that the Board set for itself, BCJ delivered a statement to President Liebowitz’s office. Part of the statement read, “This is a pivotal moment in time when our institution has the opportunity and the privilege to deny power to the fossil fuel industry and secure the safety of your students, your children and future generations.”

The statement urged the Board to set deadlines and keep to the deadlines.

One of the most empowering aspects of the campaign to divest, according to Davis, is the comradery felt from students at other universities pursuing the same cause of action. According to Fossil Free Divestment, a campaign to divest all organizations from fossil fuels, 903 institutions

are currently in the process of divesting funds. The United Nations partially funds Principles for Responsible Investment, which requires signatories to commit to responsible, “greener” investing.

Harvard University, the University of California, Simon Fraser University, Loyola Marymount and Northwestern University have all signed the PRI.

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW /THE HOOT

Salmon replaces Shipman as head coach of Brandeis men’s and women’s fencing

By Ryan Spencer staff

Jennie Salmon has replaced long-time head coach of the Brandeis men’s and women’s fencing team Bill Shipman after he announced his retirement earlier this summer.

Head coach since 1981, Shipman led the Judges to 13 men’s, women’s and combined Northeast Fencing Conference titles as well as five University Athletic Asso-

ciation (UAA) titles, according to the UAA website. A recipient of many honors and coaching awards over his career, Shipman was named the United States Fencing Coaches Association National Coach of the Year in 1994 and was a six-time recipient of the UAA Coach of the year award.

In his time at Brandeis, Shipman coached many successful fencers, including Brandeis’ only alumnus to have competed in the Olympics, Tim Morehouse ’00.

Shipman coached 15 All-American fencers over his 37-year ca-

reer at Brandeis.

Shipman’s retirement took effect on June 30, according to the Brandeis Judges’ website. Over the summer a national search for a successor concluded with Salmon as the finalist to fill the coaching position.

Salmon comes to Brandeis with 22 years of experience coaching club and high school fencing teams. In addition to coaching at Ward-Melville High School in East Setauket, New York from 2000 to 2013, Salmon co-founded the Mission Fencing Club in

Rocky Point, New York with her husband in 2001. She has served as head coach of the Mission Fencing Club since 2003.

In an interview with The Brandeis Hoot, Salmon said her “love of fencing came at a collegiate level.” She remarked that she was happy to have come “full circle” since her days as a student athlete at Temple University.

As a student athlete, Salmon served as team captain and graduated in 1995 as a two-time foil All American with a BA in Early Childhood, Elementary and Spe-

cial Education.

Salmon described the “team aspect” of collegiate fencing as particularly appealing since fencing is often seen as a “one-on-one” sport. “The collegiate level is one level where its team minded,” Salmon told The Hoot.

Salmon officially began as head coach on Aug. 6. With fencing being a winter sport, Salmon has set to work on recruitment prior to the start of the season.

4 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

August 24, 2018

Princeton Review ranks Brandeis University as one of the top colleges in U.S.

By Sabrina Chow editor

Brandeis has been ranked one of the top 384 universities in the country and one of the top universities in the Northeastern region in the “The Best 384 Colleges” book, published annually

by The Princeton Review.

The Princeton Review utilizes survey responses and statistics from the previous school year to determine their rankings. The book is split into two parts: the first focuses on the highlights of each university individually, the second ranking the schools in different lists, which are split into categories.

Brandeis was also ranked in quite a few lists: “Best College Newspaper,” “Most Liberal Students” and “Students Most Engaged in Community Service.”

Brandeis was ranked the 10th

most liberal college campus based on a survey asking for students’ political leanings. Brandeis was also ranked the number five school in the country for “Most Engaged in Community Service.”

The university was ranked third in the “There’s a Game?” category, demonstrating a low popularity of intercollegiate sports at Brandeis, both in attendance and participation.

Brandeis was ranked 13th out of 20 in “Best College Newspaper” when students were asked to rate their school’s newspaper. The university was also ranked the ninth least beautiful campus in the country.

Brandeis was selected as one of the top 375 “Green Colleges” from a list of over two thousand schools. The ranking was primarily based on a “Green Rating” and student opinions.

The “Green Rating” covered three key factors: “whether students have a quality of life on

campus that is both healthy and sustainable; how well a school is preparing students for employment in an increasingly green economy; how environmentally responsible a school’s policies are,” according to The Princeton Review website. Students’ responses were focused on how sustainability issues affected their educational choices and the impact of different student environmental groups on campus.

The other large category that Brandeis ranked highly in was “Colleges that Pay You Back,” where Brandeis was ranked as the number ten “Impact School,” one of the subcategories.

The Princeton Review describes the “Impact School” ranking as “based on student survey responses to questions covering community service opportunities, student government, sustainability efforts, and on-campus school engagement.” 200 schools were selected for this list, according to

The Princeton Review. Schools that were part of this list are known for their stellar academics, affordable cost (a low tuition price or generous financial aid) and strong postgraduate career paths. All of these are part of a Return-on-Investment (ROI) Rating.

The ROI Ratings mainly come from alumni feedback about starting and mid-career salaries as well as career social impact, and takes into account a variety of other academic and financial factors to determine if the price of the university is worth the education that is received.

Aside from rankings, the book also provides a general biography of schools to give prospective students a more student-oriented perspective. The general biography is split into three sections: academics, student body and campus life, where students were able to reflect upon their experiences at Brandeis as a whole. Students

surveyed by the Princeton Review described Brandeis as a “phenomenal school that ‘teaches…the value of hard work, cultivates curiosity and [an] interest in learning, and introduces one to various perspectives,”” according to the Princeton Review website. Students also praised the professors on campus and their commitment to their students.

In the student body section, Brandeis students were shown as students who looked out for one another and supportive every step of the way.

The final section of the biography, the campus life, calls the library the “most social spot on campus” during the weekdays, according to a majority of Brandeis students.

But even with a majority of their time consumed in the library, Brandeis is also commended for their extracurricular involvement, boasting over 280 clubs.

New members join president’s office staff

By Sabrina Chow editor

Four new members, William R. O’Reilly, Carol Onorato, Meghan Alvarez de Sotomayor and Orla O’Brien, have been appointed as staff to the Office of the President, according to an email sent out by President Liebowitz on June 4.

Prior to coming to Brandeis, O’Reilly was a partner at the law firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering

Hale and Dorr. From 2004 to 2017, O’Reilly was also a member of Tufts University Board of Trustees and is serving on Tufts University Hillel Board of Directors. He also served as the president of the Tufts University Alumni Association for two years.

O’Reilly completed his undergraduate studies at Tufts University, where he graduated summa cum laude. He went on to graduate magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law School. In his position as chief of

staff to the president, O’Reilly will provide strategic and analytical support for President Liebowitz, spearhead the office’s responses and actions and manage university planning processes, Liebowitz said in the email.

Onorato began her job as the senior executive assistant to President Liebowitz on April 17. She has been an executive assistant for professionals in various public and private organizations, including the Princeton Review.

Alvarez de Sotomayor joined

the president’s faculty on Feb. 1 as executive administrator. She helps with various administrative duties and research support. Alvarez de Sotomayor also serves as a parttime executive assistant to President Liebowitz when Onorato is unavailable.

Before coming to Brandeis, Alvarez de Sotomayor was at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, where she was the assistant to the chief of cognitive neurology.

O’Brien had previously left the Office of Institutional Advancement at Brandeis to focus on other projects but has since returned, while maintaining administrative responsibilities within the Board of Trustees. She is also the new special assistant and assistant secretary to the Board of Trustees, as well as the supervisor in charge of planned giving and donations.

She began her job on July 1.

Mailroom expected to improve with new partner MAILROOM, from page 1

called “phase two” of the changes to the mailroom, a kiosk system has been installed to reduce wait times. Galutera explained that with this system, students are able to check-in to the mailroom by swiping their student ID card, instead of having to hand it to a clerk.

When a student swipes into the kiosk, they are able to view the

number of packages they have in the mailroom and can choose to pick them up now or later. When a student chooses to pick them up, an alert goes to the mailroom computer telling the staff the location and tracking number of the student’s package.

SPS offers a different package tracking software than Xerox.

Galutera explained that the new software that Brandeis uses to internally track packages, “SC

Logic,” will store, sort and notify students much more quickly. The software provides automatic information flow (such as information about a student’s forwarding address during a leave of absence) with the Sage student information system, while Xerox’s software “PackTrack” required the manual input of some student information.

Galutera spoke about the changes to the mailroom, saying, “I think the changes are…going to more be seen from a customer service standpoint,” he said. “In that… packages don’t get lost and that packages don’t get delayed.”

Changes in staffing of the mailroom have also occurred. Paul Morrison was hired as the new store manager. Morrison was named the 2017 SPS store manager of the year, an accolade Galutera cited as one of the advantages of the new mailroom partnership.

Staff members Angela Palmarozzo and Anthony Sanders have been retained, though there have been changes in temporary staffing.

During the search for a new mailroom partner, three companies were considered. After SPS was chosen, personnel from the company such as Vice President of Operations for Swiss Post North America Gary Wilson and

PHOTOS BY CELIA YOUNG/THE HOOT

Northeast Client Director Andre Josaphat came on sight four weeks prior to the official start of the contract on June 1 to make changes to the organization of the mailroom. Several changes have taken place, such as removing old and unused equipment and purchasing new shelving.

Galutera praised their work on the mailroom floor. “[Wilson] has been looking at the operation, seeing what we could do to make the store better…Making

sure that the sorting of the packages… and the workflow of that is nice and clean whereas…in the past a lot of packages were… just put somewhere,” Galutera said. “I think with him onboard and him onsite he was able to make a lot of recommendations.”

Ricoh will be the copy partner for the copy center. Ricoh already provides copiers for academic and staff departments, but its partnership with Brandeis has now been expanded.

OPINIONS

August 24, 2018

The Brandeis Hoot 5

An open letter to the class of 2022

By Candace Ng editor

Dear Class of 2022, Two years ago I was in your shoes—I could feel the butterflies in my stomach, nervous and excited, sitting in the car waiting to drive up Loop Road to my new residence hall. I watched the Orientation Leaders (OLs) do the “first year rumble” and jazzercise in the quad, and as I stepped out of the car, I was greeted with “Welcome to Brandeis” screams and laughs. A name tag hung from my neck, denoting my status as a first-year, sweat collecting from the warm summer day. Conversations started—“where are you from?” (Hong Kong), “which hall do you live on?” (Reitman 1), “what do you think you want to study?” (Psychology)—and bonds were formed.

As you read this, you might be wondering if Brandeis is the right match for you or how you will ever find your place amongst some 3600 people. Whether you are thousands of miles away from where you call home, like me, or a Waltham native, Brandeis is a new environment, and from experience, I know that being away from what you are familiar with is not easy. You are probably afraid, and that is okay. I have been there too. You are not alone.

My first time on Brandeis’ campus was in November 2014, the fall of my junior year of high school—I went on college visits in the greater Boston area, and at Brandeis, I thought, “I could see myself here.” I liked that it was a combination of a research university and a liberal arts college, that it was a diverse community

filled with passionate individuals and that it is only nine miles away from the city of Boston. Fast forward one year later, I was a senior, and I applied to Brandeis through the Early Decision II option, on a whim. On Jan. 28, 2016, I officially became a part of Brandeis’ class of 2020.

Even though I applied through the binding option, I had my doubts. I liked Brandeis enough that I was willing to commit, but I did not love it the way many of my classmates did; throughout my first year, even though I was enjoying my time at Brandeis, I wondered if I could be happier if I attended a different school. What if I could be happier elsewhere?

Once I felt like I was actually a part of the Brandeis community, I stopped asking myself that question.

I found my place at Brandeis as an e-board member of Cru Brandeis Christian Fellowship, an editor for The Brandeis Hoot and a Community Advisor (CA.) I knew I belonged when my friends proudly snapped pictures of me making my first ever s’more at Cru Boston’s annual Fall Retreat.

When I put together an issue of The Hoot on a snow day, in the middle of a blizzard, to make sure that the paper would still be published the following morning. When my fellow CAs and I laughed so hard during our staff meeting that we cried.

Brandeis’ medium size of roughly 3600 undergraduates is large enough to be constantly meeting new people, but small enough to know everyone by name. With hundreds of clubs on campus, ranging from a capella groups to culture clubs, there is something for everyone. Sign up

for a few clubs you think you’d be interested in and participate in their activities. As you meet people through club meetings and events, I promise you, the 235acre campus will seem a little less lonely.

Orientation week is a good time to get a head start on engaging with the Brandeis community.

This week will likely be one of the most memorable weeks of your time at Brandeis. I vaguely remember my own Orientation week; the long hours spent absorbing massive amounts of information was draining, but it was because of Orientation that I became acquainted with the campus and some of my friends (like The Hoot’s Features Editor Polina Potochevska ’20, except we did not realize this till last spring.)

You might not remain friends with everyone you meet after Orientation, but my Orientation Leader, Chris Calimlim ’19, is still one of my closest friends on campus, and we both thank Orientation for bringing us together.

Orientation week comes and goes. Some things don’t change— you will still wave or nod at familiar faces from Orientation week, you will continue to have meals in Sherman and Usdan.

Other things do—you will probably not wear your keys on a lanyard, you will learn short cuts through different buildings and you will have a more regular schedule. When classes are in full swing, your days will not always look as carefree as orientation.

Some days, you just want to give up; there will be at least one point in your Brandeis career when you realize you cannot do it all alone or that you are struggling. We have all been there.

PHOTO BY THE BRANDEIS HOOT

CABLE HALL

I have gotten lost trying to find my way around academic buildings (I still get lost trying to get to IBS, and I’m an economics minor.) I have struggled with classes for my major, and cried over it. I, a CA, have been locked out of my own room at least twice. (Yes, that last part is quite embarrassing.)

Your problems, big or small, are valid. Asking for help does not mean that you are weak. There are so many people in this university who want to see you thrive and are willing to help you as long as you ask. I once took a 100-person neuroscience class with ten TAs— that is a lot of help available! That is what Brandeis has been for me, knowing that there is always someone there to give you advice, study with you, and at the very least, be there to give you moral support.

I applied to be a CA last year

to be a part of that support network. My first year CA, Laura Garcia ’18, had been a part of my Brandeis support system since day one, and I wanted to pay it forward. My favorite part of being a CA, besides the CA community, as everyone in DCL already knows, is screaming “that’s my resident!” every time anyone brings up my residents’ successes and triumphs and being proud of their accomplishments.

This year I will be be a CA for first-year students. It is most certainly a change from being a CA for sophomores in East, where I lived last year, but I’m excited to be a part of my 41 residents’ journeys of exploration and growth.

And yours too, should you allow me.

Welcome to Brandeis, class of 2022! You got this. I believe in you.

Climate change could change the technological world as we know it

By Sabrina Chow editor

Since Scott Pruitt resigned as head administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), former deputy administrator Andrew Wheeler has stepped up as the current acting head administrator. Environmental activists and Democrats are holding their breath to see if Wheeler has the ability to reverse poor choices made by Pruitt that not only cause further harm to the environment but also cost Pruitt his job.

Since the beginning of his term in office, Pruitt made his doubts about the existence of climate change very clear. He spent months attempting to overthrow all the work former President Obama had done with his Clean Energy Bill, and he lavishly used the funds of the EPA towards his own personal benefit. While we as the general populace cannot control the actions of our administrators, nor decide who gets elected to such positions, we can reflect upon our individual actions and the extent of the damage that they result in.

Throughout my studies and

work to promote sustainable living and helping people learn more about climate change, I learned that many people are conscious about the actions that may harm or help the Earth, but oftentimes, even though the mindset of these people is in the right place, their actions do not live up to their words.

The argument that is often made is: “I’m just one person; in the grand scheme of things, my actions really do nothing to stop climate change.” This is not true.

Every individual action makes an impact in hurting our environment just a little less.

Other people who do not necessarily see the impact of climate change believe that the effects of climate change will not be seen for another few decades. Even though researchers continue to disprove these statistics, people are still skeptical.

One of the most influential media acts by climate activists to win the support of the public is to show animal suffering, especially that of polar bears with melting ice caps. With the steady annual rise in temperature each year, more and more of the ice caps are melting into oceans, devastating

the wildlife that reside in that terrain.

From that, millions of Americans thereby believe that their due diligence makes no difference, but researchers have found this to be untrue. To give another example, almost the entire world relies upon the internet and technology to communicate with those from overseas or just down the street.

We take this access to the internet for granted every day, but one day, it might not be there anymore.

It has always been common knowledge that the rising sea

POLAR BEAR CRIES OUT FOR HELP

levels may someday engulf the coastal states of the United States, especially California. Not only is the land at risk, but the precious infrastructure that helps make the internet run. According to an article published by NPR, Ramakrishnan Durairajan, a computer scientist at the University of Oregon, predicts that by the early 2030’s, more than 4000 miles of fiber optic cable along U.S. coastlines will be underwater if sea levels continue to rise at the levels they are currently at.

The technological advance-

ments that we have seen over the past few decades may have been beneficial to improve the quality of life of first world countries in helping us to live more comfortably; however, our environment is struggling to compensate for such accommodations.

We rely so heavily on technology to provide us with the comfort that we desire that we do not even stop to think of the negative consequences. But if we do not address these problems soon, the lack of internet will not be the number one priority to solve.

PHOTO FROM CLEAN NOVA SCOTIA

6 OPINIONS

The Brandeis Hoot

August 24, 2018

The entertainment industry needs to limit sensationalism

By Alex Kougasian staff

Sensationalism is a way of presenting a story to make it more entertaining. Oftentimes in journalism, sensationalizing a story compromises the truthfulness of the piece from lack of integrity.

But since the entertainment industry is not in the business of informing the public in an unbiased manner, sensationalism is utilized by many programs in entertainment to gain a greater viewing population.

I am not attempting to argue that sensationalism in entertainment is at all a bad thing. Such a genre of storytelling can be very useful in spreading awareness and adapting mundane topics for mass consumption. However, I have found that many popular shows use sensationalism in a toxic way.

Perhaps the worst example of this phenomenon is the popular Netflix series “13 Reasons Why.” While this show never aired on television, streaming services have a similar desire to maintain a certain level of viewership and activity. The premise of the show attempts to convey the experiences of depression, suicide and other important subject matters in the form of a high school drama in order to spark important discussion. This sounds like a benefi-

DR. PHIL SPEAKING WITH ONE OF HIS GUESTS

cial use of sensationalism and, in some ways, it has succeeded in its efforts to create such discussion.

The problem stemmed not from the show’s inability to create discussion surrounding the depressed and suicidal, but rather the effect that the show had on those who dealt with those mental issues. Besides having found problems with the show through personal encounters with people affected by the themes of the series, I also learned that the show explicitly violates guidelines highlighted by Reporting On Suicide, a suicide prevention organization founded by experts in the field.

According to their website, in order to ensure the protection of the mentally unstable, media should not “include photos/vid-

PHOTO FROM DR. PHIL

eos of the location or method of death, grieving family, friends, memorials, or funeral” or reference specifics in suicide notes left by victims of suicide. However, the entirety of the plot is based on these two points. Given that the show is entirely set on the mystery and drama surrounding the death and final thoughts of a character, it would be impossible for the show to even attempt to adhere to these guidelines. In fact, the series even has a scene that vividly depicts the suicide of one of the main characters. Even if the inclusion of this scene was necessary for the plot or to the message of the show, it was too jarring for those who actually suffer from mental illness.

Preceding the first episode of

the newly released second season of the series, there is a lengthy disclaimer announced by every prominent member of the cast.

It warns that people with suicidal thoughts or tendencies should refrain from watching the series.

The intrinsic problems with the way that the series deals with themes make it an innately problematic watch for those who genuinely need help, but this disclaimer is certainly one step in the right direction.

A similarly worrisome show is the program Dr. Phil, where individuals or families seek the advice of Dr. Phil in front of a live crowd. Even though he provides his guests with professional assistance at the end of each episode, the main issues lie with the way he

approaches solving their issues.

Dr. Phil is often very cordial with his guests, but the nature of his show requires him to stir up some drama in order to intrigue viewers. The need for viewership forces Dr. Phil to prioritize watchability over giving true psychological advice. The way that Dr. Phil treats some of his guests ends up resembling ridicule more than treatment. And the live audience bolsters this feeling of teasing.

It might be the case that some guests deliberately exaggerate their mental afflictions, however, this does not affect the problems that the Dr. Phil show presents.

The problem is not with how the guests are treated, rather it is with how the Dr. Phil show affects the culture surrounding mental health. Dr. Phil’s name and persona is meant to portray him as an authority on how to deal with problems, meanwhile he deliberately refrains from optimally treating his guest’s psychological problems.

When a show attempts to deal with important themes that can be found in society, the ulterior need for viewership runs the risk of tainting the careful way in which these themes should be handled. Sensationalism is not in itself a bad thing by any means, but it is important to consider when a sensational program is harmless entertainment and when it is truly shameful.

College students need better access to Plan B

By Ellie Kleiman special to the hoot

During new student orientation at Brandeis, students are subjected to hours of presentations and skits, covering topics like drug and alcohol use, parties, relationships and perhaps most prominently: sexual health. These few hours of skits, which are likely to be the only sex education students receive while at Brandeis, are generally sex-positive. Unlike high school health class, these presentations do not preach abstinence-only, but acknowledge that college students are sexually active by promoting safe sex and throwing free condoms into the crowd.

Yet while condoms are easily accessible, our campus still lacks comprehensive contraception access. Emergency contraception, a necessary and normal method of birth control—though used only in special cases—is not easily accessible. In addition, the combination of a lack of information and misinformation in mainstream media results in numerous misconceptions about the necessity of emergency contraception.

Let’s dispel the most prominent of these misconceptions: the emergency contraceptive pill,

also known as the morning-after pill or by the brand name Plan B One-Step, is not the abortion pill.

According to the Planned Parenthood website, the abortion pill contains mifepristone, a medication which ends pregnancy by blocking the hormones necessary for maintaining a pregnancy.

Meanwhile emergency contraception, which contains a higher dose of the synthetic hormone found in birth control pills, works by delaying the release of the egg from the ovary and inhibiting the transport of the sperm. Thus, emergency contraception acts before pregnancy to decrease the likelihood for it to occur and does not affect any existing pregnancy in the case that it already has occurred.

Despite the fact that Plan B One-Step is a safe and effective method of birth control, it is not readily accessible, on and off campus. It is available for free through the Brandeis Health Center, the cost covered by the school if not through the student’s insurance.

However, the Health Center is only open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and furthermore, emergency contraception is only available during walk-in hours on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., never on the weekends.

These are not necessarily the times at which students will need emergency contraception—unprotected sex can and does occur on the weekends and evenings when the Health Center is not open. Additionally, emergency contraception is most effective the sooner it is taken. According to the Plan B website, there is a 95 percent chance of it working within 24 hours of intercourse, and this percentage goes down as more hours pass. Students should not have to take this risk of waiting until after the weekend is over to access emergency contraception.

If the Health Center is closed, students may be forced to leave campus to find emergency contraception at a drugstore, which proves difficult for students who don’t have cars. At drugstores, it can cost between $40 and $50, hardly an affordable price for many. Regardless of the circumstances, the interactions required to obtain emergency contraception can be stressful and embarrassing.

Just five years ago, emergency contraception became legally available over-the-counter to persons of any age—prior to that, it was only available to women 17 or older. Yet, many drugstores have yet to normalize the product

PHOTO FROM PLANNEDPARENTHOOD.COM

on their shelves. A 2017 study by the American Society for Emergency Contraception found after surveying 184 pharmacies across the U.S., 40 percent did not have emergency contraception on the shelf and 30 percent imposed an age requirement.

Luckily for Brandeis students, Brandeis Pro-Choice is addressing the issue to meet needs on campus. As of the start of the 2018-2019 school year, a “Health and Wellness” vending machine will be installed in the Shapiro Campus Center (SCC) with 24/7 access to emergency contraception and other health-related items at a low cost.

This machine is funded by various grants from Planned Parenthood over the past two years and is being used to not only mark down the cost of the pill to an affordable price for students, but also provide education the

campus lacks about Plan B and sexual health. With this vending machine, Brandeis is following in the footsteps of a handful of other universities in the country—Stanford, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Davis—who have already installed such machines.

Discreet, affordable and 24/7 access to Plan B is essential to college students today, who have enough on their plates without the additional stress of struggling to access basic sexual health services.

Brandeis Pro-Choice meets every Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Schwartz Hall 103.

Ellie is the co-events director of Brandeis Pro-Choice and the campaign leader for Brandeis’ chapter of the Planned Parenthood Generation Action Campus Campaigns program.

August 24, 2018

OPINIONS 7

The Brandeis Hoot

You don’t have to ‘find yourself’ abroad

By Sarah Terrazano editor

Studying abroad is the best decision I made in college. I spent last spring semester in Madrid, Spain and learned more than in any semester at Brandeis. If you’re thinking about studying abroad, I highly encourage it. But you don’t have to subscribe to the myriad cliches out there, such as the idea that you’ll “find yourself ” abroad—because you probably won’t. And going into a semester abroad with that mindset might wind up holding you back.

We’ve all seen the “finding yourself ” abroad cliche on pamphlets and newsletters—the student who becomes Cultured™ and adopts an entirely new worldview, now incapable of ever returning to life in the United States. But studying abroad doesn’t mean that you will become an entirely new person.

It gives you the tools to learn and grow, but it’s not as if you step off the plane and into new skin, complete with a great accent to match your host country’s. It’s not always an easy, breezy experience, straight out of a guidebook with the wind in your hair; there are hard days and days you miss peo-

ple at home. You will change after the semester, but it’s too simple to say you’ll “find yourself.”

In some ways, studying abroad doesn’t feel like real life, and this is maybe one of the hardest parts about adjusting both abroad and back home.

For a whole semester, you suddenly live in a new apartment, go to a different school, meet new people––but all with a deadline looming ahead, knowing that the semester will end and you’ll have to resume “real life” at home. With this mindset comes a unique freedom—you want to make the days count and try new things while you still can. You can also relish a little in the fact that very few people know you here, and you can create this new life for yourself however you want.

Looking back, it’s a little hard to believe that you were even there— from the vantage point of my summer job in Waltham, it feels like so long ago that I was sitting outside a cafe in Madrid, sharing tapas with people who became some of my closest friends. Part of adjusting back in the U.S. is working through this, and comparing expectations to reality. I know that I changed from my semester in Madrid, and I miss it every day.

But my reflections on the semester are also about dispelling this “finding yourself ” cliche.

My advice to those studying abroad? First, it’s a lot like an undergrad experience at Brandeis in the sense that the semester is entirely what you make of it.

Opportunities aren’t just going to fall into your lap; try not to spend a lot of time in your bedroom, alone on the computer. You need to put in effort to make new friends and find your place. That said, don’t be afraid of some alone time—it’s calming and rewarding to wander around your new city, discovering things you might not stumble upon with a group. It can also be nice to travel alone for a weekend—to become acquainted with a city and have the freedom to roam as you please.

Lastly, don’t disregard the possibility of going abroad for the whole academic year. If your major allows it, and you wouldn’t fall behind in credits to graduate, look into going abroad for the year. A big part of me wishes that I could have spent the entire year in Madrid, but I wouldn’t have graduated on time. Studying abroad is an opportunity like no other, and taking classes in another country for a year will impact your self-

SARAH AND FRIENDS

growth and maturity in a manner Brandeis likely wouldn’t. And even if you can’t find room in your schedule to go abroad during the school year, summer study abroad opportunities are just as fulfilling.

In a lot of ways, study abroad is about discovering. When you first arrive, you feel a little lost, but you’re not alone. You find friends. You find new favorite foods and gain a sense of direc-

PHOTO BY SARAH TERRAZANO/THE HOOT

tion in your new city. You find a new home. But you can’t rely on another country, or another culture, to transform yourself or fill a missing void. Your study abroad experience depends on the relationships you make and the lessons you learn, on your choices and mistakes.

It’s unrealistic to think you’re just going to find yourself—or that you have to.

The MLB needs to decrease ticket prices to maintain viewership

By Robert Banks staff

On Aug. 19, the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets put their talents on display in a Pennsylvania ballpark packed to the brim. Fans across the world traveled to Pennsylvania to watch this historic game, flooding the stands with youthful energy and charisma.

Unfortunately for Major League Baseball (MLB), this unique occasion was excruciatingly temporary. In honor of the annual Little League World Series, the MLB pitted the Phillies against the Mets in the Little League Classic in 2,500-seat Bowman Field. To celebrate the occasion, one player from each of the 16 teams in the iconic Little League baseball tournament touched the ball before the first pitch, serving to represent the idealistic future of baseball. After all, the game is intended to be enjoyed by fans from all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, unifying present and future generations of fans.

However, despite the league’s most valiant efforts, baseball is becoming more inaccessible and less popular.

Carson Kessler, a writer for Fortune, reported that “MLB attendance has dropped to its lowest average in 15 years, down 6.6% from last year.” The MLB hasn’t seen a drop in fan attendance of this magnitude since 1995. Even though there were over 30 postponements during the 2018 season due to inclement weather and “unseasonable cold temperatures” during the early portion of the season, the MLB cannot continue to blame the weather for the lack of attendance at events.

One of the greatest issues with increasing attendance is the rise of ticket prices in recent years.

According to an article by Matt Provenzano, writing for SBNation, team owners “not only don’t care that people can’t afford… they just decide to get a higher return on investment on the tickets they do have available.” According to the Fan Cost Index, the price of tickets for a family of four, including food and beverage, would average almost $400. The reality of increasingly unattainable tickets has led to a dramatic decrease in the popularity of Major League Baseball.

Furthermore, according to an article by USA Today, baseball team owners have found that the implementation of luxury boxes provide the wealthy with high class and luxurious entertainment, with fewer people of lower socioeconomic status willing to pay such large fees to attend games. And despite the consistent

decrease in attendance at these stadiums, the overall league set a record for corporate industry revenues for the fifteenth consecutive year in 2017.

Another large issue that is decreasing the popularity of the game is the length of games. Fans often spend hours in the stands, cheering on their favorite teams.

However, recent generations do not have the attention span to commit to such a long game, often opting to view the games on TV to avoid such commitment.

However, by increasing the pace of the game through various avenues, from a pitch clock to minimizing the length of reviews, the league has seen relative success in increasing baseball’s popularity.

In fact, the Commissioner of the MLB, Rob Manfred, praised the league for shortening the length of games by five minutes.

While this improvement is great, the absurd ticket prices make the game less accessible for even middle-class Americans. If the objective of the league is to

become a sport for only the rich to enjoy, then commissioner Rob Manfred is doing a brilliant job of steering the game in the right direction. However, if the league wants to compete with the NBA and NFL in gaining the attention of younger generations, more must be done to make tickets affordable.

The MLB should lower ticket prices to ensure the future generation of potential fans has the ability to experience the magic a Major League ballpark has to offer, even if profits are low. Had I not been able to hear the crack of the bat after a Ryan Howard moonshot or the roar of the crowd after a Cole Hamels strikeout from the stands of Citizens Bank Park, I wouldn’t be as attached to the Philadelphia Phillies as I am today.

The MLB must realize the importance of lowering ticket prices in order to prevent baseball’s demise in America and maintain a loyal fan base.

In order to recreate the special ambience on this year’s Little League Classic every night for years to come, Major League Baseball attendance must improve, and ticket prices must fall.

8 The Brandeis Hoot

ANHUI PROVINCE, CHINA

DIGGIN’ IT

SUMMER IN PHOTOS

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

The Yellow Mountain strikes again.

Brandeis and Wesleyan students getting their hands dirty on an archeological dig in Greece.

PHOTO COURTESY IAN ROY

THE AMERICAN BULLFROG

Spotted posing for the camera in Acadia National Park in Maine.

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

SUMMER VIEWS

August 24, 2018

Blue skies all around from the third floor of the SCC.

PHOTO COURTESY CAMERON HUNT

PHOTO COURTESY LA’DERICKA HALL

La’Dericka Hall ’19 spent her summer interning in Washington, D.C. and snapped this pic.

CAPITOL HILL

EDITORIALS

August 24, 2018

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

Editors-in-Chief Abigail Gardener Sarah Terrazano Senior Managing Editor Elianna Spitzer Copy Editor Natalie Fritzson News Editor Celia Young Arts Editors Ben Beriss Noah Harper Opinions Editor Sabrina Chow

The Brandeis Hoot 9

Fix problems with summer dining on campus Brandeis is always quiet over

For students, faculty and staff

they are required for residents in

the summer, but aside from fewer

working on campus all day during

Ziv and optional in Grad. How-

students, campus is also lacking

the summer, these are slim options

ever, there are block plans for the

in another crucial aspect—food

for getting a meal. On weekdays,

options.

the only non-dining hall options

Sherman dining hours that don’t

For students who are working and living on campus over the

are coffeeshops.

Faculty and staff who don’t live

include points. So if Sherman is closed, meal plans were rendered useless, and students had to

summer, dining options are few

on campus at least have the op-

Features Editor Polina Potochevska

and far between. Sodexo adopts

tion of driving somewhere to get

Sports Editors Zach Cihlar Shea Decker-Jacoby

different hours for what’s open

lunch, and eating dinner at home.

schedule of summer classes, some

during the summer session and

But for students who are living

students were likely to have class

closes many of its on-campus loca-

and working on campus and don’t

during the scheduled Sherman

tions.

have a car, they can’t just head off

meal times and have nowhere else

campus for lunch. For people just

to use their meal plan.

Layout Editor Candace Ng Editor-at-Large Emily Botto

Volume 15 • Issue 12 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma

STAFF

David Aizenberg, Juliana An, Robert Banks, Caleigh Bartash, Jennifer Cook, Kevin Costa, Olivia Ellson, Daniel Freedman, Ariella Gentin, Rebecca Goldfarb, Noah Harper, Kevin Healey, Jonah Koslofsky, Alex Kougasian, Samantha Lauring, Ruoshi Liu, Jerry Peng, Rachel Wang, Chengcheng Xiang

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.

CONNECT phone • (781) 330-0051 e-mail • eic@thebrandeishoot.com online • brandeishoot.com twitter • twitter.com/thebrandeishoot facebook • facebook.com/thebrandeishoot

ADVERTISE Advertising in The Brandeis Hoot helps spread your message to our readers across the Brandeis campus, in the Waltham community and beyond through our website.

All campus organizations receive a 25-percent discount off our regular prices. We also design basic ads for campus organizations free of charge.

To reserve your space in the paper, contact us by phone at (781) 3300051 or by e-mail at ads@thebrandeishoot.com.

GIVE A HOOT, JOIN THE HOOT! Writers, editors, photographers and graphic artists wanted to join The Brandeis Hoot, your weekly community newspaper.

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.

Of 13 dining options available

find food elsewhere. Due to the

throughout the school year, the

visiting campus for a day—such

only four options open during the

as prospective students and their

summer were the Faculty Club,

families, or members of a con-

Einstein’s, the Heller Starbucks and

ference—they may expect to be

Sherman dining hall. On weekdays,

able to stop somewhere for a bite

the Starbucks Heller and Einstein’s

only to find that barely any dining

closed at 4 p.m. and the Faculty

options are open, but that they

Club closed at 2 p.m. Sherman had

could have lunch in Sherman for

accessible and comfortable place

set blocks of open hours for break-

an overpriced $13.85.

to work and visit over the summer,

fast, lunch and dinner (not continuous service).

Summer meal plans are available to students living on campus;

The problem continues as students move back to campus early for various clubs and events, but their meal plans do not start until Aug. 26.

In order for Brandeis to be an

the dining options and hours need to be expanded.

10 The Brandeis Hoot

FEATURES

August 24, 2018

Meet the CORE Committee Each year as a wide-eyed group of new first-year and transfer students descend upon campus in late August, they are greeted by energetic Brandeis students. Known to them as their Orientation Leaders (OLs), sporting anything from bucket hats to their matching bright blue shirts, their friendly faces and positive attitudes help the new students assimilate on campus. Amongst all of the Orientation Leaders are the four leaders of the group, the CORE Committee, or CORE.

ORIENTATION CORE COMMITTEE: SOHAIMA KHILJI ‘20, ERIN KOBIELLA ‘19, ADRIAN ASHLEY ‘20 AND MELANIE RUSH ‘20

PHOTO COURTESY ERIN KOBIELLA

Sohaima Khilji

By Polina Potochevska and Jennifer Cook editor and staff

Sohaima Khilji ’20, a rising junior majoring in International and Global Studies and History, is also a member of this year’s CORE committee. She has been an Orientation Leader (OL) since August of 2017 and also was an OL in January 2018 for Midyear Orientation.

Orientation is a time of great change for a lot of students who have to adjust to their new reality of most likely living away from their families. It usually serves as the first step toward becoming a more independent person during the entire college experience.

Khilji applied to be an OL at the

end of her freshman year, as her personal first-year Orientation experience was “difficult… and I wanted the chance to let other incoming new students know that it’s okay to have a rocky transition to college!” Khilji wrote in an email to The Brandeis Hoot.

“My orientation experience my first year was interesting. I was super homesick and I didn’t get to meet a lot of people because of that. I definitely skipped out on events because I missed home so much,” said Khilji. Being a member of CORE allows those students to plan the Orientation events and workshops to create a welcoming environment for the first-years in the hopes of making them feel comfortable during such a big change in their lives.

Additionally, CORE members have the ability to add their own

special interests and talents into Orientation in a meaningful and engaging way, so that first-years begin to feel more comfortable at Brandeis.

Khilji explained that being on CORE differs from participating as an OL during Orientation, because “CORE works for 10 months to plan orientation!”

Being an OL allows a student to become more involved with the few weeks leading up to Orientation in addition to Orientation itself, but CORE is a much bigger responsibility. The committee’s process is much more intensive, as they do the bulk of the planning and also have to train the OLs when they arrive early to campus to prepare for DEIS Week (Orientation). Additionally, Khilji mentioned that CORE members do not have “grouplets,” the term

fondly preferred by OLs to describe the group of first-years they guide and get to know during Orientation week. While CORE members and OLs have very different jobs objectively, in the end they are both working towards the same goal: a fun and welcoming Orientation.

Khilji’s favorite part of being on the CORE committee is “being able to grow as a student leader.”

In addition to all of the experience gained, she has also “loved working in such a fun and engaging office environment” with her fellow CORE members and the entire department of people working together toward a successful DEIS Week.

However, crafting the workshops and events for a crucial experience for a large group of new students does not come without

stress. Being part of CORE means having to come up with the outline of Orientation, which can be daunting.

“The most challenging part has been not letting the stress of the unknown get to me. There’s a lot of moving parts when it comes to Orientation and it’s hard to not get stressed about the future!”

Khilji said.

After 10 months of meticulous brainstorming and planning, Khilji is ready for orientation to begin and to see all of their plans come to life. “I am looking forward to everything!”

For the first-years arriving to campus, Khilji offers some advice for having a great first few days on the Brandeis campus: “Go to the events! It’s the best time in your college career to meet people and make friends!”

me grow so much as a person. I’ve learned to be confident in myself and in my abilities as a leader.”

Kobiella’s personal contribution to Orientation this year is the inclusion of health and wellness programming for all incoming students. “I collected student stories about various health and wellness topics to make the program more engaging and relatable to a college student. I wanted to give the new students tips and advice on how to navigate their own health and wellness during

this difficult transition period,” Kobiella said. There are various social events planned that will have relaxed environments while still promoting conversation, and of course, providing free food.

To all the new incoming firstyears, Kobiella has a few things to say. “Expect to learn a lot about yourself in the next four years! The amount of growth you’ll experience is really incredible. The transition to college may feel scary, but take everything one day at a time, and you’ll have a great first year!”

Erin Kobiella

By Sabrina Chow editor

Erin Kobiella ’19, one of the members of CORE, is majoring in Biology, Neuroscience and Psychology. Kobiella has been involved in Orientation since her sophomore year, participating as a fall Orientation Leader (OL) her sophomore and junior year and a midyear OL once.

Outside of planning for Orientation, Kobiella is part of the OrchesBrandeis-Wellesley tra, where she plays trumpet.

She is also a teacher’s assistant at Lemberg Children’s Center and bakes cupcakes with the Cupcake Club on campus.

Since starting at Brandeis and meeting her OLs, Kobiella knew she wanted to be an OL during her time at Brandeis. “‘This is Our House’ was one of the most memorable moments of my firstyear Orientation, and I wanted the chance to experience that again and help show new students what being a Brandeis student is all about,” Kobiella wrote

in an email to The Brandeis Hoot. She also noted that it was an opportunity to not only get more involved on campus, but also spend more time with her friends that were also applying.

Kobiella’s own OLs also played a large role in helping her find her place amongst Brandeis students, their advice sticking with her even through her final year at Brandeis.

“Work hard while you’re at school, but also enjoy the ride,” Kobiella remembers her OLs telling her.

“College is filled with lots of amazing experiences that are unique to these four years, and while you want to do well in all your classes and prepare for a future career, do fun things and enjoy your time as an undergraduate,” she said.

Through her experiences as an OL, Kobiella said that she loves the positive energy that OLs bring and how they are all positive, supporting and caring for all members of the Brandeis community. One of her favorite activities during training is “color teams,” where OLs and Community Advisors (CAs) are grouped

together for leadership activities.

“I’d say one of the most rewarding parts of being an OL is when you see your grouplets throughout the year getting involved on campus and seeing them excel and find their place at Brandeis,” said Kobiella of her “grouplets,” or group of first years she leads during their Orientation.

But jumping from OL to CORE member is a big step, moving from executor to running the show. However, Kobiella knew that it was a challenge she was willing to accept and happy to take on. “At the end of Orientation last fall, one of the captains, who was a CORE member the first time I did orientation, said that the growth she has seen in me from my first time as an OL to now was astounding and incredible,” said Kobiella.

From this encouragement and the impact Kobiella felt she was making with incoming firstyears, Kobiella realized she wanted to be more involved with the planning of Orientation and decided to apply for CORE. Kobiella said the experience “has helped

COLOR TEAM FUN

PHOTO COURTESY ERIN KOBIELLA

August 24, 2018

FEATURES 11

The Brandeis Hoot

Adrian Ashley

By Jennifer Cook staff

Adrian Ashley ’20 is a chemistry major and another member of CORE. He became involved with Orientation in the fall of 2017 when he was an Orientation Leader (OL). Though he was only an OL for that semester, Ashley would like to work on Midyear Orientation next year, if possible.

Ashley is very passionate about not only making Orientation a welcoming experience, but also making Brandeis a welcoming community. Ashley wrote in an email to The Brandeis Hoot that he became involved with Orientation because he “really wanted to meet new people, put myself out there and help acclimate new students to this incredible campus.”

Beyond that, his friends also en-

couraged him to become a part of the Orientation planning process.

The Orientation that Ashley experienced as a first-year also played a large role in his decision to become an OL and a member of CORE. From that experience, Ashley recalls “a bunch of blue shirts running and taking my stuff up to my room without me even asking, fantastic social events and really great student leaders who made me confident in Brandeis as my new home,” which inspired him to become more involved with Orientation.

Once Ashley became an OL and a member of CORE, he noted that while both positions had similar end goals, each position dealt with different aspects of Orientation directly.

In his experience, CORE members address more major planning aspects of Orientation in a

“behind-the-scenes” kind of way.

While CORE members are critical for the planning of Orientation and ensuring that everything runs smoothly, Ashley believes that OLs often are the people that “represent a real important part of those incoming students’ first week at Brandeis,” since they are able to be more one-on-one with their group members.

“We all want Orientation to be a success and we all want to make the incoming students feel like they are a part of this fantastic community we all love. We just do that in different capacities and in different ways,” Ashley said.

Ashley has high praise for everyone he has interacted with as a member of CORE. In regards to his fellow CORE members, he states that “it has been fantastic to see everyone else’s ideas take form and I am really proud of all of the work

each of my team members put into making their incredible ideas come to life.”

He also worked with the Department of Orientation and the Department of Community Living (DCL) and told The Hoot that “everyone I worked with is just incredibly nice, genuine and dedicated to making sure every one of the new students has an incredible experience at Brandeis. The care and compassion that each staff member demonstrated on a daily basis really just made this job exceptional.”

Though he was surrounded by such wonderful coworkers, one of the most challenging aspects of planning Orientation for Ashley turned out to be finding a starting place for his ideas.

To him, coming up with the bare bones of such a complex event seemed overwhelming at first. However, Ashley wrote that

“once I got the idea going, the rest kind of just fell into place and the rest of the Orientation CORE team definitely helped encourage a lot of that creativity and idea brainstorming.”

Looking to the future, Ashley is “honestly just looking forward to meeting the new students and interacting with the Orientation Leaders...Everything is going to be amazing and I can’t wait to see how the new students like [the events].”

For the incoming first-years, Ashley has some words of advice.

“College is a huge change and embrace every bit of it! College is an incredible opportunity to meet new people, try new things and embark on new challenges and adventures that can change your life. Try new classes, push yourself but not too hard and just have a fantastic time.”

per comfortable,” said Rush.

For Rush, the most challenging part of being in the CORE Committee was taking their various “big picture visions” and finding a way to implement them down to the minute detail to make the events truly come to life. That also meant “making sure that every potential little thing is thought of and accounted for ahead of time.” Despite the intensive process that is planning Orientation for a group of over 800 students, Rush has also benefited from the experience both professionally and personally.

Rush’s favorite part about being on CORE so far has been to create “both personal and professional relationships with the other CORE members and the wonderful people within the department of Orientation.”

She hopes to replicate these

connections during orientation with the first-years, as she most looks forward to experiencing all of the social events.

“Each CORE member focuses on one particular event themselves, however as a group we have worked together to make them all perfect. Each social event serves its own purpose within Orientation, and the ability to watch new students connect through the environments that we have created for them will be very special,” wrote Rush.

For the incoming first-years, Rush believes that a great way to get used to campus is by creating those relationships. “...Try and introduce yourself to as many people as you can within the first few weeks. Everyone else is just as desperate to make friends as you, so most people will be excited to get to know you!”

Melanie Rush

By Polina Potochevska editor

Melanie Rush ’20, a history and politics major, is serving as a member of the CORE Committee this year.

This is her second year involved in Orientation, as she was an Orientation Leader (OL) the previous fall semester.

She first became involved with Orientation during her first year when she saw the fun that the OLs were having and the impact they had on the community.

“I remember watching the Orientation Leaders having the time of their life when I was a first year, and it seemed like an incredible experience to give back to the Brandeis community while also having so much fun! So I applied to be an OL during my first year,

and that’s how it all started,” wrote Rush in an email to The Brandeis Hoot.

Being a member of the CORE Committee as compared to being an OL involves a lot more organization and creativity.

Rush explained that the members of CORE plan all of the informational and social events put on for the OLs once they arrive early to campus. They also interview and train the OLs before Orientation begins.

Being a member of CORE gives those students the opportunity to shape the incoming class’s Brandeis experience; to both teach them and guide them but also give them the opportunities to make new friends, while having the passion of the OLs move that process forward.

“The responsibilities of CORE require meticulous consulting,

budgeting and scheduling for everything that goes on during the week of Orientation, while being an Orientation Leader focuses on creating the best environment for the new students within their Orientation groups during Orientation itself,” wrote Rush to The Hoot. Both groups are essential to the smooth operation of Orientation.

Rush’s personal Orientation experience during her first year at Brandeis was “pretty average,” as she got along with the other students in her Orientation group and went to many of the social events.

“The Orientation week itself allowed me to push myself to meet people outside of my assigned group, which was how I met some of my closest friends to this day.

And my own Orientation Leaders were great and made me feel su-

Professor spotlight: Dr. Andrew Kolodny

By Jackie Kostenko special to the hoot

The United States is in the middle of an opioid crisis. Dr. Andrew Kolodny, one of the nation’s leading experts on the prescription opioid and heroin crisis and co-director for the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at the Heller School at Brandeis, has been doing his part to encourage efforts to stop the epidemic.

A senior scientist at the Institute for Behavioral Health at the Heller School at Brandeis, Dr. Andrew Kolodny has been part of the Brandeis community for five years. In 2013, he moved his grant to Brandeis because of the vast research being done here about the opioid crisis. He has become much more involved at Brandeis this past fall since taking the position of co-director for the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative.

Kolodny said that he chose to move his grant to Brandeis because “before the opioid issue was in the limelight, some of the best work was being done at the Heller School at Brandeis.” As he said in an article published by the Heller School, “The Heller team had access to an incredible database of narcotic prescriptions from multiple states, and the ability to do research with that data was very attractive… many

other universities are still way behind in responding to the opioid epidemic, but at Heller you had an entire team of folks who were working on this issue for years.”

Kolodny is also the executive director of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing, a group dedicated to reducing morbidity and mortality caused by overprescribing opioid analgesics.

However, he has been doing work with the opioid crisis for fifteen years, starting in the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in the Office of the Executive Deputy Commissioner. His first task out of medical school was to reduce drug overdose deaths in New York City. He helped to develop and implement programs such as citywide buprenorphine programs, emergency room screening and referral to treatment programs for drug and alcohol misuse.

He initially noticed that most of the deaths due to heroin were in the poorest neighborhoods in New York, stemming from the 1970s heroin epidemic. In the 1970s, the epidemic mainly hit teenagers in low-income, primarily nonwhite communities. Continuing with his work, a new opioid crisis became clear, affecting those of many other backgrounds and ages outside of the mostly nonwhite, low-income communities.

This new crisis was beginning with pills prescribed by doctors.

“Our main interest is efforts to bring the epidemic under control,” Kolodny stressed about the focus of his research. Overall, it is not completely clear what works well and what does not to fix the crisis; however, Kolodny and his team are trying to inform the policy makers about the research that has been effective in order to make changes.

Kolodny explains how this new crisis is evidently caused by the medical community over-prescribing such highly addictive medications. The opioid prescriptions have been increasing since the 1990s. Kolodny stated that “over the past twenty years, there has been a 900 percent increase.” He also stressed that it is important to understand why doctors are prescribing these dangerous drugs so often.

Pharmaceutical companies, such as Purdue Pharma (which produces Oxycontin), have been pushing doctors to be more lenient when prescribing painkillers. Kolodny says that the way that pharmaceutical companies have made such a change in prescribing habits is by “marketing designed as education.” Doctors, including himself, are drilled to believe that these opioids do more help than harm to people and that people only get addicted in rare cases.

Kolodny defined the epidemic as “a very large increase in the number of Americans addicted

to opioids over a short period of time.” This past year there is evidence to show that fewer Americans have become addicted to opioids than previous years; however, there is still a long way to go before reasonable levels are reached. In order for the epidemic to subside, “the incidence number of new cases must decline,” Kolodny said. The two strategies that he proposes are preventing addiction and treating those who are currently addicted.

In order to prevent addiction, it is crucial that doctors be more careful when prescribing opioids.

Increasing access to treatments for people already addicted is also very important, according to Kolodny. A treatment that he talks about is using a drug called Buprenorphine. However, access to this drug is limited.

Looking into the future, Kolodny says that he and his team at the Heller School have more grant money coming to further their research about diminishing the opioid crisis. They are also seeking funding and philanthropy in order to have the flexibility to study what they think is most necessary. Kolodny’s overall stance is that the issue is not abuse but rather addiction. He insists that opioids are not a safe treatment for chronic pain because of the danger of addiction that has become so prevalent rather than people simply abusing the drugs.

Over the past fifteen years, Kolodny has become an influential voice for opioid crisis research, despite his views that go against the pharmaceutical companies’ interests.

As Kolodny mentioned to BrandeisNOW reporters after his address to the National Governors Association Conference, “The opioid crisis should not be defined by the specific opioids involved in overdose deaths…

This is an epidemic of opioid addiction...We need to prescribe opioids much more cautiously to prevent opioid addiction, and we need to improve access to effective outpatient addiction treatment for those suffering from this awful disease.”

PHOTO FROM BRANDEIS.EDU

SPORTS

12 The Brandeis Hoot

August 24, 2018

Summer of a student athlete

By Zach Cihlar editor

Over the summer, Brandeis student athletes may stop being students and become interns, employees or coaches, but they never stop being athletes. No matter the results of the last season, student athletes are looking to build on success and improve for the next season, and a lot of that work and preparation happens over the summer.

For the volleyball, soccer and cross country teams, their summer ended early. Brandeis saw them return to campus over a week prior to the rest of the student body to begin pre-season.

Their preparation, however, started before that.

David Murphy ’20, a member of the men’s varsity soccer team, spent time over the summer in the weight room and on the soc-

cer field. Jake Picard ’16, the physical trainer for a variety of varsity teams including men’s soccer, compiled a summer training regimen designed for soccer players specifically. Picard, Murphy said, put together an amazing program that has the soccer team lifting weights three or four times a week and doing cardio two times a week.

Murphy spent his summer working in Undergraduate Admissions as an admissions assistant. He and other local members of the team were encouraged to participate in pickup games twice a week to keep their skills fresh. “I know for most of the guys getting out on the turf to play is the best part of the week. We get to roll the balls out for a couple hours and forget about everything except what we love,” he said.

The track and field coaches also encourage student athletes to train with teammates over

the summer, according to Regan Charie ’19, a captain of the men’s track and field team. Charie and his teammates are encouraged to “stay in shape” and remain active by cross training in ways other than track. The senior captain has been spending his summer playing soccer when he isn’t at his marketing internship at Wiley Publishing.

Like Murphy and the soccer team, Joanne Carminucci ’19 and the rest of the women’s fencing team have been given workouts for the summer created by Picard, who also acts as their team’s personal trainer.

While in a period of transition to a new fencing coach, the women’s fencing team has been particularly motivated to hit the training hard over this summer, according to Carminucci, who will be leading the team as captain in the upcoming season. Carminucci, who is spending her sum-

Volleyball 2018 season preview: ‘Family Fights Together’

By Zach Cihlar editor

When the women’s volleyball team improved on their record of 7-21 in the 2016 season to a 17-15 record in the 2017 season, there was not much to attribute to the improvement besides an impassioned adjustment in team culture. Emphasizing the value of each team member and working to incorporate a more family-centered off-court culture has yielded improved play on the court.

The team hopes to maintain the team culture into the next season and capitalize on their newfound confidence. Going into the 2018 season, women’s volleyball head coach Alessia Vaccari and the team have adopted a “theme” for the year: “Family Fights Together,” emphasizing the importance of unity during competition.

In the last season, Vaccari said, “the team learned how to win,” and now the women must capitalize on their experiences of success to drive the team into a rigorous 2018 season.

The Judges are set to play a more challenging schedule than past years. On their competi-

tion schedule, Brandeis will play seven of the top 25 teams in the nation, providing them with opportunities to gain experience playing tough teams and potentially pulling off an upset win.

This schedule, according to Vaccari, will give them opportunities to improve their standing in the University Athletic Association (UAA) conference and potentially to earn the NCAA national tournament berth their team has been working towards.

During the team’s trip out to California at the beginning of September, they are set to play the defending Division III national champions Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

Led by captains Yvette Cho ’19 (a third year captain), Marlee Nork ’19 and Belle Scott ’21, the team rosters an experienced group of eight seniors, many of whom have been starters on the team since their rookie year. They add experience and wisdom to the strategy and toughness of the team, according to Vaccari, qualities which will be valuable to display to the large incoming class of impressionable freshmen.

Rookie players add a new dynamic to the team, Vaccari said, and the inclusion of the new

VOLLEYBALL YVETTE CHO ‘19 RETURNING SHOTS FROM AN OPPONENT

members ultimately constructs a group very different from last season despite having a majority of returning players. This particular group is offensive and talented, the coach said.

Along with the rookie players, Vaccari has also added a couple new faces to the assistant coaching staff. Along with volunteer assistant coach Wyatt Emenaker ’19, returning for his second year of coaching, Vaccari will be joined by Kayla Gromen, a recent graduate of Ithaca College and Cailyn Straubel, a graduate from Connecticut College with two years assistant coaching experience at Williams College.

Gromen is excited to begin her first year of coaching and has had a positive introduction to the women on the team. The coaches and team have been in contact over the summer, setting the standard for team culture by having the team offer reasons for their love and dedication to the support and to the team. “I’m excited to see where it goes,” Gromen said.

The team’s first home games are scheduled for Friday, Sept. 7 at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. against University of Maine at Presque Isle and Bowdoin, respectively.

PHOTO FROM BRANDEISJUDGES.COM

mer doing research in the politics department at Brandeis, has been attending nearby fencing clubs to train over the summer.

Keri Lehtonen ’19, captain of the softball team, describes summer training expectations as an “unspoken agreement” between the girls on the team. Each of the players are expected to work hard and prepare well for the season in order to ensure as much success as possible. For her, this means taking care of her body and any remaining injuries, as well as preparing the mind for preseason practices and lifts.

Olivia Leavitt ’19, a captain of the women’s tennis team, echoed Lehtonen’s emphasis on preparing the mind. The tennis coaches encourage players to compete in tennis tournaments over the summer to exercise their mind and get into “mental-match-shape” going into their six week fall season.

Leavitt has kept busy this sum-

mer with an internship at a sports marketing agency located in Portland, Maine, and working as a studio assistant at her local yoga studio. Living in Maine, Leavitt has not had access to her teammates, who live in other parts of the country for most of the summer, so she has had to find training opportunities on her own. She trains for the upcoming tennis season after her work hours and over the weekend when she isn’t competing in tournaments.

Though not always with their teammates over the summer, Brandeis student athletes still find the time to train for their sport, so they are prepared when they return to campus for the season. Preparation is a large part of sports, Leavitt said, so student athletes dedicate time in their summer to gain an advantage over opponents they’ll meet in the upcoming season.

Alix Klineman and April Ross earn victory at AVP Manhattan Beach Open

By Shea Decker-Jacoby editor

The pinnacle of a volleyball girl’s dream is winning the Manhattan Beach American Volleyball Pro Open. The names of the previous victor’s names line the pier for every visitor and local to see. Pairs prepare all year for this tournament and to show their talents to their friends and family.

This past Sunday the southern California beach town of Manhattan Beach hosted their annual weekend tournament for the premier beach volleyball athletes for the AVP Gold Series. Sixteen pairs entered into the tournament, including recent NCAA Beach Volleyball National Champion Sarah Sponcil with Stanford’s Beach Volleyball Assistant Coach Lauren Fendrick.

The previous reigning champions, Day and Brittany Hockevar, both competed in the tournament, but with different partners.

Day competed with Betsi Metter Flint, making it to the Semi-Finals when they lost to Hochevar and her new partner Kelly Claes.

Claes came off a successful first season on the AVP tour, with winning the season finale in Chicago and led the AVP in assists with 7.92 per a set.

All eyes were on Alix Klineman and April Ross. Klineman spent her undergraduate years at Stanford playing on their women’s indoor volleyball team and won a National Championship.

Now an assistant coach for Stanford’s beach volleyball team, she returns to her hometown of Manhattan Beach. All eyes were on her to win the title and earn her place on the pier.

Earlier in the year, Klineman and Ross won an FIVB event in

The Hague, which made them the first women to win a gold medal in their first international beach event. The first set of the final match of the tournament had a packed stadium. Both teams had to fight for every point and Ross and Klineman had many set point opportunities. Finally, they hit a break with a clean dig by Ross to Klineman getting the kill to give them the first set of the match.

Claes and Hochevar came back for an easy win in the second set.

Claes, also a USC alumna from Southern California, came back with an epic showing of her skills, racking up a total of 32 kills going into the third set.

Both Claes and Hochevar have won two previous Manhattan Beach Opens and their experience showed in the third match.

After Ross hit the ball into the net, she called a timeout to work out a strategy to change the momentum. After a heated disagreement between the team during the timeout, they ultimately decided to go after Claes. After the timeout Ross came out with an aggressive attack, and Klineman’s block tied up the score. This was the beginning of a 30-serve freeze with no team able to take a twopoint advantage. Ross stepped to the back line and whipped out her signature ace to make it set point for the Ross and Klineman duo. Klineman earned her spot on the pier with a solid block on Hochevar. The third set ended 1715 putting Ross and Klineman on top and their names forever in the pier.

While this has not been the largest stage they have both played on or will play on, this victory means a lot for the hometown girl Alix who played at the local high school and dreamed of this moment since she was a kid.

August 24, 2018

SPORTS 13

The Brandeis Hoot

Video Action Replay damages, not enhances

By Caleigh Bartash staff

The 2018 FIFA World Cup ushered in a new era of soccer—for refereeing at least.

FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, lauded themselves for their implementation of the latest soccer technology: Video Assistant Referee, or VAR. VAR made its international debut in the Confederations Cup in the summer of 2017, but 2018 was the first year where VAR was used in the World Cup, which occurs every 4 years.

Technological advancements in soccer—like so called “goalline technology” and the popular use of GPS to track distance covered—have their uses but sometimes also come with a host of potential problems. The problems significantly outweigh the benefits and should be left to other sports where the technology is more practical, such as American football.

At first glance, new technology seems to enhance the experience of soccer. Goal-line technology eliminates debacles that could cost teams an entire match.

In 2010, when England and

Germany were playing in the Round of 16, the match’s three referees were practically the only people in the stadium who failed to notice that English midfielder Frank Lampard’s shot had made it fully into the net.

Rather than counting Lampard’s equalizer as a rightful goal, the referees came to the conclusion that Germany’s goalie, Manuel Neuer, had successfully made the save.

This game not only marked the end of England’s 2010 championship dreams, but also single-handedly persuaded FIFA to re-examine their anti-technology ways. Goal-line technology has a singular purpose: proving whether a soccer ball traveled beyond the goal line or not. However, other innovations are not as clearcut.

Referees are human and, of course, imperfect, which is why the federation looks to technology to catch what the referees cannot.

Inaccurate calls arise as a result and completely change the direction of games; however, technology cannot always be the answer. In cases like the France-Croatia final of the 2018 World Cup, the limits of VAR are abundantly clear.

The first goal of the game came off an accidental header from

Croatia striker Mario Mandžukić into his own net, but before the kick came a particularly flagrant referee error. France’s hero, Antoine Griezmann, lost his footing near a Croatian defender and earned his team the free kick despite no foul play. Griezmann’s flop handed France an easy shot at an early lead, but where was VAR? According to FIFA’s website, referees use VAR in four categories of situations: goals, penalty kicks, direct red cards and confused identity. Under these guidelines, a dive like Griezmann’s, which unfairly awarded France the opportunity to earn the opening goal, would not receive a second look.

France took the advantage and ran with it, changing the course of the game.

As for when VAR was actually used in the final, Griezmann once again brought France the advantage after converting a penalty awarded using the technology. A handball from the opposing side’s Ivan Perišić was initially unseen by the referee, who this time listened to the team’s complaints.

Croatia, who had already fallen behind once before due to referee error, was further demoralized.

Bad calls tend to cancel each other out, but with VAR, the balance sways. If the referee had not

corrected the penalty call after flubbing the one before the first goal, France would have lost its unfair advantage. VAR has good intentions but that does not mean it works.

It would be impossible to predict the exact outcome of the final if VAR could be used more consistently. Croatia dominated possession for most of the game and had many chances, but France’s young team demonstrated stupendous attacking prowess and speed. One thing is for sure, VAR’s implementation—and in the case of the first goal, its lack of implementation— enforced France’s advantage beyond their energy level, morale and confidence.

The France decisions were not the only questionable calls in an international soccer final. In last year’s Confederations Cup, Chile’s Gonzalo Jara committed a foul usually standard for a red card and ejection. Yet the referee made the confounding decision to designate Jara’s elbow to German forward Timo Werner’s face as a less severe yellow card. Germany went on to beat Chile in the Cup regardless, but this game is one of many examples where VAR is not as foolproof as FIFA claims.

Some look to other sports to reinforce their approval of VAR.

American football’s version of the technology plays a more concrete role due to the stop-and-start nature of the game. Whereas American football pauses after most plays and features a number of timeouts, soccer’s timer never stops. If a team is lucky, referees will award additional stoppage time at the end of each half.

Since FIFA strictly uses VAR in situations they designate more severe, game-changing call mistakes like Griezmann’s pretend foul go unchecked. And given the nonstop nature of soccer, allowing call challenges like American football seems more unreasonable than VAR itself.

Soccer does not need the interference of VAR, especially without challenges. If players cannot call for a second look, this technology may very well make the playing field more uneven, rather than less. Not to mention, players should not have that power anyway when it would take additional time. Some argue that VAR works well, but their points seem obsolete considering that VAR does not eliminate referee misjudgement. It influences games as promised, but not always for the right reasons.

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ARTS

The Brandeis Hoot

August 24, 2018

The best and worst of summer movies Arts co-editor Noah Harper and critic-at-large Jonah Koslofsky discuss the best (and worst) of summer movies

By Noah Harper and Jonah Koslofsky editor and staff

Noah: You know what, Jonah, I think it was actually a good summer for movies.

I think I tend to go see more arthouse/independent stuff, and I feel pretty satisfied with what I saw. There were quality movies coming out like every two weeks—it wasn’t like 2017, which, to me, seemed like a real drought in terms of quality. It was the summer, too, of the Fall of Moviepass, which I’m sure we’ll get into.

But what were your overall impressions and favorites?

Jonah: You know, Noah? I agree! This was an especially solid summer for indies. We had “Sorry to Bother You,” one of the most original and energetic movies I’ve seen in awhile (even if it’s got a few problems that hold it back).

I absolutely adored “Eighth Grade,” Bo Burnham’s powerful portrait of adolescence. As of now, it’s my favorite movie of the year. We also got a great Ethan Hawke performance out of the faith driven drama of “First Reformed” and the best horror movie since “Get Out” with the terrifying “Hereditary.” Finally, there’s Spike Lee’s return to form, “BlacKkKlansman,” which is the auteur’s best work in years. Far

from a drought indeed.

Blockbuster-wise, this summer also had a lot of good ones, maybe just a notch below summer 2017. We got “Incredibles 2” and “Mission: Impossible–Fallout,” two flicks that prove filmmaking craft is far from dead in “big” movies. I didn’t go crazy for “Avengers: Infinity War” or “Deadpool 2,” but they’re both above average superhero fare. As far as I can tell, the only real stinker was “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”

Does that sound right? What did you think of this summer’s crop of spectacle? Any indies that I missed?

Noah: I have a confession to make: I didn’t see any blockbusters this summer beside “Incredibles 2.” Maybe it’s because “Solo” left such a bad taste in my mouth, or that we had so many quality arthouse films to choose from. Besides the ones you mentioned, my favorites were “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” and “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot.”

“Won’t You Be My Neighbor” is the documentary about Fred Rogers that’s been really successful ($20 million domestically). It’s great getting to dig deeper into the life of a man who affected so many Americans through his show—plus we learn that he was not, in fact, a sniper in Vietnam with 25 confirmed kills. I feel like

it’s a sure hit for anyone who watched “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” or is just feeling worn out by the lack of visible decency in our modern media age.

“Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot,” is a biopic about John Callahan, an alcoholic, who, after a devastating accident that leaves him almost completely paralyzed, comes to terms with his disease and eventually becomes a renowned cartoonist. The movie has a lot of love for its flawed characters: Joaquin Phoenix brings warmth and vulnerability, and Jonah Hill gives a career-best performance as Phoenix’s leisure suit-wearing AA sponsor. Jack Black steals the film as an alcoholic friend named Dexter—what more could you want?

There were no big duds for me—or at least, maybe they didn’t hurt as much because I wasn’t paying full price for each ticket. This summer was the first time I used MoviePass, and it dramatically changed moviegoing for me.

Has it changed how you go to the movies—and, more importantly, are you still a subscriber after their pretty massive changes?

Jonah: Oh absolutely. For those who don’t know, MoviePass is a subscription service that, for ten dollars a month, will let you see a movie a day.

PHOTO COURTESY VARIETY

A deal too good to be true, MoviePass has had a tumultuous summer as the company has run out of cash and has slowly been limiting customers at every turn. MoviePass worked for me most of the summer and I’m sure to miss it—in the last week, I canceled my subscription and joined their competitor, the “AMC Stubs” program. It’s a far more reliable option, even if it is a little more expensive.

Two more final movies of note: “Three Identical Strangers” and “Crazy Rich Asians.”

The former is a fascinating documentary (alas, I didn’t make it to “Won’t You Be My Neighbor”), and the latter is a below-average rom com. It’s

nothing short of revolutionary for a major Hollywood movie to feature an all-Asian cast, but the film itself is a derivative affirmation of global capitalism. I was not a fan. To answer your earlier question, summer 2018 gave us a lot of movies that I would have paid full price for. But I’ll still miss MoviePass.

Noah: Farewell MoviePass, you were too good for this world. I hope some more competition appears, because getting to take risks on movies you’re not totally sure about is awesome.

Here’s hoping for an even better fall.

Rose Art Museum prepares for a new year

By Ben Beriss editor

Brandeis’s resident beacon of culture, the acclaimed Rose Art Museum, brings a rich variety of art to the Brandeis campus and greater Boston community with a long tradition of thoughtful exhibits which showcase both emerging artists and classic pieces.

The museum is closed for installation right now but is looking towards its reopening Friday, September 7, which will unveil its newest exhibitions: “Tuesday Smillie: To Build Another World,” a solo show by the Rose’s artist-in-residence Tuesday Smillie, and “Passage,” a show created by Henry and Lois Foster Director and Chief Curator Luis A. Croquer from the museum’s permanent collection.

Tuesday Smillie is the most recent artist to be awarded the Ruth Ann and Nathan Perlmutter Artist-in-residence award which is intended to promote young artists with emergent success. The award supports a year of residency, allowing the artist to create new work and giving Brandeis students a chance to work with an artist on a road to success.

The award is sponsored by noted artist Ruth Ann Perlmutter and is named after her and her late husband, a former Brandeis Vice President who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work fighting for minorities, including eight years as the national director of the Anti-Def-

amation League.

Smillie’s work examines the relationships between “I” and “We,” particularly with themes of trans-feminism. Her best-known works are pieces inspired by protest flags used by the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, a 70s civil rights group which provided resources to the homeless transgender community and fought for civil rights. These pieces were featured in the 2017-18 “Trigger: Gender as a Tool and a Weapon” exhibition of the New Museum, described by the New Museum as an effort to investigate “gender’s place in contemporary art and culture at a moment of political upheaval and renewed culture wars.”

“Tuesday-Smillie: To Build Another World” is a compilation of two decades of Smillie’s work, including pieces which will debut at the show and demonstrates Smillie’s multimedia approach utilizing watercolor, college and textiles. The exhibition, organized

by Assistant Curator Caitlin Julia Rubin, will draw from historic protest signage to explore activism and trans-feminist politics.

“Passage” is organized by the lead of the Rose Art Museum and draws from seven decades of art.

The Museum has not yet shared further information, but the exhibition likely examines immigration and the “passages” of human movement.

The 2018-19 school year will also be the Rose’s first year with three new staff members in new positions. Two of these new roles, Assistant Director of Communications and Manager of Academic

PHOTO BY THE BRANDEIS HOOT

and Public Programs, represent large steps towards the Rose’s goal of becoming more deeply engaged in the community by increasing popularity and creating public programming and students nearby.

Kate McBride is taking up the role of Assistant Director of Communications, after developing the Institute of Contemporary Art/ Boston’s brand as their social media manager. She will oversee the Rose’s “media outreach,” overseeing and creating new marketing initiatives to bring people into the gallery. Bess Paupeck is the manager of academic/public

programs, coming from helping manage @ 29 Garden, an interdisciplinary art space at Harvard, which she joined after producing public concerts and programs at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

The third new staff member, Anthony DiPetro was hired as the museum’s Associate Director of Administration and Operations, a new position intended to help manage day-to-day operations.

DiPetro is continuing a career of managing community organizations, many of which sought to address problems of abuse and income inequality. In this new position, DiPetro will be involved

in the Museum’s budgeting and long-term financial planning, as well as overseeing administrative details such as human resources and building services.

With an exciting new artist in residency, an intriguing exhibition scheduled and a deeper staff working to connect with the community the Rose Art Museum heading into the new year with all the tools to create a meaningful artistic experience for visitors.

The galleries will be open starting September 7, and regular hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday with free admission.

August 24, 2018

ARTS 15

The Brandeis Hoot

‘Pray for the Wicked’—fresh and fun, until not

By Caleigh Bartash staff

One man band, Panic! at the Disco, released an enthusiastic sixth studio album, “Pray for the Wicked,” in June, but despite the high energy and fresh sound, it failed to match previous productions in catchiness and originality.

Since it was founded by four high school friends in 2004, Panic! has survived the exit of five band members. Yet its frontman and biggest star, Brendon Urie, has remained throughout the years. His star power alone has elevated Panic! beyond expectations.

Panic! is famously odd. Their lyrics often seem almost nonsensical; however they still manage to be relatable to many. One of their main draws is how strange they are. Whether they express it through lyrics or music videos, the band’s unique outlook is ingrained in all of its work.

Like all Panic! albums, “Wicked” is provocative, creative and at times downright strange; however, it seems less thorough than other works by the band.

Urie’s last project, “Death of a Bachelor” in 2016, had a cohesive sound. All eleven tracks on “Bachelor” were easy listens and adaptable for different audience moods. They had varying pace, catchiness and messages. Meanwhile, “Wicked” starts strong in the first tracks, then turns into forgettable filler songs.

“Wicked” opens on a high note in “(F*** A) Silver Lining,” an energetic, fast-paced anthem about demanding excellence instead of having a passively optimistic outlook. The second track, “Say Amen (Saturday Night),” follows “Silver Lining’s” entertaining lead, but to really appreciate it, I recommend watching the hilarious and violent music video.

“Saturday Night” is an undeniably fun song, but even as Urie’s unique, expressive vocals remain present in the rest of the album, the excitement on the audience’s end fades. The next song, “Hey Look Ma, I Made It,” is a silly ode to the artist’s previously unimaginable success, but it does not sound much different from many of the other songs on the album.

“High Hopes,” the fourth track, has hints of the complacency heard in less memorable parts of the album, but the strong vocals on the chorus and thoughtful lyrics make up for the repetitiveness.

Urie’s empowering confidence is especially visible in this song, with the lines “didn’t know how but I always had a feeling/I was gonna be that one in a million.”

Surprisingly, the best three songs come in only the first four tracks. “Roaring 20s,” “The Overpass” and “One of the Drunks” seem better at first listen, but none of them stand out when compared to each other. They all feature fast, breathless singing and only differentiate through whatever slightly varied techno beat Urie assigned to them.

At times the the music seems almost nonsensical, but that is typical of Panic!. The real problem is that although the album is edgy and dramatic, it does not match the welcoming absurdity of previous albums’ tracks like “Death of a Bachelor’s,” “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time” and “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” of Panic!’s debut, “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out.” “Dying in LA,” the final ballad, serves as an appropriate breather session for Urie and listeners. It is the only slow song on the album, but its speed and emotion help listeners differentiate it from the other tracks. Since it is the last and longest song, it leaves a stronger impression and is more memorable, but the similarities between the rest do them no favors.

“Wicked” makes good use of album ordering. “Silver Lining” offers a striking introduction, drawing people in through liberal use of f-bombs and relentless enthusiasm; however the high expectations it sets up are eventually dissatisfied. None of the songs in “Wicked” are particularly bad or boring. After all, the showman Urie created it and his flair for drama never disappoints. Yet the songs seem tiring after a while, as do Urie’s vocals. The repetition makes later tracks seemed to blend together despite changed lyrics. Fans might prefer certain songs lyrically, though the mood and sounds of many tracks are practically indistinguishable.

PHOTO COURTESY FUELED BY RAMEN

Perhaps Urie is too mature and too tired to look for inspiration from the wild days of his youth.

He turned 31 in April. Maybe his ever-changing sound is growing with him, but it could also distance him from younger listeners who are less mellow..

The departure of core band members likely means that “Wicked” afforded Urie an opportunity for more creative freedom, yet for some reason, he seems more subdued. Of course, subdued Urie is different from, say, subdued Taylor Swift by far. His voice is more intense and flexible than most mainstream pop artists. For people with high hopes

for “Wicked” to be something as revolutionary as past albums, it is disappointing.

As usual, Urie’s vocals sound striking and dynamic, but he does not reach his full potential. His experimentation was successful in some ways and limited in others. Themes of sin and vintage vibes cannot preserve “Wicked’s” interest, just as Urie’s theatrics and signature voice cannot save it from mediocrity.

Hopefully Panic!’s next album will see more of Urie’s creativity and individuality, but for now only a few of the new Panic! tracks will join the rotation on this writer’s phone.

‘Eighth Grade’ is the best movie of the year (so far)

By Jonah Koslofsky staff

I get a sense of deja-vu writing about Bo Burnham’s “Eighth Grade.” Earlier this summer, I was blown away by “Hereditary,” another stunning directorial debut financed by production company A24. And brace yourself, because watching “Eighth Grade” is about as comfortable as getting cozy with “Hereditary.” But for those closer to age thirteen, perhaps this will come as no surprise. After all, eighth grade is a terrible time for just about everyone.

On the other hand, the film “Eighth Grade” is a gem in its own right. It’s also a subtle inversion: so much music, television and media is marketed at eighth graders, yet so little actually focuses on the the middle schoolers themselves (in an ironic twist, “Eighth Grade” is rated R, meaning that actual eighth graders aren’t allowed to see one of the few movies about them). Protagonist Kayla is also eager to get on the other side of this relationship: the opening shot of “Eighth Grade” is a slow pan out from Kayla speaking into the camera on her laptop, making a quick YouTube video where she gives advice to anonymous viewers who are presumably her age.

But Kayla is clearly (subconsciously) recording this motivational address for herself, which

is a simple and honest way in which Burnham provides insight into Kayla’s psyche. Because on the surface, it’s hard to get into Kayla’s head. She “wins” her class superlative for “most quiet”—a brutal scene—and she couldn’t care less about articulating herself to her dorky Dad (an on-the-nose Josh Hamilton). If this sounds awkward, it’s because it’s supposed to be.

Burnham captures Kayla’s muted suffering through long, sometimes shaky takes, employ-

ing a faux-documentary style that’s contrasted with vibrant and non-diegetic sound (it helps that the score by Anna Meredith is pitch perfect). Basically, there isn’t much dialogue at the start of “Eighth Grade” because, well, Kayla doesn’t really have anyone to talk to.

From there, the movie explores the different threads in Kayla’s life, opting for a more “slice of life” feel instead of the traditional three act structure. Kayla trundles into intimidating pool parties, pur-

sues trashy crushes and shadows at her upcoming high school. At only 94 minutes, the film doesn’t wear out its welcome, lingering at the truck-stop of adolescence that is the end of middle school. Elise Fisher—who plays Kayla—absolutely kills it here. She’s always understated in the way eighth graders really are (it makes sense that Fisher would know, considering that she is only fifteen). Fisher’s prior credits include voice acting on the first two “Despicable Me” movies—this is a breakout role if

PHOTO COURTESY EMMA PETERS

PHOTO COURTESY VARIETY

there ever was one.

But why is Kayla in such a tough spot? It’s not quite clear. Burnham never tries to diagnose the source of the eighth grade malaise (which is a smart choice), and there aren’t any easy fixes either. Certainly, technology is a part of the problem—endless hours on Instagram and Snapchat can’t be good for the soul. But this anti-social media undertone is never presented in a way that’s condescending or inauthentic, and Burnham is never unreasonable.

And to bring the film back to “Hereditary,” it’s worth praising Burnham’s direction when it comes to the tenser scenes in “Eighth Grade.” In particular, there’s a moment in the back of a car that is one of the most heart-pounding scenes I’ve ever seen in a movie. Burnham proves yet again that you don’t have to be a heist movie or a thrill to construct tension: you just have to put your characters in challenging situations with real stakes.

Blockbusters, take note.

But at the end of the day, the best thing I can say about “Eighth Grade” is that it resonated with me on an emotional level. The film just feels real. “Eighth Grade” is my favorite movie of the year thus far, and I can’t recommend it enough.

You won’t regret this trip down memory lane, even if you’d also like to keep your memories of middle school at a distance.

16 ARTS

The Brandeis Hoot

August 24, 2018

‘Joe Pera Talks With You’ will regrow your soul

By Noah Harper editor

Late night programming block Adult Swim has built its brand on off-color, caustic comedy, but earlier this summer, something completely different premiered: the sincere, meditative, and caring “Joe Pera Talks With You.” It’s an incredible work of empathy, rooted to an entirely unique character—the kind of show that just might make you feel better after watching.

Perhaps “Joe Pera Talks With You” could only exist on Adult Swim, a network where twelve minute episodes are the norm. Twelve minutes forces inventive efficiency: showrunners have to get to the point as fast as possible.

Usually, this means something dark and crass and absurd, but “Joe Pera” takes things in an entirely different direction— there are no Satanic rituals, severed limbs or diarrhea, just a character and atmosphere that make you want to keep coming back.

“Luxury. Refinement. Power.

These are three words I would use to describe the 2001 Buick Park Avenue,” is how Pera begins episode three. He’s talking to the camera, slowly and deliberately, as he drives in his car on a late autumn day in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. “Joe Pera,” played by the comedian of the same name, is a man of indiscriminate age, who usually walks with an unhurried, shambling gait and always has his shirt tucked in.

The character emanates the same aura as Mr. Rogers— kind, considerate, perhaps slightly aloof. Joe Pera ends

his treatise in his car, the 2001 Buick Park Avenue by saying, “It’s just a really nice car that doesn’t make people feel bad about how nice it is. And it’s got OnStar.” All of the episodes are framed like this: expository forays into this solitary young/old man’s life.

The show has a dry, subtle sense of humor, but it doesn’t make fun of Joe in a mean-spirited way. He’s an elementary school choirmaster who loves his hometown, Marquette, Michigan, and he spends a lot of time telling us about it. In the first episode, “Joe Pera Shows You Iron,” he teaches us not just about iron but also copper, azurite, tourmaline and, of course, Lake Superior Agate. But the Midwestern ephemera is really just window-dressing; “Joe Pera Talks With You” is about the character. While each episode is framed as an exploration of a particular theme— snowmobiles, breakfast, The Rat Wars of Alberta, Canada— they’re really brief portraits of a thoughtful, melancholy and sympathetic character.

In the fourth episode, Joe finally meets his match in the form of anxious doomsday-prepper and fellow music teacher Sarah Connor, played

by Jo Firestone. The show finds empathetic comedy in how its “outsider” characters fit in with the real world. Joe Pera has a physical awkwardness to him: he carries himself like he’s not exactly at home in his body. Sarah, too, is just slightly short, and there’s a great scene where she gets mad at Joe and tries to angrily drive away in her truck, except she can’t quite climb in because it’s too high off the ground.

PHOTO COURTESY TURNER

We’re treated to a children’s musical centered around the Rat Wars of Alberta, Canada— something Sarah suggested to Joe do after they first went snowmobiling together. It’s rooted in a weird fact (Alberta has been rat-free for the last 65 years thanks to vigilant patrolling) and turns into something absurdly funny and endearing. I still can’t get the song out of my head.

It’s awkward for sure but not in a way that suggests the show is making fun of Joe or Sarah. These characters walk the line of being simultaneously lame and endearing—no small feat. They’re both weird, unique people, and their interactions with each other and the world are captivating and hilarious to watch. There’s something vulnerable about Joe’s old man shuffle, how he walks hunched forward with

his arms hanging over his side, like a geriatric penguin. It catches you off-guard. I didn’t feel like I was laughing at his awkwardness but with him because the sincerity of the writing and performance got me to care. In terms of Adult Swim characters, Joe Pera is about as far from Rick Sanchez as you can possibly get.

Something that best summarizes the series comes in the third episode with the 2001 Buick Park Avenue: “Joe Pera Takes You on a Fall Drive.”

The premise, again, is simple, absurd and a little melancholy.

Joe wonders why jack-o’-lanterns “scare him so goddamn much.” (He immediately apologizes for swearing). Gene, his geriatric best friend, tells him that when you carve a jacko’-lantern you put a piece of your soul in it, just like your grandmother baking cookies.

You lose that piece—but you can grow it back by going on a fall drive. It’s a ridiculous situation, but the solution is convincing. I’ve never seen a show like this before: a show that’s funny, but also contemplative and soothing—a visual balm.

There are few shows that are both entertaining and edifying. I felt like I came to know Joe over time, and even though it was at times awkward and weird, the show really got me to care. “Joe Pera Talks With You” provides a brief respite from the noise of our daily, media-saturated lives, a hilarious, wholesome and compelling show that might just regrow a piece of your soul.

Currently, the entire first season is streaming for free on Adultswim.com.

Brandeis arts calendar On Campus Rachel Stern: “More Weight:” a multimedia solo exhibition from the Philadeplhia-based artist, exploring the politics of history, representation, and storytelling in connection to the Salem Witch Trials. On view at the Kniznick Gallery in the Women’s Studies Research Center until October 26th. The artist will visit Brandeis for a lecture and reception on the 25th.

Screen on the Green: “Avengers Infinity War.” Tuesday, August 28th at 8pm, enjoy the latest “Avengers” movie on the Great Lawn—free popcorn included.

In Boston French Pastels: Treasures from the vault,” a presentation of rare works by Degas, Millet, Pisarro, Monet and others.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Free with Brandeis ID. We Wanted A Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965-85.

The show seeks to “examine the

political, social, cultural and aesthetic priorities of women of color during the emergence of second-wave feminism.” Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston. On view until September 30th.

“This is Congo” Screening and Q&A. Documentary examines the more than five million deaths related to the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo over the past twenty years. After the screening, Jeanne Kasongo of the DRC-based Shalupe Foundation will be in attendance to take questions. Wednesday, August 29th, at 7pm. Kendall Square Cinema.

“Persepolis” and “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night” Double Feature. Part of the “Heroic!: Women Who Inspire” series.

“Persepolis” is an animated coming of age story set during the Iranian revolution. “Alone at Night,” also from Iran, is an unconventional vampire tale.

7:15 & 9:15 at the Brattle Theater, Wednesday August 29th.

Altarations: A Selection of Shrines at Dorchester Art Project. “A collective shrine to our individual expressions,” the

show asks, “What do we find holy?” Gallery hours: 12-6pm Saturdays and Sundays. Closes August 26 with an open mic and presentation.

Three Deliberate Grays for Freddie. An art instillation outside the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Artist Steve Locke “generated three distinct monochromes by averaging the pixels of three individual photos of Gray that were frequently used in the media.” On view outside the museum through January 21st.

Resistant Currents. A show featuring a diverse array of artists exploring the nature of immigration, boundaries and power. Artist include: Daniel Assayag, Anto Astudillo, Layle Omeran, Joe Joe Orangias, Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Joanna Tam, and Yu-Wen Wu. Mills Center at the Boston Center for the Arts.

Now through October 14th.

NatureStructure. An exhibition conceptualizing humanity’s relationship to nature in a changing global ecosystem.

Presented by the Boston Society of Architects. On view un-

til September 23rd.

“The Godfather Part II.” The second installment of Francis Ford Coppola’s magnum opus abou an Italian-American crime family. Coolidge Corner Theater.

Monday, August 27th.

“2001: A Space Odyssey.” Stanley Kubrick’s mind-bending

science-fiction masterwork screens at AMC Boston Common in a limited engagement.

Want to see your Brandeis arts event listed? Email suggestions to thursday@thebrandeishoot.com.