Volume 12 Issue 22
“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.” www.brandeishoot.com
November 13, 2015
Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.
Students unite against racism in march By Jess Linde editor
photo by sharon cai/the hoot
Sex-ed activist promotes enthusastic consent By Emily Smith editor
Jaclyn Friedman, author of “Yes Means Yes,” spoke to community members about consent, advocating a culture of enthusiastic consent to replace the existing rape culture. Her presentation, “Beyond Consent,” to an audience of mostly women, was sponsored by the Brandeis Rape Crisis Center and the Psychological Counseling Center on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Before creating a culture of enthusiastic consent, people must understand the existing culture surrounding sexuality. Friedman explained what she called the “commodity model,” in which women are objectified and valued primarily for their virginity or sexual innocence. This model, she argued, is inherently sexist, denying women agency in making decisions regarding their sexuality. Not everybody is valued equally in the commodity model. Race can play a role in how much a culture values a certain person. “We don’t value African American women’s bodies the same way we value ‘innocent’ white women,” Friedman argued. In the current model, responsibility lies with women to protect their value as a commodity. This concept can excuse the perpetrators of sexual
assault, Friedman argued. “Women have to be modest in order to prevent men from losing control of their bodies and taking women’s virginity,” she said. Throughout her talk, Friedman emphasized the lack of need to involve gender in enthusiastic consent, arguing that people of all genders should engage in healthy, enthusiastic consent with their partners. Friedman avoided using gendered pronouns in the hypotheticals she described, preferring to say “person A” or simply someone’s “partner.” Stigma for male victims of sexual assault is a detriment to all, regardless of gender, and furthers the sexism of rape culture. Pressures to say yes to sexual activity, Friedman explained, affect both men and women and keep people from expressing sexuality in a healthy and safe manner. Men may feel pressure to engage in sexual activity and conform to the conception of masculinity in which men must always want to have sex. Women, on the other hand, can feel pressure to use sex to make their partner interested in them romantically or to keep up with their peers’ sex life. Many other social pressures can impact an individual’s ability to maintain a
Almost 200 Brandeis students, faculty and others marched in solidarity against violent and racist threats against African American student activists at the University of Missouri this Thursday, Nov. 12 also demanding more action from Brandeis administrators to address and condemn anti-black systems and incidents. The protest was organized in under 24 hours by undergraduate and graduate students and student groups such as the Brandeis Black Student Organization (BBSO), and began at the Rabb Steps before marching to the Shapiro Campus Center (SCC). Once at the Campus Center, the marchers occupied the space for more than two hours, chanting, sharing personal experiences and calling on Brandeis to be active in change. Similar marches organized by BBSO have occurred
at Brandeis annually, but Thursday’s event was notable for its attendance, passion and scope. The event was announced at around 2 a.m. Thursday via a Facebook event, created in response to a “Call for Action” sent out by national activists on Wednesday. The event was created by undergraduates Student Union President Nyah Macklin ’16, Bethlehem Seifu Belaineh ’16, Jhanezia Stevens ’16 and Witney Christie ’17. The call was a direct reaction to threats of violence made against African American student activists at the University of Missouri this week through social media, following weeks of anti-racism protests at the university that resulted in the resignation of University President Tim Wolfe. According to an article in the Thursday edition of The Los Angeles Times, University of Missouri campus See BBSO, page 8
Globe reporters discuss work uncovering clergy sex abuse scandal By Charlotte Aaron editor
The Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe journalists that covered the sex abuse scandal in the Boston Catholic Church spoke to a full room of over 240 on Tuesday, Nov. 10 about the importance of funding local newspapers and investigative journalists in a time when journalism is transitioning from print to constant, online news coverage. Josh Singer, the screenwriter of “Spotlight,” a film released this month about The Boston Globe’s Spotlight investigative team and its coverage of the sex abuse scandal, spoke on the panel. He addressed what he sees as a difference between “journalism we
see today” and the reporting of the Spotlight journalists. “The trick here, it seems to me, is to have our first focus on the Church’s policies and practices, rather than on the seemingly large number of priests … who have been accused of being sexual predators,” said Singer. He read the quote from an email that Marty Baron, former editor of The Boston Globe, wrote to two Spotlight writers in 2001 about the investigation. Singer emphasized Baron’s push to find systematic problems within the Church rather than attack individual pedophilc priests, a “gotcha” strategy he believes is more prevalent in journalism today. “I wanted to get at the institutional failure … I thought that was the bigger story, rather than just a lot of
priests who were abusing kids,” said Baron at panel. “What did the Church do when it found out about those priests? … Did they reassign them to another place where they could abuse again? … If that was the case, you know, that would be horrifying.” Baron initially proposed investigating the Church on his first day of work as a new editor at The Globe. Brandeis Professor Eileen McNamara (AMST), a moderator at the panel and a previous Globe journalist who wrote in her column about the sex abuse, asked if his position as an “outsider” allowed him to see something the rest of the Globe staff did not. In 2001, 44 percent of the See SPOTLIGHT, page 3
See CONSENT, page 8 photo by jacob kleinberg/the hoot
Inside this issue:
News: Survey reveals transportation habits Opinion: Add Asian American Studies Features: Greek life seeks visibility Sports: Fencing begins season Editorial: Stand in solidarity
‘Evolution of Dance’ Page 3 Adagio Dance Company fall perPage 14 formance showcases many students Page 4 dancing in wide range of styles. Page 5 Arts: Page 9 Page 7
‘Tea of Oblivion’ WSRC showcases Chinese folktales through sculpture and photos.
Arts: Page 11
4 NEWS
The Brandeis Hoot
November 13, 2015
Kindness Day spreads cheer across campus By Hannah Stewart Staff
An annual Brandeis tradition, Kindness Day promotes compassion across campus. This year’s celebration was officially Thursday, Nov. 12, but volunteers tabled across campus all week. Kira Levin ’17, a student coordinator for Kindness Day, agrees that everyone should be kind every day, but finds Kindness Day to be a reminder to tell people they are important to them. “The thing is, sometimes we get so caught up in our own lives that we don’t have the time to … turn to our friends and be like, ‘You’re amazing, and I appreciate your friendship’” said Levin. Kindness Day is a time to tell a professor or a friend, “‘You’re incredible,’ and write them a Kindness Day card,” she said. A cooperative event, Kindness Day is dedicated to involving as many different student life departments as possible. “My favorite part of Kindness Day is that every department works together, or as many departments as we can collect,” said Levin. “We have people from DCL, from Student Activities, from the graduate center …
the ICC, the chaplaincy, it’s wonderful. We really get to engage every part of campus.” Continuing its yearly tradition, Kindness Day included tables in Lower Usdan, Upper Usdan and the SCC Atrium, where students wrote postcards to friends and professors. Volunteers will take care of the stuffing mailboxes with the cards. Other events scheduled for Kind-
ness Day this year were a Wake and Shake table outside Usdan sponsored by Hillel and no-sew fleece blankets that students could help to create, which will be donated to Cradles to Crayons, which provides low-income and homeless children with essential items, sponsored by the Department for Community Service. Students also assembled coloring books in the SCC Atrium for the Boston Children’s Hos-
photo by sharon cai/the hoot
pital, created bags of trail mix for the only day shelter for the homeless and the emotionally isolated in the greater western Boston area and participated in many other activities located in the Hiatt Career Center, the Usdan game room, Academic Services, the Psychological Counseling Center and in each of the residential quads. New this year is an off-campus project on Friday, Nov. 13 at the More
Than Words bookstore on Moody Street in Waltham. Levin has been involved in Kindness Day for three years now, first beginning when she was recruited to become a coordinator during her first month of her first year here. She has made it her personal goal to get as many students, faculty members, organizations and departments involved as possible. “The ICC will do the Tree of Kindness. That’s what they did last year. The Dean’s Suite will fund our shirts. Everyone’s involved in some way so they can tap into the kindness … It’s a good feeling,” Levin said. She also likes the globe-shaped stress balls they have this year that say “Happy Kindness Day, Brandeis University.” The Chaplaincy, the Psychological Counseling Center (PCC), Study Abroad, and the International Student Scholar Organization (ISSO) donated hundreds of dollars to purchase them. This year, the student coordinators hoped to get a record-breaking level of students involved and encourage everyone to take the time to tell their friends or professors they appreciate them.
Profs speak at panel on anti-Semitism in Europe By Ryan Spencer Staff
Experts in the field spoke at a recent panel about rising anti-Semitism in Europe. It took place on Tuesday, Nov. 11 and was sponsored by the Coalition Against Anti-Semitism in Europe, the Center for German and European Studies and the Brandeis-Genesis Institute for Russian Jewry (BGI). The panel featured Rob Leikind, Judith Vichniac and David Gurevich. Just before the discussion began, a
moment of silence was held in honor of the 77th anniversary of the night of terror Kristallnacht, or the night of broken glass. The panel began with a discussion of how anti-Semitism in Europe has changed over the past 40 years. Vichniac, the Associate Dean of the Fellowship Program at the Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University and an expert on Western European politics, responded first. She explained that in France, anti-Semitism today is tied to the historical “animosity of the Catholic Church to the Jewish community”. She also attributed it to “the polit-
ical and racial anti-Semitism,” which occurred later in the 19th century, and “increased numbers of Muslims in France.” Ultimately, Vichniac said, “I don’t think you can separate out what’s happened from this history.” Leikind added to the discussion that “it’s important to keep in mind, when you’re talking about anti-Semitism in Europe, that Europe is a very big place...it’s hard to generalize.” The Boston Director for the American Jewish Committee, Leikind launched the Mayors United Against Anti-Semitism initiative, which collects signatures from mayors opposed to
anti-Semitism. So far, the initiative has garnered the signatures of more than 350 American mayors as well as the signatures of many European mayors. Gurevich, a post-doctoral fellow at the Ben Zvi Institute in Jerusalem, spoke to the significance of reducing European anti-Semitism. He said, “For Jews, it is important because it is something about self-identity, but for other people it is important because they are standing for the right cause.” As to how non-leaders of the movement can combat anti-Semitism, Gurevich said that “the first
step is awareness,” and that by “using social media we can get more and more people engaging.” Gurevich has worked with Jewish community leaders in the United Kingdom to develop methods to combat anti-Semitism and, last summer, he infiltrated a Parisian anti-Semitic rally to interview participants. Vichniac agreed with him and said that “a grassroots movement is very important.” She added, however, that she believes “that there has to be, on the part of the government, an attempt to integrate [Jewish communities].”
Senators work to add solar panels to reduce carbon footprint By Michele Lehat Staff
Student Union Senators Matt Smetana ’17 and David Herbstritt ’17 are working tirelessly to implement solar panels on campus and specifically, on top of Admissions. The senators hope to get the project moving before the winter of 2016, as they look to present their idea to the Interim President Lisa Lynch this January. Smetana, a passionate environmental activist on campus, claims that “renewable energy always pays for itself in the end.” He shared that solar panels would greatly reduce our carbon footprint as well as the University’s electricity bill. Herbstritt and Smetana are in the process of researching the implementation of solar panels and creating a formal proposal and robust plan by the end of the semester. Both senators know that solar panels would not only visibly help Brandeis
stand out as a more environmentally friendly campus, but also would reap hundreds of thousands of dollars in electricity savings. Although Brandeis hosts a large number of student climate justice activists, there is still much room to improve on its carbon footprint. In fact, according to Smetana’s research, Brandeis uses 26 percent more energy than other like private research institutions. Smetana, a Brandeis Senate Sustainability Committee chair, admitted that in a 2009 plan to cut energy emissions 15 percent by 2015, six years later, energy emissions actually increased by 1 percent. “In installing solar panels, we would save Brandeis a lot of money,” he said. Just take Brandeis’ six-day “Turn it Off ” initiative during which students were asked to be accountable for their energy emissions in dollars. During those six days, energy emissions were cut by 26-28 percent, and
photo from brandeis.edu
the university saved $250,000. In terms of where they will hope to carry out this solar panel project, Herbstritt and Smetana favor the Admissions building as a good place to start. Herbstritt shared that not only is Admissions a new and visible building that can bear the weight of large solar panels, but it also is practical in that it receives plenty of sunlight and has a natural tilt. In addition, due to its optimal location on campus, the Admissions building has a greater likelihood of getting passed by students, visitors and prospective students, making the project favorable on the Admissions end as well. In addition to reaping large cost cuts and cutting the university carbon footprint, Herbstritt admits that solar panels would make Brandeis only the sixth school in the state to implement solar panel technology on campus. According to his research, only MIT, Harvard, Northeastern, UMass Boston and Tufts host solar panel installations on their campuses. “Although it would have been nice to be the first school in Massachusetts to install solar paneling, I wouldn’t mind us being the sixth school,” Herbstritt joked. Although the entire cost of the project is still unknown, the panels will bring in sizable tax credits, according to Herbstritt. In fact, a 30-percent tax credit will be offered if the install-
photo by max shay/the hoot
ment process has begun before or by Dec. 31, 2016. In addition, Herbstritt shared that Union money, state grants and company discounts would greatly contribute in making the project virtually free for Brandeis. Although the senators are working hard on initiating the project, both confess that Jim Gray, vice president for operations at Brandeis, has the final say in the implementation of solar panels. According to both senators, there is good news in that many of the administrators involved with the project are very much on board with environmental justice. In terms of facing obstacles in the project, Herbstritt stated that they must come up with a solution in dealing with heavy snow-
fall in the winter months. Herbstritt suggested that he and his team would come up with solutions to have the snow slide off the roof through strategic engineering or develop a system for covering the panels during the snowy weeks. “I hope students recognize the hard work we are putting into this and get on board. It’s really important to make our institution commit to [being] social[ly] just, for environmental justice is social justice,” Smetana conveys. Both senators are adamant and enthusiastic in carrying out their solar panel project and look to finalize the plan by late February and get the process rolling for students to enjoy the benefits before 2016 comes to a close.
November 13, 2015
NEWS 3
The Brandeis Hoot
In The Senate: Nov. 8
The Senate de-chartered 21 clubs with a unanimous vote. • All de-chartered clubs neglected to turn in their anti-hazing forms. • “Admissions is going to be mad,” one senator said about de-chartered Cheese Club. Class of 2018 Senator Skye Golann will meet with 10 other senators and dining services to review the menu for next semester. • Although students outside of the Senate are not invited, Golann believes there is enough representation within the Senate to represent all students’ dietary needs. The Senate recognized Kinetic, a new club that provides students an outlet to make change through research and public policy proposals and the Neuroscience Club was recognized and chartered. The Senate has earned back more than $6,000 on the tickets. Students interested in holding an e-board position on Allocations Board should contact Secretary Shuing Liu. There are two positions open: one three-semester position and one one-semester position. Brandeis Sustainability Fund is now open for proposal submissions. The deadline for proposals is Nov. 16. On Nov. 18, an expert on international students will speak about challenges international student face at U.S. universities. The Senate voted and approved a Senate Money Request (SMR) for Wen’s gender pronoun survey. Wen hopes to distribute gift cards to random participants of her survey.
Transportation surveys to provide data for future sustainability improvements By Elianna Spitzer staff
A random sampling of student commuters, faculty and staff were asked to respond to a survey regarding transportation on Thursday, Nov. 12. This is a yearly survey, conducted in accordance with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Rideshare program (MassRIDES). It is the first of two surveys that will be used to gauge the state of transportation on campus. The survey will gather statistics for MassDOT relating to the number of commuters coming to campus each week and their main mode of transportation. While providing data to MassRIDES is the primary goal of the first survey, Mary Fischer, manager for sustainability programs, hopes to use the data to develop sustainability initiatives. In an email to The Brandeis Hoot, Sustainability Programs intern Margaret Black wrote, “We are also using this survey as a way to understand campus sustainability within the context of Brandeis’ commitment to reduce our carbon emissions.” The results of the survey will affect the approach Fischer takes with a second, springtime survey. She
hopes to use the second one to look more closely at alternative transportation methods for students, staff and faculty commuting to and from the campus. The second “survey is interested in gauging the Brandeis communities interest in a rideshare program for students or faculty, carpool groups, shuttles to T stops or ways encourage biking or walking,” Black said. “We hope to better understand what barriers students and faculty face to alternative forms of commuting, and thus create new potential solutions to reduce the number of single-occupancy cars on campus” To create the second survey, Fischer and Black have already reached out to faculty, staff, facilities members and human resources. They plan to incorporate the opinions they’ve received to develop a well-rounded approach. Fischer and Black have also looked at the modes of transportation used at nearby campuses. “While the questions that will be asked on the second survey are entirely potential ideas, they come from thought-out solutions that have worked in other schools or institutions regarding reducing cars,” Black said. Students are optimistic about the
surveys. “There is this disconnect that I have with the actual campus. I think surveys like these can really help. And I think having more resources in terms of transportation for people who live off campus would be really helpful in reconciling that feeling,” Antoine Malfroy-Camine ’17 said. Fischer plans to present the results of the surveys to the President’s Task Force on Campus Sustainability. She thinks this will open the floor to new discussion and consideration regarding the environmental side of transportation to and from the Brandeis campus. The environmental benefits are not far off from the practical ones. “There seems to be near universal agreement that in addition to helping reduce our carbon footprint, increasing the use of alternate modes of transportation to campus would help decrease parking and traffic congestion on campus,” Fischer wrote in an email to The Hoot. Fischer cautions, however, that the surveys are not reflective of any current changes or initiatives. Instead, they are a means to analyze the situation in regard to sustainability. She continued, “We just have to figure out the right ways to approach it that would best fit the community.”
Prof. discusses televangelists’ impact on African American women By Abigail Gardener Staff
Harvard Professor Marla Frederick visited Brandeis on Tuesday, Nov. 10 to present her research on televangelists and the help they provide to women who have experienced sexual trauma. Her research focuses on how American religious leaders speaking on television affect women in a Kingston, Jamaica community. Televangelists are evangelical preachers who speak on television to offer spiritual guidance and ask for money from their audience to promote charitable causes. Frederick, a professor of African American studies and religion, decided to investigate this topic in the ear-
ly 2000s when she was interviewing a community of African American women in eastern North Carolina. When she asked the women about their church experiences and the work their churches were doing in the community, many of them spoke about the televangelists they watched. It was at this point that she realized she needed to pursue televangelism. “When I did begin to follow up, I started to just watch the televangelists and try to figure out where they were most popular,” Frederick said. “There was a tremendous presence of American-based televangelists in the Caribbean in particular, so I decided to do my field research in Jamaica.” Frederick’s work led her to American female televangelists like Joyce Meyer, Dr. Juanita Bynum and Paula
White; women who “have gained tremendous national and international followings based on sharing their experiences of sexual trauma and redemption,” Frederick shared. All these televangelists have experienced some sort of past sexual trauma, and they speak candidly about their individual stories and how they have used their pain to make themselves better people, according to Frederick. They “offer gospels of sexual redemption to their audiences through their narratives of transformation after experiences of both sexual abuse and sexual indulgence,” Frederick said. She believes the women watching them find solace because they feel they can relate. Frederick recounted the story of one woman she met during her re-
search in Jamaica, Valencia, who shared how televangelism had helped her overcome her feelings of shame, guilt and self-hatred after she had been raped at gunpoint three times. “This shattered me, and I hated myself. I hated everything about me, and I hated everybody,” Valencia admitted. “I thought I was guilty, and I lived with that for years … Even being a Christian there was still hurt, and I never knew how to deal with it.” Valencia watched Bynum on television as she recounted her personal struggles. “The strength along with the erasing of shame Valencia distilled from Bynum’s tale of personal struggle and eventual triumph was precisely what Valencia needed in order to move from a place of self-hatred,” said Fred-
erick. Televangelists like Bynum do not only offer the opportunity for women like Valencia to heal, however. Frederick explained they appeal to women because they help them find solace in turmoil and provide affirmation for each woman’s spiritual journey, whether she is single or married and challenges the church’s silence on matters of sexuality. “Televangelists, it seems, bare their souls, helping people to navigate these new terrains by narrating their own landmine experiences,” said Frederick. Women appreciate someone who “identifies with them and traverses alongside them as they find their way through the shifting realities of sex.”
Journalists and filmmaker stress need for investigative reporting at panel SPOTLIGHT, from page 1
Massachusetts population was Catholic, according to research conducted at the Graduate Center at the City University of New York. “I used to say that in any other city they would call me a newcomer,” Baron responded to McNamara, eliciting a laugh from the crowd. While he did acknowledge that perhaps his fresh eyes gave him a different perspective, it was his journalistic instinct to look for a good story that drove his proposal to further investigate the Church, he said. In addition to Baron, the panel featured in the Wasserman Cinematheque included attorney from The Globe Jonathan Albano and Spotlight journalists Sacha Pfeiffer, Michael Rezendes, Matt Carroll and editors Walter Robinson and Ben Bradlee Jr. The seven-month investigation cost The Globe over $1 million, said Baron. “What’s the return?” he asked. “Well, it’s hard to say.” Although the financial return is unclear, Baron emphasized the invaluable role journalists play in holding “powerful institutions … accountable because no one else will.” Because newspapers are facing
budget cuts, many powerful institutions are going uncovered and it is concerning, said Baron. There are many courthouses that are entirely absent of journalists, Pfeiffer added. From 2003 to 2009, more than 50 newspapers nationwide stopped covering statehouses entirely, according to a survey by The American Journalism Review. From 2006 to 2009, spending on reporters and editors decreased by $1.6 billion, according to the Pew Research Center. “Although home circulation is steadily declining, we have more readers than we have ever had when you factor in online readers,” said Pfeiffer. “Unfortunately, most of them are not paying readers, so that’s the problem.” An important theme of the film is to emphasize the importance of investigative and local journalism, said Singer about the movie. “What these guys did, they were able to do … because they know Boston. They knew the ins and outs of the city,” he said. Paying for and supporting local papers is vital to keeping officials accountable, Singer said. Other topics covered during the panel included the emotional toll
photo by jacob kleinberg/the hoot ‘SPOTLIGHT’ Members of The Globe’s investigative Spotlight team discussed the state of journalism at a panel the night after the film based on their work investigating the Boston sex abuse scandal was screened at Brandeis.
interviewing survivors of pedophile priests had on journalists and the 800 stories that resulted from the investigation. Because the subject matter was so
“emotionally wrenching,” Robinson said his wife believed the journalists suffered from PTSD. Following the publication of the Spotlight team’s initial article about
the sex abuse scandal, the team responded to more than 300 calls from victims from the Boston Archdiocese, said Rezendez. “Their stories sustained us for years,” he said.
4 The Brandeis Hoot
FEATURES
November 13, 2015
Greek Awareness Council raises donations, visibility By Jacob Edelman Editor
Greek life at Brandeis is not the same as at other colleges and universities. Some might even go so far as to say that there is no official Greek life at Brandeis. This is, however, not the case. Greek life is present and buzzing with activity at our institution, and a more than fair number of students take advantage of what it has to offer to its members. Individuals are able to join fraternities and sororities such as Sigma Alpha Mu, Sigma Delta Tau, Alpha Epsilon Pi and Alpha Delta Phi, among others. The dynamic between these groups and the university presents a conundrum, though, because the university does not recognize “secret societies” like Greek organizations. Some element of recognition is still necessary in order for these chapters to
function on campus, for the fact of the matter is that they are quite active in diverse areas of student life. In comes the Greek Awareness Council (GAC). According to Jason Varghese ’16, president of the Alpha Delta Phi (ADPhi) fraternity, although the Council does not replace an affiliation between the university and Greek life that operates on campus, it can serve as an official figurehead for all Greek life at Brandeis. While the Council serves as a liaison between the Greek organizations that exist off campus, it also serves as a conduit through which Greek life can conduct certain operations on campus. Varghese spoke about how the Council operates, explaining, “It’s a chartered club, so we’re allowed to reserve spaces, but not for individual Greek organizations, so I can’t go and say that ADPhi wants to reserve a space.” Chartered
clubs are entitled to request club funding, but Varghese stated that the Council does not request club funds. He continued on to give an example of what the Council does. “For philanthropy week, [the Council] rented out Chum’s for one of our philanthropic events, and they hosted a number of acts which performed and raised money for the cause they were working for,” Varghese said. An essential aspect to many chapters of Greek life is philanthropy, and the chapters present here are not different in that respect. “[The Council] is more of a unifier. It brings all Greek life together to do good with our philanthropy events,” he said. Each semester, a philanthropic “Greek Week” is hosted by the Council, during which the Greek chapters support the Council’s efforts to raise money for charity. Last year the fundraising support-
photo from barcc.org
ed Relay for Life and Boston Children’s Hospital, and this year they worked in support of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. A representative of the Council commented, “Philanthropy is a big part of Greek life in general, so we try to put the most energy into that as an organization. This philanthropy week is a great way to get the different organizations to work together, as well as involve the student body as a whole.” Among those included in the lineup to perform at the successful Council Chum’s event during the week of Oct. 26 were student groups such as Starving Artists, VoiceMale, Crowd Control, Company B and Bad Grammer. The Council also hosted a bake sale and a movie night. In addition to bringing the various Greek chapters together for their philanthropic efforts, the Council connects the fraternities and sororities to the university and the student body in a way that better allows them to organize events such as bystander intervention and alcohol trainings. The Council representative also commented that another role of the Council is being “to foster an open dialogue between the many Greek organizations, the administration and the student body.” Something else that the Council
photo from foothillsrelayforlife.com
allows is for Greek organizations to meet directly with the administration and other parties from the pulpit of a concerned, recognized student group. “Our biggest concern is safety, and we interact with the administration just enough so that we can achieve that,” the Council representative said. Varghese also remarked, “Right now we’re at a place where more communications at both ends [is] needed”; however, he also continued that he’s pleased with the dynamic that has formed between Brandeis and the Greek chapters that are present. “The whole relationship between philanthropy week and Greek organizations are that [the Council] plans it out, and we send the manpower to these events, help to run them and make sure they’re a success,” Varghese said. While the Greek Awareness Council may operate in place of organizations not officially recognized by the university, it nonetheless does good for others that should be recognized by all.
SPORTS
November 13, 2015
women’s fencing Caroline Mattos
photo courtesy boots xue
‘16 fences foil.
photo courtesy emilia dwyer
By Lily Wageman
The Brandeis Hoot 5
Fencing starts season off on right foot at Smith College meet
staff
The Brandeis men’s and women’s fencing teams started their 2015-16 season this past Friday at the New England Fall Collegiate Championship at Smith College. The team started off strong with senior captain Caroline Mattos ’16 leading the way on the women’s side, taking gold in the foil competition for the second time in her collegiate career. Transfer Elishua Litle ’18 won silver in the foil competition for the men’s side. Other top performances came from Ashley Jean ’17, who placed fifth overall in the sabre and Kyle Berney ’18, who took silver in the sabre for
the second year in a row. The fencing team is led this year by head coach Bill Shipman, with captains Caroline Mattos for the women and Tom Hearne ’16 for the men. The Brandeis Hoot conducted email interviews with both captains to learn more about these two leaders and the world of fencing. Mattos is a double major in Politics and Film, Television and Interactive Media, hoping to one day work at ESPN or NBC as a producer. She enjoys an active lifestyle by participating in intramural sports when she is not fencing. Mattos feels that the highlights of her collegiate career were going to NCAA’s her first and sophomore year, as well as participating
in KUEFI, a Korean tournament last year. Mattos’ personal goal for her final season with the Judges is to qualify for the NCAAs, which would be especially significant since they are being held at Brandeis this year. Her team goal is for her teammates to work their hardest. Mattos describes her leadership style as fairly lenient except for when it comes to attendance. She said, “I expect people to understand that since this is a varsity sport, there is a lot of commitment necessary to ensure the success of the team.” One of her favorite parts about competing for Brandeis’ fencing team is being part of a supportive group with a truly caring coach.
Men’s captain Tom Hearne is a double major in Studio Art and Art History. Hearne described beating Duke his sophomore year for the first time and going undefeated as a team that same day as one of his favorite moments in fencing. Beating Harvard’s epee squad, though not as a full team, at the Beanpot Tournament his sophomore year was another highlight. More recently, some personal highlights of last season were improving his performance at Regionals and coming slightly closer to qualifying for NCAAs. This season, Hearne’s personal goal is also to qualify for NCAAs, which he says is a goal for many others
photos courtesy boots xue
on the team with the same motivation of having Brandeis host the tournament. He goes on to say, “It is an honor to be able to fence in this event but it would be especially rewarding to compete in it right here in Gosman.” Another team goal is to do well at this year’s Duke Invitational in February, although Hearne believes that the field will be much stronger than previous years with schools like Notre Dame and Penn State also competing. The Judges will return to competition on Nov. 21 with the first of two Northeast Fencing meets held at Brown University, while the Brandeis Invitational will be held Dec. 6 in Gosman.
SPORTS 6
The Brandeis Hoot
November 13, 2015
Szafran reflects on season as women’s soccer heads to NCAAs By Zach Cihlar Staff
Holly Szafran ’16 has been a member of the Varsity Women’s Soccer team since her first year at Brandeis. Now she is one of the senior captains of the team and is looking to make a dent in her final post-season playoff starting on Saturday, Nov. 14 at Amherst College. Szafran is originally from Newton, MA, and is a Health: Science, Society, and Policy major with minors in Legal Studies and Politics here at Brandeis. She looks to work for a year before taking the LSAT and applying to law schools. As a student-athlete, Szafran has faced many challenges. She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 12 years ago, and it has been a huge obstacle she has had to overcome as well as a central part of her personal development. “It’s a huge part of my life and still not a lot of people know I have it. I think it really helped me with self-control, time management and organization,” Szafran explains. Szafran has started in every game this season. The senior captain is a midfielder who has accumulated six goals throughout the season, three of which have been game-winners. She has also successfully completed four assists in 2015. She had a particularly lucrative game against Westfield State on Oct. 21, where she scored two out of the three goals for the Judges, and aided the third with an assist. Szafran said, “One of our goals coming into pre-season was to have other teams fear us, and I think we did a great job this year fulfilling that goal.” The team as a whole racked up 19 wins in the 2015 season, including a huge 1-0 win against UAA conference opponent Washington University in
photo from brandeisjudges.com
the homecoming game on Sunday Oct. 18. Szafran describes it as one of the most important victories this year because Wash U. is “ranked, as well as in our conference, and we always have a small rivalry with them.” Comparably, the team only suffered two losses and three ties, both losses coming from UAA conference opponents. For Szafran though, the greatest moment of her final season occurred in the team’s very first game back in September against MIT. In that game, the team fought back from a 0-1 deficit, to steal the victory with four straight goals. In an email to The Hoot, Szafran wrote, “Four different players on the team scored, and we really fought back and showed how much heart we have for the game.” The game was representa-
tive of how the rest of the season would turn out, and how much of a threat the Brandeis Women’s Soccer team posed to other highly ranked teams. The final game of the regular season was played against New York University, another UAA conference opponent, on Saturday, Nov. 7. The Judges pulled away with a 1-0 win, the lone goal coming from Lea McDaniel ’17 who volleyed the ball over the NYU goalkeeper’s head, off of a throw-in from Jessica Morana ’17 in the 36th minute. Szafran admits that the game was not the best executed game they’ve played this season, but she explains, “A win is a win and we did what we had to do to finish the season strong.” The Judges were not able to qualify to host the first round
of the playoffs, so the NYU game happened to be the last home game of Szafran’s career. She points out, “It was my last home game at Brandeis, but not my last time wearing a Brandeis uniform and that’s all I could ask for!” The team is also graduating senior captains Alec Spivack ’16, Mathilde Robinson ’16, and Haley Schachter ’16, along with classmates Alyson Parziale ’16, Katy Lehmann ’16, Chelsea Van Baush ’16 and Melissa Darling ’16. The team plays Western Connecticut State University in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament over the weekend. WCSU currently holds a record of 16-5-1 overall, participating in the Little East Conference. According to Szafran though, the team looks to try their best to make it much
further than that in the competition. They are determined to reach greater heights and prove their place in the competition. Szafran feels the team spirit is increasing as they head into the next few critical weekends. She said, “We expect the best for the playoffs. We can’t play anything but our best and we’re working harder than ever this week in training to show we should’ve hosted.” The first round game is being hosted at Amherst College in Amherst. The kickoff starts at 1:30 p.m. The Judges are coming out fired up with energy and determination, looking to make it deep in the bracket. Szafran said, “Teams are going to have to kill us to beat us. We’re so pumped for this post season and ready to go really far in the tournament.”
Men’s soccer finishes regular season with a win going into NCAAs
photos from brandeisjudges.com
By Sarah Jousset Editor
The men’s soccer team took on NYU in their last game of the regular season and senior day on Nov. 7. The Judges defeated NYU, 3-0, in an intense battle. The first goal of the game came in the 35th minute, when Josh Handler ’19 dribbled around an NYU defender and passed the ball into the box for Evan Jastremski ’17. Jastremski snuck the ball pass the NYU goalkeeper for his second goal of the season and the first goal of the game. The two teams battled each other, with the officials stopping
the game multiple times to calm players on both sides down. The Judges racked up 13 fouls against NYU, while NYU committed 10 throughout the duration of the game. The game seemed as though it would end at 1-0, however the Judges secured their win with two more goals at the end of the second half. In the 81st minute Zach Vieira ’17 scored off a rebound from a blocked shot in the box, making it Vieira’s fourth goal of the season. The final goal came in the just five minutes later when Josh Berg ’17 passed the ball from midfield to Josh Ocel ’17 who fired a shot from the top of the
box over the head of the NYU goalkeeper. The Judges outshot their opponents 24-6 overall and 10-1 in shots on goal. The game marked the 69th win for the senior class. Brandeis goalkeeper Kenn Fryer ’16 had one save during the game and achieved his fifth shutout of the season. Fryer was one of seven seniors to be honored before the game began, recognizing Fryer, Josh Hacunda ’16, Robbie Lynch ’16, Jake Picard ’16, Chris Bradley ’16, Michael Chaput ’16 and Conor Lanahan ’16. The Judges end their regular season 16-2-1 and are ranked fifth in Division III by the NSCAA.
The Judges finished with a conference record of 6-1, earning them a victory over their conference and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Judges earned home field advantage in the first round of the NCAA tournament which will take place this Saturday at 5 p.m. Brandeis will meet Thomas College on Gordon Field, followed by another first round match-up of RPI and Stevens Institute of Technology at 7:30 p.m. The winner of each game will play Sunday at 5 p.m. on Gordon Field and in the second round tournament game. The Judges have yet to play Thomas College, who has not met
another NCAA contender during their regular season. However, the Judges have one of the top defenses in Division III with a .51 goals against average. The men’s soccer team have accumulated 12 shutouts this season, out of 19 games played. The Judges defense will be led by D3soccer.com National Defender of the Year in 2014, Conor Lanahan ’16. The Judges are just as solid offensively with senior captain Jake Picard recording three game-winning goals this season, and Josh Ocel ’17 with 3 goals this season as well and a UAA conference leading nine assists this season.
EDITORIALS
November 13, 2015
“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.” Editors-in-Chief Andrew Elmers Theresa Gaffney Senior Managing Editor Jess Linde Senior Copy Editors Mia Edelstein Julie Landy News Editors Charlotte Aaron Hannah Schuster Arts Editor Sabrina Pond Opinions Editor Zach Phil Schwartz Features Editor Jacob Edelman Sports Editor Sarah Jousset Hoot Scoops Editor Emily Sorkin Smith Copy Editor Allison Plotnik Senior Layout Editor Sasha Ruiz
T
The Brandeis Hoot 7
Address black students’ demands
his Thursday afternoon, Nov. 12 African American Brandeis students and their supporters (or “accomplices” as some called themselves) marched from the Rabb Steps to the Shapiro Campus Center, where they sat for over two hours. Their purpose was clear: to stand in solidarity with students at the University of Missouri who have been threatened with racist violence for standing up to systems of oppression and anti-blackness. More than 100 students, undergraduate and graduate alike, gathered together in a sense of community not always seen at Brandeis to protest racial inequality and unfair treatment that affect our fellow Brandeisians every day. Students spoke of feeling unwanted, experiencing individual racism and erasure of their life experiences through microaggressions and other offenses. They also lamented that the African and Afro-American Studies (AAAS) is the only curriculum on campus where they felt they could discuss black history and culture, and feeling as if the administration did not care enough to address their needs. Students called
out specific administrators, including Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel and Dean of Students Jamele Adams—the latter of whom addressed the crowd—and the Board of Trustees, who like with every other issue, have not spoken to students directly. For Brandeis University, a school that proclaims itself to be representative of social justice, to create an atmosphere that generates such unrest is shameful. For a school that is named after Louis D. Brandeis, a man who had to fight anti-Semitism and was a staunch supporter of the rights of minorities, to have only one percent of its faculty be of color is to actively spit on the legacy of its namesake. Brandeis is known in many circles for its Jewish background, which is something to be proud of. But as one student said at Thursday’s protest, “We do not want to reduce Jewishness on campus, we want to promote other voices as well.” This editorial board has time and time again called on the administration to meet Brandeis students halfway, but it is time for
further action. A significant percentage of the Brandeis student population feels as if they are not wanted here, that their lives and experiences do not matter to this institution. As the above quote indicates, they do not want pity or to be coddled; they just want to be raised up and given the same opportunities as their white peers. As peers, friends, teammates and “accomplices,” all white, Jewish and otherwise non-black students must advocate for this. And if the administration and Board of Trustees do care about Brandeis’ students, then they have to show it. The former cannot politick and distract from the issue, and the latter can no longer be absent and ignore students who feel as if Brandeis dehumanizes them. To do so is oppressive. It is wrong. It is not the Brandeis that this board believes in, and it is not something that anyone who believes in this school should stand for. Black students have to stand against it the moment they arrive, the least we can do is give them something to stand on.
Layout Editors Lisa Petrie Ludi Yang Photo Editor Karen Caldwell
Sew Relevant
Deputy Video Editor Matt Kowalyk
Volume 12 • Issue 22 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma
Founded By Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman
STAFF
Clayre Benzadon, Rachel Bossuk, Sharon Cai, Zach Cihlar, Talia Franks, Zachary Gordon, Emma Gutman, Curtis Zunyu He, Sophia He, Daniel Kang, Emma Kahn, Naomi Klickstein, Nabi Menai, Monique J Menezes, Santiago Montoya, Joon Park, Nicole Porter, Albert Reiss, Emily Scharf, Marian Siljeholm, Eliana Sinoff, Ryan Spencer, Elianna Spitzer, Hannah Stewart, Sarah Terrazano, Michael Wang, Katarina Weessies MISSION As the weekly community student newspaper of Brandeis University, The Brandeis Hoot aims to provide our readers with a reliable, accurate and unbiased source of news and information. Produced entirely by students, The Hoot serves a readership of 6,000 with in-depth news, relevant commentary, sports and coverage of cultural events. Recognizing that better journalism leads to better policy, The Brandeis Hoot is dedicated to the principles of investigative reporting and news analysis. Our mission is to give every community member a voice.
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By Naomi Klickstein staff
Across 1. Goalie Mia 5. Choking sounds 9. President of the Society for Neuroscience 14. Nutritional berry 15. Tea flavor 16. Major artery 17. Chip dip (abr.) 18. Called 19. Brass section members 20. Priest 23. Indonesian word for excrement 24. Friend of Dory 28. Ship’s call for help 31. Muslim religious leader 35. Fatigued 37. Repeated thrice, a dance 40. Argentinian president Perón 41. “Old Man and the Sea” author 43. “My Own Worst Enemy” band 44. Star Trek: DS9 changeling 45. Fad 46. French water 49. Alpine transportation 51. “____ Punjab” 2016 drama 52. Evanescence hit 55. Elusive object 63. Extra 64. Mastermind of “Wanted” film 65. “Milk’s favorite cookie” 67. Heavenly sustenance
68. Sacré ____ 69. Feeble
70. Host 71. Nostalgia-inducing game for some 72. Adventurer Croft Down 1. Ugly woman 2. Military dress 3. Word to address a woman 4. Flaky mineral 5. Over 6. Hebrew letter 7. “Critique of Pure Reason” author 8. View 9. Create, as a plan 10. Rep. Wilson’s 2009 outburst 11. MO aviary 12. War machines used on Hoth 13. Poet Ogden 21. Location of the stapes
22. Ill 24. Ominous 26. Large ray 27. Raw mineral 29. Eight in Spain 30. Backyard structures 32. Made kitten sounds 33. _____ garde 34. 28-across synonym 36. Haute couture designer (abr.) 38. Bad way to run 39. Nobel’s invention 42. Minions’ creator 47. Taken apart 48. French equivalent of “Mrs.” 50. e.g. Panama 53. Arm bones 54. Frodo’s uncle 55. Word with legal or tag 56. Cheese that is made backwards? 57. Governmental body of Asheville and others 58. Wilderness education school (abr.) 59. One using their feet with dexterity 60. Salute to the moon 61.Vicinity 62. Revolution of the Earth around the Sun 66. A Canadian cheese
NEWS
8 The Brandeis Hoot
November 13, 2015
Students stand in solidarity with Mizzou BBSO, from page 1
police received dozens of phone calls about an anonymous message online threatening a mass shooting, specifically targeting black students. The shooting threats have since resulted in the arrest of a 19-year-old St. Louis man. University of Missouri students have also reported anonymous white men driving through campus and shouting white supremacist slogans and racist slurs at students. Thursday’s march was a show of solidarity, as well as a means for black students at Brandeis and their allies to come together and show strength in the face of racist violence. “We are not afraid of your threats, and we are not afraid of your guns,” said Macklin in front of the crowd at Rabb. Union Vice President Dennis Hermida ’16 also expressed full support for the
protest and recalled the 1969 Ford Hall protests at Brandeis, when black Brandeis students occupied Ford Hall, the current site of the SCC, and demanded a creation of an African American studies department. While still on the Rabb Steps, Heller students Rima Chaudry, Christian Perry, Alex Montgomery and Maryse Pearce read the names of African American men and women killed in recent years by police around the country, including Michael Brown and Sandra Bland, as well as the names of trans women and gender-nonconforming people murdered this year. Chaudry then led the crowd in a call-and-response chant of a quote by black power activist Assata Shakur. “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win,” the crowd shouted. “We must love each
other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.” Other chants included “black lives matter” and “racism is nothing new, we stand with Mizzou,” among others, shouted by black students and their supporters until their voices were hoarse. Marchers also chanted the chorus to Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright.” Upon reaching the SCC, the marchers were greeted with a message of support from Interim Director of the Intercultural Center Janae Johnson. They then sat on the floor and allowed for an open forum from students and anyone who wanted to speak in support of the event. Students expressed frustration at the systems of institutional racism and individual incidents, including being pulled over and intimidated by po-
photo by jess linde/the hoot
lice, dealing with the incarceration of family and experiences with racism at Brandeis. “This is an incredible event, but I’m also so frustrated that this is still what it takes just to prove that our lives matter,” said Justin Cates ’17. “I don’t care if they don’t know anymore. I know that we know our lives matter, and if you don’t like it, too bad.” Black students also lamented that the Department of African and Afro-American Studies is “the only place on this campus” that discusses the black diaspora and issues that affect black students, calling for an increase in black faculty and further development of curriculum. White students who spoke expressed their hope that non-black students on campus would take their support beyond social media to help “dismantle systems of oppression.” Khadijah Lynch ’16 spoke of her experience of being harassed with
death threats and messages of assault by students and on-campus parties, after Brandeis student Daniel Mael ’15 published personal tweets of hers in an article on a conservative website. Lynch expressed her feelings of being unsafe at Brandeis and feeling abandoned by the university administration following the publication of the article, to raucous applause and cheers. Dean of Students Jamele Adams also addressed the gathered protesters. “Thank you for being here and holding myself and others accountable,” Adams said. “This is our house, and you are our people, and I will continue to offer my ears and my voice.” When Perry called the event to a close, a sense of unity and support was palpable in the SCC’s atrium. “This is not the last step,” said Chaudry. “We will keep building this movement until we get justice.”
photo by sharon cai/the hoot
photo by jess linde/the hoot
Author of ‘Yes Means Yes’ speaks on campus CONSENT, from page 1
healthy sexuality. Alcohol, often brought up in the context of sexual assault, can be used as an excuse that gives men “social license to operate,” Friedman argued. This allows predators to continue violating their victims. Victim blaming affords the same license, making others feel safe given that they follow certain rules, like abstaining from alcohol or dressing modestly, while excusing the perpetrators of sexual assault. This “social license” is, in Friedman’s opinion, equivalent to rape culture, which “is just creating social license for perpetrators to keep
perpetrating.” The question of alcohol and its role in “hookup culture” can be especially difficult for college students, who are, as Friedman described, relatively inexperienced with alcohol. When people are unable to distinguish being “buzzed” from intoxication, they may feel that they or their partner are able to consent to sex when they are not. “If you cross that line,” Friedman argued, “you can profoundly hurt someone for the rest of their life.” Women, by feeling liberated in their sexuality, can work to undo the culture of rape. “I believe that reclaiming our sexualities for ourselves is actual an act of political resistance,”
Friedman explained. Sexual assault has long been been an issue on college campuses. Responses to the university’s Campus Climate Survey, which was released in early October, indicated that five percent of responded students agree to the statement, “An incident can only be sexual assault or rape if the victim says ‘no,’” 12 percent of students either agree or strongly agree with the statement, “Rape and sexual assault happen because people put themselves in bad situations.” Similar surveys administered nationally by colleges and universities have sparked more concern about rape culture on college campuses.
photos by sharon cai/the hoot
ARTS, ETC.
November 13, 2015
simmons college
Visiting dance group performs Jazz number.
bentley university
The Brandeis Hoot 9
Hip-hop routine by visitng crew impresses crowd.
‘Evolution of Dance’ stuns with energy and grace By Alana Hodson and Adam Lamper Staff
This past Thursday night, Nov. 12, the Adagio Dance Company performed its fall semester show, “Evolution of Dance.” As Brandeis’ largest student-run, student-choreographed dance company, Adagio truly demonstrated the extent of their hard work and overwhelming abundance of talent during the two-hour-long performance. Encompassing many styles of dance, ranging from hip-hop to ballet, “Evolution of Dance” was surely a sight to see for fans of all types. The night kicked off to an electrifying start with the opening performance by the dance ensemble called “Got It.” The dancers, dressed in black and white outfits, took center stage with their seductive yet classy motions and gentle-style canes. The following performance, “Entangled” provided a refreshing contrast by with their flowing movements and earthy style. Featuring the mellow tunes of Australian, singer-songwriter Vance Joy’s “Mess is Mine,” the dance offered a different, more mild and sincere tone than the preceding performance. Although the rivalry may divide us, Bentley’s CRAZE hip-hop dance team claimed the Levin stage with their high-energy and fast-paced dance called “Divas,” which drew its choreography from icons such as Lady Gaga and Britney Spears. Immersed in a crowd of dancers dressed in black, three star performers marked by bright blue articles of clothing captivated the attention of the audience with their powerful and striking show. With the longest performance of the night, CRAZE truly demon-
strated a fierce mastery of their art. Nevertheless, the Brandeis students still conquered Adagio’s falls show with their incredibly varied spectrum of dance styles, which successfully entertained and left a lasting mark on the audience. One notably interesting dance of the night was “Tziltzelei Pa’amonim” by B’yachad, one of Brandeis’ semi-professional dance troupes, which allowed its viewers to fully appreciate the traditional form of Israeli dance. Moving across the stage barefoot and in red and black cultural attire embroidered with gold, B’yachad definitely generated excitement in international dance. Each performance required the hard work and dedication of every dancer, even when under the pressure of limited time in which to practice. “Even though the group had to learn half of the routine within a two-hour time frame, our seniors (Hannah Brooks ’16, Brendan Weintraub ’16, and Stephanie Anciro ’16) make practices very fun and productive,” Rachael Schindler ’19, who performed in “Evolution of Kaos.” “Rehearsing for this show was very easy-going.” Although one may think that the dancers are only thinking of the dance and the heat of the moment, Schindler reveals the true thoughts of the performers, “I was also wishing that my overalls wouldn’t come undone so I could give the audience the kind of show they (didn’t) pay for,” she lightheartedly said. The Brandeis Ballet Company, founded by the Hannah Schuster ’18 (an editor of The Brandeis Hoot) and Abby Skolnik ’17, also made a memorable performance with their dance “Hidden Language of the Soul.” With fluidity, grace and quick motions, the dancers glided across the stage, concluding with a lone dancer, Schuster,
who effortlessly brought the dance to a gentle end. Of the Brandeis groups that performed outside of Adagio, the most memorable was surely “Stop Motion,” and their intensely animated performance, “Randomonium.” Featuring many quick-paced dance moves, representative of various Eastern pop dance groups, the Stop Motion crew added an entirely different perspective to the show. Dressed in pure black, the dance crew demonstrated a spirited performance that most definitely exceeded the audience’s expectations. The night concluded with a breath-taking performance to the melody of “Heart Cry.” The choreography began with the hauntingly soft sound of a piano piercing through the silence of the ballroom. From there, the pace of the music piece picked up into a powerful tempo that blended together hip-hop and ballet seamlessly. Being the sole instrumental piece in the entire show, the final dance certainly induced a lasting impact in the audience. Full of fluidity, the synchronization of their movements to the heart beats in the music presented a dramatic display to end the night. Working closely alongside Adagio were members of Brandeis’s annual Dance Marathon fundraiser, the money from which will go directly to the patients and families of patients at the Boston Children’s Hospital. Donations will help the Dance Marathon reach its goal of $5,000, and make a difference in the lives of those who are just starting out. Events like this “Evolution of Dance,” in which the performers work alongside volunteers to help raise awareness and generate funds, reminds us of the Brandeis’s mission to serve its community.
adagio dance company e-board 2015-2016
(From left to right) James Conlon ‘16, Brooke Granovsky ‘18, Julie Joseph ‘18, Lori Shapiro ‘17, Eunice Choe ‘17, Arnold Barbeiro Jr. ‘16, Mona Lau ‘18, Emma Hanselman ‘18 and Emma Gutman ‘18
photos by sasha lynne ruiz/the hoot
10 ARTS
The Brandeis Hoot
November 13, 2015
Brandeis Theater Company’s performance ‘Red’ enamours By Amanda Ehrmann Staff
What do you think of when you see the color red? Roses? The blood from a nick from a shaving accident? I think of Brandeis Theater Company’s production of “Red” by John Logan, directed by Zach Marlin ’16 as his senior thesis project. I could honestly say this was the most professional and poised production I have seen by an undergraduate at Brandeis. It was well rehearsed, polished and there were no technical mishaps or actor mistakes. It helped that Professor Alex Jacobs (THA) played the role of Mark Rothko, the troubled artist attempting to grapple with the fact that he was compromising the attention and thought his art deserved for money from a commission. Jacobs’ performance was stunning. His character covered up his insecurities with profound monologues about art and artists. Jacobs took up as much room as possible in an attempt to express his passion and protect his authority over his artwork. The choice to pick an adult to play Rothko was an excellent one. Jacobs was around the same age as his character, and it added a touch of truth that is usually missing from university productions when students are the only options to play older characters. The performance of undergraduate actor Rodrigo Alfaro Garcia Granados ’18 did not fall short next to Jacobs’. Granados played Rothko’s all-too-eager assistant, Ken. His performance was equally as passionate as Jacobs’, although Granados is less expe-
rienced and younger. He maintained intense energy throughout his performance even though his character had less intense, emotional moments at the beginning of the play. Even when Granados looked around the room, the audience was captivated. His acting extended to his fingertips. He was able to manifest his energy into the nervousness that Ken experiences on his first day of work. The truth in this performance stemmed from the fact that it was realistic. Granados did not just mime stapling and prepping a canvas, but instead actually did prepare a new canvas each performance. Director Marlin revealed that the production worked on a low budget, which made the feat even more impressive. Although the budget was small, there were realistic props, including Chinese food that Rothko fervently ate, buckets of paint that Ken mixed to the perfect shade and cigarettes that blew a smoke substitute. Although it seems obvious that props should be used fully and realistically, I’ve seen many productions where they are not. This includes a professional production of “Red” where the canvas had clearly already been stapled from previous performances. The play began as Ken entered Rothko’s home studio and began to look around. Rothko asked him, “What do you see?” Jacobs was perfectly positioned so that the audience could not see him, but Granados could. Jacob was on the balcony in the Merrick Theater, an excellent use of space. This blocking established Rothko simultaneously as an expert and authority figure, as well as a closed-off mystery. Granados
photo by shayna rubenstein/the hoot
then focused just above the audience’s head where the picture was. This positioning cued the audience in about how this play was a study of humans and human nature. The position of the audience at the same level as the actors felt like an encroachment on their personal life, and it was, as the characters gradually opened up. There were other particularly beautiful and shocking directorial choices that enhanced the mentor-student relationship of Ken and Rothko. During an early scene Rothko talked about studying his work while Ken watched him. Rothko’s obsession with art mirrored Ken’s fascination with Rothko. These focal points allowed the audience to recognize
these relationships. Ken also imitated Rothko’s pre-painting motions like running the brush along his hand. This again emphasized that Ken’s obsession was with Rothko, figuring him out and seeking his approval. An additional moment occurred when Rothko and Ken pondered if “these paintings still pulsate when they are alone?” They poetically compared visual art to a stage and demonstrated how, without the right eye or viewer, paintings are “like an operating theater.” And when you “turn on the light, there is nothing but a bare stage with walls.” As the characters spoke about this, Granados turned on the light in the theater, completely ruining the effect of the theater to the au-
photo by shayna rubenstein/the hoot
dience. Without the colored lights and dark, traditional theater setting it proved difficult for the audience to fall for the illusion of the stage, which is parallel to the illusion that art creates. As the play progressed, Ken was able to find his confidence and point out Rothko’s hypocrisy in going against what he believes. In turn, Rothko fired him; however it was not vindictive. Rothko clearly believed Ken had his own important life outside of being his assistant. I have to give a standing ovation to Marlin and the whole cast and crew. The production was extremely polished and on a different level from the theater I have seen here in my past two years.
photo by shayna rubenstein/the hoot
Poet-in-Residence Elizabeth Bradfield to teach upcoming class ByAdam Lamper Staff
“How can art and literature, often the most solitary of pursuits for the creator, matter in the public realm? How can we contribute to the public lives of our communities as artists or supporters of the arts?” These questions, and more, are the pivotal topics of one of Brandeis’ newest classes, Broadsides, Public Art and Non-Traditional Publishing, coming this spring semester under the instruction of Poet-in-Residence Elizabeth Bradfield. The class will focus on the historical application of art and literature, with a large focus on the “broadside” itself, and how it can be used as a method of communication with the general public. “There is a lot of great writing about public art, and I’m looking forward to discussing those ideological frameworks,” Bradfield
said. As editor-in-chief of her own online literary publication, Bradfield also has an extensive background in the field of pub-
lishing, which she believes “will be helpful for students interested in publishing to get to peek behind the curtain of what happens
photo from http://www.ebradfield.com/
at an established press.” Historically, a broadside was a large, one-sided poster and the preferred method of public broadcasting between the 16th and 19th centuries, serving a variety of purposes ranging from the announcement of proclamations to pure, unadulterated advertising. Broadsided Press, an organization launched in 2005 by Bradfield herself, while she was living in Alaska, serves to revive the long-lost artform. “In Anchorage, where I was living, it was hard to find copies of current journals in bookstores, and I knew that for people living in more rural areas of Alaska, it would be even harder,” she said. “I wanted to create a publication that made poetry and art easily available to people, that put broadsides in spaces where someone who doesn’t seek out poetry or art might stumble upon it.”
Today, Broadsided Press continues to produce and distribute literature and art out on the streets through a network of talented editors, artists, writers, designers and dedicated volunteers, who are deemed “vectors.” On the first of every month, Broadsided Press releases a new visual and literary collaboration to their website, BroadsidedPress.org, which the vectors can then download, print and post in public settings in the traditional style of the broadside, though by untraditionally incorporating the truly ubiquitous influence of poetry. “I think that poetry is not esoteric or elitist, but an art form that can speak deeply and movingly to any reader,” she said. “I wanted to facilitate the opportunity for more people to discover that.” Since its inception in 2005, Broadsided See POET, page 12
November 13, 2015
The Brandeis Hoot
ARTS
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Folktale-inspired exhibit invites viewers to look more closely By Emma Kahn Staff
The Women’s Studies Research Center (WSRC) is now home to “Tea of Oblivion,” a new exhibit based on the Chinese folktale of Meng Po. In the tale, Meng Po brews a tea made with various plants and herbs collected from ponds and streams and serves the tea to souls on the path to reincarnation. The brew causes a bout of amnesia and allows previous lives to be forgotten. In certain special circumstances, a life about to be reincarnated may refuse Meng Po’s tea and instead retain memories of previous lives upon rebirth. When a child is some-
how able to speak prematurely or unexplained memories surface in someone’s life, the mysterious brew of Meng Po comes to mind, and the intangible truths of life are thus explained. The folklore manifests itself in the exhibit through the augmented use of texture and materiality. The exhibit contains both black and white photos as well as small sculptures. The photos, lacking color detail and tone, draw the viewer specifically to the materiality of the subject and its sublime texture. Photographer Megan Ledbetter captured obscure subjects such as chicken hearts and fetuses, as well as mundane subjects like curtains and landscapes. Regardless of the subject matter, the viewer is in-
clined to lean closer, viewing the image carefully and imagining the feel of the textures at play. Ledbetter’s graphic and lifelike photographs yearn to be examined in further detail than would normally be awarded to a black and white image. Sculptor Heidi Lau builds off the images with even more tangible access to the viewer, playing with rustic-looking materials that invite the eye to analyze every knot, twist and shape. The subtle use of color keeps Ledbetter’s photographs present despite their pallidity in contrast with the mangled, vine-like twisted organisms of Lau’s creation. The entire gallery stirs up sentiments of oblivion. The simplicity in color, the unifying materiality
of both photo and sculpture and the blank walls giving no titles or reference to the individual pieces leave the artwork stark and unscholarly and add to the sublimity of the exhibit. In the corner of the room lies an unlabeled binder of laminated images referencing each work and grants them titles. However, the act of referencing the binder after each piece would diminish any impact on the viewer. While the titles of their works grant clarity to the images at hand, such as the title “Mental Ward” or “The smallest and the largest of the 46 chicken hearts,” the titles are not visibly promoted in any way. The rich creativity here lies in the force generated through the
capture of tangible, Earth-born materials and their lens into the intangible forces of legend. Each individual art piece combines to form a labyrinth of shapes and materials that sink the viewer into the ground beneath their feet, yet alludes to a divine force that manipulates lives down below. Those familiar or unfamiliar with the tale of Meng Po can resonate with the impression set by the “Tea of Oblivion” exhibit. “Tea of Oblivion” will remain on display at the Kniznick Gallery through Feb. 19 and is open to the public. Lau will also be hosting an artist talk and will hold a clay handbuilding workshop on Thursday, Jan. 14. Ledbetter will then host an artist lecture on Thursday, Feb. 4.
photo from brandeis.edu
photo from brandeis.edu
Ellie Goulding’s ‘Delirium’ lacks originality By Santiago Montoya Staff
Ellie Goulding’s career has been a slow process of echelon by echelon. In fact, her first record “Lights,” which was first released in the U.K. back in 2010, took roughly two years to reach the top five on the U.S. charts. Although, you may argue that the wait was worth it, since “Lights” became Goulding’s breakthrough single, it is notable that it took longer than expected. This U.K. native’s third album whooshes from the world of electronic dance music (EDM), which was the genre where she first found success—in part thanks to her collaboration with Calvin Harris in her last album “Halcyon.” However, that does not
signify that her unexpected musical shift has made “Delirium” an outright catastrophe. The first track, called “Intro,” sounds like a farewell and ambiguous way to say goodbye—Goulding’s way of leaving EDM behind. She has decided to stuff “Delirium” with one dance-floor song after the other. She welcomed producer Greg Kurstin, who recently produced and co-wrote Adele’s hit single “Hello.” Also on board, of course, is Max Martin, the Swedish hitmaker, who is behind several of Taylor Swift’s number-one hits, as well as an extensive list of other artists’ hits. Goulding may have reached out to these producers because of two important factors: First, she wants her songs to be able to translate well live. Second, she is
photo from dailymail.co.uk
hoping Martin works his magic to earn her at least one No. 1 hit.
photo from youtube.com
Releasing an album of such length as “Delirium” may, literally, leave its listeners just as the title of this album suggests. Not that Goulding is vexing. Nevertheless, nowadays, it is asking too much of a listener’s patience to go for 16 songs on one album. There is a mere quibble about Goulding having chosen these producers for her third album. Her songs lack an original brand, something that identifies and highlights Goulding herself from another of the producers’ clients, such as Hilary Duff, Selena Gomez or Adam Lambert, particularly when Goulding sings about stumbling in and out of hotel rooms, mixing drinks and clubbing. It turns out that material like this has become redundant, dull and cliche. How many singers have sung before about getting wasted? In addition, songs as, “Keep on
photo from
1071themonkey.net
Dancin’,” become the opposite of being out of the box. In the end, this sort of album can easily be mistaken as Taylor Swift’s or The Weeknd’s, which makes Goulding not a great musician, but rather a restricted and moderate one. Not to say, though, that Goulding is not talented at all, because she is talented. As a matter of fact, there is evidence of quirkiness in a couple of her songs. Specifically worthy of highlighting is “Don’t Need Nobody,” which balances folk club and techno club quite effortlessly. And her first “Delirium” single, “On My Mind,” brings her big voice and sets it free, and it is undoubtedly breathtaking. The songs tend to become catchy and have the potential to be appealing to a major audience. Perhaps Goulding may not need to wait two more years to earn another spot in the Billboard’s Top 10.
12 ARTS
The Brandeis Hoot
November 13, 2015
Bradfield’s Broadsides to debut in spring POET, from page 10
Press has gained a foothold in nearly every state, as well as several foreign countries, including Finland, Japan and Chile. When she is not teaching, Bradfield often works as a naturalist, both locally on Cape Cod and on global expedition ships. “Moving back and forth between those two worlds is energizing for me,” Bradfield said. “I love being outside doing fieldwork or sharing what I know about, say, northern gannets with people who are beginning to learn about them, whether they are 12 or 67.” Bradfield’s relationship with science, art and the humanities offers a genuinely unique perspective in her poetry among her other works. Traditionally viewed as separate schools of thinking and seemingly separate ways of life altogether, “both fields—poetry and science—are about looking and fumbling toward understanding. They’re both about investigation, so the fit for me seems natural,” she made clear. In the past four years, Broadsided Press has hosted the annual event “Responses,” where read-
ers can submit pieces of fiction, prose, poetry and other works in response to works of art that in some way encompass a global crisis of the time. “As a writer who loves visual art, I’ve always been curious about what an artist might ‘do’ with my own poems, so I figured that other writers might have the same curiosity—and that visual artists might feel the same. At Broadsided, I get to provide that opportunity,” Bradfield said. This year’s responses are intended to reflect on the severity of the Syrian Civil War and the staggering number of individuals displaced by the violence. In past years, “Responses” has covered issues such as the Japan earthquake and tsunami in 2011 and the Ebola virus outbreak in 2014. “We had such amazing responses to all of the visual work. I don’t want to say more, but come visit the site to see the collaborations that resulted and let us know, via Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr, what you think,” she said. This year’s collaborative submissions are expected to be published on the Broadsided Press website this Monday, Nov. 16. When asked her reasoning on the importance of the continua-
tion of study and application of poetic language in contemporary curriculum, Bradfield responded, “Poetry is an art form that is expected to connect observation and emotion, and I think that our practical, data-driven world needs more of that. More wise explorations of why things startle, sadden, overjoy, enrage or delight us. Poetry also insists on a close attention to language. Because every word counts, and because poems are most often fairly short, writers can see how a preposition in one line impact the adjective five lines down. Poetry deepens an understanding of how language works, and that’s a skill that can be used in every aspect of life.” For those either intrigued by the history or present of public art and its various media or interested in exploring a new and exciting area of study, look no further than Broadsides, Public Art and Non-Traditional Publishing in the spring. Though slowly but surely losing its influence in modern society, poetry, as both a form of art and communication, remains a vital source of inspiration and mental exercise for the literarily and scientifically-minded individuals alike.
photo from ebradfield.com
‘Spectre’ is wonderfully shaken, not stirred By Sabrina Pond Editor
Caught up in the fantastical world of wonderfully coiffed suits, black-on-white and whiteon-black, mysterious women in silky, floor length gowns and precariously fast sports cars, director Sam Mendes presents a reality audiences have become all too transfixed with. At the center of it all, the iconic image, James Bond, lives on in the fourth installment of the James Bond series, “Spectre,” starring Daniel Craig. His portrayal of the unbelievably coy and brooding character, at the prime of his profession, ran counter to the aging and lethargic Bond in “Skyfall,” and luckily so. As a man who likes his drinks “shaken, not stirred” and always finds himself entrenched in the most perilous of situations, “Spectre,” though not a much-needed finale, still finds a way to thrill and excite. “Spectre,” which was released last Friday, Nov. 6, is successful in its heavy reliance on the legacy of James Bond. Considering the countless number of films that have come out over the years, with actors like Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan, the finale’s interest in its predecessors adds some depth to the plot. The basic premise of the film follows that Bond, upon receiving a message in refer-
ence to his past, seeks to reveal the the ominous inner workings of the organization Spectre. Though M makes a multitude of attempts to protect the secret service, her efforts are thwarted when James Bond unveils Spectre’s secrets, in all of their horrifying veracity. Lucia Sciarra (Monica Bellucci) first tips Bond onto Spectre after their steamy coupling, whereafter he discovers that Spectre is led by Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz), a mystery man from Bond’s past. With a remarkably
photo from.
007.com/
even tone, Oberhauser delivers the chilling words: “You came across me so many times, yet you never saw me.” Under Sam Mendes’ artistic vision, “Spectre” is a marvelous spectacle of visionary achievement that underlines the director’s understanding that good storytelling relies heavily on aesthetically pleasing visuals. It definitely doesn’t hurt to bombard the viewer with a glamorous aesthetic; it makes it easier to buy into the romanticized, sensational
photo from businessinsider.com/
photo from teaser-trailer.com
world of James Bond. As is typical of most James Bond movies, the legendary spy hopped from location to location—from the Austrian mountain range to the streets of Morocco to high-end, luxurious mansions in Italy, and even Mexico City—there’s no place that is too far for James Bond to travel, no place out of reach for filmmakers to film. Though this film is a definite improvement on the last one of the Bond series, there were some glaring problems and inconsisten-
cies that the screenwriters should have contemplated further. An undeniably thrilling and visually captivating film, “Spectre” fails in its inability to expand beyond the bounds of its own genre. The predictability of the movie markedly marrs its attempts to interest the viewer. “Spectre” becomes horribly pinned down with the typical motions, in a sense giving into a mindlessness instead of seeking innovation and intrigue. The audience has become all too familiar with the Bond formula for blockbuster success: James Bond has sex with the outstandingly beautiful and seductive dame, a master villain looms and threatens from afar, and at the heart of it is a sinister plan that Bond will all too easily outmaneuver. In all of its two-and-a-half hour glory, “Spectre” is a fitting end to yet another chapter in the James Bond legacy. With a solid Rotten Tomatoes score rating of 64 percent, there are far more reasons to splurge a little and view the finale than not, if not in part to say a final adieu to Daniel Craig. The actor has publicly stated that “Spectre” is his last James Bond film, and as the most memorable Bond yet, there’s more than enough reason to head to the movie theater. If his statement proves true, the next actor cast as James Bond has quite a lot to live up to, if he intends on outperforming Daniel Craig.
photo from maguzz.com/
November 13, 2015
ARTS 13
The Brandeis Hoot
‘Pop Out the Box’ brings a striking display to Brandeis By Alana Hodson Staff
If you happen to stroll past the Rose Art Museum out front, a vibrant pop of color to the side may likely catch your eye. This spectacular splash of color nestled within the dreary and wet autumn landscape is certainly worth a closer look since it is an exhibit produced from the collaborative efforts of this semester’s Pop
Art and Sculpture class. The exhibit, called “Pop Out the Box,” is currently on display in the Pollack Fine Arts Teaching Center. Fine Arts Prof. Todd Pavlisko’s Pop Art and Sculpture class has poured many long and laborious hours of studying, learning, crafting and cooperation into their Andy Warhol-inspired exhibit, and their dedicated work has paid off to an astounding degree. Through the glass
pollack Museum displays Pop Art and Sculpture
photo by alana hodson/the hoot
window of the Pollack building, one can observe the vivid print canvases that stretch across the walls and the floor of the room, as well as the variety of multicolored boxes strategically placed on the ground. The wall hangings and boxes all feature Pop Art images that seem to leap out at the viewer from the their two-dimensional realms, displaying striking images and phrases like “OMG GMO” and portraits of Donald Trump. Pop Art is an art movement that began in the 1950s in England as the product of several young artists who ventured to deviate from the old art forms. This movement focuses on the recognition of materialism, rather than the critique of it. This is why almost all works of Pop Art feature prominent icons of popular culture, such as advertisements, consumer products and political or celebrity figures. Pop Art is also characterized by the use of multimedia, such as collage, silk-screening and acrylic paint, all of which the students of Pavlisko’s class had to learn about and utilize in their exhibit. “Pop Out the Box” was inspired by one of the most well-known American Pop artists, Andy Warhol and his exhibit “Brillo Boxes,” which consisted of a pile of wooden boxes painted with an advertisement for soap pads. The students of the Pop Art class had to study and hone many new artistic skills in order to create this ex-
hibit. “We all cut and built our boxes and painted on them, then printed images from pop culture like Donald Trump and the little girl in Syria who mistook a camera for a gun. The images were taken from the news and the media,” explained studio art and theater double major Tova Weinberger ’18. “We learned how to underpaint and screen print like Andy Warhol, and we learned from the current Pop Art exhibit at the Rose. The boxes are wood, then covered in acrylic paint and ink … We combined sculpture, painting and screen printing to achieve the Pop Art effect.” Unlike the simple and deadpan trichromatic color scheme of Warhol’s “Brillo Boxes,” this class-created Pop Art exhibit contained boxes exploding with bright colors, emphasizing the artwork screen-printed on each wooden face. Another key characteristic of Pop Art is the use of irony in its comic-book style portrayal of subject matter, which can be seen in Weinberger’s own box displaying images of George W. Bush painted with rosy cheeks on pale pink, yellow and white backgrounds, giving him a child-like and almost clownish appearance. “We worked many hours inside and out of class to accomplish this much work for the exhibit and every box is an individual image and cause that the students chose themselves,” Weinberger said. The process of creating “Pop Out
the Box” was certainly a thought-provoking and skill-enhancing experience for everyone, inspiring and encouraging each artist to expand and elaborate on the ideas they were putting behind their art. Weinberger, in particular, relished the exercise of reinventing her artistic perceptions. “My favorite part of the process was being challenged to think, pardon my pun, outside of the box and to use art in a modern way,” she explained. “Most art classes focus on technique and learning the basics; Pop Art teaches a style and encourages students to be imaginative and learn new techniques and ways to create sculpture that is simple, striking and modern.” Pavlisko is one of those outstanding instructors who can inspire great admiration and hard work from his students. “He is so enthusiastic and loves art so much that it’s infectious,” Weinberger said. “As long as you have ideas and imagination he will teach you how to get your thoughts into the real world.” The course itself is surely one of the Brandeis gems. “It’s not a class about technical skill; it’s about the power of images and ideas,” Weinberger continues. “That’s what Pop Art is. Everyone in the class is so excited to work, and we come in and create something new all the time.” This course is also being offered in the spring 2016 semester.
Rachel Adams explores diversity in contemporary art By Clayre Benzadon staff
The relationship between art and space is an important contemporary theme that many artists have been working with. Associate Curator Rachel Adams in particular has been exploring this sphere, and Brandeis was lucky enough to host her for a presentation about the newest installations that she helped bring to the University at Buffalo (UB). Adams is especially interested in the relationship between space and architecture in art. The first half of the presentation included a variety of works, mostly innovative, interactive and engaging, while the second half focused on presenting pieces of artwork that intertwined with nature, architecture and other spaces around the structures. One of the first pieces she presented was Kurt Miller’s “American Dream,” an interactive piece that is a digital box in which viewers put their heads to simulate being present as Martin Luther King, Jr. gives a speech and a huge crowd claps and cheers in the background. Sehar Shah is another artist that Adams was excited to display at the Buffalo gallery. A Pakistani artist, Shah experiments with architecture and art. Her pieces are characterized as large, urban relics, monuments and other spiritually symbolic ways of creating a sort of atmosphere that transcends everyday life. The objects are described as “geometric lenscapes,” a play between the inside and outside of the areas, “object relics” with cast work pieces that resemble a reductionist form of art arrangement. When Shah came to visit the museum in Buffalo, she helped Adams paint the floor, cutting out pieces of curtains and creating a traditional Indian city in the small room of the gallery. Another one of Adam’s most admired artists is Justin Cooper, an artist who specializes in drawing and performance art and who makes discreet objects and fosters a new vein of work consisting of sporadic installations. Most of Cooper’s pieces engage with threads of rebar to reconstruct a sort of “bent” body. Some of his piece are
also outdoors, but “Canopy,” one of his newest pieces, uses garden hoses to hold up metal folding chairs. The art piece creates an abstract illusion, getting viewers to wonder how garden hoses are able to keep the folding chairs up in the air, which look as if they are floating. John Grade, one of Adams’ inspirations, is a Seattle-based artist who installed a piece titled “Canopy Tower,” which was made out of ipe wood, rope, steel and wire. The piece is 15feet, 9-inches and 15 feet in diameter, installed in Edwards Marcus Sculpture Park in Austin, Texas. This artwork mirrors the landscape of nature by imitating the texture and heights of canyons and plateaus. The point of the piece is to engage the audience through the monumental sculptures by tying space and time together through the lens of an environment motif: an interactive experience that expands viewers’ perspective to describe the conflict of the natural space with man-made materials that disrupt this environment. Additionally, this contrast further emphasizes the theme of life versus its deterioration. Artists Claire Ashley and Bahar Yurukoglu’s newest installation, “Intimate Horizons,” was one of the last pieces that Adams spoke about. The piece is especially interesting because it incorporates patterns in space through the use of different media. Ashley makes inflatable sculptures and Yurukoglu creates work around geometric symmetry. The combination of their works together produces a landscape full of engagement with architecture. The medium of the inflatable with Bahar’s use of Plexiglass creates a spatial awareness in contemporary art. Adams’ goal of incorporating original installations that incorporate art and space and architecture together is a successful one. Not only did she include a multitude of artists from different backgrounds, but all of the art pieces are completely diverse in terms of material, background, environment and purpose. Bringing together art and space is a very important concept, especially for contemporary art, and Adams did an incredible job of choosing pieces full of power, creativity, nature and engagement within each artwork.
constructed landscapes Display of artist Seher Shah’s work
justin cooper Garden hoses are used to create sculptures.
photo from racheladamsprojects.com
photo from racheladamsprojects.com
14 The Brandeis Hoot
By Hin Hon (Jamie) Wong Special to The Hoot
“On April 12, 1995 students camped by the Rock, the symbolic center of campus, and refused to eat. One student, Charles Chun, went 12 days consuming only water and fruit juice and lost 20 pounds. Other students carried on the strike with relay-style fasting. For 23 days, students fasted and protested, before deciding to pursue other means of change. While the hunger strike did not bring immediate action, it had lasting effects far beyond the Northwestern campus.” This excerpt from a piece by Sylvia Reagan from Asian Americans Advancing Justice describes the day when Asian American students and their allies at Northwestern University placed their lives on the line in order to voice their need for Asian American studies. Northwestern’s Asian American Advisory Board organized protests and hunger strikes in their fight for a better education. To most, this historical event will seem discordant with their image of Asian Americans and our political history; Asian Americans are compliant, complacent and willing to keep our heads
By Zach Phil Schwartz Editor
Brandeis’ Library and Technology Services (LTS) is a vast and underappreciated service whose hard work is not often enough acknowledged. LTS employees deal with an onslaught of complicated issues each day, be it campus technologies, research or various other student issues. Despite all of the exceptional hard work that the department’s employees—both student and nonstudent—devote to the university, people are quick to complain when things go wrong. This is both undeserved and detrimental to one of the most important and intricate departments on campus. Take a moment to consider all that falls under the jurisdiction of LTS. When classroom media systems unexpectedly fail, help is dispatched immediately. When online services like Sage and LATTE stop working and students panic, LTS employees fix the problem.
OPINIONS
A call for Asian American studies down in order to obtain academic success. However, there is an entire history proving otherwise. A history that we, students at Brandeis University, currently have no access to. Out of 3,699 enrollments, 476 (or 12.8 percent) of those in the fall of 2014 were Asian, according to the Brandeis website. CollegeData.com reports 15.5 percent of the Brandeis student population as Asian, and from the vibrant Asian and Asian American communities here at Brandeis University, it is more than clear that we exist on this campus and find engagement in both student life and academics. We are here, an undeniable part of a Brandeis curriculum and mission that emphasizes citizenship, diversity and the pursuit of knowledge. Why aren’t we learning about ourselves and our own collective past? Asian Americans have a rich history of resistance; we only need to look at a few examples. In “Strangers from a Different Shore” by Ron Takaki, we learn of the Japanese strike of 1909, where Japanese laborers protested against the differential-wage system based on ethnicity. Their demands were, essentially, equal
pay for equal work. The Asian American movement itself, born in the 1960s and indivisible from the larger struggle for African American civil rights, is rich with activism and extraordinary figures like Richard Aoki and Yuri Kochiyama. Both did work with the Black Panther Party and were involved in numerous social justice campaigns, including protests against the Vietnam War, the detainment of political prisoners and the fight for reparations for World War II internees. Then in the 1980s, Asian Americans mobilized and took to the streets in the wake of the murder of Vincent Chin, a hate crime that was never granted justice. In the 1980s to the 1990s, countless groups of Asian American students came together on their campuses to call for Asian American studies programs. Student activists such as those at Northwestern University championed for these programs and the rights, needs and interests of the Asian American student body. These are only a few pinpricks in the vast expanse of history .that Asian Americans have in America; our political activism only covers a fraction of the wide and vibrant expanse of the Asian American identity, the barriers
our community faces and facets of our academic thought. So once again, I ask that if the university, as stated in its mission statement, dedicates itself to “enriching the lives of students and preparing them for a full participation in a changing society, capable of promoting their own welfare,” why aren’t we learning about ourselves and our own collective past? Education is more than a degree. Education can be a source of resistance and empowerment, inspiration and enrichment. But it can also manifest as suppression and an erasure of history and experience. As educator and philosopher Paulo Freire states, “Any curriculum which ignores racism, sexism, the exploitation of workers and other forms of oppression at the same time supports the status quo.” To ignore the call for Asian American studies is to create a flawed and oppressive curriculum. To deny Brandeis students the opportunity to pursue knowledge critical to the identity and advancement of Asian Americans is to contradict Brandeis’ mission. In the words of Kochiyama, “Unless we know ourselves and our history, and other people and their history, there is really no
November 13, 2015
way that we can really have [the] positive kind of interaction where there is real understanding.” We cannot pursue a more socially just future as students, as individuals, without an understanding of the injustices of our past. We cannot allow the denial and erasure of our past to continue. Ultimately, we cannot subscribe to complacency any longer and our past, our history, shows that we are more than capable of rising up to make our voices heard.
In our call for an Asian American Studies program at Brandeis, a group of students have formed the Brandeis Asian American Task Force (BAATF). BAATF is a grassroots student organization created to advocate for the needs and betterment of the Asian American community here at Brandeis University. The purpose of BAATF is to gather and mobilize students around finding solutions to issues specific to the Asian American community at Brandeis. For more information on the BAATF agenda and how to get involved, reach us at brandeisaatf@gmail.com. Sign the petition for Asian American Studies found on our Facebook page: Facebook.com/BAATF.
LTS deserves your thanks When students are in dire straits after their technology fails, LTS is there to repair. The range of possible offerings is expansive and takes a significant number of employees in order to run smoothly. Despite the integrality of the department, many continue to take for granted what LTS does. Students complain of issues with campus services all of the time, and when we see one department overseeing a so many amenities that students have grown dependent on, mounting frustration is understandable. Just a few weeks ago, when early class selection once again came around, Sage began to falter. Students took to Facebook in droves, complaining about how it was unacceptable for anyone to have allowed the essential service to fail on such a crucial day. What these students failed to see, however, was that it was not LTS’ fault that Sage collapsed. Rather was the fault of the students themselves. When online services like Sage
or LATTE go down, people are quick to point the finger, usually at the most relevant governing authority, LTS. Contrarily, when these things happen, the department’s employees work frantically to get everything back online and up to speed. It is not the fault of the department when countless students overload Sage while trying to register for classes. In fact, amid the panic of that day, not many managed to thank LTS for its swift recovery of the system. Problems with technology are inevitable and many times unannounced. When, for example, a projector failed in one of my classes, a representative from LTS was dispatched within five minutes and was able to set up a temporary solution to a disconcerting larger problem on overall campus technology. When my computer unexpectedly crashed and burned last semester, I brought it to the employees in the repair shop, who were in turn frank about the repair prospects and price. In the
end, they were able to fix and return it to me in a speedy fashion. Despite being a large department, LTS is efficient, friendly and, most importantly, human. Of the many interactions I’ve had with the department, from the Getz Lab to the archives to the repair shop, representatives have been nothing but helpful. The people that make up LTS work extremely hard, and as such they deserve far more commendation than they receive on a daily basis. We all need to consider that LTS employees are industrious people the next time we decide to complain when something goes wrong. Instead of going on tirades that blast the competency of the department, we need to be respectful and patient, because it will be the employees of the department fixing the issue. They keep campus information services working at full capacity at all times so that students can use them. We need to stop taking the ser-
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vices LTS provides for granted; there are so many offerings under the oversight of the department that many never even consider. It is extremely important that in the future we grow more thankful for all that the employees of LTS do, especially in the more complicated facets of the services. It is one of the most central departments to campus, but it is also among the most misunderstood. We would do best in the future to appreciate those that work tirelessly behind the scenes to maintain the services we take for granted.
photo from twitter.com
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November 13, 2015
15 OPINIONS
The Brandeis Hoot
Create safe spaces for survivors of sexual assault By Nicole Porter Columnist
Over Halloween weekend, having no idea what it was about, I went to see “The Love of the Nightingale.” I had just heard that it was well performed and a friend of a friend was in it, so I went. What I wasn’t expecting was a play that touched upon so many controversial topics, from the horrors of raising children around war to the difference between a life of violence and one of wisdom. However, one topic caught me off guard and stuck out more than others: the silencing of sexual assault survivors. This was a topic that I had heard of many times before, both from the news
and other media outlets, but I had never experienced it in a live discussion. Yet, it is something we all need to talk about. We have all heard statistics and have all been forewarned. We have seen the presentations, read the pamphlets and learned about consent. But nothing can prepare us for the reality of sexual assault. It is not some scary fictional monster that hides in your closet. It is real and it happens, even here at Brandeis. The “Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Misconduct” from the spring of 2015 found that five percent of responding Brandeis undergraduate men and 22 percent of responding Brandeis undergraduate women have been sexually assaulted. Yet only 39.2
percent of those men and 60.4 percent of those women actually reported these assaults. Some survivors are too scared of the social and emotional consequences of speaking up about the crimes committed against them. It is our job to help lift these people up and let their voices be heard. If survivors want to stand up and tell their story, which would hold the person who hurt them accountable, they will need support in doing so. It is hard to talk about sexual assault when society frames it as something to hide and be ashamed of. People blame the survivors for dressing too promiscuously or “asking for it.” This type of ignorance and boorishness is the reason sexual assault is such a controversial top-
ic. Survivors have a hard enough time gathering the courage to speak without people telling them they should be silent or that it was their fault. It is our duty to them to create an environment where they can speak freely about their feelings and stories and stand up against their attackers. To do this there must be open dialogue about sexual assault in more casual settings. We can’t just talk about the statistics in a lecture or read about it in a pamphlet. We need to have honest and upfront conversations about it. Tearing down the idea that sexual assault is a taboo topic must be done. We also must destroy the idea that sexual assault is somehow the survivor’s fault. The survivor is never to blame. Finally, we must
stand with the survivor and protect them and their right to face to their attacker. Standing with the survivor not only gives them someone to back them up, but also someone to help them along if they need support. We must stand with the survivors of sexual assault and amplify their voices. For any change to occur, a first step must be taken. The survey proves that Brandeis needs to dramatically improve when it comes to eliminating sexual assault. However, we can take a big step by making it easy for survivors to speak out and by creating a climate of understanding and maturity surrounding sexual assault. If we all stand behind the survivor and speak up, then change is bound to follow.
Eliana’s Advice: Managing the balancing act By Eliana Sinoff Columnist
“Dear Eliana, My roommate has been very distant lately, but when I ask him about it, he just shrugs the question off. I really want to help, but he’s just not making it possible to communicate right now. I don’t know how to make the situation better.” –Frustrated Dear Frustrated, It’s great that you tried to reach out, but it’s possible your roommate just isn’t ready to talk about what’s bothering him yet. For now, I would just let him know that you’re there if he needs anything, and give him some space. Other than that, if he isn’t willing to communicate, there’s not much you can do. If it seems to get worse or begins to make your liv-
ing situation difficult, you should consider talking to your CA and letting them know what’s going on. Also let your roommate know that if he doesn’t want to talk to you, there are other resources on campus. Hopefully, he’ll be back to normal soon. -Eliana “Dear Eliana, One of my neighbors has been consistently loud on a daily basis after quiet hours, and it has started to affect my studies and sleeping. I really want them to quiet down, but I don’t want to make a big deal out of it by bringing the CA on call into the situation.” -Annoyed Dear Annoyed, If someone is being loud and making it hard for you to work and sleep, you should definitely
put an end to it. If it hasn’t escalated to the level that you need to bring in the CA, then you can always talk to the person yourself. The next time they are being too loud, knock on their door and politely let them know that you’re trying to work/sleep and that you’d appreciate if they tuned it down. As long as you’re not rude about it, most people will be willing to respect your request. If that doesn’t work, you’ll probably have to go to the CA about it. Doing that doesn’t mean you’re making too big a deal about things, because quiet hours are there for a reason. The CA will have more power to get something done, and the person who’s being loud won’t even know that you’re the one who told the CA; for all they know, the CAs heard the clamor themselves. I hope the rest of your semester is full of quiet nights.
-Eliana “Dear Eliana, As a first-year, I’m having trouble balancing all of my classes, sports, academics, sleep and social life. I fear I’ve waited too long to address the overloaded schedule I’m operating on, and I’m just not sure how to go forward with this balancing act. Any suggestions?” -Exhausted Dear Exhausted, It’s really easy to overcommit yourself (especially as a first-year, since everything looks so fun and interesting), and it can happen to the best of us. Now that we’re so far into the semester, it’s definitely harder to get out of some commitments, but you need to remember that it’s better for everyone involved if you take a step back from one or two things. If you’re overworked and overscheduled,
you won’t have the necessary time to put into doing a good job. In my opinion, the most difficult thing to drop at this point would be a class, especially because it goes on your transcript. If I were you, I would take a step back from some extracurricular if you can. Maybe take on a less involved role, or wait until next semester to be more active. Also, if you’re already in too deep, your social life might have to take a small hit (for example: studying with friends instead of partying with friends). Another thing to keep in mind is to not agree to do anything else until your life is under control. Even if they tell you they need someone to bake cupcakes for an event, be willing to say no and put yourself first. Also, be willing to ask for and accept help. Hang in there! -Eliana
Achieving well-being: mental health By Monique J Menezes Columnist
“I am taking a mental health day” is a phrase we have all heard and most likely have said ourselves. Either way, the use of this phrase is an acknowledgment that mental health is something that must be maintained rather than kept in a static state. Only 17 percent of adults in the United States have optimal mental health, according to a report by the Department of Health and Human Services completed in 1999. That means 83 percent of people are plagued by some emotional, psychological or social issue. Most people may find that hard to believe, and that may be because we mistakenly believe a lack of mental health is synonymous with mental illness. To quote the CDC, “Mental health is a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” The stressful atmosphere of academia and professional contemplation may not be the easiest place to achieve this desired state of of well-being. Nevertheless, we are all especially aware of the importance of mental health and probably more familiar with
it than most. From orientation’s informative presentations to the emails we receive from on-campus organizations (like Hiatt’s last week), it is practically impossible to be ignorant about the issue. As we all know, Brandeis’ social justice inclinations have made this campus a common setting to conversation about almost any issue. Mental health should be no different. Unfortunately, there is a stigma revolving around mental health. Unlike other health concerns, there is no biological fix such as an antibiotic or vaccine. To this day, the scope of medicine remains hyper-focused on approaching illness physically. Our society is struggling to shift its biomedical paradigm. Others’ feelings about mental health’s importance would
not even be a matter of concern if there were a concrete solution to mental health. Yet it creates barriers for people like us to seek out help or the support we need. Getting help should be as easy as asking for it. Ignoring the fact that just admitting the need for help can be an internal controversy, the external world makes none of this easier. The questioning of mental health’s legitimacy in the healthcare world makes it difficult to attain. Insurance providers require a demand and/or need. Otherwise, support may be unaffordable financially. Furthermore, there are insufficient options. Until those who have gone into counseling careers are encouraged by a stable means of reimbursement (from insurers), they will remain to be geographically
few and far between. Fortunately, here at Brandeis, students have 12 free sessions at the Psychological Counseling Center (PCC) before needing to worry about that. Brandeis University has a host of resources that specialize in helping students like us grappling with our mental health. The most obvious is our PCC, located at Mailman House next to Public Safety. Recently, it has expanded its services and now provides support groups. These groups make help more accessible, providing a safe place and gathering people with similar concerns and issues. Who is better to talk to than someone who understands? Another resource on campus is Students Talking About Relationships (STAR), a student-run organization. These are students
photo by marian siljeholm/the hoot
who have been trained to be peer counselors. If scheduling an appointment at the PCC is intimidating, maybe talking to a fellow student is a better option. They have office hours in the Women’s Resource Center on the third floor of the SCC, Sunday-Thursday. If the thing keeping you from your preferred level of mental health has a specific source like academics, study abroad or your living situation, there are a bunch of other resources at Brandeis willing to lend a friendly ear such as Academic Services, Roosevelt Fellows, Office of Study Abroad, DCL, the CAs and many others. Also, look out for workshops and other events on campus meant to focus on our mental health. The fact of the matter is that a college campus provides an abundance of resources to address the issue of mental health. It is up to you to utilize them or not. Trust, access and stigma are true barriers, but at the end of the day, college may be a better place to be honest with yourself. We are reminded by friends, family and even professors to “take care of ourselves.” In addition to the resources, people here are aware and open-minded. Thus, as we enter the second half of the semester, here is another reminder to take care of yourself and to not forget about the significance of mental health.
WEEK IN PHOTOS
16 The Brandeis Hoot
the team behind ‘spotlight’ speaks at film panel
November 13, 2015
photo by jacob kleinberg/the hoot
photo by karen caldwell/the hoot
students occupy the scc
photo by sharon kai/the hoot
photo by karen caldwell/the hoot
photo by jacob kleinberg/the hoot
photo by jacob edelman/the hoot
Showing solidarity with the University of Missouri student protestors